?Wait Until You?re 40?: IFBB Pro and Coach Warns Bodybuilders to ?Train Smart? After Dutch Bodybuilder?s Forced Retirement

In modern bodybuilding, many start with a bang and end with a whimper. Age can be a huge factor in competitive bodybuilding, owing to physiological changes. Declining testosterone levels and slower recovery are issues that bodybuilders have to deal with age. During a podcast along with IFBB Pros John Jewett and Chris Tuttle, veteran coach Milos Sarcev explained this, citing the example of a famous Dutch bodybuilder.?

45-year-old Roelly Winklaar has undergone the knife several times in the past. It has been two years since Winklaar made his beastly presence. Until 2019, Winklaar’s placings have been consistent, scoring his rightful place in the top 5. However, the woes of bodybuilding giants quickly caught up. His placing sank down to 11th in Mr. Olympia 2021. Apparently, the 2018 Arnold Classic Australia champ has injured his shoulders. Here is where Sarcev’s advice chimes in.

Who is the Dutch bodybuilding star who was forced to retire?

In a recent video posted on the YouTube channel IFBB AMA, Milos Sarcev revealed that veteran bodybuilder Roelly Winklaar was forced to retire from the sport at the age of 45 due to various injuries. Sarcev tried to explain by giving Winklaar’s example that the heavy lifting during early years can haunt an individual for the rest of their life. “Lift smart, train smart, not just hard and heavy,” emphasized Sarcev.

Explaining further, ‘The Mind’ disclosed how his family tried to convince him regarding this during his initial years of lifting. “I do want to give a credit to my dad, that basically back in the day told me, wait until you’re 40 and then especially 50. Like hot shot, you know I was going on training like a maniac 6 days a week and all that stuff.” He continued by pointing out that years later, he realized that what he was told was actually right. “When you rewind the film..like oh sh*t maybe I shouldn’t push everything to extreme right,” said Sarcev.?

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Sarcev concluded by pointing out, “It’s good to be tough, it’s good to be strong, but it all comes with a price.” What Sarcev pointed out is an extremely valid argument. A classic example of this is 8X Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman. Many have witnessed Coleman’s epic 2300 lbs leg presses and 800 lbs squats. But what many people are still unaware of is the toll it had on his body. 4X Mr. Olympia and Coleman’s onstage rival, Jay Cutler once discussed the cons of lifting heavily while mentioning Coleman and his epic lifts.

Did Ronnie Coleman train hard but not smart?

Besides his unreal physique, Coleman was known for his extraordinary feats of strength. Nonetheless, he is bearing a significant burden due to his rigorous training. With 13 surgeries, unbearable pain, and a lot of difficulty in walking, one might wonder whether he trained smartly. In the famous Netflix documentary, his arch-nemesis Jay Cutler, posed a serious question: ?now seeing Ronnie with injuries and everything else, Ronnie trained hard, but did he train smart??

Cutler continued by pointing out that??Ronnie?s not going to cry about anything.. make excuses for himself.? Despite the pain and damage, Coleman does not regret his training methods. He says that he will be willing to do it all over again if he gets the chance.

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This does say a lot about Coleman’s love and determination for the sport, but it will also be a learning lesson for other professionals that heavy-weight training can have severe consequences. When veterans like Milos Sarcev and Jay Cutler warn against heavy lifting, it comes from years of knowledge and experience.