Tag: nEWS
2023 Musclecontest Sao Paulo Pro Results — Felipe Moraes Wins
The 2023 Musclecontest International Sao Paulo Pro is one of four bodybuilding contests taking place this weekend (May 20). This show served as a Mr. Olympia qualifier for the 212 Bodybuilding category.
Athletes currently have until October 9 to secure their respective invitations to the upcoming Olympia competition, taking place November 2-5 in Orlando, Florida. Unlike last year’s calendar, IFBB Pro bodybuilders have fewer months to guarantee passage to the prestigious event.
As it stands, Esdras da Paz Alves will aim to take gold home for his native country of Brazil. However, to lay claim to this weekend’s title, he’ll have to get through 212 powerhouse Christyan Gomz, who finished fifth at the 2021 Musclecontest Brazil event.
2023 Musclecontest Sao Paulo Pro Results
212 Bodybuilding
Winner — Felipe Moraes
Second Place — Drey Pereira
Third Place — Elivelton Morais
Fourth Place — Joao Paz
Fifth Place — Gustavo Bico
Sixth Place — Crystian Gomes
2023 Musclecontest Sao Paulo Pro Scorecard
2023 Musclecontest Sao Paulo Scorecard
Fitness Volt congratulates the winner!
Published: 20 May, 2023 | 11:49 PM EDT
2023 Optimum Classic Pro Results and Scorecards
There is no shortage of bodybuilding action this weekend as multiple shows take place around the world. The 2023 Optimum Classic Pro will see four divisions battle for gold including Classic Physique, Men’s Physique, Women’s Physique, and Bikini on May 20.
This event serves as a qualifier for the 2023 Mr. Olympia competition which is set to take place Nov. 2-5, in Orlando, Florida. Athletes have until the Oct. 9 deadline to earn their qualifications. The point system has been retired therefore athletes must win a pro show to earn an invite.
In the Classic Physique division, online discussions have centered around a few threats, such as Eric Wildberger Lisboa, Kendahl Richmond, and dark horse Luca Corrado. Find the full results below:
2023 Optimum Classic Pro Winners
Classic Physique: Eric Wildberger Lisboa
Men’s Physique: Derrick Stevenson
Women’s Physique: Elena Aviles Romero
Bikini: Sierra Swann
2023 Optimum Classic Pro Results
Classic Physique
Winner — Eric Wildberger Lisboa
Second Place — Tomas Adame-Hernandez
Third Place — Barry Hulbert Irving
Fourth Place — Luca Corrado
Fifth Place — Caleb Robinson
Sixth Place — Bernardo Costa
Seventh Place — Keith Jenkins
Eighth Place — Stephen Thames
Ninth Place — Harold Bright Jr.
Tenth Place — Taj Parham
Men’s Physique
Winner — Derrick Stevenson
Second Place — Benquil Marigny
Third Place — Bhuwan Chauhan
Fourth Place — Furkan Er
Fifth Place — Marcus Champion
Sixth Place — Mark Robinson
Seventh Place — Gary Cooper
Eighth Place — Da’Marchityz T White
Ninth Place — John Ezra Dew
Tenth Place — Zach Savoie
Women’s Physique
Winner — Elena Aviles Romero
Second Place — Marie-Solange Essoh
Third Place — Ana Harias
Fourth Place — Emiloja Martic
Fifth Place — Yarelis Ramos Perez
Sixth Place — Donna Williams
Seventh Place — Marika Jones
Eighth Place — Alyssa Coppolino
Ninth Place — Jessica Martin
Tenth Place — Toni McMurtre
Bikini
Winner — Sierra Swann
Second Place — Tamekia Carter
Third Place — Gina Scafoglio
Fourth Place — Racquel Hutchinson
Fifth Place — Lucia Malavaze
Sixth Place — Lauren Kralovec
Seventh Place — Marina Maliden
Eighth Place — Tianna Weymouth
Ninth Place — Kimber Bonilla
Tenth Place — Shey Webb
2023 Optimum Classic Pro Scorecards
Fitness Volt congratulates the winners!
Published: 20 May, 2023 | 11:38 PM EDT
2023 New York Pro Results and Scorecards (Live Updates)
The 2023 New York Pro is the third most important event on the IFBB Pro League calendar and will take place this weekend, May 20, 2023, in Teaneck, New Jersey. This show served as a qualifier for the 2023 Mr. Olympia contest taking place in November.
A total of nine divisions will be in attendance including Men’s Open, Classic Physique, 212 Bodybuilding, Men’s Physique, Women’s Bodybuilding, Women’s Physique, Figure, Bikini, and Wellness.
Last year’s 2022 New York Pro champion, Blessing Awodibu, will not compete at this year’s event. Therefore, a new champion in the Open class will be crowned. In addition, Nick Walker took New York Pro gold in 2021 but has opted not to compete in favor of making improvements for November.
Whichever athlete comes out on top in their division this weekend will have the opportunity to face the reigning Olympia winner of their category. As far as the Men’s Open division is concerned, fans expect Tonio Burton and ‘Beef’ Stu Sutherland to put on a show, who have both shared consistent progress photos through the entirety of their preps.
2023 New York Pro Winners
Men’s Open: Coming Soon!
Classic Physique: Michael Daboul
212 Bodybuilding: Kerrith Bajjo
Men’s Physique: Ryan Terry
Women’s Bodybuilding: Coming Soon!
Women’s Physique: Natalia Abraham Coelho
Figure: Coming Soon!
Bikini: Coming Soon!
Wellness: Gisele Machado
2023 New York Pro Results
Men’s Open
Coming Soon!
Classic Physique
Contenders from the Classic Physique division delivered an exciting contest. While Junior Javorski and Alexander Westermeir brought impressive physiques, Michael Daboul’s thin skin and conditioning were too hard to ignore. Just like in Pittsburgh, Michael Daboul walked off stage with another trophy and cash prize.
Winner — Michael Daboul
Second Place — Junior Javorski
Third Place — Alexander Westermeier
Fourth Place — Camilo Diaz
Fifth Place — Eric Abelon
212 Bodybuilding
During prejudging, fans and the judges acknowledged it was a battle between Jason Hebert, Diego Guerra Montoya, and Kerrith Bajjo. While Montoya and Hebert brought an impressive level of muscle density, Kerrith Bajjo’s deep separation in his quads and abs guided him to victory at the 2023 New York Pro.
Winner — Kerrith Bajjo
Second Place — Diego Guerra Montoya
Third Place — Jason Hebert
Fourth Place — Jose Marte
Fifth Place — Sung Yeop Jang
Men’s Physique
Ryan Terry entered this competition with a chip on his shoulder, having recently placed runner-up to Corey Morris at the 2023 Pittsburgh Pro last weekend. During prejudging and through the finals, he was pushed by Vitor Chavez and Sidy Pouye. Despite impressive efforts by the finalists, Ryan Terry’s chest and back detail closed the show.
Winner — Ryan Terry
Second Place — Vitor Chavez
Third Place — Sidy Pouye
Fourth Place — Daniel Ammons
Fifth Place — Juan Manuel Gochez
Women’s Bodybuilding
Coming Soon!
Women’s Physique
Winner — Natalia Abraham Coelho
Second Place — Emily Schubert
Third Place — Joseli Schoenherr
Fourth Place — Yuna Kim
Fifth Place — Ann Gruber
Figure
Coming Soon!
Bikini
Coming Soon!
Wellness
Winner — Gisele Machado
Second Place — Tefani-Sam Razhi
Third Place — Lili Dong
Fourth Place — Edna De Souza
Fifth Place — Daisha Johnson
Sixth Place — Carol Cantarero
2023 New York Pro Scorecards
Coming Soon!
Fitness Volt congratulates the winners!
Published: 20 May, 2023 | 6:24 PM EDT
‘Bodybuilding’s Kendall Jenner’ Vladislava Galagan Reveals Her Daily Protein & Carbs Intake
Vladislava Galagan has been making headlines in the fitness space for her resemblance to American media personality and socialite Kendall Jenner. The difference is she’s much more muscular than the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star. In a recent interview uploaded on YouTube, Galagan revealed her daily macro intake to maintain her jacked physique.
Social media platforms provide a convenient way to amass fame and fortune online given one manages to build a following. There have been various different kinds of audiences that influencers have found. Liver King is one of the most popular names who went viral for eating raw cuts of meat and insane workout routines. Joey Swoll is another recognizable figure in the fitness community who found success on such platforms. He promotes making gyms a safe space for everyone and has a positive crowd that pushes back on the rise in toxic gym culture.
Vladislava Galagan went viral for her unreal muscle mass, size, and similarity to Kendall Jenner earlier this month. The Russian model found a passion for fitness and working out in her teen years about a decade ago. She boasts a pretty feminine face with an incredibly jacked physique that often leaves people stunned at first view. She even faced accusations of faking her build using CGI technology or Photoshop.
Galagan admitted to taking steroids to achieve her physique but insisted the importance of proper nutrition and training could not be neglected.
The 27-year-old has a large audience of a million on Instagram and maintains an active OnlyFans account, which has proven to be a lucrative opportunity for her. She disclosed she earns an eye-watering $10,000 each month by uploading racy content showing off her gigantic arms and washboard six-pack abs. She tends to stay away from the more x-rated requests and reported having success with arm wrestling clips.
‘Bodybuilding’s Kendall Jenner’ Vladislava Galagan reveals her daily macro intake
In a recent YouTube video, Vladislava Galagan revealed her daily macro intake.
Galagan’s daily macro breakdown: 120g protein, 180g carbs, and 80g fats.
Vladislava Galagan / Instagram
Vladislava Galagan continued to improve her personal fitness after making her bodybuilding debut in 2018. She consumes four meals a day with her protein sources coming from meats like beef, chicken, and fish. She follows a strict training plan hitting the gym six days a week for about 90 minutes each, targeting every muscle group twice with three sessions reserved for cardio.
Galagan has shown no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Considering she’s only in her twenties, it will be interesting to see how her physique changes over the next years.
You can watch the full video below.
Related: Calculate your optimal daily protein intake with the best protein calculator
Published: 20 May, 2023 | 12:08 PM EDT
Arnold Schwarzenegger Shares 4 Ways to Strengthen Your Routine
Legendary bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger regularly educates his massive fanbase on leading a healthy lifestyle. His valuable insight stems from his decades of experience competing on stage at the highest level. In a recent edition of Arnold’s Pump Club newsletter, Schwarzenegger shared four ways how to strengthen a routine that works for you.
Arnold Schwarzenegger first gained attention for his impressive muscle size, mass, and symmetry as a Men’s Open competitor in the IFBB Pro League. He narrowly missed out on the top prize to three-time champ Sergio Oliva in his Mr. Olympia debut in 1969. He returned stronger than ever the next year to secure his first Sandow trophy and moved on from professional competition with seven titles under his belt.
Schwarzenegger has not lost his passion for fitness and continues to work out in his later years. Earlier this year, he provided some crucial tips for shedding fat and building muscle for longevity. He stressed the importance of good body composition with a higher level of muscle mass and less fat to boost your immune system and reap other health benefits.
‘The Austrian Oak’ followed up with a three-step plan to design a ‘bulletproof’ training routine days later. He promoted his fans to exercise every day for a total of 30 minutes instead of worrying about doing it in one go. Then, Schwarzenegger offered a full-body stretch focused on soothing pain using Brettzel stretches along with a quick two-minute workout challenge.
Schwarzenegger’s impact on the sport is palpable to this day. Former Mr. Olympia Samir Bannout heaped praises on Schwarzenegger for the package he brought to the stage and labeled him the greatest bodybuilder of all time.
Two months ago, Arnold Schwarzenegger highlighted the benefits of using caffeine before workouts to boost performance in the gym. He recommended consuming about 200-300mg of caffeine for most people and cautioned against taking the substance too close to bedtime. His next update provided a straightforward one-step weight loss plan by replacing whole foods with meal-replacement drinks.
The 75-year-old is a big proponent of using self-limiting movements. He laid out an intense bodyweight workout for building muscle weeks ago. He also gave a brief five-minute workout without using any equipment to start your day.
Last month, Schwarzenegger encouraged his followers to incorporate cluster sets, which are clusters of multiple supersets, to get strength gains and take their fitness game to the next level.
Arnold Schwarzenegger shares 4 ways to strengthen your routine
In a recent edition of Arnold’s Pump Club newsletter, Arnold Schwarzenegger shared four ways to build a solid routine that fits any schedule.
4 Ways to Strengthen Your Routine
“Arnold says it all the time: If you want amazing results, build automatic routines,” he wrote. “But it’s not always as easy as it seems. How often do you try to follow the routines of others, only to discover that your lifestyle doesn’t align with a 15-step morning plan that requires more time than you have?
“Thankfully, routines don’t need to be overly complicated or detailed. Arnold’s morning routine is simple: wake up, drink coffee, feed the animals, bike to the gym, workout, bike to breakfast. That’s it, and it’s incredibly effective.
“To help simplify the process, we pulled together a few tips of what to do (or avoid) that will help you build a routine that sticks.”
Make it easy to win
Your routine doesn’t need to be long. Start by focusing on just two or three things you’d like to accomplish. Not sure what to select? Look at the bigger picture of what will make the day a win, so — even if things get crazy — you know where your focus needs to be so you can still make any day a success.
Avoid the morning scroll
Some habits can make it harder to build healthier habits. One example is starting your day with social media. We recommend avoiding your social accounts for the first hour of your day. You might be surprised at what happens when you don’t have that distraction.
Turn on your brain
It doesn’t matter if you meditate, read, write, do a crossword, or listen to a podcast. Do something that you enjoy that makes you think. The combination of mental stimulation + enjoyment = positive outcomes. For once, we don’t need to cite a study. You’ll feel better, and that is what matters.
Create a habit loop
Great habits are formed by following a simple system: you need a cue (something that reminds you to act), a behavior (the action or habit), and a reward.
For Arnold, it can look like:
Cue: Friends show up
Behavior: Ride bikes to the gym and lift weights
Reward: Breakfast
“Whatever you do, creating a simple habit loop is a great way to program the types of changes you want.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger advocated for getting more sleep to aid in weight loss efforts last months. He reported sleeping under five hours generally results in added weight and recommended sleeping for about seven to eight hours each night.
Schwarzenegger opened up on his ambitions to live forever earlier this week. He admitted to not being a fan of how his physique looks at the age of 75 and plans to never retire.
His latest offering will help many to improve their fitness with a custom-built routine that fits their schedule and they can stick to.
Published: 20 May, 2023 | 9:22 AM EDT
Jay Cutler Getting ‘Bigger, Leaner’ Without Bulking & Talks Keeping the Metabolism Guessing
Jay Cutler’s fit-for-50 challenge is officially underway as the bodybuilding legend admits he’s now eating six meals a day again. In a recent JayCutler TV video, Cutler challenged some bulking misconceptions in bodybuilding and revealed he’s weighing 239 pounds.
During his illustrious career, Cutler managed to take home a total of four Mr. Olympia titles. He’s the only man in history to win back an Open title that was lost on the Olympia stage. Cutler also holds the distinction of having dethroned the eight-time Olympia-winning machine Ronnie Coleman in 2006.
Cutler’s last competition came in 2013, but his passion for the sport carried into retirement. Aside from breaking down threats of today’s Men’s Open class, the 49-year-old announced late last year his plans to transform his physique. Initially, fans thought he might be interested in a return, but Cutler explained that he’s taking these measures in hopes of getting in the best shape possible before turning 50.
While rebuilding his body, Cutler has routinely stressed that he won’t use performance-enhancing drugs except for testosterone. In addition to physique updates, Cutler has offered fans a look into several of his training sessions.
Jay Cutler: “It’s a Misconception That You Have to Bulk In Order to Put Size On”
According to Cutler, those looking to add size should emphasize meals four, five, and six. However, if leanness is the goal, Cutler advocated for morning workouts and fasted cardio.
“So this is kind of crazy, I’ve actually be training after my first meal, this is the first day that I’ve actually eaten a bunch of meals and then headed to the gym. Even when I was in Boston recently, I ate usually one meal and then went a trained. Like I said, I always felt my best after four meals, so if there’s a specific time a day I favor… I would always say that after four meals is most beneficial if you’re trying to put on size, but if you’re trying to lean out, I think that the early morning workouts or even fasted workouts can be particularly more helpful in my eyes.”
“Ideally, ideally, what I’d like to do is hit the metabolism several times a day, that’s why when we trained for contests and a lot of times when I was at my absolute best, I did cardio first thing in the morning. I trained one session, ate two meals, came back to the gym, trained with weights then did cardio before I went to bed, so I was actually hitting the metabolism four times a day.
Sometimes, you know, that can be a bit taxing. If that’s like the last eight weeks in preparation where I would train basically for four months, this time around, I’m doing this whole fit-for-50 thing and I’m doing a transformation over 12 weeks. Why I chose 12 weeks is that I’m already at a pretty decent level of body fat. But ideally, my goal is to get bigger and get leaner at the same time,” said Jay Cutler.
Read also: High-Calorie Foods For Bulking: 14 Best Food Ideas To Unleash Your Gains
Cutler says it’s a misconception that size can only be added with a bulk. He plans to add size and lean down simultaneously.
“For you out there with the misconception that you have to bulk in order to put size on, I’m going to prove you can put size on and lean down at the same time. The workouts are important but the nutrition is absolutely more important, to eat with more consistency.”
“I am 239 and a half. 239 and a a half, so getting up there. Remember I said I wanted to be 235 for this so,” Cutler added.
This isn’t the first time that Cutler has brought up bulking. In a Cutler Cast podcast last year, the Massachusetts native disclosed that he favors ‘lean bulking’ over dirty bulking. At the time, Cutler wasn’t concerned with muscle mass but highlighted that most people nowadays prefer to maintain leaner physiques.
At almost 240 pounds, fans are looking forward to seeing Cutler’s physique in the near future. He won’t be competing, but recently promised he would step on stage with his shirt off at the 2023 Masters Olympia contest, taking place in Romania this August.
You can watch the full video below courtesy of the JayCutlerTV YouTube channel:
Related: Jay Cutler Details High-Protein Diet and Gives Update on Fit for 50 Physique Goal
Published: 19 May, 2023 | 7:11 PM EDT
Bob Cicherillo on 2023 Pittsburgh Pro Guest Posing: ‘Was Big Ramy Better? The Answer Is No.’
Athletes rep Bob Cicherillo is back to discuss the guest posing lineup in Pittsburgh last weekend. In a recent Voice of Bodybuilding podcast, Cicherillo took a closer look at Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay‘s chances of a successful comeback to the 2023 Mr. Olympia stage. In addition, he examined some of the sport’s top Open competitors who also guest posed at the 2023 Pittsburgh Pro.
Since Phil Heath‘s seven-year reign as Mr. Olympia, Open class athletes have struggled to hold on to the sport’s most coveted title. After the late 2018 Mr. Olympia Shawn Rhoden took the honor, the Sandow changed hands again. In 2019, Brandon Curry claimed gold but would surrender it to Elssbiay in 2020.
As Ramy proceeded to win a pair of titles, confidence about his future grew. Ronnie Coleman, who is tied for most Mr. Olympia wins ever with Lee Haney, assumed Ramy would comfortably defend for years to come. However, he was outmatched on the 2022 Mr. Olympia stage and fell to fifth. Ramy later vowed to come back better than ever. His coach, Chad Nicholls, shared his grim take on Ramy’s prep last year, and said just about ‘everything went wrong.’
Elssbiay entered the 2023 Arnold Classic and took fourth place. Cicherillo, who also serves as the announcer for the Arnold and Mr. Olympia shows, suggested that Ramy’s best days were behind him.
Unlike last year, Ramy appeared in Pittsburgh for a star-studded guest posing appearance. He was joined by last year’s Olympia runner-up Derek Lunsford, Nick Walker, Samson Dauda, Hunter Labrada, and Shaun Clarida. In his latest endeavor, Cicherillo gave his thoughts on the lineup and opened up on Big Ramy’s potential for redemption.
Bob Cicherillo Breaks Down 2023 Pittsburgh Pro Guest Posing: ‘Derek Lunsford & Nick Walker Did Not Disappoint’
Overall, Bob Cicherillo was impressed with the lineup. He thought Derek Lunsford set a precedent last year in Pittsburgh, which nudged other competitors to stay conditioned in the off-season this time around.
“These guys were in pretty good shape, I got to give it to everybody. I got to credit that to Derek Lunsford because he did show up in shape last year and he showed up in shape this year too. Still the best-conditioned guy at this point, we’re six months out… but I think it inspired the other guys to be a little bit closer to in-shape if you will again, for the off-season, nobody is expecting somebody to be ripped to the bone of course. If you’re ripped to the bone six months out, you got bigger problems. Everybody was in pretty good shape. It’s funny, you could almost put them in order from their guest posing appearance.”
“Derek Lunsford, Nick Walker did not disappoint, again, in great condition, great shape for being off-season, he’s [Nick] put on a lot of, we’ll call it off-season weight. Not fat, none of these guys were. Samson Dauda did not disappoint either. He’s over 300 pounds or reported close to 300 pounds now, he’s a little bit taller than Big Ramy who did show up everybody.”
As for Big Ramy, Cicherillo thought he looked wide but failed to show any improvements since his last two contests.
“That’s right, Big Ramy made it in. So, all of the conspiracy theorists have to find something else to point your finger to. Big Ramy was there and he was big, now the question is… was he better? The answer is… no. I thought he looked good, I thought some of the same problems are still evident. Whether that gets fixed throughout the year, whether he decides to compete, we’re only going to see, time will tell.
The arms do look a little bit down in size, the back I didn’t think looked much different. He’s big as a house folks, there’s a reason they call him Big Ramy. He is the widest guy in bodybuilding bar none. For any height, I don’t care, Andrew Jacked’s taller, he’s a big boy too, but nobody’s got Big Ramy width. I don’t know if that helps him at this point. I don’t know if it’s the shoulders that are so big that make his arms look smaller if there’s some issues going on with that, but he was in good shape,” Bob Cicherillo explained.
In addition to those mentioned, Cicherillo praised Hunter Labrada, who is currently in prep to compete at the upcoming Tampa Pro and Texas Pro.
“He didn’t disappoint. The fans love him and he’s as gracious as it gets. So Hunter Labrada was there. Hat and all, you know it’s a show when Hunter is there and the cap is on that head of his. Hunter is a good sport. I give him a lot of credit for that. Hunter looked good. Hunter is in shape and Hunter needs to qualify.”
In addition to Bob’s critiques of the Open class, Olympia TV came under fire recently after judge Terrick El Guindy labeled a few athletes as ‘busts’ and ‘failures’ in a social media post. In response to fan backlash, Cicherillo chimed in and said it wasn’t done intentionally, but stressed that the ‘clickbait stuff needs to end.’
Elssbiay reassured his fans of his future in a Muscle and Fitness interview recently, where he appeared fired up to win back his title at the 2023 Mr. Olympia contest on Nov. 2-5, in Orlando, Florida. Time will tell if Big Ramy can reclaim the throne and become a three-time champion.
RELATED: Bob Cicherillo Wants William Bonac to Retire on Olympia Stage & Explains Samson Dauda’s Rise to the Top
Watch the full video below from Bob Cicherillo’s YouTube channel:
Published: 19 May, 2023 | 3:58 PM EDT
Big Ramy Says He’s Training ‘Angry,’ & Working Harder Than Anybody for 2023 Mr. Olympia
Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay is leaving no stone unturned in his preparations for 2023 Mr. Olympia. In a recent interview with Muscle and Fitness, Ramy laid out his game plan for the current season and said he’s using anger as fuel to regain his title.
In 2022, Elssbiay was on top of the world, representing the Mr. Olympia brand with a pair of Sandows. He entered last year’s Olympia as a favorite but was ousted from the throne by Hadi Choopan. Some thought Ramy was overlooked, but ultimately, the judges awarded him fifth place. Steve Weinberger, who served as the head judge at the contest, suspected Ramy was suffering from injuries as many noted that his lats, arms, and back were missing detail.
Big Ramy brought his best physique possible to the 2023 Arnold Classic on short notice. He finished fourth but presented a remarkably better package. In the aftermath, fans and even Bob Cicherillo predicted Ramy’s time on top had come to an abrupt end.
Unlike last year, Ramy fulfilled his obligation to guest pose at the recent 2023 Pittsburgh Pro. Despite hinting at sitting the year out, it appears the former two-time champion has changed his mind. He shared that he’s working harder than ever to re-cement his status as the best in the world.
Big Ramy Says He’s Training ‘Angry,’ & Working Harder Than Anybody for 2023 Mr. Olympia
Big Ramy thanked his fans for their loyalty and discussed the route he’s taking to win back his Mr. Olympia title.
“I’m really excited like always. I have to do one thing: working hard, I do that for a reason always but this year I do it because everyone knows if you lose one time, it’s never the end. If you have that, if God gives you a chance to fight for the next step and nothing broke you, you can get that one more time.”
“Everyone, the people, it’s like us… I mean, we must give the people the fans, it’s like listen, our advice… we can give to them, working hard, working hard you have to do in your life. If anything comes after working hard, you did fine. You have more than what you had in your pocket.” ‘
“Truthfully it’s a good thing when you get the [Mr. Olympia] trophy but what’s better than that is getting the love and respect from the people.”
“Even this year when I lost, [my fans in Egypt] had my back, I’m really thankful they did that. Again, they understand what I’ve been working for all this year. I’m working because I have to give them dreams in their life and that’s great,” said Big Ramy.
When asked about his mentality this year, Ramy said he’s angry because he’s not the best in the world and added that his emotions have helped him train harder.
“I think we’ll have a nice competitors lineup right now and the lineup is getting more stronger. That makes me very excited to be in this lineup again and work harder than anybody. No, it’s not anger because you lost it’s angry because you want to be the best in the world. That can give you a chance to work hard. I told my friends today, maybe you get angry, but the anger doesn’t break you, it makes you fight more.”
In light of his last two performances, bodybuilding veterans are indifferent about Big Ramy’s future. Cicherillo serves as a commentator at Mr. Olympia, and he labeled Samson Dauda and Derek Lunsford as equal threats to Choopan’s title.
Meanwhile, 2022 Olympia top-three finisher Nick Walker is under the impression that Choopan won’t repeat as champion later this year. He anticipates a battle with Lunsford for gold. Dauda, who bested Walker in Ohio, made it clear that he wins the show hands down if he brings an improved back.
RELATED: Lee Priest Offers Take on Big Ramy Retirement Pressures, Says to Act in Films like Martyn Ford
With so many twists and turns last year, fans are eager to see stars from the Men’s Open go to war in November. Should Big Ramy regain his title in 2023, he will share the honor of winning back Mr. Olympia with Jay Cutler.
Published: 19 May, 2023 | 11:31 AM EDT
Hany Rambod Talks Enhanced vs Natural Athletes & Steroid Abuse: ‘You Can’t Run PEDs Forever’
Renowned bodybuilding guru Hany Rambod has cemented his status as one of the greatest coaches in the sport. He boasts a stellar roster of athletes that have won nearly two dozen Olympia titles under his guidance. In a recent episode of The Truth podcast, Rambod shared his thoughts on how natural and enhanced athletes might differ in the off-season and cautioned against the constant use of PEDs performance-enhancing drugs).
Over the last two decades, Hany Rambod has helped shape top talent in multiple divisions such as the Men’s Open, Figure, and Men’s Physique. He guided the likes of Phil Heath and Jay Cutler during their days of professional competition. His unique training methods helped Heath become a dominant champion with seven Mr. Olympia wins in a row and also helped Cutler during his illustrious career.
In addition to the Open contenders, he assisted in Jeremy Buendia’s rise to the top of the Men’s Physique Olympia. He also played a role in helping Nicole Wilkins and Jenny Lynn win Figure Olympia.
Rambod presently serves as a coach for former 212 Olympia champion Derek Lunsford, four-time Classic Physique Olympia winner Chris Bumstead, and reigning Mr. Olympia Hadi Choopan. He gave fans a look into his signature FST-7 (fascia stretch training) style legs workout with Choopan in preparation for the 2022 Mr. Olympia last November.
Bumstead is one of the more recent athletes to join Rambod. He teamed up with ‘The Pro Creator’ after splitting with his longtime coach and Men’s Open contender Iain Valliere last season. Considering the incredible track record of Bumstead, many believed Rambod was under a ton of pressure to deliver results. In the end, Bumstead added the fourth title under his belt whereas Choopan won the Mr. Olympia while Lunsford slotted in second in his Open debut.
Following the event, Hany Rambod opened up on working with ‘CBum’ in the final stages of his preparations for about 12 weeks. He also stayed in communication with Valliere leading up to the contest. Over time, Cbum and Rambod built a close bond.
Rambod gave his take on training Choopan and Lunsford at the same time earlier this year. He compared the experience to the time he worked with Heath and Cutler in their heydays. To deal with the problem, he just focused on bringing the best out of both athletes as individuals.
Hany Rambod Talks Natural vs Enhanced in Off-Seasons
In a recent YouTube video, Hany Rambod shared his thoughts on the differences in off-season preparations for a natural and enhanced bodybuilder.
“When it comes to natural and unnatural, I think people try to break it down a little differently. The key is, off-seasons should be just dependent on what you are going through at the time,” said Rambod. “It shouldn’t be because you’re natural or not, it’s just that you gotta listen to your body. If you are an enhanced athlete, you’re going to go through a set time of off-season that usually has to do with either a training cycle or a PED cycle and you can’t just keep running PEDs forever.”
Rambod Torches PED Abusers: “For Those That Are, Shame on You”
Rambod warned those using PEDs and encouraged being conservative with protocols.
“For those that are, shame on you. You’re not doing your body any justice. You’re creating excessive wear and tear to your organs but you’re also not allowing your body to actually benefit from taking gear. That’s why it’s called a cycle. You don’t stay on it perpetually because if you do, you end up actually having reduced amounts of benefit from what you’re taking.”
He stressed the importance of balancing out PEDs and cautioned against their adverse effects.
“It’s an addiction to the look, the feel, the endorphins are heightened because of the hormones. So, know your place and know what these are for; recovery. When you’re doing PEDs and you’re balancing that out, you’re trying to get away with taking the least amount of gear to get the best benefit so that’s why you build sleep, supplements, diet, active therapy all around it. You don’t make your PEDs the base of anything. You just sprinkle it in like seasoning to help with recovery.
“If you do that you’re going to get the best out of your gains and being able to take the longevity of your body so you’re not going to have problems down the road with your kidneys, liver, and everything else that goes along with the destructive effect of PEDs.”
“What you need to do is balance things out and add in for additional recovery and not build it as the base foundation of any program,” he added. “The more that you do the lesser your career is going to last.”
Hany Rambod expressed his excitement for Lunsford’s guest-posing appearance at the 2023 Pittsburgh Pro last week. Lunsford left the fans stunned with his monstrous package on stage and goes into the upcoming 2023 Mr. Olympia as one of the frontrunners. Samson Dauda, who claimed gold at the March’s Arnold Classic is also considered a threat.
RELATED: Hany Rambod on Big Ramy’s 2022 Olympia 5th Place Finish: ‘His Physique Looked ‘Faded/Watery’
Rambod’s latest offering will certainly help educate fitness enthusiasts and competitive bodybuilders on the proper way to incorporate PEDs into their prep.
You can watch the full video below:
Published: 19 May, 2023 | 9:45 AM EDT
Chris Bumstead And Flex Lewis Decimate A Back Workout
Chris Bumstead continues to push himself by working with the finest individuals in the bodybuilding industry. Recently, CBum partnered with legendary bodybuilder Flex Lewis for an intense back workout to get one more step closer to the fifth Classic Physique Olympia title.
Canada’s finest Chris Bumstead is one of the most popular active bodybuilders on the planet. He has achieved the distinction by proving his worth in the competition. Since winning the Classic Physique Olympia title at the 2019 Olympia, the 28-year-old phenom has defended it with an iron will at the 2020, 2021, and 2022 Olympia.
Bumstead’s time in competitive bodybuilding is nearing the end as he intends to defend the Olympia title a few times before calling it a career. He entered the 2022 Olympia competition with a torn bicep and spent the first couple of months recovering from the injury.
As a part of his off-season effort, the Classic Physique kingpin joined veteran bodybuilder Flex Lewis for a back workout. Lewis is best known for his dominant title reign in the 212 division that saw him secure the 212 Olympia crown seven consecutive times from 2012 to 2018.
Lewis briefly considered a move up to the Men’s Open division but it never came to fruition. He announced retirement from the sport in May 2022 and has significantly downsized since. Successful business ventures like the famous Dragon’s Lair gym have kept Lewis busy and he is often seen helping active bodybuilders achieve their competitive goals as well.
Lewis and Bumstead went through the training session at the Dragon’s Lair gym. The video of this session was posted on CBum’s personal YouTube channel. So let’s check out how the bodybuilding greats worked towards building their backs.
Chris Bumstead and Flex Lewis go through a back workout
The back workout consisted of a total of four exercises – one vertical pull and three horizontal pull (rows). Vertical pulls like lat pulldowns primarily target latissimus dorsi (lats) – the large fan shaped muscle in the back. These movements are primarily responsible for building a wide back by developing the lats.
Horizontal pulls or rows are essential for giving thickness to the back. As a result, a training routine that emphasizes both types of movements is the key to complete back development.
Chest Supported Rows
CBum and Lewis kicked off the session with chest-supported seated rows on a plate-loaded machine. This compound movement engages many different muscles in the upper body which makes it efficient for building upper body strength and muscle mass.
Bumstead and Lewis started out light and slowly added more weight to the subsequent sets after sufficiently warming up the muscles. Following some solid sets of the exercise, they took to the second exercise of the day.
Chest Supported T-bar Rows
The bodybuilding community commonly accepts that rows are the best compound movement for building a 3D back. However, there are endless variations to choose from and they all deserve a place in your back routine. But if you could choose only one, our team at Fitness Volt would recommend T-bar rows.
T-bar rows work many different muscles like latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoids, biceps brachii and erector spinae. These factors make it a classic back builder. Bumstead and Lewis cranked out a few sets of this exercise on the chest supported T-bar rows machine and jumped into the next exercise of the session.
Arsenal Strength Iso Lat Pulldown
Following the two major rowing movements, CBum and Lewis took to the first and the only pulldown movement of this training session. They got some heavy sets of Lat pulldown under the belt using Arsenal strength lat pulldown machine. Both weight arms of this machine attach to separate weight stacks independently. This helps create balance in both sides of the body as the person cannot pull the weight by using the favored side of the body.
The bodybuilder duo destroyed the sets of lat pulldown with incrementally heavier weights and took to the finisher of the day.
Seated Cable Rows
The back workout concluded with this rowing movement. The training partners called it a day in the gym after doing a few sets with slow and controlled motion.
Overall, the workout included:
Chris Bumstead has openly admitted that being a dominant champion comes with immense pressure. He is not untouched by the fear of losing his top spot. However, if he surrounds himself with the right people and keeps company with people like Flex Lewis who have been there, and done that, CBum can maintain the correct mindset to realize the dream of retiring on top.
You can watch the full workout video here, courtesy of Chris Bumstead’s personal YouTube channel:
Published: 19 May, 2023 | 9:01 AM EDT