after-party Soiree held in one of the many Las Vegas nightclubs after the Mr. Olympia finals. See “W.H.V.S.V.”
announcement Thrilling moment when the top two Mr. Olympia competitors are at center stage and the emcee declares the victor. See “next name you hear, the”
Bannout, Samir (aka “the Lion of Lebanon”) Seventh Mr. Olympia. Noted for his symmetry, Bannout won in 1983. In his 10 other O’s, he failed to place higher than fourth.
Bikini Olympia Ultimate bikini contest. The inaugural Bikini O was held in 2010.
buffet 1. All-you-can-eat restaurant, located in most Las Vegas hotels. 2. Abs eraser.
callout Prejudging grouping of, typically, two to six competitors, who step out of the lineup and go to center stage, where they strike the same poses so the judges can compare their strengths and weaknesses. See also “first callout” and “last callout.”
C.B.N.S. Close But No Sandow. Second place.
Coleman, Ronnie Tenth Mr. Olympia. Setting new size standards, Coleman won the O eight times from 1998 to 2005, tying Lee Haney’s record for the most O victories.
Columbu, Franco Fourth Mr. Olympia. Noted for his strength and thickness, the Sardinian Columbu won the 1976 O and returned from retirement to take his second Sandow in 1981. At 5’5″, he is the shortest Mr. Olympia in history.
controversy 1. Debatable result of a subjective decision. 2. a. 1972 Mr. O b. 1980 Mr. O c. 1981 Mr. O d. 2001 Mr. O e. 2007 Mr. O
Cutler, Jay Eleventh Mr. Olympia. After finishing second to Coleman four times, Cutler defeated his rival at the 2006 O. He now has four O titles (’06, ’07, ’09, ’10) and a record 10 top-two finishes.
Dickerson, Chris Sixth Mr. Olympia. After placing second the two previous years, Dickerson won the 1982 O at age 43. He is the oldest man to ever win the title.
DNP Did Not Place. Didn’t make the top 15 of the Mr. Olympia.
dynasty Series of Mr. Olympia wins by the same person. Generally, it takes three consecutive wins to establish a dynasty. Arnold Schwarzenegger (six consecutive wins), Lee Haney (eight), Dorian Yates (six), and Ronnie Coleman (eight) each had lengthy dynasties.
expo Trade show where the public can watch the women’s Olympia prejudging and the 212 Olympia Showdown prejudging, participate in the Muscle & Fitness model search, view numerous other events, meet champions, and sample products. This year’s expo is at the Las Vegas Convention Center on Sept. 28–29. See also “grazing.”
Figure Olympia Ultimate women’s figure contest. The inaugural Figure O was held in 2003.
finals Second half of the judging and held separately from prejudging. It includes posing routines, the posedown, and the awards ceremony.
first callout Initial comparison series of prejudging. It almost always consists of the presumptive top finishers.
Fitness Olympia Ultimate women’s fitness contest. The inaugural Fitness O was held in 1995.
fourteen 1. Number after 13. 2. The next Mr. Olympia. Current top contenders are Kai Greene (third place, 2011 Olympia); Dennis Wolf (fifth place, 2011 Olympia); and Branch Warren (2012 Arnold Classic winner).
grazing 1. Slow movement and free consumption as performed by large mammals. 2. Act of wandering about the expo, sampling protein bars and drinks, and depositing free supplements, T-shirts, and other products into a big bag.
Haney, Lee Eighth Mr. Olympia. Noted for both overwhelming mass and a pleasing shape, Haney was only 24 when he won his first O, in 1984, and 31 when he won his record-setting eighth O in 1991 and retired.
Heath, Phil (aka “the Gift”) Thirteenth Mr. Olympia. The winner of last year’s O displayed a superb combination of size, shape, and striations when he beat four-time Mr. O Jay Cutler. Heath goes for Sandow number two this year.
“Holy #%$@” Exclamation uttered a dozen times over an Olympia Weekend by the typical spectator—as in, “Holy #%$@, look at Phil’s back!”
IFBB International Federation of Bodybuilders. All Olympia competitors are members of the IFBB Pro League.
Jackson, Dexter (aka “the Blade”) Twelfth Mr. Olympia. Noted for his consistent conditioning, Jackson entered nine O’s before he knocked off Jay Cutler and won the title in 2008.
Las Vegas, NV aka “Sin City”) Home of the last 14 Olympias (counting this year), more than any other location. last callout Final comparison series of prejudging. It often consists of the presumptive top finishers (sometimes only the top two), thus heightening the contest’s drama.
legend 1. Person who achieves great and lasting fame. 2. All Olympia winners.
lightweight era Period from 1976-1983 when four of the five Mr. Olympia winners—Columbu, Zane, Dickerson, Bannout—were under 200 pounds, and the fifth winner was a lighter-than-usual Schwarzenegger. No Mr. O has weighed less than 235 since then.
medalist Member of the Mr. Olympia top three. Each receives a gold (first), silver (second), or bronze (third) medal.
milking it 1. Slow stroll to center stage. Ex.: Phil Heath’s entrance. 2. Elongated windup before striking a pose. Ex.: Kai Greene’s rear lat spread. 3. Dramatic pause before the announcement of the Mr. Olympia winner. See “next name you hear, the.”
mrolympia.com Official website of Joe Weider’s Olympia Fitness and Performance Weekend.
Mr. Olympia Ultimate male bodybuilding contest. The inaugural Mr. Olympia was held on Sept. 18, 1965.
Mr. Universe Ultimate bodybuilding contest before the Mr. Olympia’s creation. The Mr. Olympia was formed to determine who was the best Mr. Universe winner.
Ms. Olympia Ultimate women’s bodybuilding contest. The inaugural Ms. O was held in 1980.
money spot Top 10 Mr. Olympia places. Even the 10th-place finisher is awarded more than the winner of most IFBB pro contests.
“next name you hear, the” Trademark phrase emcee Bob Cicherillo announces just before revealing the Olympia victor and when only the top two remain onstage. Thus, first place is announced before second place. Ex.: “Ladies and gentlemen, the next name you hear will be the Mr. Olympia winner…”
O 1. Fifteenth letter of the alphabet. 2. Popular abbreviation for Olympia, usually preceded by “the.”
old days, the 1. Time when things were purportedly better. 2. The Olympias of a bodybuilding fan’s formative years. Ex.: “Things were so much better when [insert name of favorite Mr. Olympia] was on top.”
Oliva, Sergio (aka “the Myth”) Second Mr. Olympia. Cuban immigrant Oliva set a new size standard when he won three consecutive O’s (1967–69). He beat his chief rival, Arnold Schwarzenegger, in the ’69 O and then lost to Arnold in two O’s: ’70 and ’72.
Olympia 212 Showdown contest for qualified male competitors weighing 212 pounds or less. This is the inaugural year for the 212 division, which replaced the 202 class. The Olympia 202 Showdown was held from 2008 to 2011.
Orleans Arena The 8,900-seat auditorium of the Orleans Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV. The last eight Olympias (counting this year) have been held at the Orleans Arena, more than any other venue.
posedown Period when the top competitors pose with one another in an unscored, free-for-all format.
prejudging First half of the judging, held separately from the finals. It includes each competitor striking poses alone and in callout comparisons with others.
qualify To become eligible to compete in the Olympia. IFBB professionals must travel one of these routes: a. finish in the top four of the previous Olympia, top three of that year’s Arnold Classic/International or top two of the New York Pro; b. win an IFBB pro contest after the previous Olympia; c. accumulate enough points by placing high in IFBB pro contests. The top-five highest point scores each season qualify for the O.
“quarter turn to the right” Constant refrain of the head judge during semi-relaxed comparisons. Competitors rotate 90 degrees after each command.
routine 1. System of exercises, sets, and reps for building muscles. 2. Display of those muscles in individualized poses to music.
Sandow 1. First bodybuilder to achieve great fame for his muscles. Eugen Sandow (1867–1925) is known as the “Father of Bodybuilding.” 2. Mr. Olympia trophy, a bronzed sculpture of Eugen Sandow holding a kettlebar.
Sandow Society, the Unofficial and very exclusive “club” made up of only the 13 Mr. Olympia winners. See “legend.”
Schwarzenegger, Arnold (aka “the Austrian Oak”) Third Mr. Olympia. Schwarzenegger was only 23 when he won the 1970 Olympia, still the record for youngest Mr. O. At 6’2″, he is also the tallest victor. He won six times in a row, raising the public profile of bodybuilding, and then retired at only 28 after his victory at the ’75 Mr. O (made famous in Pumping Iron). He returned in ’80 to win his seventh O.
Scott, Larry First Mr. Olympia. Scott won the first two Mr. O’s in 1965 and 1966 and then retired at only 27 (he made a brief comeback in ’79). He is the only competitor to win the O in his first attempt.
September Month in which most Olympias have been held. This year, the Joe Weider Olympia Fitness and Performance Weekend occurs on Sept. 27–30.
surprise An unexpected performance, physique, or placing. See “Holy #%$@.”
top four One of the four highest placings at the Mr. Olympia. These finishes qualify a competitor for the following year’s Mr. O. See “qualify.”
uncrowned champ (aka “the people’s champ”) 1. Person who purportedly should’ve won an Olympia contest. 2. A loser. See “controversy.”
Weider, Joe (aka “the Master Blaster”) Pioneering publisher of bodybuilding and fitness magazines, manufacturer of exercise equipment and nutritional supplements, and co-founder (with his brother Ben) of the International Federation of Bodybuilders (IFBB). Joe Weider created the Mr. Olympia contest in 1965 and the Ms. Olympia contest in 1980.
W.H.V.S.V. What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas. See “after-party.”
Yates, Dorian (aka “the Shadow”) Ninth Mr. Olympia. In 1992, Englishman Yates earned the first of his six consecutive O victories. Yates, who competed at 5’10” and 266, set new size standards in the mid ’90s.
Zane, Frank Fifth Mr. Olympia. Noted for his classical shape and crisp definition, the 5’9″ Zane won three consecutive O’s (1977–79) despite competing at only around 190 pounds. See “lightweight era.”
