Professional bodybuilder Brett Wilkin is seeking to take his career to new heights with the help of Joe Bennett, a well-known bodybuilding coach, also known as the Hypertrophy Coach. In a recent video on Wilkin’s YouTube channel, he announced the partnership and revealed that the two are working on a new training program for the upcoming 2023 competitive season.
Wilkin’s journey in bodybuilding
Wilkin, a 35-year-old American bodybuilder, earned his IFBB Pro Card in the Classic Physique division. However, he never competed in that weight class professionally. Instead, he made his pro debut in the 212 division. After disappointing performances at the 2019 Puerto Rico Pro and 2019 Toronto Pro Supershow, he took a break from competition to work on his physique.
Wilkin’s return to competition
Wilkin returned to the competition stage after a two-year hiatus, this time in the Men’s Open division. His debut at the 2021 Chicago Pro resulted in a second-place finish, making him a rising star in the division. However, he struggled to maintain that momentum in the 2022 competitive season, and his results were less impressive.
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Brett Wilkin’s Disappointing End to the 2022 Competitive Season
After a disappointing sixth-place finish at the 2022 Arnold Classic, Brett Wilkin’s hopes of competing at the 2022 Mr. Olympia were solely dependent on winning the 2022 Romania Muscle Fest Pro, according to the qualification criteria. Unfortunately, he secured a runner-up position at the show and had to call an end to the 2022 competitive season.
Joe Bennett’s Impact on Brett Wilkin’s Progress
As Brett Wilkin gears up for this year’s challenges, he seeks to make significant progress with the help of renowned coach Joe Bennett, also known as the “Hypertrophy Coach.” Bennett is widely known for his hypertrophy-inducing training methods and has worked with big names such as Terrence Ruffin and Dave Bautista. Under Bennett’s guidance, Wilkin underwent a back workout to take his training to the next level. Let’s delve into how Bennett’s expertise shaped Brett Wilkin’s workout routine.
Brett Wilkin undergoes a grueling back workout under the supervision of Joe Bennett, celebrate bodybuilding coach.
Brett Wilkin acknowledges the potential of ‘Hypertrophy Coach’ Joe Bennett in taking his physique to the next level and undergoes a challenging back workout under his expert guidance.
“I’ve somebody who’s looking over the shoulder at everything I am doing, somebody providing feedback… He’s gonna be watching my training just to level me up,” Wilkin said in the beginning of the workout.
Brett Wilkin Crushes a One Arm Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown Under Coach Joe Bennett’s Guidance
During Brett Wilkin’s back training session, Coach Bennett introduced the one arm reverse grip lat pulldown machine movement to start with. The plate-loaded iso-lateral front lat pulldown machine was used for this exercise. Bennett emphasized on the importance of bringing the arm down and pressing the triceps against the lats to align the majority of the muscle fibers and effectively contract the lats. He advised Wilkin to perform the movement at a slow pace to gain a better understanding of the mechanics of the exercise and increase the pace gradually only after mastering it.
“Warm-up sets in general, go slow, feel what you’re trying to feel and when you’re going the working sets just go after it,” Bennett added.
According to Bennett, the Hammer Strength machine used for this exercise offers several benefits.
“The most important part of this machine or the range of motion is that stretch… The stretch that you get here, you’re not going to get it on a row, right? So a row doesn’t fully stretch your lat. You have to bring your arm up here somewhere (in the starting position of lat pulldown).”
“It’s probably good for almost everyone to pause for a second and make sure that it’s the lat and not momentum (that pulls the lever down again).”
After pushing through some heavy sets of the One Arm Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown, Wilkin executed the final set with both arms. With Bennett’s guidance, he then moved on to the next exercise to continue his grueling back workout.
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Bennett Guides Wilkin through Chest Supported T-Bar Rows
Joe Bennett continued to guide Brett Wilkin through his back workout by moving on to the chest supported T-bar rows exercise. According to the Hypertrophy Coach, this exercise is beneficial for building upper back muscles. While a dedicated machine for this exercise can be useful, Bennett stated that you can achieve similar results as long as you can obtain the appropriate grip and position. He explained that performing dumbbell rows while using an incline bench for chest support can achieve the same goal as using a dedicated T-bar row machine.
“This exercise is going to pretty much train everything when I say upper back form shoulder to shoulder. So there’s going to be rear delts involved, traps involved… rhomboids involved… Pretty much your entire upper back musculature… But yeah, you’re going to get some lats working as well too…”
“Now what I want you to do is feel like you’re keeping the spine position. So slow everything down just a little bit so as everything pulls forward, you don’t do any spinal flexion. This (The spine) stays still and everything just kind of moves around that.”
After completing a few sets of chest supported T-bar rows, Wilkin moved on to the next exercise with curiosity. He approached the Prime chest supported rows machine, eager to try it out and see how it affected his back muscles.
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Bennett emphasizes the importance of contraction with Seated Cable Rows
Coach Bennett shifted the focus to seated cable rows, a classic back-building exercise. He emphasized the importance of contracting the lats as hard as possible and keeping the body tight and upright throughout the movement. This ensures that the targeted muscles are worked effectively while also reducing the chances of injury.
“He (Coach Bennett) turned this Prime chest supported row and set it up so it’s fully isolating the lats, especially the lower lats. So our body’s in the position and all we have to do is keep our elbows tucked to our side, drive down, keep your traps lower. Don’t scrunch up,” Brett Wilkin added.
Brett Wilkin continued his back workout under Coach Joe Bennett’s expert guidance, targeting his latissimus dorsi muscles with the Prime chest supported rows machine. The machine’s unique setup provided a resistance profile that was harder in the beginning and gradually got easier as the arm was pulled back. Wilkin started with a few warm-up sets to familiarize himself with the movement, then performed several working sets before moving on to a couple of drop sets. With Bennett’s supervision, Wilkin executed each movement with precision and intention, pushing himself to achieve optimal muscle contraction and growth.
Butcher Brett Wilkin strengthens scapular muscles with Chest Supported Straight Arm Pulldowns
Chest supported straight arm pulldowns are an effective exercise to build scapular strength and stability, which are crucial for maintaining proper posture during heavy compound movements such as deadlifts, pull-ups, and bench press. During his training session with Coach Bennett, Brett Wilkin was guided through a few sets of this exercise. To add resistance, Wilkin used a banded attachment with the cable machine.
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The Hypertrophy Coach, Joe Bennett, teaches Brett Wilkin the proper form for weighted back extensions
In the last exercise of the day, Coach Bennett directed Wilkin to position himself on the back extension machine in a way that blocked his hip crease. This position allowed Wilkin to bend forward and extend back up using only his lower back muscles, without assistance from his hips. The addition of weights helped to intensify the exercise and provide a greater challenge for Wilkin’s muscles.
“All I want you to think about is – some of it’s obviously rounding and folding over the front. But while you’re doing that I actually want you to feel like you’re pushing your lower back to the ceiling as well.”
“So it’s a combination… So obviously as you go down, because your hips are blocked, everything’s going to half the round but by overdoing it, you’ll get even a little more rounding from that. That’s what we want here… As much rounding as we can and then as much extension as we put on the way up,” Bennett explained.
Brett Wilkin ends his training session with weighted back extensions
After getting familiar with the exercise, Wilkin got straight into a few sets of weighted back extensions with the barbell. Bennett kept a watchful eye as The Butcher went through the motions. After a few challenging sets, the two decided to call it a day, ending the grueling back workout session.
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The workout routine, under the guidance of Coach Bennett, consisted of several exercises performed in the following order:
- One Arm Reverse Grip Lat Pulldowns (Machine)
- Chest Supported T-Bar Rows
- Prime Chest Supported Rows
- Chest Supported Straight Arm Pulldowns
- Weighted Back Extensions
Brett Wilkin underwent a rigorous training session with Bennett, who monitored his form and provided guidance to maximize his muscle contractions and engagement. Each exercise was performed with a specific purpose in mind, targeting different areas of the back muscles for a well-rounded workout.
Brett Wilkin’s Training Program for 2023 Mr. Olympia to be Documented on YouTube and Joe Bennett’s App
Professional bodybuilder Brett Wilkin is preparing for the 2023 Mr. Olympia competition, and his training program will be documented on his YouTube channel and Joe Bennett’s app. Wilkin’s YouTube channel will be a valuable resource for those who aspire to elevate their own athletic performance, as they will have the opportunity to watch and learn from a top-level athlete. Additionally, Bennett’s app will offer a comprehensive view of Wilkin’s training regimen, allowing users to gain a deeper understanding of his methods and techniques. Aspiring bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts should stay tuned to Wilkin’s YouTube channel and Bennett’s app to take advantage of this invaluable opportunity to learn from one of the best in the business.
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Overview
Brett Wilkin, a professional bodybuilder, has partnered with Joe Bennett, a well-known bodybuilding coach, to create a new training program for the 2023 competitive season. Wilkin, who earned his IFBB Pro Card in the Classic Physique division, has struggled to maintain momentum in the Men’s Open division after a second-place finish at the 2021 Chicago Pro. In a recent video, Wilkin underwent a grueling back workout under the supervision of Joe Bennett, where he learned the importance of slow warm-up sets and mastering the mechanics of exercises, such as the one arm reverse grip lat pulldown and chest supported T-bar rows, to effectively target muscle groups. Bennett’s expertise is expected to help Wilkin make significant progress in his physique and competitive career.
Featured Image @ Brett “The Butcher” Wilkin (YouTube)
