{"id":14924,"date":"2026-02-25T20:49:52","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T20:49:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=14924"},"modified":"2026-02-25T20:49:52","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T20:49:52","slug":"chris-aceto-discusses-who-has-the-posing-edge-at-2026-arnold-classic-reveals-derek-lunsfords-off-season-strategy-fitness-volt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=14924","title":{"rendered":"Chris Aceto Discusses Who Has The Posing Edge at 2026 Arnold Classic, Reveals Derek Lunsford’s Off-Season Strategy \u2013 Fitness Volt"},"content":{"rendered":"


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With only eight days before the 2026 Arnold Classic, talks of who will dominate are gaining traction. On Feb. 23, 2026, Chris Aceto discussed whether any contender has a posing edge. He also argued Chinedu Andrew \u2018Jacked\u2019 Obiekea has better abs than Hadi Choopan and laid out Derek Lunsford\u2019s off-season plan.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hype around the 2026 Arnold Classic<\/a> is at an all-time high. The Men\u2019s Open champion will earn a staggering $750,000 cash prize<\/a>, the highest payout in bodybuilding history. The on-paper favorites are Choopan and Jacked, but the lineup is strong, with plenty of upsets possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Martin Fitzwater<\/a>, Nick Walker<\/a>, Rafael Brandao<\/a>, and Brandon Curry<\/a> have all shown the ability to stand against the best. The show is approaching fast, leading Aceto to give his thoughts on a handful of top Men\u2019s Open stars.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Chris Aceto Talks Best Posers at 2026 Arnold Classic & Derek Lunsford\u2019s Off-Season Plan \u00a0<\/h2>\n

In the video, Aceto emphasized that there is not one Arnold Classic contender who dominates all of the mandatory poses.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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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 don\u2019t think any one person wins all the poses. That\u2019s for damn sure. Hadi does not win all the poses. Andrew does not win all the poses. By definition, you have a close, tight race, and factor in Martin and factor in Nick, they have strong poses that are just impressive. I think, as usual, it\u2019s going to be somewhat of a challenge to judge.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

As for who has the best abs, Aceto said that honor goes to Jacked.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cAndrew, for sure. The answer is this: they both have incredible abs and one is on someone who is 6\u20192\u2033. Andrew\u2019s abs take up Hadi\u2019s chest to his navel.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Looking at Lunsford\u2019s off-season plan, Aceto shared that rest is their primary concern.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe strategy has been rest because when you do back-to-back-to-back shows, you need the rest. The good thing is that Derek is good at taking advice and took that advice. I\u2019m sure you got it from him when you did the interview. He\u2019s up, he\u2019s energetic, he\u2019s up. He\u2019s ready to blast out of the gate and get going for 2026.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI said, go enjoy life, which he has,\u201d adds<\/a> Aceto. \u201cIt\u2019s a mental break.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The 2026 Arnold Classic is coming up fast, and bodybuilding veterans have shared predictions<\/a>. During a recent\u00a0The Menace Podcast<\/em>, Chris Cormier argued Choopan would pull off the victory. In contrast, John Hansen believes Jacked has the tools to win. Ahead of the show, Jay Cutler has backed Jacked<\/a> to win the Arnold Classic and the 2026 Mr. Olympia.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In just a few days, the second-biggest show of the year will kick off. The 2026 Arnold Classic is set for March 5-8 in Columbus, Ohio. Fitness Volt<\/em> will have live coverage of the action.\u00a0<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong>\u00a0King Kamali Warns Hadi Choopan Ahead of 2026 Arnold Classic, Says If \u2018He Goes Back to Iran, He\u2019s Done\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

Watch the full video from the Rx Muscle \u2013 Truth in Bodybuilding YouTube channel below:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
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With only eight days before the 2026 Arnold Classic, talks of who will dominate are gaining traction. On Feb. 23, 2026, Chris Aceto discussed whether any contender has a posing edge. He also argued Chinedu Andrew \u2018Jacked\u2019 Obiekea has better abs than Hadi Choopan and laid out Derek Lunsford\u2019s off-season plan.\u00a0 Hype around the 2026 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":14925,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[276,215],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-14924","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-hadi-choopan","8":"category-mens-open-bodybuilding"},"yoast_head":"\nChris Aceto Discusses Who Has The Posing Edge at 2026 Arnold Classic, Reveals Derek Lunsford's Off-Season Strategy \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=14924\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Chris Aceto Discusses Who Has The Posing Edge at 2026 Arnold Classic, Reveals Derek Lunsford's Off-Season Strategy \u2013 Fitness Volt - World Bodybuilding News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With only eight days before the 2026 Arnold Classic, talks of who will dominate are gaining traction. 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