Tag: All GI Exclusives
Milos Sarcev: Today’s Bodybuilders Are Going Too Easy On Leg Day Training
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Milos Sarcev believes “legs are so very easy” but modern bodybuilders are not pushing hard enough.
Never skip leg day is a phrase that is often repeated in the world of bodybuilding. This is due to the fact that many weightlifters and even bodybuilders can make the vital mistake of overlooking leg training. It’s a problem that has in the past also knocked competitive bodybuilders down a few placings. Most recently, Brandon Curry was criticized for having weak legs at the Olympia 2021. Many believe it was the key factor in placing him second as opposed to overtaking Big Ramy for first place. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, legendary bodybuilding coach Milos Sarcev discusses the recent trend in leg day training within bodybuilding.
During our recent video conversation with Milos Sarcev, the topic of Brandon Curry was brought up. More specifically, his showing at the Mr. Olympia 2021. Curry placed second – meaning second best athlete in the world. Despite this – he received some online criticism for the state of his legs. Many thought that they were not only his weak point but also so weak that they were undeserving of the Olympia stage. Does this criticism have some truth to it? Or is it more over-exaggerated online hate.
Milos Sarcev cannot account for every specific comment made online – but he does believe that the general criticism has some validity. He does agree that Brandon Curry’s legs are a weak point for him. Sarcev says this, even as he admits that Curry was his second favorite physique at the Olympia 2021 stage.
What Milos Sarcev sees is an imbalance in bodybuilding. Brandon Curry is and his legs are a perfect example of this imbalance. Sarcev 100% believes that Curry belonged on the Olympia stage. But he does see a vast quality difference between the rest of his body and his legs. The rest of his physique was enough to overpower the weaknesses. It earned him a well deserved second place at Mr. Olympia. That being said, the imbalance showcases where priorities are for pro bodybuilders as a whole.
Milos Sarcev believes that modern bodybuilders are going too easy when it comes to leg day training. In fact, he thinks that leg day training is easy. There is no secret. There is no challenge for legs more than other body parts. The problem is more that bodybuilders simply don’t enjoy training legs. So they go easy. This is the big problem as Sarcev sees it.
“I see this and I stand behind it. Whoever wants to develop legs they can. Legs are so very easy to put the load on the quads if you want it,” Milos Sarcev states in our interview. He continues:
“If you want to go to the gym to socialize, to make it look like you’re training, to do some leg presses, to do some – you know what? No… I cannot go to the gym now-a-days and see someone squat… they are going easy, the easy way. So if you want to build the legs, have you ever heard of squats? Can you try them, please?”
It should be noted that his experience is purely anecdotal. But he also sees the proof in the pudding. Far too often he sees talented pro bodybuilders with lagging legs. From what he sees in the gym, it’s due to a change in effort.
“I like to be sarcastic and people will call me names,” Sarcev goes on to state. “But I speak the language. I speak the truth.”
Milos Sarcev further explains his statement. He believes that the new modern era of bodybuilders are playing it too safe. They avoid squats to protect their knees and avoid injury. But in doing so – they are also pushing their bodies less hard. They are losing out on vital elements of leg day.
“That’s why the people I will train – I will not babysit them,” Milos Sarcev explains. “I will not accept their excuses. I mean when you have a twenty something year old guy say, ‘Oh, my knees!’ I didn’t even feel my knees until 40 years of age… they all think it’s overtraining.”
You can watch Milos Sarcev’s full comments on Brandon Curry and leg day training in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Andrea Shaw: How Offseason Bulking For Female Bodybuilders Is “Way More Emotional”
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Andrea Shaw talks about the differences between Men’s Open and Women’s Open bodybuilding – and how much more of an emotional impact bulking has for women.
It’s generally understood that the gaze and expectations on female bodies are far different than they are for men. So how does that play out in the world of bodybuilding? A sport where the perfection of a physique is judged by audiences and judges alike? There has often been a controversial discussion about “femininity” for the bigger female divisions such as Women’s Open. But that challenge also finds its way beyond just the stage. Much like any other athlete in the sport, female bodybuilders need to bulk during the off season. In our latest GI Exclusive, 2x Ms. Olympia Andrea Shaw opens up about the emotional impact of bulking during the offseason for women.
Andrea Shaw discussed previously with us about the concept of femininity in the female divisions of bodybuilding. She believes that a Women’s Open bodybuilder can certainly be feminine at the same time as successfully competing. That being said, she also thinks that femininity should not be a judging factor on the stage. That should be a personal choice. At the end of the day, the physique should be judged in the same way the Men’s Open division.
That being said, just like Men’s Open, women also need to go through the same kind of cycles during prep each year. That mean’s they also have to go through a bulking off season stage. This is to build more muscle with the plan to eventually cut down and become conditioned before a competition.
But for those women who value their femininity, the bulking phase can be a much more emotional challenge than it is for men. Or at least, that’s what Andrea Shaw believes based on her personal experience and discussions she has had with other female competitors.
This is in part because of a personal desire to maintain a certain feminine look. But it’s also because of the systemic gaze and expectation put on women in culture. If a man bulks up, there’s less of a chance that he will receive comments or criticism – depending on how much weight we’re talking about. For women, it can be a game changer in how they are perceived and even treated.
“Women handle it way more emotionally. Way more,” Andrea Shaw states in our interview. She continues:
“Because it does start to kind of wear on you that ‘Oh my gosh a month ago I was no where near this heavy.’ I mean you know, I put on twenty pounds. Especially bodybuilders. I think the more muscle mass you have, you’re going to see the increase in pounds a little faster. Like even now I’m already up twenty pounds from the show… but you know, I reversed out. I took my time. But still that’s naturally what my body wanted to do… so when you get into the acceptance phase of, you know, you’re going to have that happen then it’s okay.”
Andrea Shaw went on to say that she speaks with many other fellow competitors who have trouble coping with off season bulking. Their clothes stop fitting and they feel like they are losing a part of their physique that they identify with. But Shaw maintains that acceptance of this part of the cycle is necessary.
The reason it’s necessary is due to the harsh reality that no competitor can really stay that conditioned 365 days a year. It wouldn’t be healthy. And with the pressures put on women to look a certain way – it can become dangerous if a woman doesn’t accept the bulking phase and succumbs to outside pressure. That can lead to health dangers.
You can watch Andrea Shaw go into full detail about bulking in Women’s Bodybuilding and more on contest prep in general by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Stanimal Opens Up About Shawn Rhoden’s Death
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A training partner, roommate, and close friend, Stanimal De Longeaux speaks on Shawn Rhoden’s passing.
The bodybuilding world went into complete shock after news of Shawn Rhoden’s tragic death made headlines. Rhoden was a pro bodybuilding legend, Mr. Olympia champion, and a figure followed by controversy up to his passing. As of the time of this writing, there has been no medical announcement regarding the cause of his death – leaving bodybuilding fans to speculate based on comments made by those close to him. We had the opportunity to reconnect with Stanimal De Longeaux – a longtime close friend, training partner, and even roommate to Rhoden. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Stanimal opens up completely about Shawn Rhoden’s death and the events leading up to his tragic passing.
For quite some time, Stanimal De Longeaux has been a bodybuilder often seen with Shawn Rhoden. They were often seen together in training video updates on social media – as well as our digital series All Eyes On Olympia starring Stanimal’s pro bodybuilding prep. He also appeared in training sessions in the feature film Flexatron: Becoming Shawn Rhoden – a documentary chronicling Rhoden’s rise to winning the Mr. Olympia in 2018. But beyond just caught on film – anyone who knew either Shawn Rhoden or Stanimal understood that they held a close friendship. Before his much-too-soon passing, they were even roommates.
So of course it goes without saying that the shocking death of Shawn Rhoden hit Stanimal very hard. He not only lost a legend in the sport like all of us in the industry. And he not only lost a training partner. Stanimal lost a close friend. While challenging to reflect on, Stanimal was open to speaking about Rhoden and his passing during our most recent video interview.
Stanimal seems to make it clear that while his death was shocking for even those closest to him – in retrospect there were warning signs cropping up over the past two years. Most notably, Stanimal reveals that Rhoden likely suffered a heart attack in 2020 as well. First a smaller “silent heart attack that left him feeling weak and sick – only to give way to a more severe heart attack a few weeks later. He was hospitalized and recovered. After this moment, he became much more focused on monitoring his health.
Sadly, a year later Shawn Rhoden would pass away. While it was not officially or medically announced that he died from a heart attack – this is the most commonly held speculation. Given his past struggles with heart attacks in 2020, this would seem likely. Though Stanimal himself is not 100% sure – as to his knowledge an autopsy was not conducted.
While pure speculation, Stanimal ultimately believes that a variety of factors came together to create a sort of “perfect storm” that led to Rhoden’s passing.
“Honestly, it’s only speculation but it seems like it was just a perfect storm,” Stanimal states in our interview. He continues:
“He was doing a lot, he had like some pre-existing condition. He was traveling. He was tired. Stress. It was late at night, that’s usually when a heart attack happens. And then he got some type of sickness that I think I got after him. And that was pretty hard even for me who was healthy so I can’t even imagine… It was some type of flu but not COVID because he got tested and he was negative. I got tested and was negative.”
Stanimal went on to speak in even more detail about the stress factors that were weighing on Shawn Rhoden over the past two years:
“I mean he was stressed. It was a lot of things to be honest. Of course his case which kept dragging because of Covid. He was supposed to have another hearing in September and that got postponed because they didn’t have enough staff. I mean, he also broke up with his wife. That was stressful… he was somebody who was never really outspoken about his own issues, his own struggles. That’s why I think it was really bad because we talked a lot about all of this stuff his last few months… just the fact that he was speaking about this all so much just shows, I think to me, how much this was on his mind. It was definitely a lot of stress.”
Stanimal goes into great detail not only discussing the specifics of the year leading up to his death – but also celebrating his life. It’s a conversation that might provide some answers to fans in the sport. But more than that it’s a personal account and touching tribute to an athlete who left us far too soon.
It was an emotional conversation and one we hope brings more light to the man behind the muscle and the tragedy of his passing. You can watch Stanimal speak openly about Shawn Rhoden’s passing in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
Bodybuilding Promoter Chris Minnes: Should Michal Krizo Move To The IFBB Pro?
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IFBB Pro/NPC Promoter Chris Minnes looks back on how the IFBB Pro vs IFBB Elite Pro split affected the sport – and his thoughts on Michal Krizo.
Promoter Chris Minnes has been quietly at work producing some of the fastest rising bodybuilding competitions and events of recent years. Starting originally with the Tahoe Pro, Minnes has grown his endeavors extensively and now runs some of the sport’s biggest shows such as the Legion Sports Fest Pro. With an extensive behind the scenes knowledge of bodybuilding, we connected with Minnes to talk about the IFBB Pro’s future, it’s past, and how the IFBB Pro and IFBB Elite Pro split changed the directory of the sport. Chris Minnes also touches upon the IFBB Elite Pro superstar Michal Krizo and whether or not he should move (or be even be allowed to move) into the IFBB Pro league.
The IFBB Pro league has long been the number one bodybuilding league in the sport. Home to the Mr. Olympia competition and the biggest names in bodybuilding. But a monopoly this sport is not. There are a wide variety of other leagues across the globe providing events for athletes passionate about bodybuilding. One such league is the IFBB Elite Pro. If the names sound familiar – well, that’s because they were once one united organization.
The IFBB Elite Pro was originally part of the IFBB Pro proper. They organized the international and amateur league (separate from the NPC – which resided largely only in the US). In 2017, it was announced that these two entities would split. This changed the landscape to some degree in terms of qualifications for the Mr Olympia – especially for international competitors. Ultimately we landed on two parallel leagues, the IFBB Pro and the IFBB Elite Pro.
During our conversation with IFBB Pro bodybuilding promoter Chris Minnes, we asked for his reflection on the split and how it looked from behind the scenes. Minnes has been promoting bodybuilding shows for quite some time – and can recall the conversation he had with Jim Maino, president of the NPC and IFBB Pro league, just after the decision of the split.
Chris Minnes points out that the split ultimately led to two different approaches to the sport. The IFBB Elite Pro league now receives funds from the government at each international location. Minnes believes that this, in some respects, limits the possibilities of what a bodybuilding competition could be. On the flip side, it also allows the budges of the events to not be solely based on income from fans and athlete registration fees.
That being said, the IFBB Elite Pro league has been making a bit more headlines over the past year due to a viral rising superstar. Michal Krizo is an IFBB Elite Pro bodybuilder who is turning heads amongst fans of the IFBB Pro. This has led the community to call for Krizo to switch leagues. The logic being that most of the biggest talents in bodybuilding still compete in the IFBB Pro league. For Michal Krizo to really prove himself – he should be able to compete against these talented competitors.
But the IFBB Elite Pro and the IFBB Pro are now separate. Unless Michal Krizo formally switches leagues – he cannot quality to compete against the likes of Big Ramy or Brandon Curry at the Mr. Olympia.
We asked Chris Minnes if he felt that it would be a good move for Michal Krizo to switch leagues – when he’s already found great success in the IFBB Elite Pro. Minnes admits that he had never even heard of Krizo’s name. Which he attributes to proving just how much farther behind the IFBB Elite Pro league is compared to the IFBB Pro.
Of course, there are many others who know his name. He’s gone viral online across the divisions of all leagues. He even won Best Arms in the fan-voted Generation Iron Bodybuilding Awards 2021. Minnes believes that if Krizo were interested – he should be 100% allowed to switch leagues. But this comes with one condition – Minnes doesn’t believe in cutting to the front of the line.
Chris Minnes would be happy to see Michal Krizo enter into the amateur NPC league, compete, earn his pro card, then earn qualification to the Olympia. If he goes through the paces – and still proves himself to be a threatening athlete. Then he will really start to turn heads.
Until then, Chris Minnes points out that photos are very different than the real thing. Until we can see Michal Krizo standing side by side with the best of the IFBB Pro league, there’s no real way of knowing just how threatening his physique really is.
You can watch Chris Minnes’ full comments about Michal Krizo and the aftermath of the IFBB Pro vs IFBB Elite Pro split in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Redcon1’s Aaron Singerman Reveals All On His Falling Out With PJ Braun & Blackstone Labs
Aaron Singerman details his rise in the bodybuilding supplement world and gets honest on falling out with PJ Braun.
Aaron Singerman is a notable name in the bodybuilding industry – mostly for his success in the world of supplements. With the supplement industry so oversaturated – it’s always a major accomplishment when one succeeds to such a high degree. But that doesn’t mean Singerman’s rise didn’t come with some hurdles. Most notably, he had a very public and somewhat dramatic falling out with his former business partner PJ Braun. In our latest GI Exclusive, Aaron Singerman details his rise and also reveals the truth behind is split with PJ Braun and Blackstone Labs.
While Aarong Singerman might be best known for his supplement company Redcon1, he was also involved in the shockingly fast success of Blackstone Labs. Blackstone Labs was known as a more “hardcore” supplement company. Aarong Singerman and PJ Braun worked together to make it such a massive success.
But that success came with a hefty load of drama. Soon after Blackstone Labs cemented itself as a success, Aarong Singerman had a very public falling out with PJ Braun. Not only that, but Singerman eventually left Blackstone Labs completely.
Many rumors swirled around the web as to exactly what happened. Even beyond that, both Singerman and Braun are thought to now be bitter rivals in the public eye. But is that true? And what is the true story about the falling out between these two successful bodybuilding entrepreneurs?
During our video conversation with Aaron Singerman, he explained in honest detail exactly what happened from his perspective. While the entire falling out was surely a long story of multiple events, the broad stroke of it is that the two men started to change in opposite directions.
“As people get older, your values change,” Aaron Singerman states in our interview. He continued:
“And as money is involved, people’s personalities could change. And so, I think what really happened was – two guys were best buddies who had so much in common and then it really dramatically shifted apart. Because you know, PJ was doing what we were initially doing – having fun doing his thing. And then I had babies, more babies, another baby, you know? And my life was so much different and my values changed too. Where his were pretty much still the same and mine had dramatically shifted… The things that appealed to me before don’t appeal to me now.”
We then followed up by discussing the present. Does Singerman still have a problem with PJ Braun and vice versa? According to Singerman, not at all. He claims that he has no ill will towards Braun.
You can watch Aarong Singerman’s full comments about the rise of Redcon1, Blackstone Labs, and his falling out with PJ Braun in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
Santi Aragon: “There Is No Light On The Other Side” When You Push To Bodybuilding Extremes
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Santi Aragon opens up about his retirement – claiming that the risks started to outweigh the rewards of bodybuilding.
Last month, bodybuilder Santi Aragon announced that he would be retiring from the sport. At only 33 years old, this was a very surprising statement. Many bodybuilders compete well into their 40s, and in some cases, 50s. More shocking was the reason. He did not suffer a major injury or have health issues. He wanted to leave at the top of his prime before long term damages rear their head. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Santi Aragon opens up about how the risks of steroid use and contest prep led to his retirement from bodybuilding.
Santi Aragon has been completely open and honest about steroids and other drug use in bodybuilding for quite some time now. Having built his own businesses and no longer sponsored by other brands – he felt free to speak openly without reflecting poorly on any of his obligations. So it comes as no surprise that Santi was very open and detailed while speaking with us about his reasons for retiring.
First things first, Santi Aragon doesn’t want anyone to think that he was against PEDs in the sport. He knew the risks going in and was willing to take them. He wasn’t naive to the reality that top level bodybuilding requires. That being said, as he got older, he felt the risks started outweighing the rewards.
On top of this, he was witnessing many deaths in the sport during the 2021. While he acknowledges that these deaths have no real link – he also understands that drug use in the sport can lead to long term health damages and even death. His very own trainer suffered through heart issues last year (good news: he recovered), which “really hit home” for Santi just how painful those kind of health situations can be.
While he didn’t confirm or state if the heart problems were in relation to steroids, the reality became clear. This is a risk of what can happen down the road from consistent steroid use. Santi Aragon has been on top of his health in recent years, with blood tests every three months, his heart and his blood pressure are all healthy. He wants to keep it that way for as long as possible. So he decided to retire.
But for Santi Aragon, it’s more than just the drugs that pose a risk. Santi believes the entire lifestyle required for top level pro bodybuilding is dangerous – especially rising to meet the higher weight requirements for the biggest divisions.
“It’s very difficult for a guy thats 5’5″ to carry over 200 pounds. At least for me,” Santi Aragon states in our interview. He continues:
“I’m not built to be 200 pounds. I’m a 175-180 max. But when I’m starting to push that 212, when I was trying to be 212, I had to force everything. I had to force training, I had to force food, I had to force drugs at such a high level that I could not see myself sustaining that for over a year… that reality sets in really fast. The drugs, the food, and you know – when you force yourself to do things like that and push your body to that extreme, there’s no light on the other side.”
Santi Aragon goes on to say that most bodybuilders don’t realize the reality of this until it’s too late. They are only aware just how far their health can be at risk once the long term effects start appearing. Santi didn’t want to be one of those people. That’s why he changed course.
And Santi Aragon also wants to point out that nothing is set in stone across the board. Much like cigarettes, some people can smoke their whole lives with no issues. Others can smoke for one year and get lung cancer. Genetics and random luck play a big part. It’s to each their own in how far an individual wants to push that risk.
You can watch Santi Aragon’s full comments on his retirement and health in bodybuilding by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Eric The Trainer Discusses The Fitness Legend That Inspired Him To Do 40,000 Push Ups
Eric The Trainer pays tribute to fitness legend Jack Lalanne.
Eric The Trainer is a rare sight to behold in the bodybuilding and fitness world. He’s a fusion of celebrity trainer, personal trainer, and social media influencer. Most importantly, he brings a level of optimism and kindness not often seen in the industry – and in recent times – not often seen in the world. Eric credits a big part of this to his mentor and idol, Jack Lalanne – one of the earliest and most legendary fitness icons in history. In our lastest GI Exclusive interview, Eric The Trainer explains how Jack Lalanne inspired him to do 40,000 push ups for charity.
Earlier in the year, we spoke with Chef Rush about his dedication to doing 2,222 push ups every single day. He did it for veteran suicide awareness but the feat is also a shocking display of strength and dicipline. Similarly, Eric The Trainer also commited to an incredible feat of strength for charity. He did 40,000 push ups in a row. It’s a shocking display and one not for the faint of heart.
But the idea to do 40,000 push ups in one go didn’t come out of thin air. In fact, Eric The Trainer was inspired by one of the most legendary fitness icons in history – Jack Lalanne. Born in 1914, Lalanne was an American fitness and nutrition guru and motivational speaker. He was known for bringing fitness to the mainstream and also for his feats of strength.
Eric The Trainer was lucky enough to meet him before Lalanne passed in 2011. The relationship they built helped Eric become the man he is today. One that is not only focused on fitness but also on helping the community around him.
Eric goes into detail about just how far Lalanne’s influence inspired Eric’s entire persona and future in the fitness world. He also talks about the kinds of feats of strength Frank Lalanne was known for doing – such as pulling ships in the ocean from a nearby dock. It was the kind of old school strongman spectacles that are rarely seen today.
It was a combination of Lalanne’s feats of strength mixed with his dedication towards helping people that inspired Eric The Trainer to do 40,000 push ups for charity. It combines two amazing tings – stunt spectacle with doing good for mankind.
Check out Eric The Trainers full comments on Jack Lalanne and the power of optimism in fitness by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Aaron Singerman: Bodybuilding Today Is “More Swelling, Less Definition”
Aaron Singerman shares his gut feelings about the modern era of bodybuilding compared to previous decades.
Aaron Singerman has been making some major moves in the bodybuilding space with the recent announcement that Kai Greene has become a Redcon1 sponsored athlete. Being a man so focused on preparing today for the future, we wanted to know his thoughts on the current state of bodybuilding. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Aaron Singerman gives his critique of today’s bodybuilders and looks towards a hopeful future.
One of Redcon1’s biggest sponsored athletes (besides the recent acquisition of Kai) is Cedric McMillan. In a sense, this tells you everything you need to know about Aaron Singerman’s preferred look in bodybuilding. So Aaron’s thoughts on modern bodybuilding might not come to a surprise – he thinks the conditioning is lacking.
He makes sure to clarify that the athletes competing today are talented and hard working. In fact, he doesn’t paint the difference in conditioning as an objectively bad thing. He just finds it different.
Aaron Singerman is also not quite sure why the conditioning is different today. He’s heard all of the possible reasons – evolution of drugs, change in drug culture, or perhaps the rise of social media having an effect. At the end of the day, Aaron doesn’t know what causes it. He also doesn’t know if it’s better or worse. But for his personal opinion, he has a preference to what he grew up with in the 90s era.
Aaron Singerman uses Kevin Levrone as the prime example of what a bodybuilder should look like in his opinion. He thinks bodybuilders today focus “more on swelling, less on definition.” This concept is what has plagued some of the most promising athletes such as Big Ramy and Roelly Winklaar. Truly mammoth competitors that falter in the small details.
Overall, Aaron Singerman has a positive outlook about bodybuilding as a whole – especially for the future. The new ownership of the Olympia brand gives him increased hope for the sport to continue to thrive. Unlike AMI, Jake Wood has been a passionate fan of the sport.
Aaron Singerman believes that if AMI still had ownership fo Olympia, it would have already been full cancelled due to the pandemic. While safety is important, having faith in finding an alternative safe way to continue on in the name of the athletes is paramount. Aaron believes that beyond safety, the livelihood of the sport most be protected during these challenging times.
So while this year has had its drawbacks, Aaron Singerman sees these decisions during hard times as proof that the Olympia and bodybuilding will continue to thrive in the future. Perhaps the fresh Olympia ownership might also lead to a change in physiques for the new generation. Once we’re out of the weeds we’ll soon find out.
You can watch Aaron Singerman’s full comments in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Aaron Singerman Reveals The Future Supplement Trends That Will Take Over Bodybuilding
Aaron Singerman discusses what changes appear to be trending in big ways in the supplement industry.
Supplementation is a big industry even outside of bodybuilding proper. As society has become more educated and focused on health, supplements have become common in nearly every household. But much like any industry, the technology, culture, and trends change from decade to decade. What does the future have in store for supplements? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Aaron Singerman shares insight into what future trends will take over the supplement industry and how it will affect bodybuilding.
Aaron Singerman has been in charge of RedCon1 for quite a long time. It’s become a heavy hitter in the bodybuilding and supplement industry. So during our video conversation, we wanted to see what the future holds for supplements. What changes are on the way and what trends will become the norm? Most importantly, how will it affect bodybuilding and the future of the sport?
Aaron Singerman sees the biggest trend growing right now is consuming supplements on the go. Making supplements more mobile is booming right now in the industry. Singerman can see it become the main way that we all relate to and consume supplements. Does this mean no more giant tubs of protein powder? Probably not – but it might mean that they become less common as we see easy to care single use products.
On top of that, Aaron Singerman believes that the recent pandemic has accelerated another big change happening in the supplement world. The direct-to-consumer market was already growing slowly due to the rise of the internet. Now with the pandemic causing superstores to be held closed or vacant, direct to consumer is more important than ever.
The pandemic has forced companies to adapt to that model faster than they otherwise would have. This could have a huge impact on the future of supplements. It can cause a sea change in what brands or distributors are the most common and popular.
Ultimately, this would be a win-win. Consumers can get more direct access to the brands they love without a middleman. Brands can get direct sales without big superstores taking a cut.
Of course, there will always be big online marketplaces like Amazon to fill in the gap. But with the model changing, if a brand is powerful enough, they won’t have to rely majority on distributors like Amazon. Instead their own website would be a central hub.
Vlad Yudin and Aaron Singerman also touch upon some other smaller trends that have popped up in supplements such as protein ice cream and the further rise of supplement bars and meal replacements. While popular – the cost for these kinds of items is enormous and thus prevents them from ever becoming truly mainstream.
You can watch Aaron Singerman break it all down in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
Huck Finn Reflects On His 40 Beers Deep Workout With Mike O’Hearn & Shares Hangover Cure
Huck Finn looks back at the most beers he ever drank in a single day before his workout (with Mike O’Hearn).
You may have heard of the viral stunt bodybuilder Huck Finn. And if you haven’t, you’re missing out on some hilarious and shocking entertainment. Reminiscent of the show Jackass but with a bodybuilding twist – Finn performs insane and dangerous stunts revolved around feats of strength. We spoke with him previously – but decided to catch up to learn about his latest antics. In our latest GI Exclusive, Huck Finn shares the most beers he ever drank before a workout… which happened to be with Mike O’Hearn.
Viral bodybuilder Huck Finn is all about two things – beer and hardcore weightlifting stunts. In fact, he somewhat recently injured himself in his attempt of a recent stunt involving fire and a human ramp. You can check it out below:
While this particular stunt didn’t involve heavy lifting, a quick glance through Huck Finn’s Instagram page will show a man who very often drinks heavy amounts of alcohol before or even while lifting massive weight. It’ dangerous. It shouldn’t be done at home. But it’s damn fun to watch.
During our recent video conversation with Huck Finn, we asked him to detail the most he ever drank in a single day before a workout or stunt. To no surprise, his answer would be shocking to most casual drinkers and lifters.
Huck Finn reflected back to a day where he went to an event at a Dallas gym and drank over forty beers. After the event, he decided he was still in good enough shape to train in the gym. It turned out this training session involved natural bodybuilder Mike O’Hearn. While many of the bodybuilders and lifters at the event thought it would be impossible for Finn to start training – he went ahead with it anyway.
Ultimately, Huck Finn managed to bench 500 pounds that training session. And in some predictable outcome for Finn – he also ended up having a chair crushed over his head by Mike O’Hearn (all in good fun of course). This is the kind of mentality and lifestyle that Huck Finn leads in the bodybuilding industry.
Huck Finn also discusses with us how he manages to stay somewhat lean despite consuming so much alcohol. He also shares his hangover cure for the day after heavy drinking. He can’t let a hangover prevent him from hitting the gym and keeping his strength and physique up.
You can watch Huck Finn talk about his recent injury, his heavy drinking stunt with Mike O’Hearn, and his hangover cure in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!