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Finally! It\u2019s finally happened and as we all anticipated it. Andrew Jacked, Nick Walker, and a few others posted progress shots. The photos went viral. And the big man, Andrew Jacked, didn\u2019t let anyone down at six weeks out from the 2026 Arnold Classic. This is, after all, the second most prestigious contest in physique-based sports. It commands tremendous prestige, not to mention the fact it offers the biggest purse in terms of prize money. The ASC also holds significant value because it\u2019s considered as being a far less political contest than its Big 3 counterparts in the Olympia and the New York Pro. Could Andrew win in Columbus? Here\u2019s certainly in the conversation!<\/p>\n
Andrew has certainly increased in size, keeping much of his signature aesthetics. His legs didn\u2019t really do it for me, but we can\u2019t judge a physique at 6wks out, either. Many outlets have criticized the 2023 2nd<\/sup>\u00a0runner-up as not being as conditioned as other top contenders for the Arnold Classic. That\u2019s a point made by the most popular YouTuber, Nick\u2019s Strength And Power. Nick Miller seems to think the Arnold is a two-man show, between Andrew and Nick Walker. We\u2019ll get into that momentarily, but this article is all about Andrew Jacked. I will give Nick kudos for posting content, but I won\u2019t spend much time talking about The Mutant. He needs to prove himself in my estimation.<\/p>\n That said, there\u2019s plenty of talk around the watercooler when it comes to Andrew winning the 2026 Arnold Classic, but it\u2019s going to take a lot more than some progress photos to do it for me. I give AJ some credit for the fact that he\u2019s taking to social media and that he\u2019s not shying away from the public. I think that it\u2019s important and I think that\u2019s part of the reason why he was invited to the contest to begin with. I have said this in articles about the Arnold for years and will continue to say it because it\u2019s an important distinction. Unlike the Olympia or the New York Pro or other professional bodybuilding contests, the Arnold Classic is an invitational. I believe that it\u2019s expected that every competitor that has been included should promote the event in some way shape or form on social media. It may not be explicitly put into the invitation, but I feel like it goes without saying.<\/p>\n There are also competitors who want to fly under the radar for a variety of reasons. When you\u2019re not being scrutinized by the fans, you prep in peace. It also allows competitors not to get caught up in the social media game. Because there are competitors that want to look their best on Instagram or Tiktok, but disappoint once they hit the stage. Nobody\u2019s going to win a title on the gram \u2013 you win shows ON STAGE. At the end of the day, it\u2019s smarter to keep everything under wraps than it is to put everything on front street. Is that what Andrew was doing? It\u2019s debatable.<\/p>\n Many of these progress updates are strategic. In years past we have seen competitors get caught posting old content to throw off the competition. Even though Pumping Iron was largely a docu drama there are parts of it that hold true. For example, psyching-out the competition is a very real thing. Many competitors want to throw their peers off. If someone posts content that looks very impressive very far out, that might suggest the competition is behind. But if a competitor posts a picture saved from the very beginning of their prep towards the end of their prep that might suggest they\u2019re not on their game. At the end of the day even timestamps can be altered. Everything can be altered. Especially now with the advent of AI and everything surrounding the Innovations of photography, it\u2019s anyone\u2019s guess when photos are taken or if the person in the photo is actually the competitor. As technology becomes better and better I believe the psych-outs will become a preferred tool unlike anything we have ever seen before. and that too has a certain value when it comes to hyping up a contest. The fans want to know everything the competitors are doing. Some fans do not understand that there is such a thing as a limit to what they can see.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n