Nick Walker‘s confidence appears to be at an all-time high as he eyes the next phase of his contest prep. In a recent Cutler Cast Podcast, Walker explained to Cutler how he plans to defeat Hadi Choopan, Derek Lunsford, and Samson Dauda at the 2023 Mr. Olympia contest, taking place Nov. 2-5, in Orlando, Florida.
“I believe in my own self. I know what I’m capable of, I know what I can do and I’ve been doing it every single year and it’s not going to stop,” Walker shared.
Nick Walker, a dominant Men’s Open Pro, shocked the community from the moment he arrived in the IFBB Pro League. His blend of freak factor, dense muscle mass, and huge arms immediately set him apart from his opponents on stage. In 2021, Walker claimed a pair of consecutive victories at the New York Pro and Arnold Classic before debuting in fifth place on the prestigious Mr. Olympia stage.
Instead of racking up more Pro show wins, Walker took advantage of a productive off-season, which saw him make improvements to his leg volume, v-taper, and waist despite pushing nearly 300 pounds. Walker’s hard muscularity was on full display when he stepped on the 2022 Olympia stage. In the end, he won the Olympia People’s Champ Award and finished third behind Derek Lunsford and Hadi Choopan.
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Months later, Walker jumped into the 2023 Arnold Classic as the clear favorite. However, in the finals, sixth-place Olympia finisher Samson Dauda surpassed “The Mutant” on the scorecards with aesthetics and shape. Now, with 2023 Olympia kicking off in nine weeks, Walker told Cutler why and how he’d become the next champion.
Nick Walker: ‘Once I Win 2023 Mr. Olympia, I’m Going to Stay There for as Long as I Want To’
Before Walker discussed his title-winning ambitions, Jay Cutler mentioned that he needed to bring up his legs. This sentiment was also shared by Olympia judge Terrick El Guindy.
“One thing we hear about Nick constantly is he doesn’t need more size but unfortunately he needs more size in certain body parts in his opinion to even off. Like people are saying he needs more sweeps in his quads which means he needs to have bigger legs.”
“Nick went from being more of a freaky bodybuilder to having a crazy shapely front double bicep. Sitting on the abs, I could never do that so a lot of the poses you’ve made a lot of adjustments which I’m sure you worked on. That’s what people don’t understand. You can go to the gym and train and they think that you just go in there like a robot, that you don’t think about anything but you have to actually.”
Given Walker’s strong mentality, Cutler believes he can ‘will himself into being the best bodybuilder in the world.’
“Your mindset is beyond – we talk about that a lot on here, I just think that you can will yourself into being the best bodybuilder in the world. One thing I know, there’s a lot of people including some judges that will never doubt your ability,” said Cutler.
Cutler: “Who is more driven than you?”
Walker: “No one.”
Cutler: “Who is more consistent than you?”
Walker: “No one.”
Walker contends that if he brings the right combination of conditioning and fullness he’ll win the upcoming Mr. Olympia ‘without a question.’
“I know I don’t have the best genetics as far as aesthetics go but those things are improving. I’m also finding ways to pose and hide those flaws. Now, in my opinion, if I have the Arnold conditioning with the Olympia fullness that I had and combine those… I believe I will win without a question. There’s a lot of good guys. You got Derek, you got Hadi, you got Samson, Hunter is looking great.
“Once I win, I’m going to stay there for as long as I want to and that’ll be that.”
“You have to have that. That fire has to be lit from the time you get up to the time you go to bed every single day. The moment it’s not — it’s probably the moment that you’re just about done,” added Walker. “If someone else’s fire is lit more than yours, you’re going to lose.”
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“I Overpower Hadi In My Opinion” – Walker Talks Competition Ahead of 2023 Olympia
Despite Choopan’s ability to enter shows peeled, Walker believes he can beat the reigning champion on condition. He mentioned that his improved quad sweeps will be crucial to his success as well.
“Listen, Hadi is great. Hadi always come in peeled, dry, conditioned, hard. I don’t think he had that for this past Mr. Olympia. I can’t really dictate what he’s going to look like this year. I have made the improvements I know I needed to make as far as quad sweep we just talked about, I know my back will be bigger, I know my chest will be bigger, overall, I overpower Hadi in my opinion. With these improvements that I’ve made, I’m going to overpower everyone.”
“I’m still on the younger side, we can say [he has] muscle maturity right? I do too, but I can understand it. Hadi is older he’s been doing this. I feel this year, my mother even said, she feels my body is getting that mature look now. I think this is going to be the year where I shock a lot of people.”
As for Derek Lunsford, Nick believes aesthetics is the former 212 Olympia champ’s only viable weapon.
“I think [I beat Derek Lunsford] on conditioning, dryness, hardness. The only thing we can go pose for pose, but the only thing Derek truly has me on is the aesthetic look. That’s really it,” said Walker. “You really just don’t know [who will place where]. It’s really hard, I don’t think anyone is safe going into this one.”
Above all else, Walker wants the chance to stand next to Choopan, Lunsford, and Dauda in two months.
“Hadi and Derek, and even Samson again, sure, 100%,” shared Walker. “Hit those poses fucking hard, like you mean it.”
Walker Comapres Different Bodybuilding Eras, Says ‘Big Possibility’ He Enters 2024 Arnold Classic
Walker looked back years ago on a time in which Arnold Schwarzenegger predicted he would become a Mr. Olympia winner. Then, he hinted that he may enter the 2024 Arnold Classic next year.
“I saw an IG video of [Arnold] saying that I could win the Olympia. It did [floor me]. I didn’t see it right away. I don’t remember what I was doing. My mom sent it to me. She saw that and said, ‘Oh my God, look what Arnold just said about you.’ I remember us sitting down and listening to it and I’m like that’s really cool.”
“I’m not saying [if I’m doing the 2024 Arnold Classic] right now… but there’s a big possibility, yes.”
Lastly, Walker compared his era of athletes to Ronnie Coleman‘s. Objectively, Walker believes conditioning has only improved in the Men’s Open, but argued that some athletes ‘abuse’ certain aspects of the sport, which hurts their physiques.
“I think conditioning-wise, I don’t think there’s a difference. If anything, I think the conditioning is a little bit better [now] in my opinion. We’re striving to get skin-less, like as skin-less as possible. When it comes down to the look, I do think there are certain aspects that people may be abusing that gives them a certain look that is just not attractive.”
This isn’t Nick Walker’s first honest assessment of his competition ahead of 2023 Olympia. For most of the season, Walker has dismissed Choopan as his main adversary. Instead, he believes he and Lunsford will have another showdown to determine who walks away as the next titleholder.
However, when Derek Lunsford was asked about his Olympia predictions, he saw the show ending differently. When all is said and done, Lunsford envisioned another battle against his teammate Choopan for gold. Meanwhile, he foresees Walker and Dauda rematching for third/fourth honors.
The 2023 Mr. Olympia contest is generating a lot of excitement among the bodybuilding community. Walker has showcased improvements in each of his Mr. Olympia appearances, and fans expect nothing different when he vies for gold this November.
Watch the full video from the Cutler Cast YouTube channel below:
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