Shaun Clarida is attacking this prep with a chip on his shoulder as he aims to earn back the 212 Olympia title. In a recent YouTube video published on July 29, 2024, ‘The Giant Killer’ offered insight into his grueling hamstring and glute-focused workout in preparation for the sport’s biggest event of the year.
At just five foot and two inches, Shaun Clarida, despite physical limitations, reached the top of the 212 division with brute force and calculated training. He holds wins over major names in the sport like Derek Lunsford and Kamal Elgargni. As a two-time 212 Olympia champion, he was the odds-on favorite last year to win the title but was served up an upset at the hands of Keone Pearson, whose aesthetics and shape guided him to gold.
Once the hunted is now the hunter and Clarida intends to win back his 212 Olympia title in the months to come. He has invited fans on his journey to redemption, showcasing hardcore and gritty workouts, from arms, back, and shoulders, to now legs.
Shaun Clarida’s Hamstring and Glute-Focused Leg Day Workout 11 Weeks from 2024 Mr. Olympia
Find his exercise selections below:
- Lying Leg Curl Machine
- Seated Hamstring Curl Machine
- Standing Leg Curl Machine
- Cable Stiff Leg Deadlift
- Smith Machine Hip Thrust
- Elevated Dumbbell Sumo Squat
- Pro Force Leg Stretcher Machine
Clarida divided and conquered this workout by choosing three to four hamstring movements and two to three glute exercises.
“Today, we’re going to be giving you guys the second part of my leg day. You guys remember the first one is mainly quads. My second leg day is mainly going to be hamstring and glutes. Typically, I choose between three to four movements for hamstrings, and generally two sometimes even three for glutes.
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Again, rep range anywhere between 12-15. I keep the weight pretty moderate. Nothing too heavy, again being where I’m at in prep, detailed conditioning is the main factor.”
Lying Leg Curl Machine
During the workout, Clarida underscored the importance of proper resting periods so that he approaches each of his sets with 100 percent effort.
“I will be doing seated as well, and you’re probably wondering why I don’t start with seated. Because I usually start my quad day off with a seated hamstring,” said Clarida. “I never want to shortchange myself and half-ass that next set. I take the time that I need to recover, this way I can give every set 100 percent.”
Seated Hamstring Curl Machine
Having already enjoyed a hamstring pump, Clarida focused on just a few sets of seated hamstring curls.
“Gonna switch it up and go right with the belt version here. My hamstrings are really pumped from lying. So, I don’t need to really do much warming up here. Probably just one, two feeders. Again, one to two all-out heavy work sets.”
Standing Leg Curl Machine
During sets of standing leg curls, Clarida explained how unilateral movements allow users to attenuate their symmetry imbalances.
“I can really focus and it definitely, I’m a big fan of unilateral movements. Unilateral movements are great for people who have, their symmetry is a little off, where one leg, or one arm, or whatever is bigger than the other. It happens. I don’t think any one person is made perfectly.
We have people with one arm bigger than the other, leg longer than the other, whatever the case may be. For us, unilateral movements definitely help with trying to make that symmetry a little more perfect.”
Cable Stiff Leg Deadlift
He favors cable stiff leg deadlifts because constant tension is present throughout the entirety of the movement.
“Typically, I do those either with the dumbbells or the Mega Mass piece but today we’re going to go with a cable. Again, I mentioned in one of my videos, I’m very much an advocate for cables.
I think they have a time and place for everything. The reason I’m doing cables today is one because I haven’t done them in a while and I’m a big believer in changing things up, hitting different angles, different feels. Two, that cable is going to keep constant tension throughout the entire movement for me,” said Shaun Clarida.
Smith Machine Hip Thrust
Clarida moved on to Smith machine hip thrusts to tax his glutes next.
Elevated Dumbbell Sumo Squat
Keeping his hips forward, Clarida performed elevated dumbbell sumo squats, focusing on a controlled motion to produce adequate contractions and an effective squeeze.
“Moving on to the next glute movement, sumo squats. Just really focusing on keeping the hips forward and really drive, stretching the glutes down in the bottom position and coming up and really contracting and squeezing everything.”
Pro Force Leg Stretcher Machine
He finished off with time on the stretcher machine, which helped him wind down from the workout.
“We got a Pro Force leg stretcher. So I’m going to jump in there, it kind of helps wind me down, stretches things out, opens things up, and it’s just my way of sighing at the end of the session. Let’s go over there and do that.”
Keone Pearson isn’t overlooking Shaun Clarida ahead of their clash, especially given ‘The Giant Killer’s’ success in the division over the years. He likened his rivalry with Clarida to Phil Heath’s and Kai Greene’s, which he believes will culminate into an epic battle on the horizon.
With a decked-out gym and preparations underway for Shaun Clarida, he plans to leave Sin City as a winner this October. Don’t miss the 2024 Mr. Olympia contest which will be covered live on Fitness Volt later this year!
RELATED: Former 2x 212 Olympia Shaun Clarida Shares 2024 Off-Season 2,836-Calorie Diet
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