"I was worried you know"- William Bonac on stopping oral steroids in preparation for 2023 Arnold classic

William Bonac is set to walk on stage at the 2023 Arnold Classic alongside some very good competitors in March. The Dutch-Ghanaian athlete last competed in the 2022 Mr. Olympia, where he placed ninth overall, although he expected a better result for the package he brought. This leaves him without an invitation to the 2023 Olympia and as a result, the professional bodybuilder must qualify by competing in other shows.

Bonac is looking terrific ahead of the Arnold Classic. However, he recently opened up about his kidney issues that almost stopped him from taking the stage at the 2023 Classic. In the latest episode of Muscular Development, Bonac revealed that he was 'worried' about his health and wanted to prioritize it over the Classic:

"I was worried you know. I didn’t feel good. I thought maybe that something was wrong. I did my blood work. I told them [Arnold Classic Management], because they were asking me and I told them, ‘Listen, if my blood work is okay, I’ll compete. If not, don’t bother me.’ Yeah, so I did that. To my surprise, everything was okay. A little bit of inflammation in my kidneys. I have to take measurements for that. I have some medicine to take but I can’t take it right now because I’m in prep because it goes against each other."

Bonac then revealed that competing in the Classic was not a part of his initial plan:

"To be honest with you, I didn’t even plan to do the Arnold Classic. I was so in belief of myself that I would do well at the Olympia, that I’d at least be in the top five and that I could sit a year out and prepare myself for the 2023 Mr. Olympia, but it didn’t work out that way. And I still didn’t want to do it because I had my blood check done."

The vast number of supplements that go into being a professional bodybuilder may have a harmful effect on the kidneys, causing them to inflame. While setting kidney medication aside, Bonac explained that he made the decision to stop taking oral steroids in preparation for the Classic to make sure his health remains intact:

"So right now, like my whole prep that I’m doing, I’m not even taking orals. Yes, no orals. Just to save myself and not to make it worse."

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Bonac on his 9th place finish at the 2022 Mr. Olympia

The ninth-place finish leaves Bonac uninvited to the 2023 edition of the competition. Reflecting on his performance, he mentioned that there were some miscalculations on his part:

"Like I said, [2022 Mr. Olympia] was a miscalculation. Unfortunately, my body is so sensitive. Sometimes you just have to wait a little bit more, understand, and see how things react… yeah, we just made some miscalculations. I think this mistake, I did the same thing in 2020, 2021 as well."

Despite waning motivation after the Olympia, the two-time Arnold Classic champion said that he is ready to claim the title for a third time:

"Placing ninth at Olympia when most of the time you’re in the top six,” Bonac said. “It’s a hard pill to swallow. You understand. It kind of demotivates you but you have to get over it and keep going on. And that’s what I’m doing right now. I don’t stress myself anymore. Of course, I’m going there to win it."