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Stage Pro
Currently, Labrada is sitting at 261 pounds fasted, sporting a tremendous amount of vascularity across his chest, shoulders, biceps, and forearms. In the photos, he hit all eight of the mandatory bodybuilding poses. You can check out Labrada’s update in the post below, courtesy of his Instagram account:
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Despite placing eighth at the 2020 Mr. Olympia, which was his debut, the consensus among fans seemed to be that Labrada showed a great deal of promise. Of course, when your father is Lee Labrada — who placed within the top three of the Mr. Olympia four times (1987, 1989-90, 1992) — genetics are on your side.
Labrada’s skin appears to be tightening up without him losing weight, which means he’s burning fat while maintaining muscle mass. In addition to the progress pics, Labrada let fans in on his current meal plan, which he says he’ll frequently adjust as the show gets closer. Since bodybuilders want to be as lean as possible from all angles, every calorie matters. Labrada’s calories will most likely decrease as the Olympia approaches since he’ll want to maintain symmetry while coming in as lean as possible.
“This past week was the first week I started to feel a little brittle as things are starting to dry out,” Labrada wrote in his Instagram post. “It’s time to be smart! Notice I didn’t say back off! Intensity will stay sky-high.”
Fewer calories on the plate mean less energy in the gym, which is why Labrada implies that he’ll begin backing off of weight training workouts. That’s not to say he’ll stop lifting weights, but it’s not unusual for bodybuilders to reduce their overall training volume. The mass-gaining phase is, after all, finished. The focus is firmly on getting as shredded as possible. Two cardio sessions — a 25-minute fasted cardio session and a 20-minute-long nightly cardio session — will help Labrada burn more calories without having to reduce his caloric intake anymore.
Hunter Labrada’s Current Meal Plan
For reference, here’s what Labrada has been choking down to help whittle his middle on a training day:
- Meal One: 200 grams 90/10 lean sirloin, 90g cream of rice or 235g rice
- Meal Two: 66g hydrolyzed whey protein, 100g cream of rice, 32g of almond butter
- Meal Three: 66g hydrolyzed whey protein, 110g cream of rice
- Meal Four: 200g chicken or fish, 300g rice
- Meal Five: 200g 90/10 lean sirloin, 150g rice
- Meal Six: 66g hydrolyzed whey protein, 32g of almond butter
Hunter Labrada’s Pro Career
Labrada, a native of Texas, turned pro by winning the 2018 NPC Nationals. He made his pro debut at the 2020 Tampa Pro and was victorious. Before that, Labrada went five for five as an amateur, according to NPC News Online. He made his first appearance on the Mr. Olympia stage that December and placed eighth, one spot over the former Mr. Olympia, Dexter Jackson, competing in his final contest.
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He began his 2021 season by entering the Chicago Pro, where he earned his second professional victory. Notably, he placed four spots ahead of perennial Olympia contender Roelly Winklaar, who has finished as high as third in an Olympia (2018). With Labrada’s 2021 Olympia qualification secured (thanks to his win in Chicago), he’s done competing until the Olympia.
How Does Labrada Stack Up?
There were seven men ahead of Labrada at last year’s contest. Three of them are former Mr. Olympia winners. Defending champion Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay and 2019 champion Brandon Curry are both confirmed to be competing in this year’s show. Seven-time champion Phil Heath finished in third place last year, but he has not committed to competing this year as of this writing.
The man who finished in fourth place was Hadi Choopan of Iran. Two-time Arnold Classic winner William Bonac finished fifth, Akim Williams placed sixth, and Iain Valliere took seventh. Even if Heath doesn’t compete, he will have to show improvements that can overpower the other six competitors ahead of him one year ago. Time will tell if he can do it, but he certainly appears confident based on what he is sharing on social media.
The 2021 Mr. Olympia is set to take place in Orlando, FL, from Oct. 7-10.
Featured Image: @hunterlabrada on Instagram
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