Cedric McMillan’s Delt, Back and Leg Workout
Cedric McMillan's Delt, Back & Leg Workout
Increase Muscle Mass for an X-Frame
2017 Arnold Classic champion Cedric McMillan has one of the best X-frames in bodybuilding, with an aesthetically pleasing physique that packs 255+ pounds of proportionate and flowing aesthetic muscle on his At 6’1” frame. Can Cedric’s overall look and presentation bring back bodybuilding’s golden era? It looks that way, as he has become the poster boy for a return to past values by no less a figure than Schwarzenegger, who stated at a previous Arnold Classic that Cedric was what a bodybuilder should look like. In this exclusive online training feature, Cedric tells us how he improved key areas like shoulders, back and legs, all while maintaining a waistline you would expect on a man of 165 pounds.
Back Routine
Pulldowns or Pull-ups
3 sets x 12 - 20 reps
Seated Cable Rows or Barbell Rows
3 sets x 12 reps
Left Lat One-arm Seated Incline Cable Pulldowns
2 or 3 sets x 12-20 reps
Cedric explains: “My left side is a bit smaller than my right, so I do these every other workout. Put an incline bench in front of a high pulley with the back of the bench toward the pulley. Use a ring to grip with the weak arm. Sit on the bench. The pulley should pull your arm up and toward the back. Then you execute a variation of a one-arm pulldown.”
Shoulder Routine
Side Lateral Raises
3 sets x 30 reps
Cedric: “Use a weight that has to be ‘rest-paused’ in this manner— 12-18, 5, 5, 3, 3, 1, 1 reps. Sometimes I use a weight that has to be rest-paused more than what I listed, in order to get around 30 reps.”
Steering Wheels (created by Rich Gaspari)
2 sets x 25-40 reps
Cedric: “I do 20 reps to each side, which makes 40 reps. A 45-pound plate is held with arms down and hands on either side. As it’s raised, the plate is rotated 90 degrees, so in the top position (arms parallel to the floor) one hand is on top and the other is on the bottom. The direction of rotation (left hand on top or right hand on top) is alternated with each rep.”
Dumbbell Presses
2 triple drop sets x 12 reps each
Dumbbell Partial Side Lateral Raises
2 sets x 35 reps
Cedric: “Rest-paused if needed— remember this is a very partial movement, like 4-6 inches, and remember to squeeze each rep for a split second.”
Rear Delt Dumbbell Swings
1 set x 60 reps
Cedric: “Lying on an incline bench, grab two heavy dumbbells and do 60 reps like a swing from the start position to about 12 inches outward.”
Rear Delt Dumbbell Partial Raises
1 set x 30 reps
Rear Delt Dumbbell Raises
1 set x 10 reps, squeezing each contraction
Leg Routine
Quads
3 Giants Sets of:
Leg Extensions
12-20 reps to failure
Leg Press
12-20 reps to failure
Walking Lunges
40 steps
Cedric: “No additional weight— this allows me to do the reps slow, and focus on the quads.”
Leg Extensions
1 set x 20 reps
Hams
Seated Leg Curls, Stiff-leg Deadlifts
Superset 3 sets x 12 reps
Single-Leg, Lying Leg Curls
2 sets x 20 reps
Training Split*
1. Shoulders
2. Quads
3. Back/traps
4. Chest
5. Arms
6. Hams
Calves are done every third day.
*Cedric: “I will plug my rest days in whenever I felt like I needed it— say, for example, I wasn’t able to sleep or eat properly due to work demands.”
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