Fil-Am Olympia champ Jeremy Buendia sets the bar high for men’s physique

Most people could only ever dream of joining Olympia, the most prestigious bodybuilding event in the world. To even qualify to compete, you need to beat hundreds of competitors. From hundreds of hopeful bodybuilders, few will ever make it to Olympia and only one will win. 

Among all the Olympia titleholders in recent history, Jeremy Buendia is one to watch. He has set the bar high for men’s physique. He has won the Men’s Physique Olympia Showdown not once or twice, but four times running. 

Jeremy is half-Filipino on his father’s side, as his grandfather was from Bulacan. His dad played a huge role in his career.

“He raised me to be an athlete and he started training me at the age of six doing various speed drills, pushups and other calisthenics-type exercises,” Jeremy shares. “My dad introduced weights to me at 10 or 11 years old and it became a part of my everyday life.”

His first sport wasn’t actually bodybuilding but football. He played until high school when injury caused him to stop. Unwilling to cease his drive to compete, Jeremy found his calling in competitive bodybuilding. 

At 19 years old, he won his first bodybuilding title at 2010 NPC Costa California. When he was 21, he switched to the Men’s Physique division, winning multiple shows throughout 2012 and 2013. He beat 150 of the best amateurs to win overall at the NPC Jr. USA’s to earn his Pro Card. Three months later, he won his first pro show and qualified to compete in Olympia 2013. He took second place that year.

That wasn’t enough. He trained with trainer and nutritionist Hany Rambod and worked harder than ever. The next year, and for the three succeeding years, he returned to the Olympia stage and won. No other man has won repeat Olympia men’s physique championships, let alone four in a row. This gives Jeremy the title of the best men’s physique athlete in the world.

Jeremy and his trusted coach, Hany share their winning secrets with Flex magazine. 

“My approach to weight training changed significantly when I began working with Hany Rambod on my contest prep in 2014,” Jeremy says. 

“Jeremy went from 170 pounds at the 2014 Olympia to 175 pounds in 2015, all while coming in more conditioned. Jeremy’s prep centered on adding size. Because the guys in his division are getting bigger, we targeted a five to seven-pound muscle gain since last year. To keep his waist as small as possible we stay away from exercises that will cause his obliques to grow,” Rambod shares. 

When it comes to training, the winning duo has it all figured out. In 2014, Hany became the first coach to have three athletes win first at their Olympia events in the same year. His secret weapon? A specialized training method called FST-7. “Hany introduced FST-7, and it has been something that I’ve grown to trust,” Jeremy says. 

Rambod developed Fascia Stretch Training, to boost workout intensity. This training technique involves extending the last workout for a body part to seven sets instead of the usual three or four. “We emphasize optimizing pumps in the gym,” Buendia explains. “The elements include tempo manipulation, rep-range manipulation, and minimizing rest in between sets.” This infuses targeted muscles with a better pump, improving blood flow and circulation. It also stimulates more growth and makes your workout a lot more interesting.

“We incorporated FST Super 7 supersets done with 45 seconds’ rest, which increased intensity fourfold. FST Super 7 is a variation of my standard FST (fascia stretch training), a protocol that calls for the use of medium or heavy weight for seven intense sets and 30 to 45 seconds’ rest between sets.” Rambod explains. 

Today, Jeremy graces countless international fitness magazines and has an active social media base. He is currently training for the next Olympia where he is vying for a historic fifth title.

Meanwhile, IFBB Pro Card hopefuls in the Philippines are now preparing for Musclecontest Philippines, their first chance to get an IFBB Pro Card without leaving the country. The historic date is set on Sept. 8 at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center.

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