2022 Mr. Olympia runner-up Derek Lunsford has his sights set on turning into the 18th man to win the title on the 2023 Olympia Weekend in Orlando, FL on Nov. 2-5, 2023. The previous NPC USA winner (2017) and 212 Olympia champion (2021) must be his all-time greatest if he needs to win the world championship of his sport.
Lunsford has been conserving his followers updated on his progress main as much as that contest on social media, together with coaching movies just like the one he launched documenting a shoulder exercise at MI40 Gymnasium in Tampa, FL simply 11 weeks earlier than the massive present. The video beneath was shared on his YouTube channel on Aug. 21, 2023.
Extra from Breaking Muscle:
Machine Lateral Elevate
Lunsford started the session with machine lateral raises to concentrate on his aspect delts. He’s already lean sufficient you could see the muscle tissues working as he lifted the handles of the machine. The load he was working with wasn’t proven, however he gave the impression to be in full management all through his units.
He would sometimes carry out poses between units to investigate his physique and put together for the a number of rounds of posing he’ll must do on stage on the contest. He gave the followers additional particulars about his coaching at this stage of his prep.
“I like to coach six days in a row, take the seventh time without work,” he mentioned. “Sometimes within the offseason, I’ll take two days relaxation however, just about between right here and the Olympia, six days per week. In the present day’s day 5. Shoulders right this moment. Yesterday I did legs.”
The digital camera briefly confirmed the pin set on the load stack at 190 kilos (86.2 kilograms), which Lunsford performs for 12 reps on his third set. He finally pinned the complete stack of 250 kilos (113.four kilograms) and labored a last set to failure plus a number of partial reps, which he counted as 15 complete reps. After 5 complete units, he moved on to the subsequent train.
Standing Dumbbell Lateral Elevate
The second motion was one other lateral elevate, this time utilizing a free weight model with traditional standing dumbbell laterals. 5 complete units had been proven on digital camera, with the third set proven in its entirety for 12 reps. His fourth set was for 12 full vary reps plus partials, and he confirmed the digital camera that the fitness center’s 33-kilogram dumbbells he used are equal to 72.7 kilos, indicating that he’s feeling robust at this part of his prep.
“Not my greatest ever, but it surely’s nonetheless over 70 kilos.”
Lunsford then completed with a back-off set utilizing 28 kilograms (61.7 kilos), so he may higher management the load, earlier than shifting on.
Seated Smith Machine Press
With two lateral delt-focused actions accomplished, Lunsford centered on the entrance delts with seated overhead presses on a Smith machine. Lunsford used a reasonably large grip and lowered the bar to about chin-height earlier than urgent it up. He would additionally cease wanting lockout to maintain stress on the working muscle tissues. He had elbows sleeves on, as nicely.
Lunsford started with one 45-pound plate per aspect, then went as much as two. He would ultimately add a 25-pound plate per aspect for a 3rd set with a spotter offering help on the finish. He would take away these 25s for 2 further units, conserving along with his coaching philosophy of utilizing back-down units.
“I love to do back-off units periodically in my coaching … you do a few warm-up units, do a prime set or two, after which that final set. Do yet another set however again it down and attempt to get higher management and get as many reps as you may … So as a substitute of, ‘Properly, I obtained 15 reps. Won’t have been managed, however I nonetheless obtained 15 reps, let me go heavier,’ Truly, let’s get higher time underneath stress. Let’s get higher management of the load. Let’s get just a few extra reps which are clear. What’s that gonna do? That’s going to stimulate the muscle extra and forestall damage. Smarter.”
Entrance Raises
Lunsford’s subsequent train was an isolation motion with a twist. He would carry out three units of entrance raises along with his palms dealing with one another, adopted by three extra units along with his palms dealing with down. He advised the digital camera that every set could be achieved for 10 to 12 reps. Nonetheless, he would maintain the remaining to not more than 40 seconds between every set. He saved much more time by working each shoulders concurrently.
Reverse Pec-Deck
The bodybuilder then shifted focus to his rear delts, starting with a reverse pec-deck. The previous Olympia 212 champion would use the horizontal handles for a palms-down grip, and the digital camera panned over to Lunsford’s aspect, the place you could possibly see the rear delts working. Not all units had been proven, however he later mentioned he did three units in complete.
Rear Lateral Elevate
Following that train, Lunsford opted for a free weight motion. He sat on the tip of a bench with dumbbells in his arms and carried out bent-over lateral raises to focus on the rear delts once more. He progressed to doing units standing, along with his torso bent at a 45-degree angle. Just like the entrance raises, he intentionally modified his hand place with the 2 rear delt actions — having his palms dealing with down throughout the reverse pec-deck and dealing with his palms along with the bent-over lateral raises. He defined why these particulars matter.
“Switching up the hand positioning goes that can assist you goal a bit of bit completely different portion of the delts.”
Cable Lateral Elevate and Cable Upright Row
Lunsford felt the necessity to goal the aspect delts one final time. So, he went to a seated cable row station with two cables and carried out a singular cable lateral elevate variation. He lied again on the pad and pulled the cable handles out to his sides, as if he was doing a standing lateral elevate. He carried out one set on this method, adopted by the ultimate train of the day — three units of a cable upright row in the identical reclined place on the seated row bench.
Extra from Breaking Muscle:
3D Shoulder Exercise
If you wish to give Lunsford’s fashion of coaching a attempt for your self, you may observe the pattern exercise beneath.
Machine Lateral Elevate — 5 x 12-15
Standing Dumbbell Lateral Elevate — 5 x 12-15 (Ultimate set with diminished weight)
Seated Smith Machine Press — 5 x 10-12 (Ultimate set with diminished weight)
Entrance Elevate — 6 x 10-12 (30-40 seconds relaxation, three units palms-in/three units palms-down)
Reverse Pec-Deck — three x 10-12 (Palms-down)
Rear Lateral Elevate — three x 10-12 (Palms-in)
Cable Lateral Elevate — 1 x 12
Cable Upright Row — three x 10-12
Lunsford completed one spot behind champion Hadi Choopan on the 2022 Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas, NV. He’ll look to take that last step towards the distinguished Sandow trophy and Olympia title in November.
If he’s capable of defeat Choopan, in addition to fellow prime contenders together with Nick Walker, Samson Dauda, and former champions Brandon Curry (2019 Mr. Olympia) and Mamdouh “Large Ramy” Elssbiay (2020-2021 Mr. Olympia), then Lunsford would be the first man in historical past to have received the Olympia in two completely different divisions — the 212 and Males’s Open. That is an thrilling time for Lunsford, on and off the stage, as a result of he not too long ago revealed that he and his spouse predict their first little one collectively.
Featured Picture: Derek Lunsford / YouTube