“Going to Be Top Five at Mr. Olympia”: 39-Y.O. Bodybuilding Veteran Chooses His Sides Amongst the Heated ‘Sam Sulek vs. Anton Ratushnyi’ Debate

In the ever-evolving world of bodybuilding, enthusiasts are always on the lookout for the next big thing. For the rising stars who have what it takes to follow in the footsteps of the legends who walked before them. And right now, taking the bodybuilding world by storm are two young sensations—21-year-old Sam Sulek and 19-year-old Anton Ratushnyi. With them having amassed millions of followers, one of them was veteran bodybuilder Seth Feroce, who gave his two cents on who the better bodybuilder is.

Seth Feroce analyzed the current physiques of the two bodybuilding phenoms. He concluded that Anton Ratushnyi was the better bodybuilder among the two prodigies. While he picked the 19-year-old as the better bodybuilder, his answer was nuanced. the IFBB Pro said, “Anton is obviously the better competitive bodybuilder because Sam has never competed.” And Anton hasn’t just competed. He’s already making his mark in the bodybuilding world, especially after the monumental feat he achieved recently.

When it comes to bodybuilding, few names are as legendary as Arnold Schwarzenegger. And now, it looks like Anton Ratushnyi could be joining that elite group in the years to come. Taking part in the NPC National Championships, the 19-year-old aced the biggest amateur competition, winning his IFBB Classic Pro title and Overall championship. With this, he broke Schwarzenegger’s record, which remained untouched for 57 years. As Seth Feroce picked Anton as the winner in the debate of the prodigies, he also explained why he’s a more complete bodybuilder than Sam Sulek.

Fercoe believes the 21-year-old has flaws in his physique. He said that Sulek’s leg development lags behind his upper body. Meanwhile, the 43-year-old said, “Anton is a f***ing freak. The dude is on a status where I think he’s going to be top five at Mr. Olympia in the next two to three years.” Compared to Sulek’s self-taught approach, the IFBB Pro sees Ratushnyi progressing very quickly. “I think with his mentality and the people he’s surrounding himself with. [His coach is] going to help Anton get to that next level quickly. He’s going to be 21, 22 years old, battling for the top spots at the Olympia on a physique level.”

Despite claiming that Anton Ratushnyi is the better “competitive” bodybuilder, Seth Feroce acknowledged that Sam Sulek doesn’t train under a coach and has still achieved a great physique. He also didn’t agree with some of the criticism coming Sulek’s way. 

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Seth Feroce refused to bash Sam Sulek’s bodybuilding approach

Sam Sulek has millions of young fans online who aspire to be like the 21-year-old. However, many prominent fitness influencers, including Greg Doucette, Athlene X, and others, have criticized the bodybuilder for his diet and exercise execution. Feroce isn’t one of them. He said, “You can’t not be a Sam Sulek fan just because he seems like a great young kid. He’s being himself; that’s what I love about him.”

The veteran then explained what sets the 21-year-old apart from the rest and that he doesn’t deserve the criticism he gets, especially because Sulek is learning through trial and error. “You’ve seen videos of people ripping the young man apart for lifting like an idiot, his sh***y diet. The kid’s 21 years old. But at the end of the day, this is bodybuilding. When you’re on stage, no one cares how you got there to look like that. They want to see a show. That’s part of the fun with Sam.”

Considering the prodigy has also never advertised or preached that people should follow what he does, the online bashing he gets isn’t warranted. While Seth Feroce picked who he thought was better, he didn’t deny that 21-year-old Sam Sulek and 19-year-old Anton Ratushnyi are, in fact, bodybuilding prodigies. If anything, he further backed this belief. What are your thoughts on the debate? 

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