Tag: Bodybuilding
The ‘Kendall Jenner of Bodybuilding’ Goes Viral; Rakes in Over $10K Per Month on OnlyFans
Vladislava Galagan, a Russian fitness model and enthusiast, is known for her uncanny resemblance to Keeping Up with the Kardashians star Kendall Jenner. Recently, Galagan revealed that she’s raking in over $10,000 per month of OnlyFans revenue after her physique went viral.
OnlyFans became a haven for influencers looking to earn additional income over the last few years. While the site is largely recognized for its X-rated content, several athletes, models, and social media stars utilize the service, offering various forms of entertainment such as workouts, games, and live-stream events.
Vladi Galagan/Instagram
Galagan started training at the gym when she was 16 and has done so for the past 11 years. As of late, she mentioned that gym-goers continue to point out her likeness to Kendall Jenner, who is also 27 years old. In addition, they praise her for a toned six-pack and impressive biceps.
Even though Galagan disagrees with the resemblance to Jenner, she’s embraced the comparison with open arms. In a recent interview with South West News Service, she discussed life as a ripped Kendall Jenner doppelganger.
‘People Tell Me My Muscles Are Photoshopped’ — Vladislava Galagan Talks Kendall Jenner Lookalike OnlyFans
Galagan detailed some of the video ideas she uses to make money on OnlyFans.
“I am constantly told I look like ‘Kendall Jenner on steroids,’” Galagan explained Thursday. “I sell this image of being good-looking and muscular and combine it with a little erotic.”
“I hit the sweet spot with a mix of my face and my body.”
She specified that fans appreciate her arm-wrestling videos.
“When I joined social media, I learned there are so many men who like tall, strong muscular women with a nice face too,” she explained. “But people tell me my muscles are photoshopped because they can’t believe someone who looks like me could be so strong.”
“I wear see-through lingerie, leather and latex … I just imply.”
“I do arm wrestling videos,” she spilled. “People like those.”
Transforming her physique in 2018, Galagan participated in bodybuilding contests before mapping out her career as a model. Galagan shared that she is tasked with following a strict diet, ensuring that she consumes 100 grams of protein daily. She regularly eats beef, turkey, chicken, fish, and eggs. Galagan admits she takes steroids but stressed that no ‘magic pill’ exists for body transformations.
Taking to the gym six days a week, Galagan is dedicated to fitness and implements cardio sessions weekly to stay in the best shape possible. And she’s not the only fitness influencer who has tested OnlyFans, as powerlifting phenom Larry Wheels also tried out the platform for a few days.
RELATED: 16 Celebrities Who Swear By Intermittent Fasting (Their Tips & Experiences)
Given the popularity of the website, perhaps Galagan will encourage others to try out the growing platform. Nevertheless, she’s thankful for the opportunities she’s received as a fitness model.
Published: 5 May, 2023 | 1:14 PM EDT
Nick Walker Demolishes an Arduous Push Day Workout
Nick Walker is training like a man possessed to take the 2023 competitive season head-on. “The Mutant” is constantly experimenting with new machines and trying to get the most out of his workouts.
Walker is one of the select few IFBB Pro bodybuilders who wasted no time running through the division and established themselves as top-notch competitors. The Men’s Open division bodybuilder won the 2021 New York Pro and secured a direct qualification to the 2021 Mr. Olympia. Shortly after, he returned to the stage and emerged victoriously at the 2021 Arnold Classic, considered the second most prestigious bodybuilding competition in the world after Mr. Olympia. Remarkably enough, Walker achieved this within a year of turning Pro.
Walker secured a fifth-place finish at his Olympia debut in 2021. However, he felt he needed to improve his physique further to compete against the top crop.
The longest off-season of The Mutant’s career followed. He returned to the 2022 Mr. Olympia in December, and a strong performance warranted him a third-place finish at the show.
The 2023 Arnold Classic was Walker’s most recent competitive appearance, and he missed the second Arnold’s title by a razor-thin margin to Samson Dauda. Walker now trains to achieve the ultimate goal of winning the Mr. Olympia title in 2023. Recently, he went through a push-day training session with an emphasis on shoulder training.
The workout video was posted on The Mutant’s YouTube channel. Walker walked the viewers through the workout and shared some important bodybuilding tips that would greatly benefit professionals as well as fitness enthusiasts. So let’s see what Walker has in store for us.
Nick Walker goes through a push-day workout
Walker shed light on the nature of this training session before starting and explained:
“There will be a lot more shoulder movement. We’re gonna do about three chest movements for this workout, probably do about three shoulder movements, and we’ll probably do one tricep for this one.”
He revealed that he is no longer doing too many arm exercises but is satisfied with the growth anyway. This explains the reason for having only one triceps exercise in the entire session.
Chest Workut
Pec Deck Fly
Walker started the training session with chest exercises first and performed pec deck flyes on the M Torture machine. According to Walker, doing chest flyes at the beginning of the workout helps him build a better mind-muscle connection. He explained:
“I always feel like I’m able to connect better throughout the rest of the workout with my chest. I know they say, ‘Oh, it’ll affect the pressing’ whatever… But in my opinion, I’m still pretty strong even when I do fatigue a little on the flyes… And again, I’m just worried about the contraction. So if I start with pressing, the contraction is not as strong for me if I started with the flyes to really get the blood flow.”
Walker did a few warm-up sets and then proceeded to do the working sets of pec deck flyes. Before moving on to the next exercise, The Mutant gave an essential chest training tip to budding bodybuilders and said:
“I’m a big believer… When you get in that stretch(ed position), you want to hold that for a quick minute because, in my opinion, when you hold the stretch even for the back, it helps you flare out even more and even for the chest… To hold the stretch creates the width within the chest as well. So those are the cues I always incorporate, including the very slow eccentric reps.”
Walker added that lifting heavy can get you to fatigue the muscles as well. However, lifting heavy is not everything that the bodybuilder should focus on.
“The goal is to contract as hard as we can and as fast as we can and get the f*** out to get the recovery process started,” He added.
Following this, Walker performed the working sets with a 10 to 12 rep range and moved on to do some free weight exercise giving in to popular demand from his fans.
Incline Dumbbell Press
This compound dumbbell exercise was the only free-weight movement in The Mutant’s training session. He performed the warm-up sets with 110-pound dumbbells and slowly worked his way up to the top set of eight to ten reps with 132 pounds. The 28-year-old hit a back-off set of 10 to 12 reps with 110-pound dumbbells to focus on the movement and took to the next exercise.
Machine Chest Press
Walker employed a Newtech plate-loaded machine next to perform the chest press. While speaking about the movement pattern of the machine and how it affects the pectoral muscles, Walker stated:
“The way this press is set up, it kind of goes down like a decline, but it closes in to really squeeze (the pecs). So we’re actually going to do more neutral grip on this one.”
By this time, Walker’s muscles had been sufficiently warmed up, and he did not need to do as many warm-up sets. Therefore he performed a heavy working set after one quick warm-up set.
Walker believes it is essential to recover completely before the next training session for the same muscle group. Therefore he would not train chest for at least the next two to three days. After wrapping up the chest exercises, he shifted his focus to working the shoulders.
Seated Machine Shoulder Press
Starting with the anterior/front deltoid movement, Walker performed the seated machine shoulder press. The Mutant shed light on his preferred volume to get the most out of shoulder exercises and stated:
“I think for me, the shoulders really get the most out of the 10 to 15 range. So as for the real delts and sides, I don’t like to go any lower than 12.”
After a couple of warm-up sets, Walker subjected himself to straight working sets of machine shoulder press, maintaining a 10 to 15-rep range. He continued further and annihilated a back-off set before taking up the next exercise.
Machine Seated Lateral Raise
This medial deltoid exercise followed next, and Walker used a plate-loaded machine to put in the work. Slight modifications in posture can drastically affect the outcome of this exercise. The Mutant voiced his opinion that leaning forward a little bit can engage the posterior deltoid muscles during machine lateral raises, and keeping your head low can activate the traps. Therefore, he assumed an upright stance and kept his head high to keep the focus on medial/lateral delts.
Conventional wisdom states that raising the arms above shoulder level defeats the purpose and engages other muscles. However, Walker feels:
“I get a better workout going a little higher with a little lighter weight than, kind of, just stopping here (at shoulder height).”
A few solid sets of machine lateral raises found their place in Walker’s workout. The 2021 Arnold Classic winner took to a posterior deltoid movement next.
Cable Rear Delt Fly
Posterior deltoids need a dedicated exercise to bring them to par with other shoulder muscles. Although they are activated during many back exercises, it is essential to include exercises that specifically target them. Walker performed his favorite rear delt exercise next — the cable rear delt fly.
His philosophy for shoulder development is fairly straightforward, and he laid it out while doing this exercise. The Mutant explained:
“I believe pressing plays a huge role in obviously huge shoulders but when you’re pressing for chest, especially on the incline, you’re incorporating the front delt a lot. So I think the main thing for shoulders is to really murder the side and the rear delts.”
The New York native cranked out two sets of the exercise and wrapped up shoulder training.
Walker shifts focus to triceps
Seated Machine Overhead Triceps Extension
Overhead exercises work the triceps from a lengthened/stretched position and put more emphasis on the long head of the tricep. Machine overhead triceps extension was the only triceps exercise in Walker’s workout, and he utilized a plate-loaded machine for the same.
After annihilating a working set of overhead triceps extensions of 15 reps, The Mutant finished the training session with the second set of nine reps to failure.
The entire chest, shoulder, and triceps training session saw Walker ‘push’ through these exercises:
Chest Workout
Shoulders Workout
Triceps Workout
Walker updated his fans about his weight during the workout and stated that he is gaining weight pretty effortlessly without retaining a lot of water.
“Weight is now starting to skyrocket pretty high. Woke up this morning (and weighed) 277 pounds, and I like to think this is probably my leanest without holding on a sh** tons of water too which is really good for me.”
Right now, the goal for the 28-year-old is to manage his diet and training in a way so that he feels energized. Therefore he is in a caloric surplus but not overdoing it.
Many experts believe Walker is a future Mr. Olympia. If he irons out a few things and continues on the path that he is on, it could very well become a reality sooner than later.
You can watch the full workout video below, courtesy of Nick Walker’s YouTube channel:
Published: 5 May, 2023 | 9:13 AM EDT
Jeremy Buendia Announces Comeback Battle for 2023 Olympia
American bodybuilder Jeremy Buendia boasts one of the most impressive records of any competitor in the Men’s Physique class. Although he stepped away from professional competition a few years ago, he never ruled out the possibility of a return. In a recent Instagram post, Buendia announced his plans to make his comeback at the 2023 Olympia and teased a battle with reigning champ Erin Banks on June 8 with a special collaboration.
Jeremy Buendia grew up playing football in his high school days. He found his passion for bodybuilding after suffering injuries to his neck and back. He earned his IFBB Pro card in 2013, the same year the Men’s Physique division was added to the Mr. Olympia competition. Buendia turned in a strong performance but fell short of the inaugural winner Mark Anthony Wingson.
Having narrowly missed out on the win, Buendia worked hard in the off-season and came back stronger than ever for the 2014 Mr. Olympia. He exacted revenge by dethroning Wingson to secure first. Then, Buendia managed to ward off the new crop of talent and went on a dominant run that saw him become a four-time Men’s Physique Olympia. His last appearance came at the 2018 Mr. Olympia, where he dropped the title to three-time winner Brandon Hendrickson.
Buendia teased a comeback to the Olympia stage in the final quarter of 2019. He teamed up with former Mr. Olympia Brandon Curry to get ready for the event. In July 2020, he offered a jacked physique update ahead of his anticipated return and later shared some of his best tips on training rear delts for muscle growth. Ultimately, his comeback was put on ice again.
The 32-year-old stunned with an impressive physique update in April last year. Buendia presented an improved package that sparked speculation about a potential move to the Classic Physique category. He confirmed his plan was to get back on stage bigger than ever before. Specifically, his goal was to bulk up to 225 pounds.
Jeremy Buendia and reigning Men’s Physique Olympia Erin Banks traded verbal jabs ahead of the 2022 Mr. Olympia last September. Buendia took issue with Banks disrespecting other contenders and Hendrickson stepped in to cool things down. As of late, Buendia opened up on his ambitions to win another Olympia contest following Banks’ victory in December. He believes the competition was razor-close and doubled down on his eventual return.
Jeremy Buendia announces comeback for the 2023 Mr. Olympia, teases battle with Erin Banks in June
In a recent Instagram post, Jeremy Buendia shared his plans to make a comeback for the 2023 Mr. Olympia. He also teased a battle with reigning Men’s Physique champ Erin Banks next month.
“I’m all in we are only 6 months away from the comeback!” he wrote. “Olympia Battle June 8th be sure to tune in to OlympiaTV.”
Jeremy Buendia gave his take on the current state of the Men’s Physique division four months ago. He recognized the danger presented by Banks’ height and believes that added size and conditioning could help him claim gold.
In addition, Buendia laid out a gigantic 4,600-calorie bulking diet he utilized to pack on 19 pounds in a span of two weeks last October. The off-season diet consisted of seven massive meals to keep him energized while still adding muscle mass.
RELATED: Jeremy Buendia to Flex Lewis: To Beat Erin Banks at 2023 Olympia, I Have to Bring a ‘Flawless Package’
It remains to be seen whether Buendia will follow through with his plan to step on the Olympia stage later this year, but all signs point to his return in November, where he’ll face off with Erin Banks.
Published: 4 May, 2023 | 11:12 PM EDT
Lee Haney Shares Iconic Police Traffic Stop Photoshoot After First Mr. Olympia Win in 1984
Bodybuilding icon Lee Haney has a lot of strong memories he’s taken away from his time in the sport. Recently, he looked back on his ‘most iconic’ photoshoot shortly after winning his first Mr. Olympia title in 1984.
As an active IFBB Pro League competitor, Lee Haney was unique and well-rounded. Having possessed an aesthetic combination of mass, conditioning, and fullness, Haney extended his reign as Mr. Olympia from 1984-1991. While building his physique, he faced the who’s who of the bodybuilding world, defeating names such as Frank Zane, Lee Labrada, and six-time winner Dorian Yates.
In addition to discussing his rivalry with Yates, Haney has been critical of the standards present in today’s Men’s Open division. He continues to warn up-and-coming bodybuilders about the dangers of dehydration and poor coaching. In light of the growing problem, Haney recommended a set of safe contest prep tips which center around proper nutrition.
Lee Haney / Instagram
Haney isn’t the only bodybuilding veteran to take aim at dehydration recently. Samson Dauda’s coach, Milos Sarcev, has tackled the topic as well as 1990s standout Rich Gaspari. Sarcev believes dry conditioning should no longer be rewarded by judges as it encourages dangerous practices.
In his latest Instagram post, Haney was filled with nostalgia resharing a photoshoot after winning his first Olympia title. He explained that a nearby police officer was tasked with stopping oncoming traffic so they could capture the image.
Lee Haney Shares Iconic Photoshoot in New York Following 1984 Mr. Olympia Victory
Haney revealed that Mike Nevuea took the photo in the middle of New York City traffic.
“In 1984 after winning my first Mr. Olympia title and completing a indoor studio photo shoot, i was asked by the photographer to (Mike Nevuea) to step in front of a man hole for a out door shot. I said to him “who’s going to stop this traffic”? Low and behold, a police officer was standing near by and brought the traffic to a halt.
I removed my shirt and the rest is history. Thanks to Mike and one of New York City Finest this is one of my most iconic photos. I love New York” Lee Haney shared.
Some in the bodybuilding community reacted to Lee Haney’s post, like Gaspari, who remembered training with Haney before he went on a historic Mr. Olympia-winning reign.
Reflecting on his career, Haney thought about quitting after the seventh Mr. Olympia title. When he was actively competing, Haney struggled with motivation after reaching the top of the sport. Despite the pressures of being a champion, he returned for his final Mr. Olympia contest in 1991 where he defeated Yates to win his final Sandow trophy.
RELATED: Bodybuilding Legend Lee Haney Pleads With Bodybuilders To Be Open About Mental Health
While the Men’s Open has undergone major changes since Haney’s time in the spotlight, there’s no denying his impact on the category. He remains one of the most successful bodybuilders of all time and is tied with Ronnie Coleman with eight Mr. Olympia titles.
Published: 4 May, 2023 | 7:07 PM EDT
Fouad Abiad & Stu Sutherland Talk 2023 New York Pro and Hassan Mostafa’s Potential
Steve Weinberger’s 2023 New York Pro takes place May 20 and Stuart Sutherland is one of the current Men’s Open favorites. In a Bro Chat podcast appearance, Sutherland, joined by Fouad Abiad and Iain Valliere, previewed the lineup expected to compete in New York. In addition, the group discussed Hassan Mostafa teaming up with Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay‘s trainer Chad Nicholls.
The two biggest bodybuilding events of the year ended with surprising outcomes. Last December, Elssbiay was unable to replicate the success he enjoyed in 2020 and 2021. He lost the Mr. Olympia title to Hadi Choopan, which quickly transformed the Open landscape. Unlike in years prior, a mass monster no longer held the crown, instead, gold was fought for by two former 212 competitors.
Attention turned to the 2023 Arnold Classic next. Fans recognized Nick Walker as the obvious frontrunner given his third-place finish at 2022 Olympia months ago. In the end, Samson Dauda won the show, which ignited more discussions about whether or not the judging process was/is fair.
Given the unpredictable nature of the category, IFBB Pro League contests have never been more exciting. The bodybuilding world will head to the east coast in two weeks for the New York Pro, which was won by Blessing Awodibu last year.
Stuart Sutherland, Abiad, Iain Valliere Talk 2023 New York Pro: ‘There’s Not a Ton of Studs Doing It’
Sutherland said he’s feeling good ahead of his New York Pro appearance. He added that there are a number of competitors making their respective debuts. While it seems unlikely, Valliere teased the possibility of a surprise entrance.
“I feel pretty good [ahead of the New York Pro]. Yeah, one of the things I’m happy about with New York, there’s not like a ton of studs doing it. Like, ther’es a lot of new guys. There’s Carlos. There was going to be Justin [Shier] but he fuc**ng bailed. There’s Nate Spear, he competed last year, it’s not his debut,” said Stuart Sutherland.
“You know, Iain is not going to show up and just sweep the floor with us,” said Stu.
“Maybe I am,” teased Valliere.
“Yeah, you know there’s a chance for a lot of us to kind of show our faces and get recognized there, that we wouldn’t have at another show. You know, with just somebody who is just the odds-on guy to win,” said Sutherland.
Valliere said he’s excited as the show will serve as an opportunity for lesser-known bodybuilders to receive attention. Stuart mentioned a few names like Sergio Oliva Jr who were initially interested in the contest but later opted out.
“It makes it exciting for me. You see the dawn of a new crop coming up. Like you said, there’s no Olympia top five guys in there, where everyone is just talking about one singular person; it makes it interesting. It gives the opportunity for some guys to be seen and talked about and get their moment in the sun,” Valliere said.
Sutherland hopes to find success on the New York Pro stage in a few weeks. He recently guest posed in the company of Labrada and held his own.
“We’re inside of three weeks out and I still don’t know of everyone that’s doing it. I have a list with a white board where I try to keep a list and track it. Sergio might jump into it if he can make it over here.”
Fouad Abiad & Valliere Discuss Hassan Mostafa Now Working with Ramy/Bonac’s Coach, Chad Nicholls
Fouad Abiad and Iain Valliere confirmed that Hassan Mostafa is now working with Chad Nicholls. While competing actively, Fouad said Nicholls had him use substances with anti-estrogen qualities.
“I heard some horror stories about his preps previously about how low he went with food and everything. Then, he started working with AJ and he looked the best he ever looked,” Fouad Abiad said.
“He’s working with Chad [Nicholls],” said Iain Valliere. “He looks good right now though.”
“I don’t know – AJ is really big on anti-estrogens and that – that would scare me off, I mean it worked,” said Stuart Sutherland.
“I don’t think it will be a drastic difference. He’s a little bit like Chad. I don’t think it will be a drastic difference. Chad’s pretty big on – well he was when I worked with him, anti-estrogens too. I think the benefit to someone like Hassan working with Chad, is Chad is very extreme in his diets, and it works for somebody like Hassan because Hassan has so much muscle, he can afford [it]. Yeah, if he drops a couple pounds of muscle while he’s getting shredded, it’s not going to hurt his fuc**ng physique at all,” said Abiad.
Stuart said he doesn’t like the side effects caused by anti-estrogen drugs despite their utility.
“It’s not like the anti-estrogen thing doesn’t work, it just feels horrible,” replied Sutherland.
The last time fans heard from Fouad Abiad outside of his Bro Chat podcast, he joined seven-time 212 Olympia Flex Lewis for an honest conversation about his health. According to Abiad, he’s been suffering from extensive kidney damage and fears he’ll be on dialysis by the time he’s 55.
RELATED: Iain Valliere Breaks Down 2023 Arnold Classic, Says 212 ‘Has No Case’ For Sticking Around
Fans will get their first taste of what’s to come in the Men’s Open division next week at Jim Manion’s 2023 Pittsburgh Pro, where a star-studded lineup is expected to guest pose, featuring: Nick Walker, Derek Lunsford, Samson Dauda, Hunter Labrada, and Shaun Clarida.
Watch the full video below, courtesy of the Fouad Abiad Media YouTube channel:
Published: 4 May, 2023 | 2:13 PM EDT
Jay Cutler Details High-Protein Diet and Gives Update on Fit for 50 Physique Goal
Motivation is at an all-time high for Jay Cutler who is currently transforming his physique before turning 50. In a recent YouTube video on JayCutlerTV, the bodybuilding legend discussed his ambitions for 2023 and the high-protein diet he’s using to rebuild his body.
Jay Cutler was a proven force during his time as an active Men’s Open pro. He is well known in the community for his rivalry with eight-time Mr. Olympia winner Ronnie Coleman. In 2006, Cutler dethroned Coleman with a blend of conditioning and mass. After upsetting the long-standing champ, Cutler would eventually lose the title in 2008 to Dexter Jackson.
The following year (2009), Cutler became the only Men’s Open pro in history to regain a Mr. Olympia title that was lost. Retiring with four Sandow trophies, the Massachusetts native remains one of the sport’s most popular and visible ambassadors.
Late last year, Cutler’s physique update spurred comeback discussions online. He trained and posed in the company of fitness influencer Lexx Little. Shortly after the collaboration, Cutler had to inform his fans that a return to the sport was not a part of his agenda. Instead, he explained that he was transforming his body for a fit-for-50 challenge. Taking to another podcast, Cutler discussed his latest progress and the types of food he’s utilizing to get back in shape.
Jay Cutler Reveals Struggles of Fit-for-50 Goal: ‘There’s Holes in My Physique & Atrophy in Certain Areas’
Cutler believes muscle atrophy and ‘holes’ in his physique are preventing him from returning to guest pose. He shared that his legs, biceps, and lats are all areas where he’s struggling to regain volume.
“You know what, I’ll be honest, it’s motivating, so… we asked for – I asked people what motivates you to go to the gym, the simplest term is progress right? When you see your body changing that’s where you in a positive way, whether you’re losing weight or adding muscle or getting leaner,” said Jay Cutler. “It’s like you’re trying to prove things but the question is does this give me more motivation when people are like, ‘Are you doing the Masters?’ But it does not make me think, ‘Maybe I should do it.’ And I’ll be honest, that’s one thing about [me] I’m very transparent, I have no no no no intentions of getting on stage and competing.”
“Listen man, I would love to feel like I could get up there and guest pose at a contest but I don’t even think I could do that, no. Because I just, my body still has somehow can I say this… there’s some holes. There’s some holes in my physique that I feel are just biceps the legs are definitely smaller, atrophy in certain areas. The lats aren’t ever going to come back to what they were. For me, I think it’s just going to hurt it a little bit.”
According to Cutler, his biggest obstacle was consuming food during the height of his career. Despite the reservations about his physique, Cutler underlined that he’s happy with the way he looks today.
“As I lead into, I’m pretty much back on May 2nd. That’s when I kind of start this full push of this thing. And we got to get a physique update here pretty soon before I leave. I got to have to lock into a gym session at some point, I leave on, I think I leave next week.”
“My appetite is really good. That was my biggest fear is when you get a little older, people’s problem is, when they’re trying to get bigger, even these young kids; they don’t eat enough. Even you know, you have to eat a ton to stay at it right? So, I’m hoping that continues because if you remember and a lot of our viewers don’t actually know this, my biggest obstacle was the food when I was really big.”
“Sometimes it was obviously the anabolics I took too, right? Yeah, so, I think now doing it with a very very little help in that area it’s going to make it a lot better, I think my look is going to be a lot better. I’m happy with the way I look today. Yesterday I felt really good in the gym. Today, I’m going to get a good workout in.”
Cutler Talks High-Protein Focused Diet
Cutler mentioned that he’s tracking his food carefully and named chicken, steak, and bison as his protein sources.
“I ate good yesterday, that was one thing, I’m trying to stay on track keeping with the food. Like I said, the title of our last video was ‘I quit cardio,’ and it’s kind of true. In the comments people were like, ‘Dude you’re walking around the neighborhood,’ this was kind of stop-and-going because Capone was with us. At the same time, this is considered cardio right?”
“I’m focusing more on chicken and steak from Trifecta and bison and that kind of stuff,” added Cutler.
The last time Cutler took a closer look at nutrition he discussed the differences between bulking and lean-bulk diets. He shared that most people today outside of the bodybuilding industry desire a leaner body. To achieve this, Cutler emphasized the importance of setting realistic goals, overcoming challenges, and making recovery a priority.
Upon announcing his fit-for-50 goal, Cutler laid out a framework that he plans to follow. The four-time Mr. Olympia made it clear he’s exclusively using testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) over more powerful compounds like Trenbolone.
RELATED: Bodybuilding Legend Jay Cutler Discusses The Rock & TRT: ‘I’ll Never Say It’s Not A Steroid’
Cutler will be in attendance at the 2023 Masters Olympia contest, which formally announced its roster last week. Fans look forward to seeing the results of Cutler’s physique transformation in the near future.
Watch the full video below from Jay Cutler’s YouTube channel:
Published: 4 May, 2023 | 11:27 AM EDT
Flex Lewis Shares Top 3 ‘Tried and Tested’ Movements for Better Triceps
Bodybuilding legend Flex Lewis continues to give back following a successful career in the IFBB Pro League. In a recent Instagram video, Lewis offered tips for building triceps with triceps pushdowns, seated pushdowns, and dumbbell skull crushers.
Lewis tested his talents as a Men’s 212 Bodybuilding competitor for over a decade. He rose to the top quickly, having earned the 212 Olympia title in 2012. He used his muscle detail and hardness as a weapon during his reign, which saw him earn a total of seven titles until 2018. While building his legacy, Lewis defeated mainstays in the category like Derek Lunsford, Kamal Elgargni, and Jose Raymond.
While he stopped competing following his final Olympia win, fans expected Lewis to switch to the Men’s Open class before calling it a career. There were rumors that he would receive a special invitation for the Mr. Olympia show, however, they never materialized. Last May, Lewis closed the door on his career once and for all and announced his retirement. Instead, Derek Lunsford received the special invite and earned second place in his Open debut at the 2022 Olympia.
While enjoying retirement, Lewis teased the possibility of competing in a recent Straight Outta the Lair podcast. Joined by Steve Kuclo, Lewis shared that a seven-figure price tag would lure him back on stage. In his latest undertaking, Lewis shared his go-to exercises for building sharper triceps.
Flex Lewis Shares How To Build Olympia-Level Triceps with Top 3 Favorite Movements
Lewis favors rope triceps pushdowns, seated pushdowns, and dumbbell skull crushers for building his triceps. He offered tips for each exercise which you can find below:
“This is my top three triceps movements: exercise number one, the tried and tested rope triceps pushdowns, I’m contracting the triceps at the very bottom as you can see I’m stretching it all out; controlling the weight past 90 degrees getting a full stretch at the top and getting a full stretch at the bottom. As I said, these are tried and tested these are better to grow the biceps.
I’m a big fan of mixing up reps with heavy weight as you can see on this second movement – with this second exercise the seated pushdown, I’ve changed my body to face the actual machine. As you can see here I’m pushing some serious weights along with some serious reps, try this along with some heavy reps next time.
Last of all is number three: the dumbbell skull crushers, I’m a big fan of these, I’ve been doing these since I was a teenager. If it’s not broke why fix it. Try these, the dumbbell skull crushers in your next workout,” Flex Lewis shared.
The 39-year-old has been open about life post-bodybuilding. He showed off his ripped physique in an update where he revealed major changes to his diet and training plan. At the time, Lewis was weighing 200 pounds and mentioned that his current goal was to pack on 10 or 15 pounds of muscle. To accomplish this objective, Lewis shared that he’s regularly consuming six meals daily.
Aside from ‘The Welsh Dragon,’ four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler also offers consistent training tips and techniques. The legend took to his YouTube channel in March to explain how he built an Olympia-caliber chest with just four exercises.
In retirement, Lewis continues to offer value to the bodybuilding community. Considering the muscle maturity and detail Flex Lewis displayed in his prime, fans can learn a lot from his technique breakdowns.
More Triceps Workout:
Published: 4 May, 2023 | 9:07 AM EDT
Larry Wheels Sporting Crazy Bicep Peak in Classic Physique Posing Before Big Debut
Fitness sensation Larry Wheels is working hard to make a splash in the world of bodybuilding. The powerlifting standout will don the posing trunks for an upcoming competition. In a recent Instagram story post, Wheels shared an impressive physique update before making his anticipated Classic Physique debut.
Larry Wheels first rose to prominence with jarring feats of strength as a world-record-holding powerlifter in 2017. Being a man of many talents, Wheels also competed in other fitness endeavors such as Strongman, bodybuilding, and arm wrestling. His potential in bodybuilding was evident from the start. He took home gold in the overall category in his amateur debut at the 2018 NPC Gold Coast Muscle Classic.
Wheels suffered a severe back injury in preparations for the 2022 Middle East’s Strongest Man last July. The setback motivated him to quit using steroids so he could turn his health around. Given his decade-long use of steroids, he could not go natural instantly and instead started using TRT (testosterone replacement therapy).
Earlier this year, Wheels crushed a huge set of 200-lb (90.7-kg) dumbbell bench press for three reps in a collaborative training session with IFBB Pro Joe Mackey. He followed it up with another shredded training update where he crushed 100-lb hammer curls for reps.
The 28-year-old left the fans stunned by pulling a huge set of 200-lb dumbbell bench presses for six reps recently. He improved his performance without any change in body weight or the TRT dosage. Then, he teamed up with strongman legend Eddie Hall for a brutal shoulder workout weeks later.
Looking ahead, Larry Wheels announced his switch to competitive bodybuilding as a Classic Physique competitor. He chose to go for the Classic division due to health concerns and longevity rather than putting on as much mass as possible in the Open. He enlisted the help of Men’s Open standouts William Bonac and Andrew Jacked to refine his posing abilities last month.
Larry Wheels boasts crazy bicep in Classic Physique posing prep ahead of debut
In a recent Instagram post, Larry Wheels looked ripped while hitting a pose in prep for his inaugural Classic Physique competition appearance.
Then, he performed the front lat spread pose in his Instagram story.
Instagram via @Larry Wheels
Larry Wheels revealed his ambitions to compete in the Classic Physique category last month. He was burned out from powerlifting and believes he already has a physique that could rival other talents without the use of any steroids except for TRT. He lauded four-time Classic Physique Olympia champ Chris Bumstead for elevating the popularity of the division. While Larry isn’t targeting Olympia just yet, it could be on the cards depending on how things go.
RELATED: Larry Wheels Shows Off Downsized 114-kg (251-lb) Physique Using TRT
Wheels’ latest updates indicate a step in the right direction for his bodybuilding future. Fans will be excited to see how he compares on stage next to other Classic Physique competitors.
Published: 3 May, 2023 | 10:58 PM EDT
Samson Dauda Says Hadi Choopan & Derek Lunsford Will Lose 2023 Mr. Olympia If He Improves His Back
Bodybuilder Samson Dauda‘s confidence is rising ahead of his next competition in November. In a recent Muscular Development interview, Dauda explained that a bigger and more detailed back is the ticket to his first Mr. Olympia title against Hadi Choopan and Derek Lunsford.
“That’s going to be one area where they’re holding their strengths on, we need to take that away,” said Samson Dauda.
Dauda caught the attention of the bodybuilding world last year when he turned in a sixth-place finish at the 2022 Mr. Olympia contest. At the event, he managed to push the former two-time champion, Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay who claimed fifth. Meanwhile, Hadi Choopan won with Derek Lunsford and Nick Walker taking second and third, respectively.
Dauda immediately jumped back into a show at the 2023 Arnold Classic in March. After the prize money swelled to $300,000, a few high-profile athletes joined the show, such as Elssbiay, Nick Walker, and Andrew Jacked. At his second Arnold Classic competition, Dauda earned gold in a close battle against ‘The Mutant’ and Jacked. While some in the sport found the results controversial, Dauda succeeded in earning his invite to the Olympia stage in 2023.
Bob Cicherillo, a notable voice in the bodybuilding community, has taken to a handful of podcasts to discuss the Men’s Open landscape. According to Cicherillo, Dauda and Lunsford are now equal threats to Choopan’s title after the Nigerian’s latest performance. Now taking a closer look at the potential showdown is Dauda, who joined Giles Thomas for a candid talk.
Samson Dauda on Hadi Choopan/Derek Lunsford: ‘Once I Improve My Back Shots, Where Else Can They Beat Me?’
Dauda said he’s already eying gold at the Olympia show scheduled for November 2-5 in Orlando, Florida.
“I mean, this one, I’m already thinking, okay, fu** we gotta go win the Olympia now,” said Samson Dauda. “A few weeks later off the Arnold stage yeah, I’m like let’s go. I mean, I’m still sort of taking it all in. Enjoying the idea, it’s the Arnold man, it just changes your life.
You sort of taking it in and enjoying the prospect of that but at no point in the back of your mind, every training session – I mean, you go to that gym, one thing is on the mind, you know what you’re training for now. I’m no longer training to be top 10, I’m not training to qualify for the Olympia, I’m not training to be in the top five, now you go into the gym training to be the Mr. Olympia, to be the greatest bodybuilder in the world. This is your moment, this is it,” says Dauda.
“This is the moment, that’s why you got to be prepared, first, you have to fight to be in that call out, then you have to fight to win that call out. Now, this is what you train for. This is what you’re in the gym for. This is what every session, every grueling pain, everything you put your body through, okay, you have to be ready for that one moment.”
Samson believes his back shots are the only obstacle preventing him from winning the Olympia.
“One thing, obviously, I want to make sure that — because I know the one point that those two guys [Hadi Choopan and Derek Lunsford] will have over me will be the back shots. So that one, okay, I got to close that door. Close that gap. I probably won’t be able to pass it but I will close it enough to where it no longer is a night and day sort of thing. Once I do that, the rest of it… where else can they touch me on?
Bring your weaknesses to match up with theirs so then you can show your glaring strengths and make those parts shine out,” added Dauda. “For us, break down our faults… break down what we know we’re weak at. Break down what anybody has an advantage over us; we say, ‘Right, let’s take it away, let’s fix that.’ So they don’t have that advantage.”
Even if he is unable to match the back density of Choopan or Lunsford, Dauda said the improvements would be enough to sway the judges.
“At least if we do that, it will be significantly enough to be like, ‘Okay, he might not beat them in that shot,’ but it’s enough to make them turn around and go, ‘Eh, but,’ and that’s all it needs to be.”
“We make sure we tick so much boxes that you might beat us in this shot or that shot, but guess what, when you overall tally the score, we get a lot more points than you do and this is how a physique works, being so balanced and so symmetrical that you can’t pick out a bad pose.”
Whether or not Choopan defends his title this year has become a topic of debate. Nick Walker is confident that the next Olympia will be decided following a battle between himself and Lunsford. He emphasized that Choopan won’t repeat as Mr. Olympia. However, William Bonac disagrees and recently stated that Choopan will definitely win at least one more Sandow, likely this year.
RELATED: Seth Feroce Says Nick Walker ‘Allowed to Be Fuc**ng Pissed’ After Samson Dauda Loss at 2023 Arnold Classic
While Mr. Olympia is still several months away, fans will get a sneak peek of the top contenders’ physiques at Jim Manion’s 2023 Pittsburgh Pro next weekend. Hunter Labrada, Derek Lunsford, Nick Walker, Samson Dauda, and Shaun Clarida will all make special guest posing appearances.
You can watch the full video below from the Muscular Development YouTube channel:
Published: 3 May, 2023 | 1:54 PM EDT
Brett Wilkin Crushes A Hypertrophy-Inducing Back Workout
Bodybuilder Brett Wilkin is all set to elevate his career to the next level under Coach Joe Benett AKA the Hypertrophy Coach’s guidance. Wilkin announced the association in the latest video on his YouTube channel. The client and his new coach are now in the process of formulating the new training program for the year 2023.
Wilkin is an American professional bodybuilder that calls the Men’s Open division his home. Although he won the IFBB Pro Card in the Classic Physique division, the 35-year-old never competed in the weight class professionally. Instead, he made the pro debut in the 212 division. But following a couple of humbling performances at the 2019 Puerto Rico Pro and 2019 Toronto Pro Supershow, he took an extended break from the competition to work on his physique.
After a two-year hiatus, Wilkin returned to the stage but in the Men’s Open division. His divisional debut at the 2021 Chicago Pro resulted in a runner-up finish and Wilkin became a hot prospect of the division. However, he could not capitalize on the momentum built in 2021 and the 2022 competitive season yielded moderate success.
After a sixth place finishes at the 2022 Arnold Classic, Brett Wilkin’s hope to compete at the 2022 Mr. Olympia relied solely on winning the 2022 Romania Muscle Fest Pro as per the qualification criteria. However, he secured a runner-up finish at the show and called an end to the 2022 competitive season.
Brett Wilkin is now getting ready for this year’s challenges and Joe Bennett’s presence can certainly make a huge impact in making leaps in terms of progress. The famed coach is widely praised for his hypertrophy inducing training methods and has worked with big names like Terrence Ruffin and Dave Bautista. Under Bennett’s guidance, Wilkin went through a back workout. So let’s take a look at how Bennett’s guidance shaped Brett Wilkin’s workout.
Brett Wilkin demolishes a back workout under Joe Bennett’s guidance
Brett Wilkin has trained by himself for the majority of his workouts. However, he feels that ‘Hypertrophy Coach’ can really level him up with his expertise.
“I’ve somebody who’s looking over the shoulder at everything I am doing, somebody providing feedback… He’s gonna be watching my training just to level me up,” Wilkin said in the beginning of the workout.
One Arm Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown (Machine)
Coach Bennett started Wilkin’s back training with this movement on the plate loaded iso-lateral front lat pulldown machine. Bennett advised Wilkin to bring the arm down and press the triceps against the lats to line up most of the muscle fibers and contract the lats more effectively. He suggested going at a really slow pace to become more aware of the mechanics of the movement and increase the pace only after he was familiar with it.
“Warm-up sets in general, go slow, feel what you’re trying to feel and when you’re going the working sets just go after it,” Bennett added.
Speaking about the benefits of the Hammer Strength machine used for this exercise, Bennett added:
“The most important part of this machine or the range of motion is that stretch… The stretch that you get here, you’re not going to get it on a row, right? So a row doesn’t fully stretch your lat. You have to bring your arm up here somewhere (in the starting position of lat pulldown).”
“It’s probably good for almost everyone to pause for a second and make sure that it’s the lat and not momentum (that pulls the lever down again).”
Wilkin pushed through some heavy sets of this exercise under Bennett’s watchful eye and performed the last set with both arms. He then followed the coach to the next exercise.
Chest Supported T-Bar Rows
Bennett instructed Wilkin to take up the chest supported T-bar rows next to build the upper back muscles. While it is good to have a dedicated machine for this exercise in the gym, The Hypertrophy Coach stated that you can almost always get the same results as long as you can get the similar grip and position. So for example, doing the dumbbell rows using an incline bench for chest support can accomplish the exact same goal as a dedicated T-bar row machine.
“This exercise is going to pretty much train everything when I say upper back form shoulder to shoulder. So there’s going to be rear delts involved, traps involved… rhomboids involved… Pretty much your entire upper back musculature… But yeah, you’re going to get some lats working as well too…”
“Now what I want you to do is feel like you’re keeping the spine position. So slow everything down just a little bit so as everything pulls forward, you don’t do any spinal flexion. This (The spine) stays still and everything just kind of moves around that.”
After getting a few sets of chest supported T-bar rows under the belt, Wilkin curiously went to the Prime chest supported rows machine for the next exercise.
Prime Chest Supported Rows
This horizontal pulling movement followed next and Coach Bennett set up the machine in such a way that it targeted the latissimus dorsi muscles more than other back muscles.
“He (Coach Bennett) turned this Prime chest supported row and set it up so it’s fully isolating the lats, especially the lower lats. So our body’s in the position and all we have to do is keep our elbows tucked to our side, drive down, keep your traps lower. Don’t scrunch up,” Brett Wilkin added.
With this set-up, the resistance profile was harder in the beginning and got easier as the arm was pulled back. Wilkin started out with the warm-up sets to understand the movement and performed a few working sets. Following this, he did a couple of drop sets before taking up the next exercise.
Chest Supported Straight Arm Pulldowns
Straight arm pulldowns increase the scapular strength of the muscles and stability. These attributes are necessary for maintaining a safe posture while performing heavier compound movements like deadlifts, pull-ups and bench press etc. Coach Bennett guided The Butcher through a few sets of this exercise. Wilkin performed it using a banded attachment to the cable machine.
Weighted Back Extensions
Bennett instructed Wilkin to position himself in such a way that his hip crease was blocked. This way, he could bend forward and extend back up using only the lower back.
“All I want you to think about is – some of it’s obviously rounding and folding over the front. But while you’re doing that I actually want you to feel like you’re pushing your lower back to the ceiling as well.”
“So it’s a combination… So obviously as you go down, because your hips are blocked, everything’s going to half the round but by overdoing it, you’ll get even a little more rounding from that. That’s what we want here… As much rounding as we can and then as much extension as we put on the way up,” Bennett explained.
Wilkin performed a few reps without the barbell to get accustomed to the movement as Bennett watched over. He then cranked out some sets using the barbell which summoned the end of the training session.
The training session comprised of exercises in the order mentioned below:
Brett Wilkin’s training program heading into the 2023 Mr. Olympia competition will be documented on his YouTube channel and will be available on Joe Bennett’s app as well. So those looking forward to elevating their own performance can stay tuned to his YouTube channel to take its advantage.
You can watch the full workout video here, courtesy of Brett Wilkin’s personal YouTube channel:
Published: 3 May, 2023 | 12:56 PM EDT