Shaun Clarida wants his crown back. Two-time 212 Olympia champion Clarida is honing in on his shoulder development to win his title back from rival Keone Pearson, who won the division in 2023.
At roughly 14 weeks out from the 2024 Olympia, Clarida showcased his shoulder training and delved deep into his prep mindset during a Jul. 8, 2024 training vlog.
[Related: Bodybuilder Nick Walker’s Physique Update: 14 Weeks Until the 2024 Mr. Olympia]
“The Giant Killer” also discussed the role of pre-workout supplements in elevating his performance. (1) Below are the supplements Clarida takes before his gym sessions:
MUTANT Madness (Pre-Workout)
Creakong (Creatine)
MUTANT BCAA
MUTANT Pump (pump supplement for vasodilation)
Uprising Ascend (for extra energy)
Clarida’s Shoulder Training
Clarida conducts his shoulder workouts in his home gym. The expansive five-thousand-square-foot area is equipped with a selection of gym equipment that allows Clarida to train the following exercises:
Smith Machine Shoulder Press
Machine Bent-Over Reverse Flye
EZ Bar Upright Row
Alternating Dumbbell Front Raise
Machine Shrug
Machine Reverse Flye
Clarida pays extra attention to his rear delts. Clarida executes his final set of the machine reverse flyes with partial reps, pushing to failure to maximize hypertrophy. (2)
“It’s a small muscle [rear delts]. We don’t need to throw a ton of weight at them,” mentioned Clarida. “I hit [them] on back day, so, generally, I keep reps between 15 and 20. Maybe add one intensifier at the end, either rest-pause or partials.”
Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Clarida picked up a pair of dumbbells for lateral raises, and with a slight bend in his elbows, he elevated the weights to shoulder height.
“I handpicked every piece of machinery in here,” revealed Clarida. “These pieces are from all around the world. It’s all old-school Hammer.”
Clarida shifted to partial reps on his final set, comparing his approach to Dorian Yates’ — favoring a low-volume training style.
Smith Machine Shoulder Press & Machine Bent-Over Reverse Fly
Clarida executed shoulder presses on a weight bench set to a slight incline. Focusing on slow eccentrics, Clarida completed four sets with progressively heavier weights, followed by a final back-off set in the eight-to-10 rep range.
Clarida further targeted his rear delts on the “Paramount Total Shoulder” machine for bent-over flyes. In used partial reps in his final set again, reaching mechanical failure.
EZ Bar Upright Row & Dumbbell Front Raise
Clarida incorporates EZ bar upright rows to target the traps while engaging the side delts. He methodically increases the weights across multiple sets. With dumbbells in hand, Clarida executed two sets of 10 front raises using a neutral grip.
“Six movements for delts—two front, two sides, two rear. That’s how I’ve always done my full-on delt days,” shared Clarida. “Start from the rear, go to the side, front, bring it back to the rear, finish the front; that’s a full delt day.”
“It’s Personal”
As Clarida finished his shoulder training with a few sets of shrugs, he discussed his motivations and plans for October in Las Vegas. He wants to reclaim his title, and his daughter motivates him.
“I wake up every morning, do cardio, eat those meals, train, and leave it all on the gym floor,” said Clarida. “This year, it’s different; it’s personal. I’m doing everything possible to bring my best come October.”
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References
Kaczka, P., Batra, A., Kubicka, K., Maciejczyk, M., Rzeszutko-Bełzowska, A., Pezdan-Śliż, I., Michałowska-Sawczyn, M., Przydział, M., Płonka, A., Cięszczyk, P., Humińska-Lisowska, K., & Zając, T. (2020). Effects of Pre-Workout Multi-Ingredient Supplement on Anaerobic Performance: Randomized Double-Blind Crossover Study. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(21), 8262. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17218262
Nóbrega, S. R., & Libardi, C. A. (2016). Is Resistance Training to Muscular Failure Necessary?. Frontiers in physiology, 7, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2016.00010
Featured image: @shaunclarida on Instagram
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