The Arnold Classic '24 Mega thread

[AllOkJumpmaster]

I know it is early, but let's use this thread for all things AC '24. Pics, discussion, predictions, etc. This worked well for the Olympia.

Competitor lists were revealed today and are as follows:

Men's Open
Remeco Bose*
Rafael Brandao
Hadi Choopan
Samson Dauda
Horse Marcello De Angelis
Jon Delarosa
Mohamed Shaaban Elimbabi
James Hollingshead
Andrew Jacked
Rubiel Mosquera
Justin Rodriguez
Antoine Vaillant
Akim Williams

Men's Classic
Breon Ansley
Eric Brown Jr.
Michael Daboul
Darren Farrell
Urs Kalecinski
Antoine Loth
Courage Opara
Damien Patrick
Ramon Rocha Querioz
Emanuele Riccotti
Terrence Ruffin
Wesley Vissers

Men's Physique
Mahmood Al-Maghrabi
Vitor Chaves
Emmanuel Costa
Jeffrey Darko
Ismael Martinez Dominguez
Emanual Hunter
Jonas Jamena
Vinicius Mateus Vieira Lima
Diogo Montenegro
Corey Morris
Andres Ramos
Emile Walker

 

[AllOkJumpmaster]

As a personal fan of Antoine, I am very happy to see him back in action after having been through quite a lot in his life. Always really liked his legs.

Andrew is probably my favorite physique from the lineup mentioned. I would also love to see him win so he can then focus on the Olympia and have time to improve.

 

[bbxtreme]

If Samson wants a shot at the O title he needs to sit this Arnold out and stop competing IMO.

I know Nick isn’t competing as of now, but just saying…

 

[AllOkJumpmaster]

If Samson wants a shot at the O title he needs to sit this Arnold out and stop competing IMO.

I know Nick isn’t competing as of now, but just saying…

It is such a massive disadvantage. I mean having to prep and peak for the first week in March, and if you do not win, you have to even more shows later, then have a mini off-season and then prep / peak for the Olympia, compared to the auto Olympia invited guys that can just pound it for 8 months and then start Olympia prep. It is an unspoken advantage and a contributing factor to why so many guys have held the title for some long in the past. Obviously, the last few years have been different though...Shawn was not able to even defend his title, Brandon was the best that day because so many were out / off, probably cannot win again. Ramy just torpedoed his entire career for whatever reason, and now here we are.

I know as a natty if I had to peak for a spring show, and then again in the fall I would look exactly the same, if not possibly worse.

 

[bbxtreme]

It is such a massive disadvantage. I mean having to prep and peak for the first week in March, and if you do not win, you have to even more shows later, then have a mini off-season and then prep / peak for the Olympia, compared to the auto Olympia invited guys that can just pound it for 8 months and then start Olympia prep. It is an unspoken advantage and a contributing factor to why so many guys have held the title for some long in the past. Obviously, the last few years have been different though...Shawn was not able to even defend his title, Brandon was the best that day because so many were out / off, probably cannot win again. Ramy just torpedoed his entire career for whatever reason, and now here we are.

I know as a natty if I had to peak for a spring show, and then again in the fall I would look exactly the same, if not possibly worse.

Yeah what Samson is having to do in order to grow while also competing twice a year like this is not sustainable. I hope Milos and he decide to let him have a progressive phase, but unlikely.

Arnold has been trying to rival the Olympia for years by having the show in March. If he’d sold like he’d planned a few years back I think it would have moved.

IMO he could move the show to summer and bodybuilders could then have a true “season” like other sports do.

 

[Fleezy]

I hope Nick gets a special invite to the O

I feel like Olympia qualifications should operate on a ‘credit’ system

Qualify, and you can sit out the rest of the year and use that credit in a different year - so you actually have time to improve

That way, if you get injured like Nick, sick like Brett, or have visa issues like Nathan, not all is lost

But that’s just me

 

[over9k]

Solid lineup. Vaillant posted some shots recently and I’m hoping he has a good prep.

 

[slesh]

Has Sampson made any comments why he’s doing all these shows outside of The O? Is Fuad pressuring him? Milos working out kinks? Just makes no sense to me. Hadi as well. Both these guys were top 3 and got auto invite for next year.

 

[bbxtreme]

Has Sampson made any comments why he’s doing all these shows outside of The O? Is Fuad pressuring him? Milos working out kinks? Just makes no sense to me. Hadi as well. Both these guys were top 3 and got auto invite for next year.

Likely Milos. He loves to compete and it translates to his competitors.

 

[Eguz22]

That Hadi is doing this show is a bad sign in the sense that he has no hope of regaining the Olympia title.

Sampson does all these shows because he wants to capitalise on his hype moment and make as much money as possible, Milos and Fouad probably pushing him to do so.

If Andrew looks like he did in Texas, it will be a tough battle for Sampson.

Mosquera could trouble everyone in some poses.

 

[Fleezy]

Has Sampson made any comments why he’s doing all these shows outside of The O?

Perhaps he sees his time in competitive bodybuilding as coming to a close within the next few years - and wants to make as much money as possible while the getting is still good

Will he ever be able to beat Derek or Hadi? Maybe he doesn’t think so - and would rather be getting as many 300k checks from the Arnold as possible rather than going for titles that would be much less certain

 

[ChinaManGrowth]

Perhaps he sees his time in competitive bodybuilding as coming to a close within the next few years - and wants to make as much money as possible while the getting is still good

Will he ever be able to beat Derek or Hadi? Maybe he doesn’t think so - and would rather be getting as many 300k checks from the Arnold as possible rather than going for titles that would be much less certain

He doing Arnold because he knows he ain’t beating hadi or Derik. He going to loose this Arnold to hadi

 

[Fleezy]

He doing Arnold because he knows he ain’t beating hadi or Derik. He going to loose this Arnold to hadi

It will be interesting to see

He loses to hadi on muscularity and condition, but wins in symmetry and shape

 

[SouthernMuscle]

He doing Arnold because he knows he ain’t beating hadi or Derik. He going to loose this Arnold to hadi

Is dat wut he doin

That poor cucumber. Fuckin sicko

 

[Mute]

Rubiel Mosquera’s side chest will be EXTREMELY hard to beat.

 

[AllOkJumpmaster]

What do you guys think about Horse MD?

 

[danieltx]

What do you guys think about Horse MD?

Incredible physique for a pro debut, one of the best in many years.

 

[b-boy]

I'm excited to see Rafael Brandao, he has put on some good size, I want see see what he can do under Neil Hill's guidance.

 

[dantes]

Likely Milos. He loves to compete and it translates to his competitors.

It’s not Milos. Samson has said he loves competing and Milos actually tried to have him do fewer shows but the guy loves getting on stage and meeting fans.

 

[bbxtreme]

It’s not Milos. Samson has said he loves competing and Milos actually tried to have him do fewer shows but the guy loves getting on stage and meeting fans.

If it’s not Milos that’s rare. I’ve worked with him. Man loves to compete and have his guys competing.

Regardless of which one it is. If he wants to win the O he needs a true off or progressive season IMO. Even if he does love competing. You can only run throttle open all year long at that level for so long IMO. I just don’t want to see it catch up to him personally.