Hitting personal records (PRs) in the gym can help athletes stay motivated and on track during the off-season. Higher load training (often associated with hitting PRs) produces superior strength gains, leading to superior muscle growth over time via increased neural drive, mechanical tension, and the principle of progressive overload. (1)
The reigning Mr. Olympia champion Derek Lunsford published a video on his YouTube channel sharing his high-volume chest workout to stimulate new muscle growth in the off-season.
Derek Lunsford’s Off-Season Chest Workout
Here is a summary of the training session:
- Incline Dumbbell Press
- Incline Machine Chest Press
- Decline Machine Chest Press
- Pec Deck Flyes
- Cable Flyes
Check it out below:
[Related: A Guide to the Best Pre-Workouts, Tested and RD Approved]
Incline Dumbbell Press
Lunsford opens with resistance band pull-aparts and light incline dumbbell presses to prime his chest. He has focused on thorough warm-ups as a preventative measure against potential injuries this off-season.
For the first working set, Lunsford presses 60-kilogram (132-pound) dumbbells with a deliberate, slow tempo to maximize time under tension (TUT) and promote hypertrophy. Equipped with elbow sleeves for added support, he performs six repetitions with 70-kilogram (154-pound) dumbbells.
“I’ve never touched 80 kilograms before and I get a little nervous before doing these heavier weights,” Lunsford admitted before hitting a PR on the incline dumbbell press. He performed seven reps with the 80-kilogram (176-pound) dumbbells.
Lunsford maintains total weight control while attempting a PR, especially when transitioning between the eccentric and the concentric phases.
Those are where you are most vulnerable to injury.
Lunsford said he won’t chase a new incline bench press PR for the next few months. Instead, he will focus on performing more reps with the 80-kilogram dumbbells.
“Next time, I want to do eight to 10 reps [with 80 kilograms],” Lunsford said. “Once I do these weights a few times and feel confident, I might bump up the weights again.”
Incline Machine Chest Press
Lunsford employed slow eccentrics and paused at the top of his range of motion (ROM) for peak contraction. He started with 45-pound weight plates on each side of the incline chest press machine.
Lunsford progressively increased the load, using three plates for the second and four plates for the top sets. After performing eight reps on the final set, he performed a double drop set.
Decline Machine Chest Press
Lunsford lowered the handles to chest level for a deep stretch during the eccentric. After hitting mechanical failure (where form starts to break due to fatigue), he performed partials in the bottom half of his ROM.
A randomized controlled trial published in the European Journal of Sport Science found that partial ROM training at long muscle lengths produced greater muscle hypertrophy than full ROM or partial ROM at short muscle lengths. (2)
Pec Deck Flyes & Cable Flyes
Lunsford transitioned to pec deck flyes to bias the inner pecs. He maintained slight elbow flexion throughout the exercise and paused in the bottom position. He targeted his upper chest with low-to-high cable flyes on a functional trainer before concluding the workout with high-to-low flyes to load the mid and lower chest.
2024 Olympia
Lunsford will attempt his first title defense at the 2024 Olympia on Oct. 10-13, 2024, in Las Vegas, NV. He will contend against 2024 Arnold Classic champion Hadi Choopan and 2024 New York Pro champion Nick Walker, among others.
References
- Lopez, P., Radaelli, R., Taaffe, D. R., Newton, R. U., Galvão, D. A., Trajano, G. S., Teodoro, J. L., Kraemer, W. J., Häkkinen, K., & Pinto, R. S. (2021). Resistance Training Load Effects on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gain: Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 53(6), 1206–1216. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000002585
- Pedrosa, G. F., Lima, F. V., Schoenfeld, B. J., Lacerda, L. T., Simões, M. G., Pereira, M. R., Diniz, R. C. R., & Chagas, M. H. (2022). Partial range of motion training elicits favorable improvements in muscular adaptations when carried out at long muscle lengths. European journal of sport science, 22(8), 1250–1260. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2021.1927199
Featured image: @dereklunsford_ on Instagram
