Tag: Bodybuilding
Paralyzed Bodybuilder Shares Story Following World Championship Victory: ‘I Just Woke Up Like This’
Macethantile “Max” Kulati is the first wheelchair bodybuilder in South Africa and is thriving.
Nearly two weeks ago, Macethantile Kulati, better known as Max, was crowned World Champion after representing South Africa during the 2022 World IFBB Championship. Kulati has found great success in bodybuilding despite being paralyzed from the waist down. Recently, the bodybuilder shared his story and his journey to where he is today.
Kulati began as a powerlifter and is not the only wheelchair-bound professional bodybuilder in the continent. He hails from Moeggesukkel in Eastern Cape and has been able to overcome all obstacles. There have been times where Kulati has been denied a cab because some drivers believed that it was too difficult to get him into the car.
This is all because of one morning when Kulati woke up and could not feel his legs.
“I just woke up like this; that was back in 2014,” Kulati said according to News 24.
“It came as such a shock to me. I just wanted to pull the covers over my head and not get up. I didn’t even want the door to be opened and for the light to find its way inside, but one day, I realised that I needed to work on myself because crying wouldn’t help.”
The Journey of Max Kulati
Max Kulati explained that the paralysis was due to a growth on his spine. Doctors operated on his spine to remove fluid but they believed that Kulati would be paralyzed permanently.
According to Kulati, this is not the end as he can do things like wiggle his toes.
“I can move my legs now. I can wiggle my toes too and can even feel when a fly is sitting on my legs, that’s how much sensation I have. I just can’t walk because my abdominal muscles are still dead.”
Kulati believes that he can walk again if he was given the necessary medical support. He specifically mentioned Aurora Special Care Centre.
“The best thing for me to learn to walk again is to be inside a swimming pool. Water exercise does wonders for the body, especially the abdominal muscles. If only I had a way of using a swimming pool and someone to help me, I know that I’ll be able to walk again.”
Despite the difficulties, Max Kulati is going to continue to compete on stage and train as a bodybuilder. He will serve as an inspiration to those in the same position or anyone who believes they are not meant to do something.
“I’ll be participating in a competition again soon and might compete abroad again. Team Max has been helping me by doing fundraisers so that I could travel to competitions. I am grateful that there are people standing behind me every step of the way.”
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Straight Facts: Is The Future Of Mass Monster Bodybuilding Doomed?
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Jerry Brainum believes that the peak of bodybuilding has passed and been on a downslide ever since – breaks his evidence down in a latest video.
Modern bodybuilding has been under scrutiny in many ways for the past decade or so. First due to the distended stomachs and “unpleasant” look of bloated mass monster physiques. And now more recently due to the many tragic untimely deaths of relatively young bodybuilders. That’s why this week Jerry Brainum is going to look at the recent past to try and predict the future of bodybuilding – particularly Men’s Open. Is it doomed towards more of a health and popularity decline? Or will there be a shock to the system to change the trajectory of the sport? In our latest episode of Straight Facts, Jerry Brainum predicts the future of bodybuilding using today’s evidence.
Distended stomachs, untimely deaths, and heavier bodybuilders each generation are all pointing to one thing. Modern bodybuilding is focused on drug use and abuse at a level unseen in previous eras. In looking at the past and present to predict the future trajectory of the sport – Jerry Brainum sees many evolving factors that change the industry. But one thing that has changed the most far more than any other factor is the amount of drug use.
Jerry Brainum believes that if the sport continues down this course – that young bodybuilding deaths will continue. In fact, he believes that the young bodybuilders today will have an increased risk of dying by their early 50s. Brainum’s biggest question when lookin towards the future is – what is the limit? Both in terms of mass monster size and drug use doses. Is today’s port on the precipice of a fundamental change? Or will it continue to push boundaries for decades to come?
RELATED: Bodybuilders Are Dying – An Investigation Into Modern Bodybuilding, Health, & PED Use
Tracing the evolution of mass monster mentality and drug use in bodybuilding
Jerry Brainum starts off this episode with a brief overview on how the sport has gotten to where we are today. He starts by pinpointing one of the most historical culture shifting moment in the sport. When Dorian Yates debuted his mass monster physique – he showed a new bar that bodies can achieve. Brainum believes this was the single most defining moment of modern bodybuilding history. It changed everything.
Shortly after that – drug use continued to push boundaries. The evolution and information about these drugs became more known in the sport. By the early 1990s, insulin was introduced into the sport. Instead of being used as medicine for those with diabetes, it was used in combination with steroids to push bodybuilding size even further.
With the advent and eventual ubiquity of the internet – access to illegal and banned substances became even easier. Drug use increased even faster. Limits and doses increased. Which brings us to where we are today.
Predicting the future of competitive bodybuilding
So how does this course show us what the future holds? Jerry Brainum believes that many of today’s bodybuilders are taking such high doses of PEDs that medical professionals can’t even accurately know what kind of health effect it will have.
Brainum fears popular drugs like Trenbolone will have a devastating impact on the health of athletes as they age. Not only in terms of untimely deaths – but also early onset Alzheimers disease. Brainum states that studies have shown Trenbolone can trigger early onset Alzheimers. Despite no longer being legally produced – it’s widely popular among bodybuilders who compete.
Jerry Brainum believes that the only thing that can change the course of bodybuilding, mass monster sizes, and drug use – is to hit an absolute limit to what is possible. At some point, bodybuilders simply won’t be able to get bigger. Or perhaps at some point, the deaths will be so devastating that young athletes will change mindset on drug use and physique desires.
The question is, are we reaching that point currently or is that still far out from now? Jerry Brainum believes that the true peak of bodybuilding ran between the Golden Era of the 70s through to the early 90s. Ever since then, Brainum believes that bodybuilding has been on a decline in both popularity, quality of physiques, and health of the athletes. Will the 2020s be the rock bottom? Or will it take longer?
Brainum believes that the true peak of bodybuilding ran between the Golden Era of the 70s through to the early 90s.
How genetic therapy might change the game for bodybuilding
Jerry Brainum also predicts that gene therapy will one day completely transform bodybuilding and physiques. It’s still a very long way off from being an option – but Brainum thinks that gene therapy will one day replace traditional PED use. If the very genes can be manipulated to increase muscle size and become readily available to athletes – it will be used in droves.
However, Jerry Brainum also thinks this will lead to a brand new series of health related issues. Early gene therapy has already shown its dark side – with subjects growing tumors, being diagnosed with cancer and even dying. Who knows what kind of health ramifications can happen down the road if gene therapy (and even black market illegal gene therapy) becomes available to athletes.
Will Classic Physique become the new normal?
Jerry Brainum also touches upon the invention of the Classic Physique division and whether or not that will change the course of bodybuilding’s future. Brainum believes that, based on how fast the division has grown, Classic Physique will one day become the most popular division and highlight of the sport. Chris Bumstead’s immense popularity is early proof of this.
Jerry Brainum does not, however, believe it will kill Men’s Open bodybuilding. The freak factor is just too exciting to disappear. Instead, he thinks there will simply be less athletes interested in doing Men’s Open – which will lead it to becoming an exciting, but smaller division.
Wrap Up
Ultimately, Jerry Brainum paints a grim picture of the future of bodybuilding. His assessment almost seems like a stock market going into a bear market. While it will hurt many people, the sport simply needs to crash in order to reset and grow again. And much like the stock market – it’s hard to predict when the real deal crash will arrive.
You can watch Jerry Brainum go into full detail in our latest episode of Straight Facts above. Make sure to also stop by the Generation Iron Fitness Network every Wednesday for new episodes each week.
2022 Puerto Rico Pro Preview: Will Hassan Mostafa Avenge Last Year’s Performance?
Who will take home the title at the 2022 Puerto Rico Pro?
The 2022 Puerto Rico Pro is the next big show of the bodybuilding season. There will be 10 divisions present in San Juan, Puerto Rico fitting for that automatic qualification to the 2022 Olympia. The show will take place from June 17-19 with many exciting events on the schedule.
The Olympia is set for Dec. 16-18 in Las Vegas. Winners of shows will be automatically entered while others will gain points toward the Olympia Qualification System. In this particular show, the athletes who finish second through fifth will earn Tier 3 points.
The Men’s Open division will once again be the highlight of the show and there are a few big names who could take home the prize. Below, check out a breakdown of some of the top competitors, along with the full roster for each division.
2022 Puerto Rico Pro: Men’s Open Roster
Maxx Charles
Marc Arthur Dautruchee
Jonas Giatras
Theo Leguerrier
Hassan Mostafa
Andrea Muzi
Hassan Mostafa
Many eyes will be on Hassan Mostafa, who finished third at this event last year. He is the highest returning finisher and will look to take the next step. Mostafa did not win a show last year but earned enough points to qualify for the Olympia, where he finished 13th. This season, Mostafa seems to have made major improvements, including adding size and is more conditioned. Heading into Puerto Rico, Mostafa might be considered the favorite.
Maxx Charles
Maxx Charles has been busy this season thus far. He has competed five times with two top-three finishes. Charles finished third at the New York Pro and Indy Pro in back-to-back weekends. He has put himself in a strong position regarding qualification points but would like to earn a victory and skip that process. It will be interesting to see how Charles continues on if he does not win this show, considering he has competed many times already. If he can pull it out, there will still be some time to rest and prepare for December.
Theo Leguerrier
Theo Leguerrier continues to gain momentum in Men’s Open. He finished as the runner-up during the Toronto Pro just two weeks ago, which was his highest as a pro. Leguerrier can be considered a dark-horse to win this show if he shows up in his best shape. Andrea Muzi also appeared in this show last year looking to improve on his finish.
Men’s 212
Abdullah Alsaif
Oswaldo Gonzalez
Dectric Bo Lewis
Flipe Fierro Lobos
James Ortiz
Emmanuel Rodriguez
Rachid Souki
Wilfredo Victoria
Ryan Walters
Classic Physique
Chris Barnes
Luis Colon
Marco A. Corchado
Joey Decaminada
Anthony Diaz
Camilo Diaz
Darius Dillon
Carlos Dommar
Kelvin Hinde
Miguel G. Sanchez Lopez
Carlos S. Marchand
Emanuele Ricotti
Ruben Stouth
Stephen Thames
Men’s Physique
Peter Burnett
Rhyan Clark
Daniele D’Onofrio
Anthony Gilkes
Alex Hessam
Alejandro Landeros G.
Luis Alonzo Leon
Daniel Leone
Steven Lopez
Clarence McSpadden
Andrea Mosti
Chevy Phillips
Giovanni Randazzo
Edward J. Romero Sanchez
Women’s Bodybuilding
Reshanna Boswell
Erika Dankova
Julia Foery
Women’s Physique
Tamara Gourley
Ann Gruber
Claudia Gabriela de Leon Pardo
Takeela Reddrick
Marianne Von Gierke
Fitness
Cong Mou
Tamara Vahn
Figure
Melissa Brodsky
Kim Clark
Sh’Nere Mattise Deas
Samantha Jerring
Hiromi May
Katlyn O’Neil
Danielle Rose
Roberta Visintainer
Bikini
Giuss Abbate
Kim Gutierrez
Janine Herrera
Natasha Hopkins
Liana Martinez
Stephanie Mickens
Jessica Miller
Gabriella Mohamed
Angela Ruscilli
Anna Setlak
Francesca Stoico
Jodie Yunker
Wellness
Normarie Fonseca
Jossiemar Rosado Galindo
Andrea Hrenko
Alejandra LaFonseca
Giselle Machado
Jasmine Payne
Julia Rene Pensiero
Leslie Reyes
Zelma Santos
Nerilde Garcia Strey
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PNBA Bikini Divas Champ Kayla Rowling Shares Pre-contest Breakfast
PNBA 2x Bikini Natural Olympia champ Kayla Rowling shares her pre-contest breakfast a couple of weeks from INBA PNBA’s World Championships.
Natural bodybuilders follow a different nutrition strategy in-season than off-season, especially as the competition approaches. Pre-contest diets for natural bodybuilders are the most rigid, and each calorie and macro counts since pre-contest meals are only a few weeks from the competition. For example, Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association (PNBA) athlete Kayla Rowling is a couple of weeks away from her first international bikini competition of the year–the World Championships in Florence, Italy. And she shared what her pre-contest breakfast looks like.
Kayla Rowling is an International Natural Bodybuilding Association (INBA)/PNBA 2x Natural Olympia champion. She competes in the Bikini Divas category and is the reigning champ. Rowling also has a multi-media contract with Generation Iron, Iron Man Magazine, and the INBA PNBA. She recently took over Iron Man Magzine’s Instagram account and shared how her breakfast looks three weeks out. Rowling stated:
“Egg whites are a staple in my diet and I eat them all year long for Meal 1! I can’t wait until after Italy when I can replace the asparagus with my long lost love… oatmeal! ? perhaps.. a whole egg?! ?? oh how I miss the yolk! Delayed gratification is a beautiful thing!
Meal deets: 5 egg whites or 150g, 5 asparagus spears – I make them in the air fryer on 385 degrees for 10 minutes depending on their thickness, handful of mushrooms – I try to buy organic as much as possible!, seasonings: onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper”
You can see her full post by Iron Man Magzine below.
Kayla Rowling’s Pre-contest Breakfast
Kayla’s Rowling pre-contest breakfast consists of protein and vegetables. She eats five egg whites/150g, which has 17g of protein. Protein is vital for bodybuilders since it helps them maintain their muscle mass.
Asparagus is beneficial because it contains few calories–essential during pre-contest when bodybuilders are in a caloric deficit–but it’s high in nutrients, including iron, zinc, riboflavin, and vitamins. As a result, asparagus has many health benefits, such as improving digestive health and lowering blood pressure. But when it comes to weight loss, it helps because it’s low in calories, high in water, and rich in fiber.
Mushrooms are also beneficial when cutting weight and body fat since they’re rich in fiber, protein, and antioxidants but low in calories.
Pre-contest Dieting
Pre-contest diets are extreme and rigid and can lead to adverse health consequences. Other INBA PNBA bodybuilders have shared their experiences with pre-contest dieting and its potential negative side effects. For example, PNBA Bikini competitor Amanda Martin says that the goal of contest prep is to get in the best physical condition to be on stage. But according to Martin, contest prep can lead to irritability, unbalanced hormones, loss of energy, and sleep disruption. And PNBA competitor Ben Howard expressed how his sleep suffered during contest prep.
Moreover, eating enough calories is vital to building muscle. That’s why natural bodybuilders only have short spurts in pre-contest dieting and spend ample time in a caloric surplus to focus on building muscle. Branon Lirio has made it a point to say that you need to have time to bulk during the year as a natural bodybuilder to rebalance your hormones and improve your physique.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more INBA PNBA nutrition strategies!
Phil Heath Meets With Dan Solomon: Is An Olympia Comeback In The Works?
Phil Heath recently got back into business with Dan Solomon. Will he return to the stage?
Phil Heath already has seven Olympia titles under his belt. Could he be coming for an eighth?
This has been a topic of conversation ever since Heath stepped off the stage following his third-place finish at the 2020 Olympia. The legendary bodybuilder has not officially retired and this is why there has been talks of a return. On Saturday, Heath was in South Florida to meet with Dan Solomon.
The Olympia President shared a post on Instagram detailing his office move to South Florida and hinting at some projects that Heath is working on.
READ MORE: Phil Heath Discusses A Possible Comeback To Accomplish 10x Mr. Olympia Goal
“To help celebrate my recent move into my new South Florida office space, Phil Heath stopped by for a visit today. — Phil has some big projects in the works and he’s fast becoming a powerhouse motivational speaker!! Incredibly proud of Phil and all the opportunities that are coming his way. We’ll have some announcements for you guys soon. @philheath“
What Is Next For Phil Heath?
Phil Heath commented on Solomon’s post expressing his excitement in sharing news with bodybuilding fans.
“A great office and even better conversation today @dansolomon_official as it’s always great having a solid meeting of the minds. Excited to share more with you soon ?”
Heath first appeared in the Olympia in 2008 and reached the pinnacle in 2011. This was the first of seven consecutive victories. In 2018, Heath finished second to Shawn Rhoden before missing the competition in 2019.
READ MORE: Phil Heath Shows Off Chiseled Midsection In Recent Update
Since stepping off stage, Phil Heath has continued to train and look massive in physique updates. It is clear that he still has a passion for fitness and has kept his physique in championship shape.
Phil Heath has discussed the possibility of returning to the Olympia and it has not sounded like there is a plan anytime soon. With that being said, there is clearly something in the works between Heath and Solomon. Fans will have to wait until it is announced to look forward to Heath’s next venture — whatever it may be.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Dante Trudel Speaks Out On PED Use: ‘I Am Frustrated In People’s Short Outlook On Life’
Dante Trudel shared all of his frustrations when it comes to steroids in bodybuilding.
The issue of steroids in bodybuilding is not one that is going away anytime soon. In fact, many figures around the sport and industry are speaking out sharing their opinions and ways to improve. In a recent Instagram video, Dante Trudel decided to weigh in on the problem.
Trudel began bodybuilding at 20 years old and spent time around the sport in the 1990’s. He decided to get out and has since started many businesses, including being the creator of DC Training. Despite being active in the fitness industry, Trudel does not agree with the way PEDs and different substances are being used.
Dante Trudel and Hardcore Muscle
Dante Trudel explains in his caption that he is frustrated with this topic because of the messages and attention that it has been getting. Early in the video, Trudel references a newsletter that he began in the 90s called “Hardcore Muscle.”
READ MORE: Bodybuilders Are Dying: An Investigation Into Modern Bodybuilding, Health, & PED Use
In the newsletter, Trudel would often discuss and reference information around different areas of bodybuilding from sources such as Curtis Leffler, Tom Prince, Mike Mattarazzo, Phil Hernon. Trudel used these men to reveal an unfortunate truth.
“Those guys, what’s common? They’re all dead. Every single one of them.”
“There’s no one dying in natural bodybuilding. There’s no one dying in professional golf. There isn’t a preponderance of football players dying in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. There are a lot of professional bodybuilders, pro wrestlers dying young. People can make all the excuses they want but what’s the common occurrence? You guys can figure it out.”
Dante Trudel discussed bodybuilders dying early because of substances that are being taken. After pointing out this fact, Trudel continued to discuss how life does not end early.
Dante Trudel: “It’s Just Not Worth It”
Trudel continued his video by discussing how some young people might believe that life ends at a certain age. Trudel used himself as an example. He was married in his late 30s, had kids in his 40s, and started multiple businesses. Because of this, he wonders why people believe that bodybuilding is worth it.
Dante Trudel went onto discuss the late John Meadows. He explained how Meadows made money in many ways off the stage, including his YouTube page. Trudel says how only the top few bodybuilders in the sport actually make money and that others could be doing it for a trophy or vanity.
“The sad truth of the matter is that there is going to be a boatload of people watching this video right now that are going to die young. Because they are going to get done watching this video and forget about it because it doesn’t fit their agenda. Some of you are going to walk out to your mailbox at 45 years old and drop dead in front of your three-year old son. And for what? A Trophy? the vanity? That’s worth it?”
This topic gained plenty of attention over the last year or so because of the deaths that have hit the community hard. Both Shawn Rhoden and George Peterson passed away at the end of the 2021 season. Cedric McMillan passed away suddenly in April and this sparked the issue of steroids.
According to Dante Trudel, he does not believe that it is worth it. He ends his video with a call to action for some young users to sit back and wonder what they are exactly doing.
“I really think some of you guys need to sit back and think where you want to be in 10-20 years…I just think some of you need to think this stuff out. It’s not worth a $15 trophy. It just isn’t.”
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Ronnie Coleman Trains Legs Twice A Week, Hits Calf Raises With Feet “Totally Numb”
Ronnie Coleman continues to train in the gym despite some physical limitations.
Ronnie Coleman put together a legendary career that will keep him up there with the best bodybuilders of all-time. The eight-time Olympia champion is tied for the most victories ever with Lee Haney. Despite his retirement and some physical limitations, Coleman has continued to train in the gym and recently showed off a leg day.
Coleman underwent many surgeries during his decorated career. In 2019, Coleman explained that he had went through back surgery 10 or more times. This left him needing some assistance to walk but the bodybuilder made sure to remain active in the gym.
In an Instagram post, Coleman shares a calf raise exercise and explains the importance of hitting leg day each week.
Ronnie Coleman: “It’s About How Bad You Wanna Do Something”
Ronnie Coleman went to MetroFlex Gym in Arlington, TX to take down this leg day. In the video, Coleman is seen on a seated calf raise machine attacking reps. Despite his feet going numb, Coleman continues the workout and does this to keep other levels where they need to be.
“Trying my very best to do calf raises with both of my feet being totally numb. Sometimes it’s not about how hard you try do something, it’s about how bad you wanna do something. Shout out to my friends over at Frontline Alternatives for helping me keep my liver, kidney and heart levels on point. #yeahbuddy“
This post comes a week after Ronnie Coleman revealed that he still trains legs twice a week. He is unable to squat anymore and says that this is what he misses the most but Coleman still has strength in his legs and likes to keep them in shape.
Coleman has remained active and influential in the sport of bodybuilding. He has discussed the issue of PEDs in the sport and believes that the “sport is not worth dying for.” This came after he went over a near-death experience of his own prior to the 2001 Olympia.
Ronnie Coleman continues to be an inspiration to all and this is why he was given the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2021 Arnold Classic. Workouts and videos like this calf raise venture is the big reason why.
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PNBA Competitor Wins a Dozen Bodybuilding Medals After Weighing Nearly 300 Pounds
Image via Instagram @jax.murph
PNBA athlete Jacqueline Murphy went from being almost 300 lbs to winning a dozen bodybuilding medals.
Natural bodybuilders in the International Natural Bodybuilding Association (INBA)/Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association (PNBA) league have some inspirational transformation stories. One of those competitors is Jacqueline Murphy.
Jacqueline Murphy competes in the Women’s Physique and Figure categories. She shared an astonishing natural bodybuilding transformation on Instagram (IG). Murphy went from weighing nearly 300 pounds to winning a dozen bodybuilding competitions, including the recent INBA PNBA Southern Pro/Am show in Georgia. Murphy expressed:
“Thinking about how I went from being almost 300lbs to bringing home a dozen medals for bodybuilding and yesterday I got my first tiara @inbapnbaglobal_officialSouthern PRO/AM in GA. I got to spend an amazing weekend with great friends who made the whole experience 10000 times more enjoyable especially @awesome_mc_kickass for driving you and hubby all the way down from IL just to see me. @_zinkalove_ and @dukenukem24_pnba_pro for being great travel and team buddies and always reminding me that no matter what to go out and smile.”
You can see Jacqueline Murphy’s full IG post below.
Natural Bodybuilding Transformations
Natural bodybuilders in the INBA PNBA can completely transform their physiques safely. That’s because drug use isn’t an option in this league unless competitors want to be banned from competing, stripped of their titles, and placed in the Hall of Shame. Therefore, the INBA PNBA screens its athletes through strict drug testing guidelines.
Many INBA PNBA athletes have undergone tremendous natural bodybuilding transformations. Since drugs aren’t an option, INBA PNBA athletes use innovative workout and nutrition strategies to build the best natural physiques in the world. For example, Danairo Moore utilized anabolic fasting to build a top-tier natural body. In addition, Michaela Peramaki added 1500 calories to her diet to create her stunning physique.
As a natural, transformations take time–of course, doping will transform your physique much faster. That said, INBA PNBA bodybuilders take years to morph their bodies. For example, Jodie Litzow shared an 11-year transformation photo after taking up natural bodybuilding. And Caleb Attwater made massive improvements in a little over a year. Moreover, some INBA PNBA competitors will take years off from competing to work on building their physiques.
Diabetes, Wheelchair Athletes, and Cancer Survivors
The INBA PNBA welcomes all levels of fitness and bodybuilding and has a variety of categories. However, some athletes that make up the INBA PNBA league are diabetics and contenders with cancer. For example, 6x Natural Olympia champion Kiyoshi Moody lost 60 pounds in his battle with cancer. In honor of all INBA PNBA competitors who are in a battle with cancer, have conquered cancer, or have lost to cancer, the INBA PNBA hosts the International Battle Against Cancer yearly.
The INBA PNBA also has divisions for the physically challenged, like the Men’s Physically Challenged Wheelchair category–Matt Morton was the 2021 Natural Olympia champion. Morton also has type-2 diabetes. Check out how this diabetic athlete trains following the progressive overload principle.
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Jay Cutler Believes Derek Lunsford Can Thrive In Men’s Open: ‘He’s Young Enough Where I Think He’s Very Dangerous’
Jay Cutler believes Derek Lunsford could be a top-three finisher at the Olympia.
There has been plenty of discussion abut Derek Lunsford making a move to Men’s Open after his guest posing appearance at the 2022 Pittsburgh Pro. While nothing is set in stone, the idea remains in the mind of many around bodybuilding. Recently, Jay Cutler weighed in on the topic and believes that the 212 champion could thrive in Open bodybuilding.
Cutler might be done on stage but he remains extremely active in the gym and in the sport of bodybuilding. In a recent interview on Muscle and Fitness’ YouTube page, Cutler discussed his impression of Lunsford in Pittsburgh.
“This [Derek] Lunsford guy is the real deal. If you asked me who I was most impressed with, for sure Lunsford because I hadn’t seen that before. I never saw him guest pose like that. I saw him in the gym that day. He’s got the width, but he also has separation that, and he’s young enough where I think he’s very dangerous.”
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Jay Cutler and Chris Cormier continued to discuss the Olympia competition. After two consecutive titles, Big Ramy might be the competitor to beat but both former athletes believe that is might be Brandon Curry’s show to lose.
“He’s won second or first for how many? He won Arnold, second, first. He has the best track record. How do you not put him as a contender right? He’s been right there. He either won it or been second for a few years so nothing against the other guys,” jay cutler said.
Should Derek Lunsford Make The Move?
Derek Lunsford was able to get over the hump during the 2021 Olympia and win the 212 title. This has been his goal for years and was able to reach the pinnacle of the sport. It is clear that his goal at the moment is to defend his title but this does not mean that he will not make the move eventually.
Lunsford stepped in for Big Ramy, who was unable to get to Pittsburgh to be a guest poser at the show. He stepped on stage next to other elite competitors such as Curry, Hunter Labrada, and Nick Walker. This gave Lunsford a chance to compare his physique to those at the top of Men’s Open.
“He had told me honestly that he of course wants to defend 212. But I agree with you, I think it’s going to come down to let’s see how his body is coming together as he gets into August and September, see where he’s at. Remember, Hany keeps his food down. For that guest posing, he was on 150 grams of carbs a day. Think about if he actually ate. He was definitely over 250-pounds, I don’t know exactly how much over.”
Men’s Open continues to be the biggest division in bodybuilding. This means there is more publicity and a larger prize pool. A change for Derek Lunsford might not be coming this year but it could be in the cards moving forward.
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2022 Clash of the Titanz Pro-Am Results
Image courtesy of Instagram @danrayphoto
Daisha Johnson wins the 2022 Clash of the Titanz Pro-Am!
The 2022 Clash of the Titanz Pro-Am took place in Atlanta on Saturday with Figure and Wellness taking precedent. This competition handed out two qualifications to the biggest show of the year taking place in December. In the end, Daisha Johnson was victorious in their respective divisions.
The Clash of Titanz bodybuilding competition only featured one division, Wellness, over the weekend – but was truly a clash as the title of the show suggests. 10 Wellness athletes competed for the top spot in an impressive showcase of physiques. Diasha Johnson ended up taking the top spot followed by Jasmine Payne in second place and Leticia Allen in third.
The winner of the Clash of Titanz event qualified for this year’s Olympia 2022 weekend – earning Johnson a chance to compete against the best in the world for the most prestigious title in the sport of bodybuilding.
The full results from the show have been announced. Below, you can find the full breakdown from the event along with official score cards!
2022 Clash of the Titanz Pro-Am Breakdown
Wellness
First Place – Daisha Johnson
Second Place – Jasmine Payne
Third Place – Leticia Allen
Fourth Place – Melitza Guerrero
Fifth Place – Rachel Lee
Sixth Place – Victoria J. Puentes
2022 Clash of the Titanz Pro-Am Official Score Cards
Generation Iron wishes to congratulate all the great athletes who earned a win at the IFBB Clash of the Titanz Pro-Am 2021. 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.