James "Flex" Lewis has retired!

British professional bodybuilder James "Flex" Lewis, who made bodybuilding history as a seven-time Olympia 212 Showdown winner, has decided to retire! The 38-year-old, who last stood on the competition stage in 2018, informed his fans about his intention in the podcast "Straight Outta The Lair".

Although James' next competition ambitions were to compete in the Open category and thus also in the Mr. Olympia competition, which is rightly considered the most prestigious competition in the bodybuilding world, it never happened and it will never happen again!

He skipped the 2019 season, saying that he will work on gaining the extra bulk needed to be competitive among the heavyweights.

A year later, he received a special invitation from the organizers to participate in Mr. Olympia 2020. However, his sore joints prevented him from preparing, so he had to gratefully decline the invitation.

Although he underwent successful treatment, he did not participate in 2021. For one thing, he was moving his successful gym, The Dragons Lair, from Florida to Las Vegas that year, and more importantly, he and his wife were trying to have another child. That worked out, and this May 6, they welcomed a son, Macsen James Lewis, into the world.

Olympia Weekend President Dan Solomon commented:

Flex Lewis called me last night, and it was a very emotional conversation. When he started talking, I realized very easily that he had thought long enough about what he was going to say.

I hung up my competition swimsuit, I'm leaving the competition scene.

I could feel his relief at this decision. He had been weighed down for several months as he contemplated all aspects of life, while celebrating the recent birth of his son.
I told him I was proud of his decision. Over the years I had watched closely as he reached the top in his sport, always a fan favorite. Flex has decided to put his family first and prioritize the things that mean so much more than titles or trophies. He has turned his attention to a future where he is dancing at his daughter's wedding, building a business and enjoying life with his wife Ali. One of the hardest things in life is knowing when it's time to leave. So please join me in congratulating Flex on his decision to end one chapter and begin another.