Tag: Bodybuilding
INBA Australia Athlete Jodie Litzow’s Glamorous Natural Bodybuilding Transformation
Image via Instagram @jodie_litzow
INBA Australia Phyisue pro Jodie Litzow displays an 11-year transformation photo.
A total body transformation takes time. Patience and consistently following a structured diet and training plan are the key to improving your physique. And it doesn’t happen overnight. International Natural Bodybuilding Association (INBA) Australia Physique competitor is testimony to how following natural bodybuilding regimens consistently can transform your physique. Jodie Litzow uploaded an astonishing 11-year natural bodybuilding transformation photo to Instagram (IG)
Jodie Litzow recently earned her Professional Natural Bodybuilding (PNBA) pro card. She posted her natural bodybuilding transformation to IG on Instagram (IG) on December 13, 2021, showing her in 2010 compared to 2021. Litzow stated:
“This woman was brave, blissfully ignorant of what laid ahead, but was done with feeling like shit both in body and more importantly in her own head.”
You can see her full transformation photo on IG below:
INBA PNBA Women’s Physique Category
Women in the Physique division will have the second most muscular body in the women’s natural bodybuilding categories–Women’s Bodybuilding competitors have the most muscle mass. For example, if you look at the Bikini Divas division, muscle mass is an integral part of the judging, but the athletes won’t be as big as the ones in Women’s Physique. The Judges score the Women’s Physique class on symmetry, muscularity, definition (conditioning), and stage presence.
Claire Burton is another Women’s Physique contender who won the gold medal in the Master’s division and the silver medal in the Open class at 2021 Natural Olympia. Melanie Pfeifer is a strong woman who took first place in the Women’s Physique Open class at 2021 Natural Olympia after a breast cancer diagnosis. Anitra Jeffrey also competes in the Physique class, placing fifth at 2021 Natural Olympia.
Natural Bodybuilding
For many INBA PNBA competitors, natural bodybuilding has been an outlet for better mental health and physical health. Some INBA PNBA athletes that have faced a battle with cancer point to natural bodybuilding for their improvement. Moreover, multi-media athlete Brandon Lirio says that weightlifting helped him overcome anxiety by balancing his hormones.
Natural bodybuilding doesn’t allow drug use. So the candid competitors– who follow INBA PNBA’s World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) drug guidelines–those who don’t end up in the Hall of Shame–have a safe environment to compete in the sport of bodybuilding and manage their health simultaneously.
Since drugs are banned, INBA PNBA natural bodybuilders must think outside the box to develop the best physique they can naturally to claim a medal at the most extensive natural bodybuilding competition worldwide (Natural Olympia). For example, the 2021 Natural Olympia Men’s Bodybuilding Masters third-place finisher, Peter Cichonski, trains outside to help with recovery and build muscle.
And other natural bodybuilders train with less volume compared to performance enhancers. Of course, as a natural, many athletes can’t handle the same workload an enhanced (steroid) user may be able to. For example, Kenyan Natural Olympia champ Meshack Ochieng trains each muscle group once a week during the off-season.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more INBA PNBA news!
WATCH: Stunned Boxer Begins Swinging At Non-Existent Opponent During African Boxing Event
Simiso Buthelezi began throwing punches at the air after his opponent fell out of the ring.
A strange scene unfolded on Sunday during a boxing event in Africa. Simiso Buthelezi was prepared to defend his title against Siphesihle Mntungwa at the Greyville Convention Centre in Durban, South Africa. It took a turn in the 10th round when the champ began throwing punches at a non-existent opponent.
Buthelezi seemed to lose his sense of where he was in the 10th round once his opponent fell out of the ring. Mntungwa was struck and fell through the ropes before quickly scampering back in. The referee restarted the match but Buthelezi did not go after his opponent. Instead, the undefeated fighter turned the other way and began throwing punches in the corner at nothing.
The referee was forced to stop the fight and Mntungwa was awarded the victory. Tim Boxeo shared the video on his Twitter account.
“Very scary in South Africa please for Simiso Buthelezi (4-1). At 2:43 of the 10th & final round, Siphesihle Mntungwa (7-1-2) falls through the ropes but then Buthelezi appears to lose his understanding of the present situation. Mntungwa takes the WBF African lightweight title.”
Very scary in South Africa please ?? for Simiso Buthelezi (4-1). At 2:43 of the 10th & final round, Siphesihle Mntungwa (7-1-2) falls through the ropes but then Buthelezi appears to lose his understanding of the present situation. Mntungwa takes the WBF African lightweight title pic.twitter.com/YhfCI623LB
— Tim Boxeo (@TimBoxeo) June 5, 2022
An update was posted in a threat under the tweet explaining the current condition of Buthelezi.
“Sources share that Simiso Buthelezi is currently in stable condition in South Africa and in the next few days more will be learned as to what could have potentially caused a very scary and odd response in the ring.”
This is a scary scene for boxing because of the potential head or brain injury that Buthelezi might have suffered. There will be more answers given in the coming days as the situation gets sorted out. At this point, it is unknown if the one-time undefeated fighter will be in any condition to step back in the ring.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Best on the Planet – Triceps That Need Horseshoes of Their Own
Best Triceps In The World
For most people, a tricep workout is limited to a few cable pressdowns and a couple of dips. Although the triceps are a small muscle group, they need a lot of attention and exercise variation.
The triceps consist of three heads which need to be trained with different exercises for overall development. Athletes in the article have proved their mettle by putting in the time and dedication which goes into building the horseshoe triceps.
Roelly Winklaar
Roelly has one of the nastiest arms in the business. The definition of his triceps looks like they are straight out of a comic book. Winklaar seems to be improving on his arms with every passing year.
Lee Priest
Let’s get the elephant out of the room by acknowledging Lee Priest had one of the best triceps back in the day. What Lee lacked in height, he made up with his muscle symmetry, definition, and volume.
Kevin Levrone
Kevin Levrone is one of the best bodybuilders of all time. He’s also considered to be an uncrowned Mr. Olympia. Kevin’s symmetry and aesthetics flowed down to his triceps and set him apart from his competition.
Flex Lewis
Flex is a 7X 212 Mr. Olympia and probably has one of the best genetics in the industry. Lewis has thick and striated triceps. His triceps pop out more because of his small joints and full muscle bellies.
Julian Smith
Although Julian Smith is known as the “Quad Guy”, his muscle conditioning is top-notch. Smith focuses on his triceps using different techniques including varying TuT (time under tension) and rep ranges.
Rob Riches
It doesn’t get any better than Rob Riches when it comes to muscle definition. You could actually learn muscle anatomy on Rob’s triceps. The muscle composition and symmetry set Rob apart from the crowd.
Sadik Hadzovic
Sadik Hadzovic is a crowd favorite and his 2.5 million followers on Instagram are proof. Hazovic has the golden era aesthetics and focuses on the overall development of his body. The back of his arms is perfectly balanced, conditioned and shaped.
Chris Bumstead
Chris Bumstead is a classic physique competitor. His broad shoulders and narrow waist will give you flashbacks of the golden era of bodybuilding. Bumstead follows a no-nonsense approach while training his tris and the results speak for themselves.
Ulisses Jr.
Ulisses Jr. is an internet fitness celebrity and his crazy aesthetics have won the world over. He is a hard worker and balances his workouts between lifting heavy, keeping the intensity high and focusing on his core.
Shawn Rhoden
How could we leave the reigning Mr. Olympia out of the list? Being Mr. Olympia means the athlete is the best bodybuilder in the world. We couldn’t find a fault with Rhoden’s physiques even if we tried.
Header image courtesy of Envato Elements
Who do you think has the best triceps?
Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
PNBA Champion Brandon Lirio Details New Business Venture: World’s Strongest (Every) Man
3x Natural Olympia champ Brandon Lirio discusses his new business venture–the World’s Strongest (Every) Man.
The competitors of the World’s Strongest Man have incredible strength. They’re pulling busses and lifting atlas stones weighing over 400 pounds. However, these men are behemoths with some standing 6’6” – 6’9” and weighing between 300-400 pounds. For example, the 2022 World’s Strongest Man champ, Tom Stoltman, is 6’8” and 397 pounds. Professional Natural Bodybuilder Association (PNBA) champ Brandon Lirio wanted to create a World’s Strongest Man, except with a slight twist–one for the everyman.
Brandon Lirio competes in the Classic Physique division and is a 3x Natural Olympia champ. He also has a multi-media contract with Generation Iron, Iron Man Magazine, and the INBA PNBA. In addition, Lirio has a new business venture similar to the World’s Strongest Man. But it’s for men with a more ordinary physique. Generation Iron received some insight from Lirio on his new project. Lirio stated:
“WSEM came about when my kids were just born and I was training in my basement. I watch videos constantly of Giants Live and WSM and I thought… how close could a strong but regular guy come to this level of strength if they learned from the pros.
I was infected with the idea that not only would it be compelling to watch, but it would show people that a lot of their weaknesses could just be missed training cues.”
How Good of a Strongman Is Brandon Lirio?
Brandon Lirio acknowledges that it’s up to the other strongmen and the audience to decipher how good he is as a strongman athlete. However, he noted that professional strongmen Matt Mills and Stefan Torfason–Iceland’s strongest man– said they were impressed with his strength and invited him to train.
Traveling to Iceland to Lift the Husafell Stone
Brandon Lirio spent some time in Iceland, where he attempted to lift the Husafell Stone–a stone located in Husafell, Iceland weighing 186 kg (410 lb). Lirio said:
“Traveling to Iceland to lift the Husafell was an absolute dream of mine.”
Brandon Lirio heeded that he would be releasing a YouTube video in the upcoming weeks to answer the question: did I lift the stone? You can check out Lirio’s training with Stefan Torfason below, though.
Weightlifting With Iceland’s Strongest Man Part I
[embedded content]
Weightlifting With Iceland’s Strongest Man Part II
[embedded content]
Iron Man Magazine Feature
Brandon Lirio was issued in the Iron Man Magazine’s spring 2022 edition. Lirio expressed:
“Being on the cover of Iron Man is an incredible goal that I spent years just focusing on myself until those who MADE the magazine thought I was good enough to be on the cover. Arnold, Bob Paris, Frank Zane… the names of those who were on the cover before me is a who’s who of bodybuilding greats.
I’m going to spend the rest of my career trying to even hold a candle to their legacies.”
2022 Natural Olympia Quest
2021 Natural Olympia Brandon Lirio placed well, receiving 2nd place in the Classic Physique division behind Derek Joe. But this year, Lirio plans to take back the throne. Lirio asserted:
“As for the Natty O, 3x I hoisted that title over my head and that’s on top of the universe, national, continental, and world titles to my name. Every one of them was earned by looking inward and forcing myself into new territories to be the best version of myself.
DJ was told BY ME after his first Olympia appearance that soon he would be just as important to our division as I was. I meant it. But this year, I plan on going back to focusing inward to call myself 4 time.
All respect too every competitor up there, but I’m climbing the mountain this year to come back with crown.”
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for the latest INBA PNBA news!
2022 Toronto Pro Supershow Results
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.
Calum Von Moger Displays Accident Wounds From Hospital Bed In Update
Calum Von Moger showcases some of his wounds received after jumping from a second story window and being hospitalized.
After a somewhat long period of silence, Calum Von Moger shared a video of his wounds received after jumping from a second story window. The video was posted on his official Instagram and appear to be taken from his hospital bed. This post, along with another post made on Instagram earlier today, mark his first direct posts online since April 29th. Moger has been the subject of much media attention after multiple arrests in Australia that eventually led up to his shocking accident.
On May 6th, it was reported that Calum Von Moger jumped through a second story window while under the influence of methamphetamine. He received many injuries, including lacerations from the glass and spinal damage from the fall. He was hospitalized, received spinal surgery, and was in a coma for many days.
The news was a tragic and shocking turn of events after multiple troubling signs leading up to the May 6th incident. Local reports in Australia noted two separate arrests involving road rage incidents – one of which included Moger brandishing a machete. Since the accident, Moger has been reported to be in stable condition and awake. Today marks Moger’s first direct posts on Instagram since the accident.
You can watch the video post below:
The video, posted on Instagram, showcases Calum Von Moger filming his own arms. His arms have multiple laceration wounds stitched up and some bandaged. Moger appears to still be in the hospital bed during the time of the recording.
Three hours earlier, Calum Von Moger also made a post featuring a quote that appears to be from the Bible:
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and hope.’”
Calum Von Moger’s Accident & Mental Health In Bodybuilding
Calum Von Moger is a bodybuilder that became the pinnacle example of a new era of bodybuilding. His fame did not come from competitions but from social media. A video showcasing his physique and his training methods went viral – leading to his eventual fame and continued social media popularity. He was known as Arnold 2.0 due to his classic physique that matched the look of Arnold Schwarzenegger during his prime.
Moger took this popularity and ran with it – revealing not only a continued impressive physique but also a lavish and adventurous lifestyle. He was one part loved for his classic looking physique, and one part loved for his influencer style adventures and interaction with fans.
So it became shocking to the bodybuilding community when his social channels went silent. Calum Von Moger essentially disappeared in 2022. He returned to Australia, stopped competing in bodybuilding shows, and nearly stopped posting online altogether.
Following this silence, local reports came out of Australia of Moger getting into violent road rage incidents – being arrested twice as noted earlier in this article. This led to an online onslaught of influencer and blog coverage trying to “diagnose” his mental state.
Calum Von Moger eventually made a post on Instagram promising that he would work on his flaws and try to get better. Sadly, shortly after his accident involving jumping through a second story window occurred. This accident also confirmed earlier rumors of his use of methamphetamine.
In the wider mainstream conversation beyond bodybuilding, there has been much said about the dangers of social media and how it influences mental health. While it is clear that Calum Von Moger has many personal issues that we cannot begin to guess about – his struggles also were clearly seen on social media.
While we are not willing to speculate on what caused Moger’s recent and tragic accident. The entire situation has sparked discussions about mental health in bodybuilding and in relation to social media. Did the added pressure of social media attention during a time of struggle contribute to his declining mental health during this period of time? That’s up for debate – and one the bodybuilding community has been discussing at length recently.
Calum Von Moger’s Recovery
In either case, it appears that Calum Von Moger is on the mend. We had already received word that he had awoken from his coma – and these posts seem to show that he is ready to start engaging with the bodybuilding community online again. The video, while painful to watch, also shows that his wounds are healing. His spinal injury did no permanently disable him from walking. So for now it seems that Moger will be able to literally walk out of his accident.
Generation Iron wishes a speedy recovery for Calum Von Moger – and will provide more updates as they become available. It’s not clear what the future holds for Moger in direct terms regarding his bodybuilding career. That may become more clear as time passes during his recovery down the road.
Stay tuned to the Generation Iron Fitness Network for news and updates on all things bodybuilding, fitness, and strength sports.
PNBA Bodybuilder’s Secret Supplement to Boost Testosterone and Gains: Ashwagandha
Image via Instagram @dloweflex
PNBA athlete Dillon shared the benefits of ashwagandha, including boosting testosterone and muscle growth.
Most of your gym gains will come from your workout and proper nutrition. However, certain supplements have been proven to boost strength and muscle growth, and ashwagandha is one of them. Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association (PNBA) athlete Dillon listed the many benefits supplementing with ashwagandha provides.
Dillon competes in the PNBA Men’s Physique pro division. In a social media post, Dillon says that ashwagandha can lower stress and anxiety, improve your heart health, control blood glucose levels, boost testosterone, and help you build strength and muscle.
Dillon’s full IG post below lists the benefits of ashwagandha and shows him doing cable rope tricep extensions and flexing his triceps.
What Is Ashwagandha?
Ashwagandha is an herb derived from plants in Asia and Africa. Ayurveda, Indian alternative medicine, uses this herb as a natural remedy. You can take ashwagandha as a capsule or powder. It’s been shown to relieve stress, increase energy, and boost cognitive function.
Furthermore, many gym enthusiasts and bodybuilders will take it to boost their workout performance. Studies have shown that ashwagandha effectively builds muscle and strength (1). And this study found a 14.7% increase in testosterone production after supplementing with the herb (2).
Ashwagandha Benefits
Lower stress and anxiety
Improve heart health
Control glucose
Boost testosterone
Gain strength and muscle
Other ways to boost testosterone naturally include consuming foods high in zinc and magnesium and avoiding or limiting unhealthy lifestyle factors such as drinking too much alcohol. PNBA Hall of Famer Chad Martin has a complete list on optimizing T production naturally. Testosterone is vital for maximizing your gains in the gym. So the more testosterone you have, the more muscle you’ll build.
Natural Bodybuilding and Supplementation
As a natural bodybuilder, it’s imperative to take natural supplements to gain an edge in the gym. Of course, steroids boost T production. But steroids and other performance-enhancing (PEDs) can have side effects. And PEDs are prohibited in natural bodybuilding. Therefore, natural bodybuilders only take natural products.
For example, the 2021 Natural Olympia reigning Men’s Physique Open pro champ William Long takes ashwagandha and many other natural supplements.
William Long’s Supplements
The INBA PNBA league follows the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) guidelines–you can view their 2022 complete list of banned substances here.
Recap
Undoubtedly, your diet and exercise regimen is the most critical components to building a fantastic physique. However, certain supplements do help with your natural bodybuilding journey. For example, ashwagandha is a natural herb that will help you boost strength, muscle growth, and testosterone levels.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more natural bodybuilding tips!
References
Wankhede, S., Langade, D., Joshi, K., Sinha, S. R., & Bhattacharyya, S. (2015). Examining the effect of Withania somnifera supplementation on muscle strength and recovery: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 12, 43. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-015-0104-9
Lopresti, A. L., Drummond, P. D., & Smith, S. J. (2019). A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study Examining the Hormonal and Vitality Effects of Ashwagandha ( Withania somnifera) in Aging, Overweight Males. American journal of men’s health, 13(2), 1557988319835985. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988319835985
Nick Walker On Bodybuilding And PEDs: ‘I Don’t Think There Is Truly Anyway To Make It Better’
Nick Walker recently discussed the dangers in bodybuilding regarding PEDs.
Nick Walker has climbed to the top of bodybuilding because of his incredible size and conditioned physique. The issues of PEDs is bodybuilding is a hot topic in recent months and something that Walker knows about. He recently opened up a bit on the subject and if anything can be done.
Walker recently sat down with Greg Doucette for an interview. Doucette has been heavily active on social media, specifically his YouTube page, getting different inputs from bodybuilders on different topics around the sport. Here, the two discussed what might be done for bodybuilding to become safer for all involved.
Nick Walker on PEDs: “We’re Playing With Fire”
Nick Walker decided at the beginning of the year that he would focus his offseason prep on the Olympia. He decided not to defend his Arnold Classic or New York Pro titles, which Walker won in 2021. He finished fifth at the Olympia in October and is determined to improve his standing.
In a recent video with Doucette, Walker weighed in on the topic of PEDs.
“I feel like anything that could help at this point but at the end of the day, bodybuilding is bodybuilding. People come to see the freaks. People come to see us stand on stage and be as freaky as we can. Is it dangerous? Yes. Is there ways to make it safer? I’m sure, but at the end of the day, we’re playing with fire.”
Walker continued to discuss how athletes abuse different substances in the offseason particularly. This can go from different PEDs to food. This is how competitors are able to gain weight in the offseason and hang onto it for when it is time to cut.
[embedded content]
“Getting to a certain weight and then holding that weight, which is extremely unhealthy. Then, what? They come off a little while and then they got to do prep. We all know, everyone does probably a little more in prep because of how shredded you have to get.”
What Can Be Done?
In the opinion of Nick Walker, there is not much that can be done to make bodybuilding safer but he did like some ideas that have been thrown out.
“I don’t think there is truly anyway to make it better but honestly, I did like Fouad’s weight cap suggestion. Just because it would help keep everyone in the offseason in check without gaining too much weight.”
Shawn Rhoden and George Peterson suddenly passed away at the end of 2021. Cedric McMillan is the latest to pass away from heart complications. This is when different athletes began taking their health a bit more serious. This does not just include bodybuilders. Powerlifter Larry Wheels recently made it a point to get his heart checked out.
According to Walker, this is what athletes need to be doing in order to get ahead of anything.
“The only thing we can really do is individually, get our daily blood work checked, our daily EKGs, Echos, Calcium Scores, however often you feel you need. That’s really it. I mean, in my opinion, it all comes down to you.”
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The Mike O’Hearn Show: Biggest Differences Between Training Tactics In The 80s Vs Today
[embedded content]
Episode 1: Mike O’Hearn talks about the evolution of bodybuilding training and nutrition tactics from the 1980s to the 2020s.
Welcome to The Mike O’Hearn Show. Our brand new digital series and podcast hosted by Mike O’Hearn. With a focus on all things bodybuilding, fitness, and strength training – O’Hearn brings unique insight into trending topics in the industry due to his near ageless fitness career over 4 decades. Which is why for our episode premiere, Mike O’Hearn breaks down the evolution of training and nutrition strategies over the past 40 years. How do we train today vs the 80s? Let’s jump into it.
Technology and science is rapidly changing. It’s hard to believe that it was only 15 years ago before iPhones existed. Before we could connect to infinite information in the palm of our hand at any moment. That same kind of rapid change is constantly happening in the fitness space as well. If you were to compare the diet and training tactics of fitness masters in the 1980s – they would vary in many ways versus today.
While the core functionality of training will always be the same – the details have largely shifted. And it hasn’t stopped. What the fitness world looks like in another 40 years will likely have many shifts compared to today. Mike O’Hearn has been dedicated to strength training, bodybuilding, and fitness since his teen years. And he’s still going strong today without slowing down. This makes him the perfect person to provide insight into the evolution of fitness over these past few decades.
Gym Training – Working Smarter Not Harder
So what is one of the biggest differences in training tactics today vs the 1980s? Mike O’Hearn believes it comes down to how hard we train in the gym. Now this might sound misleading. O’Hearn doesn’t believe in secret tips to skip ahead of the line. But what he does believe in is the old adage, “Work smart, not hard.”
At one point in this week’s episode, Mike O’Hearn says that the goal of the gym is to gain as much benefits with as little work possible. What he means by this is to not overtrain. In the 1980s, more was always seen as better. The hardcore lifting mentality was to push your body so far that it forces growth. While it’s important to push past your perceived limits – recovery is also vital.
Mike O’Hearn understands this and believes more people today understand this than they did 40 years ago. O’Hearn notes that many bodybuilders use to push their bodies so hard that they would degrade from the pressure. While this still led to some truly amazing physiques, it also led to shorter careers laden with injuries down the road.
Mike O’Hearn learned early to not push so hard that he would be physically burnt out and broken by middle age. He looked at pro legends like Lee Haney for inspiration on how to train smart rather than too hard. Due to this, O’Hearn is still able to maintain a fantastic physique and train with full energy 40 years later.
“We understand the best rep range today better than we did back then.”
– Mike O’Hearn
It’s the little details that have improved over time with science in fitness. We understand how to better optimize training without breaking our bodies. We understand the importance of rest much better. We also understand how nutrition affects our bodies and our training methods more than we did 40 years ago. Which brings us to our next topic.
How Nutrition and Macros Perception Has Changed
We see the world of nutrition and diets much more differently than we did 40 years ago. Mike O’Hearn points out that the importance of dietary fats in a bodybuilding or fitness diet has taken a 180 vs yesteryear. In the past, dietary fat was seen as the enemy. It’s right there in the word “fat.” No one wants to be fat – so we should consume less of it.
But in reality dietary fat (especially from lean healthy sources) is vital toward maintaining a powerful physique and a healthy life. On top of this, we have grown to understand how much carbohydrates contribute to gaining fat on our bodies. In fact, the distrust of carbs has gone too far – at least in Mike O’Hearn’s opinion.
In 2022, carbs have a bad rap. They are seen as unnecessary. Carbs provide our bodies with energy – but beyond that can be seen as largely unnecessary. So modern dietitians and fitness gurus believe in low carb diets that bring in other sources of energy for our bodies. This helps with staying lean and avoiding unnecessary weight gain.
However, Mike O’Hearn thinks that the massive trend of low-carb diets has swung too far in the other direction. O’Hearn swears by carbs and still keeps them largely in his daily diet. He finds them necessary for longevity and building a healthy bodybuilding physique.
O’Hearn thinks that social media has played a slight part in the negative perception against carbs. Social media has created a world where fitness icons need to be lean 24/7. They need to post pictures of their shredded physique throughout the entire year. This denies people a period to focus on bulking and growth. O’Hearn finds this especially damaging for young aspiring fitness lovers.
During the teen years and early 20s, athletes should experiment with pushing their muscle mass as far as they can go. But if most people feel the need to stay lean 24/7 due to social media – this puts them in a constant state of deficit. That denies them a whole world that may open up if they allow themselves to put on more pounds and get to know their bodies muscle mass limits more.
Wrap Up
Mike O’Hearn likes to look ahead. He was talking about lower rep ranges and working smarter back in his younger years before many believed in that gym mantra. He believes that his views on carbs and other diet trends will eventually be popular in another 10 or 20 years. His longevity in fitness proves he is often on point. Science and technology will always continue to evolve. O’Hearn encourages all to try and stay ahead of the curve.
You can watch Mike O’Hearn’s full comments in our premiere episode of The Mike O’Hearn Show above. Make sure to stop by every Friday for more new episodes as we launch them each week.
Branch Warren “Still Grinding” Building A Shredded Physique In Retirement
Generation Iron alum Branch Warren continues to work hard in the gym and is looking the part.
Branch Warren rose near the top of bodybuilding during the 2010s because of his physique but also commitment to the sport. That is something that has not changed since he retired from competition. Warren recently showed off another physique update where he is looking as shredded as ever.
Warren was able to qualify for the Olympia many times over the course of his career but did not capture a title. In 2009, Warren came as close as possible entering the Olympia in his best shape. He finished at the runner-up to Jay Cutler that year and the loss was not east to deal with. He is a two-time champion at the Arnold Classic (2011, 2012).
In 2015, Warren decided to retire from bodybuilding but this did not mean that he was going to stop training — quite the opposite. He is still extremely active in the gym and makes sure to keep his physique in top shape.
Branch Warren Physique Update
Branch Warren was a featured character in the original Generation Iron film where a wider platform was provided to showcase his training and lifestyle in the sport of bodybuilding. Now, it is clear that he has maintained such a lifestyle off the stage at 47 years old.
“Still grinding!! This is throwing it back to last week in San Diego”
Branch Warren showed off his lower half in this specific physique update. Because of his dedication to bodybuilding to this day, there was some rumblings of a potential comeback in 2021. Warren made it clear that he will not officially return to the stage but he will train like he is.
The Masters Olympia is preparing to return in 2023. This has opened the door for many competitors to come back and perform in a different way. This is a show that was present from 1994-2003, with Dexter Jackson as the last champion of the show. It will be interesting to see if Warren considers this an option when the time comes.
Branch Warren has been busy in retirement with different projects, including his beef jerky company Wicked Cutz Jerky. Regardless of his future plans, it is clear that Warren has kept himself in championship shape.
[embedded content]
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.