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Luke Stoltman Crushes 661-Pound Pause Deadlifts For A Triple
Strongman Luke Stoltman continues to put up some huge numbers preparing for 2022.
The Stoltman brothers have climbed to the top of the powerlifting game. Both have recently been invited to participate in the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic and this is just one event for what could be a packed year in 2022. This is especially true for Luke Stoltman if he is able to continue this level of training.
Luke Stoltman seems determined to increase his numbers heading into the new year. This was made clear when Europe’s Strongest Man loaded 661 pounds on the bar and completed three reps while pausing in between. Stoltman completed this lift without a belt. This has gone with Stoltman’s recent trend of lifting heavy in order to reach his max.
Luke Stoltman entered a training session with his brother Tom, who has been more focused on high volume speed reps. In a recent video posted to the Stoltman Brothers YouTube page, you can see how Luke completed these deadlifts and the form he used to do so.
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During the 2021 Rogue Invitation, Luke Stoltman struggled with deadlifts and this was his weakest lift at the event. It is clear that he wats to bump up those numbers and has been doing so by lifting extremely heavy.
Despite this performance at the Rogue Invitation, Stoltman was able to put up a big year in 2021. He won the 2021 Europe’s Strongest Man and 2021 Giants Live World Tour Finals. At the Giants Live, Tom Stoltman finished second to his brother. Stoltman is known for massive lifts and thrives in log lift.
In 2020, Stoltman set the British record with a 221kg (487lb) log lift. It seems as though he could attempt the world record in the coming year. This is currently held by Iron Biby at 229kg (504.8lb). For the time being, Stoltman seems to have his focus on deadlifts and strengthening a part of his craft that has been down recently.
If Luke Stoltman is able to get his numbers up, there is no telling what levels he will be able to reach. Stoltman already has one show on tap for 2022 at the Arnold Strongman Classic. It will be interesting to see when he competes next and what he decides to attempt. There is no doubt that he continues to be one of the top strongmen in the world and lifts like this remind us all.
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How To Reduce Your Waist Size Without Doing Ab Exercises
Reduce Your Waist Size With This One Trick
Let’s face it; many people get a gym membership to lose weight and to fit into smaller clothes. Following the advice of the broscientists, these people spend most of their time on the cardio equipment. Since you’re reading this article, chances are you’re one of them.
It isn’t long before they lose the motivation and return to their old ways. They blame their genetics for their inability to lose the excess body fat. The ‘too busy to workout’ excuse follows.
The others don’t like spending their time on the dreaded treadmill or doing crunches. Hardly do they know, it’s not their genetics. It’s the lack of knowledge which makes them quit working out altogether.
Changes In Bodybuilding In The Recent Eras
Have you wondered how bodybuilders in the golden era had small waists even when there was no fancy electronic cardio equipment? They used techniques which are long forgotten but were way more efficient than the ones employed by the pros now.
Unlike the bodybuilders today, the golden era bodybuilder focused primarily on symmetry and maintaining a narrow and tight midsection. Most of the current pro bodybuilders focus on getting big and turning into mass monsters.
The Vacuum Pose
If you haven’t heard of this, you’re already missing out. Frank Zane brought this technique into the mainstream by performing this pose on the stage. Before him, the athletes usually performed this pose in the gym as an exercise.
In this pose, you have to suck in your stomach to your spine to make it look like it has completely disappeared. When you hit the vacuum pose, you’re contracting your transverse abdominis (TVA).
The TVA runs across your waist just like a weight belt. It works like a weight belt in your daily operation. You can only perform this kind of thing with your belly.
TVA lies under the rectus abdominis and obliques and is one of the deepest abdominal muscles. Unlike most other muscles, it doesn’t connect to or move bones closer together. Many of TVA’s fibers don’t attach to the bone at all.
You need to take baby steps when it comes to performing this exercise. It will also need a lot of patience and persistence if you have never tried hitting this pose before.
There are four steps to mastering this exercise. In this article, we will take you through each step assuming you’ve never tried this exercise at this point. Each step will be harder than the previous one.
Don’t get intimidated by the four steps; you need to take one step at a time. Once you master one level the next will be relatively easy to perform and will be more efficient than the previous step in achieving your goal of a narrow waist.
Supine Vacuum
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This is the first step in performing the vacuum. It’s also the easiest way to suck in your stomach since the gravity will be your friend in this exercise. Confused? Let us explain.
Lie on your back with your knees bent, so your feet are touching the floor. This will help you isolate and focus on your abdominal. Once you’ve assumed this position, exhale all the air you can. This will raise your diaphragm and shrink your stomach.
This is where your TVA will have the maximum contraction, and you’ll be able to hit the vacuum pose. In the beginning, you might be unable to see or feel the vacuum, but it will come with time.
Hold your breath and perform this exercise for 15 seconds in the beginning. As you get better with time, increase the contraction time to 60 seconds. Take small breaths in between if you’re unable to hold your breath.
Quadruped Vacuum
Once you’re confident with your abilities at the supine vacuum and can perform it at will with no problems, it is time to the move on to the quadruped vacuum. If you’re performing each variation every day, it should take you a couple of weeks at most to perform them optimally.
The quadruped vacuum is called so because you perform them while having four touch points with the ground. In this exercise, you’ll be working against the gravity, and this makes this exercise harder than the previous variation.
Begin in a knee push up position so your shoulders are vertically over your elbows and your wrists and hips are over your knees. Follow the same steps as in the supine vacuum; exhale and suck in your abdominal.
This exercise is harder than the supine vacuum. So, if you were doing 60 seconds on the supine version, you should start with 30 seconds and work up to the 60 seconds mark.
Seated Vacuum
We know what you’re thinking. Isn’t the anti-gravitational version harder than the sitting on your ass version? No, it’s not because many stabilizing muscles come into play while performing this exercise.
Sit on a stable surface without leaning on to anything. Taking the support of a wall or any other surface will reduce the effectiveness of this exercise.
Exhale, pull in your navel and hold it for 30 seconds. Work your way up to 60 seconds as you get better at this exercise. Also, use unstable surfaces like a swiss ball to make this exercise harder.
Functional Vacuum
This is when you become a pro at hitting the vacuum pose. You’ll be so good you could perform it at any time, anywhere. Functional vacuum is the real life variation of this exercise.
You could be performing the vacuum pose in a subway, on your office desk or anywhere else without the people beside you knowing it. As you get better at the vacuum poses, you’ll be able to hold them for long durations.
This can result in a tighter, narrower and firmer midsection. Once you’re at this stage, you’ll find yourself vacuuming throughout the day. You won’t have to wait for long before your waist size drops.
Which ab tightening technique works the best for you? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements.
Vitaliy ‘Good Vito’ Ugolnikov Makes Switch Over To NPC
Good Vito will have a chance to compete in an NPC competition moving forward.
Vitaliy Ugolnikov, better known as Good Vito, has built quite a following and fanbase on social media. He has posted many physique updates to show off progress and he will not have a chance to show it off at a different level.
Good Vito has been competing in the IFBB Pro Elite Circuit and fans were wondering when he was going to work his way up. That seems to be happening as Ugolnikov is making the switch to NPC. This could allow Good Vito to eventually earn his pro card and move up to IFBB competition.
This is a decision that has been in the works for about a year now. Good Vito wanted to win a major international tournament, such as a European or World Championship. Now, he will have the chance to matchup against some competition at a higher level to see whee he stacks up. According to some physique updates, Ugolnikov should hold his own and then some.
At the beginning of November, Good Vito shared a picture and an achievement of winning another championship in Russia.
“3x Time Champion of Russia! So what?! Time for a bigger land?”
Good Vito is a 24-year-old bodybuilder who has made some serious progress in recent years. This has been done on social media and on stage. The time has come for Ugolnikov to join NPC competition and it can only go up from here. He certainly has built a physique that can compete at the highest level and he will have a chance to do so.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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.
With Santi Aragon Retiring at 33, Can We Expect More Athletes to Walk Away Early?
Santi Aragon retires from competitive bodybuilding.
Santi Aragon, 212 and Classic Physique veteran, has decided to retire at the age of 33. The bodybuilder sites that he wished to walk away on his own terms with his health intact.
Competing as a professional athlete can be quite the daunting thing. It can take a considerable toll on the physical body. Bodybuilding in particular can be especially taxing for the athletes. To push your body to the limit then cut down a tremendous amount of water weight and step on stage dried out and depleted can be truly challenging for the average person.
So when athletes state that they’re leaving competing behind it usually comes as no surprise. After all you can only stay in the game so long before it has diminishing returns…unless your name is Dexter Jackson that is. But it appears that the latest athlete to retire from the sport is doing so at a relatively young age.
212 and Classic Physique competitor Santi Aragon is walking away from competition. Aragon still at the height of his powers is choosing to call it quits at 33 years of age. The great news is that Aragon isn’t retiring due to health concerns. The bodybuilder made it clear that he’s walking away from the sport at a high point rather than going too long.
Leaving The Sport Behind
Santi Aragon wrote this message on his Instagram post addressing his retirement.
I am formally announcing my retirement from the bodybuilding stage. It’s been something that I have been wanting to do for the past year. I am walking away from the stage on my own terms and was not forced in anyway to do so. As time goes on, your priorities in life change. My priorities are my future, my health and my family. Bodybuilding was getting in the way of those 3 things which I hold dear to my heart. Bodybuilding has brought me so much joy the last 10 years. The people I’ve met, the places I’ve traveled to and all the life lessons I can take with me into the future. I am very grateful for the last 10 years and all of the people that were a part of it. Just because I’m retired from competing, does not mean I am disappearing from the fitness world. Your boy has to look peeled come summer time ? Love all you ❤️
While Santi Aragon may still be healthy and fit, there have been a string of bodybuilders who have passed away in recent years that is certainly raising some alarms. These deaths have certainly put many athletes on notice. At the end of the day all we have is our health and it appears that rather than push on for too long Aragon is choosing to walk away with his head held high and with all his faculties intact.
What do you think of Santi Aragon retiring at age 33?
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.
5 Tips for Finding Yourself a Workout Partner
How to Find a Good Workout Partner
If you train alone, you are leaving a lot of gains on the table. People who hit the gym with a training partner would agree a workout partner can help you take your workouts to a new level.
A good training partner can be the constant source of support (both mental and physical) and motivation you need. Finding the right training partner is easier said than done. You want a training partner who adds to your workouts and not someone who eats away your time and focus by chatting throughout your time in the gym.
Look for Someone More Advanced
You need a training partner who will push you to your limits in the gym, so it’s better to look for someone who has more experience as compared to you. A partner who is on an advanced level can teach you about the sport and help you reach your goals more efficiently.
A training partner who is on an advanced stage will probably be using advanced training techniques to make his workouts more intense. It’ll be in your best interest to piggyback on your partner’s knowledge and experience. One of you will get the better part of the deal, so it better be you.
Discipline is the Key
You’ll need army-like discipline if you want to succeed at bodybuilding. Look for people who are at the gym at the same time every day. Obviously, you too will need to be regular to the gym to take note.
Discipline doesn’t end at showing up at the gym. Your training partner should be disciplined in his workouts. You don’t want to workout with someone who would leave an exercise in the middle to go and talk to someone, miss a workout for dinner with friends, or skip the gym because the day was too long.
Your Partner Doesn’t Necessarily Need to Workout with You
It is okay if you can’t find the right workout partner in your gym. Don’t make the mistake of settling for someone who will deteriorate the quality of your workouts. You can look for someone on virtual platforms who shares the same passion for fitness as you.
These types of workout partners are great for accountability. If you have a friend who is a fitness freak, you can keep each other accountable by sharing your goals, workouts, pictures, and nutrition.
Stay Clear of Gym Bros
If you’re a beginner, you should stay away from gym bros. Gym bros love to impress the rookies with their knowledge. The only caveat being, there is a high probability the bros have no idea what they’re talking about.
If you’re a beginner, you would want to train with someone who is fitter than you, but don’t punch above your weight class. When you join a gym don’t try to train with an athlete who is getting ready to step on stage for a show.
On the other hand, if you’re an advanced athlete and can’t find someone who can teach you stuff, take someone who shows the burning desire to transform his physique under your wing.
Be Ready to Part Ways
After you find a workout partner, it isn’t necessary things will go out as you would have wanted. Problems like not being accountable to each other, the workout style and goals, indiscipline can spoil your relationship and workouts.
If you train with someone and he misses a workout, it could negatively affect your workout. If any of the problems creep up, it’s better to call it quits and go back to training alone or look for someone new. Sounds a lot like dating, right?
Do you train with a partner? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
How The Liver King Works Out For Full Body Gains
This workout from Liver King is a full body workout for strength and conditioning.
Brian Johnson, or more commonly known as Liver King, is an entrepreneur and social media personality who practices Ancestral Living, which involves a series of tenets all working to bring you closer to your environment. With a massive following on social media, he posts videos of his crazy diets and workouts while still inspiring others.
Most of the time, we try to find workouts from bodybuilders or those strength sports athlete we admire. As fans, we want to mimic what they do so we can look as good as they do. And with so many people online claiming to know exactly what to do, it can be challenging to dive in and tell who is just lying. But once in a while someone like Liver King comes along. He’s relatable, fun, and absolutely jacked, and we want to watch. Video after video, we just can’t seem to stop.
The fascination with Liver King lies in what we see as an interesting lifestyle we would never follow. But Liver King’s goal is to get us to understand the power behind Ancestral Living and what it can do for the human mind, body, and spirit. His workouts are hard and engaging and diet is unique. But he is fun. He is someone we want to watch and imitate and thankfully he shares his process online.
Full Name: Brian Johnson (a.k.a. Liver King)
Profession
Era
Nationality
Entrepreneur, Social Media Personality
2010
American
This workout is a 30 minute, full body circuit designed to hit all your muscles as it builds strength as well as conditioning. Essentially this is a long HIIT workout, so it will make you sweat, get that heart rate up, and help you see those gains you want most.
About Liver King
Brian Johnson had everything going great in his life. He was running successful businesses and had a loving family. But things changed when his son had a medical complication and needed immediate attention. While his son survived, no expert had a real answer to give.
This launched Brian’s journey into a more natural approach to living, especially eating. But this natural approach did not just stop with his diet. He began to live it. Through hunting, lifting, sleeping, and everything about his life, Brian has switched to Ancestral Living.
Ancestral Living is the idea that we connect with our environment and get back to the roots of the relationship between human and environment. Connecting to the Earth and finding your primal self leads to better living and a better connection to the world around you.
With a large following on social media, Brian promotes this style of living while posting fun and entertaining videos of his workouts, diet, and way of life. Seeking to inspire change, he uses his platform to promote his message and seeing his popularity grow, it is certainly working.
Liver King Workout
This workout from Liver King is a massive circuit style workout that will take 30 minutes consisting of only four exercises. This shows us that you can get an effective workout to add to your shredded physique without spending hours in the gym. Focusing on hypertrophy and conditioning, this workout covers all your bases and will definitely leave you wanting more.
Exercises
Sets
Reps
Handstand Push-Ups
5-10
10
Deadlifts
5-10
10
Tire Strikes
5-10
10
Rowing Machine
5-10
10 Calories
Handstand Push-Ups
Handstand Push-Ups are great for working your triceps, shoulders, and chest and requires plenty of coordination to stay balanced and stable. A great exercise to build muscle, what it really does it strengthen those stabilizer muscles to support those larger ones better.
Deadlifts
Deadlifts are obviously a great exercise to work on strength in your back and legs while also reinforcing proper form. It is helpful for both functional and sport specific movements, depending on your overall goals.
Tire Strikes
A great strength builder while also getting your heart rate going, Tire Strikes work to also enhance grip strength along with speed and power. An engaging exercise, it will add diversity into your workout while you smash away.
Rowing Machine
The rowing machine is a great piece of equipment to build strength while also endurance and it is a low impact workout. Requiring good posture, it will also reinforce form and works as a nice alternative to other machines.
Best Supplements For Post-Workout Growth
Post-workout recovery time is key and while lifting weights and having a tough workout can spark that muscle growth, it is in recovery where we genuinely see gains happen. The right supplements can make or break this time and knowing which ones will be most beneficial is important. Definitely check out a great protein powder, for this will boost all areas of your muscle growth and recovery, as well as work for satiety and weight loss. Creatine is great for building strength and size while mass gainers will pump you with loads of macronutrients so you build seriously efficient mass. For overnight repair, casein protein is great for feeding our bodies even as we sleep.
Wrap Up
This workout from Liver King is sure to fire up your lungs and muscles as it is a true grind. Working hard and really diving into the world of Ancestral Living is also interesting and as part of Liver King’s mission, he truly stands by this. While having a good training routine and strict diet can work wonders for you, it is important to also understand how we treat our bodies as a whole. Staying physically fit is one thing, staying mentally sharp is different. Give this workout from Liver King a try and see what it can do for your full body 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
Best Syringes for Steroid Injection on Amazon
Steroids are used for different functions in the body. Apart from reducing inflammation and cancer management as one of the drug regimens, athletics use steroids to improve muscle functioning and strength. The usefulness of steroids can only be achieved through appropriate administration in the body. In athletics, steroids are administered intramuscularly. In this respect, administration requires syringes to deliver the necessary quantity of the steroids into the body.
Amazon is one of the leading global markets where one can virtually order and get their products. Concerning the use of steroids, Amazon provides a platform where equipment can be obtained for a steroid injection. Being one of the bestselling platforms, it harbors different steroid injection equipment. In this paper, we shall discuss the best syringes on Amazon used for a steroid injection. The paper shall look at other syringes and provide information on the best available equipment for administering steroids among the users.
Equipment for steroid injection
Like any other drug administered through an intramuscular route, steroid administration requires different equipment. These include the syringes, needle, and swab. Usually, the syringes come with the appropriate needle for use. Some packages contain the packed syringes alone and the packed needles alone. Therefore, the user has to attach the needle to the syringe before use.
Syringes are used to hold the drugs before administration. Usually, the syringes are calibrated depending on the size of the syringe to ensure accurate measurement of the desired amount of steroid to administer. Currently, non-calibrated syringes are not preferred as they do not offer the opportunity to measure the number of steroids to use. The calibration should be as precise as possible for accurate measurement as well. The calibration should be to the lowest level of accuracy, such as 0.1mL, to allow for only a small margin of inaccuracy. This is because steroids when taken more than needed, cause harm to the body the undesired effects. These adverse effects bore unwelcoming outcomes and jeopardizes the therapeutic effects desired. Therefore, the minimal allowable point of error, the better for the user.
Related Article:: Which needles and syringes are best for steroids’ use?
Syringes for Steroid
Syringes for Steroid come in different sizes depending on the amount of steroids to administer. There are 25ml, 10mL, and 5mL, among others. Therefore, the use of appropriate size is essential during steroid injection. The syringe withdraws steroid drug following a principle of negative pressure. Pulling the plunger causes negative pressure that sucks the steroid into the created vacuum to the desired level. The administration of the steroid drugs into the body requires the use of the plunge, which should be pushed to squeeze the drug out of the barrel into the body, intramuscular layer for the body to utilize the drug.
Needles for injection
Needles are essential components in steroid use and for the syringe. Some syringes come with an attached needle while coming alone, and therefore, appropriate needles need to be sorted for use. Needles are stuck on the front of the syringe and are used for two main purposes. They are used to withdraw drugs into the syringe and deliver the drug into the body. The needle can be sharp or blunt to penetrate the skin and the body into the muscular layer to allow drug delivery by pushing the plunger on the syringe. By breaking the skin barrier, they evoke relative pain depending on the size of the needle used. The size varies with the age and the size of the syringe.
Appropriate size should be chosen depending on the patient to deliver the drug to the desired intramuscular site. Using the small needle on an individual will result in the drug being given subcutaneously and not intramuscular. While the use of the larger needle size will lead to the drugs deliver much deeper. This affects drug absorption into the body and the resultant effect on the effects since the dosage calculated to give the impact when administered intramuscularly. Sharp needles, preferred for use since they cause a much faster penetration into the body and leave small areas of skin breach, causing minimal tissue damage and pain.
Injections
It as well causes minimal to no bleeding from the injection site. However, a blunt needle will require a lot of force to inject, cause a much larger skin breach, and resultant extensive damage to the skin, evoking more pain and bleeding from the site. Therefore, sharp needles are much preferred and best-selling syringe devices on Amazon.
Related Article:: Steroid Injection For Back Pain That Works
A sterile swab is an essential component in the use of syringes and steroid injections. The swab allows for cleaning the injection site, thus reducing translocation of the pathogen into the body. Therefore, before the steroid injected, it is crucial to clean the injection site with a sterile moist swab. There are different types of swabs, but the preferred and the best-selling ones are those with alcohol or spirit impregnated in them for sterilizing the skin before injection. The dry swab is not as such preferred since they do not offer adequate cleaning of the surface. The following are different types of best-selling syringes on amazon.
1ml Reduced Dead Space Syringe Barrel
The syringe barrel has a displacement spike which serves to aid in reducing the dead space in the syringe. Dead space tent to waste the amount of drug. Therefore, this product is preferred because it minimizes on wastage of drugs by 50 percent. In addition, it is of low cost, thus saves on the expenditure, and the syringe is of high quality. However, despite fitting all the Luer fit needles, it may not be compatible with all the total dosages. This limitation reduces their effectiveness in the market as one of the syringes for a steroid injection.
2ml Never Share Syringe: Blue
This syringe is color-coded to prevent reusing among different users. This advantage confers the advantage of avoiding sharing of syringes that would risk infection transmission. In addition, the syringe has extra security and has a clear marking with volume up to 2.5ml. The rubber is smooth, thus allowing easier withdrawal of steroids and a more straightforward injection of the same.
> > Never Share Syringe: BLUE LUER LOCK SYRINGE BARREL
2022 Arnold Strongman Classic Roster Has Been Announced
Here are the strongmen who received invitations to the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic!
The 2022 Arnold Sports Festival is set to take place from March 3-6, 2022 in Columbus, OH. This is the first time that this event is preparing to take place in full in over two years. The festivities from 2020 and 2021 saw cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because this was disrupted last year, there was not a chance for athletes to qualify for the 2022 competition.
The roster has been announced for the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic. This was an invitational contest. Like the 2021 Rogue Invitational, strongmen had to receive an invitation to compete in the event. There was not a need to qualify for this specific competition.
The official roster of strongmen was announced on Thursday. Bobby Thompson will act as an alternate in the case that any competitor is forced to withdraw for any reason. Check out the full list of athletes below, along with the breakdown of prize money.
2022 Arnold Strongman Classic Roster
Maxime Boudreault
JF Caron
Rob Kearney
Mateusz Kieliszkowski
Martins Licis
Evgeny Markov
Trey Mitchell
Oleksii Novikov
Luke Stoltman
Tom Stoltman
2022 Arnold Strongman Classic Prize Breakdown
First Place — $80,000
Second Place — $25,000
Third Place — $20,000
Fourth Place — $15,000
Fifth Place — $13,000
Sixth Place — $8,000
Seventh Place — $7,000
Eighth Place — $6,000
Ninth Place — $5,000
10th Place — $3,000
There are many World’s Strongest Man titles, along with other victories, that will be present during the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic. With this being the first full event in over two years, there is bound to be plenty of excitement that comes with each show. The strongmen will certainly put on a display that will be must-see action.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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.
Kayla Rowling Praises Natural Bodybuilding for Balancing Yin and Yang
Kayla Rowling thanks natural bodybuilding for balancing masculine and feminine energy.
If you were tuned in to 2021 Natural Olympia this past November, you might remember the stunning Kayla Rowling. She was the champion of the Bikini Divas Open division and back-to-back winner. In the Bikini Divas class, contestants are judged on their presentation, individuality, and sex appeal. So not only do you need to be toned and look good, but you have to present yourself in a way that’s alluring to the judges.
Kayla Rowling believes balancing and cultivating her masculine, and feminine energies played a role in her success. And she credits natural bodybuilding for helping her find this equilibrium. On an Instagram (IG) post posted on November 23, 2021, Rowling said:
“Lifting weights is very masculine and I need it, but bodybuilding gives you the best of both worlds. Once you understand the right amounts you need of both you are completely balanced and you feel whole.”
Here’s the IG post below where Kayla Rolwing goes into detail on how you can increase your feminine energy:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CWoVn8aPVQO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Kayla Rowling is proof of how powerful these energies are for success. In 2019, Rowling placed 15th at Natural Olympia yet was able to earn a champion medal within two years. On IG, she voiced, “Everyone wants to avoid pain and seek out pleasure. I do the opposite!”
Masculine and Feminine Energy
According to Chinese philosophy, Yin is your feminine energy, and Yang is your masculine energy. Masculine energy represents fire, and feminine energy represents water. Power and fierce come to mind when you think of fire. Whereas with water, you muse therapeutic and healing. In a sense, both of these are analogically linked to your traits. The masculine side symbolizes strength, purpose, competitiveness, and decisiveness. Feminine energy denotes intuitiveness, empathy, and passion.
Both are important for you to feel happy and fulfilled. And letting one get out of whack can wreak havoc on all areas of your life – health, relationships, and career. With too much masculine energy, it leads to anger and ego. In contrast, an overflow of feminine energy can make you frail. A fluid dance between the two is the key to balancing these powerful energies.
On IG, Rowling stated:
“When you are in your feminine energy, you have a strong connection to your body and your intuition, and you make decisions based on what you feel in your heart. It’s what you tap into when you are being creative and inspired. It loves beauty, is fluid, empathetic, passionate, and flows from moment to moment like the waters of a river.
Masculine is all about taking action; loves to build (weight lifting) and loves to fix things. Masculine energies are strong, decisive, competitive, likes to win and break through barriers. Its energy is logical and rational.”
Final Word
Balancing your masculine and feminine energy is being harmonious to help you achieve your dreams. Fortunately, weightlifting is a great way to stabilize your Yin and Yang for all the fellow lifting brothers and sisters. So if there’s any other excuse you need to bang metal and plates around, honing your energy is a force to be reckoned with.
Generation Iron would like to congratulate Kayla Rowling for her success at 2021 Natural Olympia. And the positive energy she spreads to others.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to stay updated with your favorite natural bodybuilders!
A Deep Dive Into Fat Burner Ingredients & Why They Matter
These ingredients should be in your fat burners so you see only the best results.
Most of us struggle with losing fat and turn to fat burners as a supplemental aid. We train hard, focus on a strict diet, and have the right mindset to tackle all that we need to but it just doesn’t seem to be enough. So, we turn to those supplements that we feel are best to assist us on our journey. While a fat burner isn’t a magic pill to suddenly look cut, it can give us that boost we need to start to shed calories and burn away that unwanted fat.
A good fat burner will provide us with premium ingredients to kickstart our metabolism and suppress appetite, among other benefits, as we seek that extra boost. What comes in your supplement matters for it affects not only your results, but your overall health. Losing fat can be hard, but for those of us dedicated bodybuilders and athletes, it is essential that we hold as little fat as possible. The results we want most matter and having a supplement like a fat burner by our side can make all the difference.
Let’s take a look at the best ingredients for fat burning supplements so you know what to look for. Companies may try and pull a fast one by sneaking ingredients in your supplement that just don’t need to be there and if you know what to look for, you can better monitor which supplements you choose to buy.
All About Fat Burners
Fat burners are highly effective supplements for those looking to burn fat and work towards that desired physique. Typically in pill form, these do come in powder on some occasions, but either way you get a healthy dose of great ingredients all working towards your fat loss goals. When it comes to fat burners, however, often times companies may try and sneak certain ingredients in that just don’t need to be there. That is why knowing what is in your supplement can greatly benefit you as you look to maximize training and performance, as well as optimize your overall health.
With plenty of benefits, fat burning supplements can:
Kickstart metabolism for increase energy and more calorie burn.
Maintain lean muscle for better muscle maintenance and to preserve your hard earned gains.
Suppress appetite to eliminate hunger and snacking.
Boost cognitive function as a result of increased energy and more focus and alertness.
Check out our list of the Best Fat Burners for more great products!
Key Ingredients To Look For In Fat Burners
Let’s take a look at some key ingredients to look for in your fat burners. With powerful formulas all containing great ingredients, it can be hard to choose which supplement is better. We’re here to help with this ingredient guide so you know exactly what to look for.
Caffeine is a great ingredient for it will increase thermogenesis for better fat burn and energy. It will also increase your level of alertness and raise focus for better cognitive function (1).
Cayenne Pepper Extract
Cayenne pepper extract works to increase your metabolism for better calorie burn and as a natural ingredient, you are getting the benefits in a safe and effective way. It will also work to increase thermogenesis.
Green Tea Extract
Green tea extract is another great natural ingredient to enhance thermogenesis in your body and provide you with powerful antioxidants (2).
L-Carnitine
L-carnitine works to move fatty acids around to promote fat breakdown and make weight loss more efficient. By doing this, it increases energy and allows you to train harder, thus burning more calories.
Forskolin is one of those appetite suppression and craving-control ingredients. By working to lessen hunger you work towards better weight management. This works by releasing stored fat which will then be used for energy.
L-Theanine
L-theanine works to lower blood pressure and counteract the effects of caffeine, being jitters and possible crashes. However, you still have the positive benefit of increased energy (3).
5-HTP, short for 5-hydroxytryptohan, can work towards appetite suppression and weight loss by eliminating snacking.
HMB is a great aid in cutting calories and working to preserve lean body mass while promoting muscle maintenance. This ensures you work towards more definition and that sculpted physique (4).
Glucomannan
Glucomannan acts as a sugar reductor and can lead to less snacking while curbing your appetite so you only feel hungry when you actually need to.
Synephrine
Synephrine helps weight loss by increasing your metabolism and working towards fat breakdown and is a powerful ingredient in these supplements (5).
Best Fat Burning Supplements For Weight Loss & Physique Goals
When all is said and done, proper training and a strict diet are what you need to lose that desired fat for the best results. But fat burners can give you that boost you want most by kickstarting your metabolism and working to burn more calories all while keeping on that lean muscle. A good fat burner will certainly help get the job done, but as said before, it isn’t necessarily a magic pill. It is just another way to help you on your weight loss journey. If you are sensitive to stimulants or avoiding them, there are stimulant-free fat burners that can provide for the same results.
For those interested in a more natural approach, consider a CLA supplement, for it can work towards your weight loss goals in tandem with your diet.
Check out our list of the Best Fat Burners for more great fat burning products!
Wrap Up
When it comes to our supplements we should know exactly what is in them and our fat burners are no different. We deserve the best and by learning what should be in supplements, we can better monitor as we seek to only consume the best for the best results. Check out these ingredients above and make sure they are on the label next time you go to purchase your fat burning supplement.
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
Tabrizi, Reza; Saneei, Parvane; Lankarani, Kamran B.; Akbari, Maryam; et al. (2019). “The effects of caffeine intake on weight loss: a systematic review and dos-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials”. (source)
Hursel, R.; Viechtbauer, W.; Westerterp-Plantega, M. S. (2009). “The effects of green tea on weight loss and weight maintenance: a meta-analysis”. (source)
Nobre, Anna C.; Rao, Anling; Owen, Gail N. (2008). “L-theanine, a natural constituent in tea, and its effect on mental state”. (source)
Portal, Shawn; Eliakim, Alon; Nemet, Dan; Halevy, Orna; Zadik, Zvi (2010). “Effect of HMB supplementation on body composition, fitness, hormonal profile and muscle damage indices”. (source)
Gutierrez-Hellin, Jorge; Del Coso, Juan (2018). “Effects of p-Synephrine and Caffeine Ingestion on Substrate Oxidation during Exercise”. (source)