Nick Walker is gearing up for redemption at the 2026 Arnold Classic. On Jan. 6, 2026, via YouTube, he broke down his quad-focused leg workout nine weeks from stepping onstage.
Despite the hype, Nick Walker missed the mark at the 2025 Mr. Olympia. He fell to sixth place, and after the show, he parted ways with his coach, Kyle Wilkes. Forging ahead, Walker intends to prep himself for the Arnold Classic, a show he won back in 2021.
Some, like Shawn Ray, believe Walker is making a mistake competing so soon. He recently argued Walker would place 10th at the prestigious event. However, some veterans have differing opinions. Lee Priest voiced confidence in Walker, sharing that he could beat Hadi Choopan when the two battle it out.
Nick Walker’s Leg Workout Ahead of the 2026 Arnold Classic
Find his exercises from the video below:
- Seated Leg Curl
- Hack Squat Machine
- Leg Extension Machine
- Lying Leg Curl
- Leg Abduction Machine
- Torture Squat Machine
Before the workout, Walker discussed his gameplan for sporting a tighter waist on stage in Ohio:
“I want to make sure my waist is as tight as I can make it outside of my own genetic ability.
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I’m not going to come on stage and have a fucking tight-ass Classic Physique waist, but for how wide I am, if I can get it really tight… I think it will create a very, very good look for me.”
Seated Leg Curl
For added intensity, he tried to stay in the stretched position as long as possible during leg curls.
“Quady quads. This is my second favorite seated leg curl machine,” he shared. “It’s harder when you stay in the stretch like that. A little extra pain don’t hurt nobody.”
Hack Squat Machine
During cold weather, Walker makes sure to warm up properly for more intense compound movements.
“We wanna make sure we’re warmed up. When it does get cold out, unless I feel good, I will do two to three warm-ups sometimes with the same weight.”
Though fans expect improvements overnight, he is adamant that true change takes time. He emphasized that he can feel his quad sweeps during this movement.
“People expect improvements to happen within a month. You’ve been doing it, still no sweeps! Improvements don’t happen overnight. They just don’t. It takes time. It takes a lot of time for improvement to happen but when I do it this way, I specifically feel my outer sweeps.”
Leg Extension Machine
He includes leg extensions in his routine but admits he doesn’t feel them.
“Leg extensions to me, for the most part, it’s like lying leg curls. I just don’t feel it. There’s like one, and it’s here. So, we’re going to do it.”
Lying Leg Curl
Walker pushed through lying leg curls but struggled to brace throughout repetitions.
Leg Abduction Machine
Then, he moved to the leg abduction machine for a few sets, focusing on slow repetitions.
Torture Squat Machine
As a finisher, Walker utilized the Torture squat machine, aiming for a full range of motion.
Walker has a who’s who of bodybuilding threats to battle with at the Arnold Classic. Aside from Choopan, Chinedu Andrew ‘Jacked’ Obiekea, Martin Fitzwater, Brandon Curry, and Rafael Brandao are just some of the other contenders eager to claim gold.
Walker is the captain of his training, diet, and supplementation heading into the New Year. The 2026 Arnold Classic is set for March 5-8 in Columbus, Ohio.
