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Flex Lewis is a legend in the 212 division of pro bodybuilding. In a recent podcast, Flex stated that he could've succeeded in the Open division at Mr. Olympia as well.
He made his Mr. Olympia debut in the 212 division in 2011 when Kevin English won the trophy. The following year, Flex Lewis became the champion in the 212 division of Mr. Olympia. He won a total of seven Mr. Olympia titles in the 212 division.
In a recent video posted on Bradley Martyn's Raw Talk YouTube channel, Flex Lewis explained how he could've succeeded in the Open division at Mr. Olympia.
"I truly believe I would’ve won the Olympia or been the first ever champ-champ but it's a woulda, coulda, shoulda right? But if you look at the people who just came first and second, I beat them both.
"Hadi just won, I beat him in Korea and Derek Lunsford came second, who took over the reign from me as a 212 champ, incredible guy, will be a champion in the future but I've beaten him too. So, it would've been a great mix for me to be up in that."
Flex Lewis stated that during his pro bodybuilding days, he had the idea of shifting from 212 to the Open division.
"I felt (the direction of Open bodybuilding) was going there. That's one of the reasons why because originally when I had this mentality of shifting from the 212 to the Open, people were telling me no they're always going to go for the biggest guy.
"But then shape and structure started coming through because of guys like Chris Bumstead and the Classic Physique getting such a great response. I wanted to have the best of both worlds, bringing Classic lines, symmetry, and structure, and I wanted to bring it to the Open class."
Flex Lewis reveals that he is being asked to make a comeback
Flex Lewis announced his retirement from competitive bodybuilding in May 2022, but in the recent episode of Bradley Martyn’s Raw Talk, he declared that several people were trying to convince him to return. Even a judge also tried his luck to tempt Flex out of retirement after the Olympia.
"There’s a lot of people trying to get me back out of that mentality but I was okay. I moved on, done a lot of different things. I had to process it my own way. When I made that decision, I had to stand on my two feet and say no. Everyone wants me to come back.
"After the Olympia, you know any judge came up to my ear and basically said hey you could have won this. You could do it next year, good hype. My heart was in this sport since I was 19. I devoted my life to this craft and right now, thankfully I’ve set myself up for that segue. But that transition was tough though."
Further during the interaction, Flex Lewis warned other bodybuilders that using too much gear (steroids and supplements) is never a good idea. He also revealed that he didn't use gear during his off-season.
