Wesley Vissers is in the hunt for a second title at the Arnold Classic. On Jan. 18, 2026, he broke down the new training split he’s following, which he said was designed to improve his back and leg development.
“The Dutch Oak” has ambitious goals on the horizon. In 2025, he struggled to find his footing, falling to fifth place at the Arnold Classic. Having won the event before (2024), fans were shocked to see him fall off the podium.
Vissers tried to regain momentum at the Detroit Pro but couldn’t get past Matt Greggo. He used the off-season to add mass to his physique. Looking ahead, Vissers intends to secure a spot in the final callout against favorite Mike Sommerfeld in Columbus, Ohio.
Wesley Vissers Shares New Training Split for the 2026 Arnold Classic
Find a brief overview of his split from the video below:
- Day 1: Legs A
- Day 2: Chest A
- Day 3: Back A
- Day 4: Rest
- Day 5: Legs B
- Day 6: Chest B
- Day 7: Back B
In the video, Vissers emphasized that his back needs to improve, particularly his width and thickness. He revealed that Steve Weinberger pointed out these issues during their last visit.
“One of the things I also wanted to improve was my back. Apparently, the back width and thickness, as Steve has said,” explained Vissers. “We’re taking the back workouts seriously. My split is as follows. The back we are doing today is the last workout in a three-day split that I do twice a week.”
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Making sure his legs are balanced and muscular is a top priority for Vissers:
“It [the training split] begins with the legs. Throughout the whole off-season and this contest prep phase, the legs have always been a priority. More volume, more sets, more intensity, and always at the beginning of the split to make sure I can put all my effort and energy into the legs.”
“That’s important for me because the balance between the upper and lower body needs to be perfect. Nobody is ever going to be perfect, but you want to chase down that perfect physique more and more, which is what bodybuilding is all about,” he said.
He revealed that he’s putting 45% of his total weekly effort into his lower body.
“This time, especially during prep, I’m putting 45% of my total weekly effort goes into legs. Then, 25 into chest, then we have 30, around 30 for the back.
Legs for sure are the priority. The back is second, and the chest is lowest on the chain, as it has always been one of my strong points.”
Vissers has been honest about his expectations at the 2026 Arnold Classic. He recently offered his predictions for the event. While he didn’t outright give placements, he believes he, Sommerfeld, Sam Sulek, Andrea Mammoli, and Matheus Menegate will fight for top-five spots.
Should Vissers bring up his legs and back, he could find himself vying for gold. The 2026 Arnold Classic is set for March 5-7 in Columbus, Ohio. The Men’s Open champion will walk away with a historic $750,000 prize purse.
Watch the full video from the Wesley Vissers YouTube channel below:
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