Tag: Bodybuilding
2022 Zhanna Rotar Classic Pro Results
Wendy Fortino wins the 2022 Zhanna Rotar Classic Pro!
The 2022 Zhanna Rotar Classic Pro took place over the weekend with Figure competitors fighting for a chance to compete at the Olympia. Many of the elite competitors in the division gathered in Anaheim to show what they can do on stage. In the end, it was Wendy Fortino who took home gold and earned qualification to the biggest show of the year.
This will be Fortino’s second consecutive year competing at the Olympia. She finished 14th last year and made improvements in the offseason. Fortino also has a third-place finish at the Titans Grand Prix earlier in the year. Fortino will now have a chance to take her preparation to the next level heading into December.
The full results from the show from the weekend have been announced. Checkout the full breakdown from the Figure show, along with an official score card from the event.
2022 Zhanna Rotar Classic Pro Breakdown
Figure
First Place – Wendy Fortino
Second Place – Karina Grau
Third Place – Gabriela Consolmagno
Fourth Place – Shelace Shoemaker
Fifth Place – Jessica Baltazar
Sixth Place – Kim Clark
Seventh Place – Annette Garcia
2022 Zhanna Rotar Classic Pro Official Score Card
Generation Iron wishes to congratulate all the great athletes who earned a win at the IFBB Zhanna Rotar Classic Pro 2022. Make sure to check out our full IFBB Pro results page from this year and previous years right here to catch up on any action you may have missed!
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.
How The Back Extension Machine Can Promote Great Growth
This exercise will strengthen your back and is a great way to enhance those much larger lifts.
When you walk through the gym, many machines stand out. Of course, a squat rack, leg press machine, or the pec deck all look familiar. But think about how many machines you pass having never even noticed, or at the very least never thought of trying. The back extension machine is one of those machines often tucked in the corner, away from the glitz and glamor of those big lifts, like the squat and deadlift. It shouldn’t be. While this isolation exercise certainly has its fair share of strain on your low back, when done properly and effectively, the results to your back growth are enormous.
The benefits to having a strong back are not necessarily overlooked, but they certainly don’t take as much priority as they should. A strong back is imperative for preventing injury and assisting in everyday tasks and activities that keep us healthy and active. Along with a strong core, a solid back can provide stability and balance for any lift or exercise and will improve posture so we eliminate those rounded shoulders. The back extension machine works to target your back in a way where technique is key and should be used to properly enhance that back growth.
Let’s take a look at the back extension machine and see what this is all about. From what it is, to muscles worked, and the benefits of this exercise, you may just want to start including this in your routine when you’re done reading.
What Is The Back Extension Machine?
The back extension machine, also known as the Roman chair, is a machine used to target the lower back in an isolation exercise to promote huge growth. Usually performed as a bodyweight exercise, this machine is highly debated and controversial in that poor technique can lead to injury. This is due to the increased strain on your back this exercise causes. As we will see in the How To section, this exercise requires bending at the waist which can put that added tension on your low back. This shouldn’t deter you because with practice and proper form, this machine can work wonders with the back extension exercise.
Muscles Worked During The Back Extension Exercise
This exercise mainly works your lower back muscles, especially your erector spinae. You will find that with an engaged core, your abs will also be worked since they are used as a balancing aid, but also to promote better form. As an isolation exercise, this machine really targets your low back and can offer great benefits to your overall growth and gains.
Benefits Of The Back Extension Machine
Enhances Posture
A strong back is essential in maintaining good posture and working to keep your shoulders upright, as opposed to rounded. Not only will this give you the edge with other exercises, but it will also work to boost your confidence (1). There is something to be said about an elevated posture and you will be a force in the gym with your shoulders set back as you lift those massive weights we all know and love.
Great Low Back Isolation Exercise
Finding a good back exercise can be difficult, although many do exist. Exercises like the squat and deadlift are great for working your back, in particular your low back, but what you’ll find is the back extension is a solid isolation exercise to really challenge you.
Promotes Stabilization & Core Control
By building those larger back muscles, as well as those smaller stabilizers, you start to give yourself the edge with balance and increased stabilization when it comes to a variety of movements. Since this works your core as well, you not only strengthen your abdominal muscles, but work on core control, ensuring the movement on this machine is tight and controlled to not only target muscle growth, but also prevent injury (2).
Protect Against Back Injury
While this exercise does put some added strain on your back, when done properly and with solid technique, it will strengthen the muscles around your spine and work to target those low back muscles so you build up protection against injury. This may seem hypocritical in a way, but this is where the debate for this exercise comes in. Knowing how to do it and how to properly manage the movement, like any exercise, can work to your benefit as opposed to your detriment.
How To Perform This Exercise
Here are the steps for performing the back extension exercise:
Place your feet in the pads and make sure they are secured. Bend over the pad at your waist and find a comfortable position for your lower body. Engage your core and fold your arms over your chest. Slowly bend at the waist over the pad so your lower body is near a 90-degree angle. With a controlled movement, extend back to the starting position and repeat for your desired number of reps.
Important Note: Make sure this movement is controlled and not too fast. You don’t want to put that added strain on your back that causes injury. Also, squeeze your glutes and avoid arching your low back. A tight and engaged core will help with this.
Wrap Up
The back extension machine is a great machine to provide the perfect back isolation exercise. Working to not only enhance back growth, but also prevent injury and promote stabilization and core control, this exercise is one to definitely add to your routine. A large back can add to that stellar physique and give you benefits to enhance all aspects of your everyday life. Ensuring proper form and the right approach to technique is key in avoiding unwanted pain and strain, but once nailed down, this exercise has amazing benefits to improving your training and performance, as well as your physical health. Give the back extension machine a try and really see what it can do for you today.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
References
Harvard Health Publishing Healthbeat (2015). “Why good posture matters”. (source)
Hibbs, Angela E.; Thompson, Kevin G.; French, Duncan; Wrigley, Allan; Spears, Iain (2008). “Optimizing performance by improving core stability and core strength”. (source)
2022 Lenda Murray Atlanta Pro Results
JT Pelkey wins Classic Physique during the 2022 Lenda Murray Atlanta Pro!
The 2022 Lenda Murray Atlanta Pro made some noise on Saturday night in the midst of bodybuilding season. The Loews Atlanta Hotel in Atlanta was the site that held four different divisions looking for qualification to the 2022 Olympia. In the end, it was JT Pelkey who reigned supreme in Classic Physique.
Pelkey is an up-and-coming talent in Classic Physique. He has not competed much since turning pro but has strong showings when he does appear on stage. This includes a third-place finish in the 2020 Battle of Texas and eighth place at the Chicago Pro last season.
Montae Bailey took home the prize in Men’s Physique to qualify for the Olympia in December. Michaela Aycock and Nadia Bradford will also appear in the biggest competition of the year.
The full results from the show have been announced. There was a total of four divisions vying for qualification to step on the biggest stage in the sport. Checkout a full breakdown from the event, along with the official score cards from the show.
2022 Lenda Murray Atlanta Pro: All Division Winners
Classic Physique: JT Pelkey
Men’s Physique: Montae Bailey
Women’s Bodybuilding: Michaela Aycock
Figure: Nadia Bradford
2022 Lenda Murray Atlanta Pro Breakdown
Classic Physique
First Place – JT Pelkey
Second Place – Tommy Clark
Third Place – Jared Thompson
Fourth Place – Brandon Kidd
Fifth Place – Tony Davis
Sixth Place – Adam Thomas
Men’s Physique
First Place – Montae Bailey
Second Place – Cory Morris
Third Place – Cam Harris
Fourth Place – Clarence McSpadden Jr.
Fifth Place – Oussah Dith
Sixth Place – Matthew Grego
Women’s Bodybuilding
First Place – Michaela Aycock
Second Place – Sherry Priami
Third Place – Leah Dennie
Fourth Place – Takeela Reddrick
Fifth Place – Saqweta Barrino
Sixth Place – Janeen Lankowski
Figure
First Place – Nadia Bradford
Second Place – Anita Davis
Third Place – Zul’fiya Bitiyeva
Fourth Place – Thais Werner
Fifth Place – Spree Dee
Sixth Place – Dee Jackson
2022 Lenda Murray Atlanta Pro Official Score Cards
Coming soon!
Generation Iron wishes to congratulate all the great athletes who earned a win at the IFBB Lenda Murray Atlanta Pro 2022. Make sure to check out our full IFBB Pro results page from this year and previous years right here to catch up on any action you may have missed!
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.
2022 Vancouver Pro Results
Iain Valliere wins the 2022 Vancouver Pro!
The 2022 Vancouver Pro highlighted the weekend of bodybuilding here in July. There were a total of six divisions that appeared on stage vying for qualification to the 2022 Olympia. It was Iain Valliere who stole the show and won gold in Men’s Open.
The Men’s Open division did not feature a large roster but that does not mean that the quality of competition was low. Iain Valliere appeared on stage in Vancouver in 2019, when he finished fourth. Valliere is coming off back-to-back seventh-place finishes at the Olympia and is looking to return to improve on his standing.
Antoine Vaillant made his return to competition on Sunday after dealing with different issues that has kept him off stage. Vaillant recently announced that he has been dealing with heart issues that he has been working to fix. Heading into the show, Vaillant has been sharing different physique updates and looked massive.
The full results from the show have been announced. There were six winners crowned in different division on Sunday. Below, checkout the full breakdown from each division, along with official score cards from the show!
2022 Vancouver Pro: All Division Winners
Men’s Open: Iain Valliere
Classic Physique: Chen Kang
Men’s Physique: Charjo Grant
Fitness: Coming soon!
Figure: Coming soon!
Bikini: Coming soon!
2022 Vancouver Pro Breakdown
Men’s Open
First Place – Iain Valliere
Second Place – Antoine Vaillant
Third Place – Hossein Kalateh
Fourth Place – Jonas Giatras
Fifth Place – Seth Engman
Sixth Place – Martin Hernandez
Classic Physique
First Place – Chen Kang
Second Place – John Le
Third Place – Adam Beveridge
Fourth Place – Cody Amey
Fifth Place – Isaac Baier
Sixth Place – Ethan Gohari
Men’s Physique
First Place – Charjo Grant
Second Place – Josh Bridgman
Third Place – Xezekiel Afanou
Fourth Place – Taylor Wilson
Fifth Place – Akbar Sarbaz Sarkhalo
Sixth Place – Isaias Paez Martinez
Fitness
Results coming soon!
First Place –
Second Place –
Third Place –
Fourth Place –
Fifth Place –
Sixth Place –
Figure
Results coming soon!
First Place –
Second Place –
Third Place –
Fourth Place –
Fifth Place –
Sixth Place –
Bikini
Results coming soon!
First Place –
Second Place –
Third Place –
Fourth Place –
Fifth Place –
Sixth Place –
2022 Vancouver Pro Official Score Cards
Coming soon!
Generation Iron wishes to congratulate all the great athletes who earned a win at the IFBB Vancouver Pro 2022. Make sure to check out our full IFBB Pro results page from this year and previous years right here to catch up on any action you may have missed!
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.
Phil Heath Announces He Will Be Hosting & Commentating Olympia 2022
Image via Instagram @philheath
Pro bodybuilder and 7x Mr. Olympia champ Phil Heath reveals he will be doing commentary for the Olympia 2022 pay-per-view.
7x Mr. Olympia champion Phil Heath has officially announced that he will be hosting and commentating at the Olympia 2022. The news comes after many questioned whether or not Heath would a comeback and compete at this year’s Olympia. News of the hosting gig essentially confirms that he will not be competing.
The Olympia 2022 weekend will be taking place on December 15-18 in Las Vegas, NV. It’s the biggest event of the bodybuilding season – essentially the super bowl of bodybuilding. It’s the very competition that helped make Phil Heath a star. He was able to dominate the Mr. Olympia competition for seven years straight – becoming one of the most legendary bodybuilders in the sport.
Phil Heath’s dominance came to a halt in 2018 when he placed second behind Shawn Rhoden. Since then – he has not been able to reclaim the title and tie for the world record of most Olympia wins, currently held by Ronnie Coleman and Lee Haney with eight titles. In 2021, Phil Heath did not compete – leading to questions as to whether or not he would return this year or in the future.
But it seems that 2022 will now be the second straight year that Phil Heath does not compete. This has been all but confirmed by the news that he will be hosting and doing commentary for the Olympia 2022 pay-per-view event. The news was announced on his Instagram on Friday night.
“I am very excited to be apart this years Mr Olympia Weekend in Las Vegas this December. Commentating at this years event provides me an opportunity to express my love and support to its athletes who definitely sacrifice a ton to be on this historic stage.
To the fans I love you all and please know that I will do my absolute best in the booth, illustrating the body of work these amazing athletes showcase! Shout out to Jake Wood, Dan Soloman, the IFBB Pro League, @mrolympiallc and Jim Manion for helping make this all possible. See you all in Vegas!!!”
Phil Heath hosting the Olympia 2022 pay-per-view brings serious star power to the broadcast – which has been slowly expanding it’s production year over year. After going full pay-per-view rather than free broadcast, the PPV has included behind the scenes streams, expo streams, and a fully commentated livestream of the competition.
This news comes shortly after Generation Iron Network released the official teaser trailer for Kai – the life story biopic of Kai Greene. The documentary feature highlights the life of Phil Heath’s biggest rival. Notably, Phil Heath made an appearance in the film with a new exclusive interview – reflecting on his career and rivalry against Greene. It will be the first time in years where Heath has spoken deeply on his relationship with Greene. You can watch the trailer below:
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For more information about Kai – make sure to go to the official landing page. The film will be coming soon later this summer 2022.
It seems Phil Heath will be getting a double dose of additional attention this year between the film and his hosting duties at the Olympia 2022. He will surly provide deep play-by-play insight into the details, techniques, and skill put on display on stage. Currently, there has been no announcement of who will be doing commentary duty alongside Heath – if any.
Generation Iron will provide updates on this story as it develops. For more information about the Olympia 2022 weekend and all things bodybuilding – stick around the Generation Iron Fitness Network.
Seth Feroce Talks PEDs In Competition: ‘People Don’t Understand That Steroids Are Literally In Anything’
Seth Feroce believes that steroids are in all professional sports to gain a competitive edge.
Seth Feroce might be retired from bodybuilding but he remains an active voice around the sport because of his strong opinions. Recently, he has been vocal about the topic of steroids and that continued in a recent truck rant that he shared on social media.
Steroids has become a wide-spread issue in bodybuilding because of recent deaths that have hit the world hard. This has athletes in different areas, whether it be bodybuilding or powerlifting focusing on their health. While Feroce is not an advocate of steroids, he acknowledges that they are elsewhere in competition.
The other sport where steroids have turned up the most is baseball. The early 2000s is considered the steroid era around Major League Baseball. Players were taking substances to gain an advantage over the rest of the league and this is where Feroce believes that it is present all around competition.
Seth Feroce: “Steroids Are Literally In Anything”
Seth Feroce went on his most recent rant about corruption and how it is present at every level. He is specifically discussing steroids but this can be an example in many areas when it comes to sports — whether it is business or financial.
“What I am f***ng astonished by, is the fact that people can’t f***ing believe that professional athletes take steroids or there’s no f***ing corruption. Are you guys f***ing with me? You know there’s corruption at every f***ing level. It’s a fuc**ing multi-billion dollar industry.”
From here, Seth Feroce continued to explain how he sold steroids during his career as a bodybuilder to make extra money. In the sport, only the top level athletes make a serious profit off competitions. For others, it is beneficial to have side jobs.
READ MORE: Bodybuilders Are Dying: An Investigation Into Modern Bodybuilding, Health, & PED Use
For Feroce, he found a way to make money by selling steroids.
“Steroids are in f***ing everything and if you don’t think so, you are a f***ing moron. You know why? Because I used to sell a lot of them.
That’s something other bodybuilders say, ‘I don’t want to sell steroids’. Bitch, I sold a shit load of them. How the f**k do you think I made ends meet as a competitor? You think I can just buy hundreds of pounds of meat? No. You either f***ing sold steroids, or you did gay for pay. I ain’t doing no gay for pay. Been offered many a times. But I rather f***ing sell a shit load of Tren and Anadrol and dick pills, like I did. That’s how the f***ing industry goes!”
Seth Feroce continues to speak on many billion-dollar sports industries and how they are full of corruption. This is how they got to be where they are today. It makes it easier to cover up when there is money involved.
Near the end of his rant, Feroce spoke on steroids and how people do not care if they are used in sports. Once an athlete dies and steroids are involved, people begin thinking twice about the issue.
“Nobody cares in professional sports whether you take steroids or not. Nobody f***ing cares in bodybuilding whether you take steroids or not. Nobody gives a f**k. Even whenever you take steroids and you f***ing die… everybody acts like they give a f**k but nobody gives a fu**. Nobody f***ing cares.
Do what you want to. That’s what I’m getting at with this video. Don’t be f***ing stupid. Stop believing in dumb shit, are you kidding me?”
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For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
PNBA Bikini Jackie Gonzalez Names the Top 4 Glute Exercises in Bodybuilding
Image via Instagram @g_jackiestrong
PNBA bikini athlete Jackie Gonzalez lists her top 4 glute exercises.
A well-developed lower body is vital in natural bodybuilding, especially the bikini categories. And your glutes are the largest muscle in your body, so it’s imperative to perform the best exercises possible to grow them. Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association (PNBA) athlete Jackie Gonzalez named the best exercises to target your glutes.
Jackie Gonzalez placed in the top ten at 2021 Natural Olympia in the Bikini Divas division. In an Instagram post on June 6, 2022, Gonzalez listed her top 4 glute exercises. Gonzalez stated:
“Here are my top 4 exercises to target the glute:
1. Abduction Drop Set- Start with a challenging weight for 15R, follow with a drop in weight of 20-30lb for 10R, & another drop for another 10R. Depending on your starting weight you may need adjust the weight dropped to work for you.
2. Hip Thrust- there are many variations to these but I prefer to use the smith at this gym. Make sure to squeeze from the cheeks to push the hips up and not prioritizing the quads.
3. DB RDL- Focus on hinging at the hips! Push the hips back and allow the DB to “slide” down the legs. Maintain a slight bend in the knee and squeeze through the glutes as you come up. It is important to keep the head and spine in alignment during this movement as well.
4. Glute kickback- this is a variation using the hip mobility machine but it works just as well and allows me to focus on the glute itself. Make sure to drive back and squeeze the glute at the top of the moment.”
Jackie Gonzalez also shared a workout to build thunder thighs.
Bikini Divas
The International Natural Bodybuilding Association (INBA)/PNBA has a variety of categories. One is the bikini division, which is separated into Bikini Divas, Bikini Angels, and Bikini Mammas. Jackie Gonzalez competes in the Bikini Divas class.
The Bikini Divas class contenders dress in swimsuits, high heels, and jewelry. Muscularity and conditioning are essential to the judging process–visible abs and a slightly visible glute-hamstring tie-in are crucial. That’s why Bikini Divas must work hard on their glutes.
Compared to Bikini Angels, muscularity is more critical in this class since Angels aren’t judged solely on their physique, e.g., visible abs aren’t necessary. In contrast, the women’s Physique and Figure divisions hold more muscle on their frame.
Wellness
The INBA PNBA has welcomed a new category this year for women, Wellness. Judges will be heavily scoring contenders on their muscle development in the hips, glutes, and thighs in this division.
The INBA PNBA still has a full summer schedule of competitions. And the Natural Universe in Tampa, FL, on September 2nd-3rd, will be hosting the first pro Wellness category. The INBA PNBA stated on social media, “ladies, the PNBA is offering its 1st pro wellness category September 2nd-3rd at the Natural Universe.”
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more tips from the top natural bodybuilders!
Fitness Stars Buff Dudes Built The “World’s Deadliest Dumbbells” For An Insane Workout
Brothers Hudson and Brandon White decided to take dumbbells to new heights.
An injury in the gym is not uncommon. There are many times where lifters will push their bodies to the limit in order to achieve a new goal. Injuries happen when the lifter has poor form, weight might fall off the bar, or even the body giving out for no particular reason. Well, brothers Hudson and Brandon White recently added a new risk to working out.
The White brothers, known as Buff Dudes on YouTube, shared a new video displaying the “world’s deadliest dumbbells.” This is not the first time that they played around with different ideas involving dumbbells.
In 2020, Brandon and Hudson made their own dumbbells out of concrete so they could workout during the pandemic. With gyms being closed, they added to their home gym since their equipment was not enough at the time. Two years later, Buff Dudes followed up their first dumbbell experiment with another interesting one.
What Are The “World’s Deadliest Dumbbells”?
During the video, Buff Dudes is joined by a blacksmith named Matthew who helps construct the dumbbells. He welds together a metal frame that can be held from within. Once the structure is together, Matthew adds 32 metal spikes to the outside. This creates an object that looks like something out of an action-packed video game.
“It’s a terrible idea. I love it. A build is a failure if you can’t kill someone with it,” Matthew said.
Before the duo hits the gym, they tested out the spikes by swinging at beer cans thrown to them. The spikes punctured the beer cans and exploded on impact. Once they were done testing it out, Brandon and Hudson hit the gym.
Buff Dudes performed different exercises with the dumbbells such as chest presses, shoulder presses, upright rows, and bicep curls. Once the workout was finished, they joked about “taking it too far” while wearing suits that look like they did not have any skin left.
“Never have I been so excited and so nervous to workout,” Hudson said.
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Would you take a chance and use these dumbbells to workout?! For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The Mike O’Hearn Show: “If You’re Not In Great Shape In Your 20s… I’m Done With You.”
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Episode 7: Mike O’Hearn debates with Vlad Yudin about cancel culture, actions vs words, and short sightedness in bodybuilding.
Mike O’Hearn sits back down with Vlad Yudin to discuss some key thoughts that have been on O’Hearn’s mind recently. Most notably, what makes a man? What determines the true value and character of a person? While this is somewhat of a philosophical topic – it can tie directly into bodybuilding more than you might think. In Generation Iron and Barbend‘s latest episode of The Mike O’Hearn Show, Mike discusses a person’s actions vs their words, the rise of online cancel culture, and how short sightedness is a major problem not just in culture at large but also directly affecting bodybuilding.
Mike O’Hearn has always preached on the value of longevity. He believes that bodybuilding, true bodybuilding, is about maintaining an incredible physique and strength over the long run. It’s one thing to be a natural talent when you are 28 years old. It’s another to still have that kind of talent and success when you are 50. This notion ties directly into O’Hearn’s question about “what makes a man.” No singular statement or action can truly determine the character of a person. It’s about their actions over the longterm. What kind of person are you in the whole of your life?
Actions vs Words: The Problem With Cancel Culture
The conversation starts off with Mike O’Hearn claiming that a person’s actions are far more valuable than their words. This sparks a discussion about cancel culture online and how quickly online mobs are ready to take down a person for a single tweet. While word can be damaging – O’Hearn thinks it is impossible for one statement or one tweet to represent the whole of a person.
While there may be some extreme exceptions – O’Hearn believes that the actions and the consistence of a person’s actions speak louder than anything else. This is where bodybuilding comes in. Fitness and bodybuilding are about action. They are about consistence of action and building not only a better physique but better health for the whole of your life.
“You can’t judge somebody based on someone else’s opinion of that person.”
– Mike O’hearn
Those same training tenets should be how we evaluate a person’s character. In today’s world of social media, short sightedness prevents evaluation of long term action. No matter how high someone may climb, the mob is always excited to see them torn down. Speaking of, this short sightedness ties directly into the other key topic of this week’s episode…
Short Term Greatness vs Long Term Success
Mike O’Hearn takes this larger concept and parses it down into bodybuilding and what defines bodybuilding success. O’Hearn believes that many young people are short sighted. This was true even before social media or the web. But perhaps modern technology has made this bad habit even worse for the newer generations.
O’Hearn has always seen bodybuilding success as longevity. While it can be impressive to build a 300 pound mass monster physique – it’s less impressive if that can’t be maintained in the long term of life. Mike O’Hearn is now 53 years old and has a physique that still matches how he looked in his 20s. He also is very rigorous about health checkups – and can claim that he is extremely healthy.
He owes all of this to his consistency throughout his life. He made certain sacrifices, less partying when he was young, more early mornings), so that he can feel as healthy in his 50s as he did when he was a young adult. He would rather be healthy and muscular in the long run of his life – than be Mr. Universe for even one year.
However, what he sees in the bodybuilding world is more of the opposite. Many pro bodybuilders aim to be the best possible in the short term. They want to be Mr. Olympia for as long as possible before burning out. This is why there is a growing drug and health problem in the sport. This is why many retired bodybuilding pros have bigger struggles in their older age.
O’Hearn understands that success such as becoming Mr. Olympia can be huge for opening doors in life. But is it worth cutting that life short? Or simply having a less healthy and more challenging twilight years?
Mike O’Hearn even ties this into finding the right coach. In an era where everyone is good at selling themselves online – it’s more important than ever to judge a coach or trainer by his actions and consistency in the long term of their career. If O’Hearn sees a trainer who is out of shape in his 50s, well then what can’t he teach about maintaining fitness and muscle into older age?
Wrap Up
You can watch Mike O’Hearn and Vlad Yudin’s full conversation about actions vs words, cancel culture, and bodybuilding longevity in our latest episode of The Mike O’Hearn Show. Check out new episodes every Friday only on GenerationIron.com and wherever podcasts are downloaded.
Michal Krizo Switches To NPC From IFBB Elite Pro
Its official! Michal Krizo has made the switch.
After nearly a year of rumors, Michal Krizo ha made the switch to NPC from the IFBB Elite Pro, where he has been one of the superstars and arguably the face of the league.
The move was made official in a press release published by EVLS Pro. This is the organizer of the EVLS Prague Pro and amateur show.
“Dear fans,As you all know very well, EVLS PRAGUE is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. During these ten years, it has created a solid place not only in the bodybuilding world, but also in your hearts, which we greatly appreciate and thank you for.That is why we are happy that we managed to enter into cooperation with a personality whom we respect very much and we believe that with our support he will achieve many successes and fight for the highest one, Mr. Olympia.MICHAL “KRIŽO” KRIŽÁNEK is a new member of the EVLS Team!Michal has decided to end his time in the Elite Pro federation and we are extremely honored that he will be showing his qualities in the NPC federation as a member of the EVLS team.We have always had only the highest goals, we have prepared great, dare we say timeless festivals, we have created a globally respected brand that is a symbol of quality and pride, and we firmly believe that it will continue to be so in the next ten years!”
Michal Krizo Hopes To Turn Pro And Compete In Olympia
For any bodybuilder, the goal is to earn their Pro Card and compete on the biggest stage in the sport. For Krizo, it is no different as he makes the move to NPC. Krizo’s first hurdle will be earning his Pro Card within the NPC.
This is something that fellow Slovakian bodybuilder Adela Ondrejovicova did a few weeks back. She was able to earn her Pro Card almost instantly and will now have a chance to compete against the IFBB pros. Both athletes share a coach and it is likely that Krizo will begin training immediately to win a show and earn his card as well.
For NPC, this is a huge move as Michal Krizo adds star power to a league that has become extremely marketable overtime. Krizo is the type of figure that brings attention and fans to shows that he competes in.
For Michal Krizo, this is the next move in what has already been a successful career. Now, he will look to take it to the next level.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.