Flex Lewis Fires Back at 212 Bodybuilding Critics: Seven-time Champion Says Disrespect Toward Division Ignores Its Depth
Flex Lewis has heard enough of the disrespect aimed at the Men’s 212 division. The seven-time 212 Olympia champion fired back at critics who have labeled the division a “handicapped” version of Men’s Open bodybuilding. Lewis defended the class that helped make him one of the sport’s biggest stars and argued that its importance extends far beyond his own legacy.
“There’s a different kind of anger when you disrespect a division I damn near died to win and defend,” Lewis wrote in an August 8 Instagram post. “Disrespect the 212 and I’m going to speak on it.”
Flex Lewis Takes Aim at “Handicapped” 212 Claim
Lewis addressed the criticism during a lengthy video response. He immediately took issue with describing 212 bodybuilding as a lesser or restricted version of the Open.
“It’s been brought to my attention that a bunch of sausages in their mom’s basement, shooting a podcast, want to talk shit about the 212 class, calling it a handicapped class.”
For Lewis, the terminology itself crossed a line.
“I just want to revisit the handicapped [statement], such a disrespectful comment,” Lewis said.
Few people are more qualified to defend the division.
Lewis won seven consecutive 212 Olympia championships from 2012 through 2018. His run established him as arguably the greatest competitor in the division’s history.
Along the way, Lewis defeated some of the best 212 bodybuilders ever, including Jose Raymond, Shaun Clarida and a young Derek Lunsford.
Lewis Pushes Back on 212 Olympia Prize Money Argument
Lewis also disputed the suggestion that the Olympia has reduced its investment in the division by cutting its championship prize money.
According to Lewis, the winner’s payout simply hasn’t grown.
“You said the Olympia reduced the 212 prize money; no, it hasn’t. It hasn’t increased and it hasn’t decreased. It’s been $50,000 since 2023 to 2025. Frozen isn’t reduced. Words matter when you’re pretending to use facts.”
That doesn’t mean Lewis is satisfied with the current purse.
He believes the 212 Olympia champion should earn more. Lewis pointed to the widening gap between the division and Men’s Open bodybuilding as evidence that 212 competitors deserve a bigger payday.
“Should it increase? Absolutely,” Lewis said. “I am one who advocated for that, and in my era, it increased.”
His larger point was simple: prize money and competitive value are not the same thing.
“Don’t confuse less money invested with less value produced.”
Flex Lewis Points to Derek Lunsford as Proof the 212 Works
Perhaps Lewis’ strongest argument centered around Derek Lunsford.
Lunsford won the 2021 212 Olympia before eventually moving into the Men’s Open division. Two years later, he captured the 2023 Mr. Olympia title and became the first athlete to win Olympia championships in two different bodybuilding divisions.
To Lewis, Lunsford’s journey is proof that the 212 can serve as an elite competitive destination while also developing athletes capable of succeeding at the highest level of the Open.
“Derek didn’t bypass the 212, he was built by it.”
Lewis continued:
“Derek Lunsford, 212 Mr. Olympia in 2021. Mr. Olympia in 2023, first athlete to win two weight divisions. Doesn’t that go to show how unnecessary or necessary in my world it is? It just produces Mr. Olympia champions.”
Lunsford isn’t the only example of the division’s elite talent.
Shaun Clarida has won multiple 212 Olympia titles while also successfully competing against much larger bodybuilders in the Open. Lewis argued that this crossover ability doesn’t make the 212 unnecessary. If anything, it demonstrates just how talented its top competitors are.
“You can win an Open show and still get beaten in the 212 this year by Keone,” Lewis said, referring to reigning 212 Olympia champion Keone Pearson. “That doesn’t weaken the argument. It just proves how deep and competitive this class really is.”
“There’s a Class for Everyone”
The existence of weight classes is hardly unique to bodybuilding.
Lewis compared the 212 to lighter weight divisions in other sports. A champion competing at 135 pounds in boxing or MMA isn’t viewed as a lesser athlete simply because heavier divisions exist.
He doesn’t see why bodybuilding should be any different.
“This is where your whole handicapped argument falls apart,” Lewis said. “A 135 champion [in other sports] isn’t looked at as handicapped. Only in bodybuilding do you look down to a person with height and weight.”
“There’s a class for everyone; that’s why these divisions were created.”
Not everyone agrees.
Bodybuilding legend Lee Priest has previously questioned whether the 212 division is necessary. Priest competed successfully against much larger bodybuilders during an era when shorter athletes had fewer options at the professional level.
Lewis clearly sees things differently.
For him, 212 bodybuilding isn’t a consolation prize for athletes who can’t hang with the Open. It is its own elite division, one that helped create his legacy and provided a path for athletes such as Lunsford, Clarida and Pearson to become major stars.
Image embed via Instagram @flex_lewis
