After over two decades of training, Ryan Terry achieved the pinnacle of the Men’s Physique division. In a recent Olympia TV YouTube video, Terry reflected on the sacrifices and discussed the posing routine that contributed to his Victory at 2023 Men’s Physique Olympia championship.
The Men’s Physique category is competitive, with last year’s champion being Erin Banks. While Banks held the title in 2022, Terry silently worked towards challenging his championship status.
Ryan Terry’s triumphant journey started at the 2023 Pittsburgh Pro show, where he secured a commanding second-place finish, learning valuable lessons for the future. He continued his success by winning the 2023 New York Pro, hosted by head judge Steve Weinberger.
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In Orlando, Florida, at the 2023 Olympia contest, Ryan Terry secured a shocking victory, surpassing Banks and Hendrickson. He later discussed his win with Bob Cicherillo and Flex Wheeler.
Terry Discusses 2023 Olympia Victory with Bob Cicherillo and Flex Wheeler After 2 Decades of Training
Ryan Terry begins by addressing recent changes in the division, noting a heightened emphasis on side poses.
“In the early days it was straight on and back, then it started to transition to side poses. The last few weekends people hitting hands on hips straight on, for me personally, I feel like that’s a real true way being able to judge someone because you can show their pure aesthetics from the front and back, keep it simple.”
“From the side I used to struggle with Jeremy Buendia’s like Philipino small waist it’s genetics, and it’s straight on, you couldn’t hide anything. It’s been great to see the last few shows it [the division] going that way.”
Reflecting on his significant victory, Ryan Terry emphasized advice from IFBB Vice President Tyler Manion, stressing the need to enhance his back.
Tyler Manion visited Terry at Flex Lewis’ gym in Vegas last year, advising him to strengthen his back. Terry recognized the significance of this advice, acknowledging the need for back improvement to compete with contenders like Erin Banks and Brandon Hendrickson.
Reviewing his 2023 Olympia preparation, Terry attributed his success to dedicated back training from Monday to Friday.
“I went away we trained Monday to Friday every week without fail. We did a lower back, and I did a thickness and lower back and I never missed a beat on that. I always focused my higher carb days around those training days so I could just maximize everything to their full potential. ‘
After New York, we put the size on but my posing wasn’t quite right. It was enough to win the New York Pro but again got more feedback, look, I needed to leave no stone unturned I need to know that I’ve given it my absolute everything this year because I felt like my condition and shape was getting better but I was losing places each year.”
Apart from physical improvements, Ryan Terry emphasized the pivotal role of posing skills in his career-changing victory:
“I needed to hit my posing better and obviously bring my mid-rhomboids up and that’s what we did,” added Ryan Terry.
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Bob Cicherillo, representing athletes, chimed in, noting that Ryan Terry only required minor tweaks to his physique to secure the Olympia victory.
“Bringing it to a point that it would be undeniably first place for these judges and bringing in an Olympia title, and he could tell you more about that about how just a few tweaks made all the difference but the one thing I know Ryan did learn over the last couple of years, you gotta do what’s best for you.
You can’t fall into that routine of doing what everyone else is doing on stage. The arms come up more, the back gets pinched and it wasn’t working for Ryan. Anyone that seen him come out he hits that superman pose, he comes out dead center, everyone else twisted to make their wastes look this big. He came out and put it out in front of everybody,” explains Bob Cicherillo.
During his most recent preparation, Terry disclosed that he took on the role of coaching himself.
“This year I kept six pounds on from the New York Pro, I actually gained six pounds going in,” said Terry. I needed to prove myself, get in the trenches. I prepped myself, I hadn’t had a coach in years.”
Furthermore, Flex Wheeler advised Terry to focus on presenting his best overall package instead of fixating on extreme conditioning.
“Now your body is in complete harmony right and you can just march right into that show. But I definitely want to challenge you to be the best on stage, not just shredded, not the biggest, not the quad monster, not the gunslinger, just the best,” said Flex Wheeler.
Finally, Ryan Terry dedicates an hour daily to refine his posing routine, perfecting both back and front shots for judges.
“I’d do thirty minutes posing to start with. What it was 30 seconds of front shot, I’d exhale everything and hold that for 30 seconds without breathing out the mouth but fully contract the whole time, relax 30 seconds do it again and do it 30 times and turn to the back and do the exact same thing.”
“If it wasn’t for the competitors surrounding me and actually bringing me back into the room I would have probably been on the floor I would have passed out. It was just sure elation. The whole, obviously 10 years of attempting that stage, it was 9 attempts up until that point and 21 years training.”
Ryan Terry, Men’s Physique Olympia champion, shares training insights openly. Consistent ab training and praised HIIT workouts earn acclaim from figures like Dr. Rhonda Patrick.
Training for over 22 years, overcoming nine setbacks, Terry’s 2023 Olympia victory showcases tenacity, willpower, and sacrifices in achieving bodybuilding’s highest honor.
View the full video below:
Overview
Ryan Terry, the 2023 Men’s Physique Olympia champion, reflects on a 20-year journey marked by triumph, dedication, and transparency. Moreover, Overcoming setbacks and clinching victory, his triumph signifies not only tenacity but also sacrifices made in bodybuilding. Also, Terry’s transparency extends to sharing training methods, including consistent ab training and high-intensity interval workouts. His victory emphasizes the importance of individualized approaches on stage.
Featured Image @ryanjterry (Instagram), @OlympiaTV (Youtube)