There have been changes that have taken place in the world of bodybuilding over the decades, but there has always been one constant. The next big star is always coming — and right now it could be New Jersey native Nick Walker.
“The Mutant” made his arrival known by winning the New York Pro earlier this year in dominating fashion. As a result, he is now qualified to be on the Mr. Olympia stage in Orlando, FL, this October.
Walker sat down with Dennis James on this week’s episode of “The Menace Podcast” to discuss his background, thoughts on his victory, and more, including an experience in childhood that could’ve taken his life in a completely different direction.
“I got molested as a child, and that pretty much changed my way of life for a very long time. I got into drugs, I got into alcohol really bad. Sports wasn’t really an interest for me for a long time. This was all through high school,” he said. “I got into training at 13 to pretty much take all of the anger out. The more I trained, the less I wanted to play sports. I just wanted to do my own thing.”
His commitment to training helped him overcome the trauma of his experience. It also led him to Extreme Fitness, which is where he was first asked about competing. Even though he didn’t do well, the experience alone was enough to make Walker want to do another show.
“Believe it or not, I just enjoyed the whole experience, the whole thing, though. I enjoyed being onstage, because for the first time in my life since I was molested, I felt comfortable.”
In spite of his first show not going as planned, it didn’t take him long to figure it out. He would go on to win the 2020 North American title to earn his pro card, and he will now be competing on the biggest stage in the sport at the age of 26. James pointed out that he started his bodybuilding career at that age, signifying how far Walker had already progressed. Walker mentioned that focusing on little details like how he holds his stomach could lead to big improvements.
“In training, I made sure my stomach was held tight. When I’m sitting at a table, I made sure I bent my stomach in tight. It’s the little things that people don’t pay attention to that make such a huge difference.”
That detail is what he will rely on going into the Olympia, and even though Walker feels he needs more time to improve before competing for the title, there is one big name he has his sights set on.
“Based off what I saw at the Olympia last year because I was there, I think I could beat Brandon (Curry), unless Brandon decides to bring his legs up,” he said confidently. “I think with my conditioning, if you’re going off of his Olympia versus my New York, I think I was more conditioned, drier, harder, and overall had more mass than he did.”
This episode gives great insight into a man whose name will be on many top placings for the next several years. Catch all of Walker’s appearance on this week’s episode of “The Menace Podcast” over at the Muscle & Fitness YouTube channel. Episodes go live every Sunday at 3 p.m. eastern time.
