2016 Olympia Thoughts

[mackdaddy567]

My thoughts

Rhoden: Looks great but his muscle doesn't have the same look that it did in 2012, 2013, and 2014. It doesn't quite fill the skin like it did then, the lines are not quite the same. Plus the waist is larger. Over all not as crisp. Don't think its a body fat issue, its like Chad always says, the skin doesn't quite lay like it did in the past.

Dexter: Like Shawn is past his prime. "old" look. But still amazing

Bonac: Has the opposite effect. Condition, skin, lines, fullness, is all best its ever been. Could have been a place or two hire last year and he should be 5th. 2014 Australia might have been his driest, but he is 15 pounds bigger now. I saw him win the Golden state in 2014, guy is a class act! Chatted with him and Neil for a while then. Great guys.

Ramy: Needs to fill out some spots. Arms, Delts, calves, lats. He doesn't look "Jimmyed up"at all really, but when sucked down its apparent he has gaps and needs to fill them in and come in peeled again. Still has potential to win.

Phil: Tired of this guy but s good enough to win, not as good as 2011 or 2013 but all champs have peak years, believe Phil is past his.Coleman was best in 1998,1999, 2003, Dorian 93, 95, Jay 01, 09. Think we will remember Phil's 2011 and 2013 like those years.

[Poker face Ace]

Who was in the last 5?
I know top 5 was 1)phil 2)Shawn 3)Dexter 4)ramy

[Big Beat]

My thoughts

Rhoden: Looks great but his muscle doesn't have the same look that it did in 2012, 2013, and 2014. It doesn't quite fill the skin like it did then, the lines are not quite the same. Plus the waist is larger. Over all not as crisp. Don't think its a body fat issue, its like Chad always says, the skin doesn't quite lay like it did in the past.

Dexter: Like Shawn is past his prime. "old" look. But still amazing

Bonac: Has the opposite effect. Condition, skin, lines, fullness, is all best its ever been. Could have been a place or two hire last year and he should be 5th. 2014 Australia might have been his driest, but he is 15 pounds bigger now. I saw him win the Golden state in 2014, guy is a class act! Chatted with him and Neil for a while then. Great guys.

Ramy: Needs to fill out some spots. Arms, Delts, calves, lats. He doesn't look "Jimmyed up"at all really, but when sucked down its apparent he has gaps and needs to fill them in and come in peeled again. Still has potential to win.

Phil: Tired of this guy but s good enough to win, not as good as 2011 or 2013 but all champs have peak years, believe Phil is past his.Coleman was best in 1998,1999, 2003, Dorian 93, 95, Jay 01, 09. Think we will remember Phil's 2011 and 2013 like those years.

I agree especially about Shawn and Dexter looking old and a bit tired. The problem is there is not anybody coming up to knock them off the top. Ramy nearly got there as did Bonac. After that there is a big gap and the void is not closing.

Roelly is a better version of Marcus Ruhl and Cedric looks under motivated. Dallas, Josh and Justin don't have the 3-D superman muscle and never will. They can only win by out massing Ramy, only Dallas looks like he can do that.

When old guys are still at the top in any sport you have to ask is this a weak era?

[weezer]

That was an awesome Olympic ,first-rate production, great competition, and last but not least I got enough supplement from the Expo to keep me yolk for the next 3 months, flew in with 1 piece of luggage ,flew out with 3....hell yeah !

[MusclePoppins]

Candid Thoughts On My Top 6 & Longterm Outlooks

1. Phil Heath
Phil was Phil minus his typical Friday night flatness. He was full both nights. Isn't missing anything. Abs aren't getting better though and the details aren’t coming back. He is what he is now. 2011 is firmly in the rear-view mirror. At his best he's hanging on with fullness. Ramy and Dallas are coming for his neck. Phil wins one pose, the rear-double. But he still manages the best package. I hear everyone say he wins the side chest, but I think Dexter beats him in that pose, and then Ramy’s beats Dexter’s. Phil gets second in a few other mandatory comparisons. Anyway, the completeness of his back and the fullness through his chest and shoulders are what's keeping him on top for now. He’ll fight for a 7^th, but I can’t see 8 Sandows happening.

RamyPhil.JPG


2. Big Ramy
Extremely flat the first night, but then Chris filled him up for the finals. We finally started to see some more details in his quads, hamstrings and chest. The muscle is maturing and the conditioning is improving. He's getting more comfortable in his own skin, poses powerfully and gives off a positive energy to fans. Still missing some detail in the rear poses. Fades quick. I think he has the best side chest. It has Dexter's detail (especially on the side of the legs), plus a whole bunch more thickness everywhere. He's also pretty close to taking the best rear-double from Phil, and he arguably wins the front and rear lat-spreads. He can also hold his own in the most muscular now. He’ll be Mr. Olympia in 2017 or 2018, and then Dallas McCarver will start pushing him in 2019.

Capture.JPG

3. Shawn Rhoden
His body looked tired to me in the same way as Dennis Wolf did last year. He looked over-depleted Friday, but lots of guys do. He's in his early 40's now and his back still just doesn't cut it. Phil, Ramy, Bonac and Dexter have thick, complete backs and Shawn's shallowness gets exposed next to them. His arms don't seem like they'll ever get the size and detail he needs on the front double to compliment his quads/abs/shape. Like Ronnie Coleman said, "If you don't have it by the time you're 40 you ain't never gonna have it." However, his flow, leg mass and shoulders keep him at the top of the game. I think he wins the side-triceps (but not necessarily because of his triceps), and has a great most muscular, two poses that Phil was winning from 2011-2013. Shawn may have reached his peak two years ago ... where he also would have been 2nd if Kai Greene wasn't competing. I think he'll have a really tough time getting 2nd again. He can't beat Heath with his tools, Ramy is there, Bonac is there and McCarver is nearing. And who's to say Dennis Wolf can't challenge him again?

4. William Bonac
He beat a flat Ramy on Friday and was the most complete body on stage this weekend (muscularity/conditioning/fullness). More complete than Phil or Flex in the 212. Has maximized his genetics. If he was 5'9" instead of 5'7" (with the added shoulder width and torso length that comes with the height) he'd be Mr. Olympia right now. His skin is super tight over the muscle. Bulging everywhere. Hard everywhere. Dry everywhere. Him and Roelly got posed really hard in back-to-back callouts. Roelly was really leaking and Bonac was dryer than chalk. Perfectly conditioned. He has really proven his nickname. The Conqueror. I think he’ll be a 2^nd-5^th guy for a while, taking over for Dexter Jackson … who I thought he overcame this weekend.

5. Dexter Jackson
His completeness and detail in the side and back poses, along with his balance are keeping him relevant. The waist was slightly bigger this year. Some of the roundness is flattening out. You can see it throughout several muscle groups in his front-double. He doesn't win any poses in the top 6, but he's not 6th on any of them either. His hamstrings and quad sweep, or whatever is left of them, look like they'll be the first thing to jump ship. I think 2017 will be his last chance to get a top-6 spot and might be his last time on the Olympia stage. He got a second wind a few years ago when he committed more time to Charles Glass and started working with George Farah, but the end always comes more quickly than what we can perceive.

6. Roelly Winklaar
We're nearing the peak of his freak factor. He can still drop some water. The best is yet to come. I could see him as high as 4^th and no lower than 7^th the next couple of years. He could still be dryer and overtake Dexter (at least) before the younger guys close the gap. Still lots of money to be made on those arms and that most-muscular. The best thing he can do is stay committed to Kuwait and make the most of his where his body's at now.

Thoughts On Dallas McCarver
He’ll lead the group of young guys up through the ranks (Lenartowicz/Compton/De Asha), but I don’t see any of them ever beating him in a bodybuilding show. He’ll knock on the top-6 door in 2017 and 24 months from now only Phil/Ramy/Rhoden and Bonac will be between him and an Olympia title. I think Ramy and McCarver will have several epic two-man first callouts starting in 2019. He should focus on one show that he can win (like Chicago) and the Olympia next year. Then win an Arnold in 2018.

[Big Beat]

I saw it Josh beat Dallas in this one.

Dallas will always do well he looks like a Hollywood star.

[beefyfan]

1. Phil the clear winner.
2. Rhoden would have had him 5th.
3. Dexter probably left him here or 4th.
4. Ramy probably 2nd.
5. Bonac either 3rd or 4th.
6. Roelly was a good placement.
7. Cedric lucky to be this high. Way too many gaps in his physique.
8. Dallas probably should have been 7th
9. Josh probably should have moved up to 8th.
10. Compton lucky to place. Looks like shit and appears to be heading down the Branch Warren Highway.
* Nathan De Asha should have been in the top 10. Would have had him and Cedric battling for the 9th and 10th spot.

[mackdaddy567]

1. Phil the clear winner.
2. Rhoden would have had him 5th.
3. Dexter probably left him here or 4th.
4. Ramy probably 2nd.
5. Bonac either 3rd or 4th.
6. Roelly was a good placement.
7. Cedric lucky to be this high. Way too many gaps in his physique.
8. Dallas probably should have been 7th
9. Josh probably should have moved up to 8th.
10. Compton lucky to place. Looks like shit and appears to be heading down the Branch Warren Highway.
* Nathan De Asha should have been in the top 10. Would have had him and Cedric battling for the 9th and 10th spot.

De Asha's right bicep looked like Valenino's. Dude is way way to Jimmied up

[bigmikecox]

When a guys wins 3 Mr. O's the fans get bored and want to see change. Happened with Haney, Yates and Ronnie. He was good enough to win. According to the score sheets, Dexter had a 1 point lead heading to the night show and ended up losing by 1 point. I had Bonac ahead of Ramy. Thought Josh should have been 8th

[LimitBreak]

When a guys wins 3 Mr. O's the fans get bored and want to see change. Happened with Haney, Yates and Ronnie. He was good enough to win. According to the score sheets, Dexter had a 1 point lead heading to the night show and ended up losing by 1 point. I had Bonac ahead of Ramy. Thought Josh should have been 8th

That's why bodybuilding is boring in general.

[EvanL]

My thoughts

Rhoden: Looks great but his muscle doesn't have the same look that it did in 2012, 2013, and 2014. It doesn't quite fill the skin like it did then, the lines are not quite the same. Plus the waist is larger. Over all not as crisp. Don't think its a body fat issue, its like Chad always says, the skin doesn't quite lay like it did in the past.

Dexter: Like Shawn is past his prime. "old" look. But still amazing

Bonac: Has the opposite effect. Condition, skin, lines, fullness, is all best its ever been. Could have been a place or two hire last year and he should be 5th. 2014 Australia might have been his driest, but he is 15 pounds bigger now. I saw him win the Golden state in 2014, guy is a class act! Chatted with him and Neil for a while then. Great guys.

Ramy: Needs to fill out some spots. Arms, Delts, calves, lats. He doesn't look "Jimmyed up"at all really, but when sucked down its apparent he has gaps and needs to fill them in and come in peeled again. Still has potential to win.

Phil: Tired of this guy but s good enough to win, not as good as 2011 or 2013 but all champs have peak years, believe Phil is past his.Coleman was best in 1998,1999, 2003, Dorian 93, 95, Jay 01, 09. Think we will remember Phil's 2011 and 2013 like those years.

I'm not quite sure how they picked Rhoden in 2nd. Or Dexter in 3rd for that matter. If posing is being judged equal than Cedric should have been in 3rd, and he was posing to the wrong music apparently which is amazing! Ramy would have been in 2nd place had he come in Friday with his Saturday condition, he also seems to have some trouble with balancing and holding his poses which I think may hurt him a bit I know Steve is a stickler for that. Phil was lights out the moment he came on stage. I know people are tired of him, he even spoke about that at the seminar. He said when he wins there are crickets in the arena but he said his job is to win and he will pay no mind. I'm confident that Phil will get another few Olympias, they won't give it to ramy until he can speak English a little better, and I honestly can't wait for him to win I think having an Egyptian Mr. Olympia would be freaking amazing. It was a great Olympia weekend, Kevin Levrone is amazing that's all I can say it was a dream come true to meet him finally. The place was an actual full house for the first time in years, the rock, Ronnie Coleman, Arnold and Franco were all in the arena at the same time which is insane! Can't wait until next year!!

[Curt James]

If posing is being judged

I thought it was only being judged at the Arnold. And not really judged there either.