Success in competitive bodybuilding hinges on the judges’ assessment of an ideal physique. Athletes proactively seek feedback from judges to address any identified weaknesses, and Breon Ansley is listening to the judges who often critique his legs.

On Sept. 8, 2024, the two-time Classic Physique Olympia winner showcased his lower-body training, which focuses on muscle mass in his quads, hamstrings, and glutes. 

Breon Ansley’s 2024 Olympia Leg Workout

Here is a snapshot of the training session:

Lying Hamstring Curl 

Leg Extension 

Leg Press

Unilateral Hip Press 

Superset — Machine Hip Thrust & Reverse Lunge

[Related: Interview: Olympia President Dan Solomon Speaks on 60th Edition of Bodybuilding’s Biggest Event]

[Related: Is a Monster-Sized Back Samson Dauda’s Biggest Asset for the 2024 Olympia?]

Warm Up Knees With Isolation Exercises

Ansley opens with lying hamstring curls to prime his knees for heavier compound movements, such as squats. The former Arnold Classic champ feels his flexibility and range of motion are at an all-time best, leading to better workout performance. 

Ansley transitions to leg extensions to bias the quads. He maintains a slow, steady rep cadence, pausing briefly in the fully shortened position to increase time under tension (TUT) and promote hypertrophy. (1)

Ansley cautions against overly long training sessions, as they can lead to a catabolic state, where the body burns muscle tissue for fuel. 

Barefoot Leg Presses

The 44-year-old Ansley performs the leg presses barefoot to prioritize pushing through the whole foot, optimizing force distribution. He opines that the heel drop in most training shoes can diffuse tension, reducing hamstring activation and potentially increasing joint strain.

Ansley positions his feet shoulder-width apart in the center of the horizontal leg press’ footboard. He keeps his upper legs parallel during eccentrics and flexes his knees until his thighs touch his abdomen. 

The California native shifts to unilateral hip presses to bias the hamstrings and glutes. Single-leg exercises are particularly effective for identifying and rectifying muscle and strength imbalances.

Supersets For Intensity & Time Efficiency

Ansley employs supersets to maximize muscle stimulation with limited time. (2) He uses the hip thrust machine to isolate the glutes, emphasizing a deep target muscle stretch followed by a sharp contraction.

Subsequently, Ansley performs reverse lunges to load the quads. Keeping his torso upright, he lowers his rear knee until it gently touches the floor. He performs 20 bodyweight reps on one side before switching.

The two-time Olympia champ has announced a transition to the 212 division for the 2025 competitive season, making the 2024 Olympia his final Classic Physique appearance. Ansley is determined to conclude this chapter of his career by claiming his third Classic Physique Olympia title. 

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References

Burd NA, Andrews RJ, West DW, et al. Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. J Physiol. 2012;590(2):351-362. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200

Weakley JJS, Till K, Read DB, et al. The effects of traditional, superset, and tri-set resistance training structures on perceived intensity and physiological responses. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2017;117(9):1877-1889. doi:10.1007/s00421-017-3680-3

Featured image: @breonma_ on Instagram

The post Judges Told Breon Ansley to Improve His Legs — and He’s Listening appeared first on BarBend.

Nick Walker doesn’t believe in overconfidence. The 2024 New York Pro winner is considered an underdog for the 2024 Olympia, but Walker likes his chances. Why? He’s got shoulders for days.

Walker recently explained that his two favorite exercises for shoulder hypertrophy are both machine-based.

We’re going to explain what these two moves are, why Walker might like them so much, and how you can add them to your next bodybuilding shoulder workout to follow in his footsteps.

Nick Walker’s 2 Favorite Shoulder Exercises

“I’m torn. I love the Smith machine shoulder press and the Newtech side lateral raise machine,” Walker said during an Instagram Story Q&A on Sep. 10, 2024.

We’ve all heard of the Smith machine; it’s an underrated tool for building muscle, and one that is adored by bodybuilders from the amateur circuit to the Olympia stage.

The Newtech lateral raise station, on the other hand, is a bit more niche. Newtech is a Korean company that manufactures gym equipment, and one of their signature items is an adjustable standing station for various shoulder moves, including lateral raise variations.

The machine consists of a long, angled handle that rotates on an axis, kind of like the long hand of a clock. This functionality provides top-to-bottom mechanical tension to the deltoids, which is something you can’t get if you work with dumbbells.

Smith Machine Shoulder Press

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Set up an adjustable weight bench to be vertical or nearly vertical under the bar of a Smith machine.

Rack the bar somewhere between eye and nipple height when you’re sitting.

Unlock the mechanism, ensuring your elbows are directly underneath the bar.

Press the bar upward using your shoulders and triceps.

Newtech Lateral Raise

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Most people don’t have access to a Newtech lateral raise station in their gyms. In the interest of practicality, we’re going to suggest replacing one of Walker’s favorite shoulder exercises with the single-arm cable lateral raise instead.

The posture and technique are basically identical, and the cable provides consistent tension:

Set an adjustable cable pulley to be somewhere between knee level and the ground. Then, fix a D-handle to the carabiner.

Stand perpendicular to the cable stack and grasp the handle with your far-side hand.

Brace yourself against the station with your non-working hand and lean away from the cable stack.

Pull the cable taut and let your arm hang low across your torso.

Lift your arm up and to the side until it is parallel to the ground.

Nick Walker: Olympia Underdog?

Back in August, Walker issued a challenge to the bodybuilding community: “Keep counting me out.”

The 2021 Arnold Classic champion feels slept on after he missed out on the 2023 Olympia due to injury. Heading into this year’s show, which runs from Oct. 10 to 13 in Las Vegas, NV, Walker feels confident. In fact, based on his social media Q&A, Walker feels unbeatable in certain poses.

Fans will find out in exactly a month if Walker is all bark and no bite.

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Featured Image: @nick_walker39 / Instagram

The post Nick Walker’s 2 Favorite Shoulder Exercises appeared first on BarBend.

Editor’s Note: This is the first part of our two-part analysis of the TYR Cup competition. Stay tuned for the second half and our overall conclusions.

The TYR Cup is heading to 2024 Wodapalooza SoCal, and with it comes a unique competition experience for elite athletes. 

Team World and Team North America each consist of four men and four women, who will compete in 11 events over the weekend.

The events will differ in style. With six different competition formats, strategy will play a key role in the weekend. Here are the different formats the athletes will contend with:

Individual: All athletes will compete in the event, and the team with the best combined score will win.

All Hands: All eight athletes work together to complete the event as a team.

Spotlight: One woman and one man from each team will compete in an event specializing in weightlifting, gymnastics, or monostructural elements.

Miami Team: Following the format of Wodapalooza, Team World and Team North America will field a trio of men and women to complete the event.

CFG Teams: Two men and two women will represent each team in these events.

Captains: The captains from Team World and Team North America will go head to head on the competition floor.

With the rosters set and most of the events announced, it seems like a good time to predict some winners.

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Event 1

Analysis: This pyramid chipper should play into the strengths of team North America quite nicely. The handstand walk course and its conga line-style approach is likely the biggest logjam of the event. The other three movements are all synchronized. 

Danielle Brandon is a lock for this event as she has been dominant in handstand walk events at the Games. You can also add Alexis Raptis, who finished fifth in the “Inverted Medley” from the 2023 Games, which had a number of obstacles on its handstand walk course. 

For the men, there’s Justin Medeiros, who has only finished second or third in handstand walk events at the CrossFit Games. Patrick Vellner would round out Team North America for Event 1.

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Event 2

Analysis: There is a lot of volume on the worm in this event. While we expect the men’s trio from Team North America to beat Team World, the women from Team World will lead that group to victory.

Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr, Emma Tall, and Grace Walton can all move weight at volume, and if they find a good rhythm, they should move through the worm reps quickly. The trio of Brent Fikowski, Björgvin Karl Guðmundsson, and Aniol Ekai should be in the mix against the North American men. With the boost from the women, expect Team World to take Event 2.

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Event 3

Analysis: The first spotlight of the weekend focuses on weightlifting. Each team will select one man and one woman to establish their one-rep max snatch and one-rep max clean and jerk. With Toomey-Orr and Gui Malheiros on their rosters, expect Team World to take this event by a wide margin. 

Team World could also save Toomey-Orr for a different spotlight and sub in Emma Tall. Tall, along with Arielle Loewen, had the highest Olympic total among TYR Cup athletes at 422 pounds from the 2023 CrossFit Games. A team of Tall combined with Malheiros would still be the favorites to take this spotlight. 

Event 5

Analysis: The North American women have a clear gymnastics advantage over Team World. They could likely field any one of Alexis Raptis, Danielle Brandon, or Arielle Loewen here, but we’d take Raptis based on the results of the 2024 season. 

Raptis finished second at Semifinals Event 3 with 13 legless rope climbs. At Semifinals Event 6, with its 15 ring muscle-ups, she was second. Then, during “Push Pull 2.0” at the CrossFit Games, which featured 15 freestanding handstand push-ups, she was — you guessed it — second again.

Justin Medeiros is the favorite for the Team North American men. He has never finished worse than fifth in an event with freestanding handstand push-ups. 

This won’t be a blowout by any means, especially if Team World puts Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr and Brent Fikowski on the floor.

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The post 2024 TYR WZA SoCal — Our Picks for the TYR Cup Event Winners, Part 1 appeared first on BarBend.

On Jan. 26, 2025, 24 of the world’s best powerlifters — 12 male and 12 female — will converge in Sheffield City Hall in Sheffield, England, to compete for £445,000 at the 2025 Sheffield Powerlifting Championships (Sheffield 25). This will be the third edition of the Sheffield since its inception in 2023.

On Sept. 12, 2024, the final of four wildcard invitations was confirmed, completing the full rosters for both the Men’s and Women’s divisions. To qualify, athletes either secured 95% or more of their respective division’s total world record at the 2024 IPF World Classic Championships or received a wildcard invitation.

Athletes will compete in different weight classes but will be scored against each other based on the percentage of their respective divisions’s world record total.

2025 Sheffield Powerlifting Championships Rosters

Below are the rosters for both divisions. IPF world records can be broken at this event, and any athlete who successfully does so across any of the three big lifts and/or total will receive a £5,000 bonus.

Men’s Division Powerlifters

Wascar Carpio (USA) — 59KG

Kasemsand Senumong (THA) — 66KG

Austin Perkins (USA) — 74KG

Timothy Monigatti (NZL) — 74KG

Kjell Egil Bakkelund (NOR) — 74KG, Wildcard

Jurins Kengamu (UK) — 83KG

Russel Orhii (USA) — 83KG

Gustav Hedlund (SWE) — 93KG

Emil Krastev (BUL) — 93KG, Wildcard

Ashton Rouska (USA) — 105KG

Bobb Matthews (USA) — 120KG

Jesus Olivares (USA) — +120KG

Women’s Division Powerlifters

Tiffany Chapon (FRA) — 47KG

Evie Corrigan (NZL) — 52KG

Jade Jacob (FRA) — 57KG

Meghan Scanlon (USA) — 63KG

Prescillia Bavoil (FRA) — 69KG, Wildcard

Carola Garra (ITA) — 69KG

Agata Sitko (POL) — 76KG

Karlina Tongotea (NZL) — 76KG, Wildcard

Amanda Lawrence (USA) — 84KG

Sonita Kyen Muluh (BEL) — +84KG

Brittany Schlater (CAN) — +84KG

Alexis Jones (USA) — +84KG

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Prize Pool Payouts

First Place: £25,000

Second Place: £12,500

Third Place: £7,500

Fourth Place: £6,000

Fifth Place: £4,000

Sixth Place: £2,000

Seventh Place: £1,750

Eighth Place: £1,500

Ninth Place: £1,250

10th Place: £1,000

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Featured image: @sbdsheffield on Instagram

The post 2025 Sheffield Powerlifting Championships Roster Finalized appeared first on BarBend.

The five-time reigning Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead’s sprawling quad sweeps, diced hamstrings, and striated glutes have made him unbeatable for the past half decade. However, the 2024 Arnold Classic Physique champ Wesley Vissers has dedicated himself to improving his lower body, to challenge Bumstead for the title at the 2024 Olympia on Oct. 10-13, 2024.

On Sept. 8, 2024, Vissers shared his leg training techniques seven weeks out from stepping on stage to preserve muscle mass and enhance conditioning while in a calorie deficit.

Wesley Vissers 2024 Olympia Leg WorkoutSeated Calf Raise

Standing Calf Raise — Two sets

Nordic Curl — Three sets

Leg Extensions — Three sets

Power Squats — Three sets

Leg Press — Three sets

Lying Leg Curl — Three sets

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Begin With Calves

Although Vissers performed the seated calf raises before the standing variation, he doesn’t recommend this exercise sequence for everyone. The former biases the soleus muscle, whereas the latter targets the gastrocnemius. 

Vissers explained that focusing on a deep stretch and coming halfway up during calf exercises can lead to greater gains than going through the full range of motion (ROM). This aligns with a human randomized controlled trial’s findings that training calves at longer muscle lengths, rather than the full range, can maximize hypertrophy. (1)

Prioritize Eccentric Loading

You don’t often see Nordic curls in an Olympian’s training routine. Vissers used an assisted machine with a chest pad for support and safety. He lowered his shoulders below knee level in the bottom position for a deep hamstring stretch, then went to one rep in reserve (RIR). 

Unilateral Work

Vissers alternates between hamstring and quad exercises. This approach minimizes downtime as one muscle group actively recovers while the other is engaged.

The Dutch bodybuilder incorporates unilateral leg extensions as it allows optimal hip-knee alignment. Vissers gently taps his quads during the exercise to channel his mind-muscle connection.

Compound Movements

After four isolation exercises, Vissers moved to the power squat machine. He prioritized a full ROM, descending until his hamstrings touched his calves and ensured a complete knee lockout at the top. 

Vissers recommends ‘ass-to-grass’ reps for optimal glute fiber activation. He could lift heavier, but that would restrict his ROM and strain his lower body joints and tendons. 

The 31-year-old Vissers transitioned to the leg press, positioning his feet shoulder-width apart at the top of the footboard to bias the hamstrings. He drives his knees outward during the eccentric to achieve maximum depth and engage the adductors in the bottom position. 

End With an Isolation Exercise

Vissers bookends his leg training with hamstring isolation exercises. While the Nordic curls emphasize controlled eccentrics and a deep stretch, Vissers prioritizes peak contractions during lying hamstring curls. 

2024 Classic Physique Olympia

Besides Vissers, two-time Olympia champ Breon Ansley is diligently working on improving his legs following judges’ feedback. Since this will be Ansley’s last Classic Physique contest before transitioning to the 212 division, Ansley is expected to present his best package to date on the Olympia stage.

Ramon Rocha Queiroz and Urs Kalecinski are the other top contenders poised to challenge Bumstead’s reign at the 2024 Olympia.

References

Kassiano, W., Costa, B., Kunevaliki, G., Soares, D., Zacarias, G., Manske, I., Takaki, Y., Ruggiero, M. F., Stavinski, N., Francsuel, J., Tricoli, I., Carneiro, M. A. S., & Cyrino, E. S. (2023). Greater Gastrocnemius Muscle Hypertrophy After Partial Range of Motion Training Performed at Long Muscle Lengths. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 37(9), 1746–1753. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000004460

Featured image: @wesleyvissers on Instagram

The post Wesley Vissers Is Bringing Up His Legs to Challenge Chris Bumstead at the 2024 Olympia appeared first on BarBend.

A multi-day CrossFit competition is not for the faint of heart, and a recovery protocol is key to an athlete’s success. 

Aerobic Capacity creator Chris Hinshaw and Smart Tools co-founder Nick Colosi discuss ways athletes can recover and prepare for multi-day competitions. 

One of the first and most important recommendations is that athletes consume carbohydrates immediately after each event to restore muscle glycogen stores. In other words, they must replenish the stored form of glucose the body uses for fuel. 

“Athletes must be aware of their specific carb needs based on the workout intensity and their body requirements,” Hinshaw told Morning Chalk Up in an interview. 

He adds that a larger meal with complex carbohydrates in the evening “is essential” to further help refuel for the next day’s events. 

Credit: Carlos Fleury

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Hydration is also critical to recovery, especially when competing in hot climates. Athletes should drink consistently throughout the day, focusing on electrolyte-rich options to replace salt loss and prevent dehydration. 

“Maintaining a balance between water and electrolytes is crucial to ensure peak performance,” he says. 

Post-event, athletes should hop on a bike for active recovery, such as the Echo Bike or Concept 2 bike, and pedal at a zone 2 or higher intensity. This movement helps engage maximal muscle fibers to accelerate the clearance of lactate and, more importantly, fatigue-causing metabolites, a substance produced during metabolism. 

The cool-down process is essential for accelerating the body’s recovery process, Hinshaw says.  

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A part of preparation is readying the body for intense activity. 

Colosi, who has a background in exercise physiology and is a doctor of chiropractic, developed a medical-grade stainless steel version of IASTM tools. These are manual therapy tools used to break up tissue and stimulate the nervous system. Medical practitioners often use them on CrossFit athletes before and during competition. 

There are many supplemental tools these days to aid recovery and help athletes recover more efficiently. While diet and immediate post-workout recovery are integral, it’s clear that newer technology-driven tools are on the market and are helping drive the recovery protocol. 

For instance, Colosi’s company, Smart Tools, has developed a new blood flow restriction cuff called SmartCuffs®. This product is built for athletes recovering from an injury and for muscle growth during fitness. It can also be a great tool after a tough workout to help speed up the muscle recovery process. 

“From a fitness perspective, it just goes back to deloading the joints, and then as they [athletes] get closer to events—CrossFitters, NBA athletes— use the recovery method as well,” Colosi says.  

With the SmartCuffs, athletes can use it during a recovery session by only inflating the cuff to 80 to 100 percent, and then it’s a “completely passive” activity. 

Colosi adds the experience is not the most comfortable thing in the world, but when the cuffs are released, the blood just rushes back to the limbs, and they get that blood flow moving again. The tool is best used by athletes during active rest days to deload the joints. 

“You kind of jump-start your whole system,” Colosi says.

Other new tools on the market targeted at recovery focus on red light therapy, muscle relief through a therapy device like a massage gun, and other compression tools that target the legs, hips, or arms. 

All of these types of technology must be part of the overall recovery discussion. As science and technology advance, so does the interest from athletes seeking to add more to their protocols. 

Other tools, like wearables, are also increasingly popular as athletes want to learn more about their bodies. Many athletes are not just ingesting that information. They’re using it to influence the way they approach a competition, how they train, and what they do to recover.

“People are fascinated with their own bodies,” he says. 

The Bottom Line

As CrossFitters mature, so do the recovery protocols and the ways athletes treat their bodies overall. If there’s anything to learn, it’s that timing and nutrition should rank high as athletes develop and execute their recovery plans. 

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On Sept. 9, 2024, five-time reigning Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead took to his Instagram page, where he has 24.2 million followers, and announced that he became a part-owner of the fitness apparel brand Gymshark. While that might have been enough news for the brand for a while, it’s not the only thing they have going on as the fall season approaches.

On Sept. 14-15, 2024, Gymshark will host LiftNYC, a fitness convention-like expo with big names in the industry for fans to meet, live workouts on a main stage, and more at Pier36 in New York City. “Lift” are Gymshark’s live, in-person events hosted worldwide.

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Gymshark has only two brick-and-mortar stores — the majority of its sales are online. According to Gymshark’s Head of Communications Sam Kane, “When you have a community of over 20 million on your socials, it’s so important to hang out with them. There’s nothing we love more than training and lifting with such an engaged crowd. [Lift] is like ComicCon For Fitness — people come to meet their heroes, get sweet merch, train with like-minded people, and just have an awesome time.”

LiftNYC has already sold out. However, several Lift events are held around the globe throughout the year. LiftMiami occurred in February 2024, and LiftLA and LiftManchester occurred in 2023. The NYC edition will feature basketball courts, training stations, PR cages, athlete meet-and-greets, pop-up stores for exclusive merch, and more.

Those interested in learning more about Gymshark’s LiftNYC can do so at central.gymshark.com.

Chris Bumstead

Bumstead has had a loaded 2024. In addition to becoming a father and signing on with Gymshark, he will return to the Olympia stage on Oct. 11-13, 2024, in Las Vegas, NV, to attempt his sixth consecutive Classic Physique Olympia title. He is the all-time winningest Classic Physique Olympian, having claimed five of the division’s eight titles thus far.

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The 2024 San Antonio Pro bodybuilding show, set for Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in San Antonio, TX, will feature 2024 Olympia qualifying contests for the Classic Physique, Men’s Physique, Figure, and Bikini divisions. The winners of those contests will earn the right to compete at the 2024 Olympia Weekend in Las Vegas, NV, on Oct. 10-13, 2024. No qualification will be awarded if the winners are already qualified.

This is the final weekend of the 2024 Olympia qualifying season, meaning those who have not qualified will have to adjust their sights on the 2025 Olympia.

2024 San Antonio Pro Rosters

The full lineups for these shows are below, with names in alphabetical order.

Classic Physique

Todd Akers (United States)

Josh Bridgman (United Kingdom)

Kirhee Cooper (United States)

Joseph Angel Cortez (United States)

Ejike Enwereuzor (United States)

Breno Freire (Brazil)

Michael Gasaway (United States)

Mahfuz Hawit (Honduras)

Jim Holcomb (United States)

Daniel Hughes (United States)

Rodderick Jackson (United States)

Allen Kendrick (United States)

David Merrill (United States)

Dion Merrill (United States)

Larry Moon (United States)

Tony Taveras (United States)

Tim Tevin (United States)

Rob Van Sant (United States)

Brandon Williams (United States)

Mark Zamora (United States)

Men’s Physique

Corben Abila (United States)

Jake Alvarez (United States)

Diogo Basaglia (United States)

Tan Dhaliwal (United States)

Ryan Doll (United States)

Joshua Guidry (United States)

Calvin Jackson (United States)

Brodee Jarrell (United States)

Greg Johnson (United States)

Kevin Johnson (United States)

Jerol Johnston (United States)

Jin Koike (Japan)

Janard Lee (United States)

Mengyi Liu (China)

Alvin Magee (United States)

Burak Ozkul (Turkey)

Stuart Reed (United States)

Noah Robinson (United States)

Alexander Rogers (United States)

Justo Scott (United States)

Patrick Seguin-Morin (Canada)

Marcell Shippen (United States)

David Short (United States)

Denny Singh (United States)

Remon Smith (United States)

Mitch Starr (United States)

Winston Sullivan (United States)

Micah Thomas Jr. (United States)

Tre Trotter (United States)

Favian Villalobos (United States)

Cordell Waddey (United States)

Chris Walding (United States)

Alex Woodson (United States)

Figure

Jessica Baltazar (United States)

Blanca Barcelo (United States)

Tamera Barrett (United States)

Linda Judith Cantu Gonzalez (Mexico)

Ruth Castillo (Mexico)

Jessica Cocke (United States)

Alexis Davis (United States)

Mariacarolina Davis (United States)

Sh’ Nere Mattise Deas (United States)

Marie-Solange Essoh (Cameroon)

Wendy Ford (United States)

Naomi Haley (United States)

Jackie Hurry (United States)

Silvia Kovacsova (Australia)

Nikki Mcguire (United States)

Patrina Mosca (United States)

Melody Polkinghorn (United States)

Jessica Rodriguez (United States)

Laura Saccomani (Paraguay)

Sara Taschner (United States)

Tamika Tucker (United States)

Rita Villarreal (United States)

Bikini

Gigi Amurao (United States)

Cinthia Beltran (United States)

Louisa Burke (Germany)

Perla Cadena (United States)

Myra Colcord (United States)

Deanna Dang (United States)

Stacy Deville (United States)

Alessia Facchin (Italy)

Kaylie Fountain (United States)

Brenda Garay (United States)

Czarina Gastelum (Mexico)

Ashley Hampton (United States)

Hope Harper (United States)

Sasa He (China)

Rebecca Ianno (United States)

Haley Johnson (United States)

Lauren Kralovec (United States)

Paola Leon (Mexico)

Denisse Licon (United States)

Emma Macdougall (Canada)

Samantha Mcnamara (United States)

Cristina Meza (Mexico)

Marcela Moreno (Mexico)

Rosario Orihuela Hammadi (Spain)

Zoey Panzarino (United States)

Amanda Rivas (United States)

Monica Rubio (United States)

Carmen Ruiz Alonso (Afghanistan)

Lacy Rutland (United States)

Cindy Van Empel-Popowich (Canada)

Bianca Van Wyk (South Africa)

Denise Wedderburn (United States)

Marissa Willmott (United States)

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Classic Physique Athletes to Watch

Many fans will watch the Classic Physique contest. These three athletes below are the most likely to win gold and qualify for the Olympia.

Breno Freire

Breno Freire already punched his ticket to Las Vegas, thanks to his win at the 2024 Florida Pro on Sept. 7, 2024. If he wins in the Lone Star State, no Olympia qualification is awarded. If he loses, his spot in the Olympia remains safe.

Tony Taveras

Tony Taveras is coming off a second-place finish at the 2024 RGV Classic Pro, but that was his first contest in three years. He previously competed at the 2021 Classic Physique Olympia, finishing tied for 16th.

Josh Bridgman

This is Josh Bridgman’s first pro show of 2024. He competed in Men’s Physique since making his pro debut in 2022, but turned pro in Classic Physique in 2021. This will be his debut Classic Physique show in the pro ranks.

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The 2024 Janet Layug Battle of the Bodies Bikini division show is set for Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Twelve IFBB Pro League competitors will take the stage with hopes of winning and qualifying for the 2024 Bikini Olympia, a part of the Olympia weekend in Las Vegas, NV, on Oct. 10-13, 2024.

This is the final weekend of the 2024 Olympia qualifying season.

2024 Janet Layug Battle of the Bodies Pro Roster

Noelle Agnew (United States)

Romina Basualdo (United States)

Ariana Brothers (United States)

Hope Gonzalez (United States)

Renata Guimaraes (United States)

Irene Iravedra (Spain)

Kateryna Kauffmann (Canada)

Ekaterina Opekunova (Russia)

Carolina Quinones (United States)

Angela Ruscilli (United States)

Nastya Sheva (Germany)

Ali Taylor (United States)

[Related: 2024 Europa Pro Bodybuilding Show Preview]

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Romina Basualdo

Romina Basualdo makes her 2024 season debut at this show. She picked her pro show carefully and is confident this is the lone contest she’ll need to qualify for the 2024 Olympia.

Basualdo has competed on the Olympia stage for the last three seasons. Her highest finish was eighth in 2021.

Ariana Brothers

Ariana Brothers was most recently onstage at the 2024 Tampa Pro, finishing fifth. However, Brothers is already locked into the 2024 Bikini Olympia, thanks to winning the 2023 Atlantic Coast Pro. Therefore, no Olympia qualification will be issued if she wins in Fort Lauderdale. The 2023 Nashville Fit Show Pro winner ranked seventh at the 2023 Bikini Olympia. 

Noelle Agnew

Noelle Agnew has competed three times this season. Her best finish was sixth at the 2024 Orlando Pro. Agnew competes in the Masters division but has been in the mix at several Open shows since she entered the pro ranks in 2021.

Other Notes

This is one of three pro Bikini division contests taking place this weekend. The other two are at the Europa Pro in London, England, and the San Antonio Pro in San Antonio, TX. Once all three contests have concluded, the 2024 Bikini Olympia lineup will be official and finalized.

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The post 2024 Janet Layug Battle of the Bodies Pro Bikini Division Show Preview appeared first on BarBend.

The 2024 Europa Pro is scheduled to take place in London, England, on the weekend of Sept. 14-15, 2024. This is the only IFBB Pro League show on the 2024 schedule outside the Olympia to feature all 11 pro divisions. The winner of each contest will receive a 2024 Olympia Weekend qualification.

This is the final weekend of qualifying for the 2024 Olympia, which will be held at Resorts World in Las Vegas, NV, from Oct. 10 to 13, 2024. Competitors who are not qualified after this contest will have to adjust their sights to the 2025 Olympia.

2024 Europa Pro Rosters

The lineups for all 11 contests are below, with names in alphabetical order:

Men’s Open

Ahmad Alrefaei (Kuwait)

Morgan Aste (France)

Lewis Breed (United Kingdom)

Alie Edward (United Arab Emirates)

Enrico Hoffmann (Germany)

Lorenzo Leeuwe (Netherlands)

Josh Maley (United Kingdom)

Jiexin Mao (China)

Patrick Moore (United States)

Moe Nsour (Germany)

Andrea Presti (Italy)

Bruno Santos (Brazil)

Vilius Sosnovskis (Lithuania)

Mariusz Tomczuk (Poland)

William Martins William (Brazil)

212

Anwar Al Balushi (Oman)

Mazin Alrahbi (Oman)

Radoslav Angelov (Bulgaria)

Jamal Changezi (Afghanistan)

Mostafa Eskandari (Netherlands)

Hameed Juma (Bahrain)

Burga Keskin (Turkey)

Xiaoxiong Li (China)

Muzi Maluleke (South Africa)

Jose Maria Mete Bueriberi (Spain)

Francisco Navarro (Spain)

Luca Pola (United Kingdom)

Classic Physique

Yemi Adefioye (United Kingdom)

Charles Bryant (United Kingdom)

Luca Corrado (Italy)

Adrian Cyronek (Poland)

Jared Feather (United States)

Carel Frederick Grobler (South Africa)

Mark James (United Kingdom)

Morissana Kante (France)

Roberto Martinez Pizana (Spain)

Jordan Moore (United States)

Maciej Nabaglo (Poland)

Julian Lee Ramdhari (South Africa)

Jesus Rodriguez Sendra (Spain)

Julio Simoes (Brazil)

Sebastien Theurel (France)

Lewis Widgery (United Kingdom)

Men’s Physique

Hussein Akancan (Turkey)

Adeyemi Awoyemi (United Kingdom)

Alessandro Cavagnola (Italy)

Alessandro Colacchi (Italy)

Furkan Er (Turkey)

Alexander Freshwater (United Kingdom)

Lollo Giachetti (Italy)

Tunahan Guler (Turkey)

Oguzhan Kalyoncu (Turkey)

Michael Kent (United Kingdom)

Burak King (United States)

Pedro Lima (Brazil)

Ziya Mousavi (United Kingdom)

Hamed Parveh (Netherlands)

Maksimilian Petrov (Bulgaria)

Abdullah Salem (Kuwait)

Omar Suleiman (United Kingdom)

Viktor Taskov (Bulgaria)

James Walters (United Kingdom)

Men’s Wheelchair

Anand Arnold (India)

Gaylon Grigsby (United States)

Jean Pierre (Brazil)

Women’s Bodybuilding

Irene Andersen (Sweden)

Cristina Arellano Goy (United States)

Reshanna Boswell (United States)

Nadia Capotosto (Italy)

Ivana Dvorakova (Germany)

Martina Lopez (Spain)

Joanna Romano (Spain)

Issis Syhler (Denmark)

Jeanie Welker (United States)

Fitness

Annika Drescher (Germany)

Carolina Escobedo-Frausto (Mexico)

Martina Gambaro (Italy)

Michaela Pavleova (Slovakia)

Nikolett Szabo (Hungary)

Figure

Cristina Araujo (Spain)

Anna Borin (Ukraine)

Grace Diliso (Italy)

Sara Kinnvik  (Sweden)

Madam Lavoe (United States)

Krisztina Meleg  (Hungary)

Gisa Mendes (Italy)

Nina Paulus (Germany)

Marie Peterhans (Switzerland)

Bikini

Marnie Al-Saraf (United Kingdom)

Lorena Blanco (Spain)

Rosie Burr (United Kingdom)

Claudia Clemente (Portugal)

Jess Feeney Ireland

Monique Jansen Van Vuuren (South Africa)

Adrianna Kaczmarek (Poland)

Magda Kilczewska (Poland)

Natalie Koursari (Greece)

Ottavia Mazza (Italy)

Zsofia Molnar (Hungary)

Tilda Selby (United Kingdom)

Kerry Sexton (United Kingdom)

Julie Svitakova (Czech Republic)

Margherita Todeschini (Italy)

Francesca Walsh (United Kingdom)

Laura Ziv (France)

Women’s Physique

Nikki Beattie (United Kingdom)

Vanessa Bertini (Italy)

Cristina Chatti (Spain)

Silvi Cuartero (Spain)

Manon Dutilly (Canada)

Lucie Favrelle (France)

Silvana Imbrogno (United Kingdom)

Marina Kassinopoullou (Cyprus)

Elena Kava (Greece)

Yuna Kim (South Korea)

Christina Kremser (Austria)

Gemma Lancaster (United Kingdom)

Sophie Leo (France)

Barbara Menage (France)

Sanna Nupponen (Finland)

Karly Pearce (United Kingdom)

Sandra Araceli Perez Amigon (Mexico)

Nadine Phoenix (United Kingdom)

Natalia Spierings (United Kingdom)

Hong Yan (China)

Wellness

Jada Beverly (United States)

Carol Cantarero (United States)

Sandra Colorado Acal (Spain)

Beatrice Gasperini (Italy)

Paola Andrea Ibarguen Mosquera (Colombia)

Shana Laugel (France)

Camile Luz (Brazil)

Chanel Mbiakop  (Switzerland)

Lexy Oliver (Italy)

Mia Onwuna (United Kingdom)

Hayley Overall (United Kingdom)

Maria Paulette (Spain)

Chloe Pickford (United Kingdom)

Susy Rosero (Colombia)

Carlotta Tonelli (Italy)

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[Related: Is Lauralie Chapados’ Back Development Her Ticket to Winning the 2024 Bikini Olympia?]

Men’s Open Athletes to Watch

This show represents the final qualifying spot for the 60th edition of the Mr. Olympia contest. These three athletes below are among the favorites to clinch that position:

Andrea Presti

Presti is coming off a runner-up finish to Hunter Labrada at the 2024 ProMuscle Italy Pro on Sept. 8, 2024. Presti won the Mr. Big Evolution Pro show three times but has yet to win a pro show outside of that competition. Presti ranked 12th at the 2023 Mr. Olympia contest in Orlando, FL.

Patrick Moore

Patrick Moore is making his first appearance onstage since placing fifth at the 2023 Chicago Pro. He has twice been on the Olympia stage, ranking 10th in 2019 and 14th in 2021. Moore won the California State Championships Pro twice in those same seasons; his two career pro wins since turning pro in 2017.

Lewis Breed

Lewis Breed will step onstage for the third time this season, this time as the likely host country favorite. He finished fifth at the 2024 Tampa Pro and fourth at the 2024 Texas Pro in August. This is his fourth pro season, and he aims to score his first victory and Olympia qualification in the pro ranks. 

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