Here is a breakdown and predictions for the Classic Physique division at the 2023 Olympia.
The 2023 Mr. Olympia is around the corner! Next weekend in Orlando, Florida, the most built and elite physiques will be battling it out for the title. Although the Men’s Open division is the largest and most popular, other categories are stacked with prominent and talented contenders. One of the 2023 Olympia categories is the Classic Physique, which was only recently introduced and quickly growing in popularity.
The Classic Physique division is another popular category with star bodybuilders, such as Chris Bumstead, the reigning champ, Ramon “Dino” Rocha Queiroz who was right on the heels of Bumstead, and Urs Kalecinski. Classic is one of the newer divisions, only coming to the surface in 2016, and it is rapidly growing in popularity as the physiques are seen as more “desirable” than the other men’s divisions. The competitors in Classic are bigger than the Men’s Physique athletes but not quite as big as the Men’s Open contenders, as they are trying to mirror the physiques of the “Golden Era” of bodybuilding, like when Arnold Schwarzenegger was dominating the stage.
Due to the rise of bodybuilding and increased steroid usage, bodybuilders are much bigger now than they used to be, even bigger than some of the mass monsters like Kevin Levrone or Dorian Yates. A lot of times you see competitors now coming in out of condition and retaining water. So, as stated above, the Classic Physique division’s goal is to bring bodybuilders back to the stage that mimics the golden era of bodybuilder’s physique (the 1960s-1980s), where the Men’s Open athletes were smaller but had broad shoulders, narrow waists, stout lower bodies, and overall symmetrical and conditioned physique, as well as beautiful posing.
2023 Classic Physique Olympia Qualified Competitors
- Woilid Baatout (France)
- Chris Bumstead (Canada)
- Ramon Rocha Queiroz (Brazil)
- Urs Kalecinski (Germany)
- Mike Sommerfeld (Germany)
- Eric Brown (USA)
- Daniil Famponte (USA)
- Andrei Kozhokar (Russia)
- Michael Daboul (United Kingdom)
- German Pastor (Spain)
- Eric Wildberger Lisboa (Brazil)
- Samuel Paquin (Canada)
- Damien Patrick (USA)
- Damian Kuffel (Poland)
- Vahid Badpei (Iran)
- Laszlo Kiraly (Hungary)
- Antoine Loth (Spain)
- Carlos Dommar (USA)
- Fabio Junio Ramos Vale (Brazil)
- John Le (Canada)
- Marcus Perry (USA)
- Diego Alejandro Galindo (Brazil)
- Matthew Greggo (USA)
- Stephane Matala (France)
- Jared Thompson (USA)
- Jae Hun Park (South Korea)
- Alejandro Cambronero (Costa Rica)
- Eduardo Oliveira (Brazil)
- Shicheng Jin (China)
- Shi Tian Wang (China)
- Wesley Vissers (Netherlands)
- Christopher Ziller (Germany)
- Gabriel Zancanelli (Brazil)
- Courage Opara (USA)
- Terrence Ruffin (ISA)
- Maxime Yedess (France)
As you can see, the Classic Physique division is a very stacked class with some great competitors. Let’s see who you should look out for.
Competitors to Look Out for at the 2023 Olympia
Chris Bumstead
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The reigning, four-time Classic Physique Mr. Olympia is Chris Bumstead, and many fans and experts have him coming back for a fifth title. Even though the Mr. Olympia raised the weight cap and there were multiple rumors of retirement surrounding the champ, Chris Bumstead has had no issues keeping up, looking more massive and shredded than ever.
Ramon “Dino” Rocha Queiroz
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Nicknamed “Dino”, Ramon Rocha Queiroz has been right behind Chris Bumstead for a few years now, sparking a friendly rivalry on the stage. Now, a lot of people think that Ramon has it this year due to the belief that he embodies the idea of a Classic Physique more than Chris Bumstead does, as many people believe that Bumstead should move up to the Men’s Open Division.
Urs Kalecinski
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Another up and coming name in the Classic Physique division and the fitness world as a whole, is Urs Kalecinski. He is a younger competitors, but really has a show stopping physique that demonstrates the idea behind classic. Many fans and experts speculate that he will be battling it out for the top 2 position with Ramon, as Bumstead is still the favorite going into this show.
Terrence Ruffin
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Standing at 5’5″, Ruffin is not nearly as tall as some of the other competitors on stage, and due to that he gives up a lot of muscle compared to the taller competitors on stage. However, he makes up for the lack of height and muscle mass with his outstanding posing that mimics that of a ballet show, and captivates the audience. If he comes in a little bit more shredded with some better conditioning than last year, there is almost no doubt that he comes in the top 5.
Wesley Vissers
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A wildcard pick for the Classic Physique division is Wesley Vissers. Vissers has made a name for himself from his bodybuilding YouTube channel, which is called Vintage Genetics as the whole idea behind it was to follow an old school training mentality and programming, crafting a truly classic physique. Vissers has had some impressive showings by taking 1st in the Europa Pro and 3rd in the Dubai Pro this year. His conditioning may not be as good as some of the other competitors on stage, but he does have muscle mass in all of the right places, really showing off a classic physique.
How Classic Physique is Judged
This division has not been around that long, as the National Physique Committee (NPC) and IFFB Pro League introduced the Classic Physique only 7 years ago, in 2016. Since then, this division has grown remarkably, and is a highlight of almost every bodybuilding show. The Classic Physique division favors physiques that bring back the image of the Golden Era of bodybuilding, which is considered the 1960s through the 1980s.
There are a series of height and weight limits within Classic Physique, and recently they raised the weight cap to allow for larger competitors, which some have disagreed with, stating that it is getting to be too big. In this division, the judges are certainly looking for muscle mass, but there is a larger emphasis on conditioning and symmetry, so the body flows together like a Greek statue, rather than the blocky look that can come with Men’s Bodybuilding.
In the Classic Physique Division, there are five mandatory poses:
- Front double biceps
- Side chest
- Back double biceps
- Abdominals and thighs
- Favorite classic pose (no most muscular)
Wrap Up
Overall, the Classic Physique division has grown remarkably over the last few years since it has been introduced, and each year it is becoming more and more competitive. This year, the Classic Physique Olympia has a great lineup of competitors, but there is only one winner. Who do you think will win the title this year? Will Bumstead be taking home a fifth win? Or will we be seeing a new Classic Physique Champ?
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