Tag: Video
Joey Swoll Details His Rock Bottom Moment Of Pain Killer Addition
Joey Swoll opens up about his recent pain killer addiction, his rock bottom, and his recovery.
Over the past year, Joey Swoll made a public announcement online that shocked many of his fans. He had been quietly suffering from a pain killer addiction during the pandemic. Swoll made the post after he had put himself through recovery – but wanted his fans and followers to know the truth and hope to inspire those who are also suffering a way towards recovery. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Joey Swoll goes into detail about how became addicted to pain killers, his rock bottom, and his journey towards recovery.
The last time we spoke to Joey Swoll, he described how he was not much of a drug user. He smokes marijuana but stays away from alcohol. All things considered, he was a very mild mannered person when it came to experimenting with drugs. So it makes it all the more shocking when he revealed that he was addicted to pain medication for about a year in 2020.
That’s why we decided to reconnect with Joey Swoll and discuss in more detail his addiction, how it started, and what he learned from the entire experience. Upon reconnecting with Swoll, he detailed how his pain killer addiction started. Like many cases, it was due to an original prescription to help treat an injury.
Joey Swoll explains at the same time as his injury, he was dealing with compounding stress putting weight on his shoulders. Of course, the pandemic was changing life as we knew it. He was also going through an emotional breakup and facing some serious business challenges. All of these added up to a level of stress and anxiety that he couldn’t handle. The pain medication he received for his injury suddenly made everything more manageable.
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Check out our GI Exclusive segment with Joey Swoll above!
Like any addiction, it became a slippery slope. He kept increasing pill dosages as his tolerance grew. Suddenly, something that was making him feel happy was no longer bringing him relief. He felt trapped. His mood wildly swung from hour to hour. He felt depressed, out of control, and trapped.
Joey Swoll goes on to describe his rock bottom moment. He took so many pills that he believed he should just take even more to overdose and end his life. He wrote messages to close friends stating he would do as such. Ultimately, and luckily, this didn’t happen. He made it through the night. It was a wake up call that he needed help.
This was then compounded by Joey Swoll’s mother connecting with him. Knowing her son better than anyone, she could tell something was wrong. When she confronted him, he realized that if his mother noticed something was wrong – he definitely had a problem.
Joey Swoll’s social media post showcasing his bed covered in sweat due to withdrawals (above).
Joey Swoll didn’t receive professional help for recovery. Instead he did research, slowly weened himself off the pills, and eventually got to a point where he was completely free of using them. He did suffer withdrawals but now after going through recovery, Swoll feels stronger and able to avoid relapse and further addiction in his future.
Ultimately, Joey Swoll suffered silently during most of his addiction. Due to the pandemic, he was able to be easily isolated during the entire time. None of his friends knew about it as it was happening and the people he did reach out to – never returned his calls.
Despite this being a low point and struggle in Joey Swoll’s life, he looks at the experience as something that made him stronger. Luckily, this is due to him finding the ability to overcome the addiction. He went public with his experience in the hopes of inspiring others who are quietly suffering. They are not alone even if it feels that way.
You can watch Joey Swoll go into more detail about his pain killer addiction, his rock bottom, and his recovery in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
Mike O’Hearn Answers: Is A Bodybuilding Lifestyle Bad For Your Heart & Blood Pressure?
Mike O’Hearn and Vlad Yudin debate about heart heath advice from doctors within the bodybuilding lifestyle.
Mike O’Hearn is a bodybuilder with an incredible physique. But he’s also a bodybuilder who focuses just as much on health and longevity as he does on his outward physique. It’s certainly possible to have a sculpted massive physique but be incredible healthy under the hood. O’Hearn understands that and has dedicated his life to overall health. That’s why we asked O’Hearn his thoughts on heart health and blood pressure for bodybuilders. In our latest GI Exclusive, Mike O’Hearn breaks down why he thinks heavy weightlifting and bodybuilding is ultimately good for your heart and blood pressure.
Mike O’Hearn has seemingly accomplished the impossible. He maintains a mass monster physique without the use of PEDs. It’s so incredible that many believe he is lying and secretly uses steroids. It’s a strong believed rumor that has persisted for nearly O’Hearn’s entire career.
Regardless, it’s clear O’Hearn has been consistent in his claims of being all natural. Not only that – O’Hearn has always promoted healthy lifestyle choices within the world of bodybuilding. It’s surprisingly possible to build an impressive massive physique with unhealthy habits. Mike O’Hearn wants to have his cake and eat it too. An incredible physique and incredible long term health.
But is that fully possible when carrying mass monster levels of muscle? We asked this question to Mike O’Hearn, specifically in regards to heart health and blood pressure. Vlad Yudin states that he had a conversation with a cardiologist claiming that heavy weightlifting and massive muscle is ultimately bad for your heart in the long term. The reasoning behind this is two fold. On one hand, you are still carrying a massive amount of weight on your body. This is harder for the heart to pump blood through. On the other hand, the heart can actually grow like a muscle. Heavy weightlifting can increase hearts size (this is ultimately a bad thing).
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Watch our GI Exclusive segment with Mike O’Hearn above!
When asked about this, Mike O’Hearn had his own rebuttal. He recently visited a cardiologist for a routine check up. Not only is O’Hearn incredibly healthy for his age. He also discussed overall heart heath when it comes to heavy weightlifting. His conversation with a doctor revealed the opposite opinion. Lifting weights helps make the heart stronger. Mix that with a healthy diet and you avoid high blood pressure as well.
So what is the correct answer here? Two different doctors with two different opinions on bodybuilding and heart health. Mike O’Hearn chooses to then look at anecdotal evidence. O’Hearn looks back at pro bodybuilders from the golden era and what we know about their health now in their twilight years. According to O’Hearn, many of these older former bodybuilders are healthier and more able bodied than many people their age. This makes O’Hearn believe bodybuilding, when done correctly, is ultimately healthy for your heart.
Mike O’Hearn puts an important caveat on that statement. It’s very easy for a bodybuilder to abuse the techniques to make up an ultimately unhealthy lifestyle. Bodybuilders can eat crap to bulk up muscle. These “dirty” foods can lead to high blood pressure and ultimately heart problems. Heavy lifting can also go too far. Going hardcore each session in the short term does not look forward towards health in the long term.
O’Hearn also makes one more statement in regards to bodybuilding and heart health. Ultimately, there is a randomness to health as a whole. Some people smoke their whole lives but live to be 100. Some people are incredibly healthy-minded but die in their thirties. This doesn’t mean it’s not worth focusing on health – but it does mean that we shouldn’t accidentally assume coincidence is evidence of an actual statistical trend.
You can watch Mike O’Hearn go into full detail about bodybuilding, heart health, and blood pressure in our latest GI Exclusive interview above!
Jose Raymond’s Warning: Avoid Coaches Who Rely Too Strongly On Drugs
Jose Raymond shares the biggest red flags when choosing a bodybuilding coach.
Jose Raymond has been a competitive bodybuilder since 1993. While he had to step down for a few years due to an injury, he has been actively involved with bodybuilding for nearly 3 decades. So it stands to reason that his advice on what to look for in bodybuilding coaches should be taken seriously. In our latest GI Exclusive, Jose Raymond warns of the biggest red flags to look for when choosing a bodybuilding coach.
Jose Raymond didn’t start working with a bodybuilding coach or guru until he was 37 years old. That’s because he wanted to exhaust every single one of his own resources to see how far he could climb before turning to expert help. That kind of mentality showcases how rigorous and serious Raymond took his own role in bodybuilding. It’s his first tip for young bodybuilders today looking for advice on finding a bodybuilding coach.
Far too often, a bodybuilding coach is seen as a necessary key to success in pro bodybuilding. While a coach can be extremely helpful, they are not a catch-all tool to instantly make a bodybuilder better. At the end of the day, the bodybuilder does the work and follows the plan. So before turning towards a coach, Raymond suggests that a bodybuilder does the work to ensure they have exhausted all personal resources. This way – the bodybuilder will know they are ready to put everything in to working with a coach and succeeding.
Of course, when starting the journey of looking for a coach, the biggest question is who do you trust? There are certainly famous names in bodybuilding with proven pedigrees. But not all bodybuilders will have the luck or opportunity to work with them. In today’s internet landscape, it can be hard to tell the tried and true coaches from the hacks looking to make easy money.
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Check out our GI Exclusive segment with Jose Raymond above!
That’s why Jose Raymond shares some red flags that bodybuilders should look out for when choosing a coach. These are key factors that should give the bodybuilder an immediate warning to stay away and find someone else.
His first tip is to look for a coach that still embraces the basics. While it’s certainly okay for a coach to bring in some groundbreaking material into their practices – they should also respect the basics that work. Science does evolve and opinions on fitness do change but certain fundamentals will always be true. If you find yourself with a coach who is trying to reinvent the wheel and throw away tried and true basics – that should be a warning sign.
Secondly, Jose Raymond believes that a coach who focuses too much on drugs is a red flag. Raymond admits that drugs are always going to be a part of any professional sport. It will be an element for top tier pro athletes. But Jose Raymond believes that more recently, the importance of drugs has become overstated. Many bodybuilders go into a coaching relationship only looking for a drug protocol. That is not the main thing a coach should be doing.
So Jose Raymond’s advice is to turn away from any coach that claims he can provide a drug protocol that will make you successful. More is not always better when it comes to drugs. Moreover, drugs are not the most important element in bodybuilding. Any coach who tells you that is not the right coach.
So ultimately there are two key takeaways Jose Raymond hopes to convey for up and coming bodybuilders. Don’t look for coaches that throw away the basics. And don’t look for coaches that act more like drug dealers than trained professionals. If you avoid those two things, do your research, and find a credited trainer – you’ll find yourself getting the help you need for success.
You can watch Jose Raymond break down his advice for bodybuilding coaches in full by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Danny Hester: Chris Bumstead Won Olympia Due To Improvements But Not Perfection
Danny Hester believes that Chris Bumstead’s physique was very close to Breon Ansley – but it was his massive improvements that earned him the win.
Chris Bumstead vs Breon Ansley was one of the most hyped up battles of the Classic Physique Olympia 2020. Ultimately, Chris Bumstead solidified his status as champion with a second win. Surprisingly, Breon Ansley fell down to third place. But Danny Hester believes that Bumstead and Ansley’s physiques were actually very close in quality. What made the difference was Bumstead’s massive improvements since last year.
The same can be said of Terrence Ruffin, who slipped up into second ahead of Breon Ansley. These three competitors were neck and neck. It’s Danny Hester’s belief that comparisons to previous years and how much they each improved decided the ultimate placings. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Danny Hester explains how judges consistently reward improvements – and that’s the main reason Chris Bumstead won Olympia 2020.
Danny Hester wants to make one thing clear during our latest interview segment. When a bodybuilder competes on stage, they are being not only compared to the other competitors but also their past self. Pro bodybuilding and judges cannot help but be somewhat subjective. Despite scores and a set of guidelines to follow – judging a physique will always be skewed by subjective opinion.
That’s why there are multiple judges on the panel instead of just one. To help bring in a consensus among multiple perspectives. Danny Hester also believes that comparisons to previous competitions also helps keep the judges guided. That it’s an unwritten guiding principle with scoring. If a bodybuilder shows incredible improvement from one competition to the next – the judges take notice. That affects the overall score and placing.
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Watch our GI Exclusive segment with Danny Hester above!
Danny Hester doesn’t give his personal opinion on who had the best physique at the Classic Physique Olympia 2020. But he does suggest that the physique quality was very close between Chris Bumstead and Breon Ansley.
“Now even with the improvements, was it enough for him [Chris Bumstead] to beat Breon? That’s a whole different story,” Danny Hester states in our interview. While not confirmed -this seems to imply that Hester doesn’t view Bumstead’s physique as breakaway superior from Ansley.
He does understand, and truly believes, that Chris Bumstead won purely on his vast improvements. Hester himself gives Bumstead credit. He admits that the amount of improvements in Bumstead’s physique from the Olympia 2019 to 2020 was incredible. It’s hard for any pro bodybuilder to get that kind of improvement in one year. Bumstead pulled it off. The judges noticed. That gave Bumstead the edge.
Danny Hester relates this to his experience competing. He recalls a competition he competed in just three weeks before winning the Classic Olympia. He placed third due to feeling slightly sick on the night of the show. He was frustrated. So he worked extra hard in the final three weeks leading up to Olympia.
Ultimately, he won the Classic Physique Olympia. He thinks this is partially due to the extra effort he put in after feeling defeated. But he also thinks it’s because some of the same judges were at the earlier show and also judging at Olympia. They saw his improvements. They directly noticed how he changed. That helped him get an edge and win that year.
So what does that mean for Chris Bumstead going into 2021? There are always improvements to be made – but can he surprise with such vast improvements like the year before? And if he can’t will it be enough for him to stay on top? Only time will tell. Perhaps Breon Ansley will be the one to bring in improvements and get the edge.
You can watch Danny Hester go into more detail about his thoughts of the Classic Physique Olympia results by watching our latest GI Exclusive above!
Lou Ferrigno Fixes Hearing With Implant: Calls It “Life Changing”
Lou Ferrigno can hear like never before due to new hearing aid implant.
Lou Ferrigno is most known for two things. He was an iconic bodybuilder and star in Pumping Iron. He was also the Incredible Hulk on television for many years. It is also well documented that Ferrigno has suffered hearing loss since a young age. It’s partially the reason for his now iconic cadence of speaking. Now at 69 years old, he’s starting to hear like never before due to a specialized implant. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Lou Ferrigno details his new hearing implant and what it was like to be a pro bodybuilder with severe hearing loss.
The world may know Lou Ferrigno as the original Incredible Hulk. But the bodybuilding world also remembers him as a legendary bodybuilder and star of the iconic film Pumping Iron. What some might not know as well is that Ferrigno also suffers from hearing loss. Since a young age, Ferrigno had lost 75% of his hearing. Due to this, he relied on a hearing aid for most of his life.
Technology changes at an alarming pace. And now Lou Ferrigno is experiencing the world of hearing in a whole new light due to a cochlear implant. The implant, over time, has allowed him to hear without the use of a traditional hearing aid. More importantly, it has also allowed him to hear on a level he had never experienced in his life.
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Check out our GI Exclusive segment with Lou Ferrigno above!
“Over the age of 65, one out of three people were having hearing loss,” Lou Ferrigno states in our interview. He goes on:
“There are some bodybuilders out there who have had hearing loss. But the reason why I’m talking about this is because I’m going to give a lot of people hope. That this is not a dreadful thing. It’s a very positive experience because the surgery is really minor. Especially if they can have a life changing experience. Especially even now I heard different people. I can appreciate hearing people talk. Hearing the ‘S’ sound. The final consonant… People would say I have a slight lisp to my speech but now I’m overcoming that because of the cochlear implant.”
Lou Ferrigno goes on to detail what his life was like growing up with limited hearing. How he was bullied due to his massive hearing aids. That bullying, in part, was why Ferrigno eventually turned to bodybuilding. He wanted to prove he was strong in the face of bullies.
He also goes into detail about what training was like as a bodybuilder with limited hearing. Due to the intensity of his workouts, he wouldn’t wear a hearing aid during training. This made it harder for him to full engage in the social experience of the gym. He even admits that there have been times gym patrons thought he was being rude and ignoring them. But in reality, he couldn’t hear them. He relied mostly on reading lips in the gym.
Now all of that has changed. Lou Ferrigno will be able to full hear in the gym. Every clank of the weights and grunt of lifters. It’s an entirely new experience. As he stated in the quote above. It was not only a life changing experience for him – but he hopes to spread the word for others so they can have that life changing experience as well.
You can watch Lou Ferrigno go into full detail about his hearing loss and new implant in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Samir Bannout: Some Beauty Is Lost When Bodybuilders Become Super Massive
Samir Bannout comments on whether or not the modern era of bodybuilding has declined.
Between the past five to ten years, there has been a growing conversation about the quality of modern bodybuilding. While it’s often common to hold the past in higher regard – it seems that fans have become more vocal about bodybuilding physiques declining in quality even compared to the 90s. Alternatively, there are those who believe we are now at the beginning of an upswing after a slight decline. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Samir Bannout shares his thoughts on modern bodybuilding, super mass monsters, and wether there has been a decline in quality.
Samir Bannout is a diplomatic man. He’s not someone to cast blame on specific people. He’s also not one to make bold statements without all of the facts. So when it comes to something subjective like the quality of bodybuilding physiques – he’s careful with his answer.
During our video interview, we asked if Samir Bannout considers bodybuilding an extreme sport. More specifically, if bodybuilding is more extreme today than it was during his era of competing. This conversation evolved into discussion of the quality of physiques in bodybuilding. Has the increased effort for bigger size led to lower quality physiques overall?
Samir Bannout makes a point first and foremost to highlight that pro bodybuilders today are extremely talented. They work hard, they put in the work, and their ambitions are respectable. So Bannout purposefully avoids saying that physiques have declined. Instead, he comments that certain weak points are becoming more common. He assumes this is likely due to focusing more on size.
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Instead of talking about increase or decrease in quality, Samir Bannout talks about beauty in the sport. Again, this is a subjective term. But Bannout believes that some of the beauty has left the sport. It’s become more favored towards blocky and bulky mass monster physiques. To use an alternate word from beauty, it seems that Bannout is talking about aesthetic and conditioning.
Samir Bannout uses two examples. He points out Frank Zane, who has won multiple Mr. Olympia competitions. He also points out Phil Heath – a man who has seven Olympia titles under his belt.
Bannout comments that Frank Zane was no where near the largest bodybuilder even during his own era. Yet his beauty, aesthetics, and conditioning were so on point that he became a champion. Fast forward to Phil Heath. Bannout believes his first four victories were flawless. Shortly after that, criticism of his gut came to the forefront. Bannout believes this was due to Phil starting to chase more size.
“I think he [Phil Heath] lost his beauty once he started to get super massive,” Samir Bannout states in our interview. He continues:
“Sometimes it’s not about size… Same thing with Flex Wheeler. You know, Flex, it was immanent that he’d win the Olympia. Seriously… It’s a shame that if Flex, if he slowed down a little bit he would have been Olympia no doubt.”
Samir Bannout doesn’t want to demonize massive size. He thinks that massive size can work so long as the beauty remains. He thinks that some bodybuilders are genetically predisposed to handle massive size while maintaining tighter aesthetics and conditioning. He uses Ronnie Coleman’s earlier Olympia victories as an example. Unfortunately, Bannout also thinks that too many bodybuilders fall victim to chasing size and beauty is lost as a result.
You an watch Samir Bannout’s full comments in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
George Farah: Milos Sarcev Is Wrong To Promote Insulin In Bodybuilding
George Farah doubles down on his anti insulin stance in bodybuilding.
Over a year ago, bodybuilding coach and guru George Farah strongly criticized the use of insulin in bodybuilding. He claimed it was an outright dangerous drug to use inappropriately. He believes that using insulin for benefits in bodybuilding is always the wrong way to use the drug. A year later, we followed up with Farah to revisit his stance on this topic. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, George Farah urges bodybuilders to stop using insulin and thinks it is wrong for Milos Sarcev to promote it.
George Farah wants to get something off his chest. He wants the world to know that bodybuilders use insulin far less often than people think. In recent years, many believe that insulin has become a mainstay in top level pro bodybuilding. Farah is here to debunk that belief. In fact, he goes on to say that he has had up to six athletes in the top 10 of the Mr. Olympia. He knows for a fact all six of them did not use insulin.
In George Farah’s mind, that’s all the evidence anyone would need. These bodybuilders have made it into the top 10 of the world without insulin. So why would anyone want to take the health risk just to get an edge over the competition? Farah believes it’s not necessary.
We followed up asking George Farah about his thoughts on Milos Sarcev. Milos is a bodybuilding coach who is a strong proponent of insulin in bodybuilding. His argument is that insulin can be used safely, as long as it’s not abused. He feels this way about nearly all taboo drugs. It can be safe when done correctly. After our initial interview with George Farah, Milos responded to Farah’s comments about insulin. Clearly the two are at odds with this topic.
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Check out our GI Exclusive segment with George Farah above!
That’s why we asked George Farah for his thoughts on Milos Sarcev and his endorsement of insulin for bodybuilders. Does he think Milos is simply wrong? Farah had this to say in his response:
“Milos is a friend of mine okay? I don’t want to say he’s wrong or right. He’s wrong promoting insulin. This is my opinion. He’s entitled to his opinion but my opinion… I don’t think we should have insulin [in bodybuilding].”
George Farah goes on to detail how many bodybuilders he knows who have health problems. The fact is that bodybuilding already has health risks as it is. Farah doesn’t understand why a bodybuilder would want to add even more risk to that.
It seems that insulin is where George Farah draws the line. He has gone on the record endorsing the use of steroids for bodybuilding (though he does think it’s often abused too much recently). When it comes to insulin, though, Farah believes it’s a black and white issue. It’s clearly unhealthy. It’s clearly dangerous. And even when done right, it can lead to complications. At least, that is what George Farah believes.
You can watch George Farah go into full detail about Milos Sarcev, insulin, and bodybuilding in our latest GI Exclusive segment above!
Brad Castleberry: “Being Unhealthy But Looking Healthy Isn’t Cool”
Brad Castleberry goes into detail on why he changed his training methods to focus more on health than sculpted muscle.
The very core of bodybuilding is a healthy endeavor in line with fitness. But just like many things in fitness, it can become unhealthy depending on how far you take it. Professional bodybuilding and even modeling can put so much focus on perfecting the physique that it comes at the cost of traditional health standards. Some athletes are okay with taking that risk. But the general public might not realize that a shredded physique does not automatically mean the athlete is healthy. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Brad Castleberry discusses completely changing his training method to focus on feeling good more than looking good.
Brad Castleberry may be a controversial figure in bodybuilding, but one thing that can’t be disputed is that he has an incredible physique. Whether he lifts fake weights or not – it takes hard work to accomplish that kind of shredded look. But during our new interview with Brad Castleberry, he wanted to focus on how he’s been making a change in his fitness life.
After years of ego lifting and powerlifting massive amounts of weight, Brad Castleberry is now focusing on lighter weight and more on cardio. His reasoning for this change is that he wants to focus more on feeling good than looking good. Sometimes the two can come hand in hand. Other times they can be at odds with each other. It depends on how far you want to push the boundaries of your body.
Victor Martinez: If Big Ramy Focuses Too Much On Size He Can Lose To Brandon Curry
Victor Martinez shares his reaction to Big Ramy’s big win and what his future holds in the sport.
On December 19, 2020 Big Ramy won the Mr. Olympia. This was a long time coming after almost 10 years of struggling to live up to his potential. For seemingly the first time, everyone agreed he was far and above the winner. There was no controversy. No let down. Just a pure victory for a talented and beloved competitor. But what will his future hold? Will he become the next reigning champion for years to come? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Victor Martinez reacts to Big Ramy’s Olympia win and shares his thoughts for his future.
Victor Martinez is a pro bodybuilder who has been around in the sport for a few decades now. He is extremely passionate about bodybuilding. He’s started his own IFBB pro show and has competed consistently throughout the years. He’s also a man who is open and honest about his opinions in the sport.
That’s why when we had a chance to reconnect with Victor Martinez, we asked him for his thoughts on the Mr. Olympia 2020. More specifically, how he felt about Big Ramy’s win after years of hype and hope that he would become champion. Like many fans and experts – Martinez believes that pound for pound Big Ramy deserved the win.
But we wanted to know how this could potentially change upcoming Olympia competitions. And what the future will hold for Big Ramy. Will he be yet another one and done winner? Or will he bring upon us the next long time reigning champion? And will others now focus more on size to keep up with his massive physique? Much like how Ronnie Coleman inspired and permanently altered the culture of the sport.
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Check out our GI Exclusive segment with Victor Martinez above!
Victor Martinez believes that it will be hard for anyone to defeat Big Ramy in future shows. But there’s one catch. That’s only if Ramy can maintain his conditioning with each new year. In the past, Ramy has struggled with balancing his size and conditioning at the same time. He nailed it in 2020 – but one year of perfection does not make a guarantee for the future.
Victor Martinez points out that Big Ramy’s strength is in the duality of his size and conditioning. If he can keep both on point, there’s no one currently competing who can beat him. But the past has also shown us that Big Ramy has not been consistent. There’s a chance that 2020 was a turning point for Ramy and that his future is bright. There’s also a chance that he will regress back to his inconsistencies.
This is the point that Victor Martinez drives home. When a bodybuilder is so known for his massive size (even compared to most mass monsters in the sport), it can be easy to focus too much on size and lose grasp of conditioning. If that happens again, Martinez believes that someone like Brandon Curry or even Phil Heath can return to become champion again.
Basically – Big Ramy’s future success is not guaranteed. 2021 will be a proving ground of sorts. Will he prove that his improvements are more consistent and permanent for the coming years? Or will he ultimately fall back on his inconsistencies? There’s no way to know. Victor Martinez acknowledges this and simply hopes that Big Ramy doesn’t succumb to his size.
You can watch Victor Martinez’s full comments on Big Ramy’s Olympia win and future in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Joey Swoll: The Truth Behind Crypto, Dogecoin, and Elon Musk
Joey Swoll: “I’m a crypto believer”
Cryptocurrency, normally shortened simply as crypto, has been booming in popularity over the past few years. Odds are you’ve heard about crypto bigcoin, dogecoin, and Elon Musk’s name popping up non-stop in the news recently. So you’re probably asking yourself, is this truly a new currency innovation that’s here to stay? Or is it a trend with a bubble about to burst? Joey Swoll is a bodybuilder with his hands in crypto providing a bridge between this popular trend and the bodybuilding world. In our latest GI Exclusive, Joey Swoll explains crypto in detail and whether or not you should try investing or avoid it before everything comes crashing down.
Joey Swoll is a bodybuilder who is also a successful entrepreneur. His various successes showcase that he is a bodybuilder with business savvy. So when he starts publicly promoting crypto to his following – it’s something to take note of. That’s why during our recent interview, we decided to ask Swoll about his interest in crypto – and everything he knows about dogecoin, and Elon Musk’s recent headline-grabbing actions.
More specifically, we asked Joey Swoll to share his thoughts – is crypto a currency that will rule the future? Or is it a bubble about to burst? Is it smart to invest now during the rise of its popularity? Or is it all misleading hype created by a strong media narrative? Is it even possible to know now what will happen to this speculative market?
Joey Swoll admits that he is by no means a master but has begun working with individuals who have been involved with crypto for over six years. He considers himself a “crypto believer” and strongly believes that the currency will remain relevant in decades to come. However like any investment, nothing is guaranteed. His number one advice before diving into the details is this – don’t invest anything that you’re not willing or able to lose.
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That being said, Joey Swoll believes it is possible to invest smart – and that there are a lot of gains to be made in crypto. The key is to not be intimidated and start learning as much as you can before the entire market becomes normalized by the mainstream.
The second most important thing Joey Swoll advises is that not all crypto coins are created equal. Some are actually associated with services provided – and thus have more security in their value. Others are only valuable simply because people have had faith behind the brand itself. These could certainly succeed but are also subject to potential volatility.
The perfect example of this is dogecoin. A cryptocurrency that came into existence via a meme. What started off as a joke has become a bonafide cryptocurrency rising in value daily. So much so that Elon Musk put his faith in it. This, of course, skyrocketed the value further.
So what’s Joey Swoll’s opinion on more meme-friendly crypto coins like dogecoin and everyone’s obsession with Elon Musk’s involvement? Is it just overblown hype that will all collapse? Or is there true value worth investing in? Joey Swoll believes that dogecoin will be around for a while though it’s not as much of a guarantee as something like bitcoin.
Joey Swoll impresses how important faith in branding is during the early stages of crypto (or any business really). If people believe in the brand and hold passion or affinity for it – it will make people choose that brand over others. Even if that brand isn’t better or worse than competitors.
The dogecoin brand has been wildly popular due to the doge meme existing for at least a decade prior to the coin’s creation. When Elon Musk publicly announced his faith in dogecoin – that cemented the brand as something that will stick around. Of course, nothing is ever certain and the huge drop after Musk’s SNL appearance might remove steam from the brand.
At the same time, this extreme volatility is expected for speculative markets. In the big picture, strong brands will stick around. So Swoll suggests that those interested shouldn’t fear dogecoin because of the recent drops in value.
Ultimately, Joey Swoll reminds again that all investments should be spent with caution. If you’re not willing to lose the money, or can’t afford to, you shouldn’t make the investment. But he also believes crypto is a safe investment long term. “It’s the future,” Joey Swoll comments. “Everyone should learn about crypto.”
You can watch Joey Swoll’s full comments on all things crypto in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.