Draft:Sam Sulek

Samuel Bishop Sulek (born February 7, 2002) known as Sam Sulek is an American bodybuilder and influencer. He gained an interest in fitness and bodybuilding early on, which later became the central focus of his career. He has amassed a notable following for his fitness content, workouts, and unique approach to diet and bodybuilding.

Early Life and Education
Sam Sulek was born on February 7, 2002 in Delaware, Ohio as the middle of 3 children. Sulek showed an early interest in sports, starting to dive at 8 years old, and competing in diving and gymnastics during high school at Rutherford B. Hayes High School (Delaware, Ohio). In the summer of 2018, he decided to focus entirely on diving, eventually going on to compete during his freshman year at university. Currently, he is studying mechanical engineering at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

Youtube Channel
Sam Sulek is a content creator known for his fitness-focused YouTube channel, which he created on July 7, 2016 and began with creating videos on January 19, 2023. . His first series, “Spring Bulk” lasted 222 days from January to August 2023, where he focused on gaining muscle mass through excess calories. His next series, “Fall Cut", lasted 59 days from August to October 2023, where he focused on decreasing his body fat but retaining muscle mass. His third series, “Winter Bulk”, is ongoing, where he focuses on bulking again. These seasonal series follow a common bodybuilding strategy called bulking and cutting. In each daily episode, Sulek dedicates attention to one or two specific body parts, including but not limited to legs, shoulders, arms, chest, and back, providing viewers with targeted fitness strategies and routines.

Growth
In early 2023, Sam Sulek’s YouTube channel grew rapidly during 2023, receiving over 1.2 million subscribers within a 2-month period of September and October. Sulek’s content strategy deviates significantly from other fitness channels by offering daily, long, unedited videos, with “raw, simplistic thumbnails” that are simply screencaps from the video. Sulek’s channel has been characterized as “breaking the rules” of YouTube, as he goes against the common advice of editing, along with attention-grabbing thumbnails and titles. Some content creators have noted that Sam Sulek’s videos give an authentic view into his daily life. His genuine approach has resonated with viewers, as he is known for his relatable and sincere personality.

Recognition
Sulek has received recognition from prominent members of the bodybuilding community. Chris Bumstead, the 5-time, reigning Classic Physique Mr. Olympia Champion, has commented on Sam Sulek’s rise, stating “He is taking over the world”, and “It’s a shift. I like this guy. I’m gonna retire and … he can take the reins over.”

In March 2024, Sulek was invited as a special guest in the 2024 Arnold Strongman Classic, earning a spot among other guests such as Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler. Sulek also appeared in an Instagram photo with the creator and namesake of the event, Arnold Schwarzenegger, ahead of the tournament, who captioned the image, "I’m so happy to open the 36th annual @arnoldsports this weekend. And I’m happy that @sam_sulek is here to do it with me 💪."

Bodybuilding career
Sulek has stated his goal is to eventually compete in professional bodybuilding competitions and be recognized as a professional bodybuilder by the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB).

Steroid Use Controversy
Sam Sulek's rapid physical transformation has sparked speculation about anabolic steroid use. His unconventional diet, consisting of items like chocolate milk, cereal, fast food, and donuts, has further fueled this controversy. Prominent figures like Greg Doucette and Paris Demers have publicly expressed their concerns about Sulek's potential steroid use, citing his facial changes, size gains, and the disparity between his diet and physique.

His suspected heavy steroid use starting at a young age has left many worried about his health.

Greg Doucette, a professional bodybuilder and fitness YouTuber, has stated that based on Sulek’s facial changes, size changes, and disparity between his diet and and physique, has concluded that Sam Sulek took anabolic steroids, and is “not playing it safe”, also stating that Sam’s diet is “one of the worst diets” he has seen. Paris Demers, another fitness YouTuber, has said that Sulek is “clearly on high doses of anabolic steroids”, and that his workouts, consisting of “ego lifting” and “partial reps”, do not match his gains, and that “he followed a poorly constructed diet plan, made up of sugary and processed food”.

However, Sulek himself has not publicly addressed these allegations.

Endorsements
The bodybuilder brand Hosstile has signed Sam Sulek.

Personal Life
Sam Sulek has an older sister, as well as a younger brother named Mark Sulek. Mark is a gym goer, occasionally appearing in Sam’s videos, as well as a golf player, playing golf for the Wittenberg Tigers. Mark also runs a Youtube channel with more than 100,000 subscribers, where he posts golf and gym related videos.