Bodybuilding veteran Jose Raymond has a ton of experience based on years of competing professionally. Although he excelled in the Menโs 212 division, Raymond also made a splash in the Menโs Open category. In a recent video uploaded to YouTube, Raymond shared some of the biggest mistakes competitors and coaches make while in prep for contests.
Jose Raymond first rose to prominence for his incredible muscle shape, definition, and lower body development as a Menโs 212 competitor in the early 2010s. He turned in a strong performance at the 2011 Mr. Olympia, where he cracked the top three and proved himself to be one of the most consistent and disciplined athletes in the game. Being a regular feature of the 212 Olympia, Raymond never placed outside of the top five in any of his eight appearances from 2011 to 2018.
Raymond came close to picking up the ultimate title but eventually took silver after falling short of legendary 212 competitor Flex Lewis in 2015. He also battled with the likes of Hidetada Yamagishi, former champions Derek Lunsford and Kamal Elgargni as well as Ahmad Ashkanani.
In April 2021, Raymond and bodybuilding legend Flex Wheeler teamed up for a collaborative training session with Egyptian IFBB Pro Hassan Mostafa. The pair mentored the budding Menโs Open prospect through a tough workout to get him ready for the New York Pro contest.
โThe Boston Massโ chimed in on the passing of former Mr. Olympia Shawn Rhoden in Nov. 2021. Raymond expressed his disappointment that Rhoden wasn’t able to clear his name in a legal matter. He also argued Rhoden should have won more Mr. Olympia titles following the first victory.
Jose Raymond shares the biggest mistakes to avoid in prep
In a recent YouTube video, Jose Raymond shared some of the biggest mistakes to avoid while in preparation for bodybuilding contests.
Raymond started by highlighting the error of pushing too hard in an attempt to get striated glutes.
โWhat I realized is that people push and push like oh donโt have striated glutes yet, got to keep pushing, two hours on the step mill, zero carbs, keep going, and then the body disappears,” said Raymond. “Well, maybe he just doesnโt have genetics to have striated glutes. Maybe heโs got small muscles, thereโs not a whole lot of muscle there to strike but they keep pushing and pushing thinking that it was going to help. Heโd end up 20 pounds to light just all in the search of getting striated glutes.
โNow next week this kid wonโt have striated glutes but heโll be the hardest guy in the show. Heโll have separation, lines in his hamstring, striated lower back, lats everything, crazy abs, midsection. He just doesnโt have striated glutes. Is he going to go on to win the Olympia or the Nationals or New York Pro? I donโt know maybe he can make some adjustments but right now heโs at the best his body can be. Thatโs a mistake that not only competitors do but coaches do by pushing too far in the holy grail of striated glutes and youโre destroying a guyโs physique in that quest for glutes.โ
Raymond argued against following a low-carb diet for long periods of time.
โThey hit panic mode and try to overdo everything. Theyโll overdo the fat burners, low carb or zero carb days like if your coach tells you to have zero carbs for three to five days straight and three hours of cardio, you gotta question their motive like what is going on here. Thereโs no way that can be beneficial.โ
The 48-year-old dismissed some common myths that prevail in the sport.
โIn the last three weeks, Iโve had at least four clients say to me and theyโre relatively new to competing but they are like hey should I bring honey, jam, and peanut butter backstage for my rice cakes? Backstage is not a time to binge. They think they are supposed to eat a ton backstage. No, you get up early, eat your breakfast, have another small meal and get on stage. If youโre back there like at the Olympia for four or five hours, yeah have your meal or some granola or rice cakes or something ready to go just in case.
“Iโm like no donโt pay attention to those people. Do not listen to them lathering up big scoops of peanut butter. Then they go on stage, get a bloated stomach, ripping farts backstage like itโs disgusting. Thereโs no benefit to that.โ
Jose Raymond offered his experience of coaching competitors who refuse to follow instructions.
โI get these weird messages like when youโre prepping someone and for six to eight weeks youโre not seeing the progress you think you should be really. Then theyโll see that and be like can I keep drinking the Yoo-hoo that I have with my last meal? Iโm like wait what? When did I tell you to do that?
“Theyโll be like I donโt know Iโve always been doing that. But I wrote you up a diet exactly what I want you to have and youโre adding a Yoo-hoo. Thatโs what your physique looks like, a Yoo-hoo.โ
โI just say I donโt know under what context your coach is having you do this so I canโt guess to tell you what to do. They may have you doing this for a certain reason so I have no idea and I donโt want to know. If you want help from me, you talk to your coach and next show or off-season, weโll get together and have a discussion. But Iโm not going to get into this. I just tell people hit me up at some other time but you gotta trust your coach until itโs over and see how that goes.โ
โYou canโt just put everyone on the same plan with tons of fat burners, tons of cardio, and low carbs. Itโs not going to work. Itโll work for the select few that are freaks but the rest of the people, youโll literally ruin their physique or worse and then theyโre completely wasted and exhausted by the time the show comes. Itโs important to have enough fuel to be able to train like an animal all the way up to the show.โ
Jose Raymond weighed in on the scuffle between Shawn Ray and Dominic Nicholls, son of renowned bodybuilding guru Chad Nicholls, recently. He criticized Ray for his role in the incident and labeled him as a bad guy in the industry.
RELATED: All 212 Olympia Winners Since 2008 (and History of the Division)
You can watch the full video below.