This could be the year we see Brazilian bodybuilding star Rafael Brandao secure one of the sport’s most prestigious titles. On January 16, 2025, Chris Cormier offered tactical posing advice to Brandao to take his career to the next level. In addition, Cormier and judge Terrick El Guindy reflected on Ramon Queiroz’s drop to fourth place at the 2024 Mr. Olympia.
Rafael Brandao enjoyed an incredibly busy 2024 bodybuilding season. He kickstarted it with an unbelievable performance at the Arnold Classic Ohio event, securing third place behind runner-up Samson Dauda and winner Hadi Choopan.
After getting his feet wet with his first contest of that year, Brandao headed back to his backyard to compete at the Arnold Classic South America, which he won handily against Open standout Tonio Burton. When it was time to shine at Olympia, Brandao did not disappoint. He brought an all-time best package, complete with symmetry and top-notch conditioning to claim eighth place.
Brandao wasted no time after the biggest event of the year. He traveled to Europe to compete at the 2024 Romania Muscle Fest Pro, where he defeated Akim Williams for an early 2025 Olympia qualification. With his future looking brighter than ever, Cormier opened up on how he can successfully further his career as an Open Pro.
Chris Cormier & Terrick El Guindy Discuss How Rafael Brandao Can Improve His Posing To Take His Career ‘To The Next Level’
In a recent YouTube video, Terrick El Guindy highlighted Brandao’s rise, noting he’s no longer outsized by elite Men’s Open threats like Hadi Choopan or Samson Dauda.
“Rafael Brandao wins again in Romania. He competed against Akim Williams. One of the most impressive things for me was Akim Williams is a big dude, big arms, he’s got a lot of mass on those legs. Rafael Brandao was not outsized by Akim Williams.”
“So, the entire time we’ve been saying this guy has beautiful lines, he’s pretty, but he doesn’t have size. That has come to an end. He has put enough mass to now take third at the Arnold Classic Ohio against Hadi Choopan and Samson Dauda.”
Chris Cormier offered Brandao some tactical posing tips to better present his physique on stage.
“I think he needs to do all the different little tactical things with the posing. Pointing your fingertips, keeping this a little bit [hand] closed, turning that wrist a little bit more, tucking that thumb in at the top of his pose, open that arm up a little bit, crank that wrist a little bit without compromising the elbow.”
He believes these tips could help Brandao reach a new level in the sport.
“That’s going to get a little more shape out of that arm. Different little nuances like that in your posing and training, that’s what’s going to bring him to the next level in my opinion.”
Lastly, El Guindy discussed Ramon Queiroz’s 2024 Olympia performance, sharing that he didn’t improve from the previous year.
“No, he wasn’t better this year. The year before he placed second. This year he placed fourth. What are you guys talking about? You go from second to fourth. Listen, I’m going to tell you this: I’ve known Ramon since he was an amateur. He placed second at the Olympia and now he fell to fourth. So, no,” said Terrick El Guindy.
Having already guaranteed his entry into the 2025 Mr. Olympia, Rafael Brandao can use the extra time to refine his posing and physique if he chooses to. He’s yet to slip placings on the prestigious stage, so it stands to reason we could see him finish even higher on the horizon.
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