Joshua Manoi is an American bodybuilder, fitness coach and MuscleTech athlete best known for his Classic Physique shape — broad shoulders, a tight waist and arms that have become his trademark. 💪
His story is a little different from most bodybuilders. He came to Los Angeles to chase music and acting first, and only found the stage after taking a job in a gym.
His best result so far came in 2022, when he won the Classic division overall at the Fitness America Weekend. Before that, his strongest national-level showing was 6th in his class at the 2021 NPC USA Championships.
This is his story, with a contest record checked against official results — and a few old claims corrected along the way.
Joshua Manoi Quick Facts
| Full name | Joshua Manoi |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | Philadelphia, USA; raised in Palm Coast, Florida |
| Date of birth / age | Not published |
| Height | 5 feet 8 inches (as reported in his earlier profile) |
| Weight | 86–95 kg off-season range (as reported in his earlier profile) |
| Division | Classic Physique (also competed in Men’s Physique early on) |
| Best result | 1st + Overall, Classic, 2022 Fitness America Weekend |
| Pro wins | 0 (no IFBB Pro League win on record) |
| Mr. Olympia appearances | 0 |
| Team | MuscleTech athlete |
| @joshuajblaize |
Joshua Manoi Early Life
Joshua Manoi was born in Philadelphia and raised for most of his childhood in Palm Coast, Florida. 🌴
Even in middle school he was writing songs, and by high school he was filming his own comedy skits and vlogs, practising lines in front of his bedroom mirror like he was already a movie star.
After high school he went to college, served in the Marine Corps and tried several different jobs. Something still felt missing, so he took a leap of faith and moved to California.
He lived in Stockton and Sacramento for a while before finally settling in Los Angeles — the city he had always felt drawn to. Music was the original reason for the move, and he still calls it his greatest passion.
How Bodybuilding Found Him
In Los Angeles, Manoi took a job at LA Fitness. That job changed everything. 🏋️
At the gym he met Choice Skinner, who became his acting coach and helped open his eyes to the entertainment and film world. Around the same time, the gym environment pulled him toward serious training.
He entered his first contest in 2016 — and won straight away. That debut season set the pattern for his career: a classic, aesthetic physique built on proportion rather than sheer size.
Joshua Manoi Bodybuilding Career
Manoi’s breakout year was 2016. At the NPC Daytona Beach Classic he won the Men’s Physique novice, Class B and teen titles, and finished 2nd in both the Classic Physique novice and Class B classes.
He then took 2nd in Men’s Classic Physique Class B at the 2016 NPC All South Championship, as recorded in his earlier profile.
After a quieter few years, he returned in 2021 with a strong run. At the NPC West Coast Classic he finished 2nd in Men’s Classic Physique Class B, behind overall winner Ruben Salas.
Weeks later he stepped onto the national stage at the 2021 NPC USA Championships and placed 6th in Men’s Classic Physique Class B — his best finish at a national-level NPC show.
His biggest win came in 2022. At the Fitness America Weekend he won the Classic Open Short class and was named overall Classic winner — the standout result of his career so far. 🏆
Since then, no further contest result for Manoi has appeared in NPC or IFBB records through 2026. He has stayed visible in the fitness world instead, training in Los Angeles and working as a MuscleTech athlete — a March 2025 Team MuscleTech recruiting notice in New York still billed him as one of the brand’s athletes.
He has also been seen training alongside Joseph Baena at Gold’s Gym in Los Angeles, a pairing covered in Joseph Baena’s workout routine coverage on this site.
What Makes His Physique Stand Out
Manoi competes in Classic Physique, the division that rewards shape, symmetry and posing as much as size. His calling card is his arm development, paired with a small waist and a wide, full chest.
That classic look is also why his name comes up in conversations about the division’s most aesthetic physiques — even though, unlike the division’s Olympia champions, he has never stood on the Olympia stage himself.
For a sense of what the very top of the sport looks like, see Ryan Terry’s biography — Terry has won the Men’s Physique Olympia four times running.
Joshua Manoi Training and Diet
Manoi trains with a classic bodybuilding split built around heavy basics — deadlifts and rows for the back, presses and flyes for the chest, and plenty of direct arm work, which has always been his strongest area.
His diet approach, as described in his earlier profile, is simple: keep carbs low in the off-season, keep protein and fats high, and build meals around fish, eggs and chicken breast, with brown rice for carbs.
He allows himself one cheat meal a week — Chinese food is his favourite. 🥡
Note: the detailed set-and-rep tables in the old article were unsourced, so they have not been carried over. The summary above is all that can honestly be stated.
Joshua Manoi Contest History
| Year | Contest | Division / Class | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Fitness America Weekend | Classic Open Short + Overall | 1st 🏆 |
| 2021 | NPC USA Championships | Men’s Classic Physique, Class B | 6th |
| 2021 | NPC West Coast Classic | Men’s Classic Physique, Class B | 2nd |
| 2016 | NPC All South Championship † | Men’s Classic Physique, Class B | 2nd |
| 2016 | NPC Daytona Beach Classic | Men’s Physique, Novice | 1st |
| 2016 | NPC Daytona Beach Classic | Men’s Physique, Class B | 1st |
| 2016 | NPC Daytona Beach Classic | Men’s Physique, Teen | 1st |
| 2016 | NPC Daytona Beach Classic | Men’s Classic Physique, Novice | 2nd |
| 2016 | NPC Daytona Beach Classic | Men’s Classic Physique, Class B | 2nd |
† The All South result is carried from the old post’s narrative; no independent official results sheet for that show could be found. The old table’s extra 3rd-place line for the same class has been dropped as a duplicate.
Readers chasing the all-time greats can also browse the top 15 bodybuilders in history on this site.
Joshua Manoi FAQ
Is Joshua Manoi an IFBB Pro?
No — not on any verifiable record. He competed as an NPC amateur, and no IFBB Pro card or Pro League result for him could be found. The old article’s “Pro Bodybuilder” label has been corrected.
Has Joshua Manoi competed at Mr. Olympia?
No. He has zero Olympia appearances. Claims elsewhere that he qualified for the 2023 Olympia are not supported by any pro result — and a 6th-place class finish at the NPC USA Championships does not earn an Olympia qualification.
What is Joshua Manoi’s best result?
Winning the Classic division overall at the 2022 Fitness America Weekend. His best NPC national-level result is 6th in Class B at the 2021 NPC USA Championships.
Did Joshua Manoi compete at the Arnold Classic?
No verified Arnold Classic result was found for him — neither at the Ohio show nor at the Arnold Classic UK. None is claimed here.
How tall is Joshua Manoi?
He is reported at 5 feet 8 inches. His exact date of birth has not been published, so his age is not stated here.
Is Joshua Manoi still competing?
No contest result for him has been found after 2022. He remains active in fitness as a MuscleTech athlete and LA-based coach, and no retirement announcement has been found — so he is best described as without a recent contest record, not as retired.
Bottom Line
Joshua Manoi’s story is one of a late switch and a genuine high point: from Marine Corps veteran and aspiring performer to a 2022 Fitness America Classic overall winner. 🏆
He never turned that promise into an IFBB pro card or an Olympia appearance, and this refresh says so plainly — because the real record, a debut-season sweep at Daytona Beach and a national-class top six, is worth telling without exaggeration.