“Ruff Diesel” announces withdrawal from the 2024 Olympics.
Last updated on August 21, 2024
IFBB Classic Physique Pro bodybuilder Terrence Ruffin qualified for the 2024 Olympia, scheduled to take place October 10-13, 2024 in Las Vegas, NV, by winning the 2023 IFBB Sheru Classic Pro. However, he decided to pull out of bodybuilding’s most prestigious competition because he is still recovering from an elbow injury and needs to gain significant muscle mass to remain competitive.
On August 16, 2024, Ruffin shared his upper body workout on Classic Physique while 17 pounds under the weight limit for his size. He analyzed each move and explained the process behind building an Olympic-ready physique.
Upper body workout by Terrence Ruffin
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Most people do not need flat press exercises
Ruffin prefers a neutral grip on machine presses because he believes it is better for training the middle and inner chest. However, he generally recommends incline bench presses for most lifters because the upper chest is a muscle group that is under-worked for many.
The two-time Arnold Classic Physique champion advises against excessively arching the lower back when doing flat bench presses, as this shifts the emphasis to the lower chest.
When you flatten something, you are (probably) performing a negative press.
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One-arm rowing for better neuromuscular connection
Ruffin alternates between antagonistic muscle groups in a multi-muscle workout. This strategy allows one muscle to recover while the other is being worked, improving training efficiency.
Ruffin prefers to perform the low rows on the machine while standing because it optimizes the resistance curve of the machine and makes the exercise more challenging at the lower end of his range of motion (ROM).
Prioritize a deep stretch in the fully extended position
Ruffin keeps his chest lifted and his shoulder blade retracted throughout incline dumbbell flyes to load the upper chest. He maintains a slight elbow bend and makes a point of bringing his elbows together to create a sharp contraction at the top of his range of motion. (1) Ruffin creates a deep stretch in the bottom position by lowering his elbows below his midline.
The last few reps are the energizing reps, the reps that make you grow.
The Alabama native recommends doing wide-grip lat pulldowns to improve back width.
Cable curls for constant tension in the biceps
Ruffin sets the cable pulleys for seated Bayesian curls at mid-shin height, explaining that this line of pull maximizes tension on the target muscles in the fully extended position. He advises sticking with a new exercise setup for several weeks to allow muscles to adapt to the movement mechanics to create a better neuromuscular connection.
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reference
- Pedrosa, GF, Lima, FV, Schoenfeld, BJ, Lacerda, LT, Simões, MG, Pereira, MR, Diniz, RCR, & Chagas, MH (2022). Partial range of motion training leads to positive improvements in muscle adaptation when performed over long muscle lengths. European Journal of Sport Science, 22(8), 1250–1260. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2021.1927199
Featured image: @ruff_diesel on Instagram
