Samson Dauda Trains Shoulders and Calves Throughout 2023 Mr. Olympia Prep

The 2023 Arnold Traditional winner needs one other main title.

Written by Roger Lockridge Final up to date on July 5, 2023

Samson Dauda captured his first skilled title on the 2023 Arnold Classic in March. Now he’s capable of solely deal with the 2023 Mr. Olympia contest, going down in Orlando, FL on the weekend of Nov. 2-5, 2023. He’ll already be one of many greatest males, each in top and weight, when he steps on stage with the remainder of the sector, however he’s specializing in getting even larger and wider. To that finish, Dauda showcased his laborious work in a current exercise that blasted his shoulders and calves, which he shared on his YouTube channel.

Calf Presses and Donkey Calf Raises

He carried out this exercise at CHF Health club in Braintree, UK, and he started with calves by performing calf raises on a leg press, adopted by donkey calf raises in superset vogue — an depth approach Dauda used all through the coaching session. He commented about making an attempt to maintain a mushy bend in his knees on the leg press to emphasise the soleus muscle of the calves. Dauda defined that the donkey calf elevate, an Arnold Schwarzenegger favourite, focused the gastrocnemius. The precise reps or weight weren’t shared, however he carried out three supersets on digital camera earlier than shifting on.

The best way to Do the Calf Press: Sit on a leg press machine with the heels of your toes hanging barely off the underside of the sled. Your toes needs to be securely set on the sled plate. As soon as the load is launched from the security pins, hold a mushy bend in your knees. Use solely your toes and flex your calves to maneuver the load. As soon as your calves are totally flexed, slowly decrease the sled plate till you’re feeling a stretch in your calves — your heels needs to be “ahead” farther than your toes. Press once more to carry out the subsequent rep and repeat.

The best way to Do the Donkey Calf Increase: Bend your higher physique ahead together with your hips at a roughly 90-degree angle. Hold your again straight and set your calves hanging off of safe a platform. Have somebody sitting in your decrease again while you put together to begin the motion or you may cling weight from a dip belt connected to your waist. Flex your calves and raise your heels up so your hips drive towards the ceiling. As soon as your calves are totally flexed, slowly return to the beginning place and repeat for desired reps.

Seated Machine Shoulder Press and Seated Lateral Increase

The opening superset of his shoulder coaching featured seated machine shoulder presses adopted by seated lateral raises with dumbbells. The primary motion centered on the anterior (entrance) deltoid head whereas the latter motion remoted the center head of the shoulder space. Dauda mentioned he wished to deal with high quality contractions, which is why carried out every repetition comparatively slowly and with calculated motion. Dauda was proven working as much as 110 kilograms (242 kilos) for 12 repetitions on the press earlier than concluding with 11 repetitions utilizing an undisclosed weight for his ultimate units of lateral raises.

The best way to Do the Seated Machine Shoulder Press: Sit on the machine and seize the handles together with your palms going through ahead. Hold your toes flat on the ground and your again straight, supported in opposition to the pad. Press the handles up till your arms are straight overhead. Decrease them again down slowly, however don’t let the handles attain the very backside place. Your elbows needs to be barely beneath shoulder-level on the backside. Repeat for the specified reps.

The best way to Do the Seated Lateral Increase: Sit on the sting of a flat bench with a dumbbell in every hand — permit your arms to hold down at your sides with palms going through one another. Hold a slight bend on the elbow as you raise the dumbbells out to your sides till your elbows are at shoulder-height. Pause briefly earlier than reducing the weights again to the beginning place. Pause briefly on the backside earlier than performing the subsequent rep.

Reverse Cable Flye

Following that superset, Dauda moved on to focus on his rear deltoids with rear delt cable flyes at a twin cable station. The cables allowed him to keep up rigidity all through all the vary of movement. He prolonged that vary of movement by holding onto the cables themselves as an alternative of a deal with attachment. 

The best way to Do the Reverse Cable Flye: Stand in between two cable pulleys set larger than eye-level. Seize one pulley on all sides with the alternative hand to allow them to cross in entrance of your physique — take the left cable in your proper hand and the appropriate cable in your left hand. Step again so your arms might be straight whereas the pinned weight doesn’t contact the remainder of the stack. That is the beginning place. Pull the cables again whereas preserving your arms straight to contract your rear delts. When you’ve pulled again so far as you may, slowly launch the strain and return to the beginning place. Repeat for the specified reps.

Standing Machine Shoulder Press and Single Arm Cable Lateral Increase

“The Nigerian Lion” then carried out a second overhead pressing motion however, unconventionally, he used a squat machine to offer resistance. Urgent it ahead at an angle labored the entrance delts in the same method to a landmine press. This was paired up with one other lateral raise variation — single-arm cable lateral raises, which supplied one final supply of centered stimulation for the facet delts. On his ultimate set of single-arm cable laterals, Dauda was proven utilizing three weight plates for 11 repetitions, per arm, after urgent 150 kilograms (330 kilos) for 13 reps.

The best way to Do the Standing Machine Shoulder Press: Stand in entrance of a squat machine and place your arms on the pads that might relaxation in your shoulders. Raise the machine as much as launch the security deal with and take management of the load. Utilizing the drive in your shoulders, press the machine up and ahead so far as you may. Resist the urge to make use of leg drive to construct momentum. As soon as your arms are straight, pause briefly earlier than reducing the machine again to the beginning place. Repeat for the specified reps. In case you have a tall Smith machine or a selected standing shoulder press machine, you may carry out the same train by following the directions as they’re described on the machine.

The best way to Do the Single-Arm Cable Lateral Increase: Stand beside a cable station with a low pulley and a single deal with attachment related to the cable. Seize the cable attachment together with your reverse hand — if the cable is to your proper, seize it together with your left hand and vice versa. Start with the cable in entrance of your physique together with your arm in entrance of your hip. Utilizing the energy in your shoulder, raise the deal with up towards the working (farthest from the cable pulley). As soon as the deal with is simply above shoulder-height, pause briefly earlier than reducing again to the beginning place. Repeat for the specified reps, then change sides to work the alternative shoulder in the identical kind.