it’s funny how hunter is gasping and sputtering like a fish out of water while he poses and nick is just a statue. Not only did nick beat him physique-wise but he also posed way better.
And keep in mind Nick just turned pro last year, hes only 27. So much potential. He holds his poses effortlesly. Hunter looks like his face is gonna blow up
@Wacky Movie Clips Posing is definitely VERY important. That's the whole reason why Shawn Clarida won the 212 Olympia last year. Kamal couldn't for the life of him hold a pose while Clarida held it like a statue, very long and without flinching.
I couldn’t help but notice that labrada nutrition sign on the stage while they were all posing during the stream. I really hope that wasn’t part of it. When you go pose for pose though it definitely looked like nick beat hunter so i dont know what exactly happened on the judging side of things. I know nick doesn’t care about 4th or 5th place though he only came for the win I’m sure
hunter should be ashamed of himself. He looked so out of place against the other 4 guys- completely bought that 4th place. Sad how blatant the favouritism was
@@juanaguirre6153 kinda funny to see him calling Nick bloaty because Hunter was the one with smooth abdomen, had no seperation in his delts and brought sub-par conditioning.
@@mw1859 its everywhere bro. Go look almost anywhere, the bigger majority agrees Nick looked better than Hunter & his washed out midsection. Its not just 1 person that agrees
I've personally learnt so much about how to approach judging bodybuilding through your channel. You can't see what you're not looking for. Thank you for letting us understand the finer points!
Even tho there is some truth to it, the whole “you can’t judge if you weren’t there” becomes maddening at some point. When you have multiple high quality videos and photos from multiple people showing something pretty clearly the most likely scenario is that what it’s showing is accurate.
you can definitely judge, but you shouldn't definitively claim it's 100% like that in person thus your judging is appropriate. Time and time again we hear from people who go to these shows and defend Iain and others that the fans criticize online based on live footage and semi crappy pictures. Even in full HD it's not the same thing.
Hunter has Striations in the quads and lateral head And Cuts in his quads i feel like Lighting did not favor him Nick Did deserve 4th but I understand Hunter getting 4th
@@rodiperez7918 & Hunters midesction was washed out, Nick had more detail in his & Nick has lower lat insertions, visible from the rear double bi shot. & Nick literally just turned pro last year, so hes only gonna get better
Im thinking, if judges took shape over thickness and conditioning in the judging between Nick and Hunter, bc obviously that´s the only explanation for Hunter overtaking Nick. Then wtf did Ramy placed ahead of Brandon if the same criteria remains?
Ramy is also way bigger than Brandon and just as conditioned. Hunter is also bigger than Nick, especially in the lat spreads and the side poses. What Nick really has over Hunter is conditioning but is giving up size, width and overall shape so go figure.
I wouldn't say it's the same tho. You have two big guys here that look more or less "the same", then they choose shape over mass and thickness. Ramy vs B. Curry tho you have a f*** monster against a very big guy with "small" legs and good shape. Then the f*** monster wins.
Hey Tommy! Just wanted to say you have improved so so so so much on being concise while still getting across the information we need to understand what you're getting at. This is like the perfect balance and length for a breakdown. You used to kinda ramble on and on (no offense) and I really like how focused this video is! Just great to see you improve over the years.
Anyone remember the drama about changing the Olympia judging criteria in regards to conditioning? I remember a statement that the Olympia judges were not supposed to heavily emphasize conditioning because of recent deaths, maybe that's why Hadi and Nick didn't place higher than they should have.
So not reward who brought great package at all? If so, why did they place Hadi so high there instead of pushing him low? Why is Roelly not in the first call out?
THIS! Imagine the meetings they had after George's death (if that indeed had to do with the prep in any way). And I dont think they are wrong in doing that either. If conditioning is judged more heavily than structure, flow, size and so on, then we will see more deaths. And in the end, it will be bad for the sport because the only companies that would wanna touch the Olympia with sponsorships will be the hardcore supliments or equipment companies. And if the goal is to make bodybuilding at least a bit mainstream again then we cant have people dying like flies. There will always be guys that will push it to the limit, and a guy that has it all will dominate. But maybe some guys can win shows without risking their lives. I showed some pics on instagram to some friends during this weekend and based on their reactions to the physiques I would say though that any hope of making BB mainstream again is hopeless. At least the open class. And THAT's why classic physique, or something more like it is the way of the future. ;)
Yeah so Cedric should make a comeback with his usual offseason conditioning and win the whole thing ? Hard work>Genetics thats how it has and should be.
Thank God for content like this. You always call it straight up and honest. This is a perfect example of the politics of this sport. Nick clearly is more hard, muscular and conditioned over Hunter. They have to fix this. But it doesn't seem like it's going to happen any time soon.
It's sad that Nick brought his A game to the show just to lose to a slightly off Hunter. The only thing Nick has to do is win another Arnold and solidify his consistency and his status as a real threat to the Sandow.
Isn’t it sad that they don’t judge guys based on how they look that day, they have to “prove it” in previous competitions. Politics would be drowning this sport if we didn’t watch to support the athletes. The judges are terrible.
Hunter is huge and wider and IMO he wins some poses like the front lat spread and the side triceps. He's also holding his own in the side chest, but overall Nick is winning at least half the poses and he's 10 times more cut whilst not giving up that much size. I don't see the debate here. Nick was indeed robbed.
@@mansipandare4285 Look at 0:45. Hunter is way wider and bigger. Nick was in way better condition. I'd give it to Nick, but Hunter does have better lines and he is bigger. I don't think the judges are swayed by Labrada Nutrition being a sponsor. Maybe you have to be there? I think Hunter's back is piss poor, and his pec tear destroys his symmetry. He also lacks the separation of his father Lee.
Hunter is not smaller and he’s way more aethestic and symmetrical than Nick. It’s what the judges want….Brandon was more conditioned than Big Ramy but they gave the tittle to Ramy. They have to let the funs know what they are looking for. At least they stopped giving points to pregnant bodybuilders.
All these guys are huge and wide. I think Hunter is not Top 10 quality. Replace him with any of the 7 guys below him in the Top 5, and they all look better. I even think Hollingshead looks better. He may be a great guy, but his name bought him that place.
a big thing with Olympia is that they like "tradition".. keeping Nick in 5th (the newcomer) behind Hunter (2nd year) gives him room to improve in 2022.. they care about managing the results for a story line.. it looks bad for the event when the results are all over the place year to year
Brandon and Hunter are actually a substantial amount taller than Nick Walker. Can't compare them weight-wise. Not sure where you're getting this idea that they're the same height.
3:58 the only over hyped person here is Iain, I don’t even think the dude deserved 7th cause what is this pose here dude has no triceps to speak of. And he can never hold a pose he’s the least conditioned and always the quickest to fade like at the 5:00 mark
Awesome job analyzing all of these shots. Much appreciated Tom. Ultimately my biggest grievance was more about how the judges thought of Hunter vs Nick by putting Hunter with the Top 3 where he most definitely did not belong in my opinion. If both Hunter and Nick move to make a top 5 callout then fine, but excluding Nick from that was a very poor choice.
8:30 I don't know if Nick's got that much room to improve upon. He's already been making ridiculous gains. I remember seeing a picture where he's been adding RIDICULOUS amounts of mass for like 8 years. He's probably got very little room for improvement as he's obviously been doing everything right/optimally for a long time and the body still has a ceiling even with all the PED's.
Idk about that. He's only 27. What scares me is his midsection. It's already blocky and it's not going to get any smaller. He has good abs but he really needs to focus on keeping it tight.
@@JeffSmith-eq3kc Him being 27 is pretty irrelevant, as he could have been lifting since he was a little kid and could have also hopped on the sauce at a young age, therefore maxing out his genetic limit much faster than most people would have. You don’t just keep growing forever, there’s a genetic ceiling for everyone. You could reach it in your late 30’s or you could reach it in your late 20’s, but a limit’s a limit. I’m not sayinf he’s reached his limit, though. He might still have a little room for improvement, or he might be the next Ronnie Coleman and still has 20lbs to go. He’d likely have an irreparable bubble gut at that point, though.
Only thing that is going to continue to grow on Nick is his gut and it’s already huge as it is. His midsection is going to be his downfall in the years to come. Wait and see
It reminds me of 2007 when Dennis Wolf came in his first Olympia looking like a greek god of Olympus and placed fifth behind Coleman who was a bunch of torn muscles.The rookies just have to pay their dues.
Great job. The livestream feed may obscure some conditioning and details that we'd see in person. Perhaps that's why the judges favor guys like Hunter and Ian more than us fans do.
video in general. it looks very different in person. even if you are in the audience sitting farther back than the judges, you don't see what they see.
The Lat Spread poses are the only issues I have with Nick. He is having issues fully opening up, you can see those Scapulas just won’t open, he needs some fascia release back there. If Nick can bring his back up and fix the mobility issue he will smash Hunter. If Hunter comes in with Nicks/Hadi-like conditioning I don’t think Nick stands a chance. Hunter has superior shape and structure he is just missing lights out conditioning. Bonac needs to put his pride aside and call up Neil Hill or he will continue to fall in placings. As far as Iain goes I just don’t get his hype, he is all silhouette and no detail….I’m just not a fan..
Pec delt tie in is correct. Gary Strydom had a great one. Hunters balance n flow is the best head to toe of all of them. He even looks bigger than Nick in the hands clasped most muscular at the end.
I can see how Labrada could place ahead of Nick, what I don't see is how could it be unanimous decision, no matter who you place ahead it's close either way.
tom you had promised that you are gonna make top 10 lowerbodies in bodybuilding in which quads abductors glutes hamstring and calves combined are gonna be judged but never made one this is a reminder and topic is very cool . also if u made this video topic idea dont forget to consider dallas macarver in the mix . love your videos
I also have Nick over Hunter no doubt it's a LABRADA political thing! I actually have Justin Rodriguez over Hunter too, he looked great and better conditioning than Hunter too, only Hadi and Nick had better condition imo.
Can I ask a question? Since Nick and Hadi and Justin were the most conditioned guys in the lineup how come nobody talks about Ramy wining the show with a less conditioned body and everyone talking about Hunter?
Awesome video Tom, But would it be better to use photos? It would look a lot better when only they 2 are in the frame + yes you are using the stream but you are still pausing on every pose Just like a photo
I saw it in person and to be fair, the Olympia livestream did no one any favors as far as showing detail and conditioning(I’d wager everyone was about 10% sharper than it looks on stream) but that being said I was surprised that Hunter beat Nick, if I was forced to say why Hunter won my money is on his structure, and his improvement from last show(and from the prejudging to finals he definitely sharpened up). Nick was practically made of stone, the only person harder on the stage was Hadi.
100% yes. I think Curry should also do that. Hadi crunches down and is more upright/forwards leaning, too. The only person who seemingly shouldn't do that, is Bonac. His abs looks way better when he's not crunched down on them, at which point they become rather messy.
Hey Tom I enjoy your work, but one thing I think we often neglect to mention about bodybuilding is that it's really scored against the field. And we lose that with the "side by side" comparison of two people. And this causes unexpected results and often I think leads people to call incorrect placings. So just to simplify an example where a pose is a 1-100 on how strong it is. You can have the first guy with a 100 perfect side-chest, a second guy 80 for side chest, a third guy with a 79 for side chest. Then for Abs and Thighs the first guy has a 98, second guy has a 100, and third guy has a 99. The first guy dominated side-chest he barely is worse then the other two but nonetheless he gets third in Abs and Thighs. So then the first guy wins one pose and gets third in the other while the second guy has a second for one pose and a first for the other. Without the third guy being there we have the first guy CRUSHING the second guy in the side chest and barely losing in abs in thigh and probably say "they each win one pose so they're tied" when in reality the second guy is definitively ahead. And this can happen with multiple bodybuilders for either pose. This more than anything, I believe, accounts for a lot of the more controversial bodybuilding placements. Because you can barely win some poses, or barely lose some poses against the rest of the field and it completely changes the result based on who is there. Especially if you have one or two bad poses the rest of the field can either not penalize you at all or completely destroy your placing. This can allow you to win every single pose but get 8th on one pose, and lose to a guy who had second on everything, man what a crazy hypothetical that would be to lose your 8th Olympia with something crazy like that
That's not how they score it though, even though in theory yeah it probably should work that way. It's way too granular for them to do something like that when they need to evaluate 3-6 different physiques in a span of 5-10 seconds.
I really appreciate your analysis and despite being a very critical user who often does not agree with the most commercial bodybuilding channels, with your words I agree 100% it is a very accurate and honest analysis. Only in the front lat spread Nick is behind in Labrada I don't know what the judges saw ... I honestly would have put: 1Big Ramy 2Hadi 3Nick 4Brandon. it's bad to say but I think Labrada is driven a lot by the interests of Labrada Nutrition, even the commentators made fun of it during the show ...
I didn't see anything mind bogglingly amazing with hunter.. that being said, I hope all this robbery talk motivates him to animorph into a Belgium bull at his next appearance against nick. thanks for the content tom!
I think the judges were partial to Hunter because of his father’s influence in the industry/sport. I also suspect they deduct points for Nick’s varicose veins.
Great vid, I had a hard time with this comparison in real time. I think Hunter placed higher because Nick was not as good as at the Arnold. Judges need to make snap judgements when placing guys, and the Arnold was so recent that we all remember clearly how good Nick was. He wasn't as sharp here. Judges saw that too, so gave Hunter the benefit of the doubt.
Of course it did!! But I'm glad you are voicing your honest opinion unlike the judges who were obviously giving certain individuals their pay pal information
I love Nicks physique and his ability to pose like a statue, hes definitely in my top three bodybuilders right now, but I hate his front lat spread, he brings his elbows to forward and completely blocks his lats.
This is sooooo close. Hunter is a lot bigger than I thought. Nick was sharper overall but Hunter has the nicer lines. So its an apples and oranges thing. I had Nick edging Hunter out but I could see where the judges may have preferred Hunters overall look and flow. Nick has some structural issues that are hard to hide. He is awesome so do not take it wrong. The guy packs on a lot of size and comes in ripped but Hunter does have the nicer frame (thanks to his dads genetics). If Hunter tightens up the wheels and continues to improve at the already fast pace he is, Nick is going to have a tough time with Hunter at any show.
I agree... There were quite a few shots where Hunter actually makes Nick look small. So he's significantly bigger, wider, and more aesthetically shaped, which can go a long way with the judges. I also think Nick's absurdly veiny legs make his legs look a lot more conditioned and separated than they really are. I haven't really seen striations in any of Nick's legs and the heads of his thigh muscles just aren't very big. Nick's legs really aren't great imo and I think the veins covering up for lack of separation, striations, and general musculature was probably a lot more apparent to the judges. All that said, Hunters abs were totally washed out in about half the shots and his legs were washed out in about 2/3rds of the shots. I'd have still given it to Nick, but it's close.
Nick's ab separation is absolutely day and night compared to the other guys. His front lad spread DEFINITELY needs to improve. He is still so young though and being on that stage alone is an achievement
Walker over Bonar over Hunter. But hey , these are all top-notch, elite level bodybuilders and sometimes the differences are so minute. And our sport will always be a subjective one.
I don’t see it as a robbery, i can make a case for both being in forth , while the size of hunter is way more than nick , , which that’s why rami beat brandon and hadi , he wasn’t that conditioned but still won , so i can see why hunter took fourth but if nick took 4th i wouldn’t be surprised either
Well when your dads company sponsors the show... i almost feel bad for hunter because he is going to have to hear about getting gifted his placing all year from everyone. It would be embarrassing as hell and Im sure pissed off alot of his fellow pros as well.
Make a video on Ramys best shape. Ever since he won his first Olympia, looking back at some of his older shows he was definitely leaner; pretty much as big and better conditioned. Oh and he had a lower back. It’s just disappeared
Youre deffintately in the minority, most ppl agree Nick looks better. Thats why so many ppl are making vids about it. Ive even seen multiple polls with thousands of ppl & they all favor Nick Walker
1:00 Jesus Labrada looks unreasonably bigger than Nick. Like he's literally standing closer to the camera. He not only looks bigger, he seems to be a different scale than everyone else. The camera is doing very weird things here.
@@dj_m19 Guess I just figured with how "freaky" large everyone says Nick is that I wouldn't expect him to look that much smaller. And Labrada's legs are significantly bigger. Also don't agree that Nick has bigger arms (9:07). But he is more conditioned. It seems that size vs. conditioning is something that seems to shift in importance. The judging on this seems very arbitrary.
@@artistryartistry7239 yeah I agree, I don't see why Tomn8er is rewarding a little bit of conditioning far more than size. Labrada seems a lot bigger to me in the side shots, especially the side tricep while being more aesthetic and pleasing to the eye. His midsection is commendable at that size.
Labrada looks better....Most Muscular pose absolutely destroys Nick. Labrada looks like he was saran wrapped...He also has much more detail in the upper back on the second night. Nick actually looks blocky compared to Labrada. Labrada's separation in his shoulders is much better than Nick. In fact, Labrada's shoulder separation is among the best I've ever seen. Go to 8:03.
So if we agree that there are at least certain valid arguments for Hunter winning 4th place, and that it was kinda close, it’s probably not too much of a long shot to assume that the sponsorship was the little extra that placed Hunter ahead of Nick.
I agree Nick shouldve gotten 4th. I also prefer how almost effortless Nick holds his poses, looks calm. Meanwhile Hunters face looks like hes gonna blow up 💥💥 & Hunters midesction was washed out, very little definition. & Hunters last name probably helped him too
Nicks width isn’t too much of a problem in the rear lat, It’s his posing. You can see his shoulder blades which means he isn’t snapping the pose all the way. That’s also why his back looks so much softer than in the rear double.
Sponsored by Labrada Nutrition.... You dont have to be a pro judge to see that Nick was better. Only thing you argue is "but Nick's structure" but miss me with that
The management needs to do something about the lighting. Get rid of those criss cross flashy stuff in the background and lit up the damn stage. It's just too dark and distracting.
The only thing that I can see, that might've played a part in Nick coming in 5th. Is his tanning might've been to dark. Which can play a big part, in your lines being faded.
Being a huge Hunter fan and not so much a Nick.. there is absolutely no denying Nick beat Hunter here. Hunter had (some) poses where he dominated but damn was Nick conditioned.. I mean everything popped. And thats saying something cuz Hunter is very aesthetic for his size.
Actually after seeing this video I can understand why Hunter placed ahead of Nick now. I still think Nick edged him out, but this seems like something reasonable people can disagree on. Nick just has NO lats and Hunter utterly destroyed him on both the lat spreads, so that is probably what did him in.
Also for finals the way Hunter's tan, posing and conditioning seemed to be crisper... Furthermore, Hunter seemed to master the ability of making himself look bigger than he actually is
Is it just me or did anybody else remember Ian having a wider upper body on the front double bicep? Might be an illusion but his upper body looks much more narrow in that pose now.
I totally get it. Lots of reasons. Hunter's quads/legs are absolutely better than Nick's. Hunter's proportions are much better than Nick's. Hunters overall muscle quality is just genetically superior to Nick's. Not hating on Nick, just very unexpectedly and pleasantly surprised by this Hunter kid. I'm a fan now and I hope he just continues to get thicker and bigger because I feel like he has the potential to be #1 some day.
it’s funny how hunter is gasping and sputtering like a fish out of water while he poses and nick is just a statue. Not only did nick beat him physique-wise but he also posed way better.
Nick is really good at holding his poses
@@Tomn8er it was the first thing I noticed when he went on stage. Literally like a statue.
And keep in mind Nick just turned pro last year, hes only 27. So much potential. He holds his poses effortlesly. Hunter looks like his face is gonna blow up
It's even worse when you consider the perfect poser that his father was. It's like an Andretti not winning a Formula 1 race or something.
@Wacky Movie Clips Posing is definitely VERY important. That's the whole reason why Shawn Clarida won the 212 Olympia last year. Kamal couldn't for the life of him hold a pose while Clarida held it like a statue, very long and without flinching.
"Okay we missed the Latspread because the cameraman decided he only wanted to show Iain and Bonac"
Imagine paying $60 for that shit
atleast in Russia some komrads pirated this shit of a stream, its not exceptable especially when Arnold was almost perfect and for FREE
@@HardbrasH1 What does this have to do with Russians? People pirate stuff everywhere
@@Icetea-2000 nothing. I just shared my experience.
I couldn’t help but notice that labrada nutrition sign on the stage while they were all posing during the stream. I really hope that wasn’t part of it. When you go pose for pose though it definitely looked like nick beat hunter so i dont know what exactly happened on the judging side of things. I know nick doesn’t care about 4th or 5th place though he only came for the win I’m sure
Ofc it is a part of it...
hunter should be ashamed of himself. He looked so out of place against the other 4 guys- completely bought that 4th place. Sad how blatant the favouritism was
Yea its part of it, politics
@Wacky Movie Clips I keep hearing that- who cares if he brought his best package ? Lol you’re rewarding people for making improvements now ? Lol
Politics. $$ talks. If Nicks name were Nick Labrada he wouldve placed higher 🤣
The #4 placing is brought to you by Labrada nutrition.
😅
Hunter is bigger and better thaan "mr bloaty" septic tank nick walker😂😂😂
@@mercurygamingcommunitypubg7290 Seems that you only should watch the classic division
@@juanaguirre6153 kinda funny to see him calling Nick bloaty because Hunter was the one with smooth abdomen, had no seperation in his delts and brought sub-par conditioning.
Lolo. Nah.
Labrada beating Walker is highway robbery. Even Phil Heath had Walker in fourth.
I believe either Shawn Ray or phil mentioned that hunter was being carried by his structure and last name.
@@robertopics last name 🤣
@@mw1859 its everywhere bro. Go look almost anywhere, the bigger majority agrees Nick looked better than Hunter & his washed out midsection. Its not just 1 person that agrees
Whoooooo caaaaaaaaares what he thinks
@@skyelark155 his opinion means more than yours for starters
Hunter should take over the title of "THE GIFT" from Phil. He was literally gifted 4th place by daddy labrada and labrada nutrition sponsorships
😂😂😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
You are full of it
Nah, Iain should be called The Gift .. what a Christmas of a year he's had
That is what I have been saying, right on!
I always think that too , because Labrada is a sponsor of the Event
I've personally learnt so much about how to approach judging bodybuilding through your channel. You can't see what you're not looking for. Thank you for letting us understand the finer points!
Even tho there is some truth to it, the whole “you can’t judge if you weren’t there” becomes
maddening at some point. When you have multiple high quality videos and photos from multiple people showing something pretty clearly the most likely scenario is that what it’s showing is accurate.
you can definitely judge, but you shouldn't definitively claim it's 100% like that in person thus your judging is appropriate. Time and time again we hear from people who go to these shows and defend Iain and others that the fans criticize online based on live footage and semi crappy pictures. Even in full HD it's not the same thing.
Hunter has Striations in the quads and lateral head And Cuts in his quads i feel like Lighting did not favor him Nick Did deserve 4th but I understand Hunter getting 4th
@@rodiperez7918 & Hunters midesction was washed out, Nick had more detail in his & Nick has lower lat insertions, visible from the rear double bi shot.
& Nick literally just turned pro last year, so hes only gonna get better
Nah Hunter was Clear winner
@@finalboss7956 And Waist is only gonna get bigger.Hes almost Conpletely maxed out besides his back imo
Im thinking, if judges took shape over thickness and conditioning in the judging between Nick and Hunter, bc obviously that´s the only explanation for Hunter overtaking Nick. Then wtf did Ramy placed ahead of Brandon if the same criteria remains?
Perfectly said. Inconsistencies like this at the highest level really hold bodybuilding back, in my opinion.
I think the answer is unfortunately politics. Labrada Nutrition was a sponsor
Ramy is also way bigger than Brandon and just as conditioned. Hunter is also bigger than Nick, especially in the lat spreads and the side poses. What Nick really has over Hunter is conditioning but is giving up size, width and overall shape so go figure.
I wouldn't say it's the same tho. You have two big guys here that look more or less "the same", then they choose shape over mass and thickness. Ramy vs B. Curry tho you have a f*** monster against a very big guy with "small" legs and good shape. Then the f*** monster wins.
Because Brandon has no legs
Hey Tommy! Just wanted to say you have improved so so so so much on being concise while still getting across the information we need to understand what you're getting at. This is like the perfect balance and length for a breakdown. You used to kinda ramble on and on (no offense) and I really like how focused this video is! Just great to see you improve over the years.
Anyone remember the drama about changing the Olympia judging criteria in regards to conditioning? I remember a statement that the Olympia judges were not supposed to heavily emphasize conditioning because of recent deaths, maybe that's why Hadi and Nick didn't place higher than they should have.
Oh true you could be on to something
So not reward who brought great package at all? If so, why did they place Hadi so high there instead of pushing him low? Why is Roelly not in the first call out?
So maybe reward structure/overall package over bigger/more conditioned guys? Even then I could see Ramy dominating that game.
THIS! Imagine the meetings they had after George's death (if that indeed had to do with the prep in any way). And I dont think they are wrong in doing that either. If conditioning is judged more heavily than structure, flow, size and so on, then we will see more deaths. And in the end, it will be bad for the sport because the only companies that would wanna touch the Olympia with sponsorships will be the hardcore supliments or equipment companies. And if the goal is to make bodybuilding at least a bit mainstream again then we cant have people dying like flies.
There will always be guys that will push it to the limit, and a guy that has it all will dominate. But maybe some guys can win shows without risking their lives.
I showed some pics on instagram to some friends during this weekend and based on their reactions to the physiques I would say though that any hope of making BB mainstream again is hopeless. At least the open class. And THAT's why classic physique, or something more like it is the way of the future. ;)
Yeah so Cedric should make a comeback with his usual offseason conditioning and win the whole thing ? Hard work>Genetics thats how it has and should be.
Don’t need to argue about this ! Nick Walker was robbed and there’s no way Hunter beat him ! Period !
Nick should have been 4th !
He did hunter was more dry symmetrical and wider
Disagree
@@paulenger4494 how do u disagree facts?
What facts?.. judging is always subjective and changes.. Hunter Labrada has a more pleasing physique..
Nick Walker has a blocky mid section and goofy calves
Thank God for content like this. You always call it straight up and honest. This is a perfect example of the politics of this sport. Nick clearly is more hard, muscular and conditioned over Hunter. They have to fix this. But it doesn't seem like it's going to happen any time soon.
I don't think Hunter is Top 10 quality, even Hollingshead looked better. This is pure politics, and mars the sport.
@@ASTRUM502 you guys are morons, thinking you can rejudge a show based on video. doesn't work like that.
@@louiscyfer6944 It's just for fun. Sure, we can't change anything.
@@ASTRUM502 i am talking about a video not being accurate as to what the judges saw.
@@louiscyfer6944 OK.
It's sad that Nick brought his A game to the show just to lose to a slightly off Hunter. The only thing Nick has to do is win another Arnold and solidify his consistency and his status as a real threat to the Sandow.
Isn’t it sad that they don’t judge guys based on how they look that day, they have to “prove it” in previous competitions. Politics would be drowning this sport if we didn’t watch to support the athletes. The judges are terrible.
what has arnold to do with olympia
Nick’s “A game “ is just not good enough. Asymmetric biceps on the Mutant not good.
ROBBERY. Even though Hunter has the potential to win it all IMO, you can’t reward a guy that came in off over a guy that was on.
Hunter is huge and wider and IMO he wins some poses like the front lat spread and the side triceps. He's also holding his own in the side chest, but overall Nick is winning at least half the poses and he's 10 times more cut whilst not giving up that much size. I don't see the debate here. Nick was indeed robbed.
I don't think wider than nick but better shoulder to waist ratio than nick
TheAnabolic Chicken their is nobway hunter should have placed ahead of nick. This is bad on so many levels.
@@mansipandare4285 Look at 0:45. Hunter is way wider and bigger. Nick was in way better condition.
I'd give it to Nick, but Hunter does have better lines and he is bigger. I don't think the judges are swayed by Labrada Nutrition being a sponsor. Maybe you have to be there? I think Hunter's back is piss poor, and his pec tear destroys his symmetry. He also lacks the separation of his father Lee.
Hunter is not smaller and he’s way more aethestic and symmetrical than Nick. It’s what the judges want….Brandon was more conditioned than Big Ramy but they gave the tittle to Ramy. They have to let the funs know what they are looking for. At least they stopped giving points to pregnant bodybuilders.
All these guys are huge and wide. I think Hunter is not Top 10 quality. Replace him with any of the 7 guys below him in the Top 5, and they all look better. I even think Hollingshead looks better. He may be a great guy, but his name bought him that place.
a big thing with Olympia is that they like "tradition".. keeping Nick in 5th (the newcomer) behind Hunter (2nd year) gives him room to improve in 2022.. they care about managing the results for a story line.. it looks bad for the event when the results are all over the place year to year
Not really bozo. Hadi came 3rd in his first Olympia
@@Ak-qn9qc Yeah so did Phil back in 08.
Always happy to see you upload vids man. I'll take a look after my shift with my meal. Thanks for your content 🙏
At last, the specialist of bb reviews!!
Brandon and Hunter are actually a substantial amount taller than Nick Walker. Can't compare them weight-wise. Not sure where you're getting this idea that they're the same height.
I was there live and Nick absolutely won
3:58 the only over hyped person here is Iain, I don’t even think the dude deserved 7th cause what is this pose here dude has no triceps to speak of. And he can never hold a pose he’s the least conditioned and always the quickest to fade like at the 5:00 mark
I thought I was the only one who noticed this. Looked like he watched some posing videos backstage and then tried to recreate them
Awesome job analyzing all of these shots. Much appreciated Tom. Ultimately my biggest grievance was more about how the judges thought of Hunter vs Nick by putting Hunter with the Top 3 where he most definitely did not belong in my opinion. If both Hunter and Nick move to make a top 5 callout then fine, but excluding Nick from that was a very poor choice.
8:30 I don't know if Nick's got that much room to improve upon. He's already been making ridiculous gains. I remember seeing a picture where he's been adding RIDICULOUS amounts of mass for like 8 years. He's probably got very little room for improvement as he's obviously been doing everything right/optimally for a long time and the body still has a ceiling even with all the PED's.
I agree.. his physique is already at the limit
Yes he won't grow that much in size but his muscles will get way more mature and start popping more.
Idk about that. He's only 27. What scares me is his midsection. It's already blocky and it's not going to get any smaller. He has good abs but he really needs to focus on keeping it tight.
@@JeffSmith-eq3kc Him being 27 is pretty irrelevant, as he could have been lifting since he was a little kid and could have also hopped on the sauce at a young age, therefore maxing out his genetic limit much faster than most people would have. You don’t just keep growing forever, there’s a genetic ceiling for everyone. You could reach it in your late 30’s or you could reach it in your late 20’s, but a limit’s a limit. I’m not sayinf he’s reached his limit, though. He might still have a little room for improvement, or he might be the next Ronnie Coleman and still has 20lbs to go. He’d likely have an irreparable bubble gut at that point, though.
Only thing that is going to continue to grow on Nick is his gut and it’s already huge as it is. His midsection is going to be his downfall in the years to come. Wait and see
It reminds me of 2007 when Dennis Wolf came in his first Olympia looking like a greek god of Olympus and placed fifth behind Coleman who was a bunch of torn muscles.The rookies just have to pay their dues.
Great job. The livestream feed may obscure some conditioning and details that we'd see in person. Perhaps that's why the judges favor guys like Hunter and Ian more than us fans do.
video in general. it looks very different in person. even if you are in the audience sitting farther back than the judges, you don't see what they see.
The Lat Spread poses are the only issues I have with Nick. He is having issues fully opening up, you can see those Scapulas just won’t open, he needs some fascia release back there. If Nick can bring his back up and fix the mobility issue he will smash Hunter. If Hunter comes in with Nicks/Hadi-like conditioning I don’t think Nick stands a chance. Hunter has superior shape and structure he is just missing lights out conditioning. Bonac needs to put his pride aside and call up Neil Hill or he will continue to fall in placings. As far as Iain goes I just don’t get his hype, he is all silhouette and no detail….I’m just not a fan..
Ya seems like hes not rolling his shoulder blades out as far as they should but from the back lights out
Hunter should have been placed 6th, Nick 4th & bonac 5th. Some type of Nepotism going on I can see.
I say Bonac outedged Nick and was completely overlooked. He brought a brand new package that was under valued. So much size he added to his frame.
I’m still don’t know who , Hunter beat nick, nick look way better from distance , n close.
What a beautiful channel you’re Analysis is just like More plates for dates I hope this channel absolutely blows up
Pec delt tie in is correct. Gary Strydom had a great one. Hunters balance n flow is the best head to toe of all of them. He even looks bigger than Nick in the hands clasped most muscular at the end.
I agree.
All those ads at the back are distracting. Mr.O need to get their sht together
I can see how Labrada could place ahead of Nick, what I don't see is how could it be unanimous decision, no matter who you place ahead it's close either way.
tom, havent watched the vid yet, but man I was waiting for this👌🏼 ty bro
Yes! This is the video we've been waiting for
Really love your Vids tom, greetings from germany keep the great work up!
Well they were supposed to be less focused on conditioning this year due to recent deaths so maybe they rewarded hunter for symmetry and shape.
tom you had promised that you are gonna make top 10 lowerbodies in bodybuilding in which quads abductors glutes hamstring and calves combined are gonna be judged but never made one this is a reminder and topic is very cool . also if u made this video topic idea dont forget to consider dallas macarver in the mix . love your videos
I also have Nick over Hunter no doubt it's a LABRADA political thing! I actually have Justin Rodriguez over Hunter too, he looked great and better conditioning than Hunter too, only Hadi and Nick had better condition imo.
Can I ask a question? Since Nick and Hadi and Justin were the most conditioned guys in the lineup how come nobody talks about Ramy wining the show with a less conditioned body and everyone talking about Hunter?
@@dimitrisfarmakis7572 BEcause Ramy is too big man,he dominates.
labrada nutrition 1:35 ; i think having that sponsor in the backdrop right behind the competitors kind of explains the placing situation.
Got a video idea for you Tom.... the best poses of 2021...
Examples: rear double bicep ( nick walker
Side tricep: hunter labrada ect
@@AB-ff1cq I know but he's the best! And does some special vids every now & then ...
Damn the lighting and background in these Olympias really do suck. Also, the guys went a little too dark with the tanning.
Another great analysis Tom
Nick 4
Bonac 5
Hunter 6
Awesome video Tom, But would it be better to use photos?
It would look a lot better when only they 2 are in the frame + yes you are using the stream but you are still pausing on every pose Just like a photo
Hey I paid $75 for this stream so gonna get some use out of it 😂
@@Tomn8er Careful you don’t get NSP’d 🤭
I saw it in person and to be fair, the Olympia livestream did no one any favors as far as showing detail and conditioning(I’d wager everyone was about 10% sharper than it looks on stream) but that being said I was surprised that Hunter beat Nick, if I was forced to say why Hunter won my money is on his structure, and his improvement from last show(and from the prejudging to finals he definitely sharpened up). Nick was practically made of stone, the only person harder on the stage was Hadi.
In the 1rst two posses, Hunter looks smooth as fu**!!. The robed Nick.
you guys know how ramy crunches down his abs on his lat spread? I think that's how nick walker should do it
100% yes. I think Curry should also do that.
Hadi crunches down and is more upright/forwards leaning, too.
The only person who seemingly shouldn't do that, is Bonac. His abs looks way better when he's not crunched down on them, at which point they become rather messy.
Thats cuz he trying to hide large waist.
Do they maybe really mark you down if you have a pose that really doesn't work, like Nick's front lat spread maybe?
They are human. After a bad pose they may be disenchanted with your physique period.
Hey Tom I enjoy your work, but one thing I think we often neglect to mention about bodybuilding is that it's really scored against the field. And we lose that with the "side by side" comparison of two people. And this causes unexpected results and often I think leads people to call incorrect placings. So just to simplify an example where a pose is a 1-100 on how strong it is. You can have the first guy with a 100 perfect side-chest, a second guy 80 for side chest, a third guy with a 79 for side chest. Then for Abs and Thighs the first guy has a 98, second guy has a 100, and third guy has a 99. The first guy dominated side-chest he barely is worse then the other two but nonetheless he gets third in Abs and Thighs. So then the first guy wins one pose and gets third in the other while the second guy has a second for one pose and a first for the other. Without the third guy being there we have the first guy CRUSHING the second guy in the side chest and barely losing in abs in thigh and probably say "they each win one pose so they're tied" when in reality the second guy is definitively ahead. And this can happen with multiple bodybuilders for either pose. This more than anything, I believe, accounts for a lot of the more controversial bodybuilding placements. Because you can barely win some poses, or barely lose some poses against the rest of the field and it completely changes the result based on who is there. Especially if you have one or two bad poses the rest of the field can either not penalize you at all or completely destroy your placing. This can allow you to win every single pose but get 8th on one pose, and lose to a guy who had second on everything, man what a crazy hypothetical that would be to lose your 8th Olympia with something crazy like that
That's not how they score it though, even though in theory yeah it probably should work that way. It's way too granular for them to do something like that when they need to evaluate 3-6 different physiques in a span of 5-10 seconds.
8:58 Is Ian unable to flex his tricep or straighten his arm? What's going on there?
Just the relaxed pose at 0:39 shows how Nick was way better than Hunter!
The poses count more than relaxed.
I really appreciate your analysis and despite being a very critical user who often does not agree with the most commercial bodybuilding channels, with your words I agree 100% it is a very accurate and honest analysis. Only in the front lat spread Nick is behind in Labrada I don't know what the judges saw ... I honestly would have put: 1Big Ramy 2Hadi 3Nick 4Brandon. it's bad to say but I think Labrada is driven a lot by the interests of Labrada Nutrition, even the commentators made fun of it during the show ...
Both are so talented I’m stoke that we have athletes like this coming up!
Politics at play here. Labrada looked like hot dog shit relative to nick. Honestly I had him 6th
I didn't see anything mind bogglingly amazing with hunter.. that being said, I hope all this robbery talk motivates him to animorph into a Belgium bull at his next appearance against nick.
thanks for the content tom!
I think the judges were partial to Hunter because of his father’s influence in the industry/sport. I also suspect they deduct points for Nick’s varicose veins.
It's all bullsh*t. Nick is the new guy, he needs to "pay his dues'" first before the judges will treat him fairly
Screw job!..Hunter been tapped for "the New future" if bodybuilding..mr O in 3yrs smh
loved the impromptu rear lat spread comparison of bonac and valliere
Great vid, I had a hard time with this comparison in real time. I think Hunter placed higher because Nick was not as good as at the Arnold. Judges need to make snap judgements when placing guys, and the Arnold was so recent that we all remember clearly how good Nick was. He wasn't as sharp here. Judges saw that too, so gave Hunter the benefit of the doubt.
Hunter got that cake in da thumbnail🎂
Great analysis. Unanimous voting both nights looks like politics to me.
It was fairly close though at night.
Of course it did!! But I'm glad you are voicing your honest opinion unlike the judges who were obviously giving certain individuals their pay pal information
I'm not a fan of how Hunter sticks his butt out when he does an abs and thighs pose. It's abs and thighs--not abs and ass, good sir.
I love Nicks physique and his ability to pose like a statue, hes definitely in my top three bodybuilders right now, but I hate his front lat spread, he brings his elbows to forward and completely blocks his lats.
It's insane how bad Open's really became.
This is sooooo close. Hunter is a lot bigger than I thought. Nick was sharper overall but Hunter has the nicer lines. So its an apples and oranges thing. I had Nick edging Hunter out but I could see where the judges may have preferred Hunters overall look and flow. Nick has some structural issues that are hard to hide. He is awesome so do not take it wrong. The guy packs on a lot of size and comes in ripped but Hunter does have the nicer frame (thanks to his dads genetics). If Hunter tightens up the wheels and continues to improve at the already fast pace he is, Nick is going to have a tough time with Hunter at any show.
I agree... There were quite a few shots where Hunter actually makes Nick look small. So he's significantly bigger, wider, and more aesthetically shaped, which can go a long way with the judges. I also think Nick's absurdly veiny legs make his legs look a lot more conditioned and separated than they really are. I haven't really seen striations in any of Nick's legs and the heads of his thigh muscles just aren't very big. Nick's legs really aren't great imo and I think the veins covering up for lack of separation, striations, and general musculature was probably a lot more apparent to the judges. All that said, Hunters abs were totally washed out in about half the shots and his legs were washed out in about 2/3rds of the shots. I'd have still given it to Nick, but it's close.
@@tootoomcgoo9674 good assessment.....
Excellent video
I swear the judges already had hunter ahead of nick before they even went on stage. Massive corruption
I think this analysis was bang on!
Nick's ab separation is absolutely day and night compared to the other guys. His front lad spread DEFINITELY needs to improve. He is still so young though and being on that stage alone is an achievement
Walker over Bonar over Hunter. But hey , these are all top-notch, elite level bodybuilders and sometimes the differences are so minute.
And our sport will always be a subjective one.
I don’t see it as a robbery, i can make a case for both being in forth , while the size of hunter is way more than nick , , which that’s why rami beat brandon and hadi , he wasn’t that conditioned but still won , so i can see why hunter took fourth but if nick took 4th i wouldn’t be surprised either
Is it just me or are they all cheating the line exept for nick?
Guess im the only one who would give it to labrada
So would I
100% Nick should’ve gotten 4th. Great video!
Well when your dads company sponsors the show... i almost feel bad for hunter because he is going to have to hear about getting gifted his placing all year from everyone. It would be embarrassing as hell and Im sure pissed off alot of his fellow pros as well.
Make a video on Ramys best shape. Ever since he won his first Olympia, looking back at some of his older shows he was definitely leaner; pretty much as big and better conditioned. Oh and he had a lower back. It’s just disappeared
Maybe it's just me but hunter overall looks better lol... An i feel like he gone keep beating Nick
It’s not just you 🤷🏾♂️. I feel the same way 👍🏾
Youre deffintately in the minority, most ppl agree Nick looks better. Thats why so many ppl are making vids about it. Ive even seen multiple polls with thousands of ppl & they all favor Nick Walker
1:00 Jesus Labrada looks unreasonably bigger than Nick. Like he's literally standing closer to the camera. He not only looks bigger, he seems to be a different scale than everyone else. The camera is doing very weird things here.
Nah, he's simply that big
@@dj_m19 Guess I just figured with how "freaky" large everyone says Nick is that I wouldn't expect him to look that much smaller. And Labrada's legs are significantly bigger. Also don't agree that Nick has bigger arms (9:07). But he is more conditioned. It seems that size vs. conditioning is something that seems to shift in importance. The judging on this seems very arbitrary.
@@artistryartistry7239 yeah I agree, I don't see why Tomn8er is rewarding a little bit of conditioning far more than size. Labrada seems a lot bigger to me in the side shots, especially the side tricep while being more aesthetic and pleasing to the eye. His midsection is commendable at that size.
It's the revenge of genetics. Hunter's father, Lee, used to be the small guy, now his son is kinda tallish for a bodybuilder.
@@antoniopabloquintanilla8145 his mom is pretty tall
Yes thank you tom finally !!
Labrada looks better....Most Muscular pose absolutely destroys Nick. Labrada looks like he was saran wrapped...He also has much more detail in the upper back on the second night. Nick actually looks blocky compared to Labrada. Labrada's separation in his shoulders is much better than Nick. In fact, Labrada's shoulder separation is among the best I've ever seen. Go to 8:03.
So if we agree that there are at least certain valid arguments for Hunter winning 4th place, and that it was kinda close, it’s probably not too much of a long shot to assume that the sponsorship was the little extra that placed Hunter ahead of Nick.
I agree Nick shouldve gotten 4th. I also prefer how almost effortless Nick holds his poses, looks calm. Meanwhile Hunters face looks like hes gonna blow up 💥💥 & Hunters midesction was washed out, very little definition.
& Hunters last name probably helped him too
I disagree; although, you're right about the midsection.
Whats that lump on hunters left pec?
Nicks width isn’t too much of a problem in the rear lat, It’s his posing. You can see his shoulder blades which means he isn’t snapping the pose all the way. That’s also why his back looks so much softer than in the rear double.
you mentioned ian needs more separation between his bi's and tri's lol .. i dont think that is possible, as his arms look heavily seo'd up.
It's mostly genetic but you can bring it out with the right exercises. Double cable curls like how Ronnie used to do em for example.
Sponsored by Labrada Nutrition....
You dont have to be a pro judge to see that Nick was better. Only thing you argue is "but Nick's structure" but miss me with that
The management needs to do something about the lighting. Get rid of those criss cross flashy stuff in the background and lit up the damn stage. It's just too dark and distracting.
How does a guy with no abs beat a guy with ripped abs in a bodybuilding show lol.
Hunter deserve this place 👍
The only thing that I can see, that might've played a part in Nick coming in 5th. Is his tanning might've been to dark. Which can play a big part, in your lines being faded.
Being a huge Hunter fan and not so much a Nick.. there is absolutely no denying Nick beat Hunter here. Hunter had (some) poses where he dominated but damn was Nick conditioned.. I mean everything popped. And thats saying something cuz Hunter is very aesthetic for his size.
Actually after seeing this video I can understand why Hunter placed ahead of Nick now. I still think Nick edged him out, but this seems like something reasonable people can disagree on. Nick just has NO lats and Hunter utterly destroyed him on both the lat spreads, so that is probably what did him in.
Also for finals the way Hunter's tan, posing and conditioning seemed to be crisper... Furthermore, Hunter seemed to master the ability of making himself look bigger than he actually is
Jetcape15 just stop with that nonsense.
@@adkimhamilton1953 plus he was way more dry
@@adkimhamilton1953 hunter is very big. He is 260
I still don't know what people see in Iain Valliere. His physique bugs me.
I honestly think Brandon beat Ramy.. Nick should've got 4th also..
Is it just me or did anybody else remember Ian having a wider upper body on the front double bicep?
Might be an illusion but his upper body looks much more narrow in that pose now.
I think he needs to work on holding that pose. He has the goods, and it could look awesome.
I totally get it. Lots of reasons. Hunter's quads/legs are absolutely better than Nick's. Hunter's proportions are much better than Nick's. Hunters overall muscle quality is just genetically superior to Nick's. Not hating on Nick, just very unexpectedly and pleasantly surprised by this Hunter kid. I'm a fan now and I hope he just continues to get thicker and bigger because I feel like he has the potential to be #1 some day.
9:10 dude iain looks like ALF 😂