Japanese bodybuilding star Hidetada ‘Hide’ Yamagishi will make his highly anticipated return to the stage in 2025. On February 20, 2025, he spoke about his decision to compete at the 2025 Masters Olympia competition where he’ll attempt to defend his 212 Bodybuilding title as the final act of his career.
Yamagishi has long made waves as an Open and Men’s 212 Bodybuilding competitor. Throughout his 30-year IFBB Pro League career, he’s managed to strike a near-perfect balance of symmetry, proportions, and condition, the hallmarks of an exceptional bodybuilder.
During the prime years of his career, he even gave former seven-time 212 Olympia Flex Lewis a run for his money. In 2015, ‘Hide’ registered his most impressive Olympia performance, taking third behind Lewis in an incredibly close contest. He came out of retirement in 2023 to give the Masters Olympia competition a shot, and he didn’t disappoint.
He won gold at the 2023 Masters Olympia with an amazing package. While the Masters Olympia did not return in 2024, it’s back this season. He will attempt to defend his title in Tokyo, Japan in front of his fans before sailing off into the sunset.
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Hidetada Yamagishi Will Compete at 2025 Masters Olympia for Title Defense, Says It’s His Final Show of Career
In a recent OlympiaTV YouTube video, Yamagishi said he was initially only after a top 10 position at the 2023 Masters Olympia. While he has reservations about defending his title in 2025, he made it clear that he will and this will be the last contest of his career.
“Last show, I won. I was so fortunate I won but my mindset was okay, I’m going to compete Masters Olympia, now I would be happy in top 10. That was the mindset when I was there in Romania. I won and that was a surprise to me. And now, I’m going to Tokyo as a defending champion.”
“Should I do it? No. I just decided that I’m going to go for it and do my last show, my very last show.”
His goal? To bring his best physique possible to Japanese fans in Tokyo.
“In my 30 years IFBB Pro career, it’s 30 years but I’m going to do it and I don’t know… I don’t say anything win or lose but I’m just going to do my best. I’m going to show my very best physique to Japanese fans. That’s all I could do,” he shared.
Judge Terrick El Guindy suggested that the Masters Olympia wouldn’t have been held in Japan if it wasn’t for Yamagishi’s amazing career.
“I don’t think the Masters Olympia would have been taking place in Japan if it wasn’t for the stellar career that you’ve had, right?” shared Terrick El Guindy.
He admits his secret to longevity and success in the sport is making sure training, diet, and work life are all in harmony.
“When I was younger, my purpose for doing bodybuilding was to get bigger. I ate a lot and then I trained kind of crazy but now, it’s calmed down. I found a balance between nutrition, training, and my life, my work here.”
“Everything has to be in harmony. I think that’s the secret if I had to say,” he adds.
This Masters Olympia contest could end up being stacked with talent, including names such as Brandon Curry expressing interest in competing as an Open competitor. As it stands, the 2025 Masters Olympia contest will return to Tokyo, Japan from August 9-10. Fitness Volt will have live coverage of the prestigious event, so don’t miss the action.
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Watch the full video from the OlympiaTV YouTube channel below:
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