In Episode 271 of The Menace Podcast, host Dennis James was joined by Milos Sarcev, Jose Raymond, and special guest Melvin Anthony to break down the latest bodybuilding news. During the show, talk turned to Andrew Jacked’s chances of winning the Arnold Classic, now about five weeks away, and the crew had some advice for the huge Nigerian.
“I still think he’s on a trajectory above everyone else,” said Raymond, an experienced bodybuilder and coach famed for winning the 2015 Arnold in the 212 division. “He’s the one that’s just standing out,” he explained. That viewpoint was echoed by host Dennis James. “I still believe he’s gonna win,” added the man they call The Menace. In fact, the entire panel believed that Jacked had every chance of furthering his current rise to prominence. “He’s the guy to beat, for sure,” suggested Melvin Anthony, expressing his view that AJ could even take on the more experienced Hadi Choopan under the right circumstances. Still, for Jacked to beat a stacked line up in Columbis, OH, that also includes the likes of Martin Fitzwater and Nick Walker, he would need to address some issues, offered James.
What Andrew Jacked Must Improve to Win the Arnold
Earlier in the show, the gang got to grips with a recent progress picture that Jacked had shared via Instagram. “When you see that Andrew Jacked photo, of a lat spread, were you impressed or worried?” asked Milos Sarcev. “Because I sent that picture to Jay Cutler, thinking he’s gonna be impressed, and he asked the question of why, is this a good thing or a bad thing?” Agreeing that there is work still required to create the perfect package for the Arnold, James’s felt that while AJ’s upper body looked great, his hamstrings and glutes still required attention. “The hamstrings and the glutes look like, way behind,” said The Menace.
“We’re still five weeks out,” observed the host, noting that a lot can still change as the final preparations hit a climax. “His upper body looks good, I mean from the front, front double, he’s in shape,” but The Menace added that it would be a shame to let his lagging parts get in the way of victory. “So, he has to bring the conditioning that he had at the Olympia, right?” If Jacked can address those points, he could be on track to win a whopping $750,000 purse, the biggest in bodybuilding history.
To watch the full episode, where the panel also discussed Melvin Anthony’s approach to mentoring, and all latest bodybuilding news, see below.
