Anticipation for the biggest show of the year is reaching a new high. On August 4, 2025, bodybuilder Nick Walker fired back at Derek Lunsford, calling him “scared” and “nervous” just 10 weeks from their showdown at the 2025 Mr. Olympia.
Walker turned the sport on its head earlier this season. Despite being counted out after missing the last two Olympias, he gave Lunsford the battle of his life at the Pittsburgh Pro. The results came down to a sudden-death round, with Lunsford narrowly picking up the victory.
A week later, Walker dominated the 2025 New York Pro to secure his Olympia entry. Now, with Olympia glory fueling his every rep and meal, Walker touched on his prep and thoughts about the competition heading into October.
Nick Walker Talks 2025 Mr. Olympia Prep & Rivals: ‘Some Are Working, Some Are Still Talking’
In the YouTube video, Walker pointed out that some competitors are ‘talking nonsense’ — likely referring to Derek Lunsford, who recently stated that Walker should thank him for the defeat in Pittsburgh and giving him a chance to stand against a two-division Olympia champion.
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“It’s going to be a good Olympia. It’s going to be a battle. It’s going to be something special between all the competitors. We’re all hungry. Some are working. Some are still talking. Some are still talking nonsense that doesn’t even make sense.”
Taking a dig at Lunsford, Walker chalked up his statement to being scared and nervous.
“To me, that’s just a form of intimidation; you’re scared. You’re nervous, especially when you don’t even sound convincing of your words.”
As for preparations, Walker revealed that his food intake has decreased and plans to stick with 30 minutes of cardio daily leading up to the event.
“We’re 10 weeks out. Training is really going well. The strength is still on the up and up a little bit. Food is now definitely on the decrease.
Cardio is around 30 minutes, it’s supposed to be 5-6 days a week but I do it every day. I like it. I think it benefits me tremendously. It just gets my day started. I don’t really see a problem with doing that,” shared Walker.
Walker will need to concern himself with more than just Derek Lunsford at the Olympia. Reigning titleholder Samson Dauda is eager to repeat as champion. Meanwhile, Hadi Choopan, who won the title back in 2022, took the entire year off to rebuild and could pose problems for Walker, since both boast similar physique attributes.
Should Walker claim gold on the Mr. Olympia stage, he’ll become only the 20th athlete to do so in bodybuilding history. Don’t miss the 2025 Mr. Olympia’s return from October 9-12 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Watch the full video from the Nick Walker YouTube channel below:
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