Learn how elite bodybuilders train to peak for a show.
Last updated on September 25th, 2024
While competitive bodybuilders from different divisions strive for distinct aesthetics, their training methodologies undeniably overlap. On Sept. 15, 2024, reigning five-time Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead and rising Men’s Open contender Brett Wilkin teamed up for a pull day workout.
While filming, Wilkin was two weeks away from the 2024 Legion Sports Fest Pro, set for Sept. 28, 2024, and Bumstead was four weeks away from the 2024 Olympia, scheduled for Oct. 10-13, 2024, in Las Vegas, NV.
Chris Bumstead’s & Brett Wilkin’s Pull Day
- Superset — Straight-Arm Lat Pulldown & Cable Pullover
- Lat Pulldown
- Seated Machine Row
- T-Bar Row
- Single-Arm Lat Pulldown
- Chest-Supported Low Row Machine
- Machine Bent-Over Reverse Flyes
[Related: 2024 Mr. Olympia Preview]
[Related: Hadi Choopan’s & Derek Lunsford’s FST-7 Training During 2024 Olympia Prep]
Open With Isolation Exercises
Single-joint exercises like straight-arm pulldowns stimulate the lats without recruiting other muscles. This fosters a stronger mind-muscle connection and pre-exhausts the target muscles, promoting muscle fiber activation and growth without the need for excessively heavy weights.
Wilkin highlights the role of pullover movements in developing a wider back, which can improve the coveted V-taper aesthetic during the front and back lat spread poses. He performs cable pullovers on an incline bench set at 45 degrees to better engage the lower lats.
Prioritize Control During Lat Pulldowns
Wilkin employs a wide, neutral grip attachment for lat pulldowns. He maintains an upright torso throughout to minimize lower back engagement, pauses briefly in the bottom position for a sharp contraction, and slowly returns to the start position.
During the final set, Bumstead implemented three-second holds in the fully shortened position for muscle pumps and adaptations. (1)
Chest-Supported T-Bar Rows For a Thicker Back
Wilkin utilized a specialized rowing machine that drew the elbows past the midline, resulting in peak lat contraction. He explained that this machine’s movement pattern mimics the initial phase of the lat spread pose, which involves pulling the elbows behind the midline and contracting the lats to reveal the ‘Christmas tree’ aesthetic of the lower back.
It’s easy to chase heavier weight when training alongside other elite athletes. Wilkin cautions against attempting personal records in a calorie-depleted state, especially toward the end of contest prep, as it significantly increases injury risk.
Bumstead retracted and depressed his shoulder blades before initiating each rep during chest-supported T-bar rows. He pulled his elbows wide and high to load the upper back.
Next, the duo performed chest-supported machine low rows to bias the lower lats. Wilkin favors chest-supported row variations as they eliminate momentum, ensuring constant tension on the target muscles.
At Least One Unilateral Exercise Per Workout
Wilkin performs one unilateral exercise per training session to address strength and muscle imbalances and promote symmetry. He recommends slightly leaning toward the working side during single-arm lat pulldowns and keeping the elbow tight to the side to maximize lat stimulation.
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References
- Hirono, T., Ikezoe, T., Taniguchi, M., Tanaka, H., Saeki, J., Yagi, M., Umehara, J., & Ichihashi, N. (2022). Relationship Between Muscle Swelling and Hypertrophy Induced by Resistance Training. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 36(2), 359–364. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003478
Featured image: @brett_wilkin on Instagram
