Tag: GI News
Talking Huge With Craig Golias | EP 11: Hafthor Bjornsson Transformation & Milk Crate Challenge
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Craig Golias talks Hafthor Bjornsson’s incredible shredded transformation, the new viral milk crate challenge, and more.
Welcome to another episode of Talking Huge – a weekly digital series in which Craig Golias talks in-depth with Vlad Yudin on the latest trending topics in bodybuilding. Raw, honest, and uncut – Craig Golias shares his opinions on all things bodybuilding. In this episode, Craig Golias reacts to the insane shred and weightloss transformation of Hafthor Bjornsson. Other topics include the milk crate challenge and the dangers of pro bodybuilding.
Craig Golias and Vlad Yudin catch up again this week for another episode of Talking Huge debate and conversation. The biggest highlight of the week included Hafthor Bjornsson’s continued transformation from titan strongman to lean and shredded boxer. As someone who values being huge above all else, Craig’s reaction to Hafthor might not be what you expect. Craig also gives his take on the new viral milk crate challenge (will he do the challenge as a 300+ mass monster?) and also the dangers of pro bodybuilding vs natural bodybuilding.
Craig Golias thinks Hafhtor Bjornsson is getting too lean
Ever since Hafthor Bjornsson and Eddie Hall announced that they would box each other – both strongmen have taken the future battle very seriously. This means losing a ton of that strongman weight and focusing on being lean. Hafthor specifically has showcased an incredible transformation. He’s lost over 100 pounds and looks shredded as a beast.
Craig Golias is certainly impressed, though for his personal taste he feels that Hafthor took the cutting a bit too far. Craig is a man who loves mass monsters and being huge. He thinks that Hafthor looked his best somewhere between his original weight and where he is now.
That being said, Craig Golias also understands that his personal taste is different than Hafthor’s goal. Since Hafthor is training to box in the ring, he needs to be as lean, fast, and agile as possible. It’s a completely different requirement than what strongman or bodybuilding entails.
Will Craig Golias do the milk crate challenge?
A new viral challenge has swept the nation. This one is called the milk crate challenge. The goal is to stack a pyramid of milk crates and have an individual walk up and then down the slope without falling. Of course, the fun part is that many people fall… and hard.
Craig Golias knew little of this challenge but watched a few clips. He finds the challenge funny and admits that the challenges seem to be getting more and more dangerous. Craig understands why the stakes keep getting raised. In this new era, people will do anything for clicks, views, and attention.
But would Craig Golias be willing to do the milk crate challenge. It would certainly be a sight to behold. Imagine a 300+ pound mass monster walking up and down those shaking crates. Craig knows that video would explode – but he’s also concerned about getting injured if he fell. He’s already currently injured with nerve damage in his arm and shoulder. Training is key to Craig’s lifestyle and brand – so he will likely avoid a challenge like this.
Wrap Up
There are far more topics discussed in this episode than we can cover in this article. You can check it all out in the latest episode of Talking Huge above! Make sure to check out Talking Huge every week on Friday – only on the Generation Iron Fitness Network!
Bodybuilder Megan Elizabeth Has Passed Away at 28 Years Old
The 28-year-old earned her pro card in 2018.
IFBB pro bodybuilder Megan Elizabeth has passed away at the age of 28. The cause of Marshall’s death has not been released. An announcement was made on the Facebook page of her mother, Denise.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that Chuck and I let you know that we said goodbye to our beautiful Megan yesterday. We have had many reach out after seeing other posts. We will let you know about services after we have some time,” Morris wrote.
“Megan has been taken from us sooner than any of us were ready for, and as parents our hearts hurt and are broken. We now have another angel in Heaven to watch over us. Megan will join my Mom and my sister and her MawMaw. Soar high Miss Mighty Mouse! We love you always.”
Megan Elizabeth was an athlete all throughout her life. She joined the Navy after high school and learned about bodybuilding in 2013. She quickly gained a passion for the sport and trained to build her impressive physique. In 2014, Elizabeth began competing. This is when she started working toward her pro card. Elizabeth was able to earn her card at the 2018 NPC Junior USA Championships.
Elizabeth took to Instagram recently to celebrate the anniversary of earning her pro card.
Megan Elizabeth has stepped away from bodybuilding over the last few years but she was still a big part of the sport.
This has been an unfortunate time in the sport of bodybuilding. Many athletes have lost their lives recently and this has caused Olympia owner Jake Wood to push for a change.
I AM DEEPLY SHAKEN BY THE LOSS OF ALENA. I AM NOT ONE FOR EMPTY WORDS. INSTEAD OF MAKING POSTS I’M MAKING CHANGES. I HAD A PRODUCTIVE MEETING WITH JIM AND TYLER MANION THIS MORNING AND WE’RE ALL SICKENED BY THIS TURN OF EVENTS. WE AGREED THAT CONDITIONING IS OVER EMPHASIZED IN THE JUDGING CRITERIA AND SOMETHING MUST BE DONE. I WILL PUSH FOR CHANGE IN ALL DIVISIONS,” wood wrote.
Generation Iron sends condolences out to Megan Elizabeth’s family and friends during this time. This article will be updated as more information is confirmed and becomes available. For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
TJ Marrero Breaks Teen American Record With 283kg Deadlift
The 17-year-old powerlifter bested the previous record by half a kilogram.
Antonio “TJ” Marrero entered the 2021 USA Powerlifting Massachusetts/Rhode Island State Championships looking to make an impact. That is exactly what he did as the 17-year old set a new American deadlift record in the Teen 16-17 (T2) division. Marrero completed a 283kg (623.9lb) deadlift to claim the championship.
Marrero beat the previous record by just half a kilogram. Jacob Waltzer set the previous record during the 2020 USAPL Virginia Winter Wrecker when he deadlifted 282.5kg (622.8lb). This record stood for nine months before Marrero was able to climb on top. Marrero posted the record setting lift on his Instagram account where he makes the lift look rather easy.
TJ Marrero’s performance at this event was impressive all-around. He entered the competition at a bodyweight of 74kg. He totaled 573kg (1,263lb) with his three lifts. The full breakdown was a 180kg (396.8lb) squat, 110kg (242.5lb) bench press, and of course, the record-setting 283kg (623.9lb) deadlift. All three lifts were competition bests for Marrero, who is beginning to make some noise on stage.
This was just Marrero’s third appearance in a sanctioned event. He began competing in March and won gold in his first competition at the USAPL Pittsburgh Spring Classic. Marrero has been making crazy strides in training in a short amount of time as a powerlifter. His numbers will only continue to rise as he progresses in the sport. Along with powerlifting, Marrero also has a passion for bodybuilding.
For what it’s worth, Marrero’s American record is 12 kilograms more than that of the International Powerlifting Federation Sub-Junior division. This features competitors 18 years old and under, which is where Marrero would be if he had competed internationally. France’s Nahel Baali deadlifted 271kg (597.5lb) at the 2019 European Powerlifting Federation European Classic Championships.
The speed at which TJ Marrero is adding weight to his lifts is impressive and shows that there is a bright future ahead as a powerlifter. Whenever he competes again, it will be a must-watch to see if he attempts to break his own record and continue to set a mark that is difficult to reach.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Vitaliy “Good Vito” Ugolnikov Looks Massive In Recent Physique Update
Bodybuilder known as Good Vito shows off incredible physique in recent update.
Vitaliy Ugolnikov, better known as “Good Vito,” is an IFBB Elite Pro who has made some noise recently. In a recent Instagram post, the 24-year-old bodybuilder looks enormous pulling off a double-bicep pose.
Good Vito, which is his Instagram handle, captioned this photo saying “3 weeks before the start.” This hints that he could be planning to get back on stage soon and is beginning to prep for competition. In this update, he shows off his massive arms and legs before it all begins.
To this point, Good Vito is not an IFBB Pro. He competes in the IFBB Elite Pro circuit but there is a chance that he could work his way up. As of now, there is no plan for Ugolnikov to appear in an NPC Show. This is where he would be able to earn his pro card and have the chance to compete against some of the best in the sport.
This is not the first time this month that Good Vito has shared a picture of his insane arms. On Aug. 2, he took to Instagram once again to remind everyone that he is a force.
Just five days ago, Good Vito posted an update of himself last year compared to 2018. He has clearly been training for years but it takes some time to build the physique that Ugolnikov has currently.
“July 2018-2020. My first outing to the big land (mainland). In 2018, I got 4th place in junior category and 5th place in men’s category. At the extreme tournament of 2020, I won the title of absolute champion f Russia. This year I will fight for the title of Absolute World Champion,” Good Vito wrote.
As we move along in 2021, Good Vito is continuing to get bigger and shape his physique for competition. This is going to help moving forward as he works toward a pro card. once this opportunity comes about, Ugolnikov will be able to put his full ability on display at some of the biggest competitions of the year.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
American Gladiators’ William ‘Billy’ Smith Has Died at 56
Billy Smith spent time as a bodybuilder before his role on ‘American Gladiators.’
William ‘Billy’ Smith, known as Thunder, has passed away at the age of 56. Smith is best known for his role on ‘American Gladiators’ but spent time as a bodybuilder at a young age. His death was confirmed by the American Gladiators’ Instagram account. the cause of death is unknown at this time.
“It is with great sadness we report the loss of an American Gladiators legend and bodybuilding superstar William ‘Billy’ Smith aka Thunder. Our sincere condolences are with his family & friends #RIP.”
Billy Smith began competing in the sport of bodybuilding at 17 years old. During his 15-year career, Smith totaled 24 victories and was an immediate force in competition. Some of his most notable performances include a victory at the 1984 Gold’s Classic, placing sixth in the 1984 Nationals Heavyweight Class, and was third at Nationals.
Smith enjoyed studying sports nutrition and conditioning. At a young age, he found a passion for bodybuilding and earned many opportunities because of his incredible physique. Aside from his success on stage, Smith earned a role on American Gladiators from 1990-1992. He became a beloved figure from his role on the show. He returned to bodybuilding in 1995 and finished fifth at the USA’s among the heavyweights.
Billy Smith made an impact on many lives throughout his career as a bodybuilder and on television. Dave Palumbo, owner of RxMuscle, shared a post following this announcement.
“Very sad to hear of the passing of American Gladiators star and top NPC bodybuilder Billy Thunder Smith I competed with him back in the 90s .. nice guy @official_rxmuscleofficial_rxmuscle”
Generation Iron sends condolences out to Billy Smith’s family and friends during this time. This article will be updated as more information is confirmed and becomes available. For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Melvin Anthony’s Behind The Scenes Account Of Jay Cutler Defeating Ronnie Coleman At Olympia 2006
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Melvin Anthony shares his first hand story of seeing Jay Cutler defeat Ronnie Coleman for the first time.
Ronnie Coleman is a bodybuilder of legends. He’s arguably the greatest bodybuilder to ever live. So of course, the moment when he was finally defeated from his Mr. Olympia reign was a noteworthy one. The man to take down Coleman was Jay Cutler – who went on to win four Mr. Olympia titles. Many bodybuilding fans have seen the footage – but only a small number of people were there in person for this historic moment. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Melvin Anthony shares his behind the scenes first hand account of Jay Cutler’s victory over Ronnie Coleman at Olympia 2006.
Melvin Anthony was competing at the Mr. Olympia in 2006. So not only was he in person to witness Ronnie Coleman’s defeat after eight Mr. Olympia wins, he was also behind the scenes in the events leading up to it. That’s why in our video interview, we asked Anthony to break down what that experience was like. Was it clear from the beginning that Jay Cutler would take down The King? Or was it a surprise for even the competitors?
Melvin Anthony admits that his perception on the moment is slightly skewed. He was competing himself – and so he had tunnel vision due to the hunger for victory. He wasn’t worrying whether or not Jay Cutler could beat Coleman. He instead was focused on being the one to beat Coleman himself.
Despite this, Melvin Anthony had some interesting stories to tell about the Olympia 2016. Once Anthony saw Jay Cutler and Ronnie Coleman pose – he knew that he wouldn’t be able to take the first place spot. It’s at this moment he was able to focus on the battle between Jay Cutler and Ronnie Coleman with more focus.
Was he surprised that Ronnie Coleman lost? No, not really. This isn’t because it was obvious he would lose. It was because in a sport like bodybuilding – anything can happen between competitors at this top tier level. In fact, Melvin Anthony believes that Jay Cutler had a better physique in previous years. Cutler only lost because he lost the mental game.
Melvin Anthony describes a moment from a previous Olympia, when Ronnie Coleman came out to warm up backastage and, according to Anthony, you could see Coleman’s size grow as he got pumped up. It was in that moment that Jay Cutler go psyched out. By having his mental game thrown off – his physique diminished and he lost to Coleman.
Anthony believes that Jay Cutler’s physique was slightly less on point in 2006 – but his mental game was completely on point. It helped take down Ronnie Coleman. The moment was a big one. It was the passing of the torch and the end of an era for one of the longest running Mr. Olympia champions. Everyone knew that day that there would never be another like Ronnie Coleman.
You can watch Melvin Anthony go into full detail about his behind the scenes experience of Ronnie Coleman vs Jay Cutler in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Aaron Singerman: Objectively Arnold Schwarzenegger Would Not Be In The Top 5 Bodybuilders Of All Time
Removing personal taste, Aaron Singerman picks the top 5 bodybuilders of all time.
There are a few ways you can make a top 5 list for sports. One would be to focus on what they accomplished in context of their era. The other is to put all athletes on the same playing field and judge them on pure skill and talent. So putting context and history aside – who would be the top 5 bodybuilders in terms of pure physique? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Aaron Singerman explains why Arnold Schwarzenegger would not be in the top 5 bodybuilders of all time.
Whenever we sit down for an interview with someone from the industry, we always take a moment to ask who are the top 5 greatest bodybuilders of all time? The variety of answers we get is truly insightful and showcases the different perspectives that exist in the sport.
When we spoke with Aaron Singerman, we asked him the same question. Specifically, we didn’t ask him for his personal favorites but instead who he thinks objectively has the best physiques of all time.
Right off the bat Aaron Singerman was able to pick his number one – Ronnie Coleman. Without hesitation he believes that he would win any contest against any era of physiques. But after that first pick – Singerman begins to struggle. He tries to be as analytical as possible. If he were a judge – who else he rank next?
Aaron Singerman ultimately lands on Flex Wheeler at number two followed by Phil Heath, Dorian Yates, and Kevin Levrone. For a moment, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s name comes up. But Singerman quickly dismisses it. While he finds Schwarzenegger to be one of his personal favorite bodybuilders of all time – he thinks there are too many athletes with physique far superior to his.
“If someone was thinking Arnold Schwarzenegger, he’s getting smoked by all these guys,” Aaron Singerman states in our interview. He continues:
“So he’s not… I mean he’d be one of my favorites. Who I would like to look like personally, he’d be up there. But in terms of would Arnold at a stage now compete with Flex Wheeler? No, I mean he’d be demolished.”
Of course, there’s a reason why many would place Arnold Schwarzenegger on the top of their list. It’s due to his contributions to the sport, his presence in pop culture, and his accomplishments for the time. But in the full spectrum of physiques across the years – by today’s standards he would potentially fall short.
Of course, it would be fun to imagine what Arnold Schwarzenegger would look like today had he grown up in this era. With the kind of knowledge, technology, and supplementation of today – would we see some sort of uber Schwarzenegger? Sadly, that’s an idea that can only exist in the imagination.
You can watch Aaron Singerman break down his reasoning for the top 5 bodybuilders of all time in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
2021 UK’s Strongest Woman Results
Donna Moore came out on top in the UK’s Strongest Woman competition.
Strongwoman is a sport on the rise and the UK’s Strongest Woman competition is one of the best events of the year. This year’s competition took place over the weekend with 16 of the best athletes in the sport gathering in Bangor, Northern Ireland to see who would hoist the trophy at the end. It was an extremely close finish with Donna Moore edging out Rebecca Roberts by a single point.
Donna Moore has been a force in strongwoman for years now. She is a three-time World’s Strongest Woman winner. She has also picked up victories at the Arnold World Strongwoman competition in 2016 and 2017. Moore thrives with the Atlas stone and has set some records previously.
This past weekend, Moore continued to dominate the sport. The field of 16 was cut to 12 on the second day and ended with the winners being announced. Moore and Roberts finished as the top two with Lucy Underdown coming in third.
Moore took to Instagram to celebrate not only her achievement but the accomplishments of strongwoman as a whole.
“While I am delighted with the outcome of the competition for myself (few squeaky bum moments here and there Sandbag and Stones ?) its the bigger picture that is the most important for me.
This will be the first time in 2 decades that Strongwoman will be featured on TV in the UK.The last was Worlds Strongest Woman in the early 2000’s
This is amazing for the sport as a whole and given a platform for women to showcase the glorious sport of Strongwoman to the world.”
Moore highlighted an elite group of competitors at the UK’s Strongest Woman competition. Here are the full results from the competition.
Final Point Standings
Donna Moore (Great Britain) — 55 points
Rebecca Roberts (Great Britain) — 54 points
Lucy Underdown (Great Britain) — 51 points
Rebecca Cumpsty (Great Britain) — 43.5 points
Annabelle Chapman (Great Britain) — 43 points
Rhianon Lovelace (Great Britain) — 28.5 points
Shannon Clifford (Great Britain) — 25.5 points
Julia Mills (Great Britain) — 23.5 points
Sam Taylor (Great Britain) — 19.5 points
Ayshea Ullah (Ireland) — 18.5 points
Gemma Ferguson (Great Britain) — 16.5 points
Gemma Moore (Ireland) — 8.5 points
Tire Flip
Donna Moore — 34.55 seconds (12 points)
Lucy Underdown — 35.83 seconds (11 points)
Rebecca Roberts — 46.71 seconds (10 points)
Annabelle Chapman — 73.38 seconds (9 points)
Rebecca Cumpsty — 4 flips (7.5 points)
Rhianon Lovelace — 4 flips (7.5 points)
Sam Taylor — 3 flips (5.5 points)
Gemma Ferguson — 3 flips (5.5 points)
Shannon Clifford — 2 flips (2.5 points)
Ayshea Ullah — 2 flips (2.5 points)
Julia Mills — 2 flips (2.5 points)
Gemma Moore — 2 flips (2.5 points)
Log Lift
Annabelle Chapman — 120 kilograms (12 points)
Donna Moore — 115 kilograms (11 points)
Rebecca Roberts — 105 kilograms (9 points)
Lucy Underdown — 105 kilograms (9 points)
Rebecca Cumpsty — 105 kilograms (9 points)
Shannon Clifford — 95 kilograms (7 points)
Rhianon Lovelace — 85 kilograms (5 points)
Julia Mills — 85 kilograms (5 points)
Sam Taylor — 85 kilograms (5 points)
Ayshea Ullah — 75 kilograms (2 points)
Gemma Ferguson — 75 kilograms (2 points)
Gemma Moore — 75 kilograms (2 points)
Sack Carry
Donna Moore — 160 meters (12 points)
Rebecca Roberts — 157.25 meters (11 points)
Rebecca Cumpsty — 137.9 meters (10 points)
Lucy Underdown — 129.5 meters (9 points)
Rhianon Lovelace — 117.5 meters (8 points)
Annabelle Chapman — 103.45 meters (7 points)
Shannon Clifford — 100 meters (6 points)
Julia Mills — 89.7 meters (5 points)
Gemma Ferguson — 83.85 meters (4 points)
Ayshea Ullah — 69.4 meters (3 points)
Sam Taylor — 63.8 meters (2 points)
Gemma Moore — 60.95 meters (1 point)
Truck Pull
Rebecca Roberts — 28.82 seconds (12 points)
Lucy Underdown — 29.19 seconds (11 points)
Donna Moore — 30.79 seconds (10 points)
Rebecca Cumpsty — 39.09 seconds (9 points)
Julia Mills — 42.81 seconds (8 points)
Ayshea Ullah — 46.13 seconds (7 points)
Annabelle Chapman — 46.34 seconds (6 points)
Gemma Ferguson — 49.59 seconds (5 points)
Shannon Clifford — 52.66 seconds (4 points)
Gemma Moore — 68 seconds (3 points)
Sam Taylor — 15.3 meters (2 points)
Rhianon Lovelace — 12.95 meters (1 point)
Atlas Stone-Off
Rebecca Roberts — 4 stones in 23.91 seconds (12 points)
Lucy Underdown — 4 stones in 24.99 seconds (11 points)
Donna Moore — 4 stones in 27.22 seconds (10 points)
Annabelle Chapman — 4 stones in 56.97 seconds (9 points)
Rebecca Cumpsty — 3 stones in 23.02 seconds (8 points)
Rhianon Lovelace — 3 stones in 27.45 seconds (7 points)
Shannon Clifford — 3 stones in 37.30 seconds (6 points)
Sam Taylor — 3 stones in 53.98 seconds (5 points)
Ayshea Ullah — 3 stones in 54.09 seconds (4 points)
Julia Mills — 2 stones in 21.52 seconds (3 points)
Gemma Ferguson — 0 stones (0 points)
Gemma Moore — 0 stones (0 points)
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Greg has covered the four major sports for six years and has been featured on sites such as Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, SB Nation, NJ.com, and FanSided. Now, he is transitioning into the world of bodybuilding and strength sports.
Robert Oberst and Oleksii Novikov Withdraw From 2021 Shaw Classic Due To Injuries
The 2021 Shaw Classic will be without two elite competitors this year as Robert Oberst and Oleksii Novikov withdraw.
The 2021 Shaw Classic will take place from on Aug. 27-28 in Estes Park, CO. On Monday, Brian Shaw announced that the field would look a bit different moving forward. Both Robert Oberst and Oleksii Novikov have withdraw from the competition with injuries.
Shaw made the announcement on the Shaw Classic Instagram account. Gabriel Pena and Gabriel Rheaume will be used as replacements. There will still be 16 participants, highlighted by four-time World’s Strongest Man champion Zydrunas Savickas.
“Athlete Update
Wishing the best to the injured athletes and excited to welcome the new athletes. Thank you all for the continued support of the Shaw Classic.”
According to Shaw, Oberst will miss the competition with a shoulder injury while Novikov is still recovering from a concussion suffered as the 2021 Strongman Classic. Neither competition has made an official statement themselves just yet.
This is not the first time that the lineup for the Shaw Classic had to be revised. Luke Richardson had to withdraw due to a bicep injury. Tom Stoltman and Luke Stoltman also pulled their names out. Even with five competitors being forced to withdraw, the competition still has some elite names and will be as exciting as ever.
Rheaume is an up-and-coming powerlifter. The 24-year-old made some noise when he won the Canada’s Strongest Man competition this year. This was his biggest win since he began competing in 2018. As for Pena, he is a name that is more well-known. He took place in the 2020 World’s Strongest Man and 2021 World Open. He was forced to leave the 2020 WSM with a heart issue but has been training hard and it ready to compete.
The 2021 Shaw Classic will be the second annual event run by Brian Shaw himself. He won the first ever competition in 2020 and will be defending his title this year. Shaw will have to battle the likes of Savickas, Evan Singleton, Bobby Thompson, and Adam Bishop. There will be some names missing but this should not take away from the intensity of the event.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
INTERVIEW: How A $100 Bet Transformed Dennis James Into A Bodybuilder
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Dennis James reflects on his time in Thailand and how a simple $100 bet changed the entire course of his life into bodybuilding.
Dennis James is well known today as a bodybuilding guru of sorts. He helps coach and train some of the biggest bodybuilders in the sport. He’s also a sort of unofficial color commentator for bodybuilding. He’s a co-host of the Olympia press conference and provides analysis for the various top-level physiques we see on stage. He was also one hell of a bodybuilder in his prime.
So it may come as a shock that his entire life as an iconic bodybuilder, commentator, and coach all stemmed from a simple $100 bet. Not only that – it was a $100 bet that was agreed upon while James was drunk. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Dennis James explains how a $100 bet changed his life and transformed him into a bodybuilder.
Dennis James is an extremely knowledgable bodybuilder in the sport. That’s why during our video conversation with him, we asked how a beginner bodybuilder can get credible information for research into training and dieting and supplementation. Like any sport – there is no one right answer. The fundamentals are all easily available for anyone to learn – but the pro level tactics come from experience. And everyone’s individual journey is often different.
So instead of giving generalized advice, Dennis James shares his story of how he became a bodybuilder and learned how to perfect his diet, training, and supplementation. The story is quite a rollercoaster and shows that even an icon like James required years of trial and error before become the pro we all remember. The best part about the whole story? It started off with a drunk $100 bet.
Dennis James took a two week trip to Thailand in the early 1990s. He loved it so much there that he never left. He ultimately stayed there for many years – far past the two week vacation plan. While living there, he spent a lot of time enjoying life and hanging out at the local bars. One such bar often had bodybuilders come in as patrons. After some time of becoming friendly, a fun and drunken wager was made.
Dennis James bet a bodybuilder that he could become just as muscular in three months. He was drunk and overly confident. He had little to no knowledge on how to achieve this goal. Regardless, he shook on the bet. $100 if he could build up mass monster muscle in 3 months.
Dennis James dove head first into training. He knew nothing about diet. He actually changed nothing about his diet. Instead he just rained hardcore non-stop. According to him, his body reacted so well and so fast that he received the $100 from the bet in just six months.
Shortly after the bet, Dennis James continued to train and eventually caught the eye of the Mr. Universe promoters. In 1992 Dennis James was drunkenly taking a random $100 bet. In 1993, he was on stage at the Mr. Universe in England.
The rest, as the say, is history. He continued to make bodybuilding his passion. In having to finally compete on a stage – he asked for advice on how to diet. His initial advice received was to simply eat chicken, rise, and pineapple for every meal. That’s why he did and it helped. Of course, we know that the bodybuilding diet is far more complicated than that.
And that’s the point. Dennis James went from a bet, to competing, to making mistakes, and eventually went pro. He used that passion and pro status to eventually become the man we know today. There is no one single correct way to learn about bodybuilding. Everyone’s journey is different. You will make mistakes – but just make sure to do as much research as possible so you don’t make dangerous mistakes. If the passion is there – the rest will come to you.
You can watch Dennis James go into complete detail about his bodybuilding origins in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!