Bodybuilder Sam Sulek is enjoying life as a newly established IFBB Pro. On March 2, 2025, he pushed himself through an intense arm workout before discussing how he plans to improve for the Classic Physique division.
“This is my first arm day as an official IFBB Pro,” he shared. “There’s definitely a hierarchy to the Pro level or we’ll just condense it down to the Classic Physique bodybuilding world. To put it bluntly, I’m at the lower echelon of all of the current active Pros out there.”
With no shortage of popularity, Sam Sulek finally jumped into his first bodybuilding show, claiming Classic Physique Overall gold at the 2025 NPC Legends Classic. This allowed him to compete at the Arnold Amateur, which was part of the Arnold Sports Festival, held from February 27 to March 1 in Columbus, Ohio.
Sulek wasn’t competing for a participation trophy, he made it clear he was looking to win. While the contest was close, Sulek prevailed and earned his IFBB Pro card, following in the footsteps of Open star Andrew Jacked. With plans to square off against the best of the Classic Physique division, Sulek opened up on what changes he needs to make going forward to be competitive.
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Sam Sulek Shares First Arm Workout as an IFBB Pro, Discusses Plan to Improve in Classic Physique
Find his exercise selections below:
- Rope Extensions
- Single-Arm Preacher Curl Machine
- Cross Cable Triceps Extension
- Seated Cable Curls
- Rope Extensions – Superset A
- Cable Pulldown Bicep Curl – Superset B
Sulek explained that he’s in a ‘pre-bulking phase’ following his performance at the Arnold Amateur. For the time being, he wants to rid his body of excess water.
“I would not consider this day one of the bulk. Really, I’m in a little bit of a pre-bulking phase where I’m a bit more concerned with getting all this excess water off of me.
I can tell the rebound from having really dried myself out like that, I’m definitely holding on to an extra or most swollen, easily an extra 10 pounds of water.”
He mentioned that watching the Classic Physique event at the AC was a sobering reminder of what improvements he needs to make.
“I’ve got some gains to make. I got not sorely reminded but definitely reminded of just how far above these real top guys are at the Classic show on Friday night. I got to sit way up in the front and see Mike Sommerfeld, Logan, and everybody else running around.”
While there are a handful of body parts he wants to improve, his game plan moving forward can be simplified into two words: get bigger.
“Definitely a bit bigger and definitely came into the stage a bit leaner than me by a few body fat percentage points but that’s for me to figure out later on. If I were to describe my game plan, it only takes two words, it only actually takes two words to describe it in pretty much totality: get bigger.”
In addition to adding size, Sulek intends to improve his posing.
“Luckily, I feel like that’s maybe not my forte but at least my calling,” he adds. “I do not have a problem with that. I’ve got in terms of looking at it as a competition standpoint of critiques, a lot of posing work, a lot of comfortability and just overall prep. There’s one critique which I am absolutely excited to jump on fixing right now and that is having more mass.
Thicker hamstrings, nobody called me out for my calves. I didn’t see a single calf comment so I guess they are at least reasonably sized, but I definitely want some bigger calves.”
He wants to build bigger triceps, biceps, chest, quads, hamstrings, a wider back, and broader shoulders to improve his look for the Classic Physique division.
“I want bigger triceps because I want them to hang down lower in my front double bi shots. Bigger chest, bigger quads, bigger hamstrings, a wider back, thicker more detailed, probably some broader shoulders, bigger biceps. Bigger everything.”
With Chris Bumstead hanging up his posing trunks for good, there’s room for a new superstar in the Classic Physique division to emerge. Although IFBB judge Terrick El Guindy believes that could be Mike Sommerfeld, many fans adore Sam Sulek, as evidenced by his massive social media following.
Sulek is fully aware of the tweaks and improvements he needs to make to be competitive in Classic Physique. In time, his followers hope to find out which bodybuilding contest(s) he’s targeting next.
RELATED: Coach Hany Rambod Rates and Assesses Physique of Sam Sulek Following His Amateur Debut Win
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