Leg days at the gym could be grueling. But when you’re the most recent Mr. Olympia winner, it’s just another day of establishing new records. Derek Lunsford took fitness enthusiasts on a trip to his gym, where he trained legs with some of his gym buddies.
His recent video detailed his leg routine for the day. Although Lunsford’s currently training off-season, he still went in with a lot of intensity. He focused on four exercises, alternating between multiple sets. The champion also helped his friends with their routine intermittently.
The bodybuilders started with multiple sets of the leg curl machine. While they hyped each other up and experimented with different weights, Lunsford challenged his friends to go higher on the scale. They took turns on the machine and finished with almost till failure.
Next, Lunsford moved on to the hack squats. As warming up on each exercise was necessary, the champion did so with some lighter weights before going all in. He flaunted his brand-new knee sleeves to assist his legs during intense workouts. Between sets, he confessed how he built up his strength.
“I do think that that front squats and belt squats have been the biggest key to my leg strength.”
Another reason why Lunsford preferred front and belt squats was how they isolated the thigh muscles and didn’t work the muscles too much for stability. However, Lunsford made sure to stack his weights up high. This also led him to establish a PR.
“I tried to keep it that way for two reasons: one because I know I’m getting more out of it, and I don’t want to change the tempo.”
Finally, the group wrapped up with a few sets of belt squats and walking lunges. With weights in hand and gradually walking and lunging multiple steps, the intense exercise was appropriate for Lunsford to call it a day at the gym.
What was the ultimate arm workout for Derek Lunsford during his off-season?
Lunsford’s off-season arm workout is much more intense than his leg routine. With seven exercises in total, the icon works every muscle in his arm and shoulder. He sets his ideal rep range between 12 and 15 and performs around four sets each.
The Mr. Olympia champion revealed some unsaid rules that he followed in public gyms. One of them was how he made sure to do some warmup using light weights and less exertion to test the waters. He also followed this rule during his leg day, resulting in more efficient workouts.
