Old School Meets The Modern Age!
Muscular Development|April 2018

Old School Labs® Ambassador Sergio Oliva Jr.’s Updated Training and Nutrition Methods

Ron Harris
Old School Meets The Modern Age!

THE NEW MYTH – AND A NEW BREED

I have a confession to make. I was, and still am, a huge fan of the late three-time Mr. Olympia, Sergio Oliva. I used to stare in wonder at black-and-white photos of the man they called The Myth, trying to process how a human being could be so massively muscular. Iconic black-and-white images taken by his one-time coach, Arthur Jones of Nautilus fame, showed him outside flexing arms that were larger than his head! Then, many years later, I learned his son was following in his footsteps and had begun competing in bodybuilding. Let’s just say I was underwhelmed at the scrawny kid. Sergio Oliva Jr. was 6 feet tall like his father had been, but a mere 176 pounds. Apparently, he was not the recipient of dad’s genetics. Even when he won the NPC Nationals in 2015, I was not impressed. Chest sucked, back sucked, hams were lagging too. Privately, I did not believe he would ever amount to jack as a pro. A year and a half later, my entire impression of Junior and his potential changed. When he took the stage at the 2017 New York Pro, Sergio was a completely different bodybuilder. Why? Unlike some bodybuilders who see only perfection when they gaze in the mirror, Oliva Jr. was his own worst critic. He harshly analyzed his physique, and resolved to work on his weak points and create a package that wasn’t merely a larger version of the same body, but a more balanced, complete edition. So yes, he most definitely got some favorable genetics from his legendary father. But I can assure you that over the many years I have been in this game, I’ve seen countless genetic wonders who never amounted to anything. Sergio was honest with himself, and constantly strove to discover new methods and techniques that would help him improve. Here, in his own words, is a body part by body part breakdown of Sergio’s physique, and how he optimized it to win his pro debut.

This story is from the April 2018 edition of Muscular Development.

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This story is from the April 2018 edition of Muscular Development.

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