Categories: Fitness

Nick Walker’s Return to the Bodybuilding Stage

The Mutant is Prepping for the Pittsburgh Pro to Qualify for the 2025 Mr. Olympia

Men’s Open bodybuilder Nick Walker is determined to reclaim his place amongst the best in the world after spending the past few years on the sidelines. "The Mutant" most recently won the 2024 New York Pro — his first pro show since winning bronze at the 2022 Mr. Olympia. An unfortunate hamstring injury kept him out of the 2023 Mr. Olympia, and he sat out of the 2024 Mr. Olympia as he felt his body wasn’t ready. To compete in the 2025 Mr. Olympia, Walker must first secure victory at an IFBB pro show.

Walker’s target is the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro on May 10-11, 2025, which will award the winner of its Men’s Open contest a qualification to the 2025 Mr. Olympia. In mid-March 2025, Walker shared a glimpse of his chest training and a full day of eating 10 weeks out from the Pittsburgh Pro.

Nick Walker’s Chest Training

Walker’s chest workouts primarily feature machine-based exercises as their stability allows him to prioritize his mind-muscle connection on the target fibers being trained rather than balancing the weight, as would be the case with free weight alternatives. Seated chest flyes emphasize slow, controlled movements to maximize time under tension — a key factor in muscle growth.

Lateral Raise, Front Raise, & Cable Crossover

Walker targets his medial delts via machine lateral raises, finishing each set with partial reps upon reaching failure. His only free-weight exercise is two sets of alternating dumbbell front raises using a neutral grip to activate his front delts.

Recovery

Post-training, Walker gets a massage from his physiotherapist to ease his lat muscles. While the size of his lats isn’t a concern, the scapular movement required to fully open them during lat spread poses has felt restricted. Post-exercise massages can help alleviate muscle tension, reduce soreness, and accelerate recovery.

Nick Walker’s Diet

Walker gave an inside look at a full day of eating during his Pittsburgh Pro prep. Weighing 287 pounds, Walker feels great. Amidst his cutting phase, Walker is getting leaner and responding well to a moderate food intake.

Meal One

Jasmine Rice
Mega Fit Chicken
Pink Salt
Peanut Butter
Ground Cinnamon
Blueberries

Meal Two (Pre-Workout)

Jasmine Rice
Mega Fit Chicken
Banana
Pink Salt
Peanut Butter
Ground Cinnamon
Blueberries

Pre-Intra Workout Drink

RAW Pump Lemonade
RAW Age Strawberry Lemonade
CarbHD Powder

Meal Three (Post-Workout)

Mega Fit Chicken
Bison
Pink Salt
Jasmine Rice
Olive Oil
Ground Cinnamon
Blueberries

Meal Four

Mega Fit Chicken
Jasmine Rice
Ground Cinnamon

Meal Five

Mega Fit Chicken
Jasmine Rice
Ground Cinnamon

Meal Six

Mega Fit Chicken
Jasmine Rice
Ground Cinnamon

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References

Burd, N. A., Andrews, R. J., West, D. W., Little, J. P., Cochran, A. J., Hector, A. J., Cashaback, J. G., Gibala, M. J., Potvin, J. R., Baker, S. K., & Phillips, S. M. (2012). Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. The Journal of physiology, 590(2), 351–362. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200
Weerapong, P., Hume, P. A., & Kolt, G. S. (2005). The mechanisms of massage and effects on performance, muscle recovery and injury prevention. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 35(3), 235–256. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200535030-00004