Claiming to be completely natural, Ulisses Jr is one of the most successful bodybuilders to hit the Musclemania circuit.
His exceptional genetics and never quit attitude have enabled him to become a renowned celebrity trainer and social media fitness guru.
Here’s the insane story of how an underweight teen became a bodybuilding mammoth.
Ulisses Jr Wiki
Age: 47.
Date of birth: 5th March 1976.
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Height: 5 feet 10 inches (177.8 cm).
Weight: 205-215 pounds (92.9-97.5 kg)
Profession: Bodybuilder, personal trainer and entrepreneur.
Nationality: American.
About Ulisses Jr
Born in 1976 and raised in New York City, Ulisses Williams Jr had an obsession with fitness and sport throughout his early years. However, while he was keen on soccer, football and track—he struggled to make any headway into his high school teams.
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“I relied on my athleticism to keep me lean and ripped, but in comparison to other teenagers in my age group, I was always one of the smallest. My lack of size and strength is what made it hard for me to make any of the teams, and this was a wake-up call for me.”
To resolve the issue, his coach suggested he hit the gym. Ulisses Jr followed his advice—and immediately fell in love with lifting.1
The Ulisses Jr bodybuilding journey had begun.
As his physique developed, he and his lifting buddies decided to enter a local bodybuilding competition. Despite being a novice and still in his teens—Ulisses Jr won.
This victory fuelled his ambition. He began to focus all his attention on competition—using it as a motivation to push himself harder. Within five years, he was a familiar face on the circuit and won his first major title, the 2000 Platinum Classic NYC.
This exposure led to modeling and magazine cover work and allowed him to develop his own celebrity fitness training business.
He remained at the top of the pile in the Musclemania division—retiring from the sport in 2014 to concentrate on his other business ventures. However, there are rumors that he may return in the near future to compete in the Classic Physique category.
Today, Ulisses Jr lives with his British girlfriend, Arita Belize, in London, UK. From his website, he retails supplements, workout and diet programs, clothing and bodybuilding accessories.
Furthermore, he’s the Physical Training Director of Reebok Sports Club, Canary Wharf, London.
Through his YouTube channel and Ulisses Jr Instagram account—he aims to help others to understand the importance of training and fitness:
“I want to inspire and motivate people of all ages, to share the importance of the consistency needed in both training and nutrition.”
Ulisses Jr Bodybuilding Career
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Ulisses Jr is the only person to win Musclemania World and Universe titles back to back (2013 and 2014).
Throughout his fourteen years on the circuit—he was the man to beat. Here are his most impressive performances:
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2000 1st place Platinum Classic NYC Novice Middleweight
2001 1st place MET Championships NYC Novice Middleweight
2002 1st place Musclemania Fitness Atlantic Championships Welterweight
2003 1st place Musclemania Fitness Atlantic Championships Middleweight
2003 1st place Musclemania Superbody Championships Middleweight (Pro Card)
2004 1st place Pro Musclemania Superbody Championships
2005 3rd place Pro Musclemania World Championships Las Vegas
2010 1st place Pro Musclemania World Championships Las Vegas
2011 2nd place Pro Musclemania World Championships Las Vegas
2013 1st place Pro Musclemania World Championships Las Vegas Pro
2014 1st place Pro Musclemania Universe Championships Miami
Here’s Ulisses Jr posing at the 2014 Musclemania Universe Championship:
Ulisses Jr Net Worth
It’s estimated that Ulisses Jr has a net worth of $1.6 million.
Ulisses Jr Workout Program
The Ulisses Jr workout concentrates on mainly compound exercises combined with a high volume of reps, usually 12 to 15 per set. Often, he will throw in a dropset or superset, as he believes this “shocks” the muscles generating greater returns—boosting endurance and raising the heart rate.
Each resistance training workout concludes with what he calls his “finisher.” These exercises consist of an extremely high level of reps to completely exhaust the particular muscle group.
He trains six days per week, with Saturday being his wild card day. Ulisses Jr believes it’s crucial to ensure that your body is developing in proportion—so recommends that one day a week should be used to focus on any areas that aren’t up to scratch.
Finally, every day, post-workout, he will complete 15 to 20 minutes of HIIT cardio.
“15-20 mins HIIT cardio session on the treadmill or StairMaster. One minute run and one minute walk split. To increase intensity I reduce my rest time to 45 seconds or 30 seconds based on how I’m feeling”
Here’s a typical Ulisses Jr workout plan:
Monday—Legs
- Barbell squats 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Leg press 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Calf raises 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Leg extensions 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Lying leg curls 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Stiff leg deadlifts 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Seated calf raises 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Barbell lunges 1 set 100 reps
The mighty Ulisses Jr talks you through his ultimate quads workout:
Tuesday—Back
- Barbell deadlifts 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Weighted pull-ups 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Single arm dumbbell row 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Cable rows 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Lat pulldowns 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Back hyperextension 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell pullover 1 sets 100 reps
Ulisses Jr explains his seven favorite back exercises:
Wednesday—Chest
- Barbell bench press (incline) 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Bench press 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell flyes 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell press (decline) 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell close press 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Cable crossover 1 set 100 reps
If you want to know how to build the ultimate upper chest, here’s Ulisses Jr taking you through it:
Thursday—Shoulders
- Military shoulder press 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell lateral raise 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Arnold dumbbell press 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell front raise 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell posterior raise 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell shrugs 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Upright rows 1 set 100 reps
Follow Ulisses Jr as he pushes hard through his shoulder workout:
Friday—Arms
- Barbell curls 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Reverse barbell curls 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Barbell press (close grip) 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell hammer curls 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Cable tricep extension 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Preacher curl EZ-bar 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Body weight dips 5 sets 12-15 reps
- Lying supinated dumbbell curls 1 set To failure
Ulisses Jr explains how to take bicep and tricep training to the limit:
Saturday—Wild Card Day
Select a muscle group that is lagging behind the rest of the body and work it.
Sunday—Rest Day
On Sunday, Ulisses Jr says that he walks to church with his bible in one hand and a protein shake in the other.
Ulisses Jr Diet
The ethos behind the Ulisses diet plan is nature is nutrition. As such, he tries to eat as much organic produce as possible—steering away from processed and take away foods.
Ulisses Jr considers supplements as part of his meal plans—and hence takes them at particular times of the day.
There’s no off-season bulking for Ulisses Jr—instead, he remains ripped for twelve months of the year. He explains that as he has photo shoots, public appearances and tours every month—he can’t afford to be seen without his distinctive shredded appearance.
He does, however, allow himself a slight weight buffer zone—enabling him to trim down in just seven days if required.
Meal #1
- Forty grams of whey protein isolate.
- One cup of organic green tea.
Meal #2
- Six boiled egg whites.
- Half a cup of oatmeal.
- Half a grapefruit.
- One scoop of BCAAs.
Meal #3
- Forty grams of whey protein isolate.
Meal #4
- Six ounces of grilled free-range chicken breast.
- Half a cup of brown rice.
Meal #5
- Six ounces of tuna.
- Two cups of spinach.
- One small banana.
- Teaspoon of flaxseed oil.
Meal #6
- Fifty grams of whey protein isolate.
- Carbohydrate recovery drink.
- Glutamine.
- BCAAs.
- Multivitamin.
- Vitamin C.
Meal #7
- Six ounces of Tilapia.
- Two large sweet potatoes.
- One cup of spinach.
Meal #8
- Two scoops of casein protein.
- One serving of fish oil.
- A serving of glutamine.
Don’t cheat on your diet if you want to make gains. Otherwise, Ulisses Jr will smack that damn ice-cream right out of your hand:
Is Ulisses Jr on Steroids?
Firstly, Ulisses Jr claims to be completely natural—he states that he has never touched steroids in his entire career.
Many people have accused him of juicing—saying that he’s obviously on the gear and only claims natty to keep his sponsorships. However, Ulisses Jr refutes this as being completely false—he has enough income from his own businesses not to care about any money from third party sources.
Secondly, he competed in Musclemania—a competition that is known for its (sometimes questionable) compulsory drug testing. Throughout his career in this division, he never received a positive drug result.
He says,
“I’m around 200 pounds. If I’ve been juicing for nearly 20 years, then I need my money back. I must have been wasting my money for years.”
Here’s Ulisses Jr (with Simeon Panda) talking about his steroid-free status:
https://youtu.be/_bvQ8tE2nUI
However, looking at the before and after pictures of Ulisses, he has made some serious gains and remains ripped the whole year-round. Possibly indicating synthetic use.
Ok, there’s no ‘roid gut, and no part of him looks obscenely developed—so he’s definitely not on a massive cycle. But it does raise some questions.
Additionally, take a look at this image below:
There appears to be some distinctive gyno around his right nipple. Perhaps this is just a trick of the light—or an indicator of steroid use.
Ulisses Jr Before and After
Ulisses Jr has been working out since high school. From being introduced to training in his late teens, through to his win in the 2000 NYC Platinum Classic, the process took five years.
Over his bodybuilding career, Ulisses Jr has consistently remained shredded, although his muscle mass seriously increased over the years.
Here’s his transformation from a teenage athlete, through to his early twenties and finally today.
Ulisses Jr Supplements
He considers that supplementation is vital to achieving the ultimate physique, and uses them religiously every day.
Ulisses Jr indicates that his preferred products are:
- BCAAs.
- Glutamine.
- Whey protein isolate.
- Casein protein.
- Post-workout carbohydrate recovery powder.
- Multivitamins.
- Additional vitamin C.
Furthermore, together with the nutritional company BioTech USA—he’s developed a range of products including pre and intra-workouts and protein powders.
Ulisses Jr Quotes: Motivation and Inspiration
Ulisses Jr continually strives to inspire his followers to push themselves hard and achieve their fitness goals. Here are some of his musings:
“No one owns your outcome, but you! Stay dedicated to your passion in life!”
“To be the best, you need to be able to handle the worst.”
“Life has two rules—one, never quit…two, always remember rule number one.”
“Why do something if you’re not gonna be the best? What’s the point?”
“My motivation comes from many different sources. From within to be the best! From my family and friends who believe in what I do. Old school bodybuilders from the golden era and my fans who stay motivated by following my fitness journey.”
Ulisses Jr Frequently Asked Questions
“How Many Bodybuilding Trophies Did Ulisses Jr Win?”
Over 14 years of competition, Ulisses Jr won 24 trophies.
“Who Are Ulisses Jr Bodybuilding Buddies?”
In his free time, Ulisses Jr is known to hang around with the bodybuilder, Simeon Panda. Additionally, it’s reported that while on the circuit, he was good friends with fellow Musclemania athlete, Chul Soon Hwang.
“What Is Ulisses Jr Real Name?”
His full name is Ulisses Williams Jr.
Ulisses Jr Summary
From an underweight and weak high school athlete to a world-beating bodybuilder—Ulisses Jr is an inspiration.
He illustrates that you don’t have to be naturally large or powerful to become a ripped monster. Hard work, dedication and nutrition are all that are required to build an awesome physique.
Ulisses Jr continually promotes through his social media accounts the benefits of training—trying to encourage the least naturally gifted people to hit the gym.
And for that, he should be admired and respected.
He is my new favorite builder 🙂