The world is still wrapping its head around Samson Dauda walking away as the number one bodybuilder in the world. In a recent OlympiaTV YouTube video shared on October 17, 2024, judge Terrick El Guindy explained how Dauda won the 2024 Mr. Olympia, citing his improved back poses and conditioning.
Joe Weider’s 60th Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend lived up to the hype and then some. Samson Dauda defeated Hadi Choopan and Derek Lunsford in the finals to cement himself as the 19th man to earn the prestigious Sandow trophy.
It was a huge shakeup and has left fans and bodybuilding veterans talking about the shocking outcome. The 2023 Olympia titleholder, Derek Lunsford, failed to nail his peak and found himself in third place. Esteemed champion Lee Haney believes Lunsford will need to redefine his physique if he hopes to stand a chance in the future.
Dauda plans to represent the Olympia brand as an active champion. He’s already signed up to compete at the 2025 Arnold Classic, where he’ll aim to collect a second title in Columbus, Ohio. El Guindy, who oversees the sport as a prominent judge, broke down exactly how ‘The Nigerian Lion’ walked away with gold in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Terrick El Guindy Says Back Improvements Played Huge Role in Samson Dauda Winning 2024 Mr. Olympia
El Guindy maintains that a handful of factors played into Samson Dauda winning the Olympia title. Most notably, his lines, shape, waist, quads, density, and improved back.
“Why did he become Mr. Olympia? Well, let’s take a look at his lines. He has beautiful lines. His shape is very very favorable for bodybuilding. What does that mean? Small waist, flaring quads, large clavicle bones. He looks like he was drawn as a bodybuilder just like Phil Heath, just like Dexter Jackson, just like Ronnie Coleman.”
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“Also he has a lot of muscle. He’s a very dense bodybuilder. He’s a big guy. That has nothing to do with his height. He could be tall but streamlined. He has added muscle throughout the years and he has not lost his midsection. His midsection is still small, and he’s very dense on the side poses, from the front, and from the back.”
But what he believes truly separated Dauda from the rest of the lineup were the improvements he made to his back, which enabled him to hold his own against Lunsford’s signature back double biceps and back lat spread poses.
“His improvements, his back double biceps and back lat spread, which many people believed could have been better last year, he did. He improved, his back double biceps was incredible.
He really held his own against Derek Lunsford’s back double biceps. And in the back lat spread I think he beat most of the lineup so he did improve on that. His conditioning was better, better than 2023.”
Describing Dauda as a ‘very formidable’ Mr. Olympia, El Guindy underlined that his conditioning has only gotten better, further adding to the lethality of his back poses.
“He came in a little bit tighter. We could see more separation. He is a very formidable Mr. Olympia. He’s got the size, the muscle mass, he’s got the lines, his conditioning is getting better and better. And his back double biceps and back lat spread are becoming a weapon in his favor.”
“In addition to that, Samson Dauda is greatly greatly appreciated by the fans and by everybody by the kind of person he is off the stage,” he shared.
Terrick El Guindy isn’t the only high-profile voice in bodybuilding offering his take on the results. Dennis James, Chris Cormier, and Milos Sarcev have also dissected the show’s outcome. They believe that if Samson Dauda can repeat this look, no one from the Men’s Open will be able to beat him in the future.
Fans are thrilled to see Samson Dauda finally realize his potential on the sport’s greatest stage. Best of all, we’ll see him back in action in March when he attempts to win another massive cash prize on the 2025 Arnold Classic stage.
Watch the full video from the Olympia TV YouTube channel below:
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