Brandon Curry and Terrence Ruffin are making the most of their preps weeks before storming the 2023 Olympia stage. In a YouTube video published on October 4, 2023, Curry joined Ruffin for a delt-focused workout and then discussed what held him back from the Sandow trophy last year.
Curry, a titan of Men’s Open Bodybuilding, reached the top of the sport with aesthetic shape, round muscle bellies, and a sculpted back. In 2019, Curry brought a near-perfect blend of size, separation, and conditioning to win the Mr. Olympia contest. This season proved to be Curry’s most notable as he also earned the Arnold Classic title.
He won a second Arnold Classic last year before taking fourth on the 2022 Olympia stage. While he has yet to earn back the status of Mr. Olympia champion, Curry is confident that could change in just a few weeks. Although some fans have backed Derek Lunsford, Nick Walker, and Samson Dauda as Hadi Choopan’s biggest threats, Curry knows what it takes to win the sport’s most prestigious title, and has already done so once before.
Terrence Ruffin, meanwhile, has made his name in the Classic Physique division. Despite his status as a two-time Arnold Classic winner (2021, 2022), Ruffin finished sixth at last year’s 2022 Olympia show. In a resounding bounce back, Ruffin claimed gold at the recent 2023 Dubai Pro. Though, before he steps up to take on Chris Bumstead again, Ruffin plans to test himself at the nearing Legion Sports Fest Pro this weekend.
Brandon Curry and Terrence Ruffin Team Up for Brutal Delt Training Session
Find a full workout list and commentary below:
- Bent-Over Single-Arm Cable Lateral Raise — 5 sets
- Machine Single-Arm Rear Delt — 5 sets
- Machine Lateral Raise — 3 sets (1 working, 1 drop set)
- Seated Shoulder Press — 3 sets
- Cable Rope Front Raise — 4 sets
- Dumbbell Lateral Raise — 3 sets
Bent-Over Single-Arm Cable Lateral Raise
Curry began with bent-over cable lateral raises, focusing on keeping his form solid. After some warm-up sets, they intensified the exercise. Trainer Amer Kamra guided them through sets of 15 reps, ensuring a full range of motion. Curry pointed out that many delt exercises don’t fully stretch the muscle, limiting growth. At one point, Kamra had Ruffin use lighter weights, a strategy he explained later.
“Try to keep that back from engaging,” said Curry. “Yeah, stay long.”
“Yeah you hardly ever stretch the rear delt,” added Curry.
Machine Single-Arm Rear Delt
After cable exercises, Curry and Ruffin hit the rear delt machine. They sat sideways to maximize their shoulder development. Ruffin endured sets of 12-15 reps, working his rear delts to near-failure.
“It doesn’t lengthen, so you got to kind of set it up here because it didn’t come out very wide,” explained Curry.
Machine Lateral Raise
Next, they worked on their side deltoids using the lateral raise machine. Curry’s shoulders looked impressive during this exercise. Ruffin wrapped up with a demanding final set that targeted his side deltoids and traps.
Seated Shoulder Press
Next, they did plate-loaded shoulder presses with three regular sets followed by a drop set. They started with lighter weights and increased the load. Ruffin had a tough drop set after 12 reps with moderate weights. Curry showcased his strength, doing 15 reps with heavy weights, followed by a 12-rep drop set to finish this part of the workout.
“First day back and they’re whipping my ass,” Terrence Ruffin shared.
Cable Rope Front Raise
They returned to the cable machine for rope front raises, working on their front delts while having a relaxed chat about life beyond bodybuilding. They shared insights on balancing bodybuilding with family and other responsibilities.
“I had to clean it up today [my diet] because I got a show in two weeks. And then, what… then after that show Olympia is in what, three or four weeks I think. October 7, yeah, it’s a month away after that. It’s prep mode for a minute now. I came out a little early this time I was going to talk to you because I know you usually go to Kuwait a couple of months before a show. Just getting married it was difficult,” said Ruffin.
“I understand that,” shared Curry.
Dumbbell Lateral Raise
The workout concluded with classic dumbbell lateral raises. Curry and Ruffin started with lighter weights to pump up their upper bodies. They then did three sets of 10 reps each, gradually increasing the dumbbell weight.
Curry Shares Post-Training Thoughts 1 Month Before 2023 Mr. Olympia
Next, Curry and Ruffin discussed training in Kuwait and why sometimes isolation is best for personal growth.
“New stage of being together there’s a lot of things you got to work out in that new environment. So, sometimes, it’s not conducive to preparation because for me, you know, we got together, we’re competing together, then we start having babies and that complicates it even more.
For me, getting away allows me to prioritize my craft and not have to try to balance everything because I’ll be honest, I’m not good at balancing everything. You know family… life can take priority over a meal here, this and that. So in order for me to be true to what I’m doing and not have to worry about trying to balance things because I’m not good at it, I step away,” explained Curry.
“We done been through this, we done been through that, ain’t nothing really going to break us,” added Curry.
“Thank you for training me today, I learned a lot.”
As long as his body continues to respond favorably, Curry doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon.
I was fortunate enough to come through the end of the magazine era and into the social media era so I got to spend time with all those guys, Dexter Jackson, Ronnie Coleman, have real conversations with how they do things and stuff like that. When I was younger they would always be telling me stuff and I didn’t always get it until later.”
“I’ve done preps in like 10 weeks, like full preps just being in isolation, and I won. So for me, I have confidence by putting in the focus. I remember my body would respond. As long as my body keeps responding in these good ways, I’m loving it and having fun,” said Curry.
Curry admits he made the mistake of chasing size to dethrone Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay last year.
“I still make the same mistakes. I made the mistake of chasing Ramy last year and trying to put on too much fullness, too much size. It’s easy to go get caught up into that no matter how long you’ve been doing that. If you’re compare against yourself and the guys you’re competing against and you think that’s what the judges want, but they can switch it up like that.”
Flex Wheeler has also discussed why he regretted chasing size to catch Ronnie Coleman throughout his respective career. Despite wanting to rival “The King’s” best weapon, Wheeler emphasizes that bigger isn’t always better, which was a lesson he tried to teach William Bonac before stepping on the 2022 Olympia stage.
Fans look forward to catching Curry’s next showing at the upcoming 2023 Mr. Olympia contest taking place November 2-5 in Orlando, Florida. As for Terrence Ruffin, he plans to go 2-0 before Olympia with another big win at the Legion Sports Fest Pro in Reno, Nevada.
RELATED: Flex Wheeler on Getting Bigger: ‘If Your Frame Can’t Handle It, It’s A Big Mistake’
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