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Imagine standing on the fringe of a bodybuilding stage and ready for the announcer to name your identify to stroll out. You’ve ready for this second for months and skilled for a whole lot of hours to listen to that crowd cheer and applaud you once you hit that first pose in entrance of the judges.
Erin Banks is totally different. He doesn’t even hear the group, and he mentioned that he’s developed tunnel imaginative and prescient on contest day. Walking out onstage is a totally totally different expertise for him.
“I don’t hear anybody, I don’t see anybody. Everything is a blur because I’m so focused because I prepared so much. From the posing routine to the food, the water cutting, everything else that goes into it. This is my spotlight, and I need to zone all the way in and present my physique in the best way that I can.”
Banks hasn’t been simply displaying up onstage, he’s been dominant in a short while. Banks is the reigning Arnold Classic Men’s Physique champion, and he gained the 2022 Men’s Physique Olympia in Las Vegas in December. That makes him the primary Men’s Physique athlete on the planet in the present day. He was the primary man to win each titles in the identical yr. Now, he’s seeking to repeat that feat, beginning with the 2023 Arnold Classic in Columbus, OH, on Saturday, March 4.
With all of this success, it’s laborious to consider that Banks solely acquired into bodybuilding within the final 5 years. He was working as a private coach in 2018, and competing in a bodybuilding present wasn’t even on his radar till a former coach he knew talked him into stepping onstage.
“I was just a personal trainer, never thought about bodybuilding,” he revealed. “I wasn’t a fan of bodybuilding before I started bodybuilding myself. I didn’t know anything about it myself. She begged me to go for it, and I finally did.”
Banks would compete in his first present in 2019, the NPC Fresno Classic, which he gained. By the top of that yr, he earned his professional card on the NPC USA Championships. After skipping the 2020 season, he made his first professional look within the Houston Tournament of Champions, the place he positioned second. One month later, he gained the New York Pro and certified for the Olympia.
By the top of that yr’s Olympia, he was side-by-side with champion Brandon Hendrickson ready to listen to who was introduced because the winner. It can be Hendrickson on that day, however Banks was nicely on his approach, and he knew how he wished to make use of this new highlight that was shining on him.
“Once I got into the sport, I wanted to be a guy like Jay Cutler. He had a big presence onstage, and he still has a big presence off the stage. Jay is a people person, and that’s a model I’d love to follow.”
One Arnold Classic and Olympia win later, Banks was on prime, however he didn’t have a lot time to rejoice or take within the satisfaction of victory. Banks acquired sick after the Olympia, and he then needed to instantly start making ready to defend his Arnold Classic title, alongside along with his coach, Ariel Cutz.
“I only got to enjoy the moment for like a day, and then I had to get right back into contest mode. So, it was right back to the drawing board,” he acknowledged, “We’re bringing a different package. The goal is to come at the same stage weight, but with more muscle density. It will be a better overall package from top to bottom.”
Banks will begin his title protection within the Greater Columbus Convention Center, the place prejudging will likely be held on the Expo stage. He then will concentrate on finals on the Battelle Grand Ballroom in the identical constructing that night. In a shocking transfer between these instances, he scheduled himself to fulfill followers on the Celsius sales space in the course of the Arnold Expo that day. Watch for him to be having fun with a Watermelon or Arctic Vibes flavored can whereas he’s there. If you’re going to the Arnold, he invitations you to seize a can for your self as nicely.
Banks feels that shaking palms and taking selfies, even with the strain of competitors, is necessary as a result of he needs to fulfill his supporters and those that look as much as him. He’s having fun with these moments as a lot because the followers do.
“So far, it’s been great,” mentioned Banks. “I’m a people person. I’ve been able to meet a lot of people, encourage a lot of people, and I want to give back to my community back home. Also, these fans paid money to see Erin Banks compete or to meet me. It’s my opportunity to give back, at least for one hour.”
The Fresno, CA native could not have been part of this sport for very lengthy, however the former three-sport athlete is right here now, and he doesn’t plan on going wherever for a very long time to return.
“Right now, I’m just rolling with it, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to win both shows in the same year. Now, I’m coming back with the opportunity to defend that Arnold title and as the reigning Olympia champion, again it’s a blessing. We’re in a good spot.”
Follow Erin on Instagram: @e_bankssss and Celsius @celsiusofficial.