Derek Lunsford is leaving no stone unturned in his bid to win the 2025 Arnold Classic title. In a recent YouTube video shared on January 18, 2025, he discussed getting diced with the dieting help of coach Chris Aceto and welcomed Nick Walker’s highly anticipated comeback.
In 2023, Derek Lunsford reached the pinnacle of his career, laying claim to the Open Mr. Olympia crown to become the sport’s first two-division titleholder (he earned 212 Olympia gold in 2021). His flawless back definition overwhelmed finalists Samson Dauda and Hadi Choopan on stage.
Given how superior his posterior chain was alongside other Open contenders, fans thought he’d be a shoo-in to win the 2024 Mr. Olympia title. However, when Lunsford hit the stage, he appeared noticeably off due to a lack of leg volume, which threw off the balance of his physique. As a result, he slid into third place and watched Dauda become the new Mr. Olympia champion.
To prepare for his debut at the Arnold Classic, Lunsford joined coach Chris Aceto after Hany Rambod, his long-time trainer, retired from guiding top-tier bodybuilders. From workout changes to dieting adjustments, Lunsford revealed below how the newly forged relationship is turning him into a better bodybuilder.
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Derek Lunsford Discusses How Diet Changed After Teaming Up W/ Chris Aceto, Welcomes Nick Walker’s Comeback
Putting volume back into the legs will be a top priority for Lunsford going forward. In addition, he intends to keep his waist tight and wants to accentuate his already cartoonish proportions.
“Based on last year’s Olympia, I came in pretty flat, so filling out was a priority first of just like putting that volume back in the legs. Also, being able to make the improvements without going into full-blown off-season. Making sure that I was keeping the waist tight and accentuating my proportions.”
He believes that in time, his legs will become a strong point like his back. He also specified that his chest detail had come up.
“Everybody knows that my back is a strong point and I feel that actually my legs can be a strong point as well. I think that my chest over my bodybuilding journey has been one of the hardest ones to develop the most but I think now I’m seeing a lot of different things happening in my chest that I didn’t before.”
With plans to bring his all-time best imminently, Lunsford believes it’s all about peaking properly.
“Me not being my best in 2023, I think there’s a balance between flatness and fullness, peaking properly. Like you said, with Hany, he’s super conservative with everything. It was like okay, you’re going to eat this much rice or potato, increase it by like time and a half.
So if you’re going to eat 50 grams of carbs, eat 75 in this one, if you’re going to eat 75, eat 100 with this one. It was never really have a burger and fry really until this last Mr. Olympia in the finals. That was never a protocol he implemented in terms of food.”
He explained that Chris Aceto’s dieting approach is far more aggressive than what was implemented by Hany Rambod.
“Knowing Matt Greggo, talking to him, talking to you and some others that have worked with him, I hear he is more aggressive with the food.
If he feels like hey, he needs to make this call of go have a burger and fry right now, then he’ll do it. He’ll make that call whereas a lot of coaches sometimes, they get a little hesitant,” he shared.
With only six weeks until his return to the stage, Aceto has begun tightening his diet, as getting diced remains their primary goal.
“That being said, we’re seven weeks out from the Arnold so he just pulled the food away. So I don’t see any burger and fry happening, any sort of aggressive food [changes] in the meantime.”
“I think right now we’re going to start digging deep and getting diced. Honestly, this is still an ongoing learning relationship with me and him. It’s just developing better and better.”
Lunsford was also excited to see Walker back in action, who has unfortunately missed the last two Mr. Olympias due to injury and personal problems.
“It’s exciting though, right? It’s exciting because all the changes that’s happening with me and my prep. Not seeing Nick for a couple of years, coming back, it’s like here we go. Here we go,” said Lunsford.
As one of the most accomplished Open talents currently competing, Lunsford has a unique opportunity in front of him. Should he defeat Samson Dauda at the upcoming Arnold Classic, he’ll gain crucial momentum heading into the 2025 Mr. Olympia. There, he’ll aim to become a two-time champion and the second Open Pro to win back the Sandow trophy, following Jay Cutler.
Watch the full video from the Mutant and the Mouth YouTube channel below:
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