The dust has settled after the prestigious Arnold Classic 2026 and the winner is Chinedu Andrew “Jacked” Obiekea. On March 8, bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger summed up the results of the competition and pointedly pointed out one thing: shaky posing is absolutely inexcusable on a stage of this level.
Jacked reigned supreme in Columbus, Ohio, but he didn’t have it easy. Although fans initially thought that Hadi Choopan would be the one to step on his heels on stage the most, in the end it was Nick Walker. “Mutant” brought his best form ever and boasted the most massive legs of the entire starting field.
In the end, Jacked secured the Arnold Classic crown by a narrow margin of just five points. Naturally, debates naturally arose on social media after the show about who really should have won, but Schwarzenegger himself is crystal clear about why Andrew walked away as the winner.
Shaky posing has no place at the Arnold Classic
During a traditional seminar for athletes, Schwarzenegger stressed that shaky and shaky posing simply has no place on elite podiums.
“I’ve been telling guys this for years. Just yesterday you had a bodybuilder standing on stage with you who was shaking while posing. That’s inexcusable. There must be no shaking. When you get on a stage like that, you must not shake,” Arnoldsaid firmly.
He further noted that calmness and confidence come when athletes do the necessary work in preparation:
“This is the absolute pinnacle. Imagine if you went to the Olympics, watched the figure skaters, and they suddenly started shaking before they skated… No. You’re relaxed because you’ve done your work. And we saw that yesterday with Andrew. The work you put in, like an hour and a half of posing a day? It shows on stage.”
The seven-time Mr. Olympia also added that Jacked wasn’t out of breath once during the heavyweight comparisons and kept his midsection under full control at all times.
“You never lost your breath. I didn’t see your stomach moving uncontrollably up and down with you not being able to catch your breath. Why? Because you were perfectly prepared.”
According to Schwarzenegger, the key to success is character presentation. It’s what made the difference in Jacked winning the latest Arnold Classic title.
“It’s all about presentation. And that’s why we have a new champion – because of his great posing. That’s what everyone agreed on. He out-posed everyone else, and that’s what it’s all about,” Arnoldconcluded .
Fans are now anxiously awaiting Andrew Jacked’s next step in the IFBB Pro League. He has already managed to confirm that he will be heading to Birmingham, UK to take part in the Arnold Classic UK 2026.
Schwarzenegger insists the shaky posing doesn’t belong on the stage of the Arnold Classic or any other world bodybuilding competition. Do you also think that posing was the deciding factor in the Men’s Open category at the Arnold Classic 2026? Let us know in the comments!
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