Tag: Bodybuilding
3 Lost Exercises Of The Golden Era That Build Guaranteed Champions
Gone, but not forgotten.
In our current day and age, a common train of thought is that newer is always better. In a fast-moving world of science and technology, 1 year is a decade, and 50 years is an ice age. But even though smith machines and state of the art ellipticals are definitely great tools in our arsenal. There’s something to be said about old school creativity.
Pioneers of yesteryear had to find a way to look superhuman by very simple means, and even fewer resources. Those old school bodybuilder and strongman exercises have seemed to have fallen out of view and out desire to have the latest smart technology has clouded our judgement. We can’t blame ourselves. Fitness tech is a booming industry and if it gets more people to work out then let’s keep thinking of these new ideas.
But for those of us looking to stick to the basics and get back to those golden era physiques, it is time to revive some of these lost exercises. Let’s take a look at 3 lost exercises from the golden era that certainly helped build muscle, create monster aesthetics, and guarantee a top spot on the podium.
3 Lost Exercises From The Golden Era
These three exercises are great for putting in your routine. You can still play around with all your machines and smart stuff, but a few of these basic exercises can enhance growth and give you a physique you want to see most.
1. Pinch Grip Deadlift
Created by 1950’s Mr. Olympia winner Steve Reeves, this is the exercise he credits to widening his already wood barrel chest. The pinch grip deadlift is a great way to incorporate back, legs, and grip strength into your arsenal. Essentially, this lift is performing the deadlift but instead of holding the barbell, like normal, you hold the plates to perform the movement.
What you will find with this movement is full body engagement with a target on your upper back while also increasing range of motion, hip mobility, and your overall deadlift form.
How To: Place plates at each end of the barbell and grasp the rim of the plates. Bend at the knees, lowering the hips, and when ready, pull the weight until you stand up straight. After a short pause, return the weight to the ground by bending at the waist and knees.
2. The Spider Curls
The first ever Mr. Olympia Larry Scott loved this exercise because it helped him to further develop already big biceps as spider curls improve inside and outside of the biceps. A great isolation exercise, this will work your biceps and forearms to really increase strength and size. This is also a great exercise to perform at the end of your workouts when your muscles have hit a little fatigue and you wish to challenge them further.
What you will find with spider curls are an increase in muscle growth and better range of motion to build as much muscle as possible. Also, as an isolation exercise, these work to build symmetry to even out strength and size and aid in your overall physique.
How To: Lay on a bench at around 45-degrees with your stomach pressed on the back rest. With a dumbbell in each hand, curl the weight towards your shoulders and give a good squeeze at the top. Lower back to the starting position in a controlled motion and repeat.
3. The Double Barbell Press
One barbell isn’t enough. This exercise was first thought of by two-time Mr. Universe Reg Parker. Famous for experimenting with balance and technique, Parker developed an exercise that develops the shoulders, triceps, and pecs while improving balance and concentration at the same time.
What you will find aside from strength and muscle growth are balance and concentration, as mentioned above, as well as stability, really working to stabilize a load and use proper technique to engrain that movement into your memory.
How To: Lay with your back on a flat bench. Place your feet about shoulder width apart. Get two spotters to hand you both barbells at the same time. Press both barbells straight up in the air without losing form. If you perform this exercise improperly or with too much weight, you have a great chance of injury due to wide range of weight distribution. Start off slow and concentrate on perfect form.
Why Try New Exercises
Trying new exercises is important because your body does get used to the same movements every now and again. That is why pros will switch up their routines. If you continue to do the same exercises, without increasing in weight at that, you will find that you plateau more often and growth is severely stunted.
A training plateau is when your training stalls and there isn’t much progress to be made. Eventually your muscles get used to the same movements and you won’t see that progress you want most. To avoid training plateaus, you can perform accessory work like drop sets and supersets, both of which can really challenge your muscles and give you the best chance at growth. However, looking to those old school pros to see how they did it will also eliminate any fear of a plateau occurring.
Giving these old school exercises a try will allow you to experiment with those golden era movements that once produced champions while also allowing your body the ability to try something new to challenge your muscles. So, while sticking to the same thing is comfortable, the only way to see real gains is to be uncomfortable.
Wrap Up
There you have it. Three exercises you’re not doing that the golden era champions of bodybuilding gave you for free. Take advantage of their blood, sweat, and tears by adding these to your arsenal and step on stage with a modern yet classic physique. You won’t be disappointed with the results and you will see serious gains.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
First-ever Natural Olympia Champion John Hansen Shares Guide on How to Get Big Naturally
Image via Instagram @johnhansen1_
The first-ever Natural Olympia champion John Hansen reveals how you can get big naturally.
Performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) are prohibited in natural bodybuilding. Therefore, natural bodybuilders have to structure the most efficient training and diet routine to naturally build the most muscle possible. The first-ever Natural Olympia winner John Hansen was interviewed on a podcast and shared how you can get big naturally.
John Hansen became the first Natural Olympia champ after winning the competition in 1998 in Corinth, Greece. He also was a 3x Natural Universe champ and writer for Iron Man Magazine. On the Longevity Muscle Podcast, Hansen shared how to get big without using PEDs. Hansen stated:
“I had to increase my food intake. I had to take in a lot of food. And that’s how I got big. You got to really eat a lot of food and not be afraid to bulk up.”
Eat A Lot of Calories
Hansen said that he started out weighing 135 pounds in natural bodybuilding, and by the time he was 21, he was 230 pounds. He admitted that many people online are skeptical that he was able to gain over 100 pounds naturally. But Hansen said it is possible to do so naturally and credits it to eating many calories.
John Hansen points out that many of the younger lifters want to have abs and “look sexy,” but you can’t be afraid to eat to build muscle. He said he ate more and more until his body started to gain weight. Hansen says that since his metabolism was fast and claims he was an ectomorph (naturally skinny), he was eating 4500 calories a day. However, Hansen acknowledges that everyone has a different body type, and there is no one size fits all approach. And that you should eat the number of calories your body responds to.
You can see a clip of John Hansen explaining how he got big naturally in the clip below.
John Hansen’s Training Volume for Getting Big Naturally
John Hansen said he tried implementing pump-style training into his workouts, where he targeted a muscle group with lighter weights a few days before working out that same muscle group again with heavier weights. He would superset exercises with 70% of his normal weight and do 12-15 reps.
After his pump training session, Hansen also had a muscle group he was targeting with heavyweights. Unfortunately, it didn’t work for him and was too much volume, leading to overtraining. Therefore, Hansen decided to train each muscle group once a week.
To gain mass, Hansen said:
“The most weight I could use for 6-8 reps. That’s what helped me get bigger.”
Hansen that the more calories he ate, the more he trained harder and lifted heavier weights. And the heavier weights allowed him to build more muscle.
Hansen admitted that this strategy worked well for him in his 20s and 30s. But now he eats less and doesn’t go through a bulking phase like he used to because he says it would just be stored as fat now that he’s older.
Recap
To get big naturally, the first-ever Natural Olympia champion John Hansen says he ate a lot of calories (over 4k per day) and lifted heavy weights in the 6-8 rep range, training each muscle group once per week.
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Jay Cutler Reveals Four Best Exercises To Build A Monstrous Chest
Jay Cutler put together a chest and bicep workout where he shared some of the top workouts.
Jay Cutler is one of the all-time greats in bodybuilding and has continued to maintain an impressive physique in retirement. Recently, Cutler put together a chest and bicep workout where he shared some of the top exercises to build monstrous size.
Cutler is a four-time Olympia champion. His first victory came in 2006 when he was able to end an eight-year reign by Ronnie Coleman. Since calling it a career on stage, Curler has continued to build a following because of his knowledge and passion for fitness and bodybuilding.
On Sunday, Jay Cutler released his most recent workout video sharing some of the top chest exercises that help build size and width.
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Jay Cutler Chest & Bicep Workout
Standing Calf Raise Machine – 2 warmup sets of 10-12 reps, 4 working sets
Seated Calf Raises – 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps
Incline Hammer Press Machine – 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps
Flat Dumbbell Press – 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Cable Chest Press – 3 sets of 10
Flat Dumbbell Flyes – 3 sets of 10
Bicep Curl Machine – 1-2 warmup sets, 3 working sets of 10-12
Bicep Curls w/ EZ Bar – 4 sets of 10
Seated Bicep Cable Curls – 3 sets of 12
Hammer Curls – 3 sets of 10
Chest
Jay Cutler hit chest with some of his favorite exercises here. That was highlighted by dumbbell press on a flat bench. This was the second exercise of the day but Cutler believes it is No. 1 on his list on chest day.
“Favorite exercise, if you asked me what the best exercise to grow your chest, it is the seated, lying flat dumbbell press. Dumbbells preferably just because I always had one side that was stronger than the other. You guys ask that question a lot. Isolateral movements.”
Cutler began the chest portion of his workout with the incline hammer press machine before moving to dumbbell presses. Following three sets in both exercises, Cutler decided to take on the cables. This is a movement that he admits to not doing each week but decided to perform it in this particular workout.
The final chest exercise of the day was dumbbell flyes. Cutler laid on a flat bench and grabbed two dumbbells that were lighter in weight than those he used for presses. He explained that this exercise is great to build a certain area of the chest.
“You guys looking to build your under, outer pecs, great exercise for that. You notice an arch in my chest, even when I bench, with a lot of those movements I try to keep the chest out.”
Biceps
Jay Cutler added biceps to chest day in retirement because he admits to not liking arm day. He also trains triceps on shoulder day.
“I wanted to take arm training out of my routine because I hate it so much. I’ll be honest, I hate bi’s and tri’s. So instead of having a bi’s and tries day, which I did for most of my career, I moved them to chest and shoulder days.”
This was the next portion of his workout performing different variations of curls including seated cable curls and hammer curls. Cutler also performed an EZ bar curl with a wide grip. He used a thicker bar in order to focus on his grip and make the lift more difficult.
“I do not like to curl with a thin bar. This is a wider grip. It kills your ego a bit because you have to be lighter with the weight.”
Calves
Jay Cutler makes sure to include calves into his regular training. This was the first movement that he did in order to warmup and get the blood flowing. Cutler performed sets on the seated calf machine and standing calf machine. Some say that they target different areas of the muscle but Cutler is not so sure.
“They always say that with calf training, the standing calf works the inner calf and the seated works the outer because you’re seated in a bent-knee position. I don’t know if I believe that very much.”
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Jim Stoppani: Full Body Vs Full Split Training, Explained
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Jim Stoppani breaks down full body training compared to his hybrid model, full split training. Which is best for your fitness goals?
In 2007, Jim Stoppani suffered an injury that made him reevaluate how he would continue his training. Now in his 50s, Stoppani can no longer train with the exact same high energy that he used to when he was young without facing even more injuries that slow him down in the gym. So he turned to full body training – a method that is great for overall fitness but not exactly ideal for massive muscle growth. This led Stoppani to invent his own hybrid training method – full split training – to focus a bit more on muscle growth while also avoiding further serious injury. In our latest GI Exclusive in collaboration with Barbend, Jim Stoppani compares full body training to full split training and explains which technique is best for your fitness needs.
A typical competitive bodybuilder normally avoids a typical full body training routine. This is due to it’s inability to really grow muscle on a level of a mass monster. However, most do not desire to or are not able to train at that extreme level. That’s why full body training is a great method for those looking to stay in shape, get a bit lean, and remain healthy.
However, even non-competitive bodybuilders might want to pack on a bit more muscle than full body training can provide. That’s why Jim Stoppani invented a hybrid method called full split training – combining the benefits of full body training with a typical bodybuilder split training method. Let’s break it down.
What is full body training?
In simplest terms, full body training is the act of training each body part during one workout each day. Typically this takes the form of doing one exercise per body part – then repeating the next day. Jim Stoppani explains that for the average person, this method is perfectly fine. It helps prevent injuries in the gym and provides benefits both for cardiovascular health and in terms of strength and muscle.
But Jim Stoppani also admits that full body training will rarely help build you into a mass monster – or even a medium sized muscular person. Those looking for the pump and beefing up have to look elsewhere in terms of workout methods.
Ultimately, full body training is a great way to help lose weight while also building muscle and strength. It’s perfect for building a lean and fit body. But Jim Stoppani has been a passionate fan of bodybuilding for most of his life. Typical full body training was not enough to suit his physique goals. That’s why he invented his own hybrid approach.
RELATED: Check out our review guide of the best home gym equipment of 2022 under $100.
What is full split training?
Jim Stoppani’s full split training technique combines a typical full body workout with a typical bodybuilding split training workout. The ultimate goal is to find a way to build more muscle and strength without going so far as to possibly injure yourself. This is a great method for those growing older in age that want to focus on size but can’t go all out like they used to in younger years.
At this moment, we’d like to pause and make something clear. Jim Stoppani doesn’t mince words when he makes this point. For those who are still competitively bodybuilding and holding mass monster size well into their 40s and 50s – if that’s still working there’s no need to pull back on workout intensity. But majority of individuals do not actively compete in bodybuilding. Which is why Stoppani’s full split training is a great middle ground for keeping muscle without pushing the body past its limit.
So how does full split training work? Jim Stoppani explains that you simply do a typical full body workout for the day – but each day of the week you pick one specific body part to additionally focus on. So in action – you do a full body workout of all body parts, but add an extra set of exercises to one body part to ensure that one is being pushed harder.
Then the next day, you pick a different body part to focus on and repeat. By the end of the week, each major body part will have gotten some extra attention – while also maintaining a full body workout style across the week.
Jim Stoppani sees this as meeting half way between the benefits and drawbacks of full body training vs the benefits and drawbacks of split training.
Wrap Up
Jim Stoppani tops off our conversation in this segment discussing injury during workouts and how age affects these kinds of injuries. While consistent fitness throughout an individual’s lifetime will help prevent injuries as we age – we cannot ignore that growing older raises new challenges. We all become more injury prone as we get older.
As Jim Stoppani puts it, “There’s no way around it. As you get older you are degenerating… we were not meant to live this long.”
It’s with that in mind (due to his own personal experiences with injury) that he developed the full split training technique. We must be honest with our aging bodies and do what is best to avoid serious injury – or even worse – irreversible injuries that further keep us out of the gym.
You can watch Jim Stoppani go into full detail about full body training and full split training in our latest GI Exclusive explainer video segment above!
Chris Bumstead Shares Sleeve-Ripping Arm Workout To Build Size
Chris Bumstead shared his favorite arm-day workout to crush his biceps and triceps.
Chris Bumstead is the reigning three-time Classic Physique Olympia champion but he is never satisfied with his physique. This offseason, Bumstead has battled different obstacles but is looking better than ever during training sessions. In a recent YouTube video, Bumstead shared a massive arm workout that he has been using to build size.
Bumstead has a chance to make it four Olympia victories in a row in December in Las Vegas. Early in the year, Bumstead contracted COVID-19 and was forced to take some time off but has since returned to training and is in the midst of bulking.
Chris Bumstead has continued to put on weight and build the size needed to win yet another title. This includes his arms, which has been a focus recently but is not always over the course of the year.
“I definitely have the arm days in right now. I don’t always throughout the year but I just want them to grow more. And they’ve finally been growing since last year,” Bumstead said.
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Chris Bumstead Arm Workout
Rope Push-Downs and Overhead Tricep Extensions – Superset, 2 sets
Preacher Curls – 3-4 working sets
Incline Dumbbell Skull Crushers – 3 sets
Seated Dumbbell Curls and Hammer Curls on Cable Machine – Superset, 3 sets
Crossbody Cable Triceps Extension – 2 heavy sets followed by drop set
READ MORE: Chris Bumstead Details 5,000-Calorie Bulking Diet
Supersets
Chris Bumstead throws two supersets into the mix when performing this workout. It begins with the first duo of the day to pump the triceps. When performing rope push-downs and overhead tricep extensions together, Bumstead highlights the feeling of contracting the muscle followed by a stretch.
“I’ve been starting with this basically for the last four months. Basic tricep extensions with the rope and superset with over the head. It gives a tight squeeze at the bottom and when you go over the head, it gives you a tight stretch, or big stretch…You get a pump from the normal tricep extensions and then you go overhead and you stretch them, giving you this crazy burn and it feels super good.”
The next superset comes later in the workout for biceps. Bumstead hits one for each side of the arm focusing on technique.
Preacher Curls
After warming up the triceps, Bumstead begins to alternate exercises between bicep and triceps. The first of the day for biceps came on Bumstead’s favorite machine.
“This right here, this beautiful blue machine, is the GOAT bicep machine for myself personally. It’s what I figured out is the best way to contract my bicep on a heavy load, push your intensity, while keeping the load on my bicep. It’s much easier on a preacher curl, your bicep is stuck in a stiff position.”
Bumstead explains that this machine is one where he continues to get stronger. He loads up the bar with one 25-pound weight on each side before adding a second later in the workout. Since this is one of his favorite machines, Bumstead does it for 3-4 working sets pumping out as many reps as possible.
Incline Dumbbell Skull Crushers
Chris Bumstead likes to isolate triceps here and it helps to take some pressure off the shoulders. Doing this workout like this will allow the lifter to target the triceps and with the right technique, it will allow the triceps to be worked equally.
“I like doing these because it allows you to focus on each arm individually.”
Crossbody Cable Tricep Extension
Bumstead finishes the workout with this exercise because it is easier to pump out a big number of reps at the end of training. This is where the tricep can be worked across the body instead of parallel like earlier in the session.
“It’s a little easier to pound some reps out at the end of your workout…Bringing across your body sideways instead of parallel with the body like I was doing earlier with the bicep.”
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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2022 Warrior Classic Pro Results
Lamar Shaw and Devone Martin are victorious during the 2022 Warrior Classic Pro!
The 2022 Warrior Classic Pro took place in Richmond, VA over the weekend with winners looking for a shot to compete at the 2022 Olympia. This was an event highlighted by Classic Physique and Wellness. Both Lamar Shaw and Devone Martin were able to top the competition and earn victories.
Shaw earned his first trip to the Olympia after his third competition this season. This was Shaw’s third top-five victory of the year and his first victory. He finished fourth at the Boston Pro and third during the Houston Tournament of Champions. Now, he will have a chance to go up against the best in a rising division in bodybuilding.
Martin is another competitor that is looking to take the next step in Wellness, a rather new division in bodybuilding. She will compete in his first Olympia after her victory in Richmond. Martin finished seventh during the Europa Pro Championships in 2021 after also competing at the Chicago Pro and Pittsburgh Pro.
The full results from the event have been announced! There were two divisions where competitors had a chance to show what they can do. Check out the full results of the 2022 Warrior Classic Pro from Classic Physique and Wellness below, along with the official score cards from the event!
2022 Warrior Classic Pro: All Division Winners
Classic Physique: Lamar Shaw
Wellness: Devone Martin
2022 Warrior Classic Pro Breakdown
Classic Physique
First Place – Lamar Shaw
Second Place – Michael Johnson
Third Place – Jared Keys
Fourth Place – Anthony Barbera III
Fifth Place – Laconia Seymour
Sixth Place – Sam Adiki
Seventh Place – Chris Barnes
Eighth Place – Michael Bell
Ninth Place – Mark Knight
Tenth Place – Iziah Kanhai
Wellness
First Place – Devone Martin
Second Place – Amanda Rezende
Third Place – Sheila Martins
Fourth Place – Tracy Williams
Fifth Place – Lorena Ragusa
2022 Warrior Classic Pro Official Score Cards
Generation Iron wishes to congratulate all the great athletes who earned a win at the 2022 Warrior Classic Pro. Make sure to check out our full IFBB Pro results page from this year and previous years right here to catch up on any action you may have missed!
Greg has covered the four major sports for six years and has been featured on sites such as Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, SB Nation, NJ.com, and FanSided. Now, he is transitioning into the world of bodybuilding and strength sports.
2022 GRL PWR Pro Results
Ashlyn Little wins Bikini at the 2022 GRL PWR Pro!
The 2022 GRL PWR Pro took place over the weekend in Orlando where Bikini competitors were vying to earn qualification to the 2022 Olympia. In the end, it was Ashlyn Little who remained in top shape winning the event!
Little already has qualification to the Olympia but was able to register her third victory of the year so far. She was also victorious during the Charlotte Pro and World Klash Pro. Little is now a two-time champion at the GRL PWR Pro, winning the event in 2021 as well.
Bikini has become a huge division in bodybuilding with the field size growing each year. Little has been able to build a championship physique and is gaining momentum into the summer. On Instagram, Little claimed that this was the best package that she brought on stage. This helped her edge the likes of Jennifer Nicole Dolias and Lawna Dunbar.
The full results from the show have been announced! Check out the full results along with an official score card from the action in Orlando over the weekend!
2022 GRL PWR Pro Breakdown
First Place – Ashlyn Little
Second Place – Jennifer Nicole Dolias
Third Place – Lawna Dunbar
Fourth Place – Marcia Goncalves
Fifth Place – Sierra Swann
Sixth Place – Cassandra De La Rosa
Seventh Place – Peyton Hunton
Eighth Place – Gabriella Mohamed
Ninth Place – Jodie Yunker
Tenth Place – Janine Herrera
2022 GRL PWR Pro Official Score Card
Generation Iron wishes to congratulate all the great athletes who earned a win at the 2022 GRL PWR Pro. Make sure to check out our full IFBB Pro results page from this year and previous years right here to catch up on any action you may have missed!
Greg has covered the four major sports for six years and has been featured on sites such as Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, SB Nation, NJ.com, and FanSided. Now, he is transitioning into the world of bodybuilding and strength sports.
2022 Arnold Classic South America Results
Rafael Brandao was victorious during the 2022 Arnold Classic South America!
The 2022 Arnold Classic South America took place in Brazil about five weeks after competitors took the stage in Columbus, OH to open the bodybuilding season. Now, the action traveled to Brazil to see who would earn yet another bid to the 2022 Olympia. In the end, it was Rafael Brandao who was victorious in Men’s Open.
Brandão took the stage as the favorite in the event and looked the part early on. After pulling his name out of the action in Columbus, Brandão was able to bounce back in Brazil. This is a competition that he is familiar with, finishing as the runner-up in 2019. This is now his second professional victory. The first came last season when he was victorious during the Romania Muscle Fest.
Sibusiso Kotel came in as a dark-horse competitor having competed in shows such as the Vancouver Pro and Chicago Pro in his career. Kotel showed a strong physique and will make some noise on the biggest stage soon. In a strange development, Kotel was not present during the prejudging on Saturday night. He was featured during the Final round but did not receive a full score.
The full results from the show have been announced. This was a show with just one division, Men’s Open, leading the way. Below, check out the full results from the action along with the official score card from the event!
2022 Arnold Classic South America Full Results
Men’s Open
First Place – Rafael Brandao
Second Place – Vitor Hugo Boff
Third Place – Thiago Lins
Fourth Place – William Martins
Fifth Place – Emir Omeragic
2022 Arnold Classic South America Official Score Card
Coming soon!
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2022 INBA PNBA Pro/Am Philip Ricardo Legends International
Anthony Collier wins INBA PNBA Pro/Am Philip Ricardo Legends International!
The 2022 INBA PNBA Pro/Am Philip Ricardo Legends International took place on Saturday, April 30, 2022, in Dumfries, Virginia. Anthony Collier came in strong and won the Pro Men’s Bodybuilding Open category!
Philip Ricardo Legends International
Philip Ricardo Jr. hosts Philip Ricardo Legends International. For decades, he has been an INBA PNBA natural bodybuilder, and he’s a 4x Natural Olympia champion. Ricardo Jr. is promoting the event, and it’s his eight-year hosting it – since 2014. It’s a Pro/Am (professional and amateur) show.
Ricardo Jr. says this year will be a good turnout since many top natural bodybuilding competitors will be there, including Rebekah Rasmussen – 2021 Natural Olympia Bikini Divas Masters and Bikini Divas Ms. America champion.
2021 Natural Olympia Classic Physique champ Derek Joe will be a judge. And also, 2021 Natural Olympia Sports Model champ Danielle Bouldin will be a judge, and her husband, Anthony Bouldin, will be the head judge.
Below is a GI exclusive interview of Philip Ricard Jr. In the interview, he gives a brief overview of the 2022 INBA PNBA Philip Ricardo Legends International competition.
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Standout Competitors and Prizes
$500-$1000 cash and a 6 Pack Fitness bag (meal prep bags) were awarded to the top competitors. As Philip Ricardo Jr. recited, many talented natural bodybuilders showed up for this big event.
Pro Men’s Bodybuilding winner Anthony Collier took home the biggest prize receiving $1000 and a 6 Pack Fitness bag. Natural Olympia Tattoo champion Ken Ross won multiple divisions, including Ink/Tattoo, Classic Physique Masters (40-49), and Classic Physique Grand Masters (50+). Teenager Alexis Smolinski performed well in multiple categories. She received second place in the Figure Open and was granted her pro card.
Below is a clip from the INBA PNBA Instagram page showing off the 6 Pack Fitness bags awarded.
INBA Competition Special Awards and Pro Qualification
Philip Ricardo Jr. Legends International was a chance for professional and amateur natural bodybuilders to shine. Each INBA (amateur) natural bodybuilder competition welcomes all levels of fitness and bodybuilding. INBA athletes compete to get a PNBA qualification, which is a chance to compete as a professional athlete in the PNBA league. Alexis Brynes, Jenni Davidson, Alexandrea Blankenship, and Ashely Smolinski received a PNBA pro qualifier card at Pro/Am Philip Ricardo Legends International.
The INBA PNBA also offers special/bonus awards. Pro/Am Philip Ricardo Legends International’s special awards included INBA Shield, PNBA Championship Belt, Most Muscular, Best Presentation, Most Symmetrical, and a Pro-qualified Sward.
The results from the show have been announced. Below is the full breakdown of the 2022 INBA PNBA Pro/Am Philip Ricardo Legends International.
2022 INBA PNBA Pro/Am Philip Ricardo Legends International: All Division Winners
Men
Pro Men’s Bodybuilding – Open: Anthony Collier
Pro Men’s Physique – Open: Cedric Reed
Fitness – Kids (6-12): Jonah Goldwin
Ink/Tattoo: Ken Ross (Australia)
Men’s Sport Model – Open: Mengelo Cadet
Men’s Bodybuilding – Masters (40-49): Mark Troiano
Men’s Bodybuilding Grand Masters (50-59): Stephen Rogers
Men’s Bodybuilding – Super Ultra Masters (70-79): Tony Herrington
Men’s Bodybuilding Open: Mark Troiano
Classic Physique – Masters (40-49): Ken Ross (Australia)
Classic Physique – Grand Masters (50+): Ken Ross (Australia)
Classic Physique – Open: Elijah Irabor
Men’s Physique – Jr Masters (35-39): Omar Owens
Men’s Physique – Novice: Albert Smolinski
Men’s Physique – Open: Omar Owens
Pro Men’s Bodybuilding – Grand Masters (50+): Revaz Gagnidze
Pro Men’s Bodybuilding – Masters (40-49): Christian Kellenberger (Germany)
Women
Pro Women’s Sport Model – Open: Jennifer Nutter
Pro Figure – Open: Sherrie Bingham
Pro Angels: Jennifer Nutter
Pro Bikini Divas – Masters (40+): Misti Weatherford
Pro Bikini Divas – Open: Misti Weatherford
Sport Model – Masters (40-49): Jenni Davidson
Women’s Physique – Open: Lisa Duggan (Ireland)
Figure – Novice: Audrey Carryl
Figure – Open: Audrey Carryl
Evening Gown: Misti Weatherford
Wellness: Alexandrea Blankenship
Bikini Divas – Teen (18-19): Alexis Smolinski
Bikini Divas – Masters (40-49): Jenni Davidson
Bikini Divas – Open: Alexis Brynes
Special Awards
INBA Shield: Matheus Daidone (Brazil)
PNBA Championship Belt: Oscar Mendoza, Misti Weatherford
Most Muscular: Christian Kellenberger (Germany)
Best Presentation: Lisa Duggan (Ireland)
Most Symmetrical: Jennifer Nutter
Pro-qualified Sward: Alexis Brynes
All Division Winners
Pro Men’s Bodybuilding – Open
First Place – Anthony Collier
Second Place – Christian Kellenberger (Germany)
Third Place – Siah-ra Ausar
Fourth Place – Oscar Mendoza
Pro Men’s Physique – Open
First Place – Cedric Reed
Second Place – Steven Crawford
Fitness – Kids (6-12)
First Place – Jonah Goldwyn
Ink/Tattoo
First Place – Ken Ross (Australia)
Men’s Sport Model – Open
First Place – Mengelo Cadet
Men’s Bodybuilding – Masters (40-49)
First Place – Mark Troiano
Second Place – Stephen Rogers
Men’s Bodybuilding Grand Masters (50-59)
First Place – Stephen Rogers
Men’s Bodybuilding – Super Ultra Masters (70-79)
First Place – Tony Herrington
Men’s Bodybuilding Open
First Place – Mark Troiano
Second Place – Matheus Daidone
Third Place – Stephen Rogers
Classic Physique – Masters (40-49)
First Place – Ken Ross (Australia)
Classic Physique – Grand Masters (50+)
First Place – Ken Ross (Australia)
Classic Physique – Open
First Place – Elijah Irabor
Second Place – Matheus Daidone (Brazil)
Third Place – Alex Gonzalez
Fourth Place – Jonathan Arocho
Fifth Place – Harrison Valerio
Sixth Place – Albert Smolinski
Men’s Physique – Jr Masters (35-39)
First Place – Omar Owens
Men’s Physique – Novice
First Place – Albert Smolinski
Men’s Physique – Open
First Place – Omar Owens
Second Place – Michael Ricardo
Third Place – Mengelo Cadet
Fourth Place – Albert Smolinski
Pro Men’s Bodybuilding – Grand Masters (50+)
First Place – Revaz Gagnidze
Second Place – Ken Ross (Australia)
Pro Men’s Bodybuilding – Masters (40-49)
First Place – Christian Kellenberger (Germany)
Second Place – Siah-ra Ausar
Pro Women’s Sport Model – Open
First Place – Jennifer Nutter
Pro Figure – Open
First Place – Sherrie Bingham
Second Place – Lisa Duggan (Ireland)
Pro Angels
First Place – Jennifer Nutter
Pro Bikini Divas – Masters (40+)
First Place – Misti Weatherford
Second Place – Rebekah Rasmussen
Third Place – Kelly Vaupel
Pro Bikini Divas – Open
First Place – Misti Weatherford
Second Place – Rebekah Rasmussen
Third Place – Kelly Vaupel
Fourth Place – Nicole Opoku
Sport Model – Masters (40-49)
First Place – Jenni Davidson
Women’s Physique – Open
First Place – Lisa Duggan (Ireland)
Figure – Novice
First Place – Audrey Carryl
Second Place – Ashley Smolinski
Third Place – Shyanne Arocho
Figure – Open
First Place – Audrey Carryl
Second Place – Ashley Smolinski
Evening Gown
First Place – Misti Weatherford
Second Place – Kelly Vaupel
Wellness
First Place – Alexandrea Blankenship
Second Place – Ashley Smolinski
Third Place – Jeneen Houghton
Bikini Divas – Teen (18-19)
First Place – Alexis Smolinski
Bikini Divas – Masters (40-49)
First Place – Jenni Davidson
Second Place – Jeneen Houghton
Bikini Divas – Open
First Place – Alexis Brynes
Second Place – Jenni Davidson
Third Place – Jeneen Houghton
INBA Shield
Matheus Daidone (Brazil)
PNBA Championship Belt
Oscar Mendoza
Misti Weatherford
Most Muscular
Christian Kellenberger (Germany)
Best Presentation
Lisa Duggan (Ireland)
Most Symmetrical
Jennifer Nutter
Pro-qualified Sward
Alexis Brynes
Generation Iron congratulates all the astonishing competitors who earned a win at the 2022 INBA PNBA Philip Ricardo Legends International!
PNBA Natural Bodybuilder William Long Discloses the Best Off-Season Workout and Diet
Image via Instagram @ricecracker2487
PNBA Men’s Physique reigning Natural Olympia champ William Long discusses the best off-season workout and diet.
The workouts you do during the off-season and during the season in bodybuilding differ. During the off-season, bodybuilders typically focus on building muscle and working on their lagging muscle groups. Conversely, in-season bodybuilders are mainly cutting and dropping body fat. Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association (PNBA) Men’s Physique reigning Natural Olympia 2021 champ William Long gave some insight to Iron Man Magazine on how a top PNBA athlete’s workouts and diet look during the off-season.
William Long is a 3x Natural Olympia champ and PNBA Hall of Fame Inductee. He coined the nickname “The OG” after being the first-ever to win Pro Men’s Physique at Natural Olympia. He’s also got a multi-media contract with Generation Iron, the INBA PNBA, and Iron Man Magazine.
Off-season Regimen
William Long focuses on three things during the off-season: taking time off, diet, and training.
Taking Time Off
William Long believes taking ample time is imperative during the offseason. Long stated:
“I am a firm believer in the benefits of taking a significant period of time off from competing. It is not time off from training or from dieting. Time off is an opportunity to improve. It is time to improve on weaknesses that were exposed when on stage.”
Long doesn’t wholly take time off; instead, he hones in on his lagging body parts. He also works on posing.
Admittedly, Long states that he can make as many improvements as bodybuilders using performance-enhancing drugs during the off-season. Long gives his body the time to balance his hormones since contest prep negatively affects them. He says that you should be taking at least one year off from competing each year as a natural bodybuilder.
Diet
William Long still eats healthy during the offseason, but he’s more flexible with his diet. He’ll never turn down cookies. Long doesn’t mind not having abs and allowing himself some time off to relax. Instead, long eats more foods to train with heavier weights and grow.
William Long said:
“When it comes to the off-season diet, the goal is to gain size and in order to do that, you have to eat more.”
William Long combines reverse dieting, dirty bulking, and clean bulking during the off-season. Reverse dieting is slowly building your calories back up. And bulking is eating whatever you want to gain weight. As the name suggests, clean bulking is eating more clean foods – the foods bodybuilders eat during contest prep – to build lean muscle.
Training
William Long’s training doesn’t vary much during the off-season. He believes that the movements working for him during the contest prep are the same exercises to implement during the offseason, except with heavier weights and more intensity.
However, William notes that he cut back on cardio during the off-season. Long says:
“Now, I have tried every training protocol out there from Push, Pull, Legs to Dorian Yates’ Blood and Guts but, the one training protocol that I enjoy doing and can consistently perform is the typical “Bro Split”.
Long does a five-day split consisting of the chest, back, shoulders, legs, and arms. Below William Long says that walking lunges are a staple exercise in his routine.
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