Shaun Clarida likes incorporating Dorian Yates’ short but intense sets into his training.
Today, we have a unique feature on Shaun Clarida, the “Giant Killer,” as part of our “Road to Glory” series with MUTANT. In this episode, he shares his life journey leading to his preparation for the 2024 Olympia. Since winning his second Olympia title in 2022, Clarida has made remarkable strides and proudly embraces fatherhood with his beautiful daughter.
In 2023, Shaun made an impressive debut at the Arnold Classic, finishing in the top five alongside renowned athletes like Nick Walker, Andrew Jacked, Samson Dauda, and Big Ramy. He also relocated his family to Texas, launched a sneaker line, and established his own gym, the “GK Jungle Gym.”
| Full Name: Shaun Clarida (212 Bodybuilder) | ||
| Weight | Height | Date of Birth |
| 165-175 lbs | 5’2″ | 9/5/1982 |
| Division | Era | Nationality |
| Men’s 212 | 2010s, 2020s | American |
On September 6, 2024, MUTANT TV released a YouTube video titled “Road To Glory 2024,” featuring Shaun Clarida as he guides viewers through his complete chest and arms workout. With just weeks remaining until the 2024 Olympia, Clarida is determined to reclaim the 212 title for an impressive third time.
The two-time 212 champion lets us know that this is his second chest day of the week, and he will focus on getting a pump. “So you won’t see any crazy PRs, some heavy barbell or dumbbell work today. Today, it is mostly machines and cables but getting a massive pump,” said Clarida.
Shaun Clarida’s Chest & Arms Day Workout
Shaun Clarida starts his chest workout using the fly machine. He says he mainly uses it for warmups to stretch his body and to get blood in the pecs before going to his main compound movements. Studies show that warm-ups help improve exercise performance (1).
“Today we’re going to go with the hammer incline.. my favorite Magnum press. We’ll probably do another fly variation and then probably a dip movement for chest and then we’ll probably choose two to three movements for triceps.”
| Exercises | Sets | Reps |
| Warm Ups — Machine Chest Fly | 3 | 8-12 |
| Machine Hammer Incline Press | 3 | 8-12 (final set partials & push to failure) |
| Machine Chest Press | 3 | 8-12 |
| Chest Dip | 3 | 8-10 |
| Seated Machine Fly | 3 | 8-12 |
| Cable Triceps Pushdown | 4 | 8-15 |
| Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extension | 3 | 8-15 |
| Single-Arm Supinated Triceps Extension | 3 | 8-12 |
Warm Ups — Machine Chest Fly
Shaun Clarida begins with the machine chest fly. He does three sets, ranging from eight to twelve reps. Clarida does this exercise using a neutral grip and implementing isometric holds to get a good feeling in his upper body muscles.
The machine chest fly targets primarily pectoral muscles. However, it also works other muscles like your triceps and delts. This exercise effectively builds muscle mass and strength in your chest muscles.
Machine Hammer Incline Press
Shaun Clarida says he intends to focus on the upper part of his chest, which he also considers his weakest part. However, he has so much muscle tightness that it prevents him from getting into his movements during the machine hammer incline press. Clarida hacks this by getting collars to help him start the hammer incline press in a higher position.
He does three sets of this exercise, ranging from eight to ten reps. On his last set, he pushes himself to failure and finishes with partial reps. Research shows that training to failure increases muscle strength and hypertrophy (2).
“I say a year and a half I’ve switched my style up a little bit, going more for Dorian Yates mentality…. Two all out sets and move the hell on.”
The machine hammer incline press primarily targets your upper pecs. It also works on your anterior deltoids and triceps. The advantage of the hammer incline press over the chest press is that it hybridizes as a free weight and machine, giving you the best of both worlds.
Machine Chest Press
Clarida states he loves this machine and considers it his favorite chest machine (the Magnum flat press). “I’m a big advocate of compound movements, barbells, dumbbells, but I certainly believe that machines and cables absolutely have their place, and I utilize it in my own personal training,” said Clarida.
He does multiple sets of eight to twelve reps and employs a full range of motion during this exercise. This exercise helps build strength and muscles in his chest and arms, which he can use for bench presses and other upper-body exercises.
Chest Dips & Seated Machine Fly
Next for his upper bodybuilding exercise is chest dips, which he performs on parallel bars. He leans forward to focus more on his chest than his triceps. During this exercise, he uses slow eccentric movements, giving his target muscles more time under tension, which is essential for muscle growth.
Next, Clarida performs a chest fly in a seated position. He places his arms on each pad, slightly bends over, and works his target muscles, doing multiple sets of ten to twelve reps. Clarida trains to failure during the seated machine fly.
Cable Triceps Pushdown & Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extension
Clarida moves to focus solely on his tricep muscles. He starts with some warm-ups and works his way by progressively adding weights, doing four sets for this exercise. The cable triceps pushdowns work your triceps muscles.
Next, he grabs a pair of dumbbells and lies on a bench to perform a lying dumbbell tricep extension. He uses proper form and slowly controls the weight on the negative motion. Lying dumbbell tricep extensions work your core muscles but primarily your triceps muscles.
Single-Arm Supinated Triceps Extension
Shaun Clarida stated that his cable crossover machine is yet to arrive, so he had to improvise for this exercise. He does a unilateral tricep extension, training each side of his triceps. This helps build a better mind-muscle connection and activates his triceps and other target muscles.
The single-arm supinated triceps extension is an isolated movement that works the tricep muscles. It’s effective for building muscle mass and strength in your triceps, and you can use this exercise to address any muscle imbalances. In this video, Shaun Clarida does eight to twelve reps of this exercise before calling it a rap for his chest and arms.
View this post on Instagram
Wrapping Up
This marks the first episode in what promises to be an intense and engaging series. This year, athletes from the MUTANT Nation will be making a significant impact, with Generation Iron spotlighting a different MUTANT competitor each week as they prepare for the 2024 Olympia. Stay tuned and keep an eye out for exciting updates!
Follow Generation Iron on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more athlete Olympia preparations!
References
- Fradkin, A. J., Zazryn, T. R., & Smoliga, J. M. (2010). Effects of warming-up on physical performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 24(1), 140–148. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c643a0
- Nóbrega, S. R., & Libardi, C. A. (2016). Is Resistance Training to Muscular Failure Necessary?. Frontiers in physiology, 7, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2016.00010
