Oiled muscles, and perfect poses form the image of a Mr. Olympia contestant! Mr. Olympia is the world’s ultimate bodybuilding competition where the contestants are presented as physical ideals; as it takes blood and sweat of these contestants, just to get qualified for this competition. For more than 55 years, Mr. Olympia’s name and image in the fitness industry has been a symbol of excellence and achievement. Held annually in Las Vegas, Joe Weider’s Mr. Olympia Fitness and Performance Weekend is widely regarded as the most prestigious bodybuilding and fitness competition not only in the fitness industry but around the globe.
Founder of Mr. Olympia Competition
Bodybuilding in India has been restricted to a limited number of titles such as IBBF Mr. India and Mr. Universe titles, however, there lies a massive bodybuilding competition that is known and valued in the global fitness fraternity; i.e. Joe Weider’s Olympia Fitness and Performance Weekend, popularly known as Mr. Olympia. Joe Weider was a Canadian bodybuilder who was known for many fitness publications, and he was the man who first started out into fitness by using car wheels and axles as a set of barbells for his training sessions.
He co-founded the International Federation of Body Builders (IFBB) along with his brother Ben Weider. He was also the creator of three significant competitions- the Mr. Olympia, the Ms. Olympia and the Masters Olympia bodybuilding contests. Winners of these titles are among the most celebrated champions in the fitness industry and in the history of physique competition!
Even though this competition faced many challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, it managed to conduct events in 2021.
Joe Weider’s name became synonymous with the sport, when he died at the age of 93. Weider’s publicist, Charlotte Parker, informed the Press that the bodybuilder, publisher and promoter died due to a heart failure at his home in LA.
The Purpose Behind Mr. Olympia Competition
Joe Weider’s intentions with Mr. Olympia were to enable Mr. Universe contestants to keep competing and earning money through a wider medium. In 1965, Larry Scott of the USA won the first two contests in 1965 as well as 1966. Many bodybuilders have earned a name for themselves and still serve as inspirations for fitness enthusiasts and aspiring bodybuilders. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sergio Oliva, Frank Zane, Franco Colombu, Lee Haney, and Phil Heath are some very prominent names in the bodybuilding and Mr. Olympia fraternity who have competed in the contest.
By creating the Mr. Olympia competition, Joe Weider is often credited for introducing the fitness and bodybuilding world to a charming, young bodybuilder named Arnold Schwarzenegger, who later on won the competition seven times and became a superstar.
Tips for Mr. Olympia Competition Training
If you’re a fitness enthusiasts who’s training to get your body, and physique prepared for the Mr. Olympia competition, then here are some straightforward tips to consider and follow:
Train to Become a Bodybuilder First
Every contestant who enters the Mr. Olympia competition, needs to go through a set of rigorous and strict training, paired with diet, and a customized routine throughout the day. Therefore, most of the contestants who participate in such competitions are bodybuilders and are willing to take the leap towards training for the Mr. Olympia competition. To become a bodybuilder, your body has to go through intense training, which acts as a preliminary preparation for this competition.
Find the Right Coach
Your coach is going to be your guide, and the biggest support through the journey of bodybuilding and preparing for the competition. Make sure to find a coach who’s sincere to train people with all his efforts, instead of coaching just to make money!
Steroids and Drugs
There probably has not been a Mr. Olympia winner who has not taken performance enhancing drugs. If you are serious about becoming a professional bodybuilder, then you need to understand what this entails. You can definitely opt for natural ways of building muscles but the cuts and looks that are expected for Mr. Olympia, sadly, can’t be achieved being drug-free.
So, you will need to get your hands on steroids, insulin, growth hormone, Clenbuterol, and many other drugs if you’re seriously planning on winning the Mr. Olympia competition.
However, make sure to consume it under expert guidance, and medical supervision. These drugs and steroids lead to having side-effects as well, which can be quite frustrating. Hence, consulting a healthcare professional is of utmost importance.
Getting Your Pro Card
A pro card is needed to compete for Mr. Olympia, and to get a pro card you need to win in a prestigious amateur competition. To achieve the same, you’ll need to be extremely focused, trust your coach, consume drugs under guidance, follow proper nutrition and have the ability to train all 7 days a week. There are only a few amateur competitions that you can enter while being in peak physique, and you definitely can’t do one each weekend!
Getting your pro card means that you can enter IFBB Pro League competitions, and this is a big league.
Once you gain entry into the competition, you will have to quit everything else and just focus on training for the competition.
While genetics play a huge part in how successful you are going to be, working harder than everyone else is also a way to progress.
Categories Under Mr. Olympia Competition
Different leagues offer different divisions, wherein each division has the competitors flex to show off their physique, depending on the division or categories. Also, what a judge is looking for out of a physique will change as per the category. Listed below are few of these categories or divisions under which contestants compete:
- Men’s Physique: The Men’s Physique division was created back in 2013 and is one of the most popular divisions, but doesn’t involve the massive muscle considerations here. Nevertheless, it is far from easy to do well, as you need to be muscular, very well-toned, and have great proportions. The contestants who took this title the last three years are- Erin Banks (2022), Branson Hedrickson (2021 and 2020).
- Men’s Open Bodybuilding: This category comprises the largest and the most conditioned athletes where size really matters. It doesn’t matter how tall you are, because this category is all about weight. Bodybuilding division needs the entire legs and glutes to be seen for the judges to compare. The winners of this category were Mamdouh Elssibay (2021 and 2020) and Brandon Curry (2019).
- Men’s Classic: Classic Physique is as good as the middle ground between the Bodybuilding category and the Men’s Physique category. Contestants here are not as big as the Bodybuilding division, but they are considerably bigger than the Men’s Physique division. Evidently, this category includes men posing in boxer briefs so they can show off their legs better. Chris Bumstead was a consistent winner for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021.
- Men’s 212 Olympia: As the name suggests, this category requires the athletes to weigh up to and under 212 lbs (i.e. 96.6 kg) with their height around 5’-5”. During the competition, they’re expected to wear tiny underwear, and accomplish the seven basic bodybuilding postures; after which, they’re judged based on their muscle mass, conditioning and separations. Into Wellness’s brand ambassador Mr. Sunit Jadhav is training to compete for the same category.
Knowing Both Sides of the Coin!
As the model of what is perceived body perfection has evolved, so have the contestants. Famous men like Arnold have shared that they have no regrets in indulging into steroids on the path of victory. However, drugs and steroids react differently on every human body, hence, contestants who have used steroids, have placed themselves at increased risk of a heart attack, liver damage, or shrunken testicles.
Remember, pursuing a championship physique shouldn’t require endangering your entire body, and wellness. The regulatory body that oversees the Mr. Olympia competition IFB, adopted the World Anti-Doping Code in 2003 and has continued working on keeping the sport free of steroids and other banned substances.
On the other hand, these competitors and their extreme appearance remind us of the real body image issues present in society, an unattainable quest for physical perfection. The major issue with fitness enthusiasts and others globally, surrounds the fact that bodybuilding can be a safe sport, but it glamorizes the unhealthy pursuit of an unnaturally attainable physique. Bodybuilders have to rely on steroids, while facing its dangerous side effects, in their pursuit of a body that aligns to the standards of these competitors.
Conclusion
Nonetheless, Mr. Olympia continues to be one of the most prestigious competitions in the fitness industry and many bodybuilders from India like Sunit Jadhav prepare themselves for this competition in a conscious and safe way. Even though India faced several backlashes during 2020 and 2021, it is making its way and creating its mark in the global fitness industry through various platforms and international competitions.
