Nick Walker won’t lack freak factor when he steps back onstage. In a September 2 video, he shared the insane shoulder workout he’s using to climb up the Men’s Open ladder at the 2026 Mr. Olympia.
Walker remains one of the most popular names in the IFBB Pro League. His size and dry conditioning have allowed him to thrive in the Men’s Open class. However, he faced a crushing setback at the last Mr. Olympia. Walker mistimed his peak and fell to sixth place.
Counted out, he returned at the 2026 Arnold Classic with a chip on his shoulder. Ultimately, Walker claimed second place in Ohio behind champion Andrew Jacked (Chinedu Andrew Obiekea). The mass monster considered the outing a triumph and won the Tampa Pro to earn his ticket back to the Olympia. With the show approaching, Walker is turning up his training intensity.
Nick Walker’s Shoulder Day Routine Ahead of the 2026 Mr. Olympia
Find the exercises from the video below:
- Standing Lateral Raise Machine
- Seated Smith Press Machine
- Chest Press Machine
- Vertical Seated Chest Press
- Cable Crossovers
- EZ Bar Triceps Pressdowns
- Triceps Extension Machine
- Cable Triceps Pressdowns (D-Handles)
- Chest-Supported T-Bar Row
- Cable Pullovers
- Dips
Walker started the workout with the standing lateral raise machine and leveraged a rest-pause set for extra time under tension.
“We will do about three sets here, and I’ll throw a rest-pause set in at the bottom.”
In between Smith machine press sets, he opened up about how to properly execute the movement for muscle growth:
“I think you should master the basics, but master the form. Contract the muscle. I don’t think at the start, you should get in the habit of throwing weight around. That’s cool to do once in a while for fun, but learn the proper mechanics right from the rip. Progressive overload from there.”
After three consecutive chest exercises, Walker gave fans a brief Olympia prep update.
“I think it’s safe to say my diet face is officially back,” Nick Walker said.
He moved on with focused triceps work, maintaining slow, controlled repetitions for maximum tension. He continued the workout with chest-supported T-bar rows and cable pullovers for a back pump. “The Mutant” finished off training with dips using strict form.
Walker has fired back at the idea that every contender has to be ‘off’ for him to win the Mr. Olympia. Not lacking confidence, the New Jersey native said he will win even if every athlete brings their all-time best physiques to the stage.
In less than a month, fans will find out if Walker can assert himself as a title contender at the biggest show of the year. The 2026 Mr. Olympia is set for September 24-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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