Written by Big Al
16 July 2018

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Cedric McMillan's Delt, Back & Leg Workout

Increase Muscle Mass for an X-Frame

 

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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.”

 

Discuss Cedric McMillan in the No Bull Forum