IFBB Pro League Men’s Open bodybuilder Hunter Labrada is prepping for 2 shows in 2023 season prior to the 2023 Olympia in November. He kicks off his season on the Tampa Pro on the weekend of Aug. 3-5, and intends to enter the Texas Pro on the weekend of Aug. 19. That offers the second-generation competitor at the very least two opportunities to qualify for the 2023 Mr. Olympia contest, scheduled for Nov. 2-5, 2023, in Orlando, FL
Labrada has openly shared his prep with fans and followers, as he did on a recent pull session workout published on his YouTube channel on May 8, 2023. He was 16 weeks out of the Tampa contest when that workout was filmed. Test it out below:
This was the primary workout of Labrada’s contest prep. His back and hamstrings were the main focus of this workout. The amount for his first few training sessions during this prep is higher than he is usually accustomed to and can decrease the quantity as the competition approaches.
Seated Machine Row
Labrada began with a Rogers brand seated row machine. His heaviest set was with five 45-pound weight plates and a 25-pound plate on all sides. By the last set, he was right down to 4 45s per side. Portions of three sets were shown, with the ultimate one apparently a rest-pause set.
Why He Does It: Labrada began with a heavy rowing movement to assist develop back thickness, specifically in his lower lats. This helps him increase his overall width and make his waist appear smaller.
Find out how to Do It: Sit on a machine and position yourself so a stretch is obligatory to grip the handles. Sit straight and tall with the handles in hand and arms outstretched. Pull the handles in toward the chest by contracting lats because the scapulae are depressed and engaged. Squeeze and hold this position briefly before easing the handles back to the starting position. Allow the lats to stretch before performing the following rep.
Neutral Grip Lat Pulldown
The 2021 Chicago Pro winner moved to a lat pulldown for his second exercise. He attached two single handles to a connecting bar and sat on an adjustable bench along with his chest against the back pad. Portions of three sets were shown, however the fourth one was shown in its entirety. Labrada performed 10 reps plus one assisted rep.
Why He Does It: Regardless that Labrada pulled in a unique direction, his goal for the second movement was also the lower lats. It’s likely he feels the necessity to bring up his lower lats because he devoted his first two movements of the session to them.
Find out how to Do It: Position an adjustable bench with the back pad on the very best position next to a pulldown station. Grab the handles and sit on the bench with the chest on the back pad. Pull the handle down towards your upper chest by contracting the lats.
Squeeze and hold this position for a moment before releasing the stress slowly. There ought to be a stretch within the lats without allowing the pinned weight to the touch the stack.
High Seated Machine Row
Labrada’s third back movement was one other seated row but on a Magnum machine with multiple handles. He used two of them, with the vast majority of the reps performed with an underhand grip. This exercise biased the upper back.
Why He Does It: Labrada targeted the upper lats, rear delts, and rhomboids, and his underhand grip allowed him to drag farther back.
Find out how to Do It: Sit on the machine and grab the handles with the popular grip. The arms should have the option to stretch while holding the handles without the pinned weight touching the load stack. Pull the handles in and contract by drawing the elbows back. After a temporary hold, allow the arms to return to the starting position. Repeat for the specified reps.
Lat Pulldown Machine
Labrada’s fourth movement was just like his second because it was one other lat pulldown. He used an overhand grip while lying back at an angle and pulling towards his chest, biasing the mid-back.
Why He Does It: The Nautilus machine Labrada used targeted his mid-to-upper back. That is an important area for muscle separation as a back double biceps pose for the judges is a requisite in competition.
Find out how to Do It: When you don’t have access to a Nautilus machine, a standard lat pulldown station will work. Sit with the knees under the knee pads while holding the handles for the machine or attachment if on a cable station. Drive the elbows down and pull the handle towards the shoulders. Contract the upper back at the underside before slowly returning to the starting position. Repeat for the specified reps.
Lying Leg Curl
Labrada shifted focus to his hamstrings with the lying leg curl. The precise machine he used let him emphasize the portion of the rep closer to peak contraction. Labrada highlighted three sets; the heaviest weight used was one 45-pound plate and three 25s.
Why He Does It: Labrada wants denser, thicker hamstrings. Doing a paused contraction and controlled negative help him control the load.
“Not moving the load with the muscle is wasted energy and wear and tear in your body.”
Find out how to Do It: Lie face down on the bench and place the feet under the foot pad. The knees should hook up with the pad on the machine. Bend the legs and lift the foot pad toward the glutes by contracting the hamstrings. Once at the highest of the exercise, slowly return to the starting position and repeat.
Deadlifts
Labrada said he’s been deadlifting frequently for 4 months. He began pulling from blocks until he had the pliability to drag from the bottom. His heaviest weight was 224.4 kilograms (495 kilos). Portions of 5 total sets were shown.
Labrada’s final set was with 206.3 kilograms (455 kilos). He wore a weight belt and used lifting straps to support his grip.
Why He Does It: Deadlifts work your entire posterior chain, but Labrada appeared to bias his erectors and hamstrings due to his slower motion from the ground to close lockout. For the reason that exercise was last in his routine, he didn’t use as much weight.
Find out how to Do It: When you’re using a traditional stance as Labrada did, stand behind the barbell with the feet at shoulder-width. Bend the knees and lower the upper body to secure a grip on the bar. Bend the knees and position the bar as close as possible to stack the shoulders over the ankles. Don’t allow the feet to maneuver, keep arms straight, and keep the chest up and proud with the shoulders back.
Keep the spine and neck neutral after bracing before the initial pull. Consider driving the feet through the ground when starting the ascent. Once the bar reaches the knees, consider driving the hips forward to face tall with the load. Once at lockout, flex the lower back by bringing the hips forward barely. Slowly lower the load back to the ground and repeat for the specified reps.
Sample Back Workout
A general sample workout you could try is below.
- Low Seated Row — 2-3 x 8-12
- Neutral Grip Lat Pulldown — 2-3 x 8-12
- High Seated Row — 2-3 x 8-12
- Lat Pulldown — 2-3 x 10-12
- Lying Leg Curl — 2-3 x 10-12
- Deadlift — 3-4 x 8-12
Labrada finished seventh on the 2022 Mr. Olympia, three spots below where he placed within the 2021 contest. Since he finished out of the highest five in 2022, he must win a professional show to qualify for the 2023 Olympia.
Labrada appeared confident he can win either or each the Tampa and Texas shows to clinch his 2023 Olympia invite. He was the 2020 Tampa Pro winner, so he knows the right way to perform on that stage. If he competes within the Texas Pro, it’ll be his debut in that contest.
Featured image: @hunterlabrada on Instagram