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It’s the day after the 2022 Mr. Olympia competition and we are reviewing a message from the former Mr. Olympia, Big Ramy. A day after losing his title defense, Mamdouh Elssbiay otherwise known as Big Ramy, went on Instagram in order to publically provide an update on his future plans in the sport. Ramy dropped from 2-time champion to 5th place in a single calendar year. This has only happened one other time in the history of bodybuilding.

 

The reason why Big Ramy lost is a bigger issue than he seems to understand. Ramy’s muscle loss is likely due to irreversible nerve damage. Muscle atrophy due to nerve damage can only be improved by dropping muscle mass to alleviate the damage. However, that is not something that a professional bodybuilder competing at the highest level can afford to do. In order for Ramy to be able to improve and get back to the top, he can’t afford to lose muscle, he needs to get better, and simply, the nerve damage will not allow for his career to progress any further.

 

On his Instagram live, Ramy congratulated Hadi Choopan. Hadi Choopan absolutely earned the 2022 Mr. Olympia title. He goes on to thank all competitors, judges, fans, etc. Big Ramy is very respectful and seems to be a very nice individual. Unfortunately, these issues are not due to any coaching, mistakes, or any controllable variables. The issues Big Ramy is experiencing are unfixable. It seems like the C6 & C8 vertebrae on his back are the main culprits for the atrophy he’s experiencing, and that atrophy seems to be traveling upward through his physique. These disc issues are most definitely causing his back and tricep atrophy.

 

Big Ramy moves on to say that he will work hard to make it back to the top. This was very surprising to hear. Many people after the Olympia speculated that Ramy would retire after this drop in placement, including myself. It is not worth it for him to work so hard just to come back next year and place even lower. The atrophy that Ramy is experiencing is not fixable. Nerve damage cannot be reversed and it’s better for Ramy to hang up the towel than set himself up for imminent failure next year. 

 

If Ramy does come back next year, best of luck to him and his team. However, I hope that he’s better informed about the issues he’s experiencing and he prioritizes his health and well-being. Big Ramy has absolutely nothing else to prove. He has cemented his name in this sport, and he has done more than enough for the sport of bodybuilding.

 

Watch my FULL VIDEO below to hear all the details!

https://youtu.be/lDkbXKMjHk4