Tag: Flex Lewis
Nick Walker on Derek Lunsford at 2023 Mr. Olympia: “If He Slips At All, I Will Beat Him”
This year’s 2023 Mr. Olympia contest is rapidly approaching, prompting retired Pro Flex Lewis to host a special sit-down between two of the sport’s biggest stars. In the latest Straight Outta the Lair Podcast, Nick Walker and Derek Lunsford discussed their confidence levels, preps, and protein intake less than three months from facing each other in […]
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Flex Lewis Likens Derek Lunsford to Conor McGregor: ‘You’re Going to Be the First-Ever Champ-Champ’
Before he greenlights his 2023 Olympia prep, Derek Lunsford joined Flex Lewis for a talk about his future. In the latest Straight Outta the Lair Podcast, Lewis discussed their old rivalry and stressed how close Lunsford is to becoming the sport’s first two-division Mr. Olympia champion.
Former 212 Olympia Derek Lunsford’s name has grown tremendously in the bodybuilding world over the last few years. In 2022, Lunsford set himself up for success, having displayed a jaw-dropping physique at Jim Manion’s Pittsburgh Pro. This impromptu appearance was crucial as it paved the way for him to earn a special invite to compete in the Open Mr. Olympia.
Despite it being his debut in the Open, Lunsford stole the show at the 2022 Mr. Olympia contest. Many in the audience deemed his prejudging act one of the most memorable in years. Ultimately, Lunsford battled his teammate Hadi Choopan and Nick Walker for gold in the finals. It was close, but the judges awarded Choopan first for his conditioning, especially from the front.
Lunsford decided to stick with the recipe he used last year and once again made headlines following the 2023 Pittsburgh Pro. During this appearance, he guest posed next to Olympia contenders Nick Walker, Hunter Labrada, Samson Dauda, Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay, and reigning two-time 212 Olympia Shaun Clarida.
Flex Lewis, meanwhile, decided to retire last May, right around when Lunsford began picking up momentum. While Lewis intended to switch to the Open, health issues prevented him from fulfilling the dream. Nevertheless, he’s remained passionate about bodybuilding with a long-form podcast.
Flex Lewis: ‘Going into This Year’s Olympia, Derek Is The One’
Lewis always wanted to be a two-division champion like former UFC Featherweight and Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor. However, he believes Lunsford is on that path now.
“Going into this year’s Olympia, I said to so many people – Derek Lunsford is the one. That Pittsburgh Pro, that blew my mind and everyone else’s. I thought to myself, thank God that guys not in the 212 anymore. I also said to myself, thank God I am not competing in the Open class against this guy. I also said, whoever is going to be standing next to that guy is in for a handful,” said Lewis.
“What you’ve done since the 212 is honestly so inspiring. You say that you were never able to dethrone me, but you know what I can say about you, is, I might have beaten you in the 212 class but now you’re going to be – in my eyes – the first ever champ champ. That to me, because of Conor McGregor and many of the other guys from different weight divisions have done it, is and was my motivation.
It was my motivation to be the first-ever two-division champ-champ. You now, whether you thought about it or not, it was consuming for me… I know [being] able to achieve something I’ll never be able to achieve now that I’m retired. I want to see you go to the moon and back,” said Lewis.
Lewis, Lunsford Talk ‘Born’ 212 Rivalry + Derek’s Time Training w/ 8x Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman
Flex Lewis and Derek Lunsford agree that most of the animosity toward each other was manufactured by their teams.
“We were rivals man, we were really butting heads,” said Derek Lunsford. “There was this born rivalry and now we realized, it didn’t really stem from us. There was external people fluffing things up. There was people in the middle doing [talking]. And we had no clue,” said Lewis.
“It was firing us both up,” said Lunsford.
“Listen, then it was yeah, I was doing a pose a most muscular, and Franco McGrath was standing behind me and then you literally did the same thing a day later. I’m looking at this: I’m like Frank am I reading into this, did he just do it because of us, and Frank’s like, ‘Yeah, he did!’ Frank was like the hype guy. He’d be like, ‘Did you see what Derek’s done today?’ It was definitely a planting of the seed going into that year [2018]. When I looked back, it’s truly what I needed. It’s what I needed,” said Lewis.
Bro, that’s Ronnie Coleman, saying that he believes I can be Mr. Olympia this year. Like, I want to give you words but I have none. It’s almost like, wow, holy crap! Then at the same time, wait a minute, now there’s this other level of pressure too. The greatest of the greats just said he can do it. Well now, I better freakin do it, you know what I mean. That’s my honest feeling when it comes to that.”
With preparations heating up for everyone, Lunsford has taken a keen interest in his nutrition this off-season. The former 212 Olympia champ detailed his diet and supplement stack recently. Lunsford is aiming to eat as clean as possible this year, which he believes will have a positive impact on his overall physique in November.
Despite Choopan’s impressive victory last December, many have suggested he won’t defend his title successfully in Orlando, Florida. Nick Walker believes the next winner will either be himself or Lunsford. As for 2023 Arnold Classic titleholder Samson Dauda, he believes with more back detail, he has the tools to capture Olympia gold on his second attempt.
Should Derek Lunsford win in November, he will go down as the sport’s first-ever two-division Mr. Olympia champion, a goal Flex Lewis once shared when he was competing actively.
Watch the full video from Flex Lewis’ Straight Outta the Lair YouTube channel:
Published: 17 July, 2023 | 3:45 PM EDT
Flex Lewis Takes Strongman Mitchell Hooper Through Insane Shoulder Workout for Max Gains
Despite his retirement from bodybuilding, Flex Lewis‘ love for the sport is undeniable anytime he’s inside his home gym, The Dragon’s Lair. In a recent bodybuilding/strongman collaboration, Lewis led the reigning World’s Strongest Man Mitchell Hooper through a challenging shoulders training session.
Lewis is a decorated IFBB Pro and the most successful 212 Bodybuilding athlete of all time. From 2012-2018, ‘The Welsh Dragon’ dominated his class at the prestigious Mr. Olympia competition. During his tenure, Lewis managed to defeat Hadi Choopan (current Mr. Olympia), Derek Lunsford, Shaun Clarida (current two-time 212 Olympia), and other veterans en route to building his legacy.
Last May, Lewis decided to retire. The decision was difficult for Lewis to accept considering he had been teasing a move into the Men’s Open division for some time. Instead, Derek Lunsford received a special invite last year, which he cashed in to take second place in his Open debut on the Olympia stage.
In the strongman world, Mitchell Hooper reigns supreme. Hooper won 2023 Arnold Strongman gold in March. Riding high, he took that momentum to the crown jewel of strongman competitions – The World’s Strongest Man. At the event in April, Hooper won first and defeated Tom Stoltman and Oleksii Novikov in an exciting battle. Currently, Hooper is in preparations to compete at the upcoming 2023 Shaw Classic, taking place Aug. 19-20.
This isn’t his first interaction with Flex Lewis either. Hooper joined Lewis for a deep Straight Outta the Lair Podcast earlier this month. Hooper was candid and spoke honestly about mental health. Switching gears, Lewis gave Hooper a look into the bodybuilding world with a brutal workout.
Flex Lewis Puts Strongman Mitchell Hooper Through Shoulder-Blasting Workout
Find a list of the exercises used by Lewis and Hooper below:
Standing Lateral Raise machine (dropset to failure)
Seated Shoulder Press Machine (2 sets to failure)
Forward Lean Pec Deck Fly (superset/ with Reverse Pec Fly)
Standing Lateral Raise machine (dropset to failure)
For machine standing lateral raises, Lewis said ‘spike at the top’ of the movement and prioritize control. He shared that bodybuilding legend Dorian Yates taught him that neglecting the negative is one of the biggest mistakes lifers make.
“Spike at the top, there we go. It feels like you’re driving through. There’s somebody inside that shoulder that’s trying to fucking punch through. That’s the connection at the top. Yes, control,” Flex Lewis explained.
“No [these are not working sets]. A lot of guys in general when they come to the gym it’s not me saying anything about, we’re talking about generalizations of guys that want to progress in bodybuilding. Almost always, they neglect the negative. There’s zero control. Dorian Yates told me that is going to be one of your best friends. Control the negative. You’re truly fighting that negative mindset of zoning out. In this case, sideways, up, hold, control, 3, 2, 1, up.”
Lewis believes ‘fighting the negative’ is essential to unlocking shoulder gains.
“I’m zoned out completely and truly fighting the whole negative and I can feel everything fighting themselves, every little muscle tissue,” added Lewis. “Let’s do a little drop set, we’ll do 200, down to 140, down to 100 [pounds].”
Seated Shoulder Press Machine (2 sets to failure)
On the seated shoulder press machine, Hooper was impressed with Lewis’ endurance and strength. He believes strongmen can ‘take a page’ from bodybuilders inside the gym.
“You guys [bodybuilders] when you take everything and make it strict. You would beat us [strongmen] in a lot of things. That would beat anyone in strongman but if you took it and put it to a log where you actually use your body to drive,” said Mitchell Hooper. “There’s a page we can take from your guys’ book though. If you get that strong training bodybuilding. You train bodybuilding as a 10-15% of your workout, there’s good evidence to say that muscle thickness is just going to win at a certain stage.”
“I was going to help you, but he didn’t fucking help me so I thought fuck this guy. What I find is what a lot of people do especially with rear delts, they will put an ungodly amount of weight on and everything just goes to shit. You’ll see there’s no correct form. Everything is not fluent,” said Lewis.
Forward Lean Pec Deck Fly (superset/ with Reverse Pec Fly)
Lewis and Hooper finished with a forward lean pec deck fly before calling it a day. Hooper was toasted after the workout and impressed with the pump.
“For us bodybuilders when we are doing a back double biceps, this is what’s going to be lighting up every last separation. Superset. Killer,” said Lewis. “Squeeze the front delts and drive, and squeeze.”
“It’s amazing how you lean into and there’s no chest at all,” said Hooper.
“You feel it in the front delts?” asks Lewis.
“Yeah, it’s lighting up,” responded Hooper. “I’m burnt.”
Hooper isn’t resting on his laurels despite having nailed down two of the most prestigious titles in strongman. He continues to showcase his strength in preparation for the Shaw Classic. The last time fans saw him in action, Hooper turned heads with a 463-pound bench press for a three-rep personal record.
Even outside of strongman, the wins for Hooper keep stacking up. Months ago, he broke Tom Platz’s legendary 1992 squat-off record, which stood at 525 pounds for 23 reps. Hooper surpassed him by one rep for a total of 24.
This wasn’t the first bodybuilding/strongman workout collaboration. Last year, Men’s Open talent Nathan De Asha joined former WSM champs/brothers Tom and Luke Stoltman for a special training session. In addition, Flex Lewis teamed up with Eddie ‘The Beast’ Hall for an arms workout. Hall is currently in preparation for his move to bodybuilding in the Classic Physique division. He’s shared physique updates ahead of his anticipated debut.
While bodybuilding training differs from strongman training, Hooper was blown away by the intensity of Lewis’ workout in the end.
RELATED: A Look into World’s Strongest Man Mitchell Hooper’s Day
You can watch the full video from Mitchel Hooper’s YouTube channel below:
Published: 14 July, 2023 | 11:08 AM EDT
Flex Lewis Starts Physique Transformation for Nov: “I Want to Be Bigger, Stronger & Faster”
Flex Lewis, a 212 bodybuilding superstar, intends to transform his physique over the next four months. In a recent Instagram post, Lewis announced his plans to get in the best shape of his life post-bodybuilding, where he hopes to be bigger, stronger, and faster than ever.
“This is a true challenge, with the last challenge it was 2018 in my last Mr Olympia prep. This is something I have missed, and anyone inspired to start their own journey/ transformation let’s all do it together,” shared Flex Lewis.
Lewis built a successful career in the 2000s with shocking mass, dry conditioning, and muscle maturity. He is well known for his intense training methods as well as his huge forearms and biceps. During his respective tenure, Lewis left nothing in the tank, having not only secured seven 212 Olympia titles but defeated heavy hitters who shared the stage with him, such as Derek Lunsford, Shaun Clarida, and Kamal Elgargni.
Given his success in 212 Bodybuilding, all signs pointed to Flex trying out the Open. And despite rumors about his potential switch, it never materialized. Instead, Lewis decided to retire on top last May. He’s enjoyed retirement since stepping away but has kept up with his training and physique. With all that Flex has accomplished, he said the only way he’d return is for a seven-figure payday.
Flex Lewis is now ready to once again transform his physique. His birthday is Nov. 15, and he has made it clear he plans to include fans on his journey to becoming bigger, stronger, and faster.
“The Big 4-0 is Coming, It’s Time for a Challenge!” – Flex Lewis Announces Physique Transformation Goal
According to Lewis, he plans to showcase this journey on Instagram and YouTube. Before turning 40, he is aiming to become bigger, faster, and stronger. Lewis’ primary goal is to better his cardiovascular health.
“July 1st, I’ll be doing my own personal challenge and I would love to welcome you guys with me on that journey. Again, you don’t have to follow a particular challenge just do your challenge and commit yourself to the process. Nov. 15 is going to be my birthday, I’ll be turning the big 40. And on that day, I want to be in the best shape I have been in a number of years, I want to be stronger, faster, much more better looking.”
“We will be doing a lot of things that mentally, physically tax me, and I’m very much looking forward to the challenge. The last time you followed me was on the 2018 Mr. Olympia prep where obviously you know, I held my hat up and left it on the stage at that time. You guys have been asking for various challenges and diets, so here it is,” shared Flex Lewis.
Moving forward with the challenge, Lewis intends to try out different sports with the world’s best athletes.
“The BIG 4-0 is coming in a few months and it’s TIME for a Challenge!!!–I have been talking and doing more things outside of my wheel house, doing things that excite me and at the same time scare me. Trying new avenues I have discovered a new love. That love is for my podcast @straightouttathelair.Never did I think I be a podcast host, as most know I never went on many in my whole career.This has now set the tone of what else can I learn about myself during a challange, a journey all whilst becoming the best version of myself a bigger, stronger, faster version of myself.–Although getting myself back into great physical shape, my plan is to also be in the best cardiovascular shape. I will be training with the worlds best athletes in different sports, my hopes are to discover a version of myself I have not yet seen. And most importantly having the best mindset during this journey will be something I strongly focus on.–Follow on ALL socials from:– Instagram (here)– The NEW YouTube channel where all the vlogs and training will call it’s home (Please Subscribe)– Podcast: Straight Outta The Lair– My private FACEBOOK page:Flextraordinary Challange–The private Facebook page is where I will be sharing most of the stuff. Yet I will be posting on all platforms the majority of the challange will be on there. I have some exciting things in store. ALL FREE even if that had to be said.–There’s no plans, it cookie cutter diets this is a commitment to oneself. Your path is yours as mine is mine. Just commit to see the best version of you and you will truly be shocked just how much you can achieve.” Flex Lewis shared.
Flex Lewis isn’t the only high-profile bodybuilding veteran keen on transforming his physique. Former four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler has dominated discussions online with his ‘Fit-for-50’ challenge. Cutler’s birthday is in August and he’s lost 15 pounds on the journey. Judging by Cutler’s latest update, it appears he’s well on his way to presenting one of the best 50-year-old physiques ever seen.
Similar to Flex Lewis’ challenge criteria, 1990s standout Kevin Levrone is also transforming his body and lifestyle. Last year, he laid out the 12-week fitness challenge he committed to. He’s shared a number of endurance-based training sessions for cardiovascular health, agility, and endurance.
RELATED: Flex Lewis Shares Top 3 Movements to Build Olympia-Worthy Chest: “Control Is Key”
Considering Flex Lewis’ impact on the sport in retirement, his fitness challenge is sure to motivate his followers who last saw him in action at the 2018 Olympia where he won his final title.
Published: 3 July, 2023 | 5:52 PM EDT
Tristyn Lee Teases Bodybuilding Venture in 2024, Says He’s a Lifetime Natural Athlete
Fitness celebrity Tristyn Lee is eying a bodybuilding stage next year. In a recent Straight Outta the Lair Podcast with Flex Lewis, Lee teased a show in 2024, defended his status as a lifetime natural athlete, and underlined the benefits of his carnivore diet.
Lee is a 20-year-old fitness sensation who boasts an incredibly lean physique. His ability to stay shredded with minimal body fat year-round has made him one of the most talked about influencers over the past few years.
While building his name with social media platforms, Tristyn’s fame spread like wildfire. In addition to showcasing his statue-esque build, Lee offers fans engaging content, like his 17,000-calorie ‘carnivore Big Mac’ recipe. He also collaborates with other popular names in the community such as Bradley Martyn and Larry Wheels.
Lee maintains that he’s never used performance-enhancing drugs. As with any ‘natty or not’ topic, fans continue to debate whether he’s ever used steroids. However, Tristyn worries that even discussing the topic publicly could cause harm to his younger audiences.
Tristyn Lee Talks Competing in Bodybuilding, Mental Clarity from Carnivore Diet & Being Natural
Looking ahead, Tristyn Lee hopes to step on a bodybuilding stage in 2024.
“I want to just experiment on myself and see how far I can take things. In the coming year, I want to step on a stage, hopefully early next year. Depending or not on my coach Jared allows me to. Yes. This is the first time I’ve even talked about this.”
“We’ll see how it goes. This next year, I’m going into a massing phase with Jared. That’s definitely something that I need to check off my bucket list and just see how far I can push my body in that sense. It’s cool to have a date in mind.”
Lee says ‘commentary culture’ has taken over social media which influences young children to take measures they shouldn’t.
“On social media, there’s this commentary culture I like to call it where everybody is talking about another person. And there’s benefits to this obviously, you’re spreading the news, and you’re creating this dialogue that may be necessary to bring up certain topics. But there’s also this hyper-focus on what everyone else is doing and it propels young kids to do things that they shouldn’t be doing.
I’ve seen 15, 16, 17-year-old kids going into stuff that they shouldn’t even be going into just because they’re seeing it so frequently on social media and it’s like, ‘Oh well, everybody is doing it so I might as well.’ It’s just crazy to me that you haven’t even gone through any level of experience for yourself before jumping into something you don’t know anything about,” said Tristyn Lee.
You’re talking about PEDs I’m guessing right?” said Flex Lewis.
“Yeah,” replied Lee.
Before moving on, Flex Lewis outright asked Lee if he has ever used steroids.
“As you are a lifetime natural right? And that’s something you’re very proud of,” said Lewis.
“Right,” said Lee.
“I want to point out to the viewers. As you are truly an anomaly right now in a sport where if someone joins a gym for a week they’re already looking at doing PEDs. You don’t want to talk about this because there’s somewhat of a backlash that you feel will come from this. But what I said to you is I think it’s a very important conversation to have,” shared Lewis. “You’re still on that natural path of growth and what you’ve achieved is tremendous.”
Lee credits genetics and personal experiences to his physique.
“I haven’t put any of this stuff on social media the reason being this: my first and primary belief is that you will never look like anyone else. It doesn’t matter what you take, it doesn’t matter how you train. The science doesn’t matter with any of that, you have your own individual genetics. You will look how you look.”
“Even if it’s for better or for worse, you have to go through your own personal experiences, you have to put the work in, you have to train hard, you have to find out what your true potential is regardless of the route or the path that you go down.”
“It’s not about what the other person is doing, it’s about what you can do,” added Lee.
According to Tristyn, the mental clarity he’s received from his carnivore diet has been substantial.
“I started looking a little stringy and flat. As I started working with a coach, I’ve reimplemented some carbs and I feel great. The mental clarity on carnivore is like literally nothing I’ve ever experienced. I’m dialed 24/7. Whether or not that’s for better or for worse, a lot of people say, ‘Oh you’re in a survival state.’ Well, I’m thinking I’m surviving pretty well then. I feel pretty good.”
“So it worked for me. A lot of people low-carb diets are good for losing weight because you drop a lot of water weight because a lot of people can’t handle having carbohydrates because they’re so addictive but that’s not for everyone.”
The last time fans heard from Lee he revealed a go-to five-minute back workout. During the training session, Lee decided to perform his heaviest movement first. Given the detail of his back, Tristyn’s methods have a proven track record.
Tristyn Lee aspires to be more than a fitness influencer, but a mentor and an inspiration for emerging young athletes who seek his advice and follow in his footsteps.
You can watch the full video from the Straight Outta the Lair podcast below:
Published: 17 June, 2023 | 12:04 PM EDT
Flex Lewis Shares Top 3 Movements to Build Olympia-Worthy Chest: “Control Is Key”
Welsh bodybuilding legend Flex Lewis presented arguably one of the best physiques of all time in the Men’s 212 category during his best days of competition. While he no longer competes, he’s revered for educating fans on a range of topics related to bodybuilding. In a recent Instagram post, Lewis shared his top three movements for building an Olympia-worthy chest.
Flex Lewis’ passion for bodybuilding was discovered early in his teenage years after taking inspiration from icons Tom Platz and seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger. He made a name for himself on the UK regional circuit before joining the IFBB Pro League.
While he was well respected for his overall look, he was renowned for his insane arm development. After placing runner-up in the Men’s 212 event at the 2011 Mr. Olympia, Lewis secured the coveted title before the division limit was raised to 212 pounds the next year.
Lewis enjoyed a dominant run at the top as he managed to ward off budding talent and became a seven-time 212 Olympia champion. What’s more impressive is the fact he went essentially undefeated from 2012 to 2018, winning every show he participated in. Although he flirted with the idea of switching to the Open, he decided against it and hung up his posing trunks following a final win at the 2018 Mr. Olympia.
Flex Lewis / Instagram
In July 2022, Lewis reported positive findings after receiving the results of his blood work. He gave fans a look into his downsized physique at a lean 210 pounds post-retirement and revealed he’d start TRT (testosterone replacement therapy). Then, he delivered another impressive physique update after getting on TRT.
As far as training goes, Lewis showed off his gigantic biceps and triceps in an intense arms workout session last November. He followed up with a collaborative quads training session with rising Men’s Open sensation Andrew Jacked weeks later. The pair got together for a heavy back workout in prep for the 2022 Mr. Olympia as well.
Flex Lewis left the fans in awe of his jacked physique with an update where he tipped the scales at 200 pounds earlier this year. He laid out an updated diet and training program he’s using to pack on muscle after dropping 60 pounds.
There has been speculation about whether Lewis would ever return to competition given his high fitness levels. He left the door open for a potential comeback but mentioned a caveat: that he’s rewarded with seven-figure prize money.
Flex Lewis shares the top 3 movements to build an Olympia-worthy chest
In a recent Instagram post, Flex Lewis shared his top three movements to build a muscular chest fit for an Olympia champion.
Lewis discussed the reloaded vertical chest press as his first movement of choice.
“Exercise number one is the reloaded vertical chest press,” said Lewis. “As I preach many times, foundation is key. You find the height of the seat in accordance with your biomechanics. So, what I try to do is line up my chest with the handles, get a little bit closer range. People will say you’re incorporating triceps. I’ve been doing this a long time. There’s ways of me trying to switch off that button but the wider you go the less triceps you’re going to hit. Pinching myself against the pad and my shoulder blades. I’m not squirming in the chair, plain motion. Chest up high squeeze at the top.”
His next movement is the reloaded incline fly.
“Exercise number two is the reloaded incline fly. This is pretty much as close to a dumbbell fly as a machine can be. Chest up high, I’m arching my body. There’s a little definitive distance between the lower of my back and the pad on my shoulder blades firmly on the pad, full stretch at the bottom. Contraction with the flys all the way through squeezing at the top, opening them up, controlling the weight. Ninety degrees and up again. You can open your hands up or close them out depending on your preference and what you’re trying to achieve during the workout.”
Finally, Lewis detailed using an incline chest press machine effectively.
“Exercise number three is one of the GOATs, it’s one of the old Flex piece, this is [incline chest press machine]. Chest up high, feet in a solid foundational position and we’re going to drive through squeezing at the top. As you can see I’ve got a suicide grip which is something I don’t advise but this is how I train and feel best. Contraction all the time, control is key.”
Flex Lewis opened up on his steroid use during his prime last month. He backed himself to come out on top of a hypothetical matchup with 2022 Mr. Olympia Hadi Choopan and runner-up Derek Lunsford if he decided to make a comeback. Then, he teamed up with four-time Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead for a brutal back workout weeks ago.
Lewis laid out the secrets to his training, diet, and recovery protocols earlier this month. He also revealed his plans to take on a body transformation challenge for his 40th birthday. In addition, he recently listed his top three movements for building the triceps last month.
RELATED: Shaun Clarida Plans to Break Flex Lewis 212 Olympia Record, Says Nick Walker’s ‘Streamlined’ Look Cost Him
Given his ability to remain on top for so long as a 212 competitor, when Lewis offers insight for building a muscle group, fans listen.
Published: 14 June, 2023 | 11:35 PM EDT
Flex Lewis Reveals His Workout, Diet & Recovery Secrets
Legendary bodybuilder Flex Lewis dominated the IFBB Pro League Men’s 212 division with his insanely jacked arm muscle development. Although he moved on from professional competition years ago, he remains connected with the community as a respected figure. In a recent interview with Escaped Fitness, Lewis revealed the secrets to his workout plan, diet, and recovery process.
Flex Lewis grew up with a passion for sports playing rugby in his teenage years. He got inspired to start bodybuilding after coming across Golden Era bodybuilder Tom Platz and the iconic Arnold Schwarzenegger. He emerged as a budding prospect after taking home the top prize in his debut show at the 2003 Jr. Mr. Wales. After the division’s weight limit got increased by 10 pounds, Lewis secured his maiden 212 Mr. Olympia title in 2012. He proved to be a commanding victor as he racked up seven wins in a row. He decided to move on after a final win at the 2018 Mr. Olympia.
Following a decorated career, Lewis continued to train hard in the gym. He embarked on a mission to downsize his enormous build and live a healthier lifestyle. In Nov. 2022, he teamed up with rising Men’s Open sensation Andrew Jacked for a brutal quads workout. The experienced Welsh mentored Jacked again in an upper body training session a week later in prep for the 2022 Mr. Olympia.
Earlier this year, Flex left the fans stunned with an impressive physique update boasting his jacked frame. He laid out the new diet and training plan he utilized to pack on a few pounds after dropping down by around 60 pounds in body weight.
Flex Lewis / Instagram
Considering the impressive package Lewis maintained, there has been speculation about a potential comeback. While he appeared to be content on the sidelines, Lewis revealed he could return on stage if he was offered a seven-figure payday two months ago.
Flex Lewis provided fans with three of his best movements for muscle growth targeting triceps last month. Then, he joined forces with iconic Strongman Eddie Hall for a sleeve-busting arms workout.
Flex Lewis reveals training secrets
In a recent YouTube video, Flex Lewis shared the keys to his training philosophy. Having trained under coach Neil ‘Yoda’ Hill, Lewis utilized Hill’s Y3T training or Yoda-3 Training. He explained the ins and outs of the training plan.
“It’s Neill’s. It’s Y3T so you order three training,” said Lewis. “It’s basically three different weeks; week one, two, and three. Week one is heavy compound lower reps. Week two is kind of like a hybrid of the third week, rep ranges on the second week goes up a little bit higher. On the third week, it kinda answers number two, is high reps, drop sets, super sets so every single week you get a different stimulus and then you repeat it all over again. That’s something Neill was doing way before it became something and I was like Neill, why isn’t this got a name? I just made a name for it and called it three weeks here, your name’s Yoda, Y3T. He was like I like that. That was it.
“We’ve been doing it since I was 19 so it’s nothing that was created, this was something that was just put a name to.”
Being a high-volume athlete, Lewis shared the number of sets he likes to perform in training and the part he enjoys working out the most.
“I do between 20 and 24 sets per body part. Workouts are an hour to an hour and a half. I would train one body part per day. Arms would be combined or separated. My last training system was Sunday legs, Monday morning hamstrings, a couple hours later chest and back. I’d have two days off a week, Wednesday was one and then on Thursday I’d do shoulders, Friday arms, Saturday off.”
“My weakest one is chest. It’s the most stubborn body part I’ve suffered with my whole career and my favorite part to train.”
Lewis opens up on his current diet
Flex Lewis further gave fans a look into his current diet plans, consisting of low carbs and clean sources of nutrition.
“I get up in the morning around 4:30, do my cardio, I won’t eat my first meal until about nine and that first meal is eggs, bacon, and olive oil. I don’t have any carbs. If I have carbs, I feel by the time I get to the gym and I stack in on calls and trying to do things, I feel foggy like I’m mentally not there. I don’t get that way if I don’t eat carbs. Normally my second carb meal is around about 12 o’clock. I’ll eat that a couple hours later. I got a little over a cup with some steak and some asparagus.
“I then have three or fours hours later some salmon. I have a wide diverse of meats, different protein sources, and then before bed I have the same meal as what I woke up on. I try not to go to bed with carbs. I sleep a lot better, I’m 60 pounds lighter than I was so that helps too.”
“But the diet elements of it I eat very clean. The bacon is what it is but it’s very lean cut. I use fats in a lot of my meals like good fats. I’m a big believer in that too for brain function and with the weekends, I have whatever I want. Not all throughout the weekends. I still have structure, same breakfast, and still go to bed with the same meal.”
He recommended creatine as a non-negotiable supplement for any athlete.
“I think creatine has a big part in any athlete’s gym bag. They should be supplementing creatine. In my peak, I was probably taking about 10-15g a day predominantly around my workout.”
Flex Lewis talks recovery & announces body transformation challenge
Lewis declared his ambitions to level up his fitness for his upcoming 40th birthday.
“I’m going to be doing a ‘Fit for 40,’ not the theme I’m going to be calling it but I’m turning 40 in November so I want to be in the best shape I can be physically, mentally, and cardiovascularly than I’ve ever been. We start that in June and there’s going to be a periodic following of sorts documenting different things.
“A little bit of bodybuilding training, strongman training, and UFC guys, a couple of things mixed in and I think it’d be just a good journey to follow.”
He stressed the importance of recovery and offered some techniques he used to boost healing.
“Recovery was something that I really started putting more and more into for the Olympia preps. I got two torn shoulders, micro tears in different parts of the body. I was having Physical Therapy five times a week.
“Recovery for me, I was in excruciating pain. I couldn’t sleep at night. Then I started looking into different things. I invested into a bed one of these systematic beds. I also sleep to this day, I bought a pregnancy pillow, the big U, so I sleep in this pillow on my back.”
“Right now, I’ve got things like cold plunge in my house, a sauna that’s on the way.”
Flex Lewis retired at the top. He believes he could have become the first two-division champion in bodybuilding had he moved up to the Men’s Open class as a 212 Olympia king. He opened up on his steroid use and revealed how he still gets people trying to convince him to return last month. Then, he collaborated with reigning four-time Classic Physique Olympia winner Chris Bumstead for a challenging back workout.
Based on Lewis’ track record, his latest offering will certainly add clarity and value to fitness enthusiasts who want to improve their performance in the gym.
You can watch the full video below.
Published: 4 June, 2023 | 3:10 PM EDT
Chris Bumstead Says He Has No Injuries & Credits Iain Valliere for Not Fuc*ing Up His Health w/Steroids
Chris Bumstead is already eying preparations for his potential fifth Classic Physique title at the Mr. Olympia contest. In a recent Straight Outta the Lair podcast with Flex Lewis, Bumstead detailed his split from Iain Valliere, discussed his current supplementation, and 2023 off-season.
In 2019, Chris Bumstead brought an undeniable look which led to him defeating the two-time Classic Physique Olympia titleholder, Breon Ansley. Despite the explosive popularity of the division, no one from the Classic Physique category has been able to stop Cbum’s reign.
Prior to laying claim to his fourth title last December, Bumstead was dealt his fair share of adversity. Roughly 12 weeks before 2022 Olympia, he and his long-time training partner, Iain Valliere, decided to part ways. Instead, Bumstead would join Hany Rambod for his title endeavor. And while he performed with a torn bicep on stage, Rambod successfully guided the Canadian native to another victory.
With four Classic Physique Olympia titles in his arsenal, Bumstead has quickly become one of the most recognizable faces in the sport on social media, second to only Arnold Schwarzenegger. The 2023 Mr. Olympia show is approaching in less than six months, which prompted Cbum to update fans on his current progress before battling to become a five-time champion.
Chris Bumstead ‘Feeling Great,’ Says ‘Supplements Are Low,’ Talks 2023 Off-Season: ‘Pushing Training and Putting Size On’
While his supplements are ‘low,’ Bumstead says he never looked better at this stage before starting a prep.
“That’s still to come [true off-season] so I’m eating right, training right, supplements are low. Just focusing on doing everything the best I can right now with the travel. Then, when I come back I have one more trip to Italy, when I come back from that in June, I’m going full tilt and locking everything in and focusing on it.
This is the best I’ve looked at this point in a year even. I’ve always taken a lot of time off, like complete time off. Not even in the gym, taking nothing barely eating, losing too much weight. Okay, let’s not go that hard and just take a little bit of time off,” Bumstead shared.
Looking ahead, Bumstead says his health is in order and he has no injuries.
“The second I started pushing training I started putting size back on. I maybe need to put on another five pounds to be a little heavier than I was last year even. I’m in a great spot right now, I feel healthy, body feels young, no injuries, knock on wood.”
Some believe taking time off is a disservice to Bumstead, but he sees it as essential to his growth and longevity as a bodybuilder.
“I think it’s helped me a lot [stem cell therapy]. It’s hard to say and I try not to push it on people it’s expensive. I don’t say you need to do this to be healthy. You don’t, but someone with an autoimmune condition which is all about inflammation and systemic stem cells flush your inflammation so that’s been super helpful for me.”
“I focus on my time off that I take, people might think it’s a deficit, but everyone in the top four at the Olympia did the Arnold. They took a few weeks off and jumped into prep. Their bodies are beat up. I’m getting younger. I’m taking time off resting staying healthy. I feel good, I’m really holding on to that and that allows you to compete longer.”
Bumstead: ‘I Didn’t Fu** Up My Health and Do Too Much Drugs Because of Iain Valliere’
According to Bumstead, Iain Valliere is the reason for his success at a young age. He added that Valliere motivated him to train harder and advised him not to use excessive amounts of steroids.
“Iain is the reason I was able to be successful at a young age. I came into that first show I did, won, and climbed so quick, and the reason I didn’t fu** up my health and do too much drugs, do too much stupid shit in the beginning of my bodybuilding career was because of Iain,” Bumstead said.
“He was the reason I always trained with someone that was lifting two plates more than me on anything. So I pushed myself to be stronger and better. Iain was always stronger and bigger than me. He pushed me and he’s the reason I got to where I was in my career. I’m super grateful for him. I don’t think I’d be where I am without him, at least at this young. That was a really tough decision to leave, to make that call, it was really hard.”
“We came to a decision it would be best for both of us,” Bumstead added. “I was talking to Hany and he just talked to me about Derek Lunsford, how he had a crazy mental and physical transformation, 180, now he’s just crushing it. We were talking about that, mindset, he’s worked with business CEO people on training and mindset. He’s focused a lot on mental. I didn’t even tell him that’s what I was super interested in.”
After going their separate ways, Cbum explained that he started talking to Hany Rambod after the 2022 Pittsburgh Pro.
“He’s a maniac, super outgoing, extroverted, I’m a little more quiet sometimes, that’s why I flow with people crazy like that. We clicked off then. I held that in my back pocket. I was worried to pick someone because it’s a family. You’re bringing someone into your family. A lot of trust very intimate moments, very serious.
Held off for a while before asking Hany to coach me, it was August three and a half months out. I asked him to coach me, he thought I meant mentally help him, I kind of worded myself weird, you know, ‘Could you maybe help me with that,’ then we talked again and I told him I meant coach me fully. He said, ‘Oh, I need to think about that.’ He put me on hold, yeah, motherfuc**r,” said Bumstead.
This isn’t the first time that Bumstead has opened up about some of his struggles in the sport. In a recent Don’t Be Sour podcast, Bumstead discussed the pressures of being a dominant champion. His goal is to exit the sport on top but highlighted that the fear of losing motivates him to continue.
Chris Bumstead is set to return on stage at the 2023 Mr. Olympia contest, taking place Nov. 2-5 in Orlando, Florida. Fans look forward to seeing him face off against the rising contender, 2023 Arnold Classic winner, Ramon Queiroz.
RELATED: Chris Bumstead: “I Brought My PEDs Down & It Allowed Me to Have to Train Harder”
You can watch the full video below from Flex Lewis’ YouTube channel:
Published: 22 May, 2023 | 2:59 PM EDT
Chris Bumstead And Flex Lewis Decimate A Back Workout
Chris Bumstead continues to push himself by working with the finest individuals in the bodybuilding industry. Recently, CBum partnered with legendary bodybuilder Flex Lewis for an intense back workout to get one more step closer to the fifth Classic Physique Olympia title.
Canada’s finest Chris Bumstead is one of the most popular active bodybuilders on the planet. He has achieved the distinction by proving his worth in the competition. Since winning the Classic Physique Olympia title at the 2019 Olympia, the 28-year-old phenom has defended it with an iron will at the 2020, 2021, and 2022 Olympia.
Bumstead’s time in competitive bodybuilding is nearing the end as he intends to defend the Olympia title a few times before calling it a career. He entered the 2022 Olympia competition with a torn bicep and spent the first couple of months recovering from the injury.
As a part of his off-season effort, the Classic Physique kingpin joined veteran bodybuilder Flex Lewis for a back workout. Lewis is best known for his dominant title reign in the 212 division that saw him secure the 212 Olympia crown seven consecutive times from 2012 to 2018.
Lewis briefly considered a move up to the Men’s Open division but it never came to fruition. He announced retirement from the sport in May 2022 and has significantly downsized since. Successful business ventures like the famous Dragon’s Lair gym have kept Lewis busy and he is often seen helping active bodybuilders achieve their competitive goals as well.
Lewis and Bumstead went through the training session at the Dragon’s Lair gym. The video of this session was posted on CBum’s personal YouTube channel. So let’s check out how the bodybuilding greats worked towards building their backs.
Chris Bumstead and Flex Lewis go through a back workout
The back workout consisted of a total of four exercises – one vertical pull and three horizontal pull (rows). Vertical pulls like lat pulldowns primarily target latissimus dorsi (lats) – the large fan shaped muscle in the back. These movements are primarily responsible for building a wide back by developing the lats.
Horizontal pulls or rows are essential for giving thickness to the back. As a result, a training routine that emphasizes both types of movements is the key to complete back development.
Chest Supported Rows
CBum and Lewis kicked off the session with chest-supported seated rows on a plate-loaded machine. This compound movement engages many different muscles in the upper body which makes it efficient for building upper body strength and muscle mass.
Bumstead and Lewis started out light and slowly added more weight to the subsequent sets after sufficiently warming up the muscles. Following some solid sets of the exercise, they took to the second exercise of the day.
Chest Supported T-bar Rows
The bodybuilding community commonly accepts that rows are the best compound movement for building a 3D back. However, there are endless variations to choose from and they all deserve a place in your back routine. But if you could choose only one, our team at Fitness Volt would recommend T-bar rows.
T-bar rows work many different muscles like latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoids, biceps brachii and erector spinae. These factors make it a classic back builder. Bumstead and Lewis cranked out a few sets of this exercise on the chest supported T-bar rows machine and jumped into the next exercise of the session.
Arsenal Strength Iso Lat Pulldown
Following the two major rowing movements, CBum and Lewis took to the first and the only pulldown movement of this training session. They got some heavy sets of Lat pulldown under the belt using Arsenal strength lat pulldown machine. Both weight arms of this machine attach to separate weight stacks independently. This helps create balance in both sides of the body as the person cannot pull the weight by using the favored side of the body.
The bodybuilder duo destroyed the sets of lat pulldown with incrementally heavier weights and took to the finisher of the day.
Seated Cable Rows
The back workout concluded with this rowing movement. The training partners called it a day in the gym after doing a few sets with slow and controlled motion.
Overall, the workout included:
Chris Bumstead has openly admitted that being a dominant champion comes with immense pressure. He is not untouched by the fear of losing his top spot. However, if he surrounds himself with the right people and keeps company with people like Flex Lewis who have been there, and done that, CBum can maintain the correct mindset to realize the dream of retiring on top.
You can watch the full workout video here, courtesy of Chris Bumstead’s personal YouTube channel:
Published: 19 May, 2023 | 9:01 AM EDT
Flex Lewis Talks Steroid Use, Says He Could’ve Won Open Mr. Olympia: ‘I Beat Hadi & Lunsford’
Welsh bodybuilding icon Flex Lewis pioneered the gold standard for the Men’s 212 division during his days of competition. Although he was eyeing a move to the Open division, he chose to hang up his posing trunks officially last year. In a recent episode of Bradley Martyn’s Raw Talk, Lewis opened up on his steroid use and argued that he could’ve won Mr. Olympia in the Open based on the results of the 2022 Mr. Olympia.
Flex Lewis made a name for himself as a 212 competitor with insane arms, overall muscle development, and next-level conditioning. In 2011, Lewis narrowly missed out on 212 Olympia gold to Kevin English in his debut. He returned with a vengeance the next year and secured his maiden Sandow trophy at the 2012 Mr. Olympia.
He went on a dominant run that saw him win seven 212 Olympia titles in a row from 2012-2018. Besides the Olympia, Lewis also went undefeated in other contests such as the EVL Prague Pro, the inaugural 212 event at the Arnold Sports Festival, and more.
Lewis was considering the idea of moving to the Men’s Open class but eventually decided against it. He announced his retirement from competition in May 2022 due to health problems stemming from contest prep issues. Since stepping away, Lewis dropped down in size significantly. He showed off his downsized look weighing 213.6 pounds last June.
Flex Lewis / Instagram
Flex continued to lean down and even got on a personalized TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) plan to help him achieve his new physique goal. He offered a jacked physique update presenting his new look in Sep. 2022. Then, he laid out an intense arms workout routine targeting triceps and biceps while teasing the possibility of a comeback months later.
In Nov. 2022, Flex Lewis teamed up with budding Men’s Open prospect Andrew Jacked to help him get ready for the 2022 Mr. Olympia. He mentored Jacked through a grueling quads training session. The pair regrouped for another taxing back workout weeks later.
The 39-year-old showed off his shredded physique in an update earlier this year. He laid out the diet and training regimen he utilized to gain weight after dropping 60 pounds as he reported a weight of 200 pounds. Lewis has not completely shut the door on competing again. He revealed he would be willing to entertain a comeback, but only if it’s for a seven-figure deal.
Flex Lewis opens up on his steroid use & cautions others
Flex Lewis / Instagram
In a recent YouTube video, Flex Lewis discussed details pertaining to his steroid use.
“The truth of the matter is I went through a sport where I had a weight cut,” said Lewis. “I had to make a class. I never had the ability to have an incredible off-season and if I was to do more to get in shape then I would make weight. I was able to retire very healthy, obviously injuries and stuff like that, but I have two kids whilst I’ve been prepping, retired with all my hair. This means nothing or something.
“Take it from me. I have nothing to hide by saying this legitimately I’ve done obviously more than the average gym-goer but I never used and abused my body. Thankfully, I had a coach, Neil Hill, who is known for being very conservative. His mindset was if you can grown on ABC why do you need XYZ?”
He issued a warning to others against using gear too much.
“Anybody young that makes the decision to go that route, first of all, whatever they do they are going to respond but the tren aspect of things, holy sh*t! There’s people joining the gym and talking about taking that stuff. I didn’t use that stuff until four weeks out from my show. That’s the god’s honest truth. There was no reason for me to use it in the off-season for obvious reasons I had to make a weight cut. But somebody now just to look good in the gym, there’s so many. You can forget kids to be honest with you if you’re running this for day in day out for years and years.”
“In terms of the supplementation that some of these guys are taking, you start off with that, that’s not going to make you a better bodybuilder. It’s actually going to be a detriment to you because you are going to destroy your receptors and then when you go okay I’m not growing so now I have to take more and that’s the mentality. More is better. It’s not. It’s the glass gets full then there’s nowhere else to go.”
Lewis highlighted the dangers of using Trenbolone for regular gym-goers.
“I have an end goal to compete, to be the best in the world, by adding things periodically you knew what was working what wasn’t working but then in the off-season you’re eating and drinking everything. A lot of these guys train their a** off Monday to Friday and then chase pu**y at the clubs on the weekends and they’re doing stacks that some guys are doing pre-contest which blows my mind. The trending word I see everywhere is tren. It blows my mind. That’s so mainstream that guys are coming up to me like what do you think about this?”
Lewis: ‘I Could Have Been the First Champ-Champ’
Flex Lewis is confident he could have become the first athlete to win titles in 212 and the Open division at the Mr. Olympia contest.
“I truly believe I would’ve won the Olympia or been the first ever champ-champ but it’s a woulda, coulda, shoulda right? But if you look at the people who just came first and second, I beat them both. Hadi just won, I beat him in Korea and Derek Lunsford came second, who took over the reign from me as a 212 champ, incredible guy, will be a champion in the future but I’ve beaten him too. So, it would’ve been a great mix for me to be up in that.
“I felt [the direction of Open bodybuilding] was going there. That’s one of the reasons why because originally when I had this mentality of shifting from the 212 to the Open, people were telling me no they’re always going to go for the biggest guy. But then shape and structure started coming through because of guys like Chris Bumstead and the Classic Physique getting such a great response.
“I wanted to have the best of both worlds, bringing Classic lines, symmetry, and structure, and bring it to the Open class.”
Lewis revealed many people were trying to convince him to return, including a judge who attempted to lure him out of retirement following Olympia.
“There’s a lot of people trying to get me back out of that mentality but I was okay. I moved on, done a lot of different things. I had to process it my own way.”
“When I made that decision, I had to stand on my two feet and say no. Everybody wanted me to come back. After the Olympia, you know any judge came up to my ear and basically said hey you could have won this. You could do it next year, good hype. My heart was in this sport since I was 19. I devoted my life to this craft and right now, I’ve set myself up for that segue. But that transition was tough though.”
Flex Lewis gave fans a look into three of his favorite exercises for building massive triceps two weeks ago. He joined forces with Strongman legend Eddie Hall for a collaborative arm workout session days later.
You can watch the full video below:
RELATED: Retired Bodybuilder Flex Lewis Crushes a Sleeve-Ripping Arms Workout on Fans’ Demand
Lewis is the winningest Men’s 212 competitor in the history of the Mr. Olympia show with seven wins. He appears content with his achievements and has moved on to other business ventures.
Published: 16 May, 2023 | 10:16 PM EDT