Tag: Bodybuilding
Natural Olympia Reigning Champ Paul Krueger Exhibits Favorite Exercise for Monster Shoulders
2021 Natural Olympia champ Paul Krueger explains why the hammer strength shoulder press is one of his favorite shoulder exercises to build monster shoulders.
Building monster shoulders is imperative in the judge’s eyes for bodybuilding. Broad shoulders increase your shoulder-to-waist ratio, which is key to a V-taper and aesthetic physique. However, since your shoulders are one of your most mobile joints, it’s easily injured. Therefore, you have to find the proper exercise to allow you to grow your shoulders and prevent injury simultaneously. Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association (PNBA) athlete Paul Krueger says the hammer strength shoulder press is one of his favorite shoulder exercises. He says it allows you to overload your shoulder muscles with minimal chance of injury.
Paul Krueger is the reigning champion (Pro Men’s Bodybuilding Open) of Natural Olympia. And he plans to seize the crown again this year. Paul Krueger released a video explaining why he loves the hammer strength shoulder press on social media. Krueger stated:
“Growing big ass shoulders hammer strength plate loaded shoulder press. Here we go! This is one of my favorite exercises for shoulders as I get the most out of it with minimal risk of injury. It’s a very powered-based move.”
You can see his complete statement and video explaining how to do the exercise below.
Natural Olympia Vs. Olympia
Natural Olympia is the Super Bowl of all natural bodybuilding competitions hosted by the INBA PNBA – the most significant natural bodybuilding organization with competitors representing over 60 countries. It’s similar to the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro’s Olympia. The difference is that athletes that participate in Natural Olympia are drug tested. Each INBA PNBA competitor is subjected to the most thorough drug testing standards – the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which the Olympics use.
Denny Kakos (founder) hopes to bring bodybuilding to the Olympics via natural bodybuilding. The Olympics prohibit drug use and most bodybuilders who aren’t competing in natural bodybuilding dope.
There are many categories at Natural Olympia, including Men’s Sport Model, Men’s Bodybuilding Masters, Women’s Physique, and Bikini Angels. However, the Men’s Bodybuilding category is the main bodybuilding category and offers the largest cash payout.
Natural Olympia Champions
The first Natural Olympia champion dates back to 1998, with John Hansen becoming the first ever to win the Pro Men’s Bodybuilding Open in Corinth, Greece. Since then, many other athletes have won, including Philip Ricardo Jr. (2007, 2008, 2015, 2019), Kiyoshi Moody (2009-2014), and now, Paul Krueger (2021).
John Hansen is a three-time Natural Universe champion and wrote for Iron Man Magazine. And he wrote the book Natural Bodybuilding in 2005. Philip Ricardo Jr. is still competing to this day, and he’s the reigning Men’s Bodybuilding Grand Masters champion. Ricardo Jr. also hosts the Pro/Am Philip Ricardo Legends International show. Today, Paul Krueger is the champ and has high hopes for the future.
2022 Natural Olympia will be filled with competitive competition ranging in all categories. For example, Alondra Chatman (Figure 2021 champion) and Derek Joe (Classic Physique 2021 champ).
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East Coast Mecca: Flex Lewis’ Gym Philosophy Deleted Scene
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With the recent news of Flex Lewis’ retirement from competitive bodybuilding, we decided to honor the 7x Olympia champion by republishing our East Coast Mecca deleted scene focusing on Flex Lewis and his gym philosophy. This episode originally aired on October 20th, 2015. Original story below:
What does it take to be Flex Lewis?
Welcome to East Coast Mecca Dropsets – a new spinoff series revealing extended and deleted scenes from our latest show – East Coast Mecca. We ended up shooting so much at The Bev Francis Powerhouse Gym that not all of it could make it into the episodes, but why keep it all to ourselves? We’re giving you an all-access inside look at everything that went down inside one of the best gyms in bodybuilding today – The East Coast Mecca.
Flex Lewis has just proven himself to again be the best 212 bodybuilding competitor out there with his 2015 Mr. Olympia win. But how did he become the standout champion bodybuilder we all know and love today? In this never before seen clip from East Coast Mecca Flex describes the deep rooted philosophies he takes into every single workout session he performs. While there may be no one special secret to greatness – getting inside the head of the current reigning 212 Olympia champ might be a good place to start.
James “Flex” Lewis is an IFBB-certified pro bodybuilder from Llanelli, Wales. He grew up participating in athletics and was a rugby player at his high school. The nickname “Flex” actually predated his involvement in bodybuilding; he was given it by his rugby teammates for his extraordinary flexibility and speed with the ball.
Lewis found that he enjoyed weight training and exercising the most and gradually phased out rugby in favor of bodybuilding. At age 16 he entered the Junior Mr. Wales where he placed 1st. He went pro in in 2007 at the British Nationals and has gone one to place first at several IFBB pro events.
Who is Flex Lewis?
James “Flex” Lewis is an IFBB-certified pro bodybuilder from Llanelli, Wales. The “Welsh Dragon” grew up participating in athletics and was a rugby player at his high school. The nickname “Flex” actually predated his involvement in bodybuilding; he was given it by his rugby teammates for his extraordinary flexibility and speed with the ball.
Lewis found that he enjoyed weight training and exercising the most and gradually phased out rugby in favor of bodybuilding. At age 16 he entered the Junior Mr. Wales where he placed 1st. He went pro in in 2007 at the British Nationals and has gone one to place first at several IFBB pro events.
Watch his rise above! Missed the latest season of East Coast Mecca? Catch the entire episode featuring Flex Lewis right here:
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Blessing Awodibu Shares One Final Physique Update Looking Crazy Impressive Before Indy Pro
Blessing Awodibu continues to improve right up to his scheduled appearance at the Indy Pro.
The 2022 Indy Pro is set to take place on Saturday and Blessing Awodibu continues to show his progress — right up until the final moment. Awodibu is considered one of the favorites to win on Saturday. He shared one final physique update on Thursday where he is looking extremely impressive heading into the show.
Awodibu burst onto the IFBB scene in 2021. He finished third at this very competition last season before coming in sixth place during the New York Pro. Awodibu took the rest of the season off in order to make the necessary improvements, including adding size. By the looks of his recent physique updates, Awodibu is ready to hit Indianapolis hard.
“It’s almost time to danceLOADING⏳”
The Indy Pro will include last year’s champion Justin Rodriguez. This gives Blessing Awodibu a chance to see how he stacks up against some of the other top competitors in the world. Maxx Charles will also be present looking to make an impact and earn qualification to the 2022 Olympia.
Blessing Awodibu Preparation
Blessing Awodibu has stayed active on social media sharing physique updates and there is a clear secret to his success this offseason. Awodibu has tailored his workouts around volume training and it seems to be working.
“VOLUME VOLUME VOLUME.
IF YOU REALLY WANT TO BUILD MUSCLE, YOU NEED TO IMPLEMENT VOLUME IN YOUR SETS. DOING 8-12 REPS IS A GOOD RULE OF THUMB FOR BODYBUILDING MOVEMENTS,” Awodibu said on a podcast appearance with Mark Bell.
Blessing Awodibu shared his offseason meal preps as well, highlighted by steak. It is a diet plan meant to add size while keeping his shredded physique. Awodibu has also been training with Nick Walker, who he developed a bit of a rivalry with following the New York Pro last season.
Awodibu continues to be one of the biggest up-and-coming names in bodybuilding. That is going to continue as he improves his physique and adds size. He has been unable to make it to the Olympia just yet but has a chance to qualify if he can win the Indy Pro.
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Seven-Time 212 Olympia Champion Flex Lewis Announces Retirement From Bodybuilding
Image via Instagram @flex_lewis
Flex Lewis has decided to “hang up his posing trunks” after a legendary career.
Flex Lewis launched the first episode of his Straight Outta The Lair podcast on Friday morning. Joined by his wife, Ali, Lewis discussed many topics including bodybuilding and his family’s move to Las Vegas. The seven-time Olympia champion proceeded to make a major announcement. Lewis revealed that he has decided to retire from bodybuilding.
Around the 22-minute mark of the podcast, which was shared to his YouTube page, Lewis begins talking about the future and explains how it is time for him to make this decision.
“I’ve kind of thought about many ways on how I want to deliver this because it is something I have done since I was 19. There’s no real easy way to say this but it’s time.
Bodybuilding has served me very well. It has opened some amazing doors for me but it is time for me to hang up my posing trunks. It has been an amazing road. One I am very blessed to say that I have accomplished more, more things than I ever thought imagined.”
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“Without getting emotional, you kind of know. I know. This is a decision that I made myself…It was my decision and everybody has supported it. There’s multiple reasons why I’m at this place.”
Flex Lewis continues to discuss his decision and says he wants to be present for his family. Flex and Ali welcomed their second child to the world last week. Lewis wants to be around his family more moving forward.
“My son is on the way and I really want to be present. I really want to be present. My daughter is six years old right now. I’ve lost a lot of years of her life being on the road, traveling, putting bodybuilding first. There’s no way around it. Bodybuilding was first on many, many occasions. I just want to be there for the birth and I just don’t want to have to look at the clock and eat meals and run off to the gym.”
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Kali Muscle Shares Experiences With PEDs: ‘If You’re A Bodybuilder, You’re Risking Your Life’
Kali Muscle recently shared some of his negative experiences with steroids as a bodybuilder.
Kali Muscle has been vocal about steroids in bodybuilding recently. As a former competitor, Kali has plenty of experience and opinions on the use of different substances when competing. In a recent YouTube video, Kali Muscle shared some of his negative experiences from steroids over the course of his career.
Kali joined bodybuilding late but quickly became an icon because of his story and incredible physique. He gained a massive following on social media and continues to be an influential voice in the sport. Following a recent string of deaths that have hit the bodybuilding world hard, many have spoken on how to improve the sport.
Kali Muscle suffered a heart attack in 2021. He explained that this was caused by a clogged left artery. Shawn Rhoden passed away last year of a heart attack. Dallas McCarver and Cedric McMillan also died of complications with their heart. Kali Muscle believes that all substances used in bodybuilding have negative effects.
“Do not take Insulin, if you’re a bodybuilder you’re risking your life. There’s quite a few bodybuilders dying because if they don’t get that sugar spike, they just ‘oh I’m going to go to sleep’, and they go to sleep and die. Leave that stuff alone,” Kali Muscle said.
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Kali Muscle Bodybuilding Beginnings
Kali Muscle had an incredible physique from an early age but he did not begin bodybuilding until around 2009. He entered a show and saw great success. This led to his move to Los Angeles in 2010 in hopes of becoming a professional.
Kali continues to explain how he quickly put on weight once he was given guidance. He began taking different steroids to put on size to compete on stage.
“So during this time, let me rewind back a little bit. During the time of me doing these bodybuilding shows, I studied a minimum of eight hours a day. I bought all the anabolic books, I was on Google eight hours a day because everyone does the same workouts, everyone does the same supplements, it’s how you stack the PEDs, you know what I mean.
“I didn’t know what the heck I was doing. I didn’t have no advisor, the guys I knew were amateurs that were guessing as well. So, I remember this one time I experienced a bad infection. My partner or guy I knew gave me some testosterone and all of a sudden a boil had came on the side of my hip. I immediately knew it was from bad juice.”
Kali Muscle Offseason Stack
Kali Muscle was able to get up to 270 pounds but this is when he had a close-call using Insulin. Kali ate a lot of carbs before helping a person move out of their apartment. He became dizzy and was fearing that he would fall into a coma. Kali had to eat a Snickers bar to get his sugar back to normal. This was the final time he took Insulin.
“Enathate, Tren 1600, sometimes Anidrol, sometimes D-bol, Remedyx, that was my stack.
So getting ready for shows, I would do Test, Propofol, Tren, Ace, Winstrol, Anivar, Clenbuterol, T3, and sometimes, well Lasix and water pills if you’re getting ready for a show. That was my stack man. I never did Synthol. I never did anything to pump up my muscles for a day or anything like that. After a show I would get off everything. I would do nothing. I would come off everything. Do Clomid, and HCG when I would come off.”
Kali Muscle says that doctors did not specifically say that this was the cause of his heart attack. He explains how he grew up with a bad diet and how that could have been a factor, along with experimenting with different drugs.
There is a concern with steroids in bodybuilding today and it is not a problem that is going to go away. Kali Muscle remains on the side against steroids because of his own medical complications.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
INBA Natural Bodybuilder Shelly Arora Explains What Food to Eat Post-Workout
Image via Instagram @shellyarorafitness
Indian Natural Olympia competitor Shelly Arora says you should eat protein and carbohydrates post-workout.
Post-workout nutrition is an integral part of any fitness plan. What you eat before and after workouts will help mold the physique you want. Certain foods and macros are better to consume swiftly after finishing training. International Natural Bodybuilding Association (INBA)/Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association (PNBA) competitor Shelly Arora shared the foods to eat succeeding exercising.
Shelly Aurora is an Indian INBA bodybuilder that competed at the 2019 Natural Olympia, earning a bronze medal in the INBA Sports Model class. In the Women’s Physique category, she also won INBA Asia Pacific Championships in 2019. In an Instagram (IG) post on May 5, 2021, Arora shared the food you should eat post-workout. Arora stated:
“It is particularly important to eat carbohydrates and protein post-workout. Doing this helps the body: decrease muscle protein breakdown, increase muscle protein synthesis (Growth), Restore glycogen stores, Enhance recovery.
Simple carbs like fruits, potato give instant energy and are great carb options post-workout. Complex carbs like oats, whole grain pasta, brown rice, etc, can be had 1-2 hours post-workout.
For protein, there are multiple options to pick from – eggs, chicken, salmon, tuna, cottage cheese, quinoa or just a good quality protein supplement.”
Arora also said that you could eat fats, except they should be consumed in small amounts to aid digestion – she recommends nuts. You can see her full IG post below.
Post-Workout Nutrition
Post-workout nutrition will help you replenish the muscle glycogen (energy for your muscles) you lost during the workout, specifically carbs. So it’s important to eat nutrient-dense carbohydrates, such as oats, whole grains, rice, and fruit.
Protein is also essential to eat post-workout since it will help with protein synthesis to help you build muscle. You can consume a protein shake/protein bar or eat meat, eggs, or seafood.
The timing of when you consume these foods is imperative. As Shelly Arora mentioned, it’s best to intake carbs and protein promptly within 1-2 hours of working out.
Natural Bodybuilding
Natural bodybuilders have a precise way of structuring their workouts and nutrition because that’s all they can rely on when competing. Drug use is prohibited in natural bodybuilding, so every calorie and macro counts. Drug use drastically enhances your physique and musculature; however, it’s detrimental to your health and gives competitors and unfair advantage.
INBA PNBA athletes are tested through the Olympics’ same testing standards – the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). And the founder of INBA PNBA, Denny Kakos, hopes to have natural bodybuilding in the Olympics. Since the Olympics prohibit drug use, natural bodybuilding gives the sport of bodybuilding a chance to earn a spot.
Natural athletes that compete in the INBA PNBA league get an opportunity to the most considerable cash and prize payouts in natural bodybuilding. And multi-media contracts that give natural athletes exposure via digital media bodybuilding and fitness platforms – Iron Magazine, Generation Iron.
Recap
What you eat after a workout will determine how quickly you recover and how much muscle you build. Therefore, it’s best to consume a mix of carbohydrates and protein soon after physical activity. For carbs, eat fruits, whole grains, potatoes, and rice. Your protein intake can come from a protein shake/protein bar, meat, or seafood.
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Hardcore Truth: Should NPC Bodybuilder Winners Receive Prize Money?
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Johnnie O. Jackson opens the question: Are we rewarding NPC bodybuilders enough?
Beyond being an IFBB Pro bodybuilder and notable athlete in the sport, Johnnie O. Jackson also runs and promotes his own NPC bodybuilding competition. Due to this he is familiar with the ins and outs of the rules, guidelines, and regulations for NPC competitions. Recently, he was asked by a bodybuilder – why do NPC shows not provide prize money for winners? This led Jackson to wonder if NPC competitors are rewarded enough before turning pro. In our latest episode of Hardcore Truth, Johnnie O. Jackson debates the idea of prize money for NPC bodybuilders.
All IFBB Pro bodybuilders start of as amateurs. The battle to earn a pro card is an exciting and challenging one. Bodybuilders need to earn their way into the pro ranks – it’s not something given as a handout. Many aspiring bodybuilders never make it to the pro league. However, during the period competing as an NPC bodybuilder – the expenses are largely the same. Entry fees, supplements, meal prep, possible travel to important competitions – these are all large costs that might not necessarily end in a pro card. Currently, there is no real cash-in hand prize money offered for NPC competitions.
In this week’s episode of Hardcore Truth – Johnnie O. Jackson takes a hard look at the current culture behind NPC competitions. Jackson, of course, went through the NPC league himself. But he is also now a promoter for a NPC competition. He understands both sides of the coin. But until recently being asked, Jackson did not ever question the status quo of no prize money for NPC winners.
Johnnie O. Jackson understands that there are heavy costs on the promotion side – and providing prize money to top place athletes would add to the cost. However, he also understands the cost of being an amateur athlete. Jackson muses that perhaps, at the very least, a prize comping the cost of entry can be rewarded to the winner. Or perhaps, if it’s Nationals qualifier, travel and entry fees can be comped for entering the NPC National Championships.
Johnnie O. Jackson makes a good point. Perhaps there are talented young individuals who simply cannot afford to be a competitive bodybuilder before turning pro. Are there young phenom talents who simply never have a shot due to monetary issues?
For quite a long time, college athletes were not allowed to earn sponsorship money while competing in college leagues. This has recently changed, allowing athletes to earn money off of their talent, hard work, and attention gained via America’s love of college sports.
Currently, there are no rules against gaining sponsorship as an NPC bodybuilder. However, perhaps opening up this guideline further to NPC prize money should also be considered. Johnnie O. Jackson points out that this isn’t a handout. It’s earned. The work that a NPC bodybuilder puts in is valid.
However, Jackson also understands the counterpoints. Bodybuilding competitions are already expensive to run – adding prize money might ultimately put too much pressure on promoters and hurt the overall sport. Some might also argue that adding prize money on the amateur level will remove the “edge” or “passion” of the young athletes.
This second argument might not hold water. Bodybuilding is a lifestyle and niche sport. Prize money or not – passion will be the key factor in an amateur bodybuilder going pro. Jackson doesn’t believe money will hurt the quality or intent of athletes.
Currently, the NPC league is seen more as a proving ground compared to the pros. This is not just in terms of on-stage battles but also in terms of personal commitment. Are you willing to invest money into this with little reward? Are you willing to invest so much time into something that might not work out?
But bodybuilding leagues should also take care of their athletes. Perhaps an NPC amateur is not the same as a pro competitor – but the leagues could not exist without the athletes. Perhaps some middle ground option for prize money can be discussed to help motivate less fortunate aspiring bodybuilders rise up to pro status.
Johnnie O. Jackson doesn’t see this as a pressing or issue that requires mandates – but for the first time in his career, he questioned what should change and what should stay the same for the NPC league guidelines.
What do you think? Watch Johnnie O. Jackson’s full comments in the latest episode of Hardcore Truth above and let us now your opinion! Don’t forget to check back every Thursday for new episodes each week!
2022 Indy Pro: Men’s Open Preview
The 2022 Indy Pro will have three divisions present highlighted by the Men’s Open category.
The 2022 Indy Pro is the next big show on the schedule around the bodybuilding world. Some of the world’s best competitors will gather to Indianapolis in hopes of earning a trip to the 2022 Olympia. The show will take place on Saturday with three divisions being highlighted — Men’s Open, Men’s 212, and Women’s Bodybuilding.
This event comes one week after the 2022 Pittsburgh Pro. This show did not feature the Men’s Open category but it saw some elite athletes appear as guest posers, including Brandon Curry, Nick Walker, and Hunter Labrada. Now, the Indy Pro will have a chance to punch another ticket to the biggest show of the year.
Justin Rodriguez was victorious at the Indy Pro last year and he will highlight the field of competitors. Below, you can find a breakdown of some of the top athletes scheduled to appear at the show along with the full lineups for all three divisions.
Justin Rodriguez
Justin Rodriguez is coming off a victory at this event last year. He will be considered one of the favorites to win his second consecutive title. Rodriguez continues to impress in Men’s Open and has some more steps to take. He finished eighth at the 2021 Olympia before what was supposed to be a big 2022 season. Rodriguez finished fifth at the Arnold Classic after impressing during prejudging. He fell a bit come the night portion of the event. Rodriguez has a chance to continue to impress during the Indy Pro.
Blessing Awodibu
Blessing Awodibu is returning to the Indy Pro once again after a third place finish a year ago. He went onto finish sixth during the New York Pro just one week later. Following this contest, Awodibu took the remainder of the year off but is now ready to return to the stage. After many physique updates, it is clear that Awodibu was able to put on the size he was looking for this offseason. Looking at the field, Awodibu has a chance to finish in the top three once again and challenge Rodriguez for his title.
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Maxx Charles
Maxx Charles haș not won a contest since the 2018 Romania Muscle Fest Pro. In recent years, he has been on everyone’s radar but has fallen just short. At the 2022 Indy Pro, Charles has a chance to finish in the top three. He last competed at the Boston Pro this season, finishing fifth. This came after an eighth-place finish at the Arnold Classic. Rodriguez and Awodibu will be tough to beat but Charles could surprise at the show if he comes in at his very best.
Charles Griffen
Charles Griffen was put on the map when he finished third at the 2021 Tampa Pro, a show that was won by Iain Valliere. He has won one show during his professional career and it came during the 2018 Muscle Mayhem. Griffen will not blow you away with size but he is well-conditioned and brings great symmetry to the stage. Griffen can be considered a dark-horse in this event and could sneak near the top of the score card.
Dorian Haywood
Dorian Haywood was a frequent competitor last season. He competed in five shows in 2021. Haywood finished fourth at the Indy Pro and New York Pro last year. Now, he is looking to take the next step in 2022. The field is strong for the Indy Pro but Haywood is not short of experience. He knows what it takes to show up at these competitions and could catch some eyes if he is in his best shape.
2022 Indy Pro Lineup
Men’s Open
Blessing Awodibu
Slavoj Bednar
Maxx Charles
Ross Flanigan
Ron Gordon
Charles Griffen
Dorian Haywood
Matt Kouba
Walter Martin
Eslam Mohamed
Diogo Nunes
Justin Rodriguez
Ray Short
Brent Swansen
Men’s 212
Noel Adame
Abdullah Alsaif
Bryan Balzano
Peter Castella
Arturo Cotto
Broderick Credell
Joey Decaminada
LeLand DeVaughn
Yumon Eaton
Asante Gibson
Teddy Gray
Boas Oliveira
Enmanuel Rodriguez
Mark Smith
Women’s Bodybuilding
Jada Beverly
Stephanie Flesher
Theresa Ivancik
Lisa Audrey
Donna Salib
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6x Natural Olympia Champion Kiyoshi Moody Divulges Battling Cancer and Coming Out of Retirement
Image via Instagram @kiyoshi_moody
6x Natural Olympia champ Kiyoshi Moody opens up about his past battle with cancer and discloses if he plans to come out of retirement in an interview on a podcast.
6x Natural Olympia champion Kiyoshi Moody opened up about his battle with cancer and how he reached remission on the Longevity Muscle Podcast. Kiyoshi Moody won Natural Olympia for six years, from 2009 to 2014. Moody also discussed many other topics on the podcast, including the IFBB Pro League and the future of bodybuilding. Plus, Moody disclosed if he plans to come out of retirement.
Keep reading to see Kiyoshi Moody’s insight on battling cancer and his future in bodybuilding.
Battling Cancer
On the Longevity Muscle Podcast, Kiyoshi Moody discussed being diagnosed with stage 4 bladder cancer a few years ago. According to Moody, the doctor said he should start getting everything to prepare for the worse (death). Moody’s doctor said he had 5-6 months to live.
“My weight just dropped. I mean I was about 215, and I just dropped all the way down to 154. And I was going through chemo at the time. So it was a rough battle.”
Advised by his doctor, Moody eventually quit chemo and went to a resort in Mexico focusing on holistic treatments. The nurse recommended Moody start taking CBD. Moody says his health improved within a month of taking a high CBD dosage. He also completely changed his diet and quit eating meat and dairy. Instead, he ate vegetables and fruit. After a little over a year, Moody was in remission.
Natural Bodybuilding, the IFBB, and the Future of Bodybuilding
Kiyoshi Moody confesses that natural bodybuilding will never be like the IFBB Pro league because people want to see freaks. Moody stated:
“They want to see guys that are 250 270 pounds that are just shredded. As opposed to a guy that is 170 180 pounds shredded.”
Kiyoshi Moody says that if natural bodybuilding leagues all came together and hosted one big show, the likelihood of big sponsors coming into natural bodybuilding would increase. Moody stated,
“You have all these qualifiers to go to this one pro show. That’s when you’ll have your bigger sponsors come in.”
Kiyoshi Moody also claims that women competitors get screwed the most in bodybuilding because the bikini division draws in the biggest crowd but gets paid the least.
But he does say the INBA PNBA league is growing and pays the most compared to other natural bodybuilding federations (he’s won two cars and $8,000 winning Natural Olympia). In addition, Kiyoshi Moody says Denny Kakos, INBA PNBA founder, plans to bring back natural bodybuilding to the Olympics – drug use in bodybuilding took it out of the Olympics.
Will Kiyoshi Moody Come Out of Retirement?
At the end of the podcast, Kiyoshi Moody discussed a possible return to natural bodybuilding. Now that Moody’s daughter has graduated high school and is playing college softball, Moody admits to competing again. Moody said:
“I’ve been getting the itch more and more and more because now I’m more consistently in the gym. And my weight started going back up.”
Moody acknowledges that his legs have been difficult now that he’s in his 50s and has had past sports injuries. However, if he steps on stage, he doesn’t want to get on stage to be in the limelight. Instead, he says, “I’m stepping on stage to win.” He went on to say that he plans to compete in 2022.
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Chris Bumstead Focuses On Volume In New Full Chest Workout
Chris Bumstead hit a new chest workout where he is focused on volume.
Chris Bumstead gifted himself with a new truck followed by a chest workout on Sunday. He pulled up to Revive Gym in Stuart, FL in his new 1978 Ford F-150 Lariat edition and got a massive pump using volume on chest day.
Bumstead is the reining three-time Classic Physique Olympia champion. By the looks of his recent workouts, Bumstead looks primed a ready for his fourth consecutive victory. The Classic Physique division is one that continues to grow and there are more elite competitors than there has been in recent years.
Chris Bumstead struggled with COVID at the beginning of the year and he saw a big weight loss because of it. He is now in the bulking phase of his training and has put the weight back on in muscle. It is because of massive workouts like the one he recently shared on his YouTube page.
Check out the full workout below:
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Chris Bumstead Chest Workout
Incline Dumbbell Press – 2 sets of 12
Incline Machine Press – 3 sets of 12
Cable Flyes – 3 sets of 12, drop set on final set
Pec Deck Machine – Sets and Reps unknown
Incline Dumbbell Press and Incline Machine Press
Chris Bumstead began with different stretches to loosen up his shoulder, which has been bothering him recently. He will mention over the course of the video how stretching his shoulder has allowed him to eliminate pain and get a better pump in his chest.
Bumstead begins the workout with two sets of incline dumbbell presses. He is able to get the 140-pound dumbbells up and will work to get back to 150 pounds.
“Only two working sets with the 140’s, hoping to get back to the 150’s soon. Then I come over here and do three sets. Hopefully a little more volume but really focusing on controlling, keeping the weight on my pec, which is easier on a machine.”
Bumstead then moves onto the incline machine press, where he speaks on the importance of machines for bodybuilders.
“Finally, I can push heavy without hurting my shoulders on dumbbells so I’m still focusing on getting some stability. That raw, hard push because there’s still no replacement for free weights at 100% but machines are still the GOAT for bodybuilders. Avoiding injuries, hypertrophy, all that good shit.”
Cable Press
Chris Bumstead continues his chest day with sets on the cable press machine. He performs this exercise sitting down. Bumstead explains how this machine is a cross between a fly and a chest press but it does not hurt his shoulder so he has been hitting it more often.
“I’ve been doing this a lot lately. Again, my shoulder hurts so anything flat press, puts too much pressure on my shoulder but the cables pulling out and back and I can position my body a little differently. I’m getting a combo of like a flat press with a fly on this machine and little to no pain in the shoulder.”
Machine Press and Pec Deck Machine
The final sets come on the machine press and pec deck machine. Bumstead claims that someone hopped on his machine before he was able to get there so he banged out a couple sets on the machine press.
Bumstead ends his workout with multiple sets on the pec deck machine. He did not specify the amount at the time. Once the workout is over, Bumstead reflects on how he is able to get better work in by stretching his shoulder.
“It’s amazing how loosening up my shoulder a bit, I’ve been getting some massages, needles, better warmups, stretching, has really allowed me to have less pain in my shoulder and engage my chest even further.”
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