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IFBB professional bodybuilder Hunter Labrada finally discusses what happened at the 2022 Olympia. Why did he not look his best once again? What are his plans for the 2023 bodybuilding season? What does he want to do better this year? Is he going to be fixing his diet? 

I think Hunter Labrada looked amazing at the Tampa Pro, which was one of his first IFBB Pro shows, and I think Hunter peaked there, but ever since then, Hunter has not been that good. This decline in performance can be mainly attributed to his switched coaches, poor diet, and chasing weight way too much.

Hunter’s just trying to get bigger, but that’s just not his strength. Hunter’s strength is his shape, his muscle bellies, his structure and his genetics to be able to have that amazing x-frame. Hunter should not be chasing size, as that is going to ruin his career. I don’t think he looked good this year, because he got too heavy. Why would someone at his height need to be 293 lbs in the off season? It’s not because he doesn’t know how to peak, it’s because he decided to hold on to that weight throughout the prep for way too long, when he should’ve just been dieting and trying to get in shape as fast as possible.

A variable I can’t wrap my head around that’s a new thing with bodybuilders, is their strength during their preps. Why does it matter? Who cares what your strength is? When I competed, I never measured my strength through my preps, as it never mattered to me. As long as I was looking better and getting in shape, that’s ultimately all I cared about. You’re not going on stage to present how strong you are, you’re going on stage to present your physique.

Placing in the top 10 in the world of bodybuilding is extremely good, but I understand why Hunter’s upset and frustrated, as he did drop three places. The 2022 Olympia was way more competitive than the previous year and Hunter did not improve. The judges expected to see a better physique. At the end of the day, if you compete, the judges are looking at you and remembering you from your last show, so you need to level up year after year.

https://youtu.be/slxxruhTQ5g