Flex Lewis is the most successful 212 athlete to compete in the sport of bodybuilding. After officially retiring from the sport, Lewis shared a downsized physique update with his fans, showcasing his new weight of 213.6-pounds.
Lewis, who hails from Wales, came to North America with just a few dollars to his name. He eventually discovered his first love, which was the sport of bodybuilding, and managed to find success rather quickly. In 2012, Lewis captured the 212 Olympia title, thus earning his invitation to compete in the same category at the annual show for a lifetime. After earning his first Sandow trophy, the bodybuilding phenom proceeded to win the same contest for another six years straight. He holds the record for most 212 Olympia victories at seven.
Throughout his professional tenure, Lewis put a beating on his opponents with jarring size and detailed conditioning. In light of his continued success, many fans began to call for the 38-year-old to take on the freakiest bodybuilders in the world, who mostly compete in the Men’s Open division. While Lewis hinted that he would be making the switch, he informed his fanbase that it wasn’t happening during his retirement statement.
The former 212 Olympia champ noted that a ‘collection of things’ resulted in his decision to retire. One of the major reasons he was unable to debut in Men’s Open bodybuilding was because prolonged nausea prevented him from adding adequate muscle mass. Since retiring from the sport, Lewis clarified last month that he’s already lost 25-pounds and feels ‘fantastic’.
Flex Lewis Latest Retired Bodybuilder to Hop on The Downsized Bandwagon
Lewis was recently asked by fans to show off his physique without his signature hoodie sweatshirt hiding his upper body. The former 212 Olympia winner obliged and updated his Instagram stories with a poolside picture of his current build.
In preparation for 212 bodybuilding shows, Lewis was accustomed to weight cutting in order to meet the requirements for his category. However, now that he’s retired, the Pro can drop his shoulders for once, and not concern himself with maintaining a world-class athletic standard.
In addition to sharing a recent update, the bodybuilding great also revealed his current weight, which is sitting at 213.6-pounds.
Lewis isn’t the only physique athlete to commit to a dramatic downsizing. 2008 Mr. Olympia Dexter Jackson has also made it a point to trim down his overall build. With a number of high-profile bodybuilders dying in the last two years, many in the community have started to voice their concern about steroids and athletes carrying too much size year-round.
Former Arnold Classic champion and retired IFBB Pro Dennis Wolf has also gone to great lengths to trim down his monstrous physique. Given that he no longer has to load carbohydrates and protein as he used to for competitions, Wolf is another high-profile athlete benefitting from trimming down.
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As it stands, Lewis is now enjoying his days in retirement, dedicated to growing his family and continuing his successful efforts as an entrepreneur. With nothing left to prove in bodybuilding, Lewis is prioritizing his health and longevity after stepping away from the sport.
Published: 14 June, 2022 | 4:23 PM EDT
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Of course there’s a downsizing trend among retired bodybuilders. Being 250lbs of muscle is just as hard as being 250lbs and fat. It’s not fun. If you’re not competing there’s no reason for it. I’m glad to see bodybuilders setting the example.
Man I understand him retiring, but man I wanted to see him bring it in the Open, if only just once, to see what he was able to do with no restrictions regarding his weight…
With a solid record-breaking number of wins under 212 you know he’s top caliber talent with gunning for the O even without seeing him step on stage in the Open!
I consider not seeing him ever make it to the Open to be one of the biggest “what ifs” in bodybuilding history.
Up there right with had Kai Greene kept on competing without Phil Heath these past few years.
Up there right with Shawn Rhoden had they treated him fairly during his accusations & let him compete until proven guilty.
Man we’ll never know after his complete domination in 212! That hurts so bad for the sport!
Wow. What a difference 5 inches of height makes. I’m 5’10” at the same weight, and about 13% bf, but Flex looks waaay bigger at his height. I’d have to pack on about 40lbs of lean mass to look the same size. For each inch of height beyond Flex, you have to add about 8lbs to look similarly large.
I don’t understand what you mean. All I know is that taller people have wider shoulders and are just bigger.