Dennis James goes into detail about Big Ramy’s 2020 journey and evolution of his physique.
While fans are usually hyped for Big Ramy, there wasn’t an overwhelming sense that he was the number one contender to win the Mr. Olympia 2020. This is likely due to his third place finish at the Arnold Classic earlier in the year. We also never got to see him compete again due to pandemic complications. Ultimately, Big Ramy entered the Olympia via a special invite.
When the Olympia 2020 finally arrived, the energy immediately changed after the Men’s Open pre-judging. Big Ramy seemed to have a clear shot to win the title. He was clearly in the best shape of his life. On Saturday night he wont the Mr. Olympia and the rest is history. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Big Ramy’s trainer, Dennis James, goes into detail about how Ramy finally managed to take his physique to the next level.
For nearly seven years, the biggest criticism of Big Ramy was his conditioning. He was a massive competitor with a lot of promise. But year after year he disappointed fans expecting an Olympia win. In 2017, he came close with a second place finish. Some fans even believe he should have clearly won. We all had to wait three more years until Ramy secured a real Olympia victory.
That 2020 victory was in large part due to his insane conditioning. The problem finally solved, Ramy was showcasing the best physique of his entire life. So what did he due to finally break through and transform his physique?
Dennis James doesn’t have a specific secret but he does know one thing – Big Ramy was ready to focus and train like he never had before in his life. While it’s not the most satisfying answer, Dennis James makes it clear that there is no secret to becoming a champion pro bodybuilder. Every pro bodybuilders knows what they need to do. It’s only a select few who can actually pull it off to perfection.
Dennis James didn’t do any shocking or secret tactics in training Big Ramy. He kept it old school only focusing on one body part each day per week. He didn’t mess beyond the traditional 15 reps per set. The focus was on Big Ramy pushing and giving his all within that framework.
Of course, Chad Nicholls also helps steer Big Ramy in the right direction. With his expert advice, Ramy was able to bring in his nutrition and supplementation to a level that allowed for prime conditioning. Dennis James also makes note that Big Ramy did cardio every single day to tighten his conditioning.’
Dennis James describes an almost zen like state of Big Ramy in 2020. He was ready to do whatever it takes to win. In the past, he might have missed cardio occasionally. But after so many starts and stops – Ramy realized that he couldn’t risk even the slightest mistake. He put his mind at ease and only focused on the Olympia.
With an expert team at his side and a new found focus on perfecting his training and diet consistency – Big Ramy evolved into a Mr. Olympia champion. Dennis James is convinced that this is only the beginning. He expects to see Ramy as Olympia champion for many years to come.
You can watch Dennis James’ full comments on training Big Ramy for Olympia 2020 in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
