{"id":24107,"date":"2026-07-06T19:12:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T19:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=24107"},"modified":"2026-07-06T19:12:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T19:12:00","slug":"steve-weinberger-says-back-improvements-will-decide-ramon-dinos-2026-olympia-title-defense-vs-mike-sommerfeld-fitness-volt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=24107","title":{"rendered":"Steve Weinberger Says Back Improvements Will Decide Ramon Dino\u2019s 2026 Olympia Title Defense vs Mike Sommerfeld \u2013 Fitness Volt"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Steve Weinberger is turning his attention to the stacked 2026 Mr. Olympia contest this September. In an Instagram Q&A session on July 4, 2026, he explained why back improvements will decide whether Ramon \u2018Dino\u2019 Queiroz successfully defends his title against Mike Sommerfeld.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2024, fans were convinced that Ramon Queiroz was on his way to dethroning Chris Bumstead<\/a>. However, at the Classic Physique Olympia<\/a>, the Brazilian star fell short. He struggled with posing transitions and lacked the fullness and conditioning needed for a spot on the podium. Ultimately, he settled for fourth place, but used the setback as motivation moving forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With Bumstead announcing his retirement from the sport, it left room for a new Classic Physique champ to emerge. Public opinion was swaying toward Mike Sommerfeld<\/a>, who took a close second behind \u2018Cbum\u2019 at Olympia.<\/p>\n

However, when Queiroz made his way to the 2025 Olympia<\/a>, he nailed his peak and narrowly took out \u2018Mike the Badass\u2019 to kickstart his reign. If he hopes to remain king of Classic, \u2018Big Steve\u2019 believes Queiroz\u2019s chances hinge on his back development.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Steve Weinberger Says Ramon Dino \u2018Very Hard to Beat\u2019 at 2026 Olympia With Better Back\u00a0<\/h2>\n

In the Instagram post, Weinberger touched on the latest improvements showcased by Ramon Queiroz. He believes with a stronger back, he\u2019ll be incredibly difficult to knock off the throne.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt improves all the time. Great shoulders, great arms, his back is getting better. I honestly think if his back got even better this year, he will be very hard to beat.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

He warned that even if the best competitors slip up, there are athletes eager to take their spots:\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cBut, you know what? Mike is no joke. Mike has that little waist. Those wide, wide swinging-out lats, beautiful conditioning, beautiful shape, those two are the class of the field. But you never know, one could slip up, and one of the guys can come up and take them out. That\u2019s very possible,\u201d Steve Weinberger said<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In a change of topics, Weinberger also addressed why there\u2019s a lack of impressive biceps peaks in the Men\u2019s Open today.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cI don\u2019t know. I think Andrew has some pretty good peaks. There are still some peaks out there, but nobody had peaks like Ronnie. Ronnie was the king of peaks. His biceps were crazy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Having already earned one Classic Physique Olympia title, there\u2019s no telling how long Queiroz will hold the throne. In a surprising statement, the champ revealed that he will consider a Men\u2019s Open<\/a> contest after ruling the Classic Physique mountain for the next five years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Weinberger is ready to witness history when these Classic Physique stars wage war. The 2026 Mr. Olympia is scheduled for September 24-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada.\u00a0<\/p>\n

RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong>Steve Weinberger Believes Chris Bumstead Can Crack the Top 5 in Men\u2019s Open at 2026 Mr. Olympia<\/a><\/p>\n\n