Tag: Videos
Iain Valliere To Improve Triceps for 2023 Mr. Olympia, Talks Big Ramy’s Future & Samson Dauda
Anticipation for the upcoming Mr. Olympia continues to build as fans await the contest in less than five months. In a recent Olympia TV interview, Bob Cicherillo and Iain Valliere discussed the Men’s Open division. During the video, Valliere said he doesn’t believe Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay will win back his Mr. Olympia title.
“It’s all a mind game when it gets to this level. If Iain brings his A-game there, he’ll be right back up there, no question about it,” said Bob Cicherillo.
Iain Valliere is one of the most popular bodybuilders from Canada. In a career lasting almost a decade, Valliere has shown great promise, courtesy of his exceptional conditioning and detailed back. He started the 2022 season with an impressive victory at the Vancouver Pro, where he defeated Antoine Vaillant for first. This earned him passage to the season’s biggest show of the year.
The 2022 Mr. Olympia lineup was strong as many debutants planned to make statements. New names on the stage such as Andrew Jacked, Michal Krizo, and Samson Dauda were all labeled dark hoses ahead of the show. And while Ramy dominated the landscape from 2020-2021, a new champion arrived last December to take his title away. Hadi Choopan won gold. Ramy placed fifth, a harsh drop from the year prior.
Without a qualification to 2023 Mr. Olympia, Valliere worked in the off-season to bring his best look to date. He mapped out improvements and detailed his shredding diet for the new season. He targeted this year’s Toronto Pro Supershow. At the event, he battled with Hassan Mostafa in what many fans described as a close contest. Nevertheless, Valliere presented some of his best conditioning and earned his invite.
Iain Valliere Plans to Improve Triceps for 2023 Olympia, Talks Big Ramy’s Future
According to Valliere, Big Ramy won’t win back his Mr. Olympia title but he still believes he can be competitive on other stages like the Arnold Classic.
“I don’t believe Ramy will win the Olympia again. Do I think Ramy has a career ahead of him making money and being a competitive pro bodybuilder? Absolutely. I don’t think you need to be winning the Mr. Olympia to get six-figure contracts or to be a competitive bodybuilder. He can still win shows. He can still do well at the Arnolds.
Like, he was still a top five guy at the Arnold he’s getting a good paycheck he’s still getting good contracts. And look: even when he was off he was still top five at the Olympia. That’s nothing to snuff at right? I still think Ramy is absolutely a top-tier bodybuilder and will continue to be for a few years. But do I think he’s going to win the Olympia again, I do not,” said Iain Valliere.
Admittedly, Valliere says expectations and new talent might have factored into his last Mr. Olympia performance.
“When you had two years of seventh prior, look, the Olympia linup last year was not the same as 2020 or 2021. It was absolutely improved, there was a lot of new guys there, Samson there, Andrew there, Derek in the mix now,” said Iain Valliere. “Obviously there probably was some looming fear in my head that, ‘Shit I’m going to slip places I’m going to slip places,’ and that was shown in my presentation,” explained Valliere.
Looking ahead, Valliere plans to focus on his triceps which he believes will improve at least two of his side poses.
“There are some things still that I think need to be improved here. I had a little bit of loss of volume on my triceps that I think hurt me in the side chest and the side tri that can definitely be improved from a little bit of a nagging elbow issue I was having on that side specifically which is I think going to be a lot better come the Olympia. If we make some small tweaks there, I’m very confident in my shot to be in that group at the Olympia, for sure,” added Valliere.
Valliere & Bob Cicherillo Talk Samson Dauda, Nick Walker, Hunter Labrada, and Derek Lunsford
In a recent HD Muscle YouTube video, Nick Walker said Samson Dauda’s back was ‘shit’ and ‘flat as a board.’ However, Valliere disagrees. He believes Dauda can establish himself as a true Mr. Olympia contender with improved conditioning, not just back improvements.
“I don’t think I agree with that,” Valliere said. “Samson is making show to show year to year, I don’t think that’s going to be the case for a long time. Even when you look from – bring the conditioning in a little bit more from the Olympia to the Arnold it did show his back a lot better. For a back to look good, your conditioning must be excellent.”
In Bob’s opinion, Dauda’s back isn’t flat and even if it was, Samson still defeated Walker at the Arnold.
“Listen, Nick is being Nick and I appreciate that because I love these guys especially him, he’s not shy about making comments. Listen, is he literally flat as a board? No. And he better hope he’s not flat as a board because he beat him with that flat as a board back,” Cicherillo said.
Since Lunsford no longer abides by a weight restriction, Valliere suspects he’ll improve his conditioning and muscle density.
“In the case of Derek, I think him and Hany played his cards right for the Olympia but now as he gets more muscle maturity and more density to that muscle and he’s held on to it longer because he’s not pushing down to 212 and doing off-seasons, I think we’ll see that conditioning come up more and more and more,” Valliere said.
Lastly, Cicherillo offered Hunter Labrada some words of encouragement ahead of his latest Olympia campaign that starts with the 2023 Tampa Pro in August.
“He’s going to have his cut out for him. Hunter will have to be 100% and more importantly, Hunter has a habit of coming out – and he is just pouring water. He’s got to figure out notably, what he has to do to not be releasing so much water in that first round.”
This isn’t the first time Bob Cicherillo has taken a close look at the Men’s Open bodybuilders expected to compete in Nov. Following Dauda’s 2023 Arnold Classic victory, Bob labeled him alongside Lunsford as Choopan’s two biggest threats.
Big Ramy is also determined to become the only bodybuilder in the Open aside from Jay Cutler to win back an Olympia title. Despite recommendations from Bob and head judge Steve Weinberger to take a break, Ramy has made it clear he’s working ‘angry’ and harder than ever to bring his best physique possible later this year.
Given the number of potential contenders, 2023 Mr. Olympia is shaping up to be an unforgettable event. With his eyes on the first call-out, Iain Valliere plans to improve his triceps and sharpen his posing skills.
You can watch the full Olympia TV YouTube video below:
Find complete coverage of the 2022 Mr. Olympia, including pre-judging, event recaps, analysis, and final results at our Olympia coverage hub: FitnessVolt.com/olympia
Published: 29 June, 2023 | 5:48 PM EDT
Nick Walker on 2023 Olympia: ‘Samson Dauda’s Back is Shit, Big Ramy Is Done & Andrew Jacked Won’t Make Top 5’
Nick Walker‘s brutally honest personality was on full display during a recent interview. In an HD Muscle YouTube video, Walker revealed his top five for 2023 Mr. Olympia and examined contenders expected to compete this November.
“Everyone is just getting better, that’s just the reality. The newcomers are getting better and better and the older guys are going out. The young kids are coming up,” said Nick Walker.
The Men’s Open division’s popularity is at an all-time high following the last two major bodybuilding shows. Last year’s Mr. Olympia contest was filled with twists, turns, and unexpected surprises as Hadi Choopan claimed gold in a memorable affair. However, the former two-time champ, Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay‘s night did not go as planned. He was sidelined for most of prejudging and was eventually awarded fifth place.
Nick Walker, on the other hand, improved on the Mr. Olympia stage once again in third with 212-turned-Open talent Derek Lunsford securing runner-up. Instead of using the time to rebound, Walker jumped back into the 2023 Arnold Classic on short notice. He faced Samson Dauda and Andrew Jacked in Columbus, Ohio, — two names he already defeated on the Olympia stage.
In the end, Samson Dauda’s shape, symmetry, proportions, and conditioning proved to be a winning combination. And while he bested Walker on that night, ‘The Mutant’ isn’t convinced Samson will contend for gold at this year’s Mr. Olympia. In a Mutant and the Mouth Podcast, Walker said it would either be himself or Lunsford accepting the first-place trophy.
With less than five months until the biggest bodybuilding show on the calendar, preparations are heating up for everyone, including Walker. Before capping off his brief off-season, the 28-year-old picked apart some of the top names he intends to face in the coming months.
Nick Walker’s Top 5 for 2023 Mr. Olympia, Talks Hunter Labrada’s Path to Redemption, Samson Dauda & Big Ramy
Walker believes the 2023 Mr. Olympia top five will feature himself, Hadi Choopan, Derek Lunsford, Samson Dauda, and Hunter Labrada. Similar to Labrada, Walker says Samson’s weakest body part is his back.
“To be honest, I think it will be me, Hadi, Derek, I think Samson will jump into the top five, it’s four right there right? And I’m going to throw one out there, I think Hunter is going to get a spot back,” said Walker. “Well, okay, if we’re going to talk facts, Samson’s got a shit back too. I don’t know. Neither is Samson’s [back 3D]. Samson’s is flat as a board. There’s nothing going on there. From the front Samson is a monster but he turns around, wait what happened?”
In Walker’s opinion, Big Ramy is done. However, he mentioned that he’s still young enough to take time off and return with improvements.
“I think Ramy is done. I think Ramy is done,” said Walker. I do know Ramy, he’s done. Oh my God, he’s the sweetest guy.”
“I don’t think he’s done but he needs the year off to refocus, do some shit, and then come back. He’s still not young young, but he’s still young enough where he can make some changes.”
Nick predicts Labrada will have to win a battle against rookie Justin Shier to earn his spot on the Olympia stage.
“It is [Hunter’s weak spot is his back] but I think Hunter is hungry. [He was] devastated [after last year]. He knows what he needs to do. Do I think it’s going to be a while before his back catches up? Sure. But do I think it looks a lot better already? Yeah. So if he wins, which he probably will… he’s got plenty of time to keep making improvements.”
“I think that will be a battle [at Chicago Pro]. If Hunter can peak right and obviously we all know Matt doesn’t miss – so Justin [Shier] will be peaked. That’s going to be a battle. It’s going to be tough. I think Hunter overall is a little overwhelming than Justin. He’s a little wider and bigger but Justin’s can just hang, if Justin is a little better conditioned and peaked right, I think he can take out Hunter.”
“I’ll use Chris Bumstead as an example, one year he had no back, the following year he had the best back in Classic. That was one year. All it takes is hard work.”
Andrew Jacked Top 5? Walker says NO.
When asked about Andrew Jacked, Walker doesn’t believe he’ll outshine Samson Dauda or place in the top five this November.
“No [Andrew Jacked won’t make top five at 2023 Olympia]. No way [he beats Samson Dauda]. No. No. No. I have Samson, I have him in the top 6-8 spot,” added Walker.
Michal Krizo
As for Michal Krizo, Walker admits he’s big but doesn’t see him doing better than 10th. He added that Hadi didn’t win soundly last year so he doesn’t see him as a dominant titleholder like Phil Heath was.
“No [not a fan of his]. No, he’s big. He’s a big boy. But no. I see him maybe 10th. Maybe,” Walker said. “I think, listen, Hadi is great but just in my opinion, he’s a one-hit-wonder. He wasn’t like a Phil Heath where he won and you’re like, ‘Oh shit.’ I didn’t feel that with him, you know. With the competition now, even if I win, I don’t think it’s guaranteed I win again.”
Walker Casts Doubt on Blessing Awodibu & Regan Grimes This Year
According to Walker, until Awodibu brings up his legs, he will remain in the third call-out at Olympia. In addition, he doubted Regan Grimes’ potential and said he doesn’t think he ‘has the heart’ for bodybuilding.
“Blessing needs to get some legs before he talks shit,” said Walker. “I love Blessing but I think… Blessing just has – he’s afraid to ask for help. It’s like – I tried to help him, I’ve had friends try to give him advice, but Blessing is like ‘I don’t want advice.’ Alright, well that’s why you’re in the third call-out. And he was in the third call-out.”
“Regan, listen, he’s a nice guy. He should stick to the IG stuff. Listen, I just don’t think he has the mindset. Now that I’m around him a lot, I don’t think he has the heart. I don’t think he has the consistency. Bodybuilding is I’d say 100% mindset, yes. If your mind is not in this you will fail. He doesn’t look any different to me. He doesn’t, I’m sorry but he doesn’t. Yeah [it’s a mental thing] of course. I think he wants to but he’s just always distracted by other shit. Unfortunately, if you want to be at the top you unfortunately have to cut everything off. You have to be all in,”
After wrapping up his discussion on the Open class, Walker shared that Phil Heath won’t be coming back. When asked why, he pointed to monetary reasons.
“No, no. They [Masters Olympia] ain’t paying enough for him to come back,” Walker shared.
With contest schedules intensifying, plenty of top names have offered their take on who will become the next Mr. O. William Bonac, a two-time Arnold Classic titleholder, is convinced Choopan will repeat as champion later this year. Yet, former eight-time Olympia winner Ronnie Coleman doesn’t agree. He recently stated that Derek Lunsford will overthrow Choopan to become the next Mr. Olympia.
Samson Dauda has been open about his game plan for his sophomore Olympia appearance. He and his trainer Milos Sarcev agree that his only path to victory against Lunsford and Choopan is by bringing a more complete back. With that in mind, Dauda believes once his back is on par with the rest of his physique, the title will be his.
Given that Nick Walker has yet to slip on the Mr. Olympia stage, it’s hard to imagine he won’t showcase improvements in November. With how close last year’s show was, fans look forward to seeing who becomes the 18th man in history to win a Sandow trophy.
RELATED: Hadi Choopan Looks Ripped in 2023 Off-Season Physique Update Ahead of Title Defense
You can watch the full HD Muscle YouTube video below:
Published: 29 June, 2023 | 11:37 AM EDT
Hulk Hogan Talks Diet, Fitness Goals And Gives Life Advise: “Be Consistent”
Pro wrestling legend Hulk Hogan is one of the most famous wrestlers from the 1980s era as well as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. After starting his professional wrestling career in 1977, Hogan continued to entertain the fans for nearly 40 years and became a well-recognized figure not just in the USA but across the globe.
Hulk Hogan’s big break came in 1983 when he joined WWF (now known as the WWE) and became a fan favorite due to his wrestling skills as well as his charming personality. Over the course of his career, the 69-year-old competed under several banners like the WWE/WWF, NJPW, AWA, and WCW. He also tried his hand at acting and other forms of entertainment after stepping away from pro wrestling for a brief period of time.
However, Hulk Hogan did his best work in the pro-wrestling world until his retirement in 2012. By the time he called it a career, the wear and tear of the pro wrestling career had caught up with the legendary bodybuilder who had to undergo several surgeries to fix the issues.
So severe was the damage that fellow pro wrestling legend Kurt Angle stated that Hogan ‘can no longer feel his lower body’ after back surgeries. However, Hogan significantly downsized a couple of years ago to reduce the strain on his joints.
He is doing exceptionally well considering the accumulation of damage. Recently, Hulk Hogan shared a glimpse of his everyday life and gave a tour of his kitchen and gym for a video interview with Men’s Health magazine.
Hulk Hogan shares his diet and workout routine
Hogan first took the viewers to show what was inside his fridge. The contents are all organic without exception. Nut milk, berries, yogurts, and protein shakes sit proudly in the 69-year-old’s fridge. Hulk Hogan spoke candidly about the dietary habits of his fellow pro-wrestlers while showing the fridge. He said:
“People didn’t talk about protein back in the day as much as they do now. Back in the hardcore wrestling days, people talked about the money and the miles… And who could drink the most beer!”
Turns out that people were far more fun-loving than they are today. But that being said, Hulk Hogan did not give a pass to a protein-rich diet even in those days.
“I would start out and I would eat 12 fried eggs in the morning, two hamburger patties, oatmeal and everything would have butter on it because at the time my engine was burning so fast. I was wrestling like 400 times a year.”
The hectic schedule meant extensive traveling – driving through the country, flying – caring on with insufficient sleep. So to fuel his activities and keep entertaining the fans, Hogan ate a whole lot of protein.
“It wasn’t hard to maintain that type of diet because you can go to any Denny’s or iHop and get that type of food,” Hogan said about the protein-rich yet non-restrictive diet.
The legendary wrestler admits that he was not quite educated about proper dietary practices. This shortcoming best reflects in Hulk Hogan’s pre-match meals which consisted of three Miller Lites and two Tylenol. If that sounds too much, the post-match meal went above and beyond.
“The post-match meal was probably 12 Miller Lites. That’s how it was,” Hogan stated.
All of that is now in the past and Hogan has completely given up alcohol and Tylenol. All he drinks is pure and clean water.
Hulk Hogan’s diet now
Hulk Hogan’s recent body transformation did not go unnoticed as he lost nearly 40 lbs in body weight. A number of factors contributed to his decision to shed those pounds. The extreme wear and tear of pro wrestling took its toll on the legend as he has pushed through several major injuries throughout his 40-year-long career. Most notably, Hogan’s famous body slam on Andre the Giant and Wrestlemania III tore both his biceps and back muscles. Coupled with a number of other issues, mostly related to bones and joints, tightened their noose around him around 15 years back.
“I went for a back surgery and it turned into ten back surgeries. Both knees were replaced, both hips were replaced. A couple of surgeries on my face from getting my orbital socket broken a couple of times…” Hogan explained.
The impact of growing age and all the surgeries reduced Hogan’s ability to carry a lot of weight and he made some crucial changes to his lifestyle. As a result of the weight loss, Hogan can carry on with life a lot better. He has quit sugar completely as it induced inflammation in his joints. His diet is pretty simple and it includes:
Breakfast
1 Cup yogurt
Banana
Organic Coffee
Lunch and Dinner
Chicken or Steak or Raw Tuna or Sashimi
Snacks
Organic Cookies
Supplements
He takes several supplements to maintain fitness and also feels that CBD oil is far better than some medications.
Desserts Cheat Meals
Dairy-free ice creams, cookies, and a lot more!
Hulk Hogan’s home gym and training routine
Although downsized, Hulk Hogan is still among the higher echelons of people when it comes to fitness level. After all, how many 69-year-olds look as energetic as the legendary wrestler? Like most of us, Hogan also has fitness goals that he is working towards. As explained by him:
“Well, I’m going to be 70 years old in August and my fitness goal is when I walk down the beach with my girl Kye and my shirt’s off, I look better than the 30 or 35 years old guy that’s walking down the beach like the c**k of the walk. I wanna make sure that I look better than all these other guys around here.”
To achieve this goal, he has formulated a training plan that best suits his capacity. Hulk Hogan’s weekly training split includes:
Monday – Chest and back workout
Tuesday – Cardio, shoulder, and abs workout
Wednesday – Arms workout
Thursday – Leg workout
Back when he was active professionally, Hulk Hogan had a massive gym at his home. Considering the amount of damage he has endured throughout the 40 years long career, machines are a better choice as they considerably reduce the strain on joints compared to free weights. As a result, Hogan has scaled the gym down in line with his fitness goals. A Strive exercise machine is the favorite piece of gym equipment Hogan possesses.
Hulk Hogan’s Advice to his fans
Hulk Hogan has seen life in a totally different light as a result of his profession and public stature. Therefore, he gathered a vast number of life experiences. When asked about the one piece of advice he would like to give, Hogan said:
“To be consistent. That’s the best piece of information I’ve ever learned.”
Like most of us, Hulk Hogan is also a big admirer of bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger. He used Arnold’s wisdom to elaborate more on his advice to be consistent and said:
“Arnold says something very very important I picked up one time. He said, ‘even if you don’t feel good, even if you don’t feel like training, still go to the gym anyway. Pick some lighter weights up. You’ll get motivated before you know it and you’ll be in your rhythm and you’ll get a good workout.”
Hogan says maintaining good mental health is a bit of a struggle for him because of his ‘legitimately crazy’ nature. But jokes apart! The real secret behind Hulk Hogan maintaining good mental health is being grateful. Additionally, he advises keeping a forward-looking approach in life to maintain sanity.
“It’s looking forward in the windshield instead of worrying about what’s in the rearview mirror now. That’s the only thing that keeps me sane because if I digress and I start worrying about this happened and that happened and this person’s gone or that person’s gone… Things happen for a reason. So for me to stay focused and dialed in, I stay in the moment and that seems to work well.”
Hulk Hogan has endured a lot of pain to entertain hundreds of millions of pro wrestling fans around the world. Now that he has been able to fix a lot of issues and leads a healthy life, Fitness Volt wishes him all the best in achieving his fitness goals.
You can watch the full video here, courtesy of Men’s Health magazine’s YouTube channel:
Published: 29 June, 2023 | 5:08 AM EDT
Mike O’Hearn Reveals Crucial Mistake Lifters Make on Bench: ‘Take It Serious & Get Aggressive’
Known for his incredible power and strength, Mike O’Hearn has acquired a wealth of exercise knowledge by attending the gym for decades. In his latest offering to fans, O’Hearn highlighted that a lack of aggression can prevent lifers from making meaningful gains from bench press movements.
“So, the only problem here that I saw him lift and he was so… he was walking into the lift like he walked into your house. There was no fight in him, going, ‘Hey I need to set myself up take this and push myself.’ And there’s a different mode, you’re not the same person when you’re lifting as you are out shopping for groceries,” O’Hearn explained.
For well over three decades, O’Hearn has been a titan of fitness. In addition to winning the prestigious Mr. Universe bodybuilding show, O’Hearn has showcased his youthful shredded physique for years in magazines, films, and on his YouTube channel. He’s also tested his strength in other avenues like powerlifting, arm-wrestling, and strongman.
Historically, bench press exercises have come with considerable risk. Bodybuilder Ryan Crowley found this out the hard way. Despite being spotted by powerlifting star Larry Wheels, Crowley still sustained a serious pec tear after a failed bench press attempt.
And it’s not just bodybuilders who have injured themselves bench pressing. Recently, strongman legend Hafthor Bjornsson announced his foray back into powerlifting. However, his ambitions were dashed temporarily after he sustained a painful pec tear while attempting to bench press 556.7 pounds.
Since the accident, he’s been open about the recovery process and has received successful surgery to repair the damage. Thor also joined O’Hearn for a special Tom-Platz-style training session designed to strengthen ligaments in the legs. And given the danger of bench exercises, O’Hearn thought it was best to underline the biggest mistake made by lifters.
Mike O’Hearn Talks Bench Exercises, Says to Take Them Serious or ‘You’re Going to Get Hurt Someday’
According to O’Hearn, bench movements, and big lifts require aggression. He believes those who lift casually will end up injuring themselves.
“There’s got to be some kind of attitude in an attempt of aggression to frequently lift the weight. If it’s not, if you’re just phoning it in and just going, ‘Oh it’s the same as buying milk.’ Not only are you not going to get any benefit, but you’re also going to get hurt someday,” Mike O’Hearn explained.
His biggest piece of advice was to ‘take it serious, get underneath the bar, and get aggressive’ when tackling a big lift.
“Take it serious, get underneath the bar and get aggressive. It might not be somebody else’s 700 but it’s heavy for you and your attitude should represent that. It is a fight. If you go down in a slow motion but controlled where you were like, ‘Oh let me just try to get it down and up as fast as I can.’ If you took yourself out and go, ‘I’m going to lose this battle no matter what,’ instead of ‘I’m going to freakin fight for this thing.’ Control it, bring it down in a slow controlled and press up.”
What sets O’Hearn apart is his endurance, strength, and longevity. At 54 years old, he maintains an incredible build and routinely challenges himself inside the gym. Mike also collaborates with other fitness stars such as Joseph Baena, Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s son. O’Hearn has offered Baena insight with several training sessions, which are typically designed for wellness and living longer.
In another recent demonstration, O’Hearn offered fans a Kai Greene-inspired mind-muscle connection back training session. The back can be difficult to activate properly due to its complexity, but O’Hearn emphasized that it’s essential to longevity.
If anyone is qualified to speak on chest exercises, it’s Mike O’Hearn. Throughout the years, he’s shown off impressive feats of strength and impressive upper body development. While taking part in a brutal arms workout, Mike close-grip bench pressed 385 pounds for 10 reps.
Figuring out bench mistakes has become a popular subject in fitness given the prevalence of injuries. Whether the problem is half reps, elbow flare, bouncing the barbell, or not retracting the shoulder blades, O’Hearn is confident he has the solution.
RELATED: Nick Best Reveals How a Bench Press Injury Saved His Life from Cancer
O’Hearn likens bench pressing to a fight and believes one’s attitude should represent that during a lift. In light of his recent tip, he hopes to make the movement safer for anyone who is dedicated to building the chest.
Watch the full video from the Mike O’Hearn YouTube channel below:
Published: 28 June, 2023 | 10:52 PM EDT
Arnold Schwarzenegger Looks Back on Famous Munich, Germany Photo in Posing Trunks
Arnold Schwarzenegger always understood the business of promotion involved in building his brand. Having cemented his legacy in bodybuilding with seven Mr. Olympia titles, Schwarzenegger didn’t stop there. He became the governor of California and continues to give back as a philanthropist and successful actor. In his latest undertaking, Schwarzenegger appeared on the Reddit YouTube channel to discuss his charity efforts and the story behind his famous Munich, Germany photo in posing trunks.
The epitome of the American Dream, Schwarzenegger captivated large audiences en route to becoming a star. As a bodybuilder, he presented a thin waist, massive chest, and popping biceps. His completeness and seamless posing transitions saw him win several prestigious contests. However, when he retired from the sport in 1980, no one predicted the fame he would demand in the years to come.
Schwarzenegger dove head-first into the entertainment industry and made bodybuilding a more popular sport. He starred in the hit American docudrama Pumping Iron and later commanded lead roles in the ultra-successful Terminator movie franchise.
While he’s gotten a little older, Schwarzenegger’s love for fitness and exercise has only grown. He hosts the annual Arnold Sports Festival and keeps fans up to date on his health with a newsletter called Arnold’s Pump Club.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Gives Reason for Popular Munich, Germany Photo in Freezing Cold
According to Arnold, he sprinted in posing trunks in Munich to advertise for his local gym in 1967.
“I was always into marketing and publicity and the gym business was very competitive in Munich. I walked around with my posing trunks at the construction site in freezing cold weather and it created such a sensation and people thought I was totally crazy. They called journalists and photographers that came for pictures, all of a sudden we had an influx of members so the whole thing worked very very well.”
After reflecting on the iconic construction running photo, Schwarzenegger looked back on donating 25 small homes to U.S. military veterans in California.
“In November I was asking them to build those homes, they wanted to see how long it would really take. It literally took less than a month and we built 25 homes and how happy those veterans were when we gave them those homes when they said it was impossible and it would take years and years and years. I don’t have much patience for this stuff.”
In another show of philanthropy, Schwarzenegger reflected on acquiring 1,000,000 masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When we had the Coronavirus and there was the big breakout and everyone looked around and said, ‘Oh my God we have no masks!’ I could find them. It sounded to me so ridiculous not to be prepared for a pandemic. I got in touch with Flexport I said to them, ‘Hey can you help me find masks? Somewhere in the world?’ Then a few celebrities and other wealthy people came together and bought millions and millions of masks, if there is a will there is a way,” Schwarzenegger shared.
Given how far Arnold has come since his humble beginnings, he always gives credit to his roots. In his successful Netflix series Arnold, the bodybuilding legend revealed a ‘personal mecca of weightlifting’ that helped shape him as a young athlete in Austria. He said he quickly became addicted to the process of working out and the results that would follow.
As a 75-year-old legend of the sport, Schwarzenegger has been candid about his physique. He admits he was once the best-built man and struggles to accept his body today. Nevertheless, that hasn’t deterred him from regular training sessions, which he says have helped him stay happy, healthy, and strong.
With longevity a top priority, Schwarzenegger offers many of the techniques and strategies he uses to measure his health. Recently, the seven-time Mr. Olympia revealed a grip test and circuit workout designed to promote longevity.
Schwarzenegger’s photo goes down in history as one of the most unique, alongside fellow legend Lee Haney’s traffic stop picture after he won his first Mr. Olympia title.
RELATED: Bodybuilding Legend Arnold Schwarzenegger Charging $150K For Charity Personal Training Sessions
Watch the full video below from the Reddit YouTube channel:
Published: 28 June, 2023 | 9:20 PM EDT
2023 Mr. Olympia Contender Samson Dauda Shares Full Day of Eating in Off-Season
Samson Dauda, one of the leading frontrunners headed to 2023 Mr. Olympia, is giving fans a taste of his off-season diet. In a recent YouTube video, Dauda revealed the six meals he consumes daily in order to maintain a monstrous weight of over 320 pounds.
“This is a normal basic day at home with training and everything with it. So, it’s boring but this is what a typical day of my life looks like trying to improve my physique and prepare for the Olympia. Right now, we’re in the middle of the off-season so we get to see the meals I’m having. We get to see what a normal day at home looks like for me,” Samson Dauda shared.
Dauda’s IFBB Pro League career kicked off quickly but 2022 saw him break into the upper echelons of the Open class. He finished fourth at the Arnold Classic and Boston Pro contests. When he made it to the Olympia stage, Dauda shined. In his debut, he secured a sixth-place finish and during prejudging, gave then-reigning Mr. Olympia, Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay, a true run for his money.
Sailing into 2023 with considerable momentum, Samson Duada bet on himself and entered the Arnold Classic in March. At the event, he faced a number of formidable opponents, such as Akim Williams, reigning two-time 212 Olympia Shaun Clarida, Big Ramy, Andrew Jacked, and Nick Walker. Dauda cemented himself as an Arnold Classic champion in the end, which stamped his ticket to this year’s Olympia contest.
Led by bodybuilding coach Milos Sarcev, Dauda will attempt to take the title from Hadi Choopan on November 4. Dauda, confident in his chances, has taken to interviews and mentioned that growing his back will be the only path to the Mr. Olympia title. In the tail-end of his 2023 off-season, Dauda is now updating fans on the meals he’s eating to fuel his Olympia campaign.
Check Out the 2023 Off-Season Diet Samson Dauda Is Using to Prepare for Mr. Olympia
You can find a breakdown of Samson Dauda’s typical off-season diet below. He added that he consumes seven meals occasionally by having two helpings of sushi.
Meal 1
150 grams of oats
Hosstile ISO [H1] 1 scoop
5 eggs
Meal 2
450 grams of sweet potato
200 grams of beef steak
To prioritize his time for training and other pursuits, Dauda prefers his meals to be pre-made for readiness.
“The reason why we prep our meals in bulk, this is quicker. So all I have to do is heat up and eat. The thing is, if I had to eat now, I would have to cut my time to do anything else to start preparing the steak or food earlier. It would only take time out of each day if I have to prepare every meal fresh. This way, five minutes, done.
And I can focus on eating and moving to something else. If you have to prepare each meal as you go, you won’t follow your meal plan, especially if you got to eat six meals a day. You end up drifting off because it’s just too much work each day. It takes up too much time. Having everything pre-prepared in bulk, and then all you have to do is pick out each time, it’s just insanely easier,” said Dauda.
Meal 3
350 grams of cooked pasta
180 grams of mince (ground) 5% beef
Post-Workout Shake
Hosstile ISO [H1] two scoops
Hosstile CDX two scoops
homemade Pineapple Parsinip juice
ginger
Meal 4
2 cups of rice (white)
250 grams of chicken breast
Meal 5
Nando’s Half chicken & chips & corn
Meal 6
“Normally, I’d have chicken and rice if I was in prep,” added Dauda.
In addition to his contest schedule, Dauda has kept busy in the off-season with guest posing appearances. Back in May, he stole the show with Olympia runner-up Derek Lunsford at the 2023 Pittsburgh Pro guest posing. Weeks later, they pushed each other in an ‘Olympia battle workout,’ led by bodybuilding veteran Chris Cormier.
Dauda has maintained impressive size during off-seasons. Similar to last year, Dauda continues to show off a ripped build weighing over 300 pounds. His latest guest posing at the USA Fit Pro saw him weigh in at a staggering 327 pounds.
The bodybuilding community has taken note of Dauda’s Mr. Olympia-winning potential. Athletes rep Bob Cicherillo recently named Duada and Derek Lunsford as Hadi Choopan’s top threats when they meet on stage later this year.
Given Dauda’s history of making improvements show-to-show, should he bring up his back, he could easily push into the podium as pointed out by head judge Steve Weinberger. Whether it’s nutrition or training, it’s clear Dauda plans on bringing his absolute best in Nov.
RELATED: Samson Dauda, Milos Sarcev Say Back Thickness Key to Defeating Hadi Choopan: ‘No Breaks from Training’
Watch the full video on the Samson Dauda YouTube channel below:
Published: 28 June, 2023 | 11:23 AM EDT
Michal Krizo Smashes A Punishing Back, Shoulders And Triceps Workout
Michal Krizo has turned down the training intensity just a little bit after emerging victorious at his most recent Pro show appearance. But he is still active and tackled a back, shoulder and triceps exercise in the gym.
It’s not an overstatement to say that Michal ‘Krizo’ Krizanek is the face of Slovakia’s bodybuilding community. The 33-year-old bodybuilder has established himself as a worthy competitor in the IFBB Pro League’s Men’s Open division. He now awaits his second opportunity to elevate into the top echelons or Olympia competitors.
Krizo made a name for himself in the IFBB Elite Pro League where he dominated with insane muscularity, sheer size and muscle definition. He eventually made the switch to NPC and kickstarted the Olympia campaign. After earning the IFBB Pro card with a dominant win at the 2022 Amateur Olympia Italy in October, he made a quick turnaround and won the 2022 EVLS Prague Pro. The show was an Olympia Qualifier and Krizo got his first big opportunity to compete on the grandest stage of bodybuilding.
However, competing against the best is easier said than done. In spite of huge expectations, Krizo only managed to secure a twelfth-place finish at the 2022 Olympia. But the relatively inexperienced Krizo gained valuable experience and started the 2023 competitive season with an impressive win at the 2023 Empro Classic Spain Pro that took place from June 16-18 in Alicante, Spain.
He is now taking a break to let his body recover from the intense prep. However, the Slovak is active in the gym and does not want to lose touch with his craft.
Michal Krizo went through a back, shoulder and triceps training session in the gym and answered some interesting fans’ questions as he trained. So without further ado, let’s get to know more about Krizo through the summary of this workout and Q&A session.
Michal Krizo goes through a back, triceps and rear delt workout
Lat Pulldown
Lat pulldowns primarily target the latissimus dorsi, the large fan-shaped muscle in the back. Krizo started his training session with this movement and performed a few good sets to set the tone of the workout.
Bent Over Dumbbell Rows
If you want your back to grow, you have to row. While vertical pulls like lat pulldowns build a wide back, horizontal pulls/rows give it the thickness it needs. This results in the overall development of back muscles. Bent-over dumbbell rows work all the pulling muscles in the upper body and hence they should be a part of your back training schedule without a doubt. Krizo got some solid sets of this exercise under his belt and walked over to the seated rows machine.
Seated Cable Rows
Krizo took to this rowing movement next to work the upper posterior chain of muscles. Seated cable rows work latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, traps as well as spinal erectors, and contribute greatly to building upper body strength. Additionally, it is a potent way of improving upper body posture, especially in people that have slouched shoulders due to prolonged hours of desk/computer work.
The 33-year-old annihilated all the sets of this exercise to shift his focus on working the shoulders next.
Seated Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raises
Rear delts are a crucial muscle group for maintaining postural health, lifting posture as well as aesthetics. However, it is difficult to isolate it unless targeted with specific exercises. This could be the reason why posterior/rear delts often get neglected. Rear lateral raise is one of the best ways to isolate this muscle group. Krizo performed some good sets of this exercise and shifted his focus to working the triceps with the next couple of exercises.
Triceps Rope Pushdown
This isolation exercise served as the first tricep builder in the Slovak’s training routine. Rope pushdown is effective for building strength and muscle while working all three triceps heads. Krizo cranked out a few good sets of the exercise and carried on with his training session.
Seated Overhead Cable Triceps Extensions
The long head of the triceps is most active when the arms are overhand and the triceps are in the stretched position. Overhead tricep extension is an isolation movement that works the triceps from a stretched position and helps build size and strength.
There are many ways of performing this exercise but dumbbell and cable machine variations are the most common. Krizo capped his workout with the cable overhead triceps extensions. Cable machines keep the muscles under tension throughout the duration of the movement. Additionally, the cable moves along a fixed axis, which eliminates the need to control the weight. Together, these two factors contribute greatly to muscle hypertrophy. After pushing through some heavy sets of this exercise to add the last bit of stimulus to the muscles, Krizo wrapped up the training session.
Overall, the workout included:
Krizanek answers fan questions during the workout
Fans are often fascinated by the sheer size of bodybuilders and rightfully so. Open division competitors are some of the biggest human beings you would ever come across and a fan tried to address his curiosity by asking Krizo about his on-stage and off-season weight.
Krizo stated that he was actually 125 kg (275 lbs) during the 2022 Olympia and might have been 122 kg (269 lbs) at the time of recording the video. However, those are just estimates as the 33-year-old is not obsessed about maintaining a certain weight.
“I am only gonna tell you the estimates for both. Because I didn’t weigh myself because I compete the Open class. I don’t carry a scale with me. It’s useless for me.”
He further stated:
“We don’t know or aim for weight. It’s just about looking better, harder. Also, doesn’t even have to be much bigger. Just more quality.”
Krizo’s favorite cheat meal
A stringent diet that does not necessarily satisfy the taste buds is an inseparable aspect of bodybuilding and the one that’s probably most difficult to adhere to. However, it is equally important to indulge in your favorite food once in a while even if you’re Michal Krizo. But what does he like to eat the most? Here’s the answer:
“It changes all the time but I like rice pasta with quark, vanilla sugar and butter. And what else? This is my favorite,” Krizo answered a fan’s question.
But how often does the Slovakian bodybuilder indulge in his favorite cheat meals? Well, there isn’t a set pattern to it, at least in the off-season. Krizo eats cheat meals pretty much whenever he wants during the off-season.
“I don’t go 100 percent on the nutrition now (during off-season). But I try to eat around 70 percent clean.”
But competition prep is a different story as he restricts his favorite meals to Saturday and does not deviate from his diet for the rest of the week.
What are his thoughts on moving to the USA for training?
Krizo comes from a tiny nation in Eastern Europe. While most people from these and many other parts of the world would jump at an opportunity to migrate to the United States for the perceived benefits of it, Krizo thinks he has everything he needs in his motherland. So when he was asked by a fan if he would move to the USA, Krizo replied:
“Not yet. Not this year… I don’t see a reason (in the future either).”
Michal Krizo attributes improved conditioning to cardio and diet
Michal Krizo’s conditioning came under heavy scrutiny when he showed up for his first pro bodybuilding show – the 2022 EVLS Prague Pro. The Slovakian bodybuilder managed to grab a W at the show but had a lot of scope for improvement in that area. However, he showed up with great conditioning at the 2023 Empro Pro. A fan asked Krizo how much cardio did he do during the competition prep. Krizo replied:
“20 minutes cardio on a stationary bike. I wouldn’t do cardio when I trained legs. Plus, posing for half an hour every day in the evening after the workout, which is even more than doing cardio.”
Incorporating cardio really differentiated Krizo’s 2023 Empro Pro competition prep from his Olympia prep. He also made quite a few changes to his training routine and trained every body part at least twice a week. The results showed primarily in his back. Although he might have had the separation in the back muscles already, improved conditioning made it more visible on stage.
“Also very important was fixing my digestion. That was probably the main issue so that everything works the way it should. If the digestion isn’t good, then the physique won’t be either,” Krizo said while answering a question about the difference in his prep for 2022 Olympia vs 2023 Empro Pro.
What’s next for Krizo? Maintenance or bulk and cut?
Having earned the direct qualification to the 2023 Olympia, Krizo now has to utilize his time in a smart way to improve his standing and become a top contender. But fans wonder – how is he planning to approach the next few months – Whether he will be bulking or cutting? Whether he will just maintain the physique that he now has? Here’s Krizo’s answer:
“It’s off-season now. I’ll be resting until the end of July. Then I’ll jump into diet. I might try to gain a bit at the start, during, maybe the first month. But only quality and then hardcore diet all the way to the Olympia. Tow months of hardcore diet for sure.”
Krizo intends to work a lot on presentation and bring the best version of himself to the 2023 Olympia stage. It will be interesting to see how much ground he covers to go up against the top contenders of the division.
You can watch the full workout and Q&A video here, courtesy of Michal Krizo’s YouTube channel:
Published: 28 June, 2023 | 9:19 AM EDT
Derek Lunsford Destroys An Off-Season Leg Workout Before Demolishing a 3300-Calorie ‘Meal’
Derek Lunsford is keeping himself busy in the gym this off-season. The former 212 division champ will return to competition at the 2023 Olympia and he is putting in work to bring home the sandows trophy. However, he is also trying out new things and keeping life interesting. Recently, Lunsford went through a quad-dominant leg day workout in the gym and also challenged himself in a unique way to test his body’s limits.
After winning the 212 Olympia title at 2021 Olympia, Derek Lunsford was perceived as the next dominant force in the 212 division that has seen a long-reigning champion like Flex Lewis reign supreme for an unusually long period of time. However, Lunsford’s physique outgrew the weight class as was evident at the guest posing of the 2022 Pittsburg Pro.
The Olympia management accepted his request for a special invitation to compete in the Men’s Open division at the 2022 Olympia and he officially made a switch to the Men’s Open division. While most people knew that Lunsford had the potential to shake up the division, no one could gauge the impact he would make.
Lunsford ended up dominating the stage alongside Hadi Choopan and Nick Walker from prejudging to the finals and snatched a runner-up finish behind Mr. Olympia Hadi Choopan. He is now working hard to tighten the loose ends and bring home the Mr. Olympia trophy home. He has been active in the gym and has looked insanely muscular and stage ready in recent appearances.
In a recent video posted on Lunsford’s YouTube channel, he went through a leg workout in the gym and participated in a hotdog eating challenge against a pro. So let’s take a deep dive into Lunsford’s adventure and see if he won the challenge.
Derek Lunsford tackles a quad-dominant leg day in the gym
Lying Leg Curls
Derek Lunsford started the training session with lying leg curls. Even on a quad-dominant leg day, the former 212 Olympia champion prefers to get all the muscles like quads, hamstrings, and abductors warmed up nice and clean.
“Even though it’s a quad-dominant day, I still want to get a bit of blood in the hamstrings first. I really like to be able to warm up the hamstrings and the quads and sometimes the abductors too before I go into any bigger movements. I just think it’s good because you get all loosened up and feeling good in your body before you push the crazy weight and stuff like that,” Lunsford said.
Additionally, leg curls are a great exercise to warm up the knee joints which are crucial in performing most of the lower body movements. Lunsford performed a few sets of this isolation exercise and took to the next isolation movement.
Leg Extensions
Although they can be harsh on the knees if not done with proper technique and weight, nobody can deny that leg extensions are an excellent way to target the quadriceps. Lunsford got a few sets of this quad isolation exercise under his belt and took to the first heavy compound exercise of the day.
Belt Squats
This simple squat variation greatly reduces the stress on the back muscles. When a person performs regular barbell squats, the back muscles have to work really hard to maintain the upper body posture under the weight of the barbell and plates. However, switching the barbell squats with belt squats maximizes leg muscle engagement and significantly reduces the stress on the lower back.
Although belt squats are not a replacement exercise for barbell squats (unless a person cannot perform barbell squats due to medical reasons), they can be an excellent addition to the lower body training routine. Similar to other squat variations, belt squats target all the major muscles – quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes as well as calves.
Lunsford and team pushed through a few heavy sets of this exercise and took to the finisher of the day next.
Pendulum Squats
Lunsford and company packed up after performing this compound movement next. When it comes to developing functional strength, free weights might be the best option you have. However, machines can be every bit beneficial and then some for bodybuilders and yield amazing results in the long run.
Pendulum squats are another creative way of performing squats in a way that you can continue to work until your legs allow you to without necessarily worrying about your lower back, core, or glutes giving up. While it targets all the major muscle groups in the lower body, quads are the primary focus of pendulum squats. Lunsford and his training partners cranked out a few sets of pendulum squats. They called it a day in the gym following this exercise.
Overall, the workout consisted of:
Derek tries out a friendly hotdog eating contest
Lunsford’s friend and training partner for this workout, Bartley Weaver, is a competitive eater. He will participate in Nathan’s hotdog eating contest in a couple of weeks’ time. Derek, along with others, gave a shot at eating as many hotdogs as possible after finishing the leg training session.
All four men set out to fill their stomachs with hotdogs. After trying their level best, Derek Lunsford was able to down 11 hotdogs. On the other hand, Adam and Trevor were close behind with a count of 10 hotdogs each.
However, Bartley left the three men far behind and finished a whopping 42 hotdogs! Even the combined total of the other three men could not come close to Bartley Weaver’s total.
“I ate 11 hotdogs in 10 minutes and I’m stuffed. I don’t want to eat this last one. I’ll be honest. I wanted to finish 12, I really did but I was like, dude, this isn’t happening! Holy Crap!” Lunsford exclaimed after the time was up.
In total, Bartley gulped down 42 hotdogs and buns. The macronutrient intake of this crazy amount of food was:
Energy – 12,600 KCal
Carbohydrates – 1008 grams
Fats – 735 grams
Protein – 420 grams
Lunsford, who gulped down 11 hotdogs and buns, ended up consuming:
Energy – 3299.94 KCal
Carbohydrates – 263.99 grams
Fats – 192.49 grams
Protein – 109.99 grams
Bartley ended up gaining a whopping 13.5 lbs weight over those ten minutes and weighed 263.5 lbs. That’s some increase in 10 minutes!
Derek Lunsford is one of the favorites heading into the 2023 Olympia competition that will take place in November. He is working hard but if he beats Hadi Choopan and rising contenders like Samson Dauda and Nick Walker to it, he can sit alongside the handful of competitors that have achieved the feat of winning Mr. Olympia title.
You can watch the full workout video here, courtesy of Derek Lunsford’s personal YouTube channel:
Published: 28 June, 2023 | 12:16 AM EDT
Ronnie Coleman’s Training Partner on Working Out w/ ‘The King’: ‘His Lifts Were Amazing’
Ronnie Coleman is easily one of the most recognizable faces of the bodybuilding industry. ‘Big J,’ who helped train Coleman, took to a recent Straight Outta the Lair Podcast with Flex Lewis, to discuss his experiences at the Metroflex Gym with ‘The King.’
During his respective tenure, bodybuilding legend Ronnie Coleman separated himself from his peers with exceptional muscle mass, conditioning, and size. In 1998, he defeated Flex Wheeler to win his first Mr. Olympia title. Having taken a moment to look back on his career, Coleman believes Wheeler is the reason he became so successful because he connected him with his long-time coach Chad Nicholls.
From 1998-2005, Coleman dominated the Men’s Open class, and in the process, defeated popular mainstays such as Jay Cutler, Kevin Levrone, and Dennis Wolf. In 2006, Cutler dethroned Coleman to end his illustrious eight-year reign. A year later, Coleman opted to retire after his final Mr. Olympia show where he finished fourth.
During Coleman’s career, he often trained at the Metroflex Gym in Texas. This gym served as the home to many prolific bodybuilders such as Men’s Open threats Johnnie O. Jackson and Branch Warren, an athlete known for impressive quad development. And while fans haven’t heard much from Coleman’s training partner, Big J, he’s now offering some details about working out with ‘The King’ during the mid-90s and 2000s.
‘Big J’ Talks Meeting and Training with Ronnie Coleman
Big Jay said he still keeps in touch with Ronnie and saw him at the gym two days ago.
“I just talked to him two days ago at the gym and he’s got a bigger smile. That says something, you can’t have much of a bigger smile than that, eight-time Mr. Olympia – it doesn’t get bigger, might as well have another son.”
“We trained [together] at five or six in the morning, somewhere around there,” said Big J. “I think once he started winning the Olympias is when the different times came about. You know, when you train that there are so many interruptions. Hey, can I get a picture… it’s hard to explain to super fans, and there are super fans out there that this is actually not just a hobby, this is his job. He’s at work.”
“It’s disappointing to fans for sure, but once they finally realize that he’s pushing 200-pound dumbbells and he’s getting psyched up, yes I’ll wait. It’s the same with other workout partners. A lot of times I was training with Ronnie and I was having to direct traffic a lot of the times. So we decided to start training at later hours that way nobody is there.”
While fans often wanted Ronnie’s attention, Big J said Ron treated bodybuilding training like a job.
“There’s no cameras, there’s no hype squad, there’s always some good gangster rap going [in Metroflex] it’s funny because there’s so much more work that goes on behind the scenes. Even the kids nowadays don’t realize that we didn’t do this for notoriety and we didn’t do this for pictures on Instagram, we didn’t do this to get popular, we did it because we loved the shit out of it.”
Big J met Coleman while squatting weight back in the 90s.
“As far as training – it’s different. You can talk to a concrete worker, a brick layer, or a ditch worker, and you bring him to the gym and smoke him, but he’ll smoke you in the ditch. So, you have to change gears to a different type of intensity.
“Squatting and deadlifting was my specialty I loved doing it. I was squatting in the back and there was this rap music going on and there was this big monster — I mean this was before he was Mr. Olympia, but he was still a big monster. He kept looking at me with this stinky face like I smell shit. The big nostrils. He’s just looking at me really weird. I’m like who’s this guy, why is he looking at me like this. I didn’t know him. He comes over and he’s like ‘Hey man, how are you squatting so much weight with those itty bitty ass legs?’ I start laughing and I’m like, ‘How are you so freakin big?’ And it was game on from there.”
Looking back on some notable lifts, Big J highlighted Ronnie pressing 200-pound dumbbells with ease. He also witnessed Coleman’s most legendary lifts, such as the 2,300-pound leg press and the 800-pound squats and deadlifts.
“It kind of started with Branch. That fucker always tried to kill me when we first met training. I trained with him from the mid-90s to the early 2000s. He would help me along with some other people with my nutrition and whatnot, I would just do what they did. It was a lot different from the training I did in the military.”
“Well Ronnie with those 200s like they were 100s just blew me away,” said J. “Ronnie’s lifts were amazing. I saw him pull the 800 for a couple, squat the 800 for a couple, leg press the 2,300 for eight. I’ve been to all those lift and they always made me oh my God that’s amazing, I can do that.”
After pulling 1,000 pounds, Big J called Ronnie Coleman who congratulated him on the impressive feat of strength.
“I pulled it and I recorded it and said here’s your video. He goes, I knew you could do it good job. That’s all you’re going to get from the greatest bodybuilder in the world. You’re not going to get, ‘Oh my god that’s great,’ because he’s great.”
As of late, Ronnie Coleman sold his Texas home to move into a larger house. In addition, the 59-year-old opened a Metroflex Gym recently. He’s been busy in retirement but fortunately keeps fans updated on his health. According to Coleman, his inability to walk without assistance hasn’t gotten any worse or better. He continues to receive stem cell therapy treatments every few months, which he said has helped his overall pain levels.
Ronnie Coleman is a living legend and one of the strongest bodybuilders to ever compete. Judging by stories told by his training partner, Coleman’s work ethic guided him to great heights as an IFBB Pro with the help of his brotherhood at the Metroflex Gym.
You can watch the full video from the Straight Outta the Lair YouTube channel below:
Published: 27 June, 2023 | 8:40 PM EDT
Jay Cutler Reveals Secrets to Building 20-Inch Arms in Latest Training Session
Bodybuilding legend Jay Cutler hasn’t slowed down despite retiring from the sport in 2013. In a recent JayCutlerTV video, Cutler updated fans on his fit-for-50 body transformation challenge and shared a brutal arms workout.
During his career, Cutler paid his dues before touching Mr. Olympia gold. He was runner-up to ‘The King’ Ronnie Coleman four times in a row before finally dethroning the long-standing champ in 2006. While competing actively, Cutler was praised for his jarring lower body development which included some of the best quads in bodybuilding history.
While he called it a career 10 years ago, Cutler still follows the sport closely. When he’s not discussing the Men’s Open division, he’s pushing himself in the gym. Late last year, the 49-year-old revealed he was transforming his body for a physique challenge. He made it clear he didn’t plan to compete but has since teased guest posing at the return of the Masters Olympia show this August.
Cutler has been transparent about his efforts to transform his body. He took to previous Cutler Cast podcasts where he shared that he’s only using testosterone replacement therapy to enhance his physique. Moreover, he emphasized that he planned to stay away from more powerful compounds like Trenbolone. With steady physique updates before his birthday, Cutler is back offering an intense arms workout with his fanbase.
Jay Cutler Shows How to Build 20-Inch Guns in Latest Arm Workout
Check out Cutler’s workout list below:
Cable Triceps pushdown – 2 warm-up sets, 3 working sets
Rope press down – 3-4 sets 10-12 reps
Overhead dumbbell extensions – 3 sets
Dip machine – 3 sets
Triceps extension w/dumbbell kickbacks – 3 sets 10-12 reps
Nautilus biceps machine – 3 sets
Alternate dumbbell curls – 3 sets 8-10 reps
Incline bench spider curls w/straight bar – 3 sets 10-12 reps
Before reviewing the arm workout, Cutler checked his weight and he’s currently sitting at 243 pounds.
Cable Triceps pushdown
“So we just finished an arm workout, it seems like we were just doing this yesterday actually, here at the same place. It’s kind of funny, I wanted to do an arm video because it seems to be everyone’s favorite, everyone asks me about arm training, it’s like arms, chest, or calves, right? So, I’m going to talk through the exercises.”
“Like always, I always start with triceps first. This week, instead, I kind of reversed it a little bit so I started with a press down movement, I used kind of a shorter straight bar, did two warm-up sets and then three working sets, pyramiding the weight up, I went up to 120 and just really try to get a contraction. I know some of these reps look short but the contraction is there.”
Rope press down
“Then, I went over to the rope press down,” said Cutler. “I got on my knees and I actually kept the arms a little close. I was getting good contractions out of it. And for me, that seems to work better for me. I feel like when I’m at a lower body position and going through the reps, and this I went into like three or four sets total, 10 or 12 reps, I didn’t really count.”
Overhead dumbbell extensions
“The pump was starting to really flow by then. The next exercise we went over to is the overhead dumbbell. Now, with this exercise, I’m focused on three sets I did it kind of on a preacher bench and I backed up to that. Sometimes the seats are a little high, the back of the seats so it’s hard to get the extension. One thing about these: I don’t have any elbow pain.”
Dip machine
“Then I went over to the dip machine. Which was you know, kind of different, hammer strength like we’ve used in the past. That’s really good. I’ve done free weights, whatever else for dips but focused on three sets there, focused on pyramiding the weight up a little bit,” said Cutler.
Triceps extension w/dumbbell kickbacks
“Then, I finished with triceps extension with dumbbells, kickbacks, I did two arms. I used to do these single armed you can do them either way. Did three sets of those, just focusing on 10 or 12 repetitions really focusing on getting the contraction. Then rolled into the biceps.”
Nautilus biceps machine + Alternate dumbbell curls
“Then of course, rolled right into the biceps. First exercise of biceps was that Nautilus machine and I would not fit into this if I was full size as I used to be. Because it’s really close but I really like this. I do two arms at a time. Did three sets here. Pumped, very easy to get the pump once you have the triceps pumped up. Then rolled into our dumbbell curls, now I did the first set standing alternate dumbbells rolled into some seated. Focused on getting the contraction, I try to do like 8-10 each arm.”
Incline bench spider curls w/straight bar
“I did the straight bar this time, three sets of [spider curls] focusing on 10-12 repetitions really getting a good contraction. Really really good burn on these and of course the last movement is going to be the preacher bench. Sometimes I do single, I did double, three sets here, really just getting that contraction, getting that good pump. All in all, felt pretty good.”
“I want to get my body weight and my weight climbing back up. I’m not happy being in the mid-240s, I really wanted to be 250 by this time, at eight weeks, I started making the transition and adding extra cardio in, doing two sessions a day, this morning did about 25 minutes.”
This is far from the first training session Cutler has shared while embarking on his latest fitness challenge. Recently, the four-time Mr. Olympia led fans through a killer arm-building workout designed to cause hypertrophy. He also offered a comprehensive breakdown of the eight-exercise routine.
Regardless of the body part, Cutler has solutions, which he credits to his decades of exercise experience. As for ab development, Jay says the ultimate rep range is between 15-20. In addition, he listed his three favorite ab exercises: crunches, hanging raises, and ropes.
With August approaching, fans are eager to see Cutler’s best physique since 2013. While Jay would like to be heavier, he’s happy with the progress he’s made thus far on his journey.
RELATED: Jay Cutler Breaks Down 2023 Mr. Olympia Top Contenders: ‘Can Andrew Jacked Shock the World?’
You can watch the full video from the JayCutlerTV YouTube channel below:
Published: 27 June, 2023 | 4:31 PM EDT