Tag: Top Athletes
![Eddie Hall Makes His Indie Wrestling Debut](https://www.musclechemistry.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/BarBend-ios-152-50x50-1.png)
Eddie Hall Makes His Indie Wrestling Debut
Strongman Eddie Hall has tried out many different sports since winning the 2017 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) and subsequently retiring from competitive strongman. In addition to his boxing match against 2018 WSM Hafthor Björnsson, … Read more
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![Mr. Olympias Unite — Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronnie Coleman Train Together at Gold’s Gym Venice](https://www.musclechemistry.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/BarBend-ios-152-50x50-1.png)
Mr. Olympias Unite — Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronnie Coleman Train Together at Gold’s Gym Venice
“2 Goats Walk Into a Gym” sounds like the beginning of a joke, but it was the title of Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s Aug. 8, 2023, YouTube upload. The seven-time Mr. Olympia champion’s training partner … Read more
The post Mr. Olympias Unite — Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronnie Coleman Train Together at Gold’s Gym Venice appeared first on BarBend.
![Hildeborg Hugdal (+84KG) Bench Presses IPF Equipped World Record 235.5 Kilograms](https://www.musclechemistry.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/BarBend-ios-152-50x50-1.png)
Hildeborg Hugdal (+84KG) Bench Presses IPF Equipped World Record 235.5 Kilograms
Hildeborg Juvet Hugdal of Norway is a veteran powerlifter, having competed for more than 20 years. Although mainly renowned as a bench presser, Hugdal is a two-time world champion powerlifter, having won gold … Read more
The post Hildeborg Hugdal (+84KG) Bench Presses IPF Equipped World Record 235.5 Kilograms appeared first on BarBend.
![Comeback Season — Tia-Clair Toomey’s Full Training Day](https://www.musclechemistry.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/BarBend-ios-152-50x50-1.png)
Comeback Season — Tia-Clair Toomey’s Full Training Day
Six-time Fittest Woman on Earth® Tia-Clair Toomey skipped the 2023 CrossFit Games due to having her first child — she gave birth to a baby girl in May 2023. Toomey has since ramped … Read more
The post Comeback Season — Tia-Clair Toomey’s Full Training Day appeared first on BarBend.
Mitchell Hooper Achieves a 440-Pound Log Press PR 3 Weeks Before the 2023 Shaw Classic
Reigning World’s Strongest Man Mitchell Hooper has been training for the upcoming 2023 Shaw Classic, scheduled for Aug. 18-19, 2023, in Loveland, CO. Known for its bias toward static strength events, Hooper’s prep for … Read more
The post Mitchell Hooper Achieves a 440-Pound Log Press PR 3 Weeks Before the 2023 Shaw Classic appeared first on BarBend.
![Hunter Labrada Breaks Down Techniques of His Pull Day](https://www.musclechemistry.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Hunter-Labrada-1.png)
Hunter Labrada Breaks Down Techniques of His Pull Day
Men’s Open bodybuilder Hunter Labrada fell short of the top sixth at the 2022 Olympia. He’s working this off-season to climb the Olympia ladder to compete against the top in the division, such as Hadi Choopan, Derek Lunsford, and Nick Walker, again. To do so he will have to win a pro show during the 2023 season.
Labrada feels one way to improve his physique is by thickening his back musculature and deepening their separation. He uploaded a YouTube video to his channel on April 2, 2023, breaking down training cues for his back and hamstrings day. Check it out below:
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[Related: How 3-Time Bikini Olympia Champion Ashley Kaltwasser Eats on Show Day]
Hunter Labrada’s Pull Workout
Here’s a breakdown of the back and hamstring exercises Hunter Labrada performed:
Warm Up — Face Pulls
Before getting into the pull movements, Labrada warmed up his shoulders via face pulls. He used straps as the handles to enable external rotation to target the rear deltoids. The external rotation should happen at the shoulders, not from the core or by moving the rib cage up.
Unilateral Pulldown
Labrada thinks it’s best to target the lower lats unilaterally, hence unilateral pulldowns. This movement can be done on a cable pulldown or Nautilus machine.
Pull the elbows straight down to the hips (not back) to engage the lower lats. Exertion for this movement is high. Labrada recommends resting before switching sides.
Unilateral Machine Seated Row
This exercise was done on a PRIME machine, targeting Labrada’s lower lats. “Think about keeping shoulder depression the whole time,” Labrada advised. “When we’re rowing, doing pulldowns, or anything targeting the lower lats, create an arching motion with our humerus.”
Rack Chins
This exercise is performed on a Smith machine with legs straightened and propped up on an incline bench, mimicking a wide-grip pull-up. Labrada believes rack chins are more effective than pull-ups for targeting the upper back because the legs are stabilized on the weight bench to keep the body upright, preventing the involvement of the lats.
Labrada incorporated a mechanical drop set on the second set. To do this, his training partner lowered the incline of the bench to flat. Having Labrada pull his weight up on the Smith machine while his legs are resting on a flat bench allows Labrada to eke out a couple more reps.
Any upper back work, whether it be a pulldown or a row, all we’re after is full protraction and retraction.
Labrada aims to raise the shoulder girdle as high as possible for protraction to get the scapula and elbows retracted down and back. This allows the traps, teres, and other back muscles to fully spread and contract.
Seated Machine Row
Labrada moved to bilateral movements and performed the seated row on a Magnum machine. Labrada remarked:
When I say protract on this one, I don’t mean to let your spine flop over. Your spine is beyond rigid and braced the whole time.
Labrada added another intensity set to this exercise by combining a rest-pause and drop set. He took a small break between sets, lowered the weight, and did as many reps as possible.
Lying Hamstring Curls
Labrada added lying hamstring curls to his routine to prime his hamstrings for deadlifts since they activate during the eccentric. Labrada’s tip is to treat these like preacher curls.
We’re trying to keep our hips, knees, and ankles straight with the pit of our knees.
The elbow and knees are hinge joints — they only move one way; not meant to move laterally. So the legs should be narrower than shoulder-width, and the ankles should be dorsiflexed — raising the foot towards the shin. Once the feet flare inward or outward, the knees are out of alignment.
Labrada thinks about driving his hips down to the bench and keeps his quads in contact with the pad. The shoulders are down and back, the hands firmly grasp the handles, and the lats engage to pull oneself into the pad to prevent the opposing weight from jerking the lifter back.
Barbell Deadlifts and Hyperextensions
To conclude his pull-day workout, Labrada hit deadlifts and hyperextensions. On the hypers, getting the hamstrings and glutes involved more than the lower back is the goal. To do this, Labrada sets the pad on the machine low — below the hips — to keep them mobile. Think about keeping the hips forward and driving the knees into the padding.
Hunter Labrada used wrist straps throughout his workout to pull heavier weights without worrying about grip as a limiting factor. Labrada typically does two pull workouts weekly — one back and biceps and one back and hamstrings. We’ll see if his back improvements help him capture another pro win and qualification to the 2023 Olympia.
Featured image: @hunterlabrada on Instagram
![How 3-Time Bikini Olympia Champion Ashley Kaltwasser Eats on Show Day](https://www.musclechemistry.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Ashley-Kaltwasser.png)
How 3-Time Bikini Olympia Champion Ashley Kaltwasser Eats on Show Day
An example breakfast for Kaltwasser on show day is cream of rice with coconut oil, cinnamon, and a sprinkle of sugar because “extra carbs on show day is great.” Throughout the day, she’ll snack on flavored rice cakes, sunflower seed butter, and sugar-coated nuts — all foods that don’t sit in her stomach when she needs to feel light walking on stage.Kaltwasser avoids carbonated beverages to avoid bloating but is conscious of staying hydrated and does drink coffee — she flashed a large Dunkin’ Donuts cup onscreen. Kaltwasser will pour electrolyte powders into her liquids to keep her muscles full and prevent cramping.Kaltwasser has only competed once in 2023 as of this article’s publication: a fourth-place finish at the 2023 Bikini International. As a former Bikini Olympia champion, she has a lifetime qualification for the Bikini Olympia.Since Kaltwasser doesn’t weigh the Olympia as heavily as competing consistently, we will likely see her on the competitive stage several times before the 2023 Olympia on Nov. 2-5, 2023, in Orlando, FL.
![Looking Back at John Claassen’s 235-Pound Raw Deadlift at 92 Years Old](https://www.musclechemistry.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/John-Claassen.png)
Looking Back at John Claassen’s 235-Pound Raw Deadlift at 92 Years Old
It’s no secret that resistance training has positive impacts on longevity. A 2019 meta-analysis in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that “Resistance training is associated with lower mortality and appears to have an additive effect when combined with aerobic exercise.” (1) John Claassen is representative of these results.
The then 89-year-old Claassen found he moved less efficiently, and his posture was worsening with age; he sought to make a change. Now, the 96-year-old Claassen is a powerlifter training at Greysteel Strength and Conditioning in Farmington, MI. He celebrated his 90th birthday with a 100-pound deadlift and has only improved since.
In the documentary-style video below, the then 92-year-old Claassen trains for a deadlift contest at CrossFit Illumine in Niles, IL, where he competed raw. He went three for three — 97.5 kilograms (215 pounds) on his first attempt, 102 kilograms (225 pounds) on his second attempt, and 106.5 kilograms (235 pounds) on his third attempt. Check it out below:
[Related: Eleuterio Montalvo (125KG) Lifts Third-Heaviest All-Time Raw Total of 868.5 Kilograms in the Teen 18-19 Division]
During his training for his deadlift competition, Claassen performed barbell curls, deadlifts, safety-bar squats, prowler pushes, and incline bench presses. On contest day, he was filmed warming up with 90, 135, and 180 pounds on the barbell. He wore knee sleeves and a lifting belt.
The only competition I have is with myself.
Training at an older age has a plethora of health benefits. According to PLoS One, “Older athletes are capable of rigorous training programs and top performances while adjusting to changes due to biological aging.” Additionally, Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting are less likely to lead to injury than participation in contact sports. (2)(3)
A 2021 meta-analysis in the European Review of Aging and Physical Activity found that after analyzing 561 healthy older adults aged 65.8 to 82.8 with sarcopenia (loss of muscle tissue due to aging), resistance training “improves body fat mass, muscle strength, and muscle performance.” (4) Specifically, they found positive effects on body fat mass, handgrip strength, knee extension strength, and gait speed.
Train for Life
Claassen didn’t begin his weight training journey until he was 89 years old. He decided to make a change because he noticed his physicality deteriorating as his posture worsened. The change involved walking into the gym, finding a coach in a supportive environment, and some weight plates on a barbell. He’s representative that it’s never too late for fitness.
More Training Content
References
Saeidifard, F., Medina-Inojosa, J. R., West, C. P., Olson, T. P., Somers, V. K., Bonikowske, A. R., Prokop, L. J., Vinciguerra, M., & Lopez-Jimenez, F. (2019). The association of resistance training with mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European journal of preventive cardiology, 26(15), 1647–1665. https://doi.org/10.1177/2047487319850718
Huebner, M., Meltzer, D., Ma, W., & Arrow, H. (2020). The Masters athlete in Olympic weightlifting: Training, lifestyle, health challenges, and gender differences. PloS one, 15(12), e0243652. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0243652
Aasa, Ulrika et al. “Injuries Among Weightlifters And Powerlifters: A Systematic Review”. British Journal Of Sports Medicine, vol 51, no. 4, 2016, pp. 211-219. BMJ, doi:10.1136/bjsports-2016-096037. Accessed 11 Apr 2023.
Chen, N., He, X., Feng, Y. et al. Effects of resistance training in healthy older people with sarcopenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Eur Rev Aging Phys Act 18, 23 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s11556-021-00277-7
Featured image courtesy of Greysteel: Fitness After Fifty’s YouTube channel.
![Jay Cutler vs. Nick Walker: A Fantasy Bodybuilding Showdown](https://www.musclechemistry.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Cutler-vs-Walker-BarBend-Side-By-Side-750x422-1.jpg)
Jay Cutler vs. Nick Walker: A Fantasy Bodybuilding Showdown
If you want to determine the most successful bodybuilder of a certain era, then you simply look at the number of championships they won during their careers. Determining the most popular competitors is a little different. Social media can help provide some information, but it isn’t all about followers online. Crowd support at shows, lines at expos, and merchandise sales could tell more of the story.
Regardless of what metrics you use, Jay Cutler and Nick Walker hold their own in both onstage success and fan support.
Cutler, a four-time Mr. Olympia, competed as a pro from 1998 to 2013, and he’s still one of the most admired athletes in the sport 10 years after his retirement.
Meanwhile, Walker was one of Cutler’s fans growing up, but he’s now forging his own legacy and building his own fanbase — and trophy case — that could potentially rival Cutler’s someday.
Could Walker actually match Culter’s accomplishments? We’ll have to wait a while before we get an answer. But in the meantime, we here at BarBend are breaking down their physiques and accomplishments to see how both men stack up.
Credit: @JayCutler on Instagram (Cutler) // T.J. Darr (Walker)
[Related: Arnold Schwarzenegger vs. Chris Bumstead: Breaking Down a Fantasy Bodybuilding Matchup]
Bodybuilding Accomplishments
Comparing the duo’s accomplishments in 2023 wouldn’t exactly be fair to Walker. He’s only in his third full season as a pro, while Cutler had a career that lasted well over a decade. Even though we will mention all of Cutler’s major career highlights, we’ll emphasize his success up to the age of 28, which is Walker’s age as of March 2023. In a striking coincidence, the two even share a birthday — August 3 — meaning Cutler is exactly 21 years older than Walker.
Jay Cutler’s Accomplishments
Cutler won 15 pro shows during his career, including four Mr. Olympia titles and three Arnold Classics. However, he didn’t score any of those Olympias before the age of 33. If we were to keep his career analysis to the age of 28, then that leads up to his 2002 season.
According to Muscle Memory, Cutler turned pro in 1996 by winning the NPC Nationals heavyweight title. His first pro show was the 1998 Night of Champions, where he placed 12th. He then qualified for the 1999 Mr. Olympia by placing in the top three at that year’s Iron Man Invitational, but he finished 15th out of 16 competitors at the O itself.
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[Related: 9 Bodybuilders Under 200 Pounds Who Were Absolute Giant Killers]
Cutler’s first pro win came at the 2000 Night of Champions, which became the New York Pro years later. He then finished eighth at that year’s Mr. Olympia. He really hit his stride after placing second to champion Ronnie Coleman at the 2001 Mr. Olympia. Many feel Cutler was actually the better competitor that night, and it’s a decision that is still considered one of the most controversial in the show’s history.
The 2002 season kicked off with 28-year-old Cutler winning his first Arnold Classic title. He then opted to skip the Olympia that year, making his career highlights up to age 28 as follows:
1996 NPC Nationals Heavyweight Winner
2000 Night of Champions Winner
2001 Mr. Olympia, 2nd Place
2002 Arnold Classic Champion
Nick Walker’s Accomplishments
Walker turned pro at the 2020 North American Championships, and he immediately made his pro debut at the Chicago Pro that same season, finishing in fourth.
He already had a following going into the 2021 season, but his popularity skyrocketed after winning the New York Pro. In another coincidence, Walker’s first pro win came at the same contest as Cutler’s, albeit with a different name.
The 2021 Arnold Classic came after the New York Pro due to scheduling changes around the COVID-19 pandemic. Walker shocked the world and won that contest as well, marking his first major title in only his third pro show.
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[Related: Ronnie Coleman vs. Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay: A Fantasy Battle Between Bodybuilding Heavyweights]
His Olympia debut came two weeks later with a fifth-place finish — 10 spots higher than Cutler’s first Mr. O outing. Walker returned to the Olympia in 2022 and placed third behind champion Hadi Choopan and runner-up Derek Lunsford. He then kicked off the 2023 season by returning to the Arnold Classic, where he finished second behind champion Samson Dauda.
Walker isn’t expected to compete again until the 2023 Olympia Weekend on Nov. 2-5 in Orlando, FL, and he be turn 29 by that point. Here are his career highlights as of March 2023:
2020 North Americans Champion
2021 New York Pro Winner
2021 Arnold Classic Champion
2022 Mr. Olympia, 3rd Place
Training Style
Both men are known for their freakish muscle mass — but how did they build it? Cutler is reported to be 5’9” while Walker stands 5’7”, and both weighed around 250 pounds on stage. With Walker being such a fan of Cutler growing up, you can imagine that he took some training cues from the four-time Mr. Olympia over the years.
Jay Cutler’s Training Style
Cutler credits foundational free weight movements such as the bench press, squat, and deadlift for building his mass.
“While machines are still beneficial — when you get to a certain point, you can’t get to that [Mr. Olympia] level without doing free weight movements,” Cutler said on his YouTube channel in September 2021. He did (and still does), however, work more with machines and dumbbells to refine his physique as his career progressed.
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[Related: 10 Memorable Performances From the Arnold Classic Bodybuilding Contest]
During his prime, Cutler implemented a high-volume training approach and rarely used supersets or other intensity-boosting methods. He hit upwards of 20 to 25 sets per body part, with sets being in the eight to 12 rep range. He still follows this approach as he nears his 50th birthday.
In November 2022, Cutler shared an 11-exercise shoulders and triceps workout that is similar to how he trained during his days of dominating the stage. He didn’t detail the reps and sets, but these are the moves he performed:
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Chest-Supported Seated Lateral Raise Machine
Rear Delt Cable Crossover Flye
Incline Fixed Barbell Front Raise
Incline Dumbbell Rear Delt Flye
Seated Triceps Extension Machine
Cable Triceps Pushdown
Kneeling Rope Pushdown
Seated Cable Triceps Extension
Machine Calf Raise
Leg Press Calf Raise
Nick Walker’s Training Style
Though Walker performs many of the same movements as Cutler, he’s far more notable for his freakish displays of strength on social media. During his 2022 Mr. Olympia prep, Walker posted a video of himself hitting incline bench press reps with 180-pound dumbbells and deadlifts with five 45-pound weight plates on each side (which totals 495 pounds, assuming Walker was lifting with a standard 45-pound barbell).
Like Cutler, Walker has since started incorporating more machine movements into his programming because they allow him to isolate muscle groups and refine his mass.
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[Related: The Story Behind the Chaotic Drug-Tested 1990 Mr. Olympia]
That said, he still uses free-weight exercises regularly and keeps his rep ranges around 12 to 15. One example of Walker’s shoulder training is this session he completed with 2019 Mr. Olympia Brandon Curry in the summer of 2022.
Popularity
It’s always difficult to compare the popularity of bodybuilders from different eras because of the lack of social media during Cutler’s career and the different ways of promotion between then and now. There are significantly fewer magazines around now, and merchandise sales have changed as well. Nonetheless, you can see why these two men are where they are in the bodybuilding world.
Jay Cutler’s Popularity
Cutler’s popularity during the 2000s was matched only by eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman. That’s because, throughout their careers, they were usually the last two men standing on the Olympia stage, and their physiques helped define the “mass monster” era. They were the most high-profile athletes in the sport, with each selling workout DVDs and appearing in magazines. If anything, their rivalry helped both men achieve even greater heights in terms of popularity.
[Related: How Strong Was Arnold Schwarzenegger? We Look Back at the Oak’s Short-Lived Powerlifting Career]
Cutler was — and still is — savvy when it comes to the business of bodybuilding. He was the top athlete for the supplement company MuscleTech for most of his career, started his own merch line, and was a fixture at trade shows. His pursuit of Coleman, combined with his commitment to support his fans, made him a legend long before he won an Olympia title.
Since his retirement, Cutler stays relevant with newer fans thanks to his podcast, social media pages, and his YouTube channel. On Instagram alone, he has more than 4.8 million followers as of March 2023, ranking alongside current competitors like Big Ramy.
Nick Walker’s Popularity
Walker’s fanbase can be seen in part on both his Instagram (1.3 million followers) and YouTube channels (231,000 subscribers). Outside of social media, he has his own clothing line and is sponsored by supplement brand HD Muscle. Like Cutler, Walker also makes appearances at trade shows, gyms, and nutrition stores.
[Related: How Strong Was Arnold Schwarzenegger? We Look Back at the Oak’s Short-Lived Powerlifting Career]
The attention of bodybuilding fans is now more spread thanks to the addition of other divisions such as Classic Physique and Men’s Physique, but Walker remains a popular figure in the industry and could remain so for several years to come.
Coaching
Both Walker and Cutler employed some of the most respected trainers and coaches in the industry to help them build their championship physiques. Here’s who helped them get to the top:
Jay Cutler — Chris Aceto and Hany Rambod
Cutler began his career with “The Technician” Chris Aceto and stayed with him throughout most of his career. Aceto helped Cutler win all of his pro shows up until the 2008 Olympia when he lost to Dexter Jackson.
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[Related: Kings, Chemists, and Oaks: The 10 Best Bodybuilding Nicknames of All Time]
Cutler then changed over to Hany Rambod, who guided him to his final two Olympia victories in 2009 and 2010. After initially agreeing to work with Chad Nicholls for his 2013 return to the stage, Cutler eventually reunited with Aceto and finished his final Mr. Olympia contest in sixth place.
Nick Walker — Matt Jansen
Walker has mainly used one coach throughout his competition preps so far: Matt Jansen. The duo worked together from Walker’s amateur days until the 2021 Olympia, where he finished in fifth.
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[Related: 12 of the Most Underrated Bodybuilders of All Time]
After a brief falling out, Walker switched to working with Dominick Mutascio in early 2022. However, Walker and Jansen reunited later that year and returned to the 2022 Olympia as a duo. Walker finished that contest in third place, and they followed that up with a second-place finish at the 2023 Arnold Classic.
Conclusion
From birthdays to first victories and major titles, the comparisons between Cutler and Walker appear to be valid to this point. They also happen to be among the most popular bodybuilders of the respective generations. In the end, though, it all comes down to Olympia hardware. “The Mutant” certainly has the potential to rival Cutler when it comes to Sandow trophies, but only time will tell if he gets it done.
Featured Images: @jaycutler on Instagram (Cutler), T.J. Darr (Walker)
![Breon Ansley Maximizes His Leg Sessions by Attacking Them With High Energy](https://www.musclechemistry.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Breon-Ansley-1.png)
Breon Ansley Maximizes His Leg Sessions by Attacking Them With High Energy
As the 2022 Olympia weekend on Dec. 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV, approaches, two-time former Classic Physique Olympia champion Breon Ansley anticipates bringing the best package of his career to the stage for his final appearance in the division. Following the Olympia, the 43-year-old Ansley plans to move into the 212 division.
To present his best physique to date — meaning more muscle mass and tighter conditioning — Ansley’s strategy for workouts during his prep has been to attack them with high energy from the jump. Diving into his training aggressively rather than passively enables Ansley to squeeze more potential out of each workout. Check out Ansley’s leg session from Gold’s Gym in Venice, CA, in the video below, published on his YouTube channel on Nov. 28, 2022:
[Related: Four-Time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler Crushes an 11-Exercise Shoulder and Triceps Workout at 49 Years Old]
Ansley’s leg session in the video above occurred four weeks and one day out from the 2022 Olympia. He opened the workout with a warm-up consisting of single-leg extensions.
Set the tone right off the bat and don’t look back.
Although he didn’t specify the number of sets he performed on the leg extension machine, Ansley appeared to take each set to failure with a progressive overload methodology. He continued his unilateral training on the leg press. Ansley spotted his working leg with his resting leg to achieve maximum flexion and a clean lockout to keep the load heavy. Based on his foot placement towards the middle-lower section of the platform, Ansley biased his quads with each rep.
[Related: Brett Wilkin Wins 2022 Big Man Weekend Pro Bodybuilding Show]
Ansley’s third movement was weighted Bulgarian split squats. He posted one leg on a weight bench and held one 35-pound dumbbell in his hand adjacent to his working leg. The pacing of Ansley’s reps was highly measured. If you turn the video to two-time-speed, it still appears his movement is slow and controlled.
Each rep involves Ansley reaching maximum knee flexion with a forward tilt of his torso to train his glute in the fully lengthened position. If he kept his torso upright, he would bias the quads more than the glutes.
Stiff-leg Romanian dumbbell deadlifts were up next with a five-three tempo per rep — five-second eccentric and three-second concentric. The dumbells moved at a slight angle along Ansley’s legs rather than directly in front. This relieves pressure off Ansley’s lower back and falls more naturally in line with his structure. His flexibility was on display as each rep saw the dumbbell handles nearly touch the tops of his feet.
To remove his grip as a limiting factor, Ansley used lifting straps to increase the load with each set progressively. His final set was with a pair of 85-pound dumbbells.
Moving on to hamstrings, lying leg curls followed the deadlifts. He braced tightly to the pad to prevent his hips from rising, which would relieve tension from his hamstrings. He closed the workout with seated calf raises.
Ansley mentioned that he recognizes how much more developed his legs appear this season than last season. We’ll see if that added mass can convert a record-tying third Classic Physique Olympia title for him before the holidays.
Featured image: @breonma_ on Instagram