Derek Lunsford Powers Legs with Smelling Salts in 2025 Olympia Prep

Derek Lunsford holds the unique distinction of being the sole athlete to secure Mr. Olympia titles in both the Men’s Open and Men’s 212 divisions. Despite relinquishing his title to Samson Dauda in 2024, Lunsford launched the 2025 competitive season on a high note by triumphing over Dauda at the 202

Derek Lunsford holds the unique distinction of being the sole athlete to secure Mr. Olympia titles in both the Men’s Open and Men’s 212 divisions. Despite relinquishing his title to Samson Dauda in 2024, Lunsford launched the 2025 competitive season on a high note by triumphing over Dauda at the 2025 Arnold Classic.

Derek Lunsford’s Comprehensive Lower Body Routine

With a fierce determination to recapture the coveted Sandow Trophy, Lunsford has turned his attention to significantly enhancing his lower body development. In a recent training update, he confidently stated, “This is the strongest I’ve ever been…the biggest,” underscoring his impressive progress and commitment to peak performance.

Prior to diving into his intense lower body session, Lunsford consumes a pre-workout supplement. These supplements are known to help mitigate fatigue and boost overall exercise performance during demanding workouts. Research supports their efficacy in improving anaerobic capabilities.

During this particular leg training day, Lunsford executed a series of targeted lower body movements designed to sculpt and strengthen his quads, hamstrings, and supporting muscles. The exercises included in his routine were as follows:

• Machine Leg Extensions
• Hack Squats
• Pendulum Squats
• Machine Seated Leg Curls
• Barbell Walking Lunges
• Machine Adductors

Leg Extensions and Hack Squats: Building Quad Dominance

Leg extensions are a staple isolation exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps muscles. Lunsford began with a thorough warm-up protocol, methodically ramping up the weight across sets while emphasizing deliberate, controlled repetitions. He incorporated a pause of two to three seconds at the peak contraction point to heighten quadriceps engagement and stimulate maximal muscle fiber recruitment. Studies indicate that such techniques can enhance strength gains and hypertrophy.

He powered through six working sets, aiming for 15 to 20 reps per set, with each subsequent set featuring progressively heavier loads until reaching muscular failure. This progressive overload approach is fundamental to his ongoing muscle-building strategy.

Transitioning to hack squats, Lunsford sipped on an intra-workout drink to sustain energy levels and harnessed the stimulating effects of smelling salts to amplify his explosive power output. These ammonia-based inhalants are popular among strength athletes for their ability to sharpen focus and elevate performance during heavy lifts.

Pendulum Squats and Seated Leg Curls: Balancing Strength and Control

Next, Lunsford moved on to pendulum squats, a variation renowned for minimizing stress on the knees and lower back compared to traditional squatting methods. This exercise allows for a fuller range of motion while effectively loading the posterior chain and quads.

For machine seated leg curls, which zero in on the hamstrings, Lunsford faced an initial hurdle due to the sheer size and development of his legs. Positioning himself securely against the machine’s pad required extra effort, but once locked in, he executed sets of 10 to 12 reps complete with isometric holds to intensify the contraction and promote hamstring growth.

My legs…feel like balloons.

—Derek Lunsford

The sheer intensity of Lunsford’s leg workouts is such that he sometimes opts to forgo direct calf training on these days. Instead, he schedules calf work as part of his upper body sessions on alternate training days to maintain balance in his program.

Barbell Walking Lunges and Machine Adductors: Finishing Strong

To wrap up the grueling session, Lunsford tackled unilateral barbell walking lunges, a challenging compound movement that demands stability, coordination, and unilateral strength. These lunges help address any imbalances between legs while torching the quads, glutes, and hamstrings through dynamic steps.

The workout concluded with machine adductor exercises, where he focused on achieving a profound stretch at the bottom of each rep followed by powerful squeezes at the point of maximum contraction. This technique maximizes inner thigh development and enhances overall lower body symmetry essential for stage-ready conditioning.