Expectations around the 2025 Mr. Olympia are heating up. On May 22, 2025, bodybuilding legend Dorian Yates compared his physique to Derek Lunsford’s and Nick Walker’s before giving them tips to improve for the biggest show of the season.
The Men’s Open class has seen non-stop action this year. Derek Lunsford managed to beat Samson Dauda at the 2025 Arnold Classic. He could’ve sat out the rest of the season, but decided to test his resolve at the Pittsburgh Pro. He defeated Nick Walker in what’s been depicted as the closest show in years.
Yates, who commanded the Open for six consecutive years, is shedding light on how some of today’s top competitors can improve. With Samson Dauda holding the Mr. Olympia throne, Yates laid out what it would take to overthrow him as champion.
Dorian Yates Gives Olympia-Winning Advice to Nick Walker and Derek Lunsford, Names Samson Dauda as the Favorite
In the recent YouTube video, Yates compared his prime conditioning to Walker’s.
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“It’s hard to say from video,” he shared. “He’s in good shape. It’s hard for me to say, but let me see from the back, though, because that’s a different story.”
“It depends on where you want to go. There’s a trade-off. To get that extra level, you’re going to look a bit flat and I used to lean that way because I thought me a bit flat is a lot of size so I risk losing a little bit of fullness to get this, I wanted to look like an anatomy chart.”
Yates said Walker can win the 2025 Mr. Olympia, though he admits he’s not the favorite.
“It’s not impossible. It all depends, right? It all depends. I wouldn’t say he’s the favorite if I was a gambling man but it’s possible. If he came in a bit better and somebody else came in a bit lesser, I always think the top four or five guys can be interchangeable.”
As for what improvements Walker can make, Yates pointed to his lower body. However, he shared that there’s not one ‘magic exercise’ to improve the area.
“We’re all working with some limitations. It’s not like there’s going to be some magic exercise that we can say he should do to [improve his quads]. His shape is primarily genetic but you can shift things around a little bit, put emphasis here and there but his form for me, this is perfect.”
Looking at Derek Lunsford, Yates revealed that he wouldn’t be concerned with him if they faced off in his prime.
“No, I don’t think I’d be losing a lot there,” said Yates.
He described Lunsford’s physique as top-heavy and revealed that he needs to bring up his legs.
“Derek’s back is great but I don’t think that’s a negative, it’s just that his legs could be bigger, right? He doesn’t need to add any more size to his upper body. He could just maintain that and add a bit more size and then bring a more proportionate package. Then, the rest is conditioning between these guys.”
If he had to choose a favorite for the Mr. Olympia this year, Yates believes it’s Samson Dauda.
“I think more people would understand if that guy [the Mr. Olympia representing the sport] were Samson. I don’t know how tall the other guys are but they are not very tall. Top to bottom, he’s got the best frame but I think it could still be better. Logically, then he would be the favorite.”
Speculation as to who might win the 2025 Mr. Olympia has dominated headlines. Nick Walker has recently mentioned that his top threat at the event is Hadi Choopan, not the reigning Mr. Olympia Dauda or Derek Lunsford.
The 2024 Mr. Olympia won’t be one to miss. The stacked event takes place from October 9-12 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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