Bodybuilder Samson Dauda‘s mission to reclaim the Sandow trophy is officially underway. The mass monster showcased his latest leg workout on June 12, 2026, 16 weeks from the Mr. Olympia.
“Let’s get to work. Got to keep these legs nice and big for the Olympia stage. Prep has begun.”
Dauda broke through and won the 2024 Mr. Olympia against Hadi Choopan and Derek Lunsford. Some thought he would enjoy a long-lasting reign, but his pursuit of sharper conditioning backfired. At the 2025 Olympia, he appeared downsized, especially his legs and back. As a result, judges awarded him a fourth-place finish.
He attempted to rebound at the Prague Pro last year, but lost to Martin Fitzwater. Despite these setbacks, the bodybuilding community considers him a top favorite to win the Olympia once again. However, with Lunsford holding the crown and Chinedu Andrew ‘Jacked’ Obiekea surging, Dauda has his work cut out for him in Vegas.
Samson Dauda’s Leg Workout 16 Weeks from the 2026 Mr. Olympia
Find his exercises from the video below:
- Leg Press Machine
- Kneeling Single-Leg Curl Machine
- Smith machine Barbell Squat – Superset A
- Leg Extension Machine – Superset B
- Hip Abduction Machine
During the workout, Dauda used supersets, or performed two consecutive exercises back-to-back with minimal rest. Supersets can save time and make training sessions more intense. They can also lead to extra calorie burn, helping Dauda dial in his conditioning for the future.
His wife, Marlena, touched on reducing Dauda’s food and what to expect from his prep moving forward:
“The plan is for you to win the Mr. Olympia this year. That’s the plan,” said Dauda’s wife and trainer, Marlena. “The food is down. So, calories are down, the training is intense, obviously, the cardio is going to be introduced.”
Bodybuilding legends have been vocal about how Dauda can reclaim Olympia gold. Former seven-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath stated that muscle detail will be key to Dauda’s redemption:
“If he would have came in like he did before, it would be very difficult for the other guys to beat him. Now, with the added size, it comes with a lot more work to be hard.
That’s the biggest thing we need to see from Samson. His muscles, although they are great, they need to be striated everywhere. They need to be hard and he needs to be dry.”
Dauda has already proven he can defeat the current crop of Men’s Open competitors. Time will tell if he can win back the Mr. Olympia title when the event returns from September 24-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
