Nick Walker wants his legs to match his dominant upper body when he steps back onstage in March. In a recent video (November 4, 2026), he pushed through an old-school, pump-focused leg workout ahead of the 2027 Arnold Classic.
After his shocking sixth-place drop at the 2025 Mr. Olympia, public confidence in Walker plummeted. During the season, he finished second behind Andrew Jacked at the 2026 Arnold Classic. To earn his qualification, Walker won the Tampa Pro handily and carried that momentum into Vegas.
Ultimately, Walker dethroned Derek Lunsford to win the Mr. Olympia title, and now heads into 2027 as the number one bodybuilder in the world. Having already announced his entry for the upcoming Arnold, “The Mutant” is bringing extra intensity to his training sessions.
Nick Walker Shares His Current Leg Day Routine Ahead of the 2027 Arnold Classic
Find his exercises below:
- Seated Leg Curl Machine
- Leg Press Machine
- Hack Squat Machine
- Smith Romanian Deadlifts
- Leg Extension Machine
- Leg Adduction Machine
- Kneeling Leg Abduction Machine
- Prone Glute Kickback Machine
Seated Leg Curl Machine + Leg Press Machine
After warming up with the seated leg curl, Walker explained why the leg press has been instrumental to his leg development. His angled-out, toe-wide stance helps him contract his outer sweep more efficiently.
“We’re going to do leg press. This is my bread and butter. This is what I believe has put the majority of my new leg size on. I know I get a lot of criticism because of the way I do it, feet wide angled out, but that works better for me because when I go wide, toes angled out, more than usual, I’m able to get a lot more knee flexion and I’m able to contract the outer sweep of my leg, which I know is what I needed a lot.”
Hack Squat Machine + Smith Romanian Deadlifts
Next, he explained how foot position can create more emphasis on different areas of the legs:
“As you’ll see in the video, I’m going back to little old-school way I used to do them. Instead of having your heels elevated for squats for more knee flexion, I now have my toes elevated, which just creates more tension on the hamstrings.”
“Having them slightly elevated gives you a little more bend, a little extra of that stretch to hit the hamstrings a little harder.”
Leg Extension Machine
Walker kept his legs locked in the leg extension machine between sets to maximize his pump.
“I left my knees locked in, so it kept the stretch even during the break, which made it that much harder, but it created more of a pump.”
Leg Adduction Machine + Kneeling Leg Abduction Machine + Prone Glute Kickback Machine
Before ending the session, Walker gave a fellow lifter advice on how to get the most out of a negative portion of a rep:
“Anywhere from like three seconds, depending on the movement, no longer than five, and then just explode right up,” he shared. “That’s a wrap for legs today.”
With Jacked and Hadi Choopan confirmed for the Arnold, Nick will have his hands full when they square off. Choopan was forced to withdraw from the 2026 Mr. Olympia due to visa and travel restriction issues.
Fans look forward to seeing him get a rematch against Walker after their showdown last season. The 2027 Arnold Classic is set for March 4-7 in Columbus, Ohio.
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