Bodybuilder Shaun Clarida is working to take back his Men’s 212 Olympia title.
212 Olympia champion “The Giant Killer” Shaun Clarida is as motivated as ever this offseason as he prepares for the 2024 Olympia. He is working to regain his 212 title, which is has won twice on the biggest stage in bodybuilding. In this post we share Shaun Clarida’s leg workout focused on hamstrings and glutes.
Nicknamed “The Giant Killer”, for his ability to hold his own and win against bodybuilders much larger than him, Shaun Clarida is a 212 Mr. Olympia champion, after winning in 2020 and 2022.
[READ MORE: Shaun Clarida’s High-Intensity Back Day ]
Clarida had the chance to move to Men’s Open after winning the 2021 Legion Sports Fest Pro but decided to stay in 212. He was able to regain his title in 2022 after falling to Derek Lunsford the year before. Last year, Clarida was considered the favorite but Keone Pearson pulled off a major upset to win the 2023 Men’s 212 Olympia title.
Shaun Clarida’s Hamstring & Glute Workout
Shaun Clarida is working hard to bring his best package to the stage in 2024. This particular workout was made up of seven exercises to hit hamstrings and glutes.
“Rep range anywhere between 12-15. I keep the weight pretty moderate. Noting too heavy, detailed conditioning is the main factor.”
- Lying Leg Curls
- Seated Hamstring Curls
- Standing Leg Curls
- Cable Stiff-Leg Deadlift
- Smith Machine Hip Thrust
- Elevated Dumbbell Sumo Squat
- Pro Force Leg Stretch Machine
Lying Leg Curls
Shaun Clarida began this workout with lying leg curls. He shared that he would be doing seated as well but likes to begin with this version.
“I never want to shortchange myself and half-ass that next set. I take the time that I need to recover.”
Seated Hamstring Curls
This is the exercise that typically kicks off Clarida’s hamstring-focused leg day. He hit it second here with just a couple sets.
“My hamstrings are really pumped from lying so I don’t need to really do much warming up here. One to two all-out heavy work sets.”
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Standing Leg Curls
Standing leg curls were next on the list. This allows Clarida to focus on unilateral movements, which helps those who are less symmetrical.
“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.”
Cable Stiff-Leg Deadlift
Clarida explained how he typically does this movement with dumbbells but opted for cables because he wants to keep things changing with each workout.
“I haven’t done them in a while and I’m a big believer in changing things up, hitting different angles, different feels. That cable is going to keep constant tension throughout the entire movement.”
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Elevated Dumbbell Sumo Squat
The next glute movement on the list was dumbbell 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.”
Pro Force Leg Stretch Machine
The final machine used was to stretch the hamstrings and help decompress from the workout.
“It kind of helps me wind down, stretches things out, opens things up, and it’s just my way of sighing at the end of the session.”
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