Tag: Bodybuilding
Victor Martinez: Logan Paul Isn’t Hurting Boxing, Lack Of Prime Athletes Is
Victor Martinez reacts to the upcoming boxing match of Logan Paul and Floyd Mayweather.
Victor Martinez may be a bodybuilder first and foremost but he’s also an avid fan of pro boxing. Admittedly, boxing has fallen quite a bit in popularity from its heyday in decades past. There is one exception – spectacle super fights that have brought in record amounts of revenue. The latest spectacle fight in boxing is Logan Paul vs Floyd Mayweather. But is the spectacle worth it? Or simply diminishing the respect of boxing even further to a sideshow attraction? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Victor Martinez shares his thoughts on boxing super fights, Logan Paul, and the current state of boxing.
Logan Paul is a YouTuber with a massive following and a strong personality. This leads to him being a lover him or hate him kind of influencer. So of course, when he started dipping his toes in to boxing – it led to mixed reactions. Now he’s set to face off against Floyd Mayweather in a super fight expected to bring in record amounts of profits. But is allowing YouTubers special exhibition matches damaging to the reputation of the sport?
We asked this very question to Victor Martinez. A pro bodybuilder who is also a deeply passionate boxing fan. How does he feel about Logan Paul’s entrance into the world of boxing? Victor admits that the fight is pure spectacle. It’s for money and it will succeed in bringing in tons of cash. That being said, Victor doesn’t see this as primarily a bad thing.
If anything, Logan Paul is bringing more attention to boxing at a time when it needs it most. UFC and MMA as a whole has taken a lot of boxing audience into a new direction. MMA is now arguably a more popular sport than boxing. It’s brining in fight fans and fight talent and away from boxing. The Logan Paul might not be a respectable title fight – but it’s still bringing young new energy into a sport that has diminished slowly over the years.
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Check out the latest GI Exclusive segment with Victor Martinez above!
In fact, Victor Martinez does not see Logan Paul or any social media influencer to be the actual problem for boxing. It’s simply a reaction to a deeper problem with the sport. According to Victor, the main problem with boxing is a lack of premiere talent – especially in male boxing. There is no Muhammad Ali or George Foreman. Even the last legendary boxer, Floyd Mayweather, has been retired and only comes out for special fights.
Logan Paul vs Floyd Mayweather is a direct reaction to the fact that current title holders don’t hold the same kind of popularity as legendary boxers in the past. Simply put, these super fights are the only way for boxing to get attention. Victor Martinez has no solution to fixing this problem other than hoping that more notable talent comes into the sport in the coming years.
This brings Victor Martinez to a bigger point regarding social media, influencers, and their place in professional sports. Bodybuilding faced a similar intersection of social media and competition over the past 10 years. You now have bodybuilding influencers who hold more attention than actual champion athletes. Is this bad? Victor says no.
In fact, Victor Martinez thinks that those who are angry about social media influencers taking the spotlight away need to start adapting to the new world. The world will not change back to what it used to be. Bodybuilders, or any athletes, that cannot adapt to social media will eventually be left behind (with rare exception). If they don’t want to adapt, that’s fine. But they also shouldn’t be angry about the new influencers gaining attention. If you don’t like it adapt.
You can watch Victor Martinez’s full comments on Logan Paul, boxing, and social media influencers in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Melle Mel: Shaun Clarida Had A Better Physique Than Big Ramy At Olympia 2020
Melle Mel explains why he believes Shaun Clarida was the best bodybuilder of the entire night at Olympia 2020.
Melle Mel previously stated in one of our interview segments that the quality of the Men’s Open bodybuilders were impressive but not ideal. By that he means that there was no Ronnie Coleman, Phil Heath, or Dorian Yates type of brilliance on display. In his mind, Big Ramy was no better than anyone in the top 10 at Olympia 2020. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Melle Mel goes a step further. He believes that Men’s 212 champion Shaun Clarida had a better physique than Big Ramy and anyone else on the Men’s Open stage.
Melle Mel loves bodybuilding but he falls into the camp of people who think Men’s Open has become too bloated with size. While he does enjoy the freak factor, he laments the loss of beauty in more conditioned and aesthetic physiques. Which is why he was happy for the creation of Classic Physique.
Somewhat ironically, it wasn’t the Classic Physique Olympia 2020 champion that stood out to him this past year. It was the Men’s 212 champion – Shaun Clarida. Known for his small height, Clarida was a Men’s 212 bodybuilder that often got overlooked. He proved the world that they should start paying attention with a truly career defining physique at Olympia 2020. He won and became champion.
Melle Mel believes that Shaun Clarida is the ideal phyisque that bodybuilders should all aspire towards. He goes as far to claim that if Clarida stood on stage next to Big Ramy – that Clarida would have won the Mr. Olympia overall. That’s how much Melle Mel was impressed by Clarida’s physique.
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Check out our GI Exclusive segment with Melle Mel above!
Of course, the sheer height and size difference would be a challenge for Clarida to overcome. But Melle Mel believes that size should not always matter. Bigger is not always better. He believes that Clarida should be able to stand side by side with Big Ramy – and fans and judges should be able to award Clarida victory regardless of his smaller size.
“Now had he stood beside Big Ramy, I guarantee you he would look better than Big Ramy,” Melle Mel states in our interview. He goes on, “He just wouldn’t be bigger. So you would probably overlook him. Absolutely he was in better conditioning than Big Ramy.”
The point Melle Mel seems to be making here is that it’s natural for us to overlook smaller stature people. Even if Clarida held a better conditioned physique – it would be less noticeable when an elephant is standing next to him. That being said, if it was possible to really let the crowd evaluate each of them honestly – Melle Mel thinks it’s clear that Clarida was superior in every single way.
There was a time in bodybuilding’s younger era, where the lightweight and heavyweight bodybuilders would ultimately battle on stage side by side for an overall winner. That has disappeared with the removal of traditional weight classes and the creation of divisions. Perhaps one day the IFBB and NPC can open up special crossover categories.
Imagine the Mr. Olympia standing next to the Men’s 212 Olympia and so on. Would it always be guaranteed that the Men’s Open competitor wins? Or would we have some surprise upsets? Melle Mel wants to believe that someone like Clarida can win overall – but we’ll never know unless these sort of crossover events are allowed to happen.
You can watch Melle Mel’s full comments on Shaun Clarida and Big Ramy in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Flexibility Vs. Mobility: The Difference You Need To Know
Flexibility and mobility are often used interchangeably, but there is a big difference that is important for your growth and performance.
People have used the terms flexibility and mobility interchangeably for years, but given that these two are very different, a push to change the rhetoric and separate these two has begun. We all know it is important to stretch. To stay loose and limber for whatever workout comes our way while also improving our posture and keeping us stable and balanced for those big lifts.
But static stretching and dynamic stretching work differently for us and while both work to lengthen and stretch out our muscles, it is important to really dive into the differences this causes for both mobility and flexibility. Flexibility deals with someone’s ability to move joints effectively through a complete range of motion to allow for a passive movement. Mobility is the body’s ability to move through that range of motion with control, which requires flexibility.
The key for both of these is actually stability. When we sat down with coach and fitness entrepreneur Don Saladino to discuss how to improve posture, he broke down for us the importance of stability. Stability equals strength and by combining flexibility with stability we come out with mobility.
What Is Flexibility?
Flexibility, to put it simply, is the quality of bending easily without breaking. It is the range of motion in a joint or a group of joints to move through a complete range of motion effectively. This typically allows a movement to happen passively, thus allowing us to hold a certain stretch without any pain in that joint or the joints surrounding it (1). This could be anything from holding a static stretch to bending down for something or getting out of bed. Flexibility varies from person to person given the differences in muscle length and can increase with exercise and stretching.
What About Mobility?
Mobility is the ability to move or be moved with ease. The key to longevity, mobility is the ability control the entire range of motion. This requires strength, also known as stability, as well as flexibility to improve that range of motion. This allows us to have total control in order to maximize all of our movements functionally and effectively to lift more without any unwanted pain or strain (2).
Isolated mobility is when a certain muscle or muscle group is mobile. This may work for sport specific movements, but overall mobility should be our goal. This is judged by how balanced your entire body is as a whole and is far more important than only being partially mobile. With overall mobility, you will be able to tackle any position or lift thrown your way to really maximize performance.
Why This Difference Matters?
Many people are flexible, meaning they can hold a certain stretch for a long time and even put their legs behind their heads. But that doesn’t mean they are mobile. Muscles that are flexible may be trying to compensate for areas where stability is lacking. If stabilizer muscles are not strong enough, then we rely on our mover muscles to pick up the slack, resulting in pain or poor posture. This ends up limiting mobility (3).
Since flexibility is the muscles ability to be lengthened, that doesn’t solve our problem with range of motion. Performing a big lift requires our joints to be able to move that weight as effectively as possible and that ability to move through range of motion is where are desire for mobility comes into play. So, if flexibility plus stability equals mobility, then we need to both be able to lengthen our muscles and have the proper strength to support range of motion. Control is key here and that comes through strength, coordination of our muscles and the proper functioning of our stabilizers.
Ways To Improve Mobility
To start, it is important for us to work on both strength and balance to enhance our stability and control, as well as working on flexibility to ensure loose muscles that can lengthen to their optimal capacity. Through proper lifts and a solid stretching routine, whether static or dynamic, we can start to see this change really happen.
For mobility, we should focus on:
Mobility Drills: These are geared towards range of motion and involve everything from moving, contracting, and relaxing our muscles. They can be isolated for specific areas or work multiple areas at once.
Stretching: Either static or dynamic, this will work to loosen up any stiff muscles that may be stopping you from moving well. Performing a dynamic stretching routine before your workout can really prime those muscles and a good static stretch post-workout can work to alleviate any muscle soreness and pain that may strike (4).
Coordination: This is important for you to get your body to act how you want it to. Better coordination with your joints and muscles will increase performance and you will feel more aware of the effects of your training.
Balance: Through balancing exercises, you will improve stability to provide a solid foundation to give yourself a good base for training. Activities like yoga and Pilates are great for this.
Massage Techniques: Using a foam roller, massage ball, or a massage gun are great ways to release tight muscles and work to lengthen them to relieve yourself of pain. Looking into a professional massage can also work wonders for you as a massage therapist will know exactly where to target to increase your performance (5).
Check out our list of the best foam rollers here or our list for the best massage guns here!
Wrap Up
While flexibility and mobility may be used interchangeably, they are very different at their cores. Flexibility is the ability to move joints effectively through a complete range of motion, often times passively. Mobility is the body’s ability to move through that range of motion with control, which requires stability. Stability equals strength and building that base is equally as important to mobility as being flexible. A simple equation to remember: Flexibility plus stability equals mobility.
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
Bushman, Barbara A. (2016). “Flexibility Exercises and Performance”. (source)
Haley, Jimmy. “The Importance of Flexibility and Mobility”. (source)
Hodges, P.; Gurfinkel, V.; Brumagne, S.; Smith, T.; Cordo, P. (2002). “Coexistence of stability and mobility in postural control: Evidence from postural compensation for respiration”. (source)
Harvard Health Letter (2013). “The importance of stretching”. (source)
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. “Massage Therapy: What You Need To Know”. (source)
Build Yoked Traps With This Workout
Workout For Building Mountain-Like Traps
Although the traps or trapezius muscles are the top-most muscles on the body, they are also one of the most overlooked muscle groups. Yoked traps can add to the overall aesthetics of your physique and can make you look stronger.
Most people train their trapezius muscles by doing a couple of exercises at the end of their shoulder workouts. In this workout, we’ll focus primarily on the traps so that they look like a couple of mountains rising out the top of your shoulders.
Dumbbell Upright Rows – 3 Sets 12-10-8 Reps
Dumbbell upright shrugs are an incredible exercise to build the size in the traps. Most people make the mistake of using momentum by swinging back and forth to lift the dumbbells. Doing so takes the tension off the traps.
Make sure you stretch out your traps at the bottom of the movement to recruit all the muscle fibers. Prefer dumbbells over a barbell in the upright rows as you can get a better range of motion.
Dumbbell Shrugs – 3 Sets 12 Reps
Shrugs are a staple in a trap workout. While shrugs are one of the easiest exercises to perform, most people screw up their form by lifting heavier weights than they can handle. Grab a dumbbell in each hand extended at arm’s length with a slight bend in your elbows.
Lift up your shoulders explosively with an aim to touch your ears with your shoulders. Return to the starting position with a slow and controlled movement. Keep your neck and back straight throughout the exercise and don’t use momentum by jerking at your knees.
Superset
Farmer’s Carry – 3 Sets 12 Steps on Each Side
Farmer’s carry is a compound movement and can also help in building overall strength and muscle mass. Grab a heavy dumbbell in each hand and walk around in the gym. Focus on building the tension on your traps.
Rack Deadlift – 3 Sets 12 Reps
Deadlifts are yet again a compound exercise which can add a lot of volume to your back. We limit the range of motion of the deadlifts in this workout to focus primarily on the trapezius muscle.
Machine Shrugs – 3 Sets 15 Reps
You need the right balance between the compound and isolation exercises to build monstrous traps. Machine shrugs are an isolation exercise which can help in improving the conditioning of the traps.
If you don’t have access to a machine shrug machine at your gym, you can use a shoulder press machine by standing on the seat and grabbing on to the handles. Being creative inside the gym can take you a long way.
Behind-The-Back Barbell Shrugs – 3 Sets 12-10-8 Reps
Behind-the-back barbell shrugs are different as compared to the orthodox barbell shrugs. You should consider lifting comparatively lighter weights as it’ll be harder to maintain balance while performing the exercise with a barbell behind your hamstrings.
Performing the behind-the-back barbell shrugs will target the front side of your traps. With the barbell shrugs, you’ll have trained your traps from all the possible angles in this workout.
Header image courtesy of Envato Elements
Which is your favorite muscle group? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Are Cheat Reps Helping or Harming You? The Truth Will Shock You
Revealing The Truth About Cheat Reps
Have you ever been called out by the bros at your gym while you were using just a little bit of momentum to complete your barbell bicep curls? Has anyone ever asked you to drop your ego and weights while you were struggling with your reps? If you’re nodding your head with tears in your eyes, we’ve written this guide on cheat reps just for you.
Anyone who uses momentum by rocking back and forth or behaves like King Kong by jerking the weights to the top of the movement will tell you that cheat reps help them annihilate their muscles. Are they right about the relationship between muscle hypertrophy and cheat reps or are they doing nothing more than stroking their ego? Let’s find out.
Why Do We Use Momentum in Our Exercises?
To understand why we use momentum, we need to deconstruct muscle hypertrophy. Muscle hypertrophy refers to an increase in muscle mass. As per the current hypertrophy theory, bigger muscles are a result of the mechanosensory converting mechanical energy into chemical signals that mediates the anabolic pathway.
Hypertrophy creates a situation where more proteins are being synthesized than degraded. Hence, it could be summarised that muscle hypertrophy is based on the recruitment of as many motor units as possible in the target muscles, and achieving high firing rates in these motor units for a sufficient duration of time.
According to a study, motor units are recruited in an orderly manner as per the load placed on them. Lower intensity tasks will call forth smaller motor unit action whereas higher intensity tasks will invoke the complete range of the motor units.
Here comes the big takeaway of this study. The researchers conducting this study concluded that this principle discounts the role of fatigue and its ability to impact motor unit recruitment.
Is Strict Form Overrated?
Gym bros will tell you that you need to stand straight while performing the barbell curls and your lower arms should be the only body parts moving. While a military-grade strict form is an ideal way of performing an exercise, you won’t be able to achieve muscle hypertrophy if you’re not pushing yourself through muscular failure. Why is that, you ask?
Fatigue
As your muscles begin to fatigue, the force your motor units generate goes down drastically. To maintain a full range of motion, enter hypertrophy, and get through the repetitions, you need to recruit higher threshold motor units which are only possible if you use momentum.
Resistance
The best part about cheat reps is that you can enter the state of hypertrophy even during a lower-intensity workout using lighter weights by performing the exercises to failure and using a little momentum to get a few extra reps out of the tank.
Why Most People Avoid “Cheating”
You might be wondering if cheat reps are so great then why do most coaches and trainers stop you from doing them? There are two main reasons for it:
1. Aesthetics
Let’s face it, cheat reps are not visually appealing. Most guys who make use of the technique look like noobs who have no idea of what they’re doing. While exercises performed with a strict form could make you look like a pro, using momentum with no control makes you look cringeworthy.
Aesthetically appealing stuff is easy to sell. This is the reason you’ll never see athletes lifting super heavyweights in promotional videos or magazine covers. These models are made to pose with weights they wouldn’t even warm up with before their workouts.
2. Injury
Forced reps are a two-edged sword. While they are great for helping you get the most out of your workouts, overdoing them or performing them without control can lead to an injury. Truth be told, most people do push their lucks too hard with the cheat reps. This also brings us to our next section –
Rules For Using Cheat Reps in Your Workouts
Heavy Axial Loaded Cheat Reps Are a Big NO
For the uninitiated, axial loading is the application of weight or force along the course of the long axis of the body. You should never attempt cheat repetitions on exercises like the squat, deadlift, standing military presses, good mornings, where the spinal column is directly under tension.
A little mistake on any single cheat rep can cause permanent damage to your body. You should always weigh the risk vs. reward of using momentum in exercises. Ask yourself – Does the risk of injury from performing cheat reps outweigh the benefit of potentially recruiting more high threshold motor units?
Each Set is Not a Cheat Set
If you have to use momentum in each set, you’re doing it all wrong. Maybe the bros were right about you, and you need to drop your ego. Cheat reps should be reserved for the last few repetitions of the final set of every exercise at max.
Strictly Restricted For Isolation Exercises
The things that can go wrong in isolation (single-joint) exercises are limited as compared to compound (multi-joint) exercises. People tend to use heavier weights on compound moves as they can use their secondary muscles in them.
In the isolation lifts, the machines by default make your form stricter due to which you need to lift lighter weights. The lesser degree of freedom while performing the forced reps can reduce your chances of an injury while helping you achieve muscular hypertrophy.
Don’t Go Overboard With The Cheat Reps
The degree of momentum people use during cheat reps can vary depending on multiple factors like body weight, exercise, and ego. You should be using moderate momentum to safely increase the muscle stimuli.
If you can’t curl a barbell without looking like a pendulum, you’re taking the cheat reps too far. You should also limit the use of forced reps in exercises you’re not comfortable performing.
To Cheat or Not to Cheat?
Monogamy is best when it is limited to your marriage and kept out of the gym. You will need to cheat on exercises to push your limits and take your gains to the next level. It is up to you to determine how far you want to take it.
Are you facing any mobility issues? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Joey Swoll Details His Rock Bottom Moment Of Pain Killer Addition
Joey Swoll opens up about his recent pain killer addiction, his rock bottom, and his recovery.
Over the past year, Joey Swoll made a public announcement online that shocked many of his fans. He had been quietly suffering from a pain killer addiction during the pandemic. Swoll made the post after he had put himself through recovery – but wanted his fans and followers to know the truth and hope to inspire those who are also suffering a way towards recovery. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Joey Swoll goes into detail about how became addicted to pain killers, his rock bottom, and his journey towards recovery.
The last time we spoke to Joey Swoll, he described how he was not much of a drug user. He smokes marijuana but stays away from alcohol. All things considered, he was a very mild mannered person when it came to experimenting with drugs. So it makes it all the more shocking when he revealed that he was addicted to pain medication for about a year in 2020.
That’s why we decided to reconnect with Joey Swoll and discuss in more detail his addiction, how it started, and what he learned from the entire experience. Upon reconnecting with Swoll, he detailed how his pain killer addiction started. Like many cases, it was due to an original prescription to help treat an injury.
Joey Swoll explains at the same time as his injury, he was dealing with compounding stress putting weight on his shoulders. Of course, the pandemic was changing life as we knew it. He was also going through an emotional breakup and facing some serious business challenges. All of these added up to a level of stress and anxiety that he couldn’t handle. The pain medication he received for his injury suddenly made everything more manageable.
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Check out our GI Exclusive segment with Joey Swoll above!
Like any addiction, it became a slippery slope. He kept increasing pill dosages as his tolerance grew. Suddenly, something that was making him feel happy was no longer bringing him relief. He felt trapped. His mood wildly swung from hour to hour. He felt depressed, out of control, and trapped.
Joey Swoll goes on to describe his rock bottom moment. He took so many pills that he believed he should just take even more to overdose and end his life. He wrote messages to close friends stating he would do as such. Ultimately, and luckily, this didn’t happen. He made it through the night. It was a wake up call that he needed help.
This was then compounded by Joey Swoll’s mother connecting with him. Knowing her son better than anyone, she could tell something was wrong. When she confronted him, he realized that if his mother noticed something was wrong – he definitely had a problem.
Joey Swoll’s social media post showcasing his bed covered in sweat due to withdrawals (above).
Joey Swoll didn’t receive professional help for recovery. Instead he did research, slowly weened himself off the pills, and eventually got to a point where he was completely free of using them. He did suffer withdrawals but now after going through recovery, Swoll feels stronger and able to avoid relapse and further addiction in his future.
Ultimately, Joey Swoll suffered silently during most of his addiction. Due to the pandemic, he was able to be easily isolated during the entire time. None of his friends knew about it as it was happening and the people he did reach out to – never returned his calls.
Despite this being a low point and struggle in Joey Swoll’s life, he looks at the experience as something that made him stronger. Luckily, this is due to him finding the ability to overcome the addiction. He went public with his experience in the hopes of inspiring others who are quietly suffering. They are not alone even if it feels that way.
You can watch Joey Swoll go into more detail about his pain killer addiction, his rock bottom, and his recovery in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
Mike O’Hearn Answers: Is A Bodybuilding Lifestyle Bad For Your Heart & Blood Pressure?
Mike O’Hearn and Vlad Yudin debate about heart heath advice from doctors within the bodybuilding lifestyle.
Mike O’Hearn is a bodybuilder with an incredible physique. But he’s also a bodybuilder who focuses just as much on health and longevity as he does on his outward physique. It’s certainly possible to have a sculpted massive physique but be incredible healthy under the hood. O’Hearn understands that and has dedicated his life to overall health. That’s why we asked O’Hearn his thoughts on heart health and blood pressure for bodybuilders. In our latest GI Exclusive, Mike O’Hearn breaks down why he thinks heavy weightlifting and bodybuilding is ultimately good for your heart and blood pressure.
Mike O’Hearn has seemingly accomplished the impossible. He maintains a mass monster physique without the use of PEDs. It’s so incredible that many believe he is lying and secretly uses steroids. It’s a strong believed rumor that has persisted for nearly O’Hearn’s entire career.
Regardless, it’s clear O’Hearn has been consistent in his claims of being all natural. Not only that – O’Hearn has always promoted healthy lifestyle choices within the world of bodybuilding. It’s surprisingly possible to build an impressive massive physique with unhealthy habits. Mike O’Hearn wants to have his cake and eat it too. An incredible physique and incredible long term health.
But is that fully possible when carrying mass monster levels of muscle? We asked this question to Mike O’Hearn, specifically in regards to heart health and blood pressure. Vlad Yudin states that he had a conversation with a cardiologist claiming that heavy weightlifting and massive muscle is ultimately bad for your heart in the long term. The reasoning behind this is two fold. On one hand, you are still carrying a massive amount of weight on your body. This is harder for the heart to pump blood through. On the other hand, the heart can actually grow like a muscle. Heavy weightlifting can increase hearts size (this is ultimately a bad thing).
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Watch our GI Exclusive segment with Mike O’Hearn above!
When asked about this, Mike O’Hearn had his own rebuttal. He recently visited a cardiologist for a routine check up. Not only is O’Hearn incredibly healthy for his age. He also discussed overall heart heath when it comes to heavy weightlifting. His conversation with a doctor revealed the opposite opinion. Lifting weights helps make the heart stronger. Mix that with a healthy diet and you avoid high blood pressure as well.
So what is the correct answer here? Two different doctors with two different opinions on bodybuilding and heart health. Mike O’Hearn chooses to then look at anecdotal evidence. O’Hearn looks back at pro bodybuilders from the golden era and what we know about their health now in their twilight years. According to O’Hearn, many of these older former bodybuilders are healthier and more able bodied than many people their age. This makes O’Hearn believe bodybuilding, when done correctly, is ultimately healthy for your heart.
Mike O’Hearn puts an important caveat on that statement. It’s very easy for a bodybuilder to abuse the techniques to make up an ultimately unhealthy lifestyle. Bodybuilders can eat crap to bulk up muscle. These “dirty” foods can lead to high blood pressure and ultimately heart problems. Heavy lifting can also go too far. Going hardcore each session in the short term does not look forward towards health in the long term.
O’Hearn also makes one more statement in regards to bodybuilding and heart health. Ultimately, there is a randomness to health as a whole. Some people smoke their whole lives but live to be 100. Some people are incredibly healthy-minded but die in their thirties. This doesn’t mean it’s not worth focusing on health – but it does mean that we shouldn’t accidentally assume coincidence is evidence of an actual statistical trend.
You can watch Mike O’Hearn go into full detail about bodybuilding, heart health, and blood pressure in our latest GI Exclusive interview above!
4 Reasons Why The Clean-Reverse Lunge Will Perfect Your Legs
Beyond the squat.
We’ve touched a lot on how leg day is perhaps the most dreaded day in a bodybuilder’s workout schedule. It’s rough, it’s tough, and it can be draining if you’re training correctly. It’s a day that’s meant to separate the men from the boys and can be a truly taxing day on the body. But a bodybuilder doesn’t look at the hard days as something to avoid. Instead, a bodybuilder seeks out the tougher times and uses them as the key to making further improvements to their bodies.
The rule of thumb for leg day is that squats are the key exercise to getting your legs as powerful as possible. It’s a notion that rings true, that’s why everyone is adamant about including the king of exercises into a leg program. But if you want to make the kind of improvements you need to build superior size and definition in your legs, then squats can’t and won’t be the only exercise that’s integrated into your routine.
The Clean-Reverse Lunge is great exercise that can be extremely beneficial to giving you some great leg development. Besides adding variety to your exercise, this exercise can offer the user a number of great improvements to their physique, technique, and form.
So why should you start doing the clean-reverse lunge? Well here are four reasons that could convince you to add this exercise to your workout.
Fixes Imbalances
As a bodybuilder, symmetry is a very important aspect of creating an aesthetic physique. When performing certain exercises like the squat or barbell bench press, compound movements, imbalances can occur if one side is doing more work than the other. The clean-reverse lunge is great because it can fix those imbalances not only in the legs, but the core and upper back as well.
Strengthens Upper Back
Speaking of which, this exercise is also great for strengthening the upper quadrants of the back. By holding the bar in the clean or front squat position you engage your upper body tremendously with this movement. When performing the actual lunge, the time in which your body is under tension ultimately will require you to have good posture which improves overall upper body strength – including your lats and traps. The improved posture will also translate to improving your deadlifts as well.
Strengthens Core
The exercise can also be great for improving your core strength as well. While holding the barbell in the clean or front squat position, your abs will be getting a phenomenal workout. For the same reasons that make the squat such an awesome exercise, the clean-reverse lunge is an exercise that targets multiple muscle groups, not only improving your legs, but the entire body as well.
Knee Friendly
For many people who resent leg day the biggest complaint is that the workouts that they’re performing are killing their knee joints. It’s hard to get through a rough exercise if your knees are racked with pain. The movement of the clean-reverse lunge allows for the shins to remain vertical which takes a great deal of stress off of the knees. It’s an exercise that promotes quad development, but not at the costs of destroying your knees.
Are you a fan of the clean-reverse lunge? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Build Up Your Abs With This Core Thrashing Circuit
How To Build Your Abs Using A Core Circuit.
If your training goals consist of building solid slabs of muscle while chiseling away at unwanted body fat in the process, the use of high intensity bouts of conditioning needs to be an absolute cornerstone in your aesthetics programming. This is especially true for tightening your core.
While there are too many types of conditioning methods circulating the industry to keep track of, one attribute that many lack is intensity. Want to get the most out of your conditioning? Try getting after it when your body and mind are close to the point of absolute exhaustion at the tail end of a training session. This is where real gains are made, and the real athletes are separated from the soft pretenders.
Not only will maximally exerted conditioning sessions skyrocket your metabolic rate, they will help you achieve a higher level of testicular fortitude in the process, building a foundation of pride and accomplishment that follows you through whatever path you choose to follow.
LOADED CARRIES
There is no doubt that the traditional farmers carry is a great way to teach and develop proper shoulder and trunk alignment under some heavy ass loads that require concentrated effort to move, let alone execute with pristine form. While the staple carry will always have its place in conditioning programming, slight variations of the loaded carry can help emphasize a movement pattern of muscle group being trained through the addition of direct and muscle specific conditioning.
If you want to be absolutely sure to thrash your shoulders, core and hips simultaneously while squeezing every available ounce energy out of your body, putting the final nail in your training day coffin, the cross body carry (CBC) is a powerful variation of the loaded carry.
Performing the cross body carry paired with the static push up hold has the ability to generate a huge amount of metabolic stress through the shoulders and core, while increasing your heart rate and exertion to near maximal levels.
THE SUPERSET
Executing the cross body carry followed by a violently tensioned static push up hold at the tail end of your upper body emphasized training days will leave your shoulders trembling, your core on fire, and your eyes searching for the nearest garbage can in case your lunch is coming out for an encore appearance.
To see what you’re really made of, minimize rest periods while using near-maximal loads for the given time intervals. A good starting weight will be holding 75% of your body weight in the bottom hand and 50% in the hand positioned overhead. If this six-minute addition to your upper body-training day doesn’t leave you on the ground in sheer exhaustion by the last round, buck up and go heavier next session..
KETTLEBELL CROSS BODY CARRY
COACHING POINTS- CBC
Choose loads that are near maximal while still keeping your spine and shoulders in a neutral position at all times..
Use a slightly heavier load in the bottom hand- Challenge yourself! Start off with a load of 75% of your bodyweight in your bottom hand and 50% in your hand positioned overhead..
Assume a slow and steady walking speed that can be maintained throughout the set..
Shorten your stride length. Think one foot directly in front of the other keeping your feet well under your center of gravity..
Alternate the left and right hand positions for each set you complete. Do not switch your hand positions mid set while you are on the clock!
PUSH UP ISO-HOLD
COACHING POINTS- PUSH UP HOLD
Start in quadruped position and activate your core by maximally squeezing your abdominal wall and upper extremities..
Prep your shoulders by stabilizing your shoulder blades down and back, externally rotating the shoulder joint..
One leg at a time, step back and place feet at shoulder width apart while squeezing your body as hard as you possibly can to maximize full body tension..
Hold maximal tension in your glutes, core and shoulders simultaneously..
Maintain maximal tension for the duration of the hold, and remember, if you aren’t shaking you aren’t really generating that much tension..
PROGRAMMING
This conditioning superset is ideal for a tag on for any upper body emphasized training day. If you feel like you have a little fuel left to burn before shooting down that $8 gluten free smoothie of yours, grab some KB’s and get after it. The first time through, use the programming parameters below. From there, it’s in your hands! Get as crazy as your body, or mind, will allow!
1A KB CROSS BODY CARRY 6 sets / 20 seconds / 10 seconds rest
1B PUSH-UP ISO-HOLD 6 sets / 20 seconds / 10 seconds rest
*Note that for the CBC, each set will alternate arms in the up and down position. Ex. set 1 right arm up, left arm down to the side, set 2 left arm up, right arm down to the side
Dr. John Rusin is not your run-of-the-mill physical therapist. His innovative vision and knowledge brings together high-performance strength and hypertrophy programming with cutting-edge, pain-free training methodology. With more than a decade of elite level training experience and advanced degrees in both exercise science and physical therapy, Dr. Rusin develops performance, regeneration, and aesthetics programs for some of the world’s best power athletes, NFL and MLB athletes, Gold-Medal Olympians, competitive powerlifters and bodybuilders.
Top-rated Weight Lifting Belts On Amazon in 2021
Independent research conducted by our team has revealed that Amazon has some of the best weight lifting belts in 2021. We have tested some of these items so our list of belts is dependable. There are several factors one needs to consider before buying a lifting belt and our criteria are based on those factors.
They include:
Stability.
Comfort.
Toughness.
First off, what role do lifting belts play in weight lifting? Well, the primary role of the belts is to prevent injury that results from lifting heavier weights. If you were to lift a weight about your weight without a belt, chances are that your spinal discs will be compressed too much and get injured. A lifting belt reduces the compressive forces that act on your spinal discs, thus protecting against injury. Additionally, the belt gives the lifter stability by ensuring that the center of gravity does not shift while lifting a heavy load.
Bodybuilders develop injuries as a result of poor lifting, which entails lifting too much heavier weights, lifting quickly, or lifting at the wrong angle. All these mistakes have one effect on the lifter’s body; putting intense stress on the lower back. Although a belt may not help much in the case of lifting super heavy loads, it comes in handy when you lift quickly and lifting at the wrong angle.
Related Article:: 10 Best Suspension Training Kits: Your Easy Buying Guide
All lifting belts serve the same purpose, but effectiveness varies with design and quality. Here are some of the best weight lifting belts on Amazon in 2021.
ProFitness Genuine Leather Workout Belt
It comes first on our list because of the quality and stability it offers when lifting. ProFitness workout belt gives adequate support when doing exercises such as squats, deadlifts, cross-training, and more. Made with genuine, tough leather, this belt will guarantee you many years of service without showing a single sign of wearing out. The belt’s improved form and technique are also worth noting. In addition to preventing injuries, ProFitness also helps maintain strength and stability in every set. If you’re looking to have a strong back, this belt will ultimately take you there since it helps sustain strong abdominals and build core muscles.
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