Derek Lunsford addressed a dangerous rumor circulating within the bodybuilding community. On Dec. 17, 2025, he denied using PMMA injections (polymethyl methacrylate) and said he doesn’t even know what it is.
Weeks before the 2025 Mr. Olympia, Derek Lunsford tore his pec. For most, that would be the end of preparations, but he decided to carry on. At the event, he battled in the finals against Hadi Choopan and Andrew Jacked to secure gold. He became a two-time Mr. Olympia winner, joining Jay Cutler as only the second athlete to win the title back after losing it.
In the show’s aftermath, fans have accused Lunsford of using synthetic fillers like PMMA to enhance his physique. His coach, Chris Aceto, has already denied the damaging allegations, and now Lunsford is sharing his take on the controversy.
Derek Lunsford Defends Against PMMA Injection Accusations
In the video, Lunsford shared that he shouldn’t have to defend himself every time someone says something about him.
“If I had to address everything that’s said about me, I would be like constantly every week, having to defend myself. Oh, that’s not true, that’s not true. I don’t have to go, and every time someone says something about me, defend myself.”
He believes the PMMA accusations crossed the line and chalked it up as false information.
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“This time, I feel like they have crossed the line, actually, because you’re not just hurting me, you’re hurting our bodybuilding community and there’s a lot of people that are young guys who are getting false information.”
He emphasized that he doesn’t even know what PMMA injections are:
“If I thought whenever I was starting out and I wanted to be a bodybuilder, that I had to take something like that or do these different things… honestly, I don’t even know what that is. I swear to you I don’t even know what that is.”
Lunsford pointed out that if he had to resort to such measures, he wouldn’t be a bodybuilder.
“If I thought I had to do something like that to be where I’m at today, I would probably not be a bodybuilder. If people want to do it or whatever, I don’t care what other people do. I just know what I’m willing to do and not willing to do. That’s one thing I’m not willing to do, not wanting to do, and I’m not even interested in it.”
“No, I don’t do that. I think it’s right for me to address it and be like look, you don’t have to do these things to be Mr. Olympia,” he said.
Lunsford isn’t the only Olympia champion facing PMMA injection allegations. Reigning two-time Women’s Physique Olympia Natalia Abraham Coelho has been accused of using PMMA and synthol to add fullness to her quads. Former champ Sarah Villegas went as far as to call her the ‘OIL’ Olympia champion.
Lunsford doesn’t want to see younger, more impressionable bodybuilders fall for misleading information. He stressed that PMMA injections aren’t needed to win the Mr. Olympia contest.
RELATED: Derek Lunsford Says If All Are ‘100%,’ He and Hadi Choopan Edge Out Andrew Jacked and Samson Dauda
Watch the full video from the Derek Lunsford YouTube channel below:
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