Thirteen men will battle it out in Columbus, Ohio for the prestigious Arnold Classic title. We'll have to wait until the first week of March so see how it shakes out but here's my breakdown of the show.
Thirteen men will battle it out in Columbus, Ohio for the prestigious
Arnold Classic title. Defending champ Dexter Jackson and runner-up
Phil Heath have both decided to sit this show out and focus solely on
the Olympia. This leaves a window of opportunity open for a few guys.
Who will be the 2009 Arnold Classic Champ? We'll have to wait until
the first week of March so see how it shakes out but here's my
breakdown of the show.
1. Toney Freeman
The X-man will shock his fellow competitors and the
fans in Columbus. He was fifth at the 2008 Olympia and each of the
guys who placed in front of him will be absent from the show. Sure Kai
and Victor were absent from the Olympia but look for Toney to be in
top condition and bigger than ever. He's back working with Dave
Palumbo on his contest prep which has proven to be a successful
formula. Toney also has had more time off than in the past to prepare
for this show. Look for him to be the biggest and best guy on the
stage in Ohio.
Toney Freeman's 2008 IFBB Iron Man Pro Posing Routine. Click The Play Button To Start The Video. Or Download Here: WMV (19.8 MB)
[ More Routines From The 2008 Iron Man ]
2. Kai Greene
Kai skipped the Olympia and will be coming into the
Arnold fully rested. He'll be bigger than we've ever seen him and
count on him being ripped to shreds. He has some of the craziest body
parts you'll ever see. His quads are always diced and his back has
become one of the best in the biz. It's a long shot for him to place
above Victor but it is possible. A number of people are critical of
his structure and feel his physique doesn't flow. Whether you agree or
disagree with that, there is no disputing he's positioned himself
amongst the elite of today's competition. Look for him to put on
another head turning posing routine at the night show.
Vic is clearly one of the best bodybuilders in
the world. When he is "on" he's nearly unbeatable. The question will
be how does he look since his injury that sidelined him for months? He
carried a ton of muscle and has all the right parts to make him Mr.
Olympia. Many feel, myself included, he should have been Mr. Olympia
in 2007 but that was many moons ago. The time is now and can he match
what he displayed on that stage? We'll see in a few weeks but I think
he'll be a little rusty at this show and not be 100%. If he's in
condition and his leg has fully recovered he'll be the Arnold champ.
It's a big "if" though and one that we're all waiting see play out.
He was in fourth last year and I look for him to
hold this spot once again. Branch could bring home the "Most Muscular"
trophy again but he'll be hard pressed to move into the top three. His
legs are crazy but his back holds him back (no pun intended) from
placing high against the top guys. The Blue Collared bodybuilder is a
force to be reckoned with and one of the freaky guys fans come out to
see.
Silvio proved once again that he is always in shape
when he won the 2009 Iron Man. His posing has dramatically improved
over the last couple of years and he carries himself with more
confidence on stage. He has crazy conditioning and big full muscle
bellies that keep him in the top 1-2 callouts of every show he enters.
The judges like the physique he brings to the stage and he'll be one
of the first names you hear called out in Columbus.
Silvio Samuel's 2008 Arnold Classic Posing Routine. Click The Play Button To Start The Video. Or Download Here: WMV (16.5 MB)
[ More Routines From The 2009 Iron Man ]
6. Dennis James
Dennis showed a more streamlined physique at the 2008 Olympia and the lighter weight suits him well. It's been a few years
since we've seen Dennis on the Arnold stage. Look for him to be in the
top couple of callouts if he matches the look he at at the Olympia.
He'll have more size than Silvio but won't match him in conditioning.
He narrowly lost to Silvio at the 2008 Olympia and will be looking to
move ahead of him at this show.
Moe is hungry and anxious to redeem himself. He
wasn't as sharp as he needed to be at this year's Ironman. He added
some size to his physique but it didn't seem to flow as well as the
physique he presented last year. Moe could be in the top callouts if
he comes in about 5-7lbs lighter than this year's Ironman and matches
his 2008 Ironman conditioning. Moe is a passionate guy who is
dedicated to the industry. We'll see if his passion prevails and
launches him into a higher spot than last year's 11th place finish.
Moe El Moussawi's 2009 Iron Man Posing Routine. Click The Play Button To Start The Video. Or Download Here: WMV (16.3 MB)
[ More Routines From The 2009 Iron Man ]
8. Gustavo Badell
Gustavo's best competitive days seem to be behind him. This is a make or break show for him to show that he is still a
top pro. His legs seemed to disappear from the size they once were and
his conditioning has been lacking. He has great arms but it's not a
gun show. Gustavo will have his hands full for a top 10 spot at this
year's event.
Gustavo Badell's 2008 Olympia Posing Routine. Click The Play Button To Start The Video. Or Download Here: WMV (29 MB)
[ More Routines From The 2008 Olympia ]
9. Ronny Rockel
Probably the best we've ever seen Ronny was at this
year's Ironman. Many felt he should have been second and was in great
condition. Hie back still lacks the detail of some of his competitors
but he holds his own on this stage. I don't think Ronny will be able
to match his Ironman condition and will struggle to secure a top 10
spot in this show. If he nails his conditioning again he could leap
frog over a number of guys but I don't see that happening.
Ronny Rockel's 2009 Iron Man Posing Routine. Click The Play Button To Start The Video. Or Download Here: WMV (16.9 MB)
[ More Routines From The 2009 Iron Man ]
10. Ahmad Haidar
Ahmad has an aesthetically pleasing physique but simply isn't big enough to hang with this line-up. He looks amazing
from the front and of course has killer abs. Ahmad could sacrafice a
few pounds and drop down to the 202-Under class and do well there. I
don't see him being a threat to the top six in this show but will
display a classic physique most would enjoy possessing.
Ahmad Haidar's 2009 Iron Man Posing Routine. Click The Play Button To Start The Video. Or Download Here: WMV (19.4 MB)
[ More Routines From The 2009 Iron Man ]
11. Marcus Haley
Marcus has added a bit of size since his injury but the
chips are stacked against him in this line-up. He'll need to come in
much better conditioned for this show than he did for the Ironman,
particularly from the back.
Marcus Haley's 2009 Iron Man Posing Routine. Click The Play Button To Start The Video. Or Download Here: WMV (17.1 MB)
[ More Routines From The 2009 Iron Man ]
12. Johnnie Jackson
Johnnie seems to miss his mark in the early
shows and should consider skipping them altogether. He has one of the
craziest backs you'll ever see and super thick, dense muscle on his
frame. His legs will always be his weakness but in the early shows
each season it's his conditioning that holds him back. If Johnnie can
pull it together and nail his conditioning he'll be much higher but
that's a big "if".
Johnnie Jackson's 2009 Iron Man Posing Routine. Click The Play Button To Start The Video. Or Download Here: WMV (20.2 MB)
[ More Routines From The 2009 Iron Man ]
13. Sergey Shelestov
I was surprised to see Sergey in this line-up and don't feel he's established himself in the pro ranks to merit an
invite to this contest. It's no knock on him personally but this is
one of the premiere shows of the year and showcases the best. He needs
to show fans that he belongs on this stage by bringing in his best
conditioned physique to date. He has a solid foundation but has yet to
showcase it to it's fullest potential.
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