Reigning Figure Natural Olympia champ Alondra Chatman gives an update on her training 7 weeks out from Natural Olympia.
Natural Olympia is about 7 weeks out, and athletes adjust their training and nutrition to prep their physique as the competition approaches. Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association (PNBA) athlete Alondra Chatman shared with us her training update.
Alondra Chatman is a 2x and reigning Figure Natural Olympia champion. She also has a multi-media contract with Generation Iron, INBA PNBA, and Iron Man Magazine. Moreover, Alondra Chatman was one of 3 International Natural Bodybuilding Association (INBA) PNBA athletes selected to film in the upcoming bodybuilding movie starring Kristen Stewart and Ed Davis–Love Lies Bleeding.
Chatman said she’s training with a new coach to prep for Natural Olympia. And has shifted to “old school” lifts. Chatman stated:
“I am about 7 weeks out from the Natural Olympia. I started my training for this show with a well known bodybuilding coach Diego Chairs. He’s been working me hard. His style of training is different than mine. I’m used to more free weights and more functional training but he’s definitely old school with his custom machines and progressions. It’s been fun and really challenging. I’m excited to see how my physique will be different this time on stage.
The exercises are necessarily new but with varied angles and on machines instead of using free weights. I’m incorporating squats, bench press, shoulder press, lunges, rows, pull ups, etc. One significant difference is the volume. I’m doing more reps per set of fewer exercises but not lighter weights. It’s been very challenging.”
Alondra Chatman’s Natural Olympia Training
The last time we spoke to Chatman, she informed us that she was going through a 5-6 week building phase that included more calories and less cardio. But as Natural Olympia gets closer, she’ll shift gears to cutting.
7 weeks out from Natural Olympia, Chatman is working with a new coach and focusing more on squats, bench presses, shoulder presses, lunges, rows, and pull-ups. But she’s using machines to hit different angles of her muscles versus free weights. In addition, Chatman’s volume has changed. She’s reduced the number of exercises she’s doing but has increased the reps she’s doing per set–but the weight’s staying the same.
Chatman’s 5-6 week building phase, combined with this new training strategy focused on varying angles to hit different muscle parts, should have Chatman well prepared when she takes the stage for Natural Olympia on November 10-13, 2022, in Las Vegas, Nevada. She’ll likely come in fuller, and we’ll see more muscle definition in other areas of her physique.
Other Natural Olympia Contenders Training Updates
As Natural Olympia approaches, we’ve been able to gather intel on other Natural Olympia contenders’ training updates. 2020 Natural Olympia Men’s Physique champ Jon Tsui is training with a shoulder injury. 2021 Natural Olympia Classic Physique Masters champ Tamer Barakat has cut back on cardio and extended his contest prep to preserve muscle. Finally, 2021 Classic Physique champ Derek Joe focuses heavily on posing since that’s a crucial part of scoring in the Classic Physique division.
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