Tag: Latest
Sleep and Weight Loss: How to Improve Your Sleep Habits
Have you ever wondered why you struggle to lose weight despite your best efforts to eat healthy and exercise regularly? The answer might lie in sleep. The quality and duration of your slumber play a pivotal role in your weight loss journey. It may sound surprising, but numerous studies have highlighted the crucial role […]
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IRON CINEMA: Jerry Ward Calls GH Guts A Lie
Drugs have nothing to do with bodybuilders’ large stomachs.
UPDATE 7/23/22: In light of the passing of Jerry Ward, Generation Iron is republishing a GI Exclusive interview segment with Ward first aired in 2020.
Every week, Iron Cinema will connect you with Generation Iron director Vlad Yudin. Giving you unprecedented inside access to the creative process behind his the Generation Iron Fitness Network. Get a first hand look at the entire journey of taking Vlad’s creative ideas to the big screen – from stories on set of films like Generation Iron and CT Fletcher all the way to exclusive behind-the-scene looks at our newest GI news and films. This week Vlad sits down with Jerry Ward of Bio S3 to talk about not only how steroids effect bodybuilding but how it influences young teens looking to compete. He also touches upon the GH gut controversy.
Over the course of following bodybuilding and it’s presence on the internet, I’ve noticed one major trend: the most popular YouTube channels aren’t necessarily the biggest pros in the industry. Phil Heath doesn’t have the biggest views on YouTube – people like Rich Piana, Lee Priest, and of course my most recent interviewee – Bio S3 creator Jerry Ward. I wanted to sit down with Jerry to find out what makes YouTube personalities stick out more than the pros themselves. And get his opinion on the latest controversies in the industry today. You can watch that interview in the video above.
Secrets To Getting Shredded Like A True American!
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Forget the gurus. Here’s tips from a jacked all American war vet.
Weight loss can be a tricky thing to manage. For bodybuilders who are more concerned with building muscle than anything else, fat loss is a bit less of an issue. But nevertheless, if you want to show off all you muscle and hard work then eventually you’ll have to drop your body fat percentage a bit. When it comes to losing fat, most people scour the internet looking for experts and gurus that can help in their mission to rid themselves of their pesky love handles.
Truth be told, sometimes you don’t want to deal with the hassle of reading a 20 page breakdown about what you should or should not eat, how you should be hitting the weights, what percentages of carbs, fats, and proteins your should consume. Sometimes you need a straight forward approach that will get you the info you seek ASAP.
Well, it seems like Derek Weida has the same idea about reaching your weight loss goals. Weida, a veteran of the United States Army, was wounded during service and lost his leg as a result of his injuries. Despite all that, the man is still a total bad ass that’s taken his loss and used it to fuel his motivation to become the best version of himself he could possibly be. Derek doesn’t have any use for excuses and neither should you. He’s an American hero and is proud to flaunt that fact, and why the hell not? The man is an inspiration and he’s looking to be the same for others looking to improve themselves.
Sometimes some good old bro-science can be the key to all your weight loss troubles. The best part? He hasn’t lost any of his sense of humor either. Sometimes bodybuilding can get so serious – but take a listen to Mr. Weida’s over-the-top red, white, and blue advice to reap the benefits of some straight forward knowledge.
All joking aside – those last moments of the video show Derek’s true colors. It’s all about finding ways to stay consistent and better yourself. It’s not about today – it’s about the tomorrow you want. Derek might crack jokes and be blunt – but maybe taking the seriousness out of dieting and lifting can help other people get more comfortable and confident about leading a fitter lifestyle.
What do you think of Derek Weida’s approach to bodybuilding and weight loss? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Bostin Loyd Interview: I Know Pros Use Synthol
*In tribute to the late Bostin Loyd, who sadly passed away at 29 years old, we are republishing an archived interview from our Iron Cinema series first conducted in 2016.
Every week, Iron Cinema will connect you with Generation Iron director Vlad Yudin. Giving you unprecedented inside access to the creative process behind his the Generation Iron Fitness Network. Get a first hand look at the entire journey of taking Vlad’s creative ideas to the big screen – from stories on set of films like Generation Iron and CT Fletcher all the way to exclusive behind-the-scene looks at our newest GI news and films. This week Vlad talks further with controversial bodybuilder Bostin Loyd about the use of Synthol and how it’s more commonly used at the top of the IFBB than you would ever imagine.
Bostin Loyd was another bodybuilder who had a lot to say – and so much of it was valuable that we needed to do a a second part of his interview as well. In part 2 I talk with Loyd in depth about the use of synthol and how it compares to the rampant use of steroids in the industry. Bostin Loyd has always been open and honest about all things – including steroids and synthol. So it’s good to get further clarification on how the industry really works beyond what active pros tell us. Synthol is normally frowned upon and considered a “cheat” – something that serious pros never partake in… but Bostin Loyd has a very different truth (according to him) about the use of Synthol. Hear it all in our latest interview above.
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Pro Training: 6 Remedies For A Stubborn Upper Chest
Train Like A Pro.
You can’t have too much upper chest. One of the most impressive areas in bodybuilding, you want your chest swole and the muscle walls thick. By now you’ve probably done all the incline exercises and hit the peck deck on a masochistic level, and still, nothing.
What you don’t realize is that there’s a method to working smart, not hard, and even if you’re doing everything there’s a few little tricks of the trade that will you give you maximum reward for minimal sacrifice. That’ the type of math we like over here at Generation Iron.
Tip #1: Train supporting muscles
In the words of the great Jay Cutler, you’ve got to train the whole pec. Many builders get caught up training only the upper pec but in reality the pectoris is one big muscle. If you train the whole muscle, the whole muscle will grow, inadvertently getting the upper pecs big in the process.
Tip #2: Train on an incline
With tip #1 being said, it also helps to train on an incline. While you do have to train the whole muscle, it must be combined with specialized angles or exercises for the particular muscle you want to grow. It’s important to train incline while your fresh in order to move the most weight.
Tip #3: Do exercises in close succession
If you do two incline exercises, change the angle. Try a press from 45 degrees, and then another from 20 degrees. Do this in close succession to really break the muscle down for more solid gains.
Tip #4: Concentrate on the tension
When training to boost up a specific area, you want to concentrate on the tension of the exercise from beginning to end. Pro’s like Jay Cutler and Flex Lewis recommend concentrating on the upper pecs and feeling the tension throughout the whole movement. When the tension stops, that’s when you stop and begin the negative portion of the exercise. This increases TUT (time under tension) which increases muscle growth.
Tip #5: Negatives and forced reps
adding slow negatives and forced reps onto the end of a set is a small change that can make a big difference. On the last couple reps, try going back down to starting to position as slow as possible, adding that extra little bit of TUT at the end. If you’re feeling really froggy, try pushing out a couple of forced rep with a partner to really blow out your pecs.
Tip #6: Stretch
Your high school gym teacher was right. No, not about Abba being the best band of all time, but stretching will actually help with muscle growth. According to pro bodybuilder Gunter Schlierkamp, stretching your chest after a grueling workout creates an environment for it to grow.
Make it a point to try out these 6 tips next time you’re at the gym and tell us if they helped with those stubborn upper pecs. Which body parts do you need help training?
Let us know by hitting up our comments below or head on over to our official Facebook and Twitter.
Why The Tire Flip Should Be In Your Training Program For The Ultimate Conditioning
Not for the faint of heart
Cardio, a dreaded word for many a’ bodybuilder. While the rest of the gym would rather be biking, on the treadmill, or rowing, we’d rather be lifting some heavy ass weights. The meat and potatoes baby, that’s for me. Well lament no more; there’s a way to develop your cardiovascular system while still giving you that muscle tingling action you crave, it’s called the tire flip, and its been waiting for you your whole life.
What’s great about the tire flip, is that it not only gets you more shredded than the statue of David but it also builds fast twitch muscles which is great for competition.
When you train with tires you want to do this in intervals. High intensity should be done in rounds with time periods of rest interspersed between high-intensity activity. While measuring your heart rate is a great way to keep track of how the exercise is effecting your body, you also want to keep into account your age and general health.
Now that you have the basics, without further ado we present to you 3 exercises that look way cooler than anything you can do on a treadmill.
Sledge Hammer Smash
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The sledgehammer smash is a fun exercise. Not only do you get to act beastly but sculpt a beastly form in the process. You can do a straight up and down movement, like displayed in the video above, or you can swing it overhead each time for a more powerful and home run hitting strength. Start at 30 seconds with 10 seconds rest, then increase in 15 second intervals.
The Flip
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While it may not seem like rocket science this exercise is more involved than you think. We’ve attached some tips with the correct way to do this exercise without sustaining an injury. While you don’t have to do 950lbs like Mr. Poundstone here, you definitely want to challenge yourself on this one.
Begin by gripping the bottom of the tire on the tread, and position your feet back a bit. Your chest should be driving into the tire.
To lift the tire, extend through the hips, knees, and ankles, driving into the tire and up.
As the tire reaches a 45 degree angle, step forward and drive a knee into the tire. As you do so adjust your grip to the upper portion of the tire and push it forward as hard as possible to complete the turn. Repeat as necessary.
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The third exercise comes from you. We want you to use the tire for your next cardio workout and discover an exercise that works for you. Creativity is LYFE, and we encourage you to flex that muscle religiously.
Try the above exercise and hit us up in the comment section with a cool circuit you’ve discovered or your mysterious 3rd exercise.
Have you ever done the tire flip?
Let us know by hitting up our comments below or head on over to our official Facebook and Twitter.
Do Pull Ups Before Every Workout For Killer Arms
Start strong, end even stronger!
So it’s arm day. You’re going to do your usual workout, on your usual machines, with your usual enthusiasm, “This is hard but bearable, at least I can maintain”. But for those of you who are awake, or just tired of being asleep, we’ve got a quick fix to terrorize your arm day, and give it that well needed jolt it deserves.
The secret we are sharing here is to perform pullups before any other exercise during arm day. This will surely fire up those biceps, but also work to target other muscle groups to give you a well-rounded warmup and pump all at once. For those skeptical, this training program can be a game changer if you open your mind to it and commit to seeing big gains.
The program is broken into two sections, “A”, and “B”, and you attach it to the beginning of your arm day workout. Alternate days according to your workout. By following this instructions, you will really start to see great gains and something you can be proud of.
Program A: Do 50 pull-ups as fast as you can (strict as possible)
Program B: Do as many pull-ups as you can within 10 minutes
The Breakdown
While the workout is fairly straightforward there are common pitfalls you can make. Many builders get too overzealous and go too hard in the beginning. While this is admiral, the guts and glory approach can leave you with nothing in the tank to finish the set. You want to leave at least two bullets (pull-ups) in the chamber in order to get to your goal. Longevity is key here.
Another common mistake is staying with one grip. You can switch up grips as much as you’d like for this exercise and we recommend that you do. If you’re a pull-up God then go for it, bust out 50 under hands, strict.
For the rest of us, alternate your grip between underhand (biceps), neutral (palms facing each other; brachialis), and pronated (palms facing away from you: corachobrachialis).
You can also alternate between hand placements. Wide grip emphasize the shoulders as well as other back muscle, while the close grip involve the biceps more as they are in line with the shoulders, giving them slightly more stability.
If you’re feeling really froggy, try extreme close grips (triceps) or extreme wide grips to (traps) to really give you that superman feel. *Plus they look pretty cool when you’re doing them on the bar*
Note: This exercise tend to work best with builders who can do at least 8-10 strict pull-ups, so if you’re not there yet, you might want to concentrate on those first. If you’re doing 10-15 strict pull-ups or more you might want to add weight to get you to the 8-10 range. This will give you the endurance and strength gains you’re looking for.
Wrap Up
To be honest you can add this to the beginning or end of any upper body workout as it hits your lats, biceps, and shoulders in many different ways. Pullups are a great exercise to promote all sorts of crazy benefits especially when it comes to overall strength and added support. For whatever your respective sport may be, definitely consider adding pullups to your training program before arm day to enhance that much desired growth. Make this change and you won’t be disappointed with the results.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
3 Reasons Why You Should Perform Explosive Lifts
Lifting explosively can change your training for the better.
When it comes to bodybuilding there are so many different methods that can be used to build muscle and burn fat that often times it can become confusing as to what exactly you should be doing when you get into the gym. There’s a notion that lower weight and higher reps can get you shredded.
Others talk about the fact that the only way to make your muscle grow is to lift heavy, while many others point out the fact that it doesn’t matter how heavy the weight is as long as you’re getting the proper contraction. In a way all of these statements are true which can drive a bodybuilder nuts trying to figure out which method is right for them. But one ideology that isn’t discussed nearly enough is the idea of lifting explosively.
While many may equate explosive lifting to powerlifting and weightlifter principles it can be a great way for a bodybuilder to get shredded fast. Rather than just always having your muscles experiencing tension at the bottom of the lift it’s a good idea to lift explosively as well. Everyone’s body works different of course, but lifting explosively is going to enhance your training.
1. Build More Strength
When you’re at the bottom of your lift rather than hold the position, exploding up will give you enhanced explosive power. It will help your body get used to the feeling of putting every ounce of muscle to work and strengthening the whole as a result.
2. Increased Muscle Recruitment
Speaking of muscles working together, by performing an explosive lift you’re more likely to recruit even more muscle fibers while performing your average lift. Whether it’s the squat or the bench press, by lifting explosively you are engaging a wider variety of muscle than you normally would have during a slow lift.
3. Burn Fat
What better reason is there to lift explosively. Not only will you be building muscle while you’re performing your lifts but you will also be eradicating fat. The principle works similar to HIIT as your metabolic rate increases with every explosion from the bottom to the top of the lift. Taking two seconds to reach the bottom of your lift then exploding upward will raise your metabolic rate that’s sure to help burning fat even when you’ve completed your training.
Do you lift explosively? Let us know in the comments and follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter. Also, be sure to share, like, and comment to show your support.
Laying Down The Law: 5 Rules For Fat Burning You Need To Follow
Heed and obey for a shredded physique.
When it comes to health and fitness there’s no topic that’s given more attention than burning fat. No matter your fitness level, burning fat is always at the top of anyone’s list of things to do and with good reason. Even if you have tremendous musculature you’d be hard pressed to prove it if you have a layer of blubber hiding all of that muscle.
The only way to reveal the shredded abs and powerful pectorals is by training to burn off all the excess fat. But what principles should you keep in mind if you mean to make consistent and steady progress? You want to burn the fat and keep it off as well. So here’s some great things to keep in mind on your fat burning journey.
1. Diet is Paramount
If you want to burn fat then the first thing you need to worry about is what you’re putting into your mouth. You have to have a balanced diet and one that’s going to work best with your body. Whether that means having balanced macronutrition or going on a ketogenic diet, you must choose a diet plan that’s going to optimize your performance as well as your body’s fat burning capabilities. Supplements can provide great boosts to any diet, including fat burners to shed that unwanted fat, or protein supplements to increase fullness.
2. Compound Movements are King
Training the correct way is also paramount to burning fat. You want to build strength as well as burn fat which means you better have the compound movements mastered. That means being well versed in the bench, squat and deadlift. These big three powerlifting exercises should be staples in any workout for they work multiple muscle groups and allow for a serious increase in strength and calorie burn.
3. Prioritize Building Muscle
If you haven’t picked up on it by now, then here’s your chance to be informed. You’re going to want to focus on building up your muscle. This all works in tandem with having a proper diet as well as training in a manner that promotes muscle building. Training for both strength and muscle growth are two important elements for burning stubborn fat. Adding drop sets to your workouts are a great way to target muscles deep within to really promote growth and adding a protein concentrate or isolate can really promote a great diet and muscle growth.
4. Choose The Correct Training Split
You can’t train the same body part day in and day out. You’ll have to switch things up depending on the day in order to burn fat throughout the body, but more importantly grow muscle in all the important muscle groups of the body. Training legs one day, arms another, and back in a systematic way will ensure that you’re building a well muscled and powerful physical frame. Knowing which muscle groups to pair together can really increase your chances of substantial growth.
5. Boost Your Metabolic Rate
Long sustained cardio used to be considered the trick to burning pesky fat, but newer studies have proven that the best way to raise your metabolic rate and burn fat through a 24 hour period is to perform interval training. This kind of training puts the body in an oxygen deficit and ensures that your body is burning calories, particularly fat, even after you’re done training. Try high-intensity interval training to save time in the gym and really feel a great burn.
What are your training priorities? Let us know by hitting up our comments below or head on over to our official Facebook and Twitter.
This Is The Rep Range You Should Be Doing To Build The Most Muscle Mass
The right range. The best gains.
If you want to start an argument between fitness experts – talk about the “perfect” rep range. You’ll get anywhere from a hundred reps to one. Okay, so we might be over exaggerating but there’s no question that everyone has their own idea in mind when they talk about the “right” amount of reps you should be doing. Well we’re going to open up that argument once again… and we’ll also finish it.
First we’re going to make cases for each, high rep ranges (15 reps or more), medium rep ranges (5-15 reps), and low rep ranges (1-5 reps). Then we’ll weigh in with the definitive answer on the ideal rep range for building mass.
Low rep ranges (1-5)
This rep range is primarily for strength. While it will definitely add mass to your frame as well as cutting fat, there’s one missing piece to this puzzle – Time under tension (TUT). It has repeatedly been shown that TUT is necessary for optimal muscle fiber growth. With a less than 30-60 second rep range, you might find yourself coming up short on muscle gains.
High rep range (15 reps or more)
A high rep range is best for endurance. Commonly associated with fat loss and toning, more and more evidence is starting to show that builders can lose just as much fat with medium to high reps depending on the intensity of the exercise. This range is best for skill specific exercises. For example if you’re working on your baseball swing, or practicing your throwing arm – this not optimal for muscle building however.
Medium rep range (6-15 rep range)
Not too soft and not too tight. This is an old eastern philosophy adage that could pay dividends on your muscle gains. The medium rep range proves to win all across the board, being associated with fat loss and the most Muscle mass. This range combines time under tension with the 75% of one rep weight needed to stimulate muscle fibers. This rep range also shreds fat without losing muscle.
While the medium rep range has been declared the mass building king, we recommended combining all rep ranges for the most complete physique. High rep ranges after a medium set can provide a serious pump and low rep ranges can add strength to your massive gains. Whatever body type you’re looking for, the results are in, train accordingly.
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