The 2024 Arnold Classic delivered a barrage of fireworks but eyes are now turning to the next major show on the bodybuilding calendar, the 2024 Mr. Olympia. In a recent Old School Labs podcast, Samir Bannout opened up on the futures of top Men’s Open competitors Hadi Choopan and Samson Dauda.
The 2024 Arnold Classic was an action-packed event that left spectators on the edge of their seats as former Mr. Olympia Hadi Choopan and the 2023 Arnold Classic champion Samson Dauda went head-to-head vying for the title. Ultimately, between Choopan’s swagger and his razor-sharp conditioning, he was able to earn the win during his debut on bodybuilding’s second biggest stage.
With the Arnold Classic in the books, Samson Dauda and Hadi Choopan will once again battle at the Arnold Classic UK. This event will set the tone leading into the 2024 Mr. Olympia where Choopan and Samson will not only be facing one another but also the reigning champion Derek Lunsford, making for a ferocious competition come this October.
Samir Bannout Reflects On Hadi Choopan And Samson Dauda At The 2024 Arnold Classic
While fans of the sport are left speculating about who will win at Mr. Olympia, Samir Bannout is also left wondering what this means for both Hadi Choopan and Samson Dauda. During a recent Old School Labs Podcast, he discussed what he saw on the Arnold Classic stage.
Level Up Your Fitness: Join our 💪 strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!
Starting with the newly crowned Arnold Classic champion Hadi Choopan, Bannout talks about how this was the best he has ever looked.
“I said wow. One of my friends says oh you know Hadi was more ripped before. No. No. No. This is the best Hadi and I’ll tell you right now, right away Hadi was popping and he really looked better than he did at the Olympia in my opinion.”
“His back is more ripped. His back wasn’t as sharp at the Olympia, you agree with me on that.”
Samir Bannout believes that had Hadi Choopan brought the same physique they saw on the Arnold Classic stage to the 2023 Mr. Olympia, he’d have won hands down. Now, it is a matter of conditioning and sharpness that will determine whether Choopan earns back the title at the 2024 Mr. Olympia.
“Even the condition he was in when he came in second, it could have gone either way between him and Derek. When Derek is this ripped lord have mercy, when Derek is popping all the way wow. Derek is unbelievable. I still think Derek is the man to beat.”
“Derek is a good combo but the way Hadi peak his power and his like magnetic power he’s got everything up on that stage and he pops and this is what he did to Samson. I mean come on, Samson is an incredible bodybuilder but he wasn’t popping” Bannout added.
“Whatever Hadi is doing with Hany I think they are a great team and you know Derek is with Hany too so it’s going to be an exciting Olympia this year and I hope Derek will be more prepared than last time.
Next, Bannout focused on Samson Dauda and refused to count him out as a title contender for Mr. Olympia. However, Bannout does acknowledge that there is work to be done before that can happen.
“I wouldn’t rule out Samson because I think Samson really, with minor modification, we talked about it in the past and with his conditioning could be slightly better and his popping a little bit more. he has a pretty massive body, look at how small the waist, the flow the outer thighs he’s got everything.”
“I honestly feel, I’ll never get him out of the race for first place. That we have to wait and see how he is going to re-peak this coming Olympia. Hopefully he will stay healthy and clean up. He competed so many times John and now he is going to the UK. He is doing the Arnold Classic in the UK.”
Samir Bannout Speculates Why Samson Dauda Isn’t Getting Ripped Enough And If He Ruined His Momentum
During Samson Dauda’s climb through the ranks in bodybuilding, he has made massive improvements in terms of his physique. Nevertheless, it seems that Samson Dauda has been struggling to push to the next level which has held him back from achieving the ultimate victory on the Mr. Olympia stage.
Level Up Your Fitness: Join our 💪 strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!
Samir Bannout discussed what possibly went wrong for Dauda on the AC stage:
“I have my opinion why but I don’t like to keep dwelling on it because I talked about it in the past. Some of the things he does in the finals, probably in his case, excessive dehydration is leaving him somewhat on the flat side, plus he could be even more, a little more sharper but I think dehydrated way too much but I don’t know. I haven’t talked to Milos, I haven’t talked to him.”
“I think when he loads up the final phase, he starts looking incredible. I saw a video of him I said oh my god I think he’d probably win it but the day of the show I could tell he lost a little bit more water than necessary and some of that water, intercellular fluid John, and that’s what causes you not to pop as much.”
“So, sometimes when you are ripped and have a little water you cant’ really see it. This is a problem right now and it’s still a problem in bodybuilding. Some of their coaches have their own view but I have my own view and I guess we both have experience, Milos and I have extensive experience in this field and I think its a water war john. We already said it. It’s a water war.”
Bannout explains the significance of losing too much water before hitting the stage.
“Something as simple as losing too much water before taking to the podium can make a huge difference in muscle definition which can completely change the game, taking Samson Dauda from first place to second place.”
“It is an issue of fluid management. He could be slightly more ripped but I mean he is ripped enough but I think he is dehydrated a little bit too much. That’s what I can see, I wasn’t there.”
Bannout believes that Dauda would have benefited from not worrying about extra fluid and water retention.
“I saw a video of him that really was more harder and he popped and I think that is where he should keep that look and just load up a little bit more without worrying about that additional little bit of fluid. A little bit of fluid you can’t see from 10 yards away. From 10 yards away you can not see anything because there’s no fat what so ever, no subcutaneous fat.”
In regards to whether Samson Dauda taking second place at the Arnold Classics messes with the momentum he had going into the Mr. Olympia event, Samir Bannout believes Dauda can still pull it off considering he is already making changes to his preparations.
“I don’t think so. I think whatever he is doing he is doing over and over. I think he does something different. This is what we do in the NBA a coach that doesn’t win, doesn’t win, doesn’t win then they have to do some changes.”
“From what I hear him and Milos aren’t working together now. They separated. I don’t know the exact reason but it’s got to do with why he can’t get that extra shredded.”
While there is much to speculate about heading into the 2024 Mr. Olympia, it isn’t just the competitors that connoisseurs of the sport are left pondering. During the closing ceremony at the 2024 Arnold Classic, Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that he was increasing the Open winner prize money from $300,000 to $500,000 in 2025.
The Mr. Olympia only awards the Men’s Open champion $400,000. This leaves questions like will Mr. Olympia follow suit and also increase the prize money? If not, will this cause more bodybuilders to switch to compete at the Arnold Classic? Either way, fans can look forward to seeing Choopan and Dauda back on stage soon.
To watch the full Old School Labs Podcast click the link below:
Catch comprehensive coverage of the 2025 Arnold Classic, including pre-judging, event recaps, analyses, and complete Arnold Classic results at our Arnold Classic coverage hub: FitnessVolt.com/arnold-classic
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.
