Flex Wheeler USA

Born: - August 23, 1965
Height: - 175 cm
Competitive weight: - 105 kg
Photo gallery:-
The name is sometimes spelled as: - Ken (Flex) Wheeler, Ken Wheeler (Flex), Flex Wheeler

When you start a conversation about bodybuilding stars with a capital letter, you almost immediately remember the American Flex Wheeler. To date, Flex is perhaps the most popular professional bodybuilder on the planet, crowned with the laurels of the winner of the largest tournaments, spoiled by the attention of the press and treated with love, often turning into idolatry of hundreds of thousands of bodybuilding fans. However, was his path to fame and success so cloudless?

Kenneth Martin Wheeler was born on August 23, 1965 in Fresno, California. When Wheeler was two years old, his parents broke up: "Father rushed to Oakland, and mother ... I don't remember what happened to her ..." In fact, Kenneth was raised by his grandmother, of whom he retained the fondest memories: "If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be in the world now, or I'd be in some gang, or I'd be doing some other bad business." Fresno was considered an extremely turbulent place, it was literally flooded with gangs of teenagers, and therefore it is not at all surprising that 9-year-old Kenneth gave preference not to American football, but to martial arts - taekwondo, karate and kungfu.

In this field, he achieved considerable success, and they say that it was precisely because of his attachment to martial arts that Wheeler began to call himself Flex, which in English means "flexible" (although another meaning of this word corresponds to the Russian "tighten up" , "pose" or something like that) however, when in 1989 he had to make a choice between karate and bodybuilding, he chose bodybuilding. "My karate coach, with whom I still maintain a close relationship, told me that I had to make my own choice. And I made it: the day after I won the Mr. California title, I spent my last fight. Of course, now I can’t show what I was capable of then in terms of mastering certain techniques, but I will always be able to protect myself.

Bodybuilders are not born

By American standards, the title "Mr. California" is already very serious. However, do not think that Flex was born with already pumped up muscles. It's hard to believe, but by the time he graduated from high school, he did not even weigh 45 kg, and one of the greatest bodybuilders of our time left college, barely exceeding 60 kilos! "The basis of my diet then was three products: tuna, bread and bananas. I just got sick of this tuna, and I jammed it with bananas!"

However, this diet also worked "one hundred percent", and it cost Flex more hard to train, as the results immediately came: within four years of active performances, he managed to become the US heavyweight champion and get a professional card. Probably, this could have been done before, but the rivals were too strong: Mike Matarazzo, to whom Flex lost at the 1991 Mr. USA contest, and especially Kevin Levron, who beat Wheeler at the US National Championship all in the same 1991.

The next year, Flex was simply unstoppable. He became "Mr. USA" by knocking out all of America's strongest heavyweights at the time, including Chris Duffy and Mike Francois. Not having time to become a professional, he immediately wins two tournaments: "Ironman" and "Arnold Classic", putting Lee Labrada himself on his knees. His muscles are legendary. Indeed, it seems that there are simply no flaws in the figure of Flex: huge arms and hips, an extremely detailed back, a tiny waist. The aesthetics of his addition is fascinating, but this is too little to reign on the throne of Olympia.

By coincidence, it was this year that the Briton Dorian Yates announced the pursuit of the "mass" (of which he himself became a victim a few years later), and at the 1993 Mr. Olympia contest, Wheeler had to be content with second place. With approximately the same height, Flex, although noticeably superior to Yates in the aesthetics of addition, was inferior to him by almost 20 kg (99 kg for Flex versus 116 for Dorian). "Comparing Wheeler and Yates is the same as comparing an apple and an orange. Go figure it out - which is better?" - the judges shrugged. However, Flex's future seemed bright. He became insanely popular in Kachkov's circles, his photos did not leave the pages of popular bodybuilding magazines, sponsors lined up to offer him lucrative advertising contracts. But everything changed in an instant.

Main test

At 2 am on June 9, 1994, Flex's serene existence was shattered in a car accident. At the same time, Wheeler was incredibly lucky. Firstly, because rushing at a speed of about 250 km / h, he remained alive, although he received serious injuries - an injury to the cervical vertebrae. Second: Flex managed to recover from the accident quite quickly, without surgery. Third: contrary to the predictions of doctors, he managed to return to big bodybuilding.

At the same time, the accident undoubtedly became a severe test of strength. One of the unpleasant surprises for Wheeler was that during the entire period of his illness, the pearl of Vader's empire was never visited in the hospital by any of Vader's functionaries. But Vader hastened to cut the contract of the disabled champion by 75%! As Flex recalls, it took almost two years to restore the contract amount to its original level. Only after he won the "Night of Champions" -96 in a brilliant style, did they finally believe in him ...

Return to duty

In early 1995, the news spread in Kachkov circles: Wheeler was in shape, he intended to compete and regain championship status. Despite the fact that Flex still failed to return to its former condition, he managed to win two starting tournaments in Miami and South Beach, defeating Aaron Baker, Lee Priest, Patrick Lynn, Darrem Charles and a dozen other strong pros along the way.

However, the most serious test - "Arnold Classic" - was ahead. Despite the fact that Flex managed to get around such luminaries as Lee Labrada (who, by the way, then put up the highest weight in his career), Charles Claremont, who was simply in amazing shape, Andreas Müntzer and many others, he still lost to his favorite the local public Mike Francois, who was at the peak of his career.

And then, in the fall, there was a failure at Olympia: suddenly the relief that disappeared somewhere turned into 8th place, and the judges clearly took pity on the ex-champion: Aaron Baker, Ronnie Colman and Charles Claremont looked much more interesting in terms of form. Attempts to get even with rivals during the post-Olympic Grand Prix tour ended in kidney problems and a hospital bed. Dot.

Nevertheless, Wheeler did not lose heart, and already in March of the next, 1996, on the Classic, he was extremely good: not as embossed as in 1993, but very large (about 105 kg) and juicy. After performing the free program, Flex was 100 percent sure that he had won. However, the judges decided otherwise, giving first place to Kevin Levrone. Huge, but not particularly prominent Levrone, according to experts, looked almost worse than Paul Dillet, who finished third, not to mention Flex, but, as you know, they don’t wave their fists after a fight. Two months later, Flex, trying to rehabilitate himself, enters a tournament in Toronto and ... finishes second after Ronnie Colman, who scored a good move.

Such was the retribution for arrogance: Wheeler appeared at this tournament with too smooth hips and gluteal muscles, for which he was immediately punished. True, then everything fell into place, and at the Florida Pro and Night of Champions contests, Wheeler celebrates victory, but he again failed Olympia: fifth on stage and fourth in the protocol after Sonbaty was disqualified. Ironically, perhaps the most gifted bodybuilder in the history of bodybuilding in 1996 was even further from the cherished statuette of Sandow than he was in 1993.

Failures hardened Wheeler and forced him to draw some conclusions. He abandoned the idea of ​​competing in the set of "mass" with such monsters as Sonbati or Dillet, focusing on improving the relief of muscles. In the spring of 1997, this tactic paid off: being 29 kilos lighter than Sonbaty (according to other sources, this difference was even more deadly: 96 kg for Flex versus 130 for Sonbaty) Wheeler easily and naturally won the second Arnol Classic title in his career ", at the same time getting even with Mike Francois, who took only third place.

Flex was again talked about as a real contender for the title of "Mr. Olympia", which has been held by Yates for five years in a row. However, Flex never made it to the Olympia podium...

Great mystifier?

Wheeler's decision not to compete at the Olympia, taken literally on the eve of the tournament, gave rise to a huge amount of speculation and rumors. According to the official version, Flex injured his hand while getting into a fight with robbers who were trying to open his car. However, evil tongues claimed that the psychologically unstable Wheeler was simply afraid to compete with Yates again in order to maintain his champion status and calmly sit on the throne of the king of bodybuilders, which, again, according to rumors, was about to be freed.

By the way, something similar was said about the 1994 car accident: they say that Flex himself fabricated this whole story in order to add popularity to himself. By the way, another dark page in Wheeler's biography is the sensational story with implants. Not distinguished, like most black athletes, by the mighty development of the calf muscles, Flex suddenly began to appear on the podium with calves resembling cannonballs in shape. The guardian of Kachkov's morality and truth-seeker Sean Ray immediately sounded the alarm and even allegedly insisted that Wheeler's shins be checked by X-ray. However, the audit could not reveal anything criminal ...

It's not easy to be a favorite

By the time Yates made the sensational announcement that he would not defend his championship title (which happened in the summer of 1998), Wheeler was the main favorite in the race for the Mr. Olympia title. There were objective reasons for this: since the autumn of 1996, he had not known defeat, having managed during this time to beat the great and terrible Nasser El Sonbaty several times, who finished second at Olympia -97.

Moreover, according to experts, Flex was so good at the Ironman and Arnold Classic tournaments that this form of his was recognized as the standard, and even Sonbati himself, who caustically criticized Wheeler's small size a year earlier, this time lavished some compliments. The rest of Flex's rivals: Ray, Levron, Dillet were not taken seriously.

Probably, this lack of obvious competition and the anticipation of the main victory in his life played a bad joke on Flex, and at Olympia - 98 he was mercilessly beaten by Ronnie Colman. “Looking at my photos after the competition, I realized that I lost the case because I was not in my best shape. However, on the eve of the start, I was 100 percent sure that even this form would be enough to win,” Wheeler later admitted.

At the same time, he made several more confessions, from which uninitiated bodybuilding fans would probably stir their hair on their heads: “Before Olympia -98, I was too relaxed, periodically skipped workouts and broke my diet, which confused my coaches: Charles Glass and Chad Nichols: They couldn't figure out why I wasn't getting better..."

Before Olympia-99, experts agreed that the chances of Coleman and Wheeler could be estimated as 50/50. However, in reality, this was far from the case: everyone knows that in order to defeat the reigning champion, you need to be on your head stronger. However, Wheeler believed that this was indeed the case. For "Olympia" -99 he prepared for real, putting all his soul and strength into it. Exhausting workouts and a strict diet paid off: in Las Vegas, Flex showed up being seven-plus kilos heavier than in New York, putting up about 112 kg. At the same time, Wheeler was much more prominent! Wheeler's progress in the shoulder girdle was especially noticeable: his deltas and arms became simply monstrous!

But time, precious time was lost - enchanted by the name of Coleman already, with the judges meekly put the Texas Ranger first in all four rounds. Yes, and Colman himself also did not stand still and during the year of preparation he also hung 7 kilos on himself, but "how could he win all the rounds from Flex, including the round of proportions, in which Wheeler is invincible?" Charles Glass was indignant, - “After all, proportions are such a thing that either exists or it doesn’t exist. A year of training could not change Coleman so much that he dominated proportions. Wheeler himself shares Glass’s opinion: “I have infinite respect for Ronnie and consider him a great athlete, but at Olympia -99, he was supposed to become only the second.

However, the judges decided otherwise, apparently forgetting that the competition consists of four rounds. I'm not talking about the proportions round, but how could Coleman beat me in the free posing round? Everyone knows that I am much stronger in this component. After the end of the tournament, the judges came up to me and said that they put Colman first because he was more massive than me. But what about the free posing round? Listen to them, so the competition consists of one round of comparison of proportions and three - evaluation of musculature. .."

The train left?

In 1999, Wheeler was diagnosed with a fairly severe form of kidney disease. Despite press speculation about this, Wheeler officially stated that the disease is hereditary, and not the result of independent actions. In 2000, Wheeler announced his retirement from bodybuilding. However, in 2002, he nevertheless decided to speak at Olympia. This caused a lot of ridicule and mistrust - after the uncertainty with kidney disease. According to the results of the tests, no banned substances were found in the blood, which is why we saw Flex in seventh place in Olympia 2002. In 2003, he underwent a kidney transplant operation.

After retiring, Wheeler returned to the martial arts, namely Kemp Kwon Do (a variant of Kempo and Tae Kwon Do). He participated in exhibition fights in 2005 at the Arnold Classic competition.

Flex currently serves as Executive Director of Media and Public Relations for All American EFX (a sports nutrition company) in Bakersfield, California. It can also be seen in commercials or company posters.

Well, everyone is entitled to their opinion, however, in our opinion, Flex is clearly overdoing it: yes, he noticeably progressed last year, but this was not enough to win. Yes, and he himself, after a little rest, somewhat changed his tone: "I still think that I should have won, but after looking at the photos from the competition, I was unpleasantly surprised: I thought that I was much more prominent." In fact, Flex was on the Olympia podium much closer to third place, which eventually went to his old friend Chris Cormier, than to first.

Cormier raged at all, having managed to beat Flex at the Ironman - 2000. And the fact that Cormier will not take part in the Olympia -2000 can turn the last Olympia of the twentieth century into an empty and boring formality with a complete absence of intrigue, since in the probability of Wheeler's victory is believed today only by his most ardent admirers. However, what the hell is not joking, perhaps the lucky loser Flex will still have time to jump on the bandwagon of the outgoing train?

Beyond bodybuilding

Unlike most other elite pros, many of whom are not even married, Flex boasts that he is a happy husband and father. Flex has three children: son Kennen from his marriage to his first wife Levita, and daughter Nia and son Darius from his second marriage to ex-model Madeleine. Flex likes to wear bright flashy things and expensive cars. Usually his fleet consists of at least 3 - 4 cars, among which there are always a couple of "tricked out" "Mercedes" or BMWs, on the numbers of which a modest inscription "Flex" flaunts. However, even if Wheeler "cuts through" the city in an expensive car, this does not mean at all that he is doing well: "No one really knows who Flex Wheeler is.

Sometimes I can pretend to be happy when I'm actually unhappy, and sometimes I'm thought to have my pockets full of money when I'm actually broke at the moment. Probably, this is because people cannot, and most likely simply do not want to know what is hidden behind the armor of my muscles," says Flex. He doesn't have a contract with Vader, you can't call Wheeler poor.Seminars, guest poses, training videos, and most importantly - a contract with the famous manufacturer of sports nutrition company "Bio-chem" - the basis of his financial well-being.Handsome Wheeler has everything about you can dream: awesome muscles, visual attractiveness, money... The smallest thing is missing - the title of king of bodybuilders ...

Performance history

2003:

Ironman Pro Invitational - 3rd place

2002:

Mr. Olympia - 7th place

year 2000:

Ironman Pro Invitational - 2nd place
Arnold Classic - 1st place
Hungarian Grand Prix - 1st place
Mr. Olympia - 3rd place

1999:

Mr. Olympia - 2nd place
Pro World Cup - 2nd place
English Grand Prix - 2nd place

1998:

Ironman Pro Invitational - 1st place
Arnold Classic - 1st place
Mr. Olympia - 2nd place

1997:

Ironman Pro Invitation - 1st place
Arnold Classic - 1st place
San Jose Pro Invitational - 1st place
San Francisco Pro - 1st
Mr. Olympia - 14th place

1996:

Arnold Classic - 2nd place
Toronto Pro Cup - 2nd place

Night of Champions - 1st place
Mr. Olympia - 4th place

1995:

South Beach Pro Invitational - 1st place
Florida Pro Invitational - 1st
Ironman Pro Invitational -1st place
Arnold Classic - 2nd place
Mr. Olympia - 8th place
Spanish Grand Prix - 5th place

1993:

Ironman Pro Invitational -1st place
Arnold Classic - 1st place
Mr. Olympia - 2nd place
English Grand Prix - 2nd place
French Grand Prix - 1st place
German Grand Prix - 1st place

1992:

Mr. USA - 1st place over 90 kg and absolute superiority

1991:

Mr. USA - 2nd place over 90 kg
US National Championship - 2nd place over 90 kg

1990:

US Junior Championship - 2nd place - 90 kg

1989:

Mr. California - 1 place up to 90 kg
US National Championship - 5th place up to 90 kg

Anthropometry by Flex Wheeler

• Height: 179 cm
• Competitive weight: 116 kg
• Off season weight: 127 kg
• Chest circumference: 142 cm
• Biceps circumference: 56cm
• Waist circumference: 70 cm
• Thigh circumference: 79 cm

Birthday Flex (Kenneth) Wheeler falls on August 23, 1965. He was born in California - Fresno. Since childhood, Flex has been fascinated by a variety of martial arts. He constantly worked on himself and developed a personal technique. Since nothing prevented him from doing bodybuilding, he did it. Wheeler always relegated the “pulling of iron” to the background, so he is quite flexible in the presence of a sufficiently massive body mass.

Body-building

In Flex's life, work in the police took place, but not for long, because training was more important and more enjoyable for him. His goal was to become a professional bodybuilder. This athlete took the pseudonym " Flex“, which in translation means “Flexible”.

The outstanding athlete received his first victory at the California Championship in 1989. Further, he took second place for several years (1993, 1998 and 1999) at the Olympia. In addition to winning these victories, Flex often won in various competitions, such as the French Grand Prix, Night of Champions, Arnold Classic, South Beach Pro and others. This athlete had an impressive appearance, excellent features of restraint and confidence.

The sad event in the life of an athlete was a car accident that occurred in 1994. This catastrophe could have left Flex forever paralyzed, but he was lucky. He had to start his training, almost from the very beginning. But the athlete quickly returned to his awards and leadership positions.

1999 brought bad news to the athlete. As it turned out, he had a complex form of kidney disease. Although the press tried to come up with a variety of arguments, the athlete himself said that this disease was hereditary. Many fans of this athlete were disappointed by the news of Flex's departure from this sport in 2000. But, in 2002, he expressed a desire to participate in Olympia. Having successfully passed the tests, he takes 7th place in the tournament. In 2003, Flex underwent a kidney transplant. After retiring, the athlete returned to martial arts, and already in 2005 he participated in the Arnold Classic competition.

Flex Wheeler now

Flex Wheeler is currently the Executive Director of Media for All American EFX, which specializes in the sale and production of sports nutrition. The head office is located in Bakersfield, California, USA.

Flex is still a regular guest at major bodybuilding tournaments. He often acts as a journalist and interviews athletes.

Flex Wheeler is perhaps the most famous professional bodybuilder on the planet, whom Arnold Schwarzenegger once called the greatest athlete he had ever met. As soon as the conversation comes about world-famous athletes, this name is one of the first to be remembered. The athlete is crowned with victorious laurels of major tournaments, treated kindly by the love of hundreds of thousands of bodybuilding fans. Was his path to stunning fame and success so simple?

Anthropometric indicators of Flex

Thanks to persistent training, the athlete managed to achieve the following parameters.

• Height - 1m 79cm;
• Weight at competitions - 116 kg;
• Weight between seasons - 127 kg;
• Biceps volume - 56 cm;
• Waist circumference - 70 cm;
• The volume of the sternum - 142 cm;
• Hip girth - 79 cm.

Biography of Flex Wheeler

Kenneth "Flex" Wheeler was born August 23, 1965 in Fresno, California. Little Ken's parents divorced, leaving their son in the care of his grandmother. The man is grateful to her to this day, because it was she who protected him from threats to life. The city of Fresno was famous for gangsterism, gangs of underage boys flooded the streets, so it is not surprising that Ken went to the martial arts section. Having achieved significant success in this sport, Wheeler began to call himself "Flex", which means "flexible" (however, in Russian there is another meaning "strain", "pose"). In 1989, the question arose of choosing the future fate of a karateka or a bodybuilder, and Ken chose the latter. According to the athlete himself, for a long time he maintained a relationship with a karate coach, and after winning Mister California, Ken had his last fight. For life, the athlete retained the skills of self-defense.

Wheeler's Path to Olympus

"Mr. California" by the standards of America is a very honorary title. But to say that Ken was already born with swollen muscles is impossible. During graduation, he weighed less than 45 kilograms, and after college, about 60 kilos. We apologize in advance for the poor quality of the early photos of the bodybuilder.

Tuna, bananas and bread are what the flex wheeler eats to gain mass during this period. “I was literally sick of tuna, so I ate it with bananas,” the athlete later said.

Flex Wheeler's nutrition worked, and as soon as the guy went in for sports a little more, the first results came:

• 1991 - US heavyweight champion and pro card.
• 1992 - "Mr. USA", and the second result in the competition "Mr. Olympia".
• 1993 - victory in Arnold Classic and Ironman.

• 1993 - second place in the "Mr. Olympia". The victory did not go to Ken only because he declared the pursuit of mass, and not aesthetics, and in mass Ken was inferior to Dorian by as much as 20 kilos. With all this, legends were made about the beauty of Wheeler's body, every centimeter seemed to fans the ideal of male beauty.

“Comparing Yates and Wheeler is almost like comparing an orange and an apple. Try, choose what is best,” said the judges.

But, despite the second place, Flex Wheeler became very popular in the circles of jocks, his shiny photos did not leave the pages of magazines, and marketers tried to vied with each other to slip lucrative contracts to the athlete. But everything changed the "fatal" incident.

Important life test

On June 9, 1994, the calm existence of the athlete ended, he crashed in a car accident at a speed of 250 km / h. The eminent athlete was very lucky, because he survived, having received an injury to the cervical spine. Flex quickly recovered, and contrary to the doctors' forecasts, he returned to big bodybuilding. Representatives of Vader's bodybuilding empire not only did not visit the star in the hospital, but also cut his contract by 75%. It took two years to bring the terms of the contract back to the initial level. The victory in the "Night of Champions" competition returned Wheeler to the previous level of Olympus.

Life after returning

Returning to professional bodybuilding in 1995, Flex again won champion titles. But fate after the return was not so cloudless.

• In the 1995 Arnold Classic Championship, he lost to Mike Francois.
• In the same year, the missing terrain failed at Olympia, so only 8th place, and then only from the pity of the judges.
• The Grand Prix competition ended with kidney disease and a return to the hospital bed.

• In 1996, at the Arnold Classic, the man was very good. Very big and juicy. Competitive weight - 105 kilos. After the completed program, the athlete was self-confidently convinced that he had won. But the victory was given.
• The 1996 tournament in Toronto again put Flex in second place behind Ronnie Coleman due to smooth buttocks and thighs.
• "Mr. Olympia" in the same year moved Wheeler even further away from the cherished statuette of Sandow. Now he is fifth.

On the eve of Olympia 1997, Wheeler was again talked about as a real contender for victory, but the athlete never entered the stage. The rejection gave rise to many speculations. The official reason was a hand injury, but it was rumored that the athlete was simply scared. Another dark story was the implant scandal. A black bodybuilder was suspected of plastic surgery. The cannonballs that appeared at the site of the calves were even checked on x-rays, but no foreign bodies were found.

The difficult fate of the favorite

The weakening of competition and the anticipation of victory relaxed the athlete a little, and Flex Wheeler's training weakened noticeably.

• 1998 - Lost to Ronnie Coleman at Olympia. According to Willer, he lost the case because he did not follow the training program and diet, and was not in the best shape.

• 1999 - the training program became much tougher, the motivation increased, because it was only necessary to win. Flex Wheeler before and after 1999 are two different people. Now he worked hard, sparing no effort. And in Las Vegas, he put up 112 kilos with a beautiful relief. The back and arms of the bodybuilder were just huge, but the main rival Ronnie Coleman was again one step ahead. Recent years are reminiscent of Flex's attempts to jump on the bandwagon of a departing train.

Many bodybuilders looked up to Flex's physical condition. And for such freaks, like Wheeler, he remained a sky-high star.

Life outside of bodybuilding

Compared to most elite professionals who are not even married, Kenneth proudly boasts of being a happy father and husband. The bodybuilder has three children: son Kenny, who was born from his first wife Levita, daughter Nia and son Darius from his second wife Madeleine. Flex loves expensive cars and flashy things.

The bodybuilder's fleet includes more than 3-4 cars, including cool BMWs and Mercs with the inscription "Flex" on the numbers. But, despite the walks in an expensive car, things are not going so well for the star in 2017.

“No one really knows who I am. Often I appear to be happy, but I'm really not. People think I have pockets full of money, but at this point I'm broke. People around me just don't want to know what's under my armored muscle shell,” says Kenneth Wheeler. In a sense, the man is cunning, because even without contracts with Vader, he cannot even be called a poor man with a stretch.

Guest poses, seminars, training video courses, and the most profitable contract with the popular sports nutrition manufacturer Bio-chem. This agreement today is the basis of his financial well-being.

The athlete puts all life events on display for fans on his Instagram page. Handsome Wheeler got everything that every man can dream of: voluminous muscles, attractive appearance, money, expensive cars, family. Only he did not receive the smallest thing - the title of king of bodybuilders.

Video: Bodybuilding Encyclopedia - Flex Wheeler

Roman Jabelov: Flex, welcome to Moscow! You have a great opportunity to directly address your fans before we start the interview.

Flex Wheeler: Hello! This is Flex Wheeler. I am happy to announce that this is my first long-awaited trip to Russia. Here I am in Moscow. I look forward to meeting my new fans and friends. I am pleased to represent my company here, which we created just a few months ago. The brand name is "MEX Nutrition". You can visit our Russian site - muscleexcellence.ru to learn more about our products. In addition, we will be presenting our line at the Expo this weekend. I have the honor to announce that we have also developed a signature series "Flex Wheeler Pro Line". For me, this is especially exciting, because. I played a major role in its creation. Based on my thoughts on the ingredients that are necessary for both athletes and just training people who want to get new inspiration and look better than others. In a word, I am in a pleasant expectation of what will happen and I am glad that our brand has gained popularity in Russia.

Roman Jabelov: As I see it, you are in excellent physical shape. How do you do it?

Flex Wheeler: I have found that as you get older, you need to train harder than when you were younger. When you are young, you are fine: not overweight, you already look good, you have more energy, but as you age, all this goes away. I realized by my own example that at a more mature age it is harder to earn and maintain a decent shape. Therefore, training and proper nutrition are extremely important to me. This allows you to maintain your own health. Muscularity has ceased to be a life priority for me recently. Muscle size is not so important to me, but the ability to feel healthy. As you know, I had a number of serious problems, including segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Because of him, I ended my career in bodybuilding. But thanks to the experience, I learned a healthy lifestyle. I am convinced that in adulthood it is simply vital to start exercising and building muscle mass. In my case, muscle memory kicked in and I regained clean muscle. This is definitely a health benefit.

I make some pretty brutal but honest videos about how hard it all really was. How I worked on myself day after day. It doesn't matter who you are - a grandfather, a father or a businessman traveling around the world or an ordinary person working from home - we always have an excuse for why we did not go to the gym. I am a busy person, I have my own business, I am a father and grandfather... yes, I am already a grandfather! I have several international projects. But I try to prove that even with such a colossal load, you can still find time for the gym. There is no excuse for doing otherwise. The only reason to skip workouts is you personally. You are looking for excuses for yourself. This is self-deception! After all, this is your life! We have been given one body, there will be no other. Guys, you need to take care of him! Do you take care of your cars? Do you check if the car is closed, is it clean? At the same time, people often do not have the same close attention and care for their own body. So, by the age of 50, I came to the conclusion that it is much more important to monitor your own health. This is what I am doing now and what I am trying to convey through my videos.

Roman Jabelov: Why do you think you never managed to win the main trophy in bodybuilding?

Flex Wheeler: Frankly, I still got the most significant bodybuilding trophy. These are the fans who believe in me and believe that I should have become Mr. Olympia. This is the best an athlete can expect. Indeed, I often heard that I had to win ... at least once - that's for sure! This recognition is the most precious thing a person can deserve. I hear words of support from people all over the world and it's an honor for me. A sports trophy is a common thing that collects dust on a shelf in a room. This is what happens with my Arnold Classic awards. As for the medals from the Olympia, they are in a box somewhere in the garage. But I have fans who live and believe that I - the uncrowned "Mr. Olympia" - is the greatest trophy for me personally. Every time I meet with fans, I am once again convinced of the correctness of this judgment. This question doesn't bother me... it doesn't bother me anymore.

Why didn't I become the champion of Olympia? I absolutely don’t understand ... It was a completely different era in the development of bodybuilding. I competed in the company of perhaps the strongest opponents in the history of this sport. Everything was different. To be honest, I believe that the top 4 "Olympians" of those years could make a rustle at the modern "Olympia". Even then, we had bodies that are competitive today. Again... I've already experienced these questions. Why did it happen this way and not otherwise? I focused on my fans, whose love is much more important than some sports trophy. You know something else... There are Olympia winners that ordinary people look at and say: “No, this is not Mr. Olympia!” Therefore, it is important for me personally what ordinary people say, and I am sincerely grateful to them for this.

Roman Jabelov: Don't you think that modern bodybuilding is degrading in relation to the level of competition that was in the late 90s - early 2000s?

Flex Wheeler: In my time the competition was very tough. Perhaps the top 6 "Olympia" of that era are the strongest athletes in the history of bodybuilding. It was really the peak of the development of bodybuilding. I remember how in those days, athletes who managed to enter the top ten of Olympia were perceived as no less than the kings of bodybuilding. Now getting into the top 10 is by and large a failure. I want to pay tribute to the time when I played at Olympia. I remember when I had not yet become a professional, I came to a meeting with the participants of Olympia. It was an honor for me to just stand next to them and shake their hands. Now everything is different. I can't even explain why this is happening. I know one thing - it was an honor for me to compete with the greatest contenders in the history of bodybuilding. The only thing I regret is that I didn't manage to stand on the same stage with the great Lee Haney. If this happened, then I would say with full confidence that I did my best. But I had the opportunity to fight on the platform with another great athlete - Ronnie Coleman. We had a real war! Awesome battle. At the same time, we were friends both on stage and beyond. We are friends to this day. However, with most of the guys with whom you competed, I maintain friendly relations. It was a glorious time. I am glad to be part of a story that simply cannot be erased from human memory.

Of course, there are Olimpia champions, but I also have several achievements that have not been beaten so far! One of the records I'm particularly proud of is the fact that I own the title of "Best Pro Debut in IFBB History". Since I turned pro, I've won four pro tournaments! At the same time, I overtook the two strongest athletes who held the positions of the second and third numbers in the federation rating. In other words, in my debut, I competed not just with the top 10, but with the best of the best. I managed to defeat them. After that, they secured such a result for me - “The best pro-debut”. I am particularly proud of this achievement. So far there is no person who would repeat it. It's not enough to become a professional, you need to beat #2 and #3 in the rank of athletes and win four pro tournaments. Well, in the end, become the second at Olympia. Of course, records are set in order to conquer them. In this sense, I want to say words of admiration for my friend Dexter Jackson, who broke my Arnold Classic record. Dexter is a great friend of mine, we often competed on the same stage. I would really like our sport to develop. So that new strong athletes come to it. I hope that the day will come when I will sit in the auditorium and watch athletes who I can call the best in the history of sports. But so far this is not happening. I am convinced that the best competed in those years when I performed on the Olympia stage. As for personalities, I think Ronnie Coleman was the best. Its shape and dimensions are simply unique. But progress does not stand still. Everything gets better. For example, there are new interesting cars. Everything is progressing. I hope that our sport will also develop and grow.

Roman Jabelov: How healthy is competitive bodybuilding?

Flex Wheeler: Let's be honest. When you strive to become the best in the world, the issue of health is no longer an issue, the main task is to win. I do not want to say that our sport is unhealthy, it is the same as any other, where the issue of highest achievements is relevant. Imagine watching a triathlon at the Olympics and you see a guy who has run many miles and is starting to feel sick from fatigue, but he still keeps running. He pukes in the middle of the road! Do you think he feels healthy at this moment? Do you think he cares a lot about the trouble that happened and his health? Or he is focused on one single goal - to become the best on the planet in his sport. Let's be correct in this matter. To be number one in a sport is simply to be the best. It has no correlation with the issue of health. As such, bodybuilding is a great sport for maintaining health. Look at me. I don't compete in bodybuilding anymore, but I'm a bodybuilder. I try to exercise and maintain a healthy lifestyle. There is a gulf between bodybuilding for health and competitive bodybuilding. I can go to the boxing gym to practice martial arts. I can box to my heart's content. But going to box against Mike Tyson is not a healthy story at all, is it? There is absolutely no sacred wellness connotation in professional boxing, especially when you box with a heavyweight. But amateur boxing lessons are a great practice for improving health. It is important to understand this difference.

Roman Jabelov: Ronnie Coleman won 8 Sandows, while today he is experiencing a huge number of joint problems, etc. Is this not payback for a record number of victories?

Flex Wheeler: I don't know much about the causes of his health problems, because many things are hereditary. I myself have experienced some of the most serious injuries when I was a competitive bodybuilder. I have been training hard for almost 30 years. But here's what I know for sure... If you, for example, play football as a linebreaker and play in the NFL's top division for 10-15 years, then at the end of your career you will have problems with your neck and back. Every 10 seconds, these guys experience what looks like an accident involving an oncoming car. This is part of the sport and it must be understood. As a top-level athlete, I was prepared for injury because I was pushing my body beyond its limits. In one of the films there was such a joke. One of the heroes says to the other: “Look, what a terrible scar you have on your face, what is there to be proud of?” He replies: “Yes, I am proud of him, because I received it while defending the honor of my Motherland.” It can be said that the battles that I have gone through and my victories are an international sporting phenomenon. I have a name and there are people who consider me one of the strongest bodybuilders in the world. At the same time, I have problems with my back, shoulders, kidneys. I accepted it ... I have achieved what I can be proud of.

Now let's talk about heredity ... There are people who do not play sports at all. They didn't do anything bad for themselves either. But they also have neck and back problems. They are experiencing heart attacks. This is a common life practice. People just have health problems. I can only answer for my own problems. I can't speak for Ronnie and his troubles and the state of his health right now, but he is both theoretically and practically the greatest bodybuilder to ever walk the planet. I think he has no complaints. Again, there are people who feel worse than Ronnie, but they have not achieved even 1% of what Coleman achieved. The guy earned millions, he has 8 Sandows at home. Only one person has as many wins. Ronnie has traveled all over the world. He has several lines of business. His name will be inscribed in history until the end of time. I think it's a great compromise...

Roman Jabelov: Let's talk about Phil Heath. I don't remember another "Mr. Olympia" who would have so many "haters".

Flex Wheeler: Haters, how cute... (laughs) I don't even know... I think he feels great! We have always been friends. I remember when I was working for Muscular Development magazine, I was sent to meet with Phil. If I'm not mistaken, this was his second amateur performance. We talked a lot, became friends and maintain warm relations to this day. Let's discuss why some people do not like other people? I can honestly admit that I also have enough "haters". They are on my Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. They write terrible things about me. So sometimes I myself experience such moments. Sometimes people are just jealous of the achievements of other people. Envy can be both in terms of appearance and money, the presence of beautiful women nearby, a good car - whatever ... a good watch ... they will envy. People do not have these benefits or understand that they will never be achieved. That's why they hate it. On the contrary, I respect people for their achievements. I admire those who have a good job, know how to earn money, are able to work hard and hard. Such people should be respected, not spiteful ... The world is big and you should not worry about such nonsense.

I can't explain why Phil gets attacked. If the situation is really as bad as you say. I know him well, he is who he is. And he is proud of himself. Maybe he just doesn't give a damn... When he gets into his Bentley and drives down the street, he most likely doesn't even hear the envious cries, because. This car has good soundproofing. However, as in his elite house. When Phil flies across the ocean in a private jet, he probably doesn't hear the haters yelling at him from the ground. I don't know... I can only say good things about him. He has incredible potential. I'm very interested to see how far he can go in his career.

Roman Jabelov: Now about Kai Greene. He refused to compete at the Olympia. What is really going on with this guy?

Flex Wheeler: Yes, Kai Green did not perform. I don't know the whole story... I've heard a lot of different stories and rumors that are circulating on the Internet. I can't believe what they write on the web. You can't even imagine how many times I've been "buried" on the Internet. Allegedly, the plane crashed and my family cut off all the phones. The Internet is an amazing toy in the hands of people. I don't know what prompted his decision. I personally think that this decision was given to him very hard. Especially since every year he knocks on Phil Heath's door to take his Olympia. Can you imagine what it's like to give up on a dream? In his case, this is an extraordinary decision. It was a shame not to see him on stage. Obviously, without Kai, the stage was empty. All I can do is wish him the very best. I hope that he is comfortable living in the conditions that he has chosen for himself. As long as Kai is comfortable with the current situation, I will continue to support him. I don't really like to follow the neighbors, check if they have removed the garbage in the backyard, I'm more concerned about my own "garden". The main thing is that everything is clean and without remarks. In general, I try not to interfere in the lives of other people, and even more so to criticize them. I myself have had hard times and I try to live right. I look at things more broadly. In any case, it was his personal decision. He was well aware of his capabilities at the Olympia and the fact that he would lose money by refusing to participate. You need to have a strong will to make such a decision. If everything suits him, then in any case I will be on his side as an athlete and as a person. Kai is a great person and definitely has a lot of weight in the international bodybuilding community.

Roman Jabelov: Why do you think Russian athletes cannot show good results in the pro division?

Flex Wheeler: This is a problem not only for Russians, it is relevant for different countries. Athletes of great caliber, for various reasons, cannot reveal themselves. I would not like to speak specifically about the Russians, but in a global aspect, I can say that most athletes rely too much on “magic supplements” (you understand what I mean), and not on serious training, scientific base and nutrition. I often encountered a similar situation while traveling around the world. Let's look at the situation from a different angle. If you have a Ferrari, then it's a Ferrari. You can put cool wheels on this car and the Ferrari will only get better. But you can't take a Volkswagen, put a Ferrari on it and hope it drives like an Italian. You need to create something first. While traveling, I often met guys who are focused on anything but hard training. I always tell them, “Listen, diamonds go through tremendous pressure and very aggressive processing, but because of this, they turn into beautiful diamonds.” This is not a simple process and certainly not the consequences of “magic additives”. It is necessary to work like a damn, with complete immersion and inhuman perseverance. Then everything becomes possible. What else I noticed in my trips... Many athletes dream of turning professional 2-3-4 years after the start of performances. Pfft... I competed for seven long years before reaching the national championship level. I competed and lost. But I created a platform for future success. Imagine that you are building a skyscraper. Under the building there should be a powerful foundation, and already on it there are numerous beautiful floors. At the beginning of construction, everything does not look so beautiful. Remember, what comes easily is doomed to failure.

Flex Wheeler: I will not stop repeating that it is a great honor for me to be in Russia. I dreamed of seeing Red Square. It's like seeing the Taj Mahal for the first time - the same "eighth wonder of the world." I am very lucky to have you as a guest. Russia is historically one of the sculptors of the world in which we live. Therefore, I am proud to be here - in "Mother Russia". I look forward to the opportunity to meet Russian athletes. I hope that all our viewers will come to the SN PRO exhibition. I'm waiting for you all. Please come to MEX Nutrition Pavilions 29 and 30. I will be exhibiting the Flex Wheeler Pro Line. Looking forward to meeting my fans. For me, this is a great honor. In these difficult days, I am an American, I am visiting you and sincerely want to get to know the Russian people. I have already met Russians in the States, but it is much more informative to get to know you in your native land. In short, I look forward to seeing you all. You see, the smile never leaves my face!

Kenneth "Flex" Wheeler is one of America's most accomplished bodybuilders. He never conquered the highest podium Mr. Olympia, but many times he took the top of Ironman Pro and Arnold Classic.

He is one of the most famous and titled ectomorphs in the world. Weight during the competition reached 116 kilograms with a height of 179 cm. He started bodybuilding early - from the age of 18. And he achieved a lot. He took his first title Mr. California at the age of 24.

Flex Wheeler proved that ectomorphs can achieve a lot. Another great fact is that Flex Wheeler had an accident in 1994 and had to start all over again after that. He almost became paralyzed, but after starting to work hard, he quickly returned to form. From 1995 to 2003, Flex managed to become the winner of Mr. Olympia three times and the same number of times the champion of Iron Man Pro.

To achieve such results, Flex Wheeler took anabolic steroids. Having kidney problems and using a large number of pills and drugs, Flex was forced to end his career as a bodybuilder. But at the same time, he continues to do it now. The weight he takes to perform 10-20 repetitions. I suggest that you familiarize yourself with the current Flex Wheeler training program, and possibly use it. Or you can use for your workouts. There are also some that you need to know so as not to lose a lot of time without achieving results.

Flex Wheeler's current training program:

Flex Wheeler Split:

• Day 1: chest, calf
• Day 2: back
• Day 3: shoulders, lower leg
• Day 4: legs
• Day 5: hands
• Day 6: rest
• Day 7: rest

BREAST

• Bench press 4 * 10-20 (plus 2 warm-up sets)
• Bench press on an inclined bench head up 4 * 10-20
• Dumbbell bench press on an inclined bench head up 4 * 10-20
• Bench press in the Hammer simulator 4 * 10-20
• Crossovers 4*10-20

BACK

• Pull-ups 4*10-20
• Draft of the vertical block 4*10-20
• Bent over row with narrow grip 4*10-20

SHOULDERS

• Rotator cuff warm-up
• Press from behind the head in the Hammer simulator 4 * 10-20 (Flex performs first 10-20 repetitions with a standard grip, and then immediately 10-20 repetitions with a grip with the palm inward. This is considered 1 approach.).
• Wiring in a slope 4 * 10-20
• Tilt wiring on blocks 4 * 10-20
• Shrugs in the Smith machine 4 * 10-20

LEGS

• Leg extension on the simulator 6 * 20 (each leg separately)
• Leg press 4 * 10-20 (each leg separately, the weight increases with each approach)
• Leg press 4*10-20
• Superset: breeding + bringing legs together on the simulator 4 * 10-20
• Leg extension on the simulator 4 * 10-20
• Bending the legs on the simulator lying 4 * 10-20
• Bending the legs on the simulator lying (each leg separately) 4 * 10-20

ARMS

• Superset: lifting dumbbells for biceps + triceps on the block 4 * 10-20
• French bench press
• Biceps on the Scott bench (separately with each arm) 4 * 10-20
• Triceps on the block with a reverse grip with one hand 4 * 10-20