Shaun Clarida is a Men’s 212 pro bodybuilder who made for one of the most exciting moments of the Olympia 2020 weekend. He defeated the returning Men’s 212 champion and earned his Olympia title. Clarida has been hungry to win the Olympia for many years now. Not only did he finally achieve that – he did so with a career defining physique.
Shaun Clarida Reveals The Old School Method That Won Him Olympia 2020
Shaun Clarida showed up at the Olympia 2020 with a jaw dropping physique. The kind of physique that a pro competitor only accomplishes once or twice in a career. That doesn’t mean he can’t win again. It’s simply to point out how much of a statement he made last year.
So how did he achieve such progress in his 2020 physique? A part of it was slow and steady improvements over many years. The other part? Returning to old school training with old school equipment. This was not necessarily part of the initial plan. The global pandemic limited Shaun Clarida’s options with gyms closing. He was lucky enough to know someone who had a gym.
Without being able to socialize or even travel, Clarida focused 100% on sleeping, training, and eating. That’s it. Every single day. Not only that but the gym he was training at featured mostly old school free weight equipment. That kind of extreme focus and old school methods pushed his physique to a new level.
Shaun Clarida: “For Me, Dexter Jackson Is The Greatest Of All Time”
During our video interview with Shaun Clarida, we spoke to him about Dexter Jackson. The veteran pro bodybuilder retired on the Olympia 2020 stage. It was an emotional moment for the most winningest bodybuilder in the history of the sport.
Despite only winning one Mr. Olympia title in his career, Shaun Clarida considers Dexter Jackson to be the greatest bodybuilder of all time. To Clardia, the number of Olympia wins is not the main factor in deciding the best. Dexter Jackson was able to win an Olympia, multiple Arnold Classics, and the New York Pro. That’s on top of many other smaller pro shows that he dominated throughout his multi-decade career.
That’s the kind fo consistency that stands above number of Olympia wins. It’s the kind fo mindset and physique that Shaun Clarida is most inspired by.
Shaun Clarida: Bodybuilding Competition Posing Is Like Non-Stop Cardio Training
Shaun Clarida is also a rare bodybuilder that emphasizes the importance of posing in bodybuilding. While the mandatory poses are always key to displaying your physique – the art behind posing routines have diminished over the years.
Shaun Clarida is a bodybuilder who has always stood out for keeping the passion and art behind the pose. Not only that – he does it because he understands just how important posing can be to winning the Olympia.
After the judges put you through multiple comparison rounds on top of your individual routine – it feels like an intense cardio or marathon race. Dehydrated, under hot lights, and flexing intensely for many minutes at a time. There’s hardly a break and the entire process is demanding.
That’s why you hear about bodybuilders fading or improving as posing goes on. It may seem simple and that all the hard work happens in the gym. But the truth is that the posing rounds are extremely demanding. They can make or break a competitor.
Wrap up
Shaun Clarida discusses many other topics about bodybuilding past, present, and future during our nearly one hour interview with the champ. More than we can cover here in this write up. So make sure to watch our full GI Exclusive interview above!
