Bro, Sergio looked like he had arms of a mass monster with a classic torso, how I wish we could've had HD footage of him, truly someone ahead of his time.
Indeed that's also what I often think with many of these legendary bodybuilders. So many training sessions went down every day for many years but only such a really small percentage of it was recorded. Grateful we still have these
As someone who saw him at an NABBA show in Manhattan in 1974, I can attest to what is said in this video. Sergio was 33 years old and he blew away everyone else in the show. I couldn't believe what I was looking at. He was like another species of being. To this day I believe he still is the greatest bodybuilder of all time.
@@NicandroVisionMotivation Serge Nubret was the most notable other contestant in the show and he was aesthetically beautiful as always with that Frank Zane-like build. Nothing to take away from him or Zane. As a matter of fact in the late 70s we all wanted to look like Frank Zane. But when Sergio Olivia appeared on stage, as the last contestant, you could tell from what you were witnessing and the crowd erupting, that it was all over. I had never seen a bodybuilder look like THAT. It was as if his shoulders spanned half the width of the stage. When you see Frank Zane standing on stage as a contestant against Oliva like in your video, Zane is not in his league any more than Nubret was. Like Robbie Robinson says in the video; "...but Sergio Oliva was on a whole other planet. Nobody looked like... nobody could even think about looking like that."
I can’t recall any NABBA shows in Manhattan in 1974. You must be referring to the 1974 Mr International contest hosted by the WBBG. Sergio won the professional, unchallenged.
MY GREAT FRIEND SERGIO FOR OVER 30 YEARS HE WORKED WITH MY UNCLES IN THE CHICAGO POLICE. WE USED TO MEET AT THE IHOP FOR BREAKFAST ON SUNDAYS . GOD BLESS HIM R.I.P I REALLY MISS HIM
He would have won more Mr Olympia's but Joe Weider was mad that he also competed in a different organization. So that allowed Arnold to start his streak of Mr Olympia titles
Attended a seminar in 1992 and only about 10 of us showed up. We had him all to ourselves for about 2 hours. I love this man like a brother. Unforgettable experience.
because he was black and it was the 1970's. so, no matter how great he was, he would never get mainstream recognition he deserved. you really have to ask????
@@ryand4533Blud are you tripping ? His shoulder length is 3x his waist. Steroids or not this man’s genetics were truly god tier. Look at anyone on steroids and they look nothing like him
Sergio was much more than the best bodybuilder of his time, he was a superb athlete and moved with feline grace. I met him at the Division st. YMCA in Chicago while training with Bob Gajda. No one had ever seen a genetic marvel that was Sergio Oliva. RIP
Sergio Oliva Jr. would finish a disappointing 16th place at the 2018 Mr. Olympia competition and finishing only 5th at the 2020 Arnold Classic. His dad NEVER wanted his son to enter the hellhole of the chemical clowns in the 'pro' bodybuilding circuit...
Sergio Oliva was the first professional bodybuilder I ever saw in person. 1980, he was guest posing, when he walked out on stage, the place went nuts. He looked like a cartoon.
@@oldnatty61 i’ve also use that in the past to describe what it was like to see Sergio Oliva in person. It’s meant as a complement. There’s a famous picture of him standing on a beach and he’s flexing his left arm and he has his right fist on his hip and it looks like an AI rendering of what a perfect, idealized bodybuilder would look like and not a real person. It’s absolutely gorgeous. No other body builder had a combination of a small head, small tiny waist, flaring lats and thighs. It didn’t look like any other bodybuilder I’ve ever seen it was magnificent.
If try to compare Lee Haney, small waist, small wrist along with huge proportions.. The Myth was still far ahead. Apart from his attitude and Olympia politics he was truly the greatest gifted genetic being. Even Baki promotes the true forgotten gem...💪
@@oldnatty61Jumping on gear isn't cheating in bodybuilding it's normal hell it is bodybuilding have you seen natural bodybuilders on stage just terrible the sport would be nowhere without PEDs I mean Without PEDs it's just weight lifting and fitness 🤣
That has nothing to do with the false claims of being "genetic" or natural. Its all PEDS. its the false claims people have a problem with.@@jarradbennett2286
I remember when I first got into bodybuilding, I had my guys - Arnold, Robby Robinson, Mike Metzer, Bill Pearl. Larry Scott, then I saw Surge Nubret . There were many more who I was impressed with. Most of them from the Joe weider stable. That’s why when I saw Surge Nubret I was blown away. But then I got to see SERGIO!!!!!!!! DAMN……… never saw anything like him. Unbelievable ….. Just the thickness of every body part was unmatched. Like someone said because of the politics of the sport most of us didn’t get to see him often or at all. But if you did you could never , ever forget him. The KING
Had the same experience. I saw Serge Nubret during a show in ‘74 and he was the finest specimen in the show. Beautiful stand out physique. That is until Oliva came on stage. A being from another dimension.
Do you agree that Sergio was the most genetically gifted bodybuilder? If not him, who is? ''Arthur Jones is the one who brought up genetics as a factor, it wasn't really talked about before. The potential of a muscle to grow is limited by the length of the muscle belly. So if you got long muscle bellies you have the potential to build more muscle mass. And Sergio Oliva had uniformly long muscle bellies like everywhere on his body. Probably the most genetically gifted bodybuilder ever. Ronnie was very gifted, but I would say Sergio probably had the best genetics, and look what the guy looked like in the 60s with what they had available.'' -Dorian Yates
Sergio didn't have access to insulin gh and some other weird cellular water stuff chad Nicholls and ronnie Coleman were using aswell as the less harmful and less noticeable seo that flex and nasser were using.
Kevin levrone he was putting 60 pounds of muscle in 3 months can we all imagine if he was dedicated like Ronnie Coleman?? Kevin is the greatest genetic of all time !!! But i can say Sergio Oliva is not far behind!
Without a doubt, with the time comparison, or without, no other bodybuilder in history compares with Sergio Oliva. So many people have never had the chance to actually see Sergio in person, at his best, I have. It's amazing what he was able to do at that dirty weight room at Duncan YMCA. No dieting prep like has been used from the 90's to today. Maybe cutting back on a few things before a show, but no scientific approach very little Blairs protein powder, some dianabol, decca, that's mainly it. I was station ed at Great Lakes Naval training facility from 1970 to 1972 after being sent to Viet Nam. I had relatives that lived on May St. in Chicago and once a month I would take the train into Chicago, and I always got the opportunity to watch Sergio train. Chicago has always been a dangerous large city, and by the time he would finish training it was dark outside. Sergio always gave me a ride to the L train. Some people have said and written about him being not a nice person, to say the least. I never experienced that side of him. He always told me things that were helpful. Take care of yourself, don't ever smoke. If you have a drink of alcohol, have a shot of good whiskey and nothing else. I will never forget those days.
Very cool story, to have known Sergio. Some folks say he was a gem of a guy, a few say that he wasn’t so nice. Maybe he was like most of us. He just had his good days and bad days.
@@oldnatty61 keep hating old fart, ur literally hating on each of the comments here lol. truth is, Sergio inspired and will keep inspiring millions while you rot away throwing spite
My Step-Father Felix C. Trained with him in Chicago and this training lead Him to win Mr. MIDWEST AND Mr Indiana in 70's and other local events. Sergio was Capt. Of police dept. Chicago and Led Bodybuilders to push the limits of their own Genetic Gifts
Captain my ass! He was a beat cop walking the streets. th-cam.com/video/UKYI0g8Kt4Y/w-d-xo.html You can't be a captain without a college diploma, I dont think Sergio even finished high school in Cuba. Now you need college just to be a regular cop in a big city. I trained at his gym from 87-90. After his wife shot him, he couldn't work for awhile, when he went back to work, he hurt his knees and took more time off. And when he returned to his job again, he lost his beat and they had him directing traffic at the Cubs game at Addison & Clark. I remember him coming into the gym (he lived upstairs) after work grumbling about how dumb the drivers were and how aggravated he was. And he was always grouchy at that time. I guess I would be grouchy too if i was taking 2 grams of test and Deca a week and 5 Anadrols a day. The dude was a rude crude guy that just got lucky on the genetics side. Not trying to disparage him, but looking up to guys just because they have a lucky genetic break doesn't mean they are a great person. Same with a beautiful woman, they can be bi**ches.
Sergio was not a Captain in the Chicago police dept., just a regular beat cop. And he was stabbed by his wife but still survived, because of his conditioning
@@ChristopherKilian-fg6ds He was shot with his 38 revolver service weapon in when he was beating his wife. Chicago police load at that time was a 38+p lead hollowpoint. He was lucky, the bullet didn't hit anything vital or he would had bled to death, nothing to do with conditioning. Just lucky. He was shot in the left ab area and they had to cut his left lat to get the bullet out, he had a big foot long scar there. He went from 240 to 202 after coming out of hospital. He never pressed charges against her because that would qualify as self defense on her part. He claimed it was an accident. Not long after that, they divorced. He got back up to 220 and never surpassed that when I left in 1990.
Man. That overhead back shot at 3:38 is one of the greatest non comparable poses of all time. Even lee priest does’t touch it due to his short arms and he made it look amazing.
Sergio was the single biggest evolutionary jump in bodybuilding history. You had John Grimek back in the 40s-nobody could touch him, but he didn't look super-human. You had Dorian in the 90s-he added a whole new level of ripped mass to the game in '93, but it was still a matter of more of the same. When Sergio appeared in the 60s, he rapidly got so big that people really just could not believe it. It was like some kind of cartoonish alien had come down and was competing in the contest. If Arnold hadn't come along, Serigo would have ruled bodybuilding for a decade and a half. Which doesn't sound all that impressive...until you realize that that'd be DOUBLE what Haney or Ronnie achieved.
At one contest he did his signature overhead arms pose..in the silence (after the gasps), a little kid voice said "Daddy, who’s the man with the four legs?" Truth.
Sergio's genetics are great but people don't realize how important training is I am currently incorporating his training style and methods for a wider back and it works.
Finally! A REAL bodybuilder and champion. Not some doped up swimmer abusing gear poisoning the youth peddling a stupid mindset. Please post more of these.
I saw him guest pose in 83 and he was unbelievable. When he flexed he looked 3D as if his muscles were going to burst. To see such perfeection was unreal. From his head to his diamond shaped calves. People who say Arnold was better never saw Sergio in person
his son works out at my gym in san diego. i can honestly say sergio oliva jr is the freakest bodybuilder i have ever witnessed workout. the man inlcine benched 5 plates for 12 for sets... his arms look bigger than most peoples legs..
"Best genetics". Even with the roids, do u think his work ethic,smart training,discipline discipline didn't separate him from the rest? According to you, he could've ate donuts and drink beer and maintained his physique.
É bom lembrar que o Arnold ao perder o Olímpia para Sérgio Oliva, Arnold sabia que precisava vir maior no ano seguinte, por mais que eu admiro Oliva, acho um verdadeiro mass monster, mas no ano seguinte Arnold veio maior mais completo e desbancou Oliva.
@@charlesgaither446… more than Arnold was marketable bodybuilder, Ronnie Coleman is perfect, former cop, got a sense of humor that would light up a room with a big bright smile. Hollywood just only chose Arnold to act similar to how The Rock was the only wrestler for a good while.
@@charlesgaither446Here we go again. You do realize these wins you say Arnold fixed, the guys you're saying should have won, didn't come in second? Not right behind him. They came in many spots behind him. You saying Arnold fixed every placing? Stop this nonsense.
As someone who seen him 20 years ago in the Bahamas working out in the gym early in the morning, and I can tell you he was a very intimidated looking man well into his fifties then and people around him half his age not looking half as good...... and to say that this was one of the most humble and nicest people you ever want to meet in person, despite his accolades history Fame Etc call just a very humble grounded man
wouldnt say he was underrated,3X Mr. O one of those,no one faced him,he got overshadowed,even got robbed 1 or 2 Olympia because Joe Weider had gone to Europe,looking for the chosen one...Arnold
According to Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sergio Oliva was the one who taught him to use high volume in his workouts, when Arnold trained with him in the 60's. Even so no one including Arnold used more training volume than Sergio or Serge Nubret.
@@capoislamort100 figured out his weaknesses? what does that even mean? he was trying to beat him on a bodybuilding stage, not make him sleep with the fishes
Sergio always had A REAL JOB... NOT some BS towel boy somewhere. He was no gym / beach bum. As a Chicago Paramedic myself I knew him from the 1960's ! He was a tough, fair Chicago street cop, ate real groceries and junk food, not pussified stacks of BS supplements. He was a nice guy, but from a different planet. I'd see him when we went on break at McDonald's eating two Big Breakfast trays. His cop shop was maybe two blocks from my Ambo house. Arnold said he was the strongest bodybuilder ever, when asked in a mag interview.
I remember in an article he said he had to cut his shirt sleeves just so they can fit around his arms. Monster physique...all those plantains they eat in the carribean!
I'm a Chicago native and I was a HUGE fan of bodybuilding in the 80s! I will never forget the time I met Sergio back in the early 90s. Unfortunately it wasn't the best meeting but I still honor it. I saw him while in line waiting to enter the Chicago Auto show. W saw each other at the same time. My face Lit up with excitement!! And I clearly saw his expression, "Aw Shit." Clearly not in the mood to be bothered! 😂 Still, I quickly walked over to him. He didn't want to look at me. I said, "Excuse me, sir?" he quietly said, "Yeah?" I said "Aren't Sergio Oliva?!" Him, still uninterested, reluctantly said, "Yeah." I understood he wasn't interested in being bothered so I said, "Well, it sure is great to meet you in person and Hope you enjoy the auto show." He gave me a Thumbs up while still not looking at me so I let him be. That was still awesome. I wish I could have met him at a better time. My older brother who knew him tells me Sergio was a great guy! I have no doubt. It was just the wrong time. Ah well.
What's crazy is he was a giant but all footage shows him lifting very light weight. He didn't abuse his body squatting 800 lbs and curling and DB pressing hundreds of lbs
I think he did alot of lower weight and high reps which gave him lots of definition. People think nowadays that you need to lift really heavy to look big.
Dude was ahead of his time. Amazing proportions and hard work. Its a shame he's not talked more often instead guys like Mentzer arw plastered everywhere today eve tho Oliva was far better bodybuilder in every way possible while trained high volume.
Sergio Olivia was the greatest bodybuilder from birth, and he looked dam good in his Chicago police officer's uniform, that brother's feature commanded respect, he keeps me inspired
Sergio Olivia outclassed his competitors like a hungry lion with deer in a same cage even Arnold was no match n any of the years the myth the legend the inspiration
Thanks for this video. He always has been the greatest in my opinion. I got the 1984 Olympia video from my parents as my 20th birthday present and he was the highlight of that show, posing to the Superman theme. :-)
The arnold comparsons are before he hit his prime. 1974 arnold was absolutely insane and that's what put him on the map. The size in pumping iron is lanky as hell by comparisons with worse lines. Sergio was great though, but Arnold could have won 12 Olympias if he dedicated to bodybuilding 100%
Arnold's win in 1972, was a gift. Sergio's victory pose is so unreal, the only 2 bodybuilders to attempt it are Sergio Jr, and Lee Priest. Neither come close.
When I was growing up, and we would visit an old school gym on the second floor of a old building. The biggest poster on their wall was of Sergio Oliva. We would stop by just to show our friends the picture of the Myth
To look the way he did in the 1960's is insane. He was so far ahead of everyone one else just using the equipment and supplements they had back then. His structure was close to flawless from head to toe....he has to be in the top 3 of the most genetically gifted bodybuilders of all time.
Sergio was a real life sculpture of walking art he pushed perfection to a limit its never been pushed too and never been duplicated since absolutely insane 😂
Bro, Sergio looked like he had arms of a mass monster with a classic torso, how I wish we could've had HD footage of him, truly someone ahead of his time.
Indeed that's also what I often think with many of these legendary bodybuilders. So many training sessions went down every day for many years but only such a really small percentage of it was recorded. Grateful we still have these
"HD footage" of what? Another steroid cheater?
@@oldnatty61of one of the best phyisques ever seen
@@R2P2888 One of the best physiques created by steroids ever seen.
@@oldnatty61 and? You are saying it like he didnt had to wotkout
As someone who saw him at an NABBA show in Manhattan in 1974, I can attest to what is said in this video. Sergio was 33 years old and he blew away everyone else in the show. I couldn't believe what I was looking at. He was like another species of being. To this day I believe he still is the greatest bodybuilder of all time.
Thanks for sharing your experience! Love to hear these stories
@@NicandroVisionMotivation Serge Nubret was the most notable other contestant in the show and he was aesthetically beautiful as always with that Frank Zane-like build. Nothing to take away from him or Zane. As a matter of fact in the late 70s we all wanted to look like Frank Zane. But when Sergio Olivia appeared on stage, as the last contestant, you could tell from what you were witnessing and the crowd erupting, that it was all over. I had never seen a bodybuilder look like THAT. It was as if his shoulders spanned half the width of the stage. When you see Frank Zane standing on stage as a contestant against Oliva like in your video, Zane is not in his league any more than Nubret was. Like Robbie Robinson says in the video; "...but Sergio Oliva was on a whole other planet. Nobody looked like... nobody could even think about looking like that."
The 👑 king
I can’t recall any NABBA shows in Manhattan in 1974. You must be referring to the 1974 Mr International contest hosted by the WBBG. Sergio won the professional, unchallenged.
@@MIK23458 WBBG yes. I stand corrected. It was at the Beacon Theater on Broadway.
''He was so ahead of his time that he used to go to a show and nobody else would show up.'' 🔥
Absolutely 💯 % he is the most genetically gifted bodybuilder ever
Truly ahead of time ❤❤
Arnold 1974
this is a true story or only "a way of speaking" ?
@@alukard4656 It's a true story. In the 1968 Mr. Olympia Sergio was the only one to compete. Competitors all withdrew
MY GREAT FRIEND SERGIO FOR OVER 30 YEARS HE WORKED WITH MY UNCLES IN THE CHICAGO POLICE. WE USED TO MEET AT THE IHOP FOR BREAKFAST ON SUNDAYS . GOD BLESS HIM R.I.P I REALLY MISS HIM
That had to be a pleasure to shared time with the goat
@@troywatt6401 It sure was
He's one of the few guys that could compete in any era
Exactly, imagine how he would do today with todays knowledge and all these things. Would be a sight to see
From the 60's forward?...YES!
I think back and leg genetics were not the greatest.
"compete" He would absolutely dominate today. Cbum would look like a little girl next to this unit.
He would have won more Mr Olympia's but Joe Weider was mad that he also competed in a different organization. So that allowed Arnold to start his streak of Mr Olympia titles
Attended a seminar in 1992 and only about 10 of us showed up. We had him all to ourselves for about 2 hours. I love this man like a brother. Unforgettable experience.
Even his son didn’t have his waist and proportions..truly one of a kind
one of the reasons is hgh and igf-1 his son take
@@حمزهالعتيبي-ر7ع He mixed with a European and diluted the heritage that gave him his physique.
@@avatarion its both
@@avatarionhe is cuban , he is by deffect half white blood dude xd
@@unlockedmfg5591 You can always count on racist people who think they understand genetics or human history to say funny shit.
So, I'm perplexed.
Why doesn't he get more recognition? Yes, I knew who he was, but I never knew how gifted he truly was.
Because Arnold overshadowed everyone
@@mansamusa2012 *manipulated everyone
He is well know, but their came very good bodybuilders atleast in the 80’s.
Genetic gifted guys
@@maxaffe3195 Stop with the hate. Blame the weak minded who let themselves be manipulated. All is fair in love and war. Stop crying.
because he was black and it was the 1970's. so, no matter how great he was, he would never get mainstream recognition he deserved. you really have to ask????
Aesthetics and mass. Truly the Myth. One of my all time favourite bodybuilders
It doesn’t get any better
He’s so unbelievably ahead of his competitors at the time. I believe he is the inspiration for Biscuit Oliva from Baki the Grappler
Looking for this comment. He is who Biscuit Oliva was based on. In Baki he even does the same overhead pose.
@@navi8568yep and he was a cop also
I watch that show and didn't realize that until you made this comment, wow!
So, I think that he is living in a super max prison is like a comparison to Cuba. Living in Cuba was like a prison to him.
The man is a Legend. No one trains like that anymore, definitely ahead of his time 💪💪
No just one of the OG gear cheaters that got in on the ground floor.
@@oldnatty61That damn sure ain’t genetics. People don’t understand how long steroids have been around.
@@ryand4533Blud are you tripping ? His shoulder length is 3x his waist. Steroids or not this man’s genetics were truly god tier. Look at anyone on steroids and they look nothing like him
@@vincedamato8563 Just another steroid freak....Plain and simple.
Sergio was and will always be the best bodybuilder ever. Arnold was the most promoted bodybuilder,but in no whey better than Sergio.
i don’t think arnold would disagree. anyone..
That’s a trend I’m noticing more and more in American pop culture.
arnold was way more symetrical
no
Arnold was the best over all though you can have genetics but if you not consistent it’s useless
Sergio was much more than the best bodybuilder of his time, he was a superb athlete and moved with feline grace. I met him at the Division st. YMCA in Chicago while training with Bob Gajda. No one had ever seen a genetic marvel that was Sergio Oliva. RIP
Sergio Oliva Jr. would finish a disappointing 16th place at the 2018 Mr. Olympia competition and finishing only 5th at the 2020 Arnold Classic. His dad NEVER wanted his son to enter the hellhole of the chemical clowns in the 'pro' bodybuilding circuit...
@@terrystrandI'm sure he was all natural 😂
wow!
@@el34glo59buddy they only used drugs before a competition after that they were off and also they used almost nothing
Sergio Oliva was the first professional bodybuilder I ever saw in person. 1980, he was guest posing, when he walked out on stage, the place went nuts. He looked like a cartoon.
Why do you think he "looked like a cartoon"?
And now hi really is a cartoon character in "baki the grappler"
@@oldnatty61 i’ve also use that in the past to describe what it was like to see Sergio Oliva in person. It’s meant as a complement. There’s a famous picture of him standing on a beach and he’s flexing his left arm and he has his right fist on his hip and it looks like an AI rendering of what a perfect, idealized bodybuilder would look like and not a real person. It’s absolutely gorgeous. No other body builder had a combination of a small head, small tiny waist, flaring lats and thighs. It didn’t look like any other bodybuilder I’ve ever seen it was magnificent.
Serge Nubret was a close second to Olivia just didn't have the mass but genetically gifted nonetheless @kuvaszvizsla9521
If try to compare Lee Haney, small waist, small wrist along with huge proportions.. The Myth was still far ahead. Apart from his attitude and Olympia politics he was truly the greatest gifted genetic being. Even Baki promotes the true forgotten gem...💪
Indeed amazing that Baki starred him. And imagine of Sergio Oliva competed today, with todays knowledge etc. Would be next level
We don't know his true genetics were? He chose to cheat and jump on gear.
@@oldnatty61 It truly was a dianabol era where his most of time his diet was cola & fast food, even in this era nobody could grow that muscle 💪
@@oldnatty61Jumping on gear isn't cheating in bodybuilding it's normal hell it is bodybuilding have you seen natural bodybuilders on stage just terrible the sport would be nowhere without PEDs I mean Without PEDs it's just weight lifting and fitness 🤣
That has nothing to do with the false claims of being "genetic" or natural. Its all PEDS. its the false claims people have a problem with.@@jarradbennett2286
I remember when I first got into bodybuilding, I had my guys - Arnold, Robby Robinson, Mike Metzer, Bill Pearl. Larry Scott, then I saw Surge Nubret . There were many more who I was impressed with. Most of them from the Joe weider stable. That’s why when I saw Surge Nubret I was blown away. But then I got to see SERGIO!!!!!!!!
DAMN……… never saw anything like him. Unbelievable …..
Just the thickness of every body part was unmatched.
Like someone said because of the politics of the sport most of us didn’t get to see him often or at all. But if you did you could never , ever forget him.
The KING
Had the same experience. I saw Serge Nubret during a show in ‘74 and he was the finest specimen in the show. Beautiful stand out physique. That is until Oliva came on stage. A being from another dimension.
Do you agree that Sergio was the most genetically gifted bodybuilder? If not him, who is?
''Arthur Jones is the one who brought up genetics as a factor, it wasn't really talked about before. The potential of a muscle to grow is limited by the length of the muscle belly. So if you got long muscle bellies you have the potential to build more muscle mass. And Sergio Oliva had uniformly long muscle bellies like everywhere on his body. Probably the most genetically gifted bodybuilder ever. Ronnie was very gifted, but I would say Sergio probably had the best genetics, and look what the guy looked like in the 60s with what they had available.'' -Dorian Yates
ramon dino is
Arnold, ronnie, flex, kevin, phil
Sergio didn't have access to insulin gh and some other weird cellular water stuff chad Nicholls and ronnie Coleman were using aswell as the less harmful and less noticeable seo that flex and nasser were using.
@TheLusianPopa Facts
Kevin levrone he was putting 60 pounds of muscle in 3 months can we all imagine if he was dedicated like Ronnie Coleman?? Kevin is the greatest genetic of all time !!! But i can say Sergio Oliva is not far behind!
Without a doubt, with the time comparison, or without, no other bodybuilder in history compares with Sergio Oliva. So many people have never had the chance to actually see Sergio in person, at his best, I have. It's amazing what he was able to do at that dirty weight room at Duncan YMCA. No dieting prep like has been used from the 90's to today. Maybe cutting back on a few things before a show, but no scientific approach very little Blairs protein powder, some dianabol, decca, that's mainly it. I was station ed at Great Lakes Naval training facility from 1970 to 1972 after being sent to Viet Nam. I had relatives that lived on May St. in Chicago and once a month I would take the train into Chicago, and I always got the opportunity to watch Sergio train. Chicago has always been a dangerous large city, and by the time he would finish training it was dark outside. Sergio always gave me a ride to the L train. Some people have said and written about him being not a nice person, to say the least. I never experienced that side of him. He always told me things that were helpful. Take care of yourself, don't ever smoke. If you have a drink of alcohol, have a shot of good whiskey and nothing else. I will never forget those days.
Very cool story, to have known Sergio. Some folks say he was a gem of a guy, a few say that he wasn’t so nice. Maybe he was like most of us. He just had his good days and bad days.
You yourself tell us how it's done' "some dianabol, decca, that's mainly it.".
@@oldnatty61
Great point!🤣
just basic stuff 😀@@oldnatty61
And with one video I now believe Sergio had the greatest potential of an bodybuilder ever. Thank you.
He was the REAL GIFT
There was no gift!? Home boy sold his soul like so many others. That's all.
@@oldnatty61 keep hating old fart, ur literally hating on each of the comments here lol. truth is, Sergio inspired and will keep inspiring millions while you rot away throwing spite
This era really was just art and Beauty 💪
No it was dudes taking d-ball/anadrol, eating big, training hard, and hope for the best. Guy's that licked Weider's ass did ok.
Never again sadly
My Step-Father Felix C. Trained with him in Chicago and this training lead Him to win Mr. MIDWEST AND Mr Indiana in 70's and other local events. Sergio was Capt. Of police dept. Chicago and Led Bodybuilders to push the limits of their own Genetic Gifts
Wow lucky ur step father 😊
Captain my ass! He was a beat cop walking the streets. th-cam.com/video/UKYI0g8Kt4Y/w-d-xo.html
You can't be a captain without a college diploma, I dont think Sergio even finished high school in Cuba. Now you need college just to be a regular cop in a big city. I trained at his gym from 87-90. After his wife shot him, he couldn't work for awhile, when he went back to work, he hurt his knees and took more time off. And when he returned to his job again, he lost his beat and they had him directing traffic at the Cubs game at Addison & Clark. I remember him coming into the gym (he lived upstairs) after work grumbling about how dumb the drivers were and how aggravated he was. And he was always grouchy at that time.
I guess I would be grouchy too if i was taking 2 grams of test and Deca a week and 5 Anadrols a day. The dude was a rude crude guy that just got lucky on the genetics side. Not trying to disparage him, but looking up to guys just because they have a lucky genetic break doesn't mean they are a great person. Same with a beautiful woman, they can be bi**ches.
Sergio was not a Captain in the Chicago police dept., just a regular beat cop. And he was stabbed by his wife but still survived, because of his conditioning
@@ChristopherKilian-fg6ds He was shot with his 38 revolver service weapon in when he was beating his wife. Chicago police load at that time was a 38+p lead hollowpoint. He was lucky, the bullet didn't hit anything vital or he would had bled to death, nothing to do with conditioning. Just lucky. He was shot in the left ab area and they had to cut his left lat to get the bullet out, he had a big foot long scar there. He went from 240 to 202 after coming out of hospital. He never pressed charges against her because that would qualify as self defense on her part. He claimed it was an accident. Not long after that, they divorced. He got back up to 220 and never surpassed that when I left in 1990.
Man. That overhead back shot at 3:38 is one of the greatest non comparable poses of all time. Even lee priest does’t touch it due to his short arms and he made it look amazing.
His shoulders! Bloody hell!
Pause!
Lee Priest is the only other bodybuilder to attempt that Sergio pose.
@@richardike2342 Unfortunately for Lee he was short and that's why he looks better in that pose from the waist up.
Sérgio era muito muito avançado para sua época já, realmente um dos melhores.
Sergio was the single biggest evolutionary jump in bodybuilding history. You had John Grimek back in the 40s-nobody could touch him, but he didn't look super-human. You had Dorian in the 90s-he added a whole new level of ripped mass to the game in '93, but it was still a matter of more of the same. When Sergio appeared in the 60s, he rapidly got so big that people really just could not believe it. It was like some kind of cartoonish alien had come down and was competing in the contest. If Arnold hadn't come along, Serigo would have ruled bodybuilding for a decade and a half. Which doesn't sound all that impressive...until you realize that that'd be DOUBLE what Haney or Ronnie achieved.
I Saw SERGIO in the 70's he was unbelievable . Made all look week.
Sergio!!! Yes Nicandro, this guy was something else!!
💯 League of his own
Best part is they trained with basics only no fancy crap . Collected all his posters n was very impressed by his arms.
At one contest he did his signature overhead arms pose..in the silence (after the gasps), a little kid voice said "Daddy, who’s the man with the four legs?" Truth.
And the woofter next to the kid said:
"I'm more interested in his _fifth_ leg!"
@@adamkane7513Let's be real most of the men at a bodybuilding show like men....
Sergio's genetics are great but people don't realize how important training is I am currently incorporating his training style and methods for a wider back and it works.
You can train all you want .without those genetics that frame and body is not reachable .I assure you he isn’t the hardest working dude
Genetics sure...but don't act like he wasn't on heavy gear.
The delusion of the bodybuilding community is very shocking
How do you train? Can you provide a week of training for us? I would like to try it out too
Wide grip ,low range of motion, and high reps incorporate these principles into workouts you can.
You forgot to mention gear
Badass video as usual! Always has the crowd pumped after 💪🏼
I just watched Maxim shooting his invention in almost HD from the 1800's. Amazing that we have so little of Sergio like that.
Thanks for the upload
I've always said that Sergio Oliva was the greatest. We all know why he was not given his just desserts in that era. Nuff said!
Facts
Finally! A REAL bodybuilder and champion. Not some doped up swimmer abusing gear poisoning the youth peddling a stupid mindset. Please post more of these.
I saw him guest pose in 83 and he was unbelievable. When he flexed he looked 3D as if his muscles were going to burst. To see such perfeection was unreal. From his head to his diamond shaped calves. People who say Arnold was better never saw Sergio in person
He was my favorite since I was a kid. That pose, the arms overhead pose is iconic.
his son works out at my gym in san diego. i can honestly say sergio oliva jr is the freakest bodybuilder i have ever witnessed workout. the man inlcine benched 5 plates for 12 for sets... his arms look bigger than most peoples legs..
The best genetics of all time ❤
We don't know that. And we'll never know. He chose to cheat.
"Best genetics". Even with the roids, do u think his work ethic,smart training,discipline discipline didn't separate him from the rest? According to you, he could've ate donuts and drink beer and maintained his physique.
@@oldnatty61 How did he cheat?
@@shellytanner Read my comment below.
@@oldnatty61 ?
The Mythical Sergio Oliver will always be the first true mass monster. Sergio was simply unbelievable. Made Arnold look puny.
The fix was in Arnold was marketable
É bom lembrar que o Arnold ao perder o Olímpia para Sérgio Oliva, Arnold sabia que precisava vir maior no ano seguinte, por mais que eu admiro Oliva, acho um verdadeiro mass monster, mas no ano seguinte Arnold veio maior mais completo e desbancou Oliva.
You gonna dis Lou and Vic?
@@charlesgaither446… more than Arnold was marketable bodybuilder, Ronnie Coleman is perfect, former cop, got a sense of humor that would light up a room with a big bright smile. Hollywood just only chose Arnold to act similar to how The Rock was the only wrestler for a good while.
@@charlesgaither446Here we go again. You do realize these wins you say Arnold fixed, the guys you're saying should have won, didn't come in second? Not right behind him. They came in many spots behind him. You saying Arnold fixed every placing? Stop this nonsense.
As someone who seen him 20 years ago in the Bahamas working out in the gym early in the morning, and I can tell you he was a very intimidated looking man well into his fifties then and people around him half his age not looking half as good...... and to say that this was one of the most humble and nicest people you ever want to meet in person, despite his accolades history Fame Etc call just a very humble grounded man
Sergio, so underrated, smh. The only latino to hold an Olympia title…and believe it or not…the first MASS MONSTER!
wouldnt say he was underrated,3X Mr. O one of those,no one faced him,he got overshadowed,even got robbed 1 or 2 Olympia because Joe Weider had gone to Europe,looking for the chosen one...Arnold
Latino with blk genes
@@irvingpollard2961he was definitely afro-latino
Latino is not a race he's black
Haha you mean blacktino 😅
He was unique.
Nothing to compare with. total master of his craft rip big man you were gift to Bodybuilding ❤
Arms that dwarfs yours waist… he was something else🐐
Insane genetics, proportions were unheard of 🔥
“ nobody has never been not impressed when seeing sergio “ my 1st thought when i 1st seen those arms..!! WOW. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
two phenomenal champions who share the first four letters, Sergio Oliva AND Serge Nubret
According to Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sergio Oliva was the one who taught him to use high volume in his workouts, when Arnold trained with him in the 60's. Even so no one including Arnold used more training volume than Sergio or Serge Nubret.
He made the mistake of letting Arnold come to his training camp and train with him, Arnold studied him and figured out his weaknesses and beat him.
@@capoislamort100 figured out his weaknesses? what does that even mean? he was trying to beat him on a bodybuilding stage, not make him sleep with the fishes
You can talk about genetics all you want, but he also had an amazing work ethic too!
THE MYTH aka the peak of aesthetic Bodybuilding
The Myth! So freaking inspiring! Sergio Olivia and Serge Nubret. Amazing physiques. Thank you.
1:44 He doesn't look real. It's like a Classic Physic + Nick Walker Arms.
Frank Zane '' wtf is that bro ''
I see that
Lats are Unreal combined with the delts made look insane
Think that’s Reg park.
Indeed looked unreal. Nobody on this planet could have fit the nickname 'The Myth'' better, next level proportions and muscle bellies
Both Sergio and Arnold were magnificent, from another planet. They were amazing.
Sergio = Natural
Schwarzenegger = Juice
@@JonathanHebrews Comeon bothers, with all my respect, bro, both were juiced without a doubt.
Sergio was not natural.@@JonathanHebrews
Sergio always had A REAL JOB... NOT some BS towel boy somewhere. He was no gym / beach bum. As a Chicago Paramedic myself I knew him from the 1960's ! He was a tough, fair Chicago street cop, ate real groceries and junk food, not pussified stacks of BS supplements. He was a nice guy, but from a different planet. I'd see him when we went on break at McDonald's eating two Big Breakfast trays. His cop shop was maybe two blocks from my Ambo house. Arnold said he was the strongest bodybuilder ever, when asked in a mag interview.
He's also juiced. You're legit from another galaxy if you think this was natural 😂
Duh... of course he was juiced... you go on the juice and see if you look like Sergio... You have now mastered the obvious.
@@el34glo59
@@el34glo59 Who didn't? Larry Scott, the clean Mormon guy? I remember Scott lauding dianabol when I was a kid. Yet you save your venom for Sergio.
My heart races with inspiration.
To anyone not aware, just a random fact... The character in the anime serious BAKI called biscuit Oliva is based on Sergio Oliva 🔥🔥
😮
The crucifix pose . Come on ! Say no more . Greatest ever .
So well built he got an anime character dedicated after him. Mr. Oliva
One of my all-time favourites. Legend
I remember in an article he said he had to cut his shirt sleeves just so they can fit around his arms. Monster physique...all those plantains they eat in the carribean!
And rice and beans. Nubret ate them everyday, even up until contest time.
I'm a Chicago native and I was a HUGE fan of bodybuilding in the 80s! I will never forget the time I met Sergio back in the early 90s. Unfortunately it wasn't the best meeting but I still honor it. I saw him while in line waiting to enter the Chicago Auto show. W saw each other at the same time. My face Lit up with excitement!! And I clearly saw his expression, "Aw Shit." Clearly not in the mood to be bothered! 😂 Still, I quickly walked over to him. He didn't want to look at me. I said, "Excuse me, sir?" he quietly said, "Yeah?" I said "Aren't Sergio Oliva?!" Him, still uninterested, reluctantly said, "Yeah." I understood he wasn't interested in being bothered so I said, "Well, it sure is great to meet you in person and Hope you enjoy the auto show." He gave me a Thumbs up while still not looking at me so I let him be. That was still awesome. I wish I could have met him at a better time. My older brother who knew him tells me Sergio was a great guy! I have no doubt. It was just the wrong time. Ah well.
This is the guy that inspired Ronnie Coleman to be a great body builder, even down to becoming an officer of the law. ❤
Nobody can not be but impressed by the man, the Myth.
I'm not rich but I feel like a million dollars 🙏🏽💞🔑 Sergio
One of the greatest bodybuilder of all time! He’s certainly an icon. Absolutely incredible physique. Phenomenal work. 💪🙏👍
What's crazy is he was a giant but all footage shows him lifting very light weight. He didn't abuse his body squatting 800 lbs and curling and DB pressing hundreds of lbs
I think he did alot of lower weight and high reps which gave him lots of definition. People think nowadays that you need to lift really heavy to look big.
This video makes me wanna get back into weight lifting 🏋️♂️
Dude was ahead of his time. Amazing proportions and hard work. Its a shame he's not talked more often instead guys like Mentzer arw plastered everywhere today eve tho Oliva was far better bodybuilder in every way possible while trained high volume.
No he wasn't? He was rate in his time.
He was at his largest muscular size in 1971 when training with Arthur Jones. So he grew on both high and low volume.
@@mhoughtonuk He grew on steroids.
@@oldnatty61 give it a rest you TROLL
@@cptnsx Funny how people label someone w/ a different position "a troll".
That pose that Sergio did has always been one of my favorites, still to this day.
Being jacked in the 80s does seem really awesome
Yeah he was peaking in the late 60s, and continued to show the world you can still have an amazing physique after 40 as time went on. True legend
@@NicandroVisionMotivationque monstruosidad Hubiera alcanzado hasta el año 1974
Sergio Olivia was the greatest bodybuilder from birth, and he looked dam good in his Chicago police officer's uniform, that brother's feature commanded respect, he keeps me inspired
baki reference to oliva i guess
U got it buddy
I forgot about him. I remember hearing about him in the 80's great body amazing arm's NICE 💙💙💙✊🏽
He had Zane fucked up standing next to him, monster among mortals! 😂😂
Zane couldn't believe what he was seeing. Standing next to the myth
simply amazing best bodybuilder ever, he worked 12 hours, and train 3-4 hours everyday.... someone said that hes a very hard worker man
Oliva was such a legend that he appeared in Baki ❤
💯🔥 That's amazing
As who ? Oliver?
Yes as Oliver.
What great footage! Amazing vintage and classic stuff. Thank you for this!!!
The Myth.The best genetics ever💪💪💪
"No matter what…I will forever be the MYTH!"
To imagine him and Yoel Romero Hometown for only 90 minutes apart it must be in the blood
Sergio Olivia outclassed his competitors like a hungry lion with deer in a same cage even Arnold was no match n any of the years the myth the legend the inspiration
7:34 has to be one of the most insane double bi's i've seen
Exactly, those arms being as big as his waist and all the other insane proportions, truly one of a kind
Thanks for this video. He always has been the greatest in my opinion. I got the 1984 Olympia video from my parents as my 20th birthday present and he was the highlight of that show, posing to the Superman theme. :-)
Olivia was big but his condition never allowed him to shine properly... but his son is on the right path
Vince Gironda said if he trained Sergio, no could touch him.
Absolute unit. Seriously one of the greatest of all time most certainly top 3
When people don’t bother even turning up to compete against you, man yeah that’s another level absolutely another level
Arnold’s dad
Thank you for making this. Serg was a wonderful man and a good friend of mine.
Only genetics that can be compared to Sergio Olivia is flex wheelers
Paul Dillett Better!!!!!!
Paul Skillet was a monster
Amazing mass with such a small waist... Really a MYTH!!!
Paul Dillett is up there for having the best genetics ever.
Always ,I would be in t shirts
I agree Paul was a monster!..
Sergio Oliva - TRUE LEGEND !!!!! way above the rest... way above Arnold....
The arnold comparsons are before he hit his prime. 1974 arnold was absolutely insane and that's what put him on the map. The size in pumping iron is lanky as hell by comparisons with worse lines. Sergio was great though, but Arnold could have won 12 Olympias if he dedicated to bodybuilding 100%
That s facts
@TheLusianPopa Sergio was incredible, but he would lack separation at times. I think conditioning would've eventually catch up to him.
@TheLusianPopa I understand that, but you meantioned he would've won 20 Olympias. How would he compete with Mentzer? Haney? Bannout? Makkawy?
Arnold's win in 1972, was a gift. Sergio's victory pose is so unreal, the only 2 bodybuilders to attempt it are Sergio Jr, and Lee Priest. Neither come close.
When I was growing up, and we would visit an old school gym on the second floor of a old building. The biggest poster on their wall was of Sergio Oliva. We would stop by just to show our friends the picture of the Myth
Este tipo tenía que ganarle 3 Mr Olimpia a Arnold,pero los jueces eran todos vendidos
Más bien nuestro amigo el promotor íntimo de Arnold hehhe
Seeing the competition on side of him on the stage deflate when gazing at him is crazy
To look the way he did in the 1960's is insane. He was so far ahead of everyone one else just using the equipment and supplements they had back then. His structure was close to flawless from head to toe....he has to be in the top 3 of the most genetically gifted bodybuilders of all time.
I think the most genetically gifted in bodybuilding is Dave palumbo
Best bloated abs ever
👍👍👍👍👍👍
the myth ... one of the best ever in bodybuilding
Sergio was a real life sculpture of walking art he pushed perfection to a limit its never been pushed too and never been duplicated since absolutely insane 😂
Sergio's front double bicep looks completely unique to him, can't think of anyone else with such long and round muscle bellies.
What a specimen of a man!