Mr. Olympia will take place this weekend in Las Vegas, Neveda. It is the Super Bowl of the bodybuilding world and is always a great show to watch. This year will be no different. Can Phil Heath successfully defend the title he won from Jay Cutler in 2011? That remains to be seen. I am going to give my predictions for the Top 3 in this article as I preview what will be going down in Las Vegas this weekend.
Phil Heath. Phil is back to defend his title, the one he took from Jay Cutler last year. With Jay out of the mix, I believe Phil will win his second Sandow. He has the drive and determination to get the job done like nobody else. I also strongly believe that the reigning Mr. Olympia always has the edge in situations like this. Phil will come in massive. He will be hard and shredded.
This is Phil's title to lose. I have a feeling that he will hold onto the Sandow for many years to come. He still has Jay Cutler in his corner helping him out and that is also a huge edge. This guy trains with Hany Rambod, one of the best preparation coaches out there. These factors combine to give Phil the edge.
Phil is going to have to come in just right and will not be able to do what Jay Cutler has done in the past where he has battled back on Saturday night after a disappointing showing on Friday. Phil will have to come in looking good on Friday and stay that way on Saturday, in my opinion.
Kai Greene is a mass monster. This guy trains in brutal fashion and will definitely appear at the Olympia with size. The problem is that many times Kai looks too big. He isn't as aesthetically pleasing when he just packs on major mass. This guy is a serious threat to Phil Heath. He could capture the title depending upon how conditioned he is at the Olympia.
Kai works hard all the time. There is no doubt that he will look good. He has come close to the Sandow before and it is one trophy he really would like to have. This guy has many Olympia shows ahead of him in his career, but this year I say he finishes in second place. I am just not confident that he is going to look the way he needs to look in order to win the title.
With that said, I would not be the least bit surprised if Kai won. He has what it takes, it just needs to be put together for the show. I've watched some recent videos of Kai and he looks awesome. The problem is always the last few weeks before a show. How does the body respond to the stress it has been under?
I know that for me those last 2 weeks are critical. That is the time when my body starts doing strange and unpredictable things. This is why I always keep a journal of my progress. It helps me the next time around. Kai is an expert at this and knows his body well. Let's see how well he does this weekend.
Some will disagree with me placing Branch Warren in the third spot, but that's how I see it. Branch came off a major injury to win the 2012 Arnold Classic and he looked amazing. That's my issue, though. Can he maintain and improve upon that form?
Branch has come so close so many times. He is honestly my sentimental favorite, but the bodybuilder in me just doesn't see him winning this or placing higher than third. I hope he surprises me, I really do. This guy is one of the hardest working bodybuilders out there today. I have major respect for him and what he does in the gym.
Branch will be ready to take the title, but will he have a balanced physique? The criticism of Branch has always been that his legs are so much bigger than the rest of his body. This is something he is going to need to address in order to win the Sandow. He will also give Phil Heath a run for his money, but this is not Branch's year in my opinion.
So, now you see what I think of the Top 3 at the Mr. Olympia 2012 contest this coming weekend. Let's see how close I come to getting it right. I love this sport because anything can happen. I can in no way guarantee that my predictions will be accurate, but I feel pretty confident in them.
Let me hear your predictions in the comments section below.
