{"id":21379,"date":"2026-06-01T20:54:15","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T20:54:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=21379"},"modified":"2026-06-01T20:54:15","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T20:54:15","slug":"samir-bannout-warns-derek-lunsford-about-adding-size-for-2026-mr-olympia-its-going-to-backfire-fitness-volt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=21379","title":{"rendered":"Samir Bannout Warns Derek Lunsford About Adding Size for 2026 Mr. Olympia: “It’s Going to Backfire” \u2013 Fitness Volt"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Samir Bannout is revealing his winning recipe for Derek Lunsford at the 2026 Mr. Olympia. In a recent YouTube video from May 29, 2026, he warned Lunsford about adding size and shared that his ticket to another Sandow trophy lies in muscle quality.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2025, Derek Lunsford<\/a> dominated the Men\u2019s Open landscape, securing consecutive victories at the Arnold Classic<\/a>, Pittsburgh Pro<\/a>, and Mr. Olympia<\/a>. To bring his best in 2026, the reigning two-time champ has taken an off-season to rest and refine his physique.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Chinedu Andrew \u2018Jacked\u2019 Obiekea<\/a> emerged as a massive threat after winning the Arnold Classic Ohio<\/a> and UK<\/a> shows. Fellow Men\u2019s Open frontrunner Samson Dauda<\/a> also made the most of his time away from the stage. He supersized to a staggering 350 pounds<\/a>, as he aims to reclaim the Sandow trophy. Given their towering size and structure, Bannout explained why added size won\u2019t favor Lunsford.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t Think Size\u201d \u2013 Samir Bannout\u2019s Blunt Advice for Derek Lunsford Ahead of 2026 Mr. Olympia\u00a0<\/h2>\n

In the video, Bannout shared that Lunsford is one of the biggest Men\u2019s Open competitors despite not weighing the most or measuring the tallest.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cI suspect that Derek is still concerned about size. And I\u2019m telling you, Derek is the biggest! He\u2019s bigger than them. Derek is bigger, but not on the scale, not on who\u2019s taller. They\u2019re bigger height-wise, but muscle-wise, Derek is so damn massive. He does not need one ounce of muscle,\u201d shares<\/a> Samir Bannout.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Instead of concerning himself with bigger muscles, Bannout emphasized that his only worry should be quality:\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cHe just needs to think quality, if he wants to win, and he brings something like, say, my condition in \u201983, or let\u2019s say, even better yet, bring that Andreas M\u00fcnzer, rest in peace, that kind of quality, he\u2019ll be unstoppable. It\u2019s as simple as that, he\u2019ll be unstoppable.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

He pointed out that Lunsford\u2019s arm separation was a weak point that could be addressed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhy? His flow, and Derek, again, I didn\u2019t like the separation in his arms, whatever happened in that area. He doesn\u2019t need bigger lats. He doesn\u2019t need it. Derek, please, don\u2019t do anything about being more massive. You are already massive. You can win with what you have, and I sincerely mean that. Do not attempt to get even bigger.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

All in all, Bannout stressed that if Lunsford pursues size, it will backfire on the Mr. Olympia stage.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cDerek is a bigger version of Samir, but all we need to do is get that hard, gnarly-looking muscle. I know how he could do it, but not to be greedy, and say, you know, if I compete five pounds heavier\u2026 if he\u2019s going to have the mentality of I want to be five pounds bigger, it\u2019s going to backfire. Don\u2019t think size.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Samir Bannout isn\u2019t the only bodybuilding legend to offer Lunsford advice. Former four-time Olympia champ Jay Cutler spoke with Lunsford and told him that fuller legs would be key to another victory<\/a>. He also gave Lunsford ab training tips.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bannout believes Lunsford would be making a costly mistake if he adds size for the Mr. Olympia. The event is set for September 24-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada.\u00a0<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong>\u00a0Phil Heath Reveals How Samson Dauda Can Reclaim Mr. Olympia Title, Talks Derek Lunsford\/Andrew Jacked Rivalry: \u2018Talk Is Cheap\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

Watch the full video from the Old School Labs YouTube channel below:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n