Your favorite bodybuilder probably owes their success to Hany Rambod. Not literally, but almost — Rambod, whose industry-appropriate nickname “the Pro Creator” speaks for itself, has worked with many of the world’s most renowned bodybuilding competitors.
- “I tell people all the time, he’s a motherf&#ker,” said four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler.
In 2009, Rambod helped Cutler make bodybuilding history when the duo walked Cutler back from a defeat at the Olympia one year prior that nearly forced him into an early retirement. After losing to Dexter Jackson, Cutler returned with Rambod at his side to reclaim the Sandow trophy, a feat that no other Men’s Open competitor has managed.
Hany Rambod: Bodybuilding’s “Ball-Buster”
“I’m a ball-buster; ask Jay,” Rambod said during an appearance on Cutler’s podcast, Cutlercast, on Oct. 21, shortly after the conclusion of the 2024 Olympia. “Quad stomp” Cutler agreed:
- Cutler: “There are hard moments. The truth hurts sometimes. But you know, you’re abrasive because you’re intense and driven, and we know what the end result is.”
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The end result is perhaps the winningest record in competitive bodybuilding history. Rambod has over 20 Olympia wins to his name across many of the sport’s most competitive categories, including Men’s Open, Classic Physique, and Men’s Physique.
Rambod’s meticulous approach pulled Cutler back from the brink after his upset loss in ‘08. “We fell into training because you checked on me,” recalled Cutler. “You were sincere.” Rambod agreed, offering an anecdote from conversing with ‘90s superstar Kevin Levrone.
“[Levrone] said I become a mentor to these guys,” said Rambod. Whatever it is, it’s worked wonders. Many of Rambod’s students have spoken about his meticulous, tough-love approach to bodybuilding contest prep, including industry leader Chris Bumstead.
On Oct. 25, Bumstead in a YouTube vlog discussed how the coach-athlete relationship he and Rambod had fostered since they started working together in early 2022 had become borderline telepathic. “I can guess what [Rambod] wants me to do during prep, and I just do it automatically, and then he tells me,” said Bumstead.
- Cutler continued: “With your guys, you never have to worry about them saying they blew their diet.”
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Is Hany Rambod Bodybuilding’s (Overbearing) Mastermind?
While you might recoil at the thought of an overbearing, in-the-weeds boss, it’s anything but a liability for a pro bodybuilder. Preparing for physique competitions, whether locally or on the sport’s biggest stage, requires the finesse of a NASCAR pit crew and the precision of a brain surgeon.
Rambod’s methodology has worked wonders. By year, Rambod likely reached his coaching zenith at the 2022 Olympia:
- Hadi Choopan: Men’s Open, 1st
- Derek Lunsford: Men’s Open, 2nd
- Chris Bumstead: Classic Physique, 1st
- Cydney Gillon: Women’s Figure, 1st
Choopan and Lunsford traded places at the Mr. Olympia one year later. Bumstead and Gillon both would win their divisions in ‘23 as well before their swan songs, and subsequent retirements, in 2024.
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Rambod mentioned having more coaching applicants than he knows what to do with. On his website, aspiring pros can submit to join the waitlist and pray they get plucked to join Rambod on the way to the big leagues.
The way Cutler tells it, “abrasive” is exactly the kind of asset you want to see from your bodybuilding coach.
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Featured Image: @jaycutler / Instagram
