In light of Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay’s massive physique update, veteran bodybuilder Samir Bannout tried to find the answer to a crucial question concerning the Egyptian bodybuilder – Can Big Ramy become Mr. Olympia again?
Big Ramy is one of the most accomplished bodybuilders in the modern era. He took the bodybuilding world by storm with a freakishly muscular physique, massive quads, and overall excellent musculature.
He ascended to the top of the competitive bodybuilding world when he captured the prestigious Mr. Olympia crown in 2020. He then defended the top spot at the 2021 Olympia by keeping the likes of Hadi Choopan and Brandon Curry at bay. However, the two-time Mr. Olympia fell in a major way at the 2022 Olympia, finishing fifth in the Men’s Open division.
The 39-year-old tried to regain some ground and made a quick turnaround to compete in the 2023 Arnold Classic. But victory eluded the former champion once again as he had to walk away with a fourth-place finish. The apparent deterioration of muscle mass from his back and arms was raised as a point of concern during both appearances. Later, Ramy decided to sit out the 2023 Mr. Olympia to focus on improving his physique.
There has been a lot of intrigue surrounding his competitive future as Ramy underwent stem cell therapy to treat nerve damage. However, to the pleasant surprise of bodybuilding fans, the Egyptian bodybuilder showed off an extremely muscular and ripped physique update. He recently dropped another massive back update on his Instagram story:
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Samir Bannout discusses Big Ramy’s return, chances of recapturing Mr. Olympia trophy
Recent physique updates have led the bodybuilding world to speculate if Big Ramy was planning to make a comeback at the 2024 Arnold Classic that will take place from Feb.29-Mar.3 in Columbus, Ohio. However, veteran bodybuilder Samir Bannout looks at Ramy’s competitive return as a much more complex issue.
During a recent appearance on the Muscle Maturity podcast, Samir Bannout expressed his satisfaction at Big Ramy’s massive recovery.
Following Big Ramy’s 2022 Mr. Olympia debacle, it was suspected that the two-time Mr. Olympia might have suffered nerve damage. However, Bannout is impressed with Ramy’s recent update as the former two-time Mr. Olympia seems to have regained the fullness.
“Whatever he did, I guess he did the stem cell [therapy] from what I hear and it really did work for him. Whatever he did, he regained the fullness of his arm. His shoulders, his chest… I don’t know if he’s pumped up or not but he seems healthy and that’s very good.”
However, Bannout advised Ramy to not rush things and rather ease his way into the competition. According to him, the former two-time Mr. Olympia must prepare smart and take one full year off from the competition and he will be good to go.
“When you look at the beef, the fullness, the muscle mass you have, and you have all the time in the world. Just slowly but surely stay focused. Get that 24k quality and he’ll be right there in the winner’s circle in my opinion.”
Samir Bannout on whether the Egyptian bodybuilder can recapture the Olympia throne
The Veteran bodybuilder thinks making a hasty comeback might not be the right decision for long-term health. He believes that competition is best avoided if there is any health issue. But judging by Ramy’s look, Bannout finds his return to be an achievable task:
“I’m not sure but it’s doable. I mean, it’s all up to him, it’s all up to his coaching and mindset, believing… I don’t think Ramy is as focused as Dorian Yates, for example. The reason Dorian Yates was winning the contest was because he was putting his heart and soul. Nobody had better tunnel vision than Dorian Yates. Only I would say, Ronnie Coleman did too.”
As for the possibility of Big Ramy recapturing Mr. Olympia throne, Samir Bannout can’t find a definitive answer yet.
“Can he win the Olympia? Winning the Olympia is not as easy as it used to be now. It’s more difficult too.”
However, he feels that Ramy’s recovery shows that he has the necessary physical ability to get there. When Big Ramy decides to return to the competitive stage, he will be met with a new wave of elite bodybuilders like Andrew Jacked, Samson Dauda, Derek Lunsford, and Regan Grimes, among others. It will be interesting to see if he can regain the past glory.
Watch Samir Bannout discuss Big Ramy’s update from the 14:45 mark of the video below, courtesy of Old School Labs YouTube channel:
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