Tag: Ryan Terry
Ryan Terry Demolishes A Beastly Back Workout To Prepare For 2023 Olympia
Bodybuilder Ryan Terry is carrying immense drive and motivation in his 2023 Olympia prep. He is dedicating time in getting used to the regimented training and diet plan for the grandest stage of bodybuilding and recently shared a beastly back workout on his YouTube channel.
Ryan Terry is a multi-faceted personality and a renowned professional bodybuilder, fitness model and apparel ambassador from the UK. He emerged on the bodybuilding scene in the early 2010s, winning the Mr. Britain and Mr. International titles. He earned the IFBB Pro card in 2014 and became a contender in the Men’s Physique division of the IFBB Pro League.
The Brit is a five-time Olympia participant and came close to winning the Men’s Physique Olympia title at the 2016 Olympia when he finished second. But he has been a perennial contender and produced top seven finishes in every single one of his Olympia appearances. In 2022, Terry finished seventh at the Olympia to conclude the competitive season.
He is coming off a spectacular win at the 2023 New York Pro in his most recent stage appearance. He defeated the likes of Victor Chaves and Sidy Pouye to bring home the trophy and earn a direct invitation to the 2023 Olympia.
Ryan Terry’s prep for the 2023 Olympia started sixteen weeks out of the show. He is now training to improve from last year’s standing and establish himself as a legitimate threat to Erin Banks’ Men’s Physique Olympia title.
In the most recent video posted on his YouTube channel, Terry annihilated a back workout and gave his competition prep update. So let’s see what Terry’s plan of action is for the next 15 weeks and how he is getting ready to challenge the Men’s Physique division once again.
Ryan Terry gives 2023 Olympia prep update
Ryan Terry was set to welcome a baby three days after the video was recorded. Along with the 2023 Olympia prep, he is occupied with home improvement to make room for the new member of the family.
However, the focus on bodybuilding has remained unwavering. His prep started a week ago. 15 weeks out of the 2023 Olympia, the 34-year-old is not in a very comfortable spot. The first four weeks of the prep are crucial for getting used to a regimented six-meals-a-day diet and adapting to high food intake. It is not a very comfortable spot to be in.
“… Hoping my body composition will change, like, that way I’ll fill up, start to lose a bit of body fat but hold, maintain and even grow muscle in these four weeks,” Terry said.
The concept behind this style of competition prep is to make the body function in a more efficient manner before getting into the 12-week prep where food intake starts to reduce. Terry is currently weighing at 220 lbs. He has lost nearly 5 lbs since the start of the prep and will try to maintain this weight for the next three weeks.
Terry’s physique looks to be at the right stage of development at the moment. His wide lats, bulging shoulders, and quads immediately catch attention as the strongest parts of his physique. However, he admittedly has a lot of work to put in in the next 15 weeks to be able to perform well at the 2023 Olympia.
The British bodybuilder’s back workout
Terry’s current training split includes two back sessions every week. He tries to split the exercises between these two days in such a way that all parts of the back get a sufficient amount of work.
The 2023 New York Pro winner is now emphasizing free weight movements, acknowledging that he neglected them in the past couple of years. Terry hypothesized that the density in his back muscles started to wither away because of that. But once he incorporated them back in training before the 2023 New York Pro and the 2022 Olympia, he saw a massive difference.
The same trend now continues in Ryan Terry’s training routine where he employs a mix of machine and free weight exercises instead of relying solely on machines.
Superset – Weighted Hyperextensions and Deadlifts
Terry started the training session with this superset and explained the reason for including hyperextension as the first exercise.
“I’ve been hitting hyperextensions relatively early but trying to hit them every week. Honestly, I think this has brought a lot of thickness onto my lower back,” Terry said.
Growing age has made it difficult for Terry to do deadlifts in high volume. Hyperextensions have proven to be a great alternative to replace some of that volume. Combining both exercises in a superset is the middle-ground Terry has found. The superset includes 15 reps of weighted hyperextensions followed by 15 reps of simple deadlifts with moderate weights.
“The pump you get off this, makes that exercise, a deadlift, 10 times harder and it is unbelievable the pump you get,” He added.
Terry typically does four sets for 15 reps of each exercise in rapid succession to kick off the back workout.
Superset – High Rows and Wide Grip Lat Pulldown
Rhomboids is admittedly the weakest part of Ryan Terry’s back. He fired up this upper back muscle with high rows with pronated grip to get it at par with other back muscles. He superset this exercise with wide grip lat pulldown with a MAG bar and pushed through all the sets within this superset with high intensity.
T-Bar Rows
The Brit performed a few sets of T-bar rows with variable grips to emphasize different parts of the back muscles. After performing the first set with a wide pronated grip, he switched over to using a close neutral grip for the second set with the same amount of weight. He then increased the weight and repeated the sets with similar techniques.
Terry has had several lower back injuries in the past. Therefore the conventional form where the torso is horizontally aligned with the bar puts his lower back in a weak position. He explained:
“So I’m slightly less bent over where my back is always in that fixed position. So all I’m doing is pulling with my back. You’ve gotta find what’s best for you.”
After dealing with some high intensity T-bar row sets, Terry took to the final exercise of the day.
Bent Over Barbell Rows
The Brit finished the training session with bent over barbell rows. He performed a few solid sets of the exercise to work the major back muscles like latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, infraspinatus, trapezius, and teres muscles. Following this, Terry called it a day in the gym.
Overall, the workout included:
2023 Olympia will take place from Nov. 2-5 in Orlando, Florida. Having a kid can change the way most people look at life and fill them up with motivation. Ryan Terry seems poised to elevate his career to the next level in 2023. It will be interesting to see how he does at the 2023 Olympia.
You can watch the full workout video here, courtesy of Ryan Terry’s personal YouTube channel:
Published: 1 August, 2023 | 8:56 AM EDT
Ryan Terry: There Should Be A Weight Limit On The Men’s Physique Division
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Ryan Terry muses that a weight limit on Men’s Physique would help prevent physiques from growing bigger each year.
In a previous interview segment, Ryan Terry lamented the way Men’s Physique has changed over the past decade. Specifically, he believes that the physiques have gotten larger with each year – and it’s starting to look less like the original goal of the division. With the relatively recent introduction of Classic Physique, Terry believes the divide between Men’s Physique and Classic Physique is shrinking. His solution? Add a weight limit system to Men’s Physique similar to Classic. Ryan Terry discusses why he believes a weight cap on Men’s Physique would benefit the future of the division in our latest GI Exclusive interview.
Early into our conversation, Ryan Terry admits he may be a bit biased on his opinions of the direction Men’s Physique is moving towards. Terry sees himself as a smaller sized athlete in his division – and he believes that Men’s Physique as a whole has gotten too large. But in trying to be as objective as possible, Terry worries that Men’s Physique is growing too large in comparison to where the division started.
Classic Physique is a relatively new division that was introduced in late 2016. It was an answer to many fans worrying that Men’s Open has gotten too large compared to the Golden Era of the sport. This new division imposes weight limits based on height to ensure the physiques cannot grow too large. This kind of strategy is attractive to Ryan Terry. He believes that if Men’s Physique adapted to this ruleset (but on a smaller size scale), it would help prevent the division from losing sight of it’s original vision.
It’s almost inevitable that every division’s physiques grows in size over time. As each athlete tries to one up each other, they push the boundaries of size while trying to still match the aesthetic of the division. Over time, the slow change shifts the bar of expectation for judges and fans. Suddenly, a decade later, the physiques of a division look completely different.
This happened to Men’s Open – which is why slowly over time new divisions such as Men’s 212 and Classic Physique entered the sport. But now with so many divisions, Ryan Terry worries that Men’s Physique will start to look too close to Classic Physique. In his opinion, changing the Men’s Physique rules to include a weight limit based on height will fix this problem.
Of course, there are already other factors in place to differentiate Men’s Physique from other divisions. The board shorts change the overall areas that judges look at for scoring. Also the posing rounds are different. A big part of Men’s Physique posing is a “natural standing” pose – as opposed to the more showy mandatory poses found in Classic Physique and above. While seemingly small these are vital differences.
Does Men’s Physique need a change? Is the division growing too large in terms of physique size? Watch Ryan Terry’s full comments in our latest GI Exclusive segment above and then decide for yourself!
Ryan Terry: How To Prepare For Long Distance Travel Before A Bodybuilding Competition
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Ryan Terry shares the tips and tricks of preparing for long distance travel without ruining your bodybuilding diet and retaining too much water.
Ryan Terry is a pro bodybuilding competitor in the United Kingdom. Due to this – he often has to travel long distances for the biggest competitions of the year. The Arnold Classic and the Olympia, two of the biggest bodybuilding shows each year, both are held in the United States. This creates a mandatory 10 hour flight for Terry anytime he wants to compete at a major show.
This kind of long distance travel does not fit in with the structure needed for the daily bodybuilding lifestyle. When trying to look perfect for a competition – one 10 hour flight can throw off your peak timing right before a show. So how does a pro bodybuilder prevent disaster before appearing on stage? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Ryan Terry breaks down his tactics for maintaining the necessary bodybuilding diet during long distance traveling before a competition.
It can’t be emphasized enough, a pro bodybuilder runs his or her body like a well oiled machine. Just like a machine, or say a car engine, everything must be kept in perfect condition to prevent issues down the road. This comes down to a daily level for bodybuilders – especially during the final weeks of contest prep. One wrong move can throw off peak timing. This means the athlete’s physique is off and a year of hard work is thrown out the window.
So when it comes to travel, a long flight can be a death knell for a pro bodybuilder right before a competition. Unfortunately, many pro bodybuilders must travel, sometimes across the globe, in order to compete in the best shows of the year. This is certainly true for Ryan Terry – who must usually travel at least 10 hours via plan to arrive in the states. During our video conversation, we asked for his personal tactics on maintaining his pinpoint diet and training alongside a flight throwing a wrench in traditional daily planning.
Ryan Terry acknowledges that a long flight can be disastrous for a bodybuilder. The 10 hours sucks up any time he could have been training and food options are limited. Also – staying seated on a flight for 10 hours can build up water retention in the body. This is the worst thing that can happen to a pro bodybuilder right before a show. That’s why Terry works backwards from landing in the United States – and plans out every single step of his travel plans well in advance.
It’s important to arrive early before a show – so that any problems that arise can be dealt with once settled in the competition location. Beyond this, Ryan Terry plans out his meal prep and his actions after landing off the plane by the minute. He looks up where nearby grocery stores are that fit his diet needs (usually Whole Foods), and plans out his trip step by step. He knows when he will land, when he will arrive at the grocery store, when he can get his first training session in a nearby gym.
By working backwards, he can then plan out the necessary meals to bring on the plan with him. Know if he needs to squeeze in a meal right before getting on a flight. He ensures that he eats the right kind of food to avoid water retention on the flight as much as possible. If it sounds like a lot – that’s because it is. The day of traveling requires the laser focus of a bodybuilder diet cranked up to 11.
You can watch Ryan Terry break down his travel prep in even more detail by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Ryan Terry: How Judges Feedback Can Do More Harm Than Good
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Ryan Terry warns of how relying too much on judges feedback might hurt your physique instead of help it.
Being a professional bodybuilder, Ryan Terry has had his fair share of competitions and interactions with the official judges. Being a subjective sport, there are times where an athlete might not agree with how he or she was scored. Terry knows this all too well throughout his years of competing. But ultimately, the judges are there for a reason and their advice should be heeded… that is unless it throws you off psychologically. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Ryan Terry warns of the dangers of relying too heavily on judges feedback.
Pro bodybuilding is just as much a battle with yourself as it is against the other competitors. At the end of the day, there’s nothing you can do to make another person’s physique worse. All you can do is focus on improving yourself. In that regard, reassessing and adjusting your tactics is important. A bodybuilder needs to have an open mind in order to find new ways to improve. That’s where judges feedback can be helpful. It’s direct insight into the mind of the very people who score you on stage.
But Ryan Terry warns of relying too heavily on feedback from the judges. Terry actually recommends to sometimes avoid feedback (whether it be from judges or online comments). This might sound counter intuitive. Why would you not want valuable feedback?
The whole endeavor has to do more with the mind than the body. Terry notes that if you try too aggressively to meet the feedback given by judges, you might actually throw your entire training and prep off balance. If you’re constantly second guessing your own process – that doubt will eat away at your confidence. Losing that confidence can be a big blow against progress.
Does this mean you should ignore feedback entirely? Not necessarily. Perhaps it depends on knowing yourself and how you will react. Ryan Terry clearly prefers to keep certain feedback off the table so he can stay laser focused without white noise throwing off his direction. Others love feedback and finds that it actually helps provide direction. It’s something each up-and-coming bodybuilder needs to discover for his or herself.
A perfect example of this is Bev Francis. Famous in her heyday for having one of the best female physiques in the history of bodybuilding, her journey through the years is well chronicled. While she is a legend in the sport, she was also a sort of victim to too much feedback. At a time when Women’s Open bodybuilding was finding its identity, Bev Francis was constantly adjusting the kind of physique she held on her frame.
Whether it was due to direct feedback or simply assessing the winner the judges chose – Francis often found herself ping-ponging between needing to put on more mass and needing to look more feminine. Due to this, she never won a Ms. Olympia despite believing herself that she deserved it.
The Ms. Olympia and Women’s Open Bodybuilding of that time might be an extreme case. A time when judges themselves were unsure of what the division champion should look like year after year. But it’s a good example of how feedback can ultimately drag you around and make you lose sight of an overall direction.
Ryan Terry seems to suggest that all feedback, even from judges, should come with a grain of salt. You should know your body better than anyone, even the judges. So that should always be kept in mind when getting feedback.
You can watch Ryan Terry go into detail about his advice for up-and-coming bodybuilders in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Ryan Terry Answers: Is Men’s Physique Muscle Mass Getting Too Big?
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Ryan Terry reflects on the evolution of Men’s Physique since its inception and whether or not athletes are becoming too big.
Ryan Terry is a Men’s Physique competitor who has been competing for quite some time. So he’s been able to witness the evolution of physiques within the division throughout the past decade. If you were to look at Men’s Physique in 2013 and compare it today – the muscle mass on the athletes has grown significantly. It almost looks like a different division. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Ryan Terry weighs in on whether or not Men’s Physique muscle mass has gotten too big.
Whenever a new division is added into pro bodybuilding, there is a transition stage as the athletes and judges determine what the “perfect champion” looks like for the category. During this time, the sport evolves, the physiques change, and eventually the division settles into its own very unique look. During our recent interview with Ryan Terry, we asked him to look back at the inception of Men’s Physique and compare it to how physiques look today.
Ryan Terry admitted that the physiques are much larger than they used to be. He attributes this to athletes trying to continually push the envelope and one up each other. With each year, athletes will try to improve. How do they do that? By becoming more conditioned and building more mass to get a slight edge. It’s small – but over many years it slowly changed the division.
Ryan Terry actually thinks that the size has become so much larger – that it would be possible for a Classic Physique competitor to drop down into Men’s Physique if they don’t meet the height to weight requirements in Classic. This might not have happened, Terry admits, but the fact that it may be possible is worrying to him for the Men’s Physique division. Where is the line drawn? How much bigger will these athletes get?
Ultimately, Ryan Terry doesn’t have an answer. But he’s keenly aware of what is taking place and constantly trying to reevaluate his physique for success. He doesn’t want to become too large – but he wants to win. This is part of his challenge when going up against athletes like the current Olympia champion Brandon Hendrickson. Terry and Hendrickson’s physique are very structurally different. This poses a challenge for Terry – but he’s not worried. He keeps his eye on how the division is changing, how Hendrickson is changing, and is putting in steps to upgrade and become a champion himself.
You can watch Ryan Terry go into full detail about the growth of Men’s Physique and his tactic for taking on Brandon Hendrickson in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Ryan Terry Answers: Does Respect For Men’s Physique From Men’s Open Bodybuilders Matter?
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Ryan Terry weighs in: Does it matter whether or not Men’s Open bodybuilders respect Men’s Physique?
Ryan Terry is an accomplished Men’s Physique competitor from the UK. Growing up, he was always inspired by the work ethic of Men’s Open bodybuilders – but he knew genetically he could never reach that kind of mass monster size. That’s why Men’s Physique ultimately was the perfect fit for him. Suddenly he can follow in the work ethic footsteps of bodybuilders he admired – but also compete with a smaller physique that better fits his goals.
It’s no secret that some (but not all) Men’s Open bodybuilders criticize Men’s Physique. There has been a long history of Men’s Open competitors jabbing or mocking Men’s Physique. Antoine Vaillant jokingly did a guest posing in board shorts. Bodybuilding legend and mass monster Paul Dillet called Men’s Physique at the Olympia “laughable.” The list can go on. Many of these men are bodybuilders that Ryan Terry always respected and looked up to. Does this kind of lack of respect bother him? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Ryan Terry shares his thoughts on the relationship between Men’s Open and Men’s Physique.
We had a chance to connect with Ryan Terry via video chat and discuss his bodybuilding origins, opinions on trending topics, and his future plans. When discussing on how Terry discovered bodybuilding – it was clear he had a deep reverence for legends in the Men’s Open division. His step father was even a super heavyweight competitor during Terry’s childhood.
Ultimately, Ryan Terry wanted to apply the bodybuilding work ethic to his life. At first not to become a competitor – but to feel better about his body. He knew he could never be a mass monster but still wanted to train and build that kind of work ethic. He eventually discovered Men’s Physique and it was a perfect fit. He quickly went pro and has found great success in his bodybuilding career.
But does it bother him that the very athletes that inspired him – occasionally disrespect Men’s Physique. It ranges from innocent jokes to straight out comments diminishing the division. How does that affect Terry’s view of Men’s Open and the legends that motivated him?
Ryan Terry doesn’t think it matters much. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and Men’s Physique will remain a popular division regardless of what Men’s Open athletes think. While Terry would love to gain more respect from mass monster competitors – his respect for them remains. Their accomplishments and how they inspired future generations (such as himself) remain in tact.
“To be honest with you I respect all athletes,” Ryan Terry states in our interview. He continues:
“I respect them. I respect what they’ve achieved and stuff. I would love for them to acknowledge and respect what we do as well but I don’t lose sleep over it. That’s up to them. That doesn’t change the way I train. It doesn’t change the way I think about my sport. I can take it or leave it.”
Ryan Terry believes that everyone is entitled to their own opinions. What Men’s Open feel and think have no bearing on Terry’s life as a Men’s Physique competitor. It also doesn’t change what Men’s Open bodybuilders have achieved. So his respect remains in tact. He knows the kind of work ethic he puts in – and if Men’s Open want to acknowledge it, that’s fantastic. But if they don’t – that’s their decision. He’ll keep going forward with respect and hunger to improve and succeed.
You can watch Ryan Terry’s full comments about his bodybuilding origins, Men’s Open vs Men’s Physique, and more in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
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