💪 The Most Controversial Mr. Olympia Winner?

Unlike a certain hyped-up college football game last night, today's Ripped Report has no plans to bore you to tears halfway through. Let's get started!

We're looking back at how Franco Columbu's win at the 1981 Mr. Olympia contest became one of the most divisive nights in bodybuilding history.

Deadlifts are one of the best exercises for full-body strength. But you’ll need to fix any form mistakes before you can really reap the benefits.

Strongman Eddie Hall announced this week that he’s looking to enter the world of bodybuilding in 2024. He'll need to drop down from his current weight of 360 pounds first.

HISTORY

Franco Columbu’s Controversial Comeback

The 1981 Mr. Olympia roster had a lot to prove that October night in Columbus, Ohio. Hungry competitors like Tom Platz, Chris Dickerson, Danny Padilla, and a young Samir Bannout all lined the stage looking for their first win at the vaunted bodybuilding show. And standing among them was the late Franco Columbu, the only past winner in the lineup. At this point in his career, he just wanted to show the bodybuilding world that he still had some gas left in the tank.

When Columbu showed up on stage at the Olympia half a decade later, his physique was nowhere near where it was at his peak. Sure, he was still lean and densely muscled, but the wow factor wasn’t there anymore. It was clear to the competitors and fans that Columbu wasn’t on his game.

Then something happened that took the whole building by surprise: He won.

Columbu’s victory that night remains one of the most controversial moments in the sport's history. Did the judges simply see something those in attendance didn’t — or did the perceived corruption within bodybuilding rear its head once again?

EXERCISE TIPS

How to Fix Your Deadlifts

Getting better and stronger at the deadlift is a lifelong pursuit for many. However, mistakes can happen when you push the boundaries to improve your power, which is perfectly okay. The key here is to recognize these mistakes and fix them ASAP, so you can improve safely and, hopefully, not end up on the physical therapist’s table.

Here are 12 of the most common deadlifting mistakes to watch out for, so you can continue upping your weights and getting those gains.

BODYBUILDING

Eddie Hall Eyes the Bodybuilding Stage

Eddie Hall has been on quite the journey since becoming the first human to deadlift 500 kilograms (1,102.3 pounds) at the 2016 World Deadlift Championships. He won the 2017 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) contest, retired from competitive strongman, embarked on a short-lived boxing career, and then briefly returned to strongman in 2022 to lead Team UK to a win over Team USA at the 2022 World’s Strongest Nation contest.

The turn of the new year has Hall’s sights set on yet another adventure in his strength sports career: his bodybuilding debut in the last quarter of 2024. The former WSM champion took to his YouTube channel to share the announcement. Watch Hall’s thoughts below.

THE DROPSET

A Past Olympia Champ Weighs In

• The 1983 Mr. Olympia, Samir Bannout, recently talked about how he would revamp the current Olympia qualifying structure to only allow the best of the best on stage.

• Can you actually train the inner portion of your chest? Bodybuilding lore says you can — but the truth is a little more complicated than that.

• Bodybuilder Mike O’Hearn took to his podcast on Friday to talk about whether fitness influencers should be held responsible for the efficacy of the supplements they endorse.

SOUND OFF!

The Most Controversial Olympia Winner

THE RESULTS ARE IN!

You're a Disciplined Bunch

In the January 3, 2023, edition of The Ripped Report, we asked readers how often they cheat on their diets. Here are the results:

1. Once a week (45.24%)

2. No cheating here! (23.81%)

3. Four or more times per week (16.67%)

4. Two to three times per week (14.28%)