While many of bodybuilding’s best Men’s Open athletes battled it out on the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro stage — ultimately won by Derek Lunsford after a tie with Nick Walker in the final — another elite competitor was on the sidelines enjoying the action as a fan.
Akim Williams was in the Steel City, appearing and scouting the competition he will face at the 2025 Mr. Olympia in the Resorts Theater in Las Vegas, NV, on Oct. 9-12. Williams was not in the lineup because he qualified via his win at the 2024 Bigman Weekend Spain Pro.
Aside from his sixth-place finish at the 2025 Arnold Classic, the “BK Beast” has been enjoying time off recovering and building onto his physique to be at his all-time best in Las Vegas.
Williams spoke to BarBend in Pittsburgh about his off-season and chances of ascending the ranks at the Olympia in October.
Editor’s note: The following interview has been lightly edited for readability.
BarBend (BB): Your off-season began after the Arnold Classic; how’s it been?
Williams: Everything is going great. It has been a blessing to be qualified because I haven’t done that in a while; taking a show at the end of the year to qualify for the next year’s Olympia.
BB: Why did you feel that was important to do?
Williams: It lets me know I am going early and take time off to allow my body to heal from all the training and prep I did before. That way, I am 100% locked in for my prep for this year’s Olympia. It’s a great feeling.
BB: Since you have extra time, what are you doing differently?
Williams: I am focusing more on nutrition right now. A clean off-season allows me to make even better gains; I can see and show when in prep. Building muscle makes my body less stressed, especially my joints, when I’m in the gym.
BB: How much volume are you doing compared to full in prep?
Williams: Around 60-70% of what I do in prep. I like to keep the volume high because I want to stay as lean as possible during the off-season. More volume helps me do that, but my breaks and rest periods are longer.
BB: What do you attribute your consistency as a decade-long pro still ranking top-10 at the 2024 Mr. Olympia?
Williams: I credit that to training with more volume. It has evolved. I used to do training like Ronnie Coleman with lower reps and heavy weights. I still do heavy weights, but I found that doing more volume and reps has given me more longevity in the sport.
BB: You have the Legends of Iron podcast with Nick Best and Jon Andersen. How has it been as a media personality?
Williams: It has been going great. We have been covering a lot in bodybuilding and strongman, and it has been going very well. Our listeners have been enjoying it as well. If you haven’t done so yet, please check it out.
BB: Thoughts about the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro?
Williams: Going in, it was Derek Lunsford‘s show to lose since he won the 2025 Arnold Classic. Nick Walker and I are Jersey guys, and I like to root for my Jersey people.
BB: Where will you rank at the 2025 Mr. Olympia?
Williams: I want to move up with all this time off and my improvements. I can see myself battling for the top six this year. We’ll see.
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Featured Image: @akim_bkbeast_williams on Instagram
