Tag: Brett Wilkin
Brett Wilkin Shares Keys To Build Massive Biceps And Symmetrical Arms
All of us wish to have attractive physiques but most of us don’t have the discipline or the knowledge to achieve it. Bodybuilder Brett Wilkin made the job a little bit easier for us by sharing some insightful information on biceps training.
Brett Wilkin’s career trajectory has been rather interesting. He earned the IFBB Pro card in the Classic Physique division by winning the 2018 Junior National Championships. However, ‘The Butcher’ never competed in the division professionally. He made the pro debut in the 212 division but lackluster performances at the 2019 Puerto Rico Pro and the 2019 Toronto Pro Supershow prompted him to reevaluate the way forward.
Wilkin took time off from competition and worked on improving his physique during the extended break. He returned as a Men’s Open competitor and impressed the bodybuilding community with the overwhelming progress at the 2021 Chicago Pro, finishing second. In spite of high expectations heading into the 2022 Arnold Classic, Wilkin could only secure a sixth place at the show. A runner-up finish at the 2022 Romania Muscle Fest Pro concluded the 2022 competitive season for him as Wilkin did not have enough points to qualify for the 2022 Olympia.
However, he registered a thumping victory at the 2022 Bigman Weekend Pro, becoming one of the early competitors to qualify for the 2023 Olympia. He now trains with renewed vigor under ‘Hypertrophy Coach’ Joe Bennett’s guidance with the goal to secure a top ten finish in his Olympia debut.
Recently, Wilkin shared his list of five best biceps exercises on his YouTube channel to help fitness enthusiasts and budding bodybuilders achieve their fitness goals. So let’s check out the list to see how Wilkin has built those massive arms.
Brett Wilkin shares five best biceps exercises
Biceps are one of the most important muscle groups for appearance as well as function. But developing this small muscle is easier said than done. It requires time commitment and knowledge to get the biceps that look good and function at the elite level. Brett Wilkin made the job a little bit easier by sharing some of his go-to exercises and training tips to build the biceps.
Standing Cable Curls
Jumping right into heavy exercises without a warm-up is a recipe for disaster and training related injuries. Brett Wilkin addressed this issue in the beginning and shared standing cable curls as the first important biceps exercise. Cable machines put uniform stress on the muscles and help them warm up sufficiently for an intense training day. Additionally, they are a good alternative for warming up crucial joints like elbows.
“Main focus is just on that bicep head with no cheating. This cable unit is awesome because it creates that tension all the way through the bottom and then all the way through the top. So constant tension on the biceps, a lot of blood, a lot of pre-exhaust and we’ll keep moving into the bigger ones,” Wilkin stated.
Single Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curls
Preacher curls are hailed by many as the king of bicep exercises. They isolate the biceps muscles better than most other movements. Therefore it’s no wonder that they find a place in Brett Wilkin’s list of best biceps exercises. Wilkin explained the key to getting the most out of this exercise and said:
“I want to solely use that bicep head obviously. So how do you do that is you want to elbow drive back into the pad. So I’m driving back into the pad and at the same time I am curling up.”
Since the pad is a stationary object and we drive our elbow into it during curling, the bicep is the only muscle that gets activated according to Wilkin. ‘The Butcher’ advised to lower the dumbbell at a slow pace to create more tension in the biceps.
“The main thing is you don’t need too much (weight) here if you’re doing it right. So it’s the big squeeze with the drive and then the slow release letting it go out really stretching that bicep,” Wilkin concluded.
Hammer Strength Preacher Curls
Once again, the machine variation of preacher curl helps put constant tension on the muscles throughout the full range of motion. This helps tremendously in bodybuilding where muscle hypertrophy is the primary goal.
But working with a method that Wilkin calls ‘Partner Resistance’ can help with making gains. In this training style, Wilkin typically works his way to the top set. After this, the person holds the weight at the end of the concentric phase while a training partner tries to pull the weight down, adding more resistance to the person doing an exercise.
“This is just working that eccentric portion, that lengthening phase with resistance,” Wilkin explained.
Cable Curls – 21s Set
The next bicep exercise on Brett Wilkin’s list is not necessarily a unique exercise but a training method known as 21s set. This method involves breaking down a set of 21 reps into three parts of seven reps each. For the first seven reps, the person is expected to perform partial reps conforming to the bottom half range of motion. The next seven reps are the partials at the top half range of motion. The last seven reps are full reps with a complete range of motion from bottom to top.
“I just love this because you really slow it down and you feel each rep. So you’re not hurting through this, you’re not throwing your back in it – you’re staying strict. You’re really feeling that each curl and you finish it off with seven really hard full motion reps,” Wilkin concluded.
Reverse Grip Cable Curls
Big biceps and skinny forearms are not really a beautiful combination to look at. The last exercise in Wilkin’s list addresses this problem with slight modifications to the cable curls. Reverse grip cable curls put more emphasis on the brachialis and the Brachioradialis muscles in the arm to get strong and muscular forearms.
“We’re trying to be symmetrical here… Triceps matching the biceps matching the forearms. So this is going to tie it all together,” Wilkin stated.
The 35-year-old advices doing this exercise when you are tired and want to get the final bit of forearm pump before heading home.
To summarize, the five best biceps exercises according to Brett Wilkin are:
In spite of being one of the highly touted prospects in the IFBB Pro League, Brett Wilkin has not been able to produce a breakout performance so far. However, the 2023 Olympia qualification has given him all the incentive in the world to perform to the best of his abilities and take his career to the next level. It will be interesting to see how he performs at the 2023 Olympia.
You can watch the full video here, courtesy of Brett Wilkin’s personal YouTube channel:
Published: 27 July, 2023 | 9:04 AM EDT
Brett Wilkin Eyes Top 10 Olympia Debut, Nick Walker Reveals Plans to Downsize Post-Retirement
American bodybuilder Brett Wilkin is one of the fastest-rising stars in the IFBB Pro League. In a recent appearance on The Mutant and The Mouth, Wilkin shared his ambitions for his maiden Olympia appearance. Fellow competitor Nick Walker opened up about his plans to downsize after retirement and Guy Cisternino revealed the truth behind understanding calcium scores.
Brett Wilkin started out in the Classic Physique division in the early days of his career under the NPC. He earned his IFBB Pro Card as a Classic Physique competitor after a win at the 2018 NPC Junior Nationals. However, he chose to switch to the Men’s 212 class for his Pro debut at the 2019 IFBB Puerto Rico Pro. Then, he made his way to the 2019 Toronto Pro Supershow to make his second and final appearance in the 212 category.
Following the underwhelming performances, Wilkin took to the sidelines and worked hard in the training room to level up his physique. After a two-year hiatus, he returned and switched divisions to make a splash in the Men’s Open group. The decision worked wonders for him as he narrowly missed out on the top prize to Hunter Labrada and placed runner-up at the 2021 Chicago Pro.
Wilkin kicked off his run with a sixth-place finish at the 2022 Arnold Sports Festival. He gave fans a look into his gigantic 6,000-calorie diet and supplement stack he utilized to pack on the pounds in the off-season last August.
‘The Butcher’ joined forces with Shaun Clarida for an intense push-day workout in Aug. 2022. He followed that up by partnering with rising sensation Nick Walker for a fierce lower-body training session where they targeted quads weeks later.
Although Brett Wilkin did not earn an invite for the 2022 Mr. Olympia, he continued to work his way up the ranks. He laid out the 4,000-calorie diet he was using to get ready for his next appearance. Then, he collaborated with Hunter Labarda for a sleeve-busting arm workout to get ready for their guest-posing appearance at the 2022 Colorado Cup.
Wilkin amped up his training with a challenging shoulder workout in preparation for earning an invite to the Olympia last October. His hard work paid off as he turned heads with his impressive physique at the 2022 Romania Muscle Fest Pro, where he scored the silver medal. Wilkin finally secured his place in the lineup for the 2023 Mr. Olympia by defeating the competition at the 2022 Bigman Weekend Pro.
Brett Wilkin Shares Positive Update, Says He Never Eats More than 8oz of Protein per Meal
In a recent YouTube video, Brett Wilkin and Nick Walker agreed on their preferred host city for Mr. Olympia contests.
Walker said, “I like Vegas. Now that I’ve done both, Florida and Vegas, I prefer Vegas.”
Wilkin shared positive updates about his health as he gets back to training full force. He revealed he limits protein to 8 oz per meal and detailed his cheat meal philosophy.
“I took the whole week off and now I actually, my body feels good,” said Wilkin. “I went back to the gym today first time. Now going to start doing another push into July and then going down from there.”
“I still do [dirty shakes] just to keep the calories high. It’s not really that dirty. I’m not hungry in the morning even after I do cardio in the morning and stuff. I do a shake in the morning I’ll do like 130 grams of quick oats, 150 grams of blueberries, 35 grams of almond butter, protein powder, water, and then literally just a couple squirts of chocolate to give it more taste. Then the rest of the day is whole foods.”
“I’ve never gone higher than 8 oz of a protein, meats is the highest I’ll go. Just because like my body starts rejecting the protein part of it. So, what I’ll adjust always in the off-season is protein usually stays the same as prep and then I’ll just adjust carbs and fats, just increase those, more so carbs.”
“I’ve never done the cheat day thing. I can’t be somebody that eats like 15,000 calories a day. I would hate that. What I do is I’ll end up having like three or four cheats a week so I just do them on my legs day or my back day. That’s usually like just get Five Guys or some Mexican or something. It’s just I have to stay in caloric surplus.”
Brett Wilkin highlighted the importance of working around the risk of getting injured.
“We also gotta look at injury prevention, not being an idiot, keeping the weight at the point so we can continue to do this week to week because that’s an easy way to shut down the career fast. We’re not Superman anymore.”
Guy Cisternino shares how to understand calcium scores & talks running with Nick Walker
Guy Cisternino shared the truth behind understanding calcium scores properly. He claimed the scores are not a concrete method of predicting issues and explained how the process worked.
“It’s so crazy how the calcium scores go up and down based on… it’s all genetic because I asked my doctor flat out. I’m like doc, listen, is there anything that I’m taking that’s causing the calcium to possibly like, this to happen with bodybuilding drugs and he goes no. He goes, it’s genetic. I asked him if there’s anything I took bodybuilding wise that affected my calcium score, he said no. And I went to two different doctors. Calcium score is not covered under insurance because it’s not a very well-known test. There’s not a lot of research done, it’s a newer test, and they don’t know a lot about it.
“The analogy the doctor gave me, he goes, the problem with the calcium score is we don’t know if the straw is up or down, meaning you could have calcium building up an artery wall but trickling down the side and it could never cause a blockage. Or you could have calcium building straight up that actually is causing a blockage but there’s no real way to tell. That’s the problem. So, the calcium score or the number doesn’t really give any significance.”
Nick Walker revealed his plans to stay around 220 pounds post-retirement. Cisternino recommended he downsize, especially the lower body, to make running easier.
Walker said, “I would like to get more active when I retire.”
“I started running for about three weeks,” replied Cisternino. “I was following a running program, just running a little bit every day. The amount of weight I was dropping just running was f**king absurd. I couldn’t keep weight on just running like intervals in the morning. The weight was flying off me it’s insane. Not only that, trying to run [with big legs] sucks. You’re going to have to downsize a lot if you want to run, run.”
“I’d like to be 220 (pounds),” said Walker. “That would be my goal weight.”
Wilkin targets top 10 finish in Olympia debut
Brett Wilkin expects to go up against a stacked lineup in his first Mr. Olympia appearance and would be content with a top-10 placing.
“Being around long enough now that I’ve learned you also gotta pay your dues man,” said Wilkin. “I can name two guys, probably a few more out there, but I can name two guys that are ever top five in their first Olympia, that’s Phil Heath and Nick Walker recently. It’s one of those things that I got to be realistic and think about last year, Andrew Jacked got what, eighth or ninth place in his first Olympia, things like that. You gotta work your way up. I’m going to prepare. I’m just excited to complete again, go through the diet and then this lineup’s going to be crazy. I don’t think people realize. Last year was what I think 28 to 30 guys. This year there’s only going to be 16 or 17 guys. Think about the shows ahead of us, Chicago, Tampa, Texas, these are going to be stacked. It’s going to be a battle. There’s going to be a lot of guys missing out.”
“I would love to get into the top ten that would be a huge goal for this lineup, first Olympia. I’m not going to be disappointed either way,” continued Wilkin. “It’s just about I need to make a footprint where judges are like oh sh*t, he brought it. And I gotta build from that. First year is about making that footprint, showing that I’m serious, and then I gotta build from that.”
Brett Wilkin collaborated with reigning four-time Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead for a grueling leg workout two months ago. He followed that up by smashing a heavy back workout with renowned coach Joe Bennett last month.
You can watch the full video below.
RELATED: Bodybuilders Brett Wilkin and Iain Valliere Go Through A Killer Quad Workout
Published: 22 June, 2023 | 5:52 PM EDT
Brett Wilkin Crushes A Hypertrophy-Inducing Back Workout
Bodybuilder Brett Wilkin is all set to elevate his career to the next level under Coach Joe Benett AKA the Hypertrophy Coach’s guidance. Wilkin announced the association in the latest video on his YouTube channel. The client and his new coach are now in the process of formulating the new training program for the year 2023.
Wilkin is an American professional bodybuilder that calls the Men’s Open division his home. Although he won the IFBB Pro Card in the Classic Physique division, the 35-year-old never competed in the weight class professionally. Instead, he made the pro debut in the 212 division. But following a couple of humbling performances at the 2019 Puerto Rico Pro and 2019 Toronto Pro Supershow, he took an extended break from the competition to work on his physique.
After a two-year hiatus, Wilkin returned to the stage but in the Men’s Open division. His divisional debut at the 2021 Chicago Pro resulted in a runner-up finish and Wilkin became a hot prospect of the division. However, he could not capitalize on the momentum built in 2021 and the 2022 competitive season yielded moderate success.
After a sixth place finishes at the 2022 Arnold Classic, Brett Wilkin’s hope to compete at the 2022 Mr. Olympia relied solely on winning the 2022 Romania Muscle Fest Pro as per the qualification criteria. However, he secured a runner-up finish at the show and called an end to the 2022 competitive season.
Brett Wilkin is now getting ready for this year’s challenges and Joe Bennett’s presence can certainly make a huge impact in making leaps in terms of progress. The famed coach is widely praised for his hypertrophy inducing training methods and has worked with big names like Terrence Ruffin and Dave Bautista. Under Bennett’s guidance, Wilkin went through a back workout. So let’s take a look at how Bennett’s guidance shaped Brett Wilkin’s workout.
Brett Wilkin demolishes a back workout under Joe Bennett’s guidance
Brett Wilkin has trained by himself for the majority of his workouts. However, he feels that ‘Hypertrophy Coach’ can really level him up with his expertise.
“I’ve somebody who’s looking over the shoulder at everything I am doing, somebody providing feedback… He’s gonna be watching my training just to level me up,” Wilkin said in the beginning of the workout.
One Arm Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown (Machine)
Coach Bennett started Wilkin’s back training with this movement on the plate loaded iso-lateral front lat pulldown machine. Bennett advised Wilkin to bring the arm down and press the triceps against the lats to line up most of the muscle fibers and contract the lats more effectively. He suggested going at a really slow pace to become more aware of the mechanics of the movement and increase the pace only after he was familiar with it.
“Warm-up sets in general, go slow, feel what you’re trying to feel and when you’re going the working sets just go after it,” Bennett added.
Speaking about the benefits of the Hammer Strength machine used for this exercise, Bennett added:
“The most important part of this machine or the range of motion is that stretch… The stretch that you get here, you’re not going to get it on a row, right? So a row doesn’t fully stretch your lat. You have to bring your arm up here somewhere (in the starting position of lat pulldown).”
“It’s probably good for almost everyone to pause for a second and make sure that it’s the lat and not momentum (that pulls the lever down again).”
Wilkin pushed through some heavy sets of this exercise under Bennett’s watchful eye and performed the last set with both arms. He then followed the coach to the next exercise.
Chest Supported T-Bar Rows
Bennett instructed Wilkin to take up the chest supported T-bar rows next to build the upper back muscles. While it is good to have a dedicated machine for this exercise in the gym, The Hypertrophy Coach stated that you can almost always get the same results as long as you can get the similar grip and position. So for example, doing the dumbbell rows using an incline bench for chest support can accomplish the exact same goal as a dedicated T-bar row machine.
“This exercise is going to pretty much train everything when I say upper back form shoulder to shoulder. So there’s going to be rear delts involved, traps involved… rhomboids involved… Pretty much your entire upper back musculature… But yeah, you’re going to get some lats working as well too…”
“Now what I want you to do is feel like you’re keeping the spine position. So slow everything down just a little bit so as everything pulls forward, you don’t do any spinal flexion. This (The spine) stays still and everything just kind of moves around that.”
After getting a few sets of chest supported T-bar rows under the belt, Wilkin curiously went to the Prime chest supported rows machine for the next exercise.
Prime Chest Supported Rows
This horizontal pulling movement followed next and Coach Bennett set up the machine in such a way that it targeted the latissimus dorsi muscles more than other back muscles.
“He (Coach Bennett) turned this Prime chest supported row and set it up so it’s fully isolating the lats, especially the lower lats. So our body’s in the position and all we have to do is keep our elbows tucked to our side, drive down, keep your traps lower. Don’t scrunch up,” Brett Wilkin added.
With this set-up, the resistance profile was harder in the beginning and got easier as the arm was pulled back. Wilkin started out with the warm-up sets to understand the movement and performed a few working sets. Following this, he did a couple of drop sets before taking up the next exercise.
Chest Supported Straight Arm Pulldowns
Straight arm pulldowns increase the scapular strength of the muscles and stability. These attributes are necessary for maintaining a safe posture while performing heavier compound movements like deadlifts, pull-ups and bench press etc. Coach Bennett guided The Butcher through a few sets of this exercise. Wilkin performed it using a banded attachment to the cable machine.
Weighted Back Extensions
Bennett instructed Wilkin to position himself in such a way that his hip crease was blocked. This way, he could bend forward and extend back up using only the lower back.
“All I want you to think about is – some of it’s obviously rounding and folding over the front. But while you’re doing that I actually want you to feel like you’re pushing your lower back to the ceiling as well.”
“So it’s a combination… So obviously as you go down, because your hips are blocked, everything’s going to half the round but by overdoing it, you’ll get even a little more rounding from that. That’s what we want here… As much rounding as we can and then as much extension as we put on the way up,” Bennett explained.
Wilkin performed a few reps without the barbell to get accustomed to the movement as Bennett watched over. He then cranked out some sets using the barbell which summoned the end of the training session.
The training session comprised of exercises in the order mentioned below:
Brett Wilkin’s training program heading into the 2023 Mr. Olympia competition will be documented on his YouTube channel and will be available on Joe Bennett’s app as well. So those looking forward to elevating their own performance can stay tuned to his YouTube channel to take its advantage.
You can watch the full workout video here, courtesy of Brett Wilkin’s personal YouTube channel:
Published: 3 May, 2023 | 12:56 PM EDT
Nick Walker and Brett Wilkin Join Forces For Insane Leg Day Training
Nick Walker and Brett Wilkin build up their wheels in a massive leg day training collaboration.
Standout bodybuilders Nick Walker and Brett Wilkin recently joined forces for some epic leg day training. Both bodybuilders pushed each other to the next level and brought out the best in each other as they thrashed their wheels.
Looking to bring something different to the Olympia, Nick Walker has been pushing himself hard throughout his training camp. With challenges like Big Ramy, Hadi Choopan, Brandon Curry, and Hunter Labrada ahead of him, Walker has been pulling out all the stops. He’s been training with the best of the best to get himself prepared for the show, including his rival Labrada. Walker’s thought process is that training along side his rivals will bring out the best in both of them and make for a better competition.
Epic Team Up
This time around Nick Walker is training with the talented Brett Wilkin who has yet to qualify for the Olympia but has all the potential to do so. Both men trained legs with an epic intensity.
The video ya been waiting for!!!! Me and @brett_wilkin smashing legs together!!!!
You can really tell that Nick Walker pushed himself to the absolute limit. His post social media show that his legs look completely swollen with blood from the amount of work he put into the leg day training. Suffice it to say he’s focused on bringing some serious wheels to the Olympia stage.
All blood no lines, pump was serious!!!!!!
Luckily today we rest lol
A Match Made in Leg Day Hell
Brett Wilkin wasn’t one to be outdone. He put in just as much work during the leg day training as Nick Walker and from the sounds of things really did a number on himself. Both men apparently pushed each other past their limits and then pushed a bit more. You can tell a whole lot of muscle gains will be produced from this collaboration.
Got after some legs with the mutant @nick_walker39. We went in on this challenging each other and I know neither of us are walking much today ?. Looking forward to some more crazy training sessions ahead ?
It’s this kind of camaraderie, this kind of collaborative training that will ensure that we see these athletes become the best versions of themselves. While beefing and talking trash can certainly generate interest and sell tickets, by pushing each other to the next level, it ensures that the fans get the best show possible.
Brett Wilkins may have a bit more to go before he’s sharing the Olympia stage with the likes of Nick Walker. But he’s showing that he has the grit, determination, and the work ethic to potentially step on the Olympia stage this year.
What do you think of Nick Walker and Brett Wilkins teaming up for leg day training?
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
News and Editorial Writer at Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Sound Cloud for in-depth MMA analysis.
Pro Bodybuilder Brett Wilkin Breaks Down His Massive 6,000 Calorie Bulking Diet
Images via Instagram @brett_wilkin
Brett Wilkin shares his super-bulk 6,000 calorie diet during off-season prep.
In a recent video, pro bodybuilder Brett Wilkin goes into detail about his off-season 6,000 calorie bulking diet. Wilkin has been turning heads with his impressively massive physique recently – and has been a much-hyped competitor in the 2022 bodybuilding season. He’s a rising star with much potential – though he has yet to qualify for the Mr. Olympia this year. If he does, he will join what is sure to be a truly deep and exciting lineup come December.
Most bodybuilders go through two major phases in a bodybuilding season. The off-season bulk and then the contest prep cutting phase. The bulking phase comes when a competitor is far and away from their planned competition. It’s a period of time focused on building as much size and muscle as possible – with less focus on conditioning and shred. Then as the competition comes closer, a bodybuilder will move on to the cutting phase and whittle away the the body into a large and shredded conditioned physique.
In modern bodybuilding, Men’s Open bodybuilders have been trying to push the limit of how big they can appear on stage while also maintaining conditioning. Big Ramy, the current Mr. Olympia, is a prime example of this competing close to 300 pounds. Just yesterday, Samson Dauda revealed his off-season physique update at 330 pounds.
Brett Wilkin is one such bodybuilder also trying to pack on the size to compete with these mass monster competitors. In July, Wilkin appeared for a guest posing showcasing a truly massive physique. Now in his recent YouTube video post – he reveals the massive diet that helped him get so large. You can check it out below:
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Brett Wilkin’s 6,000 Calorie Diet Explained
In the internet age of bodybuilding, fans no longer need to wait for magazines to reveal a bodybuilders training regimen or diet. The competitors themselves can connect directly with fans via Instagram or YouTube to give a true behind the scenes look at their lifestyle and tactics. Let’s break down the 6,000 calorie meal plan of Brett Wilkin.
First Meal
For Bretty Wilkin’s first meal, he consumes two ounces of lemon juice with REVIVE’s GI plus and greens powder. He claims that he uses this supplement for breakfast due to not wanting to include vegetables in his diet at this phase of his bulk. He also adds collagen powder and fiber supplements into a morning shake.
12oz fat free milk
1 scoop whey
150g Oats
35g Almond Butter
100g Blueberries
Second Meal
After breakfast, Brett Wilkin’s second meal of the day is his pre-workout meal. He focuses on carb loading and packing in more protein. He also makes a point to note he is avoiding fats at the moment – but admits that it’s okay to include fats during a pre-workout meal. He just personally doesn’t have them included due to his belief that it slows down digestion through the workout.
7oz chicken breast
150g Rice n Grinds
Intra: Baggy Time
50g Carbs from Gatorade Powder
5g Creatine
10g Glutamine
25g Carbs from RAW Intra
Third Meal
For his mid-day meals, Bretty Wilkin focuses on prioritizing carbs and protein as these will come before, during, and after his training sessions.
RAW Intra Carb 2 scoops
60g RAW Whey Iso
12oz Strawberry Banana Juice
1 banana
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Fourth Meal
Contiuing with his focus on carbs and protein, Brett Wilkin’s fourth meal contains rice and beef – which he claims is his personal favorite. This meal lands at about 130 grams of total carbs and 50 grams of protein.
8oz Megafit 93/7 ground beef
100g carbs from Rice
12oz Orange Juice
Fifth Meal
Brett Wilkin’s fifth meal focuses on a meal prep solution – where he consumes a sweet and sour chicken prepped meal. This is another meal that he claims to enjoy eating – which is why it has been a staple in his recent bulking diet.
Sweet and Sour Chicken (Meal Prep Service)
12oz Orange juice
Sixth Meal
Brett Wilkin’s last meal is what he calls a “free meal.” He states that he likes to do a free meal every other night. In this case, he has attended a friend’s party where he eats chicken, salmon, and some bread.
Wilkin is excited to showcase his meal prep on this day – as he sees it as a perfect example of bulking with five base meals followed by a cheat meal at the end of the day.
Chicken
Bread
Salmon
Brett Wilkin Looks Massive During Guest Posing Appearance At NPC Twin Cities Open
Brett Wilkin is extremely conditioned at 280 pounds!
Brett Wilkin is one of the up-and-coming talents in the Men’s Open division. He competed at the Arnold Classic back in March but did not put on the performance he was hoping for. Now, it is clear that Wilkin has put on some serious size and made improvements since that event. Wilkin recently appeared on stage as a guest poser during the NPC Twin Cities Open and showed off his size.
Wilkin took to Instagram to share his posing routine and the fact that he was between 275-280 pounds on stage. When looking at the complete package for Wilkin, he does not lack any body part and is extremely conditioned all over.
“Here’s a clip/pics from the guest posing weighing around 275-280lbs. Have a few more guest posings coming up in Denver and Baton Rouge ahead that I’m looking forward to as we continue to progress in this offseason.”
Brett Wilkin finished second at the Chicago Pro last season in his only appearance on stage. This set the bar high for his performance in Columbus but Wilkin landed sixth during the Arnold. In a recent interview with Desktop Bodybuilding, Wilkin expressed interested in competing again this season.
When Will Brett Wilkin Compete Again?
It was assumed that Brett Wilkin would not compete again this season following the Arnold Classic. He would have time to make the necessary improvements to his physique for the 2023 season.
Instead, Wilkin wants to get back on stage to see how he stacks up. If his guest posing appearance is any indication, Wilkin might be prepared.
“Really pushing training. That was the goal. The weight is coming back on. You know, with travel and shit, lost 10-12 pounds but it’s already back on. I was back up to like 274 this morning. I really want to, and I know there’s going to be questions, I really want to compete again this year so I’m going to train really hard over these next few months to compete again in one of the later shows.”
It is unknown what show Brett Wilkin will compete in. He does expect to guest pose at other events over the next few months. It is clear that he has put on size and is improved even from March during the Arnold Classic.
“I might have to go overseas for one of these shows but I’m excited. that’s going to be a lot of fun. I have a chip on my shoulder because I didn’t show out what I’m capable of at the Arnold.”
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Chris Bumstead And Brett Wilkin Put Together Back Workout To Build Size And Width
Chris Bumstead joined Brett Wilkin in the gym to put together a massive back workout.
Chris Bumstead is at the top of Classic Physique and has been for years. The reigning three-time Olympia champion has been putting in massive work in the gym looking for his fourth consecutive title in December. Recently, he joined Brett Wilkin down in Florida for a back workout that will build incredible size.
Wilkin is one of the up-and-coming talents in bodybuilding. He is coming off an Arnold Classic performance that saw him place sixth. He began as a 212 competitor but was able to put on the necessary size to make the switch to Men’s Open. As for Bumstead, he is back in the gym and looking as strong as ever.
Chris Bumstead spent some time out of the gym early in the year because of complications with COVID-19. Now, he is back to training for the Olympia and looking like the champion that he has been for years now. Down in Stuart, FL, Bumstead and Wilkin were led by coach Matt Jansen at the Revive Gym.
Back Workout
Chris Bumstead and Brett Wilkin took on the same workout but hit the exercises for different amounts of sets and reps. This depends on what the lifter was trying to accomplish with this particular workout.
Lat Pulldown – Bumstead 2 sets of 10, Wilkin 7 reps
Iso Row Machine – Bumstead 3 sets, 10, 7, and 3 reps, Wilkin 2 sets, 10 and 3 reps
Chest Supported T-Bar Row – Bumstead and Wilkin, 1 set, 4 reps
Cable Triceps Pushdown – Bumstead 3 sets, 8, 10, and 14 reps, Wilkin 2 sets, 5 and 15 reps
Seated Cable Low Row – Bumstead, 1 set, 11 reps
Over the course of the workout, both Chris Bumstead and Brett Wilkin were sharing their technique performing the exercises. Bumstead explains how he squeezes each rep at the top to maximize results and stretch. This also helps posing as he is comfortable with flexing and squeezing muscles.
“I really focus now on my back through at least three of the exercises. I actually hold each rep in the contraction. So I squeeze my back like I’m hitting a pose on stage and then I let it go. It really helps me build my mind muscle connection, not as it can go heavy but it helps,” Bumstead said.
You may have noticed that there were not many sets performed in each exercise. This is something that Bumstead explained in the video. He likes to keep volume low but gives great attention to detail during each rep. He practices slow contractions to build tension and this maximizes results despite the small number of sets.
Chris Bumstead is used to training with the mass monsters in Men’s Open, including his brother-in-law Iain Valliere. This time, he was able to join another young prospect in the sport and crush a back workout.
“Alright so that’s a wrap on today’s back workout. Did a pretty successful training session as always, we keep the volume decently low, and do 1 or 2 working sets but it’s all you need for gas, by the end you can’t even pull anymore because we’re actually putting the work in on each set. So it’s good training with Mr. Brett over here,” Bumstead said.
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Iain Valliere And Brett Wilkin Share Crushing Leg Workout
Iain Valliere and Brett Wilkin got together for what was a massive leg workout.
If you are not a fan of leg day, you have to take a look at some of the workouts that Open bodybuilders put themselves through. Iain Valliere and Brett Wilkin recently joined coach Matt Jansen at Revive Gym in Stuart, FL for a crushing quad workout that is destined to build size.
Valliere is more proven in Men’s Open at the moment. Wilkin has transitioned from Men’s 212 by putting on the necessary size needed to compete. At 27 years old, Wilkin is one of the most-promising up-and-comers that has built a great following. This workout took place in Florida, where Wilkin plans to move in the near future.
Leg Extensions
Leg extensions began the workout. This is a good exercise to begin leg day because it can pump blood into the quads to prepare for the rest of the workout. Brett Wilkin and Iain Valliere worked up to the heaviest top set. they began completing 10-12 reps before resting 15 seconds then going until failure. After this, they rested 15 more seconds before another set to failure.
Inner Thigh Squeezes
Inner thigh squeezes are also important to do early to get a good stretch in the legs. Wilkin and Valliere did not spend much time on this machine but made sure to put in work. Just a few quick sets working adductors was needed before moving onto some bigger weight.
Leg Press
Brett Wilkin and Iain Valliere then moved onto the Cyber leg press machine. They stressed the importance of flexing your knees to get the best stretch possible in the quads. They added 10-11 plates on each side for 20 reps during the top set. After performing a few sets, the bodybuilders continued to the next workout.
“Quad day! You know we made it hurt!@brett_wilkin”
Hack Squats
The weight used performing hack squats is not as heavy as that of a regular squat or leg press. Iain Valliere and Brett Wilkin paused at the bottom of the rep to gain control before exploding up. This adds a new dynamic to hack squats rather than performing a continuous motion.
Bodyweight Walking Lunges
The final workout of the day was bodyweight walking lunges. This is an exercise that can build strength in the quads but is also used frequently as a stretch. The bodybuilders performed these lunes with bodyweight to finish the day.
Both Iain Valliere and Brett Wilkin have high hopes for the bodybuilding season in 2022. After looking at some of the work they have done in the gym, they will certainly be competition ready next time out.
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Brett Wilkin Shares Physique Update 4 Weeks Out Of Arnold Classic
Brett Wilkin could be in for a big year on the bodybuilding stage.
Each year, there are different bodybuilders that step up and make a name for themselves. This season, it could be Brett Wilkin that is emerging as a threat. As the 2022 Arnold Classic quickly approaches, Wilkin shared a physique update where he is looking massive preparing for the competition.
Wilkin has a chance to compete for gold at this year’s Arnold Classic. It is a stacked field but he will be one of the athletes to watch. He remains a dark-horse in the competition but has a chance to make some big strides at the second biggest show of the year.
“Man in the mirror.
Focused on whooping this ass day in and day out.
4 weeks to go until the @arnoldsports, and I’m making sure to bring a show!”
Brett Wilkin earned his Pro Card in 2018 as a Classic Physique competitor. He did not compete in an IFBB show until 2019 after he made a move to 212. Wilkin would not last in 212 either and eventually landed in Men’s Open. When Wilkin made the move to Open bodybuilding, it was unknown how he would compete but he quickly showed his potential.
During the 2021 Chicago Pro, Wilkin went toe-to-toe with some of the top competitors in the world. He finished second at the competition and officially burst onto the scene. Now, he will continue to make improvements in order to take another step forward.
2022 Arnold Classic Lineup
William Bonac (Netherlands)
Maxx Charles (USA)
Brandon Curry (USA)
Samson Dauda (United Kingdom)
Nathan De Asha (United Kingdom)
Regan Grimes (Canada)
Steve Kuclo (USA)
Cedric McMillan (USA)
Fabio Giga Rezende (Brasil)
Justin Rodriguez (USA)
Mohamed Shaaban (Egypt)
Brett Wilkin (USA)
Akim Williams (USA)
Rafael Brandão has withdrew his name from the event but there will be a stacked lineup appearing on stage. Brandon Curry has been highlighted as the favorite to win the event but Wilkin could be in line for a top-three finish. After looking at his recent physique update, it would not be surprising to see.
This could be the start of a successful year for Brett Wilkin. There is no doubt that eyes will be on the young bodybuilder when the Arnold Classic comes around in March.
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