Bodybuilder Hunter Labrada is bringing the heat in his offseason before the 2022 Olympia weekend. The IFBB professional Open division competitor shared a post on his Instagram page on March 31, 2022, comparing what his back looked like a day after winning the 2021 Chicago Pro — his most recent show other than the 2021 Mr. Olympia contest, where he ranked fourth overall — to his current offseason physique.
The overall muscle density and thickness to his lower lats, in particular, are certainly noticeable in the side-by-side of his before and after photos, wherein he is thirty pounds heavier in the latter. Check it out below:
View this post on Instagram
[Related: Here’s What Brandon Curry Eats To Fuel His Olympia Prep]
Labrada weighed 252 pounds in the post-contest photo (left) on July 25, 2021, and 282 pounds in the offseason photo (right) taken on March 23, 2022. Comparing a contest physique to an offseason physique isn’t necessarily the most accurate as body fat percentage in an offseason is often much higher than peek week. Still, Labrada appears to have packed on a lot of muscle mass in less than a year.
A well-known notion in bodybuilding is “shows are won from the back.” Labrada appears to subscribe to that as it is an area he’s focused on improving.
The son of IFBB legend Lee Labrada, Hunter has made incredible progress in his career and physique since earning his IFBB Pro Card in 2018. Labrada won his pro debut at the 2020 Tampa Pro to qualify for the Olympia the same year, where he finished in eighth place. The very next year, he moved up to fourth place at 2021 Olympia — a massive jump, especially in such a stacked Open division that saw two-time Mr. Olympia Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay and 2019 Mr. Olympia Brandon Curry battling for the top of the podium.
View this post on Instagram
[Related: The 10 Greatest Bodybuilders To Never Win A Mr. Olympia Title]
The fourth-place Olympia finisher packed on so much size in such a short amount of time after fixing his shoulder issue and explained in his Instagram post that he still has ample time left before diving into his 2022 Olympia prep.
Still have close to five months to continue to grow before the [Olympia] prep starts, and still have PLENTY of bullets left in the gun to do so.
Given his back gains, Labrada is likely to show up to the 2022 Olympia with more muscle mass than he presented in 2021. If he can still maintain or improve his conditioning from 2021, he could threaten Big Ramy’s current reign.
Hunter’s Current Back Workout
The 29-year-old Labrada often shares his workouts on his social media. His current training split is as follows: Push A, Pull A, Arms, Legs, Off, Push B, Pull B, Arms, Off, repeat.
Before someone asks why I’m set up the way I am, look at the line of pull it provides, and think of the area I’m trying to train with this movement.
Pull A and Pull B are back-focused workouts, though slightly different. Pull B includes the addition of two hamstring exercises, such as the seated hamstring curl and the Pit Shark Romanian deadlift (RDL). Labrada alternates between the following back workout routines:
Pull A
- Straight-Arm Pushdown: 1 x 10-12
- Unilateral Nautilus pulldown: 2 x 10-12
- Unilateral Rodgers 3 ways: 2 x 10-12
- Upper-Back Pulldown: 2 x 10-12
- Prime Machine Row: 2 x 10-12
- Rear Delt Flye: 2 x 10-12
Pull B
- Straight-Arm Pulldown: 1 x 12-15
- Single-Arm Pulldown: 2 x 10-12
- DY Hammer Row: 2 x 10-12
- Upper-Back Pulldown: 2 x 10-12
- Prime Machine Row: 2 x 10-12
- Seated Hamstring Curl: 2 x 10-12
- Pit Shark Romanian Deadlift: 1 x 8-10
Looking Forward to the 2022 Olympia
Labrada is a force sure to be reckoned with in the Open division and comfortably in the discussion about potential future champions. He will again challenge the best of the best in Las Vegas, NV, on Dec. 16-18, 2022. Having brought up a potential weak point in his physique through improved back development since the 2021 Chicago Pro, the question now is: can he improve upon his fourth-place Olympia ranking from 2021 in 2022?
Featured image: @hunterlabrada on Instagram
