Tag: nEWS
IFBB Professional League Updated Rules for Fitness Routines
Effective June 3, 2021
PROPS (refer to IFBB Pro Fitness Rules, “Other Competition Rules”, section 5)
5. The use of props is permitted under the following conditions:
1. If a competitor intends to use a prop they must be able to transport and/or carry it on stage by themselves. Pre-approval by the IFBB Professional League Office Only must be obtained in advance of the competition, failing which the use of the prop may be disallowed. If the prop requires the assistance of anyone else, it will not be allowed.
2. Props that leave material onstage that may present a safety hazard and/or that require the stage to be cleaned before further use are prohibited.
3. Any item discarded during the routine must be removed by the competitor before exiting the stage without causing any delay in the competition.
Victor Martinez: Logan Paul Isn’t Hurting Boxing, Lack Of Prime Athletes Is
Victor Martinez reacts to the upcoming boxing match of Logan Paul and Floyd Mayweather.
Victor Martinez may be a bodybuilder first and foremost but he’s also an avid fan of pro boxing. Admittedly, boxing has fallen quite a bit in popularity from its heyday in decades past. There is one exception – spectacle super fights that have brought in record amounts of revenue. The latest spectacle fight in boxing is Logan Paul vs Floyd Mayweather. But is the spectacle worth it? Or simply diminishing the respect of boxing even further to a sideshow attraction? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Victor Martinez shares his thoughts on boxing super fights, Logan Paul, and the current state of boxing.
Logan Paul is a YouTuber with a massive following and a strong personality. This leads to him being a lover him or hate him kind of influencer. So of course, when he started dipping his toes in to boxing – it led to mixed reactions. Now he’s set to face off against Floyd Mayweather in a super fight expected to bring in record amounts of profits. But is allowing YouTubers special exhibition matches damaging to the reputation of the sport?
We asked this very question to Victor Martinez. A pro bodybuilder who is also a deeply passionate boxing fan. How does he feel about Logan Paul’s entrance into the world of boxing? Victor admits that the fight is pure spectacle. It’s for money and it will succeed in bringing in tons of cash. That being said, Victor doesn’t see this as primarily a bad thing.
If anything, Logan Paul is bringing more attention to boxing at a time when it needs it most. UFC and MMA as a whole has taken a lot of boxing audience into a new direction. MMA is now arguably a more popular sport than boxing. It’s brining in fight fans and fight talent and away from boxing. The Logan Paul might not be a respectable title fight – but it’s still bringing young new energy into a sport that has diminished slowly over the years.
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Check out the latest GI Exclusive segment with Victor Martinez above!
In fact, Victor Martinez does not see Logan Paul or any social media influencer to be the actual problem for boxing. It’s simply a reaction to a deeper problem with the sport. According to Victor, the main problem with boxing is a lack of premiere talent – especially in male boxing. There is no Muhammad Ali or George Foreman. Even the last legendary boxer, Floyd Mayweather, has been retired and only comes out for special fights.
Logan Paul vs Floyd Mayweather is a direct reaction to the fact that current title holders don’t hold the same kind of popularity as legendary boxers in the past. Simply put, these super fights are the only way for boxing to get attention. Victor Martinez has no solution to fixing this problem other than hoping that more notable talent comes into the sport in the coming years.
This brings Victor Martinez to a bigger point regarding social media, influencers, and their place in professional sports. Bodybuilding faced a similar intersection of social media and competition over the past 10 years. You now have bodybuilding influencers who hold more attention than actual champion athletes. Is this bad? Victor says no.
In fact, Victor Martinez thinks that those who are angry about social media influencers taking the spotlight away need to start adapting to the new world. The world will not change back to what it used to be. Bodybuilders, or any athletes, that cannot adapt to social media will eventually be left behind (with rare exception). If they don’t want to adapt, that’s fine. But they also shouldn’t be angry about the new influencers gaining attention. If you don’t like it adapt.
You can watch Victor Martinez’s full comments on Logan Paul, boxing, and social media influencers in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
James Hollingshead Looks Like a Jacked Gorilla Ahead of Olympia
James Hollingshead looks jacked ahead of the Olympia.
Ahead of the 2021 Olympia, James Hollingshead is looking like the dark horse to crack the top 5. While he hasn’t competed since the end of 2020, Hollingshead has been hard at work maintaining and improving upon his physique. These days, more than 19 weeks out, James Hollingshead is looking super jacked.
One of UK’s most prominent bodybuilders, James Hollingshead has worked his way up. While he always had potential to get to the next level, it wasn’t until 2020 that he really showed his class. After winning the Europa Pro and British Gran Prix in 2020, Hollingshead decided to sit out the 2020 Olympia.
Many wondered about this move. While he may have sat out the 2020 Olympia, Hollingshead also qualified for the 2021 show. With that in mind, Hollingshead decided that prepping for 2021 would be more beneficial for his chances than rushing into the the 2020 show.
It makes a lot of sense to be honest. The time off most likely allowed James Hollingshead to heal. That healing meant his body could recover and also potentially meant new muscle growth in the short term. After all, building muscle requires the break down AND healing of muscle. Rest is a great way to ensure proper healing. Also, the time off most likely allowed him focus on his specific strengths and weaknesses in order to make improvements.
To win the @mrolympiallc you have to take it from others who are also trying to take it from you
It’s a fight and a very real one
Though not with violence..its a fight with mental fortitude, physical capacity and absolute perseverance
I’ve been fighting for half my life.
James Hollingshead has begun his Olympia prep in earnest and is looking impressive. He has the shape, size, and symmetry that should carry him very far at the 2021 show. Here he is training arms and looking to build some even more massive peaks.
With Big Ramy shocking the bodybuilding world in 2020, all bets are off for this show. Brandon Curry is still looking to reclaim his title and Hadi Choopan is a viable threat to the title as well. With so much opposition, James Hollingshead will have to pull out all the stops if he wants to not only crack the top 5, but win the show outright.
Do you think James Hollingshead will crack the top 5 at the Olympia?
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Managing Editor at Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Sound Cloud for in-depth MMA analysis.
The Rock Says Intense Prep for Black Adam Film Unlike Any Role Before
The Rock says his prep for the Black Adam film is unlike any role he’s done before.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson recently admitted that prepping for his role as DC Comic’s Black Adam has been taxing. In fact, the popular actor says that it’s his hardest prep for a role ever. That’s saying something considering the shape he’s gotten into portraying characters like Luke Hobbs in the Fast and Furious franchise.
If there’s one thing you can say for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson it’s that he’s workhorse. The popular actor is always looking to keep himself in top condition for roles and his overall health. He’s a hard worker who is always looking to improve upon his athleticism and physique. That said it appears that his role for the Black Adam film has been rather taxing.
After being a pro wrestler and NFL hopeful you would think The Rock would be prepared for getting in shape for a role. But to portray the DC Comics character, The Rock has needed to push himself harder than ever before.
Intense Preparation
In a recent post to his Instagram, The Rock detailed just how hard the training for Black Adam has been.
Late night training ??Big week for #BlackAdam shooting my “champion” scenes with my shirt off and showing my body.
Been working extremely hard dieting, training and conditioning unlike any other role of my entire career.
Manipulating water, sodium, cardio but also having to push and pull real iron to have dense, dry, detailed muscle.It’s a real science that takes months and months to dial it all in with my strength & conditioning coach @daverienzi who keeps a very watchful eye, constantly fine tuning our strategy daily.
As many of you know, the intense (and exciting) comic mythology of Teth Adam – he becomes the immortal “champion” by the Gods.Blessed with the powers of Superman and dangerous magic from the wizards.
Then his rage turns his soul dark, forever becoming Black Adam⚡️
Big week, grateful for the grind & support – here we go??
It’s clear that The Rock has a great deal of motivation for the role. He’s been willing to push his body to the next level in order to get things right. Not only is he a fan of the source material, but he hopes to give fans exactly what they’re seeking for a Black Adam film. That means getting into the best possible physical condition to portray the legendary comic book character on the big screen.
But to think that the role has been this taxing on The Rock is truly surprising. With the goal to make this into a franchise, the question becomes, will The Rock be able to put himself through this over and over again? With his work ethic it’s likely he’ll be up to the task.
What do you think of The Rock and his current condition?
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Managing Editor at Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Sound Cloud for in-depth MMA analysis.
Melle Mel: Shaun Clarida Had A Better Physique Than Big Ramy At Olympia 2020
Melle Mel explains why he believes Shaun Clarida was the best bodybuilder of the entire night at Olympia 2020.
Melle Mel previously stated in one of our interview segments that the quality of the Men’s Open bodybuilders were impressive but not ideal. By that he means that there was no Ronnie Coleman, Phil Heath, or Dorian Yates type of brilliance on display. In his mind, Big Ramy was no better than anyone in the top 10 at Olympia 2020. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Melle Mel goes a step further. He believes that Men’s 212 champion Shaun Clarida had a better physique than Big Ramy and anyone else on the Men’s Open stage.
Melle Mel loves bodybuilding but he falls into the camp of people who think Men’s Open has become too bloated with size. While he does enjoy the freak factor, he laments the loss of beauty in more conditioned and aesthetic physiques. Which is why he was happy for the creation of Classic Physique.
Somewhat ironically, it wasn’t the Classic Physique Olympia 2020 champion that stood out to him this past year. It was the Men’s 212 champion – Shaun Clarida. Known for his small height, Clarida was a Men’s 212 bodybuilder that often got overlooked. He proved the world that they should start paying attention with a truly career defining physique at Olympia 2020. He won and became champion.
Melle Mel believes that Shaun Clarida is the ideal phyisque that bodybuilders should all aspire towards. He goes as far to claim that if Clarida stood on stage next to Big Ramy – that Clarida would have won the Mr. Olympia overall. That’s how much Melle Mel was impressed by Clarida’s physique.
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Check out our GI Exclusive segment with Melle Mel above!
Of course, the sheer height and size difference would be a challenge for Clarida to overcome. But Melle Mel believes that size should not always matter. Bigger is not always better. He believes that Clarida should be able to stand side by side with Big Ramy – and fans and judges should be able to award Clarida victory regardless of his smaller size.
“Now had he stood beside Big Ramy, I guarantee you he would look better than Big Ramy,” Melle Mel states in our interview. He goes on, “He just wouldn’t be bigger. So you would probably overlook him. Absolutely he was in better conditioning than Big Ramy.”
The point Melle Mel seems to be making here is that it’s natural for us to overlook smaller stature people. Even if Clarida held a better conditioned physique – it would be less noticeable when an elephant is standing next to him. That being said, if it was possible to really let the crowd evaluate each of them honestly – Melle Mel thinks it’s clear that Clarida was superior in every single way.
There was a time in bodybuilding’s younger era, where the lightweight and heavyweight bodybuilders would ultimately battle on stage side by side for an overall winner. That has disappeared with the removal of traditional weight classes and the creation of divisions. Perhaps one day the IFBB and NPC can open up special crossover categories.
Imagine the Mr. Olympia standing next to the Men’s 212 Olympia and so on. Would it always be guaranteed that the Men’s Open competitor wins? Or would we have some surprise upsets? Melle Mel wants to believe that someone like Clarida can win overall – but we’ll never know unless these sort of crossover events are allowed to happen.
You can watch Melle Mel’s full comments on Shaun Clarida and Big Ramy in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Joey Swoll Details His Rock Bottom Moment Of Pain Killer Addition
Joey Swoll opens up about his recent pain killer addiction, his rock bottom, and his recovery.
Over the past year, Joey Swoll made a public announcement online that shocked many of his fans. He had been quietly suffering from a pain killer addiction during the pandemic. Swoll made the post after he had put himself through recovery – but wanted his fans and followers to know the truth and hope to inspire those who are also suffering a way towards recovery. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Joey Swoll goes into detail about how became addicted to pain killers, his rock bottom, and his journey towards recovery.
The last time we spoke to Joey Swoll, he described how he was not much of a drug user. He smokes marijuana but stays away from alcohol. All things considered, he was a very mild mannered person when it came to experimenting with drugs. So it makes it all the more shocking when he revealed that he was addicted to pain medication for about a year in 2020.
That’s why we decided to reconnect with Joey Swoll and discuss in more detail his addiction, how it started, and what he learned from the entire experience. Upon reconnecting with Swoll, he detailed how his pain killer addiction started. Like many cases, it was due to an original prescription to help treat an injury.
Joey Swoll explains at the same time as his injury, he was dealing with compounding stress putting weight on his shoulders. Of course, the pandemic was changing life as we knew it. He was also going through an emotional breakup and facing some serious business challenges. All of these added up to a level of stress and anxiety that he couldn’t handle. The pain medication he received for his injury suddenly made everything more manageable.
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Check out our GI Exclusive segment with Joey Swoll above!
Like any addiction, it became a slippery slope. He kept increasing pill dosages as his tolerance grew. Suddenly, something that was making him feel happy was no longer bringing him relief. He felt trapped. His mood wildly swung from hour to hour. He felt depressed, out of control, and trapped.
Joey Swoll goes on to describe his rock bottom moment. He took so many pills that he believed he should just take even more to overdose and end his life. He wrote messages to close friends stating he would do as such. Ultimately, and luckily, this didn’t happen. He made it through the night. It was a wake up call that he needed help.
This was then compounded by Joey Swoll’s mother connecting with him. Knowing her son better than anyone, she could tell something was wrong. When she confronted him, he realized that if his mother noticed something was wrong – he definitely had a problem.
Joey Swoll’s social media post showcasing his bed covered in sweat due to withdrawals (above).
Joey Swoll didn’t receive professional help for recovery. Instead he did research, slowly weened himself off the pills, and eventually got to a point where he was completely free of using them. He did suffer withdrawals but now after going through recovery, Swoll feels stronger and able to avoid relapse and further addiction in his future.
Ultimately, Joey Swoll suffered silently during most of his addiction. Due to the pandemic, he was able to be easily isolated during the entire time. None of his friends knew about it as it was happening and the people he did reach out to – never returned his calls.
Despite this being a low point and struggle in Joey Swoll’s life, he looks at the experience as something that made him stronger. Luckily, this is due to him finding the ability to overcome the addiction. He went public with his experience in the hopes of inspiring others who are quietly suffering. They are not alone even if it feels that way.
You can watch Joey Swoll go into more detail about his pain killer addiction, his rock bottom, and his recovery in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
WATCH: Hafthor Bjornsson Spars Larry Wheels After Recent Exhibition Match
Hafthor Bjornsson and Larry Wheels square up in the boxing ring.
Hafthor Bjornsson has been prepping for his battle against Eddie Hall for what seems like forever now. The 2018 World’s Strongest Man has taken his prep very seriously and looks to showcase his dominance come September against his old rival. But before that, Bjornsson has engaged in hard training, exhibition matches, and most recently a sparring match with friend and fellow strength athlete Larry Wheels.
Not known for his ability to throw hands, Larry Wheels is a man who is willing to try just about anything. He even engaged in an arm wrestling match recently to add to his growing list of accomplishments. The Strength Wars star has tried just about everything under the sun in terms of strength sports. Now it appears that he wanted a taste of combat sports.
A Friendly Match
Hafthor Bjornsson decided to give Larry Wheels a taste of what the pugilist lifestyle is like in a recent sparring match.
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After the sparring match Larry Wheels spoke about his support of Hafthor Bjornsson against Eddie Hall.
“I’ll be right there with you while you train for Eddie,” said Larry. “Everyone knows I’m on team Thor, it’s no secret. Take his head off please.”
Hafthor Bjornsson recently showcased more of his ever growing skill in a recent exhibition match. The strongman champion demonstrated some improved ability in his second exhibition match and seems ready for the challenge of Eddie Hall.
A Successful Exhibition Match
The 2018 World’s Strongest Man took to Instagram to speak on his recent match.
Tonight was an important milestone in my boxing journey. I gained good experience from tonight’s exhibition that will serve me well in September. I would like to thank Simon Vallily for a great fight and for taking the fight on short notice. Big respect and all the best for the future. I want to give a big thanks to the sponsors who made tonight possible: @reignbodyfuel @thebeardstruggle @roguefitness @bukaboxing @mtkglobal . Thanks to @coresportsworld @donidrees for organising the event, and special thanks to @dubaisc . Finally, thank you to my fans, my coach, my family, and my friends for your unending love and support. ????
With all this experience it’s a safe bet that Hafthor Bjornsson will be ready to battle Eddie Hall in the fall.
What do you think of Hafthor Bjornsson sparring Larry Wheels?
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Managing Editor at Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Sound Cloud for in-depth MMA analysis.
Former UFC Champ Georges St-Pierre Shows Shredded Transformation at Age 40
Georges St-Pierre has gotten shredded in his post fight career.
Georges St-Pierre is looking absolutely shredded these days. The former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion recently revealed his new and improved physique. The most shocking part is that St-Pierre is looking in this kind of shape at age 40.
Georges St-Pierre was once known for dominating the opposition in the UFC. Now these days the former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion has been known for his roles in shows like The Falcon and The Winter Solider.
How do you say “you just messed with the wrong French guy” without actually saying it?
The combat sports athlete has become a full-fledged star at this point. But recently the former UFC champ has been in the news for another reason: his incredible physique.
Georges St-Pierre has always had an incredible physique. When he was dominating the UFC welterweight division, St-Pierre did so with a style and class all his own. He not only performed like a high level athlete, but he also looked the part as well. With an absolutely shredded physically form, St-Pierre sat atop the welterweight division and ruled things with an iron fist.
Georges St-Pierre then retired from competition on top or rather that’s what the MMA world thought. St-Pierre would eventually make his return to the octagon where he would take on then UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping. In that bout St-Pierre would pack on a considerable amount of muscle to be able to contend with the bigger man.
It seems that Georges St-Pierre was able to hold on to the muscle he built for that fight. A recent photo of the former double champ shows St-Pierre in absolutely shredded condition as he’s stripped away layers of fat to reveal the muscle underneath.
Shredded Form
After cutting out processed food for few weeks, here’s my final result. War face # 2 ??
Georges St-Pierre is looking in top condition and is putting many young fighters to shame in physique alone. Could we eventually see the all-time great back in action again? Only time will tell.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Managing Editor at Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Sound Cloud for in-depth MMA analysis.
Mike O’Hearn Answers: Is A Bodybuilding Lifestyle Bad For Your Heart & Blood Pressure?
Mike O’Hearn and Vlad Yudin debate about heart heath advice from doctors within the bodybuilding lifestyle.
Mike O’Hearn is a bodybuilder with an incredible physique. But he’s also a bodybuilder who focuses just as much on health and longevity as he does on his outward physique. It’s certainly possible to have a sculpted massive physique but be incredible healthy under the hood. O’Hearn understands that and has dedicated his life to overall health. That’s why we asked O’Hearn his thoughts on heart health and blood pressure for bodybuilders. In our latest GI Exclusive, Mike O’Hearn breaks down why he thinks heavy weightlifting and bodybuilding is ultimately good for your heart and blood pressure.
Mike O’Hearn has seemingly accomplished the impossible. He maintains a mass monster physique without the use of PEDs. It’s so incredible that many believe he is lying and secretly uses steroids. It’s a strong believed rumor that has persisted for nearly O’Hearn’s entire career.
Regardless, it’s clear O’Hearn has been consistent in his claims of being all natural. Not only that – O’Hearn has always promoted healthy lifestyle choices within the world of bodybuilding. It’s surprisingly possible to build an impressive massive physique with unhealthy habits. Mike O’Hearn wants to have his cake and eat it too. An incredible physique and incredible long term health.
But is that fully possible when carrying mass monster levels of muscle? We asked this question to Mike O’Hearn, specifically in regards to heart health and blood pressure. Vlad Yudin states that he had a conversation with a cardiologist claiming that heavy weightlifting and massive muscle is ultimately bad for your heart in the long term. The reasoning behind this is two fold. On one hand, you are still carrying a massive amount of weight on your body. This is harder for the heart to pump blood through. On the other hand, the heart can actually grow like a muscle. Heavy weightlifting can increase hearts size (this is ultimately a bad thing).
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Watch our GI Exclusive segment with Mike O’Hearn above!
When asked about this, Mike O’Hearn had his own rebuttal. He recently visited a cardiologist for a routine check up. Not only is O’Hearn incredibly healthy for his age. He also discussed overall heart heath when it comes to heavy weightlifting. His conversation with a doctor revealed the opposite opinion. Lifting weights helps make the heart stronger. Mix that with a healthy diet and you avoid high blood pressure as well.
So what is the correct answer here? Two different doctors with two different opinions on bodybuilding and heart health. Mike O’Hearn chooses to then look at anecdotal evidence. O’Hearn looks back at pro bodybuilders from the golden era and what we know about their health now in their twilight years. According to O’Hearn, many of these older former bodybuilders are healthier and more able bodied than many people their age. This makes O’Hearn believe bodybuilding, when done correctly, is ultimately healthy for your heart.
Mike O’Hearn puts an important caveat on that statement. It’s very easy for a bodybuilder to abuse the techniques to make up an ultimately unhealthy lifestyle. Bodybuilders can eat crap to bulk up muscle. These “dirty” foods can lead to high blood pressure and ultimately heart problems. Heavy lifting can also go too far. Going hardcore each session in the short term does not look forward towards health in the long term.
O’Hearn also makes one more statement in regards to bodybuilding and heart health. Ultimately, there is a randomness to health as a whole. Some people smoke their whole lives but live to be 100. Some people are incredibly healthy-minded but die in their thirties. This doesn’t mean it’s not worth focusing on health – but it does mean that we shouldn’t accidentally assume coincidence is evidence of an actual statistical trend.
You can watch Mike O’Hearn go into full detail about bodybuilding, heart health, and blood pressure in our latest GI Exclusive interview above!
Jose Raymond’s Warning: Avoid Coaches Who Rely Too Strongly On Drugs
Jose Raymond shares the biggest red flags when choosing a bodybuilding coach.
Jose Raymond has been a competitive bodybuilder since 1993. While he had to step down for a few years due to an injury, he has been actively involved with bodybuilding for nearly 3 decades. So it stands to reason that his advice on what to look for in bodybuilding coaches should be taken seriously. In our latest GI Exclusive, Jose Raymond warns of the biggest red flags to look for when choosing a bodybuilding coach.
Jose Raymond didn’t start working with a bodybuilding coach or guru until he was 37 years old. That’s because he wanted to exhaust every single one of his own resources to see how far he could climb before turning to expert help. That kind of mentality showcases how rigorous and serious Raymond took his own role in bodybuilding. It’s his first tip for young bodybuilders today looking for advice on finding a bodybuilding coach.
Far too often, a bodybuilding coach is seen as a necessary key to success in pro bodybuilding. While a coach can be extremely helpful, they are not a catch-all tool to instantly make a bodybuilder better. At the end of the day, the bodybuilder does the work and follows the plan. So before turning towards a coach, Raymond suggests that a bodybuilder does the work to ensure they have exhausted all personal resources. This way – the bodybuilder will know they are ready to put everything in to working with a coach and succeeding.
Of course, when starting the journey of looking for a coach, the biggest question is who do you trust? There are certainly famous names in bodybuilding with proven pedigrees. But not all bodybuilders will have the luck or opportunity to work with them. In today’s internet landscape, it can be hard to tell the tried and true coaches from the hacks looking to make easy money.
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Check out our GI Exclusive segment with Jose Raymond above!
That’s why Jose Raymond shares some red flags that bodybuilders should look out for when choosing a coach. These are key factors that should give the bodybuilder an immediate warning to stay away and find someone else.
His first tip is to look for a coach that still embraces the basics. While it’s certainly okay for a coach to bring in some groundbreaking material into their practices – they should also respect the basics that work. Science does evolve and opinions on fitness do change but certain fundamentals will always be true. If you find yourself with a coach who is trying to reinvent the wheel and throw away tried and true basics – that should be a warning sign.
Secondly, Jose Raymond believes that a coach who focuses too much on drugs is a red flag. Raymond admits that drugs are always going to be a part of any professional sport. It will be an element for top tier pro athletes. But Jose Raymond believes that more recently, the importance of drugs has become overstated. Many bodybuilders go into a coaching relationship only looking for a drug protocol. That is not the main thing a coach should be doing.
So Jose Raymond’s advice is to turn away from any coach that claims he can provide a drug protocol that will make you successful. More is not always better when it comes to drugs. Moreover, drugs are not the most important element in bodybuilding. Any coach who tells you that is not the right coach.
So ultimately there are two key takeaways Jose Raymond hopes to convey for up and coming bodybuilders. Don’t look for coaches that throw away the basics. And don’t look for coaches that act more like drug dealers than trained professionals. If you avoid those two things, do your research, and find a credited trainer – you’ll find yourself getting the help you need for success.
You can watch Jose Raymond break down his advice for bodybuilding coaches in full by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!