Welsh bodybuilder Flex Lewis wins record 7th Mr. Olympia title

Welsh bodybuilder Flex Lewis won his 7th consecutive Mr. Olympia title in Las Vegas on Saturday night

Having dominated the 212lb division for nearly a decade, Lewis immediately announced that he is moving up to the open class.

Each year, the Mr Olympia event is held over the course of one weekend in September and is considered the world championship of bodybuilding. Lewis will undoubtedly go down in the history books as the undisputed king of the 212lb weight class.

In winning seven titles, the Llanelli-born bodybuilder has become one of Britain's most successful active athletes.

Only one other Brit has had a similar impact on the international bodybuilding stage - Birmingham's Dorian Yates. Yates won the Mr. Olympia open class on six consecutive occasions, from 1992 to 1997. Flex finished above four other top competitors, and the final standings were as follows:

1. Flex Lewis
2. Derek Lunsford
3. Kamal Elgargni
4. Ahmad Ashkanani
5. Jose Raymond

After taking the top spot, Flex indicated his desire to compete in the open class. Here, he could potentially come up against names such as William Bonac, Phil Heath and this year's open class winner, Shawn Rhoden. 2017 proved to be a historic year, with Lewis emulating the great Arnold Schwarzenegger's record of six titles. This year however, he went one better. After winning the event, he took to social media to thank his fans. https://www.instagram.com/p/BnyEN1cn4ht/?hl=en&taken-by=flex_lewis Bodybuilding - or at least training for muscle growth - can improve your functional fitness in many ways. We have previously discussed the top four benefits:

1. A stronger, more durable frame
2. Enhanced strength from a standing position
3. Better cardiovascular health
4. Greater longevity and functionality in older age