Mr Olympia 2017 Weekend is Upon Us – What’s Going Down?

Mr Olympia 2017 is upon us – and no place is more apt to holding an event to determine who has reached the most gargantuan, aesthetic human form than Las Vegas. A city that itself has also become synonymous with oversized buildings that make you feel like you’ve woken up in a bad rendition of Alice in Wonderland (or “good” depending on your perspective.)

What’s going down at the 2017 Mr Olympia? Here’s TRAIN’s guide and all you need know.

Mr Olympia 2017 Weekend

When? 

Thursday 14th October to Sunday 17th October

What?

Thursday: is really about building the hype and the backup acts. The amateur Olympia takes place to wet the punters’ appetite for the main event and you also get to witness the Mr Olympia press conference. If you’re lucky, you might catch a bodybuilder insulting another’s mother, but generally, bodybuilding press conferences are pretty placid events. If you’re expecting boxing/MMA style pressors, sorry but Mayweather vs Mcgregor was a month ago.

There is genuine heat between the number 1 and number 2 bodybuilders in the world – Phil Heath and Kai Greene respectively. However, the latter has decided to pursue pastures anew for now, so Phil Heath tends not to have much competition these days, in the press conference or on stage. The real contest is for the places below Phil.

Anyway, after the press gets their fix, there’s an event for VIP ticket holders to meet and greet their humungous heroes.

Friday: It’s Olympia expo and show day. This is a fun day that feels a lot more casual and you might randomly bump into some big names in the industry, who are generally all too happy to talk to you. Failing this, you can queue for 3 hours to meet them at their exhibition booth. Same same. There are also various sporting events taking place all over the expo like boxing, MMA and karate, just to name a few.

In the evening is when judging of the main categories take place in the Orleans arena just off the main strip. Fitness, Figure, and Classic Physique finals take place, so you’ll find out who the winners are from these categories (and a massive good luck to our previous cover star, GAT sponsored Sadik Hadzovic in the Classic Physique category.) The 212 and Mr. Olympia categories are judged tonight with the finals taking place on Saturday night.

Saturday: more expo fun if you’re that way inclined in the morning. Make sure you’re around for two very popular categories in the IFBB though – Mens Physique and Women’s Physique will be judged and wrapped up at 10am. These categories always garner a bunch of interest as they tend to be a more attainable and pleasing look for the layman. When you’re done with that, and thoroughly motivated (or now hate your body), get some healthy grub and take your seat for the main event at 7pm.

You’ll want to bear witness to the 212 and Mr Olympia finals – it can get quite tense, especially if somebodies physique has slipped from the day before. This is the Olympian’s final opportunity to make an impression on the judges with their physique. You might see some argey-bargey if tensions boil over during the posedowns. A strange affair when bodybuilders seemingly forget how big they actually are and get annoyed when their elbows knock against their opponents. I exaggerate – bodybuilders are actually a gentlemanly bunch with a mutual respect for each others hard work.

If you’re not exhausted from all the drama and sapped of adrenaline, head over to the Mr Olympia 2017 after-party at 11pm at the Mardi Gras ballroom in the hotel.

Sunday: Still in Vegas? You can check out the Mr Olympia Superstar seminar where your favorite bodybuilders and experts in the business will teach you a thing or two about growing some muscle at 11am.

That’s your lot. Time to go home with renewed motivation and come back to the Mr Olympia 2018 event next year to show off your new gains.

Mr Olympia 2017 – Fun Facts

Athlete’s to look out for at the Mr Olympia 2017?

Cedric Mcmillan: this guy is one to look out for. Heralded as the second coming of the aesthetic era from the 70’s and 80’s, Scitec Nutrition sponsored athlete and US Army Sergeant Cedric Mcmillan cuts a popular figure. Having been publicly endorsed by the legend himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger and being crowned the recent Arnold Classic champion, puts Cedric in a very commanding place. Expect the sport of bodybuilding to start becoming shaped around this 6’2, 245lb aesthetic beast.

Most times crowned Mr Olympia:

When did Mr Olympia start?

September 18th, 1965

First ever Mr O?

Larry Scott

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