Tag: All GI Exclusives
Melvin Anthony’s Behind The Scenes Account Of Jay Cutler Defeating Ronnie Coleman At Olympia 2006
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Melvin Anthony shares his first hand story of seeing Jay Cutler defeat Ronnie Coleman for the first time.
Ronnie Coleman is a bodybuilder of legends. He’s arguably the greatest bodybuilder to ever live. So of course, the moment when he was finally defeated from his Mr. Olympia reign was a noteworthy one. The man to take down Coleman was Jay Cutler – who went on to win four Mr. Olympia titles. Many bodybuilding fans have seen the footage – but only a small number of people were there in person for this historic moment. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Melvin Anthony shares his behind the scenes first hand account of Jay Cutler’s victory over Ronnie Coleman at Olympia 2006.
Melvin Anthony was competing at the Mr. Olympia in 2006. So not only was he in person to witness Ronnie Coleman’s defeat after eight Mr. Olympia wins, he was also behind the scenes in the events leading up to it. That’s why in our video interview, we asked Anthony to break down what that experience was like. Was it clear from the beginning that Jay Cutler would take down The King? Or was it a surprise for even the competitors?
Melvin Anthony admits that his perception on the moment is slightly skewed. He was competing himself – and so he had tunnel vision due to the hunger for victory. He wasn’t worrying whether or not Jay Cutler could beat Coleman. He instead was focused on being the one to beat Coleman himself.
Despite this, Melvin Anthony had some interesting stories to tell about the Olympia 2016. Once Anthony saw Jay Cutler and Ronnie Coleman pose – he knew that he wouldn’t be able to take the first place spot. It’s at this moment he was able to focus on the battle between Jay Cutler and Ronnie Coleman with more focus.
Was he surprised that Ronnie Coleman lost? No, not really. This isn’t because it was obvious he would lose. It was because in a sport like bodybuilding – anything can happen between competitors at this top tier level. In fact, Melvin Anthony believes that Jay Cutler had a better physique in previous years. Cutler only lost because he lost the mental game.
Melvin Anthony describes a moment from a previous Olympia, when Ronnie Coleman came out to warm up backastage and, according to Anthony, you could see Coleman’s size grow as he got pumped up. It was in that moment that Jay Cutler go psyched out. By having his mental game thrown off – his physique diminished and he lost to Coleman.
Anthony believes that Jay Cutler’s physique was slightly less on point in 2006 – but his mental game was completely on point. It helped take down Ronnie Coleman. The moment was a big one. It was the passing of the torch and the end of an era for one of the longest running Mr. Olympia champions. Everyone knew that day that there would never be another like Ronnie Coleman.
You can watch Melvin Anthony go into full detail about his behind the scenes experience of Ronnie Coleman vs Jay Cutler in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Aaron Singerman: Objectively Arnold Schwarzenegger Would Not Be In The Top 5 Bodybuilders Of All Time
Removing personal taste, Aaron Singerman picks the top 5 bodybuilders of all time.
There are a few ways you can make a top 5 list for sports. One would be to focus on what they accomplished in context of their era. The other is to put all athletes on the same playing field and judge them on pure skill and talent. So putting context and history aside – who would be the top 5 bodybuilders in terms of pure physique? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Aaron Singerman explains why Arnold Schwarzenegger would not be in the top 5 bodybuilders of all time.
Whenever we sit down for an interview with someone from the industry, we always take a moment to ask who are the top 5 greatest bodybuilders of all time? The variety of answers we get is truly insightful and showcases the different perspectives that exist in the sport.
When we spoke with Aaron Singerman, we asked him the same question. Specifically, we didn’t ask him for his personal favorites but instead who he thinks objectively has the best physiques of all time.
Right off the bat Aaron Singerman was able to pick his number one – Ronnie Coleman. Without hesitation he believes that he would win any contest against any era of physiques. But after that first pick – Singerman begins to struggle. He tries to be as analytical as possible. If he were a judge – who else he rank next?
Aaron Singerman ultimately lands on Flex Wheeler at number two followed by Phil Heath, Dorian Yates, and Kevin Levrone. For a moment, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s name comes up. But Singerman quickly dismisses it. While he finds Schwarzenegger to be one of his personal favorite bodybuilders of all time – he thinks there are too many athletes with physique far superior to his.
“If someone was thinking Arnold Schwarzenegger, he’s getting smoked by all these guys,” Aaron Singerman states in our interview. He continues:
“So he’s not… I mean he’d be one of my favorites. Who I would like to look like personally, he’d be up there. But in terms of would Arnold at a stage now compete with Flex Wheeler? No, I mean he’d be demolished.”
Of course, there’s a reason why many would place Arnold Schwarzenegger on the top of their list. It’s due to his contributions to the sport, his presence in pop culture, and his accomplishments for the time. But in the full spectrum of physiques across the years – by today’s standards he would potentially fall short.
Of course, it would be fun to imagine what Arnold Schwarzenegger would look like today had he grown up in this era. With the kind of knowledge, technology, and supplementation of today – would we see some sort of uber Schwarzenegger? Sadly, that’s an idea that can only exist in the imagination.
You can watch Aaron Singerman break down his reasoning for the top 5 bodybuilders of all time in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
INTERVIEW: How A $100 Bet Transformed Dennis James Into A Bodybuilder
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Dennis James reflects on his time in Thailand and how a simple $100 bet changed the entire course of his life into bodybuilding.
Dennis James is well known today as a bodybuilding guru of sorts. He helps coach and train some of the biggest bodybuilders in the sport. He’s also a sort of unofficial color commentator for bodybuilding. He’s a co-host of the Olympia press conference and provides analysis for the various top-level physiques we see on stage. He was also one hell of a bodybuilder in his prime.
So it may come as a shock that his entire life as an iconic bodybuilder, commentator, and coach all stemmed from a simple $100 bet. Not only that – it was a $100 bet that was agreed upon while James was drunk. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Dennis James explains how a $100 bet changed his life and transformed him into a bodybuilder.
Dennis James is an extremely knowledgable bodybuilder in the sport. That’s why during our video conversation with him, we asked how a beginner bodybuilder can get credible information for research into training and dieting and supplementation. Like any sport – there is no one right answer. The fundamentals are all easily available for anyone to learn – but the pro level tactics come from experience. And everyone’s individual journey is often different.
So instead of giving generalized advice, Dennis James shares his story of how he became a bodybuilder and learned how to perfect his diet, training, and supplementation. The story is quite a rollercoaster and shows that even an icon like James required years of trial and error before become the pro we all remember. The best part about the whole story? It started off with a drunk $100 bet.
Dennis James took a two week trip to Thailand in the early 1990s. He loved it so much there that he never left. He ultimately stayed there for many years – far past the two week vacation plan. While living there, he spent a lot of time enjoying life and hanging out at the local bars. One such bar often had bodybuilders come in as patrons. After some time of becoming friendly, a fun and drunken wager was made.
Dennis James bet a bodybuilder that he could become just as muscular in three months. He was drunk and overly confident. He had little to no knowledge on how to achieve this goal. Regardless, he shook on the bet. $100 if he could build up mass monster muscle in 3 months.
Dennis James dove head first into training. He knew nothing about diet. He actually changed nothing about his diet. Instead he just rained hardcore non-stop. According to him, his body reacted so well and so fast that he received the $100 from the bet in just six months.
Shortly after the bet, Dennis James continued to train and eventually caught the eye of the Mr. Universe promoters. In 1992 Dennis James was drunkenly taking a random $100 bet. In 1993, he was on stage at the Mr. Universe in England.
The rest, as the say, is history. He continued to make bodybuilding his passion. In having to finally compete on a stage – he asked for advice on how to diet. His initial advice received was to simply eat chicken, rise, and pineapple for every meal. That’s why he did and it helped. Of course, we know that the bodybuilding diet is far more complicated than that.
And that’s the point. Dennis James went from a bet, to competing, to making mistakes, and eventually went pro. He used that passion and pro status to eventually become the man we know today. There is no one single correct way to learn about bodybuilding. Everyone’s journey is different. You will make mistakes – but just make sure to do as much research as possible so you don’t make dangerous mistakes. If the passion is there – the rest will come to you.
You can watch Dennis James go into complete detail about his bodybuilding origins in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Dennis Wolf Looking Back: I Hated To Eat Like A Bodybuilder
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Dennis Wolf, now slimmed down, talks about how he hated to eat food – especially in the quantities required for bodybuilding.
Dennis Wolf is an iconic former pro bodybuilder and was also one of the featured stars of the original Generation Iron. Unfortunately, in 2016 he suffered a spinal injury required surgery and put him out of commission. He attempted a comeback in 2018 but ultimately he had to retire from the sport. Since then, Wolf has trimmed down and started focusing on entrepreneurial pursuits. In our latest GI Exclusive, Dennis Wolf talks about his current diet and how he hated to eat like a mass monster bodybuilder.
Looking at Dennis Wolf now, you probably would have never known he was once a mass monster freak competing for the Mr. Olympia title. Much like Dorian Yates before him, Wolf decided to trim down quite a bit. He came off steroids and even detailed with us previously the medical realities of retiring and coming off PEDs.
Some bodybuilder like to continue the full bodybuilding lifestyle after retirement. A big example of this is Kai Greene – which is why each and every year fans speculate he will return for a comeback. That’s why we asked Dennis Wolf – is there any aspect of the bodybuilding lifestyle he continues? Does he still have a focused diet like most bodybuilders require?
Dennis Wolf admits that he now only eats three meals a day. He still focuses on healthy meals – but doesn’t consume anywhere near the same amount of calories as he once did. In fact, he admits that he dislikes eating food in general and was often struggling as a bodybuilder to stick to the mass monster diet.
“I eat probably three times a day… Honestly I hate to eat,” Dennis Wolf stated in our interview. He continued:
“After so many years forcing yourself. I wasn’t a good eater in the beginning, you know, when I started bodybuilding. Then I developed the skill that I could eat a lot. And now, I’m kind of away from it so I don’t like food anymore. I’m not eating chicken, for example, for a month now because I am sick of it.”
Dennis Wolf goes on to explain that when you are in the thick of the sport and passionate – you train yourself mentally to enjoy the mass amounts of eating. Now that he hasn’t had to be in that mindset – his typical tastes returned. He never liked eating in massive amounts and now he can return to that natural state.
It’s an interesting admission. One that Jay Cutler has made in one of our past interviews as well. He’s claimed that bodybuilding diets are basically force feeding diets. He’s not 100% wrong – mostly depending on your own typical food habits. If you are the kind of person with a slight appetite, bodybuilding diets can be a big mental challenge.
You can watch Dennis Wolf talk in more detail about his post-retirement diet and reflections on his career by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Talking Huge With Craig Golias | EP 10: Bodybuilding World Reacts To Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Comments
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Craig Golias weighs in on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “screw your freedom” comments, analyzes Roelly Winklaar’s future, and more.
Welcome to another episode of Talking Huge – a weekly digital series in which Craig Golias talks in-depth with Vlad Yudin on the latest trending topics in bodybuilding. Raw, honest, and uncut – Craig Golias shares his opinions on all things bodybuilding. In this episode, Craig Golias reacts to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s recent comments about freedom, analyzes Roelly Winklaar’s recent physique, and shares tips on how to keep motivated during training.
This past week has been another busy bodybuilding week with plenty of controversial, exciting, and sadly more tragic news. So there’s been much to talk about with Craig Golias since our last episode. The biggest story that has been making waves is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s comments about mask mandates – stating, “screw your freedom” to anti-maskers. Craig shares his personal reaction to the comments as well as how the bodybuilding community has been responding as a whole. Other topics discussed include breaking down Roelly Winklaar’s recent on stage performance at the Europa Pro and what his future holds as he struggles to gain a first place finish; how to not get bored in the gym, and how to not give up when results aren’t meeting your goals.
The Bodybuilding World Erupts As Arnold Schwarzenegger says, “Screw Your Freedom.”
Earlier in the week, Arnold Schwarzenegger took to a news program to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, mask mandates, and vaccines. Ultimately, in a moment of passion, Schwarzenegger stated, “Screw your freedom” in a response to anti-maskers claiming they have the freedom to not wear masks. This statement started making waves in the bodybuilding world. Most notably, RedCon1 pulled sponsorship from the Arnold Classic. RedCon1 is one of the larger supplement companies to support and sponsor the Arnold Classic event.
Once RedCon1 made this move – more attention was brought to Schwarzenegger’s comments. Bodybuilders have made stances on social media and even strongman Brian Shaw removed his Schwarzenegger poster from his wall. So what does Craig Golias think?
Craig Golias was actually on vacation when the news first broke – and so he was out of the loop for the first few days. When he finally saw the news – he was able to read everyone’s immediate reactions as well as the initial comments. He was surprised at just how intense the reactions were – but he also understood why so many have become incensed.
Craig Golias, personally, believes that he should be allowed to not wear a mask if he is vaccinated. He thinks if a person doesn’t want to be vaccinated but is afraid of getting sick – they should simply stay home. As a large man of towering huge muscle – wearing a mask for long periods of time makes it hard for him to breath. Especially in claustrophobic spaces such as a plane.
Breaking Down Roelly Winklaar And His Future
Craig Golias and Vlad Yudin also discuss Roelly Winklaar and his latest activity in the 2021 bodybuilding season. After placing fifth at the Chicago Pro and then later falling just short of first at the Europa Pro – it seems that the hype behind Winklaar is slowing down. His second place finish at Europa Pro still earned him an Olympia qualification – but if he can’t win there, how will he handle the Mr. Olympia itself?
Craig Golias considers Roelly Winklaar one of his favorite bodybuilders of all time. He thinks that Winklaar can be a Mr. Olympia champion – but only if he holds on and doesn’t give up. This might end up being a rougher year for Winklaar, but if he hangs in there, he can readjust and come back stronger. He still has a chance.
As it stands now – Craig Golias thinks Roelly Winklaar still has time to tighten up his physique for the Mr. Olympia. That’s the beauty behind sports, there’s a wide amount of variables that come together for each competition. Anything can happen – however unlikely.
Wrap Up
There are far more topics discussed in this episode than we can cover in this article. You can check it all out in the latest episode of Talking Huge above! Make sure to check out Talking Huge every week on Friday – only on the Generation Iron Fitness Network!
Bob Cicherillo Full Interview | Freakiest Bodybuilders, Press Conference Memories, & More
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Watch the full uncut GI Exclusive interview with Bob Cicherillo.
Bob Cicherillo is a former pro bodybuilder who is best known as “The Voice Of Bodybuilding.” He’s been an announcer for many big pro bodybuilding shows, including the Mr. Olympia. He’s also one of the hosts for the Olympia press conference. In general, he has been passionately involved both behind and on stage for the past few decades.
That’s why last year we connected with Bob Cicherillo over a video call to talk about his career, stories from hosting the Mr. Olympia press conference, and his thoughts on the current state of bodybuilding.
Over the past year we’ve released multiple GI Exclusive segments from our interview with Bob Cicherillo. This uncut full length interview includes topics such as the freakiest bodybuilder he has ever seen, the future of Mr. Olympia under new ownership, and his critique on the current state of physiques in bodybuilding.
Listen To Our Bob Cicherillo Interview On The Generation Iron Podcast
Our full length interviews are now also in podcast form! Subscribe to the Generation Iron Podcast for candid, full length interviews with the biggest names in bodybuilding, fitness, combat, and strength sports.
Listen to the full Bob Cicherillo interview here:
Bob Cicherillo Answers: Who Was The Freakiest Bodybuilder He Had Ever Seen In Person?
Bob Cicherillo has been in bodybuilding for multiple decades. First as a competitor and then as an announcer after his retirement from competing in the sport. He’s been involved first hand throughout many of the biggest moments in bodybuilding history. That’s why we asked him who his pick was for the freakiest bodybuilder he had ever seen in person.
For many younger fans of the sport, they will only be able to see video footage or pictures of past legends in the sport. The difference between a video/photo and seeing a competitor on stage in person can be vast. It’s like seeing a famous painting in an art book and then finally getting to see it in person at a museum. It changes everything about your perspective of that greatness.
So when Bob Cicherillo picks Ronnie Coleman, it may at first seem like the obvious answer. We’ve heard it all before. Ronnie is considered widely to be the freakiest and best bodybuilder to ever compete. But when you hear Bob Cicherillo explain what it was like to be there in person – it reminds us of just how big of a deal it really was at the time.
One of the most interesting details Cicherillo reveals is about his experience seeing Ronnie Coleman in 2003. This is considered by many to be one of Ronnie’s best years competing. Cicherillo describes the moment he first saw Ronnie step on stage. He simply laughed. It wasn’t a laugh of mockery. Far from it. It was laughter because he was dumbfounded. He was shocked into a hysterical stupor due to the pure unreal nature of Ronnie Coleman’s physique.
Bob Cicherillo Answers: The Most Intense Press Conference Fight In The History Of Olympia
Bob Cicherillo has been the voice of bodybuilding for quite sometime. Part of that prestigious title comes in the form of hosting the Olympia press conference each year. This is the one time where all of the top competitors get to sit in one room and try to psych each other out before stepping on stage. It’s always an entertaining event that has led to some truly shocking moments. This is especially true if two feuding rivals happen to be involved in the proceedings. Make no mistake, these moments are no staged. Anything can happen.
The press conference is an open even that is often filmed and released to the public. So many people have seen some of the most intense fights and moments that have occurred. But it’s a totally different thing to be there in person – especially if you’re the one on stage between the fighting bodybuilders.
That’s why we asked Bob Cicherillo to share his inside first hand account of some of the most insane Olympia press conference moments. Which one was the most intense that he had ever witnessed? It may not be surprising to some that he picked Kai Greene and Phil Heath. One of the most memorable and best rivalries in the history of the sport, Kai and Phil certainly knew how to push each other’s buttons.
Wrap Up
Bob Cicherillo holds a wealth of knowledge and history in his head from the many decades as both a pro bodybuilder and a commentator in the sport. That’s why you should check out the full GI Exclusive interview above! We discuss far many more topics than we can recap in this article including the King Kamali vs Craig Titus rivalry, the future of Mr. Olympia, and more!
Gunter Schlierkamp Answers: Did He Retire Too Soon?
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Gunter Schlierkamp discusses his lower placing in 2006, struggling with his physique, and the decision to retire.
In 2005, Gunter Schlierkamp placed fourth at the Mr. Olympia. This seemed part of a steady rise over the years and an indicator that he could continue to be a threat for the Sandow trophy. Unfortunately, a year later Schlierkamp placed 10th at the Mr. Olympia 2006. Shortly after he retired from competitive bodybuilding. What happened? In our latest GI Exclusive, Gunter Schlierkamp details his final year of bodybuilding and whether or not he retired too soon.
Gunter Schlierkamp is a bodybuilder with an iconic physique despite never being a Mr. Olympia champion. And to many fans who followed his career – he seemed destined to one day earn that champion status. Then suddenly in 2006, his physique took a hit. He looked less on point than the previous year. He ultimately placed 10th at the Olympia and retired.
For fans of the bodybuilder, this seemed like a sudden and screeching halt. Gunter Schlierkamp had a steady rise to a high point of fourth place – only to suddenly slam down to 10th and stop competing all together. What would have happened if he gave it another year? Did he retire too early?
We asked Gunter Schlierkamp these questions directly. Reflecting back – does Schlierkamp regret retiring after his slump year in 2006? Or does he think it was all for the best? Schlierkamp speaks bluntly about the whole situation. For some unexplainable reason, his body was not reacting to his training methods the same way it had been in years prior. He tried changing up his methods but nothing worked. It’s as if his body suddenly started rejecting his training all together.
Gunter Schlierkamp was 36 years old at this time. There have been bodybuilders that compete well into their 40s and even 50s. But perhaps for Schlierkamp, his body was starting to change as he aged. With his body reacting differently to his training, he got off rhythm and lost confidence. Suddenly he was in a spiral that led to a physique he was less proud of than in previous years.
After placing 10th at the Mr. Olympia 2006, Gunter Schlierkamp thought long and hard about what his next move should be. He understood that bodybuilding couldn’t be a lifetime career. He also had other passions in his life that he wanted to pursue such as being a husband and father. Ultimately, Schlierkamp saw this as an early warning sign. A warning that the decades of bodybuilding were starting to take a toll on his body. So he hung up the towel and started focusing on his family.
Of course, Gunter Schlierkamp had plenty of other opportunities due to bodybuilding. He maintained a sponsorship for income and eventually started his own business. This was all thanks to the reputation he gained as a bodybuilder. So does he feel that he retired too early? No, Schlierkamp thinks he made the right choice. Perhaps he could have bounced back after 2006 – but he would have also missed out on other opportunities that he is proud of in his life.
You can watch Gunter Schlierkamp’s full response about his retirement in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Melvin Anthony Answers: Is Bodybuilding Less Lucrative Today?
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Melvin Anthony discusses financial opportunities in bodybuilding during his era vs today.
Those who follow bodybuilding history know of the coveted Weider contract. Back when Joe Weider was still alive – he would offer lucrative sponsorship contracts to the top bodybuilders in the sport. It was at once a sort of confirmation of a bodybuilder’s talent as well as a consistent pay day. In a sense, it was how an athlete became a career bodybuilder. Today contracts like Joe Weider’s are unheard of. Instead, social media influencer sponsorships and affiliate rates provide opportunity for income. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Melvin Anthony debates on whether or not bodybuilding was more lucrative in the past model compared to today’s model.
Melvin Anthony’s bodybuilding career happened just at the tail end of a massive cultural shift in the world. By the time he was done with pro bodybuilding, social media had just begun blowing up. Now ten years later – it’s almost a way of life for younger generations.
The rise of the internet, and more specifically social media, completely changed how bodybuilding worked. The competitions, of course, remained the same. But how the fans interacted with key athletes and followed the sport shifted. Magazines were no longer king and fans could get daily updates instead of monthly.
In many ways, this has helped bodybuilding grow. Bodybuilders can now promote themselves without a middleman. Live streams can be broadcast to those who can’t attend shows in person. Exposure is at an all time high. But has the financial opportunities for athletes grown with it?
Melvin Anthony is at odds with bodybuilding revenue opportunities of today vs yesteryear. He’s old enough to remember what the 90s paydays were like. Prize money might have been down – but supplement contracts were massive. Today, it’s common to hear that athletes are only paid in free supplements an affiliate percentage rates. Meaning – the more the bodybuilder can sell the more money they can make. This can be lucrative for some – but is vastly different than a consistent monthly paycheck.
Melvin Anthony at first claims that bodybuilding in the past was more lucrative. The lack of exposure made the niche sport even more “elite.” A bodybuilder could sell merch at expos – and they became collectors items. On top of this, earning a supplement contract or a Weider contract, was only for the best of the best. When it was earned – it was like winning the lottery.
At the same time, Melvin Anthony admits he doesn’t understand fully the new model of sponsorships for bodybuilders. He feels as though it’s less impressive of a payday – but he also understands that social media provides so many more options for exposure. Exposure can equal big money for those who know how to harness it.
The reality probably falls somewhere in between. It seems as if, in the past, the paydays were higher but dispersed to smaller number of athletes. Today, even a bodybuilder who places low on stage can make big money if they build a brand on social media. Many more bodybuilders have gone on to become entrepreneurs. While this isn’t direct money from bodybuilding proper – they used their physique and social media to help kick start a business.
The old vs new debates will always rage on in sports and in culture at large. The only true fact we know for sure is that there are more fans of bodybuilding today than ever before. So there is plenty of opportunity to succeed with that kind of exposure. Perhaps it’s simply different but not better or worse in that regard.
You can watch Melvin Anthony break down his thoughts on bodybuilding revenue in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Dennis James Answers: Is The Men’s Open Bodybuilding Talent Pool Shrinking?
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Dennis James shares his thoughts on the future of Men’s Open bodybuilding in the wake of so many new and growing divisions.
When it comes to excitement, Men’s Open bodybuilding is still king in terms of popularity. It’s always the featured event, it always has the highest prize money, and it always gets the most talk from fans. But with so many new divisions offering athletes different kinds of physique goals – will we see a shrinking of the talent pool of athletes interested in Men’s Open? In our latest GI Exclusive, Dennis James breaks down his analysis of athlete interest in Men’s Open in the coming years.
Whenever a new division enters the IFBB arena, there are those that speculate if it could become the new most popular category. Nothing has ever toppled the Men’s Open division. It may be true that there is too much history and “freak factor” excitement to ever topple Men’s Open for fans. But the bigger question is not about fan interest but athlete interest. With so many divisions to choose from – will we simply have less Men’s Open bodybuilders competing?
We asked this to Dennis James in our video conversation from 2020. James is a former pro bodybuilder and current coach and commentator for the sport. Due to this he has his ear to the ground regarding upcoming talent in bodybuilding. That’s why we asked him what his thoughts were for the future of Men’s Open – from an athlete roster perspective.
At this moment in time, Dennis James is not concerned with Men’s Open bodybuilding dwindling in the future. In fact, he thinks that the recent negative criticism Men’s Open has been getting will be fuel for a new generation to prove themselves. So perhaps we’ll actually have an influx of more, or at least perhaps hungrier, athletes competing in the Men’s Open division.
Dennis James may very well be correct about that assessment. He also notes that Men’s Open has always been the most challenging category to compete in – and it never stopped athletes before. The difference now, of course, is there are a wider number of options available. That mixed with an increased focus on health with each passing generation – could the Men’s Open one day (much further down the line) dwindle similar to Women’s Open? Not from lack of fan interest but simply lack of athletes who wouldn’t rather do a different division.
For now it’s impossible to say. It’s already confirmed that some divisions have many more athletes than Men’s Open. Men’s Physique or Bikini, for example, have an extremely large pool of athletes year after year. Men’s Open is comparatively smaller – but it never needed to be 100 pros strong. The problem would be if it dips to such a low point that there aren’t enough competitors on the stage. At this point in time that’s not the case – but what will the sport look like in 30 more years?
You can watch Dennis James go into full detail about his predictions for Men’s Open in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Matt Jansen Answers: Did Big Ramy Cement Mr. Olympia As A Size Game?
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Matt Jansen believes that Big Ramy further cemented Mr. Olympia as a battle of size… but there’s one wild card catch.
Matt Jansen is the trainer who has been working with Nick Walker during his rising success. Walker has been compared to Dorian Yates and his size is being praised as he continues to improve and prepare for the Mr. Olympia. With Big Ramy’s win in 2020, it seems he is further raising the bar when it comes to muscle mass. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, we ask Matt Jansen if Big Ramy has cemented Olympia as a game of size – and how that may help Nick Walker’s future.
During our conversation with Matt Jansen, we asked him how he first got into bodybuilding and coaching. What brought him to the place he is today – now known as an iconic modern coach responsible for fantastic physiques? Jansen goes into detail about his past as a bodybuilder and how his entire world was changed when he started focusing on a new training strategy that included a bigger focus on rest.
This change of pace opened Matt Jansen’s mind towards the power of coaching and training knowledge. He later then became mentored under Neil Hill – which began his path towards becoming the coach and trainer he is today. He’s now coaching one of the most threatening up-and-comers in the pro league – Nick Walker.
Nick Walker is a bodybuilder who brings unprecedented amounts of mass for his age. Still in his 20s, he already looks like a mass monster who had been training well into his 30s or 40s. Of course, he still has improvements to go – but he already has become highlighted as a big contender in the sport.
That’s why we also asked Matt Jansen about Big Ramy’s win at the Mr. Olympia 2020. Ramy represents true mass monster size unseen since Ronnie Coleman. While he has struggled to match the same kind of sharp conditioning that made Ronnie Coleman one of a kind – Ramy pulled it together for a truly rewarding physique last year.
Does Big Ramy’s win finally put the nail in the coffin when it comes to size? Has the Mr. Olympia proper become a battle for the most shockingly massive bodybuilder with good conditioning?
Matt Jansen believes so – and also jokingly admits that this will help Nick Walker’s future at the Mr. Olympia. If judges will all be pairing up competitors against Big Ramy in the center – having mass monster size will be of huge importance.
But Matt Jansen does also admit that the mass monster battle is not 100% set in stone. There is one wild card that can change the way judges lean – whether it be this Mr. Olympia or down the line. Matt Jansen believes that Shawn Rhoden presents a smaller but immensely aesthetic physique that can still overcome the likes of Big Ramy. Of course, Rhoden is not able to compete as of Mr. Olympia 2021.
If Shawn Rhoden were able to compete – Matt Jansen believes it can skew the Olympia lineup to favor both aesthetic and mass monster equally. Shawn Rhoden won the Mr. Olympia before against many mass monsters larger than him. He has the talent to do it again.
Alas, we don’t know when or if that will ever happen at this point. So for now it seems mass monster size will dominate as Big Ramy returns as the Olympia champion. Of course, the joy of competitive sports is that anything can happen. Nothing is set in stone – but for now Matt Jansen is feeling good about Nick Walker’s future pairing up against the likes of Big Ramy.
You can watch Matt Jansen speak in detail about his coaching origins, Big Ramy, and the Mr. Olympia in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.