There are many reasons to be excited about the 2025 Olympia Weekend in Las Vegas, NV. The fans are excited to see the athletes and the Olympia World Fitness Expo, the vendors are pumped to be there networking and promoting, and of course, the best physique athletes in the world are ready to showcase why they earned the right to be onstage.

Ms. Bikini Olympia Lauralie Chapados is pumped for all that, but she is also excited for another reason—the swag that only Olympia competitors receive, the Olympia track suits.

“Getting that track suit is when it gets real because only the athletes get those,” Chapados said. “That has been one of the biggest things for me and sets the tone because we don’t see them until we get there.”

If all goes to Chapados’ plans, she will not just be wearing a new track suit but a new gold medal as a two-time Olympia champion by the end of the weekend.

Chapados will once again be a part of the 2025 Olympia, her eighth overall. Most of the experience feels natural to her by this point. She knows the buzz and atmosphere, is very much involved with the fans through the Meet and Greet as well as making an appearance at the CELSIUS booth, and she likely has her own routine for the day of prejudging. The only difference for Chapados this time around is instead of chasing the title, she must defend it.

“Prepping as champion has been different and given me perspective on how past champions did it. It’s not easy.”

The role she plays this year may be different, but the prep has not suffered as a result. As a matter of fact, she shared that her training leading up to this year’s contest has gone very much to her liking.

“Prep has been absolutely fantastic, and only ascending, honestly.”

Her Greatest Challenge is as Champion

The roster of opponents reads like a Who’s Who of the IFBB Pro League Bikini division. Three-time Olympia champion and 2024 Olympia runner-up Ashley Kaltwasser, 2022 winner Maureen Blanquisco, and rising superstars Jasmine Gonzalez and Aimee Delgado are a few of the over 60 competitors that will share the prejudging stage. That many competitors in one show means that the champ is in for a long day.

“It means that prejudging will be over two hours, if everyone sticks to their times.”

Despite the size and depth of the field, Chapados has been solely focused on elevating her own physique so she can hear Bob Cicherillo say, “and still” instead of “and new.”

“I intend to make that happen.”

The qualifying system will change in 2026, which will result in a smaller field of contenders next year. That is not an issue for Chapados, who is now qualified for life thanks to her victory in 2024. However, she hopes that her fellow athletes will not see the new system as a barrier but rather a proving ground.

“I was in the pack in 2018 when I first qualified for the Olympia. It really is going to elevate the division tremendously.”

See the Champ On and Off the Stage

Chapados will join fellow pros Regan Grimes, Mr. Olympia Samson Dauda, and other CELSIUS athletes in their booth at the 2025 Olympia World Fitness Expo, providing fans an opportunity to see the greats during their competition weekends. It will be a busy weekend, but Chapados is excited to meet as many fans as possible.

“I have chills just thinking about it. The energy in that place is so special.”

To keep up with the Bikini Olympia and the other 10 world championship events being contested in Las Vegas, follow us on Instagram @muscleandfitness and subscribe to the M&F newsletter.

Train Like an Olympia Champion Lauralie Chapados

Chapados has shared her prep for the Olympia on her social media outlets, including this shoulder, chest and arms workout six weeks out from her title defense. She then went through posing rounds after the training session. Take this program to the gym so you know firsthand what it takes to prepare for the big competition.

*Focus on using a full range of motion, including a stretch at the bottom of each rep.

Hadi Choopan is gearing up for this seventh Mr Olympia final and is hoping to replicate the success that he had in 2022, when the Iranian powerhouse took first place. And, if his recent deadlifting exploits are anything to go by, Choopan will prove to be strong competition in a stacked field.

Hadi Choopan came a narrow second at the 2024 Mr Olympia event, losing out to “The Nigerian Lion” Samson Dauda. Still, last year wasn’t without success. Not only did the “Persian Wolf” win the Arnold Classic stateside, but he also took victory in the Arnold Classic U.K, too. While the big man is looking to win his second Sandow trophy with victory in Las Vegas, he will be taking on stiff competition in the form of Dauda, Derek Lunsford, Nick Walker, and more. So, to bring his best possible package to the stage, Choopan has continued his reputation for seriously heavy reps, and is dialling up his deadlift.

Why Does Hadi Choopan choose heavy deadlifts for Olympia prep?

The deadlift is a compound exercise that works several muscle groups. Initially, the action of driving your feet into the floor activates your lower body and you will tax the glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps while keeping your core tight. As the bar moves skyward, you’ll work the lats, shoulders, and arms to maintain the load, relying on your lower body once again as the bar descends.

Aside from great health benefits like training the hip extensors and strengthening the back, deadlifts are serious mass builders too, especially if you go heavy like Choopan, who is looking incredible just days out from the biggest bodybuilding event of the year. Deadlifts activate the nervous system and by going heavy, you’ll spark muscle growth through the process of hypotrophy.

In February, the inspirational Iranian used the deadlift machine to rack up an astonishing 400 kilograms. “It was terribly heavy and difficult because it was the last move and the eighth set, but I did it,” shared the bodybuilder.

And, with under 30 days to go until the Mr Olympia final, Choopan has regularly been back behind the bar. “Working hard,” he commented after making three reps of 260 kilograms. The feat was noticed by seven-time Olympia winner Phil Heath, who wrote “Strong!!!!” under Choopan’s Instagram video. No doubt, his competition was watching as well!

The 2025 Olympia weekend in Las Vegas takes place between October 9 and 12. For more information, click here. 

To follow Hadi Choopan on Instagram, click here. 

They say that behind every great man is a great woman, and in the bodybuilding world, the embodiment of that quote is the reigning Mr. Olympia, Samson Dauda. It was shown to be a literal truth as he left Resorts World Theater in Las Vegas, NV with wife Marlena a step behind him while carrying the golden Sandow Trophy that was awarded to the 2024 Mr. Olympia champion.

Dauda felt it was appropriate that his bride and coach held the trophy because even though the world saw him stand by himself in the comparisons with the likes of fellow Olympia champions Derek Lunsford and Hadi Choopan, he was certainly not alone.

Dauda explained, “A lot of people doubted that a wife would have the ability to coach at this level, but what they don’t realize is that she’s coached me since I first stepped onstage as a bodybuilder. She’s been there in the background the whole time.”

Dauda has been a busy man since he and Marlena took the Sandow home. The 19th Mr. Olympia has been traveling the world, usually with a can of CELSIUS in hand as he meets with bodybuilding fans and doing the business of the sport. His reign has taken him to numerous places, and even though he was already an internationally known star, the title has changed his life in many ways this past year. He has also been working on the Samson business, including opening a gym and promoting his own show. The past 12 months have been memorable to say the least.

“It has been absolutely amazing,” Dauda said proudly. “Every part of the traveling the world and seeing people and being recognized as Mr. Olympia has been amazing. I’ve enjoyed every single part of it.”

Duada is More Focused After Losing To Derek Lunsford at the 2025 Arnold Classic

The reign of the Nigerian Lion has not been a perfect one, however. Shortly after the 2024 Olympia, Dauda went into prep again for the 2025 Arnold Classic to keep the momentum going. However, a rejuvenated and remotivated Lunsford stopped him dead in his tracks by taking the title and relegating Dauda to second.

Despite the finish not going the way he wanted, Dauda learned lessons that he intends to apply going forward.

“I wanted to win then, of course, but now I’m thankful that happened because I learned lessons from that, and now I’m better as I go into the Olympia.”

The Nigerian Lion is on the Prowl For Olympia 2025

This is usually the part where the discussion of the champion defending the title begins, but Dauda does not see his 2025 Olympia prep as a title defense. When he walks onstage at the Resorts World Theater in Las Vegas, NV for prejudging on Friday, Oct. 10, it is not about him defending anything. He has his first Olympia and will forever, now he is looking to fill a trophy case with more.

“When you have that mentality of winning another one, it’s not a defense game,” Dauda explained. “I’m just as hungry to win another one as I was when I won the first one. That mindset changes everything. I want number two.”

Dauda understands the road to number two will not be easier than number one. The challengers are better, the lights are brighter, and there are several hungry contenders that want to claim their first Sandow. The main focus in the buildup appears to be on Lunsford and 2022 Mr. Olympia Choopan.

They along with 2019 champion Brandon Curry will be looking to become the second man ever to reclaim the title after losing it. Fans watching will see a rarity with four Mr. Olympia champions on the same stage at the same time. Aside from that history, Dauda wants the record books to show him with the gold medal and that second Sandow in his possession once again.

Dauda proclaimed, “Jay Cutler was the first to win the title back, and it’s my job to make sure he stays the only one to have done it. I want Jay to keep that history for himself.”

To see if the champ and coach go back-to-back or if a new champion is crowned, get tickets or the pay-per-view to watch from home at www.mrolympia.com . If you’re going to Las Vegas, make sure to swing by the CELSIUS booth so you have a chance to see the champ before he takes the stage.

Samson Duada and Quinton Eriya Back to Back Workout

Dauda remembers well the old days of M&F and FLEX when the champions would share workouts for fans like him to apply. Mr. Olympia and CELSIUS decided to pay homage to that era and provided a sample back workout featuring supersets for you to try the next time back day comes up on your schedule. Not all workouts are paired up, but Dauda feels they are a key to his success and endurance. He also institutes them when he feels an area needs improved.

“When you are training in that superset fashion, you’re training both the cardiovascular and muscular systems. My body just responds so rapidly to it.”

Dauda and training partner Quinton “Beastwood” Eriya performed this workout eight weeks out from the Olympia.

*Rest while your training partner does their set or two minutes if you’re alone.

Tonio “The Predator” Burton grew up in Nevada and is looking forward to treading the boards in Las Vegas where he’ll go to war with the greatest names on the bodybuilding stage. Just weeks out from the 2025 Oympia final, Burton showed that he’s going all-in with his training, choosing a heavy incline press to pump up his pecs. Here’s how, and why he does it.

“5 sets of tried to be 20,” quipped Burton in a recent Instagram post for his 200,000 followers. While he may have been joking, his words reveal a serious mentality of heading towards failure in the gym to find success in competitive bodybuilding. That’s because Burton is a firm believer in taking himself to the limit and wearing down his muscles so that they will build back bigger.

Why Workout With the Plate Loaded ISO Press Machine?

The incline press machine focuses the load onto the upper pectoral muscles (source: , providing mass and definition to that “upper shelf” area of the chest. In the video, Burton installed himself on a plate loaded, ISO press machine, meaning that he could go heavy while working each arm independently to fix any strength imbalances.

How Tonio Burton Pumps Up His Pecs With the Incline Press

The Predator punched his ticket to this year’s Olympia Open category with a stunning victory at the 2025 Legion Sports Fest Pro, but he knows that it’s what he does when away from the spotlight that forges real champions. To that end, he loads up a total of ten, 45-pound plates (five on each side) to really test his mettle. As he begins to fatigue, Burton continues with partial reps to pound his pecs but always keeps his body static for correct form. With his grip placed horizontally, The Predator maintains a bench-press like movement and keeps a slight arch to his back to keep his shoulders stable under the epic weight.

As illustrated by Burton, the plate loaded ISO incline press is a beast of an upper body workout. The Predator may have opted for something close to 5 sets of 20 reps, but you should make sure to familiarize yourself with the machine and your form before taking on the prowess of The Predator. Start out with a weight that you’ll get close to failure with after 8 to 12 reps and try to hit 3 sets for hypotrophy. Then take it upwards from there.

The Predator made his Olympia debut in 2021 in the 212 division, where he placed tenth, but moved to the Open division in 2022, placing sixteenth. His last Olympia appearance was once again in the Open division in 2023, and he showed great improvement, finding eighth place. He decided not to compete in 2024, however, explaining that he needed to take some time out to focus on his health and recovery. And, if his recent progress is anything to go by, this could be the year of The Predator.

Olympia weekend takes place October 9 to 12, 2025, in Las Vegas. For further info, click here. 

To follow Tonio Burton on Instagram, click here. 

Walk into any gym on a Monday night and you’ll see it: Young lifters grinding through marathon sessions, punishing themselves with set after set, terrified that taking a day off will erase their progress. For many aspiring bodybuilders, rest is treated like a dirty word — a sign of weakness, laziness, or lack of discipline. But here’s the hard truth: If you’re never taking a day off, you’re not hardcore, you’re just overtrained. And sooner or later, that bill comes due. Trust me, paying it sucks.

The Myth: Muscles Are Built in the Gym

This misconception has been around forever. Too many people believe that muscles are built in the gym — that every rep, every set, every hour logged is directly adding size to their physique. In reality, the gym is only the spark, the stimulus. True growth happens later — in bed, while you sleep, when your body has the chance to repair and rebuild the muscle fibers you broke down with training.

Science backs this up. Hypertrophy — the increase in muscle size — is the result of adaptation during recovery, not of endless lifting itself. The harder you train, the more recovery you actually need. Put simply: If you don’t give your body the downtime it requires, you’re short-circuiting your own progress.

The Problem with Endless Training

Long, punishing sessions are often counterproductive. The more time you spend in the gym, the less time your body has to rest and repair. You can think of recovery as a resource — it’s limited, and once it’s gone, you’re running on fumes.

Classic signs of overtraining include:

• Persistent fatigue
• Insomnia or restless sleep
• Decreased strength and performance
• Elevated resting heart rate
• Mood swings or irritability
• Frequent injuries or nagging aches

The tricky part? These symptoms vary widely from athlete to athlete. Insomnia, for example, could be the result of overtraining — or it might just be that you’re taking your pre-workout too late in the day. But statistically speaking, if you’re training hard, pushing yourself daily, and never taking real rest, odds are you’re overtrained whether you want to admit it or not.

The Injury Connection

Talk to anyone who has suffered a catastrophic gym injury — torn pecs, blown biceps, shredded rotator cuffs, herniated discs — and you’ll often hear a familiar theme: “I was run down. I wasn’t listening to my body.” Most of the lifters I know who’ve been sidelined with major injuries believe overtraining either caused or contributed to the breakdown.

That’s the cruel irony. Overtraining is seen as weakness by the hardcore crowd, but in reality, pushing yourself past the breaking point leads to measurable weakness — the kind you can see on the weight stack when you can’t lift what you used to, or you can’t break through a plateau, or when you’re out for six months with an injury that could have been avoided.

As Mike Mentzer famously said, “There’s no such thing as being overtrained, only under-rested.”

Redefining Rest

Rest isn’t laziness. Rest isn’t quitting. Rest is strategy. Smart athletes know this. In fact, many top-level bodybuilders schedule full weeks away from the gym every 10–12 weeks. Those breaks aren’t setbacks — they’re opportunities for the body to rebound, to come back stronger, and to keep training long into your old age. The best way to hit a new PR? Take a week off. You will come back mended, rested and stronger.  But you don’t have to take my word for it….

A 2018 review published in the Journal of Sports Sciences highlighted that planned rest and “deload” weeks reduce injury risk and improve long-term performance. Meanwhile, the American College of Sports Medicine notes that rest is an integral component of any serious strength training program — as important as volume and intensity.

Legendary coach Charles Poliquin put it bluntly: “There’s no award for being the most overtrained guy in the gym. The winners are the ones who can train hard, recover harder, and stay in the game long enough to make it to the top.”

Listening to Your Body

Your body has a way of telling you when enough is enough — the nagging joint pain, the dips in performance, the feeling of dragging yourself into the gym instead of attacking the workout with fire. Too often, athletes ignore these signals until they’re forced to stop by injury.

The real discipline isn’t in doing more, it’s in knowing when to do less. That’s not weakness. That’s wisdom.

The Takeaway

So, to the young lifters punishing themselves for missing a session: rest is not a four-letter word. It’s a necessity. Your body doesn’t care how hardcore you want to be — biology wins every time. Respect recovery, and it will reward you with muscle, strength, and longevity. Disrespect it, and you’ll find yourself on the sidelines, watching others progress while you heal.

If you want to be a bodybuilder — a real one, with years under the bar and the physique to prove it — then train hard, rest harder, and remember: growth doesn’t happen in the gym. It happens when you have the humility to put your feet up, close your eyes, and let your body do the work you can’t.