Hunter Labrada is considered one of the frontrunners for winning the 2022 Mr. Olympia, scheduled for Dec. 15-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV. Given the long off-season he’s currently in, bodybuilding fans are expecting a major improvement in his physique compared to his 2021 Mr. O package.
On his part, Labrada is going full steam ahead in his off-season as he has his eyes set on delivering an upset to Big Ramy at the 2022 Mr. O showdown. Hunter Labrada took to his YouTube channel on Jun. 10, 2022, to share a push day workout.
Hunter Labrada Smashes an Off-Season Push Day Workout
The almost 39-minute-long video opens in the Labrada training facility, and Hunter gets straight to business with his training partner Jordan Vanderflier.
Labrada’s Complete Push Day Training Routine
2021 Chicago Pro champ performed the following exercises in his workout:
- Prime Pec Deck: 4 x 12-15
- Cable Press: 3 x 12-15
- Chest-Supported Cuff Lateral Raise: 4 x 12-15
- Incline Reverse Band Smith Smith Machine Chest Press: 3 x 8-12
- Prime Shoulder Press: 4 x 12-15
- Prime Lateral Raise: 3 x 10-12
Prime Pec Deck
“The first exercise up is the prime pec deck. It doesn’t matter if yours isn’t a Prime. It should be a pec deck.”
“The things you want to keep in mind here are we are not trying to get our hands together at the top of the exercise. We are trying to get our biceps to our pec or our elbow across our body as much as possible,” adds the 30-year-old bodybuilder.
The 2020 Tampa Pro champ emphasizes the importance of maintaining the correct form while performing the exercise and following a full range of motion. He explains that you should keep your core braced throughout the lift by driving your back into the pad and creating a solid foundation with your legs.
Cable Press
After crushing the pec deck fly, Hunter and his training partner move onto the flat cable press. “This is something we started doing five or six months ago because of the fact that we didn’t have a flat machine press here that I love,” explained Labrada before starting the exercise.
For the cable press exercise, Hunter sets up an incline bench a few feet away and in the center of a cable crossover machine. He performs the exercise while seated as opposed to the more conventional standing variation.
Hunter likes this exercise as it requires stability and improves his core strength. It also helps isolate the chest better without putting unnecessary tension on his joints.
Chest-Supported Cuff Lateral Raise
Hunter performs the cuff cable lateral raise for the third exercise of the push session. He uses the cable machine for the exercise. Labrada and company turn around the bench they were using for the cable press and perform the lateral raises while standing.
Although the bodybuilder uses cuff attachments for the exercise, he holds onto D-handle bars for better deltoid engagement. Per Labrada, using the incline bench helps eliminate the use of momentum while performing the lift.
“[Cuff Lateral Raise] is the best lateral exercise you can be doing.”
Incline Reverse Band Smith Smith Machine Chest Press
We know what you’re thinking — the exercise is a mouthful. Labrada calls it his bread and butter chest training lift. Using resistance bands in the exercise help build explosive strength in the concentric part of the lift.
Hunter warms up with three 45-pound plates on each side of the Smith machine barbell and progresses to four 45-pound plates for his first working set.
Prime Shoulder Press
Hunter and his training partner hit the Prime shoulder press for the last pressing movement of the day. You could use a shoulder press machine if you do not have access to the Prime training equipment at your gym.
Prime Lateral Raise
Hunter Labrada uses machine lateral raise as a back-off exercise to completely annihilate his shoulders.
“This [exercise] is a great way to introduce a lot of metabolic stress in a short little window. It is a fancy way of finishing the muscle off and driving that growth response.”
Check out the training video below:
Courtesy of Hunter Labrada’s YouTube channel.
The Road to 2022 Olympia
While Hunter has not competed since the 2021 Mr. Olympia, he has been regularly sharing his physique updates on social media and doing guest posing at different shows.
Labrada placed eighth at the 2020 Olympia and improved his ranking by a big margin at the 2021 Mr. O. showdown by bagging a fourth-place finish. Now the question is, will he be able to maintain his growth rate and end Big Ramy’s reign on Dec. 17, 2022? Only time will tell.
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