Ever since he pulled off the upset win in his pro debut at the 2013 New York Pro, Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay has been at — or near — the top of the bodybuilding world. Revered for his immense size and powerful physique, he immediately drew comparisons to the legendary Ronnie Coleman early in his career before charting his own path in the sport.
In the years since that first victory, Elssbiay has firmly established himself as a legend of the stage by winning two Mr. Olympia titles and placing near the top in every competition he’s appeared in. And as of October 2023, he still hasn’t called it a career.
Below, we look back at Elssbiay’s 10-year career and the impact he’s had on the sport.
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Early Life and Career
Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay was born on September 16, 1984, in Kafr El Sheikh, Egypt. He spent his entire childhood in Egypt and began his adult life as a fisherman before discovering weight training. He was introduced to bodybuilding in the late 2000s and eventually relocated to Kuwait City, Kuwait, where he began work as a trainer at one of the Oxygen Gym locations in the region.
The ever-growing Elssbiay soon got serious about bodybuilding and eventually went on to win the 2012 Amateur Olympia in Kuwait, where he earned his IFBB Pro League status.
Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay’s Contest History
Since winning the Amateur Olympia title, Elssbiay has competed in 15 pro contests through 2023. He has won five of those competitions and has yet to finish worse than eighth place in the others. The only season he didn’t compete at all was 2019. In his nine Mr. Olympia appearances, he shared the stage with all-time greats like Jay Cutler, Phil Heath, Dexter Jackson, Brandon Curry, and more.
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In 2020, he became the 16th competitor to win the Mr. Olympia, and the following year, he became one of 11 champions to win the title at least twice. In September 2023, Elssbiay announced that he would not compete in that year’s Mr. Olympia contest but intends to return to the stage in 2024.
Here’s a rundown of his career highlights, courtesy of NPC News Online:
2013
- New York Pro — 1st place
- Mr. Olympia — 8th place
2014
- New York Pro — 1st place
- Mr. Olympia — 7th place
2015
- Arnold Classic Brazil — 1st place
- Mr. Olympia — 5th place
- Prague Pro — 2nd place
2016
- Mr. Olympia — 4th place
2017
- Mr. Olympia — 2nd place
2018
- Mr. Olympia — 6th place
2020
- Arnold Classic — 3rd place
- Mr. Olympia — 1st place
2021
- Mr. Olympia — 1st place
2022
- Mr. Olympia — 5th place
2023
- Arnold Classic — 4th place
Elssbiay’s Training Style and Workouts
Elssbiay has worked with several coaches and trainers during his career, including Bader Boodai, Chris Aceto, and George Farah. His most successful years came during the early 2020s with coaches Chad Nicholls and Dennis James.
Nicholls — who also trained Ronnie Coleman in the 2000s — worked on Elssbiay’s diet while James acted as a trainer and posing coach. Following his third-place finish at the 2020 Arnold Classic, the trio finally got over the hump when Elssbiay earned his first Mr. Olympia later that same year. He successfully defended his title in 2021, before tumbling down to fifth place in 2022. As of 2023, he still works with Nicholls and James.
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Elssbiay’s weight has reached as much as 336 pounds in past off-seasons, and he uses a combination of machines and free weights, focusing more on high-volume training to maintain his hulking physique.
For a closer look at how Elssbiay trains, here’s a back workout he shared with Muscle & Fitness that includes 15 to 20 sets over five exercises. The number of reps and sets change as Elssbiay increases the weight over his weeks of training:
- Machine Row: 3-4 x 6-15
- Single-Arm Dumbbell Row: 3-4 x 6-15
- Lat Pulldown to Front: 3-4 x 6-15
- Lat Pulldown to Rear: 3-4 x 6-15
- Seated Cable Row: 3-4 x 6-15
Even though he trains for physique goals and not power, he isn’t short on strength. In 2022, Elssbiay was featured on Instagram performing machine shoulder presses with 200 kilograms (440 pounds) for 10 reps, and he was known to squat 495 pounds for 12 to 15 reps earlier in his career.
Social Media and Business Ventures
Elssbiay is among the most popular bodybuilders on social media, as evidenced by his five million followers on Instagram and four million on Facebook. He’s appeared in countless YouTube videos by sponsors and other bodybuilders during his career, but he doesn’t have a confirmed YouTube channel of his own.
Though he’s a household name among U.S. bodybuilding fans, in his home country of Egypt, he’s reached rockstar status. In September 2021, right after Elssbiay won his second Mr. Olympia, he had a town square named after him in his hometown of Kafr El Sheikh.
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He has his hands in several business ventures as an athlete and entrepreneur. After several years of representing multiple supplement companies, he started his own brand, Red Rex, in 2022, and has worked as a show promoter.
Elssbiay’s Future
As a past Mr. Olympia winner, Elssbiay is qualified to enter any Men’s Open contest for life. It’s unknown when or if he will step on stage again — but his legacy as one of the greats is already secure. And if he does return, perhaps he can add a few more bullets to his resume.
Featured image: @arnoldsports on Instagram
