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May 3, 2023

William Bonac Believes Hadi Choopan Is a Lock For 2023 Olympia Repeat Title

Filed under: Fitness — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 1:58 pm

Bonac thinks Choopan has established a clear path to another Olympia win.

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After years of near-victories, Hadi Choopan finally scored bodybuilding’s greatest accomplishment when he won the 2022 Mr. Olympia. According to one of Choopan’s elite peers, the Iranian athlete will add another Olympia notch to his belt in November 2023 in Orlando, FL.

On Apr. 30, 2023, fellow professional bodybuilder William Bonac appeared on a podcast with Muscle and Fitness. After Bonac discussed his goals concerning a rest-of-year pause in competition plans, the two-time Arnold Classic champion (AC) made clear that he believes Choopan is a shoo-in to repeat and win the 2023 Mr. Olympia.

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Bonac’s primary rationale behind backing Choopan for another Olympia victory is that he thinks the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro League is veering away from a size focus for its top athletes. With a greater aim on a chiseled physique and overall symmetry, it’s here that Bonac explains such criteria could potentially be beneficial to Choopan’s repeat chances.

In fact, with former 212 competitors like Derek Lunsford starting to thrive in the heavier Men’s Open class, Bonac (who began his own competitive career in the 212 division) maintains that’s because aesthetic is becoming more vital for Mr. Olympia success. Notably, Choopan’s first professional victory was in the 212 division at the 2018 Portugal Pro before transitioning to the Men’s Open division in 2019.

“A lot of 212 guys are doing very good in the [Men’s] Open class,” Bonac said. “That’s something that I’ve noticed. They’re extremely good, maybe because they don’t look as big as Big Ramy [Mamdouh Elssbiay], those ‘mass monsters.’ I think [the judges are] trying to go away from that. Not to say they are little guys, you understand. I also see that they are rewarding the taller guys. The few taller guys we have with beautiful aesthetics, that’s a good thing as well.”

When prompted by legendary trainer Miloš Šarčev, Bonac didn’t mince his words.

The athlete thinks Choopan is the current cream of the bodybuilding crop when it comes to being shredded.

“He’s [Choopan] next level,” Bonac explained. “Even with the pump up, when you stop pumping up, then he will come alive. The more he pumps up, the freakier he gets … I think honestly … last year or the year before the [2021] Olympia that he didn’t win, he looked way better. If he came in with that shape even now, that wasn’t even his best shape and he won it. So, I’m sure he’s going to take another title if he brings the condition that he brought the year before.”

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Between Choopan, Lunsford, and Nick Walker, among others, the modern Men’s Open division seems more stacked than ever on paper. If Choopan is going to take home another Olympia title, it won’t come without worthy resistance. Though, if his training and physique are indeed as elite as Bonac professes, an extended reign at the top of bodybuilding might be inevitable.

Featured image: @hadi_choopan on Instagram

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March 9, 2023

William Bonac Hangs It Up For 2023 Season, Will Return at 2024 Arnold Classic

Filed under: Fitness — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 11:22 pm

After a disappointing finish, Bonac is taking some time off.

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In the current bodybuilding pantheon, William Bonac’s name belongs amongst the elite. With a championship build and resume, he’s one of the sport’s biggest stars for a good reason. Unfortunately, no one will be able to see the athlete or his physique shine on stage for a little while.

In a Mar. 6, 2023, Instagram post, Bonac reflected on what was likely a disappointing seventh-place finish at the 2023 Arnold Classic (AC). A two-time AC champion (2018, 2020), Bonac entered the competition with hopes of capturing his third career AC title — a feat only four other bodybuilders have accomplished in the contest’s 34-year history. Instead, while reflecting in the aftermath, Bonac revealed he would not compete for the rest of 2023.

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Before Bonac noted he wouldn’t compete for the foreseeable future, he ran down his history at the AC. Compared to his modern peers, it’s mostly unparalleled for someone who has actually stood on top of the contest’s podium.

Here’s an overview of Bonac’s AC competitive history:

William Bonac (Men’s Open) | Arnold Classic History

  • 2018 — First place
  • 2019 — Runner-up
  • 2020 — First place
  • 2022 — Runner-up
  • 2023 — Seventh place

*Note: Bonac missed the 2021 edition of the AC due to unexpected travel complications.

Here are the full results from the 2023 AC:

2023 Arnold Classic Results | Men’s Open

Here’s how the full top 10 shook out at the 2023 Arnold Classic:

  1. ​​Samson Dauda
  2. Nick Walker
  3. Andrew Jacked
  4. Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay
  5. Shaun Clarida
  6. Akim Williams
  7. William Bonac
  8. Justin Rodriguez
  9. Kamal Elgargni
  10. Patrick Moore

As for what lies ahead in the coming months, Bonac kept it plain and simple. He’s going to focus on more personal endeavors for the time being.

“I can honestly say I won’t miss my diet for a while,” Bonac wrote. “Time to focus on family and other business aside from bodybuilding.”

Aside from the general ramifications of Bonac’s decision, it also means the athlete will not appear in the 2023 Mr. Olympia in early November. Bonac has competed in every Olympia since the year 2014. His best-ever result was a runner-up finish to champion Brandon Curry in 2019.

As a competitor who has never won the contest and who also finished in ninth place during the 2022 Olympia iteration, Bonac does not have automatic qualification for the 2023 contest. As such, instead of pushing for a roster berth, it seems he’s decided to rest and refocus rather than commit to a challenging training and nutrition plan in contest prep.

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This is not the end for Bonac as a bodybuilder. He plans to make his competitive return to the 2024 AC. Perhaps then he can complete his vaunted mission of capturing a third championship and remind fans why they call him “The Conqueror.”

Featured image: @william_bonac on Instagram

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January 13, 2023

Nick Walker Will Return to 2023 Arnold Classic

Filed under: Fitness — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 10:50 pm

“The Mutant” is hungry for another Arnold Classic title.

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Nick “The Mutant” Walker wasn’t always a hulking phenom — one of modern bodybuilding’s top competitors. Then he won the 2021 Arnold Classic (AC) during his International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro League rookie year, and he’s seemingly only become more high profile by the day ever since. A fifth-place result at the 2021 Mr. Olympia was a fitting cherry on top for an athlete who seemed like the next big thing in the sport. Now, after a podium performance at the 2022 Mr. Olympia, Walker will be wasting no time getting back on the mass warpath. He’ll return to some of his roots to do it.

On Jan. 12, 2023, the Arnold Sports Festival revealed that Walker would compete at the 2023 edition of the Arnold Classic. The contest is currently scheduled for Mar. 2-5, 2023, in Columbus, OH, where, unsurprisingly, several other established superstars already plan to gather. A stacked field likely won’t intimidate Walker, who seems to be on a determined mission to make it two vaunted AC titles in three years.

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Walker’s AC return announcement came shortly after the Arnold Sports Festival announced that this year’s first-place prize money would be upped to $300,000 for the Men’s Open winner. That compensation is almost three times Walker’s victory winnings of $130,000 in 2021, partly signifying the tremendous rapid growth of the competition and its significance.

In a quick post on his Instagram, Walker tersely but efficiently elaborated on the news of his return to the AC. He shared a picture from his winning performance at the 2021 iteration with a caption of “run it back,” with obvious intentions of overcoming his elite peers on the Columbus, OH, stage again.

Walker will face no shortage of worthy challengers to etch his name as the Arnold Classic winner for the second time in three years.

For example, two-time winner William Bonac will seek his third career AC crown (2018, 2022), a feat only four other bodybuilders have accomplished in the contest’s 33-year history. At the same time, a newer ascending star like Samson Dauda will also be vying for the momentous championship. Other notable confirmed names so far include Kamal Elgargni and Akim Williams.

Notably, a group of relative newcomers in Derek Lunsford, Blessing Awodibu, and Michal “Križo” Križánek announced plans to skip the tentpole contest. Each of the three athletes made a distinction that they’d prefer to get some rest before focusing most of their efforts on an improved performance at the 2023 Olympia in November. Lunsford, in particular, as the 2022 runner-up in his Men’s Open debut, might have the most realistic chance of reaching those lofty goals.

At the time of this article’s publication, it is unclear if another two-time AC victor (2019, 2022) and the reigning champion, Brandon Curry, will come back to defend his title.

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The 2023 Arnold Classic is already shaping up to be a battlefield if announcements like Walker’s expected appearance mean anything. With the new year up and rolling, March’s competition will likely be a memorable addition to bodybuilding lore.

Featured image: @nick_walker39 on Instagram

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The 2023 Arnold Classic Increases Prize Money, Men’s Open Winner Receives $300,000

Filed under: Fitness — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 3:41 pm

A lucrative reward awaits whoever can stand on top of the podium in Columbus.

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It’s not precisely on par with the Olympia contest, but the annual Arnold Classic (AC) arguably holds as much prestige and influence, being considered one of the major contests on the bodybuilding calendar. When some of the world’s best bodybuilders travel to Columbus, OH, to take the stage on Mar. 3-4, 2023 for the latest edition, they can take solace in knowing one thing. A victory will be rewarded more handsomely than ever.

On Jan. 12, 2023, the Arnold Sports Festival organizing body put out a press release on their website and posted to Instagram announcing the prize for winning the Men’s Open division at the 2023 AC will be $300,000. That is a $100,000 increase from the $200,000 reigning AC winner Brandon Curry took home in 2022. It builds on a significant increase from previous years when former champion Nick Walker won $130,000 after the 2021 iteration, and inches closer to the $400,000 top prize earned by Hadi Choopan after winning the 2022 Mr. Olympia.

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In the press release, Arnold Schwarzenegger elaborated on the significance of the growth of the Arnold Classic.

“From the first time we hosted a bodybuilding championship in Columbus in 1976, my goal has been increasing the prize money to reward these fantastic athletes,” Schwarzenegger said. “I am excited to announce that this year’s winner of the Arnold Classic will win a record $300,000.”

As for who will travel to Ohio to vie for the newest AC title, a few past champions, big names, and up-and-comers highlight the Men’s Open. On Jan. 12, 2023, the organization revealed that Nick Walker would return to the 2023 AC and the contest that arguably first helped him build his sterling reputation in professional bodybuilding. Past winner (2018, 2020) William Bonac will also return to the Columbus stage. Meanwhile, two-time 212 Olympia winner Shaun Clarida (2020, 2022) will try to challenge both men. Other confirmed Men’s Open competitors include Samson Dauda, Kamal Elgargni, Justin Rodriguez, and Akim Williams.

Notably, a recent cadre of elite bodybuilders revealed they had either withdrawn or declined their invitations to the 2023 Arnold Classic. At the time of this writing, that group features the second-place finisher at the 2022 Mr. Olympia in Derek Lunsford, Blessing Awodibu, and Michal “Križo” Križánek.

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As the 2023 competitive bodybuilding season develops, the 2023 Arnold Classic will undoubtedly be one of the first significant steps toward making it a year to remember. Eventually, one focused athlete with incredible mass and a ripped physique will have the great fortune of leaving Columbus, OH, $300,000 richer for their diligent efforts.

Featured Image: @nick_walker39 / Instagram

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November 3, 2022

Bodybuilder William Bonac Shares a Shredded Update 6 Weeks Before the Mr. Olympia

Filed under: Fitness — Tags: , , , , , , — admin @ 10:40 pm

Bonac certainly looks the part of a worthy Olympia champion.

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With the 2022 Mr. Olympia right around the corner, the world’s bodybuilding elite will start to pull out all the training and nutritional stops in the final steps of their preparations. A flagship competition like this necessitates an athlete putting their best foot forward to try and notch the best possible result. Long-time Men’s Open and Olympia veteran William “The Conqueror” Bonac is no different.

On Nov. 1, 2022, Bonac shared an update on where he stands with his current physique roughly six weeks before the Olympia on Dec. 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV. While the competitor didn’t share what his precise body weight was at the time of the clip, every part of his frame — from hulking legs to a bulging chest and arms — has the polish you’d expect of one of the biggest names in the sport.

Bonac has been around the major bodybuilding for a little while, capturing notable victories in the past, such as two victories in the annual Arnold Classic (2018, 2020). As far as recent results, Bonac won the 2022 Boston Pro and came in second in the same year’s iteration of the Arnold Classic. That said, despite a competitive resume that resembles more a laundry list than a simple fact sheet, Bonac has yet to break through on the biggest platform — the Olympia stage.

After a 15th-place debut in 2014, Bonac steadily improved his performance at the Olympia almost every year, eventually plateauing with a second-place finish at the 2019 edition. (Note: Brandon Curry, a fellow 2022 Olympia competitor who bested Bonac for the 2022 Arnold Classic title, took home that title.)

In fact, the 2021 Olympia was the first time Bonac finished outside of the top five (in sixth) since his eighth place finish in 2015. He might not have stated it outright, but it would be fair to assume Bonac wants to improve upon that result in addition to finally shining with a moment of glory.

The gentlemen Bonac is chasing — some of whom paced ahead of the athlete in the top five in 2021 — assuredly won’t make his mission any easier. Between two-time reigning Mr. Olympia Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay, Curry, the meteoric rise of Nick Walker, and even the transition of Derek Lunsford to the Men’s Open division: this field is a real “who’s who” of superstars.

He’ll face a gauntlet like anyone else, but they don’t call Bonac “The Conqueror” for nothing.

Featured image: @william_bonac on Instagram

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