In a recent Instagram post, Hadi Choopan wrote: I am cut harder than a diamond, just as I cut my path like a diamond.

Those words provide a glimpse into Choopan’s line of work. The 37-year-old professional bodybuilder, a Muslim from Iran, is in the business of being watched and judged, constantly striving for perfection, fueled in part by high levels of confidence and a desire to stand out from the crowd.

Choopan also happens to be one of the best in the world at what he does. “The Persian Wolf” won the coveted IFBB Mr. Olympia competition in 2022 (the first Iranian to do so), finished second in 2023 and 2024, and has two third-place finishes under his belt from 2019 and 2021. He also won first place in the United States and United Kingdom versions of the IFBB Arnold Classic in 2024.

Choopan has been competing among the elites of bodybuilding for two decades. He was just 18 years old when he won his first Iranian national championship. At 26, he won his first continental WBPF Asia Championship. Then at 32, after clearing some issues obtaining a United States visa, he began his current run of Mr. Olympia success — he’s had five top-three finishes in the six times he’s entered the world’s most famous bodybuilding contest.

To give back to the sport and his roots, he recently opened Choopan Classic Gym in Shiraz, Iran.

If there’s one thing Choopan’s profession and his religion have in common, it’s discipline. Whether maintaining his workout routine, being precise with his weightlifting form to target specific muscles, or keeping a strict diet and supplement regimen, a successful bodybuilder must be disciplined. Similarly, a successful Muslim must be disciplined in maintaining prayer, fasting during Ramadan, reading and learning from the Quran, and generally living up to the principles of Islam.