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

The 2023 Arnold Basic winner desires 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 in a position to solely give attention to the 2023 Mr. Olympia contest, happening in Orlando, FL on the weekend of Nov. 2-5, 2023. He’ll already be one of many largest males, each in peak and weight, when he steps on stage with the remainder of the sphere, however he’s specializing in getting even greater and wider. To that finish, Dauda showcased his onerous work in a latest 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 Fitness center 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 attempting to maintain a smooth bend in his knees on the leg press to emphasise the soleus muscle of the calves. Dauda defined that the donkey calf increase, 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 transferring on.

Easy methods 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 must be securely set on the sled plate. As soon as the burden is launched from the protection pins, maintain a smooth bend in your knees. Use solely your toes and flex your calves to maneuver the burden. As soon as your calves are totally flexed, slowly decrease the sled plate till you’re feeling a stretch in your calves — your heels must be “ahead” farther than your toes. Press once more to carry out the following rep and repeat.

Easy methods to Do the Donkey Calf Elevate: Bend your higher physique ahead together with your hips at a roughly 90-degree angle. Maintain your again straight and set your calves hanging off of safe a platform. Have somebody sitting in your decrease again if you put together to start out the motion or you possibly can dangle weight from a dip belt connected to your waist. Flex your calves and carry 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 Elevate

The opening superset of his shoulder coaching featured seated machine shoulder presses adopted by seated lateral raises with dumbbells. The primary motion targeted on the anterior (entrance) deltoid head whereas the latter motion remoted the center head of the shoulder space. Dauda mentioned he needed to give attention to 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 closing units of lateral raises.

Easy methods to Do the Seated Machine Shoulder Press: Sit on the machine and seize the handles together with your palms dealing with ahead. Maintain 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 must be barely beneath shoulder-level on the backside. Repeat for the specified reps.

Easy methods to Do the Seated Lateral Elevate: 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 dealing with one another. Maintain a slight bend on the elbow as you carry 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 following 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 pressure 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. 

Easy methods to Do the Reverse Cable Flye: Stand in between two cable pulleys set increased than eye-level. Seize one pulley on all sides with the other hand to allow them to cross in entrance of your physique — take the left cable in your proper hand and the suitable 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 possibly can, slowly launch the strain and return to the beginning place. Repeat for the specified reps.

Standing Machine Shoulder Press and Single Arm Cable Lateral Elevate

“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 an identical 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 targeted stimulation for the aspect delts. On his closing 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.

Easy methods to Do the Standing Machine Shoulder Press: Stand in entrance of a squat machine and place your arms on the pads that may relaxation in your shoulders. Elevate the machine as much as launch the protection deal with and take management of the burden. Utilizing the pressure in your shoulders, press the machine up and ahead so far as you possibly can. 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. You probably have a tall Smith machine or a selected standing shoulder press machine, you possibly can carry out an identical train by following the directions as they’re described on the machine.

Easy methods to Do the Single-Arm Cable Lateral Elevate: Stand beside a cable station with a low pulley and a single deal with attachment linked 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 power in your shoulder, carry 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 other shoulder in the identical type.