Samson Dauda Opens Up About Olympia Prep Fatigue: ‘You Still Got To Push Through’
Samson Dauda’s pursuit of unprecedented size has been one of the defining storylines of the 2026 bodybuilding season. Throughout the offseason, the former Mr. Olympia documented his goal of pushing toward the 350-pound mark, with updates showing him climbing well beyond 340 pounds while maintaining an impressive amount of muscle quality. Now, with just under 11 weeks remaining before the big show, Samson Dauda is opening up about Olympia prep fatigue during the stretch run.
In a new YouTube video, The 2024 Mr. Olympia laid out the realities of contest prep, explaining that fatigue has officially arrived as calories come down and the difficult portion of his diet begins.
Samson Dauda Says Olympia Prep Has “Officially Started”
Speaking candidly to viewers during his latest training vlog, Dauda explained that this week marked the point where contest prep truly begins.
“Prep has officially started this week. It has officially started and this is the part where it just gets worse every week.”
He explained that lower calories inevitably bring lower energy levels, but emphasized that the goal is to continue training with the same intensity he used during the offseason.
“Energy gets lower and I get more fatigue, but the idea is to still keep the weight as heavy as it was and the training as intense as it was when we were in the offseason.”
Dauda acknowledged that he won’t always feel upbeat during prep, saying the smiling days are largely over as he enters the grind toward Olympia.
The Challenge of Cutting Down From Record Offseason Size
Dauda’s comments are especially notable because of the enormous offseason physique he built before beginning prep.
For months, bodybuilding fans have followed his attempt to reach the 350-pound milestone, with Dauda sharing regular physique updates that showed him carrying well over 340 pounds while still displaying surprising structure and shape. That dramatic size increase sparked plenty of discussion throughout the bodybuilding community, with many wondering how difficult it would be to diet back down to championship condition.
Rather than suggesting something has gone wrong, Dauda described his current fatigue as exactly what he expects during a proper Olympia preparation.
“This Is the Reality of Prep”
Later in the video, Dauda explained that contest prep is often portrayed through highlight reels, but the difficult days are just as important.
“Everybody talks about how hard prep is… but they always show the good side.”
He continued by explaining that successful prep often means training through exhaustion.
“If you’re doing prep properly, you’re going to have days like this where you feel tired, you feel exhausted, you feel miserable, but yet you still got to work. This is literally the reality of what prep feels like.”
Those comments provide fans with a behind-the-scenes look at the demands of preparing for bodybuilding’s biggest stage. While Dauda admits the weeks ahead won’t get any easier, he also made it clear that fatigue is simply part of the process as he attempts to defend his Mr. Olympia title.
With roughly 10½ weeks remaining, one of the biggest questions heading into Olympia season remains whether Dauda can successfully transform his massive offseason physique into the razor-sharp conditioning that earned him bodybuilding’s highest honor. His latest update suggests the hardest part of that journey has officially begun.
Image embed via Instagram @samson_dauda
