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Chris Dickerson Workout

Chris Dickerson Bodybuilding Workout Routine

"To be a truly great champion you must be so dedicated that the sport becomes woven into the warp and woof of your life"
Chris Dickerson - 1981

Chris Dickerson was not just a Mr Olympia champion that travelled extensively and competed in over 50 different countries during a bodybuilding career that lasted well over 30 years. Chris is no ordinary athlete and has a successful athletic career together with a degree in music and he is an extremely well accomplished opera singer.

Chris was born August 25, 1939 in Montgomery, Alabama USA. The first bodybuilding competition he entered was in 1965 where he took third place at that year's Mr Long Beach competition. He then started training with Mr Universe, Bill Pearl which led him to be the first African-American to win the AAU Mr America, plus being the oldest IFBB Mr Olympia winner contest at 43 years old. In 2000 he was inducted into IFBB Hall of Fame.

Chris believes in training to the point of muscle failure, but would never train less than 6 reps in a normal cycle during the year. Like any other Olympian athlete Chris used strict form at all times, sticking very closely to a specific tempo that would vary depending on his next competition date, still today Chris keeps his body-fat below 10%.

You will see from the workout that is listed below that Chris strongly believed in training to the point of failure and went all the way down to 6 reps using the heaviest weight that he could. Below is a copy of the routine Chris used to prepare for the Mr USA competition held in 1968.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday:
Abs work used as warm-up:
1. Twisting Leg Raises 1 set of 50 reps each side
2. Hip Rolls 1 set of 50 reps each side
3. Double Leg Cross-overs 1 set of 50 reps each side
4. Twisting Sit-ups 1 set of 50 reps each side
5. Leg Raises off 1 set of 100 reps
6. Bent Knee Leg Raises 1 set of 100 reps
7. Seated Military Press 4 sets of 6 reps
8. Lying Rear-delt Circles 4 sets of 6 reps
9. Standing D/B Presses 4 sets of 6 reps
10. Lying Rear Delt Raise 4 sets of 6 reps
11. One Arm D/B Rowing 4 sets of 6 reps
12. Close Grip Chins 4 sets of 10 reps
13. High Pulley Rowing 4 sets of 6 reps
14. Lat Pull downs 4 sets of 6 reps
15. Incline Barbell Prones 4 sets of 6 reps
16. D/B Incline Laterals 4 sets of 6 reps
17. Bench Press 4 sets of 6 reps
18. Bent Arm Laterals 4 sets of 6 reps

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday:
1. Twisting Good Mornings 1 set of 100 reps to each side
2. 3/4 Dumbbell Side Bends 1 set of 50 reps each side
3. Kneeling Back Kicks 1 set of 100 reps each leg
4. 3/4 Barbell Side Bends 1 set of 100 reps each side
5. Incline Hip Raise 1 set of 100 each side
6. D/B or Pulley Triceps Ext 4 sets of 6 reps
7. Parallel Bar Dips 4 sets of 6 reps
8. Seated French Curls 4 sets of 6 reps
9. Triceps Pull downs 4 sets of 6 reps
10. Leg Extensions 4 sets of 6 reps
11. Front Squats 4 sets of 6 reps
12. Thigh Bicep Curls 4 sets of 6 reps
13. Hack Squats 4 sets of 6 reps
14. E-Z Bar Standing Curls 4 sets of 6 reps
15. Seated D/B Curls 4 sets of 6 reps
16. Incline D/B Curls 4 sets of 6 reps
17. Concentration Curls 4 sets of 6 reps

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