Mr. Olympia weekend is here, the biggest bodybuilding event of the year. While fans have been waiting all year to see the world’s best bodybuilders compete, the athletes themselves have spent the past year preparing for these next couple of days. Last year, Derek Lunsford, a 33-year-old American IFBB Pro, won his second Mr. Olympia title, adding another major victory to a resume that includes an Arnold Classic win. Now, as Lunsford, alongside other former champions and top competitors, takes the stage this weekend, it gives good reason to reflect on the work that goes into getting competition-ready. After all, winning boils down to all of the little moments that led up to the big day.
“Food is low, energy is low. But this is it. This is the last push, this is the last grind,” Lunsford shared in a recent YouTube video. “I’m literally telling myself like, yeah, it sucks. It’s a grind. It’s not easy. But this is where you win. Winning doesn’t happen on show day, necessarily. It does, of course, like your presentation, your peak, everything. But it’s the the days that you grind, that you wish you had more food, or you wish you had more energy, or you really didn’t want to do the 45 minutes of cardio or what have you. Those are the days that you’re winning.”
Ever wondered what a workout looks like for a reigning Mr. Olympia? In the same YouTube video, Lunsford shared the chest workout he completed a week out from the competition. If you want to train your pecs like a pro, give his chest workout a try.
Derek Lunsford’s Chest Workout
How to Do the Pec Flye
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Sit at a pec flye machine with your back against the pad, facing away from the machine. Keep feet planted firmly on the floor and grip the handles with your elbows slightly bent.
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Keeping the bend in your elbows, bring the handles together in front of your chest, squeezing your pecs as your hands meet.
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Slowly reverse the movement, allowing your chest to stretch without letting the weights slam, then repeat.
How to Do an Incline Chest Press
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Set an adjustable bench to an incline and sit with your back and head against the pad. Hold a barbell or dumbbell in each hand at chest level with palms facing forward.
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Press the dumbbells up and slightly inward until your arms are nearly straight, keeping your wrists stacked over your elbows.
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Lower the weights slowly to the sides of your upper chest, keeping your elbows slightly below your shoulders, then press back up.
How to Do a Wide Grip Chest Press
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Sit at a chest press machine with your back flat against the pad and grip the handles wider than shoulder-width apart.
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Press the handles forward until your arms are nearly straight, keeping your shoulders down and your elbows slightly bent.
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Bend your elbows to bring the handles back toward your chest.
How to Do a Decline Chest Press
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Set a bench to a slight decline and secure your feet. Hold a barbell or dumbbell in each hand with your back and head supported against the bench.
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Start with the weights at the sides of your lower chest, then press them upward until your arms are nearly straight.
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Lower the dumbbells slowly until you feel a stretch across your chest, then press them back to the starting position.
Seated Bent-Elbow Lateral Raise
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Sit upright on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand and bend your elbows to about 90 degrees, keeping them close to your sides.
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Keeping your elbows bent, raise your upper arms out to the sides until your elbows reach about shoulder height.
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Slowly lower your arms back to your sides, maintaining the bend in your elbows throughout the movement.
Seated Bent-Over Lateral Raise
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Sit on a bench with feet planted and hinge forward at your hips, holding a dumbbell in each hand with your arms hanging toward the floor.
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With your elbows slightly bent, raise the dumbbells out to the sides until your upper arms are roughly parallel with the floor.
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Slowly lower the weights back down.
This story was originally published by Men’s Journal on Sep 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the Fitness section. Add Men’s Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
