Nick Walker, one of the most prominent faces in bodybuilding today, has embarked on his mission for redemption. After a disappointing showing at the last Olympia, he is turning all his attention to the 2026 Arnold Classic, where he wants to win his second title.<\/p>\n
Last season didn’t go as expected. Although he had great momentum before Mr. Olympia, he finished only sixth on the podium. Walker and his former trainer later admitted that the timing of his form didn’t work out – he lacked his usual fullness and his conditioning wasn’t as sharp as in the past. But that is now in the past. Walker decided to move on without a trainer and immediately signed up for the prestigious Arnold Classic, a competition he dominated back in 2021.<\/p>\n
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10 weeks to the competition.<\/h2>\n
In his latest YouTube video, Walker revealed how he is currently standing 10 weeks before the competition. The scale shows 284 pounds (about 129 kg).<\/p>\n
“We’re 10 weeks out from the Arnold Classic and it’s going extremely, extremely well.<\/i><\/strong> I’m very happy with how I look,”<\/i><\/strong> Walker said. “Overall, everything is good. I’m 129kg now, which is literally only 6kg more than I was at Olympia. I did the ‘rebound’ (the rebound after the competition) perfectly. I didn’t have any cheat meals.”<\/i><\/strong><\/cite><\/small><\/p>\n Although the main goal is the gold from Columbus, Walker stresses that he is after more than just the trophy. He wants to bring a character to the stage that he himself will be proud of.<\/p>\n “The ultimate goal is to win.<\/i> <\/strong> I want to win two Arnold titles, but I also want to show form on stage that I can smile and say to myself, ‘I loved this look.’ I honestly haven’t felt that in a couple of years,”<\/i> he candidly admitted <\/strong>.<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The interesting thing about this preparation is that Walker is running everything himself. He decides his training and diet.<\/p>\n “It’s up to me. I do it myself, I make my own decisions. Of course, my mom takes my progress photos. I think she has a great eye, she’s been taking pictures of me for almost 10 years, since I started racing.”<\/i><\/strong><\/cite><\/p>\n When it comes to training, the intensity stays at 100%. Walker admits he can’t train other than to his fullest, often to the point of mechanical failure.<\/p>\n The road to the title won’t be easy. Heavyweights like Hadi Choopan<\/b>, Chinedu Andrew “Jacked” Obiekea<\/b> and Martin Fitzwater<\/b> will stand in his way.<\/p>\n Opinions on Walker’s participation are mixed. The legendary Shawn Ray let it be known that Walker had better try one last qualifier at Olympia and predicted him to finish 10th at Arnold. Veteran Lee Priest, on the other hand, believes Walker. He thinks his best is yet to come and even predicted he could beat Hadi Choopan.<\/p>\n If Nick Walker succeeds at the 2026 Arnold Classic (taking place March 5-8 in Ohio), he will immediately return to the conversation as a serious contender for the Mr. Olympia title.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nThe goal is not just to win, but to be proud<\/h2>\n
Preparation without a coach<\/h2>\n
Competition and expectations<\/h2>\n