"I put such pressure on myself" - Sergio Oliva Jr. gets candid about comeback pressures
Sergio Oliva Jr., the professional bodybuilder, has continued to tease his bodybuilding comeback. He is the son of the legendary Sergio Oliva. Sergio Oliva was a three-time Mr. Olympia title winner and is considered to be one of the legends of the sport of bodybuilding.
Though Sergio Oliva Jr. hasn't been able to replicate his dad's success in bodybuilding, he has become a fan favorite among the followers of the sport. The legendary bodybuilder's son has won the 2017 New York Pro. Competing in the 2020 Arnold Classic, Oliva Jr. finished in fifth place ahead of Patrick Moore, Akim Williams, and Cedric McMillan.
His last competitive appearance in a bodybuilding competition was at the 2021 Legion Sports Fest Pro. The 2017 New York Pro champion finished in third place. Shaun Clarida won the title with Regan Grimes finishing in second place. His last Mr. Olympia appearance came five years ago.
But since then, he has often teased about a potential comeback to competitive bodybuilding. In a recent edition of The Menace Podcast with Dennis James, Sergio Oliva Jr. discussed several topics. Speaking about the comeback pressures, the pro bodybuilder said,
"On the outside world, I think they think I don’t do shows because I’m like better or too good for something. It’s not, it’s quite the opposite. I put such pressure on myself that I think, yeah, I don’t want to go to the Olympia and get 15th place, I want to win it and be in the first call out. So, let me spend more time building, fixing my physique and then go to the Olympia and do well."
The 2017 New York Pro title winner stated that he wants to dedicate some more time to building and fixing his physique. He claimed that he still needs to work on his lower back. Oliva Jr. said,
"I still need to work on my lower back. I definitely need to work on that. That’s what the problem is, I’m always nit-picking myself so much. By the time I’m done talking about what I need to work on, I’m like, fuck it, I need more time, I need more time."
Sergio Oliva Jr. has often insisted that he wants to become a Mr. Olympia champion someday. If he makes a strong comeback after making the necessary changes, he may even achieve his dream of becoming Mr. Olympia title winner. Sergio Oliva's son and the other bodybuilders have until October 9, 2023 to secure a pro victory and get an invitation to compete in the 2023 Mr. Olympia.
Sergio Oliva Jr. opens up about mastering his peak responds to fans suggestions that he has downsized
While discussing various topics, the pro bodybuilder stated that he would like to master his peaking process for contest prep. He termed this a 'crazy science'. Sergio Oliva Jr. said,
"To peak. it’s such a crazy science, you just have to know your body so well. And that’s the only thing I’m not confident about. I’ve always looked the best the day before. A lot of people say they’ve looked their best a day after a show, me, I’m ready to go the day before every show."
He added,
"And then I was just going to say my nerves, the pressure, the cortisol, it’s really all mental that stops me and poor Aceto, he’s killing it every show for me bringing me in, and my own self-destructiveness is what kills me."
The pro bodybuilder also touched upon the topic of fans suggesting that he has downsized. Replying to the fan's suggestions, Sergio Oliva Jr. said,
"I want to respond back to people but then I stop myself. That’s the whole reason I moved out here. Their opinion doesn’t matter to me. But to answer that: there’s only one bodybuilder on the IFBB circuit that weighs more than me and I don’t think people realize that."
The 2017 New York Pro winner continued,
"If I’m losing my shows because of condition, talking about me being downsized means I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing. Can you imagine only having Big Ramy weighing more than you on stage and people are talking about, ‘Oh, you look small.’ Good, who cares. I’m not losing shows because of size. It went up two pounds, I’m 291 now,” added Oliva Jr."
He claimed that travel issues from his Dubai car accident have also contributed to making it difficult for him to fully dedicate himself to a bodybuilding show. Sergio Oliva Jr. stated that he is currently waiting for his car insurance people to deal with the case.