Two-time 212 Olympia champion Shaun Clarida is training for his campaign for a third Olympia championship at the 2025 Olympia in Las Vegas, NV, on Oct. 9-12. He hit a roadblock for the past two years against reigning two-time champion Keone Pearson. Their rivalry has become a fan favorite.
Clarida remains confident that a third career Olympia title is in his grasp, partly thanks to his custom home gym in Texas, where he trains almost exclusively during his off-season and prep. BarBend interviewed the “Giant Killer” about his home gym, competition, and more in this exclusive interview below:
Editor’s note: The following interview has been lightly edited for readability.
BarBend (BB): What are your thoughts about the 212 division in 2025?
Clarida: It is still perfect for shorter and lighter guys like me. It helps us showcase our physiques and make a living. I am grateful that they still have it because, let’s face it, if it were not here, there would be many smaller guys without a division to compete in.
BB: How does your training and nutrition differ during off-season versus prep?
Clarida: I am working with a new coach, Stefan Kienzl. He is big on eating a lot of healthy food and recovering. I have been training four to five days a week, eating a ton of food, and still doing cardio. I always took my off-season a little more seriously than my contest prep because this is when the show is won.
BB: How do family and business commitments impact your prep?
Clarida: I have many commitments and travel frequently, but it is fun. I don’t think it hurts at all.
BB: What do you need to do to become a three-time 212 Olympia champion?
Clarida: I am a little older and know what I must do to get my title back. It isn’t necessarily about being bigger, but I need to be a little rounder and more conditioned to bring back the old “Giant Killer.”
BB: How do you create new muscle tissue at this career stage, even if you don’t feel you need it?
Clarida: It all comes down to consistency. Sometimes I think about the guys who came up with me or before me, who are no longer in the game. I can’t afford to miss a meal or a training session.
Fortunately, that is no problem because I still love bodybuilding and competing. That is why I never stopped competing or took a full year off. That is also why, at age 42, I am still here and one of the best in the world.
BB: Do you and Stefan have a game plan for the 2025 Olympia?
Clarida: Yeah. We have done two shows together, and it has been great. I want to bring in a smaller waist with more roundness to the muscle, but still have that freaky conditioning that the old “Giant Killer” was known for.
I know that the 2024 Olympia was not a good showing for me. I plan to redeem myself this year.
BB: You used to live in New Jersey. How has the Texas climate affected you?
Clarida: Texas has been great. I absolutely love where I am. The best thing I have done was invest in myself by moving and then installing my own gym.
BB: How has training been at your home gym?
Clarida: I hand-picked every piece of equipment. I get to pick my music and create my own atmosphere, and it’s all about me being in there alone. I really love it.
BB: Is it harder to find motivation to train, or is the lack of distractions helpful?
Clarida: There are no distractions. I go in there and bring my best. It has been a blessing for me. There is no better feeling than going into your own gym that you created for your own physique. I can just go in, train, and focus.
BB: Do you feel that the pieces are in place to hear your name called as the three-time Olympia champ?
Clarida: That’s why we’re still in the game. Keone Pearson is phenomenal. There’s really no telling what will happen this year.
It is a game of apples and oranges when it comes to us. Pearson is similar to what Flex Wheeler used to be. I am like Branch Warren or Ronnie Coleman. It’s will be fun being onstage again.
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Featured Image: @shaunclarida on Instagram
