‘World’s Tallest Bodybuilder’ Olivier Richters Unveils His Training Split for Maximum Muscle Growth
If you've been tuning into the latest season of Reacher, you might have noticed a colossal presence guarding the gate—none other than Olivier Richters. This towering mass monster, known for his unparalleled height and impressive musculature, has captivated fans with his sheer size. To continuously build his powerful physique, Richters recently shared a breakdown of his meticulously crafted gym training splits.
Standing at an astonishing 7 feet 2 inches, Olivier Richters—familiarly dubbed The Dutch Giant—has been officially recognized in Eemnes, Netherlands, as the tallest bodybuilder on the planet. His towering stature and massive muscle density present unique challenges in maintaining proportionality and strength. His impressive physique has earned him a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records, solidifying his reputation as the world’s tallest competitive bodybuilder.
Despite the complexities of training with such a large frame, Richters remains laser-focused on hypertrophy and strength development. His blueprint for mass-building includes various strategic training splits designed to keep his body in a constant state of progression.
Olivier Richters Breaks Down His Training Splits
Over the years, Richters has experimented with multiple workout splits, each serving a specific role in his physique transformation. He highlights three primary training methodologies that have contributed to his monstrous gains.
Full-Body Split for Foundational Growth
At the onset of his bodybuilding journey, Richters relied on a full-body split to lay the groundwork for muscle development. This routine allowed him to target all major muscle groups in a single session, maximizing muscular adaptation and overall hypertrophy. By utilizing compound movements and progressive overload, this split created the foundation for his massive frame.
“The great thing about the human body is that it loves adapting but you have to give incentive for adapting. You go from a sitting chair at the office to the gym. so what I did in the beginning years is a full-body schedule. It was just one exercise per body part done in an hour.”
Upper/Lower Split for Time Efficiency & Recovery
As his training evolved, Richters transitioned to an upper/lower split, favoring its time efficiency and recovery benefits. By splitting his training sessions between upper and lower body muscle groups, he maintained a high training frequency while optimizing recovery. However, just like with his full-body approach, his body eventually adapted, signaling the need for another change to keep muscle growth stimulated.
“The problem is your body gets used to it and it recognizes patterns. It didn’t work anymore. It didn’t grow. What I did, I did my first split upper body, lower body. It was great because again, I did two exercises per muscle group because I had more time in the week.”
Bro Split for Precision and Intensity
Currently, Richters implements a classic Bro Split, strategically dividing his workouts into three intense sessions per week:
Monday: Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps
Wednesday: Leg Day – focusing on quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves
Friday: Back and Biceps
This targeted approach allows him to focus on individual muscle groups with maximum volume and intensity. Richters emphasizes the importance of training variation, urging lifters to continuously challenge their muscles to prevent adaptation and plateauing.
Through his carefully structured training splits, Olivier Richters continues to defy the odds, sculpting an awe-inspiring physique on a frame that most would consider too large for bodybuilding. His disciplined approach to training serves as an inspiration to those striving for extreme muscle growth and proportional aesthetics.
“The reason why this split worked very well is because the play field got a little bigger. I had more exercises to destroy a muscle group and give it incentive to grow. Also, a lot more sets for one muscle group.”
