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Nick Walker is crossing his t’s and dotting his i’s before the sport’s biggest event of the year. In the latest Mutant and the Mouth podcast, Walker opened up on his Kevin Levrone ‘boot camp’ training in preparation for the 2024 Mr. Olympia. He also discussed athletes letting themselves go in the off-season and why so many bodybuilders return after retirement
Having established himself as a top contender in the Open class, Walker’s monstrous physique stands out thanks to his mind-boggling muscle density. He has placed as high as third on the prestigious Mr. Olympia stage (2022) and is optimistic about moving up the ranks later this year. Disaster struck days before the 2023 Olympia as Walker was forced to pull out with a hamstring and calf tear.
Instead of hoping for a special invite, Walker earned his way to Mr. Olympia by winning the 2024 New York Pro in May, where he bested contender Martin Fitzwater on his way to capturing gold. Now qualified to take on Derek Lunsford and the rest of the Open lineup, Walker decided to relocate to Florida to finish his training camp alongside his coach Matt Jansen.
Nick Walker Talks Kevin Levrone-Inspired Boot Camp Training, Mentality, and Criticizes Bodybuilders Who Get Out Of Shape in Off-Seasons
Walker intends to complete his full Olympia prep under the guidance of his coach in Florida.
“Me and Matt had that discussion at Pittsburgh and I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m doing it. Fuck it, I’m doing it.’ I let Dom know I want to use one of his Air BnBs and I’m literally going to come down after New York. We’re going to do literally the full prep.
That’s exactly — it’s funny too as you know, I hate change though. I hate to go out of my schedule but I also have come to the realization that when I do that, I can easily adapt to the new location that I’m in very easily.”
Accustomed to moving, Walker says he’s employed Kevin Levrone ‘boot camp-type shit’ for his latest prep. He will ready his physique in someone else’s house just like the bodybuilding legend used to.
“I can get into a routine very quickly. Here is no different. I also looked at it as kind of like with Kevin Levrone, he would live in someone else’s house, boot camp-type shit, and that’s kind of what I look at for this prep for this Olympia, seeing how last year, obviously with the injury.
Everyone didn’t like my look in New York so to me this is like I’m full-blown here. I’m going all-in 100 percent.”
The only time Walker felt he might not win a contest was last year at the 2023 Arnold Classic when he fell short of Samson Dauda.
“I’m not even just saying that because you know, that’s the expected answer is of me. When I feel I win, I win. That’s just how I feel. And I haven’t been in a show yet where I’m like, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to win.’ Even New York, even how big of a toss-up that was, I’m just like I’m still going to win. It’s all good.”
“I guess, no, I’m lying. I guess maybe the Arnold actually when I lost. I guess I’m lying. Because I remember getting back to the hotel and I looked at Matt and I’m like, ‘Judging by how that went, I’m either going to win or I’m going to be third.’ So, when they called Andrew for third, I was like, ‘I got this.’ Then, they call me second, and I’m like, ‘Oh. Alright.’ I guess that was probably the only one where I was like I’m not really sure how that one is going to go.”
He believes athletes can come off performance-enhancing drugs without getting fat and out of shape.
“I know guys that come off everything but they’re still in shape because they maintain that diet and training. I think if you get fat and out of shape it’s because you got fat and out of shape. It has nothing to do with coming off everything. We all know when you come off everything you get soft and whatnot, sure. But if you’re checking off every other box, it’s not going to be that bad,” shared Walker.
Lastly, he named a few reasons why bodybuilders tend to come back after retirement.
“It can be many reasons. It could be like they just weren’t satisfied with the way they walked away. It could just be they have an itch and they just want to see how good they can be knowing they’re not going to be competitive. They might just want to see how good they can be and they can come back.”
Questions surround how Nick Walker will perform at this year’s Mr. Olympia. Just ask Jay Cutler, who recently suggested that Walker will struggle to crack the top three at the marquee show. He agreed with IFBB Vice President Tyler Manion that this wasn’t the best version of Walker we’ve seen.
With a change of scenery, Walker hopes to inch even closer to his first Sandow trophy later this year. You won’t want to miss the 2024 Mr. Olympia contest, scheduled for October 10-13 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
RELATED: Jay Cutler Names His ‘Kings’ of the Open at 2024 Mr. Olympia, Talks Nick Walker’s New York Pro Win: ‘A Little Controversy There’
Watch the full video from the Mutant and the Mouth Podcast YouTube channel below: