Mr. Olympia: When Muscle Comes To Vegas, Fit Happens

As an admitted fitness buff, I always look forward to the annual Mr. Olympia competition…and especially the related events. It’s a massive convergence of like-minded individuals with a culture all their own. And for a few days a year, Las Vegas is one big fitness retreat.

The extended weekend is packed like an overstuffed gym bag, with thousands of physique, bodybuilding, fitness and modeling enthusiasts competing, teaching, inspiring….and selling lots of products. Each year is bigger and better, and this time I was right smack dab in the heart of it, representing VegasBright for the first time.

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It should be mentioned how tough it is to get official media credentials for Mr. Olympia access and coverage. It’s an arduous and time-consuming procedure (three years of applying until finally getting approval), so a shout-out is due to our chief editor at VegasBright, along with my two previous editors at VegasChatter, for helping with the process.

Being a fledgling site made getting credentials even more difficult this year, so it was an honor to attend alongside the “big-boy” media outlets of the world. It also didn’t hurt that one of my photos was used in a two-page spread for the December 2013 Mr. Olympia issue of FLEX Magazine (toot toot!).

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But, I digress. After picking up my official press kit and badge at Orleans Casino (the host hotel), it was off to Brendan Theaters inside The Palms. This was for the world premiere of the new docu-drama The Perfect Physique. Once again, VegasBright was lucky to be one of only five media outlets to photograph the official “red carpet” proceedings, and the only representative of the press to party with the cast and director afterward. It’s doubtful that Ghostbar at The Palms ever hosted such an eye-catching crowd before (present company excluded).

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The Perfect Physique is this generation’s answer to Pumping Iron. It explores the lives of fitness/physique competitors, misconceptions of being “shallow”, and what drives these athletes to dedicate every moment of their existence to their bodies. It’s also dedicated to fitness superstar Greg Plitt, who was tragically killed in an unrelated photo shoot after filming was completed.

The movie is emotional, raw, revealing, unexpectedly uplifting and often quite funny. It’s directed by prodigy Kandice King, who produced her first film at 18 years of age. The Perfect Physique is being screened in major metro areas with the cast and director via a modified “roadshow theatrical release“, before a November release on iTunes. Check the Perfect Physique Facebook page for information on upcoming cities.

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The following morning was the launch of official Mr. Olympia proceedings, with a press conference featuring all qualifying competitors for the main event on Saturday night. Much like the theatrical match-ups before boxing and pro wrestling matches, the Olympia press conference is a lot of bravado, self-praise and rah-rah to get the audience pumped up. It’s always free to the public, and the Orleans theater was packed to the max.

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For those who don’t follow Mr. Olympia, Seattle native Phillip Heath was going for his fifth consecutive win. His nemesis Kai Greene did not enter this year, and depending on the source you believe, was either banned from competing or refused to sign his contract to compete.

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Myself with five-time champion Phil Heath in 2013

There is lots of endorsement money to be made by Olympia athletes, and Greene supposedly had issues regarding setting up a booth at the Olympia Fitness Expo (to promote his own line of products). The popular challenger was greatly missed by many fans, but his perpetual negativity and unpleasant antics were a welcome absence to this writer.

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Tomorrow we’ll cover that very popular Fitness Expo . It’s a two-day event at the Las Vegas Convention Center which brings celebrities, competitors, trainers, supplement companies and thousands of fitness fans into a massive carnival. And of course, photos of the men’s and women’s evening competitions at the Orleans Arena.

Photos: Sammasseur, publicity still for The Perfect Physique

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