At 41, Sergio Oliva Jr. is looking to make a comeback after a three-year hiatus. His competition of choice is the 2026 New York Pro, a show he last won in 2017.

Appearing on Think Big Bodybuilding Media, the 2017 New York Pro winner announced his comeback.

In the podcast, Dusty Hanshaw asked him, “So, you're not doing the Arnold then, right? Just the New York Pro or you doing both?”

"No, I'm going to not do the Arnold. Uh, I wanted to do the Arnold,
but I think it was more that... My last my last show was kind of a
tough loss," replied Oliva Jr.

Sergio Oliva Jr. competed in the Arnold Classic for the last time in 2022 and finished outside the top five. However, he's not looking for redemption in the upcoming 2026 edition. Instead, he will focus only on the 2026 New York Pro.

Oliva had tried to return to the IFBB Pro stage in Dubai in 2023. However, in an unfortunate incident, he was involved in a car accident that led to a fatality. While Sergio Oliva Jr. didn't get charged, that incident put a halt to his comeback plans.

Now, Oliva Jr. has changed his approach.

Sergio Oliva Jr. highlights his training and coaching reset

Oliva Jr. then confirmed his coaching change. "I switched coaches with Dom. He's here in Vegas. He's almost too smart. Like I have to get like a I need to get a degree just to read his like workouts and and diet, which I love," revealed the 41-year-old

"I can be a pro for 10 years, and I feel dumb, then that means that there's so much more I could grow," he added.

Sergio Oliva Jr. also revealed why changing his coach made sense. "It's very also rare to have somebody in your state that you coach with. Not sending photos and have someone just be like, 'All right, I'll meet you at the gym,' is super rare," he said about the arrangement being convenient.

The bodybuilding veteran also explained that while he had worked hard over the years, he had fumbled on the day of the show multiple times. And that's another thing he aims to fix as his coach is learning his body.

However, only time will tell if Sergio Oliva Jr.'s comeback pans out the way he hopes it will.

Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi