Titan
Who is Akim Williams? Meet Mr Olympia star known as BKbeast
Akim originally wanted to be a computer scientist
IN some bodybuilding circles, Akim Williams is thought of as the strongest man in the world.
The bodybuilding titan will be appearing at Mr Olympia 2024, thrilling fans who have been waiting for his return.
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He is often referred to by his nickname BKbeast, which stands for Brooklyn Beast, but bodybuilding wasn't always Akim's dream.
Instead, he once thought about doing something quite different.
Computer genius
Akim was born on August 20, 1984, and didn't take any interest in bodybuilding in his youth.
Instead, he decided to study computer science at Long Island University.
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In the university gym, he was hesitant to try out weights.
He told : "I was afraid to even try squats, because I had heard they were really bad for your knees,” he says.
“Honestly, the first few months in that weight room, all I did was bench press because it was all I cared about.”
However, a chance meeting changed his perspective.
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It was by pure serendipity that he ran across a man called Ken Thompson, nicknamed "Coach T", who taught him that lower reps help you to build thicker, denser muscle mass.
Just a few months later, he made it to the top five at the Chicago pro and, within seven years, he grew from 150lbs to 300lbs.
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Mr Olympia star
The BKbeast will be appearing at Mr Olympia 2024, where he hopes to avenge his performance in 2022.
He has opened up before about how he didn't bring enough supplies to Mr Olympia 2022, which made him feel drained and tired whilst waiting to go onstage.
That same year, he was caught in a car accident which took him out of the bodybuilding game for some time.
Akim recovered from his crash just in time for Mr Olympia 2024 and even won the Toronto Pro title that same year.
He has previously appeared at other Mr Olympias, such as the 2016 competition where he came in 15th place.
In subsequent competitions, he ranked: 9th in 2019, 6th in 2020, 9th in 2021 and unranked in 2022.
He reached 7th place in the 2020 Arnold Classic and 5th in the 2021 Arnold Classic, but has yet to win the title.
In 2023, he slipped back to 6th place at the Arnold Classic but had won at the Tampa Pro just the year before.
Hardcore training
Akim has a hardcore training regime to maintain his 23½-inch arms.
At one point in his career, he even weight 300lbs which is no easy feat to maintain.
His routine involves lots of low reps to build mass and he forgoes any supportive weight gear.
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McDonald's diet
Akim has admitted that he often follows a "hardcore diet".
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He once only ate food from the McDonald's menu for a year, in a bid to build his mass.
Luckily Akim was successful and he didn't struggle to lose any additional weight that he had gained (where most people do struggle).
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