The multi-division Olympia champ sculpts his 3D shoulders through gradual eccentrics and drop units.
Reigning Mr. Olympia champion Derek Lunsford has, arguably, the most effective X-frame —characterised by expansive shoulders, a tiny waist, and sprawling quads — within the professional bodybuilding circuit. Lunsford’s X-frame performed an important position in his victory within the 212 Olympia in 2021 and his coveting of the Sandow trophy two years later in 2023.
Lunsford’s low season coaching is already underway on the flip of 2024. He packed on eight kilos of muscle tissue year-over-year resulting in the 2023 Olympia and believes there may be area on his body so as to add extra. On Jan. 1, 2024, Lunsford revealed a video on his YouTube channel whereby he shared his high-volume shoulder exercise comprised of the next 5 workouts:
Derek Lunsford’s Shoulder Exercise
Here’s a snapshot of Lunsford’s shoulder coaching session:
Take a look at Lunsford’s coaching session beneath:
[Related: Ramon “Dino” Rocha Queiroz Biography: Bodybuilding Career, Workouts, and Height]
1. Machine Lateral Elevates
Lunsford warmed up with dynamic shoulder stretches and arm circles. His opening unilateral lateral raises biased his medial deltoids, that are usually the least developed head of the shoulder. He employed gradual eccentrics to extend time underneath rigidity with a pause on the high of every rep.
A 2022 Journal of Energy and Conditioning Analysis examine discovered a optimistic correlation between muscle swelling (i.e., a pump) and hypertrophy, suggesting “the better the muscle swelling instantly after the primary resistance coaching session, the better the muscle hypertrophy after it.” (1)
⅔. Dumbbell & Smith Machine Shoulder Presses
Staying in keeping with the coaching cues from the earlier train, Lunsford used gradual eccentrics on dumbbell shoulder presses to load his anterior (i.e. entrance) deltoids. He stopped simply shy of full elbow extension to take care of fixed rigidity on the shoulders.
Lunsford grabbed the Smith machine barbell with a wider-than-shoulder-width grip and used a gentle rep cadence to take care of his bias on his anterior delts.
⅘. Dumbbell Rear Delt Flyes & Standing Lateral Elevates
Dumbbell seated bent-over flyes to bias the posterior (i.e. rear) deltoids had been subsequent. Lunsford maintained slight elbow flexion along with his torso at 45 levels all through the train. This positioning aligns his rear delts to withstand the burden towards gravity.
Lunsford concluded with lateral raises to additional spherical his shoulder caps. The three-dimensional shoulder aesthetic is often achieved by well-developed medial delts when considered by entrance poses. Lunsford carried out drop units of lateral raises to mechanical failure.
A scientific trial revealed within the Journal of Sports activities Drugs and Bodily Health concluded, “Superior muscle positive aspects may be achieved with a single set of drop set in comparison with three units of typical resistance coaching, in all probability as a consequence of larger stress skilled within the drop set protocol.” (2)
Lunsford will try and defend his Mr. Olympia crown for the primary time on the 2024 Mr. Olympia on Oct. 10-13 in Las Vegas, NV.
References
- Hirono T, Ikezoe T, Taniguchi M, Tanaka H, Saeki J, Yagi M, Umehara J, Ichihashi N. Relationship Between Muscle Swelling and Hypertrophy Induced by Resistance Coaching. J Energy Cond Res. 2022 Feb 1;36(2):359-364. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003478. PMID: 31904714.
- Fink J, Schoenfeld BJ, Kikuchi N, Nakazato Ok. Results of drop set resistance coaching on acute stress indicators and long-term muscle hypertrophy and energy. J Sports activities Med Phys Health. 2018 Could;58(5):597-605. doi: 10.23736/S0022-4707.17.06838-4. Epub 2017 Apr 26. PMID: 28474868.
Featured picture: @dereklunsford_ on Instagram