An off-season is a crucial part of a bodybuilder’s career. Competing year after year can have a serious impact on the human body due to hardcore dieting, intense training, and abusive dosages of steroids that are common among modern competitive bodybuilders. To give the body enough time to rest and grow, an off-season comes into the picture. 

Mamdouh Elssbiay, popularly known as Big Ramy has lifted the Sandow trophy twice in his life. However, things did not go as he would have planned last year as Hadi Choopan dethroned Ramy to win the 2022 Olympia. Ramy has been in a slump ever since, facing backlash from many fans and bodybuilding veterans about the poor proportions he has at the moment. In a recent interview with Rx Muscle, Ramy revealed his plans for the 2023 Olympia which might come as a shock to many. 

Big Ramy announces his plans for this Olympia

Standing tall at 5 foot 9 inches, and weighing in at around 140 kg, he makes sure to live up to his moniker. Being a mass-monster, he completely dominated the whole lineup back in 2020 and 2021 as he won the Olympia title. Unfortunately, back in 2022, Hadi Choopan got the better of him as he won the title. What came as an even bigger surprise to many was that Ramy’s position dropped from first place in 2021 to fifth place last year. Realizing that he needs to work on himself, Ramy decided to take a break this year and come back stronger. 

In his short interview with Rx Muscle, he revealed, “I have to be smart to know what the best time I have to be in stage, what time I have to stop a little bit.” Continuing further, he added, “I think this year I have to get break for the show and if I have chance to come better and I can bring something different, yeah I would be in the next show…I’m not going to be in Olympia this year.”

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Ramy’s decision to take a break might prove to be a good one. After all, the human body can’t grow much at a lower body fat percentage. Having an off-season would mean that he will maintain a slightly higher body fat percentage, and would have enough time to pack a few extra pounds of muscle. Dave Palumbo from Rx Muscle, who is a bodybuilding veteran himself also shared a few advice for Ramy a short while ago. 

Dave Palumbo gives his two cents on Big Ramy

As Olympia’s head judge Steve Weinberger has openly admitted a few times that Ramy needs an off-season to return stronger on the stage, Palumbo seems to be agreeing with what Weinberger said. In a YouTube video that Palumbo shared weeks ago, he pointed out that Ramy’s lower body is much more developed compared to his upper body. He stated that an increase in the size of his upper body would be really helpful.

In order to improve proportions, Palumbo suggested that “He’s got to go back to free weight movements…he’s focusing too much on machine work.” Continuing further, Palumbo also stated, “Start training with someone who’s hungry and upcoming and likes to train hard and push to the point of uncomfortableness.”

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What are your views on Ramy’s decision to not compete in this year’s Olympia? Who do you think is going to emerge victorious in his absence? Let us know in the comments.