Classic Physique standout Wesley Vissers ventured into new bodyweight territory in August 2024: 288.8 pounds (131 kilograms). Vissers is amidst a hiatus from the 2025 competitive season, including this year’s Olympia, to prioritize bringing his legs up to the caliber of his acclaimed upper half.
High volume training, optimized recovery, and a 5,000-plus calorie diet maximize the value of his bulk. “I won’t go on stage until I’m happy with my shape,” the 2024 Arnold Classic Physique champ confirmed.
- Twice weekly leg workouts: Heavy weight, high volume, advanced techniques, depth-focused (FST-7, sissy hack squats, walking lunges).
- Moderate caloric surplus (300–500 calories/day): promotes lean gains without excessive fat. (1) Vissers is pushing a larger surplus. More calories support training intensity.
- Vissers consumes roughly 5,000 calories daily, comprising 458 grams of protein and 609 grams of carbs.
- Too large a caloric surplus has diminishing returns.
- Smaller surpluses (or even maintenance) may still stimulate muscle gains in trained individuals, though more slowly.
Vissers’ current approach combines advanced training and nutritional precision:
Vissers’ High-Volume Leg Routine
- Lying hamstring curls
- Belt squats
- Machine sissy squat hack squat superset
- Nordic curls
- Machine adductors
- Dumbbell lunges drop set
“You achieve maximum quad stretch with sissy squats,” Vissers demonstrated on the hack squat machine. He incorporated advanced methods, such as FST-7 (seven sets of 10–12 reps with short rest), to amplify muscle stretch and pump.
Vissers reflected on four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler’s philosophy, “High volume, not to extreme failure, but more sets, more reps”. Volume, along with tension, is a determinant of hypertrophy.
Finishing with dumbbell walking lunges as recommended by seven-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath, covers unilateral leg training and detail.
The Power of a Caloric Surplus
Gaining muscle requires gradually increasing calories. Many people use bulking phases to indulge, gaining excess fat, which can be damaging. However, bulking is still necessary to maximize growth.
Broad consensus recommends a surplus of 300–500 calories per day, cautioning that aggressive surpluses have diminishing returns. An even more cautious 200–400 calorie surplus, or “maingaining,” can work.
Studies have indicated that a small (e.g., 5%) surplus might match or even outperform larger surpluses in building muscle and strength, while minimizing fat gain. (2)
Despite a larger caloric surplus, Vissers remained lean while growing, as his strategy to balance food intake, training, and cardio.
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References
- Slater GJ, Dieter BP, Marsh DJ, Helms ER, Shaw G, Iraki J. Is an Energy Surplus Required to Maximize Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy Associated With Resistance Training. Front Nutr. 2019 Aug 20;6:131. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2019.00131. PMID: 31482093; PMCID: PMC6710320.
- Helms ER, Spence AJ, Sousa C, Kreiger J, Taylor S, Oranchuk DJ, Dieter BP, Watkins CM. Effect of Small and Large Energy Surpluses on Strength, Muscle, and Skinfold Thickness in Resistance-Trained Individuals: A Parallel Groups Design. Sports Med Open. 2023 Nov 2;9(1):102. doi: 10.1186/s40798-023-00651-y. PMID: 37914977; PMCID: PMC10620361.
Featured image: @wesleyvissers on Instagram
