Hours before the biggest competition in bodybuilding — the 2023 Mr. Olympia, which runs from Nov. 3-5 in Orlando, FL — eight-time Mr. Olympia Lee Haney gave some prescient advice to defending Men’s Open champion Hadi Choopan.
During a Nov. 2 appearance on the RxMuscle Podcast with Dave Palumbo, Haney spoke at length about what it takes to defend the Sandow trophy. Haney’s advice for Choopan was simple enough: Stay in your lane and play your own game.
[Tune In: 2023 Mr. Olympia Results — Live Updates & Coverage]
In addition to his pre-gameday suggestions for the 2022 Mr. O winner, Haney discussed the Men’s Open field and which competitors have been wowing him during their recent appearances on stage.
Haney to Choopan: “Don’t Gain Too Much Muscle”
Haney’s primary advice to Choopan on the Olympia stage was simple: Don’t bulk up too hard.
“He has to be careful of trying to put on more size than his frame would allow,” Haney told Palumbo. “[At last year’s Mr. Olympia] He had a nice balance about him, with good muscle maturity and separation. That’s what gave him the title.”
While the Men’s Open division contains the largest and most muscular bodybuilding competitors of any division at the “O,” that doesn’t mean that Choopan would be wise to come in with more muscle mass than he did in years past. Haney noted that due to his relatively stocky frame (Choopan stands at five feet, seven inches tall), Choopan shouldn’t try to “out-size” the other competitors.
Instead, Haney recommended that Choopan focus his efforts more on developing muscle maturity and separation, nailing his conditioning, and hitting the stage with an impeccable posing routine — the hallmarks of Haney’s era of golden-era bodybuilding.
The 2023 Olympia Field
Haney’s advice, while undoubtedly coming from a tremendous reservoir of expertise, may arrive a bit late for Choopan, who competes imminently. However, the eight-time Olympia winner also took a bit of time to expand on the Men’s Open field at large and note some of his favorite performers ahead of the weekend in Orlando.
Specifically, Haney sang the praises of both Samson Dauda and Andrew Jacked, both of whom he described as “incredible,” and remarked positively about their stature and presence on stage: “[Arnold Schwarzenegger] once told me if you’re big, you’ve gotta pose big,” he said, advising Dauda and Jacked.
[Related: 2023 Olympia 212 Pre-Judging Results]
Haney also spoke positively about former 212 competitor and 2022 Men’s Open runner-up Derek Lundsford, saying that Lunsford has particularly strong legs but needs to be careful about “spilling over” and bringing legs that are too “squatty” as part of his package. For Haney, it’s about lines, flow, and symmetry. With hours until these athletes take the stage in Orlando, it’s Choopan’s title to lose — and anything can happen.
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Featured Image: @hadi_choopan on Instagram
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