Sergio Oliva – Complete Profile: Height, Workout And Diet

Considered as the most genetically gifted bodybuilder of all time, Sergio Oliva, was the first ever African-American athlete to win the Mr. Olympia title. He was widely known for being the only bodybuilder to defeat Arnold Schwarzenegger for the Mr. Olympia title in 1969. This is his complete profile, biography, diet, training routine and statistics.

Sergio Oliva Statistics

Sergio Oliva Biography

Early Life

Born in Cuba in 1941, Sergio Oliva was expected to work in the rural sugarcane fields while growing up. The difficult life of hunger and physical labor built an ever-lasting work ethic within him as he went on to become one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time in future. To break out of abject poverty, Oliva joined the army and fought alongside Batista during the Cuban revolution.

Fidel Castro’s side prevailed in the civil conflict that followed, which meant Oliva could no longer hold on to his job in the military. He took up lifting after his time in the military and soon built a lean and muscular physique. At age 18, Oliva was chosen to represent Cuba at the 1962 Central American and Caribbean Games held in Kingston, Jamaica.

While in Kingston, the Cuban escaped his hotel and found refuge at the American Consulate. He was granted political asylum in the USA. He moved to Chicago in 1963 and worked several jobs. His sincere efforts and impeccable work ethic helped him bag better and better jobs.

Bodybuilding Career

While in Chicago, he started lifting weights at the Duncan YMCA, and pretty soon the local bodybuilding community were buzzing about this Cuban powerhouse who could lift more weights than most Olympic athletes in his weight class.

By 1963, Oliva had won his first bodybuilding competition for Mr. Chicago. This began his 22-year bodybuilding career that saw him won a total of 20 1st place titles, appearances in many movies, and his stamp as a worldwide bodybuilding icon.

Oliva got the nickname “The Myth,” after bodybuilder and writer Rick Wayne called him so at the Montreal World’s Fair in 1967. People who saw Oliva were said to be in awe at the sight of his unbelievable physique.

All this time, Oliva served as a Chicago police officer in a 25-year career. He got married and fathered Sergio Oliva, Jr. who is following his father’s footsteps in competitive bodybuilding.

Sergio Oliva died on November 12, 2012 due to kidney failure at the age of 71. He will forever be remembered as a bodybuilding legend, champion, and icon.

Mr. & Masters Olympia Results

1966 – IFBB Mr. Olympia: 4th
1967 – IFBB Mr. Olympia: 1st
1968 – IFBB Mr. Olympia: 1st
1969 – IFBB Mr. Olympia: 1st
1970 – IFBB Mr. Olympia: 2nd
1972 – IFBB Mr. Olympia: 2nd
1984 – IFBB Mr. Olympia: 8th
1985 – IFBB Mr. Olympia: 8th

Titles Won

1965 – AAU Mr America (Most Muscular)
1965 – AAU Junior Mr America (Most Muscular)
1966 – AAU Mr America (Most Muscular)
1966 – AAU Junior Mr America
1966 – IFBB Mr. World
1967 – IFBB Mr. Universe
1972 – WBBG Mr. Galaxy
1974 – WBBG Mr International Professional
1975 – WBBG Olympus
1976 – WBBG Olympus
1977 – WBBG World Championships Professional
1978 – WBBG Olympus
1980 – WABBA World Championships Professional
1980 – WABBA Pro World Cup
1981 – WABBA Pro World Cup

Sergio Oliva Workout

Sergio Oliva followed an arduous and intense training routine to build the massive physique that even gave Arnold Schwarzenegger a run for the money on the Olympia stage. The 7-time Mr. Olympia has admitted on several occasions that Sergio Oliva was the greatest bodybuilder that he competed against on stage.

Oliva’s genetics had a big role to play in his success as a professional bodybuilder. He was born with perfect proportions for competitive bodybuilding. He had broad shoulders and a torso that seamlessly narrowed down into a tiny waist. The muscular hips and long legs as well as muscular calves were the perfect raw material needed to build a Olympia-worthy physique.

Additionally, Sergio Oliva was blessed with large bones and a comparatively tiny head. A combination of these factors enabled him to build huge muscles and make them appear bigger in proportion to his head.

All things considered, Oliva had to have a training routine and work ethic that did justice to the natural gift. He did that in a big way, never falling short of working relentlessly.

Association with Arthur Jones

Sergio Oliva experimented with several different training methods in an attempt to build the best physique he could. He adapted the HIT (High Intensity Training) system introduced by Arthur Jones, who was also the designer of Nautilus training equipment. Oliva was introduced to Jones as the latter wanted him to test the newly designed training equipment.

“I flew down and tested them, and I found them to be quite different from other, regular machines,” Oliva said in an interview with Brian D. Johnston.

Jones asked the Cuban-American bodybuilder if he would be willing to try out his training routine and train under his supervision. Oliva agreed and the duo then went on train together. The three-time Mr. Olympia agrees that he built the biggest physique of his career while training under Arthur Jones.

Jones instructed Sergio Oliva to follow an extremely intense training routine that started with legs. He often did exercises to the point of complete failure. While Jones was intent on using machines for all the exercises, Oliva stressed on using free weights as well. As they got closer to the competition and caloric intake would reduce, it was nearly impossible for Sergio to do both free weight and machine exercises. He would resort to using only machines at that point in time.

“With Jones’s method, there is no way… you keep going until you can no longer move. And when you think you’re going to rest, he has you going to another machine! By the time you get to the other machine, you feel like you’re going to die, pushing yourself to the maximum again. When finish, all you can do is lay down on the floor,” Sergio Oliva said about Arthur Jones’ training methods.

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Even after leaving Arthur Jones’ training, Sergio Oliva continued to train with the same intensity. The veteran bodybuilder resumed training with free weights during this phase as he no longer had access to Arthur Jones’ training equipment.

Sergio Oliva’s training routine

Sergio Oliva had several disagreements with IFBB and the Weider brothers. He eventually collaborated with Dan Lurie, who put out a magazine named Muscle Training Illustrated in an attempt to challenge Weiders’ dominannt control over the sport of bodybuilding. Oliva struck a good deal with Lurie and he featured in several articles published in Muscle Training Illustrated.

One of the articles published in the magazine in 1973 shared the training routine that Sergio Oliva followed 1970 onwards.

“Since 1970 these are the only exercises I have been doing. Any other exercises printed in any other magazine are false.”

One of the salient features of the late bodybuilder’s training routine is the wide range and variety in rep range as well as set count. Oliva employed a handful of exercises for each muscle group and avoided junk training volume. The astonishing number of reps and weight on certain exercises compels one to think what could the legendary bodybuilder achieve if he had access to modern training methods and equipment. 

This is the only reliable training routine of Sergio Oliva available today and this is what it looks like:

Monday – Chest

• Superset – Bench Press and Chinning Bar
  • 1st Set – Bench Press (8 reps with 200 lbs), Chinning Bar (15 reps)
  • 2nd Set – Bench Press (8 reps with 220 lbs), Chinning Bar (15 reps)
  • 3rd Set – Bench Press (8 reps with 260 lbs), Chinning Bar (10 reps)
  • 4th Set – Bench Press (8 reps with 300 lbs), Chinning Bar (10 reps)
  • 5th Set – Bench Press (8 reps with 320 lbs), Chinning Bar (8 reps)
  • 6th Set – Bench Press (8 reps with 350 lbs), Chinning Bar (8 reps)
  • 7th Set – Bench Press (8 reps with 380 lbs), Chinning Bar (5 reps)
• Superset – Dumbbell Chest Flyes and Dips
  • 5 sets of 15 reps with 80 lbs dumbbells, 5 sets of dips (rep range not provided by Sergio Oliva)

Tuesday – Shoulders and Arms

• Press – 5 sets of 15 reps with 200 lbs dumbbells
• Extending Heavy Curls – 5 sets of 5 reps with 200 lbs on barbell
• Scott (Curls) Bench – 5 sets of 10 reps with 150 lbs on EZ bar
• Scott (Curls) Bench – 5 sets of 5 reps with 60 lbs dumbbells
• Superset – Sitting Down Triceps and Triceps Pressdowns
  • 5 sets of 5 reps with 60 lbs dumbbells, 5 sets of triceps pushdowns

Wednesday – Abs and Legs

• Sit-Ups – 10 sets of 50 reps
• Leg Raises – 5 sets of 20 reps
• Side Bends with Bar Behind Neck – 5 sets of 200 reps
• Barbell Squats
  • 1st Set – 5 reps with 300 lbs
  • 2nd Set – 5 reps with 400 lbs
  • 3rdt Set – 5 reps with 440 lbs
  • 4th Set – 5 reps with 470 lbs
  • 5th Set – 5 reps with 500 lbs
• Standing Heel Raises – 10 sets of 8 reps with 300 lbs

Thursday – Chest and Back Workout

• Bench Press
  • 1st Set – 5 reps with 200 lbs
  • 2nd Set – 5 reps with 220 lbs
  • 3rd Set – 5 reps with 260 lbs
  • 4th Set -5 reps with 300 lbs
  • 5th Set – 5 reps with 320 lbs
  • 6th Set – 5 reps with 350 lbs
  • 7th Set – 5 reps with 380 lbs
• Superset – Press Behind Neck and Rowing Machine 
  • 5 sets of 5 reps with 250 lbs and 5 sets of 5 reps with 200 lbs
• Sitting Press with Dumbbells – 80 lbs dumbbells, rep range and number of sets not provided
• Dipping Bar – 5 sets of 8 reps with no weight

Friday – Back and Arms

• Press – 3 sets of 5 reps with 200 lbs weight
• Extending Heavy Curls – 3 sets of 5 reps with 200 lbs weight
• French Curls – 3 sets of 5 reps with 200 lbs weight
• Scott Bench for Triceps – 3 sets of 5 reps with 200 lbs weight
• Superset – Scott Bench for Triceps with Dumbbells and Triceps Pressdowns
  • 3 sets of 5 reps with 50 lbs dumbbells, 3 sets of 5 reps on cable machine
• Chinning Behind Neck – 5 sets of 5 reps
• Superset – Chinning Bar with Closed Hands and Triceps Machine Pull Downs
  • 5 sets of 5 reps for both exercises

Saturday – Abs and Legs

• Sit-Ups – 5 sets of 10 reps
• Leg Raises – 5 sets of 10 reps
• Side Bends with Bar Behind Neck – 5 sets of 50 reps
• Barbell Squats
  • 1st Set – 3 reps with 300 lbs
  • 2nd Set – 3 reps with 300 lbs
  • 3rd Set – 3 reps with 300 lbs
  • 4th Set – 3 reps with 400 lbs
  • 5th Set – 3 reps with 400 lbs
  • 6th Set – 20 reps with 250 lbs
  • 7th Set – 20 reps with 250 lbs
  • 8th Set – 20 reps with 250 lbs
• Front Squats – 5 sets of 10 reps with 200 lbs
• Sitting Heel Raises – 5 sets of 5 reps with 200 lbs

Sergio Oliva Diet

Sergio Oliva’s initial years were extremely difficult and he often ate one meal a day growing up. However, all of that changed when he became a part of the weightlifting team. The Cuban could afford three meals every day and was even supplied with vitamins and protein supplements.

Sergio Oliva’s tough childhood and hectic work schedule helped him build incredible metabolism. He could consume massive amounts of food and still maintain a shredded physique because the amount of energy he spent through the day meant that he had to have a large caloric intake to stay in balance.

Oliva was disciplined about the diet and ate clean and nutritious foods as he got closer to the competition date. Typically, he would start dieting three to four weeks out of the show. However, his metabolism enabled him to eat pretty much anything and everything he wanted without adversely affecting his physique in a negative way.

Also, it is safe to assume that even foods that were considered ‘unhealthy’ or ‘suboptimal’ for a bodybuilder back in the 1960s and 1970s were not nearly as unhealthy as the junk food available to us in this era.

Sergio Oliva’s dietary habits

The late bodybuilder loved to eat sweet foods and also enjoyed sugary beverages. was famously spotted eating pastries in a German bakery a couple of days before the 1972 Olympia competition. But in spite of being casual with his diet, Sergio could build the lean and muscular physique because of the hard and intense training.

One thing that Sergio Oliva never sidelined was hydration. The late bodybuilder always ensured to drink enough water and keep the body hydrated by drinking at least two gallons of water each day. But interestingly, Oliva never drank water during the workouts. Instead, he would rely on hot coffee to keep the muscles warm and energy flowing in for the arduous training sessions that usually lasted for hours. Oliva used cold water to cool off the muscles after a fierce training session.

As suboptimal as Sergio Oliva’s diet may seem to an average person, it suited him the best. The late bodybuilder followed Frank Zane’s diet during the 1984 Olympia prep. It mainly consisted of fish and vegetables. Oliva was never satisfied or satiated with his meals during this time and it severely affected his performance as well. He finished eighth at the 1984 Olympia and admitted that he should have listened to his own body instead of following someone else’s diet.

According to online sources, this is what Sergio Oliva’s full day of eating looked like:

Meal 1

• Oatmeal
• Scrambled Eggs
• Coffee

Meal 2

• Pastries
• Fries

Meal 3

• Twinkies
• Protein Shake

Meal 4

• Steak
• Vegetables

Sergio Oliva Gallery

To Conclude…

Sergio Oliva’s physique and bodybuilding career proves that a combination of excellent genetics and hard work can turn any individual into a dominant force. Listening to the body and not giving in to conventional wisdom is also essential to achieve one’s true potential.

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