As the 2025 Mr. Olympia winner, Derek Lunsford has become a leader in the bodybuilding industry, and his example was exemplified when the champion took his relative newcomer Josema “Beast” Munoz through a back workout that covered both muscles and mind.
Munoj, A Classic Division competitor from SpainHe entered his first Olympia in 2024 by placing sixth, and moved up his ranking to fourth in 2025, so the chance to get a workout and gain some knowledge from the current Mr. Olympia was not a chance to waste.
“For almost a decade of your life, you’ve been training,” Lunsford told Munoz. “You know how to train. You know how to come here and work out. You know, if your body feels good, go for it. You know, if something doesn’t feel good, change it.” So, with both individuals feeling good, the back workout began.
Derek Lunsford and Josema Beast’s Back Workout
- Seated Cable Lat Pulldown
- plate loaded high row
- vertical row machine
- seated middle cable row
How Derek Lunsford Structures His High-Volume Back Workouts
session started Champs Elysium Gym in St. Petersburg, FL, While Lunsford explained that he likes to work with about five sets in the beginning, but reduces it to two or three sets as he gets tired during the workout.
The first movement was the cable lat pulldown. This exercise blasts most of the muscles of the back, including the rhomboids, traps, deltoids, teres major and of course; Latissimus dorsi. With the back now suitably warmed up, they turned to the high row with plates loaded. It’s a unilateral machine that targets the upper back and lats. Lunsford wanted to highlight that elbow position is important in this move, making sure to bring the arms down so that the elbows are level with the thighs. “Make sure you stretch,” Champion encouraged.
The third exercise was the standing row machine. If your gym doesn’t have it, it can be repeated on a cable station. Either way, this is a solid exercise for building the back, engaging the core, and improving stabilization. “Chin up, chest up,” coached Lunsford, who is all about finding the mind-muscle connection.
To complete the workout, Lunsford explained that the purpose of the middle cable row was to get a squeeze at the top of the bridge, and to open up the muscle fibers as they provided one last pump to their back.
Derek Lunsford opens up about anxiety, success and staying focused
During the workout, Lunsford opened up and revealed that balancing her ambitions with the pressure of chasing success is a process that, if left unchecked, often fills her with anxiety. “You’re in the best shape,” Lunsford told the 25-year-old prospect earlier in the day. “So, just enjoy it and drive it until the wheels come off, man.”
The bond is now stronger, with Munoz even opening up to Lunsford that he will not be competing at the 2026 Olympia because he and his partner are expecting a child. But “The Beast” shared that he is strongly considering moving up to the open division in 2027. If that happens, these two gym buddies may one day share the stage as friendly rivals.
To watch the entire vlog via Derek Lunsford’s YouTube channel, watch below:
