2026 Pro Bodybuilding Season Discussion Thread

[OldManLogan]

Brandon Hendrickson looked awesome, and was definitely deserved of first, but Vitor Chavez looked great too, and was def solidified 2nd. That said, and with all due respect to those two guys as they brought it, does it seem like the competition level of Mens Physique has gone down?
Ryan is still killing it as Mr. O, but it feels like there are less dominant physiques at the top of the field.

Agree with most of this- side note I really was rooting for Eman Hunter, and he came in looking great… but I did catch a few times where his posing was uneven or even uncertain looking… dunno if it was nerves, but I really was rooting for him. Dude has drive! Also, Andrew Deiu is very very much improved!

And that young Brazilian dude who looks like a Ryan Terry clone? That dude bears watching.

Overall though, the judges got it right in MP!
Here’s some shots I got from last night.

 

[Siggy]

Brandon Curry with a top 5 Olympia finish at age 43....

Woops. I meant Arnold finish.

 

[OldManLogan]

Brandon Curry with a top 5 Olympia finish at age 43....

… and he grew his LEGS. Which is just as astounding

I just realized I’m flying next to Derek Lunsford. wtf.

 

[tommyguns2]

Brandon Curry with a top 5 Olympia finish at age 43....

Woops. I meant Arnold finish.

I think Brandon looked very good. He should have been in the top 4, IMO. Very impressive!

 

[Siggy]

… and he grew his LEGS. Which is just as astounding

I just realized I’m flying next to Derek Lunsford. wtf.

Ask him why they keep letting him win the Olympia

 

[specter]

Martin Fitzwater, what is his problem with Nick Walker ? like is it just him being a child or is there some story there ?

 

[OldManLogan]

Martin Fitzwater, what is his problem with Nick Walker ? like is it just him being a child or is there some story there ?

I dunno but it looked pretty rude in person.

 

[AllOkJumpmaster]

I know video is very diff from being there in person, but this hasss to be a statement from the IFBB about how they are judging.

Nick visuallly and to mostly eveyone won prejudging. Scorecards say otherwise.
Hadi was soft and it looked to be him and Andrew fighting for 2nd and 3rd. Maybee Andrew in second if "structure" is the king now.
Nick came back to finals about the same. Hadi came back a hell of a lot harder. Andrew harder as well.
So you have 3 guys, alll very hard and conditioned. But one had that the day before....one would THINK, Nick 1, maybe Andrew 2, Hadi 3.
I thought it was a battle between Nick and Hadi in finals, they both looked awesome. Both hard as nails.
But again, this is a statement from the IFBB saying that they want the face to have a beautiful, flowing shape & structure.
And im a huge Andrew fan. Me being tall, i love seeing a 6ft+ guy come in and win. And i get the Nick structure arguement.
But man, he just looked so much better than everyone on Friday that someone would need to DOMINATE (like he did on Friday) for it to make it a 2 horse race.

I think most people are very confused right now. Tyler Manion is gonna have a biiiillllion people watch his breakdown when he puts that shit on IG lol

I wonder, and this purely speculation, but based on your observations, and how vocal Arnold has been in the past 10ish years about rewarding aesthetic, shape and flow of a physique over the more compact, wider guys...perhaps Arnold puts pressure on the judges to reward that at his show? I remember when Cedric won it 2017, Arnold did not hold back on praising him, and saying how that was the direction he wanted to see BB continue to go.

 

[Beef_Stu_97]

I am confusion

 

[AllOkJumpmaster]

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I was happy for Nick, iirc he was his own coach, or did he ever get help from someone else?

 

[Fleezy]

jeeze apparently Martin isn't even thinking about tapping the brakes on this crashout

 

[Fleezy]

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I was happy for Nick, iirc he was his own coach, or did he ever get help from someone else?

i believe Nick did his own prep essentially.



he may have had some input/guidance from the outside

i mean...id feel foolish not to, but what do i know?

 

[Fleezy]

im sure Lunsford is pretty happy right now - no longer being the villain

 

[AllOkJumpmaster]

jeeze apparently Martin isn't even thinking about tapping the brakes on this crashout

dude, idk what to think of this, I get hormones being goofy when you get stupid lean, food is low etc., but I have no words for this. I mean, you win and lose with humility, that is what professionals do. I get you might quietly root for a rival to not win, but you do exactly that, and keep it quiet. You don't be fake, but you can still congratulate a foe for their accomplishment, especially when it is you and your team for not showing up at your best. I love his physique but, this has become a trend with Marty, I might root less for him now, but I also kind of hope he maybe gets some therapy and figures this out. I am not going to immediately hope he fails, but rather hope he can reconnect with himself and his love and passion for the sport, and camaraderie of the sport.

 

[Fleezy]

dude, idk what to think of this, I get hormones being goofy when you get stupid lean, food is low etc., but I have no words for this. I mean, you win and lose with humility, that is what professionals do. I get you might quietly root for a rival to not win, but you do exactly that, and keep it quiet. You don't be fake, but you can still congratulate a foe for their accomplishment, especially when it is you and your team for not showing up at your best. I love his physique but, this has become a trend with Marty, I might root less for him now, but I also kind of hope he maybe gets some therapy and figures this out. I am not going to immediately hope he fails, but rather hope he can reconnect with himself and his love and passion for the sport, and camaraderie of the sport.

he needs to link up with Shelby and learn the way of the bodybuilding monk


does he still post here? dude was a real class act


we need more of that in bodybuilding tbh

 

[td]

he needs to link up with Shelby and learn the way of the bodybuilding monk


does he still post here? dude was a real class act


we need more of that in bodybuilding tbh

@Shelby

 

[hawkmoon]

dude, idk what to think of this, I get hormones being goofy when you get stupid lean, food is low etc., but I have no words for this. I mean, you win and lose with humility, that is what professionals do. I get you might quietly root for a rival to not win, but you do exactly that, and keep it quiet. You don't be fake, but you can still congratulate a foe for their accomplishment, especially when it is you and your team for not showing up at your best. I love his physique but, this has become a trend with Marty, I might root less for him now, but I also kind of hope he maybe gets some therapy and figures this out. I am not going to immediately hope he fails, but rather hope he can reconnect with himself and his love and passion for the sport, and camaraderie of the sport.

I recall watching Trensparent when Nyle had him on months ago.
He was doing that weird humble brag thing saying "If I wasn't in bodybuilding I'd be in jail or dead" (paraphrased). Not in the tone of thank goodness I'm away from all that, but more I'm such a badass.
Guys who try to communicate this type of image are usually stuck in some middle-school tough guy model, unable to progress to proper mature adulthood.

 

[Fleezy]

I recall watching Trensparent when Nyle had him on months ago.
He was doing that weird humble brag thing saying "If I wasn't in bodybuilding I'd be in jail or dead" (paraphrased). Not in the tone of thank goodness I'm away from all that, but more I'm such a badass.
Guys who try to communicate this type of image are usually stuck in some middle-school tough guy model, unable to progress to proper mature adulthood.

bodybuilding almost landed me in jail lmao ikyk

 

[massephase]

Maybe Kienzl should run his next prep without tren

 

[specter]

bodybuilding almost landed me in jail lmao ikyk

It landed me in jail