2023 Mr Olympia Derek Lunsford Height, Weight, & More

Who Is Derek Lunsford?

Derek Lunsford is an American professional bodybuilder born in Petersburg, Indiana, on May 14th, 1993. He currently competes in the men’s open bodybuilding division in the IFBB Pro League.

Lunsford was always athletic, competing in soccer and wrestling in high school. He also wrestled in college, but when his sports career ended, he turned to the weight room to indulge his desire for a physical outlet.

It didn’t take long for Derek to realize that he had a gift for building muscle. And his competitive side drove him to step on the bodybuilding stage at the age of 22.

Derek Lunsford Contest History

Derek Lunsford entered his first amateur bodybuilding contest in 2015, where he won the NPC Indianapolis Championship in the welterweight class. Later that year, he took home 1st place at the NPC Junior Nationals contest.

In 2016, Lunsford returned to the NPC Junior Nationals stage and won the middleweight division. A month later, he competed at the NPC USA Championships, taking home 2nd place as a middleweight.

2017 would prove to be Derek Lunsford’s coming out party as he earned his pro card by winning the NPC USA Championships in the light heavyweight division. He also won his first pro contest and took the Olympia stage for the first time.

Lunsford would compete exclusively in the 212 Olympia for the next four years until he finally took home 1st place in 2021. The following year, he switched to open heavyweight bodybuilding and placed 2nd behind Hadi Choopan.

Finally, in 2023, Derek Lunsford reached the pinnacle of success by winning the open bodybuilding Mr. Olympia title. He is now the first bodybuilder to win both Olympia weight classes.

Derek Lunsford Height and Weight

As a larger-than-life bodybuilder with a massive physique, people often want to know just how big Derek Lunsford is. While the true height of athletes and celebrities is often shrouded in mystery, Lunsford’s size is less ambiguous.

How Tall Is Derek Lunsford?

Derek Lunsford stands 5’6″ (168 cm) tall, about 3 inches shorter than the average American male. You may have thought Lunsford would be taller, but his compact frame is ideal for creating the full muscular look.

While some bodybuilders exaggerate their heights, I believe Lunsford is actually 5’6″ based on his height compared to his rival and 2022 Mr. Olympia winner, Hadi Choopan, who is reportedly 5’7″.

Derek Lunsford’s Weight

Throughout his bodybuilding career, Derek Lunsford has gained an incredible amount of muscle and body weight. In his first contest, Lunsford competed in the welterweight division, which means he had to be under 165 1/4 lbs at 22 years old.

The following year, Lunsford competed in the middleweight division, which goes up to 176 1/4 lbs. Another year later, he was in the light heavyweight category with a cap of 198 1/4 lbs.

As a pro, Derek Lunsford spent five years competing in the 212 lb division before moving up to the open class. Currently, Lunsford’s stage weight is around 225 lbs, and he bulks up to 240 lbs in the offseason.

Derek Lunsford Transformation

Derek Lunsford has always had an athletic build but was never very heavy. In a 2022 Instagram post, Lunsford shared that he weighed 130 lbs his senior year of high school and 141 lbs as a freshman in college.

Lunsford quickly bulked up to 160 lbs when he began bodybuilding in college. And, over the next seven years, Derek packed on an additional 65 pounds of pure muscle.

Below is Derek Lunsford’s progress from the 2015 Junior Nationals to the 2023 Mr. Olympia. This is a crazy transformation, even with the aid of performance-enhancing substances.