💪 Are These the BEST Bodybuilders of 2022?

Christmas is fast-approaching. Are YOU mentally prepped to argue with family members before a late afternoon showing of the new Avatar movie?

Vets, newcomers, and a lot of folks in the middle: We've rounded up 7 of the BEST bodybuilding athletes of 2022. Who made our list?

He's not a bodybuilder, but former World's Strongest Man Martins Licis did his best Ronnie Coleman impression by single-arm rowing a 330 pound dumbbell for reps.

Is your 2023 resolution an arms race? A reminder that we've put together a BIG list of some of the best arm workouts for beginners, advanced athletes, with limited equipment, and more.

You know the Olympia weekend results, but what do the scorecards tell us, and how close were some of this year's contests?

2022 OLYMPIA

THE BEST OF THE BEST OF THE BEST, SIR

Bodybuilding fans had a lot to chew on in 2022. In the sport’s most high-profile division — Men’s Open — a slew of new competitors burst onto the scene, signaling that the next generation of physique greats had indeed arrived. In other divisions, longtime champions added to their reputations by pulling out more wins and making their cases for being among the best of all time.

Below, we put together a list of seven of the most impressive bodybuilders from 2022. Some of them won the biggest contests in their divisions, while others made the list by simply having an impact on the bodybuilding culture. And if they continue doing what they’re doing, don’t be surprised to see them on this list in 2023.

BIG LIFTS

Gold Plated Gains

Martins Licis takes muscle overload to a new level.

The 2019 World’s Strongest Man is also the 2021 Rogue Invitational winner and the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic champion. Licis is always testing his strength in different ways, and his recent trip to Gold’s Gym Venice in California included putting his grip to the test against the world famous Golden Dumbbells.

He managed to perform a single-arm row with one of the 150-kilogram (330-pound) dumbbells for a quick first rep, followed by two more reps after a very brief pause to re-grip the weight. Watching from behind was Licis’ mentor and renowned grip strength legend Odd Haugen. After an unspecified rest period, Licis then did a second set, getting five reps. Both sets were performed with only chalk on his hands and without the aid of a lifting strap.

EXERCISES

Start 2023 with Bigger, Stronger Arms

Arm training gets a bad rap as being “all show, no go.” That mindset ignores the full range of benefits that come with training these essential muscle groups (in addition to a building good-looking pair of arms).

While it may not be as impressive-looking as strapping plates around your waist and doing pull-ups until the cows come home, the simple face pull is a staple exercise for building a set of strong, robust, and muscular shoulders while targeting the multiple muscles that make up your entire upper back.

Want to bring up your bench press? A strong set of horseshoe triceps will help you when locking out the weight. If you struggle with pull-ups, underdeveloped biceps may be holding you back.

Fortunately, we've got the arm workouts for any and all situations.

EVERYTHING ELSE

Olympia Scorecard Secrets

• How close were some of this year's Olympia battles (and which were runaway victories)? Let's head to the scorecards!

• Looking to stock up for a winter bulk? We've got our list of the best whey proteins available!

• And on that same note: Have you check out our FREE macronutrient calculator? Well, have you???