Derek Lunsford is addressing physique weak points before stepping back onstage. In a YouTube video from July 2, he shared the arm workout he’s using to improve his biceps peaks for the 2026 Mr. Olympia.
In 2025, Derek Lunsford pulled off one of the most successful seasons in modern bodybuilding. He defeated Samson Dauda to win the Arnold Classic, then turned around and beat Nick Walker at the Pittsburgh Pro. To cap off the year, he reclaimed the Sandow trophy at the Mr. Olympia. The victory marked Lunsford as the second bodybuilder to recapture the coveted title after losing it in competition.
Lunsford has his hands full with the current Mr. Olympia lineup. Chinedu Andrew ‘Jacked’ Obiekea stands out as one of his greatest threats. He recently won the 2026 Arnold Classic Ohio and UK shows.
Additionally, Hadi Choopan can never be counted out after finishing second place at the Olympia for the last three years. With the event approaching, Lunsford is ramping up his arm training to distance himself from other contenders.
Derek Lunsford’s Arm Workout Ahead of Title Defense at 2026 Mr. Olympia
Find his exercises from the video below:
- Triceps Pushdown – Warmup
- Cable Curl – Warmup
- Triceps Pushdowns (Single and Two-Arm)
- Overhead Triceps Extension
- Preacher Curls
- Concentration Curls (Standing)
Triceps Pushdowns
In the video, Lunsford started with triceps pushdowns after warming up, and broke down how he sets up the movement:
“I think about like, imagine if I was lying down on a bench and I had a dumbbell, and I put the dumbbell in my hand like this and doing triceps extensions with the dumbbell, it’s the same movement except I’m right here [different angle]. You see it contracting before I even go, it’s [electronic muscle stimulation] lighting me up.”
Overhead Triceps Extension
He moved on with overhead triceps extensions, which he said should improve his front double biceps pose.
“This just hits a little bit different angle of the tricep, and it hits more of the long head, I would say, the one that goes right down in here. So, your front double, it’s that part that’s going to drop at the bottom,” he said. “We want to go here and here, and get that crazy peak right there.”
Preacher Curls
According to Lunsford, lifters only need two or three exercises to grow the biceps and triceps.
“These are just two of the exercises that I feel the best with. They are going to hit a little bit different of an angle, obviously, but picking two or three exercises that feel really, really good, that you can isolate and stimulate the muscles, is all you’re really going to need for the biceps or the triceps.”
Concentration Curls
He finished with concentration curls and shared that he kept the weight and volume moderate.
“Even though the weight wasn’t crazy and the volume wasn’t too much, the intensity of the workout was a lot. So, I can feel, like my pump is insane. I’m going to be really sore, actually. It’s a completely different stimulus than I’m used to.”
Lunsford hasn’t been shy in the lead-up to his title defense and is feeling more confident than ever. During the annual Olympia Battle workout, he told Andrew Jacked he’d never win the Mr. Olympia. Their rivalry has become one of the biggest storylines looking ahead.
Judging by his workout, Lunsford wants to present a significantly improved look when he competes again. The 2026 Mr. Olympia is scheduled for September 24-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
