On Oct. 2, 2024, four-time Men’s Physique Olympia champ Jeremy Buendia announced via social media that he’ll likely retire from competitive bodybuilding after the 2025 season. Buendia has already started his prep for the 2025 Arnold Classic (AC), scheduled for March 1, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio — his AC debut.
Buendia is laser-focused on his strategy, as showcased in the first workout of his prep — a push session.
After losing his Olympia crown in 2018, Buendia took a four-year hiatus from the competitive stage before returning in the 2023 Olympia, where he ranked eighth overall. The California native had high hopes for redemption at the 2024 Olympia, but they were tarnished due to re-injuring his Achilles tendon while running in April.
Buendia still needs to apply for and receive an invitation to the 2025 Arnold Classic. The rules differ from those of the Olympia, in which Buendia holds lifetime eligibility as a former champion, with the exception of a five-year gap between appearances.
High-Volume Chest Workout
Below are Buendia’s six chest exercises ordered in performance sequence:
Hammer Incline Press
Machine Press
[Related: Jay Cutler’s 2024 Mr. Olympia Predictions]
Buendia’s Push Techniques
How does Buendia build thick upper pecs? He prioritizes incline presses using an overhand grip. After working to a max set of 320 pounds on the Hammer Strength machine, Buendia stripped fifty pounds to drop set for three sets of eight to 10 reps, including partial reps.
There are two benefits of this strategy. First, incline chest exercises have been proven to grow the upper chest growth better than flat or decline angles. Second, studies indicate that half reps performed in an exercise’s stretch phase enhance results. (1)(2)(3)
Precision Tactics and Free Weight Functionality
Buendia paired the press with machine flyes, extending his arms back to overload his pecs in a deeper stretch. He then pulled them together for optimal pec isolation. To vary the stimulus, he drop set again, pushing through 190, 120, and 70 pounds.
Buendia employed a similar strategy, alternating between neutral and underhand grip cable flyes, moving horizontally and low to high, to bias the middle and upper pecs, respectively. The advantage of cable versus pec deck flyes is more angle variety.
The former champ included dumbbell flat presses for functional mass and strength. He reached a top-end set of seven reps with the 100-pounders, touching the weights to his outer chest, which helped keep the motion in a safe and efficient movement path.
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Featured image: @jeremy_buendia on Instagram
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