Many Men’s Physique bodybuilding fans feel that Jeremy Buendia and Brandon Hendrickson are the two most significant competitors in the division’s history. They hold seven Men’s Physique Olympia titles — Buendia has four to Hendrickson’s three.
Buendia and Hendrickson joined forces as training partners on March 12, 2025, and highlighted their back workout. Before training, Buendia told Hendrickson that he had not trained his legs since suffering an ankle injury that kept him off the 2024 Olympia stage.
Buendia is considering competing in a pro show, though he did not state which. If he were to win a pro show during the 2025 Olympia season, he would consider competing at the 2025 Olympia. Buendia is eligible for the 2025 Olympia but would need permission from the IFBB Pro League to compete if he did not want to enter a qualifying show.
Hendrickson is dealing with a shoulder injury, but he can still train. Thanks to his most recent Olympia win in 2021, he is automatically qualified for the 2025 Olympia. However, he announced that he intends to enter the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro on May 10.
The two Olympia champions then trained back together, performing the following five exercises.
- Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown
- High Seated Row
- Neutral Grip Lat Pulldown
- Low Seated Row
- Straight Arm Lat Pulldown
The workout included multiple versions of lat pulldowns — different grips can target various areas of the back depending on the line of pull. (1) There were also two machine row movements
Hendrickson Stays Ready
Buendia asked Hendrickson about his preps and overall philosophy for competition. The cutoff for his weight is 194 pounds, and Hendrickson reported weighing 202 at the time of training. He told Buendia that his body is used to what he does, making it less difficult to diet during prep.
80/20 year-round. When I get closer, I’m locked in.
—Brandon Hendrickson
The 80/20 diet refers to eating clean 80 percent of the time and allowing diet breaks the remaining 20.
If Buendia competes in the 2025 Olympia, he acknowledged that it may be his final time challenging for the Olympia title. He told Hendrickson that he was leaving no stone unturned regarding conditioning.
I’m going to come in peeled; ain’t no spilling over.
—Jeremy Buendia
“Spilling over” refers to when skin holds excess water and affects the definition on stage. He later commended Hendrickson for how well he looks at this prep stage.
You’re in a good spot for eight weeks out.
—Jeremy Buendia to Brandon Hendrickson
If Hendrickson returns to the 2025 Olympia stage in Las Vegas, NV, on Oct. 9-12, 2025, he will attempt to tie Buendia’s mark for most Men’s Physique Olympia titles. If Buendia competes at the 2025 Olympia, he will attempt to become the first five-time champion in the category. Standing in their way is two-time defending champion Ryan Terry.
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Reference
- Andersen, V., Fimland, M. S., Wiik, E., Skoglund, A., & Saeterbakken, A. H. (2014). Effects of grip width on muscle strength and activation in the lat pull-down. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 28(4), 1135–1142. https://doi.org/10.1097/JSC.0000000000000232
Featured Image: @jeremy_buendia on Instagram
