AJ recently won the industry\u2019s biggest ever prize of $750,000 at the Arnold U.S<\/a>., and followed his up with victory at The Arnold U.K., picking up a further $250,000. With an exciting road to the 2026 Mr Olympia final seemingly ahead, The Menace wanted to know more about their prep, but this led to an unexpected revelation.<\/p>\nKamal Elgargni Reveals Possible Split With Andrew Jacked<\/h2>\n
\u201cWhat are the plans for the Olympia this year?\u201d Dennis James asked Kamal. \u201cWell man, I don\u2019t know to be honest,\u201d answered the coach, visibly uncomfortable with the question. \u201cTo be honest, I don\u2019t think\u2026 I\u2019m not going to work with him anymore,\u201d he explained, catching the TMP panel totally off guard. James dug deeper. \u201cWhat happened?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
Kamal appeared unsure as to whether he should air all of the details on a podcast, but he did provide some answers. \u201cThere\u2019s a misunderstanding,\u201d he began. \u201cWell, to be honest, I didn\u2019t get paid for what I done for him,\u201d he asserted, now deciding to elaborate on the story from his point of view. Kamal explained that he had been working with Andrew Jacked since the 2025 Olympia and that he understood this to be a financial arrangement. Following the Olympia, where Andrew Jacked hit the top three, and the Romania Pro, which he won, Kamal says that they did not discuss money however, and this is where the confusion stems from.<\/p>\n
What Kamal Said About Coaching Andrew Jacked<\/h2>\n
While Andrew Jacked did show his appreciation with an initial gesture of $3,000, Kamal and his wife felt insulted that it did not represent the value of the coaching services he\u2019d received. \u201cIf you want to give me something, give me what I value,\u201d he told TMP,<\/em> explaining that travel expenses and being away from home meant that his services were worth far more.<\/p>\nKamal says that the issue escalated for him when they got to the airport to fly to the U.K. for The Arnold in March. \u201cSo, he checked himself in business class and he checked me in economy class,\u201d said Kamal. \u201cAnd this is like somebody hit me with a knife in my back.\u201d The coach says that in response, AJ told his trainer that he\u2019d been automatically upgraded because he was a frequent flyer. But the next day, Kamal says things came to a head with his client. Kamal told the panel that he\u2019d brought up his feelings of being underappreciated and threatened to end the partnership while still in the U.K.<\/p>\n
A week later, Kamal says that Jacked sent a Rolex watch to his house, but he wasn\u2019t happy with that either. \u201cI said, I don\u2019t need a Rolex.\u201d The coach shared that Jacked then offered to pay a further $5,000 to take them to the 2026 Olympia. Still feeling undervalued, Kamal told AJ that he wanted 5% of the prize money instead, leading to an impasse. Kamal says he was further angered when Jacked told journalists that he would be giving his prize money away to charity. \u201cWhat kind of charity are you going to give that money to?\u201d he asked the panel.<\/p>\n
Bringing in some balance, Dennis James noted that the confusion may have arisen because Kamal originally stated that he didn\u2019t want any money. \u201cThat person thinks he doesn\u2019t want money,\u201d he suggested. \u201cEspecially with bodybuilders, nowadays, you need to be clear upfront before everything starts.\u201d The host felt that 5% was \u201ccheap\u201d and \u201cfair,\u201d however.<\/p>\n
Viewer comments on YouTube largely agreed with Jame\u2019s point, feeling that the financial arrangement should have been ironed out from the very beginning. Milos Sarcev added that because he\u2019s been in similar situations with trying to get payment for his own coaching services, he now makes things \u201ccrystal clear\u201d in writing before the work begins.<\/p>\n
To watch this full episode of The Menace Podcas<\/em>t on the Muscle & Fitness YouTube channel, where the boys also discussed other breaking bodybuilding news, see below.<\/p>\n