Team AMI/Weider athletes are armed and ready for battle as the IFBB Pro league starts its 2014 season!
PHIL HEATH
BIRTHDATE 12/18/79 HEIGHT 5'9" WEIGHT 250 lbs
The Gift was the next big thing when he burst onto the amateur bodybuilding scene, and after AMI/ Weider grabbed him up, he went on to earn his IFBB pro card at the 2005 NPC USA. Now, 10 years and three Sandows later, Heath is dominating his sport in, dare we say, Ronnie Coleman-like fashion. The Gift’s combination of super dry condition and mind-blowing fullness; a work ethic that’s seen him transform former weaknesses into strengths; and an ability to nail it virtually at will make him a nightmare for the competition when he goes for his fourth Mr. Olympia this coming September.
KAI GREENE
BIRTHDATE 7/12/75 HEIGHT 5'8" WEIGHT 260 lbs
The Predator was already a two-time Arnold Classic champ (2009, 2010) when he joined Team AMI/Weider in the middle of 2010. Greene is without a doubt one of the most densely packed competitors today, with a degree of mass second only to Jay Cutler in his prime. A lighter, razor-sharp Greene pushed Heath hard at the 2012 Olympia, and a heavier but not quite as crisp version in 2013 resulted in Greene’s second consecutive O runner-up finish. With his standout wheels and back, if Greene achieves the best of both worlds, it could spell big trouble for everyone this year.
SHAWN RHODEN
BIRTHDATE 4/2/75 HEIGHT 5'9" WEIGHT 235 lbs
To be perfectly honest, when AMI/Weider signed Shawn “Flexatron” Rhoden in 2011, we didn’t expect him to have the kind of year he did in 2012—but then again, it’s pretty safe to say nobody else did either (except maybe Rhoden himself). After a disappointing start, Rhoden went on a tear, beginning with a win (his first) at the Europa Super Show, followed by another win at the Tampa Pro, a third at the Olympia, then two more “w’s” at the British Grand Prix and EVL’S Prague Pro before ending the season with a second at the Arnold Europe, to be the hands-down breakthrough athlete of 2012. Last year, Rhoden scaled back his contest count, doing only the Olympia and Arnold Europe, placing fourth both times. We’ll keep an eye out for Flexatron and stay tuned to all his activities this year.
FLEX LEWIS
BIRTHDATE 11/15/83 HEIGHT 5'5" WEIGHT 212 lbs
FLEX first featured Flex Lewis in the March 2005 issue—which, as it turned out, was two years before Lewis would earn his pro card at the 2007 British Championships. How’s that for recognizing talent? Lewis, along with Heath, has been an AMI/Weider athlete his entire pro career. And what a career it’s been thus far! With eight contest wins, including two Olympia 212 Showdown titles, the Welsh Dragon is the undisputed king of the 212 class. His success on contest stages may be equaled only by his popularity with fans. Lewis will certainly be on hand to defend his 212 Showdown crown in September, but the question is: Will the everimproving Welsh Dragon stay in the 212 division or move up to the open class?
ROELLY WINKLAAR
BIRTHDATE 6/22/77 HEIGHT 5'7" WEIGHT 247 lbs
Even at first glance, it’s easy to see why Roelly “the Beast” Winklaar is famous for his arms—but with his latest upgrades, that may no longer be the case. Those improvements did not go unnoticed by the judges in 2013 as Winklaar scored his highest Olympia placing to date with his seventh-place fi nish (many thought he should have been higher). Thanks to a new approach to contest prep, Winklaar’s inconsistent track record may be a thing of the past. If so, look for him to be a true threat at the big-name shows.
MAMDOUH "BIG RAMY" ELSSBIAY
BIRTHDATE 9/16/84 HEIGHT 5'9" WEIGHT 286 lbs
Not since Dorian Yates, Kevin Levrone, and Flex Wheeler in the ’90s—or more recently, Heath—has a rookie caused such a commotion as the one made by Big Ramy and his 286-pound physique during his pro debut at last year’s New York Pro. Though he missed his peak at the O, eighth place in the world’s biggest contest isn’t bad—especially since it was only the third bodybuilding contest of his life. He was signed after winning the 2012 Amateur Olympia, and FLEX is pretty confident in saying that the best is yet to come from the visually imposing yet soft-spoken Beast from the East.
