Who is Derek Lunsford?
Mr. USA 2017, also known as Derek Lunsford, had a love of exercise from a young age.
He has always excelled in a competitive setting and during high school, he established himself as a powerful wrestler and soccer player.
Short Career of Derek Lunsford
Derek’s fitness path, however, changed once he graduated from high school. Wrestling wasn’t a sports Derek participated in while he was in college, where he studied.
Despite this, Derek was adamant that he would keep leading an active lifestyle. At this point, he learned about weight lifting.
At first, Derek struggled to advance, but everything changed when he met James Brown, his trainer, who started directing Derek in the proper direction.
Soon later, Derek ran upon legendary bodybuilders Jay Cutler and Phil Heath. Derek was driven to develop a physique like his heroes after being inspired by their amazing physiques.
He has achieved success on the bodybuilding stage because of his strength and tenacity, developing an incredible physique in the process.
In the NPC USA Championships in 2017, he achieved his peak and received his IFBB Pro Card, allowing him to soar to new heights in his bodybuilding career.
Here is Derek’s narrative.
Body Measurements of Derek Lunsford
| Full Name: | Derek Lunsford |
| HEIGHT: | 5’6″ (167.5cm) |
| WEIGHT: | 205 – 215lbs (88.5 – 93.0kg) |
| NATIONALITY: | American |
| PROFESSION: | IFBB Professional Bodybuilder, Sponsored Athlete |
| ERA: | 2010 |
Accomplishments
Career Accomplishments
- Professional bodybuilder in the IFBB
- Featured Athlete
Competition Background
2017
- IFBB Mr. Olympia: 212 Class – 5th place
- IFBB Tampa Pro: 212 Class – 1st place
- NPC USA Championships: Men’s Light Heavyweight – 1st place
2016
- NPC USA Championships: Men’s Middleweight – 2nd place
- NPC Junior Nationals: Men’s Middleweight – 1st place
2015
- NPC Junior Nationals: Men’s Welterweight – 1st place
- NPC Indianapolis Championship: Men’s Open Welterweight – 1st place
Biography
Derek’s Beginnings In Sports
Derek Lunsford, who was born and raised in Petersburg, Indiana, laid the groundwork for a healthy lifestyle throughout his boyhood.
When he was younger, Derek had a history in athletics and participated frequently in team sports like soccer and wrestling.
But since wrestling wasn’t offered at the college he planned to attend, Derek had to bid his days of competing in the sport farewell.
This caused his fitness journey to start going differently. At that time, Derek decided to focus on the weight room instead.
To add to the power and stamina he had gained as a wrestler, Derek started working out regularly at the gym throughout his time in college.
However, he initially struggled in his efforts to gain lean muscle. This was due to his lack of training direction and inadequate nutritional knowledge.
But all of that started to change one day. This is when Derek first met James Brown, his trainer, who gave him all the advice he required to achieve his fitness objectives.
From that point on, Derek’s newly acquired fitness knowledge allowed him to advance quickly.
Making Headway
Derek made significant development in a short period thanks to his dedication and consistency in the gym. During this time, Derek continued to develop the muscular physique he had acquired via wrestling.
However, after watching a motivating YouTube video about bodybuilders, Derek’s love of the sport was further fueled.
Derek set out to construct a superb physique in the image of his bodybuilding heroes Phil Heath and Jay Cutler after being inspired by their outstanding physiques.
Derek immediately learned that he wanted to emulate his fitness role models after making improvements in the weight room. Derek then resolved to compete in the bodybuilding scene.
Bodybuilding Competition
2015 saw Derek make his debut appearance in a contest. At the NPC Indianapolis Championship, he competed and won the Men’s Open Welterweight division.
Derek’s competitive bodybuilding career started to take shape after this point. Derek kept moving ahead as a result of his outstanding performance, aiming to top it in his upcoming challenge.
Derek showed he had a ton of potential on the bodybuilding stage by winning the Men’s Welterweight division at the 2015 NPC Junior Nationals.
By 2017, Derek has won the IFBB Pro Card for placing first in the Men’s Light Heavyweight division at the NPC USA Championships.
A week later, at the IFBB Tampa Pro, he swept to victory in the Men’s 212 Class division. As a result, Derek was able to enter the 2017 Mr. Olympia, where he placed fifth in the 212-pound division.
Today’s Derek Lunsford
Derek was astounded by how far he had progressed in his fitness in such a short period. Following the receipt of his IFBB Pro Card, Derek successfully established himself as a bodybuilder.
Fitness businesses took notice of him as a result of his success in his competitive bodybuilding career. Derek soon attained the status of the sponsored athlete. He was given the chance to advance in his fitness career thanks to this.
Additionally, Derek makes sure that his drive is strong so that he may expand on his stellar bodybuilding results. He says the following to favorably encourage people to experience success on par with his:
“My long-term objective is to lead the bodybuilding sector! I want to serve as a role model for other young competitors in the same way that I was for them.
Training
Building Up
All of Derek’s workouts start with isolated exercises like bicep curls or chest flyes. He normally performs 2-4 sets of at least 15 repetitions while utilizing a lightweight. His muscles can warm up, as a result, preparing them for hefty lifts.
Derek’s method of warming up helps him avoid injuries that frequently occur in the weight room as a result of improper muscle warming.
Large Lifting
Derek performs complex lifts like squats, deadlifts, and the bench press after he has finished his isolation sets.
He employs a heavyweight with a small range of repetitions for these movements, enabling him to experience the greatest amount of muscle contraction with each repeat.
However, Derek stresses the value of using a proper form rather than attempting to lift weights that are too heavy for him. About this, he asserts the following:
“Never give up shape for size. That is what separates the bodybuilder who perseveres for years from the one who experiences repeated injuries.
Making Use Of Drop sets And Supersets
Throughout his workouts, Derek frequently uses drop sets and supersets. Derek can continuously add lean muscle mass by doing activities near to one another. Derek can also lift weights until his muscles are completely exhausted by using drop sets.
Nutrition
Derek Lunsford has a strict diet and eats around every two to three hours, trying to acquire 50 to 60 grams of protein at each meal.
Derek experimented with various diet plans before settling on this one as the way to eat to achieve all of his fitness objectives.
Derek also makes careful to get all the macronutrients he requires each day. This facilitates muscle growth while also allowing him to recuperate fast from his demanding workouts.
The following is a list of some of the things that Derek typically eats as part of his diet:
Dietary Requirements Of Derek Lunsford
Protein
- Chicken
- Egg Whites
- Fish
Healthy Fats
- Egg Yolks
- Almonds
- Avocado
- Coconut Oil
Other Foods
- Rice
- Mixed Vegetables
Influences And Idols
James Brown, Derek’s trainer, had a big influence on how far Derek advanced in his bodybuilding profession early on. With James’ direction and counsel, Derek made significant gains in the weight room and developed a fantastic physique.
Derek Lunsford also has a tremendous deal of respect for the bodybuilding legends Jay Cutler, Phil Heath, and Jose Raymond.
Derek wants to be as successful in his career as they are due to their amazing physiques and accomplishments on the bodybuilding scene.
Derek is motivated by people who have found success in fields other than bodybuilding, though. Derek said this about it:
“I’ve always admired successful people in general, not just those in bodybuilding, from all areas of life. I’m motivated to work hard to achieve the same success as people who have done so.
What Derek Lunsford Can Teach Us?
Throughout high school, Derek Lunsford participated in wrestling and played soccer, which served as the beginning of his fitness adventure. But after he began college, he understood that bodybuilding was his genuine vocation.
Since then, his fitness adventure to establish himself on the bodybuilding scene has gone from strength to strength. In the process, he put a lot of effort into his gym workouts and developed an amazing physique.
If Derek has taught us anything, it’s that maintaining consistency is essential for developing a terrific physique. You too can achieve all of your fitness goals, just like Derek, by adopting a similar method.