Tag: Arnold Schwarzenegger
5 Exercises for Shredded Legs
Get Shredded Legs with these 5 Exercises
Shredded legs are what separate the men from the boys. You need to have strong and muscular wheels as your legs are the foundation of your body. While legs are one of the most important muscles to train, many people around the world skip training them.
You need a combination of compound and isolation exercises in your workouts to take your wheels to the next level. Time under tension, volume and intensity play a major role in developing your legs.
Hack Squats – 3 Sets 15 Reps
Hack squats are one of the most underutilized exercises when it comes to leg training. The hack squat machine helps you to tweak your movement to target your quads from different angles.
Arnold in his book ‘Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding’ said that you are supposed to maintain a full range of motion while performing the hack squats. Place your feet under your body and push your knees forward on the negative motion. Pause at the bottom of the movement and explode back to the starting position.
Leg Extensions – 3 Sets 15, 12, 10 Reps
Most people perform the leg extensions incorrectly. They load the extension machine with more weights than they can handle and use momentum and a jerking movement to lift the weights. The most effective way of doing the leg extensions is to pause for a couple of seconds at the top of the movement.
The positive movement should take one second, hold the weights on the contraction for two seconds, take four seconds on the negative movement and take no rest by racking the weights at the starting point.
Good Mornings – 4 Sets 8 Reps
Since your Hamstrings are at the back of your legs, it is harder to train and develop them as compared to your quads. It also becomes harder to establish a mind-muscle connection with your hams since you can’t see them in the mirror.
Good mornings are a hard exercise to execute and you need to keep the movement slow and controlled to get the best results. If you perform the good morning in a squat rack, set-up safety bars at your belly button level and bend until the barbell touches the safety bars.
Nordic Curls – 3 Sets 15 Reps
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Chances are you might not have seen anybody perform the Nordic curls exercise in your gym. Nordic curls can set your hamstrings on fire and you will need a spotter if you have weak hams.
The lat pulldown machine is the best place to perform this exercise. Put your ankles between the knee pads and the seat and place your knees on the seats. Bend your back so it is parallel to the floor. This will be your starting position. Lower yourself using your hamstrings without moving your back, so your face is 8-10 inches away from the floor.
Cannonball Squats – 3 Sets 15, 12, 10 Reps
Perform the squats at the end of your workouts when your legs are completely exhausted. This way you won’t have to lift super heavy weights and your legs will be warmed up so you will have a better range of motion.
While performing the cannonball squats, you need to stand with the balls of your feet placed together and your toes facing outwards. The cannonball squats is a compound exercise which helps in developing the inner sweep of your quads.
Which is your favorite leg exercise? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
The Arnold-Approved Training Program You Need to Try This Week
Try this Arnold-approved workout
If you’ve been around the fitness scene for some time, chances are, you would have come around Arnold’s Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding. In his book, The Governator, among many things, lists his experiences and results using various training programs.
One of the programs Arnold recommends in his book is the antagonistic superset training. Arnie considered them to be better than the usual supersets where you switch from one exercise to the other without any rest in between sets.
Antagonistic Training
In the antagonistic training, you train opposing body parts in the same workout. For example, Schwarzenegger liked to train his chest and back, biceps and triceps, quads and hams in the same workout.
Although there were no studies or research to prove it, Arnold claimed the antagonistic supersets help him gain muscle mass and improved his strength. Researchers have since backed this technique with data and have given Arnold’s claims a clean chit.
Things to Know About Antagonistic Training
You can use the antagonistic training principle of training opposing muscle groups as a superset or take a 2-3 minute rest before alternating the exercise.
Antagonistic training can help you in building pressing strength by alternating the exercise with pulling movements.
It helps in maintaining muscle balance as you’ll be doing the same amount of work on the opposing muscles.
Alternating sets with a 2-3 minute rest in between sets can increase muscular strength as compared to super-setting which annihilate the muscles.
While following the antagonistic training plan, you need to train your opposing muscles in the same plane to get the best results. For eg. – follow bench press with the bent over barbell row.
Develop Symmetry with Antagonistic Training
The antagonistic training is better at developing symmetry and eliminating muscle imbalances than most other training methods. If you’re already suffering from a muscle imbalance, train the lagging muscle before the stronger muscle in the alternate sets.
Antagonistic training ensures you’ll be doing enough work on both sides of the bone to build and maintain muscle symmetry. Alternating between pulling and pushing movements will keep you from overdeveloping some muscle groups which can cause a poor posture.
You could also perform supersets as opposed to the alternate sets in the antagonistic training program but be ready for a hard and grueling workout. Make sure you’re following the same intensity in the pulling and the pushing movements.
Use the Same Angles
A major aspect of antagonistic training is to use the same angles while performing the antagonistic exercises. If you’re performing dumbbell chest presses on an incline bench, turn around and perform dumbbell rows as the alternate set for your back.
In the same fashion, follow up the standing military presses with chin-ups. Using the same angles will ensure the muscles in direct opposition to the prime movers are trained more effectively.
The Arnold-Approved Antagonistic Training Program
Day 1 – Chest / Back
Set 1
Barbell Bench Press – 3 Sets 15-12-10
Bent-Over Barbell Rows – 3 Sets 15-12-10
Set 2
Incline Dumbbell Flyes – 3 Sets 15-12-10
Chest Supported Dumbbell Rows – 3 Sets 15-12-10
Set 3
Chest Cable Flyes – 5 Sets 15
Rear Delt Cable Flyes – 5 Sets 15
Day 2 – Biceps / Triceps
Set 1
Cable Bicep Curls – 5 Sets 15-12-10-8
Cable Tricep Presses – 5 Sets 15-12-10-8
Set 2
Incline Bench Spider Curls – 3 Sets 15-12-10
Incline Bench Skullcrushers – 3 Sets 15-12-10
Set 3
Bent Over Concentration Curls – 3 Sets 15-12-10
Leaning Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks – 3 Sets 15-12-10
Day 3 – Shoulders / Back
Set 1
Barbell Military Presses – 3 Sets 15-12-10
Weighted Chin-ups – 3 Sets 15-12-10
Set 2
Plate Front Raises – 3 Sets 15-12-10
Straight-Arm Lat Pulldowns – 3 Sets 15-12-10
Set 3
Arnold Presses – 3 Sets 15-12-10
Upright Rows – 3 Sets 15-12-10
Day 4 – Quads / Hams
Set 1
Leg Extensions – 5 Sets 15-12-10-8
Seated Leg Curls – 5 Sets 15-12-10-8
Set 2
Leg Press (Feet Low on Platform) – 3 Sets 15-12-10
Leg Press (Feet High on Platform) – 3 Sets 15-12-10
Set 3
Squats – 3 Sets 15-12-10
Set 4
Stiff-Legged Deadlifts – 3 Sets 15-12-10
Have you ever tried the antagonistic training principle? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Jamie Wyeth under the CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.
5 Ways To Bring Up A Lagging Body Part
Follow These 5 Steps To Bring Up Your Lagging Muscle Group
You’re having the perfect workout, you’re all pumped up and your biceps have turned into mountains, but then you look at your toothpick legs and its all over. Most people have a lagging body part which can create a hole in their self-confidence.
There could be a couple of reasons behind the lagging body part. It could either be your genetics or you’re not training the muscle group correctly. A lagging body part needs to be treated differently as compared to the other muscles.
1. Start Your Workouts With The Weaker Muscle Group
Humans have unique genetics and they determine the muscle composition of an individual. Although the most common weak muscle groups are forearms, calves, biceps, and triceps, it may vary for every person.
If you train your lagging muscle group with a stronger muscle group, you should train the weaker muscle at the beginning of your workout. If you have weak calves and stronger upper legs, you should train your calves before you train your quads and hams.
2. Use Advanced Training Techniques
A big reason why you might not be seeing results in the gym could be because your body has got used to your training. You should constantly change your training programs and use advanced training techniques to break the plateau.
Advanced training techniques like supersets, drop sets, negatives, intraset stretching, etc. are a great way to pump blood into your weaker muscles and shock them. Try switching these advanced training techniques with every workout for optimal results.
3. Train The Lagging Muscle Group Twice A Week
If you’re not seeing results you should start training your weak muscles twice a week. You don’t need to worry about overtraining your muscles if you give your body enough time to recover between the workouts.
Schedule your workouts so you have at least 48 hours before you hit the same muscle again. Keep your workouts short and explosive. You should be spending around 45-60 minutes inside the gym, not more than this.
4. Switch Volume and Intensity
Most people make the mistake of sticking to the same volume and intensity for all their workouts. While 3 sets of 12 reps might work for other muscle groups, they won’t budge the needle for your weaker muscles.
Volume refers to how many reps or sets are performed, and intensity indicates how much weight is lifted. Switch your volume and intensity at regular intervals to keep your muscles guessing. The combinations of high reps, low weight and low weight, high reps work the best for lagging muscles.
5. Establish a Mind-Muscle Connection
Bodybuilding isn’t about going through the motions. You need to focus on your muscles and contract them with every single rep. Arnold Schwarzenegger brought the mind-muscle connection to the limelight.
The Governator believes you need to become the muscle to see the best results. If you’re training your biceps, focus all your attention on the bicep and squeeze the living hell out of it at the top of the movement. Arnie is famous for thinking of his biceps as mountains.
Which is your weakest muscle group? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
The 10 Best Bodybuilding Exercises Of All Time
The 10 Best Exercises You Can Do
Some lifts are better than the others at giving you the results you have been working for. The exercises we’ll be sharing with you have passed the test of time and have proved their mettle.
In this article, we’ll give you a mix of compound and isolation exercises which can put your muscles gain on the fast track. We’ll list out at least one exercise for each muscle group which, according to us, is the best.
Make these lifts a part of your workout arsenal, and the results will speak for themselves.
Bench Press
The bench press is probably one of the first exercises taught to a beginner and for good reasons. Since the bench press is a compound exercise, it can help in building your core strength, muscle stabilizers along with your chest.
Deadlifts
Deadlifts are one of the most bad-ass exercises. The deadlifts can help in building a strong foundation as they work almost your entire body. Getting your form right in the beginning is critical to getting the most out of the lift.
Machine Preacher Curls
Most people join a gym to build some killer guns. The machine preacher curls are an isolation exercise which works the peak of your biceps. If you don’t have a machine preacher bench in your gym, you can use a normal preacher bench combined with a low pulley machine.
Single-Arm Overhead Tricep Extensions
The long head of the triceps is arguably the hardest part to train and develop. Overhead exercises like the single-arm dumbbell overhead tricep extensions with a controlled movement can help you effectively target the muscle group.
Barbell Curls
Most people make the mistake of using momentum by swinging back and forth while performing the barbell curls. Maintain a strict form with an upright torso to make sure you don’t leave any gains on the table. You could also use an EZ bar if the straight barbell is too harsh on your joints.
Arnold Presses
The Arnold presses were invented by the GOAT, Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Arnold presses train the majority of your shoulder. It trains the two out of three shoulder heads i.e. the anterior and medial deltoids.
Cable Flyes
The interior pectoral muscles can be hard to train and develop using the compound exercises. Cable flyes do a great job of isolating and annihilating your pecs and help in building the conditioning and striations in your chest.
Dumbbell Shrugs
The dumbbell shrugs are one of the easiest exercises to perform, and yet many people do them incorrectly as they let their egos get the better of them. Using dumbbells instead of the barbell gives you more leverage and range of motion which can help in better targeting your shoulders.
Standing Calf Raises
Calves are one of the most overlooked muscles groups. The calves are made up of two muscles, gastrocnemius and soleus. The standing calf raises can be performed on a calf machine or a smith machine and targets the gastrocnemius.
Squats
Did you think we were going to leave out the squat from the list? Could not happen in a century. The squats are the king of all exercises and help in building your legs, core, and overall strength.
Which other exercises deserve a place on this list? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Header image courtesy of Envato Elements
Arnold Schwarzenegger Makes Call To Action To Stop Deaths In Bodybuilding
Arnold Schwarzenegger has been vocal about making improvements to bodybuilding to prevent deaths.
Over the last few months, there has been an increase in deaths in the sport of bodybuilding. This is something that many have spoken out about and that includes the best bodybuilding of all-time Arnold Schwarzenegger.
During the 2021 Arnold Classic, Schwarzenegger stated on the broadcast that he believes Classic Physique is the future of bodybuilding. This is because of the preparation being different. Now, Schwarzenegger made a recent call to action in his newsletter.
“You would think that the head trauma from MMA and football would outweigh the organ failure in bodybuilding, but bodybuilding is much, much worse. We need to fix that, because bodybuilding should be about promoting health and fitness. I don’t know if the answer is more testing or promoting the smaller divisions more. What do you guys think?”
Arnold Schwarzenegger calls for more testing in bodybuilding or the promoting of smaller divisions. Right now, Men’s Open is the pinnacle of the sport where competitors have to show great size and conditioning. Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay is coming off a victory at the 2021 Olympia. Prior to the competition, there was some devastating news.
George Peterson passed away tragically in Orlando just days before the Olympia. Peterson was in town preparing to compete in the Men’s 212 division. Peterson’s death came after a recent string that has hit the bodybuilding world.
Ronnie Coleman made comments in September that lineup with those of Schwarzenegger. He believes that diuretics should be banned from the sport because of the danger that they bring. Coleman referenced a time where he nearly lost his life because of the use of diuretics.
“In the past 10 years, bodybuilding lost more competitors (14!) to early deaths than any other sport, including MMA and football. In fact, most football players that die from CTE problems die much older than bodybuilders, and with the exception of a tragedy this week, MMA fighters die at a much lower rate than bodybuilders,” Arnold Schwarzenegger continued in his newsletter.
The Mr. America competition is one with a great history dating back to 1939. To this day, competitors are still being drug tested before the event. This is an all-natural event that took place from Oct. 8-10. This is something that Schwarzenegger believes would benefit the sport of bodybuilding as a whole moving forward.
This is not an easy solution so it is hard to say what the perfect fix is. There is no quick-fix option for the sport. The popularity of bodybuilding continues to grow around the world but this recent string of deaths has caused some concern. The risks of some supplements and products are well-documented but athletes have been vying for victories and this is the reason they are being used.
This is not the first time that Arnold Schwarzenegger has spoken out about this issue. It does not seem like it will be the last either. Moving forward, it will be interesting to see if any big changes are made to bodybuilding.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Will Not Attend Arnold Classic UK After Suffering Leg Injury
Arnold Schwarzenegger has been seen with a mysterious leg brace in recent updates.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has been getting his events underway in recent weeks. On Sept. 25, the Arnold Classic 2021 took place in Columbus, OH. It saw Nick Walker take home the prize in Men’s Open and Arnold himself was there to provide commentary on the broadcast and hand out awards. That will not be the case this weekend.
The Arnold Classic UK 2021 will take place this weekend in Birmingham, England. Competitors like Nathan De Asha and Tim Budesheim are scheduled to appear but there will be a glaring emptiness. Schwarzenegger announced that he will not travel to the event this weekend.
“Arnold UK Announcement
I’m sad to announce I won’t be able to see the @arnoldsportsuk in person this year. The team has done such a fantastic job, and I’ll be 100% with you guys virtually, doing my q and a and using technology to be at the event. I can’t wait to see you in person next year.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger will not be there in person but vows to be available virtually throughout the entire event. The reason the best bodybuilder of all-time will not be at the event was not released but he was seen in a leg brace in his Instagram post. The injury has not been disclosed at this time.
During the broadcast in Columbus, Schwarzenegger seemed healthy and in good shape. This injury might have happened in the time between the two events. While he will not travel to England, Schwarzenegger could try to make it to the biggest event in bodybuilding next weekend in Orlando.
There are many in the comments’ section of his post that are prompting Schwarzenegger to get well soon. It will be interesting to see if more details are released on the specific injury or when it was suffered.
Schwarzenegger will be absent this weekend but Sylvester Stallone, Ronnie Coleman, and Dolph Lungrend are expected to make an appearance. Coleman recent received the Arnold Classic Lifetime Achievement Award last weekend.
This is Arnold Classic UK is another event brought together by Arnold Schwarzenegger while joined by Eddie Hall and Stephen Olexy. There are a total of five divisions that will be competing and they are Men’s Open, Classic Physique, Men’s Physique, Bikini, and Fitness. Winners will gain qualification to the 2022 Olympia.
While Schwarzenegger will not physically be at the event, he will certainly be present in some aspect. This event remains one to watch and will be an exciting weekend in England.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Believes Classic Physique Is The Future Of Bodybuilding
Arnold Schwarzenegger joined the broadcast on Saturday to share some insight on the future of the sport.
The Arnold Classic 2021 took place on Saturday. There was plenty of action in the four divisions that took place and Arnold Schwarzenegger joined the broadcast to discuss the event. During the show, the best bodybuilder of all-time made some comments on a division that he had a hand in building.
Schwarzenegger is one of the legendary figures that built Open bodybuilding to what it is. Despite this, the seven-time Olympia champion believes that Classic Physique is the future and there are risks in the Open division.
Terrence Ruffin finished with the win in the Classic Physique division at the Arnold Classic after placing second in 2020 behind Alex Cambronero. At this year’s event, the two switched places. This was an exciting race and Schwarzenegger believes this could be the future of bodybuilding.
“I was not only impressed, I was delighted to see a great performance when it comes to posing and the way they relax their faces. It looks so much more appealing,” Arnold Schwarzenegger said on the Classic Physique Division.
“I think this is the direction we need to go, no two ways about it. I think that you really need to build this part of the bodybuilding sports, so that it’s equal to the Open competition. That way people always have choices, and there’s always a good thing with sponsorship money, and get them more cash prizes. So I’m going to work on that because I think that it’s the right direction to go.”
Chris Bumstead is currently the biggest name in the division coming off back-to-back Olympia titles. Bumstead will look for three in a row this year but Ruffin will have momentum heading into the biggest competition of the year.
Nick Walker took home the Men’s Open title on Saturday defeating the likes of Iain Valliere and Steve Kuclo. All competitors entered with incredible size and mass. This has become the norm in this division and it could lead to some complications.
There have been some tragic deaths in the sport of bodybuilding and other speculation on how dangerous the supplements could be that these athletes are taking. This includes comments made by eight-time Olympia champion Ronnie Coleman, who believes diuretics should be banned.
Arnold Schwarzenegger backed up this notion during the broadcast with some comments on Open bodybuilding.
“Let’s not forget, they (Classic Physique) don’t have to take all of this stuff that some of the other guys are taking to be bigger.”
“This is, I think, what the danger is. In this sport, it’s the most dangerous sport in the world. In MMA fighters, you’ve had four guys die in the last ten years. In bodybuilding you’ve had 14 guys over the last ten years. So it just shows you how dangerous it is to take some of those medications and things that those guys take.”
For his full comments, check out the replay of the Arnold Classic broadcast. Arnold Schwarzenegger is not the first to make comments along these lines and it will be interesting to see where it goes from here.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Blockbuster Interviews with 3 Successful Bodybuilders
It was not until half a century ago that bodybuilding came to be recognized as an international sport. However, what most people don’t know is that it was pioneered by some people who dared to venture into something new. The sport has gradually grown in popularity and is now found in virtually every corner of the globe. In this article, we are going to highlight interviews with the three most successful bodybuilders in the world of fitness. We hope you will get inspiration from their sentiments to take your fitness career to a new level.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Sometimes considered the most successful and greatest bodybuilder of all time, the former governor of California is a household name. Arnold Schwarzenegger immigrated to the united states to look for a better life. After a few years of trying to figure out what to do with his life, the former heavyweight champion finally found a place in fitness. Arnold has been interviewed numerous times but we are going to highlight one interview conducted by David Greene of NPR. This particular interview was very objective as it highlighted many aspects of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s career and life.
Interview Highlights
We may not be able to cover every detail of the interview but we shall highlight parts that are most relevant to bodybuilding.
On What Motivated Him to Venture In Bodybuilding
Like most successful sportspeople, Arnold’s bodybuilding career started by taking a rough path. Every one has an idol and his was Reg Park. In his own words, he stated.
“I saw this magazine that had my idol on the cover, Reg Park, who became Mr. Universe three times and won, and then ended up in the Hercules movie in the 60s. And so he kind of became my idol. And so then I started cutting out pictures of these bodybuilding magazines and weightlifting magazines and put them up on the wall above my bed, kind of to remind me every day this is what I ought to look like, train every day, and one day, I will be like that. So it was a kind of motivation vehicle for me.”
From his sentiments, we can see that he started looking up to someone he considered mightier, but look who he became. His was a matter of having a goal, in form of his hero, and working hard to accomplish it.
On Handling Challenges to His Career
People are hardly noticed in the early years of their career. It is at this stage that they get to enjoy a little bit of privacy. Once their star starts shining, they will be subjected to every kind of scrutiny. It was not any different for Arnold Schwarzenegger. As his star begun growing, so did the opposition, from within and outside. Here is what he had to say about his mother.
“But my mother looked at it in a different way… I took her into the bedroom, and I said look how I decorated my bed above here, the wall. She shook her head and, you know, didn’t say much. And I was kind of concerned why she didn’t really say something or didn’t compliment me of how well I decorated the wall. The next thing I knew was she flagged down the doctor, who every Wednesday, came with his little Fiat by our house. And she asked him to come up to the house and to look at my bedroom wall. And so… he came to the bedroom, and he looked at the wall, and she said: ‘Look at this. I mean, my son has all these naked pictures of men …’ “
Despite all the opposition from his mother, he still went ahead to prove her wrong by becoming the best.
Source: Talk of the Nation, via www.npr.org
Frank Zane
Frank Zane is another successful bodybuilder who won Mr. Olympia three times. Also considered one of the greatest of all time, this moving mass can only be compared to legends of Hercules, Zeus and Poseidon. With incredible physique that djrove women crazy, Zane was some kind of demigod between 1977 and 1979. It was at this period that he won the three Mr. Olympia titles consecutively. Fran,k Zane was interviewed by FLEX and this is what he had to say about his life and career.
Interview Highlights
It is important to know that Zane’s career spanned almost 40 years, but he was most active in the 70s and early 80s.
On How He Formulated His First Training Routine
“It was all by people I’d met, things I’d read and trial and error. When I first started out, I was about 18 actually younger I was about 16 or17 when I really got serious. I worked out every other day after school, doing upper body one day, legs the next. I kept that routine for a while and it worked well for me. Then, in the mid-late 60s, when I was living in Florida, I increased the number of workouts so that I was training six days a week, but it was still upper body one day, legs the next.”
When Asked About His Preferred ab Exercises
“Usually crunches and/or Roman-chair situps for upper abs. Leg raises or hanging knee-ups for upper abs, seated twists for obliques.”
His Response to Why the Current Generation of Bodybuilders Don’t Give Much Time to ab Training
“Worked for me. I just went by the example of those who had been training at Gold’s Gym in Venice when I got there. You know, in the late 60s Zabo Koszewski was there and he had the best abs and I figured, well, I’ll try it. He would do 500 Roman-chair situps in the morning and 500 leg raises in the afternoon and so that’s what I did. I figured if you had great abs and you had everything else, you’d look even better, and it worked.”
How Diet Played a Role in his Conditioning
“My diet was always very good, but volume training in itself really conditions you. If you go heavy, you’ll grow too, but boy, volume training really works you down to your core. To this day, I still practice volume, except now I will train three days a week or so.”
Comparing His Training Today and 30 Years Ago
“On the whole, it is, with lighter weights and less volume, of course. I have to say that I rely heavily on muscle memory these days, and it is a pretty amazing thing. I don’t have to train that much anymore to stay in decent shape, which is good because my joints couldn’t handle a lot of this work now. But there comes a point in your 60s when you hit a kind of age barrier, and the gains come slower and the accumulated stress you put on your body all those years adds up. It’s a bit of a balancing act – knowing how much to train to elicit results without aggravating old injuries.”
Source: Flex Magazine 2008
3. Flex Wheeler
We couldn’t leave the Sultan of Symmetry out of our best three for obvious reasons. Flex Wheeler was interviewed by bodybuilding legend Kevin Levrone. This was a very unique interview because it was just two legends having a chat and digging into the past. There are a few points we can pick from the chat. Here is how the interview went down.
Interview Highlights
When Asked Who Was the Most dreadful Competitor He Ever Faced
On this, Wheeler did not hesitate to mention Ronnie Coleman and Dorian Yates. He also went ahead to state that he could have easily defeated Ronnie Coleman in the 1999 contest but admitted that Ronnie was a great Mr. Olympia.
Related Article:: 6 Famous Mr. Olympia of All Time
About Back-to-Back Weekly Competitions
Like most bodybuilders of his time, Flex Wheeler didn’t find it difficult to compete every week. He had to squeeze in time for training every week in anticipation of the next contest. It was a time when bodybuilding as a sport was picking momentum so there was motivation all around.
The Hardest Training Partner Flex Ever Had
A training partner plays a crucial role in shaping and influencing one’s mindset. He/she instills the spirit of competition and this goes a long way in preparing you for major contests. Flex Wheeler revealed that Chris Cormier was the hardest person he ever trained with. Being one of the strongest bodybuilders at that time, Cormier pushed Flex to his limits, thus turning him into a beast.
Source: https://www.evolutionofbodybuilding.net
Overall
As you may have noticed, the three interviews have valuable lessons any bodybuilder can use to make an extra stride in their career. We have tackled unique aspects of bodybuilding in each, from personal struggles to training routines. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Zane, and Flex Wheeler all looked up to someone and worked their way up to reach that level. And in most cases, the prodigy goes ahead and becomes better than their idol. That is a hell of a motivation for any bodybuilder who wants to put their name on the world map. You can follow up on the full interviews from the sources indicated.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Gives Advice To Guide Anyone Getting Into Weightlifting
Arnold Schwarzenegger provided advice in his recent newsletter.
If you are a person who is looking to get into weightlifting, it might be wise to listen to the greatest bodybuilder of all-time. Arnold Schwarzenegger recently shared some advice to anyone looking to get into weightlifting in his newsletter.
Schwarzenegger began his writeup by mentioning a charity contest going on where anyone who donates to “After School All Stars” will have a chance to attend an outdoor party at his house. Schwarzenegger then spoke further on the recent controversy surrounding his comments about COVID-19 and mask wearers.
After addressing certain issues and topics, Schwarzenegger answered some fans questions. One wrote: Do you have any advice for a girl getting into weightlifting? Schwarzenegger began by stating that gender does not matter in weightlifting and it is for everyone.
“I would have the same advice for you as I do for any boy!” Schwarzenegger said.
“First of all, don’t get discouraged because of your gender because, remember, fitness is for everyone. If anyone gives you crap about it, let your lifting do the talking. If you want to just start lifting to feel better, take it one step at a time, start with lower weights and really focus on your technique. Slow and controlled. Don’t worry about the fancy exercises you see on Instagram either, stick with the basic lifts like the squat, deadlift and press until you master them. After a while you’ll see yourself getting better and stronger, and before you know it you’ll be deadlifting more than all the guys in the gym.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger came to the United States from Austria and quickly made a name for himself as a bodybuilder. He was inspired by the Olympics and became a force in the sport. Schwarzenegger is a three-time Mr. Universe and is a seven-time Olympia champion.
Schwarzenegger referenced some questions that must be answered before beginning weightlifting. It all begins with your goal and passion.
“It really depends on what type of weightlifting you want to do. Do you want to lift to just feel better and look better, or do you want to get into powerlifting, or are you inspired by the Olympics and want to start Olympic lifting? They’re all good options.”
Schwarzenegger continued to speak on his inspiration and the impact that the Olympics had on him during his early days of training.
“If you are like me and you were inspired by the Olympics and you loved watching these men and women do their lifts, read about Kate Nye. Until 2014, she was trying to make it into the Olympics in gymnastics. She didn’t achieve that dream, but only 5 years after she started weightlifting, she had the United States’ best result in over 20 years by winning the silver medal in Tokyo. She overcame some tremendous mental health struggles, and I hope she inspires you, because she definitely inspires me.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger has plenty of experience as both a bodybuilder and powerlifter. He was extremely successful and is still willing to help the next generation. His advice is simple — focus on technique and do not overexert yourself. Focus on basic movements and not the advanced and difficult lifts seen on social media.
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Chef Rush On Schwarzenegger’s Remarks: It’s Not Just About Freedom, It’s About Doing The Right Thing
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Chef Rush believes in defending people’s freedom but also feels that people have become complacent and entitled.
Chef Rush may be best known as the “jacked White House Chef” but he also spent a great deal of time in the military as a Master Sergeant. He’s fought for America and he understands the freedom and rights that he was fighting for. That’s why we felt it would be great to catch up and get his thoughts on the recent comments made by Arnold Schwarzenegger regarding mask mandates and freedom. In our latest GI Exclusive, Chef Rush breaks down the line between freedom, safety, and responsibility as members of the community.
When Arnold Schwarzenegger did a brief interview on CNN last month, he made a statement that reverberated across the bodybuilding world – “Screw your freedom.” In context, he was speaking about the greater responsibility that comes with freedom and urged those to wear a mask to help others during a time of need. But some saw this as another attempt to muzzle American citizens (somewhat literally) and take their rights away.
The fallout was swift and bold. Many bodybuilders made public statements condemning Arnold Schwarzenegger. Some even took down his posters from their wall. In the biggest move, RedCon1 pulled sponsorship from the upcoming Arnold Classic 2021.
We previously spoke with Victor Martinez on his thoughts about Arnold Schwarzenegger’s comments where he defended Arnold’s statements. Now we’ve reconnected with Chef Rush to get his reaction on not only Arnold’s comments but also the fitness world’s reaction to them. Rush has spent a good portion of his life defending America in the military – so he can bring in a unique viewpoint as both a defender of this country and as a bodybuilder.
Chef Rush overall seems to defend Arnold Schwarzenegger’s statement but he also defends those who chose to get angry about it. That’s what freedom of speech is all about. Arnold can say what he wants and those who react can do so in turn. But when it comes to the concept of freedom beyond speech – the freedom to wear or not wear a mask – Rush draws a much more nuanced line.
Chef Rush will not dismiss anyone for their comments – we all can have different ideals. But he does believe that it’s important to do the right thing beyond freedom.
“I can’t tell him [Arnold Schwarzenegger] how to say it. He can only say what he can say the same way you can or the way they handle their situation,” Chef Rush says in our interview. He goes on:
“It’s not about that. It’s about doing the right thing because if I went around kids, if I went around older people, even my own kids and things like that – it would be the wrong thing to do. Even no matter what I believed in.”
Chef Rush also points out how easy it is to feel one way about something until it affects a person directly:
“It will be different if it was your family. If it was somebody you love. We are so complacent and entitled now. Freedom of speech is what it is. But if you go into an airport and they tell you put that mask on, guess what you are going to do? You’re going to put that mask on or you’re not going to fly. You’re freedom is taken away. If you run that light and a cop sees you, it’s taken away. That’s just a simple matter of fact of it. So don’t get mad that I’m saying this. And if you do get mad of me saying it – then that’s your freedom to do so. And that’s my freedom to not care.”
Ultimately, Chef Rush admits that he has heard far more offensive and anti-freedom statements made to him throughout his lifetime. As a black man, he’s had numerous situations where he faced racism and was told he deserved less because of the color of his skin. He understands they have the freedom to say those things – but that doesn’t mean it is the right thing to do.
Overall – it seems Chef Rush’s sentiments are that this whole situation has been blown out of proportion. He wants to focus on respecting each other and doing what’s right – not always what is easy.
You can watch Chef Rush share his full thoughts on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s comments in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!