2014 Olympia Weekend: 212 Class Pre-judging Report

New Exercise and Fitness Review

While the action at the Mr. Olympia prejudging on Friday night was one for the history books, anyone who has watched a 212 Olympia showdown knows that the most riveting competition often comes from the lighter weight class.

For several years James “Flex” Lewis had to endure watching the crown go to Kevin English before he finally broke through in 2012. He then not only repeated in 2013, but absolutely decimated the competition with a combination of size, symmetry, and condition that no one had seen in the 212 class.

Now in 2014 the questions are numerous. Could Flex tie Kevin English’s record of three 212 crowns in a row? Or would challengers like Jose Raymond and Eduardo Correa emerge to claim the crown as their own? Or, could David Henry, a past champion who has finished second to Flex the past two years, rise up and reclaim what was once his?

Of course, former open-class regular Hidetada Yamagishi, who has stepped down to 212 and took fourth at this year’s Arnold Classic, has the potential to throw a wrench in everyone’s plans in his 212 Olympia debut.

First Callout

Flex was immediately moved to the center, as it become very clear very quickly that no one possessed the same combination of size, symmetry, and aesthetics as him. He is the benchmark, and everyone else is being compared to him. In my opinion, he crushed it. His back in particular is far improved from last year’s Olympia.

James “Flex” Lewis

Eduardo Correa

The story of the morning was Eduardo Correa, who seemingly had a lock on second place. Third place seemed to be a battle between Yamagishi and Jose Raymond, with Aaron Clark in fifth. I personally had clark in the top 10, but not the top five.

Second Callout

Aaron Clark appeared to fade as the judging went on, and the story became Baito Abbaspour apparently leapfrogging him and David Henry. Then it was between Yamagishi and Clark for fifth and sixth.

Charles Dixon and Henry seemed to be vying for seventh and eight. What a shock to see David Henry on the outside looking in! But subpar conditioning compared to years past really seemed to hurt him.

Jose Raymond

Hidetada Yamagishi

Baito Abbaspour

Third Callout

I was surprised to see Guy Cisternino this low. As conditioned and full as he was, I would have had him top eight. Sami Al-Hadad was way off from last year’s outing, looking not as lean and very flat in the lats. The real story here was seeing David Henry so far down, seemingly fighting to stay in the top 10!

Fourth Callout

All these guys are quality bodybuilders who just happened to be off today, and at a big show like the Olympia, that puts you on the outside looking in. Mark Dugdale was especially disappointing, since he’s placed so well her before, but unfortunately he was quite a bit off from his typical spectacular conditioning. Since he does not carry as much size as the other competitors, that was a big problem.

I have my scoreboard as 1) Flex Lewis 2) Eduardo Correa 3) Jose Raymond 4) Hidetada Yamagishi and 5) Baito Abbaspour heading into finals tonight, but as we know, anything can happen.

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2014 Olympia Weekend: 212 Class Pre-judging Report

2014 Arnold Sports Festival: 212 Prejudging

New Exercise and Fitness Review

The Columbus Convention Center hosted the first-ever 2014 Arnold Classic 212 prejudging this Friday, as the weight class made its much-anticipated debut as part of the Arnold Sports Festival. The top 212 competitors in the world were there onstage, as well as some other familiar names, as the men battled to be the first ever to take the crown.

The lineup more than lived up to its billing, and if this is the caliber of competition that we can expect annually moving forward, it could quickly become one of the most anticipated events in Columbus.

The competitors are listed here in numerical order.

1 Lucas Osladil

Lucas was not one of the standouts in many previews of the event, but he impressed many in the crowd and the judges. The muscle separation in his back wasn’t all it could have been, perhaps because of conditioning, but he could still leave Columbus with a top-five finish.

2 James “Flex” Lewis

What can you say about Flex that hasn’t already been said? He brought it to Columbus just as he has done twice in the Olympia 212 Showdown. His glutes were ripped, his back was thick, and he kept his poise throughout his routine. Although he appeared better conditioned at the Olympia, he still is the top dog here, in my opinion. I had him first, and so did many others in the crowd.

3 Charles Dixon

Charles is no rookie, and his maturity showed in his physique. I’ve seen him better conditioned in the past, and his waist was a little thick, but he brought a solid overall package as always. He will probably finish in the middle of the pack, but in a field like this, that is no slight.

4 Hidetada Yamagishi

A lot of experts were excited to hear Hide going into the 212. He gives guys in the open class a run for their money, so he could do damage in the 212. It may surprise people that he’s working with reigning Ms. Olympia Iris Kyle, but Hide looked great so she obviously knows what she’s doing. He was strong from the back, especially with the back double biceps. His legs have been better in the past, but I’ve still got him in the top three.

5 Quincy Winklaar

Quincy is the brother of the great Roelly WInklaar, who was unfortunately injured in a motorcycle accident a couple of weeks ago. Some wondered how that would affect Quincy mentally as he got closer to the show. He still brought the goods, although his chest wasn’t as striated as I have seen in the past. It looks to me like he will be between 7th and 10th.

6 Aaron Clark

Aaron has gained quite a following in recent months, and there were plenty of fans at the Expo rooting him on. His legs were impressive from the front, but there’s still room for improvement in the hamstrings. He looked good overall and may get a spot in the top three, but I have him at fourth. He has a bright future, even if he’s not quite ready to take the top spot at the big shows yet. His side chest was stellar, as was his front double biceps pose.

7 Jose Raymond

Weighing in at 204 pounds, the man who called himself “the bearded lady” a few months ago stood out as the freak of the event. Although he was grainy and is a fan favorite, he will probably fall between fifth and seventh here.

8 Stan McQuay

Stan is one of the taller 212 competitors but still carries some good muscle. Unfortunately, his big tattoo made separation and detail in his back hard to see. This could possibly impact where he places. He also seemed less full than how I’ve seen him in the past. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him around the 10-12 range.

9 Richard “Tricky” Jackson

The cousin of 2008 Mr. Olympia Dexter Jackson showed that symmetry and confidence runs in the family. Although I’ve seen him bigger and better conditioned, especially in his triceps, he still could get a spot in the top six.

10 David Henry

If anyone is going to stop Flex from taking the first Arnold 212 Crown, it is David Henry. The 2008 Olympia 202 Showdown champion brought a great package and that signature confident smile. Although anything can happen in the finals, I have him second.

11 Marco Rivera

Marco has overcome adversity to get to this point in his career, and he worked with the great coach Oscar Arden to make his Arnold effort a good one. Although he will probably finish in the lower half of the top 10, you haven’t seen the last of him. If his upper body was fuller it may have improved his end result, but it’s just too tough of a field here in Columbus.

12 Angel Rangel Vargas

Angel is a relatively new face who came to Columbus from Mexico. He carries a lot of muscle for a smaller guy. His thighs almost overpowered his calves, which affected his overall symmetry. His arms were impressive, but he’ll need more to break through in this world-class lineup.

Tonight’s Show

After prejudging ended, there was Flex and there was everyone else, which is what many experts predicted. It looks like David Henry, Aaron Clark, and Hidetada Yamagishi could round out the rest of the top four. It came down to Flex and David in the last callout, just like at the Olympia in September. Unless things change in a big way at the finals tonight, it appears likely that Flex Lewis will stand as the first Arnold 212 champ.

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2014 Arnold Sports Festival: 212 Prejudging