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Why Boxing Can Improve Your Overall Fitness And Mental Health
Boxing is a great exercise for both physical and mental development.
Boxing has developed into a fitness trend that many have begun to gravitate towards. While some see it as a workout for hard core athletes, you don’t have to fight in the ring to get the great health benefits boxing has to offer. Seeing a boom in recent years, this fitness trend is only continuing to grow as people look to add a new level of intensity to their workouts.
With many people starting to see their health and fitness as more of a lifestyle than just a hobby, that self-awareness and focus towards personal health, both physically and mentally, has sparked interest in unique ways of training. Boxing has been around for centuries and while we all associate it with big names and pay-per-view fights, the benefits of boxing go far beyond just a good workout.
Instead of spending so much time in the gym lifting weights and hitting the treadmill, although those are still great options to improve your fitness, a boxing workout can offer different solutions to your training regimen. By increasing your heart rate and working on strength, you not only develop physical gains but mental ones as well in order to lead a good lifestyle both inside and out of the gym.
Boxing Basics
While this sport is intricate and requires advanced training once at higher levels, the basics are important to understand to make this as efficient as possible. Learning a combination of punches will allow you to enhance your overall speed and endurance to continue to thrive in the ring.
Some basic movements include jabs, crosses, uppercuts, and hooks and once you nail these, you can add different combinations to activate your core and look good doing it. Adding a bag to your workouts will provide for resistance and will work to strengthen your muscles as well.
Benefits of Boxing
Improve Cardio
The challenge with a continuous movement like boxing is that you place added stress on your heart and lungs to power you through the workout. As a result, you increase aerobic capacity and strengthen your heart and lungs to handle more (1). Keeping your heart rate elevating is key to improving cardio and really working to enhance overall endurance.
Promote Total Body Strength
With such a complex movement, the constant strain on your arms, legs, and core makes boxing a great total body workout. Through quick movements, pivots, and advanced foot work, your legs will feel the burn as you use them to move from your opponent. The repeated stress your upper body takes by hitting the bag, which is providing resistance, forces your upper body muscles to work and an engaged core will provide for balance, stabilization, and solid form to fire up all muscles (2).
Develop Hand-Eye Coordination
Hand-eye coordination is important to develop one’s fine motor skills and works to target faster reaction times and better reflexes (3). Whether you use a speed bag or spar with an opponent, watching a fast moving target and working to strike effectively will not only develop hand-eye coordination but exponentially enhance it.
Burn Calories
Between your increased heart rate and the amount of fuel it takes to power a boxing workout, you will start to shed calories as you head towards that desired physique. By creating a calorie deficit, you are well on your way to getting that shredded body. With help from your metabolism, which is surely fired up as it looks for continuous fuel, your weight loss goals become closer than you think.
Relieve Stress
Those who box tend to feel that their stress levels decline. Any form of physical activity can really enhance mood since it releases endorphins to make you feel good (4). On top of that, you know you did something to better yourself and your overall health. But something about boxing really lets you release built up frustration and punching a bag, albeit an inanimate object, gives you an empowered sense that you are taking down whatever causes you stress in the first place.
Boost Self-Image and Confidence
By burning calories, increasing muscle mass, and working on cardio, your overall body composition will change and your self-image will improve. The way you view yourself matters and you want to be proud of who you are. With that increased level of self-image, your confidence will surely improve and your overall mental health will be greatly enhanced. Boxing is also a difficult sport and by doing this as exercise, you will prove to yourself that you truly can do it.
Finding The Right Gym
Many boxing gyms exist and there are two kinds: those who train competitive boxers and those who train everyday people looking to get fit. There are also studios which offer classes that may be formatted slightly differently than a workout in a gym. If you are someone looking to learn more advanced techniques to get into the ring with someone else, find a gym that works for you in that regard. But if you just want to learn the craft and get fit doing so, make sure you look for the right gym near you so you don’t accidently end up in the ring.
Wrap Up
Boxing is one of those fitness trends that shows no signs of slowing down. The physical benefits of weight loss, increased muscle mass, and improved cardio are equally matched by the mental benefits of stress relief and increased confidence. If you are looking for a challenge or a way to mix up your workouts, look into boxing gyms near you to start your new journey into this centuries old sport. The process of getting fit should be challenging but also fun, and with boxing, you will surely find the best of both worlds as you seek to achieve whatever your desired goals are.
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 Envato
References
El-Ashker, Said; Chaabene, Helmi; Negra, Yassine; Prieske, Olaf; Granacher, Urs (2018). “Cardio-Respiratory Endurance Responses Following a Simulated 3×3 Minutes Amateur Boxing Contest in Elite Level Boxers”. (source)
Ruddock, Alan D.; Wilson, Daniel C.; Thompson, Stephen W.; Hembrough, Dave; WInter, Edward M. (2016). “Strength and Conditioning for Professional Boxing”. (source)
Harvard Helath Letter (2015). “Punch up your exercise routine with fitness boxing”. (source)
Jackson, Erica M. (2013). “Stress Relief: The Role of Exercise in Stress Management”. (source)
Top Ways To Boost Your Powerlift For Serious Growth
These tips and tricks will help you advance your powerlift to up big numbers.
Powerlifting has grown in popularity over the years and is now one of the most popular strength sports. While some may think bodybuilding and powerlifting share certain similarities, they differ in terms of intended goals. While bodybuilding is focused more on achieving a toned aesthetic and that desired physique, powerlifting focuses on maximizing strength in the big three exercises. It combines the bench press, squat, and deadlift into a competitive sport that tests sheer strength and absolute will. While working to enhance these three exercises is crucial for success in powerlifting, there are plenty of tips and ways to boost your powerlift that you should know.
Powerlifting has become a monster sport and sheer test of strength, forcing competitors to have well-rounded strength and serious mental capacity to get that weight up (1). Men and women compete in powerlifting contests all over the world to reach a podium spot. Typically, athletes and competitors will get three attempts to lift their heaviest amount of weight in each of the events. Those three weights are added together for a grand total.
Powerlifting has the benefit to not only allow you to compete at a high level and show off your strength, but it also gets you bigger, strengthens your overall muscular skeleton (2), and can help burn fat by using a lot of fuel and calories. Even if you don’t compete as a powerlifter, working on the big three exercises can enhance overall athletic performance for whatever your desired sport is. So, how do we get to hitting these big numbers. Proper form, a solid workout routine, a good diet, and the ability push through mental barriers are all needed to succeed in powerlifting, so, let’s make it happen.
Deeper, More Effective Squats
Deeper squats will work to enhance muscle growth and it is important to consider quality over quantity. While this will improve your form, it will work to target the muscles needed instead of relying on others for compensation. It will help with glute activation and can improve range of motion in the hips, knees, and ankles, all areas that are often overlooked. A lighter weight is not a bad thing and will allow for more reps and increased growth.
Get That Deadlift Stronger
Through building an effective squat, you will also work to promote a stronger deadlift. With the right technique, your hamstrings, glutes, back, and grip strength will all improve. Getting lower to the floor will help with stability and will also absorb some of your force. Taking your shoes off will be beneficial for this and you will notice you can lift more with quality reps. Consider something like the trap bar deadlift also to really build more strength for when its time for the barbell.
Enhance Your Bench Press
Everyone loves to bench, but many sacrifice form to lift more and ultimately end up lifting less. While performing the bench, if you move the bar in a slight J-shape motion, this will recruit more muscles and work with the biodynamics of your body. As you come down to your chest, push up and drive the bar toward your upper chest and neck area before exploding up. With the bench press, and the other two lifts, it takes time to really nail down form and build strength, so keep up the practice.
Work With Assistance Exercises
Assistance exercises play an important role in muscle-building as well as stabilization. They allow you train for specific events without grinding away at the bench press, squat, or deadlift which can result in muscle overload and overtraining (3). They assist with what you need to do to get to where you want your strength training and aerobic capacity to be. Examples of good assistance exercises include barbell glute bridges for the deadlift, box squats for the back squat, and dips for the bench press.
Form, Form, Form
Again, quality over quantity will always enhance growth and performance more than just grinding out to reach a number of reps. Having solid form is more than important to correct muscle imbalances, stay away from unwanted and unneeded muscle soreness, and that risk of injury that could keep you from the gym. With proper technique on all of these lifts you will lift more weight anyway as a result of being more efficient, so take advantage of that.
Pump Yourself With Protein
Protein is absolutely needed for muscle growth (4) and while there are many other supplements to really help with growth and recovery, a good whey concentrate or isolate protein supplement will pump you with nutrients to stimulate and enhance protein synthesis and muscle growth. Consider looking into a high quality protein powder to really feel those gains grow.
Look Into Lifting Equipment
Lifting equipment can be really beneficial for you, whether it be lifting gloves, a weightlifting belt, knee sleeves, or a host of other options depending on what you need. Lifting gloves will focus on grip strength and disperse the weight to all muscles to help with injury prevention, while a weightlifting belt can work to provide muscle warmth and core engagement to reduce the risk of low back pain and injury. Knee sleeves are great for increasing circulation and blood flow to reduce lactic acid build up and keep your muscles fueled with blood and oxygen.
Check out our list of the Best Lifting Gloves here, Best Weightlifting Belts here, and Best Knee Sleeves here to really help with overall support, growth, and performance.
Wrap Up
Powerlifting is a test of pure strength and will. While it may seem obvious to just grind it out in the gym, there are helpful tips you can do outside to make your gains even better. Enhancing all three lifts is key, but working on form, nutrition, and supplement aids to help you get there can be a real game-changer for whatever your goals. Try these tips out to really boost your powerlift and be confident that your lift will get even bigger.
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 Envato
References
Ferland, Pierre-Marc; Comtois, Alain S. (2019). “Classic Powerlifting Performance: A Systematic Review”. (source)
Serrano, Nathan; Colenso-Semple, Lauren M.; Lazauskus, Kara K.; Siu, Jeremy W.; Bagley, James R.; Lockie, Robert G.; Costa, Pablo B.; Galpin, Andrew J. (2019). “Extraordinary fast-twitch fiber abundance in elite weightlifters”. (source)
Eichner, E. R. (2008). “Overtraining: Consequences and prevention”. (source)
Pasiakos, Stefan M.; McLellan, Tom M.; Lieberman, Harris R. (2015). “The effects of protein supplements on muscle mass, strength, and aerobic and anaerobic power in healthy adults: a systematic review”. (source)
Things To Consider For A Powerlifting Diet For Serious Bulk
When looking to bulk as a powerlifter, here are some important things to consider for boosting training and performance.
For those of us powerlifters, we know how hard it can be to prepare ourselves for a grueling competition. While being healthy is vital for preparing for battle, we need to make sure we cover our bases fully so as to not lose too much weight and any muscle as we look to bulk and master our powerlifting diet. While everyone’s process is different, there are some important factors to consider when it comes to ensuring a quality diet for our powerlifting goals. As masters of the big three powerlifts, we need to give ourselves the best chance at seeing PRs and taking down fellow giants lifting next to us.
Looking to professional powerlifters and checking out their routines is one great way to capitalize on their gains but knowing the basics before even doing so can help you decide which one is best for you. Powerlifting, and other strength sports for that matter, revolve around the idea of learning from those who have gone before us, while also finding what works best for us as individuals. With such a grueling and grinding sport, we need to be comfortable in our process as we seek the best for ourselves and our goals.
Let’s take a look at some important things to consider for our powerlifting diet when looking to bulk. From what to eat, to having a solid workout plan, and nailing down a good supplementation routine, it is important to master the art of balance so we thrive in every aspect of our lifts.
Caloric Intake For Proper Amount Of Energy
For those of us looking to bulk, ensuring we get the right amount of calories into our bodies is vital for putting on strength and size. But here is where things get tricky. Some people float out the idea of something like dirty bulking, where you eat mass amounts of whatever you want in order to gain weight.
While this may work for some, you aren’t maximizing your potential and are simply just putting on fat. To get the most out of your body and energy levels, you need to be sure you get the proper foods in your body to capitalize on energy. During these big lifts, your body burns so much for fuel that without the right foods and proper caloric intake, your lifts will suffer.
Correct Balance Of Macronutrients
This we hear all the time. But its so important. Making sure we have the proper balance of macros is huge for protein is the driving force for building muscle, but carbs and fats are important for driving other bodily functions and maintaining everything we want most of our performance (1). Let’s quickly breakdown why protein, carbs, and fats are important for powerlifters:
Protein: Protein works to maintain, restore, and grow those hard worked muscles, as well as other organs in the body.
Carbs: Can work to provide extra energy that your body can then use for vital fuel stores.
Fats: The right amount of fats will optimize hormonal balance, joint health, cognitive function, and a host of other bodily functions.
Meal Frequency & Timing
Eating at the right times at the right amounts is a great bonus for building strength and size while also keeping you full and engaged throughout the day. Eating around every three hours and working towards something like four to five meals a day will ensure a strategic diet is matched by great benefits. While our busy schedules sometimes don’t allow for us to always be cooking a whole foods meal, something like a protein bar is great for fueling us and providing our bodies with the right essentials it needs to continue seeing growth (2).
Check out our list of the Best Protein Bars, as well as our list of the Best Meal Replacements for some great alternatives!
Supplementation
Supplementation is important for any athlete and having a solid supplementation plan can really boots our gains. We all know some of the staples being a pre-workout or protein supplement, but other supplements like intra-workouts or creatine are great for boosting muscle growth and giving us a boost when it comes to repair. For those looking to bulk, check out supplements that really work to aid in growth, for they will give you the best chance at seeing massive gains you want most (3).
Check out our list of the Best Ultimate Stack Supplements to see gains to your strength and size, especially in the offseason!
Getting Proper Help
For many of us, we know what to do. But we can always be learning and finding ways to learn from the pros and those who have gone before us is very important. Looking into proper coaches for workouts, diets, and supplements can work to give us the best chance at growth and finding the proper ways to excel with our bulking and our training. Larry Wheels was a guest on the Strength Wars podcast and offered some great advice for those serious about lifting. He said that if you really want to see change and excel with your goals, look to the coaches and other experts who can help you get there. Learning and continuing to gains knowledge is important and real experts with tons of experience can help us get there.
Check out the full Strength Wars Podcast with Larry Wheels here!
Wrap Up
As powerlifters, we know how hard it is to find the right balance of everything so we continue to see worthwhile gains. Our diet is important, especially as we bulk, because it can be easy to just eat whatever we see in sight. Knowing what to eat, how much to eat, and how frequently to do so is important for capitalizing on training and performance. You put in the time to get it right so see the results you want most out of your powerlifting diet.
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 Envato
References
Oliver, Jonathan M.; Mardock, Michelle A.; Biehl, Adam J.; Riechman, Steven E. (2010). “Macronutrient intake in Collegiate powerlifters participating in off season training”. (source)
Schoenfeld, Brad J.; Aragon, Alan A.; Krieger, James W. (2013). “The effect of protein timing on muscle strength and hypertrophy: a meta-analysis”. (source)
Knapik, Andrzej; Gallert-Kopyto, Weronika; Jendrysik, Krzysztof; Ziemianek, Piotr; et al. (2019). “The Use of Supplementation Among People Practicing Powerlifting and its Connections with their Self-esteem and Body Value”. (source)
Jose Raymond Breaks Down His Bodybuilding Comeback Training Routine
Jose Raymond shares insight into his comeback training claiming it’s the first offseason he’s ever had in his life.
In our previous interview segment, Jose Raymond confirmed that he’s planning on making a comeback to Men’s 212 bodybuilding. Or at least, he’s training to compete again to see how his body reacts. If he’s happy with the results, he will pick a show to compete in and re-ignite his journey. But after many years away from tried and true contest prep, what is Jose’s tactic to get back on the saddle? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Jose Raymond breaks down his bodybuilding comeback training routine.
Jose Raymond had a series of unfortunate situations that prevented him from competing over the past few years. But after full recovering from surgery, he’s ready to jump back into action and return to a competitive level of training. During our recent video conversation, we asked him to share what that comeback training looks like and how it differs from his past tactics.
“This is the most different I’ve ever been in my life”
Right off the bat, Jose Raymond makes a point to say that this training process is different than he’s ever experienced before. More specifically, he claims it is the first true off season he’s ever had in his life. Throughout his career, he’s always competed in so many shows – that he never had time for a real off season. He always had to stay in a contest prep level of conditioning due to a competition right around the corner.
So perhaps for the first time since he originally started bodybuilding, he is going into a true offseason bulk phase. Meaning that he can focus purely on building size without worrying about strict conditioning.
In terms of diet, Jose Raymond is currently eating 100 grams of carbs per day. He’s not the kind of bodybuilder to eat sloppy – but he’s also using this opportunity to really focus on building size and worrying less about conditioning at this moment. That means allowing for more heavy foods and carbs in his diet.
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Check out our latest GI Exclusive with Jose Raymond above!
Lower weight with high volume… with a few exceptions
Jose Raymond also dives into his training regimen. He’s doing very little cardio. This is again because he’s focusing on building mass at the moment. He does about 30 minutes of cardio, very light, on a treadmill or stepmill.
Being a bit older and wanting to prevent injury, Jose Raymond is focusing less on heavy weight and more on high volume. In a traditional set he aims for approximately 12, 15, or 18 reps. Though he admits sometimes he will feel energized and try and go all out with some truly heavy weight.
He also does, in a sense, drop sets. Thought perhaps not as strict as a traditional drop set would be. After he gets to a point with his high volume sets where he can only do six to eight reps. He will do one extra set. He lowers the weight and tries to do as many reps as possible. Sometimes reaching up to 20 or 22 reps. This is to make sure that he’s truly exhausted the muscle.
Wrap Up
Ultimately, Jose Raymond is excited to be able to focus on building as much size as possible. He’ll see how his body reacts. And then will evaluate his options and decide what show he wants to compete in. Once he decides that, of course, real contest prep begins. He’ll go back to what he knew for most of his career – focusing on conditioning. We can’t wait to see what show he’ll appear in and how he’ll compare to the new era of competitors.
You can watch Jose Raymond go into even more detail about his bodybuilding comeback training regimen in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
How The Hex Bar Squat Improves Strength & Stability
Using a hex bar for your squats can change things up with this massive lift.
Squatting is something we all know we absolutely need. We often talk about our upper bodies as if our legs don’t exist. You can’t blame us though, can you? Our upper bodies are what everyone sees. Those bulging bis, that horse-shoe shape popping out with our massive tris, and of course, that shredded six-pack you’ve been waiting to show off. But our legs need attention. Aesthetically, having big legs makes it look like you know what you’re doing. No one will envy a massive upper body if you have chicken legs. Trust us on that. But a great exercise like the hex bar squat has the ability to boost your gains to new heights and offer great benefits to your physical health as well.
Using a hex bar is an awesome way to switch things up and move away from the traditional barbell. Hex bars offer great versatility and can aid in many facets of multiple lifts. By standing in the middle with the weight dispersed evenly around you, you work to tackle more weight while still reducing back stress. Great for beginners, using a hex bar builds grip strength, allows for proper form, and is a nice alternative to learn down the line once you start lifting huge weight.
Let’s take a look at the hex bar squat and see what it can do for our goals. From what it is, to muscles worked, the benefits around it, and how to do it, the hex bar squat is one exercise you absolutely cannot ignore. When it comes to boosting your gains, you deserve the best out of your routine and this exercise can fire up those muscles to do just that.
What Is The Hex Bar Squat?
The hex bar squat is a fantastic way to build explosiveness and strength in the body and requires not much different of a movement than the hex bar deadlift. With the hex bar, it works to distribute the weight around so you take less load off the low back. For squats, it will allow you to pack on weight so you see some real growth start to take effect (1). It also forces you to hold better form, thus teaching you how to properly lift big weight and offering a great alternative to the barbell squat as you nail down better muscle memory.
Muscles Worked
With the hex bar squat, you work those lower body muscles like your quads and hamstrings greatly. Of course, your glutes will get some work done, as well as your calves and smaller stabilizer muscles that work for support and posture. By engaging your core throughout the entire exercise, you work to build some core strength as well. While it may not provide for that shredded aesthetic, look towards more core isolation exercises for that.
Benefits Of This Exercise
Builds Lower Body Strength & Size: The hex bar squat is one to really boost lower body strength and size by allowing you to pack on weight to work your muscles greatly, while also doing so safely.
Increase Core Strength: By keeping your core engaged, those abdominal muscles do see work get done as well. This will help when it comes to increased support and that much needed stability (2).
Promote Better Form: The hex bar can work on proper form which is what you want out of all your exercises. This is especially true when you switch back over to the traditional barbell squat.
Great Alternative Exercise: For those looking to mix up their workouts, this serves as a great alternative exercise to toss in the mix to see some real change happen. Plus, it will target your muscles differently so you get the most of every workout.
How To Perform This Exercise
Here are the steps for performing the hex bar squat:
Load the hex bar with your desired amount of weight and step into the middle. Get a good, firm grip on the handles and squeeze your core as you get ready to explode up. Push through your feet and lift the bar with you, keeping an neutral back. As you perform the squatting motion, remember to keep tight form and gently lower once all reps are completed. Repeat for your desired number of reps.
Featured Hex Bar
We wanted to share with you a great hex bar coming from American Barbell. This is a high-quality and durable bar designed to give you the best chance at seeing some serious growth and real gains.
American Barbell Hex Bar
American Barbell Hex Bar is a great bar when looking to switch up your traditional deadlift while also allowing versatility with a number of exercises. This bar works to reduce stress on your low back given that you stand in the middle as opposed to slightly behind. Keeping the bar closer allows you to engage different muscles and have a more effective workout. While you don’t need a rack, this bar is fully rackable and fits all Olympic plates. The bar is 85’’ long with 16’’ loadable sleeves and weighs 40 lbs. Knurled handles ensure great grip and this hex bar is a great variation when looking for something different than a barbell while getting the same benefits.
Price: $295.00
Try American Barbell Hex Bar Here
Check out our individual review for American Barbell Hex Bar here!
Wrap Up
The hex bar squat is one of those exercises you need to try for it will really build muscle while keeping you safe and lifting properly. As a seriously effective lift, the hex bar squat has potential to really boost your power output and explosivity. The hex bar as a fitness tool is awesome for it allows for great alternative exercises and can really promote solid form and the potential for growth. Give this exercise a try and see what it can do for your gains today.
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 Envato
References
Lockie, Robert G.; Lazar, Adrina (2017). “Exercise Technique: Applying the Hexagonal Bar to Strength and Power Training”. (source)
Hibbs, Angela E.; Thompson, Kevin G.; French, Duncan; Wrigley, Allan; Spears, Iain (2008). “Optimizing performance by improving core stability and core strength”. (source)
Mr. India Senthil Kumaran Selvarajan Has Passed Away
Another young bodybuilder has passed away.
Senthil Kumaran Selvarajan, Mr. India and a promising up and coming bodybuilder, has suddenly passed away. The Indian bodybuilder joins a long list of young bodybuilders who have passed away recently. His death like so many others has come as major shock. According to sources, his cause of death was due to a heart attack.
The bodybuilder from Tamil Nadu won Mr. India and placed second at the Sheru Classic back in 2013. He possessed a truly impressive physique and was a well respected and prominent athlete in the Indian bodybuilding scene. Senthil Kumaran Selvarajan certainly had the potential to change the landscape of bodybuilding in his home country.
Gone too soon…
RIP Senhtil Kumar @senthil_kumaran_selvarajanOne of India’s finest bodybuilder, gone too soon ??
Senthil Kumaran Selvarajan was very active on social media and did his best to motivate his followers. Sadly his final post to his Instagram showcased a man with big dreams of hitting the international stage and pursuing his bodybuilding passion to the fullest.
Wait…will wait…until the day of my life on the International Stage.Soon…
While achieving his status of Mr. India, seeing that he had ambitions of taking his career to the next level just makes his passing all the more sad.
It seems that so many young bodybuilders are passing away so suddenly. During these tough times it’s truly been sad to witness the loss of so many young lives. Senthil Kumaran Selvarajan is survived by his wife and son.
The Generation Iron team extends condolences to the family and friends of Senthil Kumaran Selvarajan. Another bodybuilder gone far too soon.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Managing Editor 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.
212 Olympia Competitor Fahd Zaid Hazzazi Has Suddenly Passed Away
Fahd Zaid Hazzazi joins a long list of bodybuilders who have passed away far too soon.
Some sad news to report as 212 competitor and Olympia veteran Fahd Zaid Hazzazi has passed away. The news comes as a shock to the bodybuilding world as his trainer Milos Sarcev reported the news on Instagram. The cause of death has not yet been determined but speculation points to SUDEP or sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.
Fahd Zaid Hazzazi had a history of suffering from epileptic seizures. According to Milos Sarcev, Hazzazi’s wife took the bodybuilder to the hospital, already unconscious. He was later pronounced dead.
Milos Sarcev posted a lengthy post on his Instagram page, mourning the loss of the young bodybuilder.
I am in absolutely devastated and shocked with the news about the sudden death of my dear friend and athlete @fhf13 Fahd Al-Hazzazi. I was praying that news are not correct, as it happened already once few months ago…when he was implemented in the hospital due to Epileptic Seizures. His wife brought him to the hospital unconscious. I got numerous messages about an hour ago…but I didn’t want to believe it. His nephew unfortunately confirmed ?. Fahd was without a doubt one of the nicest guys I’ve met…Super passionate about bodybuilding and needless to say absolute physique phenomenon. He posted a segment from his training about 6 hours ago…and I heard from the guys that saw him training today. Nobody noticed anything! Cause of death is unknown as of yet, but there is speculation of known “SUDEP” (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy). May he Rest In Piece ?? and Good Bless his soul. ❤️ Condolences to his family, friends, fans, Countrymen and all the loved ones.
This is truly sad news, especially when considering how young Hazzazi was. Definitely gone too soon from this Earth.
The Generation Iron team extends condolences to the family and friends of Fahd Zaid Hazzazi.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Managing Editor 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.
Zac Perna Profile & Stats
The biography, life, and accomplishments of Zac Perna
Zac Perna is an online coach, fitness trainer, and YouTube star who has amassed a massive following online. He is now on a journey to become Australia’s leading fitness influencer.
Below is a complete breakdown of his profile, stats, biography, training and diet regimens.
Full Name: Zac Perna (Fitness Model)
Weight
Height
Date Of Birth
156 lbs.
5’7”
07/05/1995
Profession
Years Active
Nationality
Fitness Model
10
Australian
BIOGRAPHY
Growing up, Zac struggled with his self-esteem. At the age of 15, he became interested in health and fitness and Zac’s brother helped him with his very first exercise plan and diet. As he started to take training more serious, he built his confidence along with changing his body. Zac instantly fell in love with the positivity he gains from fitness. The positivity sparks his desire to spread joy to others which eventually led him to start his career as an online coach and fitness guru.
Zac Perna is now an online coach, fitness trainer and YouTube star. He is on a journey to become Australia’s leading fitness influencer.
He is also a brand ambassador for Gymshark.
TRAINING
Chest Workout
Zac does a chest activation warmup routine to help avoid straining in the muscles when pressing heavy weight. He does 2-3 sets of standing cable flyes to activate his chest.
Exercise 1: Flat barbell bench press 4 x 8-10
Exercise 2: Incline dumbbell press 4 x 8-10
Exercise 3: Incline machine press 4 x 8-10
Exercise 4: Standing cable chest fly 4 x 8-10
Exercise 5: Ab rope crunch 3 x 20
Back and Biceps Workout
Zac likes to use hand grips for a variety of exercises. It helps with deadlifts, lat pulldowns and many other movements. The hand grips offer more wrist mobility and will save your grip process.
Exercise 1: Wide grip lat pulldown 4 x 12
Exercise 2: Rack pull 3 x 12
Exercise 3: Underhand pulldown 3 x 12 superset with reverse pec deck 3 x 12
Exercise 4: Seated row 3 x 12 superset with dumbbell delt raise 3 x 12
Exercise 5: Across the body hammer curl 3 x 10
Exercise 6: Incline dumbbell curl 3 x 10
Shoulder Workout
Zac’s warmup includes holding two light dumbbells and going through a variety of rotator cuff exercises. This helps his shoulder joints get lubricated and loose, before the workout begins.
Exercise 1: Seated barbell overhead press 4 x 8
Exercise 2: Rear/side/front raise x 3 working sets of 30 reps (10-12 each)
Exercise 3: Dumbbell shoulder press superset with bent over rear delt raise 3 x 12
Exercise 4: Cable side raise 3 x 10 superset with cable face pull 3 x 10-12
Exercise 5: Dumbbell shrug 4 x 10
Leg Workout
Zac’s likes to do light sets of hamstring curls before his leg workouts. Being that the hamstrings are a large muscle group in your legs, you do not want to pull them while doing heavy compound movements such as squats.
Exercise 1: Seated hamstring curl: 2 warm-up sets of 10 and 2 working sets of 10
Exercise 2: Hack squat: 3 warm-up sets of 10, 1 working set of 12 and 1 working set of 25
Exercise 3: Smith machine lunge: 1 warm up set and 2 working sets of 10
Exercise 4: Seated leg extension with the last set a drop set
Exercise 5: Single leg hamstring curl 3 x 12
Exercise 6: Lying leg curl 3 x 12
NUTRITION
Bulking
Zac enjoys eating clean, even when he is in a caloric surplus. He starts eating early during the day to make the process of bulking easier. Zac wakes up around 4:30am to have his first meal. Eating earlier gives your body time to digest, which can be difficult if you eat seven meals like Zac. Utilize foods that work for your body and won’t make you tired.
Meal 1: Tuna and rice
Meal 2: 2 pieces of fruit during workout
Meal 3: Rice flakes and crumpets
Meal 4: Beef Sugo and white rice
Meal 5: Salmon and egg rice
Meal 6: Chicken and sweet potato
Meal 7: Protein shake
Cutting
Your meals do not have to be boring in order to get lean. Zac’s daily meals include foods like cereal and ice cream. He eats the healthier version of these foods to still satisfy his sweet tooth.
Meal 1: Japanese style omelet
Meal 2: Post workout protein bowl
Meal 3: Chicken tenders and potatoes
Meal 4: Chicken thighs and mixed vegetables
Meal 5: Protein ice cream
Blessing Awodibu Reacts to Third Placing at Indy Pro, Looks Forward to NY Pro
Blessing Awodibu speaks out about his Indy Pro performance and looks forward to the NY Pro.
So the Indy Pro didn’t turn out exactly as Blessing Awodibu hoped. In his IFBB Pro League debut, the outspoken bodybuilder took third place. While he was one of the favorites to win the show, that honor belonged to Justin Rodriguez who showed up in impressive shape. Never one to shy away from success or failure, Blessing Awodibu issued a statement on his performance at the Indy Pro and his intentions for the NY Pro.
Many in the bodybuilding community may be cheering that Blessing Awodibu took third place in his IFBB Pro League debut. There are a large contingent of fans who dislike Awodibu’s brash personality and were pleased that he was unable to take first place at the Indy Pro.
It’s certainly a negative mindset to say the least. Celebrating the failure of a competitor capture their goal perhaps isn’t the best use of time. That said, when you talk as much trash as Blessing Awodibu the owness is on him to back it up.
That said, Blessing Awodibu did look pretty impressive in his debut. His legs were far more impressive than many had thought. He came in pretty solid condition, but it wasn’t enough to beat Justin Rodriguez.
Blessing Reacts
Now that the NY Pro looms, Blessing Awodibu had his own thoughts on his performance at the Indy Pro as well as his intentions for the future.
This pic was taken just before tanning but anyway, I just wanna say thank you to everyone for tuning in, think we set a record yesterday for the the live stream ???.Also thank you all for all the love and support, it truly means a lot ??.Shoutout to @davebowersproductions @dave_bowers @ifbbindypro for putting together an amazing show .Yesterday’s show was a try out before the main event – NY pro! Having been away from competing for 4 years, stepping back on stage is extremely hard, to nail peaking and timing.Yesterday we learned a ton, we messed up pre judging and we knew exactly what went wrong , we tried to fixed things but it was a lil too late. Still we were able to move up in placing.We will be ready to battle at the NY proStay tuned it’s gonna be epic ? Big shoutout to @justindifbb he brought it yesterday. Well deserved win but I’ll see you again next week.
It seems that Blessing Awodibu was treating the Indy Pro as a test show. He calls the NY Pro the main event. While some may say this is merely deflection on Awodibu’s part, we won’t know until the NY Pro rolls around.
What do you think of Blessing Awodibu taking third place at the Indy Pro? Do you think he can bounce back at the NY Pro?
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Managing Editor 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.
Teaser Angela Borges Pittsburgh Wellness Photo Shoot
The National Physique Committee is the premier amateur physique organization in the world. Since 1982, the top athletes in bodybuilding, fitness, figure, bikini and physique have started their careers in the NPC. Many of those athletes graduated to successful careers in the IFBB Professional League, a list that includes 24 Olympia and 38 Arnold Classic winners.