Hunter Labrada vowed to push himself after a disappointing seventh-place finish at the 2022 Mr. Olympia. Labrada had been hoping to build on a fourth-place result that put him on the bodybuilding map during the 2021 Mr. Olympia. Over five months later, at the time of this writing and on the edge of summer 2023, Labrada appears to be fulfilling his personal competitive promise in the gym.
On May 23, 2023, Labrada shared an Instagram clip of himself capturing a 265.3-kilogram (585-pound) deadlift for four reps. According to the caption of his post, the four-rep pulling set is a lifetime personal record (PR) for Labrada. The bodybuilder completed his deadlift reps in his socks while wearing a lifting belt and utilizing lifting straps.
This deadlift four-rep PR isn’t the only instance of Labrada staying true to his training word so he can have a better performance at the 2023 Mr. Olympia. If anything, making a foray into polishing up his strength as a bodybuilder could be seen as Labrada going above and beyond.
In early February 2023, Labrada clarified that he would be aiming for a more streamlined physique moving forward in his career. His goal is now more about his body aesthetic and being a bit more ripped rather than focusing on sheer size. More recently, Labrada detailed his current pull workout while training for the 2023 Tampa Pro, set to take place on Aug. 3-5, 2023, in Tampa Bay, FL. Because of new qualification standards for the 2023 Mr. Olympia that only give past winners and top-five finishers automatic berths, Labrada will have to win a contest like the Tampa Pro to compete in November’s Olympia.
On stage, Labrada was one of the many Men’s Open contenders present to guest pose at the 2023 Pittsburgh Pro in mid-May 2023. The other athletes like Derek Lunsford, Nick Walker, and Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay are examples of rivals Labrada will attempt to overcome at the 2023 Olympia in Orlando, FL, this November.
In such a stacked overall Men’s Open field, anyone distinguishing themselves at the 2023 Olympia, let alone Labrada himself, could be a very challenging task. Based on the ongoing approach to his training during the 2023 calendar year, Labrada appears to be taking extra steps to try and stick out accordingly.
Featured image: @hunterlabrada on Instagram
