Derek Lunsford placed second at the 212 Olympia in both 2018 and 2019 after an impressive fifth-place debut in 2017. The first time he was runner-up, Lunsford was up against the virtually unbeatable Flex Lewis, who retired from the 212 division that year after seven consecutive wins. In 2019, Kamal Elgargni emerged victorious after a third-place finish the previous year. Lunsford now has his sights set on the Mr. Olympia title that has so far eluded him.
It’s been a quick rise to the top for 27-year old Lunsford and one to be proud of, but he doesn’t plan on missing out on first place this time. Elgargni and Lunsford will share the stage yet again at the 2020 Olympia weekend this December. And in this dynamic division, you never know who will take the top spot.
In a recent Instagram Live interview with Olympia Associate Producer Cayden Riley (check it out here on the Olympia’s Instagram page), Lunsford opened up about his tough loss in 2019, the soul-searching he did afterward, and how he’s training to bring his best physique to the stage at the 2020 Olympia.
After a tough second-place finish at the 2019 Olympia, Lunsford took some time to really reflect.
“It was the hardest loss for me to take… I was pretty upset, pretty bummed out about not taking that title home, but I had to go back home and think about why I started,” he explained. “I literally got to the root of it and was like ‘why are you even bodybuilding?’”
His biggest epiphany was that he truly does it for the love of training. He just loves getting into the gym to pump iron, and now he’s embracing that aspect and having fun with his workouts. He also credits that difficult loss with helping him grow as a person.
No matter what category an athlete competes in, the fact of the matter is that it all comes down to the person whom the judges feel brought the best physique to the stage. In other words, bodybuilding is highly subjective, and Lunsford has learned to accept that.
“I definitely have a different perspective on competing,” he says. He’s come to the realization that no matter what the outcome is, he has to just do the best he can and present the best package he can in a subjective competition.
In the end, he’s just thankful and appreciates that he can do what he loves for a living.
Lunsford revealed that he typically has a fairly long prep — 24 to 26 weeks, so he can be dieted down and ready at least four weeks ahead of a show.
At 20 or more weeks out, he doesn’t have a specific training split. He prefers to leave room to see how his muscles feel after each session.
“I still hit every muscle once a week, any lagging parts maybe 2-3 times a week if it’s abs, calves, or biceps,” he explained. “I build volume and intensity, then I can start to train each body part more intensely in a session and only once a week.”
Regardless, he does legs twice a week.
“I love training legs, that’s my favorite,” he said. “I’ll typically focus more on quads [one day], then hamstrings and glutes on another day and calves on both days.“ He leaves three to four or more days between leg workouts depending on how quickly he recovers.
Although he’s more relaxed at the beginning of prep, but at 14, 12, or 10 weeks out, he’ll have a structured split that he’ll stick to.
At around eight weeks out, for example, he’ll start the week on Sunday with legs, and Wednesday is another leg day. On Mondays and Thursdays, he’ll either be doing shoulders, back, or chest. On Tuesdays and Fridays, it’s likely to be back or arms.
Again, Lunsford goes for a 20-week minimum prep, but it’s usually more like 24-26 weeks when “everything to the T is just bodybuilding.”
Diet-wise, 26 or 24 weeks out he can just eat fairly clean food sources and swap things out when he wants. But at 20 weeks out he gets strict. His cutting phase will usually start at around 3,500 calories per day, with 300g protein and 300g carbs plus fats like egg yolks, coconut oil, nuts and avocados.
He sits at around 245 pounds in the off-season, but at least four weeks out he’ll have dieted down and be more or less ready to go.
When it comes to cardio, Lunsford includes various forms, including walking, the stepmill, HIIT on the elliptical, or the Arc trainer. He does fasted cardio in the morning, gets a few meals in, trains, eats a post-workout meal, then about an hour and a half later will often do another cardio session.
What He’s Most Excited for at the 2020 Olympia and His Best Advice
This year’s Olympia has seen some big changes, and Lunsford, like many athletes, can’t wait. “[Something I’m excited for is] definitely the new Zappos Theater — the new location will rock,” Lunsford said.
It’s also his time to show off all of the work he’s putting in this year, since he’s been more motivated and happy than ever.
“I want everyone to know I gave everything to this show,” he said. “I am coming for that 212 Olympia title, no questions asked.”
He can’t wait to presenting his best physique yet and be able to look back on it thinking, “man what an awesome experience.”
He also had some advice for up-and-comers who are worried since many routines have changed due to closed gyms in the coronavirus pandemic.
“Bodybuilding is about effort, and there’s a lot you can do even at home. If you miss the gym for a few weeks, that’s ok. And you don’t have to be motivated 24/7, 365 days a year,” he said. “You just have to put one foot in front of the other — that’s what bodybuilding’s about. If you’re struggling to find hat motivation, just do it because you love it. If a home workout is all you can do, then give your all to that.”
