Open Bodybuilder Martin Fitzwater’s hamstrings were tested in his latest workout. In a YouTube video shared on Jan. 21, 2026, he showcased his leg training session seven weeks from competing at the Arnold Classic, set for March 5–8 in Columbus, Ohio.
Martin Fitzwater has been on a roll in the IFBB Pro League. He managed to secure fifth place at the stacked Mr. Olympia, which was won by Derek Lunsford. “The Martian” proved himself against top threats, including Nick Walker, Brandon Curry, and Tonio Burton.
He had another chance to face off against former Olympia winner Samson Dauda at the Prague Pro. It was a close event, but Fitzwater nailed his peak to secure his second title. With prep underway, he plans to make a statement when he debuts on the Arnold Classic stage.
Martin Fitzwater Tackles Hamstring-Focused Leg Workout 7 Weeks from 2026 Arnold Classic
Find a list of his exercises from the video below:
- Hip Adduction Machine
- One-Leg/Two-Leg Lying Hamstring Curl
- Smith Machine Romanian Deadlift
- Hip Press
Hip Adduction Machine
Fitzwater emphasized that keeping his hips down helped him maximize progress on the adduction machine.
“I haven’t given a lot of tips and tricks on this thing. Some things I’m thinking about in my head is one, really making sure to keep my hips down on the seat, and really drive through my adductors instead of rotating my hips,” he said.
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He also focused on eliminating hip flexor involvement throughout sets:
“It’s really easy in most adductor machines to be able to rotate your hips and be able to get the actual hip flexor involved in the movement. We want to eliminate that.”
One-Leg/Two-Leg Lying Hamstring Curl
Moving on, he shared how he adjusts the lying hamstring curl machine for the deepest contractions possible.
“As you go through the motion, it’s going to get heavier because you’re going to start to pick up that bottom pegged weight.
This is a good thing to know, especially if you’re a powerlifter, to kind of be able to work different ranges of strength. As a bodybuilder, we can also manipulate this to be able to work in our advantage of the muscle belly, and being able to get the deepest contraction, as well as being able to control the weight.”
Smith Machine Romanian Deadlift
He prefers the Smith machine RDLs over the barbell because it feels safer and helps with stability demands.
“The Smith doesn’t have the stops on the hooks, so it feels almost exactly like a barbell, just on a smooth track.
It’s a nice way to lock into the RDL movement to be able to work some heavy weight here, but still feel safe, and some of the stability aspects. We’ll work up to a top set and see what we can do.”
Hip Press
For the final exercise, he jumped on the hip press, noting that the goal was to get a big stretch on the glute and hamstrings.
“We’re just going to finish both those things off here in the leg press. Feet are placed high and kind of wide. Knees are going out to essentially the outside of our delts.
That’s going to make sure we get a big stretch on the glute, a big stretch on those hamstrings, and as we drive through, we are thinking about driving down and back to make sure that glute and hamstring is really firing through.”
To lay claim to gold in Ohio, Fitzwater will have to defeat a crop of the world’s best. Among the favorites are Hadi Choopan and Chinedu Andrew ‘Jacked’ Obiekea. They took second and third place at the Mr. Olympia. Additionally, Walker aims to redeem himself after missing the mark in Vegas.
Fitzwater boasted some of the best conditioning in the IFBB Pro League at his last outing. Should he win the 2026 Arnold Classic, he’ll be a top contender to win the Mr. Olympia title.
RELATED: Martin Fitzwater Shares His 4,276-Calorie Full Day of Eating 9 Weeks from the 2026 Arnold Classic
Watch the full video from the Martin ‘the Martian’ Fitzwater YouTube channel below:
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