{"id":26495,"date":"2026-08-11T02:45:49","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T02:45:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=26495"},"modified":"2026-08-11T02:45:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T02:45:49","slug":"flex-lewis-calls-out-212-disrespect-says-its-not-a-handicapped-division-fitness-volt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=26495","title":{"rendered":"Flex Lewis Calls Out 212 Disrespect, Says It’s Not a ‘Handicapped’ Division \u2013 Fitness Volt"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Flex Lewis is speaking up for the bodybuilding division that turned him into a star. In an August 8 Instagram post, he said the 212 division is not a handicapped version of the Men\u2019s Open class and explained why it\u2019s needed in the IFBB Pro League.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u201cThere\u2019s a different kind of anger when you disrespect a division I damn near died to win and defend,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cDisrespect the 212 and I\u2019m going to speak on it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

From 2012 to 2018<\/a>, Flex Lewis dominated the Men\u2019s 212 Bodybuilding<\/a> landscape. On his way to building an all-time great legacy, he defeated top-tier talent, including Jose Raymond<\/a>, Derek Lunsford<\/a>, and Shaun Clarida<\/a>. While it\u2019s been years since he stepped onstage, Lewis still advocates for the division and follows the sport closely.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Flex Lewis Defends 212 Division After Being Called \u2018Handicapped\u2019 Men\u2019s Open<\/h2>\n

In the Instagram reel, Lewis explained why the 212 is not a handicapped version of the Men\u2019s Open. He also made it clear that the 212 Olympia prize money has remained the same since 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s been brought to my attention that a bunch of sausages in their mom\u2019s basement, shooting a podcast, want to talk shit about the 212 class, calling it a handicapped class.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI just want to revisit the handicapped [statement], such a disrespectful comment,\u201d he said. \u201cLet\u2019s get the facts straight and the truth. I am more qualified than anybody else. Number one, misquoted truth: you said the Olympia reduced the 212 prize money; no, it hasn\u2019t. It hasn\u2019t increased and it hasn\u2019t decreased. It\u2019s been $50,000 since 2023 to 2025. Frozen isn\u2019t reduced. Words matter when you\u2019re pretending to use facts.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Lewis argues that just because prize money hasn\u2019t increased doesn\u2019t mean there\u2019s a lack of value or interest in the division:\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cShould it increase? Absolutely. I am one who advocated for that, and in my era, it increased. The Open went from $400,000 to $600,000 while the 212 stayed at $50,000. Don\u2019t confuse less money invested with less value produced.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

He also believes that winning an Open show as a 212 competitor isn\u2019t a valid reason for eliminating the class.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cYou can win an Open show and still get beaten in the 212 this year by Keone. That doesn\u2019t weaken the argument. It just proves how deep and competitive this class really is. That\u2019s all respect to Shaun.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In contrast, Lewis stressed that the 212 division helps create future Mr. Olympia champions, like Lunsford.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cDerek Lunsford, 212 Mr. Olympia in 2021. Mr. Olympia in 2023, first athlete to win two weight divisions. Doesn\u2019t that go to show how unnecessary or necessary in my world it is, it just produces Mr. Olympia champions. Derek didn\u2019t bypass the 212, he was built by it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is where your whole handicapped argument falls apart,\u201d he adds. \u201cA 135 champion [in other sports] isn\u2019t looked at as handicapped. Only in bodybuilding do you look down to a person with height and weight. There\u2019s a class for everyone; that\u2019s why these divisions were created.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Some bodybuilders, including Lee Priest, believe there\u2019s no need for a 212 division<\/a>. He emphasized that the best competitors always rise to the top, as was the case before 212 existed. During the 1990s, Priest\u2019s shorter stature presented challenges, but he found ways to defeat his taller rivals.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Flex Lewis refuses to dismiss what the 212 division has done for him and the sport as a whole. He looks forward to seeing if Keone Pearson can win a fourth title when the event returns from September 24-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada.\u00a0<\/p>\n

RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong>7x 212 Olympia Flex Lewis Tears Tricep Tendon Off The Bone in \u2018Freak\u2019 Accident, Says He Will Require Surgery <\/a><\/p>\n\n