Great interview from mrolympia.com with Shawn Rhoden talking about all kinds of things including Phil Heath and the 2018 Mr. Olympia!
We recently sat quad to quad to none other than perineal Olympia front runner, Shawn “Flexatron”
Rhoden (IG: @flexatronrhoden) to get his thoughts on the upcoming big show plus insights into what makes the aesthetic 2nd place Olympia runner up tick.
What is your biggest pet peeve?
People who try to be something that they’re not. And chewing with your mouth open! (laughs)
You always have headphones on when you’re at the gym. Rap or rock?
Rap! Eminem. Angry white boy. (chuckles)
Is President Trump doing a good job during his first 100 days?
(nervous laughter) I think he should stay off social media, and focus on stuff that needs to be done. Stop talking about fake news and all that. It’ll be better for the country.
Many saw your lack of energy and charisma on stage has prevented you from capturing the title.
What do you have to say about that?
That’s a bunch of bullshit. (laughing) I pride myself on certain things when it comes to bodybuilding.
When you spend a lot of time practicing your posing, you’re not supposed to be up there shaking like a leaf. Practice makes perfect. There’s a look of confidence to say, hey, I’ve done all I could possibly could. Bodybuilding is an art. It’s supposed to look effortless. You’re not supposed to be on stage fighting yourself to hit a pose. You should be able to hit a pose, have it pop, yet still look relaxed.
We’ve seen on social media that you’ve been dealing with things in your personal life. How will these
issues affect your prep this year?
That’s just a part of life. (pauses) Stuff happens. At the end of the day, I still have to be a professional in all aspects, and bodybuilding is my job. I have to provide for my family, and that means being the best at what I do.
Does Phil Heath really have what it takes to become a 10x Mr. Olympia?
Eh, listen… (sighs) I… (long pause) … let me catch my breath here for a minute. Phil only won three Olympia’s to begin with. So, saying Phil has what it takes to be 10x Olympia – hey, congratulations to the six that you won, but in my opinion, you should have only won three. Kai [Greene] should have won in 2014. 2015 and 2016 – I don’t think Phil should have won.
To say Phil is going to win 10 Mr. Olympia’s is disrespectful to all the other athletes. I don’t know if he’s trying to psyche himself up but that shit doesn’t do anything for me but make me shake my head and say, hey, good luck!
There are too many good bodybuilders out there. Phil isn’t that far out from everybody else. He’s not dominating the sport. In 2012, yes, he looked great. Last year he was a little bit better, but he wasn’t someone you could shake your head at and say, “hey, you know what? He’s going to win 10 Mr. Olympia’s.”
You can’t be Mr. Olympia and have people boo you. You can’t be Mr. Olympia and have the audience walking out during the Olympia speech. So, I don’t see him winning 10. Not while I’m competing.
What do you plan to say to the crowd if you win the Olympia in September?
Thank you, guys, for walking with me. Thank you, guys, for your support and standing by me. I told you guys it was coming, and here we are. We did it together! (smiles)
Can Shawn stop the unstoppable? To bare witness to Flexatron locking horns with 6x Mr. Olympia
Phil “The Gift” Heath LIVE and in person, head on over http://mrolympia.com/2017/finals-tickets to get your tickets now!
Shawn Rhoden interview on the 2018 Mr. Olympia Source: http://mrolympia.com/2018/sites/default/files/pdf-downloads/Shawn%20Rhoden%20Interview%20v2.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N06iSiDrFhA
