The 2025 Mr. Olympia contest is an arena where supposed underdogs can rise as champions. Not since Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay in 2021 has a Mr. Olympia successfully defended the title.
As the 2025 Mr. Olympia looms, top IFBB pro Open contenders Martin Fitzwater and Andrew Jacked united for a pull day that blended heavy compounds and special techniques.
Olympia Prep Workout
- Cable Lat Pulldowns
- Machine Unilateral Chest-Supported Rows
- Machine Two Arm Chest-Supported Rows
- Machine High Rows
- Machine Wide Rows
- Machine Rear Delt Flyes
Mastering Pulldowns and Rows
Fitzwater and Jacked dove into wide grip overhand cable lat pulldowns to optimize lat engagement. Using a close, neutral grip maximizes the lat stretch, though grip width may not matter as much. (1)(2) Since pulldowns isolate the lats, verbal cues to attune the mind-muscle connection can enhance the stimulus. (3)
A popular modern cue imagines driving the elbows toward the hips in an arcing motion. Comfort and range of motion are essential, so Fitzwater encouraged Jacked to keep his chest on the pad, rather than lean back. “I felt a difference…leaving the [chest] on the pad,” Jacked admitted after adjusting form.
Science-Backed Gains: Tempo and TUT
Fitzwater’s training hones in on precision; a shift inspired by training with six-time Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead. “When I trained with Chris…he would hold everything.”
Jacked advocated for a balance of precision and heavy lifts, believing momentum and cheat reps have their place. Optimizing volume and technique drives muscle adaptation more than sheer intensity. (4)(5)
Fitzwater programmed 1 ½ reps during rows, inserting a half-rep between full-range repetitions to prolong time under tension, enhance neuromuscular awareness, and increase metabolic stress, all promoting hypertrophy.
One-arm and prime rows bias slow eccentrics and peak contractions, targeting symmetry, as Fitzwater noted, “I have one lat that’s a little bigger than the other. I always try to incorporate something where I’m hitting them individually.”
The duo’s deliberate pacing aligned with research showing that repetition durations of 0.5 to eight seconds, load, and volume equated during sets near failure, achieve similar muscle growth. (6)(7)
Rear Delts and Stage-Ready Depth
The workout crescendoed with machine rear delt flyes. Fitzwater and Jacked both leaned into the pad for better isolation.
Rear delts are a common weak point, but are vital to bodybuilding aesthetics, providing depth from the side and back. Fitzwater saved rear delts for the end of the workout since prioritizing weak points at the start of a training session allows for more improvement.
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References
- Lusk SJ, Hale BD, Russell DM. Grip width and forearm orientation effects on muscle activity during the lat pull-down. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Jul;24(7):1895-900. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181ddb0ab. PMID: 20543740.
- Andersen V, Fimland MS, Wiik E, Skoglund A, Saeterbakken AH. Effects of grip width on muscle strength and activation in the lat pull-down. J Strength Cond Res. 2014 Apr;28(4):1135-42. doi: 10.1097/JSC.0000000000000232. PMID: 24662157.
- Snyder BJ, Leech JR. Voluntary increase in latissimus dorsi muscle activity during the lat pull-down following expert instruction. J Strength Cond Res. 2009 Nov;23(8):2204-9. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181bb7213. PMID: 19826307.
- Mcleod JC, Currier BS, Lowisz CV, Phillips SM. The influence of resistance exercise training prescription variables on skeletal muscle mass, strength, and physical function in healthy adults: An umbrella review. J Sport Health Sci. 2024 Jan;13(1):47-60. doi: 10.1016/j.jshs.2023.06.005. Epub 2023 Jun 28. PMID: 37385345; PMCID: PMC10818109.
- Schoenfeld BJ, Contreras B, Krieger J, Grgic J, Delcastillo K, Belliard R, Alto A. Resistance Training Volume Enhances Muscle Hypertrophy but Not Strength in Trained Men. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2019 Jan;51(1):94-103. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001764. PMID: 30153194; PMCID: PMC6303131.
- Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn DI, Krieger JW. Effect of repetition duration during resistance training on muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2015 Apr;45(4):577-85. doi: 10.1007/s40279-015-0304-0. PMID: 25601394.
- Androulakis Korakakis P, Wolf M, Coleman M, Burke R, Piñero A, Nippard J, Schoenfeld BJ. Optimizing Resistance Training Technique to Maximize Muscle Hypertrophy: A Narrative Review. J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. 2023 Dec 29;9(1):9. doi: 10.3390/jfmk9010009. PMID: 38249086; PMCID: PMC10801605.
Featured image: @martfitzh2o and @andrewjacked on Instagram
