When Brandon Curry won the Arnold Classic and Mr. Olympia title in 2019, he achieved a goal that most professional bodybuilders can only dream about.
And as a certified personal trainer, I wanted to immediately find out what his workout routine looked like.
Fortunately, there are many hours of videos, interviews, and social media posts that Brandon and his famous trainer, Charles Glass, have shared.
We also saw some great workout videos he did with Mr. Olympia Champion Chris Bumstead at Carbon Culture Gym.
And we managed to get some information on Brandon Curry's diet plan as well.
Quick Summary
- Brandon Curry's workout routine involves isolating one body part per day and training with heavy loads and tough movements five days a week.
- He targets most muscle groups with a mix of compound and isolation exercises, and that approach helped him win his first Arnold Classic after just seven years of training.
- To achieve similar results as Brandon Curry, you’ll also need to rely on a carefully planned diet and some important supplements.
Brandon Curry Stats
- Born: October 19, 1982
- Height: 5’8”
- Weight: 255 lbs.
- Waist: 34”
- Chest: 48”
Brandon Curry’s Workout Routine
Here is the workout routine we have pieced together after watching countless videos and interviews with Brandon Curry, some of which he did with Mr. Olympia Phil Heath.
View this post on Instagram
These were part of his training that led to him winning the Arnold Classic Ohio.
Monday: Shoulders
What surprised me with the “Brandon Curry” approach to working his shoulders is that he has chosen only four main exercises.
But he then does those with four sets each, and he throws in a few compound exercises to get more muscle strain in less time [1].
Here’s what’s in store:
- Dumbbell lateral raises (4 sets of 12–15 reps)
- Rear delt flys (4 sets of 12–15 reps)
- Dumbbell front raises (4 sets of 12–15 reps)
- Overhead shoulder press (4 sets of 12–15 reps)
Tuesday: Chest
You won’t get to look like Brandon Curry without paying a lot of attention to your chest muscles.
The great thing is that your pecs will respond extremely well to this routine, and you want to be sure that those last two reps bring you to failure.
Start digging in with these:
- Dumbbell chest flys (4 sets of 10–12 reps)
- Chest floor press machine (4 sets of 10–12 reps)
- Incline bench press (4 sets of 10–12 reps)
- Cable flys (4 sets of 10–12 reps)
- Close-grip bench press (4 sets of 10–12 reps)
Wednesday: Back
Because your back muscles are quite large and it’s not really possible to isolate individual ones, you need to make sure you load up the weights to make these exercises as effective as possible.
And you want to use a mix of machines and free weights:
- Lat pulldowns (3 sets of 10–12 reps)
- Seated T-bar rows (3 sets of 10–12 reps)
- Barbell shrugs (3 sets of 10–12 reps)
- Lying reverse flys (3 sets of 10–12 reps)
- Bent-over one-arm rows (3 sets of 10–12 reps)
Thursday: Legs
Brandon Curry paid a lot of attention to getting his exercise physiology right for training his legs for muscle building.
View this post on Instagram
The last thing you want is the lollipop effect of skinny legs with a bulky upper body.
Make sure you add these on a weekly basis:
- Lying leg curls (3 sets of 10–12 reps)
- Calf raises (3 sets of 20 reps)
- Back squats (3 sets of 10–12 reps)
- Leg extension (3 sets of 10–12 reps)
- Walking dumbbell lunges (3 sets of 10–12 reps)
- Romanian deadlift (3 sets of 10–12 reps)
Friday: Arms
You won’t get massive arms like Brandon Curry without a dedicated arm training and development day.
And to get that kind of physique, you need to focus entirely on your arms without combining the exercises with another body part:
- Preacher curls (3 sets of 12–15 reps)
- Triceps kickbacks (3 sets of 12–15 reps)
- Hammer curls (3 sets of 12–15 reps)
- Wrist curls (3 sets of 12–15 reps)
- Triceps cable pushdowns (3 sets of 12–15 reps)
Saturday/Sunday: Active Rest
Don’t believe for one second that Brandon Curry would sit on the couch all day on rest days.
Get out and do some walking, hiking, and even swimming to keep those sore muscles moving and in recovery mode.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for me. It’s been a long road—ups and downs, lots of expectation, but I can see the mountaintop. I’ve never been this close.”
- Brandon Curry
Other celebrity workout routines:
- Dolph Lundgren Workout Routine & Diet Plan
- Joseph Baena Workout Routine & Diet Plan
What’s His Diet Plan?
Brandon Curry's diet plan involves a high-protein and high-carb meal plan.
He maintains a simple diet of freshly prepared, healthy food and tries to get as many nutrients as possible throughout the day.
He also seems to avoid a post-workout meal, which can be important when training in the evening or when you want to extend your fasting time.
Let’s see what Brandon Curry eats on a typical day:
- Breakfast: Fresh fruit, whole grain toast with almond butter
- Snack: Protein shake or bar
- Lunch: Skinless chicken, rice, and sweet potatoes
- Snack: Nonfat frozen yogurt or nonfat jello pudding (Brandon Curry has a bit of a sweet tooth)
- Dinner: Lean beef or fish with sweet potatoes and a large bowl of salad
Brandon does allow an occasional cheat meal once a week.
But if you’re struggling to make significant progress, then I would avoid cheat meals until you start seeing results.
Does He Take Supplements?
Yes, Brandon Curry takes supplements to support his diet.
View this post on Instagram
If you’re planning to implement the Brandon Curry workout routine, then I would first suggest getting a high-quality pre-workout supplement for men.
These can be great for boosting your energy, strength, and endurance.
And you’ll also need some great protein shakes to give your muscles all the nutrients they need to bulk up and fully recover [2].
FAQs
Where Does Brandon Curry Workout?
Brandon Curry works out at the famous Oxygen Gym. He has mentioned in a few interviews that it’s his favorite place, but he also has a fully equipped gym at home for additional workouts.
How Big Are Brandon Curry's Arms?
Brandon Curry’s arms are 21 inches around the biceps peak. That’s bigger than most people's thighs and one of his biggest assets when it comes to competitive events.
Take a New Approach to Weight Training
You don’t have to be planning to enter the next Supernatural Bodybuilding Competition or Mr. Olympia to start with the Brandon Curry workout routine.
It’s still going to transform your physique and fitness levels.
The one thing you’ll need to consider with this workout is your protein intake:
We’ve tested dozens of products to find those that deliver all the essential amino acids to help boost your muscle protein synthesis and muscle recovery.
References:
- https://www.physio-pedia.com/Compound_Exercises
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24435468/
About The Author
You May Also Like
