Derek Lunsford is considered to be one of the favorites, if not the favorite, to win the Olympia 212 Showdown in Las Vegas next month. The title was last held by Flex Lewis, who retired from that division to move on to the Open in 2020.
If Lunsford becomes the man that follows Lewis as 212 champion, it would be fitting because the impact that he has made in such a short time is comparable to Lewis’s rise. The Indiana native won the NPC USAs in 2017 and immediately won his pro debut in Tampa the next weekend. He would follow that with a fifth-place finish at the Olympia that same season.
In 2018, he pushed Lewis for the title before Flex left Las Vegas with his seventh consecutive, and final, championship. Lunsford placed second. Now his sights are set on that No. 1 spot, and if his Instagram is any indication of how hard his training is, he’s leaving no stone unturned and no rep incomplete.
Calves should never be ignored—a competitor can lose points if his lower legs aren’t on point. It doesn’t look like that will be a problem for Lunsford, though.
Man or machine? In this case, it’s man and machine. Many bodybuilders have been using electronic muscle stimulation while training. Do you think it’s working for his hamstrings?
Basics still work, too, and Lunsford relies on the classic incline dumbbell press for his chest. Notice he’s not sitting. He’s using his legs to support him as he lies on the bench.
Watch him perform this set of 10 reps on the leg press. He isn’t thinking about moving the weight. He’s working the muscle and controlling the speed so it’s harder. Quality over quantity!
Even though the biceps are much smaller than the quads, he’s performing these cable concentration curls the same way as he did the leg press. Those arms are impressive, too.
Bodybuilding training usually involves isolating the target muscle group. Here Lunsford is doing dumbbell rows while lying on an incline bench so the legs and hips can’t help. It’s all back here.
Another way he is using that bench while working the back is on lat pulldowns. That rope allows him to use a greater range of motion and that means his back will likely be better than ever when he steps on the Olympia stage.
