Tag: Chad Nicholls
Chad Nicholls: ‘If You’re Taking SARMs & Claiming Natty, Fuc**ng Get Real Man’
For decades, bodybuilding coach Chad Nicholls helped create Mr. Olympia champions. In a Desktop Bodybuilding interview, Nicholls discussed athletes pretending to be natural while taking selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs). In addition, he explained the utility of cortisol blockers and testosterone.
Guru Chad Nicholls shaped the Men’s Open division, having guided several high-profile names to gold. During the late 1990s and 2000s, an unproven Ronnie Coleman connected with Nicholls following the advice of his rival Flex Wheeler. Within a year of their bodybuilding partnership, Coleman won his first Mr. Olympia title in 1998. Under the tutelage of Nicholls, Coleman tied the all-time Sandow record with Lee Haney at eight.
In addition to working with ‘The King,’ Nicholls started training Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay, who went on to secure a pair of Mr. Olympia titles in 2020 and 2021. While Ramy came up short in fifth place last December, he made a quick turnaround at the recent Arnold Classic in fourth.
Taking a rest from contest preparations, Nicholls took part in a candid podcast to discuss the inner workings of a bodybuilding prep, most notably, the use of SARMs, testosterone, and cortisol blockers.
Chad Nicholls Takes Shot at Athletes Using SARMs Claiming Natural, Says Gear Hasn’t Changed Much Era-to-Era
According to Nicholls, athletes who use SARMs and claim natural aren’t ‘really natty.’ He argued that they might as well ‘jump to the dark side’ instead.
“I think the side effects that come with SARMs are relatively close to the side effects of what you would get from the real thing. I think there are a couple things out there as far as cutting agents that could definitely be added to a protocol as far as leanness and conditioning, but if you’re talking you know serious muscle gain and stuff like that, I know a lot of guys like to say they’re on SARMs and still claim natty or whatever, it’s – fuc**ng get real man. If you’re taking SARMs, I don’t care what you’re taking you’re not natty. You might as well make the jump to the dark side there.”
During the 90s, Nicholls shared that the purity of steroids was higher than it is today. He believes the doses haven’t changed much in the last 30 years, however.
“Pretty close. Pretty close. I mean there’s some things that have changed a little bit. Back in the 90s we’re talking about a lot of American pure gear. So, we’re talking about stuff that’s coming directly out of a hospital or a pharmacy versus now we’re talking about stuff that’s not as quite pure, still – those things all factor in, those things all change a little bit.
Purity, amount, how is everything going to be taken, but overall, when you’re talking about how much you’re going to use, it’s pretty close [from the 90s]. There’s always going to be guys that need a little bit more than others and other guys who don’t need very much. I think the key is finding out what is the least amount to get the biggest results right. It’s simple,” Chad Nicholls said.
Nicholls Says Best PED to Grow Muscle With Is Testosterone, Touches on Cortisol Blockers
Nicholls credits testosterone as the best PED for growing muscle in the shortest amount of time. He also said he’s seen athletes find great success micro-dosing testosterone.
“Testosterone. You know, but here’s the thing about testosterone, everybody thinks it’s this and that or whatever, but everybody is a little bit different. I think the key is, I’m big on using testosterone as a base. But you also have to see how your body responds to it, some people respond really really well to a slow Ester, so it could be Cypionate, but based off of how well your body metabolizes that and utilizes it within the system and how your body basically sets a baseline of testosterone; sometimes guys run better with that and a combination of like propionate, because of how it kind of spikes but then the one keeps it a little bit more steady.
Other people because of that spike, doesn’t respond well. The key is finding out where your body really gets the best benefit from the testosterone and which one of those esters or which combination of esters is best for you.”
“I’ve seen some guys make some really good progress over that way [testosterone] because you’re still stable. You’re using less but you’re taking it more often. The body is much more stable, especially if you’re just starting out like if you’re just getting started and stuff because a lot of the ups and downs can throw that body so far out of whack and the progression even slows down based off where you should be just natural.”
Next, Nicholls discussed the utility of cortisol blockers and mentioned some of his athletes currently use them.
“Ornithine, it was a cortisol blocker. It also blocked estrogen too, so it was utilized as – yeah, it would block estrogen a little bit, it would also block cortisol. The crazy thing about, it would basically it didn’t block it completely but what it did was regulated it. So there was never a high level of cortisol spiking in the system.”
“Some guys have access to it right now. I know, I’ve got some guys that have been using it a little bit and stuff. Again, it makes you feel pretty much like shit. You’re tired as fu**. It’s really hard on the stomach so you have to take it with food. Usually, no longer than four to five weeks, 250-milligram capsule usually, most people don’t go over 500.”
Nicholls says the dosages of steroids haven’t changed much since the 1990s, but there are some bodybuilding veterans from that era who disagree. Rich Gaspari recently took aim at Open Bodybuilding by suggesting that athletes are over-depending on drugs rather than quality training and nutrition.
Bodybuilding is a sport that requires dedication, discipline, and hard work. However, some athletes may utilize performance-enhancing drugs such as SARMs, to gain an edge over their competitors. Nicholls’ experience and knowledge can help aspiring bodybuilders make informed decisions about their respective careers.
You can watch the full video below, courtesy of the Desktop Bodybuilding YouTube channel:
RELATED: DEA Reveals Proposal to Change Telehealth Law, Threatening TRT Accessibility in U.S.
Published: 23 April, 2023 | 10:31 PM EDT
Chad Nicholls Reveals Origins of Beef with Shawn Ray & Scuffle with Son Dom
Bodybuilding guru Chad Nicholls has guided the careers of many top contenders in the sport. In a Desktop Bodybuilding interview, Nicholls revealed the origins of his beef with retired bodybuilder Shawn Ray and laid out what happened between his son Dominic and Ray at the 2023 Arnold Classic Expo.
Chad Nicholls gained attention for his expertise as a mentor to bodybuilding legend Ronnie Coleman, who racked up eight Sandow trophies during his reign of dominance between 1998 and 2005. Nicholls is credited for guiding Coleman to his first Olympia title.
Nicholls has been at odds with former IFBB Pro Shawn Ray for the last few years. Ray took issue with Nicholls’ training techniques in Feb. 2020. He criticized Nicholls for promoting dangerous training with the use of performance-enhancing drugs. The tensions between Nicholls and Ray heated up again when Shawn expressed disapproval of the protocols used by Nicholls.
Meanwhile, Nicholls remained focused on supporting former two-time Mr. Olympia Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay on the way to his next appearance. He lauded the Egyptian mass monster for making strides in the off-season and backed him to return with an even bigger package at the 2022 Mr. Olympia. However, he was cautious of the threat presented by rising sensation Nick Walker and William Bonac, both of whom display freakish muscle mass.
In the end, Ramy missed the mark on stage in Las Vegas four months ago and dropped the title to Hadi Choopan. Nicholls highlighted the need to fix some issues Ramy faced at the Olympia before his return to action for the 2023 Arnold Classic last month. He thought Ramy made the necessary adjustments and would be a problem for many at 310 pounds.
During the 2023 Arnold Classic Expo, the troubles between Nicholls and Ray reached a boiling point. Nicholls’ son Dominic confronted Ray at the expo and called him out for trashing his father’s name. While the altercation didn’t come to blows, the video of the heated verbal exchange made headlines online.
Prolific bodybuilding coach Milos Sarcev weighed in on the scuffle a week later. Sarcev stated Ray allegedly got jumped by Nicholls but didn’t provide any evidence of the incident. IFBB Hall of Famer Chris Cormier theorized Dom was particularly upset at Ray for blaming his father for the deaths of some bodybuilders.
Chad Nicholls reveals the origins of his beef with Shawn Ray
In a recent YouTube video, Chad Nicholls revealed how his feud with Shawn Ray started.
“Boyer Coe called me on the phone and asked me, now I can’t swear to god that Shawn knew that Boyer was going to call me or not but Boyer Coe definitely called me and asked me if I’d be interested in working with Shawn,” said Nicholls. “Of course, they both deny that now but they’ve been friends for years. That’s 100 percent what happened. I think he’s pissed at me though when I started working with Flex, like he was beating a lot of these guys, and then next thing you know he never beat one of my guys ever again. Then, he retired two or three years.”
Nicholls details what happened between Dom and Ray at the 2023 Arnold Classic Expo
Chad Nicholls says the beef with Ray has been going on for 20 years and touched on the viral incident with his son, Dom.
“Here’s kind of what happened. Obviously, everybody knows the beef between me and Shawn, it’s going on for 20 years ever since I started training athletes and they all started placing ahead of him so that was kind of no-brainer and it kind of back and forth. When I saw Shawn, I had nothing but positive thoughts. I was going to be like, ‘hey man we need to talk. Let’s go and talk.’ My thinking was let’s just squash this sh*t. It’s all petty nonsense. He kinda made a smart-ass thing, got my number and we’re both there, let’s go talk. I said let’s go talk and my thinking was we’ll exit the ballroom because I didn’t want to do in front of everybody.
We’re already at the back and so I was going to walk out the back doors. Basically what happened was when Sean realized we were getting ready to exit, he stopped and kind of backtracked. Dom was behind him but Dom kinda was like get moving boy and then Sean does Sean and starts screaming, you’re going to go to jail, you want to be arrested, I’m going to end your career, blah blah. That was really the end of it. I literally would’ve not thought another thing about it.
“But I guess after that, Ron Harris had sent Dom a message and it’s like hey why is Shawn saying you hit him and Dom’s like what the hell are you talking about because Ron was right there. I didn’t hit him and he’s like no that’s what I’m saying why is Shawn saying that he’s completely lying about it so that kind of pissed off. Then, somebody else came and was like hey I heard Shawn was ready to go outside with you. He’s telling everybody he was ready to go outside so at this point, you’re talking about a 19 year old kid and now all these guys are saying this happened and that happened.
So, now Dom loses his cool a little bit the next day, goes up and decides to confront him. The reason he recorded it was basically so they couldn’t say something happened that didn’t happen so that was really all that was basically being recorded. He went up basically, said what he said, they recorded it again, only reason they record it so Shawn couldn’t come back and say oh well he was aggressive, put his hands on me, done this, done that and that was basically it. It was done and over with at that point basically.”
“It was basically he had already started saying stuff that was not true. So, Dom didn’t want to do something and all of a sudden, Sean calls up somebody and said he assaulted me at the booth. They recorded it to make sure everybody knew.”
Bodybuilding veteran Jose Raymond chimed in with his take on the rivalry between Shawn Ray and Chad Nicholls two weeks ago. Raymond sided with team Nicholls while bashing Ray for his behavior. He believes Ray is walking on thin ice and doesn’t serve the bodybuilding community as a legend should.
RELATED: Chad Nicholls Details Big Ramy’s ‘Disaster’ 2022 Olympia Prep: “Everything Went Wrong”
Based on Nicholls’ latest comments, it appears the troubles with Ray are far from over and could escalate on the horizon.
You can watch the full video below.
Published: 14 April, 2023 | 9:06 AM EDT
Chad Nicholls Believes Big Ramy Will Be Even Bigger At 2022 Olympia
Chad Nicholls does not believe there is a threat to Big Ramy come the Olympia.
Chad Nicholls has been working closely with Big Ramy this offseason. If there is anyone who knows the current status of the two-time Olympia champion, it wold be Nicholls. That is why it is noteworthy when Nicholls says that he believes Big Ramy will show up to the 2022 Olympia in even better shape than he has in the past.
When Nicholls speaks, it carries a lot of weight. He is a sports nutritionist and coach who has worked with the likes of Mike Tyson and Ronnie Coleman. Recently, Nicholls joined The Menace Podcast on Muscle and Fitness’ YouTube page to discuss the current events in bodybuilding — including the 2022 Arnold Classic and Olympia competitions.
The Olympia will return to Las Vegas from Dec. 16-18 after two years in Orlando due to the pandemic. Big Ramy enjoyed the time in Orlando winning back-to-back titles in the Men’s Open division. He will be looking for the three-peat this year and Nicholls believes it is his to lose.
“If something happens and he doesn’t do what he needs to do then he opens the door for everybody to step in a little closer,” Nicholls explained.
“I don’t necessarily think that there’s a guy that’s a threat to Ramy that’s competing right now.”
Big Ramy has already started training for the 2022 competition. He was seen in the gym shortly after winning in September. This gives the bodybuilder a huge head start compared to his preparation from 2021. Big Ramy did not begin training for the Olympia until just a couple months before the show. Now, he will have plenty of time to sculpt and improve certain areas.
Big Ramy was does not share many physique updates on social media but in a recent interview, he admitted that his offseason weight is 341 pounds. This is the plan for Big Ramy this offseason. He will focus on conditioning and show up in December around the 300-pound mark.
“Our game plan is still conditioning but at the same time, you take an entire year of training, which he probably hadn’t had for numerous years, getting a whole year dedicated t bodybuilding and pushing as hard as he can with everything timed perfect,” Chad Nicholls said.
“There’s no doubt that the potential to be three. You know, 300 to 305 pounds, somewhere in that ballpark, in better shape than he’s been in the last two years.”
There was a bit of controversy following Big Ramy’s 2021 victory. There were many that believed Hadi Choopan, who finished third, showed up in the best shape and had the best conditioning. He took home the bronze medal behind Big Ramy and Brandon Curry. The fact that Nicholls is discussing how Big Ramy will be in even better shape is a scary thought to the competition.
We have seen Big Ramy’s offseason figure and he has shared his weight. As of now, it is all according to plan and he is doing what he needs to do. If this continues over the course of 2022, it might be hard to take the Olympia title away this year.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Chad Nicholls Shares Predictions For 2022 Arnold Classic
Chad Nicholls recently revealed who he believes will be the new champion at the 2022 Arnold Classic.
The 2022 Arnold Classic is right around the corner and that means there will be plenty of predictions coming out. Chad Nicholls recently shared his opinion on who could take over as the new champion in Columbus.
The Arnold Classic is back where it belongs taking place from March 3-6. With the event returning to the beginning of the year, there are many big names that will be present. This does not include Nick Walker, who won the show in 2021 but will continue to focus on the 2022 Olympia. This means there will be a new champion and Nicholls, a bodybuilding coach and sports nutritionist, recently gave his pick.
Nicholls joined The Menace Podcast on the Muscle and Fitness YouTube page and this is where he broke down some of the biggest names in the show. Before we get into what Nicholls had to say, let’s take another look at the Men’s Open lineup for the 2022 Arnold Classic.
2022 Arnold Classic Lineup
William Bonac (Netherlands)
Rafael Brandão (Brasil)
Maxx Charles (USA)
Brandon Curry (USA)
Samson Dauda (United Kingdom)
Nathan De Asha (United Kingdom)
Regan Grimes (Canada)
Steve Kuclo (USA)
Cedric McMillan (USA)
Fabio Giga Rezende (Brasil)
Justin Rodriguez (USA)
Mohamed Shaaban (Egypt)
Brett Wilkin (USA)
Akim Williams (USA)
Brandon Curry
It has been quite a run for Brandon Curry. He was crowned Mr. Olympia in 2019 and has finished as the runner-up in back-to-back years to Big Ramy. When looking at the field, Curry has to be considered one of the favorites, if not No. 1 on the list. He has his sights set on taking back his Olympia crown but will appear at the second biggest show of the year first.
Nicholls has always liked Curry to come out victorious at the Arnold Classic and he has not changed his opinion.
“I think Curry’s going to win this. I’ve always though that Curry’s going to win this. I think just that the level that he’s at right now, based off of where everybody’s ay, if he shows up anywhere close, I don’t think anybody beats him.”
Brandon Curry has a victory at the Arnold Classic from back in 2019, the same year he won the Olympia. There is a chance that he could bring home his second in about six weeks.
William Bonac
Walker might have won the Arnold Classic in September but would it have happened this way if William Bonac was there? The 2020 Arnold Classic champ was unable to make the trip but will return to the stage this year. According to Nicholls, this does not mean that he will make an immediate impact.
“I think that the things he has lacked over the last couple of years are finally starting to catch up with him. I think he was downsized a bit and his conditioning was also behind in 2021. I think he had very little time to correct that.”
Brett Wilkin
There are many big names returning to the Arnold Classic this year. Steve Kuclo finished third last year, Regan Grimes continues to improve, and Cedric McMillan and Nathan De Asha always have eyes on them. Nicholls believes another up-and-comer could steal the show.
Brett Wilkin is a rising star in the sport but has not taken that next step just yet. This might not be the year that Wilkin takes home the title but he has a chance to finish in the top three. Nicholls believes that he could be a threat to Curry.
“”He matches Brandon structurally. Obviously, Brandon’s got that massive back and that width and you know, that shoulder to waist ratio but Wilkins isn’t that far off. I think he might be bigger so it’s gonna be interesting.”
It is going to be an intense and entertaining battle to see who finishes in the top five. Wilkin could be the name that makes the biggest jump during this event. As of now, Brandon Curry seems to be the competitor to beat at this point.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Melvin Anthony Defends Chad Nicholls & Other Gurus: It’s Not Their Fault If Bodybuilders Take Too Much
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Melvin Anthony shares his personal experience working with Chad Nicholls and defends against accusations that gurus are killing bodybuilders.
Chad Nicholls and other bodybuilding gurus have been subject to criticism in recent years. There have been claims that the kind of supplementation and protocols they advise is too risky. That gurus are not doctors and should not be providing athletes with drug protocols that could end up endangering the athlete. Melvin Anthony is a bodybuilder who worked directly with Chad Nicholls and believes that these accusations are false. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Melvin Anthony defends Chad Nicholls and other gurus – claiming that the risk comes from bodybuilders not following protocol.
In the world of pro bodybuilding, the human body is like a machine that needs the perfect set of elements to run perfectly. Bodybuilders will spend their entire lives trying to determine what works perfect for their own individual bodies. Not only that – but how to then push the limits and take their mass and physique to the next level. Bodybuilding gurus help aid in that process. They provide knowledgable insight into how to train, diet and supplement.
The unspoken truth is that this also involves advice on performance enhancing drugs and other substances. Over the years, these gurus have been praised for their knowledge and the results seen in their clients. They help bring athletes to new heights. But more recently, criticism has been laid at gurus for the dangers posed by their supplementation and protocol advice. Should a guru be held responsible if a health emergency happens to one of their clients because of the very protocol they recommended?
Melvin Anthony caught word of the recent allegations against gurus like Chad Nicholls. The claims go so far as to say he and other gurus like him are killing people. That they are drug dealers with no real medical experience. That they should be held responsible. Anthony disagrees. In fact, he has directly worked with Chad Nicholls. From his experience, Nicholls was nothing but knowledgable and responsible. He always took health into consideration when putting together a protocol for Anthony.
Melvin Anthony believes that the blame thrown towards bodybuilding gurus have been blown out of proportion. Yes, there is always an inherent risk in being a pro bodybuilder. But he also believes that many of the medical emergencies or tragic deaths are not due to the gurus – but the athletes themselves. A guru can only recommend a training program or drug protocol. When the bodybuilder goes home – there’s no telling whether or not that person really follows it. If the bodybuilder takes more than recommended and something bad happens, the guru is not directly responsible.
More than that, a bodybuilder can also not be transparent or truthful about their own lifestyle. A drug protocol might be recommended based on the current diet and training the athlete is doing. But if the athlete is actually not being truthful about their diet, or perhaps their own medical history, then the recommendation by the guru is based off of half truths. In this case, again, the guru is not responsible.
Melvin Anthony believes that this kind of miscommunication is what is largely to blame for medical issues with bodybuilders. He thinks that the responsibility lies with the athlete at the end of the day. No one is forcing them to do anything and, more importantly, if they don’t follow directions to a tee – it’s beyond the guru’s control.
You can watch Melvin Anthony go into detail about his experience with Chad Nicholls and his opinion on bodybuilding gurus in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.