Tag: Bodybuilding
Jordan Shallow: Bodybuilding Would Need Less PEDs With Deeper Exercise Execution Knowledge
Jordan Shallow comments on recent deaths in bodybuilding, growing drug use, and the massive shift in physiques of modern bodybuilding.
While bodybuilding has always been somewhat taboo in the mainstream public due to perceived steroid use, the topic has become even more heated within the modern bodybuilding industry. Many coaches, experts, and past iconic athletes have gone on record stating they believe drug use has gone too far in modern bodybuilding. A recent string of tragic bodybuilding deaths, though unconnected, have further stoked the flames focusing on drug use and health in the sport. In our latest GI Exclusive, The Muscle Doc Jordan Shallow offers his opinion on PED usage in bodybuilding.
There is no doubt that PEDs are used in the sport of bodybuilding. In fact, this is true of nearly all professional sports. Those who want to achieve greatness are willing to do anything to reach that goal. This can also create a slippery slope. If athletes know the top pros are using PEDs, then they will feel they have to use them in order to stay in the same playing field. Then the cycle continues.
But perhaps it doesn’t have to be this way. During our conversation with Jordan Shallow, we fell onto the topic of health in bodybuilding and the recent deaths that have tragically plagued the sport. It should be pointed out that causes of death have not been revealed for nearly all of these cases. Regardless, it has caused a wave of bodybuilding icons, experts, and coaches to weigh in on drug use in the sport. Jordan Shallow believes there is a world where the same muscular results can be achieved while using less PEDs.
The common understand is this – if bodybuilding became more healthy, it would become less exciting with smaller physiques. While it’s true that bodybuilding will always demand some level of extreme risk taking – Jordan Shallow believes that the risks do not need to be anywhere near as high as they are today.
“Obviously it’s multifactorial and I don’t want to defame anyone or do anything like that,” Jordan Shallow states in our interview. He continues:
“But I think, you know, if we look deeper at exercise execution and we can set up exercises to maximally challenge muscle and get the greatest amount of return. We wouldn’t have to augment recovery the way we do with performance enhancing drugs and we can maybe expedite the ability for us to garner proper stimulus.”
It should be note that many pro bodybuilders have a vast understanding of exercise and how it works. That’s their job. But Jordan Shallow seems to believe that modern bodybuilding is taking a turn towards chemical solutions rather than deeper physical ones. Shallow admits that his statement is based purely on anecdotal evidence. But in his personal experience, he’s claimed that over the past 10 years or so – he’s had more conversations with bodybuilders about augmenting training with PEDs and less about further and deeper study of maximizing exercise.
This statement seems to also match others we have heard from older bodybuilding legends in the sport. Occasionally throughout our GI Exclusive interviews, veteran bodybuilders have claimed younger bodybuilders start turning towards PEDs much earlier. The common belief is that old school bodybuilders trained naturally much longer into their careers. They only turned to PEDs when they hit the maximum they could possibly push naturally.
Today, many veteran bodybuilders worry that young athletes turn to PEDs like steroids right away – before they even get a full understanding of what they can accomplish naturally. It must be noted that all of these statements are based on here-say. It’s anecdotal stories based on personal experiences. This can in part be classic rose-tinted nostalgia. A “my era is better than yours” mentality. But there also might be some truth to it.
The internet and advancements in science have changed the way PEDs are used by athletes (and even regular fitness enthusiasts) significantly. The drug world in bodybuilding is certainly not the same as it was 30 years ago. Perhaps Jordan Shallow is simply pointing out the same thing. That we are getting too much information and too many advancements too fast. That detailed knowledge is falling to the wayside in replacement of quick internet facts and easy to obtain PEDs.
What do you think? Watch Jordan Shallow’s statements in our latest GI Exclusive segment above and let us know your thoughts!
Everything You Need to Know About Competition Preparation
All You Need to Know About Bodybuilding Competition Preparation
Many people who start bodybuilding on the advanced level at one point or the other think about competing on stage. While most of those people never gather the courage to step on stage, the ones who do suffer because of a lack of knowledge about preparation.
To win a bodybuilding competition, you need to do more than workout every day for a few weeks. The right contest prep is what separates the all-time bests from rookies who stick around for a couple of shows. If you’re ambitious enough to join the elites, we’re here to help you.
You Need a Coach
It doesn’t matter how good you think you are, the sooner you accept you need a coach, the better it’ll be for you. A coach can help you with your diet, training, posing, and juice. An experienced coach can even tell you what’s going to work for you in a particular show and then polish it.
Plan Your Training
Most people try to stay in shape throughout the year which can be harmful to their overall health. The better way is to shortlist the shows you’ll be contesting a year in advance and then start preparing for them not more than 20 weeks from the show date.
Design a Nutrition Plan
You can’t win a show just by going hard in the gym. Nutrition is a key aspect of achieving peak conditioning. Get an expert to design the nutrition and diet timeline as per your show and then stick with it.
Get Posing Classes
In the documentary Pumping Iron, Arnold Schwarzenegger talks about the importance of posing and even goes to ballerina classes to perfect his routine. Consulting a choreographer about your posing routine and a bodybuilding coach about the mandatory bodybuilding poses is a good idea.
Find the Right Tan
Most people overlook the importance of finding the right tan and settle for the cheapest option they can buy online. The right tan can make a big difference in your placing in the show, so do the effort of finding the right tan as per your skin type. Getting a professional to apply the tan can also improve how the tan looks.
Look For a Posing Suit
Posing suits are one of the most important (and the only thing you’ll wear) which many people overlook. It would be great if you could find out the backdrop of the stage and choose a suit which will make you pop out and compliment your skin and tan tone.
Know the Stage
Reaching the show early and checking out the auditorium can do wonders for your performance (yes, posing is a performance). Know where the focus lights are and try to be under the ‘good light’ always. A good stage presence will show up on the mark sheet.
Prepare For Your Division
As a classic physique contestant, its okay to idolize a free-weight bodybuilder but copying his moves and poses won’t go down well for you. Know your division well and the things which work like posing, costumes, stage presence, etc.
It’s All About You
Bodybuilding is a selfish game, and you need to turn mean and focus all your energy on your own self. Arnold got in the headlines when it came to surface he missed his father’s funeral as he refused to go back to Austria because Mr. Olympia competition was in a couple of months.
Learn From Your Mistakes
You probably aren’t going to hit the jackpot in your first attempt. It might take a few tries before you learn from your mistakes and realize what works for you and what doesn’t. Bodybuilding is a never-ending game of self-improvement and one which will challenge every fiber of your being.
Are you planning to compete in a bodybuilding show? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Instagram Athlete of the Week – Julian Smith
Julian Smith – The Quad Guy
Internet fitness celebrities don’t get any more humble and genuine than Julian Smith. Smith had a humble beginning in the fitness industry but has now amassed a mind-blowing 1 million followers on Instagram.
If you have been living under a rock and don’t know about Julian, let us introduce you to him. Julian Smith calls himself The Quad Guy and we would go as far as to say he should put this name on his driver’s license.
After Tom Platz, if someone comes to mind for having monstrous muscle mass on their legs, its Julian Smith. Just like Platz, Smith swears by the squats and consider all the other leg exercises secondary.
Julian isn’t your typical bodybuilder. Smith puts out original content with a lot of exercise variations which you could try in your workouts. The exercises Smith shares on his timeline will surely ignite some new gains in your muscles.
Smith trains at his personal gym. The Arms Race gym has great lighting and is a paradise for the selfie queens. Julian holds regular open gyms and you should check them out if you live around the area.
It’s Okay to be a Sissy
Notice that Julian doesn’t use any weights on some of his exercises. The size of his legs should be proof you don’t need to be lifting big weights to add muscle mass. Proper form and a complete range of motion should do the trick.
Julian Smith shares his daily workouts on his website as the “Daily Pumps”. Going by his Instagram stories, Smith has been getting a lot of love for the results his clients have been getting following his workouts routines.
Julian leaves no muscles untouched. He trains his neck, calves, and forearms (what others might think of as accessory muscles) the way he workouts all his other muscles. When was the last time you trained your neck?
The Golden Boy
Smith is a fan of the golden-era bodybuilding and trains for the old school aesthetics. Symmetry and muscle proportions are the cornerstones of Smith’s training. Smith with his golden-era V-taper has all the qualities of a classic physique.
You don’t have to perform the same exercises every time you train a muscle. You can come up with numerous new exercise variations with the same old machines in your gym. Smith will push you to think outside the box.
View this post on Instagram
The interaction that molded my personality. It’s story time my friends! – I’ve talked about this many times, but when I got into the sport at such a young age (before social media) besides the people in magazines that I strived to one day look like, the only people I could actually talk to/interact with was the local competitors. Who in my opinion back then, were gods. – Let me tell you something! There was one specific person that I looked up to locally, who turned out to being one of the biggest assholes I’ve ever met. He was super rude to me when I went into the local Vitamin Shoppe to ask questions during my first show prep. When I put out my hand to shake his hand and said “I’m a big fan and prepping for my first show, any pointers would mean the world” his response was “Dude, you serious? Can’t you see I’m eating?”. I was hurt and embarrassed and felt pressure in my face from tearing up. But this interaction set me up to be the person I am today. – I don’t care if you’re on my membership site, bought a Clifford Lenox belt/clothing , used one of my affiliate codes etc. All I have ever wanted from my Instagram page, was help people move forward with their fitness journey! If you have tried/learned something on my page that has benefited you in even the smallest way towards achieving your goal, that’s all I’ve ever wanted. – My dad told me at a young age that the definition of a gentleman was a person who made everybody around them feel as comfortable as possible at all times. Never to intimidate them and never to make themselves feel bad about who they are. – I may not be bringing home 1st place trophies.. But ANYONE who approaches me locally, at events etc will receive the interaction I was hoping for over a decade ago. – #oregon #fitnesslife #fitnesslifestyle #fitnessmodel #fitnessmotivation #progress #healthyeating #igfit #instagramfitness #body #aesthetics #igdaily #staypositive #gains #flexible #getfit #fitnessgoals #monday #mondaymotivation
A post shared by JULIAN MICHAEL SMITH (@smith.julian) on Apr 30, 2018 at 12:37pm PDT
Julian Smith is a Bodybuilding.com sponsored athlete and can be seen promoting their products on their websites and expos. One thing which separates Smith from many other athletes is that he only recommends the products he uses.
If you’re pumped up to train your legs after seeing all those quad shots, this is the video you should watch before you head out the door. Always remember, fads come and go, but the golden aesthetics stay forever.
Who is your favorite Instagram fitness celebrity? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*All images courtesy of Instagram
Things To Know Before Starting Working Out After 50
Things To Know Before Joining a Gym After 50
Age is one of the biggest factors that stop people from starting training. Many people believe there is an age limit to working out and that they shouldn’t get a gym membership after they’ve turned 50.
Does the age limit apply or is it just a number on your driving license? In this article, we’re going to answer this question and a few more so that you’re empowered to make the right decision for yourself.
You Can Build Muscle Mass
Many people think that you can’t build muscle after you turn 40-45. Your body produces enough testosterone (the male hormone responsible for developing primary and secondary sexual characteristics) when you’re 50 to add-on muscle mass.
You might not be able to put on the same size as the younger lifters, but you’ll be far from disappointed with the results. So, if your fitness goal is to be buff, jump into the fit lifestyle without wasting any more time.
Fix Your Diet
If you’ve never counted your macros or calories, it’s time you start following a diet plan. No matter how hard you train, if you’re not feeding your muscles the right macro and micronutrient, you’re not going to see results.
Take It Easy On Your Joints
At 50, your joints have taken half-a-century worth of beating and might not be in shape for 315lb squats. If you’ve pre-existing injuries or problems, you’ll need to work around them, and even on them.
Use Supplements
If you’re not able to achieve your daily macro goals with real foods, it’s a good idea to incorporate supplements into your routine. Apart from the nutritional supplements, you should also be using joint and immune system support products.
Follow The Right Training Program
Forget the 50-year-olds, even the majority of teenage lifters don’t see any results in the gym. Designing the right training program according to your body composition is key to seeing desired results.
Keep Your Body Moving
If the idea of hitting the gym every day of the week traumatizes you, you should know that you don’t have to lift weights every day. You should set a daily move goal for yourself and achieve it by walking, running, swimming, or any other physical activity of your liking.
Focus on Recovery
The onset of age will most probably take a toll on your CNS (central nervous system). You should plan your workout schedule after analyzing your recovery pattern. You should be weight training for not more than 3-4 days a week.
Do Your Research
The majority of the people in the gym around the world are between 18-40 years of age. As much as the gym bros would want to help, their well-intending advice can do more harm than good. If you can’t find someone who is experienced in working with people your age, you’ll have to do the research yourself.
It’s Going To Take Time
If you think you can build considerable muscle mass in a couple of months after you’ve turned 50, a rude awakening is just around the corner. The truth is that your prime muscle-building years have passed and it’s going to take some time now.
How old were you when you started training? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements.
Moves to Build a Cobra Back
Training the Back for a V-Taper
If you’re wondering why is a chiseled back called a cobra back, it’s because the V-taper looks like the head of a cobra when a bodybuilder spreads out his lats.
A physique can’t be deemed complete and symmetrical without a V-taper. Building a cobra back isn’t easy and the workouts, if done right, can be as grueling and exhausting as the hardest of leg workouts.
Your back is the biggest muscle group after legs and developing it can take a lot of hard work, sweat, pain, and tears. A cobra back can make you look like a superhuman and gives you wings you could fly with.
Your back is a big muscle group and you need to target it from different angles to train it effectively. Each exercise targets the back in a different way and you need to perform a variety of moves to develop every muscle fiber in your back.
The overall development of the back needs a combination of compound and isolation exercises. We’ll break up the back into three major muscle groups and perform exercises to target each muscle.
Upper Back – Muscle Involved Rhomboids and Trapezius
Rhomboids
Breaking up the back into smaller muscle groups makes it easier to train and helps in building size and definition by focusing on any lagging parts. Rhomboids are placed at the top of your back right under your neck and at the sides of the posterior deltoids.
– Seal Rows
– Rope Face Pulls
– Incline Bench Dumbbell/Barbell Rows
You can best target the rhomboids by using isolation exercises. While performing the seal rows, bring the barbell to your chest and not your stomach. For the face pulls, hold and contract your back at the top and the bottom of the movement.
Trapezius
Some people like to train their trapezius muscles (or traps) on their shoulder day, but we will advise you to do so on your back day. Although rear delts too are a part of the back, we won’t train them in our back workouts.
– Barbell/DumbbellShrugs
– Behind the Back Cable Shrugs
Middle Backs – Lats (Latissimus Dorsi)
Most people in their back workouts train their lats and call it a day. All the rowing and pulling movements essentially target the latissimus dorsi (lats). The pulling movements help with adding size to your wings, and the rowing adds thickness to your middle back.
– Pull-Ups
– Lat Pulldowns
– Seated Cable Rows
– Dumbbell/Barbell Rows
Pull-ups are an essential for every back workout. In between your sets, stretch your lats by performing the lat spread pose. Posing between sets will rush more blood into your lats and will help you in establishing a better mind-muscle connection.
Lower Back – Thoracolumbar Fascia
Lower back is the smallest of the three muscle groups. A single exercise for the lower back in your back workout is enough to get the job done. It’s important to maintain a strict form while performing the lower back exercises.
– Weighted Hyperextensions
Use a small barbell for performing the hyperextensions and maintain a full range of motion. Performing this exercise to failure is the best way of getting the most out of it. After you hit failure, drop the barbell and do as many bodyweight reps as you can.
You Cannot Miss the Deadlifts
Deadlifts are a full body exercise and are essential to building a cobra back. Switch between high volume and low volume days while keeping the intensity high. Deadlifts are the mother of all back exercises and add size, width, and thickness to your back.
Who do you think has the best V-Taper in the bodybuilding world? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements.
Why You Should Be Doing Full-Body Workouts
Reasons For Performing Full-Body Workouts
If you’ve been following a program where you train a single or double muscle group 5-6 days a week but can’t see desired results, it’s time you consider switching to a full-body training routine.
When we say ‘a full-body workout’, we’re referring to a workout where you train at least three muscle groups in a single training session which should include both your upper and lower body.
Break The Plateau
Performing the same workouts over and over again can lead you to hit a plateau. If you know anything about muscle plateaus, you’ll know it’s better to avoid one rather than finding ways of breaking it.
Following a full-body training routine can help you break and/or avoid a plateau. You should add variety to your full-body sessions so that your muscles never get used to your training program.
Improves Your Cardiovascular Health
Many serious lifters dismiss the full-body training programs calling them some CrossFit WOD fad which will go away soon. The high-intensity training style isn’t given its fair share of credit when it comes to its testosterone boosting, cardiovascular, and CNS health improving benefits.
Most resistance training approaches don’t put your cardiovascular system under stress as there is plenty of time to recover between exercises. The full-body workouts can improve your overall health by using HIIT routines.
Burn Fat
If you’ve ever performed a full-body workout, you’ll know that it can be exhausting. The good news is, the annihilation after a full-body training session can be incredibly effective in melting your body fat like butter.
If your primary goal is to shed weight and lose some inches from your waist, you should follow a full-body program. The HIIT workouts are also great for bros who’re prepping for a contest or want to improve their muscle definition.
Hit Failure Every Time
Leaving the gym without a pump can be depressing. While following a low-moderate intensity workout, variables like mind-muscle connection, rest between sets, form come into play which can hamper your muscle pumps.
On the other hand, you’re almost guaranteed to get (and maintain) a nasty pump during your full-body workout because of the sheer intensity of the training style. If you shy away from hitting failure in every workout, the full-body workouts are sure to cause a paradigm shift.
Shorter Workouts
Many people never get on the fitness bandwagon because they can’t take out 2-3 hours for a workout every day. Following a full-body workout is the perfect solution to this problem as you’ll wrap up your workouts within 45-60 minutes.
Since the full-body workouts have ample bodyweight exercises, you’ll never have an excuse for missing a training session. You could train in the comfort of your home early in the morning, late at night or anytime in between.
Do you train on Sundays? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Year In Review: The Biggest Bodybuilding Stories Of 2021
Here are the biggest bodybuilding stories from this past year!
As 2021 comes to an end, it seems like as good a time as any to look back on some of the top stories from bodybuilding over the last year. There was plenty of action this year and it was highlighted by some of the top competitions.
The 2021 Olympia and Arnold Classic took place two weeks apart after being pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nick Walker was victorious in his first Arnold Classic competition and ended up fifth at the Olympia. For Big Ramy, he made it two titles in a row down in Orlando. Brandon Curry finished as the runner-up once again followed by Hadi Choopan and Hunter Labrada.
Outside of the world of bodybuilding, there have been many huge stories in powerlifting and boxing. This sets up what could be an extremely exciting 2022. Let’s take a look at some of the top stories and moments from 2021.
Top Stories of 2021
2021 Olympia Weekend Brings New & Repeat Champions
The 2021 Olympia was moved to October in Orlando because of COVID-19. This came just two weeks after the 2021 Arnold Classic. Big Ramy was able to win his second consecutive title and proved that he is the competitor to beat. Derek Lunsford upset Shaun Clarida in Men’s 212 while Chris Bumstead made it three victories in a row in Classic Physique.
READ HERE: 2021 Mr. Olympia Bodybuilding Results For All Divisions
Tom Stoltman Wins 2021 World’s Strongest Man
Tom Stoltman is one of the top strongmen in the world and he showed it on the biggest stage this year. Stoltman was able to edge out Brian Shaw, who finished second, and Maxime Boudreault to take home the title. There was 10 total competitors vying for the title and Stoltman was able to come out on top.
READ HERE: World’s Strongest Man 2021 Finals Results
Flex Wheeler Diagnosed With COVID-19 & Recovery
COVID-19 has impacted the entire world but especially for those who have contracted it or lost someone from it. In October, legendary bodybuilder Flex Wheeler was diagnosed with the virus and it was a long journey back. Wheeler remained active on social media giving updates on his condition through his battle. He was released in November but not before he received well wishes from many.
READ HERE: Flex Wheeler Has Been Diagnosed With COVID-19: “I Will Defeat The Virus”
Michal Krizo Wins Mr. Universe Pro & Draws Comparisons To IFBB Pro Athletes
Michal Krizo has become a huge name in the Elite Pro League and he solidified his legacy by winning the 2021 Mr. Universe Pro. This victory brought much attention to Krizo and his work as a bodybuilder. Krizo’s popularity has caused many fans to call for his switch to the IFBB league. That might happen in the future but for now, he continues to dominate the Elite Pro League.
READ HERE: Michal Krizo Wins Mr. Universe Pro 2021
Martyn Ford vs. Sajad Gharibi
One of the most anticipated of the year will take place on April 2nd. Martyn Ford and Sajad Gharibi have agreed to terms on a boxing match and it has been building since October. Not only will these two duke it out in the ring, there is some personal issues between the two. The fight will be under the banner of celebrity boxing promotion BoxStar.
READ HERE: Martyn Ford Will Fight “Iranian Hulk” Sajad Gharibi In Boxing Match Face Off
Hafthor Bjornsson vs. Eddie Hall Boxing Match Transformations
Hafthor Bjornsson and Eddie Hall have both made the transition from powerlifting to boxing. The two were set to meet in September but Hall was forced to back out because of an injury. There is no official date set just yet but it is likely that it will take place early in 2022. Since their transition, both Bjornsson and Hall have made incredible physique transformations.
READ HERE: Eddie Hall vs. Hafthor Bjornsson: Who Has Had The Most Significant Transformation In 2021?
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Freedom Comments & Industry Reaction
Arnold Schwarzenegger received a lot of backlash after stating his opinion on anti-maskers during the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘Screw your freedom’ were the words used by Schwarzenegger and it was not received well. Many stated their opinions publicly and some decided to cut ties. Brian Shaw went as far as to remove posters of the bodybuilder from his gym to show that he is against his comments.
READ HERE: Brian Shaw Takes Down Poster Of Arnold Schwarzenegger In His Gym
Ryan Crowley Tears Pec During Training
Ryan Crowley has been putting on some serious size and gaining strength because of huge workouts. He joined Larry Wheels, who thrives performing massive lifts, for a training session back in March. Crowley suffered a torn pectoral while performing a heavy bench press.
READ HERE: Video Of Ryan Crowley Pec Tear While Training With Larry Wheels
Remembering Those Who We Have Lost
The bodybuilding world has been hit hard by a string of deaths by some of the top athletes in the sport. Shawn Rhoden passed away at the age of 46 in November after suffering a heart attack. Rhoden took home the Olympia title in 2018 and was one of the biggest name in bodybuilding since earning his Pro card in 2010.
George Peterson was preparing to compete at the 2021 Olympia before passing away in his hotel room in Orlando. There has not been a cause of death revealed for Peterson. He was 37 years old. Renowned bodybuilder and coach John Meadows passed away at 47 years old in August. Meadows dealt with health issues during his time as a bodybuilder. Following his retirement, he stayed active in the sport as a coach and nutritionist.
Odalis Santos Mena was an up-and-coming name in bodybuilding after becoming a sensation on social media. In July, Mena underwent an operation to fix her constant sweating and passed away due to a complication with anesthesia. She was just 23 years old. Generation Iron remembers those who we have lost in the sport of bodybuilding this year and sends condolences to family and friends.
Sadly, there were many more lost this past year than listed here – drawing much attention to the state of health in competitive bodybuilding. While there has been no proven direct through line between all of these deaths, many hope that health becomes a bigger focus in the future of the sport. Generation Iron would like to pay tribute to those we have lost and wish for a stronger and safer year moving ahead.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Life Lessons Bodybuilding Can Teach You
The Timeless Bodybuilding Life Teachings
You go to the gym to build muscle – this is how most people sum up working out. The psychological benefits of lifting weights are often undermined as usually only the physiological advantages are broadcasted by the fitness industry.
If you let it, working out can turn into a meditative and self-reflective activity. Through this article, we want to draw your attention to the life lessons bodybuilding can teach you if you pay attention.
Accept Your Weaknesses
You can only craft a proportional physique if you’re willing to work on your lagging muscles. Most people have a lagging muscle group, and until they accept their weaknesses and work on them, they can’t ahead in the game.
Have a Plan
Not having a plan before you start a business, join a gym or even step out of your house for that matter is going to get you nowhere. Write down your goals and devise strategies to achieve them.
It’s All About The Reps
Whatever your goal might be, the best way of getting good at what you do is to do more of it. As you do more reps, you’ll start working on the form and quality. Do the work until it becomes second nature.
Focus
The Governator brought the concept of mind-muscle connection to the limelight. Don’t just do the work, ‘become’ the work and have a tunnel vision while you’re at it. If you let small distractions break your focus, you’re not going to go a long way.
Failure is Your Friend
Most people are too afraid of pushing their boundaries in the gym or their field of work. The more often you hit failure, the wider your horizons are going to get. Don’t be afraid of failing and you’ll be surprised by what you can achieve.
Follow A Deadline
Once you have a goal in place, you should set a deadline for yourself. It’s best to keep the deadline ambitious as it’ll push you to put in your best. Have provisions for regular assessments of your progress, and re-plan when need be.
Don’t Just Show Up
Some people think that showing up to the gym is enough to build muscle or lose weight. Contrary to this belief, arriving at work is 10% of the equation. Push yourself and everyone around you to do their best work.
Keep Learning
With the advancement in science and research, almost every field is going through massive transformations every few years. You should keep your head out for new techniques that can help you improve your productivity and results.
Work is Directly Proportional To Results
Bodybuilding is a fairly straightforward sport and has a direct cause and effect relationship. If you put in the work, you’ll be getting appropriate results for it. You might not see the results yet, but they will surely come.
Patience
“Rome wasn’t built in a day” – remember this whenever you think you’re not seeing any progress in the gym or at work. Building something meaningful can take months – if not years – and you need to be patient and perseverant.
Which is your favorite muscle to train? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements.
5 Tips To Master The Sumo Deadlift
Master the Sumo Deadlifts with these Five Tips
Deadlifts are some of the most brutal exercises which train your complete body. There are many variations of the deadlifts which will keep you from getting bored of the exercise. Sumo deadlifts have a greater impact on your hips, glutes and posterior chain.
Due to the limited range of motion, this variation of the deadlifts can enable you to lift heavier weights as compared to the traditional deadlifts. The sumo deadlifts are great for people who have a stronger lower body.
Since you get into a squatter stance while lifting the weights, your lower body does more work in this variation as compared to the traditional deadlifts. Sumo deadlifts are an advanced exercise and you need to perform them correctly to get the most out of them.
1. Find a Stance Which Works For You
There are no hard or fast rules when it comes to the sumo deadlift stance. The stance will vary for people based on their height and mobility. Some people have a false notion that the wider your sumo deadlift stance, the better it is. Most people need a moderate sumo stance to lift heavy weights while maintaining the correct form.
The sumo deadlifts are harder at the bottom. It is harder to move the weights off the floor than it is to lock our your hips and back at the top of the movement. Take a stance which makes it easy for you to lift the weights off the ground.
2. Get Your Body Behind the Bar
Some people make the mistake of ducking out their toes, doing this automatically puts the bar an inch in front of them. On the other hand, some people stand on top of the bar which is not the best position to start either because the bar can bump into your knees on the concentric movement.
Standing right behind the bar with your shins touching the barbell is the best position to start the lift. Keeping your head and chest behind the bar at the start of the movement will help you in locking out your hips and knees at the top of the movement.
3. Point the Toes Out
Feet placement is where most people go wrong with the sumo deadlifts. You neither want your feet to be pointing all the way out nor should they be pointing straight ahead. You want the barbell to be as close to you as possible while performing the sumo deadlifts.
If you stand with your feet completely “ducked” out, the bar will be an inch in front of you which can make it harder to lift it off the ground. Turn your feet slightly out as doing this will make the lift shorter and easy.
4. Generate Torque and Push Your Hips Through
As mentioned above, the sumo deadlifts are the hardest at the bottom of the movement. You need to generate a lot of torque to crack the bar off the floor. Make sure you push your knees out so they don’t come in the way of locking out your knees.
If you’re a competitive powerlifter, you will need to stand with your knees and back locked out at the top of the movement. Drive your hips into the bar to finish with a smooth lockout. Some people make the mistake of overextending their lower back which can unlock their knees.
5. Hand Placement
The hand placement while performing the sumo deadlifts can be tricky. Some people like to have a wider than shoulder width grip while the others like to keep their hands close to each other. A shoulder-width hand placement can prove to be the most optimal.
Holding the bar too wide can put extra tension on your lower back while a close grip can make it hard for you to balance the bar.
What is your sumo deadlifts PR? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Natural Bodybuilder’s Transformation Proves Why Eating More is Better Than Eating Less (She Doubled Her Calorie Intake!)
Alice Jncharles proves eating more is better than eating less by going from consuming 1300-1800 calories per day to eating over 3k calories daily.
Contrary to the belief that you want to eat less to build the body of your dreams, you’ll want to eat more. Often, people tend to undereat when working on their fitness goals. Not consuming enough calories puts you in a catabolic state and makes building muscle hard and losing body fat even harder. That’s because the more muscle you have, the faster your basal/resting metabolic rate (BMR) will be, which means you’ll burn more calories at rest. Of course, eating enough calories is essential to build muscle since you’ll need to be in a caloric surplus to maximize muscle growth.
Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association (PNBA) competitor Alice Jncharles proves this concept. She doubled her caloric intake and went from eating 1300-1800 calories per day to over 3k calories daily and gained a whopping 7 pounds of pure muscle! On Instagram (IG), Jncharles claimed:
“The main difference between these pictures, my food intake, and a coach. From 1300-1800 to 3066 calories daily. You have to eat big and lift heavy to grow.”
You can see her complete statement and transformation pictures below.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYDXh5YrJWK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Alice Jncharles’ nutrition change made a massive impact on her 2021 performance. She placed in the top 3 of the world in the Figure Masters division at 2021 Natural Olympia.
Natural Bodybuilding and Nutrition
Athletes in natural bodybuilding have to strategically structure their training regimen and nutrition since they don’t get to use any PEDs unless they want to end up on the Hall of Shame, of course – for all INBA/PNBA competitors.
With that being said, they’ll need to have their nutrition targets on point to match their training volume. This natural bodybuilder ranked the top 4 restaurants to hit your nutrition targets (click the link).
Importance of a Caloric Surplus
In the sport of natural bodybuilding, building muscle naturally is essential. However, to build muscle, you must be in a caloric surplus. As Jncharles said in her IG above post, “You have to eat big and lift heavy to grow.”
How much protein you eat is critical as well. We recommend you eat between 0.7g – 1g of protein per lbs of body weight for maximal muscle growth. Research shows that 0.82g is what you want for maximal muscle growth. (1)
Now, that’s not to say that you don’t want to cut calories at some point to lose weight and fat. That’s because being in a caloric deficit is vital for weight loss. However, it’s better to build muscle and focus on a caloric surplus first, so your metabolism is working more efficiently. Furthermore, not eating enough calories will wreak havoc on your metabolism, making weight loss and fat loss near to impossible. Therefore, we recommend you eat more and build muscle, then slowly cut your calories back to cut weight.
Generation Iron would like to congratulate Alice Jncharles on her third-place finish in Figure Masters at 2021 Natural Olympia. We hope 2022 brings you success!
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Reference
Phillips, S. M., & Van Loon, L. J. (2011). Dietary protein for athletes: from requirements to optimum adaptation. Journal of sports sciences, 29 Suppl 1, S29–S38. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2011.619204