'%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)
Breon Ansley,a former two-time Classic Physique champion, is focusing on bringing his best physique ever to the 2022 Olympia stage. Popularly referred to as "The Black Swan," Breon is the epitome of the classic physique—round muscular bellies, perfect insertions, and impeccable posing technique.
The 43-year-old Breon Ansley has a plethora of wins under his belt, both in the Classic Physique and 212 Divisions. Some of his major accomplishments are listed below:
- 2014 IFBB New York Pro, 16th
- 2014 IFBB Europa Phoenix, 15th
- 2016 NPC Prestige Crystal Cup, 1st
- 2016 IFBB Mr. Olympia Classic Physique, 4th
- 2017 IFBB New York Pro Classic Physique, 1st
- 2017 IFBB Mr. Olympia Classic Physique, 1st
- 2018 Arnold Classic USA, 1st
- 2018 IFBB Mr. Olympia Classic Physique, 1st
- 2019 IFBB Mr. Olympia Classic Physique, 2nd
- 2019 Yamamoto Pro Cup Classic Physique, 1st
- 2020 IFBB Mr. Olympia Classic Physique, 3rd
- 2021 IFBB Mr. Olympia Classic Physique, 3rd
- 2022 Arnold Classic USA, 4th
The third-place finishes in 2020 and 2021 have fired up Breon, who revealed earlier this month in a workout with Mike O'Hearn that he would be bringing the biggest biceps and triceps to this year's Olympia.
Breon Ansley recently hinted at a potential move to the 212 Division. However, he is training hard to recapture his crown at the 2022 Olympia, which will take place at the Zappos Theater inside the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino from December 15 to 18 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
On October 26, Breon uploaded a video on his YouTube channel, providing an exclusive look at his training regimen and thoughts regarding his current Olympia prep. Taking his fans through the intricacies of a chest and back workout, Breon proved why he is considered one of the best bodybuilders of the current era.
Breon Ansley Crushes Chest and Back Workout
The workout was filmed in Breon's favorite gym—the famed Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach, California. Despite the 45-minute journey to get to the gym, Breon feels that the vibe and atmosphere of Gold's Gym is unparalleled and rightly so, having earned the title "The Mecca of Bodybuilding" over the years.
At the beginning of the video, Breon Ansley reveals that his focus is on adding chest and back thickness. Despite having the best back in Classic Physique, he has no plans of slowing down:
“We want our back to be (really thick) when it’s all said and done. Then we’re going to work a little bit on the chest too, refining the chest…,” Ansley said.
Breon followed the rest-pause method, focusing on digging deep and concentrating on every muscle contraction. He explains how rest-pause training gives more detail and separation to the muscles while also improving endurance.
Close-Grip Seated Row
Breon Ansley kicked off the workout with close-grip seated rows. It is a time-tested exercise that hits the lats as well as the upper back muscles. Using zero ego lifting, Breon focused on the mind–muscle connection and contraction. He also found time to interact and take pictures with his fans. After performing a few sets with incremental weights, Breon moved on to the next back movement.
Low Row
The low row targets the lower lats in particular and the lats (latissimus dorsi), rhomboids, and middle and lower trapezius. He performed a couple of heavy sets, finishing with five plates on each side of the machine.
Hammer Strength Chest-Supported Row
It is an effective back exercise, and it targets the whole back while preventing lower back fatigue. Ansley did a few sets on the hammer strength machine, focusing on the contraction and training until failure.
One-Arm Bent-Over Dumbbell Row
Breon Ansley wrapped up his back training with the classic one-arm dumbbell row. One of the best movements for back development, it also hits your rear delts, core, and upper arms. Going up to 130 lb dumbbells, he used minimal momentum on the movement.
Smith Machine Incline Bench Press
Breon began his chest workout with an incline movement for better focus on the upper chest. Training to near-failure, Breon did a few sets of the movement, going up to three plates per side.
“Let’s go rest-pause it. Get how much we can get! These rest-pauses are dig-deep sets right here. These are dig-deep sets!”
Breon also dropped some elite level knowledge for his fans, explaining the two different styles of training for muscle quality:
“We have two different styles of training that give us quality. That’s failure—drop sets, supersets, and volume training. And then we also have a rest-pause style where we work with heavier weights, and we continue to do however many reps of the same heavy weights as we can with minimal rest in between… Those are the two best styles in my opinion for quality.”
Hammer Strength Incline Chest Press
Hitting an incline movement again, Breon performed the rest-pause method again, with three-and-a-half plates on each side.
Dual Cable Cross Machine
Breon Ansley ended the workout with cable crossovers. They are not only great chest builders but also leave you with a nasty pump for hours. He performed a few quality sets, controlling the weight slowly and focusing on activating every muscle fiber.
Overall, Breon Ansley's workout for the day comprised the following exercises:
Back Workout
- Close-Grip Seated Row
- Low Row
- Hammer Strength Chest Supported Rows
- One Arm Bent Over Dumbbell Row
Chest Workout
- Smith Machine Incline Bench Press
- Hammer Strength Incline Chest Press
- Dual Cable Cross Machine
Breon Ansley is one of the most popular athletes in the Classic Division. He looks forward to taking down reigning champion Chris Bumstead this year. With the Classic Physique getting saturated with top-notch athletes like Urs Kalecinski, Terence Ruffin, Wesley Vissers, and Ramon Rocha Querioz, the 2022 Olympia is sure to be a nail-biting event.
