Tag: Featured
2022 Tahoe Show Photoshoot- Beach
Lake Tahoe makes the best backdrop for the most stunning physiques in the world!
With IFBB Pros Shelby Pierce, Jodie Yuncker, Jordan Brannon, Hope Castelli, Hope Harper, and Bojana Vasiljevic! Our Pros were joined with our NPC Overall Winners Danielle Corregidor, Crystal Garcia, Tracy Ho, Serina Mann, and Moses Vera!
2022 Tahoe Show Photoshoot- Floaties
Floaties Everywhere in Emerald Bay! Good thing we had Unicorn Wrangler, Chris Minnes, to rope in these floaties!
With IFBB Pros Shelby Pierce, Jodie Yuncker, Jordan Brannon, Hope Castelli, Hope Harper, and Bojana Vasiljevic! Our Pros were joined with our NPC Overall Winners Danielle Corregidor, Crystal Garcia, Tracy Ho, Serina Mann, and Moses Vera!
2022 Tahoe Show Photoshoot- Emerald Bay
Check out these AMAZING shots in one of the most beautiful spots in Lake Tahoe- Emerald Bay!
With IFBB Pros Shelby Pierce, Jodie Yuncker, Jordan Brannon, Hope Castelli, Hope Harper, and Bojana Vasiljevic! Our Pros were joined with our NPC Overall Winners Danielle Corregidor, Crystal Garcia, Tracy Ho, Serina Mann, and Moses Vera!
2022 Tahoe Show IFBB Pro Bikini & Overall Winners Photoshoot
Check out these AMAZING shots!
With IFBB Pros Shelby Pierce, Jodie Yuncker, Jordan Brannon, Hope Castelli, Hope Harper, and Bojana Vasiljevic! Our Pros were joined with our NPC Overall Winners Danielle Corregidor, Crystal Garcia, Tracy Ho, Serina Mann, and Moses Vera!
WATCH: ‘Kai’ Official Release Trailer | The Life Story Of Bodybuilder Kai Greene
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Witness the inside story of bodybuilding’s biggest modern legend – Kai Greene.
We are exactly one day away from the release of Kai on digital. Available on August 26, 2022 – the film will be the first comprehensive and official look into the life story of bodybuilding legend Kai Greene. To celebrate the launch, Generation Iron Network has released one final trailer for the film – which you can watch above. You can also pre-order the film today right here.
Kai Greene may be one of the most exciting and mysterious bodybuilders to ever exist in the history of the sport. His powerful physique speaks for itself and is among one of the best in modern bodybuilding – if not bodybuilding as a whole. But his artistry took that physique to the next level bringing him fame beyond the sport and into the mainstream arena.
However, despite being so large in the public eye, Kai Greene’s life and past have always been a mystery. The large strokes are known by most. During childhood, without a father in the picture, Kai was taken away from his mother by child services and he became a ward of the state. He grew up in orphanages only to eventually be arrested and sent to juvenile detention. It’s there where he was introduced to bodybuilding. He left juvy, became a male stripper for a short while, and eventually rose in the ranks to be a champion bodybuilder.
But many intimate questions remained. What was his experience like in juvenile detention? What was life as an exotic dancer like? How did he receive the massive scar on his face? And what’s up with that grapefruit video? Up until now, the closes we have been to learning of this past was in the form of an experimental stage show called BELIEVE.
Kai promises to answer all of this questions. For the first time ever, after dozens of hours of interview footage, Kai Greene has fully opened up above his entire life story. From his days as a child in a troubled home, through juvenile detention, and into pro bodybuilding. The film also follows up with Kai in the present – as he attempts to publish his graphic novel – The Chronicles Of King Kai.
The Kai Greene documentary is not just a deep insight into a bodybuilding legend for fans of the sport. It’s a dramatic life story that promises to resonate with anyone from all walks of life.
Kai also features Victor Martinez, Rich Gaspari, Mike O’Hearn, George Farah, and longtime rival Phil Heath – all speaking in brand new interviews.
From The Producer Of The Last Dance
In addition to being produced by The Vladar Company and Generation Iron Network – producer Matt Maxson is also attached to the Kai Greene documentary – who is best known for producing The Last Dance.
Emmy nominated Producer Matt Maxson’s The Last Dance starring Michael Jordan took the world by storm in 2020 – becoming one of the most talked about TV events of the year on ESPN and Netflix. He now took his producing talents to the world of bodybuilding and fitness with his involvement in the Kai documentary feature.
Matt Maxon’s other producing credits include Andre The Giant and The Circus: Inside The Greatest Political Show On Earth. Before producing, he spent five years working in production at HBO Sports where he worked on the network’s documentary series 24/7 which garnered 18 Emmy Awards.
The Last Dance received critical acclaim, with praise for its directing and editing. It won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 96% based on 53 reviews. The documentary series provided the most in-depth look at Michael Jordan’s career with the Chicago Bulls where he played alongside other legendary players such as Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and coach Phil Jackson.
Kai is directed by Vlad Yudin (Generation Iron, Ronnie Coleman: The King) and produced by both Yudin and Edwin Mejia Jr. (Generation Iron, Ronnie Coleman: The King). It will be executive produced by Matt Maxon, David Gendron, Russ Riggins, and Viviana Zarragoitia.
Kai will be available on all major digital platforms on August 26, 2022. You can order your digital copy today right here or by clicking the banner below.
‘Kai’ Exclusive Clip – How Kai Greene Was ‘Born’ In Juvy: “I Wanted To Kill Every Living Thing”
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Kai Greene holds nothing back reflecting on the violence, anger, and rage of prison that was channeled into the KAI persona.
Watch the new exclusive clip from Kai – available August 26 on digital! You can pre-order KAI today right here. In this clip, Kai Greene reflects back on his time in prison and how a lifetime full of rage was channeled into a passion for bodybuilding. It was here that he adopted the first name of Kai. Leslie Greene was dead – Kai Greene the bodybuilder was born. You can watch the exclusive clip above.
Kai Greene’s physique is more than enough to warrant the fame and legendary status he achieved during his bodybuilding career. But Kai’s past and journey into bodybuilding is nearly as fascinating as his elite physique itself. His past was one full of trauma, abuse, and struggle. And like any champion stories – he overcame many hurdles to grow only stronger. To grow into the champion bodybuilder we know and admire today.
One segment of Kai Greene’s past was a period of time behind bars in juvenile detention. After Kai became an orphan and ward of the state – a few violent encounters at school landed him in prison. The lifestyle Kai led up to this point combined with the dangerous and violent lifestyle in juvenile detention turned him into a ball of pure rage. If something didn’t change soon – he would possibly fall into a deep spiral of violence, pain, and despair.
Instead, Kai Greene challenged all of that rage and energy into becoming stronger. He wasn’t sure what bodybuilding was as a sport quite yet. But he knew he wanted somewhere to place the extreme rage that consumed his very soul. If it wasn’t into becoming stronger – it would have gone into potentially more dangerous and less healthy endeavors.
So Kai Greene did pushups. Over and over again. He ate only bread and water – believing that was the best food he can eat in prison to bulk up and become stronger. He repeated the pushups, bread, and water over and and over ad nauseam. It was at this moment that Kai was no longer a boy. He dropped the use of his real first name (Leslie) and transformed into Kai Greene. The man. The bodybuilder.
During this period of time, a man working at the juvenile detention facility would notice Kai Greene’s strength and determination. So he showed Kai a bodybuilding magazine. He introduced him to a world where his hard work and desire to be stronger could be an actual athletic career.
With an origin story in place, so to speak, Kai Greene had a new goal upon returning to the world outside of prison. He would become a bodybuilder. While his journey to the IFBB Pro league would still be filled with hurdles including a stint as a male stripper and a video involving a grapefruit – the stage was set. Nothing would stop Kai Greene from becoming the legend we now all know today.
You can watch the exclusive Kai clip, in which Kai Greene becomes extremely emotional reflecting back on some of the angriest years of his life, above.
Kai will be available on all major digital platforms on August 26. You can pre-order today by clicking right here or on the banner below.
Seated Lateral Raises for Big Delts
Boulder Shoulders Start with Seated Lateral Raises
What is a key component in creating the iconic v-taper physique? Shoulder size. So you want to give your shoulders that 3-dimensional look, you want broad rounded shoulders, you want them to really stand out to make your physique look complete. Without those big shoulders, what will you look like? Sure your arms can be big, but without Death Star delts, they will not look fully developed. But, how do you build them?
The shoulder is composed of three different parts, the anterior deltoid, lateral deltoid, and posterior deltoid. The anterior is your front, lateral, is your side, and posterior is the rear.
There are so many exercises to do to blow your shoulders up like barbell military press, the Arnold press, rear delt flies, but you cannot forget to throw in the classic and simple, but largely effective exercise: the seated lateral raise.
In this article we are going to cover just exactly how to properly perform the seated lateral raise; what you need for the exercise, sets and reps, everything you need to know to build that broadness.
Table of Contents
How to perform the seated lateral raise
Benefits of the seated lateral raise
Who should use the seated lateral raise
FAQs
How to do the Seated Lateral Raise
There are a few things to cover as far as completing the exercise. Let’s start by checking out what you need.
The Tools
Starting off with the equipment you need to complete the seated lateral raise, there are a few simple things on the list. For starters, you need a bench. It is a seated exercise, so the bench is key here, because well, that is what you’ll be sitting on during the exercise. Next, you’ll need some dumbbells, or kettlebells if you so desire.
The Setup
Setting up the Seat: You can put the bench vertically so your back will rest against it, or you can lay the bench flat so you will be sitting upright with no back support.
Grab Your Dumbbells: You can do this exercise one handed or use both
Sit Upright: Place your feet flat on the floor and arms at your sides. Your body should be in an L shape
Raise the Weight: Raise the dumbbells, or dumbbell if you are doing a single arm variation. Bring them up to shoulder height, your hands should be level with your shoulders
Reset and Repeat: Control the weight back down to your sides and repeat this motion.
Pro Tip: For a visual representation of the exercise check out this video from Tiger Fitness on the seated lateral raise:
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Sets and Reps
The seated lateral raise is not a lift to be going too heavy on. It is something you want good form, and controlled reps (for the most part but we will cover this later). In fact, it is more often recommended to go lighter, with higher reps and more controlled form. The medial head of the deltoid is not a large muscle, so it does not require massive loads to grow.
Simply put, you can try out 3-4 sets of 15-20 controlled reps. If you are more experienced and have a good mind to muscle connection, you can increase the weight and focus on sets of 12-15 reps.
If you are more advanced, you can maybe even kick it up a notch and do sets of 10-12, then take your sets to failure, or do partial reps after your full reps are completed. It all depends on your goals as far as strength and hypertrophy.
Benefits of the Seated Lateral Raise
There are plenty of benefits that stem from such a simple movement. The seated lateral raise brings not only size and isolation, but also health benefits to the table. Let’s dive in.
Muscular Hypertrophy
As stated before, if hypertrophy is your goal and you want to build boulder shoulders, the seated lateral raise is a great incorporation. There are so many exercises that blast the front and rear delts, but seated lateral raises build up that middle part of the delt, the part that is heavily associated with creating a more v-tapered look in the physique.
Specific Muscle Targeting
Being that the shoulder is made up of three distinct parts, all of them need to be hit individually in order to grow. The seated lateral raise is a great isolation exercise for the middle part (lateral deltoid) of the shoulder, which can be tricky to hit sometimes. If you are performing your seated lateral raises properly, that middle part of your delt will get absolutely demolished and have no choice but to grow.
Shoulder Health
You always want a healthy body. Healthy shoulders are a huge plus because you use your shoulders for so much throughout the day, maybe even without realizing it. Someone with perfectly healthy shoulders is able to perform all ranges of motion painlessly and with stability.
The seated lateral raise challenges and stimulates shoulder stability, in the rotator cuff in particular, as well as the range of motion. This contributes to overall shoulder health.
Who Should Use the Seated Lateral Raise?
Quite honestly, there is no real limit or restriction on who should or should not incorporate this exercise into their regiment. Still, let’s explore the different demographics.
Bodybuilders
A bodybuilder is judged on their physique, and if that physique is not complete, then the judging will more than likely not be in their favor. One thing sought after in the sport of bodybuilding is the v-taper, and as discussed before, the v-taper is greatly contributed to through developed shoulders. The seated lateral raise can be a key component in developing the hypertrophy of the shoulders and pushing them to become more filled out to achieve that iconic v-shape.
Weightlifting Athletes
The weightlifting demographic can be comprised of powerlifters, crossfitters, Olympic lifters; athletes that are overhead pressing weight in some way. Being that the seated lateral raise can contribute to overall shoulder health, it could be a good idea for athletes that focus on heavy overhead presses to incorporate these into their programming. The seated lateral raise can also serve as a nice alternative to overhead pressing to still gain/maintain muscle in the shoulders without beating down the shoulders as much as a movement like an overhead press.
The Average Gym Goer
Sure, athletes like bodybuilders and weightlifters can benefit from the seated lateral raise, but what about the people just in the gym to stay in shape, be healthy, or look good? Yes! The seated lateral raise is something that everyone can benefit from, no matter your status in the gym. Training shoulders can be intimidating to some as there are so many movements to hit all three heads. The lateral raise is great, simple movement for getting started and getting those shoulders pumped up and developing the overall muscle.
Seated Lateral Raise FAQs
The seated lateral raise is a relatively simple exercise, yes, but you still may have some questions surrounding the movement that you want answered. So, let’s take a look.
Partial Reps and Sets to Failure
Is it a good idea to perform partial reps, or even take your sets to failure when performing the seated lateral raise? Actually, on this movement, it could be beneficial to perform partial reps and sets to failure.
Once you are fatigued from completing the movement with a full range of motion, you can perform partials. This is done by moving the weights six to eight inches from your sides but keeping the tension on the lateral head of the shoulders. You can do this for a set number of reps, or do it until you cannot anymore.
Training Tip: Check out this video from the late John Meadows on doing partial reps during side lateral raises:
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How Often can I do Seated Lateral Raises
This is heavily dependent on your experience in the gym. If you are new to the gym, one to two times per week for the movement is plenty of stimulation to a muscle that is rather small. As you grow more experienced in the gym, you may need to increase frequency to see progression. But, if you are too sore, it is best to rest before hitting some seated lateral raises again!
More on Shoulders
Seated lateral raises are only one movement for your shoulders, but there are plenty more to choose from! Don’t miss out on the rest of our shoulder workouts:
Side Lateral Dumbbell Raise – Exercise Guide
Front Dumbbell Raise – Exercise Guide
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press – Exercise Guide
References
Deltoid muscles: What are they, anatomy, Location & Function. Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Retrieved August 18, 2022, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21875-deltoid-muscles
Ferri, B. (2022, July 4). The anatomy of the deltoid muscle. Verywell Health. Retrieved August 18, 2022, from https://www.verywellhealth.com/deltoid-muscle-anatomy-4688693
‘Kai’ Exclusive Clip – Kai Greene Tells All On The Grapefruit Video
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Kai Greene opens up about the infamous grapefruit video in this exclusive clip from the Kai movie.
Watch the new exclusive clip from Kai – available August 26 on digital! You can pre-order it today right here. In this clip, Kai Greene directly confronts his past by addressing the infamous grapefruit video that shocked the bodybuilding industry during his rise to success in the sport. Kai’s past has always been mysterious – but that didn’t stop the internet from unearthing an erotic video that temporarily changed the conversation surrounding his bodybuilding success.
While Kai Greene‘s past is still mysterious today – there is much more we know about the artistic champion bodybuilder than we knew back in his early days of competing. Today, it’s well known by fans that Kai grew up as a ward of the state, went to prison, and turned towards exotic dancing upon release. This was less chronicled during Kai’s rise to fame in bodybuilding.
So it certainly came as a shock to fans, judges, and fellow competitors alike when a certain video surfaced and went viral on the internet. That video in question is the “grapefruit video” as it’s causally known. The video was recorded during Kai Greene’s exotic dancing days. But instead of it simply being a video of Kai dancing alone – it was a “soft core” video of Kai having relations with a grapefruit.
The video’s release coincided with Kai Greene’s rapid rise in competitive bodybuilding. By the time the video went viral – Kai was already seen as threat at the Mr. Olympia. His rivalry with Phil Heath was just getting started. He was on top of the world.
The grapefruit video slightly altered the perception of Kai Greene and nearly derailed his success in the sport. While there was no direct action taken or proven penalty for the video (why would there be?), it pained Kai in a different light by the public. There is often talk about how a Mr. Olympia champion is seen as an ambassador to the sport. Would the IFBB Pro league want a man who simulated having sex with a grapefruit as their ambassador?
Ultimately Kai Greene moved past the drama of the video’s release. He continued to succeed in the sport and battle with Phil Heath year after year. While he did not ever win the Mr. Olympia, there’s little to no evidence that the grapefruit video had an affect on his placing on stage.
But questions always lingered. Why exactly does this video exist? What was the origin of why Kai Greene decided to record it? In the feature film documentary, Kai, we finally get a direct answer. Kai looks directly at the camera and lays out a play-by-play of how he ended up filming the grapefruit video. You can watch a preview of the exclusive clip above.
Kai will be available on all major digital platforms on August 26. You can pre-order today by clicking right here or on the banner below.
Kai Greene Reveals The Truth Of His Past In New ‘Kai’ Trailer
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Bodybuilder Kai Greene reflects on the “revealing” truth about his past in the new official trailer for Kai. Available August 26.
We are less than a month away from the release of Kai on digital – and the film promises to be a revelatory reflection on the true origins of Kai Greene. Generation Iron Network released a brand new official trailer for Kai. In the new promo, we see deeper glimpses into the mysterious childhood that would help shape Greene into the legend that he is today. Kai will be available on August 26, 2022 on all digital platforms. Click here to order your digital copy!
Kai Greene is arguably one of the most complex bodybuilding legends in the history of the sport. Not only did he have a unique personality that literally shined on the stage (in the form of his unique posing routines), he also had a mysterious past that was never directly addressed in public. Instead, Greene would use art to express his reflections of the past. Art via sculpting his own physique, or through his posing routines, or through his paintings and later comic books, or through a live experimental stage play.
Kai Greene is a bodybuilding powerhouse, wrapped in an enigma, wrapped in an artist. It’s not surprising that this combination made him one of the most memorable athletes in the sport’s history. Now for the first time ever – fans will get to understand the truth behind the mind of this mysterious legendary bodybuilder.
Kai promises to be an all-encompassing deep dive into the life story of Kai Greene. Not only will the film chronicle his entire bodybuilding career, including his entertaining and bitter rivalry with Phil Heath, but it will also explore Greene’s childhood and struggles before bodybuilding. The film promises to be the most direct reflection on the past, present, and future of Kai Greene than ever before seen.
That fact becomes all the more clearer with the release of the latest Kai trailer. Kai Greene was interviewed for over 20 hours over the course of production – peeling down and exploring the ultimate truth behind the legend that is Kai Greene. You can watch the new trailer above.
Kai Official Synopsis
Kai Greene is one of the biggest modern day legends in bodybuilding both on and off the stage. He’s an athlete, an artist, an actor, and an entrepreneur. But his journey to greatness first started in childhood – when he chose bodybuilding as a form of survival. Growing up in Brooklyn without parents and later locked up in a juvenile correctional facility, bodybuilding became Kai’s source of hope that eventually took him to stardom.
Later in life Kai became one of the most recognizable faces in the fitness industry, praised by Arnold Schwarzenegger himself. His talent was only matched by one singular opponent, his rival and Mr. Olympia champion Phil Heath.
Now witness Kai Greene’s story of survival and climb to success in the first ever all-access documentary chronicling his life and career into the sport of bodybuilding and beyond.
Release Date Info
Kai is directed by Vlad Yudin (Generation Iron, Ronnie Coleman: The King) and produced by both Yudin and Edwin Mejia Jr. (Generation Iron, Ronnie Coleman: The King). It will be executive produced by David Gendron, Russ Riggins, Viviana Zarragoitia, and The Last Dance‘s Matt Maxson.
Kai will be available on all major digital platforms on August 26, 2022. It’s also available for pre-order today. You can reserver your digital copy now right here or by clicking the banner below.
Pre-Order Kai Greene Documentary ‘Kai’ | On Digital August 26, 2022
Kai – The Official Kai Greene Documentary Is Now Available For Pre-Order. Releases August 26, 2022.
The official life story biopic documentary of Kai Greene, Kai, is now available to pre-order on digital. The film is set to release on all major digital platforms on August 26, 2022. News of the official pre-order and release date come after the release of the teaser trailer earlier in July. The film will be the only authorized deep dive into the entire life of Kai Green – including never before seen footage throughout his career. You can pre-order today on the official Kai landing page right here.
Kai Greene is one of the biggest modern day legends in the sport of bodybuilding. Known also as The Predator and The People’s Champ – he was the only competitor who could challenge Phil Heath’s Olympia status. The two’s rivalry is stuff of legends – and the tension seen when they battled on stage has yet to be replicated since. Now years after his retirement, fans can finally get an all-access feature film revealing the entire life story of Kai Greene.
Beyond his legendary status, Kai Greene is also known for his poetic artistry in both his actions and most certainly his words. His philosophical way of speaking has often shrouded Kai’s past in mystery. When discussing his childhood – including his time in juvenile detention and his later stint as a male exotic dancer – Kai’s cryptic and vague phrasing has prevented a true clear picture to form.
Kai will be the first direct dive into his past including his traumatic childhood, his early years as an exotic dancer and natural bodybuilder, and well into his star-studded pro bodybuilding career and rivalry with Phil Heath.
Fellow bodybuilding stars will also appear in the film such as Victor Martinez, Rich Gaspari, Mike O’Hearn, and long time rival Phil Heath. The film will mark the first direct interview with Phil about Kai Greene since their time competing together on stage.
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Kai Official Synopsis
Kai Greene is one of the biggest modern day legends in bodybuilding both on and off the stage. He’s an athlete, an artist, an actor, and an entrepreneur. But his journey to greatness first started in childhood – when he chose bodybuilding as a form of survival. Growing up in Brooklyn without parents and later locked up in a juvenile correctional facility, bodybuilding became Kai’s source of hope that eventually took him to stardom.
Later in life Kai became one of the most recognizable faces in the fitness industry, praised by Arnold Schwarzenegger himself. His talent was only matched by one singular opponent, his rival and Mr. Olympia champion Phil Heath.
Now witness Kai Greene’s story of survival and climb to success in the first ever all-access documentary chronicling his life and career into the sport of bodybuilding and beyond.
Pre-Order Kai Today
After an early summer tease, Generation Iron Network has finally announced the official release date for Kai. The film will launch on all major digital platforms on August 26, 2022. In less than a month, you’ll be able to see inside the mind, heart, and soul of one of the most enigmatic modern bodybuilding legends.
The film will be available on iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, and Vimeo On Demand. Head over to the official Kai landing page to pre-order today and be the first to watch Kai.