Sergio Oliva

un phénomène génétique en son temps , lorsque tu vois le physique qu'il avait pour l'époque niveau masse et volume il a fallu attendre longtemps (à part Arnold ) voir d'autres BB arriver à son niveau.

Je suis de cet avis également.

A l'époque pas de préparations cosmétiques de dernières minutes ds les épaules, les bras, les ishios, les mollets. Pas d'organe déformé. Pas de gueule de coing ou néandertalienne. Juste du bon muscle dressé à coups d'entrainements hyper durs (dixit Arnold), de produits de l'époque et d'un mental de guerrier.

Oliva était originaire de Cuba. Profitant d'une escale à la Jamaique avec son équipe d'halérophilie, il demanda l'asile politique aux USA. Qu'il obtint.
Après il a travaillé longtemps dans une fonderie puis dans des halles de découpe de viandes. 12 voir 15 heures par jour. Après la jounée, direction la salle d'entrainement. Pendant ce temps là, Arnold exploitait Weider (et il aurait eu tord de s'en priver).
Ce n'est que beaucoup plus tard que Sergio trouva un job comme policier.
Sa couleur de peau, ses origines, ne l'ont pas mis en positon favorable avec l'empire Weider de l'époque. Après 1972, il s'est perdu dans des fédérations plus ou moins marginales.

Ce n'est qu'en 84 que j'ai pu réellement voir le mythe. Année de son retour à Olympia made in IFBB.
Avant j'en avais entendu parlé. Mais pas de photos. Ou si peu. Dans les salles on disait que c'était un phénomène. Il y avait tout une aura mystérieuse autour de ce gars. On savait qu'il avait un physique hors norme pour l'époque mais tout le reste n'était que supposition. Certains l'avaient vu à Paris. Mais voilà, pas de photo, pas de texte, pas de vidéo. Rien. Que dalle.
Rien à voir avec Arnold qui était partout (dans les pubs, dans les articles d'entrainement, dans le cinéma).

Arrive 84, Weider commence à parler de son retour dans Muscle Builder US. Le concours : voilà enfin Monsieur Sergio Oliva. Génial de voir ce gars se mouvoir sur une scène (en vhs !). Un physique et une présence hors norme.
Ensuite il y a eu beaucoup d'articles sur lui dans les revues US et Anglaises.

En 85, c'est son dernier concours. On ne le reverra plus dans cette condition.

Avec Sergio, comme Steve Reeves et Bill Pearl (et d'autres) peu avant lui, on pouvait réellement parler de génétique, de mental, de sueur.

avec Casey Viator

1972, Japon

louloubabar a écrit:

bon et bien R.I.P a eux deux hein .

La 1ére Japon 72 le gars est en avance sur son temps. champ

The November 12 passing of three time Mr. Olympia (1967, ’68, ’69) Sergio Oliva at age 71, prompted thoughts of the part genetics plays in the potential development of a bodybuilder. And what exactly is meant by the term “great genetics” when applied to bodybuilding?

GOOD VS GREAT
First of all, get over the notion that anyone if they train hard enough and exhibit extreme dedication can win the Mr. Olympia title or even become a national amateur champ. What is needed is not merely good genetics, but great genetics. Tiger Woods is super dedicated but his golfing prowess is overwhelmingly down to the fact that he was born with a gift to master the intricate techniques of guiding a ball around a golf course. In tennis, Roger Federer trains like a Titan but he has won a record 17 Grand Slam titles because fate bequeathed him the ability to attain world beating racket skills. Same with bodybuilding: To be a champion you need those great genetics. Being born with narrow clavicles, wide hips, short legs, a long trunk and short muscle insertions is not a resume destined to disrupt Phil Heath’s sleeping habits. So for starters to make it at the top level the favored genetic inheritance is to have a skeletal structure that boasts wide clavicles, narrow hips and waist, limbs that are in proportion and long muscle insertions.

In addition what is then needed is a superior ability to respond to progressive resistance training and accumulate muscle mass. Kerry Kayes, British Masters champion, past promoter of the English Grand Prix and contest prep advisor illustrates that latter point very well: “Imagine that a normal person is born with two bricklayers inside him which help to build muscle. And imagine that a Mr. Olympia is born with seven bricklayers inside him. The normal person may take a load of gear and double his muscle building ability and end up with four bricklayers, which still isn’t as many as Mr. Olympia.” Following on from that rationale it’s a personal contention that it is those less genetically gifted who take the most drugs: But that’s an argument for another time.

GENE GENIES
Over the decades many names have been thrust forward in discussions concerning best ever genetics. The list includes: Steve Reeves, Bill Pearl, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Zane, Danny Padilla, Samir Bannout, Mohamed Makkawy, Lee Haney, Berry DeMey, Bob Paris, Lee Labrada, Shawn Ray, Kevin Levrone, Flex Wheeler, Dexter Jackson, Melvin Anthony, Victor Martinez right through to today’s reigning Mr. Olympia Phil Heath.

But this humble scribe’s belief is that the best genetics ever in bodybuilding were those bestowed on Sergio Oliva, born July 4 1941 in Cuba. The aforementioned prerequisites of ideal bone structure, full muscle insertions and minuscule waist are there to be clearly seen in the timeless shots that The Myth (so named by legendary writer and 1967 Mr. World Rick Wayne) has left as testimony to his greatness. Exhibit A is his signature overhead victory pose that even nearly 50 years after he first hit it has not been equaled. Indeed, how many images of bodybuilders from the ‘60s still draw gasps from the modern community?

It’s a fact that Oliva competed in a more innocent time when even winning the Olympia brought only a $1,000 payday and lucrative contracts were not around. Our subject was content to ply his trade as a laborer in a meatpacking warehouse and later as a Chicago policeman and treat bodybuilding as a secondary endeavor. Rick Wayne writes, “Sergio never fully achieved his potential. His regular diet of beans and rice and anything else that titillated his taste buds remained largely unchanged, even when preparing for contests. As for drugs, in Sergio’s time all that was generally accessible was Dianabol and maybe an injection of unproven worth once a month.” The respected Terry Strand, a state Olympic and powerlifting champion, and former bodybuilding competitor, who knew Sergio from the mid-’60s to his death, backs up that last sentence.

Strand also recalls one of Sergio’s regular pre-workout meals being a pack of Hostess Twinkies and a can of Mountain Dew. (Ironically, Four days after Sergio’s passing Hostess Brands, makers of Twinkies, announced it was going out of business. (Now that is either a staggering coincidence or The Myth must have eaten a ton of Twinkies.)

This is not to diminish Sergio’s accomplishments but just think of the physique he might have built if he had focused 100 per cent on making the most of the greatest bodybuilding genetics ever accorded a human being. But then again, if he had put all other things aside he wouldn’t have been “Sergio.” Let’s just celebrate his memory, cherish his photographic legacy, and be grateful The Myth came our way.

By Peter McGough

Merci pour l'article.

Les témoignages des exceptionnelles qualités génétiques d'Oliva sont nombreux ces temps çi.

On y apprend par exemple qu'il avait (en 71 72 73) un tour de taille égal à celui de ses cuisses (29" = 73.66 cm).
A part Juliette Bergman, sont pas nombreux ds le milieu à avoir pu réaliser une telle équivalence.
Et de nos jours, c'est même pas la peine de chercher.

***

Un hommage de Wayne Gallasch (celui qui réalisa les fameuses photos d'extérieur en 1972) :

In Memoriam - Remembering Sergio Oliva

Sergio was born in Cuba in 1941, and he later became an outstanding weightlifter. While competing in Jamaica, he escaped from his team hotel to the American consulate, where he received political asylum and was able to defect to the United States.
He joined the IFBB in 1966 and went on to win the Mr. World and Mr. Universe titles and place 4th in the Mr. Olympia that year. He then won the next 3 Olympias narrowly losing to Arnold in 1970 and again in 1972. He also competed in other federations, including the winning of the WABBA Pro World in 1977.
Sergio's last IFBB contest was the 1985 Mr. Olympia where he placed 8th at the age of 43.

I first met Sergio when he competed in the 1971 NABBA Professional Universe in London, when he was beaten by Bill Pearl. It was a correct decision, as in my opinion, Sergio was still holding fluid and Bill was harder and sharper on the day. A group of us, organized by Wag and Dianne Bennett, then all traveled to Paris for the 1971 Mr. Olympia, to be held one week later. Sad to say Sergio had been banned in Paris for doing the NABBA event the week before.

As there was a sellout crowd, and Olympia promoter Serge Nubret did not want to disappoint the huge number of fans who had come to see Sergio do battle with Arnold, the IFBB agreed that Sergio could guest pose. He literally brought the house down, looking much sharper and tighter than he did in London one week before. It was such a pity he could not have been judged side by side with Arnold, but it was not to be. Arnold won that Olympia unopposed.

My next meeting with Sergio was in London, two days after he had lost the 1972 Mr Olympia to Arnold in Essen, Germany. Wag Bennett had set up the film and photo shoot for me, meeting at his gym in East London. I will never forget seeing Sergio coming through the door, with his huge wide shoulders and great lats narrowing down to this tiny waist, huge triceps hanging out of his tank-top. He was in incredible site to behold and had such a God-given genetic shape.

We subsequently had a fantastic shoot at a wetland area nearby, and when it came to doing more photos of Sergio after doing the movie film shooting, he said he had had enough for the day and so that was it. I only regret that I did not get more photos, although I would mention that Sergio was never all that keen on doing photography!
Others say this was the best film footage ever recorded of Sergio, and for this fact, I am indebted to the great man for this experience and opportunity.

I last spoke to Sergio backstage in the pump room at the 2010 Olympia where the past winners were gathered to be presented on stage with Joe Weider. Sadly Sergio is now the first Olympia winner that we have lost.

He will always remain as one of the greatest physiques of all time. I am privileged and grateful for the opportunity to have worked with Sergio twice, and to call him a friend. In the words of Peter McGough, "there will never, ever be another Myth."
Our condolences to the Olliva family. Sergio Oliva, 3-time Mr. Olympia, RIP.

Wayne Gallasch,
GMV Productions

In the top photo below, you see my first ever photo taken with Sergio, from the Wanstead Heath shoot, London, in 1972.