Labrada appears to be pulling out all of the stops as he charges headlong toward this yr’s Olympia.
It’s still a ways off, but bodybuilder Hunter Labrada has set his sights on a redemptive performance on the 2023 Olympia. Following a disappointing seventh-place finish on the 2022 edition, Labrada vowed to return stronger as a competitor. He even promised a more streamlined physique focused on aesthetics relatively than sheer size. Based on a recent update, he appears to be a person of his word.
On June 7, 2023, Labrada posted a video to his Instagram channel where he runs through a gamut of ordinary bodybuilding poses to point out off his current physique. Given a concurrently stacked and ripped search for one among the more distinguished names in the game, whatever Labrada is doing within the gym and within the kitchen appears to be working quite well up to now.
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Per the caption of Labrada’s post, he maintained he’s staying more diligent than usual along with his regimen. Because the 2023 bodybuilding season heats up, the athlete said he’s keeping a keen eye over his look on a every day basis. He even detailed some notable shifts to his weight loss program, 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 understand 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 should worry about fitting one other meal into his overall schedule.
“One in every of the most important changes I need to focus on is I went from six meals a day to 5!” Labrada explained. “The explanation: I get two hours more of sleep! I discovered myself just staying as much as eat loads recently, and now that the food was low enough for it to not mess with my digestion, I told [Ben Chow, Labrada’s trainer] I wanted to present it a try to I’m glad I did! The meals are more satiating, and I’m recovering even higher with the additional sleep!”
Before Labrada may even conceive of an improved Olympia performance in Orlando, FL, this November, he must first earn his qualification. At the beginning of 2023, the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) modified 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 surface looking in in the intervening time. In what perhaps further signifies his mentality this yr, Labrada plans to compete in each 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 can have to win at the least one among the contests to secure his place on the 2023 Olympia. Nonetheless, he could understandably have the lofty ambition to triumph in each.
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In the present pantheon of Men’s Open bodybuilders, Labrada has plenty of work to catch as much as a few of his superstar peers, like defending Mr. Olympia champion Hadi Choopan and the 2022 runner-up in Derek Lunsford. On the very least, he seems to grasp precisely learn how to fill in any gaps — by working as hard as possible.
Featured image: @hunterlabrada on Instagram