Sam Sulek recently became an IFBB pro bodybuilder after winning the 2025 Arnold Classic Physique Amateur show on Feb. 27 in his home state of Ohio. In early April 2025, the 23-year-old gave a tour of his private gym to his four-plus million YouTube subscribers.
Sulek’s iron paradise is more than a collection of fancy equipment; it’s a personalized ecosystem meticulously curated for hypertrophy that supports his competitive endeavors.
[Related: Chris Bumstead’s Ultimate Bulking Guide]
Key Back Pieces and Tension Curve
Sulek was candid about how he reached his IFBB pro status, saying, “Might seem like an overnight kind of whatever…not exactly. This has been a while in the making.”
Sulek’s visits to World’s Gym Cincinnati heavily influenced his gym. He noted the advantages of his row machines for back gains, highlighting the nuanced muscle engagement of low-to-high rows:
I’m getting a good lat stretch, but as I finish the rep, I’m pulling up in more of a shrug.
—Sam Sulek
Precision and Design
Sulek contrasts Hammer Strength rows with Arsenal pieces that better match his target strength curve with more resistance during the stretch.
Instead of pulling toward mid-trap, drive the elbow [down and] back. I’m feeling the lowest point that my lats insert.
—Sam Sulek
Sulek claims that mind-muscle connection is crucial to building the coveted “Christmas tree” aesthetic comprised of the lats, spinal erectors, and lower back.
The burgeoning bodybuilder’s space includes a full-sized cable machine with custom 300-pound weight stacks and a commercial dumbbell rack with five to 150-pound dumbbells.
I considered going up to 200-pound dumbbells, but they won’t get used, maybe ever.
—Sam Sulek
Chest, Delts, & Triceps
Sulek emphasized converging incline presses as the centerpiece of his chest training. His converging chest press mimics flyes, engaging more muscle fibers via stronger contractions.
As you press up, these handles get closer together like you’re holding two plates together,
—Sam Sulek
Though squeezing the pecs during flyes is probably beneficial, hypertrophy expert Dr. Mike Israetel suggests prioritizing negatives and briefly contracting at the top. Move slowly during the stretch to enhance the stimulus. Reps lasting between two and eight seconds seem to optimize hypertrophy. (1)
The pec deck’s design is highlighted by its pivoting behind the shoulders and reducing front delt engagement. “Bigger side delts wouldn’t do me too much harm,” Sulek recognized, as they’re more key to the V-taper.
Sulek prefers the overhead triceps machine mechanics to its variations. Sulek prefers its mechanics over other variations since it produces significantly more overall triceps growth than pushdowns. (2)
[Related: The Best Biceps and Triceps Exercises]
Leg Day Strategy
Hip press and pendulum squat machines were selected for their unique loading mechanics. Sulek explained, “Instead of riding along a track vertically, the weights pivot around—lighter at the bottom and heavier at the top, where you’re stronger.”
Sulek’s gym is more than a flex. It is designed to optimize his growth stimuli through precise planning.
References
- Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Van Every DW, Plotkin DL. Loading Recommendations for Muscle Strength, Hypertrophy, and Local Endurance: A Re-Examination of the Repetition Continuum. Sports (Basel). 2021 Feb 22;9(2):32. doi: 10.3390/sports9020032. PMID: 33671664; PMCID: PMC7927075.
- Maeo S, Wu Y, Huang M, Sakurai H, Kusagawa Y, Sugiyama T, Kanehisa H, Isaka T. Triceps brachii hypertrophy is substantially greater after elbow extension training performed in the overhead versus neutral arm position. Eur J Sport Sci. 2023 Jul;23(7):1240-1250. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2022.2100279. Epub 2022 Aug 11. PMID: 35819335.
Featured image: @sam_sulek on Instagram
