On Apr. 24, 2023, in a video career discussion shared on Lewis’ YouTube channel, the athlete breaks down his feelings about a potential return to professional bodybuilding. Lewis maintains that for a seven-figure offer (at least $1 million), he would consider competing and donning his posing trunks again.

After Lewis retired, it opened the door to former 212 competitor Derek Lunsford receiving a special invitation to compete in the Men’s Open at the 2022 Mr. Olympia. Lunsford would take home a runner-up finish at the contest. Lunsford’s absence as one of the heir apparents to Lewis’ former 212 title reign could mean there’s another opening for the icon to step back in.

However, considering the commitment at a training and nutritional level, Lewis wouldn’t just return to professional bodybuilding seamlessly. As competitions like the 2023 Masters Olympia re-enter the fray for experienced veterans, Lewis’ return would have to come at the right price — a payday of at least $1 million. (Note: Lewis, at age 39, would not be eligible for the Masters Olympia until the 2024 edition when he’s 40 and meets the contest’s age requirement.)

“Obviously, my name has been thrown in the mix this year [for the 2023 Masters Olympia], and I said, ‘Let me dispel this right now, I’m on my own journey, it’s definitely back to the stage,'” Lewis said “… If there was a monetary draw for me, I’m all in. For me, it has to be a seven-figure monetary draw. It has to be because for me to walk away from what I’m doing right now, that’s what my sacrifice is, unfortunately.”

In the approximate year since his retirement, Lewis has maintained a steady influence in the bodybuilding and strength community over various media platforms — even recently serving as a social media correspondent during the 2023 World’s Strongest Man. His status as a legendary Olympia champion seems to offer him a measure of respect for his opinions and thoughts on the current state of the sport.

Being such a big name on paper, Lewis compared his ideal payday to compete as a bodybuilder again to that of more traditional sports.

“I truly think bodybuilding was as fruitful as many of the other sports in the world like golf and basketball and football,” Lewis said. “The contracts these guys are getting paid, it’s insane … Nobody [in bodybuilding] was ever really able to carry the torch into the realm it could be to potentially be one of the sports that are getting huge contracts for sponsorships … Where you’re able to win a show and it’s a seven-figure win for a show or you get seven-figure sponsorships because bodybuilding is, if not one of the hardest sports in the world … It’s 365/24/7. You’re always thinking about what you’re eating and what you’re training.” 

The 2023 Masters Olympia has an overall prize purse of $229,000. Lewis now joins seven-time Mr. Olympia champion (2011-2017) Phil Heath as the latest iconic bodybuilder to maintain they would return if the compensation was incredibly lucrative.

Lewis’s position seems to be gaining more steam in the bodybuilding world. As some of the elite athletes continue to push their bodies to the limit, and the sport appears to be growing in popularity, the stars of the sport might want bigger paydays. At the very least, something like that could potentially lure Lewis back to the stage to shine once again.

Featured image: @flex_lewis on Instagram

The post Flex Lewis Would End His Retirement and Consider a Comeback For Seven-Figure Offer appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On Mar. 30, 2023, the 39-year-old father of two shared a physique update on Instagram and reported that he is weighing around 200 pounds. You can see how he looks in the post below, where he is performing a set of cable curls.

Lewis also revealed that he has lost over 60 pounds on the scale “naturally” since he called it a career, indicating he didn’t use performance enhancement drugs to achieve his recent results. He also clarified that he is now in the process of going through a personal transformation challenge. His stated goal is to add 10 to 15 pounds onto his frame, and he wants to be “healthy, athletic, and jacked.” He didn’t share a specific date or deadline for this new goal.

“I am about two weeks in, and things are starting to click,” said Lewis.

Lewis disclosed that he is doing cardio workouts seven days a week and training with weights two or three times weekly. He also revealed that he will document his progress and share updates along the way, asking his 2.2 million followers for input on what he should share during the process. Other details he shared in the post include a strict 4 a.m. wake-up, and four or five daily meals, with two of those meals composed of only protein and fats, no carbohydrates.

While he was an active competitor, Lewis was the most dominant non-heavyweight bodybuilder in the world during the 2010’s, remaining undefeated in competition for nearly his entire professional career. Alongside his longtime coach Neil Hill, he won the Olympia 212 title every year from 2012 to 2018 when he walked off the stage for the final time. Lewis also also won the inaugural Arnold Classic 212 title in 2014. He had announced intentions to compete in the Men’s Open Mr. Olympia contest in 2020 and 2021, but he never competed again.

Since his retirement, Lewis has focused on business ventures and family life. He currently resides in Las Vegas, NV and owns Dragon’s Lair Gym. He has also been active on both YouTube and with his podcast.

Featured Video: @flex_lewis on Instagram

The post Flex Lewis Shares Physique Update, Wants to Become “Healthy, Athletic, and Jacked” appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On Mar. 23, 2023, Clarida appeared on an episode of The Truth podcast with esteemed bodybuilding trainer Hany Rambod. As the pair discussed the two-time 212 Olympia champion’s (2020, 2022) future plans, Clarida didn’t mince his words: he wants to break James “Flex” Lewis’ 212 Olympia record of seven titles (2012-2018). The athlete will be primarily sticking with the 212 division for the foreseeable future in search of this hallowed ambition.

Clarida’s long-term 212 aspirations might come as a slight surprise, considering he most recently featured in the Men’s Open division at the 2023 Arnold Classic (AC). Despite the athlete being considerably smaller than his more massive peers, the bodybuilder took home a fifth-place finish at the contest.

Moving forward, in an approach that seems both realistic and training-efficient, Clarida didn’t necessarily rule out similar moonlighting Men’s Open appearances. However, he will otherwise keep his focus on the 212 division, as that is where he has shined the most in his career.

“I’m staying in 212 for sure,” Clarida explained. “The goal is to win multiple titles here [in the 212 division]. Of course, I like to dabble in a few smaller [Men’s] Open shows, maybe another Arnold Classic. But me just doing the Arnold Classic and doing well is not enough for me to just leave the 212 … I’m realistic. If I couldn’t win the [2022] Arnold [Classic], then what’s the point of me moving on from there? If I had won maybe it would be a different conversation.”

Clarida is behind Lewis’ dominating streak by five titles, but if anyone can match or eclipse the icon in the current landscape, it’s the 5-foot 2-inch competitor appropriately referred to as “The Giant Killer.” Usually, that’s in reference to Clarida overcoming bigger peers en route to a victory. In this case, Clarida surpassing Lewis would be more like beating a living legend — a metaphorical “giant” of the sport.

Clarida’s teasing his pursuit of the 212 Olympia record makes the years ahead potentially some of the most exciting the division has ever seen.

“212 is my home, it’s in my heart, and I want to walk away as one of the best to ever do it,” Clarida said. “I love Flex Lewis to death but the goal is to beat his record.”

If Clarida were to unexpectedly hang up his posing trunks today, he’d already be remembered as one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. Full stop. However, vying for Lewis’ mark would likely place him amongst an elite handful of names, regardless of division. For someone accustomed to “killing giants,” it’d be quite a sight to see him repeatedly reach that 212 Olympia summit.

Featured image: @shaunclarida on Instagram

The post Shaun Clarida Wants To Break Flex Lewis’ 212 Olympia Title Record appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On Jan. 27, 2023, Lewis appeared in a podcast episode with Fouad Abiad Media to partly break down what might lie ahead in the 2023 AC on Mar. 2-5, 2023. The fitness icon seemingly spared few details, predicting his top 10 finishers for the major competition.

With the 2023 AC roughly five weeks away at the time of this writing, here is how Lewis sees the contest shaking out for some of bodybuilding’s elite:

Flex Lewis’s 2023 Arnold Classic Top 10 Prediction

1. Nick Walker | Champion
2. Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay
3. Andrew Jacked
4. Samson Dauda
5. William Bonac
6. Shaun Clarida
7. Akim Williams
8. Justin Rodriguez
9. Kamal Elgargni
10. Patrick Moore

Lewis viewed Walker as the odds-on favorite to capture his second career AC title in the last three years. However, he did clarify a few names — such as former two-time Mr. Olympia (2020-2021) Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay and rising star Chinedu Andrew Obiekea, a.k.a. “Andrew Jacked” — that he thinks could push Walker and keep the athlete from standing on top of the podium.

“I can’t wait to see if Ramy [Elssbiay] is able to bring a better look next to Nick [Walker],” said Lewis. “Andrew [Jacked] is my dark horse. Samson [Dauda] needs one to two years of added muscle in the right areas, and maturity, and then you’re talking about a completely different monster. I feel like Samson [Dauda] will be a threat in any [expletive] show he steps foot in in the future.”

Notably, Lewis asserted that two-time 212 victor (2020, 2022) Shaun Clarida could make some noise. However, it would seem to be a tall task for the 5’2″ athlete to topple lineup of Men’s Open competitors.

“If they judge and look at Shaun [Clarida] with [blinders] on, he’s [expletive] Ronnie Coleman in a 212 size,” Lewis explained. “He [Clarida] never misses. He comes in on point every time … It’s a hard one for me to see somebody who I have a vested interest in, as a 212 champion, but I just think that he’s going to be lost with the height of what’s there.”

As the AC rises in prominence and prestige as a contest, it’s hard not to imagine the spotlight growing bigger and getting more attention from established titans. Plus, if Lewis is giving Walker his blessing — the second former Olympia mainstay to do so recently — it seems the superstar might use the coming AC as another launching-off point in his young career.

Featured image: @nick_walker39 on Instagram

The post Seven-Time 212 Olympia Champ Flex Lewis Predicts Top 10 at 2023 Arnold Classic appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On Nov. 23, 2022, Jacked posted a video on his YouTube channel where he works through a back workout while guided by seven-time 212 Olympia champion James “Flex” Lewis. The video is appropriately entitled “Paying Attention to Detail,” given that it takes place during the final stages of Jacked’s preparation for the Olympia, being held on Dec. 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.

Here’s an overview of the back routine Lewis takes Jacked through as he prepares for the biggest competitive moment of his young career so far.

Pull-Up

As directed by Lewis, Jacked starts his workout by warming up with a few sets of standard bodyweight pull-ups. Jacked uses a “suicide grip” — where one doesn’t wrap their thumb around a bar or barbell — to perform the pull-ups. The purpose of this change-up was to focus more on refining his back rather than strengthening his arms, while also disengaging Jacked’s forearms after he mentioned having a slight muscle strain.

Chest-Supported Low Row

Jacked and Lewis next shift to chest-supported low rows at a high volume. The aim of this specific movement was to build thickness in the back while forcing the athletes to isolate their back muscles. It is here where Lewis stressed an “attention to detail” beyond simply lifting heavy weight.

“To me, right now, it’s all about trying to get these little details out,” Lewis explains. “Because we all know you can train and put [expletive] six plates on the machine but to get a good detail out, that’s why you pose, pose, and pose. There’s no weight involved in posing, right? You’re just holding the pose, and when you’ve done that over weeks, you see all those [details].”

Chest-Supported Row and Bent-Over Straight Arm Pulldown (Superset)

Lewis wanted to challenge Jacked’s lattisimus dorsi muscles a bit more, in particular, making a superset of chest-supported rows and straight-arm pulldowns with cables a natural step in this workout. Lying face-down on an incline, Jacked’s lower lats were stressed with the rows, while the pulldown variation further worked the muscle without assistance from surrounding body parts. Lewis emphasized using a slow motion for both movements and little rest between sets.

Kneeling Lat Pulldown

Lewis and Jacked elect to do a variation of the traditional lat pulldown by performing it from a kneeling position while using a closer grip. The lats are still engaged and significantly stretched, while the kneeling position and differing grip also allow the core and pectorals muscles to also enjoy a measure of work.

Seated Machine Row

To conclude their workout, Lewis and Jacked throw in one more lat-muscle oriented movement with some seated rows. This closer, in addition to improving back strength and size, may also accentuate better posture for the athlete.

Knowing what Lewis has accomplished in his career, Jacked sees the icon as having a lot to offer someone still looking to make their mark. While he definitely knows how to take care of his body, Jacked seemed to appreciate Lewis taking the time to walk him through this workout. As the most important performance of Jacked’s career looms on the horizon, learning from the best could be the best way to properly prepare.

“The push [Lewis gave me] was crazy,” Jacked said. “That’s why I need someone that can take over. I just work based on my preference, and that’s why I am still in the maintenance phase. I need someone that can get me past my limits which is what I will definitely work on in my off-season after the 2022 Olympia. Because to be the best, I have to work with the best.”

Featured image: @andrewjacked on Instagram

The post Andrew Jacked Trains Back With Advice From Flex Lewis as Olympia Debut Nears appeared first on Breaking Muscle.