Tag: Bodybuilding
Mark Wahlberg Will Make Movie About ‘Godfather of Fitness’ Jack LaLanne
Hollywood A-lister Mark Wahlberg is one of the busiest actors in town yet he never fails to get a workout in. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Archie Gips, president of Wahlberg’s production company called Unrealistic Ideas, shared the firm’s plans to honor the legacy of the late Jack LaLanne in movie theatres. …
Rich Gaspari Says Classic Physique Is Saving The Art of Bodybuilding
Rich Gaspari has seen bodybuilding progress through the years and worries the artful aspects of the practice have fallen by the wayside. In a recent Fitness, Fame & Fortune Podcast, Gaspari argued why bodybuilding should be considered an art form, not a sport.
Artistic expression and bodybuilding go hand in hand. For as long as the sport has been around, competitors have crafted unique posing routines to complement their respective physiques. There is no doubt bodybuilding has changed since Rich’s time on stage. After wrapping up his tenure, mass monsters were slowly taking over the top of the Men’s Open division.
In the 1990s, Dorian Yates proved mass and conditioning to be an Olympia-winning combination. Following Yates’ six-year reign, another massive albeit conditioned bodybuilder took his place as Ronnie Coleman made his ascension into the history books with eight Sandow trophies.
Many believe Hadi Choopan’s win at the 2022 Mr. Olympia show signaled a shift to conditioning and balance in bodybuilding. Gaspari thinks the sport has temporarily lost its artistry and blames dull posing routines.
Rich Gaspari Says Bodybuilding Is Not A Sport It’s an Art Form: ‘It’s Something That’s Subjective’
In Gaspari’s opinion, the subjectivity of bodybuilding makes it an art form, not a sport. He supported his argument by comparing it to other sports like track and field, where an athlete reaches a finishing line following a contest.
“You talked earlier about what is bodybuilding, is it a sport or an art? I consider it an art form. Do you have to go through physical training to get to this art form, yes you do. You’re building a statue by throwing clay to build up your chest or your shoulders but what are you doing? You’re displaying your body after all this physical exertion that you’re doing to build that body. Is it really a sport? It’s something that is subjective.”
“You really don’t sit there and run through the finish line and pick a winner. When someone argues with me that it’s a sport, I say it’s not a sport. It’s an art form. You have to go do the gym to get to look like a certain way to be that art form but is it really something that you can say I don’t know.
I can’t really say anything about sports because in the Olympics you got curling, which I think is a ridiculous sport, throwing that thing across the ice. Could bodybuilding be considered a sport, in that sense sure, since curling is a sport, why not bodybuilding. I kind of think when people tell me I said it’s art form, it’s not a sport,” Gaspari said.
According to the 59-year-old, artistic expression might have been lost but he believes Classic Physique is resurrecting the concept.
“A lot of what you’re doing is training, but people don’t see what it takes to make that body. The dieting, the training, the tanning, all the preparation it takes to get ready to go on that stage. That’s the part that it’s all the stuff that comes together to get you to be that bodybuilder on stage. I mean – I spent hours posing too because it’s good that lately that the art form is coming back because of Classic Bodybuilding but for the last couple of years, the last five or six years it was lost, it was a lost art.”
“Back – go five, six, eight years ago, bodybuilding posing was completely lost. I thought the routines were shit. The only guy that really posed that gave a good show was someone like a Kai Greene. That still saw something in that even though there wans’t – I guess they didn’t score it. Back when I posed or when I competed, they did score the posing round.”
Industry expert John Ramano also drew attention to the lack of vacuum poses in the Men’s Open division compared to the Golden Era of bodybuilding, which hosted the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the late Dave Draper, and Lou Ferrigno.
“Ferrigno was famous for that, think of the huge guys from then that could do a vacuum. Draper, Arnold, Louis, all these guys that we talk about – Mentzer – he was pretty big at one point still sucking up a vacuum,” added John Ramono.
Before wrapping up, Gaspari underlined how busy Venice Gold’s Gym was and likened it to a circus.
“It was such a show [at Gold’s Gym Venice], guys like Lyle Alzado, you knew Lyle Alzado, he was nuts, the Barbarian Brothers — guys if you went to this gym back then, it was a circus. It was a circus. You really couldn’t train in that – I would train, like I said, train in the valley, I would go to World’s Gym with Lee and he would never want to go to Gold’s.”
Rich Gaspari is far from the first retired pro to highlight how the Men’s Open has changed over the years. Perrenial Olympia contender Lee Labrada pointed out that symmetry, proportions, and balance have been ‘tossed to the side’ as of late. Moreover, he took issue with the lack of creative posing routines and described the Open class as ‘tanks clunking’ between each other with no transitions.
RELATED: 63-Year-Old Lee Labrada Looks Jacked in Father-Son Posing Session with Hunter
Samson Dauda’s win at the 2023 Arnold Classic revived the importance of balance, symmetry, and posing in the Open. Nevertheless, Gaspari is adamant that bodybuilding should be considered an art form, not a sport.
Watch the full video below:
https://youtu.be/2s5ne_2PGtc
Published: 14 April, 2023 | 2:50 PM EDT
Chris Cormier and Olympia Judge on Glute Injections/Implants: ‘It’s Really Cheating’
Chris Cormier and Terrick El Guindy are taking a closer look at how to observe imbalances in a bodybuilding physique. In a recent Prime Time Muscle podcast, Cormier and El Guindy explained why glute implants/injections are a form of cheating in the IFBB Pro League.
Judging in bodybuilding has become a hot topic in the sport as of late. Discussions on how to score a contest swelled following the conclusion of the 2022 Mr. Olympia contest that saw Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay lose to Hadi Choopan. The podium was rounded out with Derek Lunsford and Nick Walker taking second and third, respectively. Given the results, fans suspected that judges were beginning to favor balance and conditioning rather than size and freak factor.
These observations were brought into the limelight again after the 2023 Arnold Classic. Samson Dauda‘s shape, balance, and proportions sealed the deal in Ohio, where he outlasted Walker and third-place finisher Andrew Jacked. Bodybuilding veterans and fans of the sport took issue with Dauda’s victory. Chris Aceto, Jay Cutler, and Samir Bannout thought Walker could or should have won.
Walker implored his fans to stop harping on the results days after the contest. In a recent Mutant & The Mouth Podcast, Walker, joined by Guy Cisternino and Nick Trigili, called for a more transparent judging process. Meanwhile, event announcer Bob Cicherillo took to his own series of podcasts to not only lay out why Walker lost but also explained in detail how to score a bodybuilding contest.
In light of the judging controversy, Cormier and El Guindy tackled the subject and laid out strategies for detecting imbalances related to glute injections/implants.
Chris Cormier, Judge Terrick El Guindy Explain How to Look for Injection/Implant Imbalances
According to El Guindy, the breasts of a female competitor are not being judged in any capacity, and specified that the Olympia in female categories can be won without implants.
“The section where a woman breastfeeds or accumulates natural fat, that’s not being judged in any category. What that means is, whether you have large breasts whether you don’t have large breasts whether you have an implant, it’s up to you, it makes zero difference on the judging.”
“It doesn’t matter at all,” says El Guindy. “I don’t know if Marueen Blanquisco has augmentation or not or the girl in 10th place has augmentation or not – I don’t look at it, I don’t judge it, I don’t even have time to look at it. What I am looking at — the abdominals section, I’m looking at glutes, I’m looking at legs, is she over-conditioned? Is there too many veins and this or that.”
“I couldn’t tell who had augmentation and who doesn’t It’s not important, you can win the Olympia without it,” El Guindy stated. “As judges we don’t have the time to look at it. Now going back to the difference between glutes and breats, is that we are judging the glutes. We are judging the glutes. So, if you show up on stage with an imbalance which is not natural to the anatomy indentation… exactly, there is, and Chris and I talk about it, the human anatomy where the glutes connect with the hamstrings.”
El Guindy explained that judges are trained to look at the natural indentation connecting the glutes to the hamstrings.
It doesn’t matter, men and women, if you look at a famous picture of Ronnie Coleman when he squeezes his glutes, there’s a natural indentation of the glute going into the hamstring. You look at Franciella Mattos – the current Wellness champion, there’s a natural indendation into the glutes going into the hamstrings.”
“When you don’t have what a lot of girls call the teardrop when it just goes down and just stops and there’s extra volume, that’s an imbalance and judges are going to catch it. You’re going to go from, ‘Hey, I never had butt implants, I was winning shows, I was in the first call-out.’ To now, hey, ‘You have an imbalance and now you end up on the last call-out,” El Guindy added.
Another telltale sign of imbalance that El Guindy revealed was physiques whose legs and glutes don’t match in terms of development.
“I’m not sure I could quite reveal some of our strategies to identify it – I have no problem because first of all, just the facts,” El Guindy said. “Then, you look at the development of the leg, it doesn’t match the development of the glutes.”
“And it’s going to get worse as you get older,” Cormier said.
Lastly, El Guindy highlighted that judges can identify an implant or injection by the way someone walks on stage.
“Whether you like it or not, you have to walk to that spot [on stage]. And when you walk and stuff doesn’t move naturally, like we’ve seen for the last thousands of years, something is wrong,” El Guindy explained. “So, I want to understand why some of them try to do it. Because it’s really cheating, right?”
“This competitor who just used some type of you know, imbalance, did not do what you’re supposed to do which is bodybuilding. You’re building your body; it’s not called implant-building. It’s bodybuilding. It requires the breakdown of protein and building muscle.”
Given his expertise, El Guindy has witnessed competitors who were on the verge of winning drop to the last call-out due to injection/implant imbalances.
“You’re absolutely right, we’re trained to identify not only when you pose but when you walk. It’s sad because a lot of times, I’ve judged some shows where I said, ‘Man, this person had the potential of winning, men or women, the potential of actually winning the entire show,’ but somehow because of an imbalance they actually lost and went into the last call-out, we see that a lot.”
This isn’t the first time that Cormier and El Guindy joined forces to discuss site-enhancement oils and physique imbalances. Urging competitors against substances like Synthol, ‘The Real Deal’ underlined the damage he sustained to his calves earlier in his career. He stressed that the practice causes lifelong damage to the muscle due to poor blood circulation.
RELATED: Chris Cormier Warns Hadi Choopan to Bring ‘Different Look’ In Shoulders Due to Synthol Accusations
Simply put, Cormier and El Guindy believe glute injections and implants are cheating. They emphasized that the sport’s Olympia titles can still be won without resorting to these types of shortcuts.
You can watch the full video below:
Published: 14 April, 2023 | 12:00 PM EDT
Chad Nicholls Reveals Origins of Beef with Shawn Ray & Scuffle with Son Dom
Bodybuilding guru Chad Nicholls has guided the careers of many top contenders in the sport. In a Desktop Bodybuilding interview, Nicholls revealed the origins of his beef with retired bodybuilder Shawn Ray and laid out what happened between his son Dominic and Ray at the 2023 Arnold Classic Expo.
Chad Nicholls gained attention for his expertise as a mentor to bodybuilding legend Ronnie Coleman, who racked up eight Sandow trophies during his reign of dominance between 1998 and 2005. Nicholls is credited for guiding Coleman to his first Olympia title.
Nicholls has been at odds with former IFBB Pro Shawn Ray for the last few years. Ray took issue with Nicholls’ training techniques in Feb. 2020. He criticized Nicholls for promoting dangerous training with the use of performance-enhancing drugs. The tensions between Nicholls and Ray heated up again when Shawn expressed disapproval of the protocols used by Nicholls.
Meanwhile, Nicholls remained focused on supporting former two-time Mr. Olympia Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay on the way to his next appearance. He lauded the Egyptian mass monster for making strides in the off-season and backed him to return with an even bigger package at the 2022 Mr. Olympia. However, he was cautious of the threat presented by rising sensation Nick Walker and William Bonac, both of whom display freakish muscle mass.
In the end, Ramy missed the mark on stage in Las Vegas four months ago and dropped the title to Hadi Choopan. Nicholls highlighted the need to fix some issues Ramy faced at the Olympia before his return to action for the 2023 Arnold Classic last month. He thought Ramy made the necessary adjustments and would be a problem for many at 310 pounds.
During the 2023 Arnold Classic Expo, the troubles between Nicholls and Ray reached a boiling point. Nicholls’ son Dominic confronted Ray at the expo and called him out for trashing his father’s name. While the altercation didn’t come to blows, the video of the heated verbal exchange made headlines online.
Prolific bodybuilding coach Milos Sarcev weighed in on the scuffle a week later. Sarcev stated Ray allegedly got jumped by Nicholls but didn’t provide any evidence of the incident. IFBB Hall of Famer Chris Cormier theorized Dom was particularly upset at Ray for blaming his father for the deaths of some bodybuilders.
Chad Nicholls reveals the origins of his beef with Shawn Ray
In a recent YouTube video, Chad Nicholls revealed how his feud with Shawn Ray started.
“Boyer Coe called me on the phone and asked me, now I can’t swear to god that Shawn knew that Boyer was going to call me or not but Boyer Coe definitely called me and asked me if I’d be interested in working with Shawn,” said Nicholls. “Of course, they both deny that now but they’ve been friends for years. That’s 100 percent what happened. I think he’s pissed at me though when I started working with Flex, like he was beating a lot of these guys, and then next thing you know he never beat one of my guys ever again. Then, he retired two or three years.”
Nicholls details what happened between Dom and Ray at the 2023 Arnold Classic Expo
Chad Nicholls says the beef with Ray has been going on for 20 years and touched on the viral incident with his son, Dom.
“Here’s kind of what happened. Obviously, everybody knows the beef between me and Shawn, it’s going on for 20 years ever since I started training athletes and they all started placing ahead of him so that was kind of no-brainer and it kind of back and forth. When I saw Shawn, I had nothing but positive thoughts. I was going to be like, ‘hey man we need to talk. Let’s go and talk.’ My thinking was let’s just squash this sh*t. It’s all petty nonsense. He kinda made a smart-ass thing, got my number and we’re both there, let’s go talk. I said let’s go talk and my thinking was we’ll exit the ballroom because I didn’t want to do in front of everybody.
We’re already at the back and so I was going to walk out the back doors. Basically what happened was when Sean realized we were getting ready to exit, he stopped and kind of backtracked. Dom was behind him but Dom kinda was like get moving boy and then Sean does Sean and starts screaming, you’re going to go to jail, you want to be arrested, I’m going to end your career, blah blah. That was really the end of it. I literally would’ve not thought another thing about it.
“But I guess after that, Ron Harris had sent Dom a message and it’s like hey why is Shawn saying you hit him and Dom’s like what the hell are you talking about because Ron was right there. I didn’t hit him and he’s like no that’s what I’m saying why is Shawn saying that he’s completely lying about it so that kind of pissed off. Then, somebody else came and was like hey I heard Shawn was ready to go outside with you. He’s telling everybody he was ready to go outside so at this point, you’re talking about a 19 year old kid and now all these guys are saying this happened and that happened.
So, now Dom loses his cool a little bit the next day, goes up and decides to confront him. The reason he recorded it was basically so they couldn’t say something happened that didn’t happen so that was really all that was basically being recorded. He went up basically, said what he said, they recorded it again, only reason they record it so Shawn couldn’t come back and say oh well he was aggressive, put his hands on me, done this, done that and that was basically it. It was done and over with at that point basically.”
“It was basically he had already started saying stuff that was not true. So, Dom didn’t want to do something and all of a sudden, Sean calls up somebody and said he assaulted me at the booth. They recorded it to make sure everybody knew.”
Bodybuilding veteran Jose Raymond chimed in with his take on the rivalry between Shawn Ray and Chad Nicholls two weeks ago. Raymond sided with team Nicholls while bashing Ray for his behavior. He believes Ray is walking on thin ice and doesn’t serve the bodybuilding community as a legend should.
RELATED: Chad Nicholls Details Big Ramy’s ‘Disaster’ 2022 Olympia Prep: “Everything Went Wrong”
Based on Nicholls’ latest comments, it appears the troubles with Ray are far from over and could escalate on the horizon.
You can watch the full video below.
Published: 14 April, 2023 | 9:06 AM EDT
Rich Gaspari on Building Bigger Legs: ‘Train Super Hard and Go to Failure’
Seasoned bodybuilding veteran Rich Gaspari has amassed a wealth of knowledge related to the sport following a decorated career. In a recent Instagram video, Gaspari shared tips for legs and techniques to utilize in lower-body training sessions. During his days of competition, Rich Gaspari boasted a refined lower body and stellar conditioning as a Men’s…
William Bonac: ‘If Give It My All, Then I Have the Possibility to Win Mr. Olympia’
William Bonac hasn’t given up hope on securing a Mr. Olympia title before calling it a career. In a recent interview with Desktop Bodybuilding, Bonac brushed off retirement rumors and said he’s taking the year to come back better than ever in 2024.
As a Men’s Open pro, William Bonac has participated at the highest level for over a decade. His thick compact muscle density and work ethic were vital components to his rise as a pro. Bonac is a two-time winner of the prestigious Arnold Classic, winning gold in 2018 and 2020. While proving himself as an elite talent, Bonac narrowly missed out on winning Mr. Olympia to Brandon Curry in 2019.
Last year (2022), ‘The Conqueror’ was unable to exact revenge against Curry at the Arnold Classic and finished second. The outcome was controversial and many pros like Lee Priest thought Bonac brought the winning package. Despite the setback, Bonac returned a week later to win gold at the Boston Pro, guaranteeing his passage to the Mr. Olympia show.
He went into Las Vegas’ 2022 Olympia as a notable favorite but failed to make the first call-out. Bonac finished ninth and his teammate, Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay, also came up short in fifth, which served as one of the biggest shocks of the night. Bonac attempted the latest Arnold Classic as well but finished seventh.
William Bonac Says He Can Still Win Arnold Classics and Mr. Olympias
During the video, Bonac said he was still in the running to win Arnold Classics and Mr. Olympias as long as he takes a year off to let his body recover.
“I do for sure [think] I can win the Arnold Classic; the possibility is still there. To win the Olympia… I don’t know man, where the judges are going with the kind of physiques that they want for that. But I think if I give it my all, like the next two years, then I might have the possibility to win the Olympia. Right now, it’s just taking time off, you know, let my body recover.”
“When you compete and compete and compete, your body adjusts to the system to your supplementation and diet, so it won’t react as it normally would be. Your receptors – everything would be sensitive. So I need to get rid of that. Once I have that and that’s what I’m doing now, so I’ll need a whole year off. Once I have that, then I can come back again and everything will feel fresh, my body will feel fresh because that’s what I did in 2022 as well at the Arnold Classic.”
According to Bonac, his ninth and seventh-place finishes at the Olympia and Arnold Classic were justified. He added that the judges made the correct decision and said the outcome could have been worse.
“It was the right decision. When I look back at the pictures, I was like I look shit. You know, so yeah, you can even say you have to be happy with your placing and what you got – it could have been worse. I looked like shit. At the Arnold, I looked better. Did I deserve my placings? Yeah. The judges put me there for a reason. I’m not a guy to complain about his placings. Of course, in the past, I had some issues.”
“I’ve grown, I understand the game. So, I don’t complain when I win, I’m happy when I win, so why should I complain when I lose some? It’s a big pie, everyone can have some of it,” added Bonac. “I know what I saw, and I was like [no], people told me I should have placed higher but I’m lucky that I got that place, believe me. It’s not the physique I wanted to represent at the Olympia.”
Bonac on Big Ramy: ‘Its Tough to Be 2x Mr. Olympia & Lose Your Title All in 6 Months’
Bonac sympathizes with Big Ramy since the Egyptian native lost his title after holding the honor for two years.
“To be honest with you, if I did qualify for the Olympia, I would have probably gone to the Olympia as well. For him [Big Ramy] to go, is a good thing as well. I wouldn’t be demotivated because of his placings that he didn’t maybe expect it at the Olympia and then maybe the Arnold. It’s tough you know, to be two-time Mr. Olympia, losing your title and all just in sixth months’ time. Losing your title and placing fifth and then going to the Arnold and not even placing in the top three, it’s kind of tough to be the king and then… you know,” said William Bonac.
“I thought he looked better at the Arnold and I think at the Olympia he didn’t look that bad. We all looked — we all didn’t look perfect. None of use except maybe three guys and those three guys were in the top three, simple as that. I think Big Ramy should maybe have a rest for this time now and start his prep for Olympia and then maybe after Olympia take a rest and go forward again. We are not as young as these guys anymore.”
The last time fans heard from Bonac he discussed his future in the sport. Given the strain his body has been under, he decided to take a year off for the sake of longevity. He believes the time off is exactly what his physique needs following a busy season. Considering how illusive the Olympia title has been for him, Bonac set his sights on another Arnold Classic victory next year.
Watch the full video below:
RELATED: William Bonac Completed Blood Work Before 2023 Arnold Classic, Says ‘There’s Nothing Wrong’ With Kidneys
While his time in the sport is limited, William Bonac hopes to come back stronger and more competitive in 2024.
Published: 13 April, 2023 | 6:38 PM EDT
Ronnie Coleman: ‘Flex Wheeler Is Pretty Much the Reason Why I First Won The Olympia’
Despite a heated rivalry, Ronnie Coleman believes Flex Wheeler was crucial to his bodybuilding success. In a recent Nothin’ but a Podcast, Coleman credited Wheeler for introducing him to coach Chad Nicholls and disclosed some of the dietary demands that led to his first Mr. Olympia title.
Ronnie Coleman is widely regarded as one of the best bodybuilders of all time, having earned a total of eight Mr. Olympia titles, tied with fellow legend Lee Haney. During his respective tenure, Coleman laid waste to the Men’s Open division, defeating icon after icon en route to cementing his legacy in the 1990s and 2000s. He was led by Nicholls, who now trains William Bonac and Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay.
In addition to his bodybuilding achievements, Coleman was held in high regard for his impressive feats of strength. Considered one of the strongest bodybuilders to ever compete, ‘The King’ recorded a shocking 2,300-pound leg press and turned heads by smoking an 800-pound deadlift.
While enjoying retirement, Coleman remains infatuated with the sport. In his spare time, he’s trained with fitness influencers and most recently, started a podcast with 212-turned-Men’s Open star Derek Lunsford. In their latest undertaking, Coleman looked back on how Wheeler introduced him to one of the sport’s most accomplished gurus, Chad Nicholls.
Ronnie Coleman Talks Meeting Chad Nicholls Through Flex Wheeler: ‘He Changed Everything I Was Doing’
According to ‘The King,’ his first Mr. Olympia title was made possible thanks to Wheeler. After being introduced to Nicholls, Coleman said his contest preparations were drastically altered.
“It was the same way for me and the guys coming up; a lot of people don’t know it – but Flex Wheeler is pretty much the reason why I won the Olympia because he turned me on to Chad Nicholls. He was like, ‘Hey man, who are you working with?’ I’m like, ‘Dude, I’m doing my own thing.’ He’s like, ‘You need to call this guy Chad Nicholls.’ I’m like, ‘Chad Nicholls…’ yup. He gave me his number I called Chad but Chad didn’t pick up the phone. I said, ‘Flex why’d you have me call this guy Chad he didn’t pick up the phone.’ He says, ‘Nah, he’s just like that man. Call him again, and he’ll call you back.’ He called me back and the rest is pretty much history. I won my first Olympia that year by hooking up with him,” Ronnie Coleman said.
Coleman shared that his food intake exploded as he went from eating a half-pound of food to a whole pound.
“I was doing my own thing pretty much,” shared Coleman. “He changed everything I was doing, everything. Everything. I went from doing like an hour to cardio a day to two hours. I went from eating half a pound of food with every meal to a whole pound. I went from training maybe 45 minutes to an hour a day to about maybe an hour, an hour and a half, sometimes an hour and 15 minutes of training because I was trying to do some of everything. I was working all my body parts as much as I could. All my weak ones, especially!”
“I went from working calves maybe once a week to three times a week, working abs maybe once a week to maybe three times a week, he changed pretty much everything I was doing. Had I not gone with him, I wouldn’t have never ever figured that out on my own. I went from probably eating 400 grams of protein a day to 600. I went from eating like 400 grams of carbs a day to like 100, so it was — major changes going on and he pretty much changed everything I was doing. I would have never ever figured that out on my own for sure because I had no idea that you could put on a lot of quality muscle from eating food, had no idea whatsoever, I’m not going to lie.”
“A lot of people think it’s the drugs was going to put on all that size, no. You had to eat. You can take all the drugs in the world but if you ain’t eating you will not grow. I learned that the hard way,” said Coleman.
Wheeler, who won four Arnold Classic titles, took part in a Cutler Cast appearance to reflect on his career. Looking back on his epic battle with Coleman at the 1998 Mr. Olympia, Wheeler said he ‘didn’t put everything into’ his performance and was ‘ashamed’ of himself. He believes one of his biggest mistakes while competing was chasing the size of Coleman instead of focusing on his own strengths, like aesthetics and conditioning.
RELATED: Ronnie Coleman Talks How Chad Nicholls Helped Him Become The King Of Bodybuilding
Coleman’s gratitude to Wheeler shows that even in a competitive sport like bodybuilding, there can be comradery and mutual respect.
You can watch the full video below:
Published: 13 April, 2023 | 1:28 PM EDT
Samir Bannout Says ‘Capable’ Sergio Oliva Jr. Can Win 2023 Olympia With New Mentality
Samir Bannout, a decorated bodybuilder from the 1980s, routinely examines the sport’s hottest topics. In a recent Old School Labs podcast, Bannout discussed Sergio Oliva Jr.’s potential and whether or not 2023 Mr. Olympia will be an easy contest to win. On the heels of the 2022 Mr. Olympia competition, Hadi Choopan captured the title…
Chris Bumstead Builds A Thick And Huge Back In The Gym
Chris Bumstead is keeping himself busy in the gym this off-season. The 28-year-old phenom recently went through an intense back workout and shared glimpses of his commitments outside of training and winning trophies.
The Classic Physique division of the IFBB Pro League is home to one of the biggest superstars and a dominant champion in Chris Bumstead. Since winning the Classic Physique Olympia title at the 2019 Olympia, CBum has held it with a firm grip and defended it at the 2020, 2021 and the 2022 Olympia. Heading into his most recent title defence, Bumstead had to face quite a lot of adversity. Apart from pushing through knee, back and quad injuries during the prep, the Canadian bodybuilder had to deal with coaching changes.
Bumstead and his longtime friend and coach Iain Valliere decided to end the coach-client relationship for the latter to focus on his own bodybuilding career. Under the tutelage of famed bodybuilding coach Hany Rambod, CBum entered the 2022 Olympia and brought the Classic Physique Olympia title back home to Canada. The 28-year-old later revealed that he entered the competition with a torn bicep but still managed to stay head and shoulders above the rest of the division.
With the bicep now completely healed, Bumstead is now fueling his off-season training with a 3500-calorie diet to improve his physique for the 2023 Olympia. In the recent video posted on his personal YouTube channel, CBum can be seen performing a hellacious back workout. So let’s go over the training session and the tips CBum shared as he went through it.
Chris Bumstead’s Back Workout
Wide Neutral Grip Lat Pulldown
CBum warmed up the back muscles with lat pulldowns. This movement primarily targets the latissimus dorsi muscles in the back but also activates major pulling muscles like trapezius, teres major and teres minor, infraspinatus, posterior deltoids as well as biceps. He performed the exercise with a shovel handle that enables a neutral grip. After doing four to five warm-up sets, CBum got a few working sets under the belt and did a drop set to complete the warm-up drill.
Incline Dumbbell Rows
The horizontal rowing movement followed the lat pulldowns as the reigning Classic Physique Olympia champion performed a few good sets of this to work the pulling muscles as well as the sternal head of pectoralis major muscles. Horizontal pulls or rowing movements are essential in building a thick back and therefore they should be an integral part of the back training routine for complete development. CBum said that the incline rows help him practice breathing and get better at it. He explained:
“It’s one of the things where it’s hard to breathe with your chest on the pad but forcing you to practice proper breathing techniques. You should do this every exercise but you are forced to do it here… Something I am trying to get better at with every rep breathing the same consistency.”
Bumstead pushed through a few good sets of incline dumbbell rows. He pulled the breath in before initiating the lift for each rep and exhaled slowly while lowering the dumbbells. After holding the dumbbells for a couple of seconds at the bottom, he initiated the rep with the same breathing technique. The 28-year-old performed all the sets to practice breathing and build the back before jumping into the next exercise.
One Arm Chest Supported Rows
Bumstead next took to the chest supported rows on the plate loaded machine to stimulate the back further. He did the exercise unilaterally to really focus on the movement and build the mind-muscle connection.
“With the one arm rows where you can actually get the full stretch are beautiful or way better than a dumbbell row from the floor. You just get a much better stretch and contraction,” Bumstead explained.
CBum also explained the correct technique to do the one arm rows for maintaining maximum focus on the back muscles. He added:
“The same arm that we are doing, keep that (same side) foot planted forward. A lot of people would put that foot back and the (working) arm forward. This way you’re opening up your hips and then you’re rotating your body. Your core is moving away. But if you keep your foot forward, your hips are forced to stay forward and you have to pull from your lats rather than your core. So keep it on your back.”
Bumstead got some solid sets of this movement under his belt and took to the next exercise.
Seated Rows
Chris Bumstead jumped into the seated rows next and cranked out some heavy sets of seated rows on the Prime Fitness Seated Rows machine. The machine has three plate horns and different levels. Bumstead noted that keeping the weight on the highest horn makes it difficult to lock the movement on contraction. Therefore adding the weight on the lower and middle plate horn suits him better where he can get a good contraction while still lifting heavy.
Reverse Grip Lat Pulldowns
After putting in a good amount of work with horizontal rows, the Canadian bodybuilder went back to working with the vertical pulling movement and performed the reverse grip lat pulldowns. The reverse grip targets the lower lats more as the upper arms are closer to the body. Additionally, you use more of the biceps for pulling the weights. This enables training with heavier weights. After cranking out a few sets of this exercise, CBum performed the final exercise of the day.
Banded Bent Over Straight Arm Pulldowns
Bumstead wrapped up the training session with this exercise. It targets the latissimus dorsi, teres minor, posterior deltoids, triceps brachii and levator scapulae muscles. CBum performed four sets using moderate weights. He maintained short 20-second rest periods between the sets and performed every set to failure without changing the weights. As a result, the rep range went on reducing as the sets progressed.
Overall, the workout included:
Chris Bumstead is still the most dominant competitor in the Classic Physique division. Although he has retirement in sight, the reigning champion is looking to defend the title a few more times before hanging up the posing trunks. It will be interesting to see how he maintains the lead at the 2023 Olympia.
You can watch the full workout video here, courtesy of Chris Bumstead’s personal YouTube channel:
Published: 13 April, 2023 | 8:57 AM EDT
How Long Until Pre-Workout Kicks In: A Guide to Maximizing The Supplement
The difference between a good workout and a great one often comes down to being able to generate an extra 5-10% energy, strength, and focus. It allows you to get that extra rep, keep pushing when every muscle fiber in your body begs you to quit, and dial in your mind-muscle connection. A good pre-workout delivers this edge.
A pre-workout will only be effective if you know the right time to take it. That’s why you need to know how long it takes for pre-workouts to kick in. This article answers that question. We’ll also look at how long a pre-workout lasts, identify the ideal ingredients, and pinpoint when you should take your pre-workout for the best results.
How Long Before a Pre-Workout Kicks In?
How long it takes for a pre-workout to take effect depends entirely on the ingredients. Stimulants, such as caffeine, will take between 30 and 60 minutes to take full effect, depending on your body’s tolerance.
Many other pre-workout ingredients, including taurine, beta-alanine, and creatine, will take approximately 30 minutes to take effect. Their peak time, or the point when their effects are at their strongest, is about an hour after taking it. That is when they will be at their highest concentration in your bloodstream.
So, if you mix your pre-workout in the gym locker room and drink it as you make your way onto the gym floor, you should rethink your timing. You’re not going to feel the full effects of your supplement for about an hour. You’ll have no effect at all for the first 30 minutes. Most people’s workouts are pretty much done after an hour, so you’re only going to get the full effects as you leave the gym.
The best time to take a pre-workout is about 30 minutes before the workout begins.
How Long Does a Pre-Workout Last Once Mixed?
Unfortunately, there is no definite answer to this question. It depends on several factors, which we’ll examine in detail. As a general guideline, however, your pre-workout should last between 1.5-2 hours.
Factors Affecting Pre-Workout Potency
Factors that affect your pre-workout duration:
Supplement Type
The quality of the supplement is the single most significant factor influencing how long a pre-workout will last in your body. Pre-workouts contain several ingredients, each of which has different effective durations in the body. Not only that, but the quality of the ingredient may differ between products. A cheap creatine product may last only half as long as a purer, higher-quality product.
Many pre-workouts contain beta-alanine, which offsets fatigue and allows you to recover between sets quickly. A good quality beta-alanine supplement will have an effective time of about 90 minutes. [1]
Supplement ingredients such as l-citrulline, l-arginine, and nitrate act as vasodilators by boosting the body’s natural production of nitric oxide. These allow for greater blood flow and a better pump. They will last for several hours in the body. [2]
Most pre-workouts contain a combination of ingredients with an average effectiveness time of between one and two hours. [3]
Wrecked Pre-workout Container
Supplement Dosage
Your pre-workout dosage affects its effective duration in your body. If you double the stated dosage of a product, it will last longer, though not necessarily double the period.
However, the recommended dosage stated on the product label usually allows it to work for between 90 and 120 minutes. You do not want your workout to last longer than two hours, so there’s no reason to take more than the recommended dosage. [4]
Your Physique
A supplement’s effect on your body will depend on your physique. A bodybuilder who weighs 260 pounds and has sub ten percent body fat will need a greater dosage of a pre-workout than a 110-pound marathon runner.
If you are over 200 pounds, you will probably want to move toward the higher range of the recommended dosage to get the supplement to work for an average of 90 minutes in your system.
Nutrition
Big eaters will need a higher dosage of a pre-workout to be effective. The reason is that your digestive enzymes will be busy digesting your food and will not be as effective in breaking down your pre-workout ingredients in the required time to give you the full workout benefits.
People who are under-eating will have an enhanced pre-workout effect. However, this is not a healthy habit. You should eat a quality 50/50 carb/protein mix meal about two hours before your workout.
Lifestyle
Pre-workouts provide an immediate energy burst for your workout. They should not be used as a lifestyle booster to help get you through your day after late-night partying.
If you’re looking for something to negate the ill effects of a partying lifestyle so you can hit the gym, your pre-workout will not do that for you. That’s because your poor lifestyle habits will have already mucked up your system to the extent that the benefits of your pre-workout ingredients will be overshadowed by lack of sleep and the processing of alcohol and whatever else you may have ingested. [5]
While we’re on the subject, you should not take alcohol anywhere near your workout. It will wreak havoc on the key hormones required for workout efficiency, namely testosterone, human growth hormone, and insulin.
The drowsy effect of alcohol on the brain will interfere with the ability to react to signals that come from certain pre-workout ingredients. [6]
Water Intake
Your level of hydration will affect the timing of your pre-workout. The pre-workout ingredients will move more effectively through your digestive system if you are well-hydrated. It is, therefore, important to drink plenty of water around the time of your workout. Additionally, sip water throughout the training session.
When Should I Take My Pre-Workout?
Take your pre-workout 30 minutes before your training session. This will provide the ingredients enough time to be absorbed into your system so that they are ready to fire from your first rep.
Most people find that taking a pre-workout sup before they leave home for the gym provides them with enough time to benefit fully when they begin their workout.
You should have a pre-workout meal about two hours before heading to the gym. This should be a 50/50 mix of protein and complex carbs, such as chicken and sweet potato.
So, How Do I Know If the Pre-Workout is Working?
There’s a lot of marketing hype around what pre-workouts can do for you. Generally, the reality is a far cry from what the ads claim. You can expect a noticeable, but not a dramatic, increase in your training motivation, energy, and recovery time, and if the product contains nitric oxide enhancers, a muscle pump during the workout.
Some pre-workout ingredients produce physical side effects that tell you they are working. Beta-alanine, for example, may produce a tingling sensation on your scalp, tongue, or fingertips. Caffeine will increase perspiration.
You should monitor the effect of your pre-workout in a diary and compare it to sessions where you are going pre-workout-free. If you don’t notice any difference, switch to another product.
The 11 Best Pre-Workout Ingredients
Your pre-workout is only as good as its ingredients and dosage. Here’s an overview of the 11 best ingredients to look out for on the label.
1. Caffeine
Caffeine is the world’s most popular stimulant. Billions of people rely on it for the mental and physical ‘pick-me-up’ to power them through their day. So, it’s hardly surprising that caffeine is a base ingredient in quality pre-workouts.
Coffee Bean
Caffeine is an odorless, slightly bitter-tasting neurotoxic alkaloid found naturally in several plants. Plants produce neurotoxins to protect themselves from insects and other predators. Caffeine dissolves easily in water and has crystals that look like tiny needles. It is a potent central nervous system stimulant that releases dopamine to boost motivation, alertness, and energy. [7]
Caffeine has been shown to have the following workout-boosting effects:
Improved mental focus
Enhanced fat loss
Greater muscular endurance
Strength increase
Recommended Dosage: 150-250 mg
Related: Caffeine Calculator – Are Your Consuming Too Much?
2. Theanine
Green tea contains the amino acid theanine. It is principally responsible for green tea’s capacity to calm the nerves and revitalize the body. However, theanine has yet another strong effect. It can lessen the immediate negative effects of caffeine on the body without reducing its energy-boosting benefits. Theanine has also been shown to improve cognition and mood. [8]
Recommended Dosage: 200 mg
3. B-Vitamins
The eight water-soluble vitamins that make up the B vitamins are thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, folic acid, pantothenic acid, biotin, and vitamin B12. Together, the eight vitamins offer various health advantages, such as accelerating metabolism, preserving high energy levels, and improving fat digestion. [9]
Recommended Dosage:
B1: 1.2 mg
B2: 1.3 mg
B3: 16 mg NE
B5: 5 mg
B6: 1.3 mg
Biotin: 30 mcg
Folic acid: 400 mcg DFE
B12: 2.4 mcg
4. Citicoline
Citicoline is a nootropic that enhances brain function. Nootropics boost cognitive function, enabling you to concentrate better and be more conscious of the relationship between your mind and muscles when exercising.
Citicoline produces this result by raising the body’s acetylcholine levels. The brain’s neurotransmitter acetylcholine is essential for improving memory, recall, and consciousness. Additionally, citicoline enhances blood flow to the brain, enhancing cognitive function. [10]
Citicoline is added to pre-workouts to improve focus so you can concentrate more on your workout and enhance the mind-muscle connection. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter than transports messages between brain cells. When you take citicoline, the body’s acetylcholine levels increase. Citicoline has also been shown to improve blood flow to the brain.
Recommended Dosage: 250-500 mg
5. Citrulline Malate
The non-essential amino acid citrulline bonds with the organic salt molecule malate to form citrulline malate. The amino acid glutamine is used to make citrulline in the intestines. It is crucial to eliminate ammonia, a byproduct of exercise that can hamper energy production and cause weariness and poor performance.
Malate is a naturally occurring substance found in fruits like apples. It plays a part in the Krebs cycle, a chemical event sequence that converts carbs, lipids, and proteins into energy. Malate may also recycle lactate to provide energy. This is essential to keep the muscles from being drained and speed up recovery. Combining malate and citrulline improves training results. [11]
Citrulline is a non-essential amino acid. It is combined with an organic salt called malate to create citrulline malate. When you take citrulline malate, it converts to the nitric oxide precursor arginine. Nitric oxide enlarges the blood vessels, allowing more oxygen and nutrients to get to the working muscles.
Recommended Dosage: 6-8 grams
6. Taurine
Taurine is a non-essential amino acid that contains sulfur. It is one of the amino acids in the body in the highest concentrations. Fish, cattle, poultry, and lamb all contain naturally-occurring taurine. It is also a well-liked component of energy beverages like Red Bull.
Due to its capacity to remove calcium from the body, taurine increases the activity of your central nervous system. Additionally, it counteracts the effects of free radicals, a normal side effect of exercise. Taurine supplements will provide additional energy, counteracting weariness and resulting in greater muscle contractions with each rep. [12]
Taurine is an amino acid that is added to supplements for its nootropic effects. It is able to remove calcium from the body, increasing central nervous system activity. It also fights against the free radical damage caused by oxidative stress and increases energy levels.
Recommended Dosage: 1-2 grams
7. Beta-alanine
The human body naturally manufactures the amino acid beta-alanine. Because it is essential for synthesizing carnosine, which is contained in muscle fiber, it is a crucial amino for anabolism. Research and practical experience in the gym have demonstrated that beta-alanine improves muscle contraction while counteracting exercise-induced tiredness. [13]
Recommended Dosage: 2-5 grams
8. Tyrosine
Tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid, meaning the body can make it. High-protein foods like soy, turkey, chicken, fish, peanuts, almonds, and dairy products are good sources of tyrosine. It is a vital precursor of the neurotransmitter dopamine and is utilized in creating protein.
Together, dopamine and serotonin have an effect. Fatigue results when they are out of balance. Tyrosine supplementation aids in keeping the body’s dopamine and serotonin levels balanced. As a result, tiredness is decreased, and performance is improved. [14]
Recommended Dosage: 500-2,000 mg
9. BCAAs
Leucine, isoleucine, and valine make up branch-chain amino acids (BCAAs). Leucine, in particular, is a crucial activator of both protein synthesis and protein degradation. BCAAs can be utilized as fuel for physical activity. Additionally, they will stop the catabolic effects of exercise. After exercise, they boost protein synthesis to facilitate the muscle-rebuilding process. [15]
Recommended Dosage: 6-10 grams
10. Creatine
Creatine Powder
In your muscle cells, creatine and phosphorus combine to form phosphocreatine (PC). When you engage in high-intensity sports like weightlifting or sprinting, this compound, which is rich in energy, nourishes your muscles.
Your body uses phosphocreatine to resynthesize ATP during intense exercise. Performance starts to suffer once these stockpiles are depleted. Your muscles may function at higher rates for longer, thanks to creatine supplementation, which boosts phosphocreatine reserves. An immediate increase in strength will result from this.[17]
Recommended Dosage: 3-5 grams
11. L-Arginine
The amino acid arginine is conditionally essential. Although our bodies can produce arginine, under some circumstances (trauma, illness, stress), the body cannot make enough; hence dietary sources become crucial.
During exercise, arginine can be converted into glucose for energy. Nitric oxide and creatine synthesis both depend on it. Additionally, it has been demonstrated that arginine increases growth hormone production, a potent stimulator of muscle growth. [16]
Recommended Dosage: 3-6 grams
Summary
Pre-workouts are not a magic potion. Good ones will work to increase your training energy, focus, and endurance by between 10 and 20 percent. This effect should last between one and two hours.
Take your pre-workout just before you head to the gym. Then, while training, sip from your water bottle to remain hydrated. Most importantly, monitor the effectiveness of your pre-workout. If it’s not working, change it up and try another product.
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