Top 10 Bodybuilders of 2023

Want to know the 10 best bodybuilders of 2023? Well, you have landed on the right news piece.

An amazing year 2023 in bodybuilding was characterized by a combination of well-known competitors and driven up-and-comers.

The 2023 bodybuilding season was full of tight competitions and striking moments that gave bodybuilding followers plenty to debate over the past 12 months. Last year’s bodybuilding period was filled with upset victories and history-making reigns, with new faces emerging to make the competition tough. However, 10 bodybuilders were identified who, in no particular order, stood out as the greatest among all the elite contestants who walked the stage in 2023.

List of 10 Best Bodybuilders of 2023

Below is the list and competition history of the top 10 bodybuilders who dominated the game in 2023.

1. Derek Lunsford
2. Chris Bumstead
3. Cydney Gillon
4. Samson Dauda
5. Andrew Jacked
6. Ashley Kaltwasser
7. Andrea Shaw
8. Ryan Terry
9. Karol Milewski
10. Aimee Delgado

Derek Lunsford, The American Bodybuilder

Catching attention by winning Mr. Olympia is always tough yet Derek Lunsford stepped up and etched his name in the record books by becoming the first-ever two-division winner. Back in 2021, Derek defeated then-emerging Olympia 212 winner Shaun Clarida and earned that title for the very first time. In 2023, he knocked out dominating Mr. Olympia Hadi Choopan to add a new milestone to his profile. It was not just Choopan who was defeated by Derek; the list also included Brandon Curry, Samson Dauda, and Andrew Jacked.

It seems like Derek Lunsford has just initiated his journey in bodybuilding by achieving the 212 title and the Sandow on his mantle. He has solidified his place in the history books; now let’s see what 2024 has in store for him.

Chris Bumstead, The Canadian Bodybuilder

Back in November 2023, Chris Bumstead achieved his fifth Classic Physique Olympia title which has been the most predictable division winner on the men’s side. With his fifth win, he solidifies his status as one of the finest bodybuilders of the last ten years and cements his status as the most successful athlete in the division's history. The most impressive thing about Bumstead is that he battled an absolutely stacked list for this win.

The regards of Breon Ansley, Urs Kalecinski, and Ramon Rocha Queiroz were as good as ever, but they still couldn’t bring down the titleholder.

People believed that special recognition should be given to Queiroz for his impressive 2023 as he earned the Arnold Classic in March and then defeated CBum with a 0 score. He demonstrated his potential as the division's future leader by pushing Bumstead harder than any of his opponents had ever done before.

Cydney Gillon - An American IFBB Professional Figure

The list of professional bodybuilders winning Mr. Olympia titles seven or more times is concise. In the men's division, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Phil Health had seven Mr. Olympia wins, and Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman achieved the most at eight.

In the women’s category, there are just three listed below:

1. Ten-time Ms. Olympia Iris Kyle
2. Eight-time Ms. Olympia Lenda Murray
3. Seven-time Figure Olympia champion Cydney Gillon

Gillon's commanding performance in her division made her a bodybuilding legend, and her victory in 2023 only cemented her reputation. It’s unknown how long she will continue to rule the Figure division, but based on how she performed under the spotlight at the Olympia Orlando, it appears that every other rival may be fighting for second place going forward.

Samson Dauda- The Nigerian Lion

Samson Dauda was close to the top of the Men’s Open division throughout the year 2023. At first, he earned the Arnold Classic while defeating Andrew Jacked, Nick Walker, and Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay along the way. Later in Mr. Olympia 2023, Dauda earned a top-three finish, that qualified him for the 2024 contest. He also won the Romania Muscle Fest Pro and Prague Pro, which also kept other men from qualifying for the Olympia. Dauda will have a brief off-season because he decided to defend his Arnold Classic title in 2024. Furthermore, if he develops the required enhancements, there will be no hurdle for him to challenge Lunsford for the coveted Olympia crown in November 2024.

Andrew Jacked - A Nigerian Professional Bodybuilder

Andrew Jacked was found caught up in the whole 2023 bodybuilding season, like Samson Dauda. He initiated the year by acquiring the third position at the 2023 Arnold Classic. Later, he won the 2023 Texas Pro, which qualified him for the 2023 Mr. Olympia contest. After that, he made an appearance in Orlando and finished in the top five at the Olympia for the first time, defeating Michal "Krizo" Krizanek and Hunter Labrada to trail only 2019 Mr. O winner Brandon Curry.

Andrew Jacked has the potential to rise and he also gained attention from the bodybuilding community so that he can get a chance to claim the Sandow in the future.

Ashley Kaltwasser - A Professional Fitness Coach

Prior to the 2023 season, Ashley Kaltwasser held the record for most wins among the best competitors, and she further cemented her status by being the first athlete to win 40 professional shows.

Beyond that, she even went on to place in the top three at the 2023 Bikini Olympia, putting even more praise on her professional profile. Kaltwasser is still considered as much of a threat to the title as ever, even after winning her First Olympia Title decades ago. She concluded the 2023 bodybuilding journey by scoring a record-extending 43rd career win, and she appears to be on the road to 50 victories in 2024.

Andrea Shaw, The American Bodybuilder

Andrea Shaw entered the year 2023 intending to retain her titles as Ms. Olympia and Rising Phoenix World Champion. She has consistently achieved these titles for the past three years, and her target was to snag a four-peat, which she did in a dominant fashion.

Andrea Shaw initiated by successfully obtaining the title of Rising Phoenix in September 2023, and after eight weeks, she highlighted the best version of her physique to date and left with her fourth consecutive Olympian win.

Andrea’s biggest rival in the year 2024 will be Angela Yeo, as she finished second in both contests. Even yet, it's difficult to argue that Shaw, at this stage of her career, won't start as the favourite in every competition she enters.

Ryan Terry, The IFBB Professional

The UK’s Ryan Terry was consistent in his passion and never gave up, even when bodybuilding experts assumed that his window of opportunity to compete and win the Olympia had ended. As a result, he is now a major part of the bodybuilding world.

If we talk about his background, it is clearly visible that he had a strong interest in bodybuilding, and he spent every spare hour training and doing workouts after his working day. Terry took first place in Mr Great Britain back in 2010 and then achieved the Mr International title as well. After competing in the Men’s Physique show in 2013 and acquiring the first position there, he was sure that his journey in bodybuilding was born.

Last year, 2023, Ryan Terry initiated the year by winning the 2023 New York Pro Show, and he concluded the year by winning the Men’s Physique Olympia that had eluded him for so long. He was able to strike out winner Erin Banks, four-time champion Jeremy Buendia and three-time champion Brandon Hendrickson.

Let’s see if he adds more to his legacy in 2024! Ultimately, 2023 will be regarded as the year Terry made his breakthrough, but we'll have to wait and see what 2024 holds for him.

Karol Milewski, Mr. Olympia Wheelchair 2023

In the year 2023, it was obvious that the title of the Wheelchair Mr. Olympia contest would go to the expected five-time consecutive champion, Harold “King Kong” Kelley. He was the only champion in a row in the division’s history. Surprisingly, the audience was shocked to witness that it was not King Kong, but Karol Milewski came away with his first Olympian win.

According to the scoreboard content that day, it was obvious that the judge’s favourite was Karol Milewski, who captured all the limelight on the stage. This may mark the beginning of a debate between the two rivals or the commencement of yet another Olympian dynasty. In any case, a rematch is almost certain, as Milewski and Kelley have both qualified for the Wheelchair Olympia in 2024.

Aimee Delgado, IFBB Bikini Pro Bodybuilder

The year 2023 was not just about settled stars; several up-and-comers have also made identities for themselves. One such contestant is Aimee Delgado from the Bikini division.

She achieved first place in a whopping five pro shows in 2023, most notably the Pittsburgh Pro and New York Pro. Delgado then went into the 2023 Bikini Olympia and came back with a top-six finish. She will have to pour more effort into winning another show to re-qualify for the 2024 Olympia, but she has shown the athletes and fans of her division that she is fit to become a consistent presence in what is already one of the tightest divisions in the sport.

Looking Ahead

The year 2023 was filled with unexpected wins and exciting moments for bodybuilding, and there is a good chance that things will improve in 2023. The 2024 Arnold Classic lineup is already well-known to be loaded, but there are also ongoing narratives like as the potential for Derek Lunsford to successfully defend his Mr. Olympia title, Big Ramy's future ambitions, the ascent of Ramon Rocha Queiroz, and Andrea Shaw's continued domination. Let’s see how fluctuated this list will look next year! It seems unexpected but all the fans are excited to watch it all unfold.

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