IFBB pro Sergio Oliva Jr. posing for the camera: Image via Instagram (@sergioolivajr)

"I can do this" - Sergio Oliva Jr. on attempting to win the Mr. Olympia and skipping the 2023 Arnold Classic South America

Modified Mar 13, 2024 12:33 GMT

Sergio Oliva Jr., the son of legendary bodybuilder Sergio Oliva, is a professional bodybuilder who has been rising through the ranks in the professional scene over the last few years. Oliva Jr. is well-known for his conditioning and his massive upper body.

Earlier this year, the Cuban-American bodybuilder was invited to the 2023 Arnold Classic South America but has now revealed that he will not be attending the show. According to Sergio, he remains positive that he can win an Olympia title.

Speaking on the Prime TIme Muscle podcast, he added that he believes his hard work will win him a title in the future:

"You know what, I can do this. It’s great to see people that are watching me from an amateur until now – and on social media, I think people are just like, ‘If you don’t get first place then you’re not progressing and you’re not a good bodybuilder.’ "

Sergio added that there have been many bodybuilders throughout history who constantly knocked on the door for a long time before they finally tasted success. He believes that the process of slowly fitting into your body-type will eventually lead to success. He added:

"If you watched the sport before Ronnie Coleman, you’d know there were a lot of people that were trying, trying, trying, and then they hit it. You have to fill your body out sometimes and you have to make progress. It’s cool to see some of my favorite people in the sport that see that in me."

Despite wanting to compete in the Arnold Classic South America, Sergio revealed that a car accident in Dubai held him back. He added that he just wants to get done with qualifying for the Olympia:

"No. Unfortunately, I’m not going to be competing there. I never even really said I was going to be competing there it was just the show I wanted to shoot for. I really wanted to qualify early and get this Olympia qualification off my back ... I really just wanted to get that off my back and then I could continue growing until the Olympia and be a force."

Sergio Oliva added that he aims to compete in the next show or the one after that:

"I cannot just tell myself, ‘Oh, you’ll be fine.’ Oh, ‘No.’ Do another one and another one. So we backed off this week that we’re going to try and shoot for the next show after or maybe the one after that."

"I never took my foot off the gas" - Sergio Oliva Jr. on staying in shape despite taking a break from the sport

According to Oliva Jr., his one-year 'break' that he has taken from the sport has allowed him to improve drastically. He added that he has not been lazing around, instead, he has worked on refining his physique.

He said:

"I wanted to take a break and it worked. It’s kind of really – what’s the point? I think a lot of people sometimes take breaks because they need a break from bodybuilding and I slightly needed that but I never took my foot off the gas with anything, I pushed it harder ... It will be the best I’ve ever looked."

Born to two professional bodybuilders, Oliva Jr. reiterated his love for the sport:

"Bodybuilding is the most important thing in the world to me ... If it wasn’t for bodybuilding, I wouldn’t be born."