Various men's weight class divisions in Mr. Olympia explained

Mr. Olympia 2024 is around the corner and the championship will be celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. All the athletes are switching gears and bringing out their absolute best to lift the title. But what might spark your curiosity is understanding all the men's divisions that Mr. Olympia features.

Let's find out how bodybuilders are differentiated based on their size and weight.

#1 Men's Open Bodybuilding

The men's open bodybuilding division is also known as the men's open division, featuring bodybuilding freaks. This division is all about putting in a ton of muscles and getting as large as possible. Men's open bodybuilding is the most competitive bodybuilding division.

This division is also the highlight of every show, from Mr. Olympia to any pro qualifiers, and the results are announced in the end, keeping everyone hyped up till the end.

This division has no limitations on height or weight. Anyone with the caliber to put on a hefty amount of muscle with a blend of muscularity and symmetry can give it a try.

Some open-division bodybuilders are the former Mr. Olympia Hadi Choopan, the current Mr. Olympia Derek Lunsford, and the former Arnold Classic Champion Samson Dauda.

Different Classes according to weight at Mr. Olympia

• Class A - Bantam- Up to & including 143.25 lbs
• Class B - Lightweight- Over 143.25 lbs up to 154.25 lbs
• Class C - Middleweight- Over 154.25 lbs up to 176.25 lbs
• Class D - Lightheavy- Over 176.25 lbs up to 198.25 lbs
• Class E - Heavyweight- Over 198.25 lbs up to 225.25 lbs
• Class F - Superheavy- Over 225.25 lbs

There is one more class called Masters in which athlete over 35 competes.

#2 212 Divison or 212 Olympia

The 212 division, first introduced in 2011, gives shorter athletes a different division to compete in. This division has a few requirements, unlike the open division.

To compete in the 212 division, one needs to be shorter than 5-foot-5, and one's weight should be under 212 pounds. But years later, the height rule was called off, and only the weight limitation remained.

#3 Men's Classic Physique

The Men's Classic Physique division was introduced five years later then the 212 division in 2016. This division primarily focuses on bringing back the aesthetics of the golden era in modern-day bodybuilding. The Classic Physique Division is the middle ground between the Open Division and Men's Physique.

This division became quite popular in no time, and even the seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger promoted the division, as per FitnessVolt.

Bodybuilders focus on having broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and overall conditioning, along with maintaining symmetry and size. Judges look for vascularity and balance in bodybuilders.

Different Classes in the Classic Physique division at Mr. Olympia

• Class A- Up to and including 5'4" & 160 lbs / 163cm & 73kg
• Class A- Over 5'4" up to & including 5'5" & 165 lbs / 163cm - 165cm & 75kg
• Class A- Over 5'5" up to & including 5'6" & 170 lbs / 165cm - 168cm & 77kg
• Class A- Over 5'6" up to & including 5'7" & 175 lbs / 168cm - 170cm & 79kg
• Class B- Over 5'7" up to & including 5'8" & 182 lbs / 170cm - 173cm & 83kg
• Class B- Over 5'8" up to & including 5'9" & 190 lbs / 173cm - 175cm & 86kg
• Class B- Over 5'9" up to & including 5'10" & 197 lbs / 175cm - 178cm & 89kg
• Class C- Over 5'10" up to & including 5'11" & 205 lbs / 178cm - 180cm & 93kg
• Class C- Over 5'11" up to & including 6' & 212 lbs / 180cm - 183cm & 96kg
• Class D- Over 6' up to & including 6'1" & 220 lbs / 183cm - 185cm & 100kg
• Class D- Over 6'1" up to & including 6'2" & 230 lbs / 185cm - 188cm & 104kg
• Class D- Over 6'2" up to & including 6'3" & 237 lbs / 188cm - 191cm & 108kg
• Class D- Over 6'3" up to & including 6'4" & 245 lbs / 191cm - 193cm & 111kg
• Class D- Over 6'4" up to & including 6'5" & 252 lbs / 193cm - 196cm & 114kg
• Class D- Over 6'5" up to & including 6'6" & 260 lbs / 196cm - 198cm & 118kg
• Class D- Over 6'6" up to & including 6'7" & 267 lbs / 198cm - 201cm & 121kg
• Class D- Over 6'7" & up to & including 275 lbs / 201cm & 125kg
• Masters- Over 35 (one class)

#4 Men's Physique

The men's physique division was introduced in 2012 in the Mr. Olympia. The division primarily focused on bodybuilders achieving a V-taper physique. The Men's Physique division is a perfect blend of muscular and lean looks with athleticism and overall aesthetics.

The judges mainly pay attention to the upper body development of the bodybuilders, including the shoulder-to-waist ratio along with arms, calves, chest, back, and shoulder development.

Even the posing routine for Men's Physique athletes is different from all the previous categories. The bodybuilders perform a series of back and front turns on the stage.

Different classes in the Men's Physique Division at Mr. Olympia

• Class A-Up to & including 5'7" / 170cm
• Class B- Over 5'7" up to & including 5'8" / 170cm - 173cm
• Class C- Over 5'8" up to & including 5'9" / 173cm - 175cm
• Class D- Over 5'9" up to & including 5'11" / 175cm - 180cm
• Class E- Over 5'11" up to & including 6' / 180cm - 183cm
• Class F- Over 6' / 183cm
• Masters- Over 35 (one class)

#5 Wheelchair

The WCBB (Wheelchair Bodybuilding) is a unique bodybuilding organization giving wheelchair bodybuilders a chance to earn their IFBB Pro card and compete at the Wheelchair Mr. Olympia. In this division, the judges primarily give scores on the upper body muscle mass, conditioning, and symmetry.