2021 Arnold Classic champion Nick Walker is dedicating himself to a strong comeback in 2024 to compensate for his missed opportunity at the 2023 Olympia due to a hamstring injury. Granted clearance to return to competition in January, Walker has set his sights on the 2024 New York Pro to earn his spot at the 2024 Olympia.
With the New York Pro scheduled for May 18, 2024, in Teaneck, NJ, Walker is shared his penultimate leg day workout. “The Mutant’s” preparation for the competition remains unwavering and rigorous.
“I am not the type of guy to train any lighter or different close to a show,” said Walker. “I’m not dumb; I’ll keep it safe, but you train hard all the way. Maybe change the rep scheme a little bit. Don’t go as heavy, but [the] intensity never, never fades,” states Walker.
Below is a breakdown of The Mutant’s leg training, which he uploaded to his YouTube channel on May 6, 2024:
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Nick Walker’s Leg Day
Nick Walker begins his leg day with a few warm-up sets on the leg extension machine before transitioning to heavier loads to commence his workout. He used to rely on free weights for building muscle in his lower body, but he’s integrated more machine exercises into his regimen (likely as a precautionary measure to protect his hamstrings).
Walker targets the 10-15 rep range for each exercise, often pushing beyond. Below are the exercises he incorporates into this leg workout.
Hip Abductors
Compound Set: Walking Lunges & Dumbbell Sumo Squats
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Seated Leg Extensions
Walker employs the seated leg extension machine to isolate and enhance his quad muscles. He performs multiple repetitions while maintaining control of the negative of each lift.
The machine’s seat was adjusted to an elevated angle to prevent excessive back arching and ensure the quads do the bulk of the workload. Walker incorporated partial reps to fatigue his quads and stimulate muscle growth fully. (1)
Leg Presses
Walker performs a 45-degree leg press on a plate-loaded machine barefoot for enhanced contact and zero force loss. He positions his feet centrally on the plate, with toes splayed outward, ensuring comprehensive engagement of all leg muscles.
Walker reveals that the leg press ranks among his top exercises, undertaking multiple heavy sets that push him to the brink of muscular failure. He emphasizes the importance of controlled repetitions to maximize the exercise’s benefits, incorporating a back-off set for added intensity. Notably, he avoids locking out at the top of the movement to maintain continuous tension in his quadriceps.
Leg press is my bread and butter; majority of my workout.
Seated Leg Curls, Hack Squats, & Prone Leg Curls
Walker incorporates slow concentrics during the seated leg curls to put his hamstrings under more stress when they contract. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning underscores the importance of combining concentric and eccentric movements to foster muscle hypertrophy during workouts. (2)
Next, Walker transitions to the hack squat without wearing shoes. He avoids locking out to maintain tension. He adopts a narrow stance, effectively targeting the quads and glutes.
Moving on to machine prone leg curls. Walker starts with two bilateral sets before shifting to unilateral sets, focusing on one leg at a time. Unilateral exercises are crucial for identifying and correcting muscle imbalances throughout his training regimen.
Hip Adductors & Abductors
Walker shifts to the hip adductors and abductors, beginning with the machine adductor exercise to concentrate on the inner thighs and gluteal muscles. He performs each rep slowly, emphasizing control during the eccentric phase for optimal effect.
Compound Set: Walking Lunges & Dumbbell Sumo Squats
Walker concludes his leg day by integrating compound sets that combine walking lunges and dumbbell sumo squats.
Walker expresses that his energy levels remain satisfactory as he confidently approaches the 2024 New York Pro. He highlights a fruitful workout session, his ongoing intensive training regimen, and his strategy of taking things one day at a time. Walker feels primed for competition, believing he is ready with two weeks to spare.
“Overall, I feel good. I feel confident; we’re taking it day by day.” says Walker. “You know what’s ahead of me at this point. I think that’s been a lot better for me… taking it one day at a time, one meal at a time, one lift at a time.”
References
Goto, M., Maeda, C., Hirayama, T., Terada, S., Nirengi, S., Kurosawa, Y., Nagano, A., & Hamaoka, T. (2019). Partial Range of Motion Exercise Is Effective for Facilitating Muscle Hypertrophy and Function Through Sustained Intramuscular Hypoxia in Young Trained Men. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 33(5), 1286–1294. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000002051
Schoenfeld, B. J., Ogborn, D. I., Vigotsky, A. D., Franchi, M. V., & Krieger, J. W. (2017). Hypertrophic Effects of Concentric vs. Eccentric Muscle Actions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 31(9), 2599–2608. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001983
Featured image: @nick_walker39 on Instagram
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