IFBB Pro League Men’s Open bodybuilder Nick Walker is preparing for the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro, set for May 10, 2025, in Pittsburgh, PA. Walker seeks to secure his fourth pro win to qualify for the 2025 Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas, NV, on Oct. 9-12, 2025.
Walker has shared portions of his contest prep on social media, including a recent upper body session in mid-April 2025.
Nick Walker’s Upper Body Programming
- Incline Machine Flye
- Seated Chest Press Machine
- Incline Smith Machine Bench Press
- Straight-Arm Lat Pulldown
- Machine Bent-Over Row
- Seated Cable Row
- Standing Lateral Raise Machine
- Front Cable Raise
- Rope Pressdown
- Overhead Cable Extension
- Cable Curl
- Machine Chest Dip
Walker has slowly decreased calories throughout his prep in a way that has allowed him to build size and increase strength. This session consolidated the major upper body groups into one workout to save time and train all the areas effectively. Walker programmed supersets have been shown to help maintain or improve gains while saving time. (1)
Slow and Calculated Rep Tempos
Walker emphasized control during eccentrics throughout the training session. Extra focus on eccentric training has been shown to increase muscle mass. (2) Walker’s tempo on the eccentrics ranged from three and five seconds.
Machines More than Free Weights
Walker trained only on machines in the King of the Gains gym in New Jersey. Machines help keep to a specific movement pattern, which minimizes injury risk. Machines have been shown to serve hypertrophy efforts, as stability is not a limiting factor in the way it is with free weights. (3)
Walker shared thoughts on the session, deeming it productive overall. He did not take any set to failure.
No set was really taken to the ultimate, ultimate failure. Everything was a rep or two shy.
—Nick Walker
At the start of this training day, Walker weighed 276 pounds. He and his team were happy with his progress.
The full lineup for the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro has not yet been announced at the time of this article’s publication. Still, Walker will be joined by the 2023 Mr. Olympia, Derek Lunsford, and the 2024 Mr. Olympia fourth-place finisher, Martin Fitzwater, on stage.
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References
- Iversen, V. M., Eide, V. B., Unhjem, B. J., & Fimland, M. S. (2024). Efficacy of Supersets Versus Traditional Sets in Whole-Body Multiple-Joint Resistance Training: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 38(8), 1372–1378. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000004819
- Roig, M., O’Brien, K., Kirk, G., Murray, R., McKinnon, P., Shadgan, B., & Reid, W. D. (2009). The effects of eccentric versus concentric resistance training on muscle strength and mass in healthy adults: a systematic review with meta-analysis. British journal of sports medicine, 43(8), 556–568. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2008.051417
- Schwanbeck, S. R., Cornish, S. M., Barss, T., & Chilibeck, P. D. (2020). Effects of Training With Free Weights Versus Machines on Muscle Mass, Strength, Free Testosterone, and Free Cortisol Levels. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 34(7), 1851–1859. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003349
Featured Image: @nick_walker39 on Instagram
