Tag: Video
Talking Huge | EP 15: Craig Golias’ Honest Predictions For Olympia 2021
[embedded content]
Craig Golias breaks down his no bullsh*t predictions for the Mr. Olympia 2021.
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 makes his Olympia 2021 predictions, shares his thoughts on Michal Krizo, and briefly reflects on the tragic passing of George Peterson.
Talking Huge had to unfortunately skip some episodes due to technical difficulties while both Craig Golias and Vlad Yudin were on business travel. Now that both are settled back into the studio – the two of them catch up on all events since the Arnold Classic 2021 and look ahead to this weekend’s Mr. Olympia competition. As somewhat of an outsider to professional bodybuilding – Golias’ predictions are interesting indeed. Will they come true? Let’s jump into the episode.
Craig Golias’ Bold Mr. Olympia 2021 Predictions
Craig Golias will be attending the Mr. Olympia 2021 in person this year. We were able to touch base right before he left for our episode of Talking Huge. With the Olympia only days away – we asked Craig what his thoughts were on the lineup. He had very specific opinions on who would land where in the top six. Some of his picks might not be what you expect.
But Craig Golias is also not completely crazy. He still settles on Big Ramy landing the top spot for a repeat win. While this is not guaranteed – it’s a thought that many analysis, fans, and athletes expect for the weekend event. It’s only after the Big Ramy first spot that Craig’s predictions start to get interesting.
Craig strongly believes that Hadi Choopan will be able to rise up and place second above the rest of the pack. Choopan has proven that his smaller stature cannot stop him from succeeding in the Men’s Open division. Second place would be the highest rank yet – can he really pull it off?
Craig Golias then places Brandon Curry in third, William Bonac in fourth, and Nick Walker in fifth. Walker is an interesting choice. Many fans hope for him to do a top five finish at the Olympia – but he’s still relatively young in the game. Despite this – he did have an astronomical physique at the Arnold Classic 2021. Placing in the top five certainly is possible. Craig seems to lean on this side of things. It will be interesting to see indeed.
There’s no doubt that this year’s lineup is one of the more competitive rosters in recent memory. While Big Ramy might be a clear leader in the pack – he’s nowhere near the level of guarantee that Phil Heath used to be when he was still in his reign. There’s a lot of moving pieces this year and many new generation competitors finally coming into their own. It will be a sight to behold.
Wrap Up
There are far more topics discussed in this episode than we can cover in this article. Craig Golias also talks about his take on the Arnold Classic 2021 results, his reaction to the hype behind Elite Pro athlete Michal Krizo, and answers some fan questions. 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!
Philip Ricardo Jr: Why It’s A Big Deal Mr. America Is Being Televised
[embedded content]
Pro Natural Bodybuilder Philip Ricardo Jr. talks competing in the Mr. America and why it’s a big deal that CBS Sports will televise it.
This weekend holds the Mr. America 2021, the return of a historic bodybuilding event whose history goes all the way back to 1939. Before the Mr. Universe and before the Mr. Olympia – there was the Mr. America. Natural bodybuilding Olympia champion Philip Ricardo Jr. is set to compete in a last minute surprise. Not only that but the Mr. America will be televised by CBS Sport at a later date. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Philip Ricardo Jr. explains why the Mr. America’s continued return and it being televised is such a big deal for bodybuilding as a whole.
The last time we spoke with Philip Ricardo Jr. – it was during our promotional run for Generation Iron: Natty 4 Life. Our cameras went behind the scenes of the PNBA/INBA natural bodybuilding league to uncover the reality of this openly natural league of bodybuilding. Ricardo Jr. ended up defeating the returning natural bodybuilding Olympia champion – Rob Terry. It was an epic moment that capped off an in-depth exploration of an often misunderstood sport.
Now the new Natural Olympia champion, it seems Philip Ricardo Jr. has another accolade in his sights. The Mr. America 2021. As we stated above, it’s a long running competition (on and off) that is now coming back in full force. In fact, it’s going to be televised on CBS Sports this year.
We spoke to Philip Ricardo Jr. about the Mr. America, his prep, and why it’s so important that the competition will be televised. Despite the IFBB and Mr. Olympia being a massive PPV event – it has been quite some time since the show was broadcast on mainstream television. The Mr. America’s broadcast will be the first time in a very long time that any form of bodybuilding will be on TV.
This may, in part, be due to the Mr. America being completely natural with proven WADA drug testing before the event. While that might put off some bodybuilding fans – Philip Ricardo Jr. believes this is an important distinction. He thinks this is proof that natural bodybuilding can become larger – it can become mainstream and beloved by millions around the globe.
“No only is it drug free and drug tested but it’s televised,” Philip Ricardo Jr. states in our interview. He continues:
“So it’s showing a new movement that it’s becoming mainstream… it’s really showcasing what anyone can really attain to or aspire to if they want to get some notoriety or noticed for being athletic or in good shape.”
Philip Ricardo Jr. is being somewhat modest with his words. It must be noted that it’s been decades since pro bodybuilding in any form has been available to watch on mainstream television. To be connected with such a history competition as the Mr. America is a match made in heaven.
The return of the Mr. America is happening this weekend in Atlantic City, NJ October 8-10. Generation Iron will be reporting on the events and results as they become available. So don’t miss it!
You can also watch Philip Ricardo Jr.’s full comments, including his Mr. America prep, in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Robert Timms’ Physique Will “Blow The Hardness & Tightness Out Of The Water At This Olympia”
[embedded content]
Robert Timms promises something different and next level in his physique at the Olympia 2021.
With just a few days until the Olympia 2021, fans and athletes are getting hyped up for the biggest bodybuilding event of the year. Competitors are in process of tightening in their peak week timing to present the ultimate physique on stage. Robert Timms is a Classic Physique competitor aiming to make big waves at this year’s Olympia. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Robert Timms claims fans should expect “something different” and a next level physique at Olympia 2021.
When it comes to preparing for a competition, Robert Timms washes out all of the white noise. He doesn’t worry about what comments on social media say. He doesn’t care what rival competitors look like in their physique update photos. He only cares about the opinion of two people – his coach and his father.
This is the mindset Robert Timms informed us about during our recent video interview just weeks before the Olympia 2021. Timms has been a top tier Classic Physique competitor – and in its earliest inception as a division – Timms was one of the first pinnacles showcasing what Classic Physique should look like. It makes sense then that his Instagram handle and nickname is “Mr. Classic Physique.”
Despite this, he has yet to win a Classic Physique Olympia title for himself. This isn’t for lack of promise – the Classic Physique division sports some of the most competitive physiques in the entire sport. That’s why this year Robert Timms has adjusted his prep to transform his physique into “something different” – to use his own words. He plans to show a physique that his fans have never seen before in his career.
We asked Robert Timms what his strategy was going into the Olympia 2021. He answered by claiming his goal was to bring something special. A different physique than he’s brought to the stage in years past. To do this – he focused on really bringing in his conditioning. He wants to “blow the hardness and tightness out of the water” as he puts it confidently.
And this isn’t simply confident pre-competition cockiness. Robert Timms has shown some physique updates on his social media in weeks past – and the results are looking spectacular. Many fans have already noticed that he can be a real big threat to the returning champion Chris Bumstead – as well as other high profile competitors such as Breon Ansley and Terrence Ruffin.
Just a few weeks ago, Arnold Schwarzenegger boldly claimed during his Arnold Classic commentary that Classic Physique was the best division of the sport. While many might take offense to his dismissal of Men’s Open, his excitement for Classic Physique is shared by many. The division has proven to be a rousing success.
It’s pleased fans who miss the Golden Era of Physique. It’s also pleasing fans by the sheer competitiveness of the athletes in the division. There’s no doubt that Classic Physique sports some of the most electric face offs on stage. Each year – the Olympia champion is can be seen as a crapshoot. No one competitor, even Chris Bumstead, is a shoe in for the prize. Robert Timms seems to be yet another to throw into the mix.
You can watch Robert Timms go into full detail about his Olympia 2021 strategy in our latest GI exclusive interview segment above!
WATCH: Berry De Mey’s Olympia 2021 Predictions & Analysis
[embedded content]
Berry De Mey breaks down the Mr. Olympia 2021 lineup and makes his predictions.
Berry De Mey is a former pro bodybuilder and an iconic bodybuilding coach. That’s why with only a few days before the Mr. Olympia 2021, we connected with him to get his insight and analysis about the line up. This year is set to be one of the more competitive rosters we’ve seen in quite some time. A clash of the old and the new generations make for what is expected to be an intense and exciting show. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Berry De Mey makes his predictions for the Olympia 2021.
The pro bodybuilding world has been in somewhat of a transition over the past decade. The current generation is getting, well, older and young up-and-coming bodybuilders are starting to hone their skills into formidable opponents. That’s what makes this year’s Mr. Olympia so exciting. We have the likes of Hunter Labrada, Nick Walker, and Iain Valliere going up against veterans such as Big Ramy, William Bonac, and Brandon Curry.
This week, we connected with world famous bodybuilder and trainer Berry De Mey via video chat. With just a few days before this epic Olympia showdown, we asked for his thoughts on the lineup and his predictions for the Men’s Open division. Berry De Mey has his own criteria of what the ideal Men’s Open physique should look like. So he gives his personal opinion – and then a more objective analysis what to expect at Olympia 2021.
Berry De Mey doesn’t sugarcoat it. The hype is real, Big Ramy is a top contender for the Mr. Olympia as returning champion. The truth is that many of the competitors, no matter how much they try, can match Ramy’s size. So long as Ramy keeps up his conditioning and comes in slightly better than last year – he’s a shoe in for the first spot.
That being said, Berry De Mey personally favors bodybuilder Patrick Moore. He believes that Moore hits all of the marks of what he wishes all Men’s Open bodybuilders looked like. He wishes judging would appreciate that kind of aesthetic over mass and size. Rather than a compliment to it.
But this doesn’t mean Berry De Mey thinks Patrick Moore will win the Mr. Olympia 2021. He knows all change happens slow – and so long as most bodybuilders focus more on mass, Moore will look like an outlier in a way that hurts his chances rather than helps. He hopes to see Moore one day become the Olympia champion.
Berry De Mey also points out that there are a lot of hungry talented competitors rising in the ranks competing at the Olympia 2021. Veteran bodybuilders like Brandon Curry and William Bonac are not necessarily guaranteed top 3 spots. If Hunter Labrada, Hadi Choopan, and Nick Walker bring their best – they can overtake the top 5 positions knocking down former champion Brandon Curry into a lower spot.
All in all, this is to say that nothing is guaranteed at the Olympia 2021. This should be one of the more exciting years of the event in quite some time. Will Big Ramy cement himself as a reigning champion for years to come? Or will we have yet another new champion this year. We’ll soon find out this weekend.
You can watch Berry De Mey’s full analysis and breakdown of the Olympia 2021 in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Mohamed El Emam: Big Ramy Will Be Even Better At Olympia 2021
[embedded content]
Mohamed El Emam answers: Can Big Ramy win again at Olympia 2021?
With less than a week to go before the Olympia 2021, we will soon see if returning champion Big Ramy can retain his title. Ramy has been known for inconsistency in his conditioning from year to year (at least in his past showings over the past decade). Will he be able to remain consistent and show an even more improved physique on stage this weekend? Rising competitor Mohamed El Emam seems to think so. In our latest GI Exclusive, Mohamed El Emam explains why he thinks Big Ramy will appear even better at Olympia 2021.
Mohamed El Emam has been a rising athlete on the pro bodybuilding stage this past year. He battled it out in a number of competitions to earn Olympia qualification. Unfortunately, he fell short – but not for a lack of impressive physique. The competition was fierce and despite some top 5 placings, it wasn’t enough to earn a spot in this weekend’s Olympia.
That’s why during our recent conversation with Mohamed, we asked him as an observer, if he thought Big Ramy can win again. Mohamed El Emam does believe that Big Ramy can pull off a repeat win. The reason he thinks this – is that he believes Big Ramy will have an even better physique than the previous year.
It’s common knowledge among pro bodybuilding fans that judges have a laser focus on the returning champion for Mr. Olympia. It’s not enough for the champion to bring the same winning physique. The judges expect to see an improved physique. This is the challenge an Olympia champion must face. What if they’ve hit a plateau – no matter how perfect? An equal quality physique might get slightly overlooked compared to a hungry competitor that made some incredible progress.
Mohamed El Emam believes that Big Ramy has made that kind of progress. He’s strictly judging based off of physique update photos and video that Ramy has been posting in recent months. From what he can tell – Ramy has not only widened his back and increased his arm size – he’s also tapered in his waist. Of course, physique update photos can be misleading. What’s most important is that Ramy times his peak perfectly with the Olympia weekend.
This is where the excitement comes in. Even the most perfect athlete can run into problems if their timing is even slightly off. When fans watch the pre-judging on Friday night, they’re also aware the competitors have a full 24 hours to try and make adjustments before finals. That 24 hour period is crucial and makes the finals a truly electric event. Some have improved, some have faded. For example, Phil Heath was often known as “Mr. Saturday Night” due to surprising improvements he would make between pre-judging and finals.
Mohamed El Emam has a point though. It’s clear that Big Ramy was the superior physique in 2020. If no other competitor can close that gap and Ramy improves himself – the odds of him coming in off peak this weekend seems unlikely. Ramy’s sheer size gives him an incredible advantage.
You can watch Mohamed El Emam break down his Big Ramy predictions in more detail by watching our GI Exclusive interview segment above!
George Peterson’s Honest Thoughts About His Olympia Men’s 212 Debut
George Peterson opens up about his first ever Men’s 212 showing.
George Peterson has been on quite the rollercoaster ride of a bodybuilding career. He started as a Men’s Open amateur bodybuilding, stepped away from the sport for five years, returned into the Classic Physique division – and then ultimately ended up moving to Men’s 212. 2020 was his Olympia Men’s 212 debut. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, George Peterson ranks his own performance in his first ever Olympia Men’s 212 show.
George Peterson is a dangerous competitor. His physique holds plenty of potential and the makings of a champion. While he has placed well throughout his career, he has yet to earn an Olympia title. This might be in part due to his frequent movement between divisions. Throughout his career – he has battled on stage in three different divisions.
But it seems now that the Men’s 212 division is where George Peterson is going to settle. In a sense, he has used the other divisions as an opportunity to understand his body and see where he fits best. He’s now confident that the Men’s 212 division is where he can perfect his body to his best strengths.
2020 was his Men’s 212 debut at the Olympia. Many fans were hyped to see how he would compare to other long running competitors in that division. Ultimately, George Peterson did not win the title. That honor went to Shaun Clarida in a shocking turn displaying the best physique of his career.
We asked George Peterson how he felt about his contest prep and about his performance at the Olympia 2020. Peterson knows that he still has some work to do in order to win the title – but he’s not discouraged. In fact, he sees his debut as a victory in and of itself.
“Since this was my debut in this division at the Olympia, and boom I’m top 3 in the world already, that there kinda feels like a win in itself.” George Peterson states in our interview. “And now we have something to build on. So now that I’m third in the world the goal for this year is to be number one in the world.”
George Peterson’s confidence and optimism immediately feels like that of a future champion. And rightfully so. Even though Peterson didn’t win the Olympia this year – he placed third. That’s a great achievement for a division Olympia debut. The competition is close and fierce. Peterson is ready for that fight.
We also asked him if he was worried about having to try and take down Shaun Clarida after his impressive win in 2020. Is Clarida beatable in his current state? George Peterson is also not worried about that. In fact, he welcomes the challenge. “No one is unbeatable” he states calmly but confidently. He’s simply going to focus on improving himself and bringing his best package.
You can watch George Peterson’s full comments on his Olympia Men’s 212 debut in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
George Peterson Shares His Secrets For A Wide Back
George Peterson breaks down the key tactics that he uses to build his massive and wide back.
George Peterson is a massive bodybuilder and one of the best in the industry. But what he might be best known for is his extremely wide and massive back. Many have said that competitions are won from the back. While the entire aesthetic and physique of the body must be presentable – may fans (and some say judges) can be most swayed by a powerhouse back. In our latest GI Exclusive, George Peterson shares the specific tactics he’s developed to build a massive back.
Many of you have probably seen or felt a moment like this. The competitors are battling on stage and you’re not quite sure who has the upper hand. They all look fantastic. It’s going to be a close battle. Then suddenly, the mandatory back poses are performed. You’re floored. One bodybuilder stands out with a mammoth batwing back. It envelops all others. You now clearly have a favorite to win the night.
This situation is not uncommon. A well built back is one of the most eye catching muscle groups in a bodybuilding competition. Some even believe that the back is the linch pin to victory. You can be lacking in some small areas so long as your back is supreme.
Some judges, coaches, and gurus have warned against this. That a true champion is a master of their body from head to toe. While this is likely true as a whole – culturally it’s clear that bodybuilding fans love to see a massive and wide back.
That’s why during our conversation with George Peterson, we asked him to share his tips for how to take your back to the next level. Peterson is well known for having one of the most impressive backs in the sport. So what kind of unique insights can he provide to help others chase the glory he’s obtained?
George Peterson was more than happy to share his tactic. He, in fact, shared it with a grin. He explains the key tactics that he has always done whenever working out on back day. It sounds simple – but it’s a focus on muscle movement and mind-muscle connection. It’s that special extra awareness with every rep that can make or break your progress from good back to supreme back.
George Peterson explains that with every single rep of every single back workout you perform. It’s important to stretch wide your chest as full as possible. That’s what George Peterson does. He makes sure that he widens his chest at the peak of each exercises movement. He wants to feel every single back muscle working to achieve each rep.
It doesn’t sound like much – but what is important is to be vigilant throughout the entire workout. It’s easy to go into auto pilot after months of training. Or perhaps, towards the end of your workout you are so exhausted that your mind wanders. George Peterson ensures that he takes his time to stretch full with every rep. It can’t be ignored. It has to be included through to the very end for every workout. Period.
Also in this video, George Peterson details how he does seven back exercises in his workout. “The back is a big set of muscles,” Peterson states in our interview. It requires a lot of attention. He also breaks down his full routine when in competition prep mode. You can follow his full routine from morning to night.
You can watch George Peterson’s full breakdown of his competition prep routine and his secrets to build a wide back in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
Ryan Crowley On His Injury & Larry Wheels: “I’d Be Dead If He Wasn’t There”
[embedded content]
Ryan Crowley props up Larry Wheels’ actions immediately after the viral pec tear injury.
Ryan Crowley’s pec tear was the injury heard around the bodybuilding world. In an attempt to lift a bit higher than usual alongside Larry Wheels for a viral video – the worst happened. Crowley’s pec teared right off. He has since been in and out of the hospital slowly recovering. There are those who have commented that Larry Wheels pushed Crowley too far. But Crowley finds that to be furthers from the truth. In fact, he thinks Wheels being there prevented the injury from being worse. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Ryan Crowley details how Larry Wheels’ actions helped prevent further injury.
Ryan Crowley’s pec tear injury was a major talking point of bodybuilding in 2021. Bodybuilding fans around the world sent well wishes, contributed to a GoFundMe to help pay hospital fees… and couldn’t stop watching the viral video of the moment the injury occurred. Despite the massive setback – Crowley is confident that he will be back in full form by next year and ready to start making a dent in competitive bodybuilding.
The injury itself was due to a social media video involving both Crowley and the massively popular Larry Wheels. Known for his heavy lifts – the video collab was meant to be a motivational video showcasing the two lifting together. Ultimately, things went south under the serious heavy weight. A pop and a snap later – and Ryan Crowley found himself in a world of pain.
There have been some comments online blaming Larry Wheels for the injury. That he pushed Ryan Crowley too far. During our conversation with Crowley – we asked if he had seen those comments and what his thoughts were. Crowley dismissed the comments – claiming they are simply individuals looking for attention (or perhaps bored looking to instigate arguments online).
In fact, Ryan Crowley believes that Larry Wheels was the sole reason he didn’t get injured further. During the lift, when his pec tore – Larry Wheels held the bar completely stable preventing it from falling onto Crowley. If he was not prepared or strong enough to hold up the bar – it would have hit Crowley with a thud – and possible led to more injury.
“I don’t blame him at all. You know, if anything he saved my life,” Ryan Crowley states in our interview. He goes on:
“I’d be dead if he wasn’t there. If Larry Wheels wasn’t there I would have died for sure… I slid under and he held that bar solid still… that bar doesn’t even move for two seconds. He’s got that 220 kilos in one hand. If I was spotting someone, I would be scared by grabbing that bar that I would tear something. I’m just so lucky he was there. Even if I didn’t die, I’d at least have cracked ribs or worse.”
Ryan Crowley goes on to say that Larry Wheels was also kind enough to also promote and share the GoFundMe campaign raising funds for hospital fees. They ended up reaching past their goal – all thanks to the further exposure made possible by Wheels and his massive following.
You can watch Ryan Crowley’s full comments about Larry Wheels in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
The Anabolic Doc: Don’t Be Fooled – Bodybuilders Suffer From Steroids Quietly
[embedded content]
The Anabolic Doc warns: Even healthy looking steroid users might be suffering in private.
Dr. Thomas O’Connor, aka the Anabolic Doc, has dedicated his entire career to studying the effects of steroids and other anabolic substances on athletes. He has always tried to bridge the gap between the hard truth of science, and the psychology and desires of athletes that use PEDs. He understands why athletes might be willing to take health risks for greatness. But he also wants to make one thing clear – long term steroid use will always have consequences.
While doctors and scientists have always been making such alarming claims, there are many who don’t believe it. This is largely due to the number of athletes who seem perfectly healthy after admitting to a career of steroid use. The Anabolic Doc wants doesn’t want people to be fooled – just because an athlete seems healthy in their older age, doesn’t mean they actually are. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, the Anabolic Doc explains how more often than not steroid users suffer quietly. Even if they outwardly appear to be healthy long term.
Most athletes who consider using steroids or other PEDs understand the risk they are taking with their health. Some athletes, in the pursuit of greatness, are willing to take that risk. But there are also a large swath of steroid users, both athletes and casual athletic individuals, who simply don’t know how bad the long term affects can really be.
This is due to the fact that famous athletes who get caught for steroid use, well, seem perfectly fine. Even long after retirement, a star athlete who had been caught doping seems to be living a normal healthy life. This kind of optics makes it easier to ignore the very real health issues that arise from long term steroid use. It’s this kind of optics that the Anabolic Doc wants to warn young steroid users about.
As the saying goes out of sight, out of mind. Things that are far off into our future are easy to ignore. This is especially true if there are no obvious warning signs publicly spoken about by iconic athletes. Outwardly, it appears that an athlete can use steroids, retire, stop taking steroids, and be perfectly fine – so long as they stop early enough. The Anabolic Doc can’t stress enough how untrue this idea is. While he can’t speak for every individual who takes steroids, his studies and experience prove this – most steroid users are suffering silently.
Dr. O’Connor details exactly the kind of private suffering that steroid users face down the road:
“We don’t know. Now, these men suffer quietly. I know, in this mind, because who comes to see me? They come to see me and they tell me the truth with their wife, their children, their mothers. And there’s a lot of tears. Because thy have heart disease and kidney disease. And they have psychiatric disease.”
The Anabolic Doc can’t speculate on specific high profile athletes or individuals – as he doesn’t know them personally. What he can rely on is the years of clients and data from studies that show how much suffering long term steroid users face. What goes on privately can be vastly different than what we see presented in public.
You can watch the Anabolic Doc’s full comments in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Iain Valliere: There Are Only Two Ways To Beat Big Ramy At Mr. Olympia 2021
[embedded content]
Iain Valliere breaks down the two approaches to beating Big Ramy ahead of the Mr. Olympia 2021.
We are less than one week away from the biggest bodybuilding event of the year – Mr. Olympia 2021. This will be Big Ramy’s first chance to defend his champion status. Will he prove his win to be more than just a fluke? Or will he be another athlete to join the one and done list of single Olympia champions? Only time will tell – but in the meantime we spoke with qualified Olympia competition Iain Valliere on whether or not Ramy can be defeated. He thinks it’s a tough mountain to climb – but there is a slim margin to beat Ramy. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Iain Valliere details the only two ways that Big Ramy can be defeated at the Mr. Olympia 2021.
In 2020, Big Ramy showcased the greatest physique of his career. For the first time ever, his conditioning matched his enormous size. This made him a powerhouse and nearly unstoppable. Returning champion Brandon Curry could not hold up – nor could seven time former Olympia champion Phil Heath. Ramy was fully realized. It earned him a spot on the short list of Olympia champions.
It’s been a near year since that epic victory. We are just under a week before the Mr. Olympia 2021. This is our first time to see Big Ramy on stage competing again. Traditionally, Big Ramy’s biggest weakness has been the consistency of his conditioning. One year he will be close to on point. The next he would be completely off point. Just because Ramy won a Mr. Olympia title doesn’t mean the consistency problem will be fixed.
That being said, Big Ramy’s impressive physique in 2020 might also signal he has learned what is needed to keep his conditioning consistent. We’ll soon find out this weekend. During our conversation with fellow Olympia competitor Iain Valliere – we asked his take on Big Ramy’s physique and how he could be potentially toppled from his throne. The way Valliere sees it, there are only two viable tactics for defeating Big Ramy.
The first is to beat him in size. If a competitor can show up with insane size and conditioning to at the very least match Big Ramy – then he can lose the title. The second tactic is to look at Ramy’s weakness and exploit them. This means that a bodybuilder would focus less on size and more on absolute superior conditioning and aesthetics. Iain Valliere thinks that no competitor is currently poised to succeed with the first tactic. This leaves only conditioning and aesthetics as the superior route to defeat Ramy.
“I think there’s two ways to beat Ramy,” Iain Valliere stated in our interview. He continued:
“It’s going to come down to either a guy with really really crazy shape like a Brandon or a Nathan but compiled with really good conditioning. Or it’s going to come down to someone bigger with better conditioning. I don’t see anyone being bigger than Ramy so I think the way to beat Ramy is with detail and shape. I think trying to be bigger than the biggest guy is insanity.”
Looking back at the 2020 Mr. Olympia, Iain Valliere saw Brandon Curry as the closest competitor to take down Big Ramy.
“I think someone like Brandon last year could have closed that gap if his conditioning was a little better. Because he has the shape, he has the symmetry, he has that silhouette of, like, a very very dominant bodybuilder with the bubbliness and flow and tiny waist. Where he was just a little subpar was his conditioning in comparison [to Big Ramy]”
Iain Valliere goes on to state that Brandon Curry is still a superb athlete and is only critiquing his physique in comparison to Big Ramy. In fact, Iain Vailliere even takes himself out of the equation – stating that he is not in the right place to beat someone like Ramy at this year’s competition.
So it seems, according to Iain Valliere, the Mr. Olympia 2021 title will teeter on two factors. How on point Big Ramy is with his conditioning and how on point a rival competitor can raise the bar to exploit Ramy’s weaknesses. It all hangs on the delicate blade of a knife.
You can watch Iain Valliere’s full breakdown on tackling Big Ramy at Mr. Olympia 2021 by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!