The Olympia weekend is made up of 11 IFBB Pro League divisions. Five of those divisions have been added since 2010. The promoters and organization leaders wanted to attract more athletes and fans to bodybuilding’s biggest weekend.
The year that may have had the most significant impact on those goals could be 2013. That is the only year in Olympia history that had two divisions added simultaneously: Men’s Physique and Women’s Physique.
Both contests had a lot of hype going into that year’s Olympia weekend, and both divisions already had growing fanbases. The Men’s Physique Olympia introduced new stars to the sport and fitness industry. The athletes in this division have a more streamlined physique, smaller than the Open competitors. They also wear board shorts instead of traditional posing trunks. Based on the response in the years after, it was clear that this division would become an Olympia mainstay.
Men’s Physique Olympia Champions
- 2013: Mark Anthony Wingson
- 2014-2017: Jeremy Buendia
- 2018, 2020-2021: Brandon Hendrickson
- 2019: Raymont Edmonds
- 2022: Erin Banks
- 2023-2024: Ryan Terry
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Here’s a more detailed look back at each Men’s Physique Olympia held thus far.
2013: Mark Anthony Wingson
Thanks to social media, the inaugural Men’s Physique Olympia was met with much anticipation because several competitors already had fanbases. The initial favorites going into the contest were Steve Cook, Sadik Hadzovic, Jason Poston, Jeremy Buendia, and Mark Anthony Wingson.
2013 Men’s Physique Olympia
- Mark Anthony Wingson
- Jeremy Buendia
- Matthew Acton
When all the athletes gathered in Las Vegas, NV, to determine who the first champion would be, Wingson was the dominant athlete on stage. His poise and presentation were unmatched, and he was honored as the first Olympia champion for this new division. Buendia was the runner-up, and Matthew Acton surprised the field by coming in third place.
2014-2017: Jeremy Buendia
After the 2013 contest, Buendia took notes on what adjustments to make, and he immediately got to work. When the 2014 Olympia arrived, he was bigger, more ripped, and more confident in himself. He was undoubtedly the best man in the lineup, and he dethroned the champion to take his first Olympia win. Wingson finished in sixth place. Hadzovic came in second to Buendia, who became one of the most popular athletes in any division, and how the 2015 Olympia was billed.
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Hadzovic won the first Arnold Classic Men’s Physique title the following year, making the potential matchup even more intriguing. However, Buendia held off his charge and repeated. He would win two more titles in a row, becoming a four-time champion. Buendia had to hold off the challenges of fellow stars Ryan Terry and Andre Ferguson to do it.
After suffering an injury, Buendia managed to recover in time to compete in the 2018 contest, but he fell to fourth place as Hendrickson claimed his first title. Buendia would retire after the contest.
2014 Men’s Physique Olympia
- Jeremy Buendia
- Sadik Hadzovic
- Jason Poston
2015 Men’s Physique Olympia
- Jeremy Buendia
- Sadik Hadzovic
- Jason Poston
2016 Men’s Physique Olympia
- Jeremy Buendia
- Ryan Terry
- Jeremy Potvin
2017 Men’s Physique Olympia
- Jeremy Buendia
- Andre Ferguson
- Brandon Hendrickson
2019: Raymont Edmonds
Hendrickson isn’t a four-time champion because Raymont Edmonds showed up to the 2019 contest in the absolute best shape of his life. He was broad, ripped, and looked like a statue in each pose. Because of that, he was crowned the new world champion.
It also helped that Hendrickson was off the mark at that contest and finished in fourth place. Ferguson and Kyron Holden placed second and third, respectively.
2019 Men’s Physique Olympia
- Raymont Edmonds
- Andre Ferguson
- Kyron Holden
2018, 2020-2021: Brandon Hendrickson
Even though Buendia was the defending champion at the 2018 Olympia, Hendrickson left Las Vegas as the new champion. Hendrickson made his intentions clear soon after that contest: he wanted to be the first five-time champion. Unfortunately, he stumbled out of the blocks and lost the 2019 contest to Edmonds. Then, the pandemic arrived. Every athlete had to find unique ways to train and prepare. The Olympia was rescheduled from September to December. Then, it was moved from Las Vegas to Orlando, FL.Â
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Somehow, Hendrickson kept his focus and found ways to prepare for the Olympia. That paid off at the 2020 Olympia, where he became the first man to regain the title after losing it. Title number three came in 2021, which many consider to be his best performance to date. He goes into the 2022 edition of the Men’s Physique Olympia with the opportunity of tying his former rival’s record.
2018 Men’s Physique Olympia
- Brandon Hendrickson
- Raymont Edmonds
- Ryan Terry
2020 Men’s Physique Olympia
- Brandon Hendrickson
- Raymont Edmonds
- Kyron Holden
2021 Men’s Physique Olympia
- Brandon Hendrickson
- Erin Banks
- Diego Ferreira Montenegro
2023-2024: Ryan Terry
Longtime competitor and fan-favorite athlete assumed the Men’s Physique throne in 2023, a feat he repeated one year later. In ’23, Terry punched Hendrickson down to second place with a five-point differential in scoring — Terry’s five-point card was functionally pristine, indicating that he was the man for the job.
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In 2024, Terry found himself in his first title defense position. Steadfast, Terry clinched his second win with another five-point card over runner-up Ali Bilal, who tallied 11.
Weeks before the “O” in Las Vegas, Hendrickson announced he wouldn’t compete. After winning the bronze medal in Sin City, Erin Banks publicly signaled his intent to take a break from competing in the Men’s Physique category to focus on his role as a father.
Featured Images: @jeremy_buendia, @brandon.d.hendrickson on Instagram
