Two-time 212 Olympia champion Shaun Clarida will be the smallest athlete on the stage at the 2025 Arnold Classic in Columbus, OH, from Feb. 28 through March 1. Clarida, also known as “The Giant Killer,” must live up to that nickname when he faces the judges, as he will be the only non-Men’s Open competitor in the lineup and could be outweighed by as much as 100 pounds against some of his rivals.
Clarida has been in this position before and said he is prepared. He won the 2021 Legion Sports Fest Pro title and placed fifth at the 2023 Arnold Classic. He ranked third at his most recent Men’s Open contest, the 2024 Prague Pro.
Shaun Clarida’s Leg Training
Clarida’s goal was six to eight working sets for hamstrings and eight to 10 for quadriceps, not counting warm-up sets.
- Seated Leg Curl
- Leg Extension
- Swing Squat Machine
- Leg Press
- Romanian Deadlift (RDL)
- Smith Machine Hip Thrusts
[Related: Hany Rambod Critiques Wesley Vissers’ 2024 Olympia Physique]
Clarida performed adductor work at the beginning of the session, and he trained calves separately after cardio.
Seated Leg Curl
Clarida’s first movement was a seated leg curl, which targeted the hamstrings. Between sets, Clarida shared that the judges told him that he was downsized at the 2024 Olympia compared to previous contests. He agreed and said that his lower body was a weak point.
He then told his viewers that he was committed to addressing the issue because he is now north of 40 and has to be more intentional when it comes to muscle growth. Research supports that muscle loss accelerates once you reach Clarida’s age and beyond. (1)
He ended his work on this machine after one working set due to concern about his knee, though he clarified he was not injured.
Leg Extension
Clarida explained that leg extensions were used to get blood to the knees and quads before performing compound movements. He kept the weight light.
“The old Shaun would put on a whole stack and just go on balls to the wall and try to get as many reps as I can, as heavy as I can,” Clarida said. “But I’m older now, a lot wiser. I’d rather put that effort into something like a squat, half squat, or press.”
Swing Squat Machine
Clarida trained on a swing squat machine for this workout but likes to rotate exercises, suggesting variety keeps workouts interesting and challenging. If strength is a goal, changing movements often is smart. Studies have shown that it could help break plateaus, but it may not be necessary if hypertrophy is the sole focus. (2)
Clarida’s squat depth was hamstring touching his calf. That extra range of motion is why he chose the exercise. After two lighter “feeder sets” of 15-20 reps each, he reiterated that his goal was hypertrophy and would stay in the eight to 12 range for his working sets. His top set for eight reps was with five 45-pound plates on each side of the machine.
Leg Press and Romanian Deadlift
Clarida’s fourth exercise was the leg press on a Cybex machine. He reached a top set of nine 45-pound plates on each side of the machine. For protection, he used knee wraps for some sets. He followed with RDL on a machine to target the glutes and hamstrings.
Smith Machine Hip Thrusts
His final movement was a hip thrust on the Smith Machine. Only one set was shown on camera.
This will be Clarida’s second appearance at the Arnold Classic. He will be the only 212 competitor in the Men’s Open lineup. If he wins, he will qualify for the 2025 Mr. Olympia contest. He is already qualified for the 2025 212 Olympia. Should he qualify in both divisions, he must choose which one he enters.
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References
- Keller K, Engelhardt M. Strength and muscle mass loss with aging process. Age and strength loss. Muscles Ligaments Tendons J. 2014 Feb 24;3(4):346-50. PMID: 24596700; PMCID: PMC3940510.
- Fonseca, R. M., Roschel, H., Tricoli, V., de Souza, E. O., Wilson, J. M., Laurentino, G. C., Aihara, A. Y., de Souza Leão, A. R., & Ugrinowitsch, C. (2014). Changes in exercises are more effective than in loading schemes to improve muscle strength. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 28(11), 3085–3092. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000000539
Featured Image: @shaunclarida on Instagram
