2024 Mr. Olympia champion Samson Dauda is preparing to retake the stage at the 2025 Arnold Classic, set for Feb. 28 through March 1, 2025, in Columbus, OH, where he aims to win his second Arnold Classic championship. This will be Dauda’s first contest since becoming the 19th Mr. Olympia.
“The Nigerian Lion” has been giving fans insight into his prep, including footage of his shoulder training.
Samson Dauda’s Arnold Classic Shoulder Training
- Superset: Seated Machine Press and Seated Lateral Raise Machine
- Single Arm Cable Lateral Raise
- Superset: Reverse Pec-Deck and Cable Upright Row
- Seated Machine Press with a Squat Machine
Full sets and reps were not disclosed.
Dauda was eight and a half weeks out of the contest at the time of filming. He began his session with supersets, which help maximize efficiency of his time in the gym, of seated machine presses and seated machine lateral raises. (1) He utilized drop sets upon reaching failure, which can help maximize the potential for muscle growth without devoting more time to the gym. (2)
Dauda used an attachment wrapped around his wrist instead of a handle for single-arm cable lateral raises. This minimized forearm influence since he did not have to maintain hold of the implement. There has not been much research on how Dauda’s specific strategy helps with hypertrophy or development, but other methods to minimize the impact of grip, such as lifting straps, have been shown to serve lifters well. (3) His last set included a drop set.
Dauda focused on rear delts via the reverse pec-deck and cable upright rows. He concluded on the squat machine as a secondary seated shoulder press, pressing against the pads while seated on the footplate.
Dauda seeks his second Arnold Classic title and the $500,000 prize that will come with it. He won $600,000 at the 2024 Olympia in Las Vegas, NV. If he were to win the 2025 Arnold Classic, he would be the first pro bodybuilder ever to win $1 million in prize money within 12 months.
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References
- The effects of traditional, superset, and tri-set resistance training structures on perceived intensity and physiological responses. Jonathon J S Weakley 1,2,✉, Kevin Till 1,2, Dale B Read 1,2, Gregory A B Roe 1,2, Joshua Darrall-Jones 1,2, Padraic J Phibbs 1,2, Ben Jones 1,2,3
- Effects of Drop Sets on Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Lena Kristiansen Sødal 1, Eirik Kristiansen 1, Stian Larsen 1, Roland van den Tillaar 2
- Ergogenic effects of lifting straps on movement velocity, grip strength, perceived exertion and grip security during the deadlift exercise. Ivan Jukic 1, Amador García-Ramos 2, Jiří Baláš 3, Jan Malecek 4, Dan Omcirk 4, James J Tufano 4
Featured Image: @samson_dauda on Instagram
