Nick Walker Swaps Heavy Lifting for Light Weights in His 7-Exercise Push Day

Men’s Open bodybuilder Nick Walker scored a controversial runner-up finish to former Mr. Olympia Derek Lunsford at the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro in early May. However, “The Mutant” came out on top one week later at the 2025 New York Pro. Now, he is riding that momentum as he preps for this October’s 2025 Olympia. Nick Walker swaps heavy lifting for light weights in his 7-exercise push day, showcasing a smarter, more controlled approach as he focuses on injury prevention and longevity.

Nick Walker swaps heavy lifting for light weights in his 7-exercise push day. This shift highlights a smarter, more controlled approach as he focuses on injury prevention and longevity. This will be Walker’s first Olympia appearance since 2022, when he finished third. To see how dialed-in Walker is, take a look at how he trains chest, delts, and triceps 15 weeks out from the 2025 Mr. Olympia.

Walker’s push workout includes high-to-low cable chest flyes, Smith machine incline bench press, machine lateral raises, machine converging chest press, cable front delt raises, cable rope triceps pushdowns, and machine overhead triceps extensions. His approach balances muscle activation with controlled tempo, shying away from heavy weights and ego lifting.

Overall, the routine focuses on building muscle detail and strength without compromising recovery. Walker’s method emphasizes quality over quantity and precision over power.

Nick Walker 7-Exercise Push Day

#	Exercise	Focus Area
1	High-to-Low Cable Chest Flyes	Chest
2	Smith Machine Incline Bench Press	Upper Chest
3	Machine Lateral Raises	Side Delts
4	Machine Converging Chest Press	Chest
5	Cable Front Delt Raises	Front Delts
6	Cable Rope Triceps Pushdowns	Triceps
7	Machine Overhead Triceps Extensions	Triceps

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A post shared by Nick “the Mutant” Walker (@nick_walker39)

Building a Champ-Caliber Upper Shelf

Starting with Smith incline presses at roughly 45 degrees, Walker moves through his full range of motion with an exaggerated back arch to engage the lats. Incline presses target the upper pecs more effectively than flat or decline presses.

Literature shows greater upper pec activity when flaring the elbows during the eccentric and pulling them in during the concentric. (1) Walker performed two heavy sets in the six to eight rep range, followed by two lighter sets of 10 to 15 reps. Evidence suggests varying rep ranges are beneficial for muscle gains. However, moderate rep zones should comprise the bulk of weekly sets. (2)

To Intensify or Not?

Walker prefers full-range standard sets and avoids intensifier techniques like drop sets, rest-pause sets, forced reps, and partials. This helps save energy for full-range reps, which should be prioritized over partials.

Science is conflicting on training to and past failure. Though these methods may enhance gains by pushing limits, intensifiers might negatively impact recovery. (3) Intensifiers work well when time is limited but may not cause extra growth beyond full-range reps to failure.

Should You Squeeze?

Walker noticed greater detail by emphasizing concentrics.

“I stopped worrying about weight and squeezed. That’s why my back is so detailed.”

Walker likens squeezing in the gym to posing on stage, adding:

“On stage, you’re not focusing on negatives, you’re squeezing.”

Olympia-winning coach Hany Rambod implements “flex sets,” which involve flexing to emphasize muscle details. Literature suggests that eccentric exercises are slightly more growth-inducing for specific muscles. (4)

Walker’s Lateral Raise Form for Huge Delts

“Side delts are one of those muscles that don’t get sore,” Walker noted. “You could hit them three times a week.”

Walker performs lateral raises through his full range of motion, stopping in an extended overhead position. He explained:

“I contract the shoulder much harder than stopping [halfway]. My shoulders have grown drastically.”

Walker replaced shoulder presses with front delt raises, claiming it has been the key to his shoulder development. (4)

Nick Walker 7-Exercise Push Day Breakdown

1. High-to-Low Cable Chest Flyes

Walker uses this exercise to focus on the lower and mid chest. Constant tension keeps the pecs engaged throughout. This helps build definition and separation.

Controlled, slow reps maximize muscle activation. Walker squeezes at the peak of each rep to ensure full contraction and minimize injury risk.

2. Smith Machine Incline Bench Press

Walker targets the upper chest using the Smith machine set at a 45-degree incline. He arches his back to engage his lats and stabilize the movement.

He uses two heavy sets (6–8 reps) followed by two lighter sets (10–15 reps). This mix promotes optimal muscle growth by varying intensity.

3. Machine Lateral Raises

For side delts, Walker uses machine lateral raises with a full range of motion. He extends his arms overhead to maximize contraction.

He believes this method is more effective than partial reps, contributing to his notable shoulder development.

4. Machine Converging Chest Press

This exercise targets the inner chest fibers. The converging movement increases peak contraction and chest thickness.

Walker controls the movement and squeezes his pecs at the top of each rep for maximum tension.

5. Cable Front Delt Raises

Walker swapped out shoulder presses for cable front delt raises. This isolation movement better controls front delt activation and reduces injury risk.

His focus is on contracting the muscle rather than lifting heavy weights, which has improved his shoulder size and definition.

6. Cable Rope Triceps Pushdowns

Walker uses rope pushdowns for triceps peak and separation. The rope allows natural wrist rotation, engaging all three triceps heads.

He emphasizes full extension and squeezing the triceps at the bottom of each rep to maximize detail.

7. Machine Overhead Triceps Extensions

This final exercise targets the long head of the triceps, key to arm size.

Controlled reps focus on stretching and contracting the muscle. The machine adds stability, ensuring proper form throughout.

Watch Nick Walker Train 7-Exercise Push Day For Olympia 2025:

References

Chaves SFN, Rocha-JÚnior VA, EncarnaÇÃo IGA, Martins-Costa HC, Freitas EDS, Coelho DB, Franco FSC, Loenneke JP, Bottaro M, Ferreira-JÚnior JB. Effects of Horizontal and Incline Bench Press on Neuromuscular Adaptations in Untrained Young Men. Int J Exerc Sci. 2020 Aug 1;13(6):859-872. doi: 10.70252/FDNB1158. PMID: 32922646; PMCID: PMC7449336.
Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Van Every DW, Plotkin DL. Loading Recommendations for Muscle Strength, Hypertrophy, and Local Endurance: A Re-Examination of the Repetition Continuum. Sports (Basel). 2021 Feb 22;9(2):32. doi: 10.3390/sports9020032. PMID: 33671664; PMCID: PMC7927075.
Robinson ZP, Pelland JC, Remmert JF, Refalo MC, Jukic I, Steele J, Zourdos MC. Exploring the Dose-Response Relationship Between Estimated Resistance Training Proximity to Failure, Strength Gain, and Muscle Hypertrophy: A Series of Meta-Regressions. Sports Med. 2024 Sep;54(9):2209-2231. doi: 10.1007/s40279-024-02069-2. Epub 2024 Jul 6. PMID: 38970765.
Maeo S, Wu Y, Huang M, Sakurai H, Kusagawa Y, Sugiyama T, Kanehisa H, Isaka T. Triceps brachii hypertrophy is substantially greater after elbow extension training performed in the overhead versus neutral arm position. Eur J Sport Sci. 2023 Jul;23(7):1240-1250. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2022.2100279. Epub 2022 Aug 11. PMID: 35819335.

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After finishing runner-up at the Pittsburgh Pro, Nick Walker bounced back with a win at the New York Pro. Now, he is gearing up for the 2025 Mr. Olympia. Notably, Nick Walker 7-exercise push day focuses on light weights and controlled movements. This approach prioritizes muscle activation and injury prevention. Furthermore, it marks his first Olympia since 2022. Therefore, fans are eager to see how his refined training shows on stage.

Featured Image – Nick Walker Swaps Heavy Lifting for Light Weights in His 7-Exercise Push Day – Credit: @nick_walker39 (Instagram)

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Nick Walker Swaps Heavy Lifting for Light Weights in His 7-Exercise Push Day

Nick Walker preps for the 2025 Olympia by using light weights and controlled reps on push day.

Nick Walker 7-Exercise Push Day

Building a Champ-Caliber Upper Shelf

To Intensify or Not?

Should You Squeeze?

“I stopped worrying about weight and squeezed. That’s why my back is so detailed.”

“On stage, you’re not focusing on negatives, you’re squeezing.”

Walker’s Lateral Raise Form for Huge Delts

“Side delts are one of those muscles that don’t get sore,” Walker noted. “You could hit them three times a week.”

“I contract the shoulder much harder than stopping [halfway]. My shoulders have grown drastically.”

Nick Walker 7-Exercise Push Day Breakdown

1. High-to-Low Cable Chest Flyes

2. Smith Machine Incline Bench Press

3. Machine Lateral Raises

4. Machine Converging Chest Press

5. Cable Front Delt Raises

6. Cable Rope Triceps Pushdowns

7. Machine Overhead Triceps Extensions

Watch Nick Walker Train 7-Exercise Push Day For Olympia 2025:

References

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