Now the questions must be asked – what does Wolf do to get his game back on track? According to the Muscular Development.com forums, member The Mayor of Bodybuilding has stated that Wolf is confirmed to compete in the 2010 New York Pro on May 8.

While that is a fairly prestigious show, it is quite a ways away from the Arnold or O. That may be just what Wolf needs in order to qualify for the Olympia a few months later. but he is not an automatic by any means to even win in Manhattan. Last year, Evan Centopani took first place against a pretty good line-up that featured Markus Ruhl, Dennis James, Silvio Samuel and Hidetada Yamagashi.

So does Wolf concentrate on preparing for the Big Apple or does he go ‘balls to the wall’ for the Arnold and quiet all the naysayers? Weighing the differences, unless he finishes high in Columbus (minimum in the top six), it would be viewed as a failure for him and it may be difficult to get back into contest shape two months later. If he then qualifies for the Olympia, he would have to get back on stage four months after that and peaking two or three times in a year is a tough task for anyone, especially someone who is coming off a huge disappointment and is probably in dire need of a mental boost.

If Wolf is committed to the New York pro, then he probably will not compete in Ohio. That will lead to some criticism but it could be the best decision for him at this time.

Greene, while being bigger than Jackson, has the appearance of a smaller bodybuilder due to his narrow waist and small joints. He took home the Arnold Classic championship over the larger Victor Martinez and Branch Warren.

This year in Las Vegas, the best of the best will be on the stage at The Orleans Arena and amongst the much larger competition, Jackson will find it difficult to repeat. Not only will The Blade be facing the aforementioned Cutler, Martinez and Warren, but Markus Ruhl has recently announced that he will be bringing his monster build to the Olympia. Let’s not forget Phil Heath, who finished in third plce a year ago at his rookie O.

The 5’11″, nearly 300-pound German finished in third place at the New York Pro in May and originally intended on retiring from the sport. But as reported by Muscular Development, Ruhl has changed his mind and will be furthering his career. The 36-year-old will make his legions of fans extremely happy with this decision and brings great presence and character to the stage.

With an offseason weight that can get up to an amazing 340 pounds, Ruhl has a few ‘rules’ that he lives by. It was by no accident that he became the “Freakazoid,” and after hearing some of his training methods it will be no surprise.

Ruhl believes in straight sets using heavy free weights and not resting on his laurels. He believes that getting stronger and going heavier will build more size. As far as reps and sets go, he will go as heavy as he can for as low as four to six reps. Using this method, Ruhl can blow out 25 to 30 sets per body part without feeling that he is overtraining. He also trains to failure, something that he feels makes or breaks the growth spurt.

By hitting each muscle so hard, Ruhl only trains one body part per day. By doing so he can assure that each one will get the maximum effort.

Proper nutrition is just as important as training to Ruhl and he consumes approximately 7,000 calories per day, which includes 400 to 500 grams of protein. Even with all of these calories, Ruhl makes sure to keep his diet clean and it consists of chicken, beef, fish, rice and potatoes.

This may be his last hurrah so expect Ruhl to come in looking more massive than ever before. He will leave a lasting impression with size never seen before even more so than a top six placing.

Taking nothing away from the three that finished ahead of him, Samuel had to look at them and feel as if he may have missed a golden opportunity to win his second show of the year. Evan Centopani won his first pro show right out of the gate, Dennis James was the runner-up in Manhattan and finished two places behind Samuel at the Arnold Classic in March and Markus Ruhl had not competed in two years. 

If Samuel came in shape, he very well could have won this show. As it was, he was lucky to finish ahead of Hidetada Yamagashi and may have only on reputation. 

It doesn’t get any easier come September with a stacked line-up at the Mr. Olympia. Samuel, 34, needs to do better than last year’s seventh place finish but will find it hard. Yes, he has had a good year with the early win, a fifth place at the Arnold and a runner-up position at the Australia Pro Grand Prix, but that’s what makes his New York Pro result even more frustrating. 

Samuel has shown that he can hang with the big boys and  a force to be reckoned with in the ‘second tier’ shows. His next few times on the stage will go a long way in determining his legacy.

Centopani, 27, accomplished the feat in his first try after earning his pro card and did so not far from his home in Trumbull, Connecticut.

In the 202 class, Long Island resident Kevin English made it two in a row, besting Mark Dugdale and David Henry.

A deep line-up made Centopani’s victory even more impressive, as Dennis James, Markus Ruhl, Silvio Samuel, Hidetada Yamagishi and Tarek Elsetouhi rounded out the top six. In the women’s part of the contest, Betty Pariso, Rosemary Jennings, Debbie Bramwell, Dena Westerfield and Tazzie Columb all placed.

Another given will be English having a say in the outcome of the 202 and overall titles. Last year at the New York Pro, English edged out David Henry to win the 202 but lost to Kai Greene for the overall, definitely nothing to be ashamed about. At the Mr. Olympia, Henry topped English for that 202 crown, so this contest will be the ‘rubber match,’ if you will.

The two warriors will go at it toe-to-toe with the victor having the opportunity to face off against the winner of the regular men’s division. With names such as Markus Ruhl, Evan Centopani, Silvio Samuel, Dennis James and Darrem Charles in the line-up, it will make for a highly contested show.