Tag: GI Exclusives
PHOTOS: Derek Lunsford Stole The Show During His Guest Posing At The 2022 Pittsburgh Pro
Derek Lunsford shocked fans with a massive guest posing at the star studded 2022 Pittsburgh Pro.
Derek Lunsford gave us an up close and personal look at his latest physique during his guest posing at the 2022 Pittsburgh Pro – which commenced on May 7, 2022. This is Lunsford’s first on stage appearance of 2022. While this is still a strong seven months away from the Mr. Olympia, it provides fans with some insight into his offseason physique as he trains to potentially win his third Olympia title later this year.
The Pittsburgh Pro is a notable pro bodybuilding competition for being run by IFBB Pro and NPC president Jim Manion himself. Due to this, the Pittsburgh Pro always has a star studded roster of elite IFBB Pro competitors take the stage to guest pose. Beyond Derek Lunsford, Brandon Curry, Nick Walker, and Hunter Labrada all took the stage to guest pose as well.
Many fans were expecting to see Big Ramy take the stage at the Pittsburgh Pro – but he ended up being a no-show. Instead, Derek Lunsford made a surprise appearance and looked truly massive. In fact, many fans were pointing out that he looked as large or even larger than many of the Men’s Open competitors who guest posed alongside him that night.
Derek Lunsford is the current Men’s 212 Olympia champion – but his physique here showed that he could truly hold an impressive and controlled physique weighing well over the 212 limit.
Derek Lunsford is the number one competitor to beat at the 2022 Men’s 212 Olympia. Lunsford truly shocked and impressed at the 2021 Olympia, knocking out the returning champion Shaun Clarida. After many years of impressive showings, Lunsford transformed into perfection that night with a shock and awe performance. Many believe that if he could keep that kind of consistency, he will be an Olympia champion for years to come.
Most notable this weekend was the fact that Derek Lunsford was the only non-Men’s Open competitor guest posing. Derek Lunsford took the stage alongside Brandon Curry, Nick Walker, and Hunter Labrada. Not only did Lunsford look impressive in his own right – he looked fantastic standing side by side with the other Men’s Open competitors. This spurred many fans to wonder if he will one day transition into the Men’s Open division.
Many Men’s 212 competitors have transitioned to Men’s Open over the past few years. Most notable is Hadi Choopan – who has placed in the top five consistently in Men’s Open at the Olympia. Perhaps Lunsford can have the same kind of success if he transitioned upwards. He can hold much more size and height that Choopan – which might give him an even better advantage based on what we saw during the guest posing this weekend.
This is all just speculation though. For now, the main takeaway is that Derek Lunsford is still the number one competitor to beat at the Men’s 212 Olympia later this year. A lot can change over the next seven months, so nothing is set in stone. But this offseason physique was so impressive – many will hype Lunsford further for the rest of this season.
Calum Von Moger Shares Latest Physique Update & Home Workout Routine
Been wondering what Calum Von Moger’s workouts look like these days? Now you have your answer.
Calum Von Moger is a bodybuilder and actor, among other professions, with a massive physique and accomplished career. He knows what it takes to be the best, and to compete with the best, and with a massive platform he uses it to inspire others so they too can see great gains.
In an exclusive Generation Iron video release, Calum Von Moger shared his most recent home workout routines, plus updates on his current physique. For those us looking to see great gains and work out like the best, why not look to those athletes like Calum to get great advice. His approach to training is unique and has proved highly effective in his own workouts and for those of us looking to see the same results, look no further than this great workout from Calum himself.
Calum von Moger has also detailed an in-depth bicep workout routine you can employ and you can also check out Calum’s previous home hardcore workout to double up on your bodybuilding motivation.
Full Name: Calum Von Moger
Weight
Height
Date Of Birth
245-255 lbs.
6’2’’
06/09/1990
Profession
Era
Nationality
Bodybuilder, Actor, Entrepreneur, Online Personality
2010
Australian
A Brief Look At Calum Von Moger
Calum Von Moger grew up in a small Australian town called Geelong. He was a skinny kid growing up. Calum’s first encounter with weights happened at age 14 when his elder brother asked him if he wanted to tag along to the gym. And by the gym, we meant an old warehouse with basic equipment and rusty dumbbells. Although people compare Calum to Arnold Schwarzenegger, his motivation for lifting came from watching Steve Reeves in ‘Hercules.’
His bodybuilding journey began and he quickly started winning shows, building up his reputation and catapulting himself into the spotlight of the bodybuilding community. Despite a few setbacks as a result of injury, Calum showed resilience and overcame those. While his road to recovery was difficult, he returned to training at full capacity and now looks incredible, as the GI Exclusive will show.
Calum Von Moger’s 2022 Physique Progress
Despite gyms being closed nearly worldwide, Calum Von Moger has been able to maintain a monstrous physique with his home workouts. Perhaps there is hope for bodybuilders during this long shutdown after all.
His physique at this point perfectly represents how a bodybuilder should look outside of competition. He’s ripped, but not the totally dehydrated shredded you would expect of a bodybuilder a few days out from a competition. Bodybuilding is all about cycling and making sure you hit the sweet spot of your peak physique right when a show is about to come. Clearly, Calum understands that, and is able to keep himself in good shape while preserving his best physique for when he really needs it.
It appears Calum hasn’t lost any gains despite being stuck at home, which is a difficult feat to accomplish. Only time will tell what he can achieve once he’s finally able to return to the stage. If his history is any indication, there are a lot more wins in the future for Calum Von Moger.
Here’s How To Train Like Calum
But Calum isn’t the only one stuck at home. We all are in the same boat until this global crisis ends. If Calum’s home workout videos are inspiring you, maybe now is the best time to start training like Calum himself. You can check out his workout training membership program right here, featuring a wide variety of training plans customized by Calum Von Moger himself.
As you can probably tell from the brief update he shared, Calum von Moger has been keeping up with his fitness at home and shows no signs of letting his physique waste away in quarantine.
Probably the most interesting fact he shared is that he warms up before his workout with 30 reps of dips before heading straight into some powerful bicep curls.
Warming up is definitely an essential if you’re serious about gaining huge mass, doing a light workout to activate your muscles (and help them metabolize better!) before a longer, more strenuous workout is a must.
You can also get an inside look into Calum Von Moger’s life in the feature documentary Calum Von Moger: Unbroken. Click here or the banner below to stream or download today!
Wrap Up
Calum Von Moger looks amazing and despite the recent world events, he hasn’t let that stop him or slow him down. With the right approach and attitude, Calum has been to keep us his massive and shredded physique to always be ready for competition time. His physique is one to envy but is attainable for you as well if you keep to all your goals. Check out Calum’s workout and see those results you want most.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Calum Von Moger
THROWBACK: Shawn Rhoden Picks Fred Smalls’ Brain
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Shawn and Biggie are two friends that go way back.
NOTE: This is an archived video reposted in tribute to the late Shawn Rhoden – who passed away on November 6th, 2021.
Shawn Rhoden is at it again. The bodybuilder took over the mic and interviewed some of the most talented competitors in the game. One such athlete is the underrated Fred “Biggie” Smalls, one of Flexatron’s old friends and a talented bodybuilder in his own right. Shawn Rhoden got some updates on Fred’s plans for 2015 and what things we can expect from the talented competitor.
You can also check out our complete video catalog by hitting up our Episodes tab right here on our site. Also, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well as subscribe to our YouTube channel for exclusive updates.
Michal Krizo Wins Mr. Universe Pro 2021
Michal Krizo continues his dominant rise in IFBB Elite Pro with a big win at the Mr. Universe Pro.
While the biggest event of the weekend was the Arnold Classic UK 2021, this weekend also held the Elite Pro Mr. Universe Pro. Held on October 2nd, Michal Krizo dominated and earned first place in the Men’s Open Mr. Universe Pro. This win comes after an explosion in popularity for Krizo – catching the eyes of many IFBB Pro fans in the process.
Michael Krizo has been on a string of victories in the Elite Pro league as of late – and adds another title to his belt with a big win at the Mr. Universe Pro. His victories have become so eye-catching – that many IFBB Pro fans have been making comparisons of his physique to top athletes in the IFBB Pro league. Many have mused how he would fair if he switched leagues – though it’s rumored he is in an exclusive contract with the Elite Pro league for at least a year.
During his rise in popularity ands shortly before the Mr. Universe Pro competition – Michal Krizo also drew attention for his comments on the Arnold Classic 2021. Krizo took shots at Nick Walker – somewhat jokingly stating that “Nick Walker is no rival for me boys,” and also that, “bodybuilding isn’t only mass.” After receiving some criticism for the comments – he later apologized.
Michal Krizo’s victory at the Mr. Universe Pro seems to solidify his popularity across the globe. He very well may be one of the first Elite Pro bodybuilders to gain this kind of attention crossing between leagues. The Elite Pro league has been in existence since the controversial split between the IFBB Pro/NPC and the IFBB Pro International in 2017.
Second place at the Elite Pro Mr. Universe Pro was Pavel Koukal, presenting an impressive and well balanced physique with some solid conditioning. But could not topple the massive physique of Krizo. Following Pavel was Rene Gorol in third place, followed by Carlos Blanco and Tomas Kaspar in fourth and fifth place respectively.
The Elite Pro Mr. Universe Pro should not be confused with the NABBA associated and historical Mr. Universe competition. Even still, the event in the IFBB Elite Pro is a big event for the league – named in honor of the prestigious respect associated with the title.
Originally launched in 1975 with Bob Birdsong winning the event – the Mr. Universe Pro was run until 1981. It has now been revived by the Elite Pro and returend to big acclaim in 2021. With it’s return, the Elite Pro aims to have the competition be one of the pinnacle events for the league season.
With Michel Krizo’s breakthrough success, we’ll continue to keep an eye on the Elite Pro competitor to see his progress through the league. It would be fantastic to see how he would fair against top tier athletes in the IFBB Pro league – though that seems to be a far ways off if at all possible.
Hardest Muscles To Build
The hardest muscles to isolate and build mass.
Everyone has that specific set of muscles that infuriates them. That one spot where no matter how hard you train – no matter how hard you push yourself, you just don’t see the results you want.
But if you ask around the gym you’d probably find that there are some muscles most people agree to have a problem with. Those universal complaints that most bodybuilders have even after years of hitting the gym.
As always, we are happy to help by breaking down these tricky muscles and hopefully providing you with a better way to deal with them – leading you on a more pleasant path towards maximizing your over all muscle gain.
First thing’s first though, there is something to be said about genetics. As in, some people just have a harder time with certain muscles because of the DNA coursing through their body. It can’t be helped and sometimes that just means you have to work harder than the person next to you.
Also, proper form is key for all of these muscle groups. It’s key for any workout really – but part of what makes these specific ones so hard is because most people do not use correct form. So keep that in mind as you move forward with isolating these muscles. Whatever you are doing, you always want your spine to be properly aligned and make sure that you perform the full range of motion for the muscles you are working out.
CALVES
These are big ones. Calves are often either the most complained about muscle to build mass or the most overlooked. Either way they often pose more of a problem compared to other muscle sets. And there’s an actually a reason behind why they are so challenging. The anatomical configuration of the calf muscles resists the act of hypertrophy. Aka – by nature they literally resist muscle synthesis.
What is often the problem is that most people treat calves as an extra at the end of a workout – but because the calves are so much harder to develop they actually need to be focused on intensely. They key is to not make your calves an afterthought.
Here’s a breakdown on the three major muscles that make up the calves:
1. The gastrocnemius muscle (this is what gives the calf its curved shape).2. The soleus (the long flat muscle underneath).3. The Tibialis Anterior (this is the large frontal muscle).
That third one, the Tibialis Anterior might have surprised you. That’s because it is often overlooked when it comes to building those calves – which in turn makes the calves such a challenge for most people.
You must create a well structured workout routine that focuses on all three of these muscles in order to actually see growth. If you can focus on those then you will start to see some changes coming your way.
Here are a few examples of exercises you can do to pinpoint those calf muscles.
Barbell Seated Calf Raises Reverse Calf Raises (These will hit those oft overlooked Tibialis Anteriors!) Standing Barbell Calf Raises
LATS
The Latissimus Dorsi is another muscle that can be a real stinger in your workout routine if you don’t know the best ways to isolate and use correct technique. The main problem is that it is almost impossible to truly isolate the lats. What’s most important is to cut back on the amount of weight in order to perform the reps at a full range of motion (remember?). This will build the foundation for your lats leading to building actual mass in that area.
Surprisingly chin ups and pull ups are very effective in building your lats. Often experienced bodybuilders will be able to perform these with such ease that they use a dip belt with extra weight to push themselves even further. Elbow position is one of the most important aspects behind this. If your elbows are out wide you’ll trigger your upper lats. If your elbows are in tight you’ll be hitting up those lower muscles. Keep this in mind when performing your workout routine.
Also make sure to keep your hands facing away or down in order to maximize the amount of lat involvement.
Here are a few other suggestions to help build those back muscles.
Straight-Arm Pulldown Close-grip front lat pull downs Kneeling high pully rows One-arm standing cable rows
There you have it. Everyone may be different – but hopefully you now have a better understanding on how to handle two of the more challenging muscles over all.
What is your most challenging muscle to build? Let us know in the comments or shout it out to us on Facebook and Twitter!