It’s not often that bodybuilding fans get to see two top-five Mr. Olympia competitors train together. However, 2019 Mr. Olympia and 2021 Mr. Olympia runner-up Brandon Curry and 2021 Mr. Olympia fifth-place finisher Nick Walker did just that.
The 2021 and 2022 Arnold Classic Champions trained shoulders together at Carbon Performance in Franklin, TN. The video of the workout was published on Hosstile’s YouTube channel on Aug. 17, 2022. Check it out below:
[Related: Phil Heath’s Latest Workout Video Shows That the 7-Time Mr. Olympia Is Still Looking Massive]
Curry is a part owner of the facility, but he told Walker that he had yet to train shoulders there. This was one of his final workouts in his home state before flying to Kuwait to prepare for the 2022 Mr. Olympia contest, which will be held Dec. 16-18 at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, NV. Walker had already begun his prep for that same contest. Neither man will compete before then.
Reverse Pec-Deck
Both bodybuilders began with reverse pec-deck for the rear delts, focusing on each side individually instead of simultaneously. Curry offered a tip to maximize the effectiveness of this machine.
“In order to get a good range of motion, I sit side-saddle so I can start across my body,” he explained. “You can open up all the way through.”
Both men used that position, and they completed three sets each. Not all reps were shown on camera.
Lateral Raise Machine with Rear Delt Emphasis
The lateral raise machine is usually used for side delts, but Curry shared that it can bend forward and focus on their rear delts instead.
I feel that one. That’s a good exercise.
They didn’t hold the handles and kept their arms straight, which made it a more comfortable motion for both of them. After Walker’s first set, he expressed satisfaction with the choice.
Rear Lateral Raise
The third rear delt movement was a rear lateral raise. They kept their elbows bent and pulled back as far as they could for maximum range of motion. Keeping the elbows flared slightly helped isolate the rear delts. The weight they used wasn’t shown, but they increased the rep range to 20.
View this post on Instagram
[Related: Hunter Labrada on Cardio During Prep: How You Expend Calories Does Not Matter]
Single Arm Cable Lateral Raise
The focus shifted to side delts for width and roundness. They opted to perform single arm lateral raises with a cable because of the constant tension from bottom to top. After realizing they went too heavy on the first set, they opted to stay with it for the remaining sets.
Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raise
With their side delts pre-exhausted, Curry and Walker moved on to seated dumbbell lateral raises. They trained both sides at the same time on this movement. At one point, Walker supports Curry by spotting underneath his arms as he approached failure. Curry returned the favor on Walker’s turn.
Machine Shoulder Press
The last exercise in the video was a plate-loaded machine press. This is where the biggest difference is between Curry and Walker’s training styles.
Walker kept his motion slow to increase tension while Curry increased the speed to focus on explosiveness and pumping more blood into the front delts. They both used four 45-pound weight plates on each side — they are both still very strong at the end of the session.
At the end of the video, Walker shared how he looked up to the 15th Mr. Olympia, and Curry made it clear that he respects Walker as well, but they are competitors for a reason.
Backstage, we’ll be kicking it. Onstage we’ll be battling it out. You know how that goes.
If you want to try the workout they did, you can follow the sample guide below.
Walker and Curry’s Shoulder Workout
- Single-Arm Reverse Pec-Deck — 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Lateral Raise Machine with Rear Delt Emphasis — 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Rear Delt Flye — 3 sets of 20 reps
- Single-Arm Cable Lateral Raise — 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raise — 3 sets of 15 reps
- Machine Shoulder Press — 3 sets of 15 reps
Featured Image: @brandon_curry on Instagram | Photo by Mike Lakomowski (@my.vizions on Instagram)
