Competitive bodybuilders implement strategic adjustments to their training as they near a competition. On Sept. 20, 2024, 2021 Arnold Classic champ Nick Walker revealed his training strategies four weeks from the 2024 Olympia, scheduled for Oct. 10-13 in Las Vegas, NV.
Due to his current calorie deficit, Walker transitioned from a demanding push, pull, and legs split to a more manageable two-day-on and one-day-off split. His revised program consists of training shoulders and biceps, then back, then a rest day, then shoulders, triceps, and legs, and then concludes with another rest day.
[Intensifiers] help bring out more conditioning and lines.
Walker employs intensifiers like drop sets and limiting rest time between sets to maximize muscle stimulation, retain muscle tissue, and improve muscle conditioning.
Nick Walker’s Machine-Focused Shoulder & Triceps Workout
- Standing Machine Lateral Raise
- Machine Shoulder Press
- Dumbbell Front Raise
- Reverse Pec Deck Flye
- Bent-Over Machine Rear Delt Flye
- Seated Machine Lateral Raise
- Cable Triceps Pushdown
- Machine Overhead Triceps Extension
- Machine Dips
- Incline Machine Chest Press
- Pec Deck Flye
[Related: 2024 Mr. Olympia Preview]
[Related: Hadi Choopan’s & Derek Lunsford’s FST-7 Training During 2024 Olympia Prep]
Pre-Exhaust the Target Muscles With Lenghtened Partials
Walker opens with machine side lateral raises to bias the medial deltoids to build the coveted capped shoulder aesthetic. The top set is a double drop set; after completing 10 full range of motion (ROM) reps, he reduces the weight and performs 10 lengthened partials, then repeats at an even lighter weight.
I fried the side delts with this exercise.
Lengthened partials can result in greater hypertrophy than full ROM or shortened partial reps. (1)
Prioritize Muscle Contractions
During seated shoulder presses, Walker focuses on the top half of his ROM and leverages the machine’s converging line of pull to achieve a peak anterior and side delt contraction with each rep. After eight reps on the final set, Walker performs a back-off set to maximize his muscle pump and promote growth. (2)
Dumbbells, But Only For Isolation Movements
Walker’s only free-weight exercise is dumbbell front raises. As a precaution, Walker refrains from using intensifiers during this exercise. He trains his rear delts twice weekly to promote symmetry and balance.
Walker performs three sets of bent-over machine rear delt flyes following rear delt flyes. He places his head against the machine’s pad to eliminate momentum.
Begin Triceps with Cable Pushdowns
Walker employs a rope attachment during cable pushdowns, allowing him to pull apart his hands during the concentrics, resulting in better lateral and medial triceps head contractions. It primes the elbows for more challenging exercises like overhead extensions later in the workout.
The 30-year-old Walker adopts a narrow grip on the EZ bar and prioritizes a full ROM during overhead machine triceps extensions. He pauses in the fully lengthened and contracted positions.
Walker proceeds to machine dips to fully exhaust his triceps. He keeps the elbows tight to the sides to maximize lateral and medial triceps head stimulation and growth.
End With a Chest Pump
The New Jersey native concludes his training session with chest training. After a few sets of incline machine presses, he concludes with pec deck flyes.
Road To 2024 Olympia
Walker sat out of the 2023 Olympia due to a hamstring tear sustained a few days before the competition. However, he secured his qualification for the 2024 Olympia by winning the 2024 New York Pro.
References
- Pedrosa, G. F., Lima, F. V., Schoenfeld, B. J., Lacerda, L. T., Simões, M. G., Pereira, M. R., Diniz, R. C. R., & Chagas, M. H. (2022). Partial range of motion training elicits favorable improvements in muscular adaptations when carried out at long muscle lengths. European journal of sport science, 22(8), 1250–1260. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2021.1927199
- Hirono, T., Ikezoe, T., Taniguchi, M., Tanaka, H., Saeki, J., Yagi, M., Umehara, J., & Ichihashi, N. (2022). Relationship Between Muscle Swelling and Hypertrophy Induced by Resistance Training. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 36(2), 359–364. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003478
Featured image: @nick_walker39 on Instagram
