Tag: Video
Lukas Osladil: The Best Posers That Today’s Bodybuilders Should Learn From
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Lukas Osladil explains his unique posing style and lists off the best posers in the history of bodybuilding.
Lukas Osladil is a rising star in the bodybuilding world. Beyond his massive physique, Osladil showcases a very entertaining and unique posing routine whenever he competes. He performs splits and flips in a way that is shocking for a man of his size. It recalls the likes of Roelly Winklaar on occasion. Arnold Schwarzenegger has recently renewed his criticism of modern posing routines during the Arnold Classic 2021 broadcast. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Lukas Osladil lists of the best bodybuilding posers of all time that today’s athletes should watch and learn from.
Over the past decade, there has been a renewed conversation about the art of posing. While some fans may miss the beauty of posing in the Golden Era and even the 90s – things really came to a head when Arnold Schwarzenegger himself started to criticize modern posing. It went so far as to bring back a scored posing round in the Arnold Classic.
Despite this, there seems to be no big change in the overall culture of posing routines for modern bodybuilders. There will always be a select few who bring more originality into the routine – but most simply hit the mandatories and hype up the audience with some gestures.
One exception to this is Lukas Osladil. A pro bodybuilder with an impressive physique to match his impressive posing routines. He often fits in gymnastic-esque techniques into his routine much to the delight of fans. During our conversation with Osladil, we asked him to detail how he landed on his specific posing style.
We also asked Lukas Osladil who most inspired him in the posing world of bodybuilding. Specifically, we asked him to list his picks for the five best posers in bodybuilding history. At a glance, his choices were Shawn Ray, Kai Greene, Melvin Anthony, Vince Taylor, and Fred Smalls. While this interview took place just before the Arnold Classic – the conversation seems well timed. Arnold Schwarzenegger was very vocal during the broadcast about his dissatisfaction in modern posing. He felt they lack passion and most athletes could not hold a pose long enough.
So perhaps Lukas Osladil’s list of best posers can act as a research guide for today’s rising athletes. Osladil explains that he will spend on average two months preparing his routine. If more modern bodybuilders take this approach, watch some posing legends, and develop their own unique style – we just might have a second coming of beautiful posing in bodybuilding.
The bigger question is whether or not it 100% needs to change. Perhaps Arnold Schwarzenegger is right about mandatories and athletes not holding poses long enough. But does the originality of posing absolutely need to come back? That’s up to personal preference. It can be something to further entertain fans – but it’s also not necessary to properly display the quality of a bodybuilding physique. So long as the mandatories are hit properly. Lukas Osladil’s posing may entertain – but does it improve his chance of winning a show?
As with all things – this might be a case of the bodybuilding culture changing – and older generations being unhappy with the new world as it leaves them behind. Also like all things – it’s likely that the art of posing will circle back eventually. All trends run in cycles. The question is how long will this one last?
You can watch Lukas Osladil’s full comments on posing in bodybuilding by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Samir Bannout Full Interview | Golden Era Stories, Thoughts On Big Ramy & More
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Watch the full uncut GI Exclusive interview with Samir Bannout.
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.
Bannout is also a Mr. Olympia champion – falling into a small club of athletes who only won the title once. Despite retiring many years ago, he has remained vigilant in his passion for the sport – providing an entire training program to help improve and educate new generations of athletes.
Over the past few months we’ve released multiple GI Exclusive segments from our interview with Samir Bannout. Now we’re releasing the full uncut interview. This includes topics such as his thoughts on the rise of middle eastern bodybuilders, his first hand account of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s controversial 1980 Olympia win, and more!
Listen To Our Samir Bannout 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 Samir Bannout interview here:
Samir Bannout’s First Hand Account Of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Controversial Olympia 1980 Win
Samir Bannout is a bodybuilding legend in his own right. He is a Mr. Olympia champion and considered by many to have one of the greatest physiques of all time. He was also present at the 1980 Mr. Olympia competition. We sat down with Samir via video chat for our latest GI Exclusive interview. During that conversation, we asked him to reflect on his first hand account of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s return and the drama that ensued at Mr. Olympia 1980.
Arnold Schwarzenegger ultimately was crowned the winner of the Mr. Olympia 1980. This decision was so poorly received that Frank Zane threw his trophy to the ground and multiple athletes stormed off stage. It was clear that many disagreed with the judges decision.
So what about Samir Bannout? Did he disagree with the call? He makes it clear in our conversation that he felt Arnold Schwarzenegger did not deserve to win the Mr. Olympia 1980. In fact, while he does not have confirmation, he has heard many rumors from trusted friends in the industry. Rumors that imply that Arnold Schwarzenegger received help from the judges due to his rising star in Hollywood.
There are those who thought perhaps Arnold was scored more favorably because of how much power he held as a celebrity. Or alternatively, he was so beloved that the judges scored more on Arnold the icon rather than his conditioning.
“Yeah of course so many people got pissed off and I also believe they have the right to get mad,” Samir Bannout states in our interview. He continues:
“I THINK THE ASSUMPTION WAS THEN… DO I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED OR WHY DID ARNOLD WIN? SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, ARNOLD HAD A LOT OF FANS. AND HE’S ARNOLD. EVERYONE LOOKED UP TO ARNOLD. AND SO, I HEARD THAT SOME OF THE JUDGES LOVED ARNOLD. LOVED HIM AS ARNOLD. THEY DIDN’T CARE ABOUT HIS CONDITIONING THAT DAY. THEY VOTED FOR HIM AS ARNOLD AND THAT’S NOT RIGHT. ME PERSONALLY IF MY BROTHER WAS ON STAGE, DOESN’T DESERVE TO WIN, I WOULDN’T LET HIM WIN.”
Samir Bannout makes a point to state he has no proof of this. It’s a rumor he has heard from enough people to trust in the topic. That’s a testament to just how controversial Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1980 victory was. While all of these claims may simply be one day proven false – it’s the optics that led to such fervor.
Samir Bannout Answers: Is There A Middle East Movement Dominating Bodybuilding?
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Chef Rush On Recent Bodybuilding Deaths: We Need To Avoid Taking A Turn For The Worse
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Chef Rush comments on the recent string of deaths in bodybuilding and the future of health in the sport.
Last month, there was an unfortunate and tragic string of deaths in the bodybuilding world. While each of these deaths were unrelated, it sparked an avalanche of comments about the state of health in the sport of bodybuilding. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Chef Rush reacts to the recent deaths and comments on the current state of health in bodybuilding.
Before diving in, we want to make it clear that the recent series of deaths in bodybuilding were not directly related. In fact, many of these deaths have not had a cause of passing revealed. Some seemed to be more directly related to contest prep while others just a coincidence. Chef Rush’s comments here are not a direct reaction to the cause of death but instead a expanded conversation about bodybuilding overall health triggered by these recent passings.
Chef Rush, like many passionate about the sport of bodybuilding, was heartbroken over the number of recent bodybuilding deaths in the sport. Many of these deaths were in individuals who were under the age of 50. Each individual passing was a tragic loss. But it’s also raised questions about the current state of health in bodybuilding. Has it become too dangerous? Are these deaths a direct result to the bodybuilding lifestyle?
Chef Rush cannot comment about exact supplements, or even drugs, that athletes may be doing. Rush may himself be a bodybuilder – but he’s not a competitor. He would rather not speculate about what substances modern bodybuilders are taking. Instead, he comments on the overall perception of health in bodybuilding and how it can affect the sport as a whole.
Chef Rush believes that the more deaths that plague the sport, the more negative media attention the sport will get. This kind of attention will diminish the opportunities the sport has. This, in a sense, has already happened. Mr. Olympia was once aired on television – but has since fallen off broadcast TV – most likely due to the reputation of PED use in the sport. If these young deaths end up becoming more consistent – Rush worries that the future of bodybuilding will become even smaller.
“One thing I will say on the flip side of it is. Is that reporting on the deaths in the industry… and in the last 30 or 60 days it was X amount,” Chef Rush states in our interview. He continues:
“The one thing that you don’t want to happen is that it takes a turn for the worse. Where people start in the media, and I mean big media, start looking at it and shun it and say ‘here’s what’s happening.’”
Chef Rush goes on to say that this kind of negative perception can also affect future generations. Either by losing interest or, even worse, generating interest in even more unhealthy practices. Rush claims that, even today, he will have 12 year old kids ask him what kind of steroids they should take. He’s shocked at how young they are aware of that kind of drug use. The PEDs should come second, or never at all, before questions on how to train and diet. The mentality of the younger generation may be skewed.
Of course, this is all anecdotal evidence. In a sport as niche as bodybuilding, there are no real studies done to see if bodybuilding is actually more or less healthy today than it was in the past. Are there more deaths happening? Or is social media just bringing more instant attention to it? These are questions that will likely never have comprehensive answers.
You can watch Chef Rush’s full comments on health in bodybuilding by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Victor Martinez: How To Avoid Retaining Water Weight On Creatine
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Victor Martinez explains key tips on how to properly cycle creatine to avoid holding water weight.
Victor Martinez is an iconic long running pro bodybuilder who also featured in the original Generation Iron and has now started his own supplement company. To say he is knowledgeable about all things bodybuilding would be an understatement. While discussing about his supplement company, Superhero Labz, we asked him for some advice on creatine usage. In our latest GI Exclusive, Victor Martinez breaks down the key strategy to get the best results from creatine without retaining too much water.
Creatine is an amazing (and legal) supplement for packing on mass and muscle. It’s often one of the earlier supplements that serious lifters start to use. While it provides a wonderful boost to your gains, it also has a negative side effect. Over time, consistent usage can lead to retaining higher levels of water weight.
For casual lifters, this might not be a big deal. But for those who are looking to be shredded on top of all that muscle, this is a major problem. Double so for competitive bodybuilders. That’s why we turned to Victor Martinez for advice on how to best use creatine in your bodybuilding diet and supplementation.
Victor Martinez jokes at first – saying he could lie and recommend that lifters buy creatine monthly from his new company. But he honors transparency and trust. Which is why he admits that the supplement should be used on a cycle rather than non-stop consistently. Martinez relates to his own experience first using creatine, how it affected his body, and how he eventually adjusted to an optimized strategy.
Like nearly any lifter who starts using creatine, Victor Martinez saw immediate results. So long as you maintain training – creatine will help bulk you up with bigger muscle mass. It even helps provide the coveted pump during a particularly grueling session in the gym. But what Martinez quickly noticed was that the effects started bending more towards the negative. This happened approximately six to eight weeks into using creatine. He noticed that he was holding more and more water weight. He also noticed that he was no longer receiving the pump.
So he came off of creatine. The water weight diminished and he started feeling better again going into his training sessions. What Victor Martinez ultimately concluded, was that creatine needs to be cycled. That a bodybuilder should stop using the supplement about six to eight weeks in. Then come off the product and start again. Martinez took a three week break between using creatine. That seemed to keep everything in check.
Victor Martinez also suggests that a bodybuilder plan out their creatine cycles to match it up with peak week. He believes that if you are in the early stages of using creatine in the week of a competition – you’re in a good place. He’s stated he’s used creatine to hold water weight on purpose – to avoid looking completely flat Of course, it’s a delicate balance, you don’t want too much to make you look soft and puffy.
If you keep all of these tactics in mind, you’ll find creatine to be an extremely valuable weapon in your bodybuilding arsenal. You can watch Victor Martinez go into full detail about creatine cycling in our latest GI Exclusive interview above!
Ryan Terry: How Judges Feedback Can Do More Harm Than Good
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Ryan Terry warns of how relying too much on judges feedback might hurt your physique instead of help it.
Being a professional bodybuilder, Ryan Terry has had his fair share of competitions and interactions with the official judges. Being a subjective sport, there are times where an athlete might not agree with how he or she was scored. Terry knows this all too well throughout his years of competing. But ultimately, the judges are there for a reason and their advice should be heeded… that is unless it throws you off psychologically. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Ryan Terry warns of the dangers of relying too heavily on judges feedback.
Pro bodybuilding is just as much a battle with yourself as it is against the other competitors. At the end of the day, there’s nothing you can do to make another person’s physique worse. All you can do is focus on improving yourself. In that regard, reassessing and adjusting your tactics is important. A bodybuilder needs to have an open mind in order to find new ways to improve. That’s where judges feedback can be helpful. It’s direct insight into the mind of the very people who score you on stage.
But Ryan Terry warns of relying too heavily on feedback from the judges. Terry actually recommends to sometimes avoid feedback (whether it be from judges or online comments). This might sound counter intuitive. Why would you not want valuable feedback?
The whole endeavor has to do more with the mind than the body. Terry notes that if you try too aggressively to meet the feedback given by judges, you might actually throw your entire training and prep off balance. If you’re constantly second guessing your own process – that doubt will eat away at your confidence. Losing that confidence can be a big blow against progress.
Does this mean you should ignore feedback entirely? Not necessarily. Perhaps it depends on knowing yourself and how you will react. Ryan Terry clearly prefers to keep certain feedback off the table so he can stay laser focused without white noise throwing off his direction. Others love feedback and finds that it actually helps provide direction. It’s something each up-and-coming bodybuilder needs to discover for his or herself.
A perfect example of this is Bev Francis. Famous in her heyday for having one of the best female physiques in the history of bodybuilding, her journey through the years is well chronicled. While she is a legend in the sport, she was also a sort of victim to too much feedback. At a time when Women’s Open bodybuilding was finding its identity, Bev Francis was constantly adjusting the kind of physique she held on her frame.
Whether it was due to direct feedback or simply assessing the winner the judges chose – Francis often found herself ping-ponging between needing to put on more mass and needing to look more feminine. Due to this, she never won a Ms. Olympia despite believing herself that she deserved it.
The Ms. Olympia and Women’s Open Bodybuilding of that time might be an extreme case. A time when judges themselves were unsure of what the division champion should look like year after year. But it’s a good example of how feedback can ultimately drag you around and make you lose sight of an overall direction.
Ryan Terry seems to suggest that all feedback, even from judges, should come with a grain of salt. You should know your body better than anyone, even the judges. So that should always be kept in mind when getting feedback.
You can watch Ryan Terry go into detail about his advice for up-and-coming bodybuilders in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
INTERVIEW: The Surprising Reality & Prep Behind Jujimufu’s Viral Stunt Videos
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Jujimufu discusses the origins of his viral videos and the long hours of prep that goes behind each one.
Bodybuilder and fitness athlete Jon Call might be better known in the bodybuilding world by his nickname – Jujimufu. He’s a massive a jacked bodybuilder best known for his viral videos that often involve impressive flexibility and timing. More recently, he has dedicated himself to competitive bodybuilding – bringing him even more media attention as his physique improves. Now that he’s competing, how do his viral stunts play into his prep and does he fear setting himself back due to injury? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Jujimufu explains in detail his viral stunt origins, the work it takes to pull them off, and more!
Jujimufu is a rare kind of bodybuilder. He displays incredible acts of flexibility and motion. Not only that – but he also has a funny personality that he puts on full display. He brings more absurdism and fun into the bodybuilding world. It’s refreshing – so it’s no wonder why he’s amassed such a following over the years. Jujimufu was originally a viral bodybuilder who didn’t compete – but as of last year he has decided to put his hat into the ring. He’s been prepping for bodybuilding competitions and his already massive following is excited to see his new and improved physique.
During our conversation with Jujimufu, he explained to us that competition isn’t his end goal. He simply wants to give it a shot due to his love and passion for massive physiques. Ultimately, he is passionate about many forms of fitness including martial arts and gymnastic-type flips and tricks. So being a competitive bodybuilder isn’t the end goal – he’ll always want to dedicate himself toward the viral stunt videos he’s so well known for.
Speaking of his viral videos, we dug in deep exploring everything that goes on behind the short but popular stunt videos. Jujimufu explains the origins behind his viral status. Since a very young age he was in love with fitness. He has been training in martial arts since he was a teenager and transitioned that into gymnastic stunts such as the splits and flips we see today.
After succeeding as a functional athlete, he felt the desire to build more muscle and size. This began his journey towards a more bodybuilding lifestyle. Fast forward to today and Jujimufu caught eyes for having the physique of a bodybuilder but the nimble movements of a gymnast. It’s a combination you rarely ever see – and it helped him become an internet icon.
While his videos are usually short clips – Jujimufu reveals that there is a massive amount of prep work that goes behind each stunt. He often starts small – with a germ of an idea that he practices to see if it’s possible. As he practices, the idea becomes bigger and bigger. Eventually, it becomes a sort of short form stunt spectacular. It’s at this stage that he has to begin prepping the actual plan for the official video.
The prep for shooting the stunt might be a surprise to many. These aren’t videos he just records on the fly. He spends hours, even sometimes days, preparing for the shoot. He has to make sure the stunt is as safe as possible and also work to get all of the tools he needs to pull it off. This includes getting a small crew together to film – and often a collaborator athlete to bring even more fun and exposure to the clip.
All in all, Jujimufu explains that a one minute stunt video might take hours of prep before it’s done. If you include his earlier practice work – it’s actually a total of days of prep. In a sense, this explains the difference between someone like Jujimufu and the copy cats who just try a stunt on the fly. That’s where the unnecessary injuries happen that cause more conservative folks to worry about the growing trend of viral stunt videos.
Jujimufu is an athlete and doesn’t want to get hurt. So he makes sure to take his videos seriously like they were a job. That means prep time and lots of it. You can watch him explain his entire process in detail by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Pro Natural Bodybuilder Colin Congo: Drug Tests Can Probably Be Beaten
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Pro Natural Bodybuilder Colin Congo gets honest about drug testing – claims no drug test can be 100% accurate.
With the Mr. America 2021 just around the corner, we are reconnecting with some pro natural bodybuilders from our time filming Generation Iron: Natty 4 Life. Colin Congo is a Men’s Physique pro natural bodybuilder set to compete at the Mr. America in October. We reconnected with Congo to discuss the realities of natural bodybuilding and drug testing in the sport. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Colin Congo explains why he thinks the drug tests can be beaten.
Natural bodybuilding is often met with skepticism in the overall bodybuilding world. There is little evidence for that criticism except for gut reactions. Namely, that some natural bodybuilder simply look too massive and shredded to be possibly all natural. The biggest natural league in industry, PNBA/INBA, utilizes WADA drug testing for their events. This is the same drug testing used for the Olympics.
That’s a strong credibility to have for pro natural bodybuilding. So it seems the overall skepticism speaks to something bigger than just bodybuilding. In nearly all professional sports – fans believe that someone is getting away with using PEDs – whether there are tests or not.
But does this skepticism have any merit whatsoever? We asked this very question to Men’s Physique Pro Natural Bodybuilder Colin Congo. A featured athlete in Generation Iron: Natty 4 Life, we reconnected with Congo to dive deeper into his thoughts on drug tests and whether or not they are effective.
Colin Congo admits that he thinks that the WADA tests can be beat. That being said, he thinks that they ultimately do what they are meant to. Majority of athletes know they will be tested and have no interest in trying to beat it. And the WADA tests do catch PED users yearly in the league. The remaining small percentage of athletes who get away with it are a very small number.
That’s why Colin Congo doesn’t say anything even when he believes that there is a competitor on stage who is enhanced. Congo claims that he knows when he steps on stage, there will always be a chance someone is unnatural. In fact, he’s gone into competitions believing someone battling against him was enhanced. He never said anything. That person won the competition.
Colin Congo doesn’t see himself as the gatekeeper for drug testing. That’s what the federation is for. He also knows that many natural bodybuilders are often mistaken for being enhanced. Sometimes, it seems like something is impossible without the use of PEDs. But that’s the great thing about pro natural bodybuilding – they accomplish things that seem impossible. So Congo won’t call someone out without 100% evidence – because he could simply be wrong.
“This test can probably be beaten if I had to guess. And I know there are folks out there who are going to be on stage with me that are not 100% natural,” Colin Congo states in our interview. He continues:
“I know there are dudes out there that are 100% natural that just have absolutely gifted physiques. And they are going to look enhanced and they are going to just look like that. I’m not the gatekeeper for who’s natural and who’s not. I know I get up there and put my best physique on the stage. And I’m counting on the organization to hold those guys to the same standard that I’m holding myself to.”
Nothing can ever be 100% guaranteed. But a drug test on the level of WADA also helps create preventative measures that stop athletes from even thinking of trying in the first place. It’s like a sign that says, “You are being filmed.” Even if there is actually no camera filming – most people will assume that they are, in fact, being filmed and not steal from a store. Sure, some will call the bluff and cheat. But the measures in place help far more than nothing at all.
You can watch Colin Congo go into more detail about natural bodybuilding and drug testing in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Patrick Moore’s Outlook: Rushing Perfection Will Only Ruin His Physique
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Patrick Moore believes he will be one of the best in the sport… but he thinks rushing towards perfection is a mistake.
Patrick Moore is a pro bodybuilder with a lot of hype behind him and a somewhat rollercoaster of a career in past years. After a stellar win in 2019 at the California Pro, his placings have been a bit all over the place. He’s aware of that – and has been on a course correction in 2021 by focusing on less shows and more on improvements. His return to the California Pro 2021 showed just how much progress he’s made with a big win.
Patrick Moore’s physique, when at its best, shows promise of a potential future Olympia champion. Most certainly a top 5 competitor at the every least. That kind of hype can get into someone’s head – but he’s not worried. In fact, he’s in no rush to become the best – despite extreme confidence that he can deliver. In our latest GI exclusive interview, Patrick Moore explains how rushing towards perfection will only hurt his physique – not help it.
Patrick Moore has seen this happen time and time again, he’s almost fallen into this exact same trap himself. Up-and-coming bodybuilders catch a spotlight of hype. They then rush to become the best in the world within one year. They proclaim lofty goals of winning or placing top 5 in their very first Mr. Olympia. Almost always, this doesn’t happen. And a subsequent burnout follows shortly after.
Patrick Moore wants to avoid this. He believes that he has what it takes to become a Mr. Olympia champion – but he’s in no rush to have it happen this year or perhaps even the next. Pro bodybuilding is a long game. It requires muscle maturity, wisdom over many years, and constant tweaking and re-adjusting of contest prep to learn what works and what doesn’t for your specific body.
During a stretch in 2019 through 2020, Patrick Moore was in a sort of a rush. Or as he puts it, he was in a nearly year long contest prep. This was because he felt the need to do too many shows in a year. For his body specifically, the number of shows he competed in was not what was best for his physique. He suffered, his placings suffered. Add in a pandemic that re-adjusted the 2020 schedule – and his physique (and mind) was burnt out.
Going into 2021, Patrick Moore had a renewed mindset. He wanted to complete in less shows and focus more on improving his training, diet, and contest prep. So far, his renewed tactic seems to be working. He returned to the California Pro and reclaimed his champion title. Now he has his eyes focused squarely on the Mr. Olympia.
During our conversation, we asked Patrick Moore if he feels pressure to deliver. To become the perfect champion that many fans see is possible in his physique. Moore admits that he has an extreme drive to compete and win – but he’s learned to not feel the pressure when it comes to becoming the best. He finds that giving into that pressure leads to rushing your progress. Rushing past what is best for your body only leads to a drop in quality – not improvements.
That’s not to say he’s not working his ass off. He is – but he understands that patience is also a virtue. He can’t will himself into progressing faster than what’s right for his body. He has extreme confidence in his abilities – and wants to follow the plan through rather than rush it for extra size. He believes if he follows the plan – he’ll be Olympia champion in the future.
He also points out that bodybuilding is in a transitionary period right now. There are still some long-running pro bodybuilders competing that will soon drop out in upcoming years. He means this not as a criticism of them but as a fact of life. The new generation is rising – instead of rushing to beat the past generation, Moore wants to focus on what’s best for himself and let time treat him kindly.
“I don’t feel that much pressure there as to speed up because what I see what’s happening with a lot of the guys… A lot of guys that are older than me are close to being done,” Patrick Moore states in our interview. He goes on:
“And that’s not to be disrespectful to them. They’ve been here a long time. So I say that like their physiques aren’t changing a whole, whole lot because they are kind of maxed. They get more dense, they get harder because they have a lot of muscle. For me, I’m still growing and I feel like if I rush that process – then I can end up destroying my physique. And I think that’s what makes me a good prospect is that my physique is different especially in the open class. A lot of guys aren’t built the way I am.”
You can watch Patrick Moore go into full detail about his strategy to rise in the ranks of pro bodybuilding by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Dr. Testosterone Answers: Is It Possible To Undo Damage Caused By Steroid Use?
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Dr. Testosterone breaks down the reality of prolonged steroid use and whether or not the damage can be reversed.
While there are some who believe steroids to be completely healthy, most athletes understand that athletic use of PEDs can come at a health cost. Ultimately, these athletes decide that it’s worth the risk. But what about down the road after retirement? Does the long term damage truly create regrets in former bodybuilders? Or can the damage be reversed with medical intervention? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Dr. Testosterone explains whether or not damage caused by long term steroid use can be reversed.
Dr. Testosterone had previously stated in one of our interview segments that bodybuilders must abuse steroids to succeed. Based on that statement, it seems that, in his opinion, bodybuilders must decide if they want to take the risk of long term damage to become a potential champion. It’s been well documented that former athletes and bodybuilders often have to go on TRT (Testosterone Replacement Treatment) upon coming off steroids. But just how much healing can be done medically after a career of steroid abuse?
We asked that question to Dr. Testosterone in our latest interview segment. Dr. T is often pro steroids – but honest about the medical realities of long term steroid use. He has the education and background to break down in detail exactly how much of the damage can be undone. Like many things, it’s not a simple yes or no question.
There are various organs that can become damaged from long term steroid use. The key main organs most affected are the kidneys, liver, and heart. Of course, each body is different in how much abuse it can take. Dr. Testosterone admits that if steroid use damages is done to the kidneys, for example, this can be irreversible.
On the other hand, Dr. T claims that the liver has great regenerative properties. There is some permanent damage that can be done in the extremely long term. But if a bodybuilder gets out at the right time – it’s possible to avoid it and to reverse the smaller damage done.
The biggest threat, Dr. Testosterone states, is damage done to the heart. If the heard grows thicker and the arteries grow thicker – this will cause less blood to pump into and out of the heart. As we age, this kind of damage can cause cardiovascular disease. It’s often near impossible to reverse this kind of damage. Beyond steroids, heart attacks are one of the highest risk health treats in the United States. That gives some perspective on how serious this kind of damage can be.
So how long can a person go before irreversible damage is done? Unfortunately, that’s not an easy answer either. Each person’s genetics are different. Also their lifestyles can be completely different in addition to steroid use. It’s nearly impossible to prescribe a “safe exit point” for bodybuilding. That’s a huge part of the danger and a big reason why it’s not legal for recreational use in the US.
You can watch Dr. Testosterone go into far greater medical detail in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
*DISCLAIMER: Generation Iron does not recommend or condone the use of steroids or other PEDs. The views and opinions expressed in this video are not that of Generation Iron.
George Farah Returns Full Interview | Formerly Training Big Ramy, Phil Heath Comeback Opinion, & More
It’s been over a year since we last were able to connect with legendary bodybuilding trainer George Farah. We felt it was long overdue – so we invited him back to speak with us about the latest events in pro bodybuilding. This includes his take on the biggest shows and new champions crowned in 2020 – and what he expects for the remainder of 2021.That’s why in our follow up full length interview with George Farah – we dive into the Olympia 2020 and Big Ramy’s victory. Farah had previously trained Ramy so it was interesting to get his opinion now as an outsider looking in.
Over the past few months we’ve released multiple GI Exclusive segments from our interview with George Farah. We are now releasing the full length interview. Beyond our discussion about the Olympia and Big Ramy, other topics include – Farah’s honest opinion on Phil Heath’s comeback, the biggest mistake bodybuilders make cutting weight, and more!
Listen To Our Mike O’Hearn Interview On The Generation Iron Podcast
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George Farah was Big Ramy’s on and off coach over the past few years of Big Ramy’s career. But like many other coaches along the way – Ramy refused to stay put. With each passing Olympia he didn’t win, Ramy tried out different coaches to find the best fit for victory. He found himself returning to Farah a few times during this period.
George Farah holds no ill will towards Big Ramy for these changes. “We are adults,” he claims in our interview. Farah understands that an athlete will ultimately do what he thinks is best for his career. While Farah enjoyed his time training Ramy – especially because of his potential – Farah understood that Ramy had to find his own path.
That being said, George Farah was extremely happy for Big Ramy to win the Mr. Olympia in 2020. He knew for years that if Ramy could get on point, he would be unstoppable. He still believes that now. Though he admits that anything can happen and it remains to be seen if Ramy will return on point again or continue his rollercoaster up and down career. Farah hopes to see him remain champion in the future.
We also asked George Farah why he thinks Big Ramy changed coaches so often throughout his career. As we briefly mentioned above, Farah thinks that Ramy needed to find his own path. He was hungry to win – and wanted to try out all options to see what worked best.
While George Farah is not angry about Big Ramy leaving him as a coach, he does admit that he finds himself somewhat sad. This is partially due to the fact that Farah finds Ramy to have one of the biggest hearts in bodybuilding. But it’s also because Farah strongly believes that he could have gotten Ramy the Mr. Olympia title sooner.
Farah made a point to mention that Heath is still one of the greatest of modern bodybuilding. In fact, his physique was still impressive compared to most on stage. That’s why ultimately, George Farah 100% agrees with the final score given to Heath.
shape during the off season. While bulking and cutting is a typical cycle for competitive bodybuilders – the bulking phase should not get too out of control in order to avoid HGH bubble gut and abdonimal distention. Farah holds nothing back when explaining this during our interview:
“WHATEVER YOU’RE DOING, YOU’RE STILL GOING TO LOSE MUSCLE WHEN YOU DIET DOWN. ESPECIALLY IF YOU GAIN A LOT OF FAT. THAT’S WHY I TELL PEOPLE, LISTEN, DON’T CALL YOURSELF A BODYBUILDER IF YOU DON’T HAVE YOUR ABS IN THE OFF SEASON.”
George Farah goes on to say how he “never understands” how bodybuilders are so shocked when they start cutting and end up losing much more weight than expected. This is because they put on more fat than they think – and unfortunately – muscle is always lost as well during this process.
That’s why a dirty bulk is often frowned upon by serious competitive bodybuilders. Dirty bulk is when you eat any kind of unhealthy food simply to build weight while you are pumping up muscle in the gym. A clean bulk relies on healthier foods so that you have less fat during the bulking phase.
Wrap Up
George Farah provides a unique insight into the world of bodybuilding. A sort of insider breakdown of physiques, training, and nutrition. 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 George Farah above!