Beyond the Limits of Human Muscle Hypertrophy: A Case Study of a Mr. Olympia Competitor Bodybuilder
Abstract
Abstract: Rosaci, G, Biban, S, and Bartolomei, S. Beyond the limits of human muscle hypertrophy: A case study of a Mr. Olympia competitor bodybuilder. J Strength Cond Res 40(10): 1253-1258, 2026-This study aimed to investigate changes in body composition and muscle architecture (muscle thickness [MT] and corrected echo intensity [cEI]) between the bulking and the cutting phase of a professional bodybuilder's preparation (age: 38 years; body mass: 128.7 kg; height: 176 cm). MT and cEI of 9 muscles (elbow flexors, triceps brachii, pectoralis major, upper trapezius, vastus medialis/lateralis, biceps femoris, medial/lateral gastrocnemius) were calculated by B-mode ultrasound images. In addition, training and food logs were analyzed, and body composition was estimated by skinfold measurements at the same timepoints. Caloric intake decreased from ∼5,620 kcal·d -1 in the bulking phase to ∼3,140 kcal·d -1 (-44%) in the cutting phase, while the resistance training program remained largely unchanged. A loss of 6.4 kg was registered in body mass, while a reduction of 0.7 mm only was recorded in the sum of the 3 skinfolds considered. Consistently, all the muscles showed a reduction in MT, particularly evident in the upper trapezius (-28.4%) and in the gastrocnemius medialis (-12.8%). On the contrary, increases in cEI were registered in almost all sites (+28.2% and +30.4% in elbow flexors and biceps femoris, respectively). The increase in cEI registered in the cutting phase, without an…
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