Seven-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath had a front-row seat for the 2025 Arnold Classic as part of the show’s commentary team.
Upon seeing Derek Lunsford dethrone reigning Mr. Olympia Samson Dauda to win his debut Arnold Classic, and the Classic Physique division throne is in flux, Heath offered why he feels the Arnold Classic results could reshape competitive bodybuilding’s future.
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Logan Franklin’s Breakout & Mike Sommerfeld’s Dominance
In Classic Physique, competitors execute five mandatory poses to display their aesthetics, symmetry, and proportions.
- Front Double Biceps
- Side Chest
- Back Double Biceps
- Abdominals and Thighs
- Favorite Classic Pose
Heath gave 2024 Arnold Classic champion Wesley Vissers an honorable mention after he fell to fifth place following what might have been a bout of food poisoning before the competition. The lack of fullness in Vissers’ legs threw off his physique’s symmetry, but Heath remains confident the former champ will bounce back at a future contest.
One of the night’s biggest shocks was Heath’s dark horse pick, Logan Franklin, who packed mass onto his 5’11” frame, enhancing the flow of his front double biceps and front lat spread poses. Franklin secured the Ed Corney Best Poser Award.
With a thick back, chest, rounded shoulders, and complete arms, Heath had difficulty pinpointing any weakness in Mike Sommerfeld’s physique. His individual posing routine screamed of bodybuilding’s Golden Age, and Heath labeled Sommerfeld the deserving winner.
Derek Lunsford’s Redemption & Samson Dauda’s Misstep
In Open Bodybuilding, athletes perform eight mandatory poses to showcase their size, conditioning, and symmetry.
- Front Double Biceps
- Front Lat Spread
- Side Chest
- Back Double Biceps
- Back Lat Spread
- Side Triceps
- Abdominals and Thighs
- Most Muscular
Heath believes he underestimated Brandon Curry, whose fullness and improved leg separation pushed competitors like William Bonac and Akim Williams further from the podium.
Chinedu Andrew Obiekea, better known as Andrew Jacked, showed more personality onstage as he delivered a blindfolded posing routine reminiscent of the late Cedric McMillan. While Heath claimed the Nigerian native had the best X-frame in the IFBB, he believes the linchpin to Jacked’s future success lies in sharper conditioning.
Samson Dauda’s performance told two different stories. He wasn’t as lean during pre-judging as Heath would have liked. However, Dauda shored that up in the finals on Saturday night.
Being flat wasn’t an issue for Lunsford. The two-division Olympia champion brought bursting fullness and hard conditioning, helping him close the gap in the front and side poses against Dauda. Heath acknowledged that Lunsford brought his best package to date.
Though Lunsford showcased a winning physique in Columbus, he is set on regaining his position as the world’s top bodybuilder at the 2025 Mr. Olympia, held Oct. 9-12 in Las Vegas, NV.
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Featured image: @philheath on Instagram
