"Size is no longer king" - Lee Labrada says Shaun Clarida's possible 2023 Arnold Classic win could 'send signals' about bodybuilders' size

Lee Labrada was a fan favorite during his days as a professional bodybuilder. He has won 22 pro bodybuilding titles in his career. Lee had excellent conditioning and an impressive posing routine.

Although Lee Labrada failed to win a Mr. Olympia title in his career, he finished in the top four in Mr. Olympia competitions for seven consecutive years, which is not an easy task in the sport of bodybuilding. In 2004, Labrada was inducted into the IFBB Pro Bodybuilding Hall of Fame.

Despite stepping off the stage in bodybuilding, he has been actively involved in discussions related to the sport of bodybuilding.

In a video posted on the Muscle and Fitness YouTube channel on February 27, 2023, Lee Labrada was involved in an interaction with Dennis James for The Menace podcast with Dennis James.

Speaking about Shaun Clarida ahead of the 2023 Arnold Classic, Lee said:

"Isn't Shaun Clarida entering this show. I'll tell you what, I'm really interested to see how that goes. Because, you know, you know like I do, this guy is hard as granite but he's one of the smaller guys. Will they go that route. Will they vote for him or will a bigger less conditioned guy win, you know."

Labrada further spoke about how Clarida winning the 2023 Arnold Classic title would send a clear message that conditioning is given more importance than size on stage.

The former professional bodybuilder said:

"It's going to turn really interesting. It seems like they are really awarding the conditioning a lot more. I wouldn't be shocked (if Shaun Clarida won) because he's a great bodybuilder, I would be shocked because it sends a very strong signal to the rest of the bodybuilding community that very possibly, size is no longer king. You have got to have that conditioning otherwise we're not even going to look at you."

Lee Labrada also shared his views about two-time Mr. Olympia winner Big Ramy's chances at the 2023 Arnold Classic.

Speaking about Ramy, Lee said:

"I don't think that Big Ramy's condition at the last Olympia was up to his usual standard. I think when this guy is in his best condition, he is very dangerous. Oh, I thought he'd win going into the last one. I was surprised to see him drop down to fifth for sure."

Big Ramy was not on the initial list of competitors for the 2023 Arnold Classic but made his entry in mid-January.

The two-time Mr. Olympia title winner is entering the 2023 Arnold Classic on the back of a disappointing finish at the 2022 Mr. Olympia. Big Ramy finished in fifth place at the 2022 Mr. Olympia.

---

Lee Labrada opens up about 2023 Arnold Classic

The 2023 Arnold Classic is just days away. He stated that the initial roster for the 2023 Arnold Classic was limited because it was close to the 2022 Mr. Olympia in December.

Speaking about the second-most prestigious competition in the sport of bodybuilding, Lee Labrada said:

"It may have started too late. I think what happened was, the proximity of the Olympia in December to March, really doesn't allow for a full down cycle before the guys start getting back into contest mode."

He added:

"I think a lot of them were faced with either staying the course in terms of their pre-contest prep and trying to hold that peak for another three months. I think it was just tough. I think that a lot of them felt that they physically couldn't do it, you know."

The former bodybuilder was skeptical about providing predictions for the 2023 Arnold Classic but later claimed that Samson Dauda would clinch the title.

Lee Labrada said:

"If I'm being perfectly honest, I only know a handful of guys going in, the ones we talked about. I honestly haven't been keeping up looking at their photos and I don't know what kind of condition they are in. Well, I'll tell you what, I think if Samson comes in shredded, he's winning."

He further continued:

"Put him in first, I don't know who else is going to be second and third. I'm going to piss off all those guys because they're all my friends. The top five in no particular order, based on those guys, I would say in no particular order, Samson, Shaun Clarida, Nick Walker, Ramy and Andrew Jacked."

Despite Lee Labrada's predictions, some former bodybuilders have backed Nick Walker and Andrew Jacked to succeed at the 2023 Arnold Classic. With predictions apart, we will have to wait for the competition to conclude to see the final results.