Blog
Robert Oberst Addresses Steroids in Recent Video
Robert Oberst talk about steroid usage.
Popular strongman Robert Oberst recently spoke openly on the subject of steroid usage. The long time competitor touched on the subject in a recent YouTube video.
The usage of anabolic steroids in competitive endeavors has always been a touchy subject to address. After all, many believe that the use of steroids is equivalent to cheating. If there’s one thing fans hate it’s a cheater. Yet in certain sporting endeavors the idea of utilizing anabolic substances is par for the course. Essentially it’s a no brained to use steroids in bodybuilding and even in powerlifting. There are even strongman competitors who have admitted to using anabolic substances to with their performance.
When you compete at the highest levels of any sport the idea of losing can be terrifying. For that very reason many athletes seek out any kind of advantage in order to win. For many that means taking performance enhancing drugs.
Oberst’s Addresses Steroids
Long time strongman competitor Robert Oberst has been a staple in the scene for years. Oberst has been consistently competing for so long that inevitably the question of whether or not he’s used anabolic substances has arose. In a recent Instagram post Oberst teased addressing whether he’s took anabolic substances to help push his progress.
For a decade people have been asking me day in and day out about NATTY OR NOT?!?! It’s time we peel back the curtain and open up!!
Do you think it’s time we open Pandora’s box?
In a recent video on his YouTube channel Robert Oberst touched on the subject further. He opts to refer to the substance as “hormones” or “testosterone” rather than steroids or anabolic substances. Why exactly isn’t clear. What is clear is the statement he issued about why performance enhancers are utilized by athletes.
when you get past that (physical prime), it’s noticeable for sure. So, from a professional athlete’s standpoint, it’s one of those things you can’t let dip. You can’t just let your body start to shut down and expect to get the same results out of it.
Robert Oberst eludes to his usage but doesn’t quite give explicit details. That said it does seem clear that he has used something in the past.
Returning to Top Form
It does appear that Robert Oberst is also dealing with lower testosterone levels. He apparently got approval to take something for his low test levels since he hopes to get back in top shape.
What’s your thoughts on Robert Oberst opening up about his performance enhancement usage.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
News and Editorial Writer at Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Sound Cloud for in-depth MMA analysis.
Drop Everything and Follow These Fitness Athletes on YouTube
Unlike the other social media platforms, YouTube is a long format platform. While Instagram and Snapchat have the capabilities to post videos, both have time restrictions and can’t match the depth YouTube videos offer.
If you want to learn a thing or two about fitness and bodybuilding, you should begin by watching some YouTube videos. Creators have put out thousands of hours of content which can give you an edge in shaping your physique.
The Best Fitness Athletes to Follow on YouTube
Dana Linn Bailey
[embedded content]
DLB arguably has the best videos on this list. Dana’s videos are full of useful content and are edited to perfection. Dana partners with her husband, Rob, on her channel and you will fall in love with their chemistry and their love for their arts.
Steve Cook
[embedded content]
Steve has one of the oldest YouTube channels and documents his life through his videos. If you’re into the golden bodybuilding era and want a physique just like that, Cook is the guy you need to follow.
Bradley Martyn
[embedded content]
Going to the gym and doing the same old exercises every day can be boring. Martyn has an uncanny ability to do mind-blowing things in the gym. Some of Bradley’s escapades include squatting with two girls on a barbell, deadlifting with one arm and squatting on a hoverboard.
Elliot Hulse
[embedded content]
Once you start lifting weights, you will probably have tonnes of questions. Before you go crazy looking for answers on the internet, head over to Elliot’s channel and you might find your answer.
Hodge Twins
[embedded content]
The Hodge Twins are great at debunking myths and doing product reviews. Hodge Twins walk the walk and have experimented with almost everything, including going vegetarian and vegan.
Marc Lobliner
[embedded content]
Lobliner is the CMO of TigerFitness.com and the CEO of MTS Nutrition. Marc focuses on helping you reach your fitness goals and shares content which can help you achieve the physique of your dreams.
Dom Mazzetti
[embedded content]
If you haven’t already, you need to subscribe to Dom Mazzetti and his channel BroScienceLife. Dom lays out the footprints of how to be a bro inside the gym and does so with his bizarre humor.
CT Fletcher
[embedded content]
If you like watching some motivational videos before your workouts, it doesn’t get any better than CT Fletcher. Fletcher has collaborations with some of the biggest names in the industry and will surely pump you up to kill it inside the weight room.
Mark Bell
[embedded content]
Mark “Smelly” Bell is the founder of Slingshot, owner of the Super Training gym and is the brother of the famous filmmaker Chris Bell. Bell is a powerlifter and throws out incredibly effective tips to lift better.
Mike Rashid
[embedded content]
Mike Rashid isn’t your regular fitness celebrity. Rashid is a bodybuilder and a boxer who believes in developing his mind and body at par. Mike puts out life advice in videos he likes to call mind jewels.
Who is your favorite fitness YouTuber? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Pre Workout Before Sex – Pumps Whilst Pumping
Pre workout before sex – Pumps whilst pumping
As Arnold once said, “The best activities for your health are pumping and humping.” And with that we’ll look at the potential of supplements for pumping, improving your humping. Here’s a closer look at whether you should try taking a pre workout before sex.
Your heart rate shoots up, blood flow rushes to your working muscles and you get fired up and into the zone. We’re not talking about you’re 50kg 1RM deadlift here, but the moments before and during sex.
In the same way a pre workout can benefit you during a workout, it makes complete sense that the same supplement can help deliver you to a gold standard of humping in the bedroom.
Why Use a Pre Workout Before Sex
As we mentioned above, the reason for a guy to use a pre workout before sex can depend on what element of the boom boom they feel they’re lacking in.
In the same way a pre workout enhances your gym performance, it could also enhance your sex. If you’re experiencing a medical issue like erectile dysfunction or extremely low sex drive then we recommend you speak to a registered physician. There’s no shame here, and your doc will be able to offer an expert solution without any judgements.
Come back to this article when your little general is patched up and standing to full attention.
Energy
For guys who are feeling their age and always a little too tired (test levels decline at roughly 1% per year from 30 onwards[6]) a pre workout can provide an extra boost in the bedroom.
You come home from work, rip off your tie and have ‘date night’ in an hour. But you’d just rather collapse on the sofa and watch Generation Iron 4 for the sixth time. The solution? Pre-workout could be it.
By taking a pre workout you’ll find you can boost up energy levels, mood and focus, helping you get into the zone and eradicate the ‘meh’ feeling. Get those candles lit and put on your favorite y fronts, it’s time to get jiggy. Just don’t overdo it. Nobody likes a cracky shaking date.
Good ingredients, that are studied and proven are the amino acid l-theanine combined with caffeine. This will give you a clean and clear source of energy for the duration of the evening. Avoiding crashes and jitters [3].
Blood Flow
One of the main reasons to take a pre workout is to improve blood flow. When your penis gets erect it’s because blood is rushing to it. And sometimes, as you get older and the awkward uncontrollable erections of your youth are behind you, it can need a little help.
An NO booster could help by literally improving the quality of your erections, in fact a scientific study has proven this [1]. By choosing a pre workout that contains ingredients like l-citrulline [2] and l-arginine both proven to raise nitric oxide levels, you’ll find that your erection quality can improve. Leading to a better pecker pump.
Endurance
We’ve all been there, you’re 30 minutes into a steamy night time session, you’re tired, getting weak and wondering if it’ll ever finish in the crescendo you were expecting at the start. Just like running a 30 minute HIIT cardio session, you’re starting to run out of gas as time goes on.
The solution could lie in a pre workout. You’ve got your energy and focus from caffeine and l-theanine to get things going, a world record erection boosted up by l-citrulline and now you need something that’s going to get you over the finish line with a bed breaking bang.
It’s proven that caffeine [4] can keep you going for longer, and coupled with an ingredient like citicoline you’ll find you don’t get an energy crash [5] an lose focus right through your full session.
Choosing the Right Pre Workouts Before Sex
The points we covered above are pretty focused in terms of ingredients, and if you’re wanting to get the best bonking pre, you also need to ensure what you’re taking has a dosing structure that isn’t OTT and also, try and keep things natural.
400mg of caffeine is probably a bad idea as an example. Ingredients like synephrine and other stims could also do more harm than good if you end up on the wrong side of them.
Try keeping things boiled down to a clean and balanced form of energy, caffeine, tyrosine, l-theanine and other aminos. Add an NO enhancer you know works, and you know that your stomach agrees with and then finally any bells and whistles that will help you maintain endurance.
You don’t want to be trying a brand new pre workout and shit your pants before you’ve gotten chance to take them off either. Test it out with a gym session first.
Our recommended pre workout?
Try National Bodybuilding Co.’s Bed Ready Pre-Workout!
Happy pumping and humping.
References:
[1] M. D. Sullivan. Nitric oxide and penile erection. Cardiovasc Res (1999) 43 (3): 658-665.
[2] Sureda, A et al. L-citrulline-malate influence over branched chain amino acid utilization during exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2010; 110(2): 341-51
[3] Owen, GN et al. The combined effects of L-theanine and caffeine on cognitive performance and mood. Nutr Neurosci. 2008; 11(4): 193-8
[4] GR. Cox. Effect of different protocols of caffeine intake on metabolism and endurance performance. J Appl Physiol. 2002; 93(3): 990-9
[5] De Jesus Moreno Moreno M. Cognitive improvement in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s dementia after treatment with the acetylcholine precursor choline alfoscerate: a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Clin Ther. 2003;25(1):178-193. doi:10.1016/s0149-2918(03)90023-3
[6] Zirkin, B., & Tenover, J. (2012). Aging and declining testosterone: Past, present, and hopes for the future. Retrieved January 19, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4077344/
How Bent Over Flys Increase Shoulder Strength & Stamina
Give your shoulders a great workout with bent over flys.
Building our shoulders and working hard to get that well-rounded physique can be challenging, but great exercises like bent over flys are exactly what we need to see serious growth. With the right approach to any workout you can better tackle all of those strength wants and needs and really give yourself the best when it comes to boosting your overall gains. But it isn’t easy and it takes work, for building boulder shoulders requires only the best form to avoid injury and unwanted pain.
The nice part about bent over flys is that they are a beginner level exercise with advanced level gains. Performing this exercise is relatively easy but knowing form and how best to tackle technique is more than important. Our shoulders can be vulnerable, but by taking the right steps to strengthen the surrounding areas we better set ourselves up when it comes to sport specific and more functional gains. Bent over flys are the perfect exercise for all your lifting wants and needs and is definitely something to place into your workout.
Let’s take a look at bent over flys and see what’s up with this exercise. From what it is, to muscles worked, the many benefits of it, and how to perform it, we’ll break down bent over flys so you can maximize all of your gains. Plus, we will offer some great alternatives so you can better structure your workouts for added diversity.
What Are Bent Over Flys?
Bent over flys are a great exercise to build your shoulders for better overall development, support, strength, and stability. As an effective isolation exercise, all you need are quality dumbbells and you are ready to go. Great for beginners, as well as those intermediate and advanced, this is an effective muscle building workout for all. By working to strengthen your delts, you assist with pushing movements and can increase your level of strength for other lifts. Also, improving posture and structural support can greatly affect your gains for the better.
Muscles Worked
This exercise targets your shoulders and is very close to an isolation exercise. Working all three heads of your delts (front, rear, and lateral), you get a well-rounded workout to increase strength, size, and functionality of this often times vulnerable area. Along with your shoulders, you may feel it in your traps and triceps as a result of the movement, but primarily this will work only your shoulders.
Benefits Of Bent Over Flys
The benefits of bent over flys are hard to ignore but can greatly affect all areas of your overall shoulder gains. By working your delts and putting an emphasis on strength and stamina, you never have to worry about a poor shoulder workout again.
Benefits of bent over flys include:
Better strength and stamina: Work to increase strength and size while also improving stamina to help push through any muscular failure.
Increased posture and balance: By strengthening your shoulders you provide for better stability and balance while working to improve posture and overall support (1).
Reduce injury: Strengthening this often times vulnerable area can work for your benefit to reduce the risk of injury and keep you in the gym longer (2).
Help with muscle imbalances: Those dreaded muscle imbalances are annoying but the right exercise can work to build better symmetry.
Round out a physique: Beefing up those shoulders can only add to a well-rounded and more buff physique.
Plenty of variations: Plenty of variations means more diversity in your workout so you never grow bored and are always seeing huge gains.
How To Perform This Exercise
Here are the steps for performing bent over flys:
Choose your desired amount of weight and find a comfortable position to perform this exercise in.
With your feet a bit wider than shoulder width apart, engage your core and keep your body neutral as you hinge at the hips.
With the weight hanging in front of you, pull the dumbbells so they are parallel to the floor.
Give a good squeeze at the top and gently lower back to the starting position.
Repeat for your desired number of sets and reps.
Bent Over Fly Variations
Along with this great exercise comes plenty of variations to try. The benefit to many variations is that you can diversify your workout so you never grow bored of the same movements. However, you will still build muscle for these exercises will target the same muscles but in different ways. Once you find a variation you greatly enjoy, you can alternate back and forth from that and bent over flys for the most effective gains.
Variations of the bent over fly include:
Seated Bent Over Fly
Horizontal Fly
Kneeling Reverse Fly
Reverse Fly On Bench
Machine Rear Delt Fly
Side-Lying Rear Delt Fly
Face Pulls
Best Exercises To Pair With Bent Over Flys
To tag along with bent over flys in your workout, consider pairing with the right exercises so you see only the best gains. Working with exercises like the deadlift and Romanian deadlift, these will work nicely to give your shoulders a break but keeping them engaged. The lat pulldown and pull-ups will recruit your shoulders to really engage those lats for a wider physique and to emphasis and focus on only the best for pulling motions. And for that extra shoulder work, toss in reverse flys to boost strength and size.
Wrap Up
The bent over fly is a great exercise worthy of putting into your shoulder day routine. As an effective delt builder, you will find an increase to strength, size, and stamina as you will better be able to push yourself through any muscular fatigue. Knowing how best to perform this exercise will prove to be safe and effective with the right form and the many benefits will certainly leave you feeling satisfied. Check out bent over flys, place them into your workout routine, and watch your gains take off.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
References
Lee, D.; et al. (2017). “Changes in rounded shoulder posture and forward head posture according to exercise methods”. (source)
Mitchell, C.; et al. (2005). “Shoulder pain: diagnosis and management in primary care”. (source)
Your Guide to Become A Successful Personal Trainer
To become a successful bodybuilding personal trainer, sometimes you need to do more than the average bodybuilder. Most importantly, you must be a gym guru with every aspect of training in your fingertips. You also need to maintain a healthy diet to help get that body you want your trainee to have. However, passion for the sport is the most important thing one must have. As you will realize, it could prove hard to throw your entire life behind something you don’t like and become successful in it. At the same times, some people have great passion to be personal trainers but they don’t know what it takes to become one. Luckily for you, this article is meant to teach you a few things about being a personal trainer you need to know.
Start by Working on Your Personality
A person’s personality has a great impact on their training style. We can’t say a certain personality is not good for coaching but how you shape it determines your success as a coach. If you haven’t noticed, some personal trainers turn out to be fiery and aggressive while others are calm and shows care. Don’t be lied to that the latter are the ones who produce better results; the truth is that a fiery coach can produce better performance than a calmer one. It all depends on how one relates with the people or person they’re training in terms of communication, listening, and problem-solving skills.
Trainees as well come with unique personalities that need to be handled differently. But your approach as a coach determines a lot whether there’s going to be a personality clash or a healthy working relationship. Learning more about sports psychology is your best chance of polishing your personality in preparation for the role of a personal trainer.
Relaed Article:: 50 Workouts Routines for the New Year
Study Your Niche and Stay Up to Date
You must know what is happening in your niche at all times if you want to become a great coach. That way, you will be able to make appropriate adjustments to your training programs and style. Know everything that happens in the gym and the right way to do it. Make sure you’re familiar with all training exercises and the milestones that need to be reached after a certain period. Most importantly, be flexible and change with trends to avoid being left behind. It also means being ready and willing to accept and try new things. Start by researching your niche online and reading publications to familiarize yourself with every aspect of bodybuilding and training. Do this and before long you will be better informed about training to lead your trainee in the right direction.
Lead and Teach
To be a successful personal trainer, you need to be ready to lead from the front. Show your clients what needs to be done by demonstrating as accurately as you can. Most importantly, give honest feedback after every day of training. Critique as much as you praise them and let them know what needs to be done to improve their current form. Seeing their trainer do what they need to do is enough motivation for clients do even better.
Planning is Paramount
A coach without a solid plan will fail alongside those who have put all their trust in them. Planning involves setting goals and preparing a strategy to help reach them. However, there must be some flexibility in planning to cater for unforeseen circumstances. But don’t make a habit of improvising lest you lose complete sight of the goal ahead. You should also come up with a venue and training program that does not strain clients or available resources. If you’re not in a position to set up your own gym, you can work with an established fitness center that has everything you need to get it rolling.
Don’t Overuse Intensity
You need to draw the line between working hard and hurting your clients. Soreness and injury resulting from intense straining can have a negative impact on the trainee’s overall performance. Know when to stop training to avoid putting too much strain on clients. Most importantly, keep in mind that excessive fatigue does not always equate to successful training. It could even prove to be counterproductive as it prolongs recovery time, thus making training fall short of its intended purpose.
Take Appropriate Coaching Courses
You will not know everything about bodybuilding and accompanying training by spending all your time in the gym. Make it professional by enrolling for a short course on the same. You can also do several courses as each comes with something new that will prove to helpful in the long run. Most importantly, ensure the course you take is relevant because it is only then you’re going to be a certified trainer. Trainers also advise to take safety courses in addition to regular bodybuilding ones to fully prepare for any eventuality.
Sharpen Your Skills
Continue developing your skills by training at your free time. You can also make a schedule that does not collide with your clients’ and use it to sharpen your kills. Appearing fit with a well-chiseled body is the best way to motivate your students. Try not to look like some trainers who are a complete opposite of what they want their trainees to look like.
Flexibility is Key
Personal trainers work extra hard to make things happen for their clients and that means a lot of sacrifice. It is even harder if they have many private clients, some of whom don’t want to train in a group. The coach lefts to balance between satisfying everyone and achieving set goals. That calls for a lot of flexibility because you might face with a lot of cancellations and rescheduling. Most importantly make sure to come up with a timeframe for rescheduling after cancellation and also be flexible enough if that doesn’t work out. The same applies to cancellation and rescheduling of competitions you’ve been preparing for. In fact, some competitions could be pushed back and that means working twice as hard to prepare adequately. Flexibility is needed for different things and circumstances and the coach must prepare to avoid throwing into chaos.
Developing Unique Programs for Clients
You need to treat every client uniquely if you want to become a successful coach. That is because each one of them has a different personality and abilities and a general approach might not favor them. Start by understanding each of them and preparing a training program that suits them best. Most importantly, avoid giving them a program that worked for you because it might not work for them. However, preparing separate programs for several clients might prove to be a challenge because it does not only strain you but it also means progress is slow. Try grouping them according to similar or close personalities and abilities to accommodate all of them. While at it, try not to appear to discriminate against some of them because it would paint a bad picture.
Related Article:: Reasons to Hire a Personal Trainer
Gain Lots of Experience
One needs plenty of experience, even after acquiring accreditation as a coach because most things are learned through experience. There is only one place you can gain as much experience as you can-the gym. Spend most of your time at the gym trying anything and everything before asking your clients to do it. It is also important to familiarize yourself with different equipment and exercises. it gives you the confidence to teach and demonstrate to your clients. Working with a more experienced trainer is another great way of gaining experience. Listen, watch, and learn from them as if you were a client, only then will you learn how it feels to be one.
Have an Insurance
One may be tempted to overlook this but it is a very important tip for everyone who is aspiring to be a coach. It is important to insure your fitness business apart from getting a personal accident or illness insurance. However, you need to do your research well to get yourself a good company with great insurance policies. Don’t look at the amount of monthly premium but the overall benefits of being insured.
A Personal Trainer Give Lots of Homework
Homework is a good tool to measure progress because it’s usually done in your absence. Once regular training is over, issue your clients with a homework they need to complete before the next session. That is the only sure way to know whether earlier sessions were successful. Most importantly, give honest feedback about their performance so they know why they need to repeat some exercises.
Conclusion
Finally, it is important to pursue personal training as a business for obvious reasons. It not only expands your training mentality due to handling different people but will also earn you a good reputation. Most importantly, try to develop soft skills that enable you relate well with clients. Try to understand their unique habits and behaviors as well as listening to their concerns. It is the first step in building a strong personal relationship that goes beyond bodybuilding training. Don’t forget to go through our blog for more inspirational and informative articles.
How to Beat Boredom Eating
You’re Not Hungry, You’re Bored! Here is how to beat boredom eating.
About half of everything you do is out of habit. This means a large part of what you do is automatic behavior. This includes eating.
Same goes for boredom eating. Boredom eating is largely a product of habit. You do it mindlessly despite not actually being hungry. A set of cues triggers your boredom causing you to munch mindlessly. And unfortunately, boredom eating makes people fat.
Humans don’t snack on celery sticks out of boredom. They’re eating chips, pretzels, and some of that leftover pizza from last night’s party. You generally select high rewarding foods and high rewarding foods pack quite the caloric punch.
How Boredom Occurs
You see, in our instant gratification world, humans are getting worse and worse at delaying gratification. The world we live in is full of distractions that holler and cling for our attention. With the hyperstimulation all around us from our phones, social media, news, long work hours, social networks, and even the dang dog barking, your brain is used to stimulation.
This is why humans can’t stand boring movies, boring conversations, or boring people. We don’t like boring anything. This is an issue to our productivity and more importantly, your waistline.
You can’t realistically be stimulated all the time. Your dopamine receptors can’t be tickled 24/7. You have to adult through life which often comes with boredom. The mundane of taking the kids to school, working at a desk, and cleaning your kitchen isn’t stimulating your brain. Thus, your brain wants to break the monotony and reach for a recent stimulating memory.
This often comes in the form of food which isn’t great for our physique goals. Humans don’t realize what they’re doing until they wake up one day and their belly grows so big, they’re out of belt notches.
Fortunately, understanding the problem helps us conjure up solutions. But let’s get focused on what boredom eating really is. Boredom eating is essentially your brains way of stimulating it’s reward pathways when it’s reached task failure. Essentially, it’s sick of not being stimulated by your current task, so it resorts to thinking, “Yo, screw being an adult, let’s get chocolate wasted off that box of chocolate your friend gave you.”
Adjusting Your Environment
The first step to solving this dang boredom eating is to adjust your environment. The proximity effect is a real thing. The closer something is to you, the more you will gravitate to it. In fact, if you look at the science of cravings, humans only crave things accessible in proximity.
Ever have something super tasty while on vacation? No matter how good it tastes, once you return home, you generally don’t crave it anymore because it’s no longer accessible.
So you can leverage the proximity effect to your favor or Detriment. Have a jar of nuts on your desk? Those calories will end up around your waistline faster than if they were downstairs. Same goes for any other food.
For example, if you work from home, you’re extremely prone to boredom eating. Anything you buys is tugging at your brain subconsciously. That bag of chips downstairs is calling your name right now without you even knowing it.
To leverage the proximity effect towards your favor, you can prevent the temptation instead of resisting it because if it’s close enough, you can’t resist for long. I know your past eating behavior will confirm this.
This means buying only what you intend to eat and leaving more nutritious foods closer while distancing higher calorie foods. Keeping what you don’t intend to eat out of sight helps as well.
Meal Timing
The nature of boredom eating to escape boredom even when you don’t need food. Some people eat the most calories from their mindless snacking than any one meal of the day,
In addition to modifying your environment, you need to bring structure and intentionality back into your eating behavior. The key way to do this is to set structured eating times. Set specific times that you’ll eat your desired meals at.
The times you select should be when you’re typically hungriest. I like to have my meals more spread out throughout the day with a later than average eating schedule because I’m naturally not super hungry in the morning.
Some research also finds that if you eat at roughly the same time each day, you’re more satiated and experience better health outcomes. This is because your circadian rhythm syncs with food. Your body digests foods with endless bodily processes. Doing so in a predictable manner supports your internal clock.
If you can’t eat at a consistent time daily due to your profession, that’s totally ok. Simply, plan out your meals at your most convenient times. It’s the planning and intentionality that matters. This way, your schedule is more structured and you know when your body will reward itself with food instead of snacking out of boredom frequently.
Setting Breaks to Prevent Mental Fatigue
With boredom eating, the danger in it is that it’s an automatic habit that deviates you from your goal. This means that the last component in beating boredom eating is to break the cue that starts the habit.
Earlier, I discussed how the cue of boredom is essentially task failure. You can only do the same task for so long until your brain perceives fatigue and looks for pleasure. So if you’re able to, try to set time blocks on tasks. Never work on any one thing for too long.
If you have a project, you’re chipping away at, work on it for 30 minutes and then work on something else for 30 minutes. After that, work on another task for 30 minutes or switch back to your first task if you really need to chip away at it.
If your workday is more mundane and the tasks are highly repetitive in nature, make sure you set breaks. Work for 30-60 minutes and then take a 5-minute break. Going for a quick walk is an excellent idea here. Regardless if you sandwich your day with multiple tasks or breaks, you must switch before task boredom sets in.
This means ending your task even when you feel you’re in the “zone.” If you go past this, you’re risking task failure which leads to the brain getting bored and seeking pleasure.
Once you feel you need a break from the monotony, it’s too late. Willpower is drained and the brain is not as logical at this point. So outsmart your brain and don’t let it get bored.
No More Boredom Eating
So picture you now. You succumb to the same bag of Chex Mix each day between 2 and 3 o’ clock after a stressful work block. When that bag of Chex Mix depletes, you buy a new one. The habit keeps repeating because the cycle needs to be disrupted.
You need to set regular eating times to structure your day better. You need to stop buying Chex Mix and not leave any rewarding food near your environment. A good rule of thumb is if you don’t plan on eating it, don’t buy it, not even for company.
Lastly, you need to prevent your brain from perceiving boredom. Set timers to switch tasks and for the love of medium rare steaks, learn to take a break daily. Our culture has taught us to work nonstop 24/7 which only drains our willpower.
If you do the above, you’ll obliterate your habit of boredom eating so fast, you can write a book about it and sell millions. Ok, I’m joking about that last part, but seriously, you’ll stop boredom eating and that’s life changing in itself.
INBA PNBA Natural Bodybuilder Aims to Rep Out 500 Pounds on Deadlift
INBA PNBA natural bodybuilder Marc Cheatham wants to lift 500 lbs on deadlift for reps.
The deadlift is considered the king of all exercises. It’s one of the big three compounds movements – bench press, squat, and deadlift -, and it’s a good indicator of your overall strength. Furthermore, it’s also the movement that allows you to use the most weight. Well, one rising INBA PNBA natural bodybuilding star, Marc Cheatham, plans to hit a new personal record on this behemoth lift.
Marc Cheatham had his breakout natural bodybuilding year in 2021. Contrary to being new to professional natural bodybuilding, he placed in the top six in his category at 2021 Natural Olympia and his first Natural Olympia competition. Within two months, Cheatham competed in four shows. He got second in the first show and was granted his pro card three weeks later. And before Natural Olympia, Cheatham won his first pro show.
Moreover, he recently signed a multi-media deal with Generation Iron, INBA PNBA, and Iron Man Magazine. Crazy enough, Cheatham claims he was in the worst shape of his life six months prior.
He made it clear on Instagram (IG) how much weight he’d like to throw around on deadlift. He said:
“I got a goal to rep out 500lbs on the deadlift!”
Below, you’ll find him repping out four plates on each side on deadlift.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CYuvK6aFPGC/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
If you’ve performed the deadlift before, you know this would be an incredible feat!
Prepared for the 2022 INBA PNBA Season
Marc Cheatham seems primed for this year’s 2022 INBA PNBA season. Since 2021 Natural Olympia ended, Cheatham started working early for this year’s natural bodybuilding season. On an IG post posted just weeks after Natural Olympia, he stated, “It’s grow season now. Time to put on more mass!”
Aside from winning, Cheatham acknowledges that looking good naked is another motivating factor for him to workout. Marc Cheatham plans to start competing again this summer. As an athlete, he believes balancing training for performance and aesthetics is the key to a well-rounded physique.
The Road to Natural Olympia
The road to Natural Olympia is no easy path. If you’re a pro, there are specific competitions you’ll need to compete in before you qualify. For example, suppose you’re on the west coast. In that case, you have the option to compete in International Battle Against Cancer, International Battle Iron Man Magazine, Pro Wolfpack/Cougar Classic, Zeus Classic International, Team USA, or World Cup. In addition, professional INBA PNBA athletes from the midwest and east coast have their bracket of competitions.
If you’re a reining gold medal winner or Hall of Fame Inductee, you’re exempt from qualifying competitions. Also, amateurs can compete at Natual Olympia and have their criteria to qualify. Winning overall in an amateur competition will earn an INBA PNBA athlete their pro card.
As Cheatham stated in an IG post, Natural Olympia is the Super Bowl of natural bodybuilding. It’s the most prominent natural bodybuilding event where competitors from over 60 countries have the opportunity to win medals and prizes.
Generation Iron wishes Marc Cheatham good luck in this upcoming natural bodybuilding season! Also, congratulations on signing your multi-media contract!
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to stay tuned to INBA PNBA athletes!
Hafthor Bjornsson Offers New Bench Press Challenge To Larry Wheels
Hafthor Bjornsson commented on Larry Wheels’ post with a new challenge.
You can take the competitor away from powerlifting but cannot take powerlifting out of the competitor. Even after transitioning to the boxing ring, Hafthor Bjornsson still shows interest in weightlifting. Recently, he was seen in the comments’ section of one of Larry Wheels’ feats of strength. Bjornsson offered a new challenge for Wheels to take on while bench pressing.
Wheels has been on a tear in the gym in recent months. He has been setting many personal records and repping huge amounts of weight in different exercises. This bench press session was no different. Wheels took to Instagram to share another impressive lift.
It began when Wheels took on a 529-pound bench press and competed six reps. He then powered through 21 reps of 396.8 pounds.
“240kg x 6180kg x21@teampersonalrecord@mikethurston••@teampersonalrecord wrist and elbow wraps being used”
Larry Wheels gains much attention from his Instagram videos. This time, it was Hafthor Bjornsson who commented with a new challenge on how to go a bit further.
“That’s insane! I challenge you to do 200kg for 20 reps!”
Bjornsson continues to be an influential name in powerlifting. He has transitioned to boxing and is planning to take on fellow strongman turned boxer Eddie Hall. Since his days of powerlifting, Bjornsson has lost a significant amount of weight and is as shredded as ever. This does not the way what he was able to do during his prime.
In 2020, Bjornsson completed the heaviest deadlift in history at 501kg (1,104.5lb). In the ring, Bjornsson has completed two exhibition fights against Steven Ward and Simon Vallily. He was scheduled to take on Hall in September but it had to be cancelled. Devon Larratt stepped in and was defeated by the strongman.
Larratt is a professional arm wrestler and this is a sport that Larry Wheels has ventured into recently. He has continued training for arm wrestling while continuing to do some incredible things while weight lifting.
Hafthor Bjornsson has trained with Wheels before during his time as a powerlifter. Since making the successful transition, the two have not joined forces but remain close. That is clear by the comment on Wheels’ video. It will be interesting to see if Wheels takes on the challenge given by Bjornsson. If he does, it will certainly be a must-see post.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
WATCH: Bodybuilder Joe Mackey Deadlifts 800 Pounds For An Easy Triple
Joe Mackey made 800 pounds look easy in a recent training session.
It is not everyday that bodybuilders make lifts look as easy as powerlifters do. Last week, Joe Mackey did just that. The Men’s Open competitor completed an 800-pound deadlift for three easy reps during a training session.
Mackey shred the video to Instagram and is seen making the reps look easy. Over the years, Mackey has been known for his incredible size and it is because of lifts like this one. It is unknown when he is planning to step on stage but Mackey has not taken time off from training and continues to open eyes in the gym.
“Just 800 lbs for 3 reps tonight. Nothing too crazy. ???
Last week was a light week so I was expecting a larger number this week with my program since I pulled 840 lbs 2 weeks ago.
Once I saw the workout today was only 800 lbs, Honestly speaking, I was not and didn’t have to get in the zone with this pull.”
Joe Mackey stepped up to the 800-pound lift with a lifting belt and plenty of confidence. He explained how he pulled 840 pounds two weeks ago, which was a personal record. Mackey decided to add on another rep as he has done two reps of 800 before.
“I’ve done 800 so many times and the plan only called for 2 reps. I’ve done 800 for 2 before so I figured I’d go ahead and do a extra rep.Sticking with the plan +1 with @jailhousestrong
I know the big number is coming and I’m ready.”
Joe Mackey earned his IFBB Pro Card in 2016 by placing second in the super-heavyweight division at NPC Nationals. He has competed in five competitions to this point of his career. Mackey’s highest finish came during the 2020 Tampa Pro, where he finished eighth. Mackey competed just once in 2021, during the Chicago Pro, and it is unknown when he will step on stage next.
Mackey is not slated to appear at the 2022 Arnold Classic. This means he will continue to lift heavy. By the looks of his recent ventures and his most recent Instagram caption, Mackey has his eye on an even bigger number moving forward.
Joe Mackey follows a line of great bodybuilders who are mass monsters. There is great hype around him moving forward and it will be interesting to see when he takes the stage once again. For now, Mackey will continue to impress with massive lifts.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Maren Turmo Profile & Stats
The biography, life, and accomplishments of Maren Turmo
Photo via @maren.turmo Instagram
Maren Turmo is a Norwegian fitness model and social media personality with an amazing physique. Using her platform, she promotes her workouts and lifestyle tips while also serving as an inspiration for those looking to make a change.
Below is a complete breakdown of her profile, stats, biography, training, and diet regimens.
Full Name: Maren Turmo
Weight
Height
Date Of Birth
N/A
5’5”
03/31/1999
Profession
Era
Nationality
Fitness Model, Internet Influencer
2010
Norwegian
Photo via @maren.turmo Instagram
Biography
Not much is known about Maren’s early childhood, but she was born in Oslo, Norway and judging by her lifestyle, lived a healthy childhood. She gained recognition online through posting videos and photos of her workouts which garnered her many followers along the way. She chose to use that platform to spread awareness and to share her tips with others so they too could see great gains like she does. Now with a big following on social media, she will continue to rise and grow in popularity while only continuing her inspiration for so many.
Training
When it comes to training, Maren focuses on cardio, HIIT workouts, and weight training. She loves to train her legs, glutes, and abs, and it shows. She will always perform a warm-up before the workout to make sure she is primed and ready to take full advantage of her lifts.
Below are two great workouts being a full body workout and a glute workout.
Full Body Workout
Squats: 3 sets, 20 reps
V-Ups: 3 sets, 20 reps
Jump Squats: 3 sets, 15 reps
Burpees: 3 sets, 15 reps
Goblet Squat: 3 sets, 15 reps
Glute Workout
Cardio Warm-Up: 5 Minutes
Barbell Squats: 2-3 set, 10-12 reps
Hip Thrusts: 3 sets, 12-15 reps
Leg Press: 2 sets, 20 reps
Deadlift: 3 sets, 10-12 reps
Photo via @maren.turmo Instagram
Nutrition
Maren is incredibly healthy when it comes to her diet and each meal is properly planned. Eating healthy food works for her and by following such a great routine it allows her to stay both physically and mentally sharp. Some foods she includes in her diet are oatmeal, cottage cheese, berries, fish, green vegetables, and eggs.
Supplementation
While Maren uses her own supplements of choice, looking to the right supplements can make or break your gains. Although training and a good diet are essential for fat loss, what a fat burner can do is kickstart fat loss so you see only the best gains to your shredded aesthetic. With premium ingredients, a fat burning supplement can kickstart your metabolism to shed more calories, work to move stored fat so it can be used for energy, and curb your appetite so you don’t feel the need to indulge in any cravings. For all your physique goals, the right fat burner can be a game changer.