Among many qualities that Hadi Choopan has, his consistency is most admired in the bodybuilding world. At least this is what Chris Cook thinks.

As the time for the 2026 Arnold Classic is approaching fast, every media outlet is busy predicting the winner. In a recent episode of the Iron OGs podcast with Armon Adibi, while discussing the 2026 line-up, Chris Cook shared his two cents on Mr. Olympia 2022 winner Hadi Choopan.

"This kid's dialed in, man. He's 100% impressive. I'm gonna say a paragraph which is he's impressive, right? Sensitive. Period. Done. End of story. But he's always impressive. Hadi is an absolute dog. He's a machine."

The former bodybuilder further added that Choopan's work ethic and dedication towards his diet are unmatched, and there is no question about whether the Persian Wolf will be in perfect shape at the time of the Arnold Classic. Having said that, he did share a little advice for him to increase his already high chances of winning.

"Maybe he can come in with a little bit more volume, so it gives him a little bit more ability to pull down a little harder."

With Derek Lunsford taking a step back this year, Hadi Choopan is the fan favorite to win the Arnold Classic this year. But he has tough competition from Chinedu Andrew 'Jacked' Obiekea, Nick Walker, and Martin Fitzwater.

How Hany Rambod is helping Hadi Choopan fix his one weakness

Armon Adibi chimed in on the debate, saying Choopan's only weakness has been his back. His front is always detailed, dry, and sharp, but his back shows no definition, which could be due to his subcutaneous layer retaining water to soften the muscle.

Hadi's coach, the legendary Hany Rambod, who trained bodybuilding legends like Jay Cutler, Phil Heath, Chris Bumstead, and Derek Lunsford, is also helping Choopan overcome his biggest weakness, his back, via his famous FST-7 back workout.

The workout includes:

• Seated cable rows
• Bent over dumbbell row
• Barbell row
• Seated chest supported row machine
• Cable rear delt fly
• Bent over dumbbell fly

Choopan has been training with Hany Rambod since 2017. Under his guidance, Hadi has consistently been among the top 4 contenders in Mr. Olympia, winning in 2022. He also won the 2024 Arnold Classic and Arnold Classic UK.

Whom are you supporting at the 2026 Arnold Classic?

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Written by

Ruwa Javed

Edited by

Joyita Das