Fitness Influencer Will Tennyson Tries to Level-up During Grueling Back Day With Mr. Olympia Derek Lunsford<\/strong><\/h2>\nThere are levels to bodybuilding, and Will Tennyson<\/a> found that out firsthand after stepping into the gym with Derek Lunsford<\/a>. Tennyson, one of the fitness industry\u2019s most popular content creators, recently spent a day with Lunsford<\/strong> as the reigning Mr. Olympia<\/a> continued preparations for his 2026 title defense. The experience included everything from fasted cardio<\/a> and carefully measured meals to a grueling <\/strong>back<\/strong><\/a> workout that eventually left Tennyson struggling to keep pace.<\/strong><\/p>\nLunsford is currently preparing to defend his Men\u2019s Open crown at the 2026 Mr. Olympia, scheduled for Sept. 24-27 in Las Vegas<\/strong>. He reclaimed the Sandow Trophy<\/a> in 2025 after finishing third the previous year and is now pursuing the third Olympia victory of his career.<\/p>\nWill Tennyson Attempts Derek Lunsford\u2019s Mr. Olympia Back Workout<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe day began with Lunsford performing fasted cardio before eating a breakfast consisting of oatmeal<\/a>, eggs<\/a> and fruit.<\/p>\n![\"Preferred](\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\")
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<\/a><\/div>\nOne of the more entertaining moments came before training when Lunsford and Tennyson stopped at Chipotle. With every gram increasingly important during contest prep, Lunsford had the restaurant employee measure his portions to ensure his meal remained within his nutritional targets.<\/p>\n
At seven weeks out from the Mr. Olympia, Lunsford still has some flexibility in his diet compared to what the final stages of contest prep will eventually demand.<\/p>\n
Once they entered the gym, Tennyson got an even better idea of what separates a highly trained fitness influencer from one of the best professional bodybuilders in the world.<\/p>\n
Lunsford took Tennyson through a high-volume back session featuring:<\/p>\n
Interestingly, Lunsford wasn\u2019t obsessed with counting repetitions during the session. Instead, he pushed his sets until he could no longer continue.<\/p>\n
The exercise selection also demonstrated how Lunsford attacks his back from several different angles. The pulldown variations targeted the lats from different positions, while the rowing movements placed greater emphasis on developing the thickness that has become one of the defining characteristics of his physique.<\/p>\n
By the latter portion of the workout, Tennyson was feeling it.<\/p>\n
Tennyson said he had never combined that much weight with such a high number of reps and sets before.<\/p>\n
The comparison was particularly striking considering Tennyson is hardly an average gym-goer. He has built his massive online following around fitness challenges, difficult workouts<\/a> and testing himself alongside some of the biggest names in strength and bodybuilding.<\/p>\nStanding next to Lunsford, however, provided a very different measuring stick.<\/p>\n\n
Lunsford is currently preparing to defend his Men\u2019s Open crown at the 2026 Mr. Olympia, scheduled for Sept. 24-27 in Las Vegas<\/strong>. He reclaimed the Sandow Trophy<\/a> in 2025 after finishing third the previous year and is now pursuing the third Olympia victory of his career.<\/p>\n The day began with Lunsford performing fasted cardio before eating a breakfast consisting of oatmeal<\/a>, eggs<\/a> and fruit.<\/p>\n One of the more entertaining moments came before training when Lunsford and Tennyson stopped at Chipotle. With every gram increasingly important during contest prep, Lunsford had the restaurant employee measure his portions to ensure his meal remained within his nutritional targets.<\/p>\n At seven weeks out from the Mr. Olympia, Lunsford still has some flexibility in his diet compared to what the final stages of contest prep will eventually demand.<\/p>\n Once they entered the gym, Tennyson got an even better idea of what separates a highly trained fitness influencer from one of the best professional bodybuilders in the world.<\/p>\n Lunsford took Tennyson through a high-volume back session featuring:<\/p>\n Interestingly, Lunsford wasn\u2019t obsessed with counting repetitions during the session. Instead, he pushed his sets until he could no longer continue.<\/p>\n The exercise selection also demonstrated how Lunsford attacks his back from several different angles. The pulldown variations targeted the lats from different positions, while the rowing movements placed greater emphasis on developing the thickness that has become one of the defining characteristics of his physique.<\/p>\n By the latter portion of the workout, Tennyson was feeling it.<\/p>\n Tennyson said he had never combined that much weight with such a high number of reps and sets before.<\/p>\n The comparison was particularly striking considering Tennyson is hardly an average gym-goer. He has built his massive online following around fitness challenges, difficult workouts<\/a> and testing himself alongside some of the biggest names in strength and bodybuilding.<\/p>\n Standing next to Lunsford, however, provided a very different measuring stick.<\/p>\nWill Tennyson Attempts Derek Lunsford\u2019s Mr. Olympia Back Workout<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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