Bodybuilding coach Hany Rambod’s athletes have won 22 Olympia titles, and the tally goes up every year. His current athlete roster includes the reigning Mr. Olympia, Hadi Choopan, the Classic Physique Olympia champion, Chris Bumstead, and the 2021 212 Olympia champion, Derek Lunsford.
Rambod’s FST-7 training principles helped several Olympia winners peak their physiques to stand atop podium after podium. On Sept. 15, 2023, Rambod’s supplements company, Evogen Nutrition, published a video on its YouTube channel wherein Rambod took the 2022 Mr. Olympia silver medalist Lunsford through an FST-7 upper chest workout and shared valuable insights on building a bigger “shelf.”
While recording, Lunsford was just about seven weeks away from taking the stage at the 2023 Olympia in Orlando, FL, on Nov. 2-5, 2023. Check it out below:
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Derek Lunsford 2023 Olympia Chest Workout
Here is a summary of Lunsford’s upper-chest workout:
- Incline Machine Chest Press — 4 x 10-12
- Low Cable Flyes — 4 x 10-15
- Incline Dumbbell Press — 4 x 10-12
- Standing Machine Chest Flyes — 4 x 10-15
- Lying Machine Flyes — 4 x 10-15
[Related: Confirmed: Breon Ansley NOT Moving to 212 Division, Will Compete at 2023 Classic Physique Olympia]
Incline Machine Chest Press
Lunsford performed 10 reps on the incline machine chest press with two 45-pound weight plates on each side, using a slow rep cadence to warm up his chest, shoulders, and triceps. He stopped shy of lockout at the top to maintain constant tension on his upper chest.
[Read More: Best Upper Chest Exercises for Building Muscle]
Lunsford flared his elbows and drove them below midline on eccentrics. He kept his chest proud and scapula depressed to avoid anterior deltoid engagement.
Low Cable Pulley Flyes
Lunsford set the cables at their lowest setting before grabbing the D-handle attachments with a supinated grip. He assumed a staggered stance with his pinkies turned up during concentrics to achieve peak chest contraction at the top of his range of motion. Lunsford employed slow eccentrics to increase the time under tension and promote hypertrophy. (1)
FST-7 Flex Sets
Rambod coaches his athletes to practice posing between sets — a technique he calls the FST-7 flex sets.
“[FST-7 flex sets] prepare you…for a show to actually create that [muscle] tension on stage,” explained Rambod. “If you don’t practice that, you’re going to end up getting shaky on stage.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CdR8ZJ8uNf2/
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Incline Dumbbell Press &Chest Flyes
Rambod recommends using lighter weights on the first set of an exercise to drill the movement mechanics. Lunsford used a neutral grip for the incline dumbbell press, keeping his elbows tight to his sides to bias the upper pecs.
Lunsford performed flyes on a Panatta standing multi-flight machine. He grabbed the handles with a neutral grip, leaned over slightly, and arched his back to bias his chest. Rambod favors this machine because it’s fixed (read: stable), which helps improve mind-muscle connection.
Lying Flyes
Lunsford finished his chest workout with four sets of lying machine flyes. He continued his slow eccentrics, driving his elbows behind his midline at the bottom, exploding through concentrics, and pausing at the top.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cxa9H7QuPpG/?img_index=1
[Related: How Shaun Clarida Trains Legs 9 Weeks Out From the 2023 Olympia]
Lunsford at the Olympia
Lunsford transitioned to the Open division after receiving a special invite to the 2022 Olympia, where he clinched silver. He will be one of the biggest threats to Hadi Choopan’s title at the 2023 Olympia.
References
- Mang ZA, Ducharme JB, Mermier C, Kravitz L, de Castro Magalhaes F, Amorim F. Aerobic Adaptations to Resistance Training: The Role of Time under Tension. Int J Sports Med. 2022 Sep;43(10):829-839. doi: 10.1055/a-1664-8701. Epub 2022 Jan 27. PMID: 35088396.
Featured image: @dereklunsford_ on Instagram
