The Classic Physique Olympia title will be up for grabs in four weeks. In an August 28 video, frontrunner Mike Sommerfeld pushed through an intense high-volume back workout ahead of the event.
Sommerfeld will enter the Mr. Olympia as a big favorite. Having taken runner-up to Chris Bumstead before, fans assumed he’d be the next champion. However, at the 2025 Mr. Olympia, Sommerfeld faced challenges, including a weight miss that nearly removed him from the event. Ultimately, he met the weight cap but fell short against Ramon ‘Dino’ Queiroz.
Sommerfeld hasn’t sat idle since the setback. He jumped into the 2026 Arnold Classic UK and restored his momentum with a big win over Wesley Vissers. With his dream of winning Olympia closer than ever, “Mike the Badass” walked through the back workout he’s depending on for stronger rear poses.
Mike Sommerfeld Clears High-Volume Back Workout Ahead of 2026 Olympia
Find his exercises from the video below:
- Cable Lat Pulldowns
- Iso Lateral Front Pulldown Machine
- Single-Arm Row Machine (Alternating)
- Standing Cable Reverse Fly
- Alternating Standing Dumbbell Curl
- Standing Cable One-Arm Lateral Raise
- Preacher Curl Machine
Before jumping into the workout, Sommerfeld opened up about his lifelong dream to become an Olympia champion:
“So many people believed in my vision when I was 11. I literally said that I will be Mr. Olympia as a small kid. And there were many, many people who told me that’s stupid, that it’s not achievable.”
“Not for a small guy from a village somewhere in Germany. But there was something inside me that just kept me going, just in a true deep belief that it is possible.”
Cable Lat Pulldowns
He warmed up his lats with pullovers and explained why he uses wrist wraps for better grip strength.
“It’s always the same thing. When people train back or hamstrings, for example, when they lift, their grip strength is just not good enough, especially not when you do high reps on high weights.”
Iso Lateral Front Pulldown Machine
Sommerfeld moved on with the front pulldown machine, targeting his lats for growth.
Single-Arm Row Machine (Alternating)
For better stability, the Classic Physique star twists his body, which he said has also helped him boost his calorie deficit.
“Twist to sit stable, and this arm is doing the work, but all the rest needs to be stabilized. This is how I create a deeper calorie deficit because I have to work so much harder in order to stabilize my entire body and do the exercise at the repetitions [I want].”
Standing Cable Reverse Fly
Between cable reverse fly sets, Sommerfeld discussed learning from his mistakes as he sets his sights on his first Olympia title.
“W-O-R-K, it’s work. So that’s what I did. I wouldn’t say that I started perfectly. I’ve made many mistakes, and I always encourage people to do as many mistakes as they can as long as they learn.”
Alternating Standing Dumbbell Curl
He built his biceps with standing dumbbell curls, and maintained intensity with strong contractions.
Standing Cable One-Arm Lateral Raise
Next, Sommerfeld switched to cable one-arm lateral raises, focusing on controlled form.
Preacher Curl Machine
He finished with preacher curls, and despite no pump, he considered the session a success:
“We are out for today. I’m fried inside and out. I don’t get any pump anymore. No muscle connection, nothing. I’d say it was a really successful day again,” said Mike Sommerfeld.
While Vissers and Ramon Dino have expressed interest in the Men’s Open, Sommerfeld hasn’t. He recently shut down the idea of switching divisions, emphasizing that, “I will be forever Classic.” If he did consider an Open contest, he stressed that it’d be for self-fulfillment or for fan entertainment.
Sommerfeld is keeping training intensity high in the lead-up to his next show. The 2026 Mr. Olympia is set for September 24-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
