A 21-year-old bodybuilder without any formal bodybuilding participation list of his own has made it to the Arnold’s Classic as an opener. Shocking as it is, Sam Sulek is making some unusual milestones in the fitness industry by going against the grain and climbing up the ladder in a not-so-traditional way. As the Arnold Classic 2024 has concluded, Sulek has gotten several visitors, and Nick Walker is one of them.
Sulek’s popularity is ever-growing. With a fan following of 5 million on Instagram, he was already setting standards even before he went up on the stage before the judges. Recently, The Mutant’s Nick Walker, who was also present at this season’s event, did not miss a chance to take photos with the young bodybuilder and share them on social media.
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Striking as it may seem, it’s not only the fitness community that holds Sulek in high regard. Even the 2021 Arnold Classic champion, Nick Walker, insinuated his respect for the young athlete. After sharing a photo from the event, Walker wrote in his caption, “Had to meet the one and only.” However, this is not the only instance of another bodybuilding beast showing their acceptance of Sulek’s capabilities.
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In fact, the mighty Arnold Schwarzenegger himself posted a picture with Sulek at the onset of Arnold Classic’s commencement on March 1st. The Austrian Oak stated how happy he was to have Sulek next to him as he opened one of the most anticipated international sports events. Arnie, wrote in his post, “I’m so happy to open the 36th annual @arnoldsports this weekend. And I’m happy that @sam_sulek is here to do it with me.”
Sulek was also drawn into controversy because he was featured at the Arnold Expo alongside some of the greatest bodybuilding stars in history.
Sulek’s controversial presence at the Arnold Expo 2024
A few months before the Arnold Classic, when the Arnold Expo 2024 announced that along with Jay Cutler, Chris Bumstead, and the 8X Mr. Olympia winner, Ronnie Coleman, Sam Sulek would also have a photo booth of his own, the fitness community started to question the situation. They did not only slam the extreme prices being set for Sulek, as high as $50, but the discussion got further heated up as each Sulek was declared to charge $30 extra for his signature.
With Sam Sulek’s growing popularity and the reception from the fitness community as well as the bodybuilding star, where do you see this 21-year-old in the future with his immense potential?
Written by
Edited by
Riya Singhal