Derek Lunsford etches his name in the bodybuilding record books Became the first two-division champion In the 59-year history of the Mr. Olympia contest, his life-changing victory in Orlando, Florida, earned him the most coveted title in the sport and a lucrative $400,000 bonus as Mr. Olympia The exclusive club’s 18th member paid tribute to some of the all-time greats by visiting one of the most famous gyms in the country: the Bev Francis Powerhouse Gym.
The 30,000-square-foot facility in Syosset, N.Y., opened in 1987 and has been a training ground for players who have become household names Four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler and the legendary ronny Coleman.In a video posted on his YouTube page on November 16, 2023, Lunsford shares highlights from his intense back workout at the iconic gym known as the “East Coast Mecca.”
Before starting practice, Lunsford spent some time with Steve Weinberger, owner of Bev Francis Powerhouse Gym and IFBB Pro League head referee. The 2021 212 Olympia champion signed a few autographs and discussed his mentality with Weinberger, who admires how the former champion handles the position – the winning phase is different.
“Your competition holds you accountable,” Lunsford explained. “These guys are hungry, so from the moment I walked off the stage last week, I’ve been back in the gym training, talking to Haney. ” [Rambod], to ensure that we address this issue appropriately. ”
After reminiscing about his first trip to Bev Francis Powerhouse Gym in 2020 and reflecting on how much his life has changed, Lunsford turns his attention to training his lats and other back muscles, starting at the 10:40 mark of the film.
Hold the rope tightly and pull down high
Lunsford’s back workout starts with tight rope grip Latitude drop downThroughout the movement, he leans back slightly, allowing the weight to fully stretch his lats on the way up, then pulls down and squeezes at the bottom.
Instead of training as heavily as usual, Lunsford took a different approach during the day in the East Coast Mecca. Under the influence of travel and having so many machines at his disposal, he chose to do more exercises, thus limiting his training time. The number of sets for the lat pulldown is four.
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown Machine
Next, Lunsford attacks his lats from a wide angle on a pull-down machine equipped with plates. He grasps the handles in a pronated (palms-down) position and begins a warm-up set using a 45-pound (20.4-kg) plate. After completing 15 slow, controlled reps, he doubled the weight on the second set.
be inspired by all kinds of Fitness Equipment At the training facility he recently used, Lunsford shared some insight into one of his personal goals.
“I went to Ronnie’s gym the other day and saw his gym, which made me excited because I have my own gym in Clearwater,” the Florida resident said. “It’s just 15 to 10 minutes from the house. 20 minutes away and “I can pick out all the best equipment to help me do my best. I really can’t wait. “
Lunsford finished the session with a third set of wide-grip lat pulldowns, using 115-pound (52.1-kilogram) plates on each side.
Neutral Grip Lat Pull Down Machine
Lunsford stuck with the same machine and simply changed the grip to get a different stimulation. After performing close-grip and wide-grip versions of the lat pulldown, he utilized a neutral grip to “light up” his lats without putting too much stress on his wrists.
Just as he did in the first two variations, Lunsford performed three sets of this exercise. biceps, Shoulderand Chestthe recently crowned champion continued with the rowing portion of his back workout.
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Chest support incline rowing machine
Lunsford chose a chest-supported incline row as his first method of attacking the upper posterior chain. Controls and engages his rhomboids, lats, and rear delts to perform pull-based movements.
Ahead of the fourth set, the men’s Open king detailed how and why he changed his grip during this practice.
“The first row, I went a little wider and I tried to hide my hands under it a little bit,” Lunsford explained. “It wasn’t a full underhand row, but that’s what I was trying to emulate. .The last two sets of rows we’re going to do a little closer with a neutral grip so they’re hitting different angles on the back.”
T-bar rowing
To get his core more engaged, Lunsford ditched the chest-supported rowing machine for a now-classic exercise: the T-bar row. Starting with a pair of 45-pound plates, he kept his knees slightly bent and in a neutral position. Spine as he pushes his elbows back and squeezes at the top of the movement.
Lunsford completed each set of 15 reps and noticed a difference in intensity since he hadn’t competed in about two weeks.
“Now is the time after a performance where you don’t go too hard and really focus on squeezing, stretching and contracting,” he explains. “Just get a good mental-muscle connection on all the reps and all your Sets, all the exercises.”
Lunsford said he plans to train this way in the short term to build strength and keep his muscles healthy, but he will add weight and increase weight in about two to three months.
chest support seated rowing machine
After performing angled chest support rows earlier, Lunsford opted for a vertical version. He sits with his chest on the mat with a 45-pound plate on each side to get a huge pump in his lats. This provides a huge pump to his lats. Another variation of sitting row.
seated rowing machine
Lunsford’s penultimate exercise is the traditional cable seated row. He performs unilateral exercises using independent handles, making sure to squeeze the shoulder blades together for ultimate contraction. Looking like a Mr. Olympia winner, Lunsford cranked up the weight for his final sets before heading into his final exercises.
Low discharge machine
A low rowing machine allows Lunsford to target his lats and rhomboids, as well as his middle and lower traps.He ends his workout with a few sets of this strength training Build muscle Movement, making sure to maintain complete control of the weight to maximize time under tension.
Mr. Olympia level back training
While the 2023 Mr. Olympia winner isn’t doing any heavy lifting, he does put in some serious training at one of the most iconic training facilities. Between 3 lat pulldown variations and 5 rows, Lunsford’s back workout is sure to impress. You feel like you’re ready to take the stage.
- Hold the rope tightly and pull down high
- Wide grip lat pulldown machine
- Neutral Grip Lat Pull Down Machine
- Chest support incline rowing machine
- T-bar rowing
- chest support seated rowing machine
- seated rowing machine
- Low discharge machine
Derek Lunsford is clearly grateful for what he has accomplished as a professional bodybuilder. The first two-division champion in Olympia history is humble but still extremely competitive, possessing the physique and mentality needed to stay at the top of the men’s Open division for the foreseeable future.
Featured Image: Derek Lunsford/YouTube