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Pro Natural Bodybuilder Comments on Recent Deaths in Bodybuilding
Pro natural bodybuilder believes the state of bodybuilding is in a sad state right now.
Brandon Wadas, a professional natural bodybuilder, believes that the competition for bodybuilding is so enhanced that’s it’s causing many bodybuilders to die. Drug abuse is leading to deaths piling on top of each other in the sport. However, the evolution of bodybuilding is morphing positively with the awakening of natural bodybuilding.
Bodybuilding History
Bodybuilding in its simplest form is the pursuit to build your most compelling physique possible. It’s been around since early mankind. The ancient Egyptians and Greek societies would use stones to build strength and muscle. It traces back to as early as the 16th century in India where weight training became common using Nals – stone dumbbell weights.
Although bodybuilding has been around from our primitive days, the sport of bodybuilding can be traced back earnestly to the 19th century. For those who have been following bodybuilding since the dawn of time, you may remember Eugen Sandow, whom the Mr. Olympia statue is modeled on, from the 1890s.
Although bodybuilding began as an innocent way to develop the human body to its full potential, drug abuse has become problematic in the sport over the last century.
Drug Use in Bodybuilding
The competitive nature of the sport and the quest to be the best has made drug use common in bodybuilding. The deaths of many renowned faces, including George Peterson, Shawn Rhoden, and Rich Piana, from drug abuse, are coming to light.
To compete at the top level of IFBB, you need to be the most humongous and ripped as possible. The physiques of top competitors require more than the human body is capable of naturally. This is leading top bodybuilding athletes to abuse drugs. (1) Unfortunately, many competitors have died during peak week or have been rushed to the hospital from severe dehydration.
Is there a way to prevent this unfortunate ultimatum?
The Rise of Natural Bodybuilding
That’s where natural bodybuilding swoops in. Natural bodybuilding hasn’t been around quite as long as original bodybuilding. However, its popularity is growing and it’s a promising progression of the sport.
The earliest natural bodybuilding show dates back to 1977 when The Hercules Aphrodites took place, with Karl Marshall coming out on top. In 1990 Denny Kakos founded PNBA (Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association) and further expanded it to INBA (International Natural Bodybuilding Association) in 1994. It hasn’t grown nearly as much as the IFBB since it’s not as glamorous.
The PNBA/INBA organization looks out for its athletes and levels the playing field of competition by requiring all bodybuilders competing to undergo drug testing from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) – the pinnacle of drug testing for professional sports.
Final Word
Drug abuse is putting many athletes’ lives at risk in bodybuilding. Natural bodybuilding is growing, and it supports natural competitors, which makes competing just and safe for bodybuilders.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to learn more about natural bodybuilding and the results of its latest events!
References
1. Sepehri, G., Mousavi Fard, M., & Sepehri, E. (2009). Frequency of Anabolic Steroids Abuse in Bodybuilder Athletes in Kerman City†This article has been published in the Journal of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences in Persian language. Addiction & health, 1(1), 25–29.
Best Clothing Brands For Fitness & Workout Apparel (Updated 2021)
Get the best apparel to aid in all your workouts!
For those of us who take health and our workouts seriously, we know how challenging it can be to stick to our routine at times. Some days the last thing we want to do is partake in a grueling workout. But if we have the necessary tools and activewear to look and feel good with our performance at a reasonable price, then that choice to get up and go just got a whole lot easier. Looking into the top companies dealing with strength and conditioning, as well as just every day comfort wear, can be incredibly challenging to decide. Ultimately, in an age where countless numbers of brands and companies exist, we have to trial and error products to make sure we find a wardrobe that works with your athletic training of all styles.
Here is our list of the Best Clothing Brands for 2021 to help make that stressful choice just a bit easier. You deserve the best workout clothes and the companies that represent them should reflect that, so don’t settle with anything other than great with your workout gear in the gym.
Best Clothing Brands For 2021
Best For Bodybuilding & Strength Sports: Generation Iron
Generation Iron provides comfortable, versatile, and stylish apparel perfect for heavy lifting, cardio-based work, and everyday wear.
Generation Iron is a digital media company delivering to you health, workout tips, strength sports, news, and premium entertainment. With an experienced staff and a real desire to bring you great access to bodybuilding and other strength sports, Generation Iron is your one stop shop dealing with all things health and workout related. Generation Iron apparel is casual, high-quality, comfortable, versatile, breathable, but more importantly, stylish so you look and feel great inside and out of the gym. With a great selection of Generation Iron tees and other shirts, bottoms, hats, great tank options, and accessories, to premium and featured lines like Lords & Lions and Strength Wars Apparel, the options you have to look and feel great are endless with this workout gear and some of the best workout clothes for the gym to definitely boost performance from all athletes with a great collection.
Best For Performance: Under Armour
Under Armour has some of the best workout clothes perfect for any style workout, plus with big names backing this reputable brand.
A well known brand in the community, Under Armour is on a mission to inspire you with solutions to your performance that you never could have imagined. Under Armour began in 1996 with a cut-off t-shirt and since then, has never looked back. A leader in athletic wear of all styles, their casual clothes range from everything athletic including high intensity and high performance tanks, compression tees, compression shirts, pants, sports bras, leggings, mesh jackets, and shoes to offer a one stop shop for all things dealing with your workouts and moisture wicking material to get rid of sweat. With backing from big names in sports, you can’t go wrong with a reputable group like Under Armour for your workout clothing so you can have the best workout possible, even in a yoga class or the gym, to elevate performance.
Best For Total Fitness: Reebok
Reebok has deep passion and roots in fitness and is always seeking to push boundaries with their quality clothing, shoes, and accessories.
Reebok is an American inspired global brand with a deep passion and roots in fitness and gear of all styles. As a company always seeking to push boundaries, their products continue to improve and work to affect change in peoples’ lives. With apparel that everyone of all ages can enjoy, you can’t go wrong with a great fit from Reebok. Shirts, bottoms, shoes, and accessories, this long-term and sustainable company is willing to sacrifice quantity over quality. As a company who’s helped change the game with a great movement, Reebok is a great brand to try when it comes to workout clothing and gear and the brand line offers more than just quality clothes for every sport from great materials to assist your lifestyle and everyday function.
Best For Maximum Comfort: Lululemon
Lululemon produces high-quality and completely comfortable clothing ranging in many different styles and perfect for any workout you do.
Lululemon took the world by storm, coming out of Vancouver, Canada and quickly spreading like wildfire since their apparel is high-quality and completely comfortable and ranges from all styles. As a company who believes in culture and community, they seek to spark real conversations to take place so we all can effectively make change happen. With apparel for both men and women, this brand is one that offers comfort and versatility, as well as moisture wicking gear and quick drying, and it is rare to go one day without seeing someone in Lululemon gear. While it may have a slightly more expensive price tag, their apparel is worth every penny for the prices out of this gym or everyday wear so you pretty much feel like you’re in control the entire time.
Best For Footwear: New Balance
New Balance designs great activewear with top of the line shoes for men and women with comfortable and versatile apparel.
Known mainly from their shoes, New Balance is an activewear brand bigger than just sneakers of any style. They seek to drive meaningful change to communities around the world by helping each and every person achieve their own personal goals. As a point of pride, this mission is one to continue to advance their company in an upward direction. With top of the line shoes for men and women, but also a huge range of tops and bottom, including leggings for active use, New Balance continues to be a notable group in the footwear game, as well as your athletic gym clothes.
What To Look For In Your Apparel
Here are the key takeaways when looking at brands and what you should look for in your apparel:
Comfort: Quality and durable workout clothes can also be soft and comfortable and wick away sweat and moisture to be breathable for our training.
Versatility: Make sure you can use inside and out of the gym and has good materials for functional use and better movement.
Affordability: You can find high-quality, breathable apparel for your body that doesn’t break the bank.
Style: To look good, means feeling good, and feeling good, means bigger gains and your body will show it. A brand should be traditional, resistant, and supportive for your goals.
How We Choose
When looking into these companies, and all companies honestly, we have to look towards what will make a brand stick out. Comfort and quality of the material is arguably number one. Your apparel should be durable and comfortable, especially if you plan on partaking in some of those grueling workouts. Versatility is another big factor in choosing apparel because you want to be able to use these clothes inside and out of the gym. Of course, sometimes that just can’t happen but on the whole, versatility is a priority with your workout clothes and workout gear. Lastly, price matters, and we take affordability into consideration with putting this list together as well.
FAQ Section For Best Workout Apparel Brands
What is the best brand for bodybuilding?
Generation Iron. Generation Iron provides the greatest content when it comes to bodybuilding and other strength sports through an experienced staff and love of strength sports. Generation Iron created apparel that reflects the needs of all bodybuilders and is comfortable, versatile, and looks awesome to wear along with the rest of the everyday collection.
Why are some companies more expensive than others?
This could be a result of a number of reasons. Material and where it comes from, as well as manufacturing costs and other expenses all factor into the total price of a product. For more luxury or well-known groups, you start to pay for the name attached so that affects the price as well.
I love a brand that isn’t on this list. Is it not reputable?
If a company you are a fan of is not on the list, it by no means indicates that it is a bad or not reputable brand. Ultimately, these companies above were favorites of our knowledgeable and experienced team seeking to bring the top options we can to the table.
Wrap It All Up
Finding a good company to get apparel, sportswear, and activewear from can be challenging. We know. That’s why this list will hopefully help take care of some of those problems you’ve faced in the past when it comes to choosing the right brands and apparel to pair with your workouts. Look into this list above and really seeing what these groups have to offer you is important. You won’t be disappointed by the results in the gym and out of it when you look good, feel great, and perform even better to be a champion and live a healthy lifestyle while still being affordable.
Generation Iron may receive commissions on purchases made through our links. See our disclosure page for more information.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Under Armour, Reebok, Lululemon, New Balance,, and Envato
Could This Be the End of the Road for Roelly Winklaar?
Roelly Winklaar has fallen on tough times.
After his last few performances were less than impressive, the notion that the career of Roelly Winklaar could be on borrowed time is been floating around. After coming in ninth place at the Romania Muscle Fest Pro, is the end of the road near for the bodybuilding veteran?
Competitive athletes all have a shelf life. No one can compete forever in their chosen sport. It takes diligence, the right game planning, the right nutrition, a multitude of elements to compete at the highest levels. Knowing this high level athlete give it their all with every opportunity they can. But the clock is always ticking and no one can compete forever.
Every athlete faces the crossroads of competing and retiring. Its exactly where Roelly Winklaar may find himself currently.
After disappointing showings in his last several stage appearances, Roelly Winklaar appears to have lost a step. The last two years have been tough on everyone, but appears to have been particularly trying for Winklaar.
After being stuck in Turkey due to the pandemic Roelly Winklaar couldn’t train like he usually does. It’s likely that the bodybuilding veteran faced other undisclosed trials as well. But what is clear is that Winklaar hasn’t been in top form as of late. His most recent showings at the Prague Pro and the Romanian Muscle Fest Pro left onlookers with questions. Could the best years of Roelly Winklaar be behind him?
Roelly Winklaar couldn’t crack the top six at the Romanian Muscle Fest Pro. In fact the veteran bodybuilder had to settle for ninth place at the show. It’s a far cry from his dominant victory at the 2018 Arnold Classic Australia or his strong showing at the 2018 Olympia taking third. Even when he wasn’t cracking into the Olympia top three Winklaar was still able to acquit himself well. But now it seems that he just can’t find his stride.
So there’s a couple of ways Roelly Winklaar could maximize his efforts to give it his final push. His recent performances could be a long game to rack up points to qualify early for the 2022 Olympia. If he’s able to qualify early it will allow him to work on his physique ahead of the 2022 show. But perhaps stepping away from the stage could be the one thing Winklaar needs. The rest and recovery could do his body good and the time off could allow him to train and work on things rather than burning the candle at both ends.
So could these recent showings be a sign of Roelly Winklaar slowing down? Or could we see the bodybuilding veteran bounce back?
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
News and Editorial Writer at Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Sound Cloud for in-depth MMA analysis.
Jujimufu: Eddie Hall & Thor Bjornsson Boxing Is The “Best Thing For Their Personal Lives”
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Jujimufu believes Eddie Hall and Thor Bjornsson were smart to transform their physiques for boxing.
What started out as beef turned into a boxing match. That boxing match transformed the physiques and lives of two legendary Strongmen. Eddie Hall and Hafthor Bjornsson, after trading some heated words related to Strongman, were set to face each other in a boxing match for a special event. Hall ended up suffering a bicep injury putting off the event (for now) but both athletes remained focused on their boxing training. Thor even set up different matches to get some competition experience under his belt.
Now both athletes have become incredibly lean and shredded – a far cry from their original Strongman size and shape. Both have been astounding fitness transformations – and Jujimufu believes it was the smartest thing they could have done for their health and longevity. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Jujimufu explains why now was the right time for both Eddie Hall and Thor Bjornsson to transition into boxing.
The idea of two Strongmen becoming boxers sounds a bit absurd on the surface. While these athletes are heavy lifters – that does not require nearly any of the required training and skill needed for the boxing ring. What could have been a stunt turned into an impressive life change for both Eddie Hall and Hafthor Bjornsson. Now over a year later, this seems like no stunt and rather a possible new future for both athletes.
Jujimufu is an athlete who is more than familiar with transitioning into a new fitness endeavor. Jujimufu started out with a life in calisthenics, stunts, and gymnastics and this past year transition into competitive bodybuilding to see where that leads. He just recently made his debut at the Olympia Amateur 2021. That’s why we asked him for his thoughts on Eddie Hall and Thor Bjornsson’s transition into boxing.
Jujimufu had nothing but positive things to say about the transition. In fact, he thinks that now was the perfect time for these two strongmen to make a change. They had already solidified their names as legends in Strongman. Moving to something new not only can lead to new opportunities but can also be a smart move for their personal health and future.
While strength is important in boxing, it’s also a very aerobic sport. Requiring endurance and bursts of speed. By not only focusing on strength and size, both Eddie Hall and Thor Bjornsson have made some incredible transformations to their physique. Thor in particular has dropped over 100 pounds.
“I think it was the best thing that both of them could have done for their personal lives,” Jujimufu stated in his interview. He continued:
“Because Thor just broke the deadlift record. Eddie Hall had the deadlift record for a while. They are both legendary strongmen in their own rights. But staying 450 pounds is not the smartest thing for their health in the long term… It’s genius. Let’s do a boxing match so it gives him a reason to lean down and get his health in a different state where he has more longevity. Thor looks amazing. He’s shredded.”
On top of the health benefit, their decision to do a boxing match has garnered a lot of attention. Will these two Strongmen become pro boxers? That might not be the case – but the matches Thor has done brought in numbers and certainly when he faces Hall it will be a blockbuster. This was a good business move and inspired them both to change their lifestyles possibly for the better.
You can watch Jujimufu’s full reaction to Eddie Hall and Thor Bjornsson’s boxing transformations in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Victor Richards Makes Statement On Recent Death Rumors
Victor Richards spoke out recently on rumors from last week about his death.
On Wednesday, it was falsely reported that Victor Richards had passed away. After many reports began coming out, the daughter of Richards reached out directly to Generation Iron to confirm that he was alive and well. In fact, she spoke to Richards that day but he was unavailable to comment.
““I’M PLEASED TO ASSURE YOU THAT MY FATHER IS IN FACT ALIVE AND WELL. AN INACCURATE FACEBOOK POST HAS CAUSED A WILDFIRE OF FALSE INFORMATION THROUGHOUT SOCIAL MEDIA AND NEWS OUTLETS. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONCERN, MY FAMILY APPRECIATES ALL OF THE LOVE THE BODYBUILDING COMMUNITY HAS SHOWN TO MY DAD.”
On Saturday night, Victor Richards took to Facebook to release a video and make a statement on these rumors. Richards was seen in the video with his son and made a long statement as the caption.
“My dear brethren and family members, I want to let you know that I’m well and sound and have never been as healthy as I am today.
Victor Richards continued his message by explaining that he was spending some quality time with his son over the last week. Richards and his son had a busy schedule full of activities.
I’m sincerely sorry for the pain and heartache that the enemies have caused you through their venomous tongues. I did not mean to keep you in suspense but had my little 6 year old with me for the week and had made prior plans for some fun activities with him and there was no way I was going to allow the demonic spirits of slander, obstruction, destruction and death to disturb our peace. We thank God that the enemy did not have the power to disturb our space and peace as we were able to complete all our planned activities including a stay at the coast, visit to the aquarium and attending his basketball game today. It was extremely important for our spirits and sanity to stay away from social media and the phone during this period.
I must also admit that I’m very blessed and fortunate to have such loving fans, friends and family around the world that care so deeply about me. Your love and concern were deeply felt in my spirit and soul and I couldn’t be more thankful for it.
Please stay tuned for I shall be making a video announcement in the next couple of days. May the spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless and protect you and your loves from the evil of wicked men.
I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ!?”
Victor Richards ended his message by thanking his family and friends, along with those who have cared for him. Richards will be making another video some time this week to make further comments.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
How Janet Layug Works Her Lower Body & Core For Huge Gains
See how the #1 ranked Bikini athlete works her lower body and core.
Janet Layug, the #1 ranked Bikini athlete on the planet, uses Cellucor supplements to help power her workouts for the best results. As your Ms. Bikini Olympia Champion, Janet is always looking to stay number one and Cellucor knows exactly what she needs.
About Janet Layug
Janet Layug is an IFBB professional Bikini competitor, fitness model, and sponsored Cellucor athlete from Florida. Since earning her pro card, she has won 11 professional competitions, including the title of Ms. Bikini Olympia.
She’s had a successful bodybuilding career thus far with notable results that include:
Bikini Olympia Champion
Arnold Classic Australia Bikini Champion
11 IFBB Titles
She is the #1 ranked Bikini athlete and has no signs of slowing down, with even more ambition to take this as far as she can go. As someone passionate about health and fitness, she only uses Cellucor’s amazing line of supplements to keep her going strong.
Janet Layug Workouts
These workouts are just two examples of how Janet stays ranked #1 on the planet. A lower body workout relies on compound movements to incorporate many muscles while a core workout isolates those abs for increased strength and stability.
Lower Body Workout
An effective lower body workout will strengthen and tone your legs and glutes for serious gains to your training and physique. Janet works with a variety of exercises at different weight to consistently challenge her muscles.
Walking Lunges: 4 sets, 10 reps
Curtsy Lunge: 4 sets, 10 reps
Banded Jump Squats: 4 sets, 15 reps
Elevated Kettlebell Squats: 4 sets, 12 reps
Step-Up Kick-Backs: 4 sets, 8 reps
Sled Push: 3 sets, 100 feet
Front Squat: 4 sets, 8-12 reps
Romanian Deadlift: 4 sets, 10 reps
Goblet Squat: 4 sets, 8-12 reps
Lateral Step-Ups: 3 sets, 20 reps
Core Workout
A strong core is undeniably important for strength, as well as stability and balance. Janet relies on this killer core workout to keep her gains moving forward.
Pike-Ups: 4 sets, 10 reps
V-Up with Stability Ball: 4 sets, 10 reps
Flutter and Scissor Kicks: 3 sets, 20 reps
Plank Variations*: 3 sets, 10 reps
Russian Twists: 3 sets, 20 reps
Mountain Climbers: 3 sets, 20 reps
*Plank Variations: For this part of the workout, the variations involve plank-ups, left side planks, and right side planks.
Nutrition Tips
Janet follows her nutrition routine very closely and works to prep meals in advance to keep close track of what she consumes while also making life easy given her busy schedule. She builds her diet around lean meats and plenty of vegetables including Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and sweet potato. She does tend to stay away from dairy but will occasionally indulge in a cheat meal. Ultimately, eating around 5-6 meals a day allows her to closely monitor her caloric and macronutrient intakes to ensure she gets all those vital nutrients to thrive inside and out of the gym.
Cellucor Supplements With Janet Layug
As a Cellucor athlete, Janet is always excited to promote their amazing products as she knows how helpful they are for her own training and performance. With clinically studied ingredients, Cellucor seeks to produce the best, so you train harder and take your results to the next level.
C4 Ripped
Cellucor C4 Ripped is a great pre-workout supplement that combines explosive energy with fat loss ingredients for a great workout while burning fat.
C4 Ripped combines the explosive energy of C4 with premium ingredients targeted towards fat loss. A similar energy blend to Cellucor’s classic C4, this is designed to push you through workouts and burn fat.
CLK
Cellucor CLK is a stim-free supplement for toning and sculpting built with amazing weight loss ingredients.
CLK is a stimulant-free supplement specially formulated for your toning and sculpting goals. A fantastic blend of Slimpro, L-Carnitine Tartrate, Raspberry Ketones, and CLA, this is seriously effective for weight loss and shredding.
Alpha Amino
Cellucor Alpha Amino BCAA is a great intra-workout supplement designed for hydration and recovery. A great 2:1:1 ratio of BCAAs is matched by other ingredients to deliver a powerful formula for results.
Alpha Amino is the ultimate performance, hydration, and recovery powder. Formulated with 14 Amino Acids, 5g of BCAAs, and critical electrolytes, Alpha Amino fuels your recovery to elevate your performance.
Wrap Up
Janet Layung knows exactly what it takes to be the best. As the number one ranked Bikini athlete and Ms. Bikini Olympia Champion, Cellucor supplements are exactly what she needs to power her through every workout. The best supplements only add to her killer routine as she looks to remain the best in the world.
Generation Iron may receive commissions on purchases made through our links. See our disclosure page for more information.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Cellucor
Chris Lewis Has Set Up GoFundMe Page For Daughter Of Shawn Rhoden
Chris Lewis recently shared a GoFundMe page set up for the daughter of Shawn Rhoden.
The death of Shawn Rhoden hit the world of bodybuilding on November 6. Many close to the sport have sent condolences via social media over the last week remembering and celebrating the life of Rhoden.
As a former Mr. Olympia champion, Rhoden made an impact in bodybuilding and remained an influential voice. Now, the bodybuilding community wants to make sure that his family is taken care of moving forward.
Chris Lewis, a legendary bodybuilding trainer, has set up a GoFundMe page to support Rhoden’s daughter — Cora Capri Rhoden. Lewis shared a post to his Instagram page and currently has the link in his bio.
“This fund is set up to support the daughter of Shawn Rhoden. I, like many of you were devastated to hear the news of 2018 Mr. Olympia’s passing on November 6, 2021. As a bodybuilding community I know we are shocked, heartbroken and struggling to make sense of it all.
Shawn has left behind a six year old daughter, Cora Capri Rhoden. Shawn was an amazing father and would do anything for Cora.
We want to support Cora for everything that she may need in her future years. We have organized this Go Fund Me on behalf of family, friends, and the bodybuilding community. Your donation will help with everything from day-to-day necessities, to investing in a college fund.
Thank you for your continued love and support.
And to Shawn, this is the best way I could think of to honor you – we will not forget you.”
Lewis begins his message by discussing the impact that Shawn Rhoden had on the bodybuilding community. He continues by explaining Rhoden’s love for his six-year old daughter and how these donations will do directly to his family.
“I have organized a GoFundMe for Shawn’s daughter Cora. Please share. Link in bio.”
The account was set up on Sunday and has a goal of $100,000. In less than a day, there has already been over $9,000 donated to the page and that number is going to rise quickly.
The overall impact that the death of Rhoden has had on the bodybuilding world has been clear over the last week. Many have made call-to-actions in hopes of improving the safety of bodybuilding going forward. This is a chance to donate and make sure that Cora is taken care of and can accomplish great things.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
These Common Fat Loss Mistakes Will Kill Your Lean Gains
It’s simple to slip up and ruin your gains with everyday mistakes.
Let’s face it. Whether you’re a professional bodybuilder who just the average lay person, being in lean athletic shape is always an attractive idea. You could be inspired by your favorite superhero or just simply want to make a healthy lifestyle change and will eventually be flirting with the idea of getting into shredded condition.
In order to bring that to pass you’re going to have to shed fat and build muscle in order to look at impressive as possible. But so many individuals going about losing fat in the wrong ways, ultimately leaving them feeling defeated. While trying to burn fat and get shredded, many individuals make mistakes along the way, mistakes that end up costing them in the end. So what are the most common mistakes people make when they’re trying to get rid of fat? The list below should answer that question pretty handily.
Thinking A Carb Is A Carb
Many people look at carbs as either the worst thing to put into your body ever or fuel utilized for getting you through a tough workout. If anything the latter makes more sense than the former.
You see, you can’t look at a carb like a carb. By that we mean that simple carbs are the ones you want to avoid more so than complex carbohydrates. Fruits and vegetables are great complex carbs that can give you fuel while white breads, white pastas, and sugary snacks can spell doom for your waistline. The only time you should be eating simple carbs is after an intense workout in order to replenish glycogen levels.
Not Eating Enough
Dieting is key to shedding fat, but you never want to go overboard. The idea is that you want to eat enough calories in the day in order to fuel the body for a hard workout at the gym. When you want to lose fat, being in a calorie deficit is a must. But dropping the calories too drastically will just slow down your metabolism and ultimately send the body into starvation mode, forcing it to hold onto fat rather than burn it.
Avoiding Fats
Fats may be calorie dense but they are a necessary part of your diet. Dietary fats live oily fish and avocado are loaded with nutrients that will have a positive effect on your physique and performance. Fats don’t make you fat, sugars and simple carbs are the culprits. If you’re cutting simple carbs then it’s great to replace those calories with healthy fats, as well as protein, which will promote greater fat loss as well as increased testosterone, another key component to muscle growth and fat burning.
Not Doing Enough High Intensity Work
It’s good to get some miles in on the treadmill, no doubting that. The hard truth is that doing steady state cardio will be great cardiovascular system, but will eat away at your muscle. Upping your training intensity, whether it’s with HIIT cardio or by performing HIIT strength training, putting in the hard in the gym is essential if you want to drop the fat and look like a shredded god.
Have you made any of these mistakes when trying to burn fat? Let us know by hitting up our comments below or head on over to our official Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements.
5 Exercises Which Will Burn Fat Better Than Cardio
Exercises Which Are More Effective Than Cardio
Most people get a gym membership because they want to shed weight. Losing weight is one of the most common New Year’s Resolutions. This is why there is an influx of new members in gyms around the world during that time.
Most people when they think weight loss, think about cardio. If you’re someone who doesn’t like the idea of spending time on a treadmill or don’t feel comfortable going for a walk or a run in the wild, this is the article for you.
1. Burpees
Burpees are one of the most brutal exercises. All the exercises on this list are high-intensity exercises which will put your cardiovascular system to a test. Apart from losing weight, HIIT workouts help you in building strength and stamina.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Perform a squat and place your hands on the floor, just inside your feet. Get into the pushup position, perform a pushup and return to the starting position. Reach your arms overhead and explosively jump up in the air. Land back and repeat for reps.
2. Alternate Kettlebell Swings
The benefit of performing HIIT exercises is, you can target specific muscle groups while burning fat. Alternate kettlebell swings will work your shoulders and back while burning those extra calories.
Stand with your feet in a wider than shoulder-width stance. Hold a kettlebell between your legs in your right hand. Swing the kettlebell so its parallel to the floor and at your shoulder level. Return to the starting position and repeat with your left arm.
3. Dumbbell Farmer’s Walk
Dumbbell farmer’s walk is an incredibly effective exercise if you’re looking to build grip strength. This exercise also helps in shedding weight while sculpting your body and strengthing your stabilizers.
Dumbbell farmer’s walk has different variations you can perform. You can use farmer’s walk bars, dumbbells, kettlebells or barbells for this exercise. You can also hold the dumbbells and kettlebells overhead to make the walk intense.
4. Step Up Jumps
If you have ever performed step-ups, you would know this exercise can smoke you. The trick with step-up jumps is you need to maintain a constant intensity. You could perform the bodyweight version of step-up jumps or could add resistance by using weights.
Stand behind a flat bench of knee height and place one foot on the elevated platform. Jump up, driving through the forefoot of the elevated leg. Switch legs in the air so that you land your opposite leg on top of the platform.
5. Battle Rope Wave
Battle rope training is a staple in unconventional gyms, and there’s a good reason behind it. They’re one of the most functional pieces of equipment for high-intensity training and hardcore conditioning.
Battle rope waves can exhaust you in a couple of minutes. This exercise might look easy but will take all you have. Hold the ends of the rope at arm’s length in front of your hips with your hands shoulder-width apart. Brace your core and begin alternately raising and lowering each arm explosively.
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*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements.
2021 Japan Pro Results
Yukihiro Yuasa wins Men’s Physique at the 2021 Japan Pro!
Yukihiro Yuasa stole the show during the 2021 Japan Pro by winning gold in Men’s Physique. Tokyo was the site of the event where Men’s Physique and Bikini athletes took the stage hoping to earn qualification to the 2022 Olympia.
Yuasa is no stranger to the biggest competition of the year. He was present in Orlando back in October and finished 16th. Yuasa earned qualification after winning the 2021 Tokyo Supershow Pro just one month before the Olympia. Yuasa has emerged as one of the best bodybuilders in Japan and now he is making moves around the world. This will continue as he improves and continues to rack up some victories.
Sally Ann Kato was the winner in the Bikini division. Kato earned a victory in an NPC competition in 2020 by winning the Worldwide Iris & Hide Classic. She is an up-and-coming competitor who has a bright future. It has already begun with a victory in Tokyo.
The 2021 Japan Pro is now in the books and the full results have been announced. Check out the full breakdown of the show, including official score cards, below!
2021 Japan Pro: All Division Results
Men’s Physique: Yukihiro Yuasa
Bikini: Sally Ann Kato
2021 Japan Pro Breakdown
Men’s Physique
First Place – Yukihiro Yuasa
Second Place – Farouq Ishimoto
Third Place – Shogo Sato
Fourth Place – Hirokawa Shoichi
Fifth Place – Steven Pettis
Sixth Place – Hong Son
Seventh Place – Hasegam Hirohisa
Bikini
First Place – Sally Ann Kato
Second Place – Elizaveta Shmukler
Third Place – Marie Isobe
Fourth Place – Yume Kurokawa
Fifth Place – Miho Shibutani
Sixth Place – Asaka Kimura
Seventh Place – Noriko Ohara
Official Score Cards
Generation Iron wishes to congratulate all the great athletes who earned a win at the 2021 Japan Pro. Make sure to check out our full IFBB Pro results page from this year and previous years right here to catch up on any action you may have missed!
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Greg has covered the four major sports for six years and has been featured on sites such as Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, SB Nation, NJ.com, and FanSided. Now, he is transitioning into the world of bodybuilding and strength sports.