Mike Sommerfeld is setting his sights on gold next year at the 2025 Mr. Olympia. In a recent YouTube video shared on October 24, 2024, Sommerfeld discussed being next in line at the Classic Physique Olympia and revealed why he is inspired most by bodybuilder Kai Greene.
Mike Sommerfeld was one of the biggest surprises of the 60th anniversary of Joe Weider’s Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend. He went into the sport’s most prestigious event without much hype, largely overlooked by fans and bodybuilding veterans. In the end, he gave Chris Bumstead one of his closest battles on the Olympia stage.
Sommerfeld left Las Vegas, Nevada in second place. With Bumstead announcing his retirement from Classic Physique, ‘Mike The Badass’ became an instant number one contender for next year’s Olympia competition. Taking a moment to reflect on how life has changed since his runner-up performance, Sommerfeld opened up on his expectations for the next chapter of his career.
Mike Sommerfeld Talks ‘Unpredictable’ Road to Winning 2025 Classic Physique Olympia, Reveals Bodybuilder That Inspires Him Most
With Chris Bumstead out of the picture, Sommerfeld acknowledges that he’s the next guy in line, but admits the job isn’t done yet.
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“Many many people obviously told me that technically you’re the next guy in line. On paper, Chris, Mike, Urs, Ramon. Urs, Chris, he’s retired. He’s gone.
Technically, my name is right here. But for me personally, it doesn’t feel that way. I still believe that I have to go back to work and to create or develop these tools to be a champion and then win the Olympia.”
He doesn’t underestimate the obstacles and sacrifices he’ll endure to become the next Classic Physique Olympia champion.
“You have to get these tools ready. This is my new job. So I don’t see myself as the new Mr. Olympia, there’s a long way to go and many many athletes to beat and bodybuilding is very unpredictable. You see Ramon. He may have missed the peak just by 10 percent,” Sommerfeld shared.
Sommerfeld says life has changed drastically since his runner-up showing on the Olympia stage. He now regularly communicates with bigger names in the sport like former Mr. Olympia Derek Lunsford and Chris Bumstead.
“I don’t know what to do. I’m not Chris Bumstead. I have no experience and all that. This is brand new. Derek Lunsford just called me randomly, ‘Hey what’s up Mike I saw you’re in Florida, are you coming over to have a workout?’ A Mr. Olympia is just calling you randomly, ‘Hey What’s up man are you down for a session?’ I’m still the fanboy inside.”
“I have Chris’ phone number and I was asking him daily, hey bro, I feel a little bit scared of having these opportunities and I’m not able to turn it into something beneficial. He said man you’re so lucky. I was like wait a minute. What does he mean? Then it clicked. He said you’re lucky you know why? I am lucky because I have the chance to take care of my family.”
Sommerfeld credited Kai Greene, describing his mental side as ‘unbreakable.’
“Kai Greene and now I know him personally, and I know his personality quite a little bit better. He’s a true role model. If somebody came from nowhere, from really really really not good places and made it… it’s Kai Greene. His mentality the way he thinks, the way, just his mental side is so powerful. It’s literally unbreakable.”
Having made a name for himself from humble beginnings, Sommerfeld draws inspiration from Kai Greene.
“He has been through a lot. You cannot imagine. The scar on his face tells stories. Now, he changed his life, he changed everything around him. You can call it energy, you can call it whatever but his life back then in Brooklyn, New York where he was born and raised, now he’s an actor. He’s happy,” says Sommerfeld.
In addition to being inspired by ‘The Predator,’ Sommerfeld also admits that Chris Bumstead has had a powerful impact on his bodybuilding tenure. He believes Bumstead could have won 10 Classic Physique Olympia titles and is thankful to have him as a confidant as he aims to take the vacant throne in 2025.
The future looks bright for Mike Sommerfeld, who isn’t taking his opposition lightly. Time will tell if he can become only the fourth man ever to hold Classic Physique Olympia gold.
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