IFBB Pro Bikini competitor Aimee Delgado will battle for the 2025 Bikini International title at the 2025 Arnold Classic (AC) in Columbus, OH, scheduled for Feb. 28 through March 2. It will be Delgado’s second Bikini International appearance after scoring silver in 2024.
With less than a month before her next competition, Delgado shared her 2024 Olympia mishaps, key adjustments she’s made since, and prep challenges she’s encountered in the lead-up to the showdown in Columbus.
[Related: Sam Sulek Wins Competitive Bodybuilding Show Debut at the 2025 NPC Legends Classic]
Post-Olympia Refining
Delgado intends to display an improved version of her winning 2024 Pittsburgh Pro physique at the 2024 Bikini International. IFBB Vice President and contest judge Tyler Manion concurred that her look from Pittsburgh is the winning formula.
“We have to ensure I’m coming with our Pittsburgh Pro look,” Delgado confirmed.
Adjustments like downsizing her shoulders after 2024 Olympia feedback caused too much muscle loss, sacrificing density and fullness despite her on-point conditioning. She said she looked “squishy and soft on stage.”
Bikini aesthetics are highly sensitive to small weight fluctuations — precision is critical. Delgado and her coach, Jami de Bernard, increased virtual check-ins to three times a week and in-person meet-ups biweekly.
“I’ve been grinding my freaking ass off. This is the most balanced I’ve ever been. My shoulders are definitely not too big,” Delgado said. “I don’t know if this is going to be enough to be competitive at this elite level.”
Challenges, Training Tweaks, & New Habits
Delgado struggled with whether to compete at the Arnold, committing just before the deadline. She knows building muscle isn’t easy and that she wouldn’t be able to put on four pounds in two months.
A notable adjustment to Delgado’s delt training was swapping machine reverse flyes for cable unilateral reverse flyes.
“I get all that range [of motion],” she said. Bilateral reverse flyes don’t maximize the stretch as well as unilateral variations, which might hinder hypertrophy potential.
Delgado switched to unilateral chest-supported cable lat pullovers for a better mind-muscle connection, meticulously logging every detail. She logs workouts, nutrition, hydration, and sleep — it’s a strategy she didn’t employ until after the 2024 Olympia. The results have been game-changing.
This whole prep, I haven’t gone down in weight. I’m still hitting PRs four weeks out.
—Aimee Delgado
Tracking habits enable Delgado to adjust training according to her sleep and hydration levels.
Supportive Sponsorship
Aside from prep changes, Delgado switched sponsorships to Dark Sport — a brand that embraces her authenticity. “They accept me for who I am, not just what I look like on stage,” she shared.
With the Arnold Classic fast approaching, Delgado is determined. “I’m going to show up at my best. Whatever that is, that’s my best, and I’m going to be damn proud of it.”
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Featured image: @fitnessbyaims on Instagram
