Jose Raymond breaks down his top 5 Men’s 212 bodybuilders in the history of the sport.
The Men’s 212 bodybuilding division is one with a storied history full of incredible athletes. What was once a fledgling new division (originally Men’s 202 & Under division) has transformed into one of the most exciting categories in the sport. While many will always remember Flex Lewis for his recent dominance, there have been many incredible legends in the division. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Jose Raymond lists of his picks for the top five Men’s 212 bodybuilders of all time.
Even though Jose Raymond has had to sit out of Men’s 212 for the past few years, that doesn’t mean his fire for the sport has burned out. In fact, he has been watching and thinking about Men’s 212 passionately all this time. That’s why during our recent video interview, we asked for his take on the best Men’s 212 bodybuilders in the sport.
Not only did Jose Raymond break it down for us. He seemed to know his list of the best almost immediately. He also couldn’t quite keep it at just five athletes. That’s how many great bodybuilders competed in the history of this fine division. In short, his picks for the best of all time are – Flex Lewis, David Henry, Eduardo Correa, Kamal Elgargni, Shaun Clarida, Kevin English, and lastly himself.
One bodybuilder of note on this list is Kevin English. A legendary bodybuilder who technically only competed in the earlier form of the division – the Men’s 202 & Under category. While English didn’t get to bring up his weight past 202, he is certainly a bodybuilder to be remembered. And perhaps as the division has evolved, he doesn’t get quite the recognition he deserves.
On top of this, Jose Raymond is extremely impressed with Shaun Clarida. This is mostly due to his genetic limitations. Clarida is a smaller athlete when it comes to height. Jose is convinced that if Clarida was not a bodybuilder, he would naturally sit at 110 pounds. So for him to not only pack on mass monster muscle – but to bring in his conditioning to such perfect levels – is astounding.
Jose Raymond believes what Clarida accomplished at the Olympia 2020 was truly impressive. That moment in and of itself qualifies him for one of the best of all time. Jose couldn’t stress that enough when speaking about Clarida’s inclusion on his list.
Jose Raymond also points out that many people don’t know that Kamal Elgargni was one of the greatest amateur bodybuilders of all time before going pro. Through his championship titles across various countries – Kamal is one of the most winningest bodybuilders of all time. So it not only makes sense that he eventually won the Olympia, but also is included in the conversation about best of all time.
You can watch Jose Raymond break down every single one of his picks for best Men’s 212 bodybuilders of all time. Check it out in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
