'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Professional bodybuilder and social media star Blessing Awodibu gave fans a glimpse into his 2022 Mr. Olympia preparations by sharing an intense quad-centric workout on his YouTube channel. With just nine weeks left for the Mr. Olympia contest, Blessing is aiming to make the most of his final workout sessions and present an improved package.
The 31-year-old Irish bodybuilder will make his Olympia debut this year and will be going against much bigger bodybuilders like Big Ramy. Blessing Awodibu has been focusing on bringing up his legs for a while now, and appears to have made significant progress. Read on to find out more about the bodybuilder's quad workout routine!
Blessing Awodibu's Quad-Focused Workout
Currently, Blessing includes two leg days in his workout routine, with one day dedicated to quadriceps and another dedicated to his hamstrings. The quad-centric workout involves the following exercises:
1. Machine Hip Adduction
Blessing Awodibu started his workout by warming up his quads and hamstrings using the hip adduction machine. After a set on the machine, Blessing shared that he was a little over nine weeks out from the Olympia:
"I know you guys want me to win so bad, you want me to bring my legs up. Trust me, we’re working."
Blessing has come under criticism recently for his sub-par lower body compared to his amazing upper body, and is resolved to leave no stone unturned. He performed four working sets on the hip adduction machine and moved on to leg extensions next.
2. Leg Extension
Following two warmup sets, Blessing performed a brutal double drop set supported by his trainer. In this final set, he performed 30 reps in total, decreasing the weight after every 10 reps. Speaking about his goals, the young bodybuilder said:
"My goal is to make the quads my best body part. Right now, they’re not. Still working on them. They’ve gotta come up a lot."
3. Smith Machine Squat
Blessing Awodibu revealed that he was dreading any kind of squat movement due to pain in his knees. However, he has worked on his mobility through stretching exercises and other therapies and felt much better lately.
The bodybuilder started his first set with three 45-lb plates on each side. Slowly building in intensity, Blessing finished his top set with five plates on each side. Focusing on hypertrophy, he stayed within the 10-15 rep range throughout.
4. Seated Leg Press
Blessing Awodibu prefers the Seated Leg Press Machine, where he can train both legs unilaterally. During this workout, he stuck to bilaterally working his legs and went through three intense sets.
The top set involved a massive weight--seven 45-pound plates on each side of the machine. After performing ten reps with this load, Blessing moved on to the next exercise.
5. Hack Squat
Hack squats are a good alternative to lifting far more weight than you would on a regular barbell squat. They also aid in relieving lower back tension. Additionally, glutes and hamstrings serve as support muscles for the quadriceps, which are the primary targets of this exercise. Blessing performed three 12-rep sets in total, gradually increasing the weight from three to five plates per side as the workout progressed.
6. Machine Split Squat
Blessing revealed that he has a noticeable disparity in strength between his right and left legs, and took to the machine split squat to fix the imbalance. Using a deadlift machine to perform the split-squat, Blessing performed three working sets of 12 repetitions each.
He shared his complete routine in a video posted to his YouTube channel:
Blessing Awodibu - Career Profile
Blessing Awodibu described himself as a scrawny kid when he was young, too shy to even take his shirt off at the beach. Unable to get a gym membership due to financial constraints, Blessing constructed a makeshift workout area in his garden shed and started off with simple implements.
Although his aim was to get into academia, his dreams were shattered when he realized he could not join the college he wanted. To vent his frustrations, Blessing turned to the only outlet he had - bodybuilding. The fast response of his physique to strength training prompted Blessing Awodibu to put more effort into the weight room.
Blessing Awodibu began competing at the age of 18, finishing fourth in a regional bodybuilding contest. Reflecting on this, the bodybuilder said:
“I came in fourth and later discovered I should’ve been in the junior category. I received positive feedback from the judges and talked to Tony Freeman about improvements.”
After making the required improvements, Blessing entered the junior category in another RIBBF competition and won. Since then, Blessing has been going up the ranks, toppling many talented athletes along the way. Some of his major accomplishments include:
- 2x Arnold Champion
- 4x IFBB Overall Champion
- IFBB Pro Card – (2017) IFBB Diamond Cup Czech Republic overall winner
- 2021 New York Pro – 6th
- 2021 Indy Pro – 3rd
- 2022 Indy Pro – 1st
- 2022 New York Pro – 1st
Blessing "The Boogeyman" Awodibu is an even bigger star on social media - with 1.8 million followers on Instagram, and over 600k subscribers on YouTube, where he is famous for his funny sketches and humorous antics. Speaking about his social media presence, the star bodybuilder noted that:
“Social media is an extremely important, valuable tool to any athlete – especially a bodybuilder who’s hoping to do well in the industry in the future. The sport needs an influencer, a role model for both older and younger generations. Without social media, it’s nearly impossible to reach or communicate with these people.”
With two major victories in 2022 already, the 5'10" 240lb bodybuilder will be looking to make a memorable debut at the 2022 Mr. Olympia, which will take place at the beautiful Venetian Expo and Convention Center from December 15 to 18, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fans are excited to see how the bodybuilder will outdo his previous attempts!
