Mr. Olympia Athlete's Meeting - Commentary and Pics

**EME** · 10-14-2005, 06:28 PM

Originally posted by gjoe over at Mayhem.

Ronnie:

"You've never seen anything like this before," exclaimed the reigning champ during this evening's athlete's meeting. "I've been training my abs all year long and stuck to my diet the whole year too. I ate less and didn't let my weight get too high."

Indeed, the clothed version of the world's baddest bodybuilder we saw today was as wide as ever, but with a noticeably trimmer midsection. Still, ropey veins streamed down from his shoulders, past his t-shirt sleeves, and into his wrists. In short, the man looked more like the Ronster of '98 and '99 than that of 2004 -- surely a chilling thought for those who will be standing on the Orleans Arena stage with him in three short days.

Jay:

I asked, "Is this your year?" Jay Cutler smiled broadly, winked, and answered, "We'll see." He weighed 269 at Wednesday's competitors' meeting, on his way down to a target weight of 265-268 at Saturday's Olympia.

If the contest had been held Wednesday in shorts and short-sleeved shirts, Cutler would've won, as he made the biggest impression at the meeting, virtually dwarfing the slimmer Markus Ruhl seated next to him. "This year I diet for 17 weeks," Cutler said. "Last year I did about eight weeks. I've attained my best conditioning, mass and balance. Hopefully, it's enough to win."

In contrast to some surly sorts, he was nearly beaming with confidence. "The Olympia is my destiny," he pronounced. "It's the peak. It's what I started training for at 18. It's getting to be one of those things where if I win the Mr. Olympia my destiny is fulfilled."

We'll all find out on Saturday, October 15, if the heir apparent, presumed in the shape of his life, finally unseats King Coleman.

Victor:

In an interview with FLEX a few months ago, Ronnie Coleman looked into his crystal ball and said he thought, of the current crop of pros, Victor Martinez stood the best chance of winning the Mr. Olympia -- after his own retirement, of course.

But will Victor wait that long?

As Ronnie, Victor and the rest of the combatants in this year’s Mr. O gathered Wednesday night in the Orleans Arena for the closed-door athlete’s meeting, we had a chance to sit down with the New Yorker to discuss his odds going in to Saturday night, the 40th anniversary of the biggest show in bodybuilding. We also had a sneak peek at his physique, and we can tell you -- he is definitely dialed in and on track for a top placing, and (dare we say) a run for the top three in this, his second O appearance.

Noted for his excellent symmetry and balanced muscularity -- as well as his unfortunate penchant for mistimed peaks -- Victor has been an enigma on the pro circuit since entering it with his overall win at the 2000 NPC Nationals. The 2004 Show of Strength champion was not as his best in his disappointing seventh at the Arnold Classic earlier this year and third in the New York Pro, both placings well below his ultimate potential.

For this Olympia run, Victor wanted no more excuses, no more missed opportunities, and no more distractions. “I’m feeling good; I decided to come in (to Vegas) a day early so I would be one step closer to stepping on stage,” he said, moments after the meeting concluded. “My energy is good, my preparation was good … I got ready this time in Philadelphia, where it was not as hectic as New York, avoiding all the traffic, crowded gyms, it was just perfect. It made everything a whole lot easier; it was a lot of stress taken off of my shoulders.” Unlike the 2003-2004 Mr. Olympia contests, in which overwhelming mass in the form of Big Ron and Jay Cutler have dominated the one-two slots, Victor may indeed be able to make a move into the land of giants. He hopes to take full advantage of the recent IFBB directive to judges to mark down guys with distended midsections. In theory at least, that could allow Victor and other aesthetically-minded bodybuilders to earn comparisons against their more massive counterparts.

“I definitely fit into that (new direction),” Victor said, before adding with a smile, “I just hope they follow their own criteria.”

Chris :

I weigh 269 tonight -- I got striations I've never had before," Chris Cormier told FLEX at the Olympia Athlete's meeting on October 12, 2005. "I'll be in the high 260s on stage -- the biggest I've ever been in competition. I knew I needed a little size to be competitive at the Olympia. I got up to 297 in the offseason; the most I've ever weighed."

Over the last several years, Chris "Real Deal" Cormier has competed much more strongly at the Arnold Classic than he has at the Olympia, a strange legacy that he would like to put to rest. "I don't know what it is about the Olympia. Maybe the weekend goes on so long that I start to get stressed, or I get injured while I'm preparing. My body just always reacts better for the Arnold. Maybe it's the weather."

As he's saying this, someone approaches him and hands him a clear Ziploc bag marked "Real Deal." The bag contains pairs of orange and yellow posing briefs decorated with sequins and glitter. He takes the bag like he’s been handed hazardous waste. "Man, I don't like this sparkly crap. I like solids."

On Saturday night, you can expect to see Chris Cormier in solid form.

GAME FACE

The energy at the athlete's meeting is a quiet intensity. Barely anyone speaks. Almost none of the athletes sit next to another athlete, spreading out throughout the room every other seat like they’re preparing to take the SATs. Some bodybuilders look like they're so depleted they can barely stand, their eyes yellowed, their faces gaunt, their movements unsteady like marathoners depleted of electolytes.

Others including Jay Cutler, Chris Cormier and Gunter Schlierkamp have a low-key self assurance in their body language. These guys have the situation under control. Still, out of respect for the competition, they quietly take their seats. They remain quiet, but their eyes are lively, checking out the competition.

In the front row, Ronnie Coleman sits doubled over, silent, brooding. No one sits next to him. No one talks to him.

One by one, the athletes are called to the front and given their competitor numbers. The game is on.

Random Observations

Several members of Team FLEX commented independently how, from the back, Darrem Charles now looks like one of the mass monsters. His width is absolutely jaw-dropping.

• Alex Federov is dry as a bone. Kevin Horton made a point of photographing Alex's jaw, so striated were its muscles!

• Kris Dim is ready to go, legs and all. He mentioned that his lower body issues of last year (and the injury that caused them) are but a distant memory.

• Jay Cutler may be the biggest we've ever seen him. He looks to be the equal of Ronnie in sheer mass.

• Gunter Schlierkamp is smiling a lot more this year than last. His life is on an upswing and it shows. He's big, tanned and very dry.

• While it's hard to tell just what anyone has going on in clothes, Victor Martinez looks to be on target. He just may be the possessor of the widest clavicles in the sport and his delts are popping through his shirt.

• Markus Ruhl seems to have taken the Coleman tact by streamlining his physique for '05. He seems smaller than in recent years, but his face shows that he's dieted well.

• Gustavo Badell is thick as a brick. Very impressive, even in a track suit.

- EME

**EME** · 10-14-2005, 07:19 PM

Pic of Gustavo standing up on a table calling Ronnie out at the Competitors meeting:

http://img402.imageshack.us/my.php?i...a1349584lx.jpg

- EME

datruodb · 10-14-2005, 07:28 PM

pimp...I am excited to see how chris is going to do.....

datruodb · 10-14-2005, 08:56 PM

looks like branch is coming in HARD and DRY!!

**EME** · 10-14-2005, 08:58 PM

Yeah...

Someone should have stopped Mustafa before he embarrassed himself...
That comparison isn't even close!

- EME

AYung · 10-14-2005, 10:48 PM

Great post! And great pics! I can't wait for the Mr.O!

**Trick D** · 10-14-2005, 11:50 PM

Yeah the contest was to see who had bigger legs. Of course mustafa can compete with everyone. But in conditioning, damn Branch has it all. I don't think Mustafa can come in completely dry. Even at the Charlotte pro he wasn't exactly dry. Branch of course keeps bringing it.

10-14-2005, 07:19 PM	#2
EME Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 3,265 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 51	Pic of Gustavo standing up on a table calling Ronnie out at the Competitors meeting: http://img402.imageshack.us/my.php?i...a1349584lx.jpg - EME __________________ PhysiqueFXonline - Online Nutrition and Training with Michael and Kendra Elias: www.MichaelandKendra.com Team Molecular Nutrition Creative Director FAME Media Group / World Natural Sports Organization Editor-In-Chief FAME Magazine www.FAMEWorldTour.com

10-14-2005, 08:58 PM	#5
EME Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 3,265 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 51	Yeah... Someone should have stopped Mustafa before he embarrassed himself... That comparison isn't even close! - EME __________________ PhysiqueFXonline - Online Nutrition and Training with Michael and Kendra Elias: www.MichaelandKendra.com Team Molecular Nutrition Creative Director FAME Media Group / World Natural Sports Organization Editor-In-Chief FAME Magazine www.FAMEWorldTour.com

10-14-2005, 10:48 PM	#6
AYung IMPC Contestant Join Date: May 2005 Location: Edmonton, Alberta Canada Posts: 2,287 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 41	Great post! And great pics! I can't wait for the Mr.O! __________________ Clean Bulking Journal http://www.ironmass.com/showthread.php?t=9546 Max Lifts Bench: 155 x 6 Deadlift: 315 x 6 Squat: 245 x 6 1 Rep Max Lifts Bench: 180 - Tested Deadlift: 365 - Tested Squat: 285 - Estimated TOTAL: 831 @ 156lbs Eddie Guerrero (1967-2005, R.I.P.) You'll always be loved and remembered.

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10-14-2005, 07:28 PM	#3
datruodb Pro Stature Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Tulsa, Ok Posts: 326 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 7	pimp...I am excited to see how chris is going to do.....