Shaun Clarida is gearing up for his 2023 Olympia prep as the show approaches in less than four months. In a recent Muscular Development interview, Clarida updated fans on his progress and said he’s prioritizing hamstring and chest growth in the coming weeks.
Reigning two-time 212 Olympia Shaun Clarida is a monster of the division. He built his name in the league with hard work, grit, and throwing around ridiculously heavy weight. While he may not possess a towering structure, he makes up for it with cartoonish muscle density and dry conditioning. Given his strength and tenacity inside the gym, some in the sport have labeled Shaun a ‘Mini Ronnie Coleman.’
Following years of chasing his dream of becoming an Olympia champion, Clarida achieved his goal in 2020 when he dethroned Kamal Elgargni. Heavy is the head that wears the crown, as was the case with Shaun, who eventually lost his title a year later to IFBB Pro League star, Derek Lunsford. Ultimately, Lunsford moved to the Open division while Clarida mapped out a plan to retrieve his title.
Last December, Clarida reinstated himself as the 212 Olympia to become a two-time champion. Instead of resting his physique, Clarida jumped into the recent 2023 Arnold Classic in the Open. At the event, he proved why he’s nicknamed ‘The Giant Killer.’ Clarida would end the show in fifth place but pushed several mass monsters including the former two-time Mr. Olympia Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay.
Shaun Clarida Growing Chest, Hamstrings for 2023 Olympia, Plans to Bring as Much Muscle ‘As Possible’
Clarida said he started his prep early, which allows him to ‘pull back’ later if need be.
“Yeah, 18 weeks as of tomorrow, Friday. I always like to start prep early, for me personally. I like to clean things up start a little cardio that way toward the end I can pull back and let my body rest a little bit and feed before the show,” said Shaun Clarida. “Yeah, no I would never do that [prep for 8-10 weeks].”
Unlike in the past, Clarida reached his heaviest weight in the off-season this year at 215 pounds.
“Yeah, it’s – I mean I got up to like 215. It’s pretty crazy. I didn’t really believe I could because obviously dealing with the big move, the baby, and everything, I felt like my body would probably retract a little bit or I wouldn’t be able to train as much as I have. Luckily, I’ve been down here and able to train every single day. Been getting my cardio in and my food in so everything has been good.”
“I definitely feel like this year’s Olympia I’m coming in a little bit bigger but the most important thing for me is the conditioning. I don’t necessarily look to put on weight but I’m always a big fan of trying to improve certain areas like my chest and my hamstrings. And while I do that, I get stronger after those movements and your body just grows, naturally just grows.
It’s been a great off-season thus far. I feel like I’m going to grow into the show. For me personally, I’ve always been someone who gets stronger into prep. Sometimes I have to be mindful when I’m in prep just to make sure I’m safe and don’t get injured. But I’m going to keep pushing hard and keeping pushing strong and hold as much muscle size going into this show as possible.”
Clarida Talks Gym Pins for Plate-Loaded Training and Lifting Heavy
Clarida shared that he uses a gym pin to add additional weights to machines that don’t meet his requirements.
“It’s mainly, I mean he makes different versions, obviously, pin loaded. So if it’s a machine with a stack of like 200, like right now, my abductor machine the most you can put on it is 200, so I have to put the gym pin on there to add another 25 plate on there.
Mostly I use that for that hammer incline press that can’t handle a certain amount of weights or the leg press is a big one for me. Like a lot of leg presses have really small hooks to them. So, I bring that in and kind of extend that and add more weight to it. You know, mostly plate-loaded stuff, yeah.”
According to Clarida, his body craves heavy weight despite his age and the subsequent risk factor.
“Yeah [I’m still getting stronger] honestly I have. Despite my age, I just think maybe because this is how I’ve been doing it since the beginning. My body just craves the heavy weight. People give me shit for it,” added Clarida.
Clarida explained that his prep has been stress-free because he created a home gym in his garage, where he trains cardio, abs, glutes, and abductors.
“This prep has been really just stress-free. I actually put a gym in the garage. We have a four-car garage so I took two of the bays and called my man Steve at Super Gym and ordered eight pieces of equipment. Typically I do my morning cardio at the gym and have to drive there and do the whole session. Anything I do in the morning as far as my cardio, my abs, my glutes, my abductors, I do them now at the house.”
Even though he prefers lifting heavy, Shaun favors Smith machine movements because they provide his body with more stability.
“It’s scary sometimes [the heavy weight]. It is pretty scary. But I always say it’s either me or the machine and it’s not going to win today. I don’t get under some weight and think about how it’s going to hurt me if I do this or that. You just have to get under it and think you’re going to get your reps 8-10 or whatever you want and walk away and be done with it.”
“More so [I use Smith machine movements] for me because I’m now training by myself. If I still had a training partner I would still do an incline barbell but definitely not a flat bench. But because I train by myself, it’s a lot safer. Two, I’ve always liked the Smith machine because I don’t have to utilize my stabilizers. I can just find the right path and go up and down.”
In March, Clarida boldly claimed that he wanted to surpass former 212 Olympia Flex Lewis’ record of seven titles – the most in history. In an appearance on Hany Rambod’s The Truth Podcast, Clarida made it clear that was his primary goal as well as continuing to test his resolve in the Men’s Open.
Clarida and Rambod also joined hands for a YouTube video where they hammered through a brutal FST-7 chest workout. The goal was to maximize muscle growth and Clarida’s chest showed as much by the time they wrapped up the training session.
Fans have already deemed Shaun Clarida a massive favorite heading into November. Should he once again claim the 212 Olympia title, Clarida will be one step closer to breaking Lewis’ all-time win record on the sport’s biggest stage.
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