Biography of Shawn Ray. Shawn Ray / Shawn Ray is a bright figure in bodybuilding.

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

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"!

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[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]

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[edit | edit code]

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[edit | edit code]

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!

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

“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 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!

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.

Shawn Ray: interview with Hercules[edit | edit code]

Source - Hercules magazine No. 5 2010

He was never Mr. Olympia, but is rightfully considered one of the most famous and successful bodybuilders on the planet. He started at Olympia 13 times, fought with such giants as Lee Haney, Dorian Yates and Ronnie Coleman and never fell below fifth place. But that’s not even the point, because, according to many, he is the very personification of bodybuilding, not of brute mass and strength, but of beauty and harmony. He is the brilliant Shawn Ray! Which, by the way, will visit Yekaterinburg at the end of October at the invitation of the organizing committee of the Russian Open, headed by Anton Girenko-Kotsuba. We couldn't resist talking to Shawn Ray about his upcoming trip.

Hercules

: Who initiated your trip to Russia?

Shawn Ray

: Olga Ageeva, a representative of the global network Powerhouse Gym in Russia, contacted me. In truth, I have been collaborating with Powerhouse Gym International and its founders William, Norman (William and Norman Dabish, founders of the Powerhouse Gym brand - editor's note) and their sister Crystal for many years. Olga and I exchanged several letters, agreed on the terms of cooperation, and now my journey is becoming the reality that I have dreamed of for so long. I am especially pleased that in Russia I will meet my fans. I know that I have many fans in your country!

ГЪ

: You were already in our country back in 1989. Do you have any memories of this trip?

Sh.R.

:Still would! In 1989, I visited Moscow and St. Petersburg during the USSR-USA match. Then I did guest posing. From that trip I still have many photographs taken on Red Square and souvenirs. I knew that one day I would return and once again see your great country of wonderful, friendly people who live in it.

ГЪ

: What do you expect from the new meeting with Russia? Are you aware of the changes that have occurred in our country over the past 20 years?

Sh.R.

: I believe that I will meet a new Russia with loyal fans with whom I will share my experiences. I also hope that your people will be much more open. It is also worth considering that bodybuilding and fitness have recently received greater recognition as serious sports. Unfortunately, I don't know much about any specific changes, which makes me even more excited for this trip!

ГЪ

: What do you think about Russian professionals Evgeny Mishin, Sergey Shelestov, Oleg Emelyanov?

Sh.R.

: Evgeniy is a good bodybuilder, and he is on the rise now! I was at the tournament in Orlando this year when he qualified for Mr. Olympia for the first time. I felt his drive and was able to appreciate his efforts in preparing for the tournament. After all, it is very difficult for such a tall guy to gain weight and maintain excellent “quality.” Sergei is a mammoth man who, being in shape, without a doubt, poses a threat to many (famous bodybuilders. Sergei has excellent muscles, but he needs to “catch” the form more often on the day of the competition. Oleg competed in July in Tampa, and it was something! Such muscle quality and thickness. He can be a real thunderstorm for the pros, but only if he stays hungry!

ГЪ

: Sean, are you aware that you are one of the most popular bodybuilders in Russia?

Sh.R.

: One of the things I'm proud of is the recognition from my fans. I always answer their emails and take time to take pictures with them. Russian fans are the most responsive and loyal I've ever met! I love them all and am happy to share my experience and inspiration with them!

ГЪ

: Sean, you look great! Are you thinking about returning to the podium?

Sh.R.

: I finished performing, I did everything I could as an athlete. I've reached my full potential and I don't want to ruin what I spent years on. Although I have never won Mr. Olympia, I am proud of my achievements. I felt that I could do more for the sport by leaving the stage than by being on it, and after 9 years I am glad that my work is bringing results! I contributed to ensuring that all Olympia participants received financial rewards, and not just the top ten, as was the case when I competed. I made sure that the judges signed their protocols so that after the tournament athletes and fans could find out who evaluated them and how. I have hosted several professional and amateur Shawn Ray Classic tournaments, as well as established an award for best presentation in some professional competitions. I am a partner with several businessmen involved in bodybuilding and, of course, I write for the most important magazine in the world of bodybuilding - Muscular Development! I can't complain about life after leaving the stage. I work with the same diligence as I used to perform and prepare. Perhaps that is why I have the feeling that I have gone through the whole circle of life. Instead of missing being on stage, I help athletes who want to be like me, and this is the best reward for me.

ГЪ

: What are you doing now?

Sh.R.

: I am married and have two daughters, 5 and 2 years old. I host a weekly radio show on the Internet at www.musculardevelopment.com, broadcast every Monday at 4 pm Pacific Time. In addition, I am the general consultant for the nutritional supplement company GENr8. I also run the Bodybuilding Competition section of Muscular Development magazine. In fact, I do a lot of things, but my main focus now is on my children rather than on myself.

ГЪ

: What would you like to wish to Russian fans?

Sh.R.

: I have great respect for my Russian fans, because they have supported me for so many years. There hasn't been a year in my professional career that I haven't mentioned Russia as one of my favorite places I've ever been, and I've visited a huge number of countries! Russia made a lasting impression on me 20 years ago, and it's nice to know that I will be back here as a famous bodybuilder and will be able to celebrate this event with my fans!

We will see you very soon, I will certainly bring DVDs, photos and much more with me! God bless you!