The 2022 Mr. Olympia champion, Hadi Choopan, conceded the title in 2023 to the first multi-division Olympia champion, Derek Lunsford. Of course, Choopan wants to reclaim the crown. To do that, Choopan joined forces with coach Hany Rambod and seven-time Mr. Olympia champion Phil Heath.
On Jan. 8, 2024, Choopan published a video on his YouTube channel featuring a massive back workout with Rambod and Heath, the latter of which Choopan referred to as “The king of beauties, the king of the symmetry.” Check it out below:
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Respect for Greatness
Choopan holds tremendous respect for Heath, calling him “a complete character,” explaining further that “besides all the collection of glories he had achieved, his ethics, morals, and knowledge [are] complete in every aspect.”
With decorated bodybuilding coach Hany Rambod overseeing the programming, Choopan and Heath warmed up for their pull day. They opened on cables with lightweight lat pulldowns. Rambod told Choopan to slow his reps, allowing the muscles to warm up appropriately to prepare for the upcoming working sets.
Choopan’s & Heath’s Back Workout
Below is a breakdown of the back workout performed by the former Mr. Olympias:
Single-Arm Dumbbell Rows
Machine Seated Rows
Lat Pulldowns & Reverse Grip Pulldowns
As he did during the warm-up, Rambod instructed Choopan to slow down on the eccentrics. Choopan exploded through the concentric, pulling 205 kilograms (450 pounds) for seven reps. Heath loaded slightly more, 270 pounds (122 kilograms), for 10 reps.
The Olympia duo switched to supinated grips as Rambod told Heath to pull farther than he did with a neutral grip.
You keep all the tension in the biceps by stopping shorter. Stretch and then pull all the way; activate the lat.
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Rows
Adding weight plates to a bent-over row machine, both bodybuilders took a close grip. They reached to the ground during the negatives, stretching the middle and upper back and shoulders. Rambod urged Heath to slow down. Heath used a wider grip on the last set of a T-bar variation with the weight placed in front of the body instead of directly beneath.
Featured image courtesy of @philheath on Instagram
Switching to heavy single-arm dumbbell rows, both bodybuilders used a weight bench as leverage to perform the unilateral movement. Lastly, Choopan and Heath continued to train their lats in their lengthened positions on the horizontal row machine.
Deadlifts & Reverse Flyes
Keeping the weight light, Choopan performed strict traditional deadlifts. As was the pattern of the session, Rambod implored Choopan to slow down his eccentrics before pausing at the top of each rep.
The workout featured a lot of volume, which Choopan and Heath are used to in Rambod’s programming. Heath continued teasing a potential comeback to the Olympia stage, potentially with a thicker physique than his most recent bronze-medal finish in 2020.
Featured image: @philheath on Instagram
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