Roelly Winklaar “The Beast”

Geschatte leestijd: 3 minutenRoelly Winklaar is the Netherlands’ best-performing bodybuilder at the moment. Read more about “The Beast” here.

Roelly Winklaar

When Dutch bodybuilders are discussed, you often hear the names Ed van Amsterdam and Berry de Mey. These guys have certainly earned their stripes. However, if we look at who the most successful Dutch bodybuilder is as of 2011, there can really only be one name mentioned: Roelly Winklaar. Okay, he was born in Curaçao. But as is the case for all immigrant athletes: Perform well, make Holland proud, and “you’re allowed to stay.” Oh, how angry we were when Badr Hari competed for Morocco at the K1 (required by the K1 organization because all that red-white-blue would otherwise be boring) because then he’s obviously not Moroccan (until he gets into trouble again). Sorry Mauro, study hard, be polite, integrate well? Dummy, should have played soccer or something then you might have had more than just a student visa. But well, I digress. Back to “our” Roelly. Roelly, 33 years old at the time of writing, has been making waves for quite some time. However, he only really caught international attention with his surprising victory at the Arnold Classics in 2009 among amateurs. This earned him his pro license from the IFBB and a ticket to the Sandow, the Mr. Olympia elections. Suddenly, there he was, the number 1, receiving the prize from Arnold Schwarzenegger himself. It made such an impression that he could hardly speak a word. The following year, he continued the trend, but as an IFBB professional. Among the “big boys,” he achieved a nice 7th place, and at the IFBB Australia Pro Grand Prix, he placed 3rd. And as if that wasn’t enough, he was 1st at the 2010 IFBB New York Pro the same year and has been a member of Team BSN since last year!

Who the fuck is Roelly Winklaar?

At the aforementioned performances, he showed great mass but especially rock-hard muscles with razor-sharp definition. Almost nobody (outside the Netherlands and the Antilles) had ever heard of him. The most frequently asked question when he was on stage was “Who’s that guy?” As often happens, attention during the pre-judging and beforehand is often focused on a few big names. Usually, you see the same names in the top 6, maybe just in a different order. As a newcomer, it’s very difficult to stand out. If you manage to do this, as Roelly did, the automatic thought is “Who is that and why don’t I know him yet?”

2011, What happened?

This was no longer a problem for Roelly when he participated again in the New York Pro this year, as he was the defending champion and a hype had arisen around him. Unfortunately, he couldn’t live up to this, mainly due to an annoying shoulder injury. He finished 9th. Due to the same shoulder injury, Roelly did not participate in the Mr. Olympia elections this year or any other competition. He was missed by many fans there. Incidentally, earlier this year, he placed 2nd in both the British and the Europe Grand Prix. It is therefore hoped that he will quickly regain his form and show everyone in 2012 who-the-fuck Roelly Winklaar is!

2012 and 2013 (update)

Since the writing of this article, quite some time has passed. In 2012, Roelly qualified for the Mr. Olympia by winning the Nordic Pro. At the Olympia, he finished 12th. Participation in the 2012 Olympia also led to an appearance in the movie “Generation Iron.” In 2013, he qualified for the Olympia with a win at the Wings of Strength Chicago Pro-Am Extravaganza. He then finished seventh and, in my opinion, showed his best form ever.

2014 Motorcycle Accident

Expectations were therefore high for his participation in the Arnold Classic in March this year. It was a big setback when he couldn’t participate because he had a motorcycle accident a few days earlier. In hindsight, this was bitter when it turned out that the form of the participants there was disappointing, and Roelly in his Olympia form would at least have had a good chance of winning. I spoke to Roelly about this a few weeks later during the FIBO Expo in Cologne. Here you can read about my conversation with Roelly.

Personal Details Roelly Winklaar

• Name: Egberton Rulove ‘Roelly’ Etienne-Winklaar
• Date of Birth: June 22, 1977
• Place of Birth: Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles
• Place of Residence: Various places in Curaçao and the Netherlands
• Height: 174 cm
• Weight: 103 kg

Roelly Winklaar’s Training Schedule

As unknown as Roelly is (relatively unknown for his accomplishments, I mean), his trainer seems to be well known. “The trainer from hell” Sibil Peeters, also known as “Grandma,” is tough, ruthless, and honest. See below for a nice interview with Sibil where she explains what went wrong towards the Arnold Classics of 2010 and how they changed this towards the New York Pro 2010.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Hey0_8b53w

An example of his training schedule is:

• Monday morning: Quadriceps
• Monday afternoon: Hamstrings
• Tuesday morning: Back
• Tuesday afternoon/evening: Biceps
• Wednesday morning: Calves
• Wednesday afternoon/evening: Abdominals
• Thursday morning: Chest
• Thursday afternoon/evening: Triceps
• Friday: Repeat of Monday
• Saturday: Repeat of Tuesday
• Sunday: Rest