During a recent episode of the Muscle Maturity podcast, which aired on March 8, Samir Bannout joined host Nick Trigili and natural bodybuilder John Hansen to discuss Samson Dauda’s physique at the Arnold Classic. Bannout expressed his disappointment with Dauda’s muscle quality, despite acknowledging that Dauda has a great physique overall. Bannout also predicted that Dauda would be a strong contender at the Olympia if he can improve his muscle quality by about 10%.

One of the key areas where Bannout feels that Dauda needs to improve is in his back definition. According to Bannout, Dauda’s lack of quality is mostly due to this perceived weakness. Bannout’s critique of Dauda’s physique adds to the ongoing discussion around the Arnold Classic results and highlights the subjective nature of bodybuilding judging. While Dauda emerged as the champion, there is still plenty of room for debate and critique when it comes to the nuances of his physique.

Bodybuilding legend Samir Bannout recently offered his take on Samson Dauda’s surprise victory at the 2023 Arnold Classic during an episode of his Muscle Maturity podcast. While Bannout acknowledged Dauda’s impressive physique, he also noted some areas where he felt Dauda could improve. In particular, Bannout pointed out the lack of clarity in Dauda’s back, which he felt detracted from the overall quality of his muscle definition. Bannout’s critique suggests that elite bodybuilders must possess a finely tuned sense of aesthetics in order to compete at the highest levels.

Bannout’s commentary on Dauda’s physique was echoed by podcast co-host Nick Trigili, who praised Dauda’s genetic potential but also noted some areas for improvement. Trigili agreed with Bannout’s assessment that Dauda’s back lacked the necessary clarity to showcase his muscle mass to its full potential. However, Trigili also noted that Dauda has a great foundation to build on and praised his overall physique. The conversation between Bannout and Trigili highlights the nuances of bodybuilding judging and the ongoing quest for perfection among top competitors.

Bannout critiqued Dauda’s physique on his Muscle Maturity podcast, noting that he was not impressed with his quality and specifically calling out his lack of back clarity. Despite this, Bannout acknowledged that Dauda has an impressive body and could be a top contender at the Olympia if he improves his quality by around 10 percent.

Bannout’s criticisms of Dauda’s back clarity were echoed by Trigili, who agreed that while Dauda has a great shell to work with, he has not yet fully developed it. This highlights the fact that bodybuilding is a sport of continuous improvement, with athletes constantly striving to refine and perfect their physiques.

While Bannout had criticisms of Dauda’s physique, he also had high praise for the quality of muscle that Andrew Jacked and Nick Walker brought to the stage. Bannout was particularly impressed with Jacked’s physique, which he felt had better quality than Dauda’s, while also noting that Walker’s conditioning was the best on stage and could have won him the competition. This underscores the subjective nature of bodybuilding judging and how different athletes can excel in different areas.

Bannout believes that Nick Walker would have easily won the 2023 Arnold Classic based on quality alone. However, he thinks the judges are currently paying more attention to overall balance, which he thinks Samson Dauda had.

Trigili and Hansen both agree that Nick Walker had a convincing case for the top spot. Hansen even calls him the rightful winner.

Despite not winning the overall competition, Walker and Jacked still managed to win awards. Walker won the Franco Columbu Most Muscular award, while Jacked won the Ed Corney Best Poser award. Both awards earned the men $10,000.

Courtesy Image @ ArnoldSports Festival (Instagram)

Samson Dauda, Nick Walker, Big Ramy (via @victusco/Instagram)