Derek Lunsford is keeping his options open this bodybuilding season. On March 27, 2025, he discussed the possibility of entering the 2025 New York Pro and revealed there are ‘gaps’ in Nick Walker’s physique he could expose in Pittsburgh.
It’s been all gas and no brakes for Derek Lunsford. After dropping his Olympia title to Samson Dauda in Las Vegas last year, he immediately jumped into the 2025 Arnold Classic. Under coach Chris Aceto’s guidance, Lunsford brought an unstoppable look, leading to his victory over Dauda in Columbus.
Instead of sitting back for a moment before Olympia preparations heat up, Lunsford pushed his chips into the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro, scheduled for May 10-11. The lineup is loaded with top-tier Open Pros, including Martin Fitzwater, Nick Walker, Michal Krizo, and Vitaliy ‘Good Vito’ Ugolnikov.
Derek Lunsford Unsure If He’ll Do 2025 New York Pro, Says Nick Walker Has ‘Gaps’ in His Physique He Can ‘Expose’ in Pittsburgh
In a recent YouTube video, Lunsford stated that he brought the best package of his career in Columbus, but plans to build on that look for Pittsburgh.
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“Totally. I totally think it was my best. I’ll tell you what, I’ll give it to Samson and Andrew as well. I think that was their best as well, so let’s not discredit those guys. I don’t think they came in off. They were actually improved. I think we all improved. I think that was definitely my best. I want to continue to build on that.”
With each passing show, Lunsford wants to refine his physique and showcase improvements.
“It’s not something I go okay, let’s replicate this for Pittsburgh, no, no, no. I want to be better every time. So my focus is not to get derailed, oh, he won, now he’s good enough, no, no. I got to keep getting better. I want to be better for Pittsburgh. I want to be exceptionally better for the Olympia.”
While he credited Walker for his freak factor, Lunsford sees ‘gaps’ in his physique that he could expose onstage.
“You got Nick, who is The Mutant, right? So he’s not a pretty bodybuilder but he’s a freak and he comes in conditioned and rock hard. So you got that but there’s some gaps in his physique that I see that I can expose.”
He’s also not underestimating the rest of the lineup, especially Martin Fitzwater, who he says is more aesthetic than Walker.
“Then you got Martin, who like Lenda said, he’s a couple years younger than me, muscle maturity, the size and proportions, of course, the back shots that I have are superior so it’s hard to say which guy because you got Martin which is a little bit more aesthetic but not as big. Then you have Nick who is again, a freak, so I think it’s just going to come down to who nails it on that day.”
“Last year, at New York, it was close, man. Some people had Martin winning, some people have Nick winning. It’s going to be a close battle with those guys,” he shared.
Looking ahead, Lunsford wouldn’t close the door on possibly competing at the 2025 New York Pro.
“I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it to be honest, too much. Actually, I take that back. I have thought about it. Of course, the New York Pro is right there. It’s just you have to take things one step at a time.”
The former two-division Mr. Olympia chimed in on the importance of health and blood check-ups if you’re an active bodybuilder.
“I think you should be checking your blood work regularly, regardless of if you’re competing or not. I think everybody should be checking their health all the time, getting their blood work done, checking in with their doctors, specialists, whatever.”
“Let’s say you’re competing one, two, three times a year. At least quarterly, at least quarterly every three to four months, you should be checking your blood work. At the bare minimum, I would say twice a year, every six months.”
If Lunsford finds success in Pittsburgh, which is set to host the Men’s Open for the very first time, he said it would be a historical moment for the sport. On top of that, should he claim gold, he’ll have overwhelming momentum for the Mr. Olympia.
With Nick Walker’s comeback and Martin Fitzwater’s aesthetics, Lunsford knows earning the Pittsburgh Pro title will require a perfect peak. Even though he’s the on-paper favorite, he refused to dismiss the chances of other top contenders.
RELATED: Martin Fitzwater Shares 5,000-Calorie Full Day of Eating 7 Weeks from 2025 Pittsburgh Pro
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