Is Derek Lunsford in the driver’s seat to repeat as Olympia champion?
Derek Lunsford is the reigning Olympia champion and has remained close to competition shape over the course of the offseason. How good can he be in 2024? Milos Sarcev joined Jay Cutler on a recent episode of Cutler Cast to discuss Lunsford’s physique and gave him some high praise with comparisons to Phil Heath.
“Does Derek repeat as Mr. Olympia? Pretty handily, right? You would expect him to be the frontrunner.”
Lunsford pulled off an incredible victory during the 2021 Olympia when he defeated Shaun Clarida for the Men’s 212 title. Following the show, he put on an incredible amount of muscle and showed it off as a guest poser during the Pittsburgh Pro. It was clear that he would be unable to get back down to compete in 212 but that was the plan all along.
Lunsford appeared on stage during the 2024 Pittsburgh Pro as a guest poser and gave fans a chance to see his physique midway through the year and there was plenty of size.
Derek Lunsford Draws Comparisons To Phil Heath
Milos Sarcev began by discussing Lunsford’s size and how it compares to other mass monsters in the division.
“I saw him next to Nick Walker and I was expecting Nick Walker to dominate him with size and he didn’t.
When we were dissecting this before and you said if Nick competed and he was put next to those two guys, he would just crush them with the size and now from video footage, even though master of out-angling everybody, Mr. Olympia Derek, in a few instances, he was ahead.”
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Cutler and Sarcev continued to discuss Lunsford’s physique. The four-time Olympia camp believes Lunsford can be in competition shape in six weeks, if he needed to be. His abs are improved and Lunsford has built legs that can compete in Men’s Open.
Lunsford has impressed with his back but the attention in this conversation was brought onto his side chest.
“Dude, his side chest is looking like Phil’s at this point. It’s starting to get that Phil Heath 3-D look. The size is there.”
His abs have improved. He’s not going to have in a year’s time the best abs…We saw Hadi come in March, just clean house, right. This is going to be one hell of a showdown. I still believe you’re looking at, no one else I saw on that stage looks to rival those two guys.”
Derek Lunsford will enter the 2024 Olympia as one of the favorites, along with Hadi Choopan. The division continues to grow
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