Shaun Clarida plans to make a big statement in his next bodybuilding contest. On December 23, 2024, he broke down his new training split in preparation for the 2025 Arnold Classic event.
Shaun Clarida is a standout in the bodybuilding world, having earned two 212 Mr. Olympia titles in 2020 and 2022. He has also tested his mettle in the Men’s Open class, winning first place at the 2021 Legion Sports Fest Pro, further highlighting his capabilities as an athlete.
‘The Giant Killer’ took second for the last two years at 212 Olympia to Keone ‘The Prodigy’ Pearson. He is once again experimenting with the Men’s Open class. Of late, he secured a solid third-place finish behind Chris Bumstead and Martin Fitzwater at the 2024 EVLS Prague Pro. Now, his crosshairs are on the 2025 Arnold Classic, taking place February 27 to March 2 in Columbus, Ohio.
Shaun Clarida Talks ‘Recovery Phase,’ Details New Training Split for 2025 Arnold Classic
With just 10 weeks until Clarida faces off against some of the division’s finest, including the reigning Mr. Olympia Samson Dauda and former titleholder Derek Lunsford, he is locking in preparations for the esteemed event.
Level Up Your Fitness: Join our 💪 strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!
In a recent YouTube video, Shaun Clarida broke down his current training split, revealing that he is in a recovery phase and is opting to take more rest days.
“You guys know I am in prep for the Arnold Classic, the Open Arnold’s and I am currently 10 weeks out.”
“Typically, I like to do a five-day split, but because I just came off of a show, I came off the Olympia and the Prague Pro, even though I am in prep again, I’m still in a little bit of a recovery phase so I have decided to dial back the intensity in the gym, give myself more rest days” Clarida explained.
Shaun Clarida’s Current Four-Day Split
- Monday – Back and Biceps/ Cardio
- Tuesday – Chest and Shoulders/ Cardio
- Wednesday -Training Off Day/ Higher Intensity Cardio
- Thursday – Leg Day/ Cardio
- Friday – Chest and Triceps/ Cardio
- Saturday – Training Off Day/ Higher Intensity Cardio
- Sunday – Training Off Day/ Higher Intensity Cardio
Clarida details his four-day training spilt, emphasizing the extra off days he is taking as a part of his recovery phase.
“So, I’m not following a four-day training split, again the last split was created by John for me whenever I come off a show that splits looks like this;
So, Mondays we’ll come in and we do back and biceps. Tuesdays will be chest and shoulders, focusing more on shoulders. Wednesday is completely off. Thursday is all legs. Friday will be chest and triceps and then Saturday and Sundays will be my off days. As you can see, three off days, Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, but we’re never really off, right?”
However, Shaun Clarida emphasizes that even though he isn’t in the gym, he isn’t fully taking those days off. Instead, he is focusing on cardio, glutes, and abs.
“So obviously I am doing cardio on a daily basis, along with abs, glutes, calves, things like that except for my leg days. So leg days is no cardio. Every other day will be cardio and obviously those days that I am off training, I will bump up the intensity when doing my cardio, my abs, my glutes.”
“So, that Wednesdays and that Saturdays and Sundays, I’m probably spending a little bit more time on my abs and my glutes and things like that because I’m not actually in the gym training itself.”
Clarida intends to use his four-day split to allow his body to rest and recover before he kicks it back into high gear ahead of the 2025 Open Arnold Classic.
“All right, so, again that is a four-day split for right now. So, that is a four-day split for the next four weeks. So we are currently 10 weeks out from the Arnold, so once we hit six weeks out from the Arnold, I will scale back up to five days. At that point in time, my body will be rested, recovered, and I’ll fully locked in and ready to finish off the prep for the Arnold.”
In addition to his current four-day split, Shaun Clarida explained that once he is six weeks out from the Arnold Classic, he will switch back to a five-day training split.
“What that five days will look like guys, I will bring back an arm day. So, Mondays will be back, Tuesdays will be chest and shoulders, Wednesday will be quad focused, Thursday will be off, Friday would be arms, and then Saturdays glutes and hams again.”
Shaun Clarida is making more than just adjustments to his training split ahead of the 2025 Arnold Classic. Before his competition at the Prague Pro, Clarida revealed that he is now working with renowned coach Stefan Kienzl, parting ways with his former coach, Matt Jansen. Jansen has recently faced criticism for his coaching methods, with several athletes no longer working with him.
Clarida is entering the 2025 bodybuilding season with a renewed focus and fresh approach. Shaun Clarida is poised to make a strong impact in the 2025 bodybuilding season, and fans are excited to see how he’ll perform on the Arnold Classic stage.
RELATED: Former 2x 212 Olympia Shaun Clarida Shares 2024 Off-Season 2,836-Calorie Diet
To watch Shaun Clarida’s full video, click the link below:
Catch comprehensive coverage of the 2025 Arnold Classic, including pre-judging, event recaps, analyses, and complete Arnold Classic results at our Arnold Classic coverage hub: FitnessVolt.com/arnold-classic
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.
