An Uncrowned Mr. Olympia? The Kai Files December 2022

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An Uncrowned Mr. Olympia?

Kai is one of the very best bodybuilders of his generation, and he doesn’t need a particular title or trophy to validate that fact.

By Ron Harris

Worthy of the Title. In my 30-plus years working in the bodybuilding industry, I’ve witnessed several men who I was absolutely certain would have won at least one Mr. Olympia title. Their physiques were just that astonishing. Three names that always come to mind are Flex Wheeler, Shawn Ray and Kevin Levrone. Each of them was runner-up multiple times to juggernauts Dorian Yates and Ronnie Coleman, and arguments could easily be made that there were years when they rightfully should have gotten the nod for the win. I can only think of one more man in bodybuilding’s modern era who is legitimately worthy of the title “Uncrowned Mr. Olympia,” and that’s Kai Greene. In his case, the immovable force in his path was seven-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath. It’s now been over six years since Kai graced a competition stage and over eight since he last vied for the Sandow trophy. It’s safe to say we’ll never see Kai on the Mr. Olympia stage again at this point. That’s why I thought it would be fitting to look back at the six times he battled for bodybuilding’s ultimate title.

2009 Mr. Olympia: Fourth Place

This was Kai’s Mr. Olympia debut, and it was also the year Jay Cutler famously became the first, and to date still the only, Mr. O champ to regain his title after losing it. Kai was coming into his own, having won the New York Pro in 2008 and the 2009 Arnold Classic months before this. This was also the year Kai and his coach Oscar Ardon set up a seven-week “training camp” in a Las Vegas hotel room, with Oscar attending to his every need and playing motivational audio tapes at all hours. Here he earned a more than respectable fourth place behind Cutler, a best-ever Branch Warren, and 2008 Mr. Olympia winner Dexter Jackson. He beat out new sensation Phil Heath in fifth. Greene was off to a great start on the Olympia stage.

2010 Mr. Olympia: Seventh Place

2010 seemed like it would be a banner year for Kai, as he kicked off the season with a close win over Phil Heath to collect his second consecutive Arnold Classic title. Pundits wondered would he be good enough now to take out Cutler? Greene showed up far too heavy and with blurred-out cuts, relegating him to the worst placing he ever had at the Olympia. Following this, he cut ties with longtime coach and mentor Oscar Ardon and hired George Farah.

2011 Mr. Olympia: Third Place

This year went well for Kai, as he picked up another New York Pro win and vaulted back up the ladder at the Mr. Olympia, taking the bronze medal behind new champion Phil Heath and the legendary four-time winner Jay Cutler. From here on in, things would get interesting.

2012 Mr. Olympia: Second Place

While this was an incredible leap for Kai as he began a three-year run of taking second place to Phil, controversy over his coaching situation erupted after the event. Though he was supposed to be coached by George Farah, Kai’s accountant and good friend Ron Noreman disclosed that Greene was only working with Farah “on paper,” and that all his actual advice and protocols came from him. Regardless of the drama, Kai was now clearly Phil Heath’s biggest threat.

2013 Mr. Olympia: Second Place

As he had done in 2012, Kai took the entire year off competing to focus purely on the Mr. Olympia, a title that now seemed well within his grasp. He looked fantastic, but Phil Heath had come into his own and displayed a package of round, full muscle mass with insane conditioning. As great as Kai was, Phil was just a bit better.

2014 Mr. Olympia: Second Place

This would be Kai’s final appearance at the Mr. Olympia, and it was one to remember. First, Phil took great offense to Kai signing his merchandise with the presumptuous “2014 Mr. Olympia” before the contest had even begun. Then at the press conference, Kai interrupted Phil while The Gift was referencing his late father, and the two had a heated exchange in which Kai listed three reasons he would beat Phil: he outweighed him by 40 pounds, he was wider, and had a better back. Things escalated into physicality during judging the next night, when Kai repeatedly flicked Phil with his long, braided ponytail and the two began staring each other down and bumping each other until officials intervened. Kai would almost compete several more times, but backed out at the last minute on each occasion.

Was He Good Enough to Be Mr. Olympia?

I can say with full conviction that Kai Greene had a physique that was more than deserving of a Mr. Olympia title, and obviously had it not been for Phil Heath, he would have at least one Sandow on his mantle now if not several. He brought a unique package of dense, detailed muscle mass along with deep muscle separations and striations that at anywhere between 250-270 pounds was always breathtaking. He had that elusive combination of ungodly thick muscle with pleasing shape. Kai was also one of the most entertaining and memorable posers the sport ever saw. Even though he never won a Mr. Olympia title, his enormous fan base around the world is testimony to the fact millions have drawn inspiration from both his physique and his words, which always stress the importance of believing in oneself and your own potential for greatness. Kai is one of the very best bodybuilders of his generation, and he doesn’t need a particular title or trophy to validate that fact.

Instagram @kaigreene
Twitter @KaiGreene
Facebook @officialkaigreene
trainwithkai.com
YouTube: Kai Greene

Kai Greene’s Redcon1 Stack
Total War® RTD - pre-workout
BIG NOISE® - pre-workout
ISOTOPE® - post-workout
Yohimbine HCL - pre-workout
MED+KIT® - upon waking
BREACH® - intra-workout

For more information, visit redcon1.com


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x454114442-kai-greene-column-redcon-slider.jpg.pagespeed.ic_.p9D8OZXKRe.jpg







An Uncrowned Mr. Olympia?



Kai is one of the very best bodybuilders of his generation, and he doesn’t need a particular title or trophy to validate that fact.





By Ron Harris



Worthy of the Title. In my 30-plus years working in the bodybuilding industry, I’ve witnessed several men who I was absolutely certain would have won at least one Mr. Olympia title. Their physiques were just that astonishing. Three names that always come to mind are Flex Wheeler, Shawn Ray and Kevin Levrone. Each of them was runner-up multiple times to juggernauts Dorian Yates and Ronnie Coleman, and arguments could easily be made that there were years when they rightfully should have gotten the nod for the win. I can only think of one more man in bodybuilding’s modern era who is legitimately worthy of the title “Uncrowned Mr. Olympia,” and that’s Kai Greene. In his case, the immovable force in his path was seven-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath. It’s now been over six years since Kai graced a competition stage and over eight since he last vied for the Sandow trophy. It’s safe to say we’ll never see Kai on the Mr. Olympia stage again at this point. That’s why I thought it would be fitting to look back at the six times he battled for bodybuilding’s ultimate title.





2009 Mr. Olympia: Fourth Place





This was Kai’s Mr. Olympia debut, and it was also the year Jay Cutler famously became the first, and to date still the only, Mr. O champ to regain his title after losing it. Kai was coming into his own, having won the New York Pro in 2008 and the 2009 Arnold Classic months before this. This was also the year Kai and his coach Oscar Ardon set up a seven-week “training camp” in a Las Vegas hotel room, with Oscar attending to his every need and playing motivational audio tapes at all hours. Here he earned a more than respectable fourth place behind Cutler, a best-ever Branch Warren, and 2008 Mr. Olympia winner Dexter Jackson. He beat out new sensation Phil Heath in fifth. Greene was off to a great start on the Olympia stage.





2010 Mr. Olympia: Seventh Place





2010 seemed like it would be a banner year for Kai, as he kicked off the season with a close win over Phil Heath to collect his second consecutive Arnold Classic title. Pundits wondered would he be good enough now to take out Cutler? Greene showed up far too heavy and with blurred-out cuts, relegating him to the worst placing he ever had at the Olympia. Following this, he cut ties with longtime coach and mentor Oscar Ardon and hired George Farah.





2011 Mr. Olympia: Third Place





This year went well for Kai, as he picked up another New York Pro win and vaulted back up the ladder at the Mr. Olympia, taking the bronze medal behind new champion Phil Heath and the legendary four-time winner Jay Cutler. From here on in, things would get interesting.





2012 Mr. Olympia: Second Place





While this was an incredible leap for Kai as he began a three-year run of taking second place to Phil, controversy over his coaching situation erupted after the event. Though he was supposed to be coached by George Farah, Kai’s accountant and good friend Ron Noreman disclosed that Greene was only working with Farah “on paper,” and that all his actual advice and protocols came from him. Regardless of the drama, Kai was now clearly Phil Heath’s biggest threat.


x454114322-_pb23675.jpg.pagespeed.ic_.lFpd08RXwQ.jpg



2013 Mr. Olympia: Second Place





As he had done in 2012, Kai took the entire year off competing to focus purely on the Mr. Olympia, a title that now seemed well within his grasp. He looked fantastic, but Phil Heath had come into his own and displayed a package of round, full muscle mass with insane conditioning. As great as Kai was, Phil was just a bit better.





2014 Mr. Olympia: Second Place





This would be Kai’s final appearance at the Mr. Olympia, and it was one to remember. First, Phil took great offense to Kai signing his merchandise with the presumptuous “2014 Mr. Olympia” before the contest had even begun. Then at the press conference, Kai interrupted Phil while The Gift was referencing his late father, and the two had a heated exchange in which Kai listed three reasons he would beat Phil: he outweighed him by 40 pounds, he was wider, and had a better back. Things escalated into physicality during judging the next night, when Kai repeatedly flicked Phil with his long, braided ponytail and the two began staring each other down and bumping each other until officials intervened. Kai would almost compete several more times, but backed out at the last minute on each occasion.


x454114450-screen-shot-2022-12-06-at-3-36-22-pm.png.pagespeed.ic_.eGvVSiraBR.jpg



Was He Good Enough to Be Mr. Olympia?





I can say with full conviction that Kai Greene had a physique that was more than deserving of a Mr. Olympia title, and obviously had it not been for Phil Heath, he would have at least one Sandow on his mantle now if not several. He brought a unique package of dense, detailed muscle mass along with deep muscle separations and striations that at anywhere between 250-270 pounds was always breathtaking. He had that elusive combination of ungodly thick muscle with pleasing shape. Kai was also one of the most entertaining and memorable posers the sport ever saw. Even though he never won a Mr. Olympia title, his enormous fan base around the world is testimony to the fact millions have drawn inspiration from both his physique and his words, which always stress the importance of believing in oneself and your own potential for greatness. Kai is one of the very best bodybuilders of his generation, and he doesn’t need a particular title or trophy to validate that fact.





Instagram @kaigreene


Twitter @KaiGreene


Facebook @officialkaigreene


trainwithkai.com


YouTube: Kai Greene





Kai Greene’s Redcon1 Stack


Total War® RTD - pre-workout


BIG NOISE® - pre-workout


ISOTOPE® - post-workout


Yohimbine HCL - pre-workout


MED+KIT® - upon waking


BREACH® - intra-workout





For more information, visit redcon1.com





x454114445-kai-greene-stack-copy-copy.jpg.pagespeed.ic_.OifSif676t.jpg



DISCUSS ON OUR FORUMS

SUBSCRIBE TO MD TODAY


GET OFFICIAL MD STUFF

VISIT OUR STORE





ALSO, MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW US ON:



FACEBOOK

TWITTER

INSTAGRAM

YOUTUBE











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