It seems not everyone is a fan of Sam Sulek. On March 28, 2025, Lee Priest came to Sulek’s defense after Tim Wilkins, a former Olympia emcee, called him garbage for the sport.
Sam Sulek‘s rise in the IFBB Pro League has been swift. After teasing an onstage splash for over two years, Sulek made good on his promise and competed at the 2025 NPC Legends Classic, where he took gold in Classic Physique overall.
This earned him the opportunity to compete at the Arnold Amateur in Columbus, Ohio. Sulek brought up his legs and defeated a crop of talented athletes to secure gold along with his IFBB Pro card. While the triumph got the bodybuilding community excited for his future, some, like commentator Tim Wilkins, weren’t impressed.
“I think you’re garbage for the sport, and garbage as an influencer,” Tim Wilkins said about Sulek in a recent Prime Time Muscle episode.
Wilkins believes Sulek is sending a dangerous message to aspiring athletes on the rise, though Priest doesn’t see things in the same light.
Lee Priest Fires Back at Tim Wilkins After He Calls Sam Sulek ‘Garbage for the Sport’: “No One Knows Who You Are”
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In a recent YouTube video, Priest clapped back at Wilkins for his negative comments about Sulek. He adds that he had 10 years of experience by the time he was 23 and said Wilkins doesn’t know Sulek’s background, so he shouldn’t be so quick to judge.
“He was saying, Sam, I think you’re garbage. He called Sam garbage like twice or three times, and he’s saying something, he hinted about the gear Sam uses and his experience, and goes, you haven’t been in the sport long enough, you’re only 23.
I’m like Tim, at 23, I had been a Pro for almost three years. I’ve been competing since I was 13 so that’s 10 years in the sport. You don’t know how long Sam has been training and doing stuff.”
Just like before when Sulek’s food choices came under fire, Priest emphasized that the budding influencer isn’t telling fans to follow in his footsteps.
“All Sam does is record his everyday life, training and that, he’s never once said, do what I’m doing. He never even barely talks about gear. He might say I’ve used this and used that but Sam is open about everything.”
“Look, you can’t be responsible for what other people do. People are going to do whatever, they are going to drink, they are going to smoke,” he shared. “Sam’s not responsible for what other kids do. Sam has never said copy me.”
As for Sulek’s skin, Priest said that it could be related to his genetics rather than excessive gear use.
“Talking about the skin condition, that must be because he’s on so much gear whereas people, I’ve seen people with acne bad that have never used gear, so maybe it’s just his type of skin. Could gear affect it? Yeah, but that doesn’t mean he’s using a lot just because he’s got bad skin.”
Priest also pointed out that bodybuilding legends like Jay Cutler and Phil Heath used steroids throughout their careers.
“He goes you should be more like Jay and Phil. Newsflash, Tim, Jay, and Phil used lots of steroids too. You used to MC the Olympia as you told me, because you told me oh Lee, who’s Tim? I know who Tim was.
Tim was an MC. He used to make stupid jokes worse than Bob. He used to make little innuendos about the women onstage sometimes,” he shared.
He adds that, unlike Sulek, most bodybuilding fans don’t even know who Wilkins is.
“Guess what, Tim? No one knows who you are. You must have done a memorable job you dumb fuck,” he shared. “I was actually on the stage competing, not reading notes off a page, you buffoon. So, him and Terrick on the show, Terrick’s only there because of his brother, he’s another fucking loser in the whole industry.”
This wasn’t Priest’s first time defending Sulek. Before earning his Pro status, Sulek was grilled over his dietary choices, like eating Krispy Kreme donuts, cereal, and chocolate milk. Priest explained that he also ate unconventional meals throughout his bodybuilding career, and no one ever batted an eye.
Sam Sulek remains one of the most popular names in bodybuilding. While he does influence others, Priest maintains that he has a right to live his life how he wants.
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