Beyond the Limits of Human Muscle Hypertrophy: A Case Study of a Mr. Olympia Competitor Bodybuilder

ABSTRACT: Rosaci, G, Biban, S, and Bartolomei, S. Beyond the Limits of Human Muscle Hypertrophy: A Case Study of a Mr. Olympia Competitor Bodybuilder. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2026-This study aimed to investigate changes in body composition and muscle architecture (muscle thickness [MT] and corrected echo intensity [cEI]) between the bulking and the cutting phase of a professional bodybuilder's preparation (age: 38 years; body mass: 128.7 kg; height: 176 cm). MT and cEI of 9 muscles (elbow flexors, triceps brachii, pectoralis major, upper trapezius, vastus medialis/lateralis, biceps femoris, medial/lateral gastrocnemius) were calculated by B-mode ultrasound images. In addition, training and food logs were analyzed, and body composition was estimated by skinfold measurements at the same timepoints. Caloric intake decreased from ∼5,620 kcal·d-1 in the bulking phase to ∼3,140 kcal·d-1 (-44%) in the cutting phase, while the resistance training program remained largely unchanged. A loss of 6.4 kg was registered in body mass, while a reduction of 0.7 mm only was recorded in the sum of the 3 skinfolds considered. Consistently, all the muscles showed a reduction in MT, particularly evident in the upper trapezius (-28.4%) and in the gastrocnemius medialis (-12.8%). On the contrary, increases in cEI were registered in almost all sites (+28.2% and +30.4% in elbow flexors and biceps femoris, respectively). The increase in cEI registered in the cutting phase, without an increase in fat mass, may be related to a reduction of muscle glycogen. The athlete's subcutaneous fat, together with the combination of cEI and MT, should be monitored during the preparation of an elite bodybuilder to better understand the responses of the main muscles to the nutritional and training strategies adopted.