Bodybuilding star Nick Walker aims to conquer the sport’s biggest names after a training mishap forced him out of the last Mr. Olympia. In a recent YouTube video, Walker pushed through his latest leg day training session in preparation for the 2024 New York Pro on May 18.
“Right now, the training is the priority, making sure everything is on point. We got a New York Pro to win, number two.”
Having claimed the 2021 New York Pro and Arnold Classic titles, it didn’t take long for fans to take notice of Nick Walker. He boasts mass monster qualities, freaky proportions, and some of the biggest arms in the IFBB Pro League. In 2022, Walker put his head down and used the off-season to his advantage, which led to him placing third at the Mr. Olympia competition, behind Hadi Choopan and Derek Lunsford.
Despite his status as an overwhelming favorite for the 2023 Mr. Olympia, Walker was unable to compete after suffering from a hamstring and calf tear. He has nursed his injuries and finally, is ready to make a splash on stage again. With May 18 looming, Walker gave fans a look into his vigorous leg day training routine.
Nick Walker Shows Off Intense Leg Day Training Session In Prep for 2024 New York Pro
Check out Walker’s leg workout below:
Exercise | Sets | Reps |
---|---|---|
Machine Leg Extension | 3 | 10-12 reps |
Leg Press | 4 | 6-10 reps |
Hack Squat | 2 | 10-12 reps |
Lying Leg Curl | 3 | 15-20 reps |
Seated Leg Curl | 2 | 10 reps |
Hip Adduction Machine | 2 | 5-10 reps |
Bulgarian Split Squat | 1 | 14 reps |
Machine Leg Extension
Walker could appreciate the smoothness and ease of the Panatta leg extension machine.
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“This is very smooth. I give the Panatta leg extension a 9.2 out of 10,” shared Nick Walker.
Leg Press
Walker utilized rest-pauses during his leg press reps and pumped out as many as possible toward the end of the last set to maximize blood flow.
“This is smooth like really smooth. No [I’m not going up in weight]. That was 12, we’ll go down.”
“So, with the rest pause, I got about 20 reps then I took about a 45-second rest. Just to really get a little more out of it. I just pumped as many as I can out, just to maximize more blood flow in the legs. We got 15 there. That’s good for me.”
Hack Squat
He was impressed with how challenging the hack squat sets became:
“Now, we’ll move on to a hamstring [exercise]. So, the lying leg curl all the way in the back somewhere. That was intense. Panatta leg press is solid, hack was solid, I’m impressed.”
Lying Leg Curl
Walker also used rest-pauses for reps on the lying leg curl machine. He followed that up by practicing unilateral sets to target his previously injured hamstring.
“Alright, so we did one rest-pause, sit there but I also wanted to do one single leg for the hammy. I am still working on just making sure I can get a full contraction on this one despite the tear that I had, so I’ve been doing a couple single-leg stuff on leg day, it’s beneficial for me.”
Seated Leg Curl
According to Walker, the seated leg curl machine is his favorite, and believes it provides his hamstring with added benefits.
“I think incorporating things like that [isolateral] will just benefit my hamstring the most right now,” adds Walker. Now, we’ll move on to a seated leg curl which is my favorite to be honest.”
Hip Adduction Machine
Before proceeding to his finisher, Walker performed reps on the hip adduction machine.
Bulgarian Split Squat
Walker is nine weeks away from his next competition and is making sure every rep and set count toward his goal of winning another New York Pro title.
“Alright, so that’s a wrap. An amazing leg session. I mean, I didn’t do much talking today. I’m nine weeks out, just kind of honing it in now. You know, just really focusing on, not that I didn’t focus before, but we want to make sure to lock in. We want to make sure to make every rep count, make every set count, completely lock in during these sessions.”
In light of Derek Lunsford’s 2023 Mr. Olympia victory, Walker is determined to etch his name into the Sandow trophy this October. However, Hadi Choopan is also eager for redemption after coming up short in Las Vegas, Nevada in his last Olympia outing. ‘The Persian Wolf’ will enter this year’s marquee show with added momentum thanks to big wins at the 2024 Arnold Classic Ohio and UK shows.
Considering Nick Walker hasn’t competed since the 2022 Mr. Olympia event, fans couldn’t be more excited for his return. Should he emerge victorious at the 2024 New York Pro, Walker will be one step closer to pushing Derek Lunsford for the Mr. Olympia title October 10-13 in Las Vegas, Nevada.