Shawn Ray (shawn ray) bodybuilder biography

Shawn Ray Performance History

One day, John Brown, a famous bodybuilder at that time, twice winner of the title “Mr. Universe,” visited his gym.
Of course, this athlete had enormous respect and authority. No matter how strange it may sound, this 120-kilogram giant himself spoke to young Ray and asked him what tournament to prepare for. Sean froze in place. This prompted the young athlete to compete in his first Orange Coast Championship tournament, where he took second place and received a prize for best posing. Next, the young man submits an application and goes to the California Gold Cup podium, where he wins in the middleweight category. Well, everything was already clear, and Sean decided that he would be a professional bodybuilder.

Biography episodes

Shawn Ray was born on October 9, 1965 in the state of California in the city of Fullerton in a large family, where he was the 8th child. As a child, I did not notice any addiction to strength sports. After entering college, Sean began playing American football. To tighten up my figure and gain a couple of kilograms of muscle mass, I signed up for a local gym. Soon the hobby grew into a passion, and Shawn Ray could not live a day without dumbbells. The lack of outstanding natural data forced a lot of work, but the assigned mass task was completed ahead of schedule. The guy decided to continue training, but to become a real bodybuilder he needed a coach.

Bodybuilder Shawn Ray now * Biography

Despite the fact that Sean was somewhat disillusioned with bodybuilding due to subjective judging, he is considered the “Giant Smasher”. His body had practically no lagging muscle groups, despite this he did not have huge muscle mass, paying attention to the aesthetic features of his build. He harshly criticized the new judging fashion, when huge guys win, bringing one and a half hundredweight of awkward muscles to the podium.

For a long time, the very successful Sean could not improve his personal life, since all his girlfriends ran away from him because of his jealousy of bodybuilding. Indeed, the athlete himself comments that he lived like a robot. Eating, sleeping, training and everything else exclusively according to the schedule. But after he stopped performing in 2003, he married Christie and on August 10, 2005 his first daughter, Asia Monet, was born.

Shawn Ray was born on September 9, 1965 in Fullerton, California. Imagine, he was the eighth child in the family! By the way, Ray’s not entirely black appearance is explained by the fact that his mother is half Puerto Rican. Until the age of 18, Sean didn’t even know what bodybuilding was. However, once he entered college, he started going to the gym to properly prepare his body for the football season.

At that time, Ray weighed 75 kg and wanted to become stronger and bigger. He set himself up for a long six-month work, but within just a few weeks he discovered that he had achieved the planned results. As they say, appetite comes with eating... Sean was literally overwhelmed with enthusiasm, and the only thing he lacked in order to progress even faster was the guidance of an experienced mentor.

However, chance helped. One day, in the gym where Shawn Ray was training, John Brown, a two-time winner of the Mr. Universe title, an athlete who enjoyed enormous popularity and unquestioned authority among black bodybuilding fans, appeared. “What competition are you preparing for, guy?” – this 120-kilogram giant, 187 cm tall, asked Ray.

“Before I could blink an eye, I found myself on the podium. It was the Orange Coast Championship and I took second place in my class plus a prize for best posing. Literally a week later I competed at the California Gold Cup competition and in one fell swoop became the middleweight champion, received a prize as the most muscular athlete and won the overall championship! Needless to say, after that I fell even more deeply into bodybuilding.”

Under Brown's leadership, Sean Ray's junior career developed incredibly successfully: he won every tournament in which he took part. So, in 1984 he won the titles “Mr. Los Angeles” among juniors and “Mr. California” among juniors, and in 1985 he won the junior tournaments “Mr. Orange County”, “Mr. America”, and “Mr. World"!

Continuing to study the intricacies of business in college, Ray in just two years approached the threshold beyond which a professional career begins. He still beat everyone and everything. His only misfire was a defeat in 1986 at the Junior National Championship competition from the later famous bodybuilder Eddie Robinson. “True, I never lost to this guy again,” Ray usually adds, recalling this episode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytadvertiseru

In 1987, Shawn Ray created a real miracle, managing to win the American National Championship on his first try, defeating such monsters as Phil Hill, Eddie Robinson, and Troy Zucolotto. Moreover, Ray became the absolute champion! It’s clear that the “Father of Modern Bodybuilding” Joe Weider immediately set his eyes on the handsome young man with amazing muscles.

Having concluded a contract under which he received 10 thousand “green” monthly, Ray immediately left his father’s house and settled in separate apartments. At the same time, the young talent continued to gnaw on the granite of science, regularly attending college and studying sociology. Skeptics expected that Ray was about to face tough professionals and fail.

But that did not happen. At the Night of Champions competition in 1988, Sean finished fourth, earning the right to compete at Olympia. “I was over the moon,” he admits. True, the debut at Olympia did not work out. Shawn Ray was only 13th. “I wasn’t ready to compete at such a high level,” he recalls.

“I was too inexperienced, I was tired of endless travel, and besides, I was simply amazed by the desire to become the best that the Olympia participants radiated. However, this failure forced Ray to train even more furiously in the gym, and the very first starts of 1990 showed that the list of the professional bodybuilding elite had become one name longer.

Ray won the Ironman and Arnold Classic in brilliant style. However, severe disappointment awaited him: the organizers of the “Classic” decided to hold it at the tournament, and Sean Ray was among the eight disqualified losers. Added to the moral damage was the loss of $60,000 in prize money. Mike Ashley was declared the winner... After that, Sean vowed to never give up in the face of difficulties and not stop there.

He took third place at Olympia for granted, and literally six months later again, this time according to all the rules, he won at the Classic. Much water has passed under the bridge since then, more than one generation of athletes has changed, but Ray was still in the ranks, and he is still one of the contenders for the title of Mr. Olympia.

Home » Interviews / Biographies » Biography of Shawn Ray. Shawn Ray / Shawn Ray is a bright figure in bodybuilding.

Let's talk today, dear readers, about professional bodybuilders. I want to start this story with Shawn Ray.

Shawn Ray is one of the most popular bodybuilders of all time! Without a doubt he will go down in history as one of the best!

He is the only bodybuilder in history who took part in Mr. Olympia 12 times. Shawn Ray is one of the best competitive bodybuilders on Earth. In a recent survey of the top bodybuilders of the twentieth century, he was named one of the top three!

Shawn Ray biography

The beginning of the way…

Shawn Ray was born on September 9, 1965 in Fullerton, California. Imagine, he was the eighth child in the family! By the way, Ray’s not entirely black appearance is explained by the fact that his mother is half Puerto Rican. Until the age of 18, Sean didn’t even know what bodybuilding was. However, once he entered college, he started going to the gym to properly prepare his body for the football season. At that time, Ray weighed 75 kg and wanted to become stronger and bigger. He set himself up for a long six-month work, but within just a few weeks he discovered that he had achieved the planned results. As they say, appetite comes with eating... Sean was literally overwhelmed with enthusiasm, and the only thing he lacked in order to progress even faster was the guidance of an experienced mentor. However, chance helped. One day, in the gym where Shawn Ray was training, John Brown, a two-time winner of the Mr. Universe title, an athlete who enjoyed enormous popularity and unquestioned authority among black bodybuilding fans, appeared. “What competition are you preparing for, guy?” — this 120-kilogram, 187-cm-tall giant asked Ray. “Before I could blink an eye, I found myself on the podium. It was the Orange Coast Championship and I took second place in my class plus a prize for best posing. Literally a week later I competed at the California Gold Cup competition and in one fell swoop became the middleweight champion, received a prize as the most muscular athlete and won the overall championship! Needless to say, after that I fell even more deeply into bodybuilding.”

Continuing to study the intricacies of business in college, Ray in just two years approached the threshold beyond which a professional career begins. He still beat everyone and everything. His only misfire was a defeat in 1986 at the Junior National Championship competition from the later famous bodybuilder Eddie Robinson. “True, I never lost to this guy again,” Ray usually adds, recalling this episode.

In 1987, Shawn Ray created a real miracle, managing to win the American National Championship on his first try, defeating such monsters as Phil Hill, Eddie Robinson, Vince Taylor and Troy Zucolotto. Moreover, Ray became the absolute champion! It’s clear that the “Father of Modern Bodybuilding” Joe Weider immediately set his eyes on the handsome young man with amazing muscles. Having concluded a contract under which he received 10 thousand “green” monthly, Ray immediately left his father’s house and settled in separate apartments. At the same time, the young talent continued to gnaw on the granite of science, regularly attending college and studying sociology. Skeptics expected that Ray was about to face tough professionals and fail. But that did not happen. At the Night of Champions competition in 1988, Sean finished fourth, earning the right to compete at Olympia. “I was over the moon,” he admits. True, the debut at Olympia did not work out. Shawn Ray was only 13th. “I wasn’t ready to compete at such a high level,” he recalls. “I was too inexperienced, I was tired of endless travel, and besides, I was simply amazed by the desire to become the best that the Olympia participants radiated. However, this failure forced Ray to train even more furiously in the gym, and the very first starts of 1990 showed that the list of the professional bodybuilding elite had become one name longer. Ray won the Ironman and Arnold Classic in brilliant style. However, severe disappointment awaited him: the organizers of the Classic decided to conduct a doping test at the tournament, and Sean Ray was among the eight disqualified losers. Added to the moral damage was the loss of $60,000 in prize money. Mike Ashley was declared the winner... After that, Sean vowed to never give up in the face of difficulties and not stop there. He took third place at Olympia for granted, and literally six months later again, this time according to all the rules, he won at the Classic. Much water has passed under the bridge since then, more than one generation of athletes has changed, but Ray was still in the ranks, and he is still one of the contenders for the title of Mr. Olympia. Even when in the mid-90s the fashion for “hypermass” forced such outstanding personalities as, say, Lee Labrada to leave the sport, Shawn Ray stayed afloat, contrasting rough volume with incredible aesthetics and fantastic muscle development.

Shawn Ray and Olympia

Shawn Ray will never win the Olympia, but his name is still written in golden letters in the history of this competition. If only because he has already managed to perform at 12 Olympias, and since 1990, he has not missed a single tournament! At the same time, Shawn Ray demonstrates rare stability of results, constantly finding himself in the top five! Judge for yourself: in 1991 he was fifth, in 1992 - fourth, in 1993 - third, in 1994 - second, in 1995 - fourth. In 1996 - second, in 1997 - third, in 1998 and 1999 - fifth. Did he have the opportunity to become the king of bodybuilders at least once? Yes and no. Perhaps in 1994, when he was in phenomenal shape and Dorian Yates was weakened by a hand injury, Shawn Ray had the most realistic chance of getting the Sandow statuette. But alas... Ray himself explains the reason for his failures as follows: “For the last 15 years, judges have invariably given the Mr. Olympia title to guys over 180 cm tall and weighing at least 113 kg. It’s clear that with my data (Ray’s height is 172 cm, competition weight is 93 - 97 kg) I can only hope that other people will come to judge. But they haven’t come for a very long time...” By and large, Ray can be understood, because comparing his chiseled figure with piles of muscles called Yates or Sonbati is comparable to comparing an apple and a watermelon. Go figure what’s better... If Olympia had been held as before, by weight categories, then Shawn Ray would have won the coveted title at least twice. But all this is from the category of dreams. It must be said that many years of participation in Olympia had a significant impact on Ray, his views on things and his attitude towards what was happening: “My approach to professional bodybuilding has changed over the years of my career from “win at all costs” to “be better than before.” , and then whatever happens." This philosophy may have extended my bodybuilding career. It also allowed me to have more respect for what I do and changed my approach to training and discipline. And I'm not going to change my body to please the judges just because it will allow me to win. I will try to become such that I like myself. I'm constantly trying to get bigger, stronger and more in line with the ultimate image that exists in my mind, while at the same time realizing that even at my best I may not get the coveted Sandow statuette. Well, thanks to Olympia, I have developed a new approach to winning and losing. And believe it or not, I can be a happy loser!”

In my opinion, excellent words that apply not only to sports, but also to life in general! Perfectly suits the main idea of this site: bodybuilding is a way of life for successful people!

Shawn Ray - bodybuilder

Of course, like other bodybuilders, Shawn Ray has his strengths and weaknesses. His difference from the others is that it is not so easy to identify them, so complete is the picture of Sean’s muscles. As for strengths, Ray has good chest, deltoids, arms and hips, although not the best among the pros. What Ray has is really great is his abs: very thick, symmetrical and incredibly sculpted. Of course, Sonbati also has thick abdominal muscles. However, a wide waist does not create a complete look. Ray's thinnest waist completes the picture of the ideal development of this part of the body. As for the weak points, spiteful critics note that Ray is somewhat narrow in the body. And his calves are too short. However, perhaps they speak of ordinary envy.

When it comes to training, Shawn Ray is not a strongman. You won’t see him in the gym with bulging eyes bench pressing a barbell weighing 200 kg. Moderate weights, average reps (8 to 12 per set), about 4 exercises per body part, and a good old 3+1 schedule are Ray's workout routines. Before the Competition, about three months before the start, Shawn Ray begins to lift twice a day. Usually he works out once a day, and constantly changes the order of performing exercises during training.

Shawn Ray and other tournaments

Unlike other pros, Shawn Ray is not particularly fond of any other tournaments other than Olympia. Perhaps this is one of the reasons for his sporting longevity. After 1991, Ray only once, in the spring of 1996, decided to try his luck at Ironman and Classic. The result was discouraging. Sean took third and fifth places, respectively, having managed to lose along the way not only to Levrone and Wheeler, but also to Dillet and even... Taylor! The defeat from Taylor was especially offensive, especially since two months before the start, Shawn Ray announced that if he lost to the 40-year-old veteran, he would leave big-time bodybuilding. Fortunately, this did not happen, but since then Shawn Ray has completely sworn off participation in minor tournaments. Apart from Ironman and Classic, he has not appeared at the Night of Champions for 12 years and has never participated in the Grand Prix tour: “Why do I need this?” - he says, “To make money? I have no problems with this, because in addition to the contract with Vader, I also have a bunch of contracts with the largest manufacturers of sportswear and nutrition, I sell my own photographs, posters and videotapes, and I am often invited to participate in guest posing. For the sake of titles? But for me only one title is valuable - “Mr. Olympia!”

Shawn Ray and journalists

To say that the writing fraternity loves Ray is an understatement. Journalists adore Sean because he is always, at any time of the day or night, ready for dialogue, and his statements are always imaginative, mercilessly fair and accurate. However, that's not all. For example, Sonbati can also be harsh in his assessments. A special attitude towards Ray was successfully expressed by the current editor-in-chief of Flex magazine, Peter McCoch: “You can ask some simple question and be sure that Sean will shut his mouth within half an hour. On the other hand, Shawn Ray's attractive, masculine appearance makes him a welcome guest on the covers of major bodybuilding publications. For example, Sean Ray appeared on the cover of Flex magazine much more often than other pros - 19 times!

Continuing the topic, I decided to post an interview with Shawn Ray.

Sean Ray's comments regarding Olympia '99

“On October 23rd in Las Vegas, Ronnie Coleman made it clear to everyone that he was not joking. When we saw his back on stage, we knew it was all over. Except for Flex Wheeler, who was overconfident, believing that his time had come! The story had a short ending. I think when Flex looks at the photos and videos, he will see his healthy ass. Smooth shoulders. Calves and hip flexors, he'll realize it wasn't his night. However, I believe that if Flex corrects all these shortcomings, he will still be able to win. The key word here remains “if”.

Leading judge of the competition Jim Manion called Coleman, Wheeler and Cormier in the first comparison of the first round, predetermining the top three of the competition with this call. In the next comparison, Levrone, Ray and Nasser were called up - that's the order we finished in. Why the hell did it take a whole hour and a half to delay the proportions assessment round? To place the 8 remaining participants in their places? This is ridiculous!

Let's move on. In my opinion, Cormier has improved so much over the past year that he should have undoubtedly surpassed Wheeler! As for me, I felt like I was fighting for 3rd or 4th places with Cormier and Levrone. Cormier was bigger and tougher than a year ago. Levron was about the same. At 96.6kg I was harder than last year when I weighed 99, so I guess I should have beaten Levrone. In general, even if the tournament was judged by a different team of judges, the six finalists remained the same.

Even though I lost to Kevin Levrone, I believe he is a true champion and friend. Unlike many arrogant and arrogant so-called pros, of which I have “made” quite a few during my career.”

Shawn Ray outside of bodybuilding

The problem with many of today's pros is that they are overly focused on bodybuilding. Ray is not like that at all: “Life consists of more than just bodybuilding, so when I’m not preparing for competitions, things like planning for the future, family, and relaxation come first. Shawn Ray loves comfort, expensive cars (once his dream was to buy a Corvette, and he realized it as soon as he became a pro) and luxury houses. He enjoys traveling, dancing, playing tennis and basketball, listening to trendy music (his favorite artists are Toni Braxton, Mariah Carey and Aerosmith) and visiting Japanese and Chinese restaurants. Of course, Ray loves girls, although he could not establish family life. But now Shawn Ray is married and has two beautiful daughters; for now, he no longer performs, but keeps himself in great shape.

In a word, Shawn Ray is the living personification of wealth and success!

Finally, here are a few quotes from Sean:

“I once planned that by the age of 30 I would leave big sport. But why leave if things are going well? Moreover, I haven’t won the Olympia yet. My life brings me joy, I love what I do, and the only thing I’m missing is a Sandow statuette.”

“When you're in the gym, there's nothing more important in the world than getting the next rep, the next set, the next exercise. This is what makes you overcome pain, difficulties, fatigue and, gritting your teeth, go towards the goal.”

“Where do I get my motivation to keep going? In particular, in observing the success of other athletes. For example, Cassius Clay’s victory over Sonny Liston made an indelible impression on me at one time. In general, I consider Muhammad Ali to be the standard of an athlete - pleasant appearance, well-spoken speech, confidential communication. It is thanks to Ali that I want to “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee” in the gym. Another example for me in sports remains Michael Jordan.”

“My desire to be the best in the world is the spark that turns into a raging inferno! By the time I’m about to climb under the barbell, I completely imagine this hell and I’m burning with the desire to be the best!”

Shawn Ray in professional rankings

Like any successful bodybuilder, Shawn Ray developed his own training plan, taking into account the individual characteristics and needs of his body. It followed a 4-5-day split scheme: the first 4 days involved loads that worked every muscle in the body at least twice, on day 5 there was rest, and on day 6 the cycle began again.

Shawn Ray's training program went as follows:

On day 1 – morning workout with priority on the pectoral and calf muscles, evening workout with priority on the triceps and abs;
On day 2 – morning training with priority on quadriceps, evening training with priority on hips;
On day 3 – morning workout with priority on the back and calves, evening workout with priority on the biceps;
On day 4 – morning training with priority on the shoulders, evening training with priority on the abs;
On day 5 – rest (possibly light cardio);
On day 6 - the beginning of a new training cycle.

READ MORE: Anthropometric data, achievements, biography of Phil Heath
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytdevru

Sean Ray's set of exercises included the following loads:

Press on the machine (triceps);
Pull the upper block behind the head (on the back);
Lying dumbbell fly (for the chest);
Crossovers on blocks (also on the chest);
Bent-over barbell row (also for the back);
Raises of arms with dumbbells (again on the chest);
Raises your arms with dumbbells in front of you (on your shoulders);
Bent-over dumbbell row with one arm (on your back again).

Shawn Ray usually performed exercises in 4 sets, and the number of repetitions varied from 8-12 to failure, depending on the load. At the same time, the athlete performed the first 2 approaches with light weight (for warming up), and the next 2 approaches with maximum weight (for optimal pumping). In total, his training lasted approximately 40-50 minutes, since Ray believes that the main thing in training is not its duration, but its intensity.

During his evening class, Sean would add some cardio. Cardio exercise lasted up to 20-30 minutes and usually involved exercise on an exercise bike and/or treadmill.

Obviously, over a long career, the athlete has repeatedly revised his approach to training, however, his general outlines remained unchanged. On the Internet you can find messages that supposedly the bodybuilder preferred spontaneity and did not plan anything for a long time. This is an erroneous statement, because in bodybuilding you cannot become a champion without your own proven training regimen. The same can be said about nutrition, rest and daily routine.

Shawn Ray and Olympia

in 1991 he was fifth, in 1992 - fourth, in 1993 - third, in 1994 - second, in 1995 - fourth. In 1996 - second, in 1997 - third, in 1998 and 1999 - fifth. Did he have the opportunity to become the king of bodybuilders at least once? Yes and no. Perhaps in 1994, when he was in phenomenal shape and Dorian Yates was weakened by a hand injury, Shawn Ray had the most realistic chance of getting the Sandow statuette.

But alas... Ray himself explains the reason for his failures as follows: “For the last 15 years, judges have invariably given the Mr. Olympia title to guys over 180 cm tall and weighing at least 113 kg. It’s clear that with my data (Ray’s height is 167 cm, competition weight is 93 – 97 kg) I can only hope that other people will come to judge.

But they haven’t come for a very long time...” By and large, Ray can be understood, because comparing his chiseled figure with piles of muscles called Yates or Sonbati is comparable to comparing an apple and a watermelon. Go figure what’s better... If Olympia had been held as before, by weight categories, then Shawn Ray would have won the coveted title at least twice.

But all this is from the category of dreams. It must be said that many years of participation in Olympia had a significant impact on Ray, his views on things and his attitude towards what was happening: “My approach to professional bodybuilding has changed over the years of my career from “win at all costs” to “be better than before.” , and then whatever happens."

This philosophy may have extended my bodybuilding career. It also allowed me to have more respect for what I do and changed my approach to training and discipline. And I'm not going to change my body to please the judges just because it will allow me to win. I will try to become such that I like myself.

I'm constantly trying to get bigger, stronger and more in line with the ultimate image that exists in my mind, while at the same time realizing that even at my best I may not get the coveted Sandow statuette. Well, thanks to Olympia, I have developed a new approach to winning and losing. And believe it or not, I might be a happy loser!”

In my opinion, excellent words that apply not only to sports, but also to life in general! Perfectly suits the main idea of this site: bodybuilding is a way of life for successful people!

Shawn Ray[edit | edit code]

Shawn Ray, 2000
Shawn Ray

(
Shawn Ray
; born September 9, 1965, Fullerton, California, USA) is an American professional bodybuilder, winner of professional tournaments, 13-time participant in the Mr. Olympia tournament. The name is sometimes spelled Shown Ray.

Anthropometric data

Height 167 cm
Competition weight 98 kg
Off-season weight 115 kg

Performance history

Competition	Place
Mr Olympia 2001	4
Mr Olympia 2000	4
Mr. Olympia 1999	5
Mr. Olympia 1998	5
Mr. Olympia 1997	3
Mr. Olympia 1996	2
Aonol Classic 1996	5
Ayoonmen Poo 1996	3
Mr Olympia 1995	4
Mr Olympia 1994	2
Mr. Olympia 1993	3
Mr. Olympia 1992	4
Mr. Olympia 1991	5
Arnold Classic 1991	1
Mr Olympia 1990	3
Arnold Classic 1990	1 disqualified
Ironman(Ido 1990	1
Mr. Olympia 1988	13
Night of Champions 1988	4
Nationals 1987	1
Nationals 1987	1 in Light Heavyweight category
Junior Nationals 1986	2 in the Light Heavyweight category

Biography of Shawn Ray[edit | edit code]

Shawn Ray

born September 9, 1965 in Fullerton, California.
Imagine, he was the eighth child in the family! By the way, Ray’s not entirely black appearance is explained by the fact that his mother is half Puerto Rican. Until the age of 18, Sean didn’t even know what bodybuilding was. However, once he entered college, he started going to the gym to properly prepare his body for the football season. At that time, Ray weighed 75 kg and wanted to become stronger and bigger. He set himself up for a long six-month work, but within just a few weeks he discovered that he had achieved the planned results. As they say, appetite comes with eating... Sean was literally overwhelmed with enthusiasm, and the only thing he lacked in order to progress even faster was the guidance of an experienced mentor. However, chance helped. One day, in the gym where Shawn Ray was training, John Brown, a two-time winner of the Mr. Universe title, an athlete who enjoyed enormous popularity and unquestioned authority among black bodybuilding fans, appeared. “What competition are you preparing for, guy?” – this 120-kilogram giant with a height of 187 cm asked Ray. “I didn’t even have time to blink an eye when I found myself on the podium. It was the Orange Coast Championship and I took second place in my class plus a prize for best posing. Literally a week later I competed at the California Gold Cup competition and in one fell swoop became the middleweight champion, received a prize as the most muscular athlete and won the overall championship! Needless to say, after that I fell even more deeply into bodybuilding.” Shawn Ray
Under Brown's leadership, Shawn Ray's junior career was incredibly successful: he won every tournament in which he took part. So, in 1984 he won the titles “Mr. Los Angeles” among juniors and “Mr. California” among juniors, and in 1985 he won the junior tournaments “Mr. Orange County”, “Mr. America”, and “Mr. World"!

Shawn Ray and Olympia[edit | edit code]

Shawn Ray will never win the Olympia, but his name is still written in golden letters in the history of this competition. If only because he has already managed to perform at 12 Olympias, and since 1990, he has not missed a single tournament! At the same time, Shawn Ray demonstrates rare stability of results, constantly finding himself in the top five! Judge for yourself: in 1991 he was fifth, in 1992 - fourth, in 1993 - third, in 1994 - second, in 1995 - fourth. In 1996 - second, in 1997 - third, in 1998 and 1999 - fifth. Did he have the opportunity to become the king of bodybuilders at least once? Yes and no. Perhaps in 1994, when he was in phenomenal shape and Dorian Yates was weakened by a hand injury, Shawn Ray had the most realistic chance of getting the Sandow statuette. But alas... Ray himself explains the reason for his failures as follows: “For the last 15 years, judges have invariably given the Mr. Olympia title to guys over 180 cm tall and weighing at least 113 kg. It’s clear that with my data (Ray’s height is 167 cm, competition weight is 93 – 97 kg) I can only hope that other people will come to judge. But they haven’t come for a very long time...” By and large, Ray can be understood, because comparing his chiseled figure with piles of muscles called Yates or Sonbati is comparable to comparing an apple and a watermelon. Go figure what’s better... If Olympia had been held as before, by weight categories, then Shawn Ray would have won the coveted title at least twice. But all this is from the category of dreams. It must be said that many years of participation in Olympia had a significant impact on Ray, his views on things and his attitude towards what was happening: “My approach to professional bodybuilding has changed over the years of my career from “win at all costs” to “be better than before.” , and then whatever happens." This philosophy may have extended my bodybuilding career. It also allowed me to have more respect for what I do and changed my approach to training and discipline. And I'm not going to change my body to please the judges just because it will allow me to win. I will try to become such that I like myself. I'm constantly trying to get bigger, stronger and more in line with the ultimate image that exists in my mind, while at the same time realizing that even at my best I may not get the coveted Sandow statuette. Well, thanks to Olympia, I have developed a new approach to winning and losing. And believe it or not, I might be a happy loser!”

In my opinion, excellent words that apply not only to sports, but also to life in general! Perfectly suits the main idea of this site: bodybuilding is a way of life for successful people!

Shawn Ray - bodybuilder[edit | edit code]

Shawn Ray and other tournaments[edit | edit code]

Shawn Ray and journalists[edit | edit code]

Sean Ray's comments regarding Olympia '99[edit | edit code]

Let's move on. In my opinion, Cormier has improved so much over the past year that he should have undoubtedly surpassed Wheeler! As for me, I felt that I was fighting for 3rd or 4th places with Cormier and Levrone. Cormier was bigger and tougher than a year ago. Levron was about the same. At 96.6kg I was harder than last year when I weighed 99, so I guess I should have beaten Levrone. In general, even if the tournament was judged by a different team of judges, the six finalists remained the same.

Even though I lost to Kevin Levrone, I consider him a true champion and friend. Unlike many arrogant and arrogant so-called pros, of which I have “made” quite a few during my career.”

By the way, I want to make Kevin Levrone the next character in a series of articles: Bodybuilding Stars.

Shawn Ray outside of bodybuilding[edit | edit code]

The problem with many of today's pros is that they are overly focused on bodybuilding. Ray is not like that at all: “Life consists of more than just bodybuilding, so when I’m not preparing for competitions, things like planning for the future, family, and relaxation come first. Shawn Ray loves comfort, expensive cars (once his dream was to buy a Corvette, and he realized it as soon as he became a pro) and luxury houses. He enjoys traveling, dancing, playing tennis and basketball, listening to trendy music (his favorite artists are Toni Braxton, Mariah Carey and Aerosmith) and visiting Japanese and Chinese restaurants. Of course, Ray loves girls, but he can’t improve his family life. About a year and a half ago, news broke that Ray was finally getting ready to get married, but the alarm turned out to be false. However, Shawn Ray still dreams of family and offspring. In a word, Shawn Ray is the living personification of wealth and success!

Shawn Ray and other tournaments

Unlike other pros, Shawn Ray is not particularly fond of any other tournaments other than Olympia. Perhaps this is one of the reasons for his sporting longevity. After 1991, Ray only once, in the spring of 1996, decided to try his luck at Ironman and Classic. The result was discouraging.

Sean took third and fifth places, respectively, having managed to lose along the way not only to Levrone and Wheeler, but also to Dillet and even... Taylor! The defeat from Taylor was especially offensive, especially since two months before the start, Shawn Ray announced that if he lost to the 40-year-old veteran, he would leave big-time bodybuilding.

Fortunately, this did not happen, but since then Shawn Ray has completely sworn off participation in minor tournaments. Apart from Ironman and Classic, he has not appeared at the Night of Champions for 12 years and has never participated in the Grand Prix tour: “Why do I need this?” - he says, “To make money? I have no problems with this, because in addition to the contract with Vader, I also have a bunch of contracts with the largest manufacturers of sportswear and nutrition, I sell my own photographs, posters and videotapes, and I am often invited to participate in guest posing. For the sake of titles? But for me only one title is valuable - “Mr. Olympia!”

Shawn Ray and journalists

A special attitude towards Ray was successfully expressed by the current editor-in-chief of Flex magazine, Peter McCoch: “You can ask some simple question and be sure that Sean will shut his mouth within half an hour. On the other hand, Shawn Ray's attractive, masculine appearance makes him a welcome guest on the covers of major bodybuilding publications. For example, Sean Ray appeared on the cover of Flex magazine much more often than other pros - 19 times!

(English - Shawn Ray; the name is also sometimes written as Shown Ray) is a professional American bodybuilder, the peak of whose sports career occurred in the nineties of the last century. Many fans and experts call him one of the best athletes in terms of muscular aesthetics and the uncrowned Mr. Olympia. By the way, he competed at Olympia 13 times, consistently taking 2-5 places.

Biography Shawn Ray

One of the most famous bodybuilders, who beat almost all of his rivals once, is Shawn Ray. He was born into a large family on September 9, 1965. His large family lived in the city of Fullerton, California, in America. In a carefree life with his brothers and sisters, the boy did not even know about the existence of bodybuilding until he came of age. He liked very active sports, in particular football.

When Shawn Ray was in college, he wanted to get stronger and stronger in preparation for the football season, so he went to the gym. Possessing good genetics, the young man achieved the desired result in a couple of weeks, to achieve which many train for six months. During training, the guy was noticed by John Brown and soon Shawn Ray took 2nd place in his first competition and also received an award for best posing. Just a week later, the bodybuilder becomes the winner of the California Gold Cup competition, which prompted him to take bodybuilding seriously.

The guidance of the experienced Brown has brought 19-year-old Sean prestigious titles such as Mr. Los Angeles and California. A year later, the guy wins several more tournaments, including the junior Mr. World. The athlete was immediately noticed, he began to appear on the covers of Flex magazine, and Joe Weider himself signed a contract with the guy. Things went so well that Shawn Ray was able to leave his parents' house and buy himself an entire apartment.

Since 1988, the athlete has been competing in competitions as a professional bodybuilder. And if you don’t count the first Olympia in the same year, throughout his entire sports career until 2001, the muscular guy always found himself in the top five. A slightly unfortunate incident occurred in 1990, when Shawn Ray first decided to conquer the Arnold Classic tournament. He was disqualified from the competition because he did not pass the doping control, but the next year the persistent bodybuilder easily conquered the Arnold Classic.

As for the athlete’s personal life, he was unable to start a family for a long time. It's all about his intense regime, which not every girl can withstand. When Shawn Ray left bodybuilding he was finally able to get married and two years later he had a daughter. In 2008, the former hero became the father of his second daughter.

Over the years, the jock starred in several films, two of them were about his personal life. In 2006 and 2007, he became a co-host of the Olympia, and during this period he was inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame. The athlete also writes articles for a famous magazine and works for a large company, and his fans believe that there is no other Sean like him yet.

Biographies of other bodybuilders :

Victor Richards
Steve Reeves
Robbie Robinson
Ronnie Rockel

Link for your site:

Show article to a friend:

Shawn Ray: complete biography

Shawn Ray (English)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytcreatorsru

– Shawn Ray the name is also sometimes written as Shown Ray) is a professional American bodybuilder, the peak of whose sports career occurred in the nineties of the last century.

Many fans and experts call him one of the best athletes in terms of muscular aesthetics and the uncrowned Mr. Olympia. By the way, he competed at Olympia 13 times, consistently taking 2-5 places.

Shawn Ray was born on September 9, 1965 in Fullerton, California, USA. It is a city in Orange County that ranks 42nd in the state in terms of population. The approximate population is 131 thousand people. The area is on average 58 square kilometers. This is a cozy and small settlement in the southwest of the country, which has a fairly developed sports infrastructure.

Ray became interested in sports in his youth: his interests always included basketball, football, tennis, gymnastics, boxing and, of course, strength disciplines. He took up bodybuilding closer to adulthood.

READ MORE: Why do you need barbell squats for girls?

Giving an interview in 2005, Sean admitted that he was brought into bodybuilding by influencers like Bob Paris and Chris Dickerson: impressed by their achievements, the young guy switched to pumping up his own muscles.

His first experience at the tournament was successful - winning the Los Angeles Youth Championship in 1983.

Periodically performing and winning as an amateur at competitions of varying degrees of importance, he already achieved professional status in 1988 (5 years after his debut).

Shawn Ray's first victory in professional competition dates back to 1990. Ray took 1st place at the prestigious Ironman Pro competition, literally crushing his opponents. Over time, the results only progressed. Experts around the world praised the bodybuilder, predicting a great future for him. However, not everything went smoothly.

note

In 1990, Shawn Ray set a new, but negative record for himself: he became the first professional bodybuilder to be disqualified from the Arnold Classic for doping. That is, he was caught with a positive doping test.

The latter is hard to believe, since the punishment in this case should have been much more serious.

Just look at Canadian runner Ben Johnson: he was stripped of all awards from 1981 to 1989 for a similar offense.

To count Shawn Ray's achievements in bodybuilding, no fingers are enough. Against this background, it is surprising that in 15 years of competitive performances, he has never won a major bodybuilding competition. We are talking about Mr. Olympia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytpolicyandsafetyru

Sean was repeatedly among the main contenders for the title, but did not rise above the 2nd line: in 1990 he became 3rd, in 1991 - 5th, in 1992 - 4th, in 1993 - 3rd, in 1994 - 2nd, in 1995 - 4th, in 1996 – 2, in 1997 – 3, in 1998 – 5, in 1999 – 5, in 2000 – 4, in 2001 – 4.

In 1990-91, Lee Haney stood in his way, from 1992 to 97 - Dorian Yates, and from 98 to 2001 - Ronnie Coleman.

After his defeat in 2001, Shawn Ray retired from his professional career. Now, if he participates in tournaments, it is as a host or judge.

Obviously, he didn’t give up sports, but continued to exercise for his own pleasure. Confirmation of this fact can be found on the athlete’s pages on social networks.

On Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, he regularly shares new photos, showing off his training results.

At the peak of his career, Sean Ray had impressive anthropometric indicators: with a height of no more than 170 centimeters, his weight reached 110-115 kilograms (98 kg of competition weight and 115 kg of off-season weight).

Honed muscles, the result of outstanding genetics and intense training, allowed the athlete to perform successfully for almost 20 years:

1983 - 1st place at the California Gold Cup;
1984 – 1st place at Mr. Teenage Los Angeles;
1984 - 1st place on Teenage Mr. California;
1985 – 1st place on Teenage Mr. Orange County;
1985 - 1st place at Teenage National Championships;
1985 – 1st place in Jr. World Championships;
1987 – 1st place at Mr. California;
1987 – 1st place at the National Championships;
1990 – 1st place at Ironman Pro;
1990 – 1st place at the Arnold Classic (after disqualification);
1991 – 1st place at Arnold Classic Champion;
1990-2001 – 2-5 places at Mr. Olympia.

In 2007, Shawn Ray was included in the IFBB Bodybuilding Hall of Fame, which is not surprising, given the athlete’s achievements over a long career.

In 2007 and before that in 2006, he also co-hosted the Mr. Olympia competition (both times the tournament was held in Los Angeles).

In the book “The Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding” by Bill Dobbins and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ray is mentioned as one of the most prominent bodybuilders of our time.

Sean left competition in 2001 and today his main income comes from his business: he works for the company “GENr8 Nutrition”. At the same time, he is engaged in writing: his articles are periodically published in the magazine “Muscular Development”. In them, the athlete talks not only about the secrets of training or nutrition, but also the ins and outs of bodybuilding.

Bodybuilder Shawn Ray is also known as an actor. True, he acted exclusively in technical films. His work can be seen in documentaries and biopics like “Lifestyles of the Fit {amp}&; Famous”, “Inside {amp}amp; Out-Behind the Muscle”, “Final Countdown”, “Fitness After 40” and “Best of Shawn Ray”.

Of course, one cannot fail to mention the athlete’s charitable activities. Rey has organized a donation fund that is unique in the industry. In the first two years, Sean managed to collect and donate over 55 thousand dollars to the Children's Hospital of Orange County. All the money was spent on the development of the establishment.

Ray became interested in sports in his youth: his interests always included basketball, football, tennis, gymnastics, boxing and, of course, strength disciplines. He took up bodybuilding closer to adulthood. Giving an interview in 2005, Sean admitted that he was brought into bodybuilding by influencers like Bob Paris and Chris Dickerson: impressed by their achievements, the young guy switched to pumping up his own muscles.

Shawn Ray, early in his competitive career, received the nickname “Genetic Miracle” (later “Giant Killer”) from fans and competitors. His first experience at the tournament was successful - winning the Los Angeles Youth Championship in 1983. Periodically performing and winning as an amateur at competitions of varying degrees of importance, he already achieved professional status in 1988 (5 years after his debut).

Little is known about the situation. Some wrote that the athlete was caught taking ephedrine (allegedly, he used it during illness, not knowing about the consequences). Others say that stanozolol was discovered. The latter is hard to believe, since the punishment in this case should have been much more serious. Just look at Canadian runner Ben Johnson: he was stripped of all awards from 1981 to 1989 for a similar offense.

After his defeat in 2001, Shawn Ray retired from his professional career. Now, if he participates in tournaments, it is as a host or judge. Obviously, he didn’t give up sports, but continued to exercise for his own pleasure. Confirmation of this fact can be found on the athlete’s pages on social networks. On Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, he regularly shares new photos, showing off his training results.

Bodybuilder career[ | ]

Over the course of his career, Shawn Ray, dubbed the “genetic miracle,” was ranked in the top five athletes in competition more than 30 times. His debut was a victory at youth competitions in Los Angeles in 1983. Ray signed his first professional bodybuilding contract in 1988. He has appeared in six documentaries: Lifestyles of the Fit & Famous, Final Countdown, Inside & Out-Behind the Muscle, To The Extreme, Best of Shawn Ray and Fitness After 40. , starred in the biopic. Ray often posed for magazines and was on the cover of Flex magazine.

He is mentioned in the New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding compiled by Bill Dobbins and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Ray also wrote a book on how to become a bodybuilder called The Shawn Ray Way. Sean co-owned ESPN Magazine for 5 years and was an ESPN sports commentator for 8 years. and as a host at the 2006 and 2007 Mr. Olympia competitions, which were held in Las Vegas (Nevada).

Sean was the first professional bodybuilder to fail a drug test at the Arnold Classic in 1990 and was disqualified. But already in 1991 he won this title.

Ray retired from professional bodybuilding in 2001 and went into business. He placed in the top five at the Olympia for twelve consecutive years from 1990 to 2001.

Shawn Ray has been inducted into the IFBB Professional Bodybuilding Hall of Fame.

Shawn Ray: sports doping

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytpressru

In amateur, and even more so professional bodybuilding, there were and are prohibited drugs. It is unlikely that this will be a revelation for anyone. Many champions of past years today freely admit that in order to compete with competitors who were completely dependent on chemistry, they themselves resorted to using it.

As a bodybuilder who is a fan of “pure” bodybuilding - training, tournaments, camaraderie and competition, I have never considered the use of AAS to be at all an enjoyable aspect. I have a dislike for all types of pharmaceuticals in our sport. The last thing I want to do is rant about what chemistry is best to use.”

However, Shawn Ray does not deny that he used steroids, because sooner or later the secret would have become clear anyway. Presumably: the athlete’s first course took place when he was 20 years old, included relatively light drugs - oxandrolone (Anavar) and stanozolol (Winstrol), was based on their moderate dosages and lasted 6 weeks.

Subsequently, having got into professional bodybuilding, Shawn Ray allegedly switched to really heavy courses of steroids, including testosterone cypionate, oxymetholone, growth hormone and insulin. However, we can only guess how much truth there is in this. Getting the facts out of Ray is a challenge even for experienced interviewers.

Training system

Sean Ray has developed his own training system, which differs in the intensity of the load. This is the case when they put maximum stress on the body. Shawn Ray recommends performing the exercise for the first 2 sets with a light load to warm up the muscles, and the second two with a maximum load. The emphasis is on performing the exercises correctly.

READ MORE: Ronnie Coleman: biography, training and nutrition program

It is imperative to pump all muscles, each one should be subjected to stress twice a week. The exercises need to be repeated 9-10 times, sometimes it is worth increasing the number of approaches. The athlete works intensively and his time spent in the gym is no more than 50 minutes.

Shawn Ray training.

Sean does less exercise and advises paying more attention to the load. To ensure that all the small details are visible, the athlete does the exercises in jerks. Particular attention should be paid to training the back; the muscles should be intensively stretched and contracted. Sean spends no more than 10 minutes on abdominal training, which is enough to highlight the muscle definition. The athlete trains the abs for three days and takes a break on the fourth.

Training program:

the first day, the calf muscles and pectoral muscles are pumped in the morning, and the abs and triceps during evening training;
the second day we train the quadriceps in the morning, the thigh muscles in the evening;
the third day in the morning, and during the evening workout - biceps;
on the fourth day, the shoulders are pumped in the morning, and the abs in the evening;
fifth day rest;
On the sixth day you need to start the cycle again.

Basic exercises by Shawn Ray:

4 sets of 15-20 repetitions;
pull-down block behind the head 4 sets of 10-12 repetitions;
bringing dumbbells together in the back position at an angle of 45 degrees, 4 sets of 15-20 repetitions;
crossovers on blocks 4 sets of 10-12 repetitions;
barbell row to work the back muscles in a bent-over position, 4 sets of 10-12 repetitions;
raising arms to the sides with dumbbells 4 sets of 10-12 repetitions;
standing dumbbell rows 4 sets of 10-12 reps;
One-arm dumbbell rows, 4 sets of 10-12 reps.

The athlete pays attention to the fact that you need to do the exercises correctly, this is the only way to achieve the desired result.

In order to gain muscle mass you need to eat well, the daily diet should contain 3000 - 3500 kcal. The athlete has developed his diet in such a way that the daily intake of carbohydrates is 400 - 458 g per day, proteins 170 - 249 g per day, fats 50 - 91 g per day. You shouldn’t switch to such a diet right away; you need to gradually increase portions and calorie intake.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytcopyrightru

Sean eats most of his carbohydrates before 6 p.m. It is excluded to use foods high in cholesterol and fat, alcohol and hot seasonings in the diet. They put additional stress on the liver. Milkshakes are quickly absorbed; you should drink this drink an hour before training. The athlete recommends clearly counting calories daily.

Before the competition, Sean follows a special diet for 16 weeks. The bodybuilder switches to a training program twice a day for two hours. He does not hide the fact that he uses nutritional supplements such as lecithin (helps burn fat, absorb acids), vitamin B6 and B12, vitamin C, Vitamin D, Zinc, Calcium, Magnesium. This allows you to restore the mineral balance lost due to active sweating.

Set of exercises

Shawn Ray's workouts happen spontaneously. He never plans them, but trusts only his own instinct. When an athlete enters the gym, he tries to perform all the exercises to the maximum, straining his body “to failure.” Typically, exercises are performed in 4 sets , 2 of which are with light weight to warm up the muscles . And the remaining two – the weight is brought to the maximum. But don’t forget about execution (technique). Also, one of the features of performing the exercises is approaches in several sets and a moderate number of repetitions. Each muscle is pumped twice a week - it is important to remember about periodization, this was discussed in more detail here . The number of repetitions in sets is approximately 8-12. However, sometimes these limits exceed - 12-25 repetitions. The main thing in Sean's training is not the duration of the classes, but the quality of the exercises performed. Shawn Ray spends a maximum of 40-50 minutes in the gym. His main motto is: Don’t work long, work hard! Well, now let’s look at the training program itself:

1 day. In the morning, pump up your chest and calf muscles. In the evening - triceps, abs.
Day 2. Pump up your quadriceps in the morning. In the evening - thigh muscles.
Day 3. In the morning, pump up your calf muscles and back muscles. In the evening - biceps.
Day 4 Pump up your shoulders in the morning. In the evening - press.
Day 5 Rest
Day 6 Start a new cycle.

You can also add cardio during your evening workout. Sean usually does 20-30 minutes on the treadmill or exercise bike. By the way, it is worth noting that not only bodybuilding stars run, but also movie stars (Christian Bale or Colin Farrell).

Let's present you the basic exercises that Shawn Ray performs :

Bench press on a special machine to work the triceps muscles. 4 sets of 12-20 repetitions;
Pull-downs for the head of the upper block to train the back muscles. 4 sets of 8-12 repetitions;
Dumbbell curls lying on an incline bench at an angle of 45 degrees. 4 sets of 12-20 repetitions;
Crossovers on blocks. 4 sets of 8-12 repetitions;
Bent-over barbell row for the back muscles. 4 sets of 8-12 repetitions;
Raises with dumbbells. 4 sets of 8-12 repetitions;
Rowing dumbbells in front of you in a standing position for the back muscles. 4 sets of 8-12 repetitions;
Bent-over dumbbell row with one arm. 4 sets of 8-12 reps.

You can read more about each exercise (technique + theory) in our section - “Encyclopedia of Exercises”

And the main training programs:

Training program in the gym;
First training program;
Common mistakes of beginners in bodybuilding.