2023 OLYMPIA WEEKEND CONFIRMED FOR NOVEMBER

Source : muscleandfitness.com After awarding nearly $1.7 million in prize money in December, eclipsing records for ticket sales, sponsorships and worldwide pay-per-view audience, organizers of the fitness industry’s most prestigious event have entered the planning stages for this year’s Olympia Weekend. Scheduled for the weekend of November 2-5, the 59th edition of Joe Weider’s Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend is confirmed for Orlando, Florida at the Orange County Convention Center, rated as one of the top convention center venues in the world. Olympia President Dan Solomon explains: “Our recent rotation between Orlando and Las Vegas has resulted in tremendous growth, allowing us to connect with fans, sponsors and exhibitors on both sides of the Unites States. The convention center in Orlando is unique because it clears the way for us to have two adjacent host hotels. If you enjoy convenience, you’re gonna love this year’s Olympia, a fully connected experience!” Information regarding host hotels, VIP Packages and general ticketing will be announced soon. To lock in exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities, inquiries can be sent to contact@mrolympia.com The first week in November is a beautiful time of year in Florida and a great opportunity for the fitness industry to come together. For 2023 Olympia updates, including qualified athlete lists, tickets and sponsor opportunities, visit MrOlympia.com.

ERIN BANKS IS POISED TO REPEAT AS ARNOLD CLASSIC MEN’S PHYSIQUE CHAMPION

Source : muscleandfitness.com Imagine standing at the edge of a bodybuilding stage and waiting for the announcer to call your name to walk out. You’ve prepared for this moment for months and trained for hundreds of hours to hear that crowd cheer and applaud you when you hit that first pose in front of the judges. Erin Banks is different. He doesn’t even hear the crowd, and he said that he’s developed tunnel vision on contest day. Walking out onstage is a completely different experience for him. “I don’t hear anybody, I don’t see anybody. Everything is a blur because I’m so focused because I prepared so much. From the posing routine to the food, the water cutting, everything else that goes into it. This is my spotlight, and I need to zone all the way in and present my physique in the best way that I can.”

Banks hasn’t been just showing up onstage, he’s been dominant in a short time. Banks is the reigning Arnold Classic Men’s Physique champion, and he won the 2022 Men’s Physique Olympia in Las Vegas in December. That makes him the number one Men’s Physique athlete in the world today. He was the first man to win both titles in the same year. Now, he’s looking to repeat that feat, starting with the 2023 Arnold Classic in Columbus, OH, on Saturday, March 4. With all of this success, it’s hard to believe that Banks only got into bodybuilding in the last five years. He was working as a personal trainer in 2018, and competing in a bodybuilding show wasn’t even on his radar until a former trainer he knew talked him into stepping onstage. “I was just a personal trainer, never thought about bodybuilding,” he revealed. “I wasn’t a fan of bodybuilding before I started bodybuilding myself. I didn’t know anything about it myself. She begged me to go for it, and I finally did.”