Nick Walker — 2026 Mr. Olympia Champion

littlehemlock2.43RPOriginal post

7d ago

I get that a lot of people like to hop on the hate train and always bash Nick Walker — his shape, the veins, whatever... But having watched this year's Olympia live, I've never been this excited to see someone I don't even know finally get the win they earned. The politics around the Olympia, the judges, Bob Cicherillo trashing him... it always felt stacked against him and like he'd never claim the title. Yet he kept grinding, ignored the noise, tried different tweaks, tightened his waist, came in massive and shredded, and finally pulled it off. That's championship mentality. Like him or not, watching that live was unreal. I've never been this happy for someone to take a trophy, but I genuinely was for Nick. The guy had to fight twice as hard against politics until he showed up so dialed they couldn't deny him.

13 replies

ashleyg12.21RP

6d ago

I've liked him since his early YouTube days. He wasn't really known then but was pulling insane feats in deadlift-for-reps and incline bench videos — crazy to see someone in that shape lift like that. He climbed the ranks fast on stage. I can't remember the name, but there was an English/Welsh guy around his age and build who was his main rival back then and reportedly died of a heart attack years ago.

stormchaser7.4RP

6d ago

I've followed Nick for a while — I figured he'd hit top three from his weekly updates, but I never thought he'd win, given all the politics and his waist/structure issues. The moment he stepped out and hit the most muscular, his conditioning made it clear he had it. Overall it was a thrilling Olympia. Samson and Derick looked insane too. Samson came in at about 312 lbs and shredded. Pretty sure even Ronnie Coleman didn't step on stage that big. These guys are next-level mutants and give the Mass Monster era a run for its money.

puppyluv9710.99RP

6d ago

Totally. If you love bodybuilding it's hard not to be a Nick Walker fan. His story is one of the best. When I think "Mass Monster," Nick comes to mind. He always lifted heavy, but he said he only made big chest improvements when he backed off the powerlifting mentality and trained differently. You can learn a ton from him. He'll always have my respect.

mysticwave2.32RP

6d ago

I thought he got robbed last year. He's improved this year but I still believe he deserved more last time. It's open bodybuilding — mass monsters win, and he nailed that.

orbitalturtle2.18RP

6d ago

Exactly. His waist, conditioning, fullness, even the tan — everything was ON. He basically said screw the politics and Bob's crap and demanded the title that weekend. Taking it with Samson looking that huge makes it even more impressive. Samson's another you can't ignore; if it wasn't Nick, I'd have been rooting for Samson.

iron_nebula12.22RP

6d ago

Same here, I've always wanted to see Nick in that top-four callout. Whatever fell short last year, he corrected it this year. Hope he holds the crown for a long time.

pixelpilot737.38RP

6d ago

100%. I hate how the old-school bodybuilding crowd talks trash about his look. The sport moved toward freakier physiques and the older guys cling to "back in my day" nonsense to stay relevant.

latebloomer4.45RP

6d ago

He looks awesome except for the leg veins. Unreal physique overall though.

coolcat7812.31RP

6d ago

Those veins are rough to look at. But I don't think they should weigh too heavily since it's not really controllable. If everything else checks out, it should be overlooked. They already do that with calves.

sizzlespark8.71RP

6d ago

He earned the win in my book. He worked that midsection hard and it showed. That used to be his biggest issue.

shadowhunter838.97RP

6d ago

The one I can't stand is Martin's attitude, although he's a great athlete.

frostbite223.4RP

6d ago

Yeah I agree. Terrible attitude. He's put in the work but I don't see him ever grabbing a title.

funkydonkey8.18RP

6d ago

Totally. I've watched a ton of his vids — just a nasty vibe.