September Editor’s Letter: THE OLYMPIA IS UPON US

Roger “Rock” Lockridge, Managing Editor of Muscle Insider, featured with 2025 Olympia Classic Physique champions ahead of the 2026 Olympia in Las Vegas.

By Roger “Rock” Lockridge, Managing Editor

Fitness Industry Leaders, Athletes, and Supporters.

Since 1965, 287 men have walked onstage to compete in the Mr. Olympia (Men’s Open Bodybuilding) contest. Thanks to Muscle Memory for providing the database used to hand-count those competitors. When you think of the thousands of competitors that have entered shows throughout the decades, that makes the accomplishment of competing in the Olympia alone so significant. When you compete on that stage, you are legitimately one of the best in the world at what you do. That prestige spreads to other roles as well. Coaches want their bios to say they’ve worked with Olympia champions, judges consider an Olympia assignment among the highest honors in their profession, and journalists covering the Olympia view it as a career highlight.

In less than one month, thousands of people from around the world will gather in Las Vegas, Nevada to celebrate all things fitness and prepare to see history made once again at the 62nd edition of the Olympia. What started out as one contest that featured three men has evolved into 12 divisions (welcome, Fit Model division) and hundreds of world-class physique athletes looking to return home as world champions in their respective divisions. Supplement brands will showcase their latest innovations and launch new products, and fans will get to see YouTube and social media come to life as they come face-to-face with their favorite industry stars.

Muscle Insider will be in Las Vegas for the big weekend, capturing as much of it as possible for you. However, we aren’t waiting until the end of this month to start our coverage. That starts now with previews, athlete interviews, and discussions about what to expect at the Orleans Arena and Las Vegas Convention Center. We will have all of it for you here on MuscleInsider.com and on our YouTube channel. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss out on any of our coverage.

The Olympia will obviously be the focal point for most of this month, but that is not all we have in store for you. Anna Rhymer’s latest edition of her series on Trauma and the Athlete features former NHL player Mike Brodeur and explores how fitness has helped him overcome adversity and reach a better place mentally and physically. Furthermore, we have a review of PVL’s latest innovation, ISO CLEAAR, and why consumers should be paying attention to one of its key ingredients, Leuvate+. We will also have more from our other great contributors throughout this month.

This time of year is always an exciting one for the bodybuilding and fitness world, and we can’t wait to see everyone who will be in Las Vegas for the Olympia. We wish all the competitors the best of luck, thank everyone involved in making the Olympia possible, and extend our appreciation to all of you who have supported Muscle Insider throughout the year. See you in Las Vegas!

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Columnist

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Roger "Rock" Lockridge has been a mainstay in the fitness industry for nearly 25 years. He has been a personal trainer, aerobics instructor, supplement sales specialist for two stores, and has been an active journalist since 2009. After being named Bodybuilding.com Male Writer of the Year in 2009, his byline has been published over 3,000 times for many prominent outlets, magazines, and websites such as Iron Man Magazine, Muscle & Fitness, BarBend, Muscle & Strength, and for Muscle Insider since 2020. He has covered many of the biggest events in strenght sports, including the Olympia, Arnold Classic, World's Strongest Man, and in the world of powerlifting.

He was named Senior Writer for Muscle Insider in 2022 and was elevated to Managing Editor in 2026, where he oversees coverage of the fitness world at large alongside many of the leading contributors in the industry. He is also Muscle & Fitness' Public Affairs Correspondent.

Lockridge is also a Masters powerlifter and has had his own personal transformation story shared on numerous platforms, including Men's Health, Muscle & Fitness, and others. You can follow him on Instagram @rocklockridge.

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