Tag: Bodybuilding
Jay Cutler Shares ‘Ultimate Back-Builder Exercise for Crazy Wide Lats’
Bodybuilding legend Jay Cutler possesses a wealth of fitness knowledge stemming from years of competing in the sport. Although he stepped away from professional competition a decade ago, his passion for bodybuilding burns strong. In a recent video uploaded to YouTube, Cutler shared the ultimate back-builder exercise for developing crazy wide lats.
Jay Cutler first gained recognition for his freakish muscle mass, size, and conditioning as a Men’s Open competitor in the 2000s. His fierce rivalry with fellow legend Ronnie Coleman is considered to be one of the greatest in the history of the sport. He fell short of the eight-time Mr. Olympia champion on four occasions until he finally secured the coveted Sandow trophy in 2006. Cutler racked up four Mr. Olympia titles, and three Arnold Classic titles, and hung up his posing trunks with a record six runner-up finishes.
Cutler has maintained a high level of personal fitness post-retirement. He’s working towards transforming his physique as part of the ‘Fit for 50’ challenge. Earlier this year, he left the fans stunned with a shredded physique update and posing session where he weighed 240 pounds.
Cutler regularly educates his fanbase on ways to lead a healthy lifestyle. He offered an arm workout targeting the biceps and triceps for building muscle last month. Next, he laid out tips on carving a ripped midsection with three exercises. He suggested focusing on conditioning the abs rather than trying to build muscle in the area.
The 49-year-old crushed a high-volume lower body workout for optimizing muscle growth last month. He targeted quads and hamstrings in the training session to get ready before his 50th birthday.
Jay Cutler detailed the different types of exercises he’s utilizing to enhance his cardiovascular health and get in shape for the body transformation challenge. He suggested doing cardio while fasting in the morning or after a weight lifting session. Next, Cutler shared that he packed on 15 pounds since starting the challenge and declared his ambitions to get leaner over the next few weeks.
Cutler backed Open standouts Samson Dauda and Derek Lunsford as the favorites in his analysis of the upcoming 2023 Mr. Olympia two weeks ago. He also extended his support for Andrew Jacked to potentially shock the world with a strong performance.
Jay Cutler Shares His Best Back-Building Exercise for Wide Lats
In a recent YouTube video, Jay Cutler shared pull-ups as the ultimate back-builder exercise for attaining crazy wide lats.
“Is the standard pulldown with a machine the same thing as a pull-up?” said Cutler. “I would say not. I would say the ultimate back-builder you want to build crazy wide lats you got to stick to your pull-ups whether it’s body weight or adding some weight to your body, it depends on how heavy you are. More importantly, there’s nothing that would replace the standard pull-up. You see all the wide backs, all that v-taper, it comes from a wide pulldown movement and that is best done on a pull-up bar.
Not to say pulldowns on a machine don’t work but try to stick to the basics and do your pull-ups in your routine. Just make sure you focus on at least 10 repetitions. I know it gets heavy over time with set after set but remember repetitions are going to get the growth in the lats.”
Jay Cutler gave fans a look into his methods for building huge arms while crushing a heavy-duty workout last week. He went through the exercises that helped him develop 20-inch arms and offered helpful tips. Then, he showed off his insane physique in an impressive update seven weeks out from the challenge.
His latest offering will encourage his fans to try his go-to exercises for building a thicker and wider back.
RELATED: Milos Sarcev and Jay Cutler Talk Big Ramy’s Future: ‘He’s 100% Not Doing 2023 Mr. Olympia’
You can watch the full video below:
Published: 6 July, 2023 | 3:11 AM EDT
Chris Bumstead Lists the Only 10 Exercises He’d Pick to Build Muscle
Canadian bodybuilder Chris Bumstead has been a dominant force in the Classic Physique division over the last few years. The reigning four-time Olympia champion stands as the most successful Classic Physique athlete in the history of the competition. In a recent interview with Chris Williamson, Bumstead shared the only 10 exercises he would keep to build muscle for contests.
Chris Bumstead first gained attention for his insane muscle mass, definition, and symmetry in 2017. He narrowly missed out on the top prize at Mr. Olympia to former two-time champion Breon Ansley, who defeated him again the next year. After two consecutive silver medals, Bumstead returned with a vengeance and handily dispatched the competition to secure his maiden Sandow trophy at the 2019 Mr. Olympia. He became a powerhouse in the Classic Physique division, winning four Mr. Olympia events in a row with 2022 Mr. Olympia being his latest victory.
Bumstead opened up on the mental challenges of defending the coveted title earlier this year. He admitted he was afraid of losing and not meeting the expectations he set for himself. His ultimate objective is to hang up his posing trunks at the top and depart from bodybuilding as a dominant champion.
‘CBum’ revealed he cut back on PEDs (performance-enhancing drugs) and has been training harder as a result three months ago. While he used to bulk up to 265 pounds in the off-season in the past, he and his coach said they don’t plan to go as high this season. Instead, Hany Rambod is focused on keeping him around 255 pounds to bring a leaner Bumstead on stage for his next outing.
Two months ago, Bumstead shared that he took less time off and appears to be in better form than ever before entering a prep. He also credited his former coach and Men’s Open standout Iain Valliere for helping him stay injury-free. In addition, he thanked Valliere for the immense success he achieved at a young age.
Bumstead teamed up with Derek Lunsford, former 212 Olympia champion and Men’s Open sensation, for a brutal back workout under the mentorship of Rambod two months ago. The pair crushed the workout to help Lunsford get ready for his guest-posing appearance at the 2023 Pittsburgh Pro.
Considering how imposing Chris Bumstead has been in the Classic Physique category, there has been speculation about how he would fare against the mass monsters of the Open.
IFBB athletes’ representative Bob Cicherillo believes he could contend with the best and even push for the top three if he added 15-20 pounds to his frame. Hall of Famer Chris Cormier praised Bumstead’s package and called for him to receive a special invite to the Open last month. On the other hand, bodybuilding veteran Rich Gaspari isn’t convinced Bumstead is ready just yet and argued he’d need to gain about 40 pounds of muscle to win the Open Mr. Olympia.
Chris Bumstead lists the only 10 exercises he’d pick to build muscle
In a recent YouTube video, Chris Bumstead picked the only 10 exercises he would keep to get as muscular as possible for contests.
Bumstead started off with squats and deadlifts to cover the lower body using compound movements that target multiple muscle groups.
“Squats, just overall leg growth, they help glutes, quads, a large portion of the legs. Barbell back squats, super simple,” said Bumstead. “If it’s my whole life I might actually do some Smith machine squats because it’ll help my knees and be a little bit easier.
“Deadlifts just to get something that’ll target my hamstrings so I don’t have to take out another in 10 or something to hamstring focused, and glute and back focused.”
Next, he went with pull-ups, incline dumbbell presses, seated dumbbell shoulder presses, close grip flat bench, dumbbell curls, bent-over rows, and hanging leg raises for his upper body and overall development.
“Pull-ups so I can hit my back and biceps in one, neutral grip. Incline dumbbell press. I find incline is a little bit better on your shoulders so if it’s the only exercise you do you won’t f**k up your shoulders too much and dumbbell, it’ll keep you a bit more symmetrical. Dumbbell shoulder press seated.
“I think that’ll help your triceps and shoulders a lot. Maybe a close grip flat bench for a different part of the chest and triceps. Dumbbell curl because how do you want to live without doing dumbbell curls for the rest of your life, standing supinated. Bent over row, that’ll help with stability and the core as well and then lower back and upper back. Hanging leg raise to make sure your core is getting hit so you’re not f”**king up your back.”
He rounded off the list with lateral raises.
“This is a tough one. I’m trying to focus on either lateral raises or overhead tricep extension because I haven’t had a lot of specific triceps. I would probably do lateral raises just to get some meaty delts over.”
Chris Bumstead gave fans a look into the private gym he’s building and his new meal plan last month. He’s hoping to have the training facility ready about 18-20 weeks out from the 2023 Mr. Olympia and said he dropped down to four meals instead of six for better digestion.
Bumstead’s exercise selection gives fans interesting insight into the mind of a dominant four-time Classic Physique Olympia champion.
RELATED: Ronnie Coleman Reacts to Chris Bumstead’s Biggest Feats of Strength
You can watch the full video below:
Published: 5 July, 2023 | 9:59 PM EDT
Stefi Cohen on Growing Weaker Body Parts: “9/10 Times You’re Not Performing the Exercise Correctly”
Stefi Cohen has proven herself to be a force inside the gym, having taken part in a number of different sports over the years. In a recent Instagram post, Cohen said genetics aren’t to blame for weaker body parts and shared that stubborn muscles require correct form and proper technique.
“We all have body parts that are harder to grow, but to blame it on genetics is lame. More often than not it’s a product of poor exercise selection, inadequate volume, intensity and most importantly poor execution. The moment you take accountability is the moment you’ll be able to start making progress,” Cohen shared.
From boxing, arm-wrestling, bodybuilding, powerlifting (25-time record holder), strongman, and CrossFit, there are very few athletic mountains Stefi hasn’t climbed. Far from average, she has tested her physique, strength, and endurance for years. She’s also rubbed shoulders with some of the best athletes of their respective disciplines, like former 2017 World’s Strongest Man, Eddie Hall. They teamed up for a shoulder workout and Stefi proved herself lifting alongside the legendary strongman.
As for her CrossFit skills, Cohen doesn’t shy away from a workout challenge. She recently joined Brent Fikowski, the 2017 CrossFit Games silver medalist, for a savage workout that featured intense exercises like Plyo-push-ups, kettlebell deck squats, and burpee-dumbbell snatches.
During her time in the squared circle, Stefi built a commendable combat sports record. In her Pro boxing debut, she knocked her opponent out but recently suffered the first defeat of her career last August when she lost to Devany Cuevas by unanimous decision. Given her competitive history and knack for athletics, Stefi Cohen’s knowledge of fitness makes her especially qualified to offer training advice.
‘We Tend to Blame Sub-Optimal Genectics Instead of Us Not Working Hard Enough,’ Stefi Cohen On Weaker Body Parts
According to Stefi Cohen, people are quick to blame genetics rather than their technique and intensity.
“You don’t have shit genetics. Your hamstrings don’t grow because you don’t know how to train them. And it’s not only when we’re talking about our hamstrings, it’s often the case when we’re talking about a stubborn or weak body part that we’re trying to grow, that we tend to blame it on our less-than-optimal genetics instead of admitting the simple fact which is we don’t know what we’re doing and we’re not working hard enough.
9 times out of 10 the main reason why you can’t grow that specific body part is because you are not performing the exercise correctly and you’re not choosing the right exercise either. It’s so obvious but it’s often overlooked at the expense of hyperfocusing on progressive overload, which is the notion of continuously adding more weight to the exercise that you’re performing.
Oftentimes, lifters focus on getting through the reps instead of the quality of the contraction, which compromises form, Cohen says.
“Take for example the prone hamstring curl exercise. In this exercise the goal is to stabilize our hips as much as possible so that we can stress and apply as much tension to the hamstring muscle as possible. What most people tend to do is focusing on how much weight they’re lifting with this exercise and they compromise their form,” Stefi Cohen explained.
Having made a name for herself in the fitness industry, Cohen has been subjected to a fair amount of fan animosity. So much so that Stefi has openly discussed how she handles haters online who have taken issue with muscular women. She called it ‘fit shaming’ and she highlighted that strong muscular women are common victims of this type of social injustice.
In one of her latest ventures, Cohen teamed up with fitness influencer Will Tennyson. They took part in a boxing/agility-themed workout and played a game of exercise HORSE, with the loser forced to wear a horse mask and take a punch from the winner.
This isn’t Stefi Cohen’s first time offering fans valuable workout advice. Cohen shared her most effective strategies for sculpting a six-pack of abs recently. While she accepts everyone is different, she stressed the importance of dieting and maintaining a sufficient fitness level, adding that, ‘you don’t need to do endless crunches.’ Cohen also said common movements like the deadlift and squat help build the core muscles as well.
Growing weaker body parts can be a daunting task for some, but Cohen is confident that with correct technique and proper intensity, even with bad genetics, substantial gains can still be made inside the gym.
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Published: 5 July, 2023 | 5:58 PM EDT
Jeff Nippard Shares Science Based Push Day Workout
Maximize muscle growth with Jeff Nippard’s effective push-day workout routine.
Jeff Nippard has laid down a near-perfect training plan with the first part of his push-pull-leg training series. It is based on minimalist training principles and he recently shared another push-day training session that compliments the first one in the series.
Nippard is a Canadian natural bodybuilder, powerlifter, and fitness expert. He is the 2012 Mr. Junior Canada and also held the Canadian national record for bench press. He has garnered a huge social media following due to his science-based bodybuilding and fitness content. At the time of this article’s publishing, Nippard has a whopping 3.81 million YouTube subscribers.
His content primarily focuses on educating the masses about the right approach to diet and training. The Canadian backs up most of his advice with findings of extensive studies and published medical material. Apart from training and study, Nippard’s knowledge comes from his formal education – a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. Many professionals have put their faith in Nippard as he has trained several natural bodybuilders and powerlifters in men’s as well as women’s divisions.
In recent months, Jeff Nippard has shared content that deals with methods for boosting metabolism, sustainable weight management, and common nutritional mistakes. His most recent video, a push-day workout, is the fourth installment of a six-part push-pull-leg series. This training session compliments the first push-day workout of the series which we have already covered. So let’s check out the unique benefits this training session has brought for us.
Jeff Nippard’s Push-Day Workout
Close Grip Barbell Incline Bench Press
This compound pushing exercise is the main exercise of the push day workout. Nippard suggested doing a few warm-up sets of the movement before jumping into the working sets. He introduced this as an undulating set model. The first working set should include moderate weights while the second set must be done with heavier weights. The third set, which must include lighter weights, should be done for a maximum number of reps.
“First set of eight will give you a much better idea of how much weight you should add for the following heavier set of five. Just make sure you rest for at least three to four minutes in between those sets so your pecs are feeling recovered and capable of going up in weight.”
While the first two sets are intended for getting the benefit of progressive overloading, the third set will help build mind-muscle connection when performed with lighter weights. After putting in the right amount of work in close grip incline bench press, Nippard moves on to a shoulder exercise.
Machine Shoulder Press
Incline bench press works the anterior deltoid muscles to a great extent. However, Nippard feels the need to train the shoulders with a bit more volume without taxing the body too much. As a result, a machine shoulder press is his preferred exercise.
Machines tend to be less fatiguing as you don’t need to control the weight. You can push a little closer to failure because you can use heavier weights on machines without the risk of dropping weights or getting injured.
“Obviously, machines won’t hit some of the smaller stabilizing muscles quite as well as free weights will. But as long as you’re still including some free weight exercises, I think that concern about machines pretty much goes away anyway!” Nippard said.
Keeping arms parallel to the ground after lowering the weights is sufficient to achieve the necessary range of motion during shoulder press. But Nippard prefers to go a little further down to get a deep stretch in the muscles.
“I also use a thumbless grip on these because I find it improves the mind-muscle connection,” he added.
After doing the stipulated three sets, Jeff Nippard takes on a tricep exercise next.
Floor Reset Skull Crushers
Shifting his focus to tricep work, the Canadian fitness expert performs this strength-focused tricep exercise.
“I’m including this because on my other push day of the week, I do more hypertrophy focused higher rep tricep movement on the cables.”
Nippard does floor reset skull crushers with heavier weights and maintains a low (6 to 8) rep range, putting more emphasis on progressive overload. Nippard explained the steps of performing each rep with minute details. Personally, he aims to lift the weight to full or close to full elbow flexion. He controls the weight up to half way down in the eccentric phase.
After this, he lets the weight fall down and come to a complete dead stop on the ground before initiating the next rep. This method is efficient for making strength gains. However, you can make the exercise more hypertrophy oriented by following this advice from Jeff Nippard:
“I would suggest resisting and controlling the negative all the way down to the floor from a pure hypertrophy standpoint.”
However, strength gain is Nippard’s primary objective here and he suggests applying the progressive overload principle without fail.
Bent Over Cable Flyes
Although it might be mistaken with decline cable flye, bent over pec flye is a different exercise. Arms movement in bent over cable flyes is still perpendicular to the chest and not at a lower angle. As a result, it activates all regions of pectoral muscles. But it still puts more emphasis on mid-pecs.
Technically, bent over cable flyes are similar to the regular cable crossover. However, Nippard argues that the cables can pull you backwards during the eccentric phase of the exercise when you are in an upright position. The constant backward pull from cable can make it harder to maintain balance and stability, limiting the amount of tension in pecs.
“So by leaning forward over the cables, you’ll be more stable since your body weight is grounded with the floor and it should allow you to direct more tension onto the pecs,” Nippard concluded.
He performs three sets of bent over cable flyes and takes up a side delt movement next.
Machine Lateral Raises
Nippard includes this high intensity medial delt exercise in the training routine. Although he performs three sets of 20 reps, those are not regular sets. He splits every set into two parts. For the first part of five reps, he performs the exercise with slow negative reps. The eccentric phase of these reps lasts for five seconds. Reps 6 to 20 are regular reps with constant tension.
“For those first five reps, the slow eccentrics should help you find your delts on the negative and you should be able to zone in on feeling the side delt fibers pulling and then, when you’ve locked that connection in, from there you can kind of just blast them with more standard constant tension reps,” Nippard explained.
There is no particular benefit of this method. However, it can be extremely beneficial for people that do not feel the side delts through regular reps.
Plate Front Raises
Jeff Nippard is not a big fan of anterior delt exercises like front raises. He feels that anterior delts get enough stimulation during compound movements and tend to be overdeveloped in comparison with lateral delts in many cases.
However, there is a way to perform front raises without putting too much emphasis on front delts. According to Nippard, you can actually work the middle segments of muscles between anterior and side delts if front raises are modified properly.
Steering the plate during front raises is an effective variation that can help engage these muscles. As explained by Nippard, side delts are engaged along with anterior delts when the arm is internally rotated during a front raise.
Dumbbell Y-raises are a good alternative to achieve the same effect for people that experience pain during the front raises with internal rotation.
Diamond Push-ups
Nippard likes to finish the workout with an all-out set as there are no sets ahead to preserve the energy for. Additionally, it gives a huge mental boost knowing that you gave it all to the training session.
The diamond push-up form forces the triceps to work harder than they do in most other push-up variations. He performs one set of diamond push-ups to failure and wraps up the training session.
The push-day workout includes following exercises, number of sets and rep range:
Warm-up
5 mins on the treadmill or stair master
Dynamic stretches – arm swings, cable external rotations etc.
Close Grip Barbell Incline Bench Press
Warm-up sets
1st set – empty bar X 10 reps
2nd set – 50% working weight X 4 reps
3rd set – 75% working weight X 3 reps
Working sets
1st set – moderate working weight X 8 reps
2nd set – heavy working weight X 5 reps
3rd set – light working weight X 15 reps
Machine Shoulder Press
3 working sets of 10 to 12 reps
Floor Reset Skull Crushers
3 sets of 6 to 8 reps
Bent Over Cable Flyes
3 sets of 10 to 12 reps
Machine Lateral Raises
3 sets of 20 reps
Plate Front Raises
2 sets of 15 to 20 reps
Diamond Push-ups
1 set to failure
Jeff Nippard has ensured that his content is backed by proven data and he has done a great job of staying away from bro science. This ensures that his advice will be beneficial for most people, if not everyone. So what are you waiting for? Head over to the gym and try incorporating Jeff Nippard’s push day training session in your training.
You can watch the full workout video here, courtesy of Jeff Nippard’s personal YouTube channel:
Published: 5 July, 2023 | 3:01 PM EDT
“The Gym Is Not Your Personal Studio” – Joey Swoll Calls Out Influencers Recording at Gyms
Fitness personality Joey Swoll is taking aim at people recording irresponsibly at gyms and fitness centers. In a recent Instagram post, Swoll took issue with an influencer who was frustrated after gym-goers walked in front of her camera during a training session.
With a rise in social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, Joey Swoll has been a busy man in his attempt to correct poor gym etiquette or what he refers to as ‘Toxic gym culture.’ Whether it’s disrespect, hostility, or aggression, Swoll’s hope is to make gyms a safer and more welcoming place by defending people who refuse to speak up for themselves.
In his latest attempt to better the scene, Swoll is addressing a hot topic in fitness: influencers recording at gyms. While some companies have a zero-tolerance policy against recording, other gyms allow it. In the video, Swoll called out the woman who was upset by the gym’s apparent foot traffic.
“If you’re going to film at a gym that allows you to take videos, you need to do so responsibly with respect to other people. That means not getting upset if someone walks through your camera and then posting it on social media,” said Joey Swoll.
Joey Swoll Says Influencers ‘Need to Stop Nonsense’ at Gyms: “I’m Sorry, You Don’t Own the Place”
According to Swoll, influencers shouldn’t expect to record at gyms without interruptions as they are open to anyone with a membership.
“Influencers need to stop this nonsense acting as if they’re filming, they’re taking a video is more important than everyone else in the gym, that they need to stop what they’re doing just because you’re taking a video. I’m sorry you don’t own the place.
Your video is never a priority over anybody at the gym. Let me let you in on a secret, it’s a gym. People know it’s busy, if someone walks by it’s not going to matter. It’s not going to take away from your views or likes or anything about the video,” Joey Swoll shared.
Before wrapping up the video, Swoll advised the woman to either find a private gym or build one so she can record videos without foot traffic.
“If you want to go to a gym where nobody walks by, go to a private gym or build your own. Until then, you need to do better than that. Mind your business.”
This isn’t the first time Joey Swoll has gone after influencers recording at gyms. Last month, Swoll made an example out of a woman who filmed a video but set the camera up to watch the man in the adjacent machine more than herself. Swoll underlined that just because she wanted to record herself, doesn’t mean she has the right to record other people without their consent.
These unfortunate situations are all too common nowadays. In May, Joey put a Chelsea soccer player on blast after he made fun of a man whose pants fell down during a strenuous workout. While some fans may have found the events humorous, Swoll was disgusted by the athlete’s behavior and said he did a poor job of representing his team.
RELATED: ‘Your Gym Should Kick Your A** Out’: Joey Swoll Reacts to Female TikToker Making Fun of Old Gym-Goer
Swoll also went after someone online for recording inappropriately at the gym. A female TikToker mocked a gym-goer’s loud grunts during a training session. Given that gyms are supposed to be welcoming for all types of people, Swoll said it was best for the TikToker to just mind their business, much like the advice he offered to his latest subject in today’s Instagram video.
Published: 5 July, 2023 | 2:17 PM EDT
Iain Valliere: ‘Bodybuilders Don’t Want to Face Vitaliy “Good Vito” Ugolnikov He’s An Absolute Fuc**ng Freak’
Vitaliy Ugolnikov, well known as ‘Good Vito,’ continues to gain momentum despite having yet to earn an invite to 2023 Mr. Olympia. In a recent Bro Chat Podcast, Iain Valliere and Fouad Abiad discussed Vito’s potential in the IFBB Pro League and his chances against other Olympia contenders.
Ugolnikov’s entrance into bodybuilding was filled with excitement. He came from the IFBB Elite Pro League last year and switched to the NPC, similar to the path Michal Krizo took. His impact was immediately felt as he claimed his IFBB Pro card at the 2022 Musclecontest International Brazil Nationals. At the event, Vito displayed a stunning display of mass, conditioning, and fullness.
Good Vito’s huge arms and quads also set him apart from his peers. His physique has gone viral online as a result of some impressive updates. And with the hype he’s gained over the past several months, fans continue to back him as a legitimate wild card at Olympia, assuming he earns his invitation.
Currently, Ugolnikov is in preparation to bring his best at the upcoming 2023 European Pro Championships. In addition to progress videos and photos, Vito has kept fans up to date on his journey by showing off posing routines as well.
Iain Valliere, Fouad Abiad Debate Potential of Vitaliy ‘Good Vito’ Ugolnikov
According to Valliere, bodybuilders in North America don’t want to stand against Good Vito on stage.
“Every bodybuilder in North America thinks that exact same thing [I don’t want to go against this guy],” said Iain Valliere
“Vito is kind of that same build as Hadi…” said Fouad Abiad.
As for possible weaknesses, Valliere and Abiad agree Vito needs to strengthen his back.
“Yeah, but Vito is not nearly as strong in the back and the conditioning department as some of those guys you just named. Look, from the front double, is this guy an absolute fuc**ng freak,” replied Iain Valliere.
“If he has a shallower back than the others that doesn’t necessarily mean he can’t stand with them,” Abiad explained.
“I don’t think he has a bad back, but it’s definitely one of the more important factors. I’m not saying this guy doesn’t have a back, I’m just saying in the context of being in that top five, you know,” Valliere shared.
Vito must earn an invite for 2023 Olympia by winning a pro show. If he’s successful, Abiad believes he can threaten contenders at the competition with improved conditioning.
“I would like him to stand up more on that though [side chest pose],” Iain added. “Not a bad back. Fuc**ng shit, fuc**ng crap. I meant back double but that’s still a really good back lat spread.”
“The only thing I would say is he looks like he has enough muscularity, but he looks like he has to get his condition up to stand up [on the Olympia stage],” shared Abiad.
“His legs are just outrageous,” added Valliere. “Look at the fuc**ng muscularity on that guy. Yeah, [he’s] very young.”
Having credited Vito’s back, arms, and quads, Valliere and Abiad agree he’s a dark horse at the 2023 Olympia should he earn an invitation.
“Well, honestly, that’s my dark horse at the Olympia,” said Abiad.
“Could be, for sure,” replied Valliere. “He’s 12 weeks out, he’s doing one of the later European shows I think. At least I think. He just posted an update.”
While Vito has yet to test himself on an IFBB Pro League stage, he’ll get the chance very soon. His presence in the league has already generated a lot of chatter. In a recent Olympia TV video, bodybuilding judge Terrick El Guindy pointed out a few rising stars in the Open. One of them was Ugolnikov. Chris Cormier also praised Good Vito for his youth and potential, predicting that he’d shake up the category in the future.
Considering Vito’s monstrous build, fans online have accused him of doctoring or photoshopping pictures. In response to the allegations, Ugolnikov shared a follow-up video where he went on to disprove the unfounded remarks.
Even though he’s yet to make waves in North America, it appears it’s only a matter of time until fans see Good Vito on the sport’s biggest stages. He has until Oct. 9 to earn his invite to the 2023 Mr. Olympia competition. As for Iain Valliere, he qualified after his win against Hassan Mostafa at the recent Toronto Pro Supershow in June.
RELATED: Bodybuilder ‘Good Vito’ Vitaliy Ugolnikov Moves to Brazil, Continues Offseason Prep
You can watch the full video from the Fouad Abiad Media YouTube channel below:
Published: 5 July, 2023 | 11:54 AM EDT
Rich Gaspari Shares Tip on Stimulating Muscle Growth with Slow-Mo Reps
Bodybuilding veteran Rich Gaspari amassed a ton of fitness knowledge from his years of competing in the sport. Although he no longer competes, he stays in top form and provides insight into the training methods of an elite bodybuilder. In a recent post made on Instagram, Gaspari broke down how to stimulate muscle growth by incorporating slow-mo reps.
Rich Gaspari first rose to prominence for his insane muscle mass, definition, and conditioning in the mid-1980s. He displayed a dry look and was the first athlete to showcase striations on his glutes. He proved to be one of the most disciplined Men’s Open competitors during his run with seven consistent top-10 finishes at the Mr. Olympia contests. While he did not win the Sandow trophy, he took three silver medals, falling short of eight-time champion Lee Haney on each occasion. He graced several magazine covers and was inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame in 2004.
Since moving on from competition, Gaspari has been a vocal critic of the evolution of the Open class. He fired shots at modern competitors for depending too much on steroids instead of focusing on quality training earlier this year. He followed up with a motivational message asking his fans to push themselves in the training room a month later. Gaspari provided the keys to training with intensity using techniques such as supersets, drop sets, giant sets, and more.
Gaspari opened up on the difference in the gear bodybuilders from the 90s would take to now five months ago. While many compounds, such as Anavar, Winstrol, Testosterone, and Trenbolone, continue to prevail, he highlighted the issue of procuring these substances from the black market instead of getting a pharmaceutical-grade product.
The 60-year-old provided tips and techniques to maximize the gains on leg day workouts three months ago. He stressed the importance of training the lower body to failure to get it to grow and laid out some methods for achieving the same.
Rich Gaspari voiced his disapproval of the lack of artistic touch in the Open class weeks ago. He argued bodybuilding is an art form that cannot be treated like a sport and credited the Classic Physique competitors for keeping the art form alive.
Gaspari detailed a modified version of the sumo squats for a stronger lower body two months ago. He suggested using elevated feet to get an extra range of motion and add stress to the glutes.
Rich Gaspari shares tips on stimulating muscle growth with slow-mo reps
In a recent Instagram post, Rich Gaspari shared tips on utilizing slow-mo reps for enhancing muscle growth.
“A lot of you have seen videos of me doing drop sets to train a muscle to failure,” said Gaspari. “Works really well, we do supersets, drop sets. Going quickly sometimes the motion can be a little bit more free meaning they’re not prefect reps. Then there’s other type of training that I do, slow mo reps. Slow mo reps I do every once in a while just to have a different feel to my muscle to stimulate them. Slow mo rep is doing a rep five seconds on the extension and five seconds on the contraction. For example, doing a leg press, five seconds on the way down and five seconds on the way up. Normally on my leg training I like to do reps of 20 or 30. When you’re doing reps super slow and you’re controlling the weight the whole time, no momentum. What’s going to happen is you’re going to have to lighten the weight tremendously and in doing that you’re also going to feel the muscle fibers working, slow and fast twitch you’re going to really feel them working and you may only be able to do 10-15 reps. You can follow this principle and can bee only able to do maybe three exercises.”
Rich Gaspari extended his support for reigning four-time Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead last month. He believes Bumstead has a stellar package and could hold his own against the freakiest mass monsters of the Open if he added 40 pounds of muscle to his frame and grew his arms. Then, he provided abs exercises for building strength along with a tip on training intensity for muscle growth earlier this month.
His latest offering will certainly help many fitness fans take their physiques to the next level with the intensity technique.
Published: 5 July, 2023 | 8:12 AM EDT
Arnold Schwarzenegger Details Anti-Aging Secret for Youthful Skin & Fan-Fav Workout of the Week
Arnold Schwarzenegger is on a mission to reverse the aging process at 75 years old. In recent excerpts from his Arnold’s Pump Club Newsletter, Schwarzenegger revealed a free and easy skincare solution and detailed his latest circuit workout of the week.
With a colossal chest, wide shoulders, and huge biceps, Schwarzenegger was a visionary in the 1970s, who sculpted a physique ahead of his time. Building one of the best résumés in the sport, Schwarzenegger pushed himself to the brink in the pursuit of excellence, having shared the stage with rivals such as three-time Mr. Olympias Frank Zane and Sergio Oliva.
Schwarzenegger was near unstoppable in his prime and would ultimately collect a total of seven Mr. Olympia trophies. His final victory was not without a fight as he returned after a five-year hiatus for the 1980 Mr. Olympia. This contest saw him narrowly take first place even though some thought the late fifth-place finisher Mike Mentzer deserved the nod. In the aftermath, a frustrated Mentzer decided to retire from the sport.
Aside from a life of competition, Schwarzenegger broke barriers in the 1980s after he became famous following his roles in action-themed films. His contributions to the Terminator franchise has stood the test of time and is still appreciated today. And while he served as the governor of California and a philanthropist, it appears Schwarzenegger’s focus is health, wellness, and longevity as he gets older.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Shares Study-Supported Anti-Aging Strategies for Better Skin Elasticity
Despite its simplicity, Arnold credits sweating as one of the best methods for improving skin health.
The Anti-Aging Secret
“A little bit of sweat might be the skincare solution you didn’t realize you needed.
Recent research suggests that the best way to have more youthful skin might be a consistent workout routine.
In the study, participants performed 16 weeks of either aerobic workouts or weight training. The scientists found that both forms of exercise resulted in skin improvements, such as better skin elasticity, dermal structure, and skin tone.
Schwarzenegger noted that a combination of cardio and weight training helps produce an inflammatory response that defends the skin against the natural aging process.
Exercise is likely so effective because does so much more than burn calories and build muscle. Both cardio and weight training help an inflammatory response that defends your skin against the natural aging of the cells in your skin. And, while supplementation gets all of the hype, exercise can also help increase your natural production of collagen, which is a key protein that supports healthier skin.
And for the record, you don’t need to train like Mr. Olympia to see the benefits. Both groups trained twice per week. The people doing cardio trained at a moderate intensity (about 65 to 75 percent of their maximum heart rate) for 30 minutes and performed a 5-minute warmup and cooldown. And the weight training group performed a 6-exercise full-body workout consisting of 3 sets of 10 reps each.”
Workout of the Week
In his latest ‘Workout of the Week’, Schwarzenegger revealed a circuit of seven exercises performed with a weighted vest or backpack of 30 pounds.
“This was such a fan-favorite in The Pump app, that we had to share it here.
We talk a lot about making workouts that fit into your life. And you guys ask for workouts you can do while traveling. Daniel was recently short on time, so he grabbed his ruck pack, put a 30-pound weight in it, and then did an amazing workout.
If you don’t have a ruck pack, you can put a few books in a backpack. Load up your backpack and then give it a try.
Each exercise is performed for a single set of eight reps each. Once completed, rest for 1-2 minutes and then repeat the circuit.
How to do it: Perform this workout as a circuit, which means you’ll do one set of each exercise. For each exercise, you’ll perform 8 reps. Do all reps of the first exercise, then with as little rest as possible, move to the next exercise. Continue this until you complete all 7 exercises. Rest for 1 to 2 minutes, and then repeat the circuit again.
Stiff legged deadlift
Bent-over row
Clean
Front squat
Press
Curl
Overhead triceps extension
If you want to see what the workout looks like in action, Daniel filmed himself doing “the backpack workout.”
If you’re a beginner: aim for 2 to 3 rounds.
If you’re intermediate: perform 4 to 5 rounds.
If you’re advanced: complete 6 to 7 rounds.
Give it a try, and let us know what you think!” Arnold Schwarzenegger shared.
Schwarzenegger has prioritized health and longevity in retirement. On top of offering fans unique training plans on a weekly basis, Schwarzenegger also tackles other important barometers for health such as grip strength, endurance, recovery, and dieting.
He’s one of the most famous actors/bodybuilders of this generation, but it wasn’t always that way. Schwarzenegger has kept true to his roots and is known for looking back on his illustrious career. He admits his participation in 1977’s hit Pumping Iron with Lou Ferrigno set him and the sport up for long-standing success. He also credits the film for helping change the negative perception of bodybuilding at the time.
Just like his bodybuilding career, Arnold faced struggles in acting as well. In a recent interview with Academy Museum, the 75-year-old said he was discouraged initially because some industry pros mentioned his huge build and German accent would get in the way of landing roles. In the end, Schwarzenegger said those liabilities became strengths as he went on to achieve worldwide fame with a number of acting projects.
RELATED: Terrick El Guindy On Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ‘Forever Legacy’: ‘He’s an Icon of Modern Times’
Schwarzenegger encourages anyone to try his seven-exercise circuit workout routine. As for skin health, Arnold stressed that strength training, cardio, and a good sweat are among the best weapons for reversing the aging process.
Published: 4 July, 2023 | 9:03 PM EDT
Dorian Yates Reveals His Approach to Contest Prep: ‘Scaled Down Caloric Intake & Increased Cardio’
Bodybuilding legend Dorian Yates reached the highest heights of the sport with his insane training methods and jacked package. He has carried his passion for fitness even after moving on from professional competition. In a recent post made on Instagram, Yates revealed his approach to contest prep and how many calories he would drop to get stage-ready.
Dorian Yates dominated the Men’s Open division with his freakish muscle mass, size, and conditioning during the 90s. He presented a tough challenge to eight-time champion Lee Haney in his first-ever Mr. Olympia appearance and eventually took silver. He returned with a sharper package the next year and won his maiden Sandow trophy at the 1992 Mr. Olympia. He proved to be a commanding victor as he added five consecutive title defenses and came out on top of every contest he participated in during his run at the top. He took to the sidelines after a final win at the 1997 Mr. Olympia.
Besides his impressive package, Yates stood out from the pack with his intense mindset and training methods. He would focus solely on training in the off-season and used high-intensity training where he’d reach near failure in every training session.
Yates offered fans a demonstration of the lat pulldowns to optimize back gains three months ago. He recommended pulling with your elbows in order to take the load off the biceps and keep the stress on the lats. Then, Yates detailed how to perform hamstring curls for building muscle. He stressed the importance of using a full range of motion with a slow negative for the best results.
‘The Shadow’ opened up about the protocols he would utilize while in prep for competitions months ago. He revealed his training didn’t differ too much from the off-season except for increased cardio and laid out the food sources he consumed. He also credited TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) for helping improve his mental and physical health since he quit steroids after retirement.
Two months ago, Yates encouraged fans to high-intensity training sessions to 45 minutes as he believes it’s not possible to train with intensity for longer. He followed up by sharing his unconventional four days-a-week workout routine and claimed squats were not essential for building muscle weeks later.
Dorian Yates gave fans a look into the two-exercise ab workout routine he followed in his prime last month. The routine was made up of bodyweight crunches and reverse crunches, which he’d perform once a week and pair with shoulders and triceps workouts. He offered some of the essential exercises he’d utilize to enhance chest muscle development two weeks ago.
Dorian Yates Reveals His Approach to Contest Prep: ‘Scaled Down Caloric Intake & Increased Cardio’
In a recent Instagram post, Dorian Yates shared his approach to contest prep. He revealed he’d cut down from 6,500 calories in the off-season to 3,500-4,000 calories in prep and even went as low as 2,500 calories for his debut.
“Contest prep!
So following on from my post about my off season, my approach for my prep was mainly the same,” said Yates. “
The only real difference for my preparation was that I scaled down my caloric intake and increased my cardio.
My training pretty much stayed the same as did my food choices, but I consumed less.
At my heaviest, going from 6,500 calories in the off season down to 3,500 – 4,000 calories was quite the deficit and although 4000 calories may seem quite a lot to some people… I was absolutely starving!
“For my first contest I dieted down to 2,500 but as I got bigger over the years, I was able to burn more.
I remember waking up in the middle of the night because I had a dream that was so real… I dreamt that I had ate a big plate of sausages! Of course this wasn’t possible as I didn’t have them in the house, but the mind plays tricks. I guess my body was crying out for extra calories and fats.
He’d target getting stage-ready about six weeks out from a show.
“
You have to be in control of both your mind and body, you need to be in command and tell your body when it’s time to eat.
Everything was weighed to the gram for my food, I knew the exact macros I’d be consuming per meal and ate according to my schedule, on the dot.
I didn’t really ever do any cardio in the gym, I did it at home on my stationary bike in my garage where I’d also practice my posing routine.
I did take my dog for a walk everyday and used this as a form of cardio too where I’d power walk my way down the canals of Sutton Coldfield (just outside Birmingham town).
“I’d typically be contest ready 6 weeks out. This would allow me to cruise into the competition and make any minor adjustments needed.
Usually it’d be a few pounds that I’d need to drop in the two weeks leading up to the show.
Planning ahead was crucial, I never needed to drastically cut weight a couple of weeks out. I always ensured I followed my plan and kept a constant reminder as to why I was doing this.
The end goal was always in my mind.”
Dorian Yates showed off his ripped midsection with a 40-year physique progression snap about two weeks ago. He boasted his impressive abs which he maintained throughout from age 22 to 61. He followed up by listing some of his favorite exercises for longevity earlier this month.
Yates’ latest update offered a look into the insane discipline one needs to have to contend with the most elite bodybuilders in the world.
Published: 4 July, 2023 | 6:31 PM EDT
Derek Lunsford’s Proven Workout Guide for Swole Arms
Derek Lunsford is busy putting in work as the 2023 Olympia prep has finally started. After spending the off-season making necessary gains, he now works hard to bring the best version of himself to the Olympia stage in November.
Lunsford is an American IFBB Pro bodybuilder that competes in the Men’s Open division. The 30-year-old competed in the 212 division for the vast majority of his career so far and made his pro bodybuilding debut at the 2017 Tampa Pro with an impressive win. He only kept rising in each one of his appearances. Lunsford eventually managed to dethrone former champ Shaun Clarida at the 2021 Olympia and became the 212 Olympia champion. He seemed like a champion primed to dominate the division much like Flex Lewis back in the day.
However, Derek Lunsford was slowly growing out of his 212 physique. At the 2022 Pittsburgh Pro guest posing, Lunsford showed up with a massive physique that looked comparable to the Open division bodybuilders like Nick Walker and Hunter Labrada.
Amid speculations about his future moves, Olympia management accepted Lunsford’s request for a direct invitation to compete in the Open division. The former 212 Olympia champion registered an outstanding performance in his Men’s Open debut at the 2022 Olympia and finished second behind Hadi Choopan. Derek Lunsford is now dedicating his time to improve enough to dethrone Choopan at the 2023 Olympia.
Recently, Lunsford partnered with IFBB Pro bodybuilder Joan Pradells for an arms workout and posted the video of this session on YouTube. The video was shot before Lunsford’s competition prep started. So let’s check out how the former champ pumped weights in the gym.
Derek Lunsford goes through an arms workout
Cable Triceps Kickbacks
Lunsford and Pradells started the training session with this triceps builder to warm-up. They did a couple of warm-up sets and followed them up with two working sets. In addition to stimulating the triceps, kickbacks are a great way to warm up elbows. It is a crucial joint in most of the arms movements. As a result, warming the elbows up is essential for effortless movements and also to avoid injuries.
Crossover Cable Triceps Extensions
Full elbow flexion and stability in the shoulder joint are prerequisites for triceps isolation. However, most triceps exercises, when performed with both arms, considerably limit the range of motion of the elbow and strip it of full flexion. Crossover cable triceps extensions is one unique exercise that offers both of these benefits for optimal triceps growth. The duo took to this exercise next for stimulating the triceps further and pushed through a few arduous sets. While explaining his method to get the most out of each set, Lunsford said:
“I just went as many as I could. So did like 12 (with both arms) then I did three on one arm and three on the other arm… Once I knew I couldn’t lock it out fully a couple of times… that’s when I was like I can’t…”
Smith Machine Close Grip Incline Bench Press
Although Bench press primarily targets the pectoral muscles, it is a compound movement that helps build upper body pushing muscles including triceps. Performing this exercise with a close grip puts more emphasis on the triceps.
Lunsford and Pradells performed a close grip incline bench press on the Smith machine next. The bar on the Smith machine moves along a fixed trajectory that significantly reduces the need to control weights. This reduces the chance of injury and also enables an individual to focus more on the target muscles.
The training partners pushed through a few heavy sets of the exercise and went on to do the final triceps movement next.
Horizontal Cable Triceps Extensions
Working the muscle from different angles helps emphasize different parts of it. This enables complete growth without imbalances. Lunsford took to the horizontal cable triceps extensions next. While the movement is similar to the cross-body cable triceps extensions, the arm moves away from the body at a shoulder level in this variation. Lunsford and Pradells performed a few sets of this exercise unilaterally to work the triceps further and shifted their focus on working the biceps next.
Dumbbell Curls
The duo took to this most basic and effective bicep isolation exercise to start the bicep work. After doing a few sets with incrementally heavier dumbbells, Lunsford and Pradells took to hammer curls next.
Crossbody Dumbbell Hammer Curls
Similar to the standard hammer curls, the crossbody variation works the biceps brachii, brachialis and brachioradialis muscles in the arm. However, the crossbody form puts more emphasis on the long head of the biceps compared to the standard version.
Lunsford and his training partner moved weights for some solid sets of cross-body hammer curls next to build the forearms and biceps before moving on to the next exercise.
Prone Incline EZ Bar Curls
Also known as spider curl, this exercise is very unique from most biceps exercises in terms of set-up. However, it is an effective bicep builder that also works the forearm muscles.
It can also be performed with a straight bar but an EZ bar enables more natural wrist movement. Lunsford and Pradells performed a few grueling sets of prone incline biceps curls next and took to the final exercise of the day.
Cable Biceps Curls
Cable machines put the muscles under tension throughout the range of motion. As a result, they are more effective in inducing hypertrophy which is the primary goal of professional bodybuilders.
Overall, the workout included:
The former champ compares his current off-season progress and competition prep with the previous year
Lunsford stated that he had to travel a lot this off-season. Most bodybuilders would prefer being at home during this time to follow a diet and training routine without lapse. However, the former 212 Olympia champ feels he has still made good progress.
“Believe me when I tell you I’m in a much better starting point this year than last year because right before I started my prep last year, I got sick.”
According to Lunsford, he was infected with a serious skin infection that caused him to lose a lot of weight. Additionally, the uncertainty about the division kept him guessing for a long time. But these factors are no longer impacting Lunsford’s plan of action. As a result, he is able to manage far better progress. At the time of this video’s recording, Lunsford weighed 260 lbs.
Lunsford is hoping to be ‘on point’ at the 2023 Olympia
Lunsford shed light on the problems he faced heading into the 2022 Olympia. As revealed by him, Lunsford’s body was not responding the right way a couple of weeks before the show. His coach Hany Rambod thought it was in Derek’s best interest to pull out.
“But I told him, ‘No man! I have to do the show. I can’t pull out from the Olympia. It’s just not in me.’ I kind of went back to my wrestling mindset where I can’t not do something… I have to finish what I started. I can’t do it. I have to do this and so we did it,” Lunsford said.
Lunsford might not be at a hundred percent heading into the show. But as we all know by now, he brought a worthy physique to the stage. As better as he looked at the show, Lunsford was not sure how he would be placed.
“I thought okay, if I come in looking good, I can be in the top three. I consider that Ramy was the reigning champion from the year before. I thought he would, on paper, come back and be top three and I figured Hadi would also be top three. What would happen in the top three? I didn’t know. So I was thinking maybe third…” He admitted.
Things are way better now and the former 212 Olympia champ is hoping to come in on point at the 2023 Olympia. Given that he is physically in a far better position compared to the last year, the former 212 Olympia champ definitely has the chance to dethrone Hadi Choopan.
You can watch the full workout video here, courtesy of Derek Lunsford’s personal YouTube channel:
Published: 4 July, 2023 | 2:17 PM EDT