Reflect, relax, recuperate, rejuvenate: That sums up the reprieve from the daily grind of training and dieting, and that is Andre Ferguson’s off-season. And by the sounds of the 2019 Olympia Physique runner-up’s post-O Vegas celebration, Ferguson could’ve possibly added another R to his repertoire: regurgitate.
“We went to this Italian restaurant at the Encore—me, some of my sponsors, and my homies. My bill alone came close to, like, $600. No alcohol. Just food. Octopus was the main course, and then everything else was pasta.”
Now that the 2020 season is upon Ferguson, his massive refueling session is coming to a close, and luckily so. “I got up to 210 pounds,” he says, laughing. “Normally I can wear a size large in most things. This year, I had to bump up to an XL. I have two sets of clothes—off-season clothes and in-season clothes.”
The two-time Arnold Classic physique champion is back in full force, working on a new set of 2020 goals, which are quite similar to his goals of the year prior: winning another Arnold Classic and then dethroning champion Raymont Edmonds and earning his first Olympia Physique title.
“Besides the Olympia, we’re only doing two shows this year: I’m going for the Arnold threepeat. Plus, they finally added a men’s physique to Arnold Australia. So it’s going to be two weekends of Arnold, then I’m sitting until the Olympia.”
Sitting a little longer this season may do a bit of good for Ferguson, especially his injured shoulders. While looking full and thick on the outside—thanks to his tried-and-true shoulder routine (on the following slides)—Ferguson suffers from a torn labrum following a car accident several years ago.
“I’ve been going to physical therapy,” he says. “I got into a car accident around 2007 or 2008.
After seeing a physical therapist, I found out it was fully torn. They told me the partial tear might heal by itself, but it never did, and now it’s fully torn. But I was told that as long as I keep everything around it strong, it shouldn’t be a problem. But once I stop bodybuilding, I’m going to have to go get surgery or else I’ll have arthritis in the joint.”
Whatever his 2020 results may be, and as long as his shoulders treat him well, Ferguson will keep pressing until he reaches Olympia gold.
“It’s still fun,” he says. “I’m 35, and I can go to 40—I’m still really good. George Brown’s 38 and he’s No. 9 in the world. I’m 35 and I’m No. 2. So I know I have at least till I’m 38 to be at the top.”
Ferguson says: “To me, lateral raises are the single best shoulder exercise beside shoulder presses, because the lateral head is what makes you look the widest. So when you’re looking for width in the physique, the side delt is the one that you need the most. I literally have five different ways I do them, but the standard way—just putting your pinkies up at top—is probably the best way.”
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Chris Nicoll
Cable Lateral Raise
Perform 4-5 sets of 8-12 reps
Ferguson says: “I like cable lateral raises as a finishing exercise in my shoulder routine. These work best toward the end of your workout because by then your shoulders have become fatigued from the heavier shoulder movements earlier in your workout. By performing lateral raises with cables, you really don’t have to worry about jerking any dead weight up and down as you would if you were doing these with dumbbells. Using cables allows you to control the weight better.”
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Chris Nicoll
Upright Row
Perform 4-5 sets of 8-12 reps
Ferguson says: “I love uprights—I especially prefer doing them with dumbbells. I feel that when I use dumbbells, I feel the movement less in my traps. Plus I’m also able to go heavier with dumbbells—I can put a 50-pound dumbbell in each hand and bang out reps and still feel it in my delts. But if I’m doing 100 pounds with a barbell, I’m recruiting a lot of other muscles—too many other muscles. For me to do 100 pounds with the bar, I’m bringing in back muscles, everything but just my shoulders—which is my objective. But with dumbbells, I’m no longer not recruiting the other muscles.”
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Chris Nicoll
Reverse Lat Pulldown and Shoulder Press (not shown)
Perform 4-5 sets of 8-12 reps
Ferguson says: “I got this one from Cedric McMillan years ago. I use the reverse lat pulldown as a rear-delt exercise. You’re leaning on the lat pulldown in reverse, putting your shoulder blades on the pad. From there you’re just pulling that bar to the bridge of your nose. So when you’re pulling that straight bar to your nose, you’re forcing the elbows back. So all you have to do is keep your elbows up and force them back, and that will engage your rear delts. It’s basically another version of a face-pull.”
Shoulder Press (Not Shown)
Perform 4-5 sets of 8-12 reps
Ferguson says: “I start off my workout with shoulder presses. But because of my torn right labrum, I can’t do these with dumbbells or barbells, so I do them with either Smith or Hammer machines.”
