“The Mutant” is back training legs and admits he’s taking things slow at Flex Lewis’ Dragon’s Lair Gym: “I’m going to be smart.
Written by Belinda Evans
Bodybuilder Nick Walker is eying redemption in 2024 as he looks to continue recovering from a sidelining hamstring injury. In a recent YouTube video, Walker pushed through his calculated leg day routine during his current off-season.
“Again back at Dragon’s. This is where I train now for good but today we will be filming legs. It’ll be my first I guess official leg day since I tore it, my hamstring really. So I have been able to train it obviously little by little periodically throughout this whole thing.”
Walker, a 2021 Arnold Classic champion was brimming with potential from the moment he emerged as a threat in the IFBB Pro League. He sports a conditioned physique and massive arms. In his Mr. Olympia debut, Walker took fifth place (2021).
In 2022, the Open star used the off-season to add mass while keeping his taper in control. The efforts would pay off as he took third place at the 2022 Mr. Olympia competition, behind only Derek Lunsford and Hadi Choopan. With $300,000 on the line at the 2023 Arnold Classic, Walker took on the world’s best on short notice only to lose to Samson Dauda in the finals.
Despite the setback, Walker’s eyes were fixated on Mr. Olympia gold. Just days before proving himself for a shot at the Sandow, Walker sustained a hamstring and calf tear, which ultimately prevented him from competing.
Nick Walker Eases Into Leg Training At Flex Lewis’ Dragon’s Lair Gym
Below, you can find a full list of exercises featured in Nick Walker’s YouTube video.
- Machine Seated Hip Press
- Machine Power Squat
- Machine Leg Extension
- Machine Lying Leg Curl
- Seated Leg Curl
- Stiff-Leg Deadlift
- Machine Hip Abduction
- Cyclist Squat
- Machine Hip Adduction
Sticking to longer rest periods and lighter weight, Walker is carefully crafting his training sessions around his injuries.
“I’m going to take a little bit of a longer rest period here. We’re going to do a lighter weight and we are going to do what I like to call my 777 method since this loads in all different patterns, were going to do seven in the regular, seven at the starting point of it makes it harder in the stretch, and seven at the top which makes it harder in the squeeze position. One set of that should pretty much be golden.”
After performing lying leg curls, Walker was blown away by the pump he received after a few sets.
“That was a good pump there. Hell yeah. Pretty much was the quad portion there so we are going to move on to lying leg curl. The prime one.
Like I said you can load this one in all strength curves so we’re going to load this one more toward the bottom peg which is going to make it harder at the top not so much the stretch. Right now I don’t want to do the stretch just yet. We will just work towards harder at the top.”
Walker specified that he was in a ‘de-load’ phase.
“I’m feeling pretty good. So I suck at deloads, like I’d keep going . I’m going to be smart. I’m going to call it.”
After pushing through training, Walker decided to conclude the pump-up with sets on the hip abduction machine.
“That was a little working but it’s okay. After this we’ll just do one set, what the fuck are they called, you put them under your feet to elevate your heels, you know what i’m talking about, knee flexion, one set of those, I usually do them body weight but we’re going to hold a quarter and try to get a decently hard 15-20, just one set and then we’ll finish with abductors,” Walker shared.
Given that Walker was unable to place in the top three at the last Mr. Olympia, the Open bodybuilding star will have two routes possible to take to qualify for the 2024 event. He can either win a Pro show or the Mr. Olympia organization would have to offer him a special invite. In the past, Derek Lunsford received a special invite to compete at the 2022 Olympia, and Big Ramy also received a special invite when he first won the Mr. O title in 2021.
It appears Nick Walker’s recovery process is moving along nicely. Fans hope to see him compete against the very best at the 60th anniversary of the Mr. Olympia, which is set to take place October 10-13 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Watch the full video below:
