{"id":25729,"date":"2026-07-27T21:21:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-27T21:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=25729"},"modified":"2026-07-27T21:21:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T21:21:00","slug":"samson-dauda-slows-down-2026-mr-olympia-prep-after-his-body-responds-faster-than-expected-fitness-volt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=25729","title":{"rendered":"Samson Dauda Slows Down 2026 Mr. Olympia Prep After His Body Responds Faster Than Expected \u2013 Fitness Volt"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Samson Dauda doesn\u2019t plan on making the same mistake twice. In a July 24 YouTube video, he revealed why he pulled back his 2026 Mr. Olympia preparations after his body started responding too quickly.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

At the 2025 Mr. Olympia<\/a>, Dauda fell to fourth place and lost his title to Derek Lunsford<\/a>. Throughout last season, the bodybuilding community thought Dauda would hold the throne for years, just as long as he dialed in his conditioning.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, Dauda\u2019s pursuit of a drier, more detailed physique backfired, with judges taking notice of his downsized look<\/a>. This shortcoming left the door open for shorter contenders like Lunsford, who used his dense muscle to reclaim the Sandow trophy. Looking ahead, Dauda believes he\u2019s reached a crossroads in prep, where doing less might result in more when he makes his way back to Vegas.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Samson Dauda\u2019s 2026 Mr. Olympia Prep Update\u00a0<\/h2>\n

In the video, Dauda explained that he slowed down his prep after his body responded too quickly to diet and cardio:\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s almost like you have this ability where you just hold on to muscle and you just chip away as harshly as you can, and that\u2019s great,\u201d he shared.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe made changes, and then we had to slow down a bit because we immediately we made a little bit of change; I started coming in too fast. We had to slow down a bit and gradually put those changes in, with the food cuts and everything else. So, we did that, and the body stabilized. Great, everything was good.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

He noted that just two days of cardio caused his physique to rapidly change:\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis week we introduced cardio, two days of cardio, and the effects of that was so rapid that I\u2019ve never been in a position where my body can change and respond that fast to get in shape for a show without really pushing it. Because of that, you haven\u2019t even tried to cut the food anymore, because we\u2019re just responding so quickly.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

While some competitors would welcome the changes, Dauda emphasized that he won\u2019t abandon his muscle or size to chase better conditioning:\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cPeople think that\u2019s a good thing, yeah, great, but people need to understand that we fell for this last year. It was happening fast; just go with it. It doesn\u2019t matter. Just go with it. We just want to be in shape. Don\u2019t worry about the size, don\u2019t worry about muscle, just go with it. And look what happened? We are now learning from last year.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cJust because your goal is to get in condition doesn\u2019t mean that you should put all your focus on that regardless of holding on to the size and muscle you\u2019ve fought all year to put on. Now, we\u2019re being really smart with it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The Nigerian star revealed that he reached out to others who also said he was \u2018way ahead\u2019 of schedule.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis is not just us seeing it; other people are seeing it as well. You\u2019re way ahead. It\u2019s nice at the beginning; you enjoy that you\u2019re coming in fast, but there\u2019s always blowback to that. We are trying to make sure we don\u2019t fall into the idea of get in shape, get in shape, and sacrifice muscle and size for that,\u201d shared<\/a> Samson Dauda.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Dauda intends to showcase more size at the Olympia this year, but not everyone thinks it\u2019s a winning game plan. Former eight-time champ Lee Haney argued that Dauda is overtaxing himself with added size<\/a>. He doesn\u2019t expect the former Mr. Olympia to be at his best when he returns.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dauda believes adapting to adversity will be his ticket back to the title. The 2026 Mr. Olympia is set for September 24-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada.\u00a0<\/p>\n

RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong>Phil 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 SAMSON DAUDA YouTube channel below:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n