Markus Ruhl’s Profile & Stats

A soccer injury led Markus Ruhl down the path of bodybuilding. 

Markus Ruhl is a retired professional bodybuilder who made his mark in the 2000s. Renowned as one of the sport’s greatest mass monsters, he was primarily known for his impressive shoulder development. Throughout his career, Ruhl secured victories in multiple competitions and competed at the highest levels of professional bodybuilding, falling just short of clinching the ultimate title, Mr. Olympia. 

Before embarking on his bodybuilding journey, Markus Ruhl aspired to be a professional soccer player. Unfortunately, a significant knee injury cut his career dreams short. However, during his recovery in the gym, he witnessed remarkable physical transformations that led him to pivot from soccer to bodybuilding.

This article explores the life and achievements of the German mass monster Markus Ruhl, delving into his profile, training, nutrition, and notable accomplishments. Additionally, it provides a detailed breakdown of the exercises he employed, particularly those that contributed to his legendary deltoid development.

Markus Ruhl’s Biography

 

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Markus Ruhl is a German professional bodybuilder born on the 22nd of February 1972 in Darmstadt, West Germany. He started as a professional soccer athlete before injuries hit him, and he found his love for bodybuilding, which was introduced to him by his doctor.

“My knee was totally damaged. So I went to the hospital for a couple of weeks after that, and the doctor said I have to go to the gym, you know, to rebuild a little more muscle. That’s the reason why I was in the gym.”

At nineteen years old and weighing 260 lbs, Markus Ruhl began intensive training six days a week before deciding to compete on a professional level five years later. During those years, he worked as a used car salesperson to make ends meet.

Markus Ruhl competed in several bodybuilding contests and made his mark, going from being a 139-pound soccer player to an intimidating mass monster in his time. In 2018, years after he retired, he started Rühl’s Bestes, a supplement company.   

Bodybuilding 

Markus Ruhl’s passion for bodybuilding grew from his time in the gym while he recovered from his injuries. It was at that point he realized his love for bodybuilding. He saw his physical changes and wanted to grow as much as possible.

He took a further step, looking out for bodybuilding competitions, and was supposed to compete at his first show, the 1994 Newcomer Championships in Hessen, Germany. Unfortunately, he injured himself a few weeks before the show, postponing his pro debut. Months later, he competed in the Bachau Cup Babenhausen in Germany and surprisingly took first in the heavyweight class and the overall competition. 

This spurred him to train harder, and a week later, he competed in the Grand Prix in Hesse and finished second place. Markus Ruhl kept competing in different bodybuilding shows, gradually climbing the ladder from national to worldwide recognition.

Achievements

 

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Finally, in 1999, Markus Ruhl won his pro card and competed on the biggest bodybuilding stage, which included Joe Weider’s Pro World, Mr. Olympia, and Night of Champions. In the 2000s, Markus Ruhl competed at the highest level against legendary bodybuilding athletes like Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler. Let’s look at various competitions Markus Ruhl participated in throughout his career.

Workout Approach

 

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Markus Ruhl is occasionally referred to as one of the mass monsters with the biggest delts in the history of bodybuilding. His massive and intimidating physical features got his competitors thinking twice before going toe to toe with him on stage. When training, Ruhl was all about massive muscles.

“I don’t do this to be healthy; I do this to get big muscles.”

Markus Ruhl worked with heavy weights and admits that only heavy weights can give him a good pump. If he doesn’t get a good pump with heavy weights, he switches to lower weights and does more reps while maintaining suitable form and technique.

He also believed in building a better mind-muscle connection by introducing eccentric and concentric movements to his exercises. Eccentric and concentric movements are proven effective for muscle growth and hypertrophy (1).

Markus Ruhl’s training also changed periodically, depending on what muscle groups he wanted to focus on. He was a fan of a mix of isolation and compound exercises. At the peak of his bodybuilding career, Ruhl trained six days a week but never trained more than three days without rest.  

Markus Ruhl’s Workout Routine

Day 1 — Chest

Day 2 — Back

Day 3 — Shoulders

Day 4 — Rest

Day 5 — Legs

Day 6 — Arms

Day 7 — Rest

Special Shoulder Workout

Markus Ruhl also had a special shoulder routine, which included some of these exercises:

• Upright Row
• Alternating Front Dumbbell Raise
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press
• Standing Lateral Raise
• Dumbbell Shrug
• Bent-Over Lateral Raise

Markus Ruhl’s Nutrition & Diet

 

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Markus Ruhl advocated for clean, whole, organic foods. His daily meal plan consisted of 7,000 calories. He also supplemented his foods with whey proteins, creatine, and glutamine. Let’s take a look at his daily meal plan.

Meal 1

• 6 Whole Eggs 
• 2 Cups of Oatmeal
• 3 Cups of White Eggs
• Fruits

Meal 2

• Chicken Breast
• 3 Cups of Brown Rice
• Vegetables

Meal 3

• 3 Scoops of Whey Protein
• 2 Bananas

Meal 4

• Steak
• 3 Cups of White Rice
• Vegetables 

Meal 5 

• Chicken Breast 
• Sweet Potatoes
• Vegetables

Originally from a soccer background and weighing just 139 lbs, Markus Ruhl made the impressive transition to become a top bodybuilder, competing at the highest level in Germany. Ruhl’s journey is inspiring, as he overcame significant injuries to become one of the greatest mass monsters ever. His story encourages everyone to persevere and work diligently towards their bodybuilding goals despite challenges.

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Reference

1. Padulo, J., Laffaye, G., Chamari, K., & Concu, A. (2013). Concentric and eccentric: muscle contraction or exercise?. Sports health, 5(4), 306. https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738113491386