Ryan Terry is just a few weeks away from treading the boards in Las Vegas as he chases a fourth Men’s Physique title at the 2026 Olympia final, but while the British bodybuilder is hitting the gym with his dependable intensity, the champ says that a positive mindset is leading to a superior prep ready for the final in September. Here’s why.
Ryan Terry is no stranger to staying positive and famously relied on his mental fortitude on a ten-plus year journey to becoming the Men’s Physique kingpin, but last year saw Terry getting dragged into a series of mind games from his class of rivals, with outspoken challenger Ali Bilal topping the list. Bilal, who is a two-time Arnold Classic Men’s Physique champion, and a two-time runner up at the Olympia, cast doubt on Terry’s physique, and intimated that he was past his prime. In response, Terry uncharacteristically fired back his own smack talk during the pre-Olympia press conference.
When the smoke cleared, Terry successfully defended his crown and later thanked Bilal for the motivation. “I want to thank that guy, because he unleashed something in me this year, which I never thought I had,” the Brit told Bob Cicherillo. “A new level, and it really brought the best out of me.” Fortunately, those who feared that 2026 would put more pressure on Terry to get involved in the negative aspect of competitive bodybuilding can relax, because thankfully, a positive prep is yielding even better results.
Why Ryan Terry Shifted to a Positive Prep Mindset for the 2026 Olympia
In a new interview shared via Terry’s official Instagram channel, the RT-Fit gym owner explained that a more wholesome approach is what really works. “If you guys, obviously followed me last year, you’ll see that my motivation was very different to years before that,” explained the Men’s Physique mainstay. “And it came from, like, a negative place. So, I let other people’s energy in, and I absorbed it, and took motivation from it, in kind of a negative way.”
Terry admits that ahead of the 2025 Olympia final, he had been “obsessed” and didn’t enjoy the prepping process. “I was in my head for the last ten weeks of my prep,” shared the champ. “It wasn’t an enjoyable place, and bodybuilding has to be enjoyable, to sustain it 365 days a year, and have a long career in bodybuilding.”
Now 37, the bodybuilding icon is more appreciative than ever of the career that he’s built. “This year, I’ve vowed to go back to the love of the sport,” he explained, noting that the result of this more positive mindset appears to be outstripping his strategy from last year. Apparently, nice guys can finish first.
“I’m halfway through now,” said Terry of his 2026 Olympia journey, “Prep has been unbelievable. I’m enjoying every moment of it,” he added, reflecting that training for the biggest bodybuilding stage is not something that he can do forever. To that end, Terry has been making sure to include his family in the training experience. “It’s a positive thing, rather than a negative thing,” he explained. “And my body is definitely responding a lot better than it was last year. Last year I kept failing and my body wasn’t responding in terms of losing the weight. Whereas this year it’s coming of nice and easier. I’ve got energy, I’m happy, I’m doing things with the kids, the family, so that’s all I can ask for.”
While Terry is certainly maturing, his hard-earned wisdom and timeless physique could well see him thwarting the young upstarts for several years to come.
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