Tag: Bodybuilding
Best CBD For Muscle & Joint Recovery After A Workout
How the best CBD supplements can promote muscle and joint recovery.
We all suffer from aches and pains after a tough workout, but with the right CBD supplement, those pain needs may be a thing of the past. We work hard, grind in the gym, lift big weights, put them down, but too often do we neglect the fact that recovery can equally improve our gains for the better while working towards pain relief. CBD topicals are a go to option for you can apply directly on the effected area to target pain relief and muscle pain.
Stretching and using other forms of recovery are great, however, the right supplement has the ability to transform your gains for the better. The best CBD for your muscles and joints, especially after a workout, will improve your physical health and performance for better chronic pain management.
CBD is a growing industry and these products have grown in popularity ten-fold. With so many supplements companies now working to produce high-quality supplements, what you will find are so many options to choose from. This is helpful, for you have tons of options to choose from, but also daunting because finding the right one takes diligence. We’re here to help you explore the best CBD for muscle pain and joint recovery so those post-workout needs are taken care of.
Let’s get right into this piece then. Knowing the ins and out of CBD is important and can elevate your gains for the better. Especially when it comes to those muscle pain and joint relief needs, this supplement can be an easy fix no problem.
What Is CBD?
CBD is short for cannabidiol and it is a phytocannabinoid derived from the cannabis plant. This is not to be mistaken for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which induces the “high” effect associated with marijuana and the cannabis plant. CBD has the potential to aid in a number of benefits and hemp derived CBD products can help with pain relief, reduced inflammation, relieving muscle and joint soreness, and promoting better sleep, among others (1).
That Unwanted Muscle & Joint Soreness
Through our workouts, muscle aches and joint soreness can be debilitating and will limit just how hard we push ourselves in the gym. Getting out of bed can be hard, lifting weights can be a challenge, and just our overall feeling of energy is severely reduced. How many times have you tried to hit the gym only to find your muscles just don’t want to be there? It’s the constant challenge and struggle of the mind versus the body. However, with the best CBD topicals for muscle and joint recovery, you will handle that post-workout recovery, so you have better recovery and faster bounce back.
Why Recovery Matters
Recovery matters because this is an important part of the process of muscle growth. Not only does recovery reduce inflammation and soreness, but it is the perfect time for those muscles to heal and repair themselves as you look to see the best gains. Also working to improve mobility, this allows for better overall performance as you will feel more supported and loose, more flexible, and see better range of motion to get the most out of your lifts (2).
Either through passive recovery, resting and giving your body time to heal, or active recovery, accelerating the process through keeping your body moving, you can enhance your recovery goals easily and alleviate pain. Plus, with the best CBD for muscle and joint pain, you can treat joint pain, arthritis pain, and provide pain relief with the best CBD cream.
How CBD Works For Better Muscle & Joint Recovery
CBD works for muscle and joint recovery by affecting the immune and nervous systems. Since both are tied to exercise performance and the subsequent recovery to relieve pain, CBD will interact with these system to enhance normal function and allow for proper recovery while reducing chronic pain.
Muscle Pain Relief
Acting through the endocannabinoid system, which regulates both physical and cognitive functions, CBD will work to reduce overall pain, fight inflammation, and work to alleviate muscle tissue pain. With anti-inflammatory properties, this will allow for rapid recovery to give your muscles a faster chance at growth (3). With constant tension after workouts, your muscles need help relaxing, and by doing this, you give them a fighting chance at healing while avoiding muscle spasms.
Joint Pain Assistance
When it comes to your joint health, the constant wear and tear of working out can affect our joints and leave them feeling equally as sore. But our joints are necessary to feel supported yet limber as they are the pivotal points of movement for all exercises. And everything else for that matter. By targeting certain brain chemicals, CBD will regulate tension and promote better joint relief, so you can tackle those big lifts with no problem (4).
The best CBD supplement for muscle and joint recovery will do this and much more and is an important element to include on your supplements shelf. You already prioritize those workouts supplements, so put your recovery on an equal playing field to maximize gains and stay pain free.
Best CBD For Muscle And Joint Recovery
The best CBD supplement will provide that post-workout care to relieve muscle and joint pain for the better while taking care of overall chronic pain. With high quality ingredients and a great formula, knowing which products out there can enhance those gains will better prepare you for any workout needs you wish to handle so you only see huge gains. A fantastic CBD pain cream, this is an affordable CBD cream with the purest CBD to relieve minor aches and reduce pain.
Level Select CBD Level 2 Sports CBD Cream For Pain
Level Select CBD Level 2 Sports Cream is a fast-absorbing formula to relieve pain and improve performance.
Level Select CBD Level 2 Sports Cream is a great CBD topical designed to deliver fast-absorbing support to relieve muscle soreness and is a top joint relief CBD cream on the market for targeted pain relief. With 600mg of CBD, this will target the affected area while also soothing and softening your skin. Level Select is a great company only seeking to produce the highest quality CBD supplements and is the best CBD pain cream for muscle and joint recovery.
Price: $59.99
CBD Oil & How CBD Oils Work For Benefit
While this sports cream is a great option for chronic pain, looking to those CBD oils, and other forms like CBD gummies, are also helpful. For those looking to go more the tincture route and ingest CBD, these CBD oils are a good choice. When it comes to relieving those muscles and joints, however, working to apply CBD topicals directly to the spot can make all the difference.
Check out our list of the Best CBD Supplements to relieve sore muscles and joint pain today!
Wrap Up
The best CBD cream for muscle and joint recovery can enhance those post-workout needs to optimize recovery and keep you feeling fresh and energized. No more waking up with pain and feeling too lethargic to go to the gym. With the right approach to those after workout needs, CBD supplements, like pain cream, are perfect for helping you see the best gains and keeping you clear of soreness and pain.
Generation Iron may receive commissions on purchases made through our links. See our disclosure page for more information.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
References
MD, Peter Grinspoon (2018). “Cannabidiol (CBD) — what we know and what we don’t.” (source)
Sands, W.; et al. (2013). “Stretching and Its Effects on Recovery: A Review”. (source)
Rojas-Valverde, D. (2021). “Potential Role of Cannabidiol on Sports Recovery: A Narrative Review. (source)
Miller, R.; et al. (2017). “Is cannabis an effective treatment for joint pain?”. (source)
Can Dirty Bulking Really Enhance Your Bodybuilding Strength Gains?
This method of bulking up may not be as effective as you thought.
The thought of looking huge is on every bodybuilders’ mind. Look good, feel great, lift huge weight, and show off an absolutely massive physique for all to envy. But this requires more than we may actually know and finding the secret weapon to this increase in mass is on the forefront of all our minds. Through supplements, a solid dietary routine, and of course, an efficient workout schedule, we can start to get on board the gain train. But if that isn’t enough, then we seek other means: bulking.
When it comes to bulking, there are two types: clean and dirty bulking. To start, bulking in general is simply the body putting on weight or mass and whether this be clean or dirty bulking, the words ‘calorie surplus’ are important. All this means is you are consuming more calories than actually burning off.
For most people, this is to put on more muscle so that shredded aesthetic starts to pop, or for those who struggle with gaining weight, this can be a way for them to do so. While clean bulking seems like the obvious choice for your bulking wants and needs, we all have a sweet tooth and less meal prep time means eating whatever you want.
Let’s take a look at dirty bulking and see what this does for your bodybuilding gains. While it may seem like a decent way to boost your muscle and physique, you may find it is quite the opposite, something you don’t want or need. With the alternative of clean bulking on the table, let’s explore these two and see just what this bulking craze is all about.
What Is Clean Bulking?
Clean bulking may seem self explanatory but it is worth sharing anyway for us to know exactly what we’re dealing with. For those who wish to embark on a clean bulking journey, your diet will consist of what we see as clean foods, meaning anything from lean meats and fish, fruits, vegetables, and those grains with healthy forms of carbs. You will tightly watch your caloric intake as you look to slowly overtime boost that number on the scale. The key with clean bulking is that you will avoid sugar and other processed foods as these will negatively effect the muscle you begin to put on (1).
Quick Pros & Cons
Clean bulking is a safe and effective way of bulking that works to keep you healthy overall. You will put on lean muscle and work to avoid fat gain, especially by avoiding sugar and processed foods. A downside is it is restrictive and that sweet tooth will have to be suppressed. For bodybuilders or those looking to bulk effectively, this is a great option.
What About Dirty Bulking?
When it comes to dirty bulking, here’s where things get interesting. Unlike clean bulking where you are controlling the quality of food entering your body, dirty bulking looks to focus on the quantity of any food you put in your body. With more of a focus on high-calorie food, and less so on the nutrients you actually take, you look less to the ratio of macronutrients and more to the overall calorie count that your body is consuming. This leads to rapid weight gain that is paired with exercise, but what you find is the quality of foods severely reduced as opposed to something like clean bulking (2).
Dirty Bulking & Effects On Bodybuilding
For what it’s worth, the option between dirty and clean bulking is a preference, for you know your body and your metabolism. But what you’ll find with dirty bulking is that you will start to increase weight as a result of added fat and potentially lose, or at least not put on, that muscle mass you seek the most.
Muscle mass and strength aside, your health will be affected, as the quality of food you take in has real consequences on how your body operates. Physically and mentally, the food we eat allows us to focus, work hard in the gym, have energy for our personal lives, and make us feel good all-around. So while dirty bulking may seem like a fun and easy way to pack on weight and potential muscle, think about the repercussions both inside and outside the gym when looking to bulk.
Your Best Bet
Based off of all this, if you are a serious bodybuilder looking to bulk up, it would be wise to look into clean bulking and see how to do this form as effectively as possible. With good, clean food coupled with a great workout routine, the choices for you to grow and increase in strength and size are endless. If you choose to go the dirty bulking route, that is your choice and one you should look into, just make sure you know exactly how to counteract the junk you may be putting into your body. As said before, the choices and forms of dieting and bulking are personal and everyone is different as these forms work differently for everyone. Consider your options, look into what will work for you, and give it a try. Maybe some trial and error will work to clarify some of it.
Wrap Up
For those looking to bulk, there are two forms of bulking that one can try: dirty and clean bulking. While the differences may seem to contradict each other, every way to diet or bulk works differently for everyone. Clean bulking is pumping yourself with clean food and remaining on a strict diet in order to effectively target growth and tone a stellar physique. Dirty bulking is putting quantity over quality in efforts to gain as much weight as possible. While the health effects of these matter, look into both and see which you prefer. The results may differ, but at least then you’ll know which is best for your bodybuilding 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
References
Tipton, K. D.; Wolfe, R. R. (2001). “Exercise, protein metabolism, and muscle growth”. (source)
Lambert, Charles P.; Frank, Laura L.; Evans, William J. (2004). “Macronutrient considerations for the sport of bodybuilding”. (source)
Classic Bodybuilding Exercises You Need To Try For Monstrous Growth
These exercise will increase strength and size in no time and are classic exercises to perform for your bodybuilding goals and that classic physique.
Think about your workout routine. How many of those exercises have you done over and over again? You’ve probably felt as though you’ve hit this plateau and are struggling to see that monstrous growth you want most from your bodybuilding workout. Every time you look in the mirror, you think that. How could I get bigger?
Don’t get us wrong, you probably look great, all that hard work starting to come to fruition after you’ve perfectly crafted your workout, dietary, and supplementation routines. But if you really want to be a classic bodybuilder, and one that sees great gains with everything they do, then you need to look at a classic workout or two that have gotten some of the greats to where they are today with that classic physique.
We get that a workout is subjective off the bat. Some exercises you hate doing, others maybe you can’t do given the fact you’re rehabbing an injury. But what you need to know is while there are many exercises out there to boost your strength, speed, size, and physique, some are better than others (1).
And you’ve seen others at the gym perform them. Maybe you’ve been envious. Now it’s time to turn the tables and make them jealous of you. The excuses are no more as you will now embark on a bodybuilder’s workout to absolute gains and a shredded aesthetic to be one of the top physiques around.
We’ve hyped it up enough and will rest, so now its time to dive into some of these classic exercises to give you a physique to envy. Working all muscle groups, as well as starting to target those smaller stabilizer muscles, will give you an appearance as if someone carved you out of marble. And that perfectly sculpted classic physique may just give you the leg up on competitors and earn you a podium spot and some much needed rest.
Classic Exercises For Monstrous Bodybuilding Growth
While these are certainly not all exercises to get you huge, it is important to note that these are great all-around exercises to enhance all areas of your bodybuilding goals. From lower body work to upper body pumps, these will target your whole body so your sculpted physique is one to remember. At the end of the day, a bodybuilder’s routine is their routine and what works for them may or not work for you. But these exercises certainly will with the right gym equipment. The benefit to trying new things is your muscles can only do one thing: grow.
Arnold Press For Boulder Shoulders
The Arnold Press is a mean free weights shoulder workout to add to your workout routines taking the traditional overhead press exercise and adding a bit of a twist. Well, literally a twist with added intensity. A you push the weight overhead, you will rotate your wrists so your palms go from facing you to facing out. A great exercise for building strength in your shoulder muscle and popping out those arms, while also promoting explosiveness and power, the Arnold Press will work to build those boulder shoulders, similar to lateral raises or rows. This can be done as a seated arm dumbbell or standing dumbbell exercise included with workouts.
Bent-Over Row For That Big Back
The bent-over row is a great back exercise to target your lats, as well as your traps, rhomboids, and rotator cuff, with a little help from the arms as it mimics rows. These all play a role in posture and movement, but work to get those wing-like lats you know and love and fix any muscle imbalances from something like the barbell bench press. If you have access to kettlebells and dumbbells, you can row those or utilize a more traditional barbell variation. As an upper body muscle enhancer, the bent over row is one to certainly have in your routine to train this body part for all workouts of all levels on intensity depending on the program (2).
Squat For Tree-Trunk Thighs
This is an obvious one for it is one of those classic and traditional lifts, along with the deadlifts and flat bench press, as one of the big three powerlifts. Squats will get those tree-trunk thighs to really grow and work a number of your lower body muscles. Not only do barbell squats enhance your physique and build muscle by busting out your lower half and rear, but you will be more grounded, balanced, and stable when it comes to other massive lifts which require your utmost dedication and care, especially with the engagement and movements of your abs (3).
Pull-ups For An Upper Body Punisher
As a compound exercise, these are the best for getting serious work done with just your bodyweight and no need for free weights, an incline bar, or a cable machine. Muscles worked include the lats, biceps, pecs, delts, triceps, forearms, and traps and you will see growth in all. As an exercise to build strength and work on posture, the benefits to your bodybuilding goals and muscle growth are more than you know. Toss these in for a pre-workout warm-up or post-workout punisher and help get those V-shape abs we all know and love and strive for with our workouts.
Skullcrusher For Triceps & Those Horseshoe-Shaped Arms
What you’ll find with the skull crusher is a great isolation exercise to target your triceps, either narrow or wide grip on the bar with slightly differing movements. We all work our biceps, curling away as we seek to impress those around us while looking to enhance our chest. But that horseshoe-shape we all desire comes from working the triceps, as boring as it may be from lying on the bench as we reverse the movement to develop this muscle. Don’t be a noob and neglect your triceps, because it is noticeable, even if skipped just once a week or even a rep.
Spider Curls For Bulging Biceps
On the topic of isolation, spider curls are a stellar biceps isolation exercise and only a few reps on one arm will prove to you why, similar to preacher curls. The limited ability to jerk and cheat when lifting the weight requires humility because even those extra five to ten pounds you try and toss on won’t cut it, even with one curl. It’s a humbling exercise, but one worth doing for those bulging biceps without doing an incline press dumbbell exercise that hits your chest on point.
Sissy Squats For Quad Isolation
Don’t be fooled by this name because you will be sadly mistaken if you go into this exercise lightly. Sissy squats target the lower thigh area and require a certain level of fitness. It’s fairly close to isolating your quads and can offer a real level of resistance to boost strength and size in those legs, especially your hamstrings and abdominals for engagement. Also, with no equipment needed, there’s no excuse to not get done and give sissy squats a try, potentially paired with the standing calf raise. leg extensions, or leg curls.
Wrap It All Up
When it comes to classic bodybuilding exercises, the ruling is that this is a subjective topic. Every bodybuilder of all levels has what works for them and as part of their routine, it’s what makes them successful. Don’t be afraid to try new things. You’re already huge. We get that. But you could get bigger and we’re here to help with these tips from this article. Try these exercises on day 1, day 2, day 3, day 4, day 5, or any other day you choose because one of these per day will make sure you see growth. Give these exercises a try per week and work on getting massive while you build muscle. Be someone people will envy and train like its Mr. Olympia. And don’t be afraid of failure with a few things, including your workouts and diet as you search for ways to succeed like many of the best physiques out there.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
References
Harrison, Jeffrey (2010). “Bodyweight Training: A Return To Basics”. (source)
Fenwick, Chad M. J.; Brown, Stephen H. M.; McGill, Stuart M. (2009). “Comparison of different rowing exercises: trunk muscle activation and lumbar spine motion, load, and stiffness”. (source)
Gullett, Jonathan C.; Tillman, Mark D.; Gutierrez, Gregory M.; Chow, John W. (2009). “A Biomechanical Comparison of Back and Front Squats in Healthy Trained Individuals”. (source)
Supercharge Muscle Growth and Recovery with Full Body Workouts
Is it possible to grow muscle with only a couple of days in the gym? It sure is! That is if you do full body workouts.
Split routines have their time and place but can often lead to overtraining, muscular imbalances, or burnout. If you’re short on time or skipping days in the gym, you’ll be better off incorporating full body workouts into your training.
Full body workouts tend to get a bad rep in the bodybuilding world, but funny enough, full body workouts is where bodybuilding started.
Find out below all the benefits full body workouts bring to the table.
Old School Bodybuilding
In the golden era of bodybuilding (1950’s and ‘60’s), you would find most of these old-timers all on full body workouts, including Leroy Colbert and Vince Gironda — even Arnold Schwarzenegger was doing full body workouts at one point. This was before the revolution of drugs in the sport became mainstream though. Since these bodybuilders were all-natural, they knew the importance of rest and recovery for muscle growth. Therefore, they did full body workouts to allow their bodies more days off.
Since drugs allow your body to lift and produce more than what it’s capable of alone, it’s common for many bodybuilders to do more volume, which would otherwise be too much for the natural bodybuilder. Therefore, many bodybuilders nowadays are on split routines since you’ll be able to overload each muscle group with more volume. (That’s not to say all bodybuilders doing split routines are on drugs though.)
Full Body Workouts vs. Split Workouts
When you’re lifting weights in the gym, you can either opt for full body workouts or a split workout routine; both have their pros and cons.
Split Workouts
Split workout routines are designed to separate muscle groups into different days. There are a variety of ways to do this. Below is an example of a 5-day split routine.
5 Day Split Routine
Typically, there are 3, 4, and 5 day split routines. The benefit of a split routine is that you can dedicate an entire day to one muscle group, which targets the muscle more and gives them more fatigue and volume. With a full body workout, you’re limited to only 1-2 exercises per muscle group.
Since you’re targeting different muscle groups on different days, you can reduce the number of rest days that you take.
If you’re a competitive bodybuilder, this is recommended because you’ll be able to maximize muscle growth since you can give your muscles more volume each workout. Also, you’ll be able to isolate muscle groups, such as your triceps and biceps more efficiently, which are important for bodybuilding.
One issue with this design is that you have to stay on schedule with your workouts and you can’t miss any days, or you risk overdeveloping or underdeveloping muscles, which can lead to muscular imbalances and less muscle growth. If you’re on a 5 or 6-day split routine, it will be much easier to miss a day or two, which means you would have skipped a muscle group or two for that week.
Full Body Workouts
Full body workouts are working out your entire body each workout. They’re more efficient than split routines and save you a ton of time. That’s because you can work out your entire body in just one workout versus three, four, five, or six workouts. And although you can’t do as much volume each workout for each muscle group (without overtraining in one workout), you can make up for that volume missed by doing more full body workouts throughout the week.
It’s recommended that you do 2-4 full body workouts each week. If you happen to miss a workout, it’s no big deal! That’s because you don’t have a schedule you need to follow to make sure you’re working out your entire body — you already are each workout! This allows you a lot of flexibility in your workouts and schedule.
If you love other exercises besides lifting weights, then this is perfect! Now, you can play basketball, go for a hike, etc. on the days you aren’t in the gym.
Benefits of Full Body Workouts
Don’t confuse full body workouts for being for “beginners” or “run-of-the-mill” workout routines. Aside from having more time outside of the gym and not having to rigidly stick to a workout routine, full body workouts have a plethora of benefits.
Muscle Growth
Full body workouts allow you to focus on the muscles and exercises that give you the bulk of your muscle growth. Isolation exercises such as bicep curls and tricep extensions are good bonuses to add to your workout, but they shouldn’t be what you focus on. Full body workouts get rid of a lot of exercise fluff and let you hone in on what matters most —exercises that target large muscle groups, including squats, bench press, and rows.
This 2017 article proves that multi-joint exercises produce more strength than single-joint exercises (1). (Bye-bye arm day!)
If you’re prone to overtraining and don’t allow your body enough days off to recover, then you could be surprised just how much your muscles grow if you switch over to full body workouts and take more days off.
Research shows that high-volume and low-volume training produce equal amounts of strength and lean muscle mass (2).
Recovery
Full body workouts allow your body more time to recover. When you workout, both your CNS and muscles take a toll and they need time to recuperate. Since you’re only working out 2-4 days a week with full body workouts, your body will have much more time to recover than its 4, 5, and even 6 split routine counterparts. Recovery is important to muscle growth. Muscle grows while you’re resting, now while you’re lifting, so the additional rest days will yield more muscle (3).
Also, since you’ll be well-rested, you’ll be able to fully push yourself each time in the gym. Whereas with split routines, you’ll be tired or sore a lot of gym days, which means you’ll be working out a submaximal intensity, leading to less muscle growth.
Full body workouts also allow you flexibility. You can do strength workouts or HIIT routines, with no certain days you have to do them. You can play basketball one day, do a strength training full body workout another, and do a HITT workout on the third day. This gives you the freedom to never get bored of exercise and makes exercising more fun. Plus, you’ll build a more well-rounded body that has strength, endurance, and is athletic.
When doing full body workouts, I recommend you don’t work out any more than 3-4 days a week because of delayed-onset muscle soreness (4). However, research supports that you can train consecutive days in a row and still have similar improvements in strength and body composition than having days off in between lifts (5). (No wonder Rich Froning can do multiple full body workouts every day). Therefore, as long as you aren’t overtraining and keeping the volume low, it’ll be safe for you to do back-to-back full body workouts.
Benefits
Flexible schedule
Better recovery
More endurance
Focus on large muscle groups
More time outside of the gym
Conclusion
You can get amazing results in the gym only lifting weights 2-3 times a week. You’ll recover faster, be replenished each day back in the gym, and have more time outside the gym.
Do you prefer full body workouts or split routines? If you found this article valuable, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for daily content.
References
1 – Paoli A, Gentil P, Moro T, Marcolin G and Bianco A (2017) Resistance Training with Single vs. Multi-joint Exercises at Equal Total Load Volume: Effects on Body Composition, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, and Muscle Strength. Front. Physiol. 8:1105. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2017.01105
2 – Thomas, M. H., & Burns, S. P. (2016). Increasing Lean Mass and Strength: A Comparison of High Frequency Strength Training to Lower Frequency Strength Training. International journal of exercise science, 9(2), 159–167.
3 – MacDougall, J. D., Gibala, M. J., Tarnopolsky, M. A., MacDonald, J. R., Interisano, S. A., & Yarasheski, K. E. (1995). The time course for elevated muscle protein synthesis following heavy resistance exercise. Canadian journal of applied physiology = Revue canadienne de physiologie appliquee, 20(4), 480–486. https://doi.org/10.1139/h95-038
4 – Hotfiel, T., Freiwald, J., Hoppe, M. W., Lutter, C., Forst, R., Grim, C., Bloch, W., Hüttel, M., & Heiss, R. (2018). Advances in Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS): Part I: Pathogenesis and Diagnostics. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness – Teil I: Pathogenese und Diagnostik. Sportverletzung Sportschaden : Organ der Gesellschaft fur Orthopadisch-Traumatologische Sportmedizin, 32(4), 243–250. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-0753-1884
5 – Yang, Y., Bay, P. B., Wang, Y. R., Huang, J., Teo, H., & Goh, J. (2018). Effects of Consecutive Versus Non-consecutive Days of Resistance Training on Strength, Body Composition, and Red Blood Cells. Frontiers in physiology, 9, 725. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.00725
East Coast Mecca: Dexter Jackson and Kai Greene Training (Season 2, Episode 8)
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EAST COAST MECCA: SEASON 2 – Generation Iron returns to the beast coast with an inside look at the Bev Francis Powerhouse Gym one week before the New York Pro 2016. Known as the East Coast Mecca of bodybuilding, Bev Francis’ gym attracts today’s most elite athletes. In season 2 we’ll follow the likes of Kai Greene, Dexter Jackson, Roelly Winklaar, Sadik Hadzovic, and many more.
The third and final part of our 3-part Kai Greene arc is finally coming to a close – and what better way to end with a bang than Kai training with the ageless legend Dexter Jackson. Watch these two bodybuilding powerhouses train in the East Coast Mecca and also trade tips and stories that they have learned over the course of a long and prosperous bodybuilding career.
To be a fly on the wall during a conversation and training session like this brings invaluable insight to anyone who is a fan of bodybuilding. Check it out in our latest episode of East Coast Mecca above.
East Coast Mecca: Nathan De Asha Hardcore Training To Eat The Competition Alive
EAST COAST MECCA: SEASON 3 – Generation Iron returns to the beast coast with an inside look at the Bev Francis Powerhouse Gym one week before the New York Pro 2018. Known as the East Coast Mecca of bodybuilding, Bev Francis’ gym attracts today’s most elite athletes. Featuring superstars and up and comers such as Regan Grimes, Nathan De Asha, Arash Rahbar, Rich Gaspari, and many more! New episodes air every Thursday!
Nathan De Asha is a competitor who is not afraid to speak his mind. Not only that, but he’s not afraid to ruffle some feathers with intense (and very entertaining) trash talk about his fellow competitors. With just 2 days left before the New York Pro 2018, Nathan headed over to the East Coast Mecca to get some heavy training in and some face time with Steve Weinberger. They discuss how his trash talk has caused problems in the past (he recently got kicked out of his gym because “everyone hates him”) and how he plans to open his own gym and move permanently.
Frida Paulsen Stern and Kim Gutierrez also stop by the East Coast Mecca to hit the weights and also the posing room to get final impressions from the head judge himself, Steve Weinberger. With only 2 days before the big show, final advice from Steve could be vital in how their ultimate performance on stage will play out. Check the full episode out above!
East Coast Mecca: Charles Glass & Bev Francis Talk Old School Bodybuilding & Training Tips
EAST COAST MECCA: SEASON 3 – Generation Iron returns to the beast coast with an inside look at the Bev Francis Powerhouse Gym one week before the New York Pro 2018. Known as the East Coast Mecca of bodybuilding, Bev Francis’ gym attracts today’s most elite athletes. Featuring superstars and up and comers such as Regan Grimes, Nathan De Asha, Arash Rahbar, Rich Gaspari, and many more! New episodes air every Thursday!
While many know Bev Francis as the owner of the East Coast Mecca along with Steve Weinberger – it’s important to also remember that she is one of the most legendary female bodybuilders to ever hit the stage. You wouldn’t know it by looking at her now – but Bev held one of the most impressive female physique only challenged by 10x Ms. Olympia champion Iris Kyle (albeit many years later).
In this episode of East Coast Mecca, Bev Francis gives us an inside look at her training insights as she coaches Liz Montalbano towards Women’s Physique glory. She also runs into Charles Glass – a legendary bodybuilding trainer & guru in his own right. The two of them talk about their favorite bodybuilding memories… but more importantly, talk about what it takes to become a bodybuilding champion. They’ve seen hundreds of competitors come in and out of their wing – and there is one quality they can both agree on that is always held within a champion.
Check out the full episode of East Coast Mecca above!
The Cure For The Flat Butt
Reasons for a Flat Butt and How to Fix It
Ladies, if you’re struggling with the “flat butt syndrome”, this is the article you need to read. A firm and round butt is aesthetically appealing and is within your reach if you’re willing to work for it.
A pear-shaped rear doesn’t only make you stand out, it makes you fitter and healthier. The glutes are composed of three separate but synergetic muscles which make them one of the strongest muscle groups in the body.
The three muscles are primarily the hip extensors. They aid in the external hip rotation, abduction, and even in stabilizing the entire posterior chain when working properly. The gluteus maximus is the strongest and thickest muscle in the body which is capable of burning a surplus of calories when trained efficiently.
Sitting For Too Long
While desk jobs obviously don’t burn a lot of calories, they’re also the reason for flat butts. Prolonged sitting and a lack of physical activity are big factors for causing the anterior pelvic tilts.
Too Much Cardio
For most women, hitting the gym is equivalent to working out on the cardio equipment. Doing too much cardio leads to muscle and fat loss. The excess of cardiovascular training can cause a loss of gluteal muscle mass.
Resisting Resistance Training
Look around in a gym and you’ll hardly find women in the free weights section. It’s a widespread myth that lifting weights will make the girls look masculine. On the contrary, resistance training can help tone and tighten the muscles for women. Women don’t generate enough testosterone naturally to be able to build muscle like men.
Fix for the Flat Butt
Training with weights is arguably the best way to get your glutes in shape. A glute focused workout will help you build the gluteal muscle mass even if you have strong quads which otherwise take over your leg workouts.
Hip Thrusts – 3 Sets 15 Reps
The hip thrusts are a great way to work on your glutes and hamstrings. Make sure you maintain a neutral spine and pause at the top of the movement. With this workout, the goal is to target your glutes and not your entire lower body.
Butt Blaster Machine – 3 Sets 15-12-10 Reps
Butt blaster machine is an isolation exercise and will set your rear on fire. Feeling and contracting the glutes is the key to a successful butt workout. If you don’t have access to a butt blaster machine at your gym, perform the donkey kickback on a leg extension machine.
Cable Pull-Through – 3 Sets 15-12-10 Reps
Locking out and squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement during the cable pull-throughs will recruit all the three major muscles in your rear. With the glutes workouts, your goal is not to hit PRs or move big weights but to completely annihilate your muscles.
GHD – 3 Sets 15 Reps
Glute Ham hyperextensions (GHD) are great posterior chain builders. Maintain a full range of motion while performing this exercise and hyperextend your back to hit your glutes effectively.
Smith Machine Squats – 3 Sets 15-12-10 Reps
Barbell squats are a compound exercise and for some people, might work their quads and hams more than their glutes. Performing the squats on the smith machine with your feet placed together and in front of you can put more focus on your butt.
Are you suffering from the pancake ass syndrome? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements.
Natural Bodybuilder Ricky Fernandez Utilized Unilateral Training for a Total Body Transformation
Image via @acslater_85
PNBA natural athlete Ricky Fernandez transforms his physique through discipline, effort, consistency, and unilateral training.
We all know that it takes discipline, effort, and consistency to reach any health and fitness endeavor. However, some people want to blame genetics for their poor physiques. And although your body type does play a part in your overall body composition, the principles you follow are the most essential. One effective training style is unilateral training – training one limb at a time—for example, Bulgarian dumbbell split squat, single-arm dumbbell bench press, and single-arm dumbbell rows.
International Natural Bodybuilding Association (INBA)/Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association (PNBA) natural athlete Ricky Fernandez showcases how much you can transform your physique when you put in the work and add some unilateral training to your routine.
Ricky Fernandez had a seemingly average physique before going through a total body makeover. On Instagram (IG), Fernandez stated:
“You can do it… yes You! I believe in you! We can all achieve our perspective goals through discipline, effort and consistency. Stay the course my friends”
Below you can see Ricky Fernandez’s complete transformation.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYErzF_F1Vh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Unilateral Training
Of course, to make a physique transformation like Fernandez, you have to incorporate the correct movements into your training plan. On social media, it’s apparent Ricky Fernandez likes to perform unilateral training.
Unilateral training has benefits compared to bilateral exercises – working out both sides of your muscles simultaneously—for example, barbell squat, barbell bench press, and smith machine bench press.
Unilateral Training Benefits
Unilateral movements are best for engaging your core and stabilizing muscles. And bilateral movements are perfect for gaining strength since it enables you to use heavier loads.
Ricky Fernandez’s Workouts
A lower body workout Ricky Fernandez makes sure to include in his program is barbell lunges. And for an isolation exercise for his triceps, he likes single-arm tricep extensions. Fernandez also includes other workouts to add volume to his triceps, such as triceps pulldowns and incline skull crushers. Additionally, to add some volume to his chest, he’ll do as many weighted push-ups as he can for 30 seconds.
Fernandez keeps the volume and intensity high. He performs barbell lunges for six sets until failure. Below, you can view an IG training video of him performing barbell lunges.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-ScKXzpKf6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Men’s Physique
After undergoing an astonishing physique transformation, Ricky Fernandez competes in the PNBA Men’s Physique class. In the summer of 2021, Fernandez earned his PNBA pro card at the INBA PNBA Kern County show.
William Long is the reigning champ of the Men’s Physique division at Natural Olympia. The judges score this competition based on an athlete’s symmetry, muscularity, definition (conditioning), and stage presence. Although, legs won’t be a big factor in this class since contenders wear board shorts. And Men’s Physique athletes will hold onto less muscle mass than Men’s Bodybuilding.
Recap
Unilateral movements are an essential aspect of any training plan. They increase your stability and allow you to fix any muscular imbalances. Unilateral training is best when combined with bilateral exercises. For absolute strength (total strength), bilateral movements are better since you’ll be able to use heavier loads.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more inspiration from natural athletes!
PJ Braun Sentenced To 4.5 Years In Prison, Guy Cisternino Steps Up At Blackstone Labs
Image via Instagram @pjbraunfitness
After a slight delay, PJ Braun has been sentenced to 54 months in prison and announces increased role of Guy Cisternino at Blackstone Labs during his absence.
On Thursday, February 17, 2022, Blackstone Labs president PJ Braun was officially sentenced to 54 months in prison after a slight delay in the courts. A day after the sentencing, Braun made his last official announcement as president announcing that Guy Cisternino will step up in an increased role at Blackstone Labs. This news comes just under one month after Aaron Singerman’s sentencing.
Both PJ Braun and Aaron Singerman were convicted of selling illegal anabolic steroids and other unlawful controlled substances marketed as dietary supplements. During the case, both defendants pleaded guilty.
In addition to the 54 months in prison, PJ Braun also had to forfeit $3 million alongside Blackstone Labs forfeiting $1.2 million. Despite these events, Braun seems to remain confident that Blackstone Labs will continue to not only stay stable but grow during his absence.
In his last official statement as president posted to Instagram, PJ Braun also announced that Guy Cisternino will be “taking over” during his time in prison. While this does not go into exact detail of what this means – it is clear that Cisternino will take on an increased responsibility within the company. Cisternino is already a sponsored athlete of Blackstone Labs.
PJ Braun also took some time to explain his actions and the court sentencing in the video. He claimed that the two illegal substance Blackstone Labs sold were a pro hormone and SARMs. He also claims that neither he nor Aaron Singerman were aware that they should not be selling them. Despite this, he takes full responsibility for his actions and accepts the time he will serve in prison.
You can watch the full video below:
In the lead up to the sentencing, Aaron Singerman made many headlines due to some erratic actions. This included two DUIs – one in a boat and one in a car. PJ Braun’s sentencing was originally set to be the same day as Singerman’s but was postponed. Reports claim that this postponement was due to unspecified medical issues that needed to be reviewed before the final sentencing.
Both PJ Braun and Aaron Singerman had spoken with Generation Iron previously across various digital series we have produced. PJ Braun was featured in our Muscle Moguls series – which had an entire episode dedicated to the original raid of Blackstone Labs.
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Aaron Singerman also spoke with Generation Iron via our GI Exclusive interview series. In one particular segment, Singerman discussed his relationship with PJ Braun and the legal action taken against Blackstone Labs.
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At this time it is unclear if either PJ Braun or Aaron Singerman will serve the full 4.5 year sentence. It’s likely that they will be able to earn reduced sentencing for good behavior among other factors.
Regardless, at this moment PJ Braun seems optimistic that Blackstone Labs will still be flourishing upon his return. With many other employees and athletes involved in the 22 year long running business – hopefully the company will be able to survive the turmoil of the case.
For more updates on all things bodybuilding, fitness, and strength sports – make sure to stay tuned to the Generation Iron Fitness Network!