In the series of Mr. Olympia workout programs, I’ll share a training plan inspired by 2018 champion Shawn Rhoden.
Shawn Flexatrone Rhoden became Mr Olympia in 2018 after beating 5 times winner Phil Heath.
Unfortunately, Shawn passed away in 2022 (in his 40s) due to a heart attack but he left his legacy forever.
Inspired by his training style, I’ve created a weekly workout plan using his videos, which are available on YouTube.
This program involves training six times weekly with 4 sessions for the upper body and 2 for the lower body.
- Monday: Chest Workout
- Tuesday: Leg Workout
- Wednesday: Back Workout
- Thursday: Shoulder Workout
- Friday: Leg Workout
- Saturday: Arms Workout
Shawn’s abdominal workout videos are not available, so you’re not seeing any mention of abs. However, I’ve incorporated some abs exercises into shoulder, hamstring, and arm day training.
Let’s uncover the exercise routine.
Shawn Rhoden Inspired Workout Plan for Bodybuilding
| Sessions/Week | 6 |
| Duration/session | 1.5-2 hours |
| Exercise Type | Resistance Workout |
| Program Goal | Strength & Muscle Building |
| Training Level | Intermediate |
| Target Gender | Male |
Monday – Chest Workout
| Exercises | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Pullover (warm-up) | 2-3 | 12-16 |
| Flat/Incline Bench Press | 4-5 | 10-15 |
| Incline Dumbbell Flies | 4-5 | 10-12 |
| Seated Hammer Chest Press | 4-5 | 10-15 |
| Seated Cable Chest Fly | 4-5 | 10-15 |
Tuesday – Leg Workout
| Exercises | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Unilateral Leg Extension (warm-up) | 2-3 | 15/leg |
| Back Squat | 4 | 15, 12, 10, 8 |
| Leg Press | 4 | 10-12 |
| Single-leg Lateral Press | 3 | 10/side |
| Machine Front Squat | 3 | 10-15 |
| Seated Machine Hip Abduction | 3 | 12-15 |
Wednesday – Back Workout
| Exercises | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Cable Lat Pullover (warm-up) | 3-4 | 12-18 |
| Seated Cable Rowing | 3-4 | 10-15 |
| Medium Neutral Grip Pulldown | 3-4 | 10-15 |
| Machine Lat Pulldown | 3-4 | 10-12 |
| Bent-forward T-Bar Row | 3-4 | 10-12 |
| Incline Prone Machine Row | 3-4 | 10-12 |
Thursday – Shoulder Workout
| Exercises | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Machine Lateral Raises | 2-3 | 10-15 |
| Upright Row | 3-4 | 8-12 |
| Seated Squeeze DB Press | 3-4 | 10-12 |
| Incline Prone Lateral Raises | 3-4 | 10/side |
| Chest-Supported Machine Overhead Press | 3-4 | 10-15 |
| Seated Cable Crunches | 3-4 | 20-30 |
| Hanging Knee Raises | 3-4 | 15-20 |
Friday – Leg Workout
| Exercises | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Lying Leg Curl | 3-4 | 10-15 |
| Standing Single-leg Curl | 3-4 | 8-12 |
| Seated Leg Curl | 3-4 | 10-12 |
| Romanian Hack Squat | 3-4 | 10-12 |
| Dumbbell Sumo Squat | 3-4 | 10-15 |
| High-to-low Cable Chop | 3-4 | 15/side |
Saturday – Arms Workout
| Exercises | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Rope Pushdown | 3 | 12-15 |
| Alternating DB Hammer Curl | 3 | 8/arm |
| Reverse Grip Pushdown | 3 | 12-15 |
| Nautilus Curl | 3 | 12-15 |
| 1-arm Cable Curl w/ D-Handle | 3 | 10/arm |
| Cable Side Bend | 3 | 15/side |
| Decline Bench Sit-ups | 4 | 15-20 |
Who Can Follow This Program?
Anyone looking to build strength and muscle mass can follow this program. However, new lifters should avoid it as it involves plenty of reps and sets will take 90 minutes to 2 hours to complete all the exercises, making it challenging for beginners and overweight individuals.
If you’re a newbie, check out the following routines before starting this program:
