Tag: Originals
John Meadows Returns Full Interview | Training Shaun Clarida, Biggest Bodybuilding Mistakes, & More
In May of 2020, the bodybuilding world was in shock at the announcement that John Meadows had suffered a heart attack. Thankfully, he made a full recovery. Later in 2020, one of the pro bodybuilders that Meadows trains, Shaun Clarida, earned himself the Olympia title.Now just under a year after his heart attack and Shaun Clarida’s big win, we reconnected with John Meadows to look back at the entire experience, his recovery, working with Shaun Clarida, and what the future holds.
Over the past few months we’ve released multiple GI Exclusive segments from our interview with John Meadows. Beyond his recovery, we are now releasing the full length interview including additional topics such as the biggest mistake bodybuilders make, lifting heavy vs lifting light, and an analysis of the Olympia 2020.
Listen To Our John Meadows Interview On The Generation Iron Podcast
Our full length interviews are now also in podcast form! Subscribe to the Generation Iron Podcast for candid, full length interviews with the biggest names in bodybuilding, fitness, combat, and strength sports.
Listen to the full John Meadows interview here:
An Inside Look Into Shaun Clarida’s Olympia Training Strategy
John Meadows makes it clear that in Clarida’s case, slow and steady wins the race. Clarida had been making small changes to his training prep year after year. Trail and error worked towards finding the best strategy that worked most efficiently for his body.
Meadows can’t attribute the win to any sort of secret. It was simply persistence. Not only in the willingness to train hard – but also the willingness to think hard. What we mean by that is the ability to stay vigilant on the overall training plan. What can be improved? What isn’t working? What is the ultimate combination of exercises to inch up to that next level?
This is the strategy that John Meadows used on Clarida to bring him to perfection and a Mr. Olympia win. Of course, now that he’s found that perfect combination and physique – where does he go to ensure another victory in 2021?
John Meadows sticks to the same plan. There were still some tweaks that he believes Shaun Clarida can make to further tighten up even the smallest of flaws. Beyond those changes, the key element going into 2021 is intensity. According to Meadows, there is a bad habit of critics believing that intensity needs to be pulled back reaching the ideal physique. That a pro bodybuilder can go “too intense” thus causing a missed mark at the next competition.
John Meadows thinks this is all bullshit. He understands that beginner and intermediate bodybuilders might need to pull back on intensity until they become more experienced. But for pro bodybuilders like Shaun Clarida, he believes that finding little ways to push intensity even farther is the best tactic to guarantee a second Olympia victory.
The Biggest Training Mistakes Bodybuilders Make Today
John Meadows is a former competitive bodybuilder who now helps train pro bodybuilders today. He is deeply involved with the bodybuilding community and works with both veteran and up-and-coming bodybuilders throughout the industry.
That’s why we thought he was the perfect person to ask – what are the most common bodybuilding mistakes happening today? You may not be making all of these mistakes – but it can be a helpful guide for what just might be the biggest oversights the new generation of bodybuilders are making.
John Meadows starts off by stating one of the biggest mistakes he sees today comes as a direct result of social media. He believes that the constant ability to see incredible physiques on apps like Instagram create a warped perception of how bodybuilding really works. More specifically, that bodybuilders now attempt to stay extremely lean all year.
The reality is that in order to improve your physique, you need to go through adjustment phases throughout the year. If you want to build more size, you can’t stay extremely lean for the entire year. You need to go through a bulking phase to help build more mass – then cut it down to a lean look once you’ve achieved the size you want.
Bodybuilders today feel so much pressure to appear lean for social media – that it is actually hindering these bodybuilders’ ability to build bigger and better physiques within a timely manner. It’s slowing down the process towards bigger success.
The other big mistake is one that you might not expect. John Meadows believes that there has been advice growing in popularity within the bodybuilding community. Advice that he believes is actually wrong and should be debunked.
John Meadows believes that young bodybuilders are being advised to train less hard. Due to this, the past few years have produced bodybuilders that don’t train as hardcore in the gym. While it’s true that there is a limit to how far a bodybuilder should push in the gym – Meadows thinks the advice has become over-exaggerated in recent years. This causes bodybuilders to train with less intensity than is needed to succeed in the sport.
The good news is – John Meadows thinks that the newest crop of bodybuilders are starting to amp up the intensity again. Based on the bodybuilders he has seen recently, he thinks a new era of hardcore training athletes is on the way up in bodybuilding.
Wrap Up
John Meadows is a man who can provide rare in-depth knowledge on all things bodybuilding from training perspective. There are far many more topics we discussed in our hour plus interview that could be vital for anyone looking for insight into optimizing bodybuilding training. So make sure to watch our latest full length GI Exclusive interview with John Meadows above!
Melvin Anthony Defends Chad Nicholls & Other Gurus: It’s Not Their Fault If Bodybuilders Take Too Much
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Melvin Anthony shares his personal experience working with Chad Nicholls and defends against accusations that gurus are killing bodybuilders.
Chad Nicholls and other bodybuilding gurus have been subject to criticism in recent years. There have been claims that the kind of supplementation and protocols they advise is too risky. That gurus are not doctors and should not be providing athletes with drug protocols that could end up endangering the athlete. Melvin Anthony is a bodybuilder who worked directly with Chad Nicholls and believes that these accusations are false. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Melvin Anthony defends Chad Nicholls and other gurus – claiming that the risk comes from bodybuilders not following protocol.
In the world of pro bodybuilding, the human body is like a machine that needs the perfect set of elements to run perfectly. Bodybuilders will spend their entire lives trying to determine what works perfect for their own individual bodies. Not only that – but how to then push the limits and take their mass and physique to the next level. Bodybuilding gurus help aid in that process. They provide knowledgable insight into how to train, diet and supplement.
The unspoken truth is that this also involves advice on performance enhancing drugs and other substances. Over the years, these gurus have been praised for their knowledge and the results seen in their clients. They help bring athletes to new heights. But more recently, criticism has been laid at gurus for the dangers posed by their supplementation and protocol advice. Should a guru be held responsible if a health emergency happens to one of their clients because of the very protocol they recommended?
Melvin Anthony caught word of the recent allegations against gurus like Chad Nicholls. The claims go so far as to say he and other gurus like him are killing people. That they are drug dealers with no real medical experience. That they should be held responsible. Anthony disagrees. In fact, he has directly worked with Chad Nicholls. From his experience, Nicholls was nothing but knowledgable and responsible. He always took health into consideration when putting together a protocol for Anthony.
Melvin Anthony believes that the blame thrown towards bodybuilding gurus have been blown out of proportion. Yes, there is always an inherent risk in being a pro bodybuilder. But he also believes that many of the medical emergencies or tragic deaths are not due to the gurus – but the athletes themselves. A guru can only recommend a training program or drug protocol. When the bodybuilder goes home – there’s no telling whether or not that person really follows it. If the bodybuilder takes more than recommended and something bad happens, the guru is not directly responsible.
More than that, a bodybuilder can also not be transparent or truthful about their own lifestyle. A drug protocol might be recommended based on the current diet and training the athlete is doing. But if the athlete is actually not being truthful about their diet, or perhaps their own medical history, then the recommendation by the guru is based off of half truths. In this case, again, the guru is not responsible.
Melvin Anthony believes that this kind of miscommunication is what is largely to blame for medical issues with bodybuilders. He thinks that the responsibility lies with the athlete at the end of the day. No one is forcing them to do anything and, more importantly, if they don’t follow directions to a tee – it’s beyond the guru’s control.
You can watch Melvin Anthony go into detail about his experience with Chad Nicholls and his opinion on bodybuilding gurus in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
George Farah Believes Being Shot Is A Main Reason He Got Cancer
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George Farah recounts the story of being shot and how he believes it relates to his later cancer diagnosis.
George Farah has lived many lives, almost literally. He’s nearly died twice. Once when he was shot in a bizarre wrong place, wrong time incident. And again later when he flatlined during a dramatic moment battling cancer. It’s at once tragic and miraculous what he’s been and survived through. That’s why we asked him to recount the story of being shot – which he surprisingly connects to later getting cancer. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, George Farah explains why he believes beings hot later led to him having cancer.
It’s well known at this point that George Farah was shot in an accidental mishap. It’s also well known that he was diagnosed with cancer and later (thankfully) recovered. He’s been through a lot. What’s great about Farah is that he’s a talker – and he’s completely open about discussing both the shooting incident and his diagnosis and battle with cancer. During our recent video conversation – we asked him to recount the moment he was shot and what that experience was like.
He briefly explained how he was misidentified as someone else – whom the shooter was gunning for. It was a “wrong place, wrong time” kind of situation. He also describes how traumatic the entire fallout was. He wouldn’t wish that kind of near death shooting experience to happen to anyone. Most people watching this video will likely agree. No one wants to be shot.
But the interesting bit of this story comes from what George Farah says afterwards. While he has no direct evidence, he believes that being shot is what eventually led to his later cancer diagnosis. He believes that having led pierce through your body as a foreign object is not good for your health (obviously).
But what he means more specifically, is that small fragments of the lead were most likely not able to be removed. That is then settling and flowing through his body in areas like his intestines. He thinks this kind of toxic and foreign material in his body is one of the main reasons he eventually had cancer.
“Because of that gunshot and because of those bullet fragments they left in me – that’s probably one of the main reasons I got cancer,” George Farah claims in our interview. He continues:
“I truly, truly believe, you know, just like you know lead is not good. That’s why if you have a house with lead, you have to paint it because it’s cancer, whatever, it’s not good… so imagine you have lead in your intestines and your rectum and all those places. They couldn’t take everything out. I think that’s one of the reasons.”
It’s an interesting theory and one that he whole hardily believes. Ultimately he tries not to dwell on it much. As he says it himself, he’s been “dead a couple of times.” He believes that there is a greater plan of fate that brings him through it. He’s grateful to be alive. It’s also a big reason why he’s changed his attitude about health in bodybuilding in our past interview segments. He knows what it’s like to almost lose life. Anything that one can do to extend life and avoid health risks should be taken seriously.
You can watch George Farah go into full detail about being shot and his cancer diagnosis in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Samir Bannout Shares Old School Stories Of Gold’s Gym And Arnold Schwarzenegger
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Samir Bannout talks about first coming to America, Gold’s Gym, and some early stories he’s heard of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Samir Bannout is a bodybuilder who came into his prime during the tail end of the Golden Era of bodybuilding. He’s also a bodybuilder who lived the American dream similar to athletes like Franco Columbu and Arnold Schwarzenegger. He came to the US with a passion for bodybuilding and became a superstar and Olympia champion. So of course, he has some amazing first and second hand stories of the Golden Era of the sport. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Samir Bannout shares stories about coming to America, Gold’s Gym, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Bodybuilding is a very different sport today than it was in the Golden Era. The core elements of the sport remain of course but it is now an entire business model compared to the fledgling niche sport it was in the past. Many bodybuilding fans today romanticize the Golden Era. A time when Gold’s Gym was an iconic location and not a business chain. A time when Arnold Schwarzenegger was a bodybuilding champion and not a politician or action star. A time before social media and a time when Joe Weider was still alive.
That’s why we asked Samir Bannout to tell us some stories from his time as a bodybuilder coming to America and rising in the ranks. Samir Bannout was present for the tail end of the Golden Era. He saw Arnold Schwarzenegger and other greats. He trained at Gold’s Gym and personally knew Joe Gold. He also made connections with individuals who were there from the very beginning.
Bannout describes reading the famous bodybuilding magazines in Lebanon and dreaming of becoming a bodybuilder in America. He saw how Joe Weider inspired athletes like Arnold Schwarzenegger to the USA. So Samir Bannout headed out to the United States. He landed in Michigan originally but eventually had an opportunity to meet Joe Weider. That convinced him to move the California and enter the Mecca of bodybuilding.
Samir Bannout describes it as a dream. He made it out to California and Gold’s Gym in 1978. He describes it as coming there just in time. It was the tail end of the Golden Era and he was able to meet Joe Gold, get a lifetime free membership, and that changed everything. He describes himself as a kid in a candy store.
Samir Bannout also describes meeting a man named Art Seller. This was the man who first picked up Arnold Schwarzenegger from the airport when he arrived in Los Angeles. Bannout ended up becoming close friends with Seller and learned of wonderful early stories about Schwarzenegger. During our interview – he shares a short but funny story of Schwarzenegger when he first landed in America.
You can watch Samir Bannout talk about his journey to the US, his stories of Gold’s Gym and some funny short stories of Arnold Schwarzenegger in our latest GI Exclusive interview above. Bannout mentions that he wants to help continue spreading the passion and love and stories of bodybuilding’s past – especially as many of these greats start to recede into time. This video is a great little oral history keeping the past alive.
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!
Guy Cisternino: “If You Don’t Have Thick Skin, You Shouldn’t Be On Social Media”
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Guy Cisternino discusses the difference between hardship and depression… and how social media has risen self-induced anxiety.
Guy Cisternino is a bodybuilder who exudes confidence. When he recently went viral for his argument in a gym – many online criticized him harshly. But Cisternino, though defending himself, didn’t seem bothered at all. This is rare in the internet age when many, but not all, can have their mood deeply affected by how well received they are on social media. That being said, Cisternino is not impenetrable. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Guy Cisternino opens up about dealing with anxiety, hardships, and discusses how social media has risen anxiety for nearly everyone in the world.
Though Guy Cisternino appears to have a “I don’t give a crap” attitude, he’s human. And while he overall projects confidence, he would be lying to say he didn’t suffer from anxiety. During our recent conversation, Cisternino opened up about how he’s had some truly dark times in his past. He’s overcome them and he doesn’t consider those bouts of time being real depression. But they were challenging.
In fact, Guy Cisternino uses this moment to discuss the difference between hardship and depression. He thinks that mental health is a very serious thing – but there’s a difference between real clinical depression vs just having hardships in your life. He worries that some people today confuse the two and use it as an excuse to not improve themselves.
Cisternino also discusses how he suffers from chronic anxiety himself. But this anxiety is different than what you might assume based off the standard definition of the word. Guy Cisternino explains how he has trouble sleeping nearly every single night. It’s not because he is kept up by anxious thoughts. Instead, his brain simply doesn’t turn off. He can be lying in bed, wide awake, thinking about nothing. He’s gone to doctors and sought help from psychiatrists. It’s a form of anxiety – but not the kind of social anxiety that brings bad thoughts into his brain.
Guy Cisternino then pivots in the interview to talk about anxiety as a whole in our culture. He believes that social media has made anxiety worse for most people. He considers it self induced though – as most people don’t need to use social media – despite nearly everyone succumbing to it. He believes that individuals who suffer serious anxiety caused by social media – should just log off permanently. It’s only making things harder despite the addictive rush of likes and positive comments.
“I think some people shouldn’t be on social media,” Guy Cisternino states in our interview. He continues:
“Some people I think it effects them in a real negative way. If you don’t have thick skin, you shouldn’t be on social media. Because you’re putting yourself at risk at the opinion of others. And you’re never going to get the majority of people – there’s always going to be someone who doesn’t like you just because.”
The term “everyone’s a critic” comes to mind with his statement. Social media has allowed us all to be put out into the mass public – and we will be judged. It’s in our nature to judge what we see. Social media makes that more constant and easier to disassociate our words from how it affects the person on the other side. Guy Cisternino doesn’t lose sleep over negative comments – but for those who do – he thinks the best course of action is to leave social media behind completely.
You can watch Guy Cisternino’s full comments on anxiety in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
Talking Huge With Craig Golias | EP 7: Bodybuilding Heroes & Villains, Eating & Genetics, + More!
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Craig Golias talks about bodybuilding rivalries – do we need heroes and villains in the sport?
Welcome to another episode of Talking Huge – a weekly digital series in which Craig Golias talks in-depth with Vlad Yudin on the latest trending topics in bodybuilding. Raw, honest, and uncut – Craig Golias shares his opinions on all things bodybuilding. In this episode, Craig Golias talks about rivalries, trash talk and drama in bodybuilding. He also discusses eating and genetics, the problem with bodybuilding sponsorships, and more.
Craig Golias brings an interesting perspective to professional bodybuilding. Having abandoned the competitive side of the sport, he is simply a man passionate about the lifestyle while keeping tabs on pro bodybuilding. He’s not even 100% a die hard fan of the sport. This allows him to be a bit more honest and less subjective about the current trends in pro bodybuilding.
That’s why a significant chunk of today’s episode revolves around how to make pro bodybuilding entertaining. Should it go down a more wrestling route with drama, heroes, and villains? Or does that cheapen the very real integrity behind competing in pro bodybuilding? We dive in with our latest episode of Talking Huge. Read on for a full recap and watch above!
Heroes and Villains in Bodybuilding
Craig Golias and Vlad Yudin start today’s conversation reflecting on the past weekend’s Conor McGregor fight. He ultimately lost and broke his ankle. This is one of a string of setbacks for McGregor. Yet, both Craig and Vlad are certain that McGregor will continue to be a major figure in MMA for the foreseeable future. It has less to do with his record and more to do with his personality. He can sell the hell out of an upcoming MMA fight.
This begs the question – does bodybuilding need more drama and characters like Conor McGregor? Blessing Awodibu recently tried this tactic leading up to the New York Pro against Nick Walker. Ultimately, Walker came out victorious with Blessing falling quite behind. Does his lower placing deter destroy his ability to build hype before a show? Or will his personality always prevail?
Craig Golias thinks that characters like Blessing Awodibu are important for the sport. He thinks that the past decade of bodybuilding has been missing that kind of exciting hype leading up to events. While Kai Greene and Phil Heath are famous rivals – Craig doesn’t find their clash all that exciting. Instead, he turns towards the early 2000s when Jay Cutler and Ronnie Coleman faced off year after year. To Craig, that was the shining example of what rivalries should be with significant hype leading up to the big shows.
Beyond rivalries, Craig Golias also thinks it’s good to have true characters – heroes and villains – in pro bodybuilding. Similar to wrestling, this kind of dynamic creates fan drama and connections. In some sense, Phil Heath accepted his role as villain in the sport. But didn’t have anyone, other than Kai for a short time, to match against his personality.
Craig Golias On How Genetics Skew Perceptions Of Bodybuilding Diets
Craig and Vlad also discuss the truth behind bulking and cutting in bodybuilding. Many fans believe that during the bulking phase, that pro bodybuilders can eat as much junk food as they want. They believe that due to drugs like insulin or steroids that athletes have more leeway in what they can eat during the offseason.
Craig Golias wants to debunk this myth. If anything, certain athletes simply have the genetics that allow them to eat what they want and still come to stage shredded later. This is simply a general thing. We all know the kid growing up who could eat junk food all day and never gain a pound. Genetics can be a powerful thing that separates how each of us react to our diets. Unfortunately, in a sport so focused on size, physique, and diet – bodybuilders with phenomenal genetics skew the perception of how to really train and eat as a bodybuilder.
Wrap Up
There are far more topics discussed in this episode than we can cover in this article. You can watch Craig Golias and Vlad Yudin discuss other topics such as how the internet destroyed bodybuilding sponsorships and also why bodybuilding mass monster physiques will never be mainstream. You can check it all out in the latest episode of Talking Huge above! Make sure to check out Talking Huge every week on Friday – only on the Generation Iron Fitness Network!
Jerry Brainum Full Interview | The Truth Behind Body Fat, Biggest Physique Mistakes, & More
Jerry Brainum has been a science writer, researcher and lecturer for more than 30 years in the bodybuilding industry. Throughout those 30 years he’s amassed a superset of knowledge. He’s shared that knowledge in our original series Straight Facts in the past and continues to do so with his Applied Metabolics newsletter.
That’s why we reconnected with Jerry Brainum this past year for a new video interview to discuss the science behind bodybuilding. Jerry Brainum helps shed some light and debunk some myths on bodybuilding training, diets, and trends in the sport.
Over the past few months we’ve released multiple GI Exclusive segments from our interview with Jerry Brainum. Now we’re releasing the full length interview including topics such as the reality behind body fat percentages, the biggest mistake that makes bodybuilders look flat, and the best physiques of all time.
Listen To Our Jerry Brainum Interview On The Generation Iron Podcast
Our full length interviews are now also in podcast form! Subscribe to the Generation Iron Podcast for candid, full length interviews with the biggest names in bodybuilding, fitness, combat, and strength sports.
Listen to the full Jerry Brainum interview here:
The Realities Behind Bodybuilder Body Fat Percentage & Cutting Weight
Brainum claims that the usual body fat percentage of a pro bodybuilder falls around 5%-7%. In some extreme cases, a bodybuilder might be able to go down to 3% overall body fat percentage. He stresses that this is extremely rare. He also stresses that any bodybuilder that claims to have less than 3% is lying. Brainum states that it’s humanly impossible to achieve that low of number.
Jerry Brainum also discusses just how vital genetics plays a roll in how a person can gain or lose weight. The unfortunate truth is – some bodybuilders will have to struggle a lot more to bring their body fat percentage low enough to compete successfully. Every body is genetically different. But in a world of bodybuilding where physiques need to all match the same standard, some competitors will struggle much more than others.
Jerry Brainum details the specific genes that determine such fate for bodybuilders (and any person really). He also spends some time debunking popular weight loss tactics such as fat freezing and liposuction. The overall truth is one many probably don’t want to hear. These medical procedures don’t always work. They can also damage your cells permanently. Ultimately, there is no easy way to lose weight. If you are someone who struggles to lose weight – you just have to work harder on good nutrition and exercise.
The Biggest Mistake That Makes Bodybuilder Muscle Look Flat
Jerry Brainum points out that muscle tissue is made of 72% water. So when bodybuilders deplete themselves in the final “hell week” before a show, if they go too far they actually lose the fullness of their muscle. Even furthermore, some competitive bodybuilders don’t even realize that drinking water is in itself a diuretic. Water flushes out a lot of extra minerals in your body the more you drink it. Thinks like sodium. Too much sodium can make you retain more water – which is a big problem for bodybuilders.
So the biggest mistake that bodybuilders make is by often drinking too much water, not drinking any at all, or taking too many diuretics in the final week before the show. With one fell swoop, it can destroy a year’s worth of work. The hard part of course, is to know how much is too much. Each body is different – but the key is for athletes to recognize this is part of the problem first. Then they can start learning their body and how to fix it.
It’s a delicate balance. It’s what makes this sport so challenging. It’s what makes the legends that much more impressive. Never underestimate “hell week” and start taking depletion seriously in order to present the best bodybuilding physique on stage.
Wrap Up
Jerry Brainum is a man who can provide rare in-depth knowledge on all things bodybuilding from a scientific perspective. He has always ensured that his statements are backed by rigorous research and not “broscience” or anecdotal experiences. That’s why our latest uncut interview is essential viewing for anyone looking to take their physique to the next level.
You can watch our full uncut GI Exclusive interview with Jerry Brainum above.
Gunter Schlierkamp: Women’s Bodybuilding Is Impressive But Not Enjoyable To Look At
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Gunter Schlierkamp shares his personal feelings on Women’s Bodybuilding.
For a short while, Women’s Bodybuilding looked to be dead. It was no longer included in the Olympia weekend and only appeared in a very small handful of shows. All of that changed in 2020, with the Ms. Olympia returning and seemingly on track to stay in the future. Compared to other female divisions, Women’s Bodybuilding has often been controversial due to the massive size of the competitors. The battle for “femininity” in the sport has plagued the division since its inception. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Gunter Schlierkamp tries to find balance between the impressive accomplishments of Women’s Bodybuilding vs his personal taste in women physiques.
Gunter Schlierkamp has made his opinions on Women’s Bodybuilding clear in the past. He’s admitted that he doesn’t find the mass monster physiques on Women’s Bodybuilders attractive. That’s why during our recent interview, we wanted to follow up with Schlierkamp about those comments. Does he still feel that way since the division’s comeback? And could he go into more detail about what exactly he meant?
Gunter Schlierkamp doubles down on his original statement. For him, the Women’s Bodybuilding division is just too big and doesn’t have enough femininity. In fact, he believes the division has the same problem that Men’s Open currently has. Namely, that the athletes are putting on too much size and muscle for their frame.
For Women’s Bodybuilding, this increase in mass monster culture combines with Gunter Schlierkamp’s personal taste on women’s physiques. He simply believes they should not be as muscular as men. It’s not something he’s attracted to.
It’s at this point that Vlad Yudin chimes in to point out that an athletic sport is about achievement and not personal taste. A women’s division in a sport should aim to accomplish the same athletic feats as the men’s division counterpart. Gunter Schlierkamp agrees and reframes his initial comments.
Shclierkamp admits that he finds Women’s Bodybuilding extremely impressive. He believes that what the female athletes accomplish in terms of muscle and conditioning is awe-inspiring as the male athletes. He doesn’t want to take away from what they accomplish. That being said, as a fan of the sport and from the perspective of a spectator – he simply doesn’t find Women’s Bodybuilding enjoyable to watch. He doesn’t find it appealing to his personal taste.
“If a woman does it for competing and just placing and winning shows. Is that impressive the work she puts in there? Hell yeah,” Gunter Schlierkamp states in our interview. He continues:
“I mean, it’s ridiculous, it’s insane, it’s dedication, it’s awesome for that. But do I like it for me personally to loo at? I have to say no. That’s not what I like. So how about I say it like that.”
Do you agree or disagree with Gunter Schlierkamp’s separation of personal taste vs achievement in athletic sport? Check out his full comments in our GI Exclusive interview segment above and decide for yourself!
Melvin Anthony: The Ultimate List Of The Best Bodybuilding Posers Of All Time
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Melvin Anthony was one of the greatest posers in bodybuilding history. Here’s his picks for the top 5 best posers of all time.
Melvin Anthony is a bodybuilder who was active during the 90s and 2000s and best known for his incredible posing routines. In the prime of his career, he often placed in the top six at Mr. Olympia. A lot has changed over the past few decades in bodybuilding – that’s why we connected with Anthony to discuss his revolutionary posing routines and his thoughts on posing in the modern era of bodybuilding. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Melvin Anthony breaks down the top five best bodybuilding posers of all time.
It’s often been said that posing has fallen to the wayside in bodybuilding. What was once an art form in and of itself – has now been a simple set of mandatory moves for the judges. While there are some who still value creativity in posing, it’s almost become secondary in today’s era of bodybuilding.
Arnold Schwarzenegger himself warned of this change and urged the Arnold Classic to instate a score for posing as part of the overall results. The change was made and is still active in the Arnold Classic competitions to this day. It has yet to expand to other major competitions such as the Mr. Olympia.
We connected with Melvin Anthony via video chat to reflect on his career and the inspiration behind his posing routines. There really aren’t many bodybuilding posers out there like Anthony. Melvin was meticulous with his prep and practiced each and every move. His goal was for each posing routine to be flawless.
While the focus on posing has dwindled over the years – there is still hope in the form of select bodybuilders with incredible posing routines. That’s why we asked Melvin Anthony to list his picks for the best bodybuilding posers of all time. He mentions younger bodybuilders like Terrence Ruffin – but the biggest standout to him is Kai Greene.
Fans of bodybuilding are no stranger to Kai Greene’s sometimes bizarre but often beautiful posing routines. He would wear costumes and masks (for guest posing) and incorporate interpretive dance into his routine alongside mandatory poses. His entire persona was based in this art. His interviews are often poetic, just like his posing. He has always seen bodybuilding as pure art. This explains his skill and passion behind painting and his recent line of comic books.
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Watch Kai Greene’s posing routine in Brooklyn in this clip from Generation Iron above!
So was Kai Greene the second coming of Melvin Anthony? Was he influenced by Anthony’s career? Anthony will be the first to admit that Kai Greene is one of the greatest, if not the number one greatest, poser of all time. But their styles are very different. Anthony details how his posing came from his street background. He would incorporate hip hop and breakdance style into his routines. Kai Greene feels more like abstract poetry. Two very different forms – but both dedicating to evolving the routine into something more.
Ultimately, Melvin Anthony struggles to come up with even five names for the best posers of all time (he eventually locks a solid five names). This is an example of just how few and far between true elevated posing is in the sport.
You can watch Melvin Anthony go into detail about his posing routines and the best bodybuilding posers of all time in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!