Tag: nEWS
Kai Greene Reveals Recent Physique Update
Kai Greene showed off some poses on social media recently.
It has been an ongoing question of whether or not Kai Greene will be returning to the stage. While there might not be a plan in place, the 46-year-old bodybuilder continues to show off a shredded physique and intense training regiment.
Greene often takes to social media to show off a big workout or physique update. On Thursday, he did just that. Greene posted a few pictures on Instagram showing off some poses and getting some input from his 6.7 million followers. In his caption, Greene kept it short and sweet.
“Character Development.”
“Which pose ya’ll FEELIN the best ?,” greene then wrote in the comments.
It is no surprise that Kai Greene is looking as big as ever. He is a monstrous man that has seen great success on stage. Greene has developed a huge fanbase over the years and these are the people wondering if he is going to make a comeback. This is something that Greene has flirted with over the years, especially with a rivalry with seven-time Olympia champ Phil Heath.
While a return has not been announced and it is unknown if it ever will, Kai Greene continues to crush the gym.
Since turning pro in 2005, Greene has been a force in bodybuilding and quickly became a fan favorite. He has never won an Olympia but finished as the runner-up three times in 2012, 2013, and 2014. All three second-place finishes came to Heath, which is where the rivalry comes from. Greene is a three-time champion at the Arnold Classic. He won back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010 before adding his third in 2016.
Kai Greene grew a passion for fitness and bodybuilding at a young age and turned it into a successful career. He continues to work as a personal trainer and provide insight to the next generation looking to better themselves.
It is clear that Greene can still get it done in the gym. In all his physique updates, Greene is hitting some poses and that shows he still has a passion for bodybuilding. As time goes on, keep an eye on if he decides to make a return to the stage. It will be extremely intense if Greene makes that move.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
INBA/PNBA Release Initial Schedule for 2022 Season
INBA/PNBA has released its initial schedule for the upcoming 2022 natural bodybuilding season.
International Bodybuilding Association/Professional International Bodybuilding Association (INBA/PNBA) has prepared its schedule for 2022. INBA/PNBA is one of many natural bodybuilding leagues, but it’s the biggest. Most bodybuilding leagues don’t support the use of drugs. However, the INBA/PNBA is the leading trailblazer for getting their athletes drug tested – each athlete undergoes strict testing through World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) – state-of-the-art drug testing the Olympics use. Any competitor who fails a drugs test ends up on the infamous Hall of Shame.
The natural bodybuilding competitions listed below are events that take place up until the big finale on November 10-13th – Natural Olympia – Pinnacle of Natural Bodybuilding. So it’s essential to do well in the other shows to earn a spot at this contest. It’s the biggest event of the year for natural bodybuilders akin to Mr. Olympia in the International Federation of Bodybuilding (IFBB) league.
Below you can find the INBA/PNBA schedule for 2022.
INBA/PNBA 2022 Schedule
March
19th – INBA/PNBA Judges Clinic
Corona, CA
26th – Arizona Copper Classic
Sierra Vista, AZ
April
2nd – Capital City Championships
Sacramento, CA
10th – Iron Gladiator
Corona, CA
16th – Jaguar Bodybuilding Championships
Sierra Vista, AZ
23rd – Showdown in Memphis
Memphis, TN
30th – Pro/Am Philip Ricardo Legends International
Virginia
May
7th – Pikes Peak Classics
Colorado
14th – Professional America’s Natural & Amateur Illinois State
Chicago, IL
21st – New England Naturals
Oakville, CT
21st – Silver & Black
San Leandro, CA
28th – Pro/Am International Battle Against Cancer
Corona, CA
June
4th – Arizona State
4th – Pro/Am Southern USA
Atlanta, Georgia
24-25th – World Championships
Florence, Italy
July
2nd – Pro/Am Mr & Ms USA
Dallas, TX
9th – Central California & Kern County
Bakersfield, CA
23rd – Pro/Am North American
Chicago, IL
30th – Pro/Am International Iron Man Magazine Muscle Beach
Venice Beach, CA
August
6th – Pro Wolfpack & Cougar Classic California Naturals
Petaluma, CA
13th – Colorado State
Colorado
20th – Pro/Am Nationals
Oakville, CT
27th – Utah State
Springville, UT
September
2-3rd – Mike O’Hearn Presents Clash of the Titans Professional Natural Universe
Tampa, Florida
10th – Pro/Am Int. Zeus Classic
San Leandro, CA
17th – Nevada State Naturals
17th – Pro/Am International Latin American Championships
23-24th Pro/Am Team USA & Las Vegas Naturals
Las Vegas, NV
October
15th – Grand Canyon Classic
TBA – Midwestern USA
22nd – Western USA
San Leandro, CA
November
4-5th Pro/Am World Cup
Los Angeles, CA
10-13th – The Pinnacle Pro/Am Natural Olympia
Las Vegas, NV
*Note: This is the initial schedule for 2022 in the INBA/PNBA league. More competition dates are pending.
Olympics of Natural Bodybuilding
Natural Olympia is the Olympics of natural bodybuilding. It hosts the finest natural bodybuilders in the world, with 2021 representing 15 countries. The 2021 champions included athletes from Italy (Angelo Mastrangelo – Men’s Sport Model ), Mexico (Arely Ayala – Bikini Angels), and Germany (Mirco Burger – Men’s Bodybuilding Masters). Contenders compete for up to over $65,000 in cash and prizes and a custom Harley Davison prize – Philip Ricardo Jr. was the lucky winner of 2021 Natural Olympia.
Below you can watch behind-the-scenes coverage of 2021 Natural Olympia.
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Generation Iron would like to congratulate the natural bodybuilders who participated in the INBA/PNBA league competitions in 2021! In addition, we want to add a supplementary congratulations to Paul Krueger for winning Mr. Olympia at 2021 Natural Olympia! We’re looking forward to the upcoming year!
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to stay informed on the latest natural bodybuilding news!
As a personal trainer and writer, Terry loves changing lives through coaching and the written word. Terry has a B.S. in Kinesiology and is an American College of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer. When he’s not writing or training, he enjoys playing music, reading, and film.
Vote Now In The Generation Iron Bodybuilding Awards 2021
The judges have made their picks. Now it’s time for the fans to decide the best bodybuilders of the year.
On October 10th, 2021 – the best bodybuilders of the year faced off at the Mr. Olympia competition. While not the complete end of the season – it marks the moment that all bodybuilders shift gears and start focusing on qualifying for the next Olympia competition the following year. It is the event that all bodybuilding athletes strive towards winning.
Now that the Mr. Olympia has concluded and the judges have picked their champion winners, it’s time for the fans to decide their favorite and best bodybuilders of the year. Enter the 6th Annual Generation Iron Bodybuilding Awards.
How To Vote In The Generation Iron Bodybuilding Awards 2021
The GI Bodybuilding Awards contains 15 categories breaking down the best athletes of the year. Based off of a nominee list selected by industry experts, the final vote is decided by the fans. We may already have a Mr. Olympia champion in the form of Big Ramy – but who will the fans proclaim the best athlete of the year?
The GI Bodybuilding Awards do not only have options for the best overall athletes of the year. It also has the best in specific categories such as Most Improved, Best Up-And-Comer, and Best Posing Routine.
We’re also proud to announce two new categories this year – Strength Athlete of the Year and Pro Fitness Performance of the Year.
You can see the full list of categories below:
Best Male Athlete
Best Female Athlete
Best Arms
Best Legs
Best Chest
Best Back
Up-And-Comer Of The Year
Most Improved
Best Posting Routine
Most Shredded Bodybuilder
Strength Athlete of the Year
Pro Fitness Performance of the Year
Guru Of The Year
Personality Of The Year
Influencer Of The Year
The voting system is simple. Simply sign up to the 6th Annual Generation Iron Bodybuilding Awards and get exclusive access to our voting page. On the voting page you have a multiple choice selection for the nominees across all thirteen categories in the awards.
If you need a reminder on the 2021 bodybuilding season, you can check out our official recaps for the biggest events of the year below:
How To Vote
Sign up below and get exclusive access to cast your vote and have your voice be heard on the best bodybuilders of the year across 15 different categories.
Cast your votes today through December 31, 2021 to decide the FAN CHOSEN winners of 2021! After we tally the votes – the winners will be announced in January!
Eddie Hall Trades Punches With “Britain’s Fittest Man” Ross Edgley
Eddie Hall and Ross Edgley test their ab strength in recent training collaboration.
2017 World’s Strongest Man Eddie Hall and ultra marathon swimmer Ross Edgley teamed up for some epic training. During the session, the two traded punches to the midsection for a bit of old fashioned body conditioning.
After getting injured back in July, Eddie Hall was forced to put his long anticipated battle against rival Hafthor Bjornsson on hold. It truly was disappointing as both men did a great job to hype up the event. It didn’t hurt that the two had some genuine bad blood as well. That always adds a little bit of spice to the proceeds. But while he may have been unable to box Bjornsson, Hall would do his best to heal up, striking up some very interesting deals along the way.
Now that he’s once again at full strength Eddie Hall has gotten back in the gym and his doing his best to prepare for his showdown with his chief rival.
Little pad work today taking a break from sparring… My left arm is back to full strength and some??Nice to see all the hard work I’ve been doing on explosive power come to fruition.Feeling super confident and can’t wait for a date for the fight?! @coresportsworld ??Thor get your tattoo artist ready boy ?
When he’s not busy prepping for the boxing match with Bjornsson, Eddie Hall is collaborating with other professionals in the fitness realm. Most recently Hall joined forces with Ross Edgley, one of the fittest humans on the planet. Many even consider him to be the fittest man in Britain and with good reason. Anyone who can swim 1,780 miles has to be in insanely great condition.
Trading Shots
During their training session both Eddie Hall and Ross Edgley had the brilliant idea of trading body punches. It’s not at all uncommon a thing to see in combat sports training camps. After all, body conditioning is a necessary function of being a fighter and that’s exactly Hall’s intentions.
The two posted their training session on YouTube. Each man hung from a pull up bar while the other threw some fairly decent punches to the midsection.
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What do you think of Eddie Hall and Ross Edgley trading body shots?
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News and Editorial Writer at Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Sound Cloud for in-depth MMA analysis.
The Rock’s ‘Red Notice’ Is Now The Most Watched Movie On Netflix
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson now has the most watched film on Netflix.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson quickly turned into one of the highest-grossing movie stars when he burst onto the scene. The former WWE superstar made an immediate impact when he began making movies and that is continuing over the years. Now, The Rock has transitioned to Netflix as well.
It was recently announced that The Rock’s most recent movie ‘Red Notice’ is now the most viewed film on Netflix. This movie has brought in 328.8 million viewing hours. This easily tops the previous record, which was held by Sandra Bullock’s ‘Bird Box’ at 282 million viewing hours. It took this movie just 18 days to break the previous record compared to the four weeks it took ‘Bird Box’ to reach the number.
At the moment, 50% of Netflix’s subscribers around the world have viewed the film. ‘Red Notice’ stars The Rock, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot. It was produced by Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions and debuted on Netflix at the beginning of November. It is one of the top-10 films on Netflix in 94 countries.
This film was directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber. This is the third movie that Johnson and Thurber have worked on together, joining ‘Central Intelligence’ and ‘Skyscraper.’ Johnson plays an FBI agent who teams up with an art thief in order to catch a bigger criminal. Reynolds plays the part of the art thief and they are attempting to catch Gadot, who is the bigger criminal.
The action comedy was extremely successful out of the gate. It remained consistent throughout the month of November and will likely continue to put up some big numbers on the platform.
The Rock took to Instagram to celebrate the accomplish and thank all who have viewed the film.
“Holy shit ?Breakin’ out the @teremana ???
RED NOTICE is now the most watched film in @netflix history, officially making it the #1 ALL TIME MOVIE in streaming.
Previous record held by BIRD BOX in 2018 with 282 million hours viewed.With still 11 days to go, RED NOTICE has been viewed for a staggering 328 MILLION HOURS.
With an INCREDIBLE 92% GLOBAL AUDIENCE SCORE!!?????
And we have almost two weeks left of our global run to tally up these extraordinary and ground breaking metrics.
Love U guys and THANK YOU!!! ??”
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Derek Lunsford Reveals The Machine-Like Specificity Of Training With Hany Rambod
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Derek Lunsford On Hany Rambod’s Intense Training: “It Was Almost Like I Had To Count The Breaths In A Day”
Derek Lunsford has been on top of the world in 2021 – specifically due to his epic win at the Men’s 212 Olympia. As a true passionate man of bodybuilding, his excitement has been infectious since winning the Olympia. And it seems that excitement and passion is matched by his extremely focused training ethic that earned him the victory. A big part of his training and diet routine came in the form of legendary trainer Hany Rambod. The two linked up just 10 months before the Olympia 2021.
In our latest GI Exclusive, Derek Lunsford goes into great detail his experience working with Hany Rambod. In particular, he reveals the machine-like specificity behind Rambod’s program. In no way meant as an insult, he expresses that nearly every single second of his life was calculated towards the final weeks before the Olympia. It was that level of detail, matched with his passion, that helped him break through to the next level and win the biggest show of the year.
Hany Ramod is well known as a legendary guru and trainer for many decades. His FST-7 program has been much touted in the industry. He’s also best known for coaching seven time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath. That same magic and talent was lended to Derek Lunsford. It was a typically shorter lead up time that Rambod is used to – but the two worked together to pull off an amazing feat by the time Olympia 2021 rolled around.
“He coached my mind just as much as he coached my physique,” Derek Lunsford stated in our interview. He continued, “That was actually the first thing he said was, ‘I’m a trainer first. I’m going to coach you and train you first – not just give you a meal plan.’”
Derek Lunsford then went on to explain just how hands on and detailed Hany Rambod was as they drew closer to the Olympia 2021:
“At the very end, I think that’s the biggest thing, the very last week things were very, very specific. The last two to three weeks I was taking notes, being very diligent, on everything I was doing. It’s almost like I had to count the breaths in a day it felt like. Not literally but it just felt like – every time I went to the bathroom or took a nap or did cardio or ate this meal or whatever… I was writing it down. Everything that went into my body or everything that I did physically was being calculated.”
What’s most inspiring about hearing Derek Lunsford talk about his intense contest prep, is how much he seemed to be loving it. Bodybuilding contest prep can be very grueling and bring out the worst in people’s moods during those final weeks. While this may have happened to Lunsford – in retrospect he speaks so lovingly and passionately about the entire experience.
That mentality is the kind of outlook needed to become a champion. It’s no wonder he was able to become the Men’s 212 Olympia victor. Lunsford speaks later in our interview about how excited he is for 2022. His successes this year was simply after 10 months working with Hany Rambod. As he noted earlier, Rambod typically takes more time with his athletes. So in Lunsford’s mind – there is no where to go but up from here.
You can watch Derek Lunsford go into extreme detail about his Olympia 2021 training regimen by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview above!
17-Year-Old Karlos Nasar Snatches 175kg in Training Session
Karlos Nasar matched the current world record in the 81kg division.
Youth powerlifting is something that is beginning to take some huge steps forward. The talent level is growing each year and it is because of athletes like Karlos Nasar. The 17-year-old powerlifter from Bulgaria has put up some big numbers and that continued in a recent training session.
In a recent workout, Nasar completed a 175kg (385.8lb) snatch. This matched the current world record in the 81kg division. the record is held by China’s Li Dayin. This lift obviously cannot be recognized as a world-record lift because it happened in training but it does not take away from the accomplishment, especially at 17 years old.
Dayin set the world record of 175kg during the 2020 Asian Weightlifting Championships. This competition in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. This was not the first time the record was broken. Previously, Lu Xiaojun set the originally mark of 172kg (379.2lb) at the 2018 Weightlifting World Championships. At the same competition, Mohamed Ehab set a new mark by a single kilogram.
Karlos Nasar could be the next big thing in the 81kg division. He is just 17 years old but has been a force in Youth competition. Nasar won back-to-back titles during the 2018 and 2019 European Youth Weightlifting Championships. He also won the 2019 Youth World Weightlifting Championship title in the 73kg division.
At the 2021 European championships, Nasar finished second but earned multiple Junior European records. He snatched 163kg (359.4lb) to set a record and completed a 206kg (454.2lb) clean & jerk. This added together for a total of 369kg (813.5lb). This came after Nasar was also victorious during the 2020 Youth World Cup.
Karlos Nasar has been putting up some big numbers in training recently. This means that there could be something special coming next time he steps on stage. Nasar has already matched the world record and could have some more time to get his numbers up even higher.
Nasar is one of the up-and-coming talents in powerlifting and has already made an impact at the Youth level. At just 17 years old, Nasar has plenty of room to develop and that is a scary thought for opponents. It will be interesting to see where he goes from here and what lifts are attempted at the next competition.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Issues Statement Following Passing Of Dave Draper
Arnold Schwarzenegger recently issued a statement on the passing of one of his idols.
It was announced on Tuesday that legendary bodybuilder Dave Draper had passed away. This is news that impacted many around the sport of bodybuilding and that includes Arnold Schwarzenegger. After receiving the news, the legendary bodybuilder took to Instagram to issue a statement on the passing of another.
Schwarzenegger discussed how Draper impacted his career when he first came to America. He was familiar with Draper’s work and even kept his magazine cover for inspiration. Schwarzenegger posted a heartfelt caption on social media along with a picture of the two of them.
“Dave Draper was an inspiration to millions of people all over the world, including me. He was one of my idols. In Austria, I kept his cover of Muscle Builder magazine on the wall above my bed for motivation, and when I saw him starring in “Don’t Make Waves”, I thought, “My dreams are possible.” When I got to America and finally met Dave, I learned his heart was as big as his pecs. He even hand-built my first furniture when I moved to Santa Monica, and let me tell you, he was talented.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger came to America and quickly became one of the best bodybuilders in the world. He connected with Draper in Santa Monica, CA. Draper had moved out West from New Jersey in order to train at a higher level. While out there, Draper connected with many of the top bodybuilders such as Schwarzenegger and Franco Columbu.
“Can you imagine meeting your idol and becoming his training partner and traveling all over the world together? I was in heaven. He couldn’t have been more welcoming, and he was a fantastic training partner who always pushed everyone around him in the gym to be better. He was an amazing writer and a great family man. I will miss the Blond Bomber, but his memory will always be with me. My thoughts are with Laree and the whole family.”
Draper made an impact on many throughout his career. Arnold Schwarzenegger is another bodybuilder who transitioned to the big screen and began a newsletter of his own. He shared plenty of experiences in his Instagram post and let his following in on the impact that Draper has early on in his career.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Legendary Bodybuilder Dave Draper Has Passed Away At 79 Years Old
Dave Draper, known as “The Blonde Bomber” won many titles in his career.
Legendary bodybuilder Dave Draper has passed away at the age of 79. Draper’s wife, Laree, made an announcement on Facebook on Tuesday morning to confirm the news. There was no cause of death disclosed but Laree did say that it was “calm and peaceful.”
“Hi, friends, as the word’s getting out, I wanted to let you know so there’s no confusion. Dave died early this morning. I was with him and it was calm and peaceful. It, as his doctor told me a little while ago, was a good death.”
Dave Draper put together an extremely successful career as a bodybuilder. A native of Secaucus, NJ, Draper began lifting weights at a young age and was on a bodybuilding stage at 21 years old. This is when he won the Mr. New Jersey title. Once he found some success, Draper moved out to Santa Monica, CA to train alongside bodybuilding legends such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Zane, and Franco Columbu.
Mr. New Jersey was the first major victory of Dave Draper’s career. Others included the 1965 Mr. America, 1966 Mr. Universe, and 1970 Mr. World. Draper also appeared in the 1967 Olympia competition where he finished fourth behind Sergio Oliva, Chuck Sipes, and Harold Poole.
Following a successful career in bodybuilding, Dave Draper would venture into other avenues. Like many athletes with incredible size, Draper made an appearance on the big screen and in multiple TV shows. Draper was featured on magazine covers and even began writing on his own. Draper published many works, including an online newsletter. This is where he continued to share insight on training and fitness. This newsletter continued up until 2019. His most famous piece of work remains his book entitled Iron Brother, Sister Steel.
Draper made an impact on bodybuilding because of his incredible size and ability to compete with some of the best in the world. He was multi-talented and this was highlighted following his career on stage. Draper is survived by his wife, Laree.
Generation Iron wants to send condolences to friends and family of Dave Draper during this time. For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Tamer Barakat Proves Good Things Come in Small Packages
Tamer Barakat ranks amongst the best natural bodybuilders globally despite a 40-60 lbs weight disadvantage.
Despite being 40-60 pounds lighter than the guys standing next to him, Tamer Barakat walked the stage amongst the top 5 natural bodybuilders in the world at 2021 Natural Olympia – the pinnacle of natural bodybuilding. At the year’s most significant event in natural bodybuilding, he competed in four divisions and placed well.
Below you can see which place he took in each class.
Men’s Bodybuilding Open – 5th
Men’s Classic Physique Masters – 1st
Men’s Classic Physique Open – 4th
Men’s Bodybuilding Grand Masters – 2nd
On Instagram (IG), Tamer Barakat stated:
“Basically I am at a 40-60 lbs disadvantage when it comes to muscle mass. But, but Conditioning can do wonders here!”
You can see the full post below.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CWZfAOLPArT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
“When I got called into the top 5, I was surprised to tell you the truth,” Barakat uttered in the post. Although Barakat was shocked to be there, the year he’s had says otherwise. 2021 was Tamer Barakat’s best year yet in his 30+ years of bodybuilding.
At the Wolfpack Classic 2021, he proved age was just a number and stood in front of a crowd with the top natural bodybuilders in the world age 50 and older. He’s also been featured twice in Iron Magazine and was victorious in the Bodybuilding Open division at Iron Man World Cup 2021.
With the performance Barakat’s had this year, it’s no surprise he’s taking the stage with other top competitors – Paul Krueger (Mr. Olympia), Philip Ricardo Jr. (Men’s Bodybuilding Grand Masters Champion), and Derek Joe (Men’s Classic Physique Open Champion).
Secret to Success
Tamer Barakat is an overt vegan and focuses on a few key lifts to build the physique of one of the top natural bodybuilders on the planet. He claims that 90% of his diet comes from plant-based foods, including spinach, mushrooms, quinoa, and oatmeal.
His lifting methods aren’t conventional to other renowned bodybuilders. He includes Olympic lifts such as cleans and snatches rigorously. He believes there’s nothing like this movement to develop a strong core, power, and fantastic physique. In an IG post, Barakat informed, “Due to their level of difficulty and coordination through the full body, they trigger a high neuroendocrine response.”
You can see his complete statement and training clip of him performing the clean and snatch below.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CWo4OMDvQ2j/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
On his IG page, you’ll see he includes other full-body Olympic lifts into his routine such as clean & press and calisthenics such as ring dips. Additionally, he competes in CrossFit, which seems to be where he gets some of his training philosophy.
Tamer Barakat breaks the mold in bodybuilding. He demonstrates that size is not the only barrier to victory and never to set limits for yourself. Also, if you want to build a physique as powerful as his, Olympic lifts and veganism have the power to transform your body to Herculean status.
Generation Iron would like to congratulate Tamer Barakat for this success in 2021. Next year, he sets the bar high and plans to make minor improvements to clinch more triumphs in 2022. On social media a couple of days after Natural Olympia 2021, Barakat declared:
“Can’t wait to get grinding again in a couple of days, we have much bigger goals for 2022.”
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