The aftermath of the 2023 Mr. Olympia has left the bodybuilding community in a fervent debate over the deserving winner of the Men’s Open pose-off. Furthermore, in response to the heated discussions, IFBB Pro League Vice President Tyler Manion has offered a meticulous breakdown, analyzing the scoring pose-for-pose for Hadi Choopan and Derek Lunsford at 2023 Mr. olympia. Moreover, through a recent Instagram post, Manion aims to bring clarity to the intricate dynamics that influenced the judges’ decisions, settling the contentious debate and providing insights into the nuances of the competition.
“I’m going to review both Derek and Hadi obviously because it was a very close show between those two. I’m going to go pose by pose in detail and in depth to what we saw at the table,” shared Tyler Manion.
Additionally, the 2023 Mr. Olympia Men’s Open category featured intense anticipation, especially with reigning champion Hadi Choopan aiming to defend his title against tough opponents. Also, Samson Dauda, fresh from a win at the 2023 Arnold Classic, and Derek Lunsford, transitioning from the 212 division, presented significant challenges.
Furthermore, Tyler Manion committed to thoroughly reviewing Derek and Hadi’s performances, promising a detailed analysis of each pose. Moreover, his aim was to offer transparency into the judging process, bringing clarity to the community’s discussions.
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In the spotlight of this scrutinized pose-off, Derek Lunsford’s standout features, including his impeccably shredded back and overall well-balanced physique, played pivotal roles in securing his victory. Furthermore, Lunsford not only claimed the coveted title of the new Mr. Olympia but also etched his name in the annals of bodybuilding history as the first athlete to achieve a two-division championship, adding a historic element to the post-Olympia discussions.
Tyler Manion Breaks Down Derek Lunsford V. Hadi Choopan –Analyzing the 2023 Mr. Olympia Showdown Pose by Pose
Derek Lunsford’s triumph at the 2023 Olympia has ignited a maelstrom of controversy within the bodybuilding community. Furthermore, IFBB Pro League Vice President Tyler Manion steps into the fray, providing a meticulous breakdown of the poses that defined the showdown between Hadi Choopan and Derek Lunsford. However, as the echoes of discontent reverberate, Manion’s analysis seeks to offer clarity and context to the judges’ decision, unraveling the intricacies that contributed to the polarizing outcome.
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In a myth-busting preamble, Tyler Manion addresses a prevalent misconception in bodybuilding judging. Contrary to the notion that defeating a reigning champion demands an extraordinary feat transcending their overall legacy, Manion emphasizes a nuanced criterion. This criterion focuses on presenting the most exceptional physique on the specific competition day. This foundational insight sets the stage for a comprehensive exploration of the competitive dynamics. It invites the community to reevaluate the criteria that shape the outcome of prestigious competitions.
“Before I get into the breakdown, I want to dispel a certain notion that I always hear and keep hearing about you know and that’s the common expression of to beat the champ you have to knock him out. Now it doesn’t matter if we’re talking about Open or any other division and that is just a statement that I personally do not agree with.”
“We all judge at the table, it doesn’t matter if you have eight titles, it doesn’t matter if you have zero titles. The best person on that day, the person that we think best fits the criteria is who we’re going to put in first place. It doesn’t matter what their past history is. That is not taking into account what we’re looking for, we’re looking for what’s on stage in front of us that day and that’s all that matters.”
In-Depth Analysis of Poses and Scores at the 2023 Olympia: Choopan vs. Lunsford
Front Double Bicep
“The first pose up is the front double biceps pose. As you see here with Derek, Derek improved his arms from last year. He improved his legs from last year. His quads, the overall density and sweep to his quads came up dramatically from last year. What we have to do is go look at pictures or videos of Derek from last year from Derek to this year.
Derek has a crazy crazy taper with crazy wide flaring lats all down into a very small waistline. His arms flow very proportionately with his body and his legs now have much more balance compared to his upper body.
Now we look at Hadi’s front double biceps pose. His arms flow pretty well with his physique but though I would argue here that Derek’s arms flow better with this pose. Hadi has a very good taper but next to Derek’s taper it is not as prominent. Hadi’s waist is wider and his lats are not as wide as Derek’s,” explained Tyler Manion.
Manion pointed out that Hadi Choopan exhibited uneven development in his quadriceps, with his left quad appearing larger than the right. The judges observed and took note of this asymmetry.
“Hadi has an imbalance between his left and right quads. His sweep on his left side is more pronounced than his sweep on his right side. That is symmetry. So that is an imbalance and we take that into account as well.”
Front Lat Spread
“Next up is the front lat spread pose, as you can see Derek brought his arms and shoulders not only the size but the detail up from the arms and shoulders last year.”
“When you look at the V-taper here, you see Derek still does have a better V-taper than Hadi. However, when you go into the fullness and detail of the chest, Hadi still has an advantage.”
“The detail throughout Hadi’s core gives him the edge in this pose.”
“Derek took a pose that was not his strongest and made gains on it. However, this is still a pose that goes to Hadi.” “We’re looking at everything here in the side chest pose. We want to look at the width. Shoulder to shoulder up top. Detail of the size of the arms and the shoulders.”
“Derek improved this pose tremendously from last year,” said Manion. “This year, I thought it was clear that Derek took this pose.”
Back Double Biceps
“Back double biceps pose, this was the clearest out of all the poses that Deeek wins this hands down.”
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Back Lat Spread
Regarding the back lat spread pose, Manion made the following comments:
“Derek’s back lat spread is still a very strong pose for him.” “Hadi also has a very strong back lat spread.
“He [Hadi] doesn’t have the same density from the back that Derek has.”
Side Triceps
“When you look at the waist, they both flow into a tight waist, however, Hadi has details throughout his serratus and abs that are more detailed than Derek’s.”
“Derek has a better flow from his shoulders to his arms,” said Manion. “Looking at this overall pose, Derek wins the side triceps.”
Ab And Thigh
“[ab and thigh] pose is an extremely strong shot for Hadi.”
Most Muscular
“Lastly, we have the most muscular pose.”
“This is another very strong pose for Hadi,” explains Manion. “This makes the score five poses for Derek, three for Hadi.”
Delve into specific categories within bodybuilding divisions to understand competitive nuances. Familiarize with judging criteria for Men’s Open Bodybuilding competitions.
Tyler Manion provided insights on areas of improvement for third through fifth finishers in the 2024 Mr. Olympia rankings.
Samson Dauda At # 3
“Samson has improved from show to show and it’s very clear his improvements. What does Samson need to do? If theres’ one body part Samson can improve it’s his back.”
Brandon Curry At # 4
“Fourth place Brandon Curry. Brandon looked great. This is probably the best he’s been conditioning-wise since 2019 which was his best year Now, of course everything didn’t go smoothly for him. I think he probably lost a little bit of size and separation, especially in his legs. That’s the number one thing he needs to work on bringing up – leg width.”
Andrew Jacked At # 5
In fifth place we had Andrew Jacked. Now this definitely wasn’t the best version of Andrew we’ve seen. Obviously, I had the privilege of getting to judge him at the Texas Pro. In my opinion, that was the best look he brought to the stage. The look at the Olympia was not quite the same. He didn’t have the size and the fullness that he had there.”
“What he needs to improve on going forward, overall leg size for sure. Specifically, he really needs to focus on bringing up the hamstrings.”
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Entry Rules for the 2024 Mr. Olympia
Securing a spot in the 2024 Mr. Olympia has become a daunting task in the evolving world of competitive bodybuilding. Tyler Manion, alongside the organization, introduced new entry regulations before the 2023 Olympia, allowing only the top three finishers from the Open category automatic qualifications. This intensifies the pursuit of Olympia glory.
Dan Solomon, the discerning President and promoter for Mr. Olympia, unveils the stage for the 2024 edition. Scheduled for October 10-13 in Las Vegas, Nevada, it promises to be a culmination of physique artistry. Following a year of monumental strides in bodybuilding capabilities, the forthcoming Mr. Olympia is poised to exceed expectations.
Overview
The 2023 Mr. Olympia aftermath sparks debates in bodybuilding over the Men’s Open winner. Tyler Manion, IFBB Pro League VP, analyzed the scoring pose-by-pose for Hadi Choopan and Derek Lunsford after 2023 Mr. Olympia. Furthermore, Lunsford’s victory marks a historic moment as the first two-division champion. Manion’s analysis aims to address judging misconceptions. Moreover, qualifying for the 2024 Mr. Olympia becomes more challenging with new entry rules. The 2024 Olympia, slated for October 10-13 in Las Vegas, promises a groundbreaking event.
Featured Image @t_manion, @moriauphoto (Instagram)