Week 153 :: Who Will Win The 2008 Iron Man Pro?

[the_fake_webmaster]

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* Note: How can I win? 1. Answer all questions in the order that they are asked. 2. Go over reviews (located at the bottom of past TOTW articles) and see what was said about those that did not win. Good Luck!
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TOPIC: Who Will Win The 2008 Iron Man Pro?

For the week of: January 16th - January 22nd
Wednesday @ Midnight Is The Final Cut (Mountain Time, US & Canada).

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This year's Iron Man Pro will again be very exciting because there are so many competitors that could win.

Will Toney Freeman be able to come in and retain his title after such a disappointing showing at the '07 Olympia? What about Phil Heath? Recent pictures show that he is a definite contender for the title.

Men - The list of the competitors:
(*List is not final. Last updated January 16th, 2008)

Toney Freeman, USA
Gustavo Badell, USA
Phil Heath, USA
Silvio Samuel, USA
Desmond Miller, USA
Troy Alves, USA
Johnnie Jackson, USA
Eddie Abbew, UK
Khalid Almohsinawi, USA
Ray Arde, USA
Paco Bautista, Spain
Troy Brown, Canada
Rodney Davis, USA
Omar Deckard, USA
Alfonso del Rio, Spain
Moe Elmoussawi, USA
Deshaun Grimez, USA
David Henry, USA
Rusty Jeffers, USA
King Kamali, USA
Vincent Liu, Canada
JoJo Ntiforo, USA
Sergey Ogorodnikov, Russia
Gian Enrico Pica, USA
Armin Scholz, Germany
John Sherman, USA
Jimmy Canyon, USA
Ken Jones, USA
Salah Ibraham, New Zealand
Will Harris, USA
Mehmet Yildirim, France

Give your opinion on who will be in the top Five and give full details for why you believe it will go down that way.

Bonus Question: Have you ever attended the Iron Man Pro Show? If so, what did you think of it and how was your experience? Was it what you thought it would be? How could it be made better?

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Thanks.

Don't discuss any other topic in this section. ONLY discuss the question above.

The best response will get $75 in credit to use in our online store! The other good responses will be used in an article on the main Bodybuilding.com site, with the poster's forum name listed by it. Become famous!

Thanks,
Will
Webmaster
Bodybuilding.com

[sportsfan4110]

I believe that Phil Heath will win the Iron Man Pro because he has dramatically improved his physique over the last couple of years. He is bigger, harder, and more vascular this year and he will beat Toney Freeman who seems to be declining over the past few years. Phil will win and Gustavo will be second because I believe if he comes in great conditioning he will do well. Silvio Samuel third because he is huge and always comes in great shape. I believe Toney to come in third or fourth and Johnnie Jackson in fifth.


1. Phil Heath
2. Gustavo Badell
3. Silvio Samuel
4. Toney Freeman
5. Johnnie Jackson

[chris_mcfarlane]

king kamali

[Beast2Be]

I hope you like it! I spent a fairly good amount of time on this :)

EDIT: For some reason, the pictures don't show up unless you point your mouse on the page. So make sure to point the mouse on the empty spaces for the pictures! :) Theres 8 pic's I believe

[edlova_21]

I am so excited to attend the Iron Man this year I have been thinking about this topic. So I am really glad that this subject matter came up. I think Toney will redeem himself from his showing at the '07 Olympia. As he said he was sick and was not able to fully prepare for the Olympia. So Toney is my pick to win it all. I am excited though to see the improvements that Phil Heath has made. The picture that I saw in Beast2Be’s write up looks insane. I can’t put him over Toney though because he could not beat him last year at the Arnold. Silvio is Silvio enough said. He reminds of the old school bodybuilders, man he just has it. Troy Alves is my sleeper pick. He has a great physique that just keeps getting looked over. This year is a make or break year for him and I think with taking last year off he has been able to make great improvements. Fifth can go two ways, it can go to either David Henry or Johnnie Jackson. David has always been a great bodybuilder but after seeing him at the Olympia I think that he will have a great year this.

My top 5 are:
1) Toney Freeman
2) Phil Heath
3) Silvio Samuel
4) Troy Alves
5) David Henry

Once again Beast2Be much props on your synopsis.

[Beast2Be]

Thank's man, I appreciate it! :)

[Xie_zi]

1. Phil Heath
2. Silvio Samuel
3. David Henry
4. Johnie Jackson
5. Toney Freeman

[Dallas68]

Hey guys, good luck.

Edit sorry about the random title of the file.

[Ironlover23]

Nice work Beast! Here is my work, enjoy :)

-Mine seems to be doing the same thing as Beast2Be's. The pictures don't show up unless you drag your mouse near them. There are 5 pictures I believe!

[PTAY@VZW.BLACKBERRY.NET]

I belong to the gym the king is currently preparing in NY. Don't know what the rest of the pack are doing but the King is looking good. This guy is trainig his butt off and is focused. It is very impressive to watch (and listen) to him train.
Every rep and every set is intense and I mean intense. Dont bother to interrupt him while he is training he wont hear you anyway but nice thing about him is that when he is done he'll give you his time to answer a question or give some advice. The King is focused and intense with 4 weeks to go. Long live the King!!!

[Dallas68]

I belong to the gym the king is currently preparing in NY. Don't know what the rest of the pack are doing but the King is looking good. This guy is trainig his butt off and is focused. It is very impressive to watch (and listen) to him train.
Every rep and every set is intense and I mean intense. Dont bother to interrupt him while he is training he wont hear you anyway but nice thing about him is that when he is done he'll give you his time to answer a question or give some advice. The King is focused and intense with 4 weeks to go. Long live the King!!!

Good stuff to hear man, can't wait to see if all that focused aggression brings in the place he deserves!

[Ironlover23]

My chances are looking wonderful! :)

[mrkdrt]

can;t wait for this event.. got money down on my picks!

[mrkdrt]

Havent read anyone elses..
but by the amt of entries looks like people know their pros

[RoadPigJohn]

This year's Iron Man Pro will again be very exciting because there are so many competitors that could win.

Will Toney Freeman be able to come in and retain his title after such a disappointing showing at the '07 Olympia? What about Phil Heath? Recent pictures show that he is a definite contender for the title.

Despite the twist and turns of the x-man Toney Freeman, there is no doubt that he is going to show his best shape to date at the Ironman 2008 but there is a strong competitor better know as the gift, that is focus and looks capable to win the show. Phil Heath hungrier than ever, looks tough to beat at this contest, because of his recent showing at the Weider camp.

Men - The list of the competitors:
(*List is not final. Last updated January 16th, 2008)

Toney Freeman, USA
Gustavo Badell, USA
Phil Heath, USA
Silvio Samuel, USA
Desmond Miller, USA
Troy Alves, USA
Johnnie Jackson, USA
Eddie Abbew, UK
Khalid Almohsinawi, USA
Ray Arde, USA
Paco Bautista, Spain
Troy Brown, Canada
Rodney Davis, USA
Omar Deckard, USA
Alfonso del Rio, Spain
Moe Elmoussawi, USA
Deshaun Grimez, USA
David Henry, USA
Rusty Jeffers, USA
King Kamali, USA
Vincent Liu, Canada
JoJo Ntiforo, USA
Sergey Ogorodnikov, Russia
Gian Enrico Pica, USA
Armin Scholz, Germany
John Sherman, USA
Jimmy Canyon, USA
Ken Jones, USA
Salah Ibraham, New Zealand
Will Harris, USA
Mehmet Yildirim, France

Give your opinion on who will be in the top Five and give full details for why you believe it will go down that way.

Phil Heath makes the decision to put a plan together with his friend and advisor Jay Cutler, to bring the look that gave the current Mr.Olympia champ his first Sandow statue. Bringing new training techniques and nutrition plan to the table to make the transformation from a great bodybuilder to a more impressive, refined and muscular athlete.
With commitment and excitement the former New York Pro champion is adding everything on the line to show that he is capable to beat his competition with a solid performance combining a very muscular and well balance physic with extreme hardness an sliced mid section.

Toney Freeman, the former Ironman champion and top contender this year title, is confident and ready to decimate his opponents at Los Angeles Convention Center. The X-Man with gargantuan proportions and extreme hardness is looking for revenge from his last showing the Mr.Oympia 2007. If Toney added new quality size to his structure and is ripped to the bone ones again, don?t be surprise if he win the show.

Gustavo Badell, The former Ironman and San Francisco champ is coming with one objective in his mind, to be the next Iroman champion, with a great symmetry and incredible hardness, Gustavo is going to battle for the title on February 17th. The former Olympia showdown champ is going to be ready to take the advantage; since he already prove that he is capable to beat any of the athletes mentioned. Gustavo is improving his size and condition every year, so make to mistake if he surprises us in Los Angeles.

Desmond Miller the former NPC National Champion is coming to prove why he placed top 5 at last year New York Pro. The only thing that put Desmont behind his competition for the top 3 is his structure; with his new ultra sharp condition and muscle comparable to a younger Ronnie Coleman, there is no doubt that he is going to step hard in Los Angeles.

Armin Scholz is a contender for the title with an intimidating presence, balanced upper body, amazing arms structure, incomparable deltoids, striated chest, legs and smaller waist. His back is thick, wide and detailed. 2008 looks to be his year, the man many consider to be the successor of Markus Ruhl, is more than ready to prove that Los Angeles is the place to present his A game.


Bonus Question: Have you ever attended the Iron Man Pro Show? If so, what did you think of it and how was your experience? Was it what you thought it would be? How could it be made better?

I never visited Los Angeles so for that reason, it would be very entertaining to go there and attend to a bodybuilding show like the Ironman Pro and feel the excitement of the venue and the live crowd. I heard good things about the promoters John Balik about making sensational expos for the public in attendance, something very similar to the Arnold Classic Weekend.

[whotime65]

either heat or jackson imo

[davidmunoz]

I think this will be the top 5.


1.Phil Heath, USA
2.Silvio Samuel, USA
3.David Henry, USA
4.Toney Freeman, USA
5. Johnnie Jackson, USA

David Mu?oz

[jb_pl_42]

I pick J squared from head to toe. The more off time he has, the more he can bring his legs up. If his leg comes up, its hard to argue against his upper body. The man is just respectable for doing what he does in the gym, not many people train as intense as this guy and his power-lifting background has made him a very forceful bodybuilder. Top ten Olympia and now he's going to snag a victory. With a stacked lineup including Silvio, Freeman, Henry and Health, Johnnie has the only physique that really has the thickness, conditioning and size needed to win pro shows these days. Health's an up and comer but Jackson has been doing this for plenty of years now and I think his legs will come up enough to show people what a future top 6 at the Olympia looks like.

[Owen70]

The Iron Man Pro is perennially one of the most anticipated events in bodybuilding. It is not only the first chance at redemption for pro's who may have missed their mark the previous year, but also it is an opportunity for new faces to stake a claim to bodybuilding's elite. Then again, this year, the Iron Man Pro looks like it will serve a different purpose. This year, the Pro Iron Man looks like it may be the beginning of the end for the unfortunate competitors going into this show against arguably bodybuilding's most improved-Phil Heath. When Heath took the light-heavy and overall at the 2005 USA Bodybuilding Championships, many saw a man with limitless potential. Due to newly released photos though, many think we are going to witness the culmination of that potential at the 2008 Pro Iron Man.

However, many bodybuilders have disregarded the acclaim Heath has begotten recently. Many, including last year's champion Toney Freeman, see the Iron Man as a chance for vindication after a disappointing close to the 2007 season. In particular, Gustavo Baddell and Freeman look to avenge their woeful showings at the 2007 Mr. Olympia by hoisting the Pro Iron Man Title. Then again, bodybuilders who used the 2007 season as springboard, particularly Silvio Samuel, Johnny Jackson, and Desmond Miller, look poised to make a serious run at 1st place. Whoever it is that decided to be the best bodybuilder on February 16th will not only be the recipient of $15,000 dollars as first place winner, but also will have the potential momentum to catapult themselves towards 1st at the Arnold Classic two weeks from the Iron Man.

The 2008 rendition of the Pro Iron Man looks to have the deepest field of competitors in recent memory. However, only a select few of these world-class bodybuilders will even make it to the top 5. The distinguished few:

1. Phil Heath, USA.
Heath hit bodybuilding from nowhere with his remarkably fast ascent to the IFBB. From there, Heath took no time in distinguishing himself as one of Bodybuilding's elite by taking first at both the 2006 New York Pro and 2006 Colorado Pro. Although his stellar rookie season afforded the former basketball player the utmost acclaim from industry people and fans alike, many saw a man with potential to be not only a success, but a legend in the sport if he he was able to add only a bit more size. In attempting to do so, Heath decided against competing in the '07 Olympia after a 5th place showing at the previous year's Arnold Classic. By doing as such, Heath attempted to take 1 step back in order to take two steps forward; by sitting out the late-year contest, Heath had the off-season time to develop and refine his physique into what looks to be the indisputable front-runner heading into the contest.

2. Toney Freeman, USA.
Last year's winner started the '07 season by winning both this contest and the Sacramento Pro and culminated his momentum with a remarkable third place finish at the Arnold Classic, where many thought he should have finished even higher. However, Freeman's fortunes took a turn for the worse when he finished a surprising 14th at the 2007 Mr. Olympia, lower than 2006 performance at the same show. However, Freeman is not contest to sit and let the young gun Phil Heath usurp his throne as Pro Iron Man champion. Expect Freeman to bring his impressive size, a remarkable 6'2, and 290lbs of contest-conditioned muscle to the stage. It could be down to the wire to decide who wins the show; I have to feel that Toney will not go down easy.

3. Gustavo Badell, USA.
Badell has had his ups and downs recently in the IFBB. After finishing third at the 2005 Mr. Olympia, Gustavo steadily lost the characteristics that had jettisoned him to third place to begin with. Yet, Badell realized his errors, and attempted to redefine his physique in 2007 by bringing in his waistline. Impressively, Badell displayed a streamlined physique at the 2007 Mr. Olympia; the judges, though, thought otherwise. Badell ended up placing a disappointing 8th. With the 2008 Iron Man, Badell hopes to capture much-needed momentum in order to restart his ascent to mount Olympus in 2008. And, because of muscle maturity and size, one has to like his chances at contention. Yet, the problems which have perennially plagued Badell are doubtful to be resolved in such a relatively short period of time since the Mr. Olympia. Due to his 'blocky' physique and robust waistline, expect Badell to finish no higher than third-solely due to his experience, posing, and muscularity.

4. Silvio Samuel Saviour, Spain.
The "Iron Man" of the 2007 IFBB season looks to beget his namesake in trophy form at this contest. Silvio, in spite of a remarkable 7 performances throughout 2007, held on to the trademark conditioning and inspiring muscle bellies he has quickly become known for. Samuel could realistically, with an additional 7-10lbs, contend for 1st place at the Iron Man if the men before him falter and he dials in his lower body conditioning. Nevertheless, count on his consistency alone to net him a top-5 finish.

5. Desmond Miller, USA.
Legs. Miller, from the moment he stepped on stage when he earned his pro card at the 2006 nationals, garnered attention-particular towards his lower body. Miller took 2007 to establish himself at the NY Pro and Keystone Classic, netting 4th and 2nd place finishes, respectively. Yet, the dominance of his lower body and a waistline prone to blurring Miller's v-taper were his weak points throughout his rookie season. Knowing this, Miller sat out the second half the 2007 IFBB season in order to rectify his weaknesses. After a successful off season, Miller hopes to unveil a package that is not only symmetrical and aesthetic, but almost worthy of 1st place. Miller could very well be the 2008 Iron Man's "X-Factor" if he can display improved upper-lower body balance and has brought in his waistline. Expect nothing lower than 5th place for the Bronx Bomber.

Bonus Question: Have you ever attended the Iron Man Pro Show? If so, what did you think of it and how was your experience? Was it what you thought it would be? How could it be made better?
Although I have never attended the Iron Man, many reports have attested to its well-run nature. The show marks the beginning of the new IFBB season, and as such, is highly anticipated by both fans and IFBB Pro's alike. The show's promoters moved the 2008 Iron Man to Los Angeles in order to bring it closer to the fans. Additionally, the show has become a staple for the rest of the nation because it is broadcast live from Bodybuilding.com via free web cast. Hopefully, the Athletes bring a physiques worthy of the fan's anticipation. Let the 2008 IFBB season begin!

[Beast2Be]

I like your Top 5 Owen! :) Looks like it's going to be a great contest

[Crossroads]

I'm gonna have to give it to Phil Heath in a very close battle with JO Jackson, Silvio, and Toney Freeman. I think Gustavo is gonna come in too thick in the midsection and to smooth (again). David Henry and Will Harris could sneak in and shake up the top 5!

1. Phil Heath
2. Jonny Jackson
3. Silvio Samuel
4. Toney Freeman
5. David Henry
6. Gustavo Badell
7. Desmond Miller
8. Will Harris

[mrkdrt]

There should be a prize for whosever predictions are the most accurate..
Reps?

[IRONWORK]

i think its between heath, jackson ,or samueal but it depends whos judgeing