{"id":13974,"date":"2026-02-16T12:49:52","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T12:49:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=13974"},"modified":"2026-02-16T12:49:52","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T12:49:52","slug":"lee-priest-shares-his-prime-bench-press-pr-talks-samson-dauda-putting-on-mass-for-2026-mr-olympia-fitness-volt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=13974","title":{"rendered":"Lee Priest Shares His Prime Bench Press PR, Talks Samson Dauda Putting on Mass for 2026 Mr. Olympia \u2013 Fitness Volt"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Bodybuilding legend Lee Priest<\/a> is still keeping tabs on the Men\u2019s Open class in retirement. On Feb. 10, 2026, he discussed Samson Dauda\u2019s decision to add mass for the 2026 Mr. Olympia. Priest also revealed his bench press max during his prime.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 2025 Mr. Olympia<\/a> was full of surprises. Despite his status as a heavy favorite, Dauda\u2019s pursuit of sharper conditioning backfired. He lacked the mass and density needed to hold his own against Hadi Choopan<\/a> and the newly crowned two-time champ, Derek Lunsford<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dauda attempted a rebound show at the Prague Pro<\/a>, but faced off against an all-time best Martin Fitzwater<\/a>. He ended up in second place and decided it was time for a rest. In the off-season, Dauda has already eclipsed the 350-pound mark<\/a>, as he sets his sights on reclaiming the Olympia title. Priest, who competed in the 1990s to 2000s, opened up on Dauda\u2019s bold strategy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lee Priest Shares His Prime Bench Press PR, Breaks Down Samson Dauda\u2019s Decision to Bulk Up for 2026 Mr. Olympia\u00a0<\/h2>\n

In the video, Priest discussed Dauda\u2019s decision to focus on regaining size in 2026:\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Get Fitter, Faster<\/em><\/h3>\n

Level Up Your Fitness: Join our \ud83d\udcaa strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cI\u2019m interested to see how Samson is going to look at the Olympia. Like he said, he\u2019s got enough time to hold on to some of that weight, where it\u2019s not like some people, they balloon up, and then as soon as they hit it, boom, come straight back down.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s got a good time to sit in that 240-250 range so when he does diet down, it\u2019ll be interesting to see what he comes in the Olympia at in good condition, if he\u2019ll still be 310 or something.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

As for Priest\u2019s all-time bench press PR,<\/strong> he revealed it was 525 pounds for five reps.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u201c525 pounds for five reps,\u201d shared<\/a> Priest.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Though Priest doesn\u2019t have a problem with Dauda\u2019s new strategy, some bodybuilders think it could be a mistake. Namely, Shawn Ray, who recently suggested that adding size \u2018doesn\u2019t work\u2019<\/a> when you\u2019re standing against \u2018harder and smaller\u2019 bodybuilders. He also emphasized that Dauda is almost 40 and dropping significant weight before a contest could prove difficult.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Shahriar Kamali, better known as King Kamali, argued Dauda should take a different route. He suggested that Dauda team up with former six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates<\/a>. If the two worked together, Kamali is confident they would present a physique \u2018the world has never seen.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dauda is focused on regaining glory at the \u2018Super Bowl of Bodybuilding.\u2019 The 2026 Mr. Olympia<\/a> will head back to Las Vegas, NV, from Sept. 24-27.\u00a0<\/p>\n

RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong>Samson Dauda Signs With Myprotein, Explains Why He\u2019s Skipping the 2026 Arnold Classic<\/a><\/p>\n

Watch the full video from the Serious and Silliness Bodybuilding with John Livia YouTube channel:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
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Bodybuilding legend Lee Priest is still keeping tabs on the Men\u2019s Open class in retirement. On Feb. 10, 2026, he discussed Samson Dauda\u2019s decision to add mass for the 2026 Mr. Olympia. Priest also revealed his bench press max during his prime.\u00a0 The 2025 Mr. Olympia was full of surprises. Despite his status as a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":13975,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[215,274],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-13974","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mens-open-bodybuilding","8":"category-samson-dauda"},"yoast_head":"\nLee Priest Shares His Prime Bench Press PR, Talks Samson Dauda Putting on Mass for 2026 Mr. Olympia \u2013 Fitness Volt - World Bodybuilding News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=13974\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lee Priest Shares His Prime Bench Press PR, Talks Samson Dauda Putting on Mass for 2026 Mr. Olympia \u2013 Fitness Volt - World Bodybuilding News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Bodybuilding legend Lee Priest is still keeping tabs on the Men\u2019s Open class in retirement. 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