Flex Wheeler
July 31. 1999

Flex Wheeler came in second in the 1998 Mr. Olympia, in one of the most closely watched Mr. O's in years. So during the 1999 NPC USA's in Santa Monica, California, I got the chance to talk to Flex about the upcoming Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas.

Flex Wheeler, interviewed by Ron Avidan.

  • RA: So what are you going to do this year to prepare for the Mr. Olympia?

  • FW: Just the regular things, the training, the dieting, and so on. Mentally, the preparation

  • RA: Do you think you can be better than you were last year?

  • FW: Of course, of course. No problem. Not even a figment of my imagination. That's a done deal.

  • RA: The word out on the street that you have a 50-50 chance against Ronnie Coleman this year.

  • FW: You know what, that is nice. That is really cute and all, but it has no relevancy in my mind whatsoever. To me, its 100% that I am going to win, and zero percent that anybody else is. Even if they said that it is 90 to 1 that I am going to lose, who cares what they think, that's not my mental mindframe, nor does it affect my mind frame at all.

  • RA: Are you really at Gold's Gym in Venice training at 6am in the morning every day?

  • FW: When I am training for a show, and it gets closer in time to the competition, I will be at the gym at 5am in the morning training. Right now, I am training at 11am in the afternoon.

  • RA: By yourself?

  • FW: No, I have a trainer named Charles Glass.

  • RA: What about Chad Nichols?

  • FW: Chad Nichols is also helping out.

  • RA: It is about 12 weeks from the Mr. Olympia. What are you starting to do differently?

  • FW: Just starting to manipulate my carbohydrates and my fat, and so on, and starting my cardiovascular exercises and stuff like that.

  • RA: Are you doing anything different from last year?

  • FW: Come in shape. That what I am going to do differently. Come in shape. Last year I didn't, this year I will.

  • RA: So you are mentally geared toward this contest?

  • FW: Yes, sure am. I have been having to wait an entire year to redeem myself in my own mind, so I can't wait to get back out there and come in conditioned.

  • RA: Were your surprised by the decision?

  • FW: Well, yes and no, because I knew, I was not surprised about my condition, I knew I was off, but I did not think I was off by that much to be defeated by him, even though he was in superior condition, you know, it is not judged solely on conditioning. The contest is four rounds. I thought in three of the rounds I defeated him, but they did not see it that way, so I will change their mind this year.