Months before the actual Mr. Olympia stand-off takes place, the bodybuilding organization got the top three contenders, Derek Lunsford, Nick Walker, and Samson Dauda together for a challenge. They gathered at the Blood, Sweat & Bodywork gym in Phoenix, Arizona for an epic battle. Supported by veteran Chris Cormier, the men chose to go hard on chest workouts to see who did it best.
Lunsford was the winning champion last year at the prestigious bodybuilding competition, closely followed by Hadi Choopan and Dauda. Walker faced disappointment in the form of a horrifying injury that prevented him from participating. Meanwhile, Dauda has a lot to prove this year after showing up with an amazing physique transformation at the Arnold Classic.
Over an hour, the three engaged in some hardcore chest workouts curated by Cormier. Walker even began the segment by challenging the veteran to witness how intense he could go with the exercises.
Together, they hit the inclined chest press, Smith machine, inclined barbell, bench press, and several other kinds of chest presses. In the end, Lunsford and Walker showed off their most muscular pose and gave the cable rear delt fly a go, which prompted comments from several bodybuilding enthusiasts.
“Damn…we need these guys competing more like this in the gym…dope!”
Many were gobsmacked at Walker’s transformation since last year.
“No disrespect to the guys but nick has the best form ever squeeze full range and his muscles separation shows!”
Some even appreciated how controlled his movements were on the exercises despite going all in on them.
“Nick is soooo controlled with his approach. He is coming for that O. Best one in the group. Lets goooo Nick…”
During their workout, Dauda also broke one of the cables on a machine.
“Lol…Samson pulled a Big Mike Russo and snapped the cable!”
Lastly, fans demanded more such workouts, including the other contenders as well.
“Want more of this training video from top pro may top 10 if possible. Great to see how extreme these guys are pushing to be on top…”
Across the comment section under the live stream, support for Walker and his journey this year came in leaps and bounds. Since his stint at the New York Pro and Pittsburgh Pro this year, fans have been rooting for his Olympia title this year.
Nick Walker’s Bodybuilding Transformation Paid off at the Pittsburgh Pro
The Pittsburgh Pro is often touted as the unofficial reveal for bodybuilders competing at the upcoming Mr. Olympia. They guest pose to show their progress and open up the floodgates of opinions, criticism, and votes. This year, Walker received overwhelming support from fans and experts alike.
A reason to attribute his sudden change in physique could be a change in his training strategy this year. After his injury, he acknowledged that his workout plan needed a revamp to prevent mishaps like that. He resorted to a heavy-duty training plan similar to the one followed by Dorian Yates, who trained under Mike Mentzer. This way, he could go all in on the intensity and push to failure but not risk heinous injuries.
