Tag: Videos
Calum Von Moger Reacts to Brother’s Death: ‘Every Second of the Day, My Mind Is Elsewhere’
Calum Von Moger has issued his first statement since the tragic death of his brother Edward Von Moger. In a YouTube video dedicated to Edward, Von Moger attended the 2023 Arnold Classic Expo with a heavy heart and reflected on losing his sibling.
To say it’s been a tough few years for the Von Moger family would be an understatement. Calum, who once portrayed a young Arnold Schwarzenegger in the docudrama Bigger, appeared to be headed for greatness in bodybuilding, but a slew of personal issues prevented his career from blossoming.
The 32-year-old faced legal troubles due to a bizarre road rage incident. He slashed the tires of a man’s car with a knife and police found several weapons in his vehicle like brass knuckles, a tomahawk, and a hunting knife. While Calum pleaded guilty, his hardships were far from over.
Last May, a troubled Von Moger jumped out of a two-story window. His motive for the incident was unclear, but Von Moger was in a coma for six days before waking up. He’s since gone to rehab and taken measures to get his life back on track.
However, last month, Calum’s brother, Edward Von Moger, mysteriously went missing. After an exhaustive search effort, a body was found off the coast of Australia and was presumed to be Edward. Having endured a massive loss, Von Moger took to his YouTube channel for a cathartic experience.
Emotional Calum Von Moger Issues First Statement Since Eddie Von Moger Death
According to Von Moger, he discovered his brother was missing the day he flew out to Columbus, Ohio for the 2023 Arnold Classic Expo.
“I was excited to meet you all at the [2023] Arnold but during that same time, I was going through the toughest moment in my life. On the day I flew out to Ohio, I found out my brother was missing…”
While attending the Expo, Von Moger ran into fitness influencer Jesse James West, who dressed up as The Terminator from Schwarzeneggger’s famous franchise. Calum apologized to fans for being overwhelmed with emotion at the gathering.
“Every second of the day, my mind was elsewhere thinking about Eddie. I know I was physically there but mentally not present. I want to apologize to those who approached me and sadly I had to turn away because I was too emotional. Thank you everyone for the love and support during this time. This video is dedicated to my brother Edward Von Moger,” Von Moger shared.
Considering all that Calum has been through over the past few years, the bodybuilding community was happy to see him turning his life around. Lee Priest, a fellow Australian athlete, extended his support and stressed that anyone could find themselves in the type of trouble Von Moger faced.
RELATED: Calum Von Moger: ‘I’m Doing Better, Got All The Help I Needed and Ready to Return in 2023’
Determined to lead a more healthy and productive life, Von Moger redirected his focus to the gym. The last time fans heard from Calum, he shared a high-volume leg day training session. During the workout, Von Moger revealed that his plan was to downsize his physique in the months to come.
Despite his grief, Calum decided to honor his brother’s memory by attending the 2023 Arnold Classic Expo. Fitness Volt extends our best wishes and support to the Von Moger family in 2024.
You can watch the full video below, courtesy of Calum Von Moger’s YouTube channel:
Published: 15 April, 2023 | 9:01 AM EDT
Rich Gaspari Says Classic Physique Is Saving The Art of Bodybuilding
Rich Gaspari has seen bodybuilding progress through the years and worries the artful aspects of the practice have fallen by the wayside. In a recent Fitness, Fame & Fortune Podcast, Gaspari argued why bodybuilding should be considered an art form, not a sport.
Artistic expression and bodybuilding go hand in hand. For as long as the sport has been around, competitors have crafted unique posing routines to complement their respective physiques. There is no doubt bodybuilding has changed since Rich’s time on stage. After wrapping up his tenure, mass monsters were slowly taking over the top of the Men’s Open division.
In the 1990s, Dorian Yates proved mass and conditioning to be an Olympia-winning combination. Following Yates’ six-year reign, another massive albeit conditioned bodybuilder took his place as Ronnie Coleman made his ascension into the history books with eight Sandow trophies.
Many believe Hadi Choopan’s win at the 2022 Mr. Olympia show signaled a shift to conditioning and balance in bodybuilding. Gaspari thinks the sport has temporarily lost its artistry and blames dull posing routines.
Rich Gaspari Says Bodybuilding Is Not A Sport It’s an Art Form: ‘It’s Something That’s Subjective’
In Gaspari’s opinion, the subjectivity of bodybuilding makes it an art form, not a sport. He supported his argument by comparing it to other sports like track and field, where an athlete reaches a finishing line following a contest.
“You talked earlier about what is bodybuilding, is it a sport or an art? I consider it an art form. Do you have to go through physical training to get to this art form, yes you do. You’re building a statue by throwing clay to build up your chest or your shoulders but what are you doing? You’re displaying your body after all this physical exertion that you’re doing to build that body. Is it really a sport? It’s something that is subjective.”
“You really don’t sit there and run through the finish line and pick a winner. When someone argues with me that it’s a sport, I say it’s not a sport. It’s an art form. You have to go do the gym to get to look like a certain way to be that art form but is it really something that you can say I don’t know.
I can’t really say anything about sports because in the Olympics you got curling, which I think is a ridiculous sport, throwing that thing across the ice. Could bodybuilding be considered a sport, in that sense sure, since curling is a sport, why not bodybuilding. I kind of think when people tell me I said it’s art form, it’s not a sport,” Gaspari said.
According to the 59-year-old, artistic expression might have been lost but he believes Classic Physique is resurrecting the concept.
“A lot of what you’re doing is training, but people don’t see what it takes to make that body. The dieting, the training, the tanning, all the preparation it takes to get ready to go on that stage. That’s the part that it’s all the stuff that comes together to get you to be that bodybuilder on stage. I mean – I spent hours posing too because it’s good that lately that the art form is coming back because of Classic Bodybuilding but for the last couple of years, the last five or six years it was lost, it was a lost art.”
“Back – go five, six, eight years ago, bodybuilding posing was completely lost. I thought the routines were shit. The only guy that really posed that gave a good show was someone like a Kai Greene. That still saw something in that even though there wans’t – I guess they didn’t score it. Back when I posed or when I competed, they did score the posing round.”
Industry expert John Ramano also drew attention to the lack of vacuum poses in the Men’s Open division compared to the Golden Era of bodybuilding, which hosted the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the late Dave Draper, and Lou Ferrigno.
“Ferrigno was famous for that, think of the huge guys from then that could do a vacuum. Draper, Arnold, Louis, all these guys that we talk about – Mentzer – he was pretty big at one point still sucking up a vacuum,” added John Ramono.
Before wrapping up, Gaspari underlined how busy Venice Gold’s Gym was and likened it to a circus.
“It was such a show [at Gold’s Gym Venice], guys like Lyle Alzado, you knew Lyle Alzado, he was nuts, the Barbarian Brothers — guys if you went to this gym back then, it was a circus. It was a circus. You really couldn’t train in that – I would train, like I said, train in the valley, I would go to World’s Gym with Lee and he would never want to go to Gold’s.”
Rich Gaspari is far from the first retired pro to highlight how the Men’s Open has changed over the years. Perrenial Olympia contender Lee Labrada pointed out that symmetry, proportions, and balance have been ‘tossed to the side’ as of late. Moreover, he took issue with the lack of creative posing routines and described the Open class as ‘tanks clunking’ between each other with no transitions.
RELATED: 63-Year-Old Lee Labrada Looks Jacked in Father-Son Posing Session with Hunter
Samson Dauda’s win at the 2023 Arnold Classic revived the importance of balance, symmetry, and posing in the Open. Nevertheless, Gaspari is adamant that bodybuilding should be considered an art form, not a sport.
Watch the full video below:
https://youtu.be/2s5ne_2PGtc
Published: 14 April, 2023 | 2:50 PM EDT
Chris Cormier and Olympia Judge on Glute Injections/Implants: ‘It’s Really Cheating’
Chris Cormier and Terrick El Guindy are taking a closer look at how to observe imbalances in a bodybuilding physique. In a recent Prime Time Muscle podcast, Cormier and El Guindy explained why glute implants/injections are a form of cheating in the IFBB Pro League.
Judging in bodybuilding has become a hot topic in the sport as of late. Discussions on how to score a contest swelled following the conclusion of the 2022 Mr. Olympia contest that saw Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay lose to Hadi Choopan. The podium was rounded out with Derek Lunsford and Nick Walker taking second and third, respectively. Given the results, fans suspected that judges were beginning to favor balance and conditioning rather than size and freak factor.
These observations were brought into the limelight again after the 2023 Arnold Classic. Samson Dauda‘s shape, balance, and proportions sealed the deal in Ohio, where he outlasted Walker and third-place finisher Andrew Jacked. Bodybuilding veterans and fans of the sport took issue with Dauda’s victory. Chris Aceto, Jay Cutler, and Samir Bannout thought Walker could or should have won.
Walker implored his fans to stop harping on the results days after the contest. In a recent Mutant & The Mouth Podcast, Walker, joined by Guy Cisternino and Nick Trigili, called for a more transparent judging process. Meanwhile, event announcer Bob Cicherillo took to his own series of podcasts to not only lay out why Walker lost but also explained in detail how to score a bodybuilding contest.
In light of the judging controversy, Cormier and El Guindy tackled the subject and laid out strategies for detecting imbalances related to glute injections/implants.
Chris Cormier, Judge Terrick El Guindy Explain How to Look for Injection/Implant Imbalances
According to El Guindy, the breasts of a female competitor are not being judged in any capacity, and specified that the Olympia in female categories can be won without implants.
“The section where a woman breastfeeds or accumulates natural fat, that’s not being judged in any category. What that means is, whether you have large breasts whether you don’t have large breasts whether you have an implant, it’s up to you, it makes zero difference on the judging.”
“It doesn’t matter at all,” says El Guindy. “I don’t know if Marueen Blanquisco has augmentation or not or the girl in 10th place has augmentation or not – I don’t look at it, I don’t judge it, I don’t even have time to look at it. What I am looking at — the abdominals section, I’m looking at glutes, I’m looking at legs, is she over-conditioned? Is there too many veins and this or that.”
“I couldn’t tell who had augmentation and who doesn’t It’s not important, you can win the Olympia without it,” El Guindy stated. “As judges we don’t have the time to look at it. Now going back to the difference between glutes and breats, is that we are judging the glutes. We are judging the glutes. So, if you show up on stage with an imbalance which is not natural to the anatomy indentation… exactly, there is, and Chris and I talk about it, the human anatomy where the glutes connect with the hamstrings.”
El Guindy explained that judges are trained to look at the natural indentation connecting the glutes to the hamstrings.
It doesn’t matter, men and women, if you look at a famous picture of Ronnie Coleman when he squeezes his glutes, there’s a natural indentation of the glute going into the hamstring. You look at Franciella Mattos – the current Wellness champion, there’s a natural indendation into the glutes going into the hamstrings.”
“When you don’t have what a lot of girls call the teardrop when it just goes down and just stops and there’s extra volume, that’s an imbalance and judges are going to catch it. You’re going to go from, ‘Hey, I never had butt implants, I was winning shows, I was in the first call-out.’ To now, hey, ‘You have an imbalance and now you end up on the last call-out,” El Guindy added.
Another telltale sign of imbalance that El Guindy revealed was physiques whose legs and glutes don’t match in terms of development.
“I’m not sure I could quite reveal some of our strategies to identify it – I have no problem because first of all, just the facts,” El Guindy said. “Then, you look at the development of the leg, it doesn’t match the development of the glutes.”
“And it’s going to get worse as you get older,” Cormier said.
Lastly, El Guindy highlighted that judges can identify an implant or injection by the way someone walks on stage.
“Whether you like it or not, you have to walk to that spot [on stage]. And when you walk and stuff doesn’t move naturally, like we’ve seen for the last thousands of years, something is wrong,” El Guindy explained. “So, I want to understand why some of them try to do it. Because it’s really cheating, right?”
“This competitor who just used some type of you know, imbalance, did not do what you’re supposed to do which is bodybuilding. You’re building your body; it’s not called implant-building. It’s bodybuilding. It requires the breakdown of protein and building muscle.”
Given his expertise, El Guindy has witnessed competitors who were on the verge of winning drop to the last call-out due to injection/implant imbalances.
“You’re absolutely right, we’re trained to identify not only when you pose but when you walk. It’s sad because a lot of times, I’ve judged some shows where I said, ‘Man, this person had the potential of winning, men or women, the potential of actually winning the entire show,’ but somehow because of an imbalance they actually lost and went into the last call-out, we see that a lot.”
This isn’t the first time that Cormier and El Guindy joined forces to discuss site-enhancement oils and physique imbalances. Urging competitors against substances like Synthol, ‘The Real Deal’ underlined the damage he sustained to his calves earlier in his career. He stressed that the practice causes lifelong damage to the muscle due to poor blood circulation.
RELATED: Chris Cormier Warns Hadi Choopan to Bring ‘Different Look’ In Shoulders Due to Synthol Accusations
Simply put, Cormier and El Guindy believe glute injections and implants are cheating. They emphasized that the sport’s Olympia titles can still be won without resorting to these types of shortcuts.
You can watch the full video below:
Published: 14 April, 2023 | 12:00 PM EDT
William Bonac: ‘If Give It My All, Then I Have the Possibility to Win Mr. Olympia’
William Bonac hasn’t given up hope on securing a Mr. Olympia title before calling it a career. In a recent interview with Desktop Bodybuilding, Bonac brushed off retirement rumors and said he’s taking the year to come back better than ever in 2024.
As a Men’s Open pro, William Bonac has participated at the highest level for over a decade. His thick compact muscle density and work ethic were vital components to his rise as a pro. Bonac is a two-time winner of the prestigious Arnold Classic, winning gold in 2018 and 2020. While proving himself as an elite talent, Bonac narrowly missed out on winning Mr. Olympia to Brandon Curry in 2019.
Last year (2022), ‘The Conqueror’ was unable to exact revenge against Curry at the Arnold Classic and finished second. The outcome was controversial and many pros like Lee Priest thought Bonac brought the winning package. Despite the setback, Bonac returned a week later to win gold at the Boston Pro, guaranteeing his passage to the Mr. Olympia show.
He went into Las Vegas’ 2022 Olympia as a notable favorite but failed to make the first call-out. Bonac finished ninth and his teammate, Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay, also came up short in fifth, which served as one of the biggest shocks of the night. Bonac attempted the latest Arnold Classic as well but finished seventh.
William Bonac Says He Can Still Win Arnold Classics and Mr. Olympias
During the video, Bonac said he was still in the running to win Arnold Classics and Mr. Olympias as long as he takes a year off to let his body recover.
“I do for sure [think] I can win the Arnold Classic; the possibility is still there. To win the Olympia… I don’t know man, where the judges are going with the kind of physiques that they want for that. But I think if I give it my all, like the next two years, then I might have the possibility to win the Olympia. Right now, it’s just taking time off, you know, let my body recover.”
“When you compete and compete and compete, your body adjusts to the system to your supplementation and diet, so it won’t react as it normally would be. Your receptors – everything would be sensitive. So I need to get rid of that. Once I have that and that’s what I’m doing now, so I’ll need a whole year off. Once I have that, then I can come back again and everything will feel fresh, my body will feel fresh because that’s what I did in 2022 as well at the Arnold Classic.”
According to Bonac, his ninth and seventh-place finishes at the Olympia and Arnold Classic were justified. He added that the judges made the correct decision and said the outcome could have been worse.
“It was the right decision. When I look back at the pictures, I was like I look shit. You know, so yeah, you can even say you have to be happy with your placing and what you got – it could have been worse. I looked like shit. At the Arnold, I looked better. Did I deserve my placings? Yeah. The judges put me there for a reason. I’m not a guy to complain about his placings. Of course, in the past, I had some issues.”
“I’ve grown, I understand the game. So, I don’t complain when I win, I’m happy when I win, so why should I complain when I lose some? It’s a big pie, everyone can have some of it,” added Bonac. “I know what I saw, and I was like [no], people told me I should have placed higher but I’m lucky that I got that place, believe me. It’s not the physique I wanted to represent at the Olympia.”
Bonac on Big Ramy: ‘Its Tough to Be 2x Mr. Olympia & Lose Your Title All in 6 Months’
Bonac sympathizes with Big Ramy since the Egyptian native lost his title after holding the honor for two years.
“To be honest with you, if I did qualify for the Olympia, I would have probably gone to the Olympia as well. For him [Big Ramy] to go, is a good thing as well. I wouldn’t be demotivated because of his placings that he didn’t maybe expect it at the Olympia and then maybe the Arnold. It’s tough you know, to be two-time Mr. Olympia, losing your title and all just in sixth months’ time. Losing your title and placing fifth and then going to the Arnold and not even placing in the top three, it’s kind of tough to be the king and then… you know,” said William Bonac.
“I thought he looked better at the Arnold and I think at the Olympia he didn’t look that bad. We all looked — we all didn’t look perfect. None of use except maybe three guys and those three guys were in the top three, simple as that. I think Big Ramy should maybe have a rest for this time now and start his prep for Olympia and then maybe after Olympia take a rest and go forward again. We are not as young as these guys anymore.”
The last time fans heard from Bonac he discussed his future in the sport. Given the strain his body has been under, he decided to take a year off for the sake of longevity. He believes the time off is exactly what his physique needs following a busy season. Considering how illusive the Olympia title has been for him, Bonac set his sights on another Arnold Classic victory next year.
Watch the full video below:
RELATED: William Bonac Completed Blood Work Before 2023 Arnold Classic, Says ‘There’s Nothing Wrong’ With Kidneys
While his time in the sport is limited, William Bonac hopes to come back stronger and more competitive in 2024.
Published: 13 April, 2023 | 6:38 PM EDT
Ronnie Coleman: ‘Flex Wheeler Is Pretty Much the Reason Why I First Won The Olympia’
Despite a heated rivalry, Ronnie Coleman believes Flex Wheeler was crucial to his bodybuilding success. In a recent Nothin’ but a Podcast, Coleman credited Wheeler for introducing him to coach Chad Nicholls and disclosed some of the dietary demands that led to his first Mr. Olympia title.
Ronnie Coleman is widely regarded as one of the best bodybuilders of all time, having earned a total of eight Mr. Olympia titles, tied with fellow legend Lee Haney. During his respective tenure, Coleman laid waste to the Men’s Open division, defeating icon after icon en route to cementing his legacy in the 1990s and 2000s. He was led by Nicholls, who now trains William Bonac and Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay.
In addition to his bodybuilding achievements, Coleman was held in high regard for his impressive feats of strength. Considered one of the strongest bodybuilders to ever compete, ‘The King’ recorded a shocking 2,300-pound leg press and turned heads by smoking an 800-pound deadlift.
While enjoying retirement, Coleman remains infatuated with the sport. In his spare time, he’s trained with fitness influencers and most recently, started a podcast with 212-turned-Men’s Open star Derek Lunsford. In their latest undertaking, Coleman looked back on how Wheeler introduced him to one of the sport’s most accomplished gurus, Chad Nicholls.
Ronnie Coleman Talks Meeting Chad Nicholls Through Flex Wheeler: ‘He Changed Everything I Was Doing’
According to ‘The King,’ his first Mr. Olympia title was made possible thanks to Wheeler. After being introduced to Nicholls, Coleman said his contest preparations were drastically altered.
“It was the same way for me and the guys coming up; a lot of people don’t know it – but Flex Wheeler is pretty much the reason why I won the Olympia because he turned me on to Chad Nicholls. He was like, ‘Hey man, who are you working with?’ I’m like, ‘Dude, I’m doing my own thing.’ He’s like, ‘You need to call this guy Chad Nicholls.’ I’m like, ‘Chad Nicholls…’ yup. He gave me his number I called Chad but Chad didn’t pick up the phone. I said, ‘Flex why’d you have me call this guy Chad he didn’t pick up the phone.’ He says, ‘Nah, he’s just like that man. Call him again, and he’ll call you back.’ He called me back and the rest is pretty much history. I won my first Olympia that year by hooking up with him,” Ronnie Coleman said.
Coleman shared that his food intake exploded as he went from eating a half-pound of food to a whole pound.
“I was doing my own thing pretty much,” shared Coleman. “He changed everything I was doing, everything. Everything. I went from doing like an hour to cardio a day to two hours. I went from eating half a pound of food with every meal to a whole pound. I went from training maybe 45 minutes to an hour a day to about maybe an hour, an hour and a half, sometimes an hour and 15 minutes of training because I was trying to do some of everything. I was working all my body parts as much as I could. All my weak ones, especially!”
“I went from working calves maybe once a week to three times a week, working abs maybe once a week to maybe three times a week, he changed pretty much everything I was doing. Had I not gone with him, I wouldn’t have never ever figured that out on my own. I went from probably eating 400 grams of protein a day to 600. I went from eating like 400 grams of carbs a day to like 100, so it was — major changes going on and he pretty much changed everything I was doing. I would have never ever figured that out on my own for sure because I had no idea that you could put on a lot of quality muscle from eating food, had no idea whatsoever, I’m not going to lie.”
“A lot of people think it’s the drugs was going to put on all that size, no. You had to eat. You can take all the drugs in the world but if you ain’t eating you will not grow. I learned that the hard way,” said Coleman.
Wheeler, who won four Arnold Classic titles, took part in a Cutler Cast appearance to reflect on his career. Looking back on his epic battle with Coleman at the 1998 Mr. Olympia, Wheeler said he ‘didn’t put everything into’ his performance and was ‘ashamed’ of himself. He believes one of his biggest mistakes while competing was chasing the size of Coleman instead of focusing on his own strengths, like aesthetics and conditioning.
RELATED: Ronnie Coleman Talks How Chad Nicholls Helped Him Become The King Of Bodybuilding
Coleman’s gratitude to Wheeler shows that even in a competitive sport like bodybuilding, there can be comradery and mutual respect.
You can watch the full video below:
Published: 13 April, 2023 | 1:28 PM EDT
Samir Bannout Says ‘Capable’ Sergio Oliva Jr. Can Win 2023 Olympia With New Mentality
Samir Bannout, a decorated bodybuilder from the 1980s, routinely examines the sport’s hottest topics. In a recent Old School Labs podcast, Bannout discussed Sergio Oliva Jr.’s potential and whether or not 2023 Mr. Olympia will be an easy contest to win. On the heels of the 2022 Mr. Olympia competition, Hadi Choopan captured the title…
Chris Bumstead Builds A Thick And Huge Back In The Gym
Chris Bumstead is keeping himself busy in the gym this off-season. The 28-year-old phenom recently went through an intense back workout and shared glimpses of his commitments outside of training and winning trophies.
The Classic Physique division of the IFBB Pro League is home to one of the biggest superstars and a dominant champion in Chris Bumstead. Since winning the Classic Physique Olympia title at the 2019 Olympia, CBum has held it with a firm grip and defended it at the 2020, 2021 and the 2022 Olympia. Heading into his most recent title defence, Bumstead had to face quite a lot of adversity. Apart from pushing through knee, back and quad injuries during the prep, the Canadian bodybuilder had to deal with coaching changes.
Bumstead and his longtime friend and coach Iain Valliere decided to end the coach-client relationship for the latter to focus on his own bodybuilding career. Under the tutelage of famed bodybuilding coach Hany Rambod, CBum entered the 2022 Olympia and brought the Classic Physique Olympia title back home to Canada. The 28-year-old later revealed that he entered the competition with a torn bicep but still managed to stay head and shoulders above the rest of the division.
With the bicep now completely healed, Bumstead is now fueling his off-season training with a 3500-calorie diet to improve his physique for the 2023 Olympia. In the recent video posted on his personal YouTube channel, CBum can be seen performing a hellacious back workout. So let’s go over the training session and the tips CBum shared as he went through it.
Chris Bumstead’s Back Workout
Wide Neutral Grip Lat Pulldown
CBum warmed up the back muscles with lat pulldowns. This movement primarily targets the latissimus dorsi muscles in the back but also activates major pulling muscles like trapezius, teres major and teres minor, infraspinatus, posterior deltoids as well as biceps. He performed the exercise with a shovel handle that enables a neutral grip. After doing four to five warm-up sets, CBum got a few working sets under the belt and did a drop set to complete the warm-up drill.
Incline Dumbbell Rows
The horizontal rowing movement followed the lat pulldowns as the reigning Classic Physique Olympia champion performed a few good sets of this to work the pulling muscles as well as the sternal head of pectoralis major muscles. Horizontal pulls or rowing movements are essential in building a thick back and therefore they should be an integral part of the back training routine for complete development. CBum said that the incline rows help him practice breathing and get better at it. He explained:
“It’s one of the things where it’s hard to breathe with your chest on the pad but forcing you to practice proper breathing techniques. You should do this every exercise but you are forced to do it here… Something I am trying to get better at with every rep breathing the same consistency.”
Bumstead pushed through a few good sets of incline dumbbell rows. He pulled the breath in before initiating the lift for each rep and exhaled slowly while lowering the dumbbells. After holding the dumbbells for a couple of seconds at the bottom, he initiated the rep with the same breathing technique. The 28-year-old performed all the sets to practice breathing and build the back before jumping into the next exercise.
One Arm Chest Supported Rows
Bumstead next took to the chest supported rows on the plate loaded machine to stimulate the back further. He did the exercise unilaterally to really focus on the movement and build the mind-muscle connection.
“With the one arm rows where you can actually get the full stretch are beautiful or way better than a dumbbell row from the floor. You just get a much better stretch and contraction,” Bumstead explained.
CBum also explained the correct technique to do the one arm rows for maintaining maximum focus on the back muscles. He added:
“The same arm that we are doing, keep that (same side) foot planted forward. A lot of people would put that foot back and the (working) arm forward. This way you’re opening up your hips and then you’re rotating your body. Your core is moving away. But if you keep your foot forward, your hips are forced to stay forward and you have to pull from your lats rather than your core. So keep it on your back.”
Bumstead got some solid sets of this movement under his belt and took to the next exercise.
Seated Rows
Chris Bumstead jumped into the seated rows next and cranked out some heavy sets of seated rows on the Prime Fitness Seated Rows machine. The machine has three plate horns and different levels. Bumstead noted that keeping the weight on the highest horn makes it difficult to lock the movement on contraction. Therefore adding the weight on the lower and middle plate horn suits him better where he can get a good contraction while still lifting heavy.
Reverse Grip Lat Pulldowns
After putting in a good amount of work with horizontal rows, the Canadian bodybuilder went back to working with the vertical pulling movement and performed the reverse grip lat pulldowns. The reverse grip targets the lower lats more as the upper arms are closer to the body. Additionally, you use more of the biceps for pulling the weights. This enables training with heavier weights. After cranking out a few sets of this exercise, CBum performed the final exercise of the day.
Banded Bent Over Straight Arm Pulldowns
Bumstead wrapped up the training session with this exercise. It targets the latissimus dorsi, teres minor, posterior deltoids, triceps brachii and levator scapulae muscles. CBum performed four sets using moderate weights. He maintained short 20-second rest periods between the sets and performed every set to failure without changing the weights. As a result, the rep range went on reducing as the sets progressed.
Overall, the workout included:
Chris Bumstead is still the most dominant competitor in the Classic Physique division. Although he has retirement in sight, the reigning champion is looking to defend the title a few more times before hanging up the posing trunks. It will be interesting to see how he maintains the lead at the 2023 Olympia.
You can watch the full workout video here, courtesy of Chris Bumstead’s personal YouTube channel:
Published: 13 April, 2023 | 8:57 AM EDT
Samir Bannout Recalls 1990 Olympia Drug Testing: ‘I Failed the Test’
The landscape of bodybuilding has transformed significantly over the last few decades with some major changes in competition. In a recent episode of The Muscle Maturity podcast, former Mr. Olympia Samir Bannout and John Hansen recalled the 1990 Olympia drug testing and the effects it had on the participants.
Steroids have been a part of bodybuilding since the early days. From legendary competitor Arnold Schwarzenegger to modern mass monster Jay Cutler, synthetic substances have contributed to the success of many bodybuilders. Although it is widely accepted in the community, there have been calls to push back against its rampant use.
Seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold opened up on the relatively low consumption of steroids during his days of competing on stage. He argued that contemporary athletes use drugs in massive quantities, which in turn, puts their health at risk. It could also lead to an unrealistic perception of a healthy physique, potentially influencing fitness enthusiasts to use steroids as well. Schwarzenegger highlighted the problem of some competitors taking higher amounts of gear to get an advantage over others who may not consume as high of a dose.
Four-time Mr. Olympia Cutler gave his take on the heated topic last May. He admitted he may have abused drugs such as testosterone in prep for shows. He believes steroids are an unavoidable part of the game and dismissed the validity of incorporating drug tests since competitors tend to find a way around it. He recommends cycling on and off substances based on the goal. He prefers taking certain things to bulk up or to lean out.
There have been concerns surrounding the side effects of using steroids. Being one of the few competitors to stay healthy post-retirement, Cutler revealed he didn’t suffer from roid rage and continues to maintain a high level of fitness without many consequences.
Legendary competitor Robby Robinson reflected on his experience with steroids during his nearly three-decade-long career last November. He confessed to not knowing about anabolic steroids before he made it to the Pro League. He was under the assumption other athletes were simply blessed with great genetics and couldn’t fathom the idea of synthetic compounds being involved.
Fitness influencer Liver King drew a lot of criticism after getting exposed for using steroids. While he’s not a pro bodybuilder, the change in his physique after quitting steroids for a week was evident in a physique update earlier this year.
Men’s Open sensation William Bonac suffered damage to his kidneys while getting ready for contests. Since he was using steroid cycles in prep, he couldn’t consume the medicine he needed to reduce the inflammation in his kidneys. Following the 2022 Mr. Olympia, he stopped taking oral steroids while in prep for the 2023 Arnold Classic.
Samir Bannout Recalls 1990 Olympia Drug Testing
In a recent YouTube video, Samir Bannout and John Hansen shared their thoughts on the drug testing policy for the 1990 Mr. Olympia event, where eight-time winner Lee Haney emerged as the champion.
Bannout explained how the delay in test results could lead to a change in title and prize money. He referenced the overturning of Mike Ashley’s win at the 1990 Arnold Classic.
“I was one of the guys that failed the test,” said Bannout. “At the time, a doctor told me to take a short acting testosterone which is actually called masterone. He said it was androgen and this is what I got caught for. Mike actually won the prize, he ended up getting the 50 grand from Shawn Ray. That’s the first year they tested. The results came out a week later.”
Hansen chimed in with his take on why the Weiders felt it necessary to drug test athletes. He also reasoned why the testing was discontinued the next year.
“The Weiders were always worried about the public image of bodybuilding,” said Hansen. “They said the steroid scandal, the general public’s thoughts about steroids is getting worse and worse every year so we need to do something. Ben Weider’s goal was always to get bodybuilding in the Olympics. He knew that it would never get in the Olympics if it had the steroid stigma attached to it.”
“First of all, I think because the tests weren’t really accurate,” he added. “Some guys passed who looked like they were on. Mostly I think it was because the guys who were in the show didn’t look as good at all, not nearly as good. I think they were afraid of losing their audience.”
Kai Greene advised upcoming competitors to focus on building their natural talents and reaching their natural peak before going for steroids. He revealed he competed as a natty for over 15 years and considers TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) a steroid as well.
Retired bodybuilder Zack Khan highlighted the focus on becoming a mass monster last week. He believes social media plays a big role in persuading athletes to use crazy doses of steroids, something he noticed doing the era of eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman.
The prevalence of steroids has proven to be a hot topic in the sport and it appears the debate regarding its use and side effects continues to rage on as Samir Bannout and John Hansen offered their experiences.
You can watch the full video below.
Published: 13 April, 2023 | 12:28 AM EDT
Larry Wheels on Chris Bumstead & Move to Classic Physique: ‘My Coach Said I Can Be Competitive With Just TRT’
Powerlifting icon Larry Wheels is a man of many talents with experience in multiple fitness sports, such as strongman, powerlifting, and arm wrestling. In a recent Bradley Martyn’s Raw Talk, Wheels discussed his transition to Classic Physique and how he’d stack up against reigning four-time champ Chris Bumstead.
Larry Wheels is one of the most popular figures in the fitness space, boasting over 4.4 million followers on Instagram. He first gained attention for his muscle-bound physique and crazy strength. Larry has proven himself already as an aspiring bodybuilder. He earned gold in his amateur debut at the NPC Gold Coast Muscle Classic in Feb. 2018.
Wheels redirected his focus after a sudden training mishap. He picked up an injury while preparing for the 2022 Middle East’s Strongest Man contest and decided to quit steroids. Since he had been using performance-enhancing drugs for about a decade, he tapered off slowly and with testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).
Earlier this year, Wheels opened up about the origins of his steroid use. He credited using TRT at the age of 17 instead of delving further into the world of illicit drugs. He revealed TRT helped him pack on over 32 pounds in two months.
After abstaining from steroids, Wheels began tracking his strength. He conducted a powerlifting mock meet to measure his lifts on the squat, bench press, and deadlift. While he did not record his all-time best lifts, he managed to pull off some spectacular lifts.
Larry Wheels teamed up with fitness influencer Lexx Little for a heavy lower-body strength training session. He crushed a massive set of 505-lb (229-kg) squats for a 16-rep AMRAP (as many reps as possible). Then, Wheels pushed Lexx to achieve a new PR on the squat after two years of stalled progress.
The 28-year-old was enlisted to help IFBB Pro Joe Mackey achieve his goal of lifting 1,000 pounds (453.6 kilograms) on the deadlift. Mackey targeted becoming one of the strongest IFBB Pros in history and used Wheels’ expertise to get closer to his goal.
Wheels left the fans stunned with his insane strength two months ago. He smoked past a huge 200-lb dumbbell bench press for three reps. Additionally, he showed off his jacked physique while performing 100-lb hammer curls for reps.
Wheels declared his plan to switch to bodybuilding as a Classic Physique competitor last month. He gave fans a look into his preparations for making the transition and even received help from William Bonac and Andrew Jacked with posing instructions.
Larry Wheels backed himself to be competitive in Classic Physique, ruled by Chris Bumstead
In a recent YouTube video, Larrry Wheels shared his thoughts on pursuing a run in the Classic Physique division and his chances of challenging four-time Olympia champ Chris Bumstead.
“Classic bodybuilding because since 18, I went on Open bodybuilding stage,” said Wheels. “I was just too small for my height not competitive whatsoever but now that you know CBum really took the division to new heights. The division is more popular than ever and I don’t have to be on even more than TRT to be as big as him right now meaning I can actually be competitive according to my coach.
“From what I can see on just TRT and the absolute bare minimum so without a major compromise to my health like Open bodybuilding being a mass monster or pursuing what records in powerlifting where I can shrink down to 230 which is the cut off for my height on stage, look phenomenal and have content ready.”
Wheels said he felt burned out in powerlifting and expressed his excitement about fulfilling his potential in bodybuilding.
“I believe I can be competitive in Classic but I want to see if I really dedicate myself as I am now the last couple months I’ve been here, the next couple of years, how my physique can transform because training as a powerlifter gave me a very different physique to I was training all this time. I want to see what that looks like. I’m not saying I’m going to be next Mr. Olympia but at the very least I want to get my Pro card, win overalls, and see a transformation within myself. I want to see what it looks like a couple years of bodybuilding.
“Now that I’m focusing on bodybuilding, I just don’t care about putting how many plates, whatever on the bar, I just want to change my physique, so it is not an obsession like it was with powerlifting but the fire is there whereas the power thing I’ve been burned out.”
Larry Wheels provided an insanely ripped physique update while preparing for his Classic Physique debut last month. If his track record is any indication, Wheels will dedicate 100% effort into bringing his best package possible.
RELATED: Larry Wheels Shares Shocking Physique Comparison Using 175 mg of Testosterone vs 500 mg
You can watch the full video below.
Published: 13 April, 2023 | 12:14 AM EDT
Nick Walker: ‘I Should Have Won The Arnold Classic; The 2023 Olympia Will Be Mine’
Nick Walker is forging ahead with his bodybuilding season after finishing second to Samson Dauda at the 2023 Arnold Classic. In a recent Think Big Bodybuilding podcast, Walker reasoned why he should have won the Arnold Classic and teased the package he’s bringing to win the Mr. Olympia contest in November.
“Listen, it’s a very close call. I’m not like mad by any means. They went with who they thought was better and that’s fine. But what they don’t understand is, when I lose, you just lit another fire under my ass,” Walker said.
At the annual Arnold Sports Festival in Ohio, Samson Dauda, Nick Walker, and Andrew Jacked finished on the podium. However, fans and bodybuilding veterans were quick to take issue with ‘The Nigerian Lion’s’ victory. Former Mr. Olympia Samir Bannout was perplexed by Dauda’s perfect scorecard and guru Chris Aceto questioned the outcome as well.
Fans complained about the judging online until Walker urged them to keep conversations respectful. While Nick Walker and veteran bodybuilder Jay Cutler thought he could have won, some thought he deserved third, like athletes rep Bob Cicherillo.
Bob Cicherillo believes Dauda’s demonstration of shape and beauty outweighed the freaky muscle density of Walker on stage. He’s since provided a guide on judging physiques at contests and predicted Dauda and Derek Lunsford to be Hadi Choopan’s biggest threats in November. With Walker’s off-season underway, he is aiming to craft an Olympia-winning physique in the coming months.
Nick Walker ‘Not Bitter By Any Means,’ Thinks He ‘Should Have Won’ 2023 Arnold Classic
Considering all aspects of a bodybuilding contest, Walker believes he should have won first at the recent Arnold Classic.
“Listen, I am not bitter by any means so let me just start off with that, but I understand why Samson won, I will say that, I get it. But, I do think I should have won. Simply because there’s many reasons and I think the main one is, I personally believed I improved tremendously on my Olympia package. Yes, I was a lot fuller at the Olympia, sure, but I was harder; I think I was dryer, way leaner and I was still full at the Arnold. Sure, not as full as the Olympia but I was still pretty full.
And I – I don’t want to disrespect Samson but I think Samson improved but I don’t think it was a dramatic improvement for him to beat me. In my opinion, I’m happy for him, I’m happy for him, I love Samson. If anyone did deserve the win other than me, it was him, 100%. One of the nicest guys I ever met, very supportive and everything but this is a competition, you understand? At the end of the day, I think looking at all the aspects, I think I should have won.”
Walker’s Goal for 2023 Season: “I Just Feel Like The Olympia Will Be Mine”
Moving forward, Walker plans to improve his conditioning while matching the fullness of his 2022 Olympia physique.
“I know what needs to be done at this point and my goal for the Olympia is to have that same conditioning as the Arnold if not a little more crispier and try and match the fullness of the Olympia. If I’m able to accomplish that…no one can beat me. I don’t think anyone can beat me. Because now it’s like enough growth period right.”
The 28-year-old remains confident that he will claim the Olympia title. He said he’s motivated and built a great game plan with his coach Matt Jansen.
“I’m going to have more muscle maturity, I’m only going to get more dense, and as we all know, the older you get the — I just feel like the Olympia will be mine,” said Walker. “Yeah, now that I’ve gotten out of my little depression phase of losing which is normal, don’t judge me, it happens. And now that I have a new training that’s going really well. Me and Matt have a really good game plan that we’re ready to do. I’m back to who I am and I’m motivated for sure.”
Walker has made it clear his off-season training has changed the Arnold Classic. He implemented a new push, pull, and legs training split in preparation for his next Olympia appearance. Walker also mentioned that he’s training high-volume but not to near failure.
RELATED: Nick Walker, Quinton Eriya Guest Pose at Inaugural 2023 Pure Muscle Championships
Walker is not letting the second-place finish at the Arnold Classic stall his momentum for Olympia. He hopes to knock Hadi Choopan off the throne when they meet in Orlando, Florida later this year.
Watch the full video below:
Catch full coverage of the 2023 Arnold Classic, including pre-judging, event recaps, analysis, and final and full results at our Arnold Classic coverage hub: FitnessVolt.com/arnold-classic
Published: 12 April, 2023 | 2:04 PM EDT