Lee Priest is not competing anymore, but he follows the current bodybuilding scene very closely. In his recent video, he again commented on the results of the last Mr. Olympia, where Derek Lunsford won his second Sandow statuette. However, it was not a clear-cut victory and Priest was one of those who saw Hadi Choopan or Andrew Jacked as the rightful winner.
Now Priest was specifically focused on Lunsford’s arm and he wasn’t messing around.
“They look watery,” Priest says of Lunsford’s arms.
During a discussion with “The Voice of Bodybuilding” Bob Cicherill, the topic of Lunsford’s muscle separation, or lack thereof, came up. Cicherillo mentioned a comment in which Priest compared Lunsford’s arms to his own, but in the off-season.
Priest confirmed this and went even further:
“Somebody put pictures side by side and my arms actually looked better in volume (in the offseason). And those were muscles, not PMMA,” Priest quipped, alluding to speculation about the use of synthetic fillers.
According to Priest, Lunsford’s arms lack the detail a champion should have.
“It’s true. Normally on stage you see biceps and triceps separation, but he just looked watery. Like he was holding water,” Priestexplained .
He also added that when he looks at Hadi Choopan’s or Andrew Jacked’s arms, he sees clear definition, which is lacking in Lunsford. He also criticized the judges’ scoring, who awarded Lunsford the win in the double biceps front pose.
Cicherillo partially defended Lunsford, saying that Derek has always had this problem, even back when he competed in the 212-pound division.
“It’s not that he’s less chiseled, he just doesn’t have the deep separations and lines,” Cicherillo said.
New Mr. Olympia 2026 rules: no more crowded stages?
In addition to criticizing the champion’s form, the pair also discussed the new qualification rules that come into force this year. The aim is to reduce the number of competitors on the podium, which has been unsustainable in recent years.
- Change: in the Classic Physique, Men’s Physique, Bikini and Wellness categories, a single win at a professional show will no longer be enough to advance to the Olympia. Competitors will need to win twice or finish in the top 25 of the scoring list.
- Impact: Cicherillo estimates that this change will put approximately 120 athletes out of the game. “We have to cut back. With the new Fit Model category, we would be approaching 500 athletes, and that’s crazy,” the presenter explained.
This year’s Mr. Olympia, which will take place September 24-27 in Las Vegas, thus promises not only heated battles on the stage, but also a more rigorous selection of those who make it on at all.
No posts have been made yet.
