They’re the world’s Best Bodies - showcased every year on the Mr Olympia stage.
But that’s not where the hard work happens.
All these elite athletes have been training for years. At the highest level.
And for the past decade, Fit Media Channel has been filming their workouts for you.
So now it’s time to reveal, the training secrets of the world’s top Olympians.
In Men’s Physique - where it’s all about broad shoulders. And shredded abs.
And Classic Physique - where legs are as important as upper body.
And Open Bodybuilding - where a new generation is combining size with aesthetics.
Becoming one of the youngest ever Olympians in 2020,
Andrei Deiu’s journey has taken more than five years.
Even as a teen, Andrei could see he needed work to fit the Men’s Physique category.
The narrow waist, capped by broad shoulders.
So, for years, his workouts targeted shoulders.
Hitting every angle.
With Presses - to add mass.
Front Raises - hitting the Front Delts, to make the shoulders pop.
Reverse Flys - working Rear Delts, for that full, rounded look.
Cable Flys - working the Middle Delt, to add width.
And finally, Shrugs - targeting Traps, to frame the Shoulders.
Within three years, that wide-shouldered shape took Andrei straight to the Olympia stage.
With multiple top five placings at Olympia Men’s Physique,
Ryan Terry stands out for his amazing abs. Diet and condition are key.
Training starts with traditional sit ups.
But Ryan also builds his abs with weights.
Cables, to increase resistance. Focussing on the squeeze as he crunches down.
A way of thickening the abs, and deepening the cuts between the muscles.
And that’s not all. His sixpack is the centrepiece of an outstanding midsection.
But it’s framed by the oblique muscles. Here.
For these, Ryan uses twisting movements.
Like these Seated Bar Twists. Using a light bar, with no weights. Keeping
the core engaged throughout the movement. Breathing out on each side.
And these Woodchops. Keeping constant resistance.
Arms straight, breathing out at the end of the movement.
A complete look to catch the eye of the judges on the Olympia stage.
In Classic Physique, athletes are judged on their whole body. So these guys never skip leg day.
Preparing for his Olympia debut, Laszlo Kiraly knows his aesthetic
upper body needs to be matched by an impressive pair of legs.
The secret of Laszlo’s Leg Day is to keep the muscle he’s working
fully in tension throughout the movement. So not locking out on Leg Extensions.
On Squats - again, not fully extending, keeping tension in the muscle. And high reps.
And these short, pulsing movements on Machine Press also keep the muscle in tension for longer.
Creating legs worthy of the Olympia.
In Open Bodybuilding, size is key.
The way these guys get so big is not a secret.
But now, there’s a new generation of younger bodybuilders coming through.
And for them, aiming to combine mass with aesthetics.
Finalist at the Olympia 2020 - Regan Grimes, one of the youngest Pro’s in Open Bodybuilding.
His training is driven by a desire to create an old-school, aesthetic look.
So his workouts focus on detail. Balance. And pleasing proportions.
What do you think about Open Bodybuilding? Mass? Or aesthetics? Let us know in comments.
For our final insight into what sets the Olympians apart from the rest,
here’s another young star making his debut at Olympia 2020.
Stephen Cao won his Men’s Physique Pro Card at just
22. He told us the ultimate secret of success. But it’s not about how you lift the weights.
With every workout focussed on achieving your goals. Maintaining a vision.
Tell us in comments what’s your favourite category
at the Olympia - Men’s Physique? Classic? Or Open Bodybuilding?
And if you’ve enjoyed this profile of our Olympia stars,
you can watch their complete workouts by clicking the links.