On Episode 285 of The Menace Podcast, bodybuilder and coach Kamal Elgargni was a special guest, joining host Dennis James, Milos Sarcev, and Jose Raymond. And, during the show, Kamal made the shocking revelation that he may no longer be coaching Andrew Jacked, airing his dissatisfaction with their current financial arrangement.
Kamal Elgargni is a 212 division champion at both the Olympia (2019) and The Arnold (2018) and was the 2023 Masters Olympia winner in the Open division. Last year, Kamal joined forces with Andrew Jacked, and they took bodybuilding world by storm, not least because AJ recently won the industry’s biggest ever prize of $750,000 at the Arnold U.S., and followed his up with victory at The Arnold U.K., picking up a further $250,000. With an exciting road to the 2026 Mr Olympia final seemingly ahead, The Menace wanted to know more about their prep, but this led to an unexpected revelation.
Kamal Elgargni Reveals Possible Split With Andrew Jacked
“What are the plans for the Olympia this year?” Dennis James asked Kamal. “Well man, I don’t know to be honest,” answered the coach, visibly uncomfortable with the question. “To be honest, I don’t think… I’m not going to work with him anymore,” he explained, catching the TMP panel totally off guard. James dug deeper. “What happened?” he asked.
Kamal appeared unsure as to whether he should air all of the details on a podcast, but he did provide some answers. “There’s a misunderstanding,” he began. “Well, to be honest, I didn’t get paid for what I done for him,” he asserted, now deciding to elaborate on the story from his point of view. Kamal explained that he had been working with Andrew Jacked since the 2025 Olympia and that he understood this to be a financial arrangement. Following the Olympia, where Andrew Jacked hit the top three, and the Romania Pro, which he won, Kamal says that they did not discuss money however, and this is where the confusion stems from.
What Kamal Said About Coaching Andrew Jacked
While Andrew Jacked did show his appreciation with an initial gesture of $3,000, Kamal and his wife felt insulted that it did not represent the value of the coaching services he’d received. “If you want to give me something, give me what I value,” he told TMP, explaining that travel expenses and being away from home meant that his services were worth far more.
Kamal says that the issue escalated for him when they got to the airport to fly to the U.K. for The Arnold in March. “So, he checked himself in business class and he checked me in economy class,” said Kamal. “And this is like somebody hit me with a knife in my back.” The coach says that in response, AJ told his trainer that he’d been automatically upgraded because he was a frequent flyer. But the next day, Kamal says things came to a head with his client. Kamal told the panel that he’d brought up his feelings of being underappreciated and threatened to end the partnership while still in the U.K.
A week later, Kamal says that Jacked sent a Rolex watch to his house, but he wasn’t happy with that either. “I said, I don’t need a Rolex.” The coach shared that Jacked then offered to pay a further $5,000 to take them to the 2026 Olympia. Still feeling undervalued, Kamal told AJ that he wanted 5% of the prize money instead, leading to an impasse. Kamal says he was further angered when Jacked told journalists that he would be giving his prize money away to charity. “What kind of charity are you going to give that money to?” he asked the panel.
Bringing in some balance, Dennis James noted that the confusion may have arisen because Kamal originally stated that he didn’t want any money. “That person thinks he doesn’t want money,” he suggested. “Especially with bodybuilders, nowadays, you need to be clear upfront before everything starts.” The host felt that 5% was “cheap” and “fair,” however.
Viewer comments on YouTube largely agreed with Jame’s point, feeling that the financial arrangement should have been ironed out from the very beginning. Milos Sarcev added that because he’s been in similar situations with trying to get payment for his own coaching services, he now makes things “crystal clear” in writing before the work begins.
To watch this full episode of The Menace Podcast on the Muscle & Fitness YouTube channel, where the boys also discussed other breaking bodybuilding news, see below.
