Tag: Masters Olympia
Jay Cutler Will Surprise Fans at Masters Olympia, Shares Ultimate Workout Tip for a ‘Huge Difference’
Legendary bodybuilder Jay Cutler cemented his place in the history books as one of the most decorated competitors of the Men’s Open division. He carried his passion for fitness even after hanging up his posing trunks years ago. In a recent video uploaded on YouTube, Cutler teased his planned appearance at the 2023 Masters Olympia […]
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Lee Priest Calls for Guest-Posing Seminar with Jay Cutler after 2023 Masters Olympia
Bodybuilding legend Jay Cutler did not lose his passion for fitness after moving on from professional competition years ago. During his career, he battled it out with several notable names such as Australian bodybuilding veteran Lee Priest. In a recent episode of RxMuscle, Priest shared his thoughts on potentially facing Jay Cutler on stage in a guest-posing appearance at the 2023 Masters Olympia and called for a ‘Golden Era seminar.’
Jay Cutler made a name for himself with his insane muscle mass, size, and conditioning in the IFBB Pro League Men’s Open class. He won the Arnold Classic title three times and found Olympia glory in 2006 after placing second four times. His last appearance came at the 2013 Mr. Olympia, where he finished sixth and hung up his posing trunks as a four-time champion. He continued to work out regularly and stay in stellar shape post-retirement.
After an 11-year hiatus, the Masters Olympia is set to make a comeback on Aug. 25-27 in Cluj Napoca, Romania. The competition was started in 1994 to provide older bodybuilders an opportunity to showcase their talents in front of fans and vie for the title. Robby Robinson created history by winning the inaugural event whereas Vince Taylor etched his name in the record books with six titles under his belt. The show’s last edition was won by Dexter Jackson in 2012.
Given the impressive package Cutler boasts, there were rumors about his return to action for the upcoming 2023 Masters Olympia. He’s looking to level up his fitness game for his own ‘Fit for 50’ body transformation challenge. He laid out his ambitions in the gym and believes he could achieve them with proper nutrition, diet, and only using TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) last month. However, he later shut the door on competing again.
Lee Priest opened up on the possibility of signing up for the event earlier this year. As much as he would’ve liked to compete, Priest revealed he would not be able to due to his chest atrophy and other health challenges.
Jay Cutler and IFBB head judge Steve Weinberger announced the full roster of all 10 divisions for the contest a few weeks ago. Former 212 Olympia champion Kamal Elgargni goes into the show as the betting favorite to win the Open title. Following the announcement, Priest called on the organizers to revamp the eligibility criteria and raise the qualification age to 50+ instead of 40.
Lee Priest talks about chances of guest-posing against Jay Cutler at the 2023 Masters Olympia
In a recent YouTube video, Lee Priest shared his thoughts on potentially going against Jay Cutler in a guest-posing appearance at the 2023 Masters Olympia.
Priest believes Cutler would rather do a guest-posing showing instead of competing.
“He did say he might take his shirt off, joked around about guest posing that he might take his shirt off but he said he’s definitely not competing,” said Priest. “But he said he could take his shirt off and maybe guest pose or something like that. I’d say it could be more of that than competing again.”
When asked if he would pose next to Cutler, Priest voiced his hesitation and seemed to be against the prospect.
“I don’t get invited to go anywhere. It’s a bit late now I haven’t got much prep time. My birthday’s coming up in July. I’ll be 51.”
Priest calls for a ‘Golden Era seminar’ with Cutler
Lee Priest / Instagram
The 50-year-old suggested hosting a similar event where competitors of yesteryears could pose in front of fans without the pressure of competition.
“I always said, you get a good promoter, if you had like Kevin, Flex, get in shape or like you did back then like you have Jay now, you could probably have Victor, myself, a few who could over 12-16 weeks get in decent shape. I say don’t compete just have them do a golden era seminar where they do a seminar and a bit of posing would be great.”
Lee Priest offered some of his best tips on effectively performing bicep preacher curls to maximize pump using different rep ranges, equipment, and grip variations two months ago. He followed up by revealing the difference in his training and diet from when he was in his 20s to now at the age of 50.
2023 Masters Olympia will feature Michelle Brent, a 65-year-old bodybuilder with over 36 years of experience. Hidetada Yamagishi will also be in attendance as a frontrunner for the title.
Jay Cutler opened up on his ambitions to lower his body fat to six to eight percent for the body transformation challenge earlier this month. He showed off his shredded package in a physique update two weeks ago and provided another jacked update where he weighed 240 pounds days later.
Whether Cutler competes at the show or not, a guest-posing appearance would send fans into a frenzy over witnessing the iconic competitor take to the stage again.
You can watch the full video below.
Published: 28 May, 2023 | 12:21 PM EDT
65-YO Bodybuilder Reflects on 36-Year Long Career Ahead of 2023 Masters Olympia
The 2023 Masters Olympia is set to return this year after a lengthy 11-year-long break on Aug. 25-27 at the Arena in Cluj Napoca, Romania. It will provide a platform for the older bodybuilding competitors to compete on stage. In a recent video uploaded on YouTube, Michelle Brent reflected on her 36-year-long career in bodybuilding ahead of her appearance at the 2023 Masters Olympia.
The Masters Olympia was first introduced in 1994 to allow the competitors of yesteryears among other older bodybuilding professionals to showcase their talents in front of fans. Bodybuilding veteran Robby Robinson emerged as the inaugural champion. The event continued annually till 2003 and returned for a single edition in 2012, where bodybuilding legend Dexter Jackson took home the top prize.
It is set to make a comeback this season. While many are excited about the show’s return, others are not on board with the decision. Renowned bodybuilding coach Milos Sarcev dismissed the possibility of his participation and pushed back against the competition due to concerns surrounding athletes’ health earlier this year.
On the other hand, Australian bodybuilder Lee Priest expressed his excitement at the event but ruled out his participation as well. Although Priest would’ve liked to sign up for the contest, his chest atrophy would keep him on the sidelines.
Victor Martinez indicated his interest in potentially competing at the show three months ago. However, he was still on the fence about throwing his name in the hat as he wanted to check whether the prize money would justify his efforts. The organizers announced the overall prize money at $229,000 for all the divisions at the 2023 Masters Olympia weeks later.
Being the last winner, there was a lot of speculation about whether Dexter Jackson would join the roster. He added fuel to the fire with an insane workout update showing off his huge biceps two months ago. Along with Jackson, iconic bodybuilder Jay Cutler generated a lot of buzz for potentially returning to competition. Coach Chris Aceto argued against the return of the four-time Mr. Olympia and the show itself last month.
Japanese 212 and Open competitor Hidetada Yamagishi declared his comeback to competition for the 2023 Masters Olympia weeks ago. He would take to the stage at the age of 50 with the belief he could win one final title. Last month, he left the fans stunned with a ripped physique update 18 weeks out of the event.
Cutler and IFBB head judge Steve Weinberger revealed the full roster for each of the 10 divisions of the show two weeks ago.
65-YO Bodybuilder Reflects on 36-Year Long Career Ahead of 2023 Masters Olympia
In a recent YouTube video, Michelle Brent opened up about her nearly four-decade-long career going into the 2023 Masters Olympia at the age of 65.
“This is actually into my 36th year,” said Brent. “In 1985 I did an unsanctioned NPC show so technically I started in 1986 when I won the San Jose Super Bowl. It was Paul Love the promoter back then. Technically it would really be 37 but it would really be 38 if you count 1985.”
“I was always an athlete, did every sport. In 1985, I joined a gym and then my first husband had noticed me. There was a couple that used to come at the time and it was when the couples were popular. They noticed me and said hey you could get into bodybuilding, do shows, these things. I tried for three weeks and it was my start.”
Brent discussed how she manages to compete into her mid-60s along with how dancing helped refine her posing skills.
“Finally my little dream will come true. 25 years it took me to turn Pro. Crazy with only three years off in that 25 to get it. I get seconds, thirds, so I went to the Universe. I trained smart, never trained beyond getting a tweak or twinge. I never would go do 10 more reps or whatever. Literally never injured myself in the gym, nutrition wise always been pretty good. I didn’t get too crazy in the off-season, ate good, never had metabolic damage. I’ve just been very blessed.”
“I love to dance. If I didn’t discover bodybuilding I always wanted to be one of those troop dancers like a background, the whole learning, the steps, and all that but so I just love to dance. Ironically the first show in 1985, they had said you get this one minute to do whatever you want but you have to put some poses in bodybuilding poses really. I had the best time ever. It was like I found my niche. I know well I could be muscular and work out but yeah that could be entertaining and do what I love to do ‘part dance.’”
She’s targeting her first trophy at the 2023 Masters Olympia and revealed it would mark her last year in competition.
“I knew it was in the works, it wasn’t just a rumor. I knew Jake had wanted to get the Masters. But I never thought there was going to be some point there was going to be a championship for our Masters. All these people are able to turn pro now. Jake Wood came up with bringing back the Masters National Olympia but let’s make it all the divisions. Let’s make it legit, not just the men. I just kept on hanging in there hoping that at some point I was going to be able to end my career with at least one championship under my belt.”
“I truly have to admit that this is thank the Lord that I got this because I really truly believe this is my last year because I do have a little bit of just old age. I’d say old age but wear and tear, things my wrist is really bothering me, my hip joints so it’s starting to tell me and I’m smart.”
Brent called for a change in the qualification criteria of the contest.
“I think they need to at least bring it back to say 45 and then in the qualification if they do a qualifying thing at the show. This is my criteria. They always do something when you scratch your head. It needs to be 45 and over division is the only division you could get that qualification. If there’s an over 50 and 60, fine and dandy but you just get prize money but that 45 and over is the only class. If I want to take the chance I would add 65 go into that 45 and over to get the qualification for 2024 and no crossovers because there’s so many. It doesn’t make it legit. You have to pick your division because if you want to do a crossover fine but that division doesn’t get a qualification that’s how I see it clear and cut for qualifiers.”
Lee Priest voiced a similar sentiment as Brent in urging the organizers to bump up the minimum age for qualifying to 50 and above last month.
IFBB Pro League athletes’ representative Bob Cicherillo believes all eyes would be on former 212 Olympia champ Kamal Elgargni as he enters as the betting favorite to win the 2023 Masters Olympia later this year.
You can watch the full video below.
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Published: 11 May, 2023 | 10:17 PM EDT
Lee Priest Critical of 2023 Masters Olympia Being Age 40 & Over: ‘To Me Masters is 50+’
Australian bodybuilder Lee Priest is celebrated for his longevity with over two decades of competitive experience. In a RxMuscle YouTube video, Priest called for changes to the eligibility criteria for the 2023 Masters Olympia by changing the age cap to 50 and over.
The Masters Olympia competition was started by former Olympia president Joe Weider in 1994. He created the event to provide a platform for older bodybuilders past their prime who still love to compete. Dexter ‘The Blade’ Jackson was the last man to win the Masters Olympia title when the show returned in 2012.
Jake Wood confirmed the contest would make a comeback this season after an 11-year break. The weekend of August 25 was announced as the official date for the three-day event scheduled to be hosted in Cluj Napoca, Romania. It is set to feature 10 divisions from the IFBB Pro League.
Some had mixed feelings about the event’s return. Renowned bodybuilding guru Milos Sarcev expressed his concerns about athletes’ risking their health by overusing steroids at an older age in preparation for the competition.
Bodybuilding veteran Lee Priest indicated his desire to compete at the show but ruled out his participation due to chest atrophy earlier this year. He speculated about the potential contenders and favored the chances of Victor Martinez to take the title if Dexter Jackson and four-time Mr. Ollympia Jay Cutler did not compete.
Two months ago, Martinez opened up about his ambitions to compete at the Masters Olympia. However, made it clear he wasn’t interested in the risks unless the prize money stood at $250,000. In the end, the organizers declared the overall prize money for the show at $229,000 days later.
Former 212 Olympia champ Kamal Elgargni was considering making his way to Romania for the event if the prize money was fit for his needs. And sure enough, the Masters Olympia roster was released and Kamal Elgargni will fight for the Open title in August.
Japanese bodybuilder Hidetada Yamagishi will come out of retirement to contend for the title at the age of 50 in the 212 division. Last week, he made headlines for a ripped physique update where he showed off his insane conditioning levels 18 weeks out.
Lee Priest calls for Masters Olympia to be over 50 & talks about top contenders
In a recent YouTube video, Lee Priest shared his thoughts on the upcoming 2023 Masters Olympia with Dave Palumbo. He called on the organizers to raise the age ceiling to 50.
“I’m still upset though it’s 40 and over,” said Priest. “To me, Masters should be 50 above and you haven’t competed for at least 2 or 3 years. Seeing that $229,000, $9,000 goes to the Masters.”
Priest and Palumbo gave their takes on the competitors and highlighted some missing names.
“A lot of these guys I don’t even know who they are,” said Palumbo. “I see Fred Biggie Smalls is on the list, he’s making a comeback. You’ll probably see some guy who we don’t even expect to do well probably win it. Someone who won the Masters Nationals at 40 years old, never competed their whole life, fresh-looking muscle.”
“Victor Martinez could do it and still do very well,” said Priest.
Palumbo responded, “I don’t know why he isn’t competing. He should. It’s actually a pretty weak lineup when you consider it’s only 40 and over. There are guys actively competing who are 40.
“I’d love to see Phil Heath do the show or Kai Greene.”
They believe Elgargni is the frontrunner to win the event.
“Kamal, who’s probably the highest rated guy in the lineup,” said Palumbo.
“I think Kamal is going to be very hard to beat just because he hasn’t been out of the sport. He’s been competing consistently. It’s going to be hard for guys that haven’t competed in a bunch of years to come back and look that great, especially at that age.”
On April 25, Cutler and IFBB head judge Steve Weinberger announced the full lineups for each division of the 2023 Masters Olympia with Elgargni, Maxx Charles, and Phillip Clahar entering as favorites in the Men’s Open division.
RELATED: 52-yo Johnnie Jackson Teases 2023 Masters Olympia Comeback: ‘I’m Leaning Towards Yes’
The show will offer fans an opportunity to see some of their favorite bodybuilders of the past take to the stage once again.
You can watch the full video below.
Published: 28 April, 2023 | 12:02 AM EDT
Complete List Of Masters Olympia Winners Through The Years
Photo via @robbyrobinson, @vincetaylor50, and @mrolympia08 Instagram
Get all the winners of Masters Olympia and see which legends walked the stage in their older years.
We all know and love Mr. Olympia. Watching our favorite bodybuilders stalk the stage is something to admire and an event we look forward to all year. But what happens when our favorite athletes choose to walk away from the Mr. Olympia competition? Enter the Masters Olympia contest.
As our favorite bodybuilders age, they enter into the Masters Olympia competition. That love of training and competing never leaves and with an event like this, top bodybuilders can still compete even as they age. It is an event that works to satisfy the competitor for they can still compete and satisfy the fan as they watch their favorite competitor compete.
As we all age, it can get harder and harder to build and keep on muscle. That massive physique fans saw becomes harder and harder to keep on. Whether you do it naturally or with the help of non-natural substances, our bodies will eventually start to show their true age. However, that isn’t a bad thing. Just because these competitors can’t compete against the likes of current Olympia champions, doesn’t mean they still can’t compete.
Let’s take a look at all of the winners of Masters Olympia. You will notice plenty of gaps as this event has struggled at times to gain ground, but the years it was held saw great competition, and ultimately, a winner was crowned. Moving forward, fans and competitors alike would love to see this event continue on a more regular basis and give these older competitors something to look forward to, train for, and ultimately compete for.
For some of these years as well, you will see an overall winner, being those listed below, plus some separate winners for the over-50 and over-60 categories.
Photo via @mrolympia08, mr.olympia_claudegroulx, and robbyrobinsonofficial Instagram
Masters Olympia Winners
1994: Robby Robinson
1995: Sonny Schmidt
1996: Vince Taylor
1997: Vince Taylor
1999: Vince Taylor
2000: Vince Taylor
2001: Vince Taylor
2002: Don Youngblood
2003: Claude Groulx
2012: Dexter Jackson
1994: Robby Robinson
Over-50: Chris Dickerson
Over-60: Ed Corney
Robby Robinson became a pro in 1975 and dominated the bodybuilding circuit, winning events like Mr. America, Mr. World, and Mr. Universe. Moving throughout his professional career, he would go on to win many IFBB competitions and took home the top prize at the first ever Masters Olympia contest. He also won a few over-50 categories throughout the years as well.
1995: Sonny Schmidt
Over-60: Ed Corney
Sonny Schmidt competed in many events and placed well during his decade long career. His biggest win came at Masters Olympia and he became the first Samoan to do this. His post bodybuilding life was plagued by unfortunate personal and criminal circumstances, however, he will remain on this list as a force in the early stages of this contest.
1996: Vince Taylor
Over-60: Jim Morris
Vince Taylor earned his pro card in 1988 and had an incredible pro career. He set a record with 22 wins and held it, until bodybuilding legend Ronnie Coleman came along with 26. He has the most Masters Olympia wins, but still wasn’t satisfied. He returned to the pro circuit and competed against the younger pros, even taking 11th at Mr. Olympia in 2006. A life-long competitor, Taylor is certainly someone to admire for his work ethic and dedication to the sport.
1997: Vince Taylor
The second of Taylor’s amazing Masters Olympia Run.
Over-50: Robby Robinson
Over-60: Honore Cironte
1999: Vince Taylor
Taylor’s third victory for the Masters Olympia event.
2000: Vince Taylor
And Taylor kept rolling with his fourth victory here.
Over-50: Robby Robinson
Over-60: Kasumi Ishimura
2001: Vince Taylor
And finally, Taylor’s last Masters Olympia win came here in 2001.
Over-50: Robby Robinson
Over-60: Honore Cironte
2002: Don Youngblood
Don Youngblood was inspired by Vince Taylor and began training seriously later in life. He received his pro card after winning the NPC Masters Nationals, thus qualifying him to compete at Masters Olympia. After taking second to Taylor in 2001, he was determined to dethrone the Masters Olympia king. And in 2002 he did just that, taking home the top prize and finally defeating his inspiration for getting into bodybuilding in the first place.
2003: Claude Groulx
Claude Groulx earned his pro card in 1994 and throughout his career, competed in 5 Mr. Olympias and 45 overall pro competitions. Winning Masters Olympia was his most significant victory, however, and he did so at age 40. But his love of fitness never left and he continued to teach courses and train people privately, passing on his knowledge to them.
2012: Dexter Jackson
Dexter Jackson might sound familiar to many, and he should. As a big name in bodybuilding, he is best known for his 2008 Olympia win. Over his career, despite his many great feats, like a record 20 Mr. Olympia appearances, he is the only bodybuilder to win Mr. Olympia and Masters Olympia. His legacy lives on in magazine covers and films, as well as his own bodybuilding competition called The Dexter Classic.
Wrap Up
Masters Olympia has seen its fair share of action over the years. While this event isn’t held every year, the hope is that once an event takes place, the momentum will carry over. With so many great bodybuilders competing at Mr. Olympia now, and with the sport growing even more popular every day, fans want to see these competitors continue to walk the stage even as they age. One can hope that in the next decade, ten new names are added to this list, but for now, we can take advantage of this legendary list in front of us.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Robby Robinson Instagram, Vince Taylor Instagram, Claude Groulx Instagram, and Dexter Jackson Instagram
Olympia President Jake Wood Confirms Return Of Masters Olympia in 2023
Jake Wood wanted to bring the show back this year but will definitely have it in 2023.
It has been a decade since the Masters Olympia competition was seen on stage. On Sunday, Olympia President Jake Wood confirmed that the competition is coming back and it will take place in 2023.
The Masters Olympia began in 1994 where Robby Robinson took home the first title. It was stopped in 2012 and Dexter Jackson was the final champion. This came after the competition was paused from 2004-2011. Now, it will return for the 2023 year and it could have been even sooner.
Wood joined The Menace Podcast on the Muscle & Fitness YouTube page to discuss the topic. He admitted there were plans to bring the competition back this year but it was unable to happen.
“Absolutely yeah, as a matter of fact, we had started plans to have the Masters Olympia in Romania this upcoming year. After looking at the immigration policies of people actually getting in, we decided it’s too risky for such a big event,” Jake wood said.
Wood continues by claiming that this event deserves its own weekend rather than being included during the Olympia weekend. The event will be held in Romania. The age requirement for the event is something that is important but unknown at the moment.
When asked about a timeframe, Wood said “definitely by 2023.”
“I think that would be too much at the Olympia weekend. No, I think it deserves better treatment than that. We definitely want to have it. It’s going to start happening here, something has to happen,” jake wood said.
The age requirement of the event will be interesting because many top bodybuilders in Men’s Open are around 40 years old. Brandon Curry is 39 while reigning two-time Olympia champion Big Ramy is 37. The magic number cold be 45 yers old when thinking of the requirement.
“Well, what do you change? You change the age requirement. Where do you set the bar as far as the age? At first, we said we would like it to be at forty and above. Wood stated. Well, there’s still a lot of the top guys who are right there. So, you know, the men’s open, and all the other classes too. I think maybe 45, might be the mark.”
This is an exciting announcement coming from Jake Wood. After the competition has been absent for a decade, it will have a chance to return and give competitors a chance to compete no matter their age.
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