Nick Walker doesn't sit with losses; he adapts. After a disappointing career-low 6th finish at Olympia last year, he has posted his best look ever at Arnold Classic, grabbing the silver this March. Now, he's vying to right the wrongs.

The Men's Open star is 8 weeks away from the 2026 Tampa Pro, which will be a defining stepping stone towards his Olympia qualification. Given the stakes, Walker won't be coaching himself anymore after parting ways with Kyle Wilkes last year.

In a June 7 YouTube video, Canadian bodybuilder Fouad Abiad confirmed that Prabh Dhaliwal has taken up the vacant spot. "I talked to Nick this morning, and he seems to be doing really well. He’s excited about getting ready for the show," Abiad remarked.

Despite Dhaliwal's limited experience in the industry's highest stages, Walker looks confident regarding his latest preparations. The Mutant, who has been friends with Dhaliwal for quite some time, is "impressed with how his athletes look," Abiad added.

What really drove the decision was taking some weight off Walker's shoulders, and most importantly, easing his mental load. "He wanted to go back to just being a robot and being the guy that did the work and let somebody else do the thinking," explained Abiad.

Sure enough, the 'Mutant' already has a lot on his plate.

Nick Walker needs to fix this before Tampa Pro

One of Walker's top contenders inside the Men's Open category will be Jo Palacios, as RxMuscle shared on Instagram. However, retired bodybuilder Milos Sarcev believes that the bodybuilder's greatest concern should be his midsection.

Sarcev stopped at nothing in his latest rant, blasting stomach distension. He believes bloated, bubble guts have no place in bodybuilding's top spot.

“I’m talking about in general, if the stomach is there, bye-bye. You’re not in the top. It can’t be. It can’t be tolerated. Why are we tolerating it? That’s what I’m saying,” Sarcev threw digs at Walker, who had mistimed his peak at the last Olympia, digesting the heartwrenching loss.

King Kamali also echoed similar warnings as Sarcev's, advising Walker to stop relaxing his midsection while on stage to avoid raising eyebrows. "You’re up there for 15 minutes, 15 minutes… suck it up," he added.

Clearly, while Nick Walker is among the favorites for the 2026 Tampa Pro, it would remain a pipe dream if he ignores his core. Can Walker still qualify for the Olympia this year?

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Written by

Proma Chatterjee

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil