Hadi Choopan isn’t settling for second again. The former Mr. Olympia made history in 2022 as the first of the competition’s 18 winners from Iran before finishing in second place one year later to current champion Derek Lunsford.
At the 2023 Mr. Olympia, Choopan controversially stormed off stage upon hearing Lunsford’s name called — it may have been a poor show of sportsmanship, but the incident signaled that Choopan isn’t prepared to part with the title.
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On Jul. 18, 2024, Choopan took to social media to update fans on the current status of his physique. With less than three months until the big show, the “Persian Wolf” has just enough time to enter a contest prep diet and come out the other side looking lean, mean, and ready to win back the Sandow trophy.
Hadi Choopan’s Physique Update: 13 Weeks to the “O”
Choopan is somewhat reclusive about his off-season training and diet, at least compared to a number of his colleagues like Lunsford or Nick Walker. On Instagram, Choopan joked in the caption of his update that he had bulked up to a massive 220 kilograms, or 485 pounds.
- Were he serious, Choopan would be by far the heaviest and biggest bodybuilder to ever grace the Men’s Open stage at the Olympia.
- Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay, who Choopan dethroned after his win in ’21, reportedly weighed as much as 295 pounds on stage, while Choopan himself landed somewhere between 200 and 220 pounds under the lights.
Choopan likely put on plenty of muscle during his off-season, but the Persian Wolf is renowned for his impressive conditioning on stage. “You are not happy I am coming,” he heralded to his competitors six weeks ago on Jun. 4.
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While he may not enter the limelight on social media as often as some of his contemporaries, Choopan certainly hasn’t been taking it easy in 2024. As of July, he’s riding the momentum of back-to-back wins at the 2024 Arnold Classic and Arnold Classic UK.
If Choopan can dial in his body fat and perfect his poses, he’ll certainly have what it takes to fight for the Sandow and clip Lunsford’s wings before he gets off the ground.
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Featured Image: @hadi_choopan / Instagram
