Tag: Opinion
Top 10 Annoying Things In The Fitness Community
Are you guilty of any of these top 10 annoying gym habits?
There is a reason bodybuilders are called meatheads. If you are a regular to the gym, or even if you aren’t, you are likely to encounter someone who turns you off to the things they do.
Some of these fitness enthusiasts don’t limit their erratic behavior to the gyms. They will find a way or two to irritate you no matter where you are. If you haven’t seen any such people at your gym, this article should help you spot them.
The Screamers
We can understand grunting, but do these people really have to scream like they’re going into labor? Most people scream the way they do to get attention. Nothing is more embarrassing for these princesses than people not watching as they hit a PR.
The Broscientists
Broscientists are the people who pretend to know everything when it comes to fitness and bodybuilding. You will often find them correcting your form or suggesting new diets and supplements. Most of these broscientists are full of BS and you’d be better off staying away from them.
The Brand Shop
We can understand you like brands, but wearing Gucci and Armani to your workouts shouts you’re a show-off. If you are wondering, most people aren’t interested in where you get your stuff from.
The ‘Put-it-on-Steroids’ Guy
You’ll always find people who will put everything on steroids. If they find someone who looks awful and has an enlarged gut, they will put it on steroids. On the other hand, if they find someone with a ripped physique, they will undermine their effort by crediting steroids for their physique.
The Sweat Junkie
Some people need to carry a bucket with them to the gym. People who sweat but don’t carry a towel with them are way more irritating. You don’t want to be using a gym equipment after they’ve used it.
The Talker
Every gym has a group of people who are there to make new friends. These people will wait for you to complete your set and will pick up a conversation right away. Ignoring them while they try to talk to you the next time is the only way of keeping them away.
The Photoshop Pro
The fitness industry is full of imposters who want to gain social media followers by showing off their bodies. More often than not these people edit their pictures to look better than they are in real life.
The Pseudo Humble Guy
There are many fitness celebrities who act as if they are the most humble people you will ever meet. These hypocrites do so to gather people at their booths and to sell their stuff. There have been many instances in the past to prove this.
The Hard Seller
You can’t scroll through Instagram without being sold something by an Instagram celebrity. These celebrities are either big on sponsored posts or have amassed a following big enough to start their own brand.
The Stealer
Most people never learn to ask. Ever gym has people who take away weights and equipment other people are using without asking. Only a few things are more annoying than finding your weights are missing while you were away for a water break.
Do you have any of these annoying personalities at your gym? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements.
This Is Why You Should Never Date A Bodybuilder
Reasons You Should Never Date A Bodybuilder.
The idea of dating a muscular man can be tempting. Having a big man around you can make you feel safe and secure. This is also the reason many men join a gym so they could get more girls.
Just like with most things, dating a bodybuilder can have its pros and cons. And in this case, the cons can be a little heavier than the pros. In the end, it is your decision to make.
1. You Don’t Like Making Food
No matter who you are or where you’re from, if you’re going to date a bodybuilder you should be ready for this. Diet is one of the most important aspects of bodybuilding, and no bodybuilder will ever compromise on it.
If you happen to find a lazy partner, you could end up cooking all his meals. Pro tip: if you’re starting to date a bodybuilder, give him no clue you can cook. Pretend as if you have no idea how it is done and you can spend the rest of your life in peace.
2. Bodybuilders Can Be Self Centered
Bodybuilding is a sport where an athlete has to focus on himself. This is where bodybuilders can end up being selfish and self-centered. It can be even more prominent if he is prepping for a contest.
Fitness athletes are known to skip family and friends time to work on their art. You should be ready if this happens to you. Let us break this for you, if you like having all the attention, things might not work between you two.
3. You Don’t Like Working Out
Having a ripped partner and being fit yourself are two different things. You can expect your better half to ask you to start working out. If you’re not into the fit lifestyle, it will be better to set the expectations from the beginning.
You will also have to bear with him if he’s always talking about the gym or if he’s spending most of his time in the gym. Some bodybuilders can tend to have a small world which revolves around fitness and staying in shape.
4. Protein Farts
It is no secret bodybuilders eat a lot of protein. Protein can also be one of the hardest nutrients for your body to digest, and this can lead to farts, protein farts. If you have no idea what we’re talking about, just google it.
Trust us; you don’t want to be anywhere near protein farts. And at the same time, you can’t ask or expect your better half to stop eating protein. This will be a part of your life, and you will have to live with it.
5. Steroid Use
If your boyfriend looks anything like the guys on the Mr. Olympia stage, he’s on steroids. This might come as a surprise to you since most bodybuilders don’t like to share this part of their lifestyle with the world.
If you have reservations about drug use, you should stay away from dating a bodybuilder. It is better to clear this out before you start dating a bodybuilder. Don’t be surprised if you still find out about it later after he has denied using it.
Have you ever dated a bodybuilder? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements
Opinion: The Pros and Cons of Lifting Heavy as a Mixed Martial Artist
Barbell lifts have been translated over to almost every sport imaginable. At first many believed weightlifting was only for bodybuilders and people looking to create some solid beach muscles with no real substance behind the aesthetics. Soon people learned just how wrong that notion was.
In reality, barbell lifts are great for athletic performance. Building quality muscle doesn’t simply need to be translated over to the bodybuilding stage. If you have the right program then it can be adjusted to your needs. Which leads us to the notion of heavy lifting. Can it be beneficial to your performance in endeavors outside of powerlifting and bodybuilding? On an even more personal perspective, how does heavy lifting translate over to martial arts?
Benefits
I was never much of a heavy lifter when I was actively competing in Karate and kickboxing. Instead my focus was purely on technique and strategy. Rather than “waste time” lifting heavy weight, the focus was always on improving on execution. It’s only now in hindsight that I’ve made the realization that it was the wrong approach. Lifting should definitely be apart of a martial artist’s program. But should you be going heavy?
To clarify, when I started a program I chose the powerlifting approach with some bodybuilding principles thrown in to add variety. Squats, bench press, and the occasional deadlift were all on the menu. The results were definitely alarming, particularly in the beginning.
The benefits of lifting heavy is gaining some insane, godly strength. When I switched over to lifting heavy I felt incredible strength and power, something that was perhaps always there but was dormant. Clinches and ties ups were easy enough to shrug off and my muscle mass increased meaning playing the bully was all but guaranteed. But it wasn’t all sunshine and wine. Lifting heavy has drawbacks, despite the insane strength increase.
Drawbacks
There are a number of things to consider as a fighter when you choose to lift weights. One, you must keep in mind that you have to compete in a particular weight class and gaining too much muscle can make a weight cut even harder than it already is. Secondly, if you’re lifting heavy weight, the chances of you getting sluggish in your movement is a real concern.
Lifting heavy put on the muscle mass sure, but it also turned my fleet footed movement into more of a plodding affair. Rather than bouncing around with dynamic speed, I was reduced to marching towards sparring partners or only able to have fast feet for a short period of time before my muscles fatigued.
Suggested Methods
So where does that leave me and heavy lifting? Well, there is certainly a benefit to lifting in general, one that can’t be denied, discarded or ignored. But lifting heavy simply isn’t going to get the job done as far as aiding in athletic performance for MMA.
That said, lifting should definitely be thrown in there somewhere. Rather than aiming to lift heavy and achieve personal records, an individual looking to use lifting for athletic performance should focus on the rate of velocity of their lift. In layman’s terms that means focusing on how fast the bar is traveling from the bottom position of a lift to the top. That means sacrificing the heavy weight for something much more manageable.
You don’t need to come close to your one rep max to get a ton of benefits of lifting. Your strength may not triple over night, but you will get more explosive which is far more important in a sport like MMA. You’ll gain muscle, but not the kind of massive amounts that will throw you out of a weight class, plus you’ll be able to reap the strength benefits without feeling like a sluggish mess when it’s time to mix it up in sparring.
All in all, you should definitely be lifting if you’re competing in an explosive, dynamic sport. It’s all about programming and how you implement the training more than the actually weight you put on the bar. A good rule of thumb to live by is performance over ego. If you keep that in mind then you’re golden.
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 Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.
Personal Training Should Be A Strict No And This Is Why
These Are The Reasons Why You Should Never Sign Up For Personal Training
Personal training is one of the biggest profit making services for a gym and its trainers. This is the reason the staff at the gyms push people to sign up for personal training (PT) programs. The newbies are the most prone to the PT sales pitch.
If you’ve just got a gym membership, working out can look intimidating. The trainers at your gym know this and will try to push you into signing up for a PT. No matter how hard they try, you should stay away from it.
1. Not For The Long Run
Staying with a personal trainer forever can be hard even if you want to compete in pro bodybuilding shows. Most people tend to stop taking the personal training services once they get the knack of things in the gym.
While this might be the obvious next step for you, there are chances your personal trainer will not be happy with your decision. Don’t expect help or spot from the trainers at your gym once you’re off the personal training program.
2. Cross Selling
Once you sign up for PT, you’ve established you’re ready to spend handsomely on your health. Many gyms recommend and sell supplements to their customers and make a fat commission on every sale.
Cross selling doesn’t end at supplements. It can even extend to gym gear and any other thing related to fitness and working out. Don’t be surprised the next time your personal trainer finds something extraordinary and wants you to try it.
3. Over Dependence
Getting a personal trainer for yourself is like outsourcing the tension about your health. This can be a good and a bad thing. Over-dependence on your trainer for your training and nutrition plans can be harmful.
Your trainer will love to do all this work since it will keep you dependent on him. You should be actively involved in building your diet and training plans. Make sure you’re questioning and learning from your trainer with every single passing day.
4. No Custom Training Programs
Personal training isn’t as personal as you might think it is. Look at it from the business point of view, the more clients the trainer services, the more he earns. Training clients for the entire day can leave little to no time to work on individual client training programs.
The trainers end up building a generic training plan which all their trainees follow. In worse cases, people follow plans which are available on Bodybuilding.com for free. If you decide to opt for personal training, see to it your instructor builds a custom plan for you.
5. Getting A Wrong Match
No two people are the same. You can’t go with any fitness trainer. You need someone who matches your personality and style and understands where you lack. Your fitness instructor will be with you for the entire time you’re in the gym, choose someone you can jell well with.
Hiring a wrong match can act as a demotivation. You might start skipping your workouts because of your trainer. The best way to avoid this is to ask the trainer for a trial and only finalizing if he is a good fit for you.
Have you ever opted for personal training? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Combining Classic and Modern Eras, Hunter Labrada Could Be a Future Mr. Olympia
Could Hunter Labrada one day reign as Mr. Olympia.
With a classic style mixed with a modern physique, Hunter Labrada has all the tools necessary to make him a top contender for the Olympia crown. His impressive performance could just be a prelude to what’s to come for the young bodybuilder.
No one can remain on top forever. Everyone has their time in the sun and must do with it what they can. Once your time is up, it can be nearly impossible to reclaim your glory, particularly where sporting ventures are concerned. Ask Ronnie Coleman and Phil Heath, two long reigning Mr. Olympia champions. It’s hard to become champion, even harder to defend the title, and basically impossible when their reign has come to an end.
New Blood
But with the ending of a reign comes new blood. Fresh faces are coming to the forefront of bodybuilding. A new era is beginning. While Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay reigns as the current Mr. Olympia, he won’t hold the title for all time. There are other young, hungry contenders who are up to the task of taking on the best of the best to earn the right to be crowned Mr. Olympia. One of the top contenders to potentially hold that coveted title is none other than the up and coming Hunter Labrada.
The son of the legendary Lee Labrada, Hunter Labrada has all the tools necessary to become a future Mr. Olympia champion. Hunter came in fourth place at the 2021 Olympia, even outpointing top bodybuilder and fellow fresh faced contender Nick Walker. Hunter clearly has some attributes that will make him an ideal Mr. Olympia.
At 29 years of age, Hunter Labrada is in that sweet spot in terms of bodybuilding. Many bodybuilders come into their own in their 30s meaning that Hunter has yet to hit his prime. That means that we haven’t even seen his full potential as of yet. From what we can see, Hunter has a well balanced physique, symmetrical and well muscled. If he can mange to dial in his conditioning even more and fine tune his posing routine, he could easily find himself in the top three at next year’s show.
A Modern Classic
What we saw was Hunter Labrada being able to marry the classic and modern eras of bodybuilding. He has a classic influence from his father while maintaining a well muscled and massive frame we’ve come to know as the standard of modern bodybuilding. His routine at the 2021 Olympia showed just how deadly the combo can be when well executed together.
With Lee Labrada helping him every step of the way, it’s very possible that we could see Hunter make further strides in his posing ability. He has the kind of balanced physique that has seen champions like Brandon Curry, Shawn Rhoden, and Phil Heath outduel the competition. While he still may have some years before he can actually ascend to the thrown, Hunter Labrada has all the ingredients necessary to usher in a new era of bodybuilding.
Do you think Hunter Labrada will one day be an Olympia champion?
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
News and Editorial Writer 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.
7 AM vs 7 PM: What Your Workout Says About You
7 am vs 7 pm: which is the preferred time to workout?
There are two types of people in this world. Early birds and night owls. Two distinct types of people, and their internal clocks affect their daily lives. I myself am I night owl, and have to drum up enough discipline to not let my mind completely wander and watch movies til 4am. Other people are in bed by 9pm and up at 5am.
I’ve personally never understood the whole worshiping of the early bird, but the old adage the early bird gets the worm does hold some weight.
People like Mark Wahlberg or Mike O’Hearn that get up at 3am are absolute weirdos. Ya, you’re up super early, but you went to bed at 7? I bet you’re a ton of fun…
Being a night owl is like being a pot head. It’s easy to go with the, “they’re lazy and never get anything done” cliché. Nowadays some of the most successful people are potheads. Seth Rogen, Joe Rogan, Brad Pitt, Eddie Murphy, all your favourite pro athletes, and the list goes on.
You can be a person that stays up all night pondering non sense, watching too many Alex Jones videos, and not getting anything done. This decision sabotages your next day to because it forces you to either sleep in late or run off less rest than you need. That definitely is an option and a lot of people do that.
Or, you can be someone who likes to work in the silence and seclusion the night sky provides. My point is, the early bird or the night owl doesn’t really matter. The move is to figure out what times your body and mind work best, and go from there. That being said, let’s see what your workout time says about you.
7am: Early Bird
This person’s a try hard. They’re getting up before their alarm goes off, watching some David Goggins, and running through a wall. They’re determined to make the day. Their feet hit the floor and the devil runs. The coffees ready, the outfit laid out the night before, and they’ve already done a morning mediation and read 100 pages from some super intense book. They go to bed at the same time every night, and rise at the same time every morning. Revolutions.
They sip their coffee and lemon infused water on the way to the gym, and listen to an audio book or in depth podcast. They arrive at the gym ready to conquer. They’re probably fasted and working out on an empty stomach because why not? This person’s a machine, and machines don’t need food.
They do a quick jog, followed by hitting the weights. Super sets of course, lot of reps, really getting the pump and heart rate going. They finish with some core and probably more cardio because why not. They may even ride their bike home or to work. This person gets ahead of the day. They eat the frog. They arrive places early and are ready for anything.
They’re a low carb, low sugar person, but likely high caffeine. They even plan their cheat meals (meals not days) and stick to it. Amazing. Most likely they’ve suffered some intense emotional damage or loss by something in their past and refuse to give in and ever be a loser ever again. Stay hard!!
7pm: Night Owl
This person plays with fire. They’re living dangerously. They finish their normal work day, and expect to muster up enough energy/pre workout high to leave their house again and crush weights at their local pump palace. 7pm turns to 8pm turns to 9pm and before you know it, you’re making Pillsbury cookies and firing up Netflix. This can and has happened…… trust me I know.
Going to the gym anytime past 7 pretty much guarantees you’ll be up all night. The combination of pre workout and endorphins adds a few hours of jitters and energy that you won’t be able to defeat, and get to sleep. 7pm is the last window to get a workout in before sabotaging your night. It’s a good time to go to the gym because the after work rush has left, but there’s still a solid amount of talent in the gym for motivation. And by talent, I mean chicks wearing Lulu’s and Gym Shark gear. Every day is leg day if you’re a gym girl.
I personally love the 7pm workout because it gives me time to eat and digest food all day, so my workouts are much better because I have more strength and energy behind them. I don’t mentally wake up for the first 2 hours I’m awake, (not a coffee guy) so anytime I’ve tried to work out in the morning, the workouts have been absolute dog shit. If you avoid the pitfalls of bailing on the 7pm workout, it can really be the crowning achievement of a day well lived.
If you eat like shit all day, do a physical job, and expect to rip yourself off the couch once you’re comfortable at home, it probably won’t happen for you. Once again, matching your workout with your lifestyle and preferences is huge. The 7pm workout is something I look forward to all day. I like to get as much of my shit done during the day as possible, and have that time to myself at night. It’s my form of meditation.
After my 7pm workout, I come home to shower, eat, and enjoy whatever videos or movies I want before bed because I’ve earned it. All my productive shit for the day is done and I capped it off with a great workout. Day well lived. That being said, I wrote this article after a 7pm workout because I did other stuff during the day. The gym can be a great buffer and mental release. It works as a reset that can make things clearer. You come back invigorated and raring to get one more thing done off your daily checklist before landing the plane.
At the end of the day, find what works for you and do it. For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
You can follow Jake Brennan on Instagram.
Can Top IFBB Elite Pro Athlete Michal Krizo Succeed in IFBB Pro League?
Does Michal Krizo have what it takes to take on the IFBB Pro League competitors?
Could IFBB Elite Pro Michal Krizo contend with the best of the best in the IFBB Pro League? That seems to be the question on everyone’s minds as the Slovakian bodybuilder continues to impress on the international stage.
IFBB Elite athlete Michal Krizo has been generating a ton of buzz lately. With his most recent win at the Arnold Classic Europe Elite Pro, many have been raising the question: how would Krizo do in the IFBB Pro League? Of course it’s only speculation for now, but it is certainly an interesting idea to ponder over.
Considering the massive talent pool in the IFFB Pro League, Michal Krizo certainly wouldn’t have it all his way. While the IFBB Elite Pro may have some impressive athletes, there’s a reason why the competitors in the IFBB Pro League are considered the best in the world. Every member of the IFBB Pro League contends against the best of the best and nothing less. So while Krizo is certainly impressive, he’s an untested pro in regards to the rest of the high level bodybuilders in the IFBB Pro League.
Michal Krizo himself isn’t low on confidence either. He’s been making his presence known not only through his performances, but by way of antagonizing his IFBB Pro League counterparts. The Slovakian bodybuilder has been calling out members of the IFBB Pro League online. That has led to many making comparisons between Krizo and top pros like 2020 Mr. Olympia himself Big Ramy.
Both men have incredible size and musculature on their frames. With that said, Big Ramy has such full muscle bellies and the kind of off the charts conditioning that makes him hard to contend with.
Michal Krizo may have the size, but it’s all about presentation. At the highest levels of the sport it’s not about who’s the biggest, but who can present their physique the best. It took Big Ramy years of competing with the best in the world to understand that very fact. It would no doubt take Krizo a few attempts before he would be up to par.
That said, it’s clear that Michal Krizo has the goods. While his exclusive contract with the IFBB Elite Pro prevents him from competing in the IFBB Pro League, there is still a possibility we could see him make the transition in the future. After all, Blessing Awodibu was himself in a similar position and has since switched to the IFBB Pro League. Perhaps we could see Krizo do the same in the future.
Do you think Michal Krizo could dominate in the IFBB Pro League?
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
News and Editorial Writer 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.
How OnlyFans Shifting Their Business Model Could Affect The Fitness Community
OnlyFans is changing its business model and it could put a lot of people out of business.
So OnlyFans is stopping sexually explicit content from being on the platform. To be honest it’s a bold move on the part of ownership. Seeing how the platform gained notoriety and popularity through its offering of sexually explicit material, to now ban said content is a major risk. But since the company wishes to go mainstream, it appears that they are intent on “cleaning up” their image.
With that said, how will this shift in focus affect those in the fitness industry?
Let’s face it, there are plenty of individuals in the fitness space that have OnlyFans accounts. Many of them are in the bodybuilding community and have leveraged their physiques to make additional or even full time income with OnlyFans. Some have specifically done that through creating sexually explicit material, muscle worship coming to mind in this case.
The platform banning this content will put many sex workers out of a job and will also affect a segment of the fitness community negatively. While it’s possible that certain raunchy imagery may still be allowed on the platform, explicit content will certainly not be allowed.
Not everyone who uses the platform however posts explicit content. In fact there are a great deal of individuals that use the platform to connect directly with their fans. This includes none other than the current reigning UFC middleweight champion himself Israel Adesanya.
The UFC Champ Shares His Thoughts
The enigmatic and popular UFC champion has been on the platform since January of this year and has used it to his benefit. Israel Adesanya has posted content that many of his fans wouldn’t see otherwise all through the lens of safe for work content. But even Adesanya had a thing or two to say about the new direction of the OnlyFans platform.
“So no more sexually explicit content…lol ok.
“I think it’s BS, but I get why they have to if OF wants to go mainstream. The biggest network online is the porn network. They’ve dictated the trends for a long time.
“I’m still here though, just dropping likkle gems from time. I still got plenty in the archives…stay tuned ?”
This shift in business practices may not completely implode the platform. After all, many athletes and celebrities will still find a way to monetize through OnlyFans.
But for those who relied on the network to pay their bills through explicit means, this shift in focus has been a devastating blow. As time moves forward, we’ll see just how much this change to OnlyFans will affect the fitness and bodybuilding community.
Honestly, big sweeping moves like this by corporations can be extremely harmful to the very people they want using their invention. In a way it’s understandable that they want to shift their image. In another it takes away income and autonomy from people looking to make a living.
What do you think of OnlyFans shifting focus?
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.
5 Gym Etiquette Rules You Should Know About
5 Most Important Rules Of Gym Etiquette You Should Know
When some people are in the gym, they think no one is watching them. They take the gym to be a practice ground and decide to do things which they otherwise wouldn’t do outside. The gym is like any other social setting and you need to be on your best behavior.
Without you knowing it, there could be some things you do in the gym which could be a cause for trouble for the other people. If you do the right things, becoming a gym sweetheart isn’t so hard.
1. Re-Rack Your Weights
This is the basic gym etiquette most people lack. People use weights and leave them on the floor after completing their exercise. These people think re-racking the weights is the job of the gym employees and permit themselves to scatter weights throughout the gym.
While keeping the gym clean and tidy is the job of the gym staff, cleaning after you isn’t. Since you’re working out, it is safe to assume you’re old enough to clean up after yourself. Every gym should have this written on their walls –
“If you’re man enough to lift it, you’re man enough to put it back.”
2. Be Presentable
While it’s true your gym clothes have a smaller life cycle than your normal clothes, it doesn’t mean you should start wearing untidy clothes to the gym. You look at yourself in the mirror for most of the time you’re in the gym.
Looking good while working can act as a motivation. You meet many people while you’re at the gym, and you should leave a good first impression. Talking about first impressions, do everyone a favor and wear a deodorant. Stop with the homeless look already.
3. Don’t Help When Not Asked For
Broscientists have earned a name for themselves when it comes to interfering in others workouts. If someone doesn’t ask you for training tips or the right form while performing an exercise, please keep all your training hacks to yourself.
Everyone’s body is different and responds to different things. People realize what works for them after years of trial and error. Don’t think you can correct everything with your training hacks. Not to mention, no one appreciates a broscientists or his tips.
4. Ask Before Taking Equipment
If you’ve been working out for some time, there are chances you might have found yourself in a situation when someone took the weights you were using without your permission. We’re sure you wouldn’t have liked that.
Even if you find barbells, dumbbells or weight plates lying around, ask around before taking them. While you’re at it, use a towel to wipe down the equipment if you get them dirty. Doing this will add good karma to your gym life and the same will start happening to you.
5. No Dibs, Please!
Some people have the habit of blocking others from the equipment they’re using. A little sharing never hurt anybody. Not sharing is one of the most lacked gym etiquettes. Everyone is running on a schedule, always offer to share the equipment.
Since you’ll have some time in between sets, it is a great way to build new relationships. If you’re running late, you can speed up your workouts by using advanced training techniques like supersets.
Which are the etiquettes people at your gym lack? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Zane Watson: The Most Inspirational Bodybuilders Currently Competing
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Zane Watson talks about his future plans and the current bodybuilders that most inspire him.
Legends never die – which is why most athletes will list bodybuilding greats such as Ronnie Coleman, Dorian Yates, and Lee Haney in their list of most influential bodybuilders. It’s for good reason. But as these athletes recede further into the past, new athletes rise up to inspire a new generation. Zane Watson is a relatively young bodybuilder in his 30s and finds himself inspired by the rising current crop of athletes succeeding today. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Zane Watson lists his picks for the most influential bodybuilders currently competing today.
Zane Watson is looking at a three year plan to success in pro bodybuilding. He’s been competing already for some time now but last year’s pandemic put a halt to his original plans. Now he’s looking to compete in the Arnold Classic 2021 this September. He’s had a routine memorized in his head that he’s excited to finally share with the world. He hopes this will be the first step towards further success and, hopefully, a future Olympia title.
We asked Zane Watson which bodybuilders inspired him most and helped influence his physique and posing routines. He had previously spoke with us about his original influences from past eras – but which bodybuilders currently competing excited him most and affected his approach?
Watson stated that he has multiple influences depending on which area of bodybuilding you are focusing on. For example, John Meadows is a big inspiration. He may no longer compete but now he trains athletes – including current Men’s 212 champion Shaun Clarida. Watson believes that Meadows’ training principles are legendary and have helped shape him into the bodybuilder he is today.
When it comes to pure physiques, he believes that Keone Pearson is a future Men’s 212 Olympia champion in the making. He believes that Pearson has one of the best physiques currently on stage in all of bodybuilding. He uses that as a beacon or goal to reach towards in his own physique.
Zane Watson also has a deep love of posing. He is most inspired at the moment by Terrence Ruffin’s posing routines. He believes that he will also become an Olympia champion in the Classic Physique division one day. Watson is a rare younger bodybuilder who believes posing is equally important as physiques. Without pitch perfect posing – the entire physique wouldn’t come together for the judges to see.
Athletes like Keone Pearson and Terrence Ruffin have been gaining heat for the past few years now. It makes sense that Zane Watson sees inspiration in them as well as motivation to rival them on stage with his own physique. Perhaps Watson will be the next guard of athlete to catch attention alongside these two bodybuilders. Watson’s New York Pro showing in 2018 caught a lot of attention. If he can earn a victory in the next step up such as the Arnold Classic – it can upgrade his status even further. We can’t wait to see his three year plan come to fruition.
You can watch Zane Watson’s full comments about his future plans and his inspirations in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!