On Apr. 11, 2023, Heath appeared in a YouTube interview with The Voice of Bodybuilding, Bob Cicherillo, to discuss the upcoming Olympia. In the process, Heath named some of his top contenders for the title, including defending champion Hadi Choopan. The living legend even touched upon what it would take for him to return to the stage in posing trunks.

Before breaking down who he thinks could topple Choopan, Heath gave the athlete a wholehearted endorsement for a repeat title. It’s Choopan’s background, in addition to his elite fitness, that Heath thinks provides the champion with bodybuilder an edge over his peers.

“I think Hadi’s [Choopan] a repeat champion,” Heath said. “… You got to look at someone’s origin. Champions have a specific origin of how they got here in the first place. You think of someone that has grown up in that environment in Iran. Everything matters. This thing means everything to him and his country. There’s a lot of expectations, but he’s met those expectations in a very quick period of time. He’s never really been off.”

As for who could unseat Choopan, Heath likes the potential of Derek Lunsford and Nick Walker. Perhaps not by coincidence, Lunsford was the 2022 Olympia runner-up after transitioning from the 212 class, while Walker finished in third place.

For different reasons, this trio appears to be bodybuilding’s top Cerberus monster of sorts.

“It’s a three-headed monster at this point,” Heath explained. “It’s either Derek [Lunsford] and I can make a case for Nick [Walker]. Nick is an anomaly, he’s very different … It’s going to cancel out a lot of guys because of the density and muscle maturity, because those two [Choopan and Walker] won’t be out-conditioned. The cool thing about Derek [Lunsford] is, now he’s comfortable in that [Men’s] Open body. He’s a hard worker, got a good support system, a good coach.”

As for his own personal competitive prospects, Heath still has no forthcoming plans to return to a bodybuilding stage. The 43-year-old icon never officially retired but hasn’t competed in nearly three years. His last competitive appearance on-stage was a third-place finish at the 2020 Mr. Olympia, when Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay captured his first title.

Heath told Cicherillo that, at the right lucrative price for one of the sport’s biggest names, he might well return to compete soon enough.

“I produce a lot of numbers,” Heath clarified. “I know my worth, it’s worth way more than $100,000 [Heath’s purse for third place at the 2020 Olympia] … There’s definitely a number they [Olympia organizers] have to come up. It would have to make sense … We would have to have a meeting of the minds and actually figure it out.”

Featured image: @arnoldsports on Instagram

The post Phil Heath Names Top 2023 Olympia Contenders, Teases Potential Return appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On Feb. 24, 2023, Heath posted a video to his Instagram where he walks through a few biceps and shoulder movements in front of a dumbbell rack at an undisclosed gym. A combination of the icon’s jacked look and a heartfelt reflection about a positive mental attitude while overcoming adversity could paint the picture of someone planning to don their posing trunks again.

To rise to the top of a rigorous sport like bodybuilding, an athlete has to sacrifice a lot in terms of nutrition and training on their respective journey. After making those kinds of sacrifices for years, it seems Heath is focusing on recalibrating himself gradually.

“One of the things which I had to fight throughout my life was my own reflection in the mirror,” Heath wrote. “I wasn’t staring into the mirrors in admiration of my hard work, but the work which is left to be done. Not just in my muscles but more importantly in my mind and spirit.”

It’s not clear what Heath is referring to precisely when he mentions his “fight,” but those are an intriguing choice of words. While characterizing where he’s previously put his energies — some of it elite bodybuilding — it’s almost as if Heath is setting the stage for a potential return.

“… My reason to fight will be my future version of self that achieves everything I’ve put my heart and soul into.”

As a former Olympia champion, Heath has a lifetime invitation to compete in the annual Mr. Olympia contest. Were he to make a comeback in 2023, this year’s iteration will take place in early November in Orlando, FL. A field featuring competitors like defending champion Hadi Choopan, Nick Walker, and two-time winner (2020-2021) Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay would await Heath.

While the 2023 Masters Olympia recently announced a $229,000 overall prize purse, Heath is not yet eligible for the Men’s Open portion of the returning contest. The competition starts its age guidelines for that division at 45. With a Dec. 18, 1979 birthday, Heath can’t feature there until late 2024 at the earliest. That doesn’t consider potential prep time and when future iterations of the Masters competition would take place.

Heath is not competing in the 2023 Arnold Classic but will be on hand to interact with the athletes and spectators. If he does indeed have a comeback planned in the works, it seems the legend is taking his time dipping his toes back into the water. He’s undoubtedly earned the right to bide his time and weigh all options as one of the faces of the sport.

Featured image: @philheath on Instagram

The post 7-Time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath Looks Jacked in New Training Video appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

All of these illustrious achievements aside, the NFL legend still has a lot to learn when it comes to training in the gym. That’s where seven-time Mr. Olympia (2011-2017) Phil Heath recently came in.

On Dec. 13, 2022, Club Shay Shay posted a video to their YouTube channel that features Heath walking Sharpe through a back and triceps workout while also giving him short posing lessons. Being someone who tries to maintain a high level of fitness in retirement, Sharpe seemed to hold his own. Even still, it was apparent that Heath’s pointers were effective and left a mark on a fellow sports legend.

Here’s an overview of the strength-training routine Heath and Sharpe worked through together.

Lat Pulldown (Overhand/Underhand)

The icons’ session began with some overhand grip lat pulldowns. Heath’s main note of advice for Sharpe here was to hold the weight for a little longer on each rep so as to contract his muscles more.

“… We want to focus on the technique,” Heath told Sharpe. “We want to focus on the tempo. So we’re not going super fast because this has got momentum. We want to keep muscles under tension for a longer duration.”

After they finished the overhand lat pulldowns, Heath and Sharpe transitioned to an underhand grip variation. According to Heath, performing underhand pulldowns is necessary for bodybuilders because it helps round out the back muscles.

“A lot of people say, ‘Why would I do underhand lat pulldowns?’ Heath asked rhetorically. “Because we want to work on the sweeping of the lats. The lats can actually insert very, very low. You see a lot of guys that have it very up top, very high, and in bodybuilding, we want it to start so low, it looks like the Cobra.”

After finishing off these back exercises, Sharpe clarified how his preparation as an elite football player was very different from Heath’s physique focus as an elite bodybuilder.

“As a football player, you’re not really focusing on that [body aesthetic],” Sharpe said. “You’re focusing on functional strength. We did one-arm rows and dumbbell rows. That was the only thing we did for the back […] I don’t do curls because my thing was to push people off me.”

One-Arm Triceps Extension

After the heavy back portion of their workout, the pair implemented some one-arm triceps extensions, a cable pushdown variation. Heath had Sharpe focus on keeping his shoulder stable while he used his free handle to keep himself level during his reps. The purpose of this emphasized stability was to better isolate the triceps muscle.

Seated Cable Row

To top off their back work, Heath and Sharpe leaned on some seated cable rows as the last back movement in their routine. The duo had minimal corrections or new emphases on this exercise as they powered through a few quality sets.

Dumbbell Incline Triceps Extension

To close the overall workout, Heath and Sharpe performed sets of dumbbell incline triceps extensions. In a slight change-up, Heath suggested moving the dumbbells and elbows at the time. Per Heath, not keeping the elbows stationary helps lessen any potential elbow pain during this movement. Along those same lines, Heath noted the wrists can also be rotated during reps to ease tension on them.

Their meeting of the minds in the gym behind them, Heath and Sharpe will return to their usual spheres. Heath will be a color commentator on the lead 2022 Mr. Olympia broadcast team. Meanwhile, when not working out, Sharpe is a media personality on Skip and Shannon: Undisputed — a daily sports talk show on Fox Sports 1.

If this duo ever gets together to train again, they’ll likely have even more wise words of gym wisdom for each other.

Featured image: Club Shay Shay on YouTube

The post Phil Heath Guides NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe Through a Bodybuilding Training Session appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The 2023 Masters Olympia announcement detailed that a full list of invited athletes for the entire roster will be revealed on Apr. 24, 2023.

To garner a place in the 2023 Masters Olympia, potential athletes must submit a “letter of intent” to an official email address — mastersolympia@mrolympia.com — that denotes their age, nationality, competitive background, and any personal social media platforms. In any submissions, athletes also have the option to include a video application — no longer than one minute) — and any images of their physique.

All applications must be submitted by Apr. 10, 2023. At the time of this article’s publication, it is unclear how the items in every athlete’s application will be evaluated for potential invitations.

Here are the age requirements for each of the respective divisions at the 2023 Masters Olympia:

2023 Masters Olympia Required Ages By Division

• Men’s Open — Age 45 and up
• Women’s Open — Age 45 and up
• Men’s Physique — Age 40 and up
• Women’s Physique — Age 40 and up
• Classic Physique — Age 40 and up
• 212 Bodybuilding — Age 45 and up
• Wellness — Age 40 and up
• Bikini — Age 40 and up
• Fitness — Age 40 and up
• Figure — Age 40 and up

In the last edition of the Masters Olympia in 2012 — which featured just the Men’s Open division — 2008 Mr. Olympia champion Dexter Jackson captured the crown. Jackson’s win came after the competition was absent for approximately nine years. Vince Taylor holds the most Masters Olympia titles, with five wins near the turn of the 20th century (1996-1997, 1999-2001).

There is no shortage of iconic competitors who could potentially pose on the stage in Romania in the Summer of 2023.

There’s Jackson, who technically remains the defending champion. There’s seven-time Mr. Olympia (2011-2017) Phil Heath, who stepped away from bodybuilding after a third-place result at the 2020 Mr. Olympia. He is evidently still keeping in shape, judging from his media presence.

There’s also Jay Cutler. The four-time Mr. Olympia (2006-2007, 2009-2010) did shoot down rumors of a Masters Olympia return in mid-October 2022, but those plans could potentially change in the coming months.

With a lot of time before the 2023 Masters Olympia kicks off, more concrete information — such as how fans can tune into the contest — will likely be revealed at a later time. Until then, some of bodybuilding’s elder statespeople can start earnestly training to show off their dynamite physiques in Romania next August.

Featured image: @mrolympiamasters on Instagram

The post The Masters Olympia Will Return in August 2023 appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Among other icons, one of the athletes who has accomplished that feat and then some is seven-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath, who won consecutive Mr. Olympia titles from 2011 to 2017. There might not be a better person to pick the brain of the current face of bodybuilding.

On Dec. 5, 2022, in collaboration with the Mr. Olympia organizing body, Heath shared an Instagram Live where he discussed the upcoming Olympia in Las Vegas, NV, with Elssbiay. Heath is part of the lead 2022 Olympia commentary team.

In a frank conversation, Elssbiay and Heath touch on the pressures of performing on stage. The reigning two-time champion Elssbiay discussed some of his personal expectations as he enters another title defense.

To achieve consistent excellence on the Olympia stage, successful winners must bring their A-game yearly, especially as talented up-and-comers come into the picture. Elssbiay and his coach Dennis James apparently acknowledged that as a challenge he’s hurdled in the past and will try to leap over again in 2022.

“Me and Dennis [James], we spoke last week that it’s too hard for people who win the Olympia many, many years like Phil Heath, like Ronnie Coleman,” Elssbiay expressed. “It’s too hard when you think about the next one because you need to bring something bigger and everything to not let the fans [down]. That means you have to work harder than anybody, and that’s not easy for anyone. That’s the main thing for a champ.”

As for his “three-peat” plan, Elssbiay and his team are keeping it simple in the final countdown to the 2022 iteration of the Olympia with an emphasis on further refining his conditioning.

” … It’s not just me, it’s me and my team working very hard to come early,” Elssbiay said. We have everything [we need] for [conditioning] … We are working very hard right now but also we are fine. I feel good.”

Elssbiay weighed over 300 pounds on the day of the interview with Heath. He will strive to make one last marked cut down before he steps on the 2022 Olympia stage.

“Today, in the morning, [I weighed] 306 [pounds],” Elssbiay said. “… But I think the last week we’re going to drop more weight, and it will be, I think, 295 [pounds] on the stage.”

In his conversation with Heath, Elssbiay is aware of how challenging an Olympia title defense can be. Elssbiay thinks Andrew Jacked and Derek Lunsford will spice up the competition — the reigning champ thinks Lunsford has a “great chance.”

Ultimately, the talented field of challengers aside, Elssbiay seems to believe he’s in a better position because of some adversity he overcame to win the 2021 Olympia title.

“Last year, I had the [worst] year of my life,” Elssbiay explained. “I can’t talk about that because that just gives them a reason to [have me] lose. But when they ask about my fire, about my dream to be Mr. Olympia again, I said to myself, ‘you are strong, you have a great mentality,’ and I think in my heart I can’t lose again.”

Featured image: @big_ramy on Instagram

The post Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay Tells Phil Heath About His Mentality Ahead of the 2022 Mr. Olympia appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On Oct. 24, 2022, Awodibu posted a video to his YouTube channel where he trained with seven-time Mr. Olympia champion (2011-2017) Phil Heath. The two have previously worked together in the gym and, in this instance, they focused on polishing up Awodibu’s arms.

[Related: How to Eat More for Muscle and Strength Gains]

With introductions out of the way, the pair immediately jumped into the workout fray. While Awodibu tackled his biceps on the preacher curl machine, he discussed Heath’s approach to arm training during the early parts of his career. It apparently came to a point where Heath was training his arms so well he had to slow down and let the other parts of his physique fall in line.

“I would have a full arm day, but then I would do chest and tris, then back and bis,” Heath said. “By the time I turned pro, my arms were overpowering everything.”

As Awodibu transitioned to an incline biceps curl machine, Heath gave him a tip to warm-up first for a measure of established control.

“I know how to do this, but after the contraction, the machine almost pulls me down when I lower it,” Heath explained to Awodibu. “I really have to control this one.”

Eventually, Heath had Awodibu do some “Heath Curls” — the bodybuilding legend’s variation of single-arm dumbbell curls where one does several reps on one side before alternating. This differs from traditional curls, with an athlete alternating every individual rep. A mix of concentration curls, rope pushdowns for the triceps, cable overhead extensions, and single-arm cable pushdowns would follow through the rest of the routine.

Here’s an overview of the workout:

*Blessing Awodibu Arm Workout with Phil Heath, October 2022

• Single-Arm Preacher Curl Machine
• Single-Arm Incline Curl Machine
• “Heath Curl”
• Standing Concentration Curl
• Rope Pressdown
• Cable Overhead Extension
• Single-Arm Cable Pushdown

*Note: Sets and reps numbers not provided.

 

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[Related: Forced Reps — What They Are and How to Use Them]

While Heath won’t be competing alongside Awodibu at the 2022 Mr. Olympia, that doesn’t mean he won’t have an important role. The bodybuilding great will be one of the lead commentators in the announcers’ booth, offering his experienced insights on the contest.

Meanwhile, Awodibu will try to make a name for himself amongst some of the sport’s active dynamos like Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay and Nick Walker. If he’s taking cues from someone such as Heath, chances are Awodibu might flourish. The 2022 Mr. Olympia will take place on Dec. 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.

Featured image: @blessing_awodibu on Instagram

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