Samson Dauda reached the pinnacle of his career in 2024 when he won the prestigious Mr. Olympia title. However, he has been repeatedly accused of needing better conditioning and muscle hardness before his defence in 2025. Dauda therefore focused on a more aesthetic and leaner physique, but that backfired on the stage. His back and legs lacked the necessary width and density to compete with more massive opponents such as Hadi Choopan and current champion Derek Lunsford. The result was a fall to fourth place. He subsequently attempted a rematch at the Prague Pro, but finished second to Martin Fitzwater.
Now Dauda is enjoying a well-deserved break from competition and has shown his fans how he has adjusted his training and diet. His goal is to get back to huge bulk – he has even stated that he wants to get to the 160kg (350lb) mark and “become a monster again”.
Symmetry and extreme definition
Even though size is now the main goal, Dauda stresses that symmetry plays a huge role in the Men’s Open category.
“You can be big, but you have to be symmetrical. Everything has to build on each other. No muscle can lag behind another. This is where symmetry comes into play. When you are big and every muscle is built evenly, you also have to be extremely sculpted. Your skin has to be paper-thin to look like something out of an anatomical atlas,” Daudaexplains .
Samson Dauda’s off-season training split
According to Dauda, this new training plan is yielding great results. He himself revealed that his arms are steadily growing:
“The last time we measured them, they were 24 inches (almost 61 cm).”
Here is his current schedule:
- Day 1 – Back
- Day 2 – Legs
- Day 3 – Shoulders
- Day 4 – Arms
- Day 5 – Rest
- Day 6 – Chest and calves
- Day 7 – Rest
High-protein diet: 300 grams of protein per day
Adequate fuel is needed for such a massive workout. Dauda provided insight into his diet, which is based on chicken breast, fish, eggs and quality steaks.
“We eat chicken breast the most. Fish, eggs, steaks – everything counts. It’s a huge amount of protein, we’re talking more than 300 grams a day,” he says of his regime.
He also adds how challenging it is to maintain this routine: ‘You have to eat this amount in five meals and you do it every single day of your life. Without fail. It doesn’t matter if you’re hungry, tired, or don’t feel like it. You just have to get those meals in, no matter what.”
Expert views and future outlook
Daud’s quest to regain extreme bulk has caused a stir in the bodybuilding community. For example, ’90s legend Shawn Ray is critical of the plan. He believes that gaining more mass could hurt Daud, especially in fights against shorter and tougher opponents.
Time will tell if taking a break from the podium will help bring him into the best shape of his life. All indications are that his next big appearance will be Mr. Olympia 2026, which will take place in Las Vegas in late September.
Samson Dauda on Mr. Olympia, Nigeria to UK & Becoming the Nigerian Lion | One54 Africa Podcast
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