On June 7, 2023, Labrada posted a video to his Instagram channel where he runs through a gamut of standard bodybuilding poses to show off his current physique. Given a simultaneously stacked and ripped look for one of the more prominent names in the sport, whatever Labrada is doing in the gym and in the kitchen seems to be working quite well thus far.

Per the caption of Labrada’s post, he maintained he’s staying more diligent than usual with his regimen. As the 2023 bodybuilding season heats up, the athlete said he’s keeping a keen eye over his look on a daily basis. He even detailed some notable shifts to his diet, especially as he centers less on mass-building.

Like his peer in reigning four-time Classic Physique Olympia champion (2019-2022) Chris Bumstead, Labrada also seems to appreciate his eating less as a path to improved sleep. It looks like a world of fitness possibilities has opened for Labrada now that he doesn’t have to worry about fitting another meal into his overall schedule.

“One of the biggest changes I want to highlight is I went from six meals a day to five!” Labrada explained. “The reason: I get two hours more of sleep! I found myself just staying up to eat a lot recently, and now that the food was low enough for it not to mess with my digestion, I told [Ben Chow, Labrada’s trainer] I wanted to give it a try and I’m glad I did! The meals are more satiating, and I’m recovering even better with the extra sleep!”

Before Labrada can even conceive of an improved Olympia performance in Orlando, FL, this November, he must first earn his qualification. At the start of 2023, the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) changed the Olympia qualification system for all divisions. The shift necessitates only past winners and top-five finishers from the previous Olympia iteration possess roster spots by default.

By virtue of his seventh-place result from 2022, Labrada is on the outside looking in for the time being. In what perhaps further signifies his mentality this year, Labrada plans to compete in both the upcoming 2023 Texas Pro on August 18-19 in Arlington, TX, and the 2023 Tampa Pro on August 3-5 in Tampa Bay, FL. Labrada will have to win at least one of the contests to secure his place at the 2023 Olympia. Nonetheless, he could understandably have the lofty ambition to triumph in both.

In the current pantheon of Men’s Open bodybuilders, Labrada has a lot of work to catch up to some of his superstar peers, like defending Mr. Olympia champion Hadi Choopan and the 2022 runner-up in Derek Lunsford. At the very least, he seems to understand precisely how to fill in any gaps — by working as hard as possible.

Featured image: @hunterlabrada on Instagram

The post Hunter Labrada Looks Shredded Before Taking on 2023 Texas Pro and 2023 Tampa Pro appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On May 15, 2023, Jacked shared a physique update to his Instagram profile that was apparently “10 days” into the Men’s Open competitor’s offseason. According to the caption of his post, Jacked weighs a whopping 136.8 kilograms (301.6 pounds) in the clip where he’s “maintaining his leanness.”

Jacked’s latest monstrous physique update coming before the onset of the 2023 summer is paired with a recent stellar competitive profile. It might resemble the resume of an up-and-coming bodybuilder ready to climb the Olympia summit and then some as a household fixture.

In 2022 alone, Jacked was a consistent finisher near the top of the podium in almost every International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro League competition he participated in. According to his page on NPC News Online, the athlete began his rap sheet by winning the 2022 Arnold Amateur and followed that performance with triumphs in the 2022 Texas Pro and the 2022 Arnold Classic UK (ACUK). Such a sterling start had legends like Ken “Flex” Wheeler asserting Jacked would be a significant factor for the 2022 Olympia title. Jacked would then make his Olympia debut during said edition of the contest, where he finished in eighth place — an impressive showing for a newcomer.

To start the 2023 competitive season, Jacked took home third place at the 2023 Arnold Classic (AC), a result the athlete said he “deserved.” With intentions of building on his recent red-hot momentum, Jacked revealed he would defend his Texas Pro title this coming August in Arlington, TX. After changes to the Olympia qualification system in 2023, Jacked will use the Texas contest as his primary means of qualifying for the 2023 edition of bodybuilding’s flagship competition.

In a stacked Men’s Open field, it might be difficult for any of the current competitors to find a way to stick out amongst their peers. At his current pace, it doesn’t seem like Jacked is having much difficulty in this regard. If anything, he’s building himself up as a legitimate part of the conversation for the 2023 Olympia title.

Featured image: @andrewjacked on Instagram

The post Andrew Jacked Weighs Over 300 Pounds in Astonishing Offseason Update appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Jacked used his 2022 victory as a springboard to gain qualification into the 2022 Mr. Olympia contest. That performance was partly why a bodybuilding legend like four-time Arnold Classic (AC) champion Ken “Flex” Wheeler asserted Jacked was the next big thing. It appears Jacked will be using a similar path to live up to the hype in 2023.

With recent shifts to the 2023 Olympia qualification system — including the nixing of overall points standings from IFBB Pro League contests — anything less than a victory in Texas will force Jacked to find another avenue to qualify for the Olympia, set to take place Nov. 3-5. Not that this was a specific issue for Jacked in 2022, who was also triumphant in the 2022 Arnold Classic UK (ACUK). At the time of this article’s writing, it is unclear if Jacked will also feature in the 2023 edition of the ACUK.

As for Jacked’s recent exploits, he’s been keeping busy on stage.

After his Texas Pro and ACUK victories, Jacked would finish in eighth place at the 2022 Mr. Olympia. Such a result is nothing to sneeze at for a competitor in their debut at bodybuilding’s biggest competition. Jacked would follow that performance with a third-place finish at the 2023 AC. Only champion Samson Dauda and 2022 Olympia third-place finisher Nick Walker (AC runner-up) fared better.

In the aftermath of his AC performance, Jacked maintained that he “deserved” his result. He seemed to ultimately channel it as motivation for improved results all around in any contests he appears in during the year 2023. Plus, while a moral victory in the AC isn’t what Jacked was seeking, finishing ahead of other more established Men’s Open stars like two-time Mr. Olympia (2020, 2021) Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay (fourth place) and two-time 212 Olympia champion (2020, 2022) Shaun Clarida (fifth place), and two-time AC winner (2018, 2020) William Bonac (seventh place) is something he can hang his hat on.

In an ideal world for Jacked, such a finish in the standings would be a teaser of the electricity he brings to competitive stages in the coming months.

There’s still a lot of work to do before Jacked establishes himself as a household name in the bodybuilding sphere. He’s assuredly already got the attention of his talented peers. Winning a major contest like the Olympia could be the next part of his career journey. Successfully defending his Texas Pro title might be the first step.

Featured image: @andrewjacked on Instagram

The post Andrew Jacked Announces Intentions to Defend Texas Pro Title, Qualify for 2023 Olympia appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On Jan. 31, 2023, during an interview with Muscular Development, Franklin discussed the aftermath of his difficult decision to withdraw from the 2022 Olympia. While the athlete didn’t specifically disclose why he decided to not compete, he maintained he’s already prepared to look forward and try to make 2023 another productive year in his career.

After stopping short of the finish line of an entire competitive year, Franklin shared that he was understandably shaken by his choice. To be so close to a high-profile athletic endeavor but ultimately not participate might be hard on any competitive personality.

It made Franklin rather emotional.

“It sucked. The whole ordeal was very disappointing.” Franklin said. “I cried for three days after it. I couldn’t stop crying, just all the work that goes in, thinking about a whole year’s worth. … Putting all that work in and all that effort, creating a routine that I was very excited to present, and just how I was feeling about my progress leading into the show. I was very disappointed and having to make that decision. But we have to make very hard decisions to move ahead in life.”

With murmurs abounding of who might compete in the upcoming 2023 Arnold Classic, Franklin clarified his next competitive appearance won’t be in Columbus, OH. It appears to be too fast of a turnaround after his latest ventures, which wouldn’t let him recover enough as he pleases.

As for what lies ahead in the long term, Franklin noted he will now coach himself during his training routine for the time being. He had previously worked with experienced coaches like Miloš Šarčev. Franklin elaborated that this path will have him “betting on himself” as he works toward his contest return at the 2023 Texas Pro on Aug. 19, 2023, in Irving, TX. For this Texas native, who fell just short of the said competition’s title in 2021, there might not be a better place to show off his hard work and mass again.

It seems to be only the first step of his grand ambitions this year.

“I plan on winning the [2023] Texas Pro,” Franklin said. “It’s right here, not my home town but the home state, in Dallas. I lost that show by one point back in 2021, so it would be a good show to go back there and get some redemption. The [2023] Olympia will be 11 weeks after the Texas Pro, and then I’ll be doing the [2023] Hawaii Pro on Nov. 20. That’ll be two weeks after the Mr. Olympia, so I can basically just prep for those three shows and knock them out, bam-bam.”

Some athletes might take more time to recalibrate and figure out what’s next after halting their professional plans. That’s because such decisions usually carry a ton of weight and can weigh on the mind. For Franklin, it looks like he’s already healthily compartmentalizing what happened because and is now ready to shine on stage once more.

Featured image: @logan_franklin on Instagram

The post Bodybuilder Logan Franklin “Cried For 3 Days” After Withdrawing From 2022 Olympia, Outlines 2023 Return appeared first on Breaking Muscle.