Before the onset of the annual Olympia, there is often a small spate of surprising last-minute withdrawals. One of the bodybuilders who surprisingly bowed out of the 2022 iteration was Classic Physique competitor Logan “The Texas Oak” Franklin. Perhaps best known for his Men’s Physique victories in the 2020 New York Pro and 2018 Tampa Pro, it seemed like Franklin would try to build on a ninth-place Olympia finish from 2020. Instead, the athlete had to disappointingly step away from his potential second chance at bodybuilding’s highest title.
On Jan. 31, 2023, during an interview with Muscular Development, Franklin discussed the aftermath of his difficult decision to withdraw from the 2022 Olympia. While the athlete didn’t specifically disclose why he decided to not compete, he maintained he’s already prepared to look forward and try to make 2023 another productive year in his career.
After stopping short of the finish line of an entire competitive year, Franklin shared that he was understandably shaken by his choice. To be so close to a high-profile athletic endeavor but ultimately not participate might be hard on any competitive personality.
It made Franklin rather emotional.
“It sucked. The whole ordeal was very disappointing.” Franklin said. “I cried for three days after it. I couldn’t stop crying, just all the work that goes in, thinking about a whole year’s worth. … Putting all that work in and all that effort, creating a routine that I was very excited to present, and just how I was feeling about my progress leading into the show. I was very disappointed and having to make that decision. But we have to make very hard decisions to move ahead in life.”
With murmurs abounding of who might compete in the upcoming 2023 Arnold Classic, Franklin clarified his next competitive appearance won’t be in Columbus, OH. It appears to be too fast of a turnaround after his latest ventures, which wouldn’t let him recover enough as he pleases.
“The Arnold [Classic] is just too close, I need to take a break,” Franklin explained. “I actually have trained only four times in the last five to six weeks. Going to the Arnold just wasn’t in the cards for me. Having a full long year, I need to allow my body to rest. I’m not one of these guys that’s just going to keep going show to show, and do this for years and years and years. That’s how you run your body down and you eventually fall off. I want longevity.”
As for what lies ahead in the long term, Franklin noted he will now coach himself during his training routine for the time being. He had previously worked with experienced coaches like Miloš Šarčev. Franklin elaborated that this path will have him “betting on himself” as he works toward his contest return at the 2023 Texas Pro on Aug. 19, 2023, in Irving, TX. For this Texas native, who fell just short of the said competition’s title in 2021, there might not be a better place to show off his hard work and mass again.
It seems to be only the first step of his grand ambitions this year.
“I plan on winning the [2023] Texas Pro,” Franklin said. “It’s right here, not my home town but the home state, in Dallas. I lost that show by one point back in 2021, so it would be a good show to go back there and get some redemption. The [2023] Olympia will be 11 weeks after the Texas Pro, and then I’ll be doing the [2023] Hawaii Pro on Nov. 20. That’ll be two weeks after the Mr. Olympia, so I can basically just prep for those three shows and knock them out, bam-bam.”
Some athletes might take more time to recalibrate and figure out what’s next after halting their professional plans. That’s because such decisions usually carry a ton of weight and can weigh on the mind. For Franklin, it looks like he’s already healthily compartmentalizing what happened because and is now ready to shine on stage once more.
Featured image: @logan_franklin on Instagram
