One of the best posers in the lineup still has it.
IFBB Pro League Masters bodybuilder Fred “Biggie” Smalls is most famous in bodybuilding circles for his entertaining, dance-based posing routines while competing in the sport from 2011 until 2018. Those skills earned him the best poser award at three separate Arnold Classic competitions.
The Delaware native will be performing at least one more routine when he takes the stage at the 2023 Masters Olympia on the weekend of Aug. 26-27 in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. On May 4, 2023, Smalls gave the fans a sneak preview of what they could expect when he shared an Instagram reel of himself training biceps and triceps.
During the session, Smalls performed dumbbell spider curls, machine preacher curls, rope hammer curls, and lying single-arm triceps extensions in the clip. Details of the full workout weren’t shared in the caption of the post, but it’s clear that Smalls has been training hard and staying in superb shape since his last contest in 2021.
When he flexes those arms in Romania, he’ll be one of 19 pros competing for the first Masters Olympia championship since Dexter Jackson won the title in 2012. To qualify for the Masters division, athletes must be at least 40 years old. Here’s a look at the full roster.
- Vladimir Agrinskiy
- Slavoj Bednar
- Robert Burneika
- Maxx Charles
- Philip Clahar
- Kamal Elgargni
- Michael Ely
- Vinny Galanti
- Ken Jackson
- Rusty Jeffers
- Tony Lagrene
- Joshua Lenartowicz
- Sergio Lima
- Michael Lynn
- Marek Olejniczak
- Joseph Piersante
- Logan Robson
- Fred Smalls
- Ron Stevens
All 19 of those men will be looking to impress the judges enough to win the Masters Olympia title, a 2023 Mr. Olympia qualification, and $20,000 in first-place prize money. The top five finishers in the Men’s Open division will also take home financial rewards. The prize breakdown is below.
1st place — $20,000
2nd place — $10,000
3rd place— $5,000
4th place— $3,000
5th place — $2,000
Smalls turned professional at the 2010 NPC Nationals championships and he began competing in 2011. While his only pro win came at the 2015 Europa Dallas Pro in Dallas, TX, he qualified for the Mr. Olympia contest three times (2012, 2014, 2015) — his best finish in the sport’s biggest show was 13th in 2014. Smalls most recently returned to compete in the 2021 California Pro, where he finished in eighth place.
Featured Image: @ifbbpro_fredbiggiesmalls on Instagram
