Tag: GI News
Shi Zhiyong Sets New World Record With 364kg Total Lift At 2020 Olympics
Shi Zhiyong won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after setting a world record in the 73kg category.
The Olympics is a time for athletes to showcase their skills on the biggest stage while competing for their country. That is exactly what Chinese weightlifter Shi Zhiyong has been doing during these games. On Wednesday, Zhiyong won the gold medal in the Men’s 73kg category and set a new world record by lifting a total of 364kg (802.4lb).
Shi Zhiyong grabbed the fourth gold medal of China in weightlifting. You Zhihui (49kg), Li Fabin (61kg), and Chen Lijun (67kg) have all come out on top in their respective categories. Zhiyong joined them with yet another record performance. He previously held the Olympic record from his performance at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Zhiyong began his performance with a 166kg snatch. He currently holds the world record of 169kg but did not attempt to break it here. Zhiyong followed that up by going for the world record of 198kg in the clean and jerk. This is a record he already set at 192kg during the 2019 World Weightlifting Championships. Zhiyong successfully performed the lift and this also clinched the overall world record.
Venezuela’s Julio Reben Mayora Pernia took home the silver medal but finished an eye-popping 18kg behind Zhiyong. Indonesia’s Rahmat Abdullah too home the bronze medal as a competitor in the Group B session. USA’s CJ Cummings attempted a 198kg clean and jerk that would have landed him in third place but the lift was failed.
Shi Zhiyong continues to rack up the medals. Since 2012, Zhiyong has totaled 10 gold medals in International competition. He was won four golds at the Asian Championships and three at the World Championships. Zhiyong also won gold at the IWF World Cup in 2019 and Olympic Games in 2016 and 2020.
At 27 years old, Zhiyong has plenty left in the tank to keep competing internationally moving forward. The sport of weight lifting is in a good place when looking at the young talent and that includes Mayora and Cummings. All other competitors have been vying for the top spot that has been held by Zhiyong for years now. He has not been defeated in international competition since his debut back in 2012.
Shi Zhiyong is now a two-time defending champion at the Olympic Games. With the competition being held in Paris in 2024, Zhiyong will have a chance to defend his title once again.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Melvin Anthony: Bodybuilders Today Train Hard, But They Can Train Harder
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Melvin Anthony talks about new school bodybuilders and their training ethic.
Melvin Anthony is a bodybuilder that was in his prime between the second Golden Era of the 90s and the modern era we see today. He competed from the late 90s through to 2008. So he brings an interesting perspective on the recent debate about modern bodybuilding. Is the quality not up to par with the 90s and earlier? Or is this an unfair criticism? Do bodybuilders today not train as hard as earlier eras? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Melvin Anthony believes that bodybuilders train very hard today… but thinks they can also train harder.
Melvin Anthony doesn’t want to to knock the new school era of bodybuilders. He understands how general sweeping statements can paint a broad stroke on a very diverse group of athletes. That’s why when we asked him about the current state of bodybuilding – he was very careful with his words. He doesn’t think that there is a bad training ethic in bodybuilders today – but he does think that it could push to the next level to match the greats of yesteryear.
In fact, history is very important to Melvin Anthony. He worries that we are not focusing enough on the history of bodybuilding to learn from what was done in the past. Anthony thinks that social media and short attention spans might be preventing bodybuilders today from reaching their best.
“I’m not saying they’re not training hard,” Melvin Anthony states in our interview. He continues:
“I’m not saying that they are not worthy of what they are getting on stage. But there’s a level that they can get to that they haven’t tapped into yet. And I believe they will. Hopefully they’ll get it. Hopefully they’ll start talking to a Flex Wheeler or a Jay Cutler – ‘Hey man, how did you train. Can you show me what you did?’ Watch how those guys train… I’m not saying they’re not training as hard. I just think they can train harder.”
Melvin Anthony stresses the difference between training hard and training beyond hard in a similar manner as past legends. He thinks that the immediacy of the internet has changed the attention span of everyone – including bodybuilders. He worries that they don’t deeply learn enough about the past and actually engage with it.
But Melvin Anthony also makes a point to say he’s hopefully that this will pass. The current era of bodybuilding seems to be almost a transitional one. We still have some greats of the early aughts competing such as Phil Heath and Roelly Winklaar among others. The new crop of bodybuilders, such as Hunter Labrada or Nick Walker, are only just now exploding onto the scene.
Melvin Anthony is optimistic that these bodybuilders are only on the beginning of their journey – and that their training will become even more focused as they continue to grow as athletes. He hopes that the new generation will learn from the past greats and become the next legends of the sport.
You can watch Melvin Anthony’s full comments about new school bodybuilding and training in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
Fergus Crawley Completes Triathlon, 1,200-Pound Powerlifting Total On Same Day
Fergus Crawley accomplished an incredible feat of strength in many ways.
Fergus Crawley is known as a hybrid athlete. This means he specializes in both strength and endurance. On Monday, Crawley took to Instagram to show his latest feat of both strength and endurance. It is known as the “1200TWELVE.”
Crawley completed a 1,200-pound powerlifting total and an Iron distance triathlon in under 12 hours. This came exactly one year after Crawley became only the second person ever to record the “500FIVE” — which is squatting 500 pounds and completing a mile run in under five minutes.
“1200lb powerlifting total, and a sub-12 Iron distance triathlon, in the same day,” Crawley wrote.
“Exactly 1 year since 500FIVE, where I managed to squat 500lb, and run a sub-5 minute mile in the same day – so what better way to honour the occasion?”
Fergus Crawley began his day at 3 a.m. at the Nottingham Strong, a powerlifting club in Nottingham, U.K. This is where his quest for 1,200 pounds began. Crawley tackled a 205kg (452lb) squat, a 121kg (266.8lb) bench press, and a 220kg (485lb) deadlift during his hour at the gym. This was a total of 546kg (1,203.7lb) and the first leg of his journey was complete.
After being able to rest for two hours, Crawley began his triathlon at 6 a.m. An Outlaw Triathlon Ironman is made up of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and 26.2 mile run. Crawley was able to finish in 11 hours, 53 minutes, and 38 seconds. After his day was finally finished, Crawley described it as “one of the longest, most challenging days of my life. No doubt.”
When compared to the average of other participants, Crawley was above average. An analysis was done of 41,000 runners and it found that the average time it took to complete this was 12 hours and 35 minutes.
Fergus Crawley continued by saying there will be a video released next week documenting his tremendous journey.
“Match report to follow in the next few days ✌?and YouTube video dropping a week today!
Thank you for everyone’s messages of support, as always, enormously appreciated!
#HybridAF”
There was no worry that Crawley would finish the triathlon but he had to hit it in under 12 hours, which was the time he set for himself. In the end, he was able to cross the finish line with six minutes and 22 seconds to spare.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Samir Bannout: “No Bodybuilder Should Accept The Problem We Are Having Today”
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Samir Bannout: “Mass has to come with class”
Samir Bannout is a bodybuilder who was inspired to compete by the Golden Era of the sport. He was also lucky enough to make his way into the pro leagues right at the tail end of the Golden Era. The sport has changed a lot since then. While Bannout sees a lot of good discoveries happening over the decades, he also thinks the sport has accepted certain bad discoveries as well. He wants to try and help course correct the sport and inspire a new generation by looking at the past. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Samir Bannout explains why the increased mass of the past few decades need to now be matched with “class” as well.
Samir Bannout doesn’t think that increased mass monster size in bodybuilding is inherently a bad thing. In fact, he understands that as technology and science changes – so too does bodybuilding. The limits have been pushed to new levels. That’s the nature of any sport – for athletes to push boundaries and set new standards.
But Bannout also believes that in pushing new boundaries of mass, other negative changes have been accepted as well. Namely, Samir Bannout believes that the new increase in mass has led to less attention to conditioning. Not only that – but the focus on mass has led to some seriously unhealthy habits that pro bodybuilders were not taking back in the Golden Era.
We asked Samir Bannout if he thought that the Golden Era of bodybuilding held better physiques than the bodybuilders of today. He didn’t answer the question directly. He does believes that some of the changes in physiques today are supremely impressive. Bodybuilders like Ronnie Coleman showcased a new level of perfection – and he is being remembered as a legend for it.
But the cost of how this changed bodybuilding overall has led to some changes that Samir Bannout doesn’t agree with. The size of Ronnie Coleman has remained but hardly anyone matches his kind of conditioning. More importantly, he thinks that the new level of mass that has been desired by bodybuilders has led to extremely risky methods. Athlete want to get big “at any cost.” The health of the sport is at stake.
Samir Bannout makes a quick statement that he thinks all bodybuilding should live by. “Mass has to come with class.” What he means by this is that bodybuilders shouldn’t do merely anything to build more mass.
“You don’t want to be a champion and die at 30 or 40 by crossing the line,” Samir Bannout states in our interview. Here’s referring to the increased risks that bodybuilders are taking to build mass fast and push new limits. This usually involves higher doses of PEDs compared to what athletes were taking back in the Golden Era.
Samir Bannout hopes that we can find a middle ground between the advances bodybuilding has made with physiques while also looking and learning from the past of bodybuilding. It’s often said today that Arnold Schwarzenegger’s physique wouldn’t even land in the top five of today’s athletes. But perhaps this is part of the problem. Perhaps there’s something between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronnie Coleman that can be achieved. A blending of the old way and the new that can lead to a “classier” version of the sport – to use Samir Bannout’s words.
Do you think that the modern era of bodybuilding has pushed he limits too far? Watch Samir Bannout’s full comments in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above and then decide for yourself!
James Hollingshead Forced To Halt Training Due To COVID-19
James Hollingshead will take time off from training for Mr. Olympia 2021 after contracting COVID-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been controlled to a degree but it still impacts the lives of many out there — including athletes like James Hollingshead. The bodybuilder recently announced on Instagram that he has contracted the virus and will be forced to take some time away from training for the 2021 Olympia.
James Hollingshead posted a video on his official Instagram page on Saturday to break the news. In the video, he lays out how he has not left his house since last Sunday and has been unable to train. Hollingshead has received two positive tests.
“Sorry I’ve been quietWe live in a time where not much is personal and I wanted some time to digest the situationAs a bodybuilder with a very fortunate support network I feel it right to let people know the current situationSo yeah there it is been out of action for a while but hey it is what it is and there is not a lot one can do except ride this shit outI’ll be staying isolated until I get a string of negative testsI honestly don’t think this will have too much an effect on my efforts this year besides the obvious week + of no trainingFor now I’m just gonna focus on the days ahead and once I’m ready to get back it I willCheers guys”
James Hollingshead is qualified for the Olympia this year. He became one of the first athletes to qualify after winning the 2020 British Grand Prix Bodybuilding Show on Nov. 4, 2020. He began training back in the spring and shared a video on YouTube on March 13 taking viewers through his first public workout in preparation for the competition.
This news comes after Hollingshead decided to opt out of the 2020 Olympia. He gained qualification to that competition by winning the Europa Pro back in October 2020. Hollingshead put all of his focus onto this year’s Olympia but will be forced to halt his progress.
Hollingshead has been out of training for approximately one week, as of now. He will continue to remain home until he gets a string of negative COVID tests. Hollingshead has not been forced to remove himself from the Olympia. In fact, it could be quite the opposite. Hollingshead could use this as even more motivation, especially after being opting out of last year’s competition.
There will be more updates provided on Hollingshead’s status as it becomes available. For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Zane Watson: I Can’t Be Perfect At Men’s 212 Weight
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Zane Watson looks to the future of his career and potentially moving up to the Men’s Open division.
One very interesting thing about Zane Watson is how completely candid and honest he is about his own bodybuilding physique and progress. He’s not a blunt controversial talker – but he will plainly talk about his own deficiencies vs his successes. For example, in our previous segment he was very open about life being more than just bodybuilding 24/7 – despite his desire to be a champion competitor. That’s rare for athletes looking to be the best.
So when it comes to his career in Men’s 212 – he is once again directly honest about his current situation. He is on the edge between divisions – unsure if he wants to go all in on Men’s Open or continue with Men’s 212. It all comes down to his weight. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Zane Watson explains how dropping down to 212 pounds hurts his physique – and his thoughts on moving up to Men’s Open.
As Zane Watson has aged, he’s found it harder to come in naturally under 212 pounds. This is required in order for him to compete in the Men’s 212 division. It’s natural for athletes in this category to bulk up and then cut down to make weight. But Watson is coming to the realization that he physically can’t bring his weight down without sacrificing the quality of his physique. On the other hand, he ideally would sit right at 225 pounds to pull of his perfect physique. This is also on the lighter side for Men’s Open – where athletes typically land around 250 pounds or higher.
“I’m in a really weird spot,” Zane Watson stats plainly in our interview. He continues:
“I don’t think I have more to accomplish in 212 just because I can’t be perfect at that weight. I’m 222 pounds with 5% body fat. And for me to pull 12 pounds from that, 10 pounds from that, it hurts my look.”
Ultimately, this strange spot doesn’t concern Zane Watson much. He’s looking ahead at the possibility of competing in Men’s Open. He’s applied for the Arnold Classic this year. This competition doesn’t hold the Men’s 212 event, so he would have to go Open regardless. For him, this can be a test to see how he holds up.
He knows at first he won’t place first. Again, he’s bluntly honest about this with himself. But he will still train like he can be a champion. Somehow he’s able to keep those two thoughts in his head at once. Not only that – but he’s also not too worried about being on the light side for Men’s Open.
Zane Watson thinks that if Men’s Open was only a weight contest, bodybuilders would simply step on a scale and the highest number wins. He looks to athletes like Dexter Jackson as examples of what can be accomplished regardless of trending size in the division.
Vlad Yudin counters by mentioning Shaun Clarida, a bodybuilder who for years struggled to find champion status in the Men’s 212 division. Finally, after never giving up, Clarida won the Men’s 212 Olympia in 2020. Perhaps there is still a future in Men’s 212 for Zane Watson as well.
Watson agrees that persistence can pay off. But he knows his body well. He’s convinced that his ideal weight hovers around 225 pounds rather than 212. Genetically, he simply can’t bring his best package below 212 pounds. He would rather bring a perfect physique at 225 pounds, despite being lighter on stage than most competitors, than go onto stage knowing his physique could be better.
You can watch Zane Watson go into full detail about Men’s 212 vs Men’s Open in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Iron Biby Sets New Axle Press World Record With 217kg Lift
Cheick Al-Hassan Sanou, known as “Iron Biby”, set a new world record at the 2021 Strongman Classic.
Cheick Al-Hassan Sanou has made a name for himself in the strongman community as “Iron Biby.” On Saturday, Sanou lived up to that nickname by setting a new world record in the Axle Press. Sanou stepped up to the platform and accomplished a 217kg (478.4lb) lift during the 2021 Strongman Classic at Royal Albert Hall in London.
Sanou completed the lift with an overhand/underhand grip and locked out his arms at the top. The judge gave the down command and by the time the weight hit the floor, Iron Biby broke a record that has been in place for four years.
Eddie Hall previously held the record of 216kg that was set during the 2017 Europe’s Strongman contest. Hall topped the 215kg lift accomplished by Zydrunas Savickas in 2011. This marked the second straight instance where this world record has been broken by one kilogram.
Hall took to Instagram to congratulate Sanou and by his words, it is no surprise that Iron Biby was able to break the record.
“Well done to @ironbiby for breaking my world record axle press last night at 217kg ?Iv seen him do 230kg in training at his home gym, but this is where it counts ? ?#Competition #Strongman #Beast#WorldRecord #GiantsLiveBig LoveTeam Beast”
Sanou has completed an unofficial overhead lift of 240kg (529lb) so it is no surprise that he was able to set the new world record. Iron Biby has been making some noise in the powerlifting game for years now. He claimed first place at the World Log Lift Championship 2018 and log lift at the Europe Strongest Man 2019.
Over the weekend, Sanou took home the third place prize overall. Oleksii Novikov, who won the 2020 World’s Strongest Man competition, finished first overall while Evan Singleton was second.
It was a special moment for Sanou and one that he will never forget. This is something he took the time to cherish on social media.
Sanou began his long post by describing the moment and taking time to acknowledge Hall.
“WHAT A SPECIAL NIGHT ✨Was an honor to compete at ROYAL ALBERT HALL . It’s is an iconic arena and the right place for me to Break axle the world record owned by the beast @eddiehallwsm . He is a great man and he inspired to do it . God bless him??Will never forget this day .”
Sanou could have his eye on some more records moving forward. For now, the Axle Press record is his and it will be a tough one to top.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Guy Cisternino: Why You Shouldn’t Worry About Heavy Weight vs Light Weight Training
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Guy Cisternino shares some wisdom as to why people should stop worrying about free weights vs machines or heavy weight vs light weight.
A common question that comes up when people are looking for bodybuilding advice is what generation training style they should focus on. Is it better to do more free weights or more machine exercises? Is it best to do heavy weight and low volume or light weight and high volume? Guy Cisternino is someone who has been notoriously known for his hardcore heavyweight training. But surprisingly, he gives a different kind of advice when it comes to these general questions. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Guy Cisternino explains why you shouldn’t worry about free weights vs machine or heavy weight vs light weight training.
In one of our previous interviews, Guy Cisternino talked about how Branch Warren was his biggest inspiration. The reason for this was due to his hardcore passionate training style. It’s how Cisternino himself loves to train. He worries that not enough young people still have that hardcore passion in the gym anymore.
But that hardcore style of training has less to do with what is successful for bodybuilding and more to do with the culture. While Guy Cisternino loves to train hardcore – he also understands it is not necessary to be a massive shredded bodybuilder. Rather than it being a necessity for success – he simply sees it as a cultural passion that excites him. He likes that attitude and that atmosphere.
That’s why when we ask him whether or not heavy weight vs light weight matters. Or whether or not free weight vs machines matter – his answer is more open minded. Guy Cisternino has been through some injuries and is now a slightly older (but not old) bodybuilder. He hooked up with John Meadows as his trainer more recently – and Meadows changed up the kind of training he does in light of his age and injuries. What Cisternino learned through this process changed his perception on what is important in bodybuilding training.
To Guy Cisternino, it matters less whether or not you do machines vs free weights or heavy weight vs light weight. Instead, it matters more how you break up your body parts and how much focus you put into each workout. Yes, there are little differences – pros and cons to each approach – but ultimately they are not game changers. Whether you lift heavy weight or hight weight or free weight or machines – you can be a successful and massive bodybuilder with any of these approaches. What matters more is how you do these tactics and the way you break up each body part throughout your week of training.
What he means by this is that by changing up how you break up the body parts you work in a given workout – you can be saving your joints from too much pressure in one session. This can save you injury, wear, and tear in the long run. So someone like Guy Cisternino can train hardcore to his liking with less risk (though still there is always risk) of injury. This provides longevity. So you can be like Dexter Jackson or you can be like Branch Warren.
Both of these bodybuilders are legendary in their own right and they both used vastly different techniques – but if you break up the body parts right, you can extend your longevity as an athlete.
You can watch Guy Cisternino go into full detail in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Bodybuilder And Actor Mike Mitchell Has Died Of A Heart Attack
Mike Mitchell, known as a bodybuilder and for his part in ‘Braveheart’, passed away of a heart attack in Turkey.
Mike Mitchell, a bodybuilding champion turned actor, has passed away at the age of 65 of a heart attack. Mitchell died on a boat in Turkey of what was believed to be natural causes. Later, a rep of Mitchell’s told TMZ that a heart attack was the cause.
In a statement, the rep described Mitchell as a “true friend” and “honest person.”
“It was very hard to believe … The sudden death of an international actor we managed, an honest person, a real actor, a true friend, my dear friend, has saddened us deeply. I’ve always been honored to be your manager. I wish patience to you wife, dear Denise Mitchell, and your children. Getting to know you and gaining your friendship is invaluable. Sleep in the lights. RIP.”
Mike Mitchell made a name for himself as a bodybuilder. The Scottish star got started in fitness at an early age and showed off his tremendous size on the biggest stages. Mitchell totaled five Masters Mr. World titles and two Mr. Universe titles with the World Fitness Federation. He also competed in many strongman competitions including Britain’s Strongest Man contest.
During his prime in bodybuilding, Mike Mitchell gained attention due to his incredible size and this landed him some on-screen movie roles. Mitchell is known for his parts in Braveheart and Gladiator. Mitchell has worked with the likes of Mel Gibson, Russell Crowe, and Joaquin Phoenix. He also appeared in One Day Removals, City of Hell, and Skyfall, among others.
Mitchell suffered a setback when he had a heart attack that forced him to take a break after winning his fifth World Fitness Federation title in 2006. In 2010, Mitchell was inducted into the WFF Hall of Fame and given the “Living Legend Award,” which is an extremely prestigious honor.
Mike Mitchell’s love of sailing and the sea began at a young age. At 16 years old, he served in the British Armed Forces and eventually became a part of the Elite special Forces unit. When he left to work in the offshore oil industry, Mitchell started deep-sea diving. He was a fan of sailing and continued to do so in between his bodybuilding and acting careers.
Mike Mitchell is survived by his wife, Denis, and children. He was immensely talented in many areas and grew to be a legend in the sport of bodybuilding.
Generation Iron send out condolences to the friends and family of Mike Mitchell during this difficult time. For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
IFBB Zhanna Rotar Pro 2021 Results
Complete results from the IFBB Zhanna Rotar Pro 2021.
The IFBB Zhanna Rotar Pro 2021 took place on Saturday, July 24 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA. This was the site of a competition that handed out some qualifications for the 2021 Mr. Olympia, which will take place Oct. 7-10 in Orlando, FL.
This competition is named after Zhanna Rotar, who passed away in December after being involved in a vehicle accident. Rotar had a passion for nutrition and this carried over into a career in fitness. She began competing in 2000 and earned her pro card in 2005.
The Zhanna Rotar Pro 2021 was a small style competition but there was plenty to watch and a lot on the line for competitors. Check out our full breakdown of the results below.
Results Breakdown
Generation Iron wishes to congratulate all the great athletes who earned a win at the IFBB Zhanna Rotar Pro 2021 and qualified for a spot in the Olympia. Make sure to check out our full IFBB Pro results page from this year and previous years right here to catch up on any action you may have missed!
Classic Physique
First Place – Desiree Alferes
Second Place – Anca Bergen
Third Place – Jill Braxmeyer
Fourth Place – Kim Clark
Fifth Place – Rachel Cuccia
Sixth Place – Esmeralda Diosdada
Seventh Place – Karina Grau
Eighth Place – Jessica Heath
Ninth Place – Ashley Howells
Tenth Place – Spomenka Miller
Generation Iron wishes to congratulate all the great athletes who earned a win at the IFBB Zhanna Rotar Pro 2021. Make sure to check out our full IFBB Pro results page from this year and previous years right here to catch up on any action you may have missed!
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.