THOUGHTS ON THE OLYMPIA
ANDREW HUDSON
THOUGHTS ON THE OLYMPIA
I
was extremely busy leading up to the Olympia so didn ’ t manage to see much of the My Olympia pre-show hype . As some of you might know , the SSN / Bodyguru crew in KZN always get together and watch the finals live at Bodyguru Umhlanga at 4am - it ’ s a tradition for us ! So here are my thoughts on the top 5 after being able to go back and see the pre-judging .
• PHIL HEATH - he was slightly off at pre-judging , had some midsection issues but it was still enough to hold off his strongest challenger Kai Green . By the finals Phil was pretty much his usual self again with perfect symmetry and proportion with his customary 3D / Photoshop look in full effect ! In my opinion Phil is just too good to be beaten for the next few years at least . He could show up looking exactly like he did this year and not be beaten for the next 3-4 years . He is that good !
• KAI GREEN - aka Mr Getting it Done was on top form , with some stellar poses , and his usual crazy lat , quad and glute striations were popping out . This year ’ s look was a good one for him but I still think he needs to go back to the super lean , super detailed look of 2012 to come close to being a threat to the champ .
• SHAWN RHODEN - in my opinion he was the surprise of the showhe showed up bigger and better than ever before . I am a huge fan of his type of physique - arguably the most aesthetic of the whole show , however I think he should have placed behind Dennis Wolf who showed probably the best condition out of everyone in the top 6 .
• DENNIS WOLF - He was shredded from head to toe but lost just a little fullness in his back and chest . Well it looks that way when he stands on his own . When you put him next to everyone else in the lineup his big , wide structure is very imposing and I would have had him ahead of Rhoden .
• DEXTER JACKSON - the best we have seen from Dexter in the last few years , had he placed
“ I ’ m not sure whether the tiff between Kai and Phil was a good or bad thing yet . Some rivalry is good but it was taken a little too far and got a little too personal .“
higher not many people would have had a problem with it . He was his usual mix of ridiculous conditioning with full , round but grainy hard muscle bellies ... a great showing for his 15th Olympia appearance ! Overall I thought the Olympia this year was awesome . I ’ m not sure whether the tiff between Kai and Phil was a good or bad thing yet . Some rivalry is good but it was taken a little too far and got a little too personal . I am very glad Phil is not winning on size alone , but a combination of clean lines , lots of detail and perfect proportion . I would love to see Kai win an Olympia as I think he has worked hard enough to deserve one but I don ’ t think we will ever see it if he continues to try beat Phil like he did this year .
From my side I have been very busy working , I haven ’ t had the time to put 100 % into my own training of late because of all the local contests . My clients come before my own priorities right now and when you have shows almost every weekend I am working at least 10 hours a day 7 days a week . As this contest season draws to a close and I don ’ t have any guest poses lined up for the rest of the year it allows me to have some time to put some muscle on for next year . So I am about to start my full-on off-season mass gain and I couldn ’ t be more excited , it ’ s been a long time since I was able to have a proper off-season ! I will be posting updates and pics on Facebook and Instagram so be sure to check those out if you want to follow my progress .
COBUS VAN DER MERWE
BUSINESS OF BODYBUILDING
Selling yourself to a sponsor in South Africa is a big challenge for bodybuilders , because the reality is that we are competing with major sports such as rugby , cricket and golf . Generally , most athletes tend to opt for sponsorships from supplement companies , but this is often only to get a few free supplements .
As athletes , we should be thinking about marketing ourselves to more , and bigger , companies outside of the supplement industry , so that we can get sponsors who are able to provide more money for the things we really need , such as money for food , accommodation and tans etc . In order to approach companies like this we need to change our approach – what works for one type of industry does not necessarily work for another . It becomes about developing skills beyond just our muscular bodies , as these companies need to know how they will benefit from sponsoring an athlete from our industry , and we must be equipped to tell them and show them .
What follows are some ideas that have helped me in the past to get some of these sponsors . I will enter the company and sell myself as a fitness and lifestyle consultant to bring to the fore awareness about healthy eating as well as the benefits of weight training , and how adopting a lifestyle that incorporates these elements will benefit their employees . The ways I have done this in the past includes writing a monthly health column in the company newsletter , visiting clients as their brand ambassador in order to do motivational speaking and so forth . This was a skill that I consciously decided I had to learn . In addition to this , I volunteer to do charity work for companies that sponsor me as this has a positive spinoff for their image in the public eye . Because I travel a lot , I made it even more appealing for the sponsor by offering for them to brand my car , thus giving them mobile advertising .
Spend time on a full written proposal – you cannot just ask a company to sponsor you . You need a professionally done proposal wherein you are able to show them how they could benefit from sponsoring you , and what you as an individual could offer them .
When I started bodybuilding more than 20 years ago I did it for the love of it and it was never with the intention to make money out of the sport as it was a very small industry . In the 20 years that followed many things have changed , and now there are many opportunities to make a living out of this sport , which for me has always been a hobby . It is a hobby , however , that made me realise that because of my muscular appearance people have always noticed me more than they would the average person . Looking like this makes you stand out , and I have used this to my advantage in order to get ahead in most aspects of my life .
As I write this column I am weeks away from the Amateur Olympia . I was blessed to get some good sponsors to support me to compete at this show , making it possible for me to go . See you all there and good luck to everyone who is competing !
Muscle Evolution 125