Tag: nEWS

Nick Walker: Bodybuilding Bubble Guts Were Likely Just As Big Of A Problem In The 90s

Nick Walker reacts to the criticism against bodybuilding today vs bodybuilding in the 90s.
One of the biggest trends over the past year was the criticism of today’s bodybuilding physiques. While the criticism of bubble guts have been steadily rising over the past decade – it seems to have come to a head in 2019 into 2020. Beyond even bubble guts, many fans have decreed this new era of bodybuilders less impressive than the 90s and early 2000s. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, rising star Nick Walker explains how he thinks criticizing modern bodybuilding vs the 90s is unwarranted.
In the final few years before Phil Heath lost, fans criticized his lack of control of his midsection. Then after he lost to Shawn Rhoden and took a year off, fans and athletes criticized the conditioning of nearly the entire Olympia 2019 Men’s Open lineup. A narrative has been forming that today’s modern bodybuilders are not living up to the eras of the past. Particularly the 90s and early 2000s. We’ve been asking a variety of bodybuilders, coaches, and experts whether or not they agree in our GI Exclusive interviews.

Which brings us to our recent conversation with Nick Walker. A up and comer bodybuilder that rose to fame quickly due to his impressive physique and progress this year, Nick Walker is as modern as you can get in the sport. He’s a young athlete with incredible promise. So what does he think about the criticism of modern bodybuilding compared to the 90s?
Nick Walker finds this criticism overblown and unwarranted. But he has a reason for exactly why so many fans feel that there has been a decline in bodybuilding physiques. He finds it less to do with the athletes and more to do with how technology has changed the sport as a whole.
Specifically, he’s referring to social media, digital technology, and the internet in general. Back in the 90s, most fans only saw professional photographs of the athletes on stage. Perhaps they saw a broadcast on TV. There were rarely any behind the scenes photos. There was certainly no candid offseason gym photos. Most fans only saw athletes at their very best on the stage.
Today with social media, bodybuilders are able to give updates daily. Fans are able to snap photos on the fly and plaster them all over the internet. Even the leagues themselves can provide more up to date coverage and behind the scene looks at the athletes.
For the most part, this is fantastic, it provides more content for fans who are passionate about the sport. It allows bodybuilding as a whole to grow even bigger. But there is a downside.
That downside is a subconscious belief that bodybuilding has gotten worse – because they are seeing more angles of athletes on stage and because they see more behind the scenes shots that might appear unflattering.
Nick Walker goes on to discuss how many of the 90s bodybuilders had huge guts and looked soft and massive off season. They also might have showed more of those relaxed guts if the cameras took different side angles like the livestreams of Olympia today do.
You can watch Nick Walker talk about it in more detail by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.

Nick Walker Reacts To Being Called The Next Dorian Yates

Nick Walker is on a fast rise into pro bodybuilding stardom. Does he feel the pressure?
Nick Walker seemingly came out of nowhere. Just over a month ago, Walker received his pro card by winning the NPC North American Championships on September 7, 2020. In that short amount of time, he has already set himself up to compete at the Chicago Pro in hopes of getting an Olympia qualification. If he wins, he plans to compete at the Mr. Olympia this year. His incredibly freaky physique has gone viral with his physique being favorably compared to Dorian Yates in his prime. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Nick Walker reacts to his sudden rise to fame and being called the next Dorian Yates.
Typically, the same lineup of pro bodybuilders make it into the top spots at Olympia year after year. It’s the reason we only have 15 Mr. Olympia champions over the course of 55 years. Only a select few can become so great that they shine on the Olympia stage.

That’s why whenever a young bodybuilder turns head with a freaky physique, people instantly get excited. The prospect of a young bodybuilder rising through the ranks and threatening the status quo brings vibrant energy into the sport. A few of these bodybuilders come through every year, some of them become consistent top pros. Others fade swiftly.
Nick Walker is the latest bodybuilder to turn pro and instantly go viral and for good reason. His physique is nothing to slouch at. He has been dubbed the next hardcore freak in the sport similar to the links of Big Ramy when he first entered the public consciousness.

But the person Nick Walker is being compared most to is Dorian Yates in his prime. If you’re a young bodybuilder looking to become a superstar pro – that’s one of the greatest compliments you can receive.
We connected with Walker via video chat to dive into his bodybuilding origins and how he’s been reacting to the sudden viral attention he’s been receiving for his physique. Does this bring added pressure into his contest prep? Once an athlete is burdened with expectations – it can have large affects on how the world sees his next appearance on stage.
As of right now, Nick Walker is not letting the hype add pressure to his contest prep. He admits that he loves the hype but tries his best to not let it give him an inflated ego. Instead he uses it as excitement to further drive his passion. If he can prove the hype right, that’s the greatest gift he can give himself.
And what about being compared to Dorian Yates? For Walker, it’s simply a humbling experience. Walker goes on to explain that Yates was always one of his favorite bodybuilders growing up. He was part of the inspiration towards becoming a bodybuilder himself. So to hear his name in the same breath as Dorian is “unreal” as he heads towards his first pro show.
You can watch Nick Walker’s full comments in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.

Nick Walker Details His Secret To Bulking Like A Mass Monster Freak

Nick Walker is known for his freakish massive size. Here he shares how to bulk up to mass monster levels without gaining too much fat.
Nick Walker has been turning a lot of heads this year in the bodybuilding industry. This is mostly due to his freakishly gigantic size. He’s bringing the kind of mass monster physique that is rarely seen in the industry. Think Big Ramy levels of size and you’ll have an idea of what Walker looks like when he steps on stage. What’s even more promising is his age. At only 25 years old he’s already showing impressive size. Just imagine what time will bring. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Nick Walker shares insight into his daily routine and his secret to bulking up.
When it comes to bulking in bodybuilding – the biggest fear is putting on too much fat and not enough lean muscle. The last thing a bodybuilder wants is to appear too soft when he appears on stage. That’s why the cutting stage before a show is crucial. If you’ve put on too much fat, then cutting becomes more challenging.

We previously spoke with Fred “Biggie” Smalls about his tips for bulking up without gaining too much fat. But we wanted to get a well rounded opinion from different pros across the board. Nick Walker is a young pro bodybuilder that is building up hype due to his massive size. He’s nicknamed as The Mutant because he truly puts the freak factor into mass monster bodybuilding.
So what are Nick Walker’s tips for bulking up and not gaining fat? Nick Walker thinks it’s all about paying strict attention to your food intake. While that is vague and might seem obvious, Walker continues by using some specific examples. He mentions that a lot of bodybuilders eat way too much food after the compete in a show. They see it as the opportunity to treat themselves and have a little break. In Walker’s opinion, that break lasts too long for a lot of competitors.

Furthermore, Nick Walker rarely believes in indulging a cheat meal. While he very rarely will cheat on a weekend – he mostly doesn’t allow himself a cheat day at all. Instead he takes eating like a job and stays on a strict routine. He works with his trainer to monitor weight consistently to make sure all is going according to plan. But even beyond that, he works with his trainer to monitor how his physique looks.
The look of your physique can show telltale signs of what is happening to your body – even if your weight seems to be in the correct place. Every single week he has his physique look analyzed and then adjusts his diet accordingly. This is the important part. A bodybuilder must stay vigilant and adapt every single week. You can’t just pick a plan and follow it blindly for months expecting amazing results. It’s about tweaking constantly and adapting to how your body adjusts.
You can watch Nick Walker explain more of his daily diet and training routine in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.