When Mike Sommerfeld hits the stage at the 2025 Arnold Classic, he wants to know he did everything within his power to present his best. On February 10, 2025, he knocked out two workouts in one day while on a low carb diet for his performance in Columbus, Ohio, set for February 27 to March 1.
While fans of the sport might not have known Mike Sommerfeld a few years ago, they certainly do now. He entered the 2024 Mr. Olympia contest under the radar, as fans turned their attention to standouts such as Urs Kalecinski, Wesley Vissers, and Ramon Queiroz. However, when the bright lights were shining down, Sommerfeld thrived under pressure.
Ultimately, he gave reigning six-time Classic Physique Olympia Chris Bumstead a run for his money. Tyler Manion, the IFBB Vice President, shared that Sommerfeld won two of five poses against ‘Cbum.’ And with Bumstead announcing his retirement from the sport, Sommerfeld has become the one to watch thanks to his impressive runner-up showing.
The 2025 Arnold Classic promises to be a historic event with plenty of star power, including the reigning Mr. Olympia Samson Dauda. In the Classic Physique category, fan speculation has revolved around the upcoming battle between Sommerfeld and defending champion Wesley Vissers. To prepare for the contest, Sommerfeld invited his followers to witness back-to-back workouts.
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Mike Sommerfeld Pushes Through 2 Workouts in One Day on Low-Carb Diet Ahead of 2025 Arnold Classic
Below, Sommerfeld gave his thoughts in a YouTube video on prep throughout a pair of grueling workouts.
Back and Chest
- Cable Lat Pullover
- Dumbbell Reverse Fly
- Smith Machine Bent-Over Row
- Single-Arm Lat Pulldown
- Chest Press Machine
In addition to adhering to a low-carb diet, Sommerfeld is hitting two workouts in one day. He kicked things off with an intense back and chest-focused workout, adding ‘This is where diamonds are created.’
“Push day number three. And we’re not training push, we’re pushing the diet. That’s what we do. We already lost some body weight. It’s getting ugly, it’s getting hard. This is where diamonds are created. Going to train some upper today, two sessions.”
He saved his shoulder and arm workout for the evening, which also included a cardio session.
“We’re going to start with back and chest in the morning and we’re going to finish it with shoulders and arms in the evening.
We did already two times cardio, posing session, right after the first workout. Then, we’re going to do some more cardio in between the sessions, 30 minutes of walking, some meals in between. It’s going to be a good day.”
Shoulders and Arms
- Cable Upright Row
- Lying Cable Lateral Raise
- Cable Crossover Triceps Extension
- Barbell Curl
In between his second workout, he gave an update on his recovery and how he’s feeling about the routine.
“18 straight working sets and I’m still really sore. I calculated my sets. A full day like two sessions, it’s like 35-40 working sets proper working sets. This is insane. We are doing literally 120 working sets in three days. That’s–that’s ridiculous.”
He also shared one of his meals after training as well as how he plans to recover.
“Chicken and fish, 200 grams of tilapia, some salt, some pepper, that’s it,” he shared. “Getting some treatment, massage therapy to recover and then we going to go all over again on Friday. Total legs and for Saturday we’re going to do total upper body day.”
Sommerfeld touched on how he’ll approach prep if he gets sick, emphasizing that he’ll pull back the intensity if he has to.
“I don’t know how long I can do it. The first step I will be highly overtrained, I will be super tired, lethargic, the next step is that I’m getting sick and the next step is the last step, that my body will start working against me. And we need to be smart enough to know when stage number two is kicking in. So the moment I’m getting sick we need to pull back the intensity,” he shared.
The bodybuilding community is quickly getting behind Mike Sommerfeld. Questions about who could take Bumstead’s place have been circulating. IFBB judge Terrick El Guindy believes Sommerfeld to be the next superstar of the Classic Physique division.
Fans look forward to witnessing the showdown between Sommerfeld and defending champion Vissers at the Arnold Sports Festival. Who do you believe will walk away victorious? Let us know in the comments!
RELATED: Wesley Vissers Won’t ‘Rule Out’ Open Splash, Talks Mike Sommerfeld Battle at 2025 Arnold Classic
Watch the full video from the Mike Sommerfeld YouTube channel below:
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