Samir Bannout is revealing his winning recipe for Derek Lunsford at the 2026 Mr. Olympia. In a recent YouTube video from May 29, 2026, he warned Lunsford about adding size and shared that his ticket to another Sandow trophy lies in muscle quality.
In 2025, Derek Lunsford dominated the Men’s Open landscape, securing consecutive victories at the Arnold Classic, Pittsburgh Pro, and Mr. Olympia. To bring his best in 2026, the reigning two-time champ has taken an off-season to rest and refine his physique.
Meanwhile, Chinedu Andrew ‘Jacked’ Obiekea emerged as a massive threat after winning the Arnold Classic Ohio and UK shows. Fellow Men’s Open frontrunner Samson Dauda also made the most of his time away from the stage. He supersized to a staggering 350 pounds, as he aims to reclaim the Sandow trophy. Given their towering size and structure, Bannout explained why added size won’t favor Lunsford.
“Don’t Think Size” – Samir Bannout’s Blunt Advice for Derek Lunsford Ahead of 2026 Mr. Olympia
In the video, Bannout shared that Lunsford is one of the biggest Men’s Open competitors despite not weighing the most or measuring the tallest.
“I suspect that Derek is still concerned about size. And I’m telling you, Derek is the biggest! He’s bigger than them. Derek is bigger, but not on the scale, not on who’s taller. They’re bigger height-wise, but muscle-wise, Derek is so damn massive. He does not need one ounce of muscle,” shares Samir Bannout.
Instead of concerning himself with bigger muscles, Bannout emphasized that his only worry should be quality:
“He just needs to think quality, if he wants to win, and he brings something like, say, my condition in ’83, or let’s say, even better yet, bring that Andreas Münzer, rest in peace, that kind of quality, he’ll be unstoppable. It’s as simple as that, he’ll be unstoppable.”
He pointed out that Lunsford’s arm separation was a weak point that could be addressed.
“Why? His flow, and Derek, again, I didn’t like the separation in his arms, whatever happened in that area. He doesn’t need bigger lats. He doesn’t need it. Derek, please, don’t do anything about being more massive. You are already massive. You can win with what you have, and I sincerely mean that. Do not attempt to get even bigger.”
All in all, Bannout stressed that if Lunsford pursues size, it will backfire on the Mr. Olympia stage.
“Derek is a bigger version of Samir, but all we need to do is get that hard, gnarly-looking muscle. I know how he could do it, but not to be greedy, and say, you know, if I compete five pounds heavier… if he’s going to have the mentality of I want to be five pounds bigger, it’s going to backfire. Don’t think size.”
Samir Bannout isn’t the only bodybuilding legend to offer Lunsford advice. Former four-time Olympia champ Jay Cutler spoke with Lunsford and told him that fuller legs would be key to another victory. He also gave Lunsford ab training tips.
Bannout believes Lunsford would be making a costly mistake if he adds size for the Mr. Olympia. The event is set for September 24-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
