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Dave Palumbo interviews bodybuilding legend Rich Gaspari at the 2025 NPC North Coast Championships. Gaspari, the 1989 Arnold Classic champion and 3-time Mr. Olympia runner-up, offers his unfiltered thoughts on the Olympia's top dogs just over 4 months out from the 2025 Olympia.
Bodybuilding fans, Rich Gaspari just dropped a brutally honest breakdown of the 2025 Olympia race — and he’s not holding back.
In a sit-down with Dave Palumbo, Rich gives his take on the top contenders for this year’s Mr. Olympia, dissecting physiques, prep styles, and what separates real champions from fan favorites.
Derek Lunsford – Rich praised his back as unbeatable, but called out a lack of chest density. Despite winning the Arnold and Pittsburgh, Gaspari doubts Derek can peak again in time for the Olympia. Still, he sees him top 3.
Samson Dauda – Gaspari loves his Lee Haney-like structure and aesthetic flow but says he must come in shredded or he’s beatable. Rich questions whether Samson’s training intensity is enough to bring that old-school dense look needed to win.
Hadi Choopan – Called the "most old-school" of today’s pros. Rich is impressed by Hadi’s density and believes his use of free weights gives him that granite physique that stands out onstage. He sees Hadi as the standard for conditioning.
Nick Walker – Rich respects the freak factor and says he was sharper than Derek at Pittsburgh. But Nick’s aesthetics, varicose veins, and blocky structure may limit his ceiling. "Top 5, but not the champ," says Rich.
Andrew Jacked – Gaspari loves his look and lines but says he needs another 5–10 pounds of muscle to truly challenge the big three. Age could also be a factor.
On the current era vs. the '90s, Rich made it clear: today’s guys are bigger, but many lack that dense, grainy, ripped condition — something he blames partly on a reliance on machines over free weights.
Final verdict? Rich picks Samson as his personal favorite to win if he nails conditioning. But he admits the Olympia is wide open — with Hadi, Derek, Samson, Nick, and Andrew all in the mix.
Join the conversation — who’s your pick for the Sandow this year?
Bodybuilding fans, Rich Gaspari just dropped a brutally honest breakdown of the 2025 Olympia race — and he’s not holding back.In a sit-down with Dave Palumbo, Rich gives his take on the top contenders for this year’s Mr. Olympia, dissecting physiques, prep styles, and what separates real champions from fan favorites.
Derek Lunsford – Rich praised his back as unbeatable, but called out a lack of chest density. Despite winning the Arnold and Pittsburgh, Gaspari doubts Derek can peak again in time for the Olympia. Still, he sees him top 3. Samson Dauda – Gaspari loves his Lee Haney-like structure and aesthetic flow but says he must come in shredded or he’s beatable. Rich questions whether Samson’s training intensity is enough to bring that old-school dense look needed to win. Hadi Choopan – Called the "most old-school" of today’s pros. Rich is impressed by Hadi’s density and believes his use of free weights gives him that granite physique that stands out onstage. He sees Hadi as the standard for conditioning. Nick Walker – Rich respects the freak factor and says he was sharper than Derek at Pittsburgh. But Nick’s aesthetics, varicose veins, and blocky structure may limit his ceiling. "Top 5, but not the champ," says Rich. Andrew Jacked – Gaspari loves his look and lines but says he needs another 5–10 pounds of muscle to truly challenge the big three. Age could also be a factor. On the current era vs. the '90s, Rich made it clear: today’s guys are bigger, but many lack that dense, grainy, ripped condition — something he blames partly on a reliance on machines over free weights. Final verdict? Rich picks Samson as his personal favorite to win if he nails conditioning. But he admits the Olympia is wide open — with Hadi, Derek, Samson, Nick, and Andrew all in the mix.Join the conversation — who’s your pick for the Sandow this year?
