Tag: GI News
Ryan Crowley: The Pros and Cons Of Being An Endomorph Bodybuilder
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Ryan Crowley shares his personal experience on successful training techniques as a person who genetically gains weight easily.
A core school of thought when it comes to fitness and bodybuilding is that everyone falls into three body types. An Ectomorph, endomorph, and mesomorph. Ectomorphs have a heard time gaining weight with little body fat, mesomorphs have a natural high muscle to fat ratio, and endomorphs have a naturally higher fat to muscle ratio and gain weight easily. Ryan Crowley was bullied as a child for being an overweight kid and to this day falls in the endomorph category. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Ryan Terry shares his experiences and tips on how to keep his fat ratio low while building a successful bodybuilding technique.
In competitive bodybuilding, there are some who struggle with building size and forcing themselves to eat enough food. But some bodybuilders gain weight easily during bulking. Typically, these bodybuilders would fall under the endomorph category of genetic body type. This might seem like a blessing. Building weight and size is the first step towards becoming a competitive bodybuilder. But when a competitor ultimately steps on stage, they also want to be as lean as possible. That can be more challenging to pull off for endomorphs.
Ryan Crowley is one such bodybuilder who falls into that category. He has been open about being an overweight child and being bullied. This was part of the reason why he eventually discovered bodybuilding and started sculpting his physique. This doesn’t mean that his genetic predisposition to gain fat disappears. In fact, Crowley’s fans have often been in disbelief how easily he can maintain his weight at around 300 pounds.
It’s so easy for him to stay heavy, in fact, that his bulks can sometimes go too far in the wrong direction. He describes bulking up to near 320 pounds and feeling unhealthy carrying that much weight on his body. Not only that, but he eventually needs to cut back on the fat, try to maintain as much size as possible, and keep it all as lean muscle. This is much harder for endomorphs who gain fat much more easily.
While cardio is often seen as an enemy for bodybuilders (due to cutting muscle alongside the fat), Ryan Crowley finds himself sometimes doing three hours of cardio to keep himself at a respectable weight – even during bulk. This seems to be Crowley’s biggest takeaway about being an endomorph. Bodybuilders who fall under this category need to embrace cardio in order to stay lean.
At the end of the day, Ryan Crowley keeps on weight at lower calorie levels that would cause others to lose weight. This has led fans to call him a liar about his weight and demand he shows video of stepping on the scale. The plus side is that he can keep weight with eating less food and avoiding more carbs. But the downside is if he doesn’t keep an eye on it and add extensive cardio into his routine – he can fall too far into bulking and make his cutting phase a nightmare in prep for a show.
You can watch Ryan Crowley talk in more detail about the pros and cons of being an endomorph bodybuilder in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Big Ramy Poses For First Time Since Winning Olympia
Big Ramy made a recent appearance as a guest poser on stage.
A bodybuilding competition in Egypt would not be complete without the presence of the reigning two-time Olympia champion. The 2021 KO Pro Egypt took place on Sunday in Egypt and Big Ramy made an appearance on stage for the first time since winning the Olympia in October. He arrived as a guest poser and showed off his prize-winning physique.
Big Ramy took the stage with plenty of praise from the crowd and chants of his name. He performed a posing routine for close to two minutes for fans in his home country.
Leading up to the event, Big Ramy continued to be a big storyline because of the competition taking place in Egypt. He has become a superstar because of his work on the biggest stage. Big Ramy won the 2021 Olympia and successfully defended his title. This is something that he plans to do for years to come.
It is no surprise that fans in Egypt gave Big Ramy a warm welcome on stage. This has been the case since he took home the Olympia title. Big Ramy’s hometown of Kafr El Sheikh decided that the biggest square in the city would be named after him. Also, there was a huge welcome once Big Ramy returned from Orlando. There was staff waiting in the airport along with fans who wanted to catch a glimpse of the champion.
At the Egypt Pro, Regan Grimes took home the prize in Men’s Open. This earned him an automatic bid to the 2022 Olympia where he will have a chance to go up against Big Ramy. Grimes has displayed an incredible physique and has made progress in a short time since hiring a new coach.
Grimes finished first in this event after placing second last weekend during the 2021 Legion Sports Fest Pro. Now that he has his qualification, he can focus on preparing for the Olympia, which is set to take place in December 2022.
Big Ramy will not be an easy competitor to beat. It was confirmed last week that the reigning champion has already started training. This is about 14 months out from the Olympia. Heading into the 2021 show, Big Ramy had just three months of training after an extended period of time off. This is a scary sight for opponents if Big Ramy is preparing this far out in advance.
It is only right that Big Ramy made an appearance on stage this weekend. He showed why he is the Olympia champ and that fans are in for a treat next time he steps on stage. There is no doubt that there will be plenty of physique updates as training progresses.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
2021 KO Pro Egypt Results
Regan Grimes wins Men’s Open at the KO Pro Egypt!
Regan Grimes showed up and displayed an incredible physique that led him to the title at the 2021 KO Pro Egypt. Grimes earned the automatic qualification to the 2022 Olympia, along with three other divisions. This event took place in Egypt and some of the top competition in the world was present.
Grimes led the way by taking home the prize in the headlining division. Grimes hired a new coach after this year’s Olympia and it seems to be working right away. He finished second to Shaun Clarida last weekend at the 2021 Legion Sports Fest. Now, he was able to earn his qualification to the biggest competition of the year. This comes after a bit of a disappointing outing during the 2021 show.
Grimes had to compete with some other elite names in the sport. Cedric McMillan returned to the stage for the second straight weekend after he appeared at the Legion Sports Fest. McMillan returned from an injury and it is good to see him back in competition on a consistent basis. Mohamed Shaaban and Samson Dauda also appeared on stage in Egypt.
In the home country of Olympia champion Big Ramy, there was an exciting show to watch on Sunday. The sport of bodybuilding has become huge around the world and Egypt is one of the countries that is leading the charge. It is because of competitions like this that the sport is continuing to grow.
The full results from Egypt have been announced. There were a total of four major divisions where the winner earned qualification to the 2022 Olympia next December. Check out the full breakdown from the event below!
2021 KO Pro Egypt: All Division Winners
Men’s Open: Regan Grimes
Classic Physique:
Men’s 212:
Men’s Physique:
2021 KO Pro Egypt Breakdown
Men’s Open
Full results coming soon.
First Place – Regan Grimes
Second Place –
Third Place –
Fourth Place –
Fifth Place –
Sixth Place –
Classic Physique
Results coming soon.
First Place –
Second Place –
Third Place –
Fourth Place –
Fifth Place –
Sixth Place –
Men’s 212
Results coming soon.
First Place –
Second Place –
Third Place –
Fourth Place –
Fifth Place –
Sixth Place –
Men’s Physique
Results coming soon.
First Place –
Second Place –
Third Place –
Fourth Place –
Fifth Place –
Sixth Place –
Generation Iron wishes to congratulate all the great athletes who earned a win at the 2021 KO Pro Egypt. Make sure to check out our full IFBB Pro results page from this year and previous years right here to catch up on any action you may have missed!
Greg has covered the four major sports for six years and has been featured on sites such as Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, SB Nation, NJ.com, and FanSided. Now, he is transitioning into the world of bodybuilding and strength sports.
2021 MuscleContest Nacional Pro Results
Diogo Montenegro wins Men’s Physique at the 2021 MuscleContest Nacional Pro!
The 2021 MuscleContest Nacional Pro took place last week in Campinas, Brazil. This was a contest headlined by the Men’s Physique division and Diogo Montenegro took home the prize. This was an impressive win for a competitor that is looking to take the next step in the division.
Montenegro has competed in four Olympia competitions during his career and could be on his way to another. He won this exact contest back in 2018 and has been a force during international competitions. Montenegro most recently finished second at the 2020 MuscleContest Brazil Pro.
This makes it four straight top-five finishes for Montenegro. He has not appeared in the Olympia since 2018, where he finished 13th. Vinicius Mateus finished second while Vitor Charves took home the bronze. This was a chance for Montenegro and company to showcase their physique shortly after this year’s Olympia. Montenegro won his third competition over the weekend and it was a big one post-Olympia.
The full results have been announced as the competition wrapped up over the weekend. Check out the full results from the Men’s Physique division below!
2021 MuscleContest Nacional Pro: All Division Winners
Men’s Physique: Diogo Montenegro
2021 MuscleContest Nacional Pro Breakdown
First Place – Diogo Montenegro
Second Place – Vinicius Mateus
Third Place – Vitor Chaves
Fourth Place – Edvan Pameira
Fifth Place – Anderson Arruda
Sixth Place – Rafael Oliveira
Seventh Place – Gil Batista
Eighth Place – Rodrigo Oliveira
Ninth Place – Willian Amorim de Aguilar
Tenth Place – Victor Ramirez
Official Score Card
Generation Iron wishes to congratulate all the great athletes who earned a win at the 2021 MuscleContest Nacional Pro. Make sure to check out our full IFBB Pro results page from this year and previous years right here to catch up on any action you may have missed!
Greg has covered the four major sports for six years and has been featured on sites such as Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, SB Nation, NJ.com, and FanSided. Now, he is transitioning into the world of bodybuilding and strength sports.
Martyn Ford Will Fight “Iranian Hulk” Sajad Gharibi In Boxing Match Face Off
Martyn Ford and Sajad Gharibi have set a date to meet in the ring.
This is not the first time that Martyn Ford and Sajad Gharibi, known as the Iranian Hulk, have been linked together to square off in a boxing match. These rumors go back to 2018 but a time and date was never set. Now, there is a date planned which gives it a legitimate feel.
The two bodybuilders are set to meet each other on April 2nd, under the banner of celebrity boxing promotion BoxStar. This will be a boxing match and not an MMA fight, which is was originally thought to be years back.
In 2018, there were rumors that Ford and Gharibi were planning to meet in an MMA style fight. This ended up falling through, along with a bare-knuckle boxing match in 2019. Now, the two will have there chance to fight and it might be a little personal for both sides.
Martyn Ford took to Instagram to confirm the fight and say that there is a little extra juice heading into it. While Ford did not give many details, he highlights that Sajad Gharibi and his team made it personal by making some comments.
“So …… apparently @sajadgharibiofficial managed to find some crayons and has signed the paper work …. its ON …. many people have asked me WHY … all I will say on this platform is its PERSONAL ….
from him and his people, words have been said that can’t be unspoken … and when you see you will understand exactly why I’m doing this … every man, who is a father will understand. This maybe a boxing match, but believe me I’m happy to get disqualified to put my point across,” Ford wrote in his caption.
Ford is an athlete that has been training in MMA, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and boxing. This is why he was comfortable taking on Gharibi in any type of match. As for the Iranian Hulk, he is an alleged MMA fighter but has not stepped in the ring for an official match.
Bodybuilders and strongmen making the transition to boxing is something that is becoming more and more present as of late. Of course, the sage between Eddie Hall and Hafthor Bjornsson is at the forefront because of the history and the recent postponement due to injury. Hall suffered a torn bicep and had to pull out of their scheduled fight in September.
It is unknown if and when they will reschedule but the match is already being advertised as the ‘heaviest match of all time.’ Ford and Gharibi could make a run at that title with both men weighing well over 300 pounds.
Martyn Ford and Sajad Gharibi officially have a date and this is good news for fans wanting to see this fight go down. It is one that will have more on the line than just a win in the ring. This is what makes it even more entertaining and sets up the storyline leading into April.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Jake Paul Officially Set To Fight Undefeated Boxer Tommy Fury In December
Jake Paul Vs Tommy Fury is official – set for December 18th.
Jake Paul has finally officially booked his next fight. The YouTube star-turned-boxer has announced that he will fight undefeated boxer Tommy Fury on December 18th in Tampa, Florida. The fight will be held at the Amalie Arena and broadcast by Showtime.
True to Jake Paul’s personality, he immediately started antagonizing Tommy Fury by throwing verbal barbs towards his upcoming opponent on social media:
It’s finally official?Timothy had no choice but to sign the contract so he could finally pay his bar tabs, afford a shirt for the club, and stop living off Molly! December 18th in Tampa Bay Im changing this wankers name to Tommy Fumbles and celebrating with Tom Brady. Pucker up Timmy… it’s time to kiss your last name and your family’s boxing legacy goodbye?Ez money lineup here aye? #PaulFury One Will Fall.
Paul announced the fight on Friday and already took a verbal swing at Fury.
Jake Paul has been gaining notoriety for his extremely popular boxing events – but has also been criticized for having never fought an actual pro boxer. That seems to be finally put to rest with the announcement of this fight – the question is how will he perform?
Tommy Fury is the younger brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. At 22 years old, Tommy Fury is undefeated with a 7-0 record including four knockouts to his name. Fury’s fight against Jake Paul will be his fourth match of the year. Interestingly enough, Fury had fought in one of the matches before Paul’s match against Tyron Woodley in August. Fury defeated Anthony Taylor during said match.
After defeating Taylor, Tommy Fury called out Jake Paul claiming, “Jake Paul should have an easy night. So he’s got no excuse for not taking the fight? Let’s get it on Paul. I’ve done my bit. You do your bit tonight and we’ll get it on.”
This ignited a public verbal rivalry between the two with many fans wondering if a fight would ever actually materialize. After much anticipation, it’s finally official. Jake Paul currently sits on a 4-0 record with three knockouts to his name. This will be Paul’s third fight of this year. He had previously defeated Woodley and Ben Askren in 2021.
In addition to the main title card fight, popular female boxer Amanda Serrano is rumored to also fight at the event, though not publicly confirmed at the time of this writing. Her opponent has not yet been set. Serrano is promoted by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions. She has a 41-1-1 record with 30 knockouts to her name.
What once felt like publicity stunts by both Jake and Logan Paul is starting to look like a bonafide entrance into the boxing world. Both brothers have fought in many fights and don’t look to be slowing down. Will their reputation eventually begin to be more accepted in the traditional boxing world? At what point will an entertainer like Jake Paul be seen as a legitimate fighter based on his skill alone beyond his personality and influence? Only time will tell.
His fight against Tommy Fury will be another step towards legitimacy, being Paul’s first fight against a full on pro boxer. How her performs in December and the outcome of the match will be interesting for his future in the sport indeed. Stick around Generation Iron Network as more updates surface on the upcoming match.
Shaun Clarida Looking To Compete In Both Men’s Open And 212 Olympia in 2022
Shaun Clarida could be pursuing two Olympia titles next year.
Heading into the 2021 Legion Sports Fest Pro, one of the big stories was Shaun Clarida preparing to make his debut in Men’s Open. The former 212 Olympia champion made the announcement in the week leading up to the competition. After a victory, Clarida wants to explore the opportunity of competing in two divisions during next year’s Olympia.
In a recent interview, Clarida discussed how he wants to use his qualification to the 2022 Olympia in both divisions. This would have to be approved before he was able to make it happen.
“I would absolutely love the opportunity to do that. I would love to talk to Jim (Manion), Tyler (Manion), Jake (Wood), whoever is in charge of making that decision, and hopefully they would allow me to do that. That would be amazing,” Clarida said.
“Obviously we’re going to be at the show regardless, but with the improvement’s we’re going to make this coming year, obviously the goal is to get my title back at 212, but I would love to really push myself and see what I can do in the Open Olympia this year. It’s definitely a decision that the higher ups are going to have to make, I’m going to respect whatever decision they decide to go with, but yeah if they allowed me the opportunity to do that, to cross over and to move, you bet your ass I’m gong to do that.”
Shaun Clarida continued by saying he was not sure which division he would choose if he was unable to compete in both. There are reasons for Clarida to choose either division and this will be the big question leading up to the show next year if he is unable to appear in both.
Clarida won the Olympia 212 back in 2020. He was the favorite coming into this year’s competition but finished second to Derek Lunsford. It seems obvious that Clarida would want to get his title back as soon as possible. On the other hand, competing in Men’s Open is the pinnacle of the sport and Clarida already showed that he can stack up.
When Clarida first made his announcement, he mentioned that it was not a permanent change and he did not plan to leave 212. Now that he has a competition victory in Men’s Open under his belt, it will be interesting to see if that notion changes.
The 2022 Olympia will take place in December of next year in Las Vegas. Clarida has earned his qualification and is planning to be present on stage. The question will remain, which division will he compete in?
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Larry Wheels Sets New PR With 140lb Shoulder Press For 17 Reps
Larry Wheels is back to moving some enormous weight in the gym and setting some personal bests.
Larry Wheels is right back to moving huge weight in the gym and he is not shy about sharing some new personal records. Most recently, it came in the form of a set of 17 reps with 140lb dumbbells performing shoulder presses.
Wheels took to Instagram to share the full video. With bodybuilder Regan Grimes spotting the set, Wheels made 140lb dumbbells look like toys as he shot them toward the ceiling 17 times.
“140lb x17 PR!Shoulders felt super strong today.@regangrimes@teampersonalrecord@fatgripz“
Larry Wheels has insane strength and has put it on display plenty of times. When watching this video, you might notice that Wheels’ arms are not fully extended and this has created some criticism. Regardless of what has been said, it is hard to deny the difficulty of this feat and Wheels’ overall strength cannot be put into question.
Wheels thrives performing dumbbell presses of any kind. He holds the unofficial world record in dumbbell incline press of 550lb, 225lb dumbbell in each hand. This criticism is something that Wheels is aware of, which is why he posted another video of a shoulder press set where he addressed range of motion.
Larry Wheels is a powerlifter that is extremely well-rounded in his lifts. Back in September, Wheels set a new personal best with a 950lb squat. This shows the immense strength that the powerlifter has using different body parts. Of course, lifts of this caliber do not come without risk.
Just a few days after Wheels set his personal best, he suffered a quad injury where he was forced to ditch the weight on his way up. He did not take much time off in the gym after his injury and it is not surprising to see him back to moving incredible weight.
Larry Wheels currently holds two world records in the 140-kg division. These are a 292.5 kilograms (644.9lb) bench press and a total of 1,075 kilograms (2,370lb). He made a quick return to the world of powerlifting after trying his hand at arm wrestling.
Wheels seems to be on a mission of setting personal bests recently. This is a trend that could continue and it will be interesting to see as the powerlifter remains active on social media. This shoulder press PR is a nice beginning to what could become a trend for Wheels over the next few weeks.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Sergio Oliva Jr. Responds To Recent Criticism Surrounding Open Bodybuilding
Sergio Oliva Jr. recently made comments about some negativity around Open Bodybuilding.
There has been plenty of criticism surrounding Open Bodybuilding in recent months. This comes after a recent string of deaths and major competitions such as the Arnold Classic and Olympia. Many old-school bodybuilders have been critical of today’s sport, including Robby Robinson, Lee Haney, and Samir Bannout. Recently, Sergio Oliva Jr. responded to criticism and came to the defense of today’s Open Bodybuilding.
Oliva Jr. recently finished third at the 2021 Legion Sports Fest. Following the competition, Oliva Jr. took to Instagram to defend the sport and acknowledge the hard work and dedication that it takes to get to the top.
“The ig pages that constantly bash open bodybuilding won’t post these kinds of pics. They’ll run to post shiesty ass click bate posts to start drama and get traction to their pages only talking about who lost to who rather than how aesthetically pleasing that lineup was on Sunday. How much promise and potential was in the top 6 with so many up and coming future stars.”
Sergio Oliva Jr. has turned into one of the best posers in bodybuilding. He is the son of Sergio Oliva, a three-time Olympia champion who had many battles with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Because of this, Oliva Jr. has been around the sport for many years and has seen plenty of changes.
This generation of Open Bodybuilding is based on size and conditioning. This has caused an uproar because of the preparation that athletes go through and the dangers of some tactics. This has even caused Schwarzenegger to make a statement himself on how to improve the division.
“With all the talk about open bodybuilding shape being dead and this and that I didn’t see anyone you wouldn’t want to look like and Older bodybuilders who talk shit about our generation don’t watch every show (I get it) but then talk about what isn’t around anymore or what’s dead. I will say this the coverage for content from @legionsportsfest was a lil weak. Unless they are about to come out with a ton of footage there really isn’t a lot of the actual stage stuff.But anyone who was there or watched the live stream know it was so crazy at the end. So loud such a fight but at the same time spewing with comradely. We even had guys yelling from the back rooting us on.”
Sergio Oliva Jr. continued his intense response via Instagram by calling out some of the veterans for their lack of knowledge about today’s sport.
“But someone better tell @garystrydomofficial and @robbyrobinsonofficial and @officialsamirbannout and allllll of the other veteran bodybuilders that don’t contribute to any open athlete currently with training and mentoring ultimately which would make a difference yet rather sit on the side lines and complain that, bodybuilding isn’t just the top 3 at the Olympia. You don’t agree with that decision, fine. But quit with this exaggeration that the whole bodybuilding class doesn’t exhibit any old skl qualities that it started with. The problem is, all that stuff doesn’t get views and likes at the end of the day by the majority and it goes unseen. Like moments like this. #BodybuildingIsntDeadJustYourPerspectiveOfItIs“
Sergio Oliva Jr. will not be the only athlete to come out and support bodybuilding and the positive news surrounding the sport. This has turned into a storyline where there are two clear sides to take and neither seems like it is going to budge.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Victor Martinez: A Lot Of Bodybuilding Coaches Want To Be Dictators Over Athletes
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Victor Martinez talks about the importance of constructively questioning coach protocols… and how many coaches don’t want to be questioned
Health has been a heavy topic of discussion in bodybuilding as of late. This is due to an unfortunate string of deaths that passed through the industry over the past few months. While there is no real connection or deep evidence as to how many of these deaths happened – the specter of death looming over the sport has put health on a lot of people’s minds. So how do bodybuilding coaches play into this conversation? Are they responsible for the health of their clients? We asked this very question to pro legend Victor Martinez. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Victor Martinez warns of coaches that want to be dictators over their athletes… and the importance of asking questions.
Over the years, there has been questions raised about the ethical relationship of coaches to athletes. It’s no secret that coaches provide protocols, not only of nutrition and training, but also recommended drug use. Some of these drugs are legally obtained without prescriptions… others are not. Coaches are not doctors though – so what happens if a protocol leads to health issues both long term and, potentially tragically, short term in the form of sudden hospitalizations or death? Is a coach responsible if something bad happens to an athlete under their supervision?
During our latest conversation with Victor Martinez, we asked him this very question. He believes that, while coaches are partly responsible, putting the full ethical blame on them is a scapegoat. His reasoning being that athletes know what is being recommended to them. They also know these coaches are not doctors. Martinez believes that athletes need to be responsible for themselves by doing their own research and asking questions. If an athlete blindly follows a coach’s protocol – they have no one but themselves to blame for bad outcomes.
“If a coach says ‘do this’ and you don’t question it, it’s your fault,” Victor Martinez states during our interview. He goes on to stress just how important it is for athletes to constantly ask questions.
Of course, he also understands that the system is not perfect. Victor Martinez admits that many coaches see themselves as dictators over their clients. They don’t want to be questioned. They are experts who should be trusted based on their reputation and name alone. It’s also part of the reason why some coaches get angry when an athlete leaves them for another coach.
“I know some coaches can be a little… a lot of coaches want a dictatorship. If you train with them, you’re great. You follow them. You leave them… they’ll fucking call you the worst athlete ever. Listen, if you’re training the athlete for free. By all means. Air out your grievance. But if the athlete is paying you. No. He’s allowed to leave you.”
Victor Martinez uses the word “dictatorship” to drive the point home. He’s not being literal but he does want to warn athletes that they shouldn’t feel trapped by their coach. If they think something is wrong in how they are being trained, for their health or otherwise, they should be able to leave without issue in a business relationship.
You can watch Victor Martinez talk in full detail about the ethics of coaching in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.