Flex Wheeler a retrospective

[nycbull]

someone told me he had a kidny transplant..any truth to that?

[YoungBlood]

Any pics from the 98 Arnold, ND?
I've read a few articles that said that was where Flex presented his best shape, after hooking up with Chad. I've always wondered about that, for a few reasons:
1) if it was his best shape, how come there are hardly, if any, photos of it
2) why do people still say his 93 shape, or even his 92 USA shape, is better?

I think on Flex's site, he thinks his overall best was the 92 USA. Either that or the 93 O.

[Camel Jockey]

Levrone could never nail his conditioning while Flex did so early on his career. Flex is tainted due to the synthol use.

Levrone was better imo but I'm saying because I like Levrone more so.

[ArnoldPlatz]

[ 4K UHD ]  Flex Wheeler - 1993 Mr Olympia 

[Matt]

Wheeler's VHS tapes are pure money

he's such an asshole 

His training was lax in his first video, which led me to believe that was normal intensity for him.  After being criticized for it, he really upped the effort in the next video, and it was one of the hardest training videos I watched.  I would think the first video was more characteristic of his normal training though.

Dorian Yates was aware of the level of Flex's training intensity, and that was the reason why he never perceived Flex as being a threat.  Had Flex trained like Yates, or like Ronnie Coleman...he could well have possibly won a Mr. Olympia.  I guess we'll never know.  As it is, he was very close.

[tres_taco_combo]

fav build of all time is flex early 1990s

[pellius]

When I first started training at Gold's Venice in 1991 I had stopped following bodybuilding at the time and didn't know who the big names were. The only one I recognized was Lou Ferrigno. Though the sight of Dillet was just jaw-dropping it was Flex that stood out as sheer perfection. He would come in with (I would learn later) Chris Cormier, and one other guy that I didn't know. I don't think I ever saw anyone in person who just seemed so physically perfect.

[Bevo]

His training was lax in his first video, which led me to believe that was normal intensity for him.  After being criticized for it, he really upped the effort in the next video, and it was one of the hardest training videos I watched.  I would think the first video was more characteristic of his normal training though.

Dorian Yates was aware of the level of Flex's training intensity, and that was the reason why he never perceived Flex as being a threat.  Had Flex trained like Yates, or like Ronnie Coleman...he could well have possibly won a Mr. Olympia.  I guess we'll never know.  As it is, he was very close.

I don’t think he could have done anything to beat Ronnie or Dorian, didn’t matter if he trained harder or not, his genetics wouldn’t allow him as his frame was maxed out and he tried adding more mass which messed with his overall balance and conditioning

Flex was a very small framed man. He might be 5’10 but he was tiny in terms of joints/wrist and frame. Ronnie and Dorian were bigger with the same conditioning if not better especially when Ronnie won in 1998.

Flex was one of the few who looked his best at a lighter weight, something in the 218-230 range

[Van_Bilderass]

I don’t think he could have done anything to beat Ronnie or Dorian, didn’t matter if he trained harder or not, his genetics wouldn’t allow him as his frame was maxed out and he tried adding more mass which messed with his overall balance and conditioning

Flex was a very small framed man. He might be 5’10 but he was tiny in terms of joints/wrist and frame. Ronnie and Dorian were bigger with the same conditioning if not better especially when Ronnie won in 1998.

Flex was one of the few who looked his best at a lighter weight, something in the 218-230 range

IMO you can never have too much "real" muscle. If you don't sacrifice conditioning it can never be too much. Like you said, conditioning suffered a bit. But he also went way overboard with the Synthol and lost quality. Some bodyparts were completely smoothed over.

Chad seemed to say Flex didn't quite max out his potential.
Imagine top Flex with 15 more pounds of striated muscle. Might have been possible, who knows.

[Mr Anabolic]

When I first started training at Gold's Venice in 1991 I had stopped following bodybuilding at the time and didn't know who the big names were. The only one I recognized was Lou Ferrigno. Though the sight of Dillet was just jaw-dropping it was Flex that stood out as sheer perfection. He would come in with (I would learn later) Chris Cormier, and one other guy that I didn't know. I don't think I ever saw anyone in person who just seemed so physically perfect.

He wasn't 100% perfect, but he was very very impressive when in top shape.  As someone said, small joints and long muscle bellies.  I was at the 1992 Arnold Classic... that version of Flex is probably the best BBing physique I've ever seen... cartoonish really.

[Ronnie Rep]

I don’t think he could have done anything to beat Ronnie or Dorian, didn’t matter if he trained harder or not, his genetics wouldn’t allow him as his frame was maxed out and he tried adding more mass which messed with his overall balance and conditioning

Flex was a very small framed man. He might be 5’10 but he was tiny in terms of joints/wrist and frame. Ronnie and Dorian were bigger with the same conditioning if not better especially when Ronnie won in 1998.

Flex was one of the few who looked his best at a lighter weight, something in the 218-230 range

98 Arnold was Flex's best. Check the pics don't have time to post. Hard as nails he said he was 230-235 I believe.

[Taffin]

I don’t think he could have done anything to beat Ronnie or Dorian, didn’t matter if he trained harder or not, his genetics wouldn’t allow him as his frame was maxed out and he tried adding more mass which messed with his overall balance and conditioning

Flex was a very small framed man. He might be 5’10 but he was tiny in terms of joints/wrist and frame. Ronnie and Dorian were bigger with the same conditioning if not better especially when Ronnie won in 1998.

Flex was one of the few who looked his best at a lighter weight, something in the 218-230 range

[oldschoolfan]

mike mentzer offered to train flex and believed he could have beat dorian.

[ArnoldPlatz]

1993mo

[AbrahamG]

1993mo

Dorian is lucky he wasn't charged with stage rape.

[Bevo]

His natural weight was around 140-150 at 5’10 before picking up a weight. Naturally he is very small, hence his frame, joints and wrist. His response to drugs and training transformed him and gave an illusion he was bigger than he was cause of his small joints and frame

[Bevo]

98 Arnold was Flex's best. Check the pics don't have time to post. Hard as nails he said he was 230-235 I believe.

Wasn’t he like 240+ in the 1999/2000 Mr O? Chasing Ronnie in size ended his kidney, his lines, conditioning

Or it could just be flex was shit out of luck in 98-2000 competing against Ronnie, everyone else was

[Taffin]

mike mentzer offered to train flex and believed he could have beat dorian.

I heard that too - apparently the stumbling block was that Mike couldn't convince Flex to start drinking his own p1ss...

[njflex]

Wasn’t he like 240+ in the 1999/2000 Mr O? Chasing Ronnie in size ended his kidney, his lines, conditioning

Or it could just be flex was shit out of luck in 98-2000 competing against Ronnie, everyone else was

BOTH i assume when ronnie won wheeler turned his back to the judges 'no homo'he was nowhere near coleman anything wise from the back.

[oldtimer1]

All the drugs and oil wrecked his kidneys. I bet the oil contributed to his leg getting amputated. I wish him health and peace.

[Mr Anabolic]

All the drugs and oil wrecked his kidneys. I bet the oil contributed to his leg getting amputated. I wish him health and peace.

Androgens can cause ppl to make very foolish decisions.  It also makes them believe they're invincible.  Not conducive to a long, healthy life.

[hardgainerj]

Synthol, site injections, etc

[Vince G, CSN MFT]

Flex always had one leg up over the competition.  Outstanding career

[ArnoldPlatz]

[ 4K UHD ]  Flex Wheeler - 1993 Mr Olympia 

[ 4K UHD ] Ronnie Coleman & Flex Wheeler & Kevin Levrone in 1999

[ 4K UHD ]   1999 Mr. Olympia

***** make sure to watch 02:38 in the video. it's probably one of the funniest scenes in the bodybuilding history *****

[ 4K UHD ]  1998 Mr. Olympia 

[ 4K UHD ]  Ronnie Coleman VS Flex Wheeler in 1998 Mr. Olympia 

[Hulkotron]

***** make sure to watch 02:38 in the video. it's probably one of the funniest scenes in the bodybuilding history *****

Haha

Special guest appearance by Big Snbt at the end as well.