At a height of 5'7" and a contest weight of 220 lbs, Hide (pronounced 'Hee-day') has never been the biggest guy on the IFBB pro stage…until now. After years of holding his own against the mass monsters of the open class, Hide is making the move to the 212 & under division at the first-ever Arnold Classic 212.

Hide made a name for himself back in 2007, when he was the first Japanese competitor to ever compete in the Arnold Classic and the Mr. Olympia. Since then he's made the Olympia top 10 three times and just last year placed fifth in the Arnold Classic! Hide was also one of the seven star bodybuilders featured in the 2013 motion picture, Generation Iron.

When asked about his decision to change classes, Hide said, "I think I'm finally ready to battle for the 212 Arnold and Olympia titles with the top guys. I'm up for the challenge and I have nothing to lose."

With 6 weeks to go, Hide was in New York filming a video series (coming next week to FLEXonline) where he as a hard & full 218 lbs. His conditioning at 212 lbs will be exceptional and we can't wait to see how it stacks up against 212 stars Flex Lewis and David Henry.

You can follow Hide's 212 debut at the 2014 Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday March 1st right here at FLEXonline. – FLEX