Tag: Bodybuilding
Samir Bannout: Arnold Schwarzenegger Won Olympia 1980 Because Of His Name
Samir Bannout’s First Hand Account Of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Controversial Olympia 1980 Win
One of the most controversial Mr. Olympia competitions in history was in 1980. It was the year that Arnold Schwarzenegger decided to compete last minute after stepping away from the sport. He ended up winning first place and his 7th Olympia trophy. Many fans believed that it was an unearned win fueled by his rising Hollywood fame. It was an infamous moment in pro bodybuilding history. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Samir Bannout shares his first hand account both back stage and on stage of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Olympia 1980 win.
Samir Bannout is a bodybuilding legend in his own right. He is a Mr. Olympia champion and considered by many to have one of the greatest physiques of all time. He was also present at the 1980 Mr. Olympia competition. We sat down with Samir via video chat for our latest GI Exclusive interview. During that conversation, we asked him to reflect on his first hand account of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s return and the drama that ensued at Mr. Olympia 1980.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Secret Competition Prep
Samir Bannout notes that the first thing he remembers I seeing Arnold Schwarzenegger in the gym about a month before the Mr. Olympia. While Arnold did not confirm anything, Samir could tell from the nature of his training that he was preparing to compete again. In fact, he was not completely surprised when Arnold eventually announced he would appear at the Mr. Olympia. It seems that perhaps it wasn’t as last minute a decision as many believe. Simply a surprise to the public.
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Check out our latest GI Exclusive segment with Samir Bannout above!
The Press Conference Aggression
Samir Bannout goes on to describe the press conference before the Mr. Olympia. This is where the drama started to build up. Samir recalls Arnold Schwarzenegger saying some harsh words – particularly to Mike Mentzer. This wasn’t particularly off character for Arnold – who was always cocky as part of his bodybuilding persona. But due to his sudden appearance last minute at this specific competition – the cocky trash talk was received a little differently.
Mike Mentzer became so angry from the press conference comments that he and Arnold Schwarzenegger physically attacked each other. The rest of the athletes and staff had to pull Mike and Arnold apart. That’s how heated things were before the actual competition even started. Of course, this didn’t bode well for what was to come.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Controversial Olympia Win
Arnold Schwarzenegger ultimately was crowned the winner of the Mr. Olympia 1980. This decision was so poorly received that Frank Zane threw his trophy to the ground and multiple athletes stormed off stage. It was clear that many disagreed with the judges decision.
So what about Samir Bannout? Did he disagree with the call? He makes it clear in our conversation that he felt Arnold Schwarzenegger did not deserve to win the Mr. Olympia 1980. In fact, while he does not have confirmation, he has heard many rumors from trusted friends in the industry. Rumors that imply that Arnold Schwarzenegger received help from the judges due to his rising star in Hollywood.
There are those who thought perhaps Arnold was scored more favorably because of how much power he held as a celebrity. Or alternatively, he was so beloved that the judges scored more on Arnold the icon rather than his conditioning.
“Yeah of course so many people got pissed off and I also believe they have the right to get mad,” Samir Bannout states in our interview. He continues:
“I think the assumption was then… do I know exactly what happened or why did Arnold win? Sometimes you have to remember, Arnold had a lot of fans. And he’s Arnold. Everyone looked up to Arnold. And so, I heard that some of the judges loved Arnold. Loved him as Arnold. They didn’t care about his conditioning that day. They voted for him as Arnold and that’s not right. Me personally if my brother was on stage, doesn’t deserve to win, I wouldn’t let him win.”
Samir Bannout makes a point to state he has no proof of this. It’s a rumor he has heard from enough people to trust in the topic. That’s a testament to just how controversial Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1980 victory was. While all of these claims may simply be one day proven false – it’s the optics that led to such fervor.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s last minute entry, his conditioning being off compared to his prime, and his rising fame outside of bodybuilding all created an atmosphere ripe for conspiracy theories and unhappy fans.
We may never know the truth behind what exactly happened or if there was truly foul play. But Samir Bannout’s recounting of the Olympia 1980 is wonderfully entertaining and insightful. It provides a behind the scenes oral history of a very infamous and dramatic moment in bodybuilding history.
You can watch Samir Bannout go into full detail about the 1980 Mr. Olympia by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview above!
How Stress Affects Your Fitness Goals And How To Manage It
Exercise can positively help reduce stress, but too much stress can have a negative effect on your workouts.
Our lives are filled with busy schedules. Between work, relationships, personal self care, and trying to stay active and healthy, stress can creep in and disrupt a healthy lifestyle. It can be overwhelming and hard to control much of the time and without knowing the proper ways to manage stress, easing our minds can be a difficult challenge.
Your mind and body feed off of one another, working together to keep you both physically and mentally healthy. Exercise is a common and very beneficial stress relieving aid for being active works to boost endorphins to make you feel good (1).
Along with that, knowing you are actively building muscle or improving cardio can really enhance confidence and self-image, thus improving your mood and allowing you to relax and start to settle those stressful thoughts.
Unfortunately, stress can work against us at times and although we may embark on our fitness journey as best we can, the effects of stress can negatively impact our workouts. As a serious de-motivator, it can be hard to lace up our shoes and go for even a short run, let alone a high intensity workout, so learning to manage stress as best we can goes a long way in improving all aspects of our fitness goals.
Negative Effects Of Stress
Hinder Recovery
Recovery is an essential part of seeing big gains and overall growth and being overly stressed can make for a longer time to recover. Leaving you feeling tired and sore, your muscles will not have a chance to repair themselves (2). A lack of recovery not only leaves you feeling fatigued, but it increases your risk of injury potentially putting you out of the gym. Hydrating is key and adding in a good supplement like a whey protein can aid recovery but also ensure you get enough sleep so your muscles have time to fully recover.
Increase Muscle Tension
When you are stressed, your muscles tense up to protect against injury, and if not properly recovered, this can lead to unfortunate injury and pain. With tight muscles, your room to grow is seriously diminished and if you are in a constant state of stress, your muscles never truly get a chance to relax. This can also affect posture and trigger increased levels of cortisol, which triggers a fight or flight response leaving you in a continued state of tension. Working with a physical therapist or getting a massage can really help relieve a lot of this tension. Massage guns are also great at-home muscle relieving tools.
Affect Concentration
Stress forces your mind to wander and that loss of focus just makes you feel as if you are going through the motions. Working on mind-muscle connection in the gym will help you see growth and if a lack of concentration is present, you won’t perform to full potential. Poor concentration also makes it easier for mistakes to occur with form and technique, also increasing your risk of injury. Yoga and other forms of meditation are healthy ways to really gain clarity when it comes to boosting your concentration and focus.
Increase Appetite and Body Fat
We’ve all experienced an unfortunate binge when we are stressed. That is the result of a hormone called cortisol which is considered the “stress hormone” but also performs functions like aiding metabolism, increasing blood sugar, and modulating the immune system (3). Cortisol can increase your cravings for more sugary foods and mix that with a stressed out person, it leads to binge eating causing an increase in your caloric intake and unfortunate weight gain.
Cortisol also causes your body to store fat, increasing your body fat and making it hard to get that desired physique (4). This works in a vicious cycle of cortisol being released, increasing your cravings leading to a binge or just unhealthy eating, only to have cortisol then store fat to make it harder for you to lose weight. Working on stress relief and finding a good diet you can stay consistent with will help with this problem big time.
Ways To Reduce Stress
Stressors in our lives will always be present and knowing how to deal with stress will prove to be huge for our overall health and wellness. Exercise is key, so even when you feel down and out, find an excuse to get moving and get those endorphins flowing because you will feel better after (5). Too much caffeine or other stimulants can cause stress so working to reduce your caffeine intake will also help. Try meditation, yoga, or other mindfulness activities to really work to calm your mind and stay on top of your game. But most importantly, reach out to people. Whether it be family or friends, talk about what’s going on and let them help you. Your fitness goals are important but so is your overall quality of life so don’t let stress take you down.
Wrap Up
We all deal with stress in different ways. For those of us who love fitness and take our health seriously, stress can unfortunately work against us and force us into deep holes of despair keeping us from what we love and hurting our fitness progress. Hindering recovery, increasing muscle tension, promoting poor concentration, and leading us to weight gain are all ways that stress hurts our fitness goals. Working to reduce stress through mindfulness activities, talking with family and friends, and of course, pushing ourselves to exercise, are great ways to combat stress so you always win. Don’t let your hard work be taken down by stress and work to reduce it for your overall health and wellness.
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
Jackson, Erica M. (2013). “Stress Relief: The Role of Exercise in Stress Management”. (source)
Stults-Kolehmainen, Matthew A.; Bartholomew, John B. (2012). “Psychological stress impairs short-term muscular recovery from resistance exercise”. (source)
Christiansen, Jens J.; Djurhuus, Christian B.; Gravholt, Claus H.; Iversen, Per; Christiansen, Jens S.; Schmits, Ole; Weeke, Jorgen; Jorgensen, Jens Otto Lunde; Moller, Niels (2007). “Effects of Cortisol on Carbohydrate, Lipid, and Protein Metabolism: Studies of Acute Cortisol Withdrawal in Adrenocortical Failure”. (source)
Kandhalu, Preethi. “Effects of Cortisol on Physical and Psychological Aspects of the Body and Effective Ways by Which One Can Reduce Stress”. (source)
Kim, Jong-Ho; McKenzie, Larry A. (2014). “The Impacts of Physical Exercise on Stress Coping and Well-Being in University Students in the Context of Leisure”. (source)
Build a Chest of Steel With This Workout
Workout For a Bigger and Striated Chest
If you’re planning to make a statement with your physique, moobs surely aren’t going to help your case. Having a broad chest can make you stand apart from the crowd and get the attention you deserve.
Building a ripped chest takes more than doing a few pushups and presses. You need to have a combination of compound and isolation exercises in your workouts to develop the perfect size and conditioning.
Cable Crossovers – 4 Sets 15 Reps
You’ll be starting this workout with an isolation exercise to pre-exhaust your pecs before you get into the compound lifts. Exhausting your chest at the beginning of the workout eliminates the need for lifting super heavyweights to recruits and target your pectoral muscles later in the workout.
Grab a D-handle attachment in each hand and take a long stride with either of your feet to get in position for the exercise. Make sure there is tension on your pecs at the starting position. Maintain a slight bend in your elbows while performing the cable crossovers to target your pecs efficiently.
Barbell Bench Press – 4 Sets 15 Reps
The barbell bench press is what squats are for the legs. If you’re new to resistance training or are using a challenging weight, it’s wise to get the help of a spotter. The barbell bench press is a great exercise to build strength and volume in your pectoral muscles.
While performing the bench press, keep your elbows slightly angled towards your sides to eliminate any tension on your rotator cuffs. Contract your pecs with every repetition while performing the exercises in the workout.
Incline Dumbbell Flyes – 3 Sets 15-12-10 Reps
For the majority of people, the upper chest is a weak muscle group. It’s harder to establish a mind-muscle connection with the upper pecs as it’s a very small (one-third of your chest) muscle group.
The key while performing the incline bench dumbbell flyes is to contract your pecs at the top of the movement and target the inner chest. Maintain a slight bend in your elbows and push your chest out as you reach the bottom of the movement.
Decline Dumbbell Press – 3 Sets 15-12-10 Reps
The decline dumbbell press is an incredibly effective exercise in building the separation between your chest and the abdomen. You’ll be able to lift relatively heavier weights in the decline presses as compared to the flat and incline presses.
The dumbbells should be at the sides of your chest at the bottom of the movement. Pause and contracts the life out of your pecs at the top of the movement. While the pressing movements help in developing the size in your chest, the flyes target the separation and conditioning.
Barbell Rollout Flyes – 3 Sets 10 Reps
The barbell rollout flyes are the ultimate chest workout finisher. If you’re lacking the separation between your pecs, the barbell rollout flyes should be a part of your exercise arsenal.
Place a weight plate at each end of a barbell and place the barbells parallel to each other on the floor. Get into a push-up position in the center of the two barbells and grab the barbells with a neutral (palms facing each other) grip.
Your arms should be extended in a straight line and the barbell should be under your shoulders at the starting position. Slowly push the barbell away while mimicking the dumbbell fly movement.
Your chest should be a 5-6 inches away from the floor at the bottom of the movement. Return to the starting position and squeeze your pecs. Repeat for the recommended repetitions.
Which is your favorite chest exercise? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Header image courtesy of Envato Elements
Brad Castleberry: Too Many People Use Bad Genetics As An Excuse To Not Train Hard
Brad Castleberry discusses a frustrating reality in bodybuilding – some people will always have to train harder than others to succeed.
Brad Castleberry is a love him or hate him kind of bodybuilding personality. But one thing that cannot be denied is his impressive physique. It’s a large part of why he built such a massive following as an influencer. And regardless of fake weights in videos or not – it takes hard work to achieve that kind of physique. It also helps that he has incredible genetics.
Brad Castleberry has inspired many to want to follow in his footsteps. Like many other bodybuilders, he becomes an icon that aspiring bodybuilders want to achieve. While the bottom line is that it will always take hard work – Castleberry isn’t ashamed to admit it’s easier for some than others. It call comes down to genetics. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Brad Castleberry explains some individuals simply have to train harder than others to achieve the same level of success. The problem is – too many people use bad genetics as an excuse to avoid hard work.
The unfortunate truth about bodybuilding and fitness is that one size does not fit all. Yes, the core tenets of weight loss and building muscle are universally true. But what works for one person might not work as fast or as well for others. This has been the hardest psychological aspect of fitness. It’s what bars so many people from success. They follow a diet or training plan. They don’t see results as fast as a friend or training partner. They get frustrated and give up.
It’s true that some foods or some training methods react better to some bodies than others. But there is no training program or (well formulated) diet that will even actively NOT work. It might just take more time than you want. It might simply require more trial and error than you want. Fitness and bodybuilding is about the long term. It’s a marathon not a sprint. A lot of people don’t make it that far to really see those kind of results – unfortunately.
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Check out our GI Exclusive segment with Brad Castleberry above!
That’s why Brad Castleberry went into great detail about the realities of how genetics play a role in bodybuilding. It’s foolish to go in thinking you will look like Ronnie Coleman if you just follow his routine. You might not have the genetics to sustain that kind of aesthetic and size. It’s not 100% impossible. It just might take 10 times more work than it actually did for Ronnie himself. And Ronnie certainly trained his ass off.
But the bigger problem Brad Castleberry sees is that people use bad genetics as an excuse. If a training program doesn’t show results fast enough. If a diet doesn’t work as initially intended. If someone simply has more trouble keeping off weight than others. All of these factors become excuses. A person might say “I can never look like an IFBB pro bodybuilder – so why even try?”
Brad Castleberry wants individuals to understand and temper their expectations – but also to have motivation to still succeed. Yes, you may have bad genetics. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t create a fantastic physique. The difference between the best bodybuilders in history are not just genetics. It’s willpower. It’s dedication.
Arnold Schwarzenegger himself has admitted that he has poor genetics. But he worked twice as hard to make up for it and become the best in the world and win seven Mr. Olympia titles. If he let genetics decide his fate – he wouldn’t have become the historic bodybuilder, actor, and politician we know today.
It might be hard to imagine yourself as becoming the next Arnold Schwarzenegger. That’s because the odds are very much not in your favor. But at the same time – someone eventually has to become the next big legend. What separates the icons from the normal folk isn’t fate. It’s having the mental strength.
You can watch Brad Castleberry go into further detail about genetics and excuses in bodybuilding by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Victor Martinez: Hollywood Embraced Massive Muscle Only When They Ran Out Of Ideas
Victor Martinez reacts to Chris Hemsworth’s recent comments about being typecast because of his physique.
Chris Hemsworth recently made headlines by stating that he often gets overlooked for certain roles due to his impressive physique. Basically, he’s being typecast for action and comedy roles base more on his body than his acting ability. The intersection between massive muscle and movies have been a rollercoaster ever since Arnold Schwarzenegger burst onto the scene and became a star. In our latest GI Exclusive, pro bodybuilder Victor Martinez reacts to Chris Hemsworth’s recent statement and reflects on muscle in Hollywood.
For many bodybuilders, movies provided a first glimpse into seemingly impossible mass monster physiques. It inspired an entire generation to become professional bodybuilders. But muscle in Hollywood has risen and wained over the decades. Today we seem to be at an intersection. Superhero movies are bringing bigger physiques back after nearly a decade of slimmer more conditioned bodies.
However, a massive physique seems to still be seen as more of a gimmick. Something that gets headlines due to an impressive transformation. Or worse, something that typecasts certain actors into only action roles. Chris Hemsworth is an actor who spoke out about this recently.
During our new interview with Victor Martinez, we asked for his reaction to Chris Hemsworth’s statements. In some ways, massive muscle is back as a selling point in Hollywood. Actors like The Rock are garnering in millions of dollars. Hemsworth himself is likely doing financially very well after starring as Thor in multiple Marvel movies. Is this typecasting? Or just playing to the actor’s strengths?
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Check out our GI Exclusive segment with Victor Martinez above!
Victor Martinez thinks that Hollywood still sees massive muscle mostly as a gimmick. In fact, Martinez believes that the only reason Hollywood even hires massive muscular actors is due to the fact that big studios have run out of ideas.
“Hollywood embraced muscular physiques when they ran out of things to do and Marvel comics and DC took over,” Victor Martinez claims in our interview. He continues:
“That’s when they embraced it. But Hemsworth being Thor and getting too big, you know, like bodybuilders in the past like Arnold was. You get typecast. You become a bodyguard, you become a bad guy, you die in the first scene.”
While Victor Martinez doesn’t mention more about Arnold Schwarzenegger. In some ways, Hollywood had never embraced massive muscle the same way again after Schwarzenegger’s heyday. Predator comes to mind as a movie that combined so many massive physiques together. They weren’t villains. They were heroes. And they could all damn well act.
Even today in Hollywood, with 20 superhero movies releasing per year, there are very few physiques that match the kind of mass monster size seen in the 80s. Perhaps that is why actors like Chris Hemsworth feel typecast. Muscle is still seen as an oddity – even after so many years of it rising in popularity.
You can watch Victor Martinez go into more detail about Chris Hemsworth and muscle in Hollywood by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
The HGH Bubble Gut: What Causes Abdominal Distention In Bodybuilders?
The reason for abdominal distention and how bubble gut affects bodybuilders.
Anyone following professional bodybuilding will have noticed the recent trend of stomach distention in bodybuilders, particularly in recent history. The trend has become even more pronounced over the last 5 years, with images of Mr. Olympia contestants like Kai Greene, or current champion, Phil Heath, and even previous champions like Ronnie Coleman showing signs of excessive stomach distention despite having extremely low body fat.
Many spectators and fans have been left wondering what causes the appearance of a ‘bubble gut’ on these athletes and why has it become so common. Stomach distention has become known as a variety of names in bodybuilding circles as “HGH gut” or “insulin gut,” or more simply, “bodybuilder belly” and “muscle gut.” As these names suggest, the stomach distention in bodybuilders is believed to be caused by insulin and human growth hormone (HGH) abuse.
Let’s dive into HGH bubble gut and why bodybuilders are willing to go through this in order to achieve their desired results. Does the human drive to win outweigh the health consequences of something like bubble gut? We’ll check this out and see why this is such a big deal, especially for bodybuilders at the top of their game. We’ve all seen it, so let’s find out what it is, what causes it, and ways to prevent it to avoid that bloated, rounded physique.
Anatomy Of The Abdomen
The human abdomen can be broken down into 3 layers. There is the musculature including the rectus and tranverse abdominus and the internal and external obliques. These are of course essential for providing balance and stability during those massive lifts, while also popping out to give you an absolutely shredded aesthetic people will envy.
Then there is the fascia involved which is basically a casing for the muscles to sit in that offers protection and connects your skin to the tissue that is directly underneath it. But deeper is the extraperitoneal fat, omentum, and the actual organs inside the peritoneum. This is the real stuff we want to protect, but using HGH and other substances can greatly affect what we seek to so desperately keep healthy and intact.
What Is Abdominal Distention & Bubble Gut?
Abdominal distention occurs when substances, like air or fluid, accumulate in your abdomen and cause the expansion of your stomach to move past a normal level, being your waist. In bodybuilders, this is known as bubble gut, and it gives off the appearance that they have excess fat and heavy bloating around the gut (1). We’ve all seen it. Although they still have those six-pack abs popping through, the mid section is very much rounded out leaving us wondering just what is going on. Well, it is the effect of HGH and other substances bodybuilders use to get that extra leg up on the competition, and while it may seem to work, it certainly doesn’t look as good as a leaned out flat stomach.
Causes of Bubble Gut In Bodybuilders
When it comes down to it, knowing what causes bubble gut will prove to be important when looking to avoid it. Common causes of bubble gut include:
Human growth hormone (HGH) abuse: A common side effect is excessive growth of certain tissues and this can really make that stomach bulge pronounced.
Insulin abuse: Typically stacked with HGH, insulin can increase fat storage behind the stomach giving off that rounded look.
High Calorie & Carb Diets: Those on high calorie diets most likely have food staying in their stomach for longer periods of time. As for those with high carb diets, the increase in glycogen increases water retention and this can offer a bloated look.
HGH & Effect On The Abdomen
When combined with proper training, multiple supplements, and a diet that is extremely high in protein, the use of insulin and human growth hormone leads to considerable and significant increases in muscle mass (2). This causes not only an increase in mass in the rectus abdominis, or “the six pack” musculature itself, but also in the muscles that lie underneath it, including the muscular layer of the abdomen.
The combined growth of these muscles in turn causes the entire midsection to grow and eventually protrude, giving a ‘blocky’ appearance and contributing to stomach distention. Many bodybuilders also combine HGH, along with other substances, with insulin use – a practice known as “stacking” – which can further increase these effects.
Over time, insulin use can cause increased fat storage behind the abdomen, known as visceral fat contributing to the omentum, which can also contribute to a larger abdomen. With plenty of androgens and Insulin-like Growth Factor floating around in the circulation, internal organs can also be affected. They, like muscles, also have receptors for these hormones albeit in lower concentrations than skeletal muscle.
Why Bodybuilders Still Use HGH
Despite the unfortunate side effect of bubble gut, bodybuilders continue to use HGH and other substances. For many, the obvious choice would be to stop using such substances as they will only hurt in the long term. But with such a competitive mindset, it just isn’t that easy. What HGH use does is it will work to increase muscle mass, enhance bone density, promote better performance, and offer less body fat. Now, as a bodybuilder, that sounds pretty good.
The mindset around simply dealing with the repercussions in order to hold that Mr. Olympia trophy seems like a no brainer. But at the end of the day, bubble gut comes back to haunt many and using HGH and other substances to gain that extra edge is proving to be more detrimental than originally thought. Don’t let you hard work slip away with a rounded, bloated physique come competition day. The drive to win is great but getting there efficiently, safely, and in a healthy way is more important than just taking the victory as is.
How To Prevent Bubble Gut
Bubble gut is not necessarily one isolated problem, especially for those in the bodybuilding community. Let’s say you take HGH and insulin, but also are working with a high carb diet as you look to bulk up. Right there are three things potentially causing your bubble gut, so working in tandem to make those changes is important, especially as we seek to see some real changes that we want most (3). Some ways to avoid and prevent bubble gut are:
Limit HGH and insulin use: As you get closer to competition and performance time, start to taper off your use of these substances. Since they will continue to help you bulk as you get closer to competition time, you want to be shredded, not rounded. Work to limit the use and avoid gut distention.
Reduce carb intake: This seems like a relatively easy fix and will help you avoid bloating and bubble gut. Your intake of protein can be high, but just work to lower the carbs a bit. With higher protein intake, you will feel more full and work to boost that muscle growth anyway.
Try other forms of dieting: This may help your body adapt better to these sudden changes and something like intermittent fasting can greatly affect your ability to cut. By limiting your caloric intake and doing so safely, you give yourself the best chance at seeing those desired changes while doing so in a safe and healthy way.
Wrap Up
Abdominal distention, or bubble gut, is a wild phenomenon that makes us question just what is going on. But there is an easy answer and potential fix if a bodybuilder so chooses to partake. Using HGH and insulin, while matched by a high calorie or high carb diet, can simply cause problems that you just don’t want or need. That massive physique is already big enough and bubble gut can give off an appearance of stored fat or bloating that no bodybuilders wants. Looking at ways to change these habits can help you avoid bubble gut so you no longer deal with that rounded physique once competition time rolls around. On top of that, your overall health and wellness will greatly improve.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
References
Malagelada, Juan R.; Accarino, Anna; Azpiroz, Fernando (2017). “Bloating and Abdominal Distention: Old Misconceptions and Current Knowledge”. (source)
Harvard Health Publishing (2018). “Growth hormone, athletic performance, and aging”. (source)
Lacy, Brian E.; Cangemi, David; Vazquez-Roque, Maria (2021). “Management of Chronic Abdominal Distention and Bloating”. (source)
Hell Raiser Training Will Pulverize Your Muscles Into A Pulp
Put your muscles through hell.
We’ve covered a lot of different training methods, all of them hardcore in their own right. The Hell Raiser Training program sounds like it could be one of the most brutal workout plans out there. If you haven’t heard of Hell Raiser Training then listen up. It’s a twelve week program meant to give you some massive muscle gains by putting you through some sweet, sweet torture.
The Gist
Invented by Tom Fuller, the idea behind the whole program is to push your muscles past their limits by performing a hell-centric rep. Yeah we know, you’re probably saying what the hell is a “hell-centric” rep. We’ll get to that in a moment. To begin with, you have to start by finding out what 80% of your 1 rep max weight is.
For example, if you normally max out with a 70 lb one rep curl – then you have to find 80% of that weight. You then perform curls with that 80% max weight (in this case 56 lbs) for 8 reps. This is when things begin to get interesting. After your regular reps you perform four additional reps. So what makes those extra 4 so special? Well, your training partner offers resistance by pulling down the weight you lift. You then slowly descend while your partner keeps light pressure for about five seconds.
The idea is to put your already burning muscles through that extra bit of torture. Fuller emphasizes that during the resistance phase that it is essential to allow for a steady descent on the way down. This way you’ll get the added burn. Once you’ve gotten through the first twelve weeks of training, Fuller suggests that you switch things up and perform the training every other week, incorporating different techniques in the interim for variety.
Day 1: Arms
• Close Grip Bench – 2 sets, 8 reps + 4 Hell-centric reps (HR)• One Arm Machine Triceps Ext – 2 sets, 8 reps + 4 HR• Lying DB Triceps Ext – 2 sets x 8 reps + 4 HR• Standing DB Curls – 2 sets x 8 reps + 4 HR• DB Preacher Curls – 2 sets x 8 reps + 4 HR• Reverse Curls – 2 sets x 8 reps + 4 HR• Forward and Reverse Wrist Curls – 2 sets x 8 reps + 4 HR
Day 2: Legs
• Leg Press – 2 sets x 8 reps + 4 HR• Leg Extension – 2 sets x 8 reps + 4 HR• Hack Squats – 2 sets x 8 reps + 4 HR• Hamstring Raises – 2 sets x 8 reps + 4 HR• Standing Leg Curls – 2 sets x 8 reps + 4 HR
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Chest and Shoulders
• BB/Smith or DB Press – 2 sets x 8 reps + 4 HR• Incline Smith or DB Flyes – 2 sets x 8 reps + 4 HR• Pec Dec – 2 sets x 8 reps + 4 HR• DB or Smith Military Press – 2 sets x 8 reps + 4 HR• Side Laterals – 2 sets x 8 reps + 4 HR• Barbell Shrugs – 2 sets x 8 reps + 4 HR
Day 5: Back/Rear Delts/Calves
• Wide Grip Pull Ups – 2 sets x 8 reps + 4 HR• T-Bar – 2 sets x 8 reps + 4 HR• Narrow Grip Pull Downs – 2 sets x 8 reps + 4 HR• Reverse Pec Dec or Bent Laterals – 2 sets x 8 reps + 4 HR• Calf Extensions – 2 sets x 8 reps + 4 HR• Calf Raises – 2 sets x 8 reps + 4 HR
Day 6 & 7: More Rest & Relief
Have you done Hell Raiser Training before? Let us know your results in the comments below and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Melle Mel: Dexter Jackson Should Have Won Mr. Olympia 2020
Melle Mel doesn’t believe any of the bodybuilders were vastly superior at the Olympia 2020 and that Dexter Jackson should have won
By and large, the Mr. Olympia 2020 was not a very controversial one. After many years of close calls and fans contradicting the judges’ decisions – this past Olympia was pretty straight forward. Most fans and experts agree that Big Ramy was the clear cut victor. And that’s exactly what the judges gave him. But hip hop artist and bodybuilding enthusiast Melle Mel doesn’t quite agree. He doesn’t think Big Ramy looked vastly superior to anyone else in the top 10 on that stage. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Melle Mel explains why he believes Dexter Jackson should have won the Mr. Olympia 2020.
Most fans of bodybuilding didn’t argue with Big Ramy winning the Mr. Olympia 2020. By most accounts, it was clear that he was the superior athlete on stage. Melle Mel isn’t a man who falls in this category. In fact, he thinks that Big Ramy’s excellence was a bit overrated.
This isn’t to say that Big Ramy didn’t bring his A game. Far from it. In fact, Melle Mel believes that most of the bodybuilders in the top 10 had incredible physiques. His problem is that not one of them stood out from the other clearly. It was so close in his mind – that any of the top 10 could have been claimed champion and no one would have a problem with it.
With that in mind, Melle Mel believes that Dexter Jackson should have been claimed the champion of the Mr. Olympia 2021. He has two reasons for this belief. First, it was Dexter’s last show and sending him off with a victory would have been a nice bookend to his career. Second, his aesthetic represents the true goal of bodybuilding more than anyone else on stage. At least, that’s what Melle Mel believes.
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Check out our latest GI Exclusive segment with Melle Mel above!
Bodybuilders like Big Ramy, Brandon Curry, and even Phil Heath certainly have more mass than Dexter Jackson. But Melle Mel doesn’t see Men’s Open bodybuilding as a battle of mass. The goal is to bring in mass, conditioning, and aesthetic into a perfect package. He believes most bodybuilders today fall short on the aesthetic side of things. Everyone except for Dexter Jackson.
“How many of those guys gave a better body than Dex?” Melle Mel states in our interview. “They don’t. But they’ll [the judges] find reasons to not give it to Dex.”
Melle Mel goes on to explain how Dexter Jackson won the Mr. Olympia one time previously by beating Jay Cutler. And Jay Cutler became Mr. Olympia after defeating Ronnie Coleman. So if Dexter was able to be Cutler – how was he not able to beat Ronnie before Cutler became champion? In Melle Mel’s mind it’s because the judges didn’t want to give Dexter Jackson the victory.
Of course, it must be said that bodybuilder’s physiques change year after year. Just because Jay Cutler beat Ronnie Coleman one year (after Ronnie had already been slowly fading), doesn’t mean Cutler was the same quality years later when he lost to Dexter Jackson.
And that brings up the ultimate disconnect that can happen with bodybuilding fans, judges, and athletes. Bodybuilding is ultimately subjective. Even with a set of rules and standards. Even with images of past champions to give a benchmark for what excellence is – the mind’s eye sees what it wants to see. We all walk through life with different perspectives. It flavors our judgement.
So maybe Melle Mel is right. Maybe we’ve all bought into the size game and the narrative that Big Ramy was vastly superior at the Olympia 2020. Or perhaps Melle Mel is simply falling victim to his own subjective viewpoints. At the end of the day, it’s that kind of debate that can make the sport of bodybuilding so exciting and dramatic.
You can watch Melle Mel’s full thoughts on the Olympia 2020 in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
How to Retain your Physique after Retiring from Bodybuilding
What happens when the god of muscle mass retires? The question is as hard for them as it is for you. Losing their celebrity status, which comes with endorsements and other financial benefits, is the first reality that hits them. Then they start wondering what they will do with the amount of time in their hands now that their schedule is relaxed. However, bodybuilders can always stay active even when their careers come to an end. Nothing will stop you from going to the gym as frequently as you want. Additionally, retired bodybuilders can embark on other bodybuilding careers like coaching to keep themselves busy.
Remaining active post-bodybuilding is one thing; retaining your physique is the other. Many retired bodybuilders are worried about how they will happen to their bodies when they stop training. What many of them don’t know is that they can retain their physique after retiring. However, there will be some noticeable changes because of aging.
Strive for Better Health Not an Attractive Body
There comes a time when all that matters is your health. By the time bodybuilders retire, they would have exhausted themselves during rigorous workout sessions. It would help if you kept the blood flowing normally even as you hang your bodybuilding boots. Light exercises will help your blood usually circulate. During such workouts, blood is pumped to provide energy to your muscles and keep them fostered. This process causes muscle growth, which is only for a short time, and after your workouts, they start to decrease gradually.
Aging is not bad. It is bad enough when you start losing memory and find it hard to regain the vigor you once had while a youngster. The worst of all is the loss of muscles and bone density with normal aging. Keep your muscles fit for long, even after retiring from bodybuilding, by adding more protein to your diet and having regular resistance training to maintain your muscles and increase metabolism. Sagging muscles is very stressful because you end up losing your body shape.
There are several ways to prevent muscle loss. The most obvious thing that happens to you after retiring from bodybuilding is losing the right amount of muscles not because of stopped training or eating a fair amount of proteins, but because you no longer have anabolic steroids. It would be best to do many resistance exercises either by lifting weights or stretching your hands as long as you have to stretch muscles.
Treat Your Retirement Like a Holiday
Just because you no longer part of bodybuilding doesn’t necessarily mean that you focus on other essential aspects to retain your physique. You do not need to take more of your time eating heavily, using supplements, or training to the point of getting exhausted. Appreciate what you have already achieved and begin training purposely for the sense of your well-being and overall health.
Eat Foods with Targeted Nutrients Only
Retaining your physique is not in any way difficult, as you will go about it the same way you would if you wanted to amass muscles. The only key difference to consider with retaining and maintaining your physique is changing your training and the way you eat. Excess intake of calories is no longer needed since your aim is not muscle building but retaining the right physique. You should alter your previous eating schedule and adjust to eating healthy, the right foods that will help you support your muscles. Reducing the calories that make the body grow stronger and bigger will do you a great deal!
Train yourself on the standard three meals a day, however hard it may seem. You should stick to a strict healthy diet most of the time; you are just trying to avoid the excess calories. In physique retaining, nutrition is the most critical aspect to consider. Even if you are on less frequent workouts but still taking lots of calories, your body will utilize the inputs and build muscles. Consider getting enough proteins for your activity level. Increase the levels of water intake to stay dehydrated to help maintain the right muscle balance.
Related Article:: Best Diet Plan for Bodybuilders 2019
Reduce Daily Training Hours to a Maximum of 2
Like healthy eating, training goes a long way in making sure you have an excellent body post-bodybuilding. You may be afraid of losing your perfect body rapidly if you don’t train. Know that you cannot lose a lot of muscles overnight, especially if you keep training. Nonetheless, practice does not need to be as rigorous as it used to be. Do a full-body workout every day for a maximum of two hours every day. That should be enough to keep you healthy.
It will leave you a sick pam and your muscles engorged with blood when training with higher repetition. You should avoid heavyweights that you were used to, for your target is retaining the physique. Use the approach of not utilizing many intensity tactics and reducing the speed of your workouts. You will effectively keep the muscles by not often lifting heavy weights or as intensively used to doing.
Don’t Stop Taking Supplements
Consider using supplement products to improve nutrient metabolism and for weight loss. Most importantly, use Chromium picolinate as your most preferred supplement, since its nutritional contents and standardized. Also, using a multivitamin and fish oils work best. They are very standard for human health overall and don’t directly lead to growing muscles. The money that could otherwise buy excess proteins can be a good saving for you to venture into something else.
Cardio Helps Your Heart Adjust
Your heart has been responsible for everything you ever did as a bodybuilder. You have it to thank for the many contests and titles you won. Because you do not want to get more muscles, you can utilize this time to train a different part of your body, specifically the cardiovascular system. Opt for excess cardio, which is suitable for impeding muscle gain, and focus on it now that you are already satisfied with the number of muscles you have. You can quickly lose some body fat to make you look better and benefit from an improved cardiovascular condition. Additionally, try jogging on the treadmill a few days a week as you maintain a healthy diet.
Have Enough Rest and Sleeping Time
Natural testosterone and human growth hormones are set on repairing and rebuilding your body. Sleeping is the best time for rebuilding. Get enough restful sleep to help in this process, enough time for relaxation, and keep your self-stress free because the emotional stress will stimulate the catabolic stress hormones, which will lead to a speedy loss of muscle pump.
Set Personal Goals
Now that your goal is retaining a sound body after many years of bodybuilding, it is the perfect time to improve on certain aspects of your life. If you are not disciplined and committed to your obligations, you might not achieve the best of your desires. Long after having maintained the same drive, focus, and determination you have, you will one day be content with what you have achieved.
Must Read:: Top Natural Oral Steroids to Supercharge Your Muscle Growth
Conclusion
Post-bodybuilding does not signal the end of training and targeted workouts. People who have never been bodybuilders train every day, not to gain muscle but to remain healthy. That should be your mindset as you begin a new chapter of your life. Although the new routine may appear strange, you will slowly adjust and come to enjoy it. Your goal should be trying to retain that incredible body you have built through the years.
Most importantly, remember it is your time to relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor. You don’t have to kill yourself with training anymore, because there is no contest pressure. All you’re doing now is remaining healthy with light exercises.
Mental Health – How a Bodybuilder Can Improve it?
One of the most common questions bodybuilders think about is the necessary factor that helps them stand out from the rest and make their place in big competitions like IFBB. Most of the answers you will get on the internet revolve around taking care of your diet, exercising, and buying nutritional supplements to boost your performance in powerlifting bodybuilding for success. But the single most influential component that will take you places no matter which competition you are preparing remains one – your mindset and mental health.
Without having the optimum cognitive function and a sense of mental wellbeing, you cannot stay motivated and strategic for building up those big muscles you need to win any competition. This is especially true for big contests like IFBB in which you are already facing lots of stress and trying to figure out a way how you can beat the stress and leave nothing to go unnoticed while you train for the big game.
If you want to really know how to become a huge muscle guy, you need to focus on the roots first. This is how you will be able to get to the level you aspire to be. Your roots, in a literal sense, start from your attitude. Let’s find out some ways you can amplify your mental health with the best tactics around:
1. Practice Discipline
Practicing discipline helps you train your mind to come in the form it needs to perform at its best. When you are disciplining yourself, you are getting into the training mode. Make a note of whatever diet, supplements, and steroids you are consuming and track your intake by the end of the day. Instead of getting carried away by a lazy routine, schedule your day, and make your mind to practice working on fixed timing.
If you have an endurance training session at 6 in the morning, get up at least an hour ago and prepare yourself for it. It might seem a thing of the military for you, but discipline in itself is a great form of self-care. Not only are you training your mind to beat the competition this way, but also you are giving your mind a huge favor in getting goal-oriented and healthy.
2. Fix your Sleeping Hours
For bodybuilders, every second can be a deciding factor for your progress. This holds true, especially in big competitions where you have to compete with a lot many around you, and a minute of more sweat than the other competitor might be the differentiating factor in your success. So, make sure while you stay careful about making every minute matter, you pay enough attention to your training and resting hours. In this regard, taking care of your sleeping cycle remains a prominent factor.
Make sure if you get 7 hours of uninterrupted REM sleep, you stick to these hours. Anything less or more might disturb your whole training regime, especially when the competition you are training for is big and you got nothing to lose. This will also help boost your mental performance as your brain will stay alert, and your circadian rhythms would not interfere in your routine.
Must Read:: The Importance of Sleep for Bodybuilders
3. Take Brain-Friendly Foods
You can take a diet rich in omega fatty acids, natural serotonin-producing foods, and antioxidants for improving your mental health. Taking antioxidants can also benefit your mind in terms of reducing chances of inflammation, which often appear as “brain fog” and does not let you think clearly like you ought to think. To maximize your brain’s potential, you need to take foods such as fish, green and leafy vegetables, liver and liver oil, walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds, and other types of seeds, and consume healthy proteins cooked through steam or hot oven.
Brain on FOOD > > HERE
You need to be careful about the type of food you are consuming in your daily routine and consider the sources. For example, taking too much processed food is not only going to affect your physical performance but also make cognitive factors such as decision-making abilities weaker than usual. Make sure you stick to nature and only include foods that add to your mental and physical health.
Staying hydrated is also a key element to staying mentally sharp and active as you train and get ready for the big day. If you do not consume sufficient water, you will feel that you lack the general will power, confidence, and the energy it requires to work on the body you want. Also, the depletion of electrolytes will make it even harder for you to stay in the right state of mind and exercise. Drinking enough water to balance out the sweat is of significant importance when it comes to taking care of mental health.
Read this Article:: Drink More Water If You Want To Lose Weight And Build Muscle Fast
4. Play Mind Sharpening Games
While you are training and exercising throughout the day to keep your mind alert, it is also essential that you play some mind sharpening games for better performance and training. As you play these games regularly, you will note you have less mental fatigue than usual, and you can get much better results while you are training and building your muscles. In a way, these games are helping you to create more accuracy and agility in the mind that ultimately helps you in improving your cognitive performance by the day.
Mind Delights > > Buy Now
For the right brain, you can do activities that revolve around you being creative:
Writing.
Abstract thinking.
Reading.
Painting.
Playing an instrument, and others.
For the left brain, you can focus on playing mind-sharpening games such as:
Solving crossword puzzles.
Playing scrambles.
Playing brain teasers and trivia quizzes.
Solve logic problems and others.
These activities will keep you in the fresh state of mind that will ultimately help you boost your performance and keep you ready for the big competition ahead. With better mental agility and an increased concentration, you will feel at your best and be able to outrank your competitors in a better way through sparing a few moments of the day to do such activities.
5. Experiment with Different Exercises
Only warmup, workouts, pieces of training, and cool-downs are not enough to keep your performance at best. Though exercises and workouts help to improve your mental health, taking out some time to engage yourself in doing rhythmic exercises that involve rhythmic breathing and a present state of mind will help you increase will power and concentration that you need to get better at the game and outrank other competitors. These exercises involve yoga, meditation, martial arts, judo karate, and other ancient techniques that satisfy both your mind and body to engage well with each other.
You will note that your mind will be better able to find a balance and perform better in training as well as the competition day. Such exercises will help get the better circulation of nutrients and oxygen towards your brain and get you in the right state of mind.
Related Article:: Build Back Muscle Fast: Top 4 Exercises To Do
6. Take Care of Steroid Cycles
Bodybuilders might take steroids that increase the testosterone level in the body, which ultimately helps in improving performance at the competition with better muscles and higher core strength. People show their concern over the use of steroids on their psychological health – but facts have revealed that such effects occur when these steroids are taken in excessive amounts, or the steroid cycles are disturbed. In many cases, bodybuilders who experience such negative consequences are unknowingly taking steroids that are not manufactured in accordance with the law.
To make sure you do not get any adverse effects on your mental health through steroids, you need to take some measures and take great care of your steroid cycles. Moreover, legal steroids should be taken that mostly contain creatinine. A natural steroid that yields faster muscle recovery, and better muscle buildup.
Steroid Cycles > > HERE
To avoid any danger to mental health, it is essential you take steroids in cycling, a relatively safer method to consume steroids as compared to stacking, pyramiding, or plateauing, all of which might lead to substance abuse. Cycling involves taking multiple doses of the legal steroid in a specific amount of time and waiting for the dose to complete its effect. For better maintenance of mental health, it is essential you take care of the method you use for taking the recommended steroids and the total dosage of the product.
Overall
While anyone can follow strict diet routines and do training sessions for getting big muscles for the competition. A more necessary thing to remember is to get prepared from the inside – something not possible without having a great mental state of wellbeing – through better mental health. If you are not strong enough from the inside to bear the intense pressure and stress of the game, your muscles, no matter how big they are built, cannot help you win. Winners in such sports know that the real competition begins at the mind. It is one of the factors that differentiate a pro from an amateur.