2022 Mr. Olympia runner-up Derek Lunsford has his attractions set on changing into the 18th guy to win the identify on the 2023 Olympia Weekend in Orlando, FL on Nov. 2-5, 2023. The previous NPC USA winner (2017) and 212 Olympia champion (2021) must be his all-time very best if he desires to win the sector championship of his game. 

Lunsford has been holding his enthusiasts up-to-the-minute on his growth main as much as that contest on social media, together with coaching movies like the only he launched documenting a shoulder exercise at MI40 Gymnasium in Tampa, FL simply 11 weeks prior to the large display. The video underneath used to be shared on his YouTube channel on Aug. 21, 2023.

System Lateral Elevate

Lunsford started the consultation with gadget lateral raises to concentrate on his aspect delts. He’s already lean sufficient that you’ll see the muscle mass operating as he lifted the handles of the gadget. The burden he used to be operating with wasn’t proven, however he gave the impression to be in complete keep an eye on during his units.

He would sometimes carry out poses between units to research his body and get ready for the more than one rounds of posing he’ll must do on level on the contest. He gave the enthusiasts additional information about his coaching at this level of his prep.

“I really like to coach six days in a row, take the 7th time off,” he stated. “Now and again within the offseason, I’ll take two days relaxation however, just about between right here and the Olympia, six days every week. Nowadays’s day 5. Shoulders these days. The day past I did legs.”

The digital camera in short confirmed the pin set at the weight stack at 190 kilos (86.2 kilograms), which Lunsford plays for 12 reps on his 3rd set. He in the end pinned all of the stack of 250 kilos (113.4 kilograms) and labored a last set to failure plus a number of partial reps, which he counted as 15 overall reps. After 5 overall units, he moved directly to the following workout.

Status Dumbbell Lateral Elevate

The second one motion used to be any other lateral carry, this time the usage of a unfastened weight model with vintage status dumbbell laterals. 5 overall units had been proven on digital camera, with the 3rd set proven in its entirety for 12 reps. His fourth set used to be for 12 complete vary reps plus partials, and he confirmed the digital camera that the gymnasium’s 33-kilogram dumbbells he used are similar to 72.7 kilos, indicating that he’s feeling sturdy at this section of his prep.

“Now not my very best ever, however it’s nonetheless over 70 kilos.”

Lunsford then completed with a back-off set the usage of 28 kilograms (61.7 kilos), so he may just higher keep an eye on the burden, prior to transferring on.

Seated Smith System Press

With two lateral delt-focused actions finished, Lunsford targeted at the entrance delts with seated overhead presses on a Smith gadget. Lunsford used a rather vast grip and reduced the bar to about chin-height prior to urgent it up. He would additionally forestall wanting lockout to stay pressure at the operating muscle mass. He had elbows sleeves on, as smartly.

Lunsford started with one 45-pound plate in line with aspect, then went as much as two. He would sooner or later upload a 25-pound plate in line with aspect for a 3rd set with a spotter offering help on the finish. He would take away the ones 25s for 2 further units, holding together with his coaching philosophy of the usage of back-down units.

“I find irresistible to do back-off units periodically in my coaching … you do a few warm-up units, do a best set or two, after which that final set. Do yet one more set however again it down and take a look at to recuperate keep an eye on and get as many reps as you’ll … So as a substitute of, ‘Neatly, I were given 15 reps. May no longer had been managed, however I nonetheless were given 15 reps, let me move heavier,’ In reality, let’s recuperate time beneath pressure. Let’s recuperate keep an eye on of the burden. Let’s get a couple of extra reps which might be blank. What’s that gonna do? That’s going to stimulate the muscle extra and save you damage. Smarter.”

Entrance Raises

Lunsford’s subsequent workout used to be an isolation motion with a twist. He would carry out 3 units of entrance raises together with his hands going through every different, adopted via 3 extra units together with his hands going through down. He informed the digital camera that every set could be completed for 10 to twelve reps. Then again, he would stay the remainder to not more than 40 seconds between every set. He stored much more time via operating each shoulders concurrently.

Opposite Pec-Deck

The bodybuilder then shifted focal point to his rear delts, starting with a opposite pec-deck. The previous Olympia 212 champion would use the horizontal handles for a palms-down grip, and the digital camera panned over to Lunsford’s aspect, the place you want to see the rear delts operating. Now not all units had been proven, however he later stated he did 3 units in overall.

Rear Lateral Elevate

Following that workout, Lunsford opted for a unfastened weight motion. He sat at the finish of a bench with dumbbells in his palms and carried out bent-over lateral raises to focus on the rear delts once more. He advanced to doing units status, together with his torso bent at a 45-degree attitude. Just like the entrance raises, he intentionally modified his hand place with the 2 rear delt actions — having his hands going through down right through the opposite pec-deck and going through his hands at the side of the bent-over lateral raises. He defined why those main points topic.

“Switching up the hand positioning goes that can assist you goal a bit of bit other portion of the delts.”

Cable Lateral Elevate and Cable Upright Row

Lunsford felt the wish to goal the aspect delts one final time. So, he went to a seated cable row station with two cables and carried out a novel cable lateral carry variation. He lied again at the pad and pulled the cable handles out to his aspects, as though he used to be doing a status lateral carry. He carried out one set on this means, adopted via the general workout of the day — 3 units of a cable upright row in the similar reclined place at the seated row bench.