Shawn Ray is one of the best bodybuilders in history that never managed to win the Olympia contest.
The 5’7 bodybuilder consistently came to the Olympia with a fantastic physique and not many flaws; however, he never managed to win the show, even though he was close a few times.
Shawn Ray managed to get second place twice in the Olympia in 1994 and 1996; Shawn also placed 3rd three times in his career, and he also placed seven times between fourth and fifth place.
So Shawn was consistently one of the top bodybuilders in the sport and was known for his incredible posing skills and physique.
Even though Shawn gave bodybuilding all his efforts, he couldn’t achieve his dream of winning the title.
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Now Shawn Ray is 57 years old and is still actively involved in the sport of bodybuilding, commentating on current Mr. Olympia competitions.
However, Shawn just got replaced by Phil Heath as a commentator for this year’s Mr. Olympia.
The reason being is that many fans were not satisfied with how Shawn commented on the Olympia.
Shawn also does a lot of interviews and podcasts related to bodybuilding and has been actively involved since he retired from professional bodybuilding in 2001.
Shawn was a few pounds over 200 lbs in his contest shape, and if he would compete with his physique today, he would probably compete in the 212 lbs Mr. Olympia.
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When Shawn Ray was competing, there was only one Olympia class; there were no 212 lbs; Mr. Olympia, that only started in 2008, and at that time, Shawn had already retired from the sport.
If the 212 division were in the Olympia when Shawn Ray competed, he would have a lot of Mr. Olympia titles in his cabinet.
Even though Shawn never managed to win the Olympia, he still managed to beat other bodybuilding shows, such as the 1991 Arnold Classic Champion.
The Arnold Classic is the world’s second most prestigious bodybuilding contest after Olympia.
Shawn Ray had a fantastic physique in his prime, often challenging for the Olympia title and not being far off.
Shawn Ray Chest Workout Routine
Shawn Ray trained hard and was consistent in his regime, see his complete chest workout preparing for the 1999 Mr. Olympia contest.
Shawn explained that he lifted heavy for that contest to maintain muscle density.
Shawn also said that the bench press is the most overrated chest exercise.
The bench press is probably one of the most overrated exercises there is; the number one pec injury exercise there is.
- Dumbell incline bench press: 4 sets 8-14 reps
- Bench Press 3 sets 12-14 reps (drop sets)
- Dumbbell flys: 4 sets 9-17 reps
- Cable Crossover: 4 sets 13-16 reps
Shawn Ray was preparing for the 1999 Mr. Olympia in this workout; he was focused on getting blood into the muscle and trying to maintain his incredible strength simultaneously.
Shawn Ray Now:
It has been a long time since Shawn Ray stepped away from competitive bodybuilding, but he has always been very much involved in the sport since his retirement.
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Most notably, Shawn Ray has been commenting on the world’s most famous bodybuilding show, Mr. Olympia, and has done a lot of interviews and podcasts related to bodybuilding.
Shawn had also gotten into a beef with other guys for his unfiltered opinions, for example, when he said Kevin Levrone shouldn’t do the 2016 Mr. Olympia comeback.
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He has also had beef with Lee Priest after saying Lee Priest was not a good bodybuilder.
Shawn Ray continues to be an influential and controversial figure in the fitness industry.
But in his prime, he had one of the most incredible bodybuilding physiques ever to step on stage; even though he didn’t win the Mr. Olympia title, he was consistently one of the best for many years.
