Finally! It’s finally happened and as we all anticipated it. Andrew Jacked, Nick Walker, and a few others posted progress shots. The photos went viral. And the big man, Andrew Jacked, didn’t let anyone down at six weeks out from the 2026 Arnold Classic. This is, after all, the second most prestigious contest in physique-based sports. It commands tremendous prestige, not to mention the fact it offers the biggest purse in terms of prize money. The ASC also holds significant value because it’s considered as being a far less political contest than its Big 3 counterparts in the Olympia and the New York Pro. Could Andrew win in Columbus? Here’s certainly in the conversation!
Andrew has certainly increased in size, keeping much of his signature aesthetics. His legs didn’t really do it for me, but we can’t judge a physique at 6wks out, either. Many outlets have criticized the 2023 2nd runner-up as not being as conditioned as other top contenders for the Arnold Classic. That’s a point made by the most popular YouTuber, Nick’s Strength And Power. Nick Miller seems to think the Arnold is a two-man show, between Andrew and Nick Walker. We’ll get into that momentarily, but this article is all about Andrew Jacked. I will give Nick kudos for posting content, but I won’t spend much time talking about The Mutant. He needs to prove himself in my estimation.
That said, there’s plenty of talk around the watercooler when it comes to Andrew winning the 2026 Arnold Classic, but it’s going to take a lot more than some progress photos to do it for me. I give AJ some credit for the fact that he’s taking to social media and that he’s not shying away from the public. I think that it’s important and I think that’s part of the reason why he was invited to the contest to begin with. I have said this in articles about the Arnold for years and will continue to say it because it’s an important distinction. Unlike the Olympia or the New York Pro or other professional bodybuilding contests, the Arnold Classic is an invitational. I believe that it’s expected that every competitor that has been included should promote the event in some way shape or form on social media. It may not be explicitly put into the invitation, but I feel like it goes without saying.
There are also competitors who want to fly under the radar for a variety of reasons. When you’re not being scrutinized by the fans, you prep in peace. It also allows competitors not to get caught up in the social media game. Because there are competitors that want to look their best on Instagram or Tiktok, but disappoint once they hit the stage. Nobody’s going to win a title on the gram – you win shows ON STAGE. At the end of the day, it’s smarter to keep everything under wraps than it is to put everything on front street. Is that what Andrew was doing? It’s debatable.
Many of these progress updates are strategic. In years past we have seen competitors get caught posting old content to throw off the competition. Even though Pumping Iron was largely a docu drama there are parts of it that hold true. For example, psyching-out the competition is a very real thing. Many competitors want to throw their peers off. If someone posts content that looks very impressive very far out, that might suggest the competition is behind. But if a competitor posts a picture saved from the very beginning of their prep towards the end of their prep that might suggest they’re not on their game. At the end of the day even timestamps can be altered. Everything can be altered. Especially now with the advent of AI and everything surrounding the Innovations of photography, it’s anyone’s guess when photos are taken or if the person in the photo is actually the competitor. As technology becomes better and better I believe the psych-outs will become a preferred tool unlike anything we have ever seen before. and that too has a certain value when it comes to hyping up a contest. The fans want to know everything the competitors are doing. Some fans do not understand that there is such a thing as a limit to what they can see.
What I mean by that is that some fans have a voracious appetite for bodybuilding. Even when bodybuilders are not competing, they still want to know everything they’re doing. They don’t understand that bodybuilders are humans just like everybody else. And as such are entitled to a private life. But when you’re talking about fans and their appetite for bodybuilding, social media has pretty much done away with whatever limits used to exist. Fans nowadays need to have information 24/7. They have an insatiable interest in these competitors. It isn’t anything creepy but it’s more so about bodybuilding itself. They study physiques, they study the protocols, they study the food. They study the training. There are literally an army of geeks out there that live for the nuts and bolts of the sport. And when it comes to progress photos, nothing gets their blood pumping more than that. So, when Andrew Jacked is posting these types of photos, alongside Nick Walker, it could very well become a two-man show in the court of public opinion.
At the end of the day everybody thinks that those of us in the media know something that the fans don’t. It’s the fans who dictate what we write. Most journalists respond to what the public wants. We are answering what is trending. So, for example, if Martin decides not to put out content, but Nick does, Nick could potentially become a favorite even though Martin will likely beat him. It comes down to the fact that Nick is putting out content, and the fans can see what he’s doing. The fans want content – that’s just how the cookie crumbles. The fans are driving the car.
Back in the day the magazines were in the driver’s seat. Some of the DVDs were in the driver’s seat, as well. Now, the competitor determines what goes out, when it goes out, and at what frequency it goes out. So, for those competitors that are active on social media, they can create a tremendous amount of buzz behind their road to that show. and that’s irrespective of whether the buzz is warranted. Because right now, I would say Nick Walker is pretty much damaged goods, but if he puts out enough content and it resonates strongly enough with the fans, he might be bigger than sliced bread.
The difference between Nick Walker and other competitors is that Andrew Jack is a top three Olympian. He could potentially win it all and that really wouldn’t be out of this world. Do I think Andrew can beat Martin? Well, he beat Martin at the Olympia. Whether I like it or not, he did play higher. Now could Andrew beat Samson? That’s a different story, but Samson’s also not competing at the Arnold Classic. So, who is going to compete that Andrew cannot beat? Will we see Hadi at the Arnold Classic given everything that’s going on in Iran? I don’t know at this point. If I were him, I would wait for the Olympia because at the end of the day whoever wins the Olympia is the best bodybuilder in the world. Whereas whoever wins the Arnold Classic is one of the best bodybuilders in the world. It also makes for a big payday, but that person is not number one.
Even though Arnold pays more money, I think all these guys want that Sandow beyond all things. They want the bragging rights. They want to be able to say that they are the number one bodybuilder in the world. And as such I don’t know if we’re going to see Andrew Jackson 100% in Columbus. If he comes in at 100% it’s a two man show, but it’s not between Andrew and Nick, but Andrew and Martin. It would be all out war to the end. The only other scenario is if Hadi shows up. Now that’s WWIII. It’ll be very interesting – that’s for sure.
As always, I hope you enjoyed reading my article here at IronMag. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Do you think Andrew can win it all in Columbus Ohio? And if he does, will he be the number one contender for the 2026 Olympia? Please be sure to copy and paste a link to this article on all your social media feeds. It is guaranteed to generate lively conversation.
Author Bio:
Christian I. Duque is the owner of StrengthAddicts.com, a physique and strength website founded in 2008. He has worked for a number of bodybuilding websites, including RX Muscle and Muscular Development. Christian has written nearly 1,000 published articles for IronMag Blog, as well as articles for StrengthAddicts, RX Muscle, and others. By day, he is also a licensed attorney practicing in the areas of family law, immigration, and criminal defense.
