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Single-Arm Dumbbell Curls

Unilateral training is excellent for identifying and correcting any strength or muscle imbalances. While not as efficient as standard training, unilateral training helps ensure muscular symmetry since the dominant arm can’t overpower the non-dominant arm.

Dauda opened with 18-kilogram (40-pound) dumbbells, progressed to 20 kilograms (45 pounds) for the second set, and concluded with 24 kilograms (53 pounds). 

Concentration Curls

Dauda performed concentration curls in a hip hinge, with his torso parallel to the floor. His non-working arm was situated on the dumbbell rack. He fully extended his elbows at the bottom to achieve a deeper biceps stretch. 

After a set of crossbody concentration curls, Dauda adjusted the exercise, positioning his forearm at 90 degrees to better isolate the biceps. He employed momentum in his final reps, swinging his torso to train past mechanical failure. 

Smith Machine Close-Grip Bench Press

Dauda grabbed the Smith machine barbell inside shoulder-width to bias the triceps. He lowered the bar until it was a few inches off the chest while keeping the elbows tight to the sides and stopped shy of full elbow extension at the top of his range of motion (ROM) to maintain constant tension on the triceps. 

The 32-year-old employed slow eccentrics and paused in the fully shortened position to increase the time under tension (TUT) and maximize muscle hypertrophy. (1) Dauda started with a 10-kilogram plate on each side, progressively adding one weight plate per side until reaching three plates on his final set.

Superset: Rope Tricep Extensions and Cable Bicep Curls

Cable rope extensions bias the medial and lateral triceps heads. Staying in line with form cues from the previous exercise, Dauda used slow eccentrics and paused in the fully flexed position. 

Dauda secured two D-handle attachments to a single pulley for the cable biceps curls. He grabbed the handles with a narrow, supinated grip. 

Superset: Behind-the-Neck Smith Machine Shoulder Press & Cable Lateral Raises

Dauda performed behind-the-neck presses seated on a weight bench. He lowered the barbell until it was at the base of his skull, then fully extended the elbows at the top. 

The bodybuilder performed cable lateral raises on a functional trainer, positioning himself slightly behind the pulleys. He grabbed the right D-handle attachment with his left hand and vice-versa with the other. While maintaining slight elbow flexion, Dauda raised his arms to the sides until they were parallel to bias the lateral deltoids. 

Cable Rear Delt Flyes

Dauda set the pulleys at eye level. He grabbed the cables and stepped back to engage the weights. He retracted his scapula, pulled the cables out to the sides with a slight bend in the elbows, and paused at the top to fully shorten the delts. 

Dauda’s bronze medal performance at the 2023 Olympia earned him qualification to the 2024 Olympia, scheduled for Oct. 10-13 in Las Vegas, NV. He remains a top contender to challenge Lunsford for the Olympia throne.

References

1. Azevedo PHSM, Oliveira MGD, Schoenfeld BJ. Effect of different eccentric tempos on hypertrophy and strength of the lower limbs. Biol Sport. 2022;39(2):443-449. doi:10.5114/biolsport.2022.105335

Featured image: @samson__dauda on Instagram