Preparations are underway for the upcoming 2024 Mr. Olympia, leaving Samir Bannout to discuss the show’s frontrunners, including the reigning champion Derek Lunsford. In a sitdown interview, Bannout examined the genetics of Lunsford and laid out how he can win a second Sandow trophy by hiding his weaknesses on stage like Chris Bumstead.
Lunsford’s ride to the top of the Open class has been filled with head-scratching highlights. Before even stepping on the Mr. Olympia stage, Lunsford stole the show guest posing at the 2022 Pittsburgh Pro show. This impromptu performance paved the way for Olympia brass to offer him a special invite.
In his Open debut atop the Olympia stage, Lunsford exceeded expectations en route to securing second place, behind his teammate Hadi Choopan. A year later, the two rematched, and Lunsford got the better of him. As a result, Lunsford became the sport’s first two-division Mr. Olympia titleholder. In October, Mr. Olympia plans to celebrate its 60th anniversary and Samir Bannout has some tips for the champion if he hopes to leave Sin City with gold.
Samir Bannout Says Derek Lunsford Needs to ‘Hide Weaknesses’ like Chris Bumstead to Win 2024 Mr. Olympia
According to Bannout, ‘quality counts’ and he believes athletes like Hunter Labrada or Derek Lunsford could realize success on the grand stage with unprecedented muscle hardness.
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“I didn’t do any stupidity with excessive drug use,” said Bannout. “Quality counts. You need to have plenty of mass of course. Being on the Olympia stage is not like, you know, you can be big, but you know, when you talk about a guy for example, Hunter Labrada or Derek, they have the body but I haven’t seen either one of them being hard like nails.”
The same goes for Samson Dauda, who Bannout says needs to be shredded if he hopes to find success in October.
“A guy like Samson, Samson can win Mr. Olympia. Okay? I know exactly why Samson isn’t winning. He needs to be shredded. He needs to be really really shredded. He’s been cut. I know where there is a mistake. I know where exactly is the problem.”
If Lunsford presents newfound definition and hardness, Bannout believes nobody will touch him on the Olympia stage.
“A smart judge will look at the overall harmony. If it’s not 24K, take the 21, 21 is pretty nice, 21K quality is not bad. But most of the guys right now, like Samson, is not barely reaching 18K quality.
Derek, if Derek is 24K, I’m telling you, nobody is going to touch him. If Samson is 24K, oh my god, I wouldn’t want to go between Derek and Samson.”
Instead of adding more size, Bannout believes Lunsford can retain his title with better conditioning levels.
“For Derek to not just be close to the danger zone, I’d rather sacrifice 10 pounds and be shredded because you will win being shredded. I know his body. I know his body. I can close my eyes and draw his body. Beautiful arms, balanced.”
He adds that Lunsford was blessed with better genetics than Dorian Yates. However, if he wants to hoist gold above his head once again, Bannout believes he needs to take a page from Chris Bumstead’s book and hide his weaknesses on stage.
“Derek is much more blessed than Dorian Yates than other bodybuilding Mr. Olympias. But remember, Dorian trained hard and he knew exactly what’s needed to come in with that hard look. That’s why Dorian won the Olympia several times.”
“When we talk about Chris Bumstead, honestly, he’s not blessed with the greatest genetics but Bumstead he’s bringing in quality and presentation, and he knows how to hide some of his weaknesses. That’s why I tell you, Bumstead, Derek needs to do what Bumstead’s doing.”
“He needs to have that kind of quality as a Chris Bumstead, with Derek, he won’t lose,” shares Bannout.
Lastly, Bannout warned competitors about overusing drugs to reach the pinnacle of bodybuilding.
“You want to win at all costs and your health in the middle, so this is a no-no. You don’t need that [growth hormone],” said Bannout. “You can win the Olympia without having to do some of those crazy stuff. You don’t. Honestly, I did, I’m the proof.”
“I know some kids who are barely 30 years and they look like 50 years old. You know what? Some of those kids I know who they are very clearly. I know the people who helped them. But some of them don’t listen to good help they want to follow the crazy trends. They don’t want to follow the pretty 24K style of training, bodybuilding.”
Even though Bannout has cautioned Lunsford about adding size, the reigning Mr. Olympia doesn’t seem to be heeding his warning. In addition to breaking down his latest training split for the 2024 Mr. Olympia, Lunsford recently mentioned that he’s at the heaviest weight of his career.
Should Lunsford effectively hide his weaknesses on the Olympia stage, Samir Bannout is confident Bob Cicherillo will be screaming ‘AND STILL’ when the curtains close this October. Don’t miss the conclusion of the 2024 Mr. Olympia event later this year to find out who sits atop the division as king.
RELATED: Samir Bannout Opens Up On 2024 Mr. Olympia ‘Major Rivalry’ Between Derek Lunsford and Hadi Choopan
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