Who is Victor Richards?

Victor Richards, a legend in the fitness world, is a Nigerian-American bodybuilder. He once participated in athletics. He was a wrestler with an outstanding performance. Victor Richards, to date, is considered to be the largest bodybuilder ever to walk the earth, but in numerous ways, he remains a mystery. In this article, we hope to uncover some of those mysteries.

About Victor Richards:​

Born to a Nigerian father and a Bahamian mother, Victor Richards's exact date of birth is unknown, as he is believed to have been born in San Diego in 1964. However, when asked in interviews, he claims to have been born in Nigeria in 1966 or 1967. This inconsistency typically stands as one of the mysteries surrounding this bodybuilder.

His parents encouraged him to venture into bodybuilding at an early age. With their support, he hit the g for the first time at 15. After two years, he had built impressive muscle mass. Knowing that sport was his calling, he began training at Gold's Gym in Venice Beach. He gained knowledge from the most experienced weightlifters and began to include weightlifting techniques in his training.

A year later, he participated in his first competition, the American Cup 1982. He placed second in the young people’s category, with the legendary Rich Gaspari coming in first place. Not too long after, in 1983, he was able to clinch his first title, the Teen Los Angeles. Victor Richards, however, was faced with an experience that affected his whole outlook on bodybuilding.

About two weeks after clinching victory in Los Angeles, he took part in a low-key competition—the Orange County Muscle Classic where he was beaten by a man who had come fourth in the Teen Los Angeles contest. Mr Richards came to understand that the world of bodybuilding wasn't a fair and honest one as he had once imagined, as seeds of disappointment and doubt crept into his mind.

Victor Richards became famous internationally in 1987 when he was featured in Muscle and Fitness, with an article claiming he was the world's largest bodybuilder, weighing over 300 pounds. Becoming famous placed him under pressure to go pro, and take on the superstars for major titles. He decided to enter the Nigerian National Championship, where he successfully beat everyone and got his Pro Card. He, however, never participated in any competition again.

Why Victor stop competing?​

At the FIBO competition in 1994, Victor stepped onto the podium out of the blue and attempted to embarrass then-leader— Dorian Yates. Yates posed as a guest while Victor decided to tell a fellow contestant, Francois Gay, exactly what he would say with clear instructions if he took the stage.

François announced Victor to the public as the 320-pound athlete "The Uncrowned Natural Mr Olympia". While Victor posed for the audience, Bernd Beiderbecke, Muscle & Fitness, Germany’s edition, angry and disgruntled, jumped up on stage and grabbed the microphone from Francois.

Beiderbecke shouted to the audience; Don't want to see Victor cut and compete at some point? Does this man have the courage to stand on the Olympia podium? What will he look like when he goes on a diet? Right now, he looks like a water balloon. How can he call himself natural when he looks like a water reservoir?

Victor continued to pose even though Beiderbecke chased him, and he attempted to remove Yates from the stage. Later that evening, Victor apologized for upstaging Yates in the competition.

Aside from Victor shocking FIBO by stepping onto the podium out of the blue, Victor was known to carry a lot of weight during most of his training sessions. This led some to believe that Victor could not be and stay lean enough for serious competition.

Maybe it was the fear that he would lose if he came in and found he couldn't compete with the pros at the time, or it could be that he wasn't ready for the kind of life and dedication that comes with competing at the Mr. Olympics. One thing remained, and that was that Victor never reached his greatest limits in the sport of bodybuilding.

The question of whether he could have been the best remains unanswered. But there's one thing you can't take away from Victor, he was not only a huge personality on stage but offstage as well. Victor Richards became more of a trophy to the world of bodybuilding while in pursuit of the trophy.

Victor Richards Training​

Victor’s weight wasn’t developed by using light weights and high reps. Not only has he grown in physique, but he has a reputation for having the ability to lift heavy weights. He once claimed he could lift 550 pounds on the bench, something many other professionals struggled to do at the time.

"I can do 200 pounds on a dumbbell press. I've done shoulder presses in the 450-pound range; I've squatted nearly 900 pounds; and I've done barbell curls up to 315 pounds. And I never liked using a belt or knee pads."

As for the type of training Victor used to increase his famous size and strength, he used hypertrophy type resistance training, in addition to strength exercises with huge weights. This is what produced the deep and dense definition of Victor's physique. Little is known about his actual training routines, all that can be said is that it was t

Victor Richard’s weekly training schedule​

Monday: Triceps, biceps, and calves

• Dumbbell curls 3 sets of 12 to 8 reps
• Hammer Curls 3 sets of 12-8 reps
• Biceps Cable Curl (standing) 7 sets of 12 to 8 reps
• Dumbbells bench press (narrow grip) 3 sets of 12 to 8 reps
• Tricep Extension (Seated) 3 sets of 12-8 reps (3-4 sets)
• Overhead Cable Extension 7 sets of 12 to 8 reps
• The calf (sitting) 3 sets of 12 to 8 reps
• The calf (standing) 7 sets of 12 to 8 reps

Tuesday: Legs

• Barbell squats: 3 sets of 12-8 reps
• Leg press 3 sets 12-8 reps
• Leg Extension 7 sets of 12-8 reps
• Hamstring curls 3 sets of 12 to 8 reps
• The calf (standing) 3 sets of 12 to 8 reps

He rests on Wednesdays.

Thursday: Chest and Triceps

• Bench press with dumbbells 3 sets of 12 to 8 reps
• Inclined dumbbells 3 sets of 12 to 8 repetitions
• Crossover on pull cable 7 sets of 12 to 8 reps
• Bench press with dumbbells (narrow grip) 3 sets of 12 to 8 reps
• Seated tricep press 3 sets of 12 to 8 reps
• Overhead Cable Extension 7 sets of 12 to 8 reps

Friday: Back and calves

• Curved Dumbbell Rows 3 sets of 12 to 8 reps
• Lat pulldown (wide grip) 3 sets of 12-8 reps
• Seated Cable Rows 7 sets of 12-8 reps
• The calf (standing) 3 sets of 12 to 8 reps
• The calf (sitting) 7 sets of 12 to 8 reps

Saturday: Shoulders and biceps

• Shoulder press with dumbbells 3 sets of 12 to 8 reps
• Front barbell raises 3 sets of 12 to 8 reps
• Lateral raises 7 sets of 12 to 8 reps
• Dumbbell curls 3 sets of 12 to 8 reps
• Incline Dumbbell Curl 3 sets of 12 to 8 reps
• Biceps Cable Curl (standing) 7 sets of 12 to 8 reps

Sunday: The day of adaptation

On the last day of the week, Victor Richards focuses on any part of his body that he feels needs more attention.

Victor Richard’s Nutrition​

Victor had a distinct philosophical method both in the gym and in life in totality. He often preferred training on an empty stomach as early as possible every morning. He also consumed a massive amount of calories daily based on his training intensity for that specific day.

News has it that there was a time he ate 30,000 calories in one day, although it was not his usual diet. It occurred once when he consumed a Caribbean meal that had extremely high calories content.

Victor Richard’s Meal Timetable​

1st Meal

• A bowl of raisins with half a litre of milk
• Ten ounces of freshly squeezed orange juice.

2nd Meal

• Two Donuts
• A croissant filled with grated cheddar cheese.
• Four eggs
• Eight slices of bacon.
• Twenty ounces of whole milk.

Third Meal

• Eight ounces of beef.
• Mixed green salad.
• Sixteen ounces of whole milk.
• A large fried potato.
• Sour cream.

Fourth Meal

• Two cheeseburgers.
• 6 mozzarella sticks.
• A slice of apple and cherry pie.
• Sixteen ounces of whole milk.

Fifth Meal

• Protein drink.

Sixth Meal

• A can of tuna.
• Four tablespoons of mayonnaise.
• A Greek yoghurt.
• A big banana.
• A protein bar.
• Eight ounces of fruit juice.

Seventh Meal

• protein drink.
• A big banana.

Eight Meal

• Two slices of pizza with extra cheese.
• Eight ounces of fruit juice.

Is Victor Richards Dead?​

On November 10, 2021, fellow bodybuilders took to social media to post tributes for Victor Richards after a rumour that he was dead. His daughter came out to refute the claims and said he is alive, hale, and hearty. The news of his death was blamed on an inaccurate Facebook post.

Final Note​

Victor Richards’ life exemplifies hard work, discipline, and commitment to whatever we set out to do. Through this, we can make and win achievements. Victor still stands out in his drive toward being healthy and fit.