Flex Wheeler Training Principles

IFBB legend Kenneth ‘Flex’ Wheeler ranks at or near the top as the greatest bodybuilder who didn’t win the Mr. Olympia. His muscle mass, symmetry, and posing ability made him an uncrowned Olympia champion. Continuing to be a fan favorite, Flex’s bodybuilding career inspired many of the top athletes in the current age of bodybuilding.

While Flex may have retired from professional bodybuilder, he is certainly not retired from the fitness industry. Today, this bodybuilding legend spends his time sharing the weight training and nutrition wisdom that helped him get to the top. Not only does he help the top ranking pro bodybuilder, but also spends time with the up-and-coming talent.

Flex has worked with the top athletes such as the world’s strongest bodybuilder Stan Efferding and YouTube celebrity Jujimufu. What made the Flex Wheeler training principles so special? We will explore six of his principles applied to his clients as well as his own workout programs.

The Sultan of Symmetry

Flex was known for his fantastic conditioning and as his career grew he distributed muscle mass evenly across his body. During the strength of his career, there was not a weak point worth mentioning.

Flex was known for…

• A thick and striated back
• Massive shoulder caps
• A bulging chest
• Full triceps bellies
• Long yet tall biceps
• Trunks for legs

Like Mike Mentzer with his Heavy Duty and high intensity training, Flex had his own set of bodybuilding training principles that helped develop such massive muscles. There has been little said about his training philosophy, which is a shame. His teachings reveal a lot of secrets missed in bodybuilding programs today.

It took a unique approach to make all the muscles in his body stand out. Flex’s unique training principles helped to ensure that no body part (or muscle fiber) would be left behind.

Flex Wheeler Training Principles

Principle #1: Lots of Reps

Flex loved high rep sets. Perhaps inspired by his martial arts training, where you must perform thousands of reps to master the skill. It appears flex took transitioned this approach from being a martial artist to competitive bodybuilding. While there are differences from fighting and physique competitions, there are certainly many lessons that prepared Flex for the journey of becoming an elite bodybuilder.

It doesn’t matter if it was a barbell, dumbbell, cable or machine exercise. Flex loved the high reps to drive blood into the muscle. Flex’s workout would have rep ranges going up to 20 for each set. There is nothing as grueling as the lactic acid buildup for the final reps of a high rep set.

Research Dr. Brad Schoenfeld questioned the belief that 6-12 reps is best for a muscle building hypertrophy training. His lab found you can build muscle with both lower and higher rep ranges.

Leg Workout Example

Leg Press: 5 sets x 12 reps

Hack Squat: 5 sets 15 reps

Barbell Squat: 5 sets 18 reps

Leg Extension: 5 sets 20 reps

Reps that reach the range of muscular endurance still positively affect muscle growth while working the aerobic system. Performed correctly, they can be an asset to a bodybuilding hypertrophy program.

Principle #2: Lots of Volume

Strength training to build muscle can be as simple as barbell bench, squats, and deadlifts. However, it requires a variety of exercises to build a physique like Flex Wheeler. It is this volume that took helped take him from an NPC stand out to a threat as an IFBB professional bodybuilder.

It requires a strong diet plan to ensure you reach enough volume in a workout. A lack of proper nutrition with a high volume strength training program is a recipe for disaster.

Over-training is a common practice in the gym today, so ensuring that we consume enough of each macronutrient can mean the difference between being good and reaching greatness.

Once the diet plan meets the caloric needs to handle a higher amount of volume, you can add accessory exercises to develop the many muscles of the body.

Chest Workout Example

Barbell Bench Press: 5 x 12 reps

Decline Smith Machine Bench Press: 5 x 15

Incline Dumbbell Chest Press: 5 x 18 reps

Cable Crossovers: 5 x 20

Principle #3: Lots of Angles

Adding volume is one method people used to bring up a lagging body part. Flex used it to make sure he had no lagging body parts when it was showtime. Adding the right amount of volume can increase muscle gains.

One consistent theme among flex’s workout program is that he attacked the back from lots of angles. This may have developed through his years of being trained by contest prep coach and American IFBB professional bodybuilder Charles Glass.

Together they maximized each exercise and its variations. They even created alternative versions of exercises that only creative and educated minds could come up with. This led to the development of muscle tissue that had a new look in both quality and distribution of mass.

It is this training style that ultimately led to the development of Flex Wheeler’s Back Widow. This fitness tool helps add many positions to lat pulldown and landmine row variations.

Example Tricep Workout

Seated Overhead Triceps Press: 2 sets x 12 reps (with dumbbell), 2 sets x 12 reps (with angled bar), 2 sets x 12 reps (with straight bar)

Lying Triceps Press: 2 sets x 15 reps (narrow grip with straight bar), 2 sets x 14 reps (mid grip with straight bar), 2 sets x 15 reps (mid grip supinated with straight bar)

Cable Triceps Pressdown: 2 sets x 18 reps (with rope), 2 sets x 18 reps (pronated grip with straight bar), 2 sets x 18 reps (supinated grip with straight bar)

Bench Dips: 5 sets x 20 reps

Principle #4: Keeping the Workout Rhythm

Researchers have found value in a slow negative portion of the rep. Many believe that by increasing the time under tension during the eccentric portion of the lift can cause more micro trauma to the muscle fibers. This should lead to a greater increase in muscle mass.

However, research is not the end all be all, especially for the art of bodybuilding. Flex believes in keeping a rhythm when you workout, which could very well lead to a flow state where a better overall performance in the gym takes place.

Resistance training needs both science and real world practical application. When we take both into perspective, we can make the best decision for us personally. This could be why the most rhythmic exercise in the gym, the “alternating bicep curl” continues to live on today.

Example Bicep Workout

Alternating Bicep Curl: 5 x 12 reps (1:1) tempo

Preacher Curls: 5 x 15 reps (1:2) tempo:

Arm Blaster V-Bar Bicep Curls: 5 x 18 reps (1:1) tempo

Concentration Curls: 5 x 20 reps (1:1) tempo

Principle #5: Engaging the muscle

One key to Flex’s physique was activating the muscle before the movement. This small trick activates the mind muscle connection and creates an added focus on the muscle being worked.

There is nothing worse in a bodybuilding workout than finishing a set without feeling the muscle. This pre engaged muscle activation eliminates the possibility of a wasted set.

Example Back Workout

Wide Grip Lat Pulldown: 5 sets x 12 reps

Hanging Smith Machine Deadlift: 5 sets x 15 reps

Neutral Grip T-Bar Row: 5 sets x 18 reps

Narrow Grip Straight Row: 5 sets x 20 reps

“It’s less about how much weight you move and more about how well you move the weight.” – Flex Wheeler. Pre-engaging the muscle ensures the weight moves well.

Principle #6: Literally Feel the Muscle

One way to gain an even stronger mind muscle connection is to touch the muscle being exercised.

Unilateral exercises are a great way to feel the muscle during an upper body exercise. You can also use this strategy for lower body movements where your hands are free. When it isn’t possible to feel the muscle yourself, having a spotter available can do the trick.

Between Set Stretches

What could be a controversial tip is Flex’s between set stretch technique? Most understand and agree that static stretching reduces the muscles short-term strength. But here is why it is a part of Flex’s mass building program.

1. Flex recommends a brief static hold between sets lasting 15 seconds. While this is technically a static hold, it is brief enough to prevent.

2. A slightly weaker muscle is not necessarily a bad thing when the purpose is muscle hypertrophy. If it was, then drop sets, supersets, and giant sets would also be a waste of time.

3. Gentle stretch of the fascia allows for blood flow.

4. Maintains the mind muscle connection on the body part being worked.

While this is a comprehensive list, it is not the end all be all. We are certain that IFBB legend Flex Wheeler has more wisdom and insights into training that we will provide in future articles.

Want IFBB legend Flex Wheeler as your training partner? Well, even if he can’t be there with you in person, you can still feel his presence.

His years of weight training and bodybuilding competitions gave him the ambition to create his own fitness product based on his lessons learned in the trenches.

Flex Wheeler has a new app where you can train with the sultan of symmetry and directly apply his principles to your training program.