Bodybuilder Jeremy Buendia is set to make an appearance after five years away from competition. The Sacramento native will show his talent on the 2023 Olympia stage and kicked off the competition prep nine weeks out of the show.
Jeremy Buendia is one of the most distinguished competitors from the 2010s era of bodybuilding. He competes in the Men’s Physique division of the IFBB Pro League and won the coveted Men’s Physique Olympia trophy four consecutive times from 2014 to 2017. Buendia was noted for his insane v-taper, massive chest and huge arms. He ruled the division on the back of these attributes but was eventually dethroned by Brandon Hendrickson in 2018.
Buendia has not competed professionally since the loss. He has teased a comeback on multiple occasions but the stage appearance did not materialize for five years. However, Buendia announced a comeback at the 2023 Olympia and decided to bulk up to 220 lbs. He made significant gains with a 4600-calorie diet in the months that followed and also revealed his steroid cycle.
While reigning champion Erin Banks thinks that the Men’s Physique division has evolved without Buendia and called him ‘irrelevant’ in the competitive sphere, Buendia is confident that he will climb back to the top spot upon returning. The former champion has remained active on social media and shared his training routines and dietary changes with the fans.
The 32-year-old has officially started the competition prep for the 2023 Olympia and this article explores the account of Buendia’s first day of prep.
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Jeremy Buendia heads over to Denver for the 2023 Olympia Prep
Buendia sacrificed the proximity with his family in Sacramento, California and headed over to Denver where he will prepare for the 2023 Olympia. The prep officially started on September 1, 2023, and the nine weeks leading up to the competition date will be dedicated to nothing but getting ready to show the talent on stage.
“From the time I wake up till the time I fall asleep, we’re going to eat, sleep and breathe Olympia prep. You guys are about to see the best version of Jeremy Buendia you’ve ever seen. I’m going all in, leaving nothing on the table.”
While the time away from family is tough on Buendia emotionally, it also means that he can work towards his goal with tunnel vision with nothing to distract him. The first day of prep started fairly early as he woke up at 5 AM, did cardio, and took the flight to Denver at 6:30 AM.
The former champion tackles a chest workout on the first day of competition prep
Upon reaching his destination, Buendia headed straight to the gym and went through a chest workout under his coach’s guidance. Since it was the first day, the goal was to get in the rhythm to slowly increase the intensity in subsequent days. For most exercises, Buendia performed slow eccentric reps where he lowered the weights taking four to five seconds and lifted them with explosive strength.
Like most bodybuilders during competition prep, Buendia avoided training with free weights and used machines for all of his exercises. The practice persists as machines eliminate the need to control the weight, resulting in reduced chances of training injuries. The summary of the workout is as follows:
Machine Chest Press
The former Men’s Physique Olympia champion kicked off the training session with machine chest press. He performed a few solid sets to work the upper pecs as the movement mimicked that of the incline bench press, emphasizing the clavicular head of pectoral muscles.
Flat Bench Press Machine
Buendia advanced over to the machine variation of bench press to stimulate the chest muscles more. After pushing through a few good sets of the exercise, the 32-year-old advanced over to the final pressing movement of the day.
Seated Leverage Chest Press Machine
Buendia tackled some heavy sets of chest press on the Leverage plate-loaded machine to conclude the chest press work for the day. Following this, he took to the flyes variations. While pressing movements build the pushing strength of the upper body, flyers help build the adduction strength. Therefore, it is consequential to overall development to incorporate both types of movements in the chest training routine.
Pec Deck Flyes
The four-time Men’s Physique Olympia champion tackled the pec deck flyes next. According to an ACE-sponsored study, pec deck flyes rank second in terms of pectoral muscle activation just below the barbell bench press. Leaving this movement out or using it just to add a pump towards the end of the workout is not ideal for chest development. Buendia executed a few perfect sets of pec deck flyes and moved over to the final exercise of the day.
Standing High To Low Cable Crossover
This served as the finisher to Buendia’s first training session of the 2023 Olympia prep. Building a balanced chest can be a bit complicated, especially at the advanced level of development. Therefore targeting the upper, middle and lower chest is essential to achieve complete development. Jeremy Buendia targeted the lower pecs with high to low cable crossover and concluded the chest workout.
- Machine Chest Press
- Flat Bench Press Machine
- Seated Leverage Chest Press Machine
- Pec Deck Flyes
- Standing High To Low Cable Crossover
Jeremy Buendia stated that back home in Sacramento, he didn’t have training partners that could push him beyond the limits to build an Olympia-worthy physique. However, he admits that it’s no longer an excuse in Denver as he is training with the best coaches and training partners.
“We’ll be turning things up a notch every single day that we’re in here. Today, you know, just trying to get back into the rhythm…” Buendia said about the first day in Denver.
The former Men’s Physique Olympia champion stopped for a grocery haul and bought everything he needed for the week. At the moment, these are the primary sources of macronutrients in Jeremy Buendia’s diet.
Protein
- Chicken Breast
- Lean Ground Beef
Carbohydrates
- Rice
- Sweet Potato
- White Potato
Fats
- Almond Butter
- Avocado
- Whole Eggs
The former divisional king aims to be competitive with Brandon Hendrickson and Erin Banks in his comeback show. It will be interesting to see if Jeremy Buendia can turn the clock back and reclaim the top spot.
You can watch the video of Jeremy Buendia’s first day of competition prep below, courtesy of his personal YouTube channel:
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