Tag: Video
Milos Sarcev On His Plan To Transform Regan Grimes Into Mr. Olympia
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How Milos Sarcev completely overhauled Regan Grimes’ prep to transform him into a real threat to the Mr. Olympia throne.
Over the past month or so, Regan Grimes has been making headlines for his impressive physique updates. These came shortly after it was announced he would be working with Milos Sarcev as his coach. The plan? To upgrade Grimes’ physique into the next Mr. Olympia champion. The early results certainly look promising. In our latest GI Exclusive, Milos Sarcev explains his plan step-by-step on how he’s radically transforming Regan Grimes into a more powerful Mr. Olympia contender.
Milos Sarcev is a legendary bodybuilder in his own right and in his later years has become known as a legendary trainer and coach. It was announced in 2021 that he would be taking on Regan Grimes as one of his athletes. This caused quite some buzz as Grimes is already considered a promising athlete in the sport. The buzz only intensified after physique update videos and images started popping up at the end of the year. Regan Grimes appeared to improve his mass drastically.
We had an opportunity to reconnect with Milos Sarcev via video chat recently – and we dove in deep about his decision to start training Regan Grimes. As previously mentioned, Grimes has had much hype behind him over the past few years. He was also earlier featured in our feature film Generation Iron 3. Yet despite this hype, he found himself placing 15th at the Mr. Olympia in 2021 and 2020. What happened? And what needs to change?
A major shake up in coaches seems to signal Regan Grimes is ready to overhaul his tactics. And Milos Sarcev seems to agree that a lot needs to change. Not because Grimes is disappointing in his current state. On the contrary, he shows so much promise – it simply needs new direction towards success.
“Many coaches, many bodybuilders, accept mediocrity or just doing what is expected of what they [judges] think,” Milos Sarcev states in our interview regarding bodybuilding prep and coaches. He continues, “They never really give a thought how to maximize every aspect. Every aspect.”
Milos Sarcev then reveals that upon starting to coach Regan Grimes, he asked what his posing routine plan was. Grimes admitted he had no prepared posing routine. He just did the mandatories. This both shocked and did not shock Milos. He believes that majority of Men’s Open bodybuilders simply do the mandatories. Which means Grimes certainly needs to take advantage of that and wow the judges with a pre-planned posing routine.
This is the kind of “maximize everything” mentality that Milos Sarcev plans to bring to Regan Grimes’ bodybuilding career. Sarcev gets even more granular – asking Grimes to explain how much he knows how to properly hit an ab pose and how to showcase legs properly. Not just the general mandatories – but the technical skill down to the very last detail.
Milos Sarcev provides another example of how he’s overhauling Regan Grimes’ bodybuilding prep. Sarcev deeply questioned Grimes about his diet and explains that most bodybuilders follow the same basic philosophy behind dieting. But bodybuilders can get tested to know much more specific detail about their body and their metabolic rate. It’s that kind of maximized detail that Sarcev will ensure Grimes focuses on under his training.
It’s often said that a successful bodybuilder runs their body like a high end powerful car or machine. Milos Sarcev seems to take this nearly literally. Every aspect of Regan Grimes’ training, dieting, and posing are being examined under a microscope. No stone is being left unturned. And Sarcev believes this tactic will turn Regan Grimes into a true Mr. Olympia champion within the upcoming years.
You can watch Milos Sarcev go into in-depth detail about his plans for Regan Grimes in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Jordan Shallow: Bodybuilding Would Need Less PEDs With Deeper Exercise Execution Knowledge
Jordan Shallow comments on recent deaths in bodybuilding, growing drug use, and the massive shift in physiques of modern bodybuilding.
While bodybuilding has always been somewhat taboo in the mainstream public due to perceived steroid use, the topic has become even more heated within the modern bodybuilding industry. Many coaches, experts, and past iconic athletes have gone on record stating they believe drug use has gone too far in modern bodybuilding. A recent string of tragic bodybuilding deaths, though unconnected, have further stoked the flames focusing on drug use and health in the sport. In our latest GI Exclusive, The Muscle Doc Jordan Shallow offers his opinion on PED usage in bodybuilding.
There is no doubt that PEDs are used in the sport of bodybuilding. In fact, this is true of nearly all professional sports. Those who want to achieve greatness are willing to do anything to reach that goal. This can also create a slippery slope. If athletes know the top pros are using PEDs, then they will feel they have to use them in order to stay in the same playing field. Then the cycle continues.
But perhaps it doesn’t have to be this way. During our conversation with Jordan Shallow, we fell onto the topic of health in bodybuilding and the recent deaths that have tragically plagued the sport. It should be pointed out that causes of death have not been revealed for nearly all of these cases. Regardless, it has caused a wave of bodybuilding icons, experts, and coaches to weigh in on drug use in the sport. Jordan Shallow believes there is a world where the same muscular results can be achieved while using less PEDs.
The common understand is this – if bodybuilding became more healthy, it would become less exciting with smaller physiques. While it’s true that bodybuilding will always demand some level of extreme risk taking – Jordan Shallow believes that the risks do not need to be anywhere near as high as they are today.
“Obviously it’s multifactorial and I don’t want to defame anyone or do anything like that,” Jordan Shallow states in our interview. He continues:
“But I think, you know, if we look deeper at exercise execution and we can set up exercises to maximally challenge muscle and get the greatest amount of return. We wouldn’t have to augment recovery the way we do with performance enhancing drugs and we can maybe expedite the ability for us to garner proper stimulus.”
It should be note that many pro bodybuilders have a vast understanding of exercise and how it works. That’s their job. But Jordan Shallow seems to believe that modern bodybuilding is taking a turn towards chemical solutions rather than deeper physical ones. Shallow admits that his statement is based purely on anecdotal evidence. But in his personal experience, he’s claimed that over the past 10 years or so – he’s had more conversations with bodybuilders about augmenting training with PEDs and less about further and deeper study of maximizing exercise.
This statement seems to also match others we have heard from older bodybuilding legends in the sport. Occasionally throughout our GI Exclusive interviews, veteran bodybuilders have claimed younger bodybuilders start turning towards PEDs much earlier. The common belief is that old school bodybuilders trained naturally much longer into their careers. They only turned to PEDs when they hit the maximum they could possibly push naturally.
Today, many veteran bodybuilders worry that young athletes turn to PEDs like steroids right away – before they even get a full understanding of what they can accomplish naturally. It must be noted that all of these statements are based on here-say. It’s anecdotal stories based on personal experiences. This can in part be classic rose-tinted nostalgia. A “my era is better than yours” mentality. But there also might be some truth to it.
The internet and advancements in science have changed the way PEDs are used by athletes (and even regular fitness enthusiasts) significantly. The drug world in bodybuilding is certainly not the same as it was 30 years ago. Perhaps Jordan Shallow is simply pointing out the same thing. That we are getting too much information and too many advancements too fast. That detailed knowledge is falling to the wayside in replacement of quick internet facts and easy to obtain PEDs.
What do you think? Watch Jordan Shallow’s statements in our latest GI Exclusive segment above and let us know your thoughts!
Iain Valliere Answers: Are Romantic Relationships Kryptonite For Bodybuilding Success?
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Iain Valliere debunks the concept of a romantic partner or spouse distracting from bodybuilding greatness.
Iain Valliere is a bodybuilder who is happily married. He’s also a successful pro bodybuilder – a sport that demands quite a bit of time. So much time, in fact, that many legendary pro bodybuilders have claimed that romantic relationships and families are too distracting for bodybuilding success. In order to become a champion, you need the kind of full focus that would either destroy the relationship or destroy your champion chances. But for Valliere, he finds the exact opposite to be true. In our latest GI Exclusive, Iain Valliere explains how his wife is a vital part of his bodybuilding success – instead of a distraction.
During our time interviewing a wide variety of bodybuilding legends and champions. We’ve seen a common sentiment among elite competitive bodybuilders. Dating, romantic relationships, and marriage are too challenging of a dedication to coincide with bodybuilding success. Most notably, 8x Mr. Olympia Lee Haney stated this during the filming of Generation Iron 2.
The idea here is that bodybuilding on a pro level requires so much focus and time – it’s impossible to share it with a romantic partner. During our conversation with Iain Valliere, we decided to ask him for his take on this concept. Valliere is happily married to Chris Bumstead’s sister – Melissa Valliere. She is a competitor in her own right – and according to Iain – has been a vital part of his success. Not a detriment to it.
Iain Valliere acknowledges that bodybuilding is a major time commitment both mentally and physically. But he also points out that kind of commitment is very challenging to do alone. Having a partner by his side through the ups and down of bodybuilding prep is a major support. It helps him remain more focused and achieve better results.
Iain Valliere uses an example to drive this point home. In 2020, Valliere competed in the Tampa Pro and reveals that during this contest prep he had a “mental breakdown” in his own words. He attributes this to his wife not being by his side for that particular competition.
“I had a mental breakdown. I really couldn’t handle all of the pressures and the stress being by myself,” Iain Valliere states in our interview – speaking of the Tampa Pro 2020. He continued:
“And you know, I was running around trying to get food. And worried about doing this, and worried about doing this. As well as, you know, when you are alone in your thoughts too much, you’re looking at social media and all of these things and I really got in my head.”
Iain Valliere goes on to say that having his wife by his side alleviates these issues. She is his support system. Being a fellow competitor, she can also provide much more pointed and empathetic support as she is more than familiar with the process.
And perhaps that is another key element for Iain Valliere’s success in both bodybuilding and marriage. If not a fellow competitor, finding someone who fully understands what the bodybuilding process really entails is key. If not, resentment can grow. Stress can come from resentment. And then both a bodybuilding career and a relationship can implode.
Iain Valliere also shares some tips and tactics that have worked to keep his marriage a focus while also putting his all into pro bodybuilding. Perhaps some of these tips can be helpful for those looking to find balance in the hectic life of competitive bodybuilding and relationships.
You can watch Iain Valliere’s take on relationships and bodybuilding – as well as tips to finding balance – in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
Patrick Moore: You Will Not Make Money In Bodybuilding If You Avoid This Vital Tactic
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Patrick Moore explains how the “eat, sleep, train” mentality is not enough to earn money in bodybuilding. Marketability is now vital.
Patrick Moore is not simply a pro bodybuilder. He’s a pro bodybuilder that started over from one sport to the next. Originally a boxer, he eventually restarted from the ground up in competitive bodybuilding. Now he’s a highlight athlete with much promise to become a legendary champion.
Seeking athletic success is hard from the start, doing it twice by starting over in a different sport is even harder. That’s why we asked Moore to share his advice on how to be successful starting out in bodybuilding. In our latest GI exclusive, Patrick Moore explains that excelling at building muscle and shred is not enough. It is now necessary to sell yourself, and sell yourself well, as a marketable personality.
There is no doubt that the internet age has changed bodybuilding significantly. Not only has it changed the way fans interact with the sport and its athletes. It’s also completely revolutionized how sponsorships work. Gone are the days of the Weider contract. This is something that many bodybuilders and industry professionals have spoken about over the past decade. Patrick Moore believes it hasn’t been stated enough. He cannot express just how important it is to become marketable as a personality in order to earn financial success in bodybuilding.
During our conversation with Patrick Moore, he makes one thing very clear. Essentially, being good at just bodybuilding is no longer enough to succeed financially in the sport. Only a select few of competitions award high level prize money. And even then, statistically your odds of being that champion to win the $400,000 Olympia prize money is very slim. It’s not something that can be relied on.
The internet era and social media has put the tools directly in the athlete’s hands now. Massive multi-year contracts don’t get offered the same way anymore. Now, it’s just as vital to have an online presence as it is to win bodybuilding shows. This doesn’t mean you have to be a schmoozing online influencer. But it does mean you need to find a way to market your personality into engagement online.
Of course, marketability is not a replacement for passion and hard work in the sport. But it just might be a more vital aspect of being a pro bodybuilder than most people realize going into the sport.
“The first thing you have to do is love the sport or the training,” Patrick Moore states in our interview. He continues:
“Because anything that comes subsequently from that is going to be based off of your placing at shows. The amount of attention you are able to generate online. You have to be an athlete. You have to be a representative of the sport. And you have to marketable. And I say that because marketability is one thing I think a lot of people do not realize has to be present in this day and age.”
Patrick Moore continues to express that the old school days of only focusing on training and dieting are gone.
“You can’t just be the guy who goes into the gym with your hoodie on and train and then leave out and then think that you’re going to make money. It just doesn’t happen like that. Because you have to think what generates ticket sales, merchandise sales, whatever it is – you have to be a hard worker. So I would tell new guys coming up. don’t expect the sponsorships, don’t expect anything… you have brands that monitor. They’ll watch how you interact online so if they see that you get a lot of engagement, they may then be inclined to extend your sponsorship. So where guys will say I’m not going to do online stuff because that’s stupid and it’s a waste of time. Okay, well you’re just leaving an opportunity on the table for an athlete who is willing to do that… you can’t just eat, sleep, and train. That’s a dream. That’s not going to happen. Not if you want to be successful.”
Ultimately, there are various paths to success. No one single mold will be the mandatory subset needed to 100% succeed. But it’s also foolish to believe that investing time and energy into these strategies is a waste of time. A person passionate about bodybuilding should be willing to do whatever it takes to become successful and a champion.
To leave an entire option on the table, as Patrick Moore puts it, is lowering your odds. If bodybuilding is your life – even if you hate social media – you might have to make that kind of sacrifice and learn to engage with these tools. Otherwise, you’ll be significantly cutting your chances short in the modern playing field.
You can watch Patrick Moore go into full detail on his experiences building his brand in bodybuilding and his vital tips in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
Cedric McMillan Reveals New Details On His Near-Death Experience & Heart Issues
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Cedric McMillan opens up with new details on his heart issues, developing pneumonia, long COVID, and being put on life support.
Earlier in November, Cedric McMillan performed a guest posing and also provided an update on his rocky bodybuilding season. It turned out, he revealed, that he was dealing with breathing and heart issues likely caused by contracting COVID-19 in the previous year. With cases rising across the world at a rapid pace due to Omicron, Generation Iron decided to sit down with McMillan and talk in further detail about his experience with the virus and his near death experience in the hospital. In our latest GI Exclusive, Cedric McMillan goes into full detail about contracting COVID-19, developing pneumonia, and being put on life support.
For a short period of time in 2021, fans were confused as to what was happening with Cedric McMillan. After much delay he was set to compete at the Legion Sports Fest Pro 2021, only for him to disappear after the pre-judging and not show up at the finals. There was silence and mystery for a few weeks. Then suddenly McMillan reappeared during a guest posing and revealed a series of medical issues that threw off his bodybuilding season.
It turned out that Cedric McMillan had developed COVID-19 in 2020 right after the Arnold Classic. He recovered. He was fine. But many months later he started having trouble breathing. This breathing issue eventually took him to the hospital – where he found out he had pneumonia. Shortly after he found himself on life support in the hospital. “I was almost dead.” He stated during his guest posing speech.
Now with more time to recover and reflect on the entire experience, Generation Iron Brasil’s Aretha Luz at down with Cedric McMillan to get an in-depth account of the entire experience. McMillan opened up with complete honesty about the slow building of events that eventually left him intubated and on life support.
Cedric McMillan was noticing shortness of breath for quite some time. As early as May or July of 2021. But McMillan attributed this to his massive size. He was over 300 pounds and as any pro bodybuilder would attest – it puts some strain on cardio and breathing. But then the symptoms didn’t subside. For weeks and weeks his breathing became worse. Eventually he knew that he had to seek medical advice. Upon going to the doctors, it was discovered his heart rate was dangerously low. He was rushed to the hospital.
It was at this point that the doctors drew a connection between his current medical issues and COVID-19. They asked McMillan if he had COVID-19. Cedric McMillan confirmed that much earlier in 2020 he had gotten the virus. But was fine after recovering. The doctors informed him he now has pneumonia. And while it can’t be confirmed with 100% accuracy, it was likely that his lung were very slowly building up with fluid for months after having the virus.
After spending a few days in the hospital and still struggling to breath, Cedric McMillan grew impatient. He wanted to leave. He felt that he was not in immediate life or death danger. He jokes that he stood up and pulled off the wires from his body, “like a movie.” The doctors tried to stop him. Before he knew it. He was sedated and woke up three days later.
It turns out shortly after being sedated, his condition grew worse. He was put on a ventilator and life support. The hospital called his family as they were concerned that there was a likely chance that Cedric McMillan would die. Luckily, this was not the case
Cedric McMillan is now recovered. After leaving the hospital, he took some time to recoup, and after some false starts, he finally felt healthy enough to step back on stage. This was when he decided to guest pose at the Armed Forces Nationals 2021.
Cedric McMillan realized that he needed time to recover after such an ordeal. Now that he’s taken that time, he feels prepared to compete at the Arnold Classic 2022 in March and then shortly after compete in the Arnold Classic South America. McMillan’s plans were derailed in 2021. But the pro bodybuilder has always been a focused competitor hungry for victory. Perhaps 2022 will be a true comeback for the much hyped athlete.
You can watch Cedric McMillan go into full detail about his entire near-death experience in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
The Anabolic Doc: Bodybuilding Is Not Worth The Steroid Use Required To Succeed
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The Anabolic Doc believes bodybuilding success requires good genetics and steroid use – and advises reassessing your goals away from the sport.
Dr. Thomas O’Connor, aka the Anabolic Doc, has always maintained an empathy and understanding of bodybuilders and strength athletes who use steroids. The doc was “bitten by the bug” himself – as he puts it. He understands that an athlete will always want to do whatever it takes to succeed.
But if he were to give advice to a young aspiring bodybuilder before they become passionate and embedded into the sport. His advice would be to “reassess” their goals and back away from bodybuilding. This is because he believes that steroids are mandatory to succeed in the sport. And he sees the damage to health it causes too severe to ever recommend. In our latest GI Exclusive, the Anabolic Doc explains why he feels bodybuilding is not worth the steroid use that comes with it.
We recently had a very lengthly video conversation with Dr. Thomas O’Connor, aka the Anabolic Doc. This conversation has been released in segments over the past few weeks. As always, the doctor provides very empathetic and educated information about drug use in the sport and its long term consequences. So we decided to ask him – what advice would he give to a young aspiring bodybuilder who is interested in going pro?
Many amateur bodybuilders feel the pressure to use steroids to succeed. It’s a slippery slope. If one person is winning on steroids, then others feel the need to use to be on an even playing field. Before you know it – steroid use becomes the norm. This is the world that many amateur bodybuilders are entering. While not literally mandatory, it’s a pressure that can manifest in aspiring athletes.
That’s why The Anabolic Doc, while emphatic to athletes and their passions, would strongly advise that aspiring bodybuilders back away. He whole heartedly believes the steroid use is not worth it. He’s seen the data and he’s worked with enough bodybuilders post-retirement to know the suffering they go through. If a bodybuilder believes that steroid use is necessary to succeed in the sport, the doctor believes that the athlete should simply find another goal completely.
“You have to have great genetics and then you have to do steroids,” the Anabolic Doc states in our interview in regards to competitive bodybuilding. He continues:
“I would advise 100% to reassess your dreams and goals and not to do it [bodybuilding].”
The Anabolic Doc understands that a person, regardless of sport or even goal, will do whatever it takes to succeed if they are passionate about the subject. This is unavoidable. So for those on the fence and not fully embedded into the sport – Dr. O’Connor seems to see this as a way out. Jump ship before you get sucked in and start making sacrifices that can lead to health issues in the long term. As much as the doctor is a strength athlete at heart himself – he knows too much of the data and experiences to ever fully recommend going down that path.
Do you agree with the Anabolic Doc? And do you think that steroids are necessary to succeed in the sport? Watch his full comments in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above – and then decide for yourself!
Ryan Crowley Gets Extremely Honest On How Social Media Hate Emotionally Affects Him
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Ryan Crowley gets surprisingly candid about his relationship with social media and online hate.
Ryan Crowley, in part, discovered bodybuilding due to being bullied as a child. It’s a story we’ve heard countless times before in the sport. He sought to become physically strong to avoid being bullied in his future. Now Crowley is a promising bodybuilder (recovering from a major injury) and looking to make a big splash in the industry. Yet somehow he still faces the same kind of bullying he remembers from childhood. This time in the form of hateful online comments. Has his past experiences helped him develop thicker skin? In our latest GI Exclusive, Ryan Crowley opens up about how he interacts with social media online bullying – and how it still emotionally affects him.
Whether you like it or not, social media is here to stay. It’s also a big part of modern bodybuilding. No longer do pro competitors need magazines to display their stunning physiques. They can each amass followings on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook. They can directly engage fans. They can share updates whenever they want. There is no longer a gatekeeper between the athlete and the audience.
In many ways this is fantastic. It opens the doors wide open for new kinds of success. But it also brings a very ugly side of the internet front and center into every bodybuilder’s inboxes. Bullying and hate from anonymous users can mount across comments and DMs. There’s a lot of positivity too, which must be acknowledged, but the hate comes through in a way that was otherwise impossible before the web. This is something Ryan Crowley is all too familiar with.
We’ve spoken with others about the vitriol that can come through online commenting. In the case of Chef Rush, for example, it took the form of hate speech. Joey Swoll also revealed to us the death threats he would receive. It can get very dark. Ryan Crowley is a bodybuilder who has experienced bullying far before the internet. As a chubby child, he was often the butt of many jokes. This certainly emotionally affected him. To combat the sadness – he sough to become strong and eventually discovered bodybuilding.
Now an adult, he strangely finds himself, in some ways, back where he started. While he is no longer overweight, he faces hateful comments online due to having a rather large social media following. During our video conversation, Crowley became extremely candid and open about how this affects him. In some ways, he becomes the same young boy that he was being bullied in his past. He admits to reading the hurtful comments and letting them deeply affect his mood.
He tells us this with a smile on his face in the moment. It’s as if he is completely aware how silly it is to let strangers have such a hold over him. But he’s also aware that he can’t help his gut emotional response to these kinds of comments. We’re all human after all. He knows he should simply not read the comments. Just ignore them. But he reads through them anyway.
He also admits that being so easily affected by the comments triggers more comments:
“I wear my heart on my sleeve and I’m very sensitive. And they know this. This is why they say this stuff because they know it gets to me. It’s just something I get on with, you know? It gets to me and then I get on with it.”
This is classic bullying. The more the bully knows that they are triggering a response. The more they continue to push harder. Of course, Ryan Crowley is not disabled by these hateful comments. They do not freeze up his life into misery. As he states, he’s able to move on. But he also comes back for more. He pours over his comments, gets upset by certain hateful statements, uses his girlfriend for support, and then tries to shake it off and go one with his day.
There have been many reports in the bigger picture beyond bodybuilding of how social media affects anxiety and happiness. Recent whistleblowers at Facebook even stated that there are mounds of data showcasing the psychological damage it can cause – but they chose to bury those facts and move forward with their policies anyways. It’s a problem bigger than Ryan Crowley or bodybuilding. But it’s refreshing to see a public figure in the sport speak so honestly about it.
You can watch Ryan Crowley discuss his interaction with online hate – as well as his future plans for recovery and his bodybuilding career – in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
Milos Sarcev: Shaun Clarida Can Beat Big Ramy… Under One Condition
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Milos Sarcev discusses Shaun Clarida’s Men’s Open victory in 2021… and why he should seriously consider competing in both Men’s 212 and Men’s Open at Olympia next year.
Shaun Clarida may not have won the Men’s 212 Olympia this year, but he shocked the world in a different way by claiming victory in the Men’s Open at the Legion Sports Fest Pro 2021. This wasn’t a slouch contest either. Clarida took down the likes of Regan Grimes and Sergio Oliva Jr. in the lineup. Shortly after the victory, Clarida mused about attempting to compete in both the Men’s 212 and Men’s Open at the Olympia 2022. In our latest GI Exclusive, bodybuilding coach Milos Sarcev explains why Shaun Clarida should be allowed to compete in both divisions… and why he thinks it’s possible Clarida can beat current Olympia Champion Big Ramy.
Milos Sarcev recently started training Regan Grimes in an attempt to help the promising athlete reach his full potential. He believes that Grimes can do truly fantastic things in the near future. But during his time coaching Grimes, he witnessed former Men’s 212 Olympia champion Shaun Clarida defeat Regan Grimes in a Men’s Open show. While Grimes remains optimistic moving forward and maintains sportsman-like respect for Clarida – the loss was a frustrating blow for the hungry competitor.
But from Milos Sarcev’s viewpoint, this isn’t a devastating loss to a Men’s 212 athlete. In Sarcev’s eyes, Shaun Clarida is such a phenomenal athlete that he transcends divisions. In fact, Sarcev believes that Shaun Clarida can defeat nearly any pro bodybuilder currently competing today. This includes the entire line up of the Men’s Open division – including current Olympia champion Big Ramy.
This might sound unrealistic – but many thought Shaun Clarida competing in the Men’s Open at the Legion Sports Fest Pro was unrealistic as well. Clarida might have be a bit on the extreme side of the shorter bodybuilders, but his conditioning and aesthetic are nearly unmatched. Sarcev believes that if Clarida can learn how to use posing to give the illusion that he’s larger – he can dominate in Men’s Open.
“Shaun Clarida, great champion, yeah of course he can beat anybody,” Milos Sarcev states in our interview. He continues:
“He can beat, you name it, he can beat Big Ramy if judging criteria is gonna go this way. If you are particular about projecting his height, weight, structure, and then, you know, what would he look like if he was six feet tall.”
Milos Sarcev goes on to explain it’s this exact kind of posing training that he is also employing with Regan Grimes. He felt that Grimes did not have enough time to build up size needed for upcoming shows – so he focused also on training him on how to appear bigger and focus on his strong points. For Grimes it’s his conditioning and symmetry.
Milos Sarcev sees the same kind of spectacular strengths in Shaun Clarida. In fact, as stated above, Sarcev sees Clarida to have one of the best physiques in bodybuilding. If he was able to learn how to further manipulate his size – and if the judges even slightly lean towards that direction (as they did in 2018 when Shawn Rhoden won the Mr. Olympia), Sarcev thinks that Clarida could take down someone like Big Ramy.
Sarcev goes on later in our interview to share his thoughts on competing in two divisions at the Mr. Olympia. Sarcev believes that Shaun Clarida should be 100% allowed to do both Men’s 212 and Men’s Open. He qualified for both. This means he earned both. It’s not an easy thing to do. If Clarida earned qualification – Milos Sarcev strongly believes that nothing should stop him from competing in both. With the two events on two separate days, he even finds the idea physically possible to successfully achieve.
You can watch Milos Sarcev’s full comments on Shaun Clarida and the Olympia divisions in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
Jordan Shallow: Most Common Gym Injuries & Biggest Mistakes When Training To Failure
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The Muscle Doc Jordan Shallow goes into detail about the most common gym injuries, how to avoid them, and how this affects training to failure.
While a gym and gym equipment is designed to be safe tools and a safe environment for building muscle and strength – injuries certainly can occur. This is the unfortunate truth behind lifting heavy weight no matter the precautions. That being said, there are many injuries that could be avoided. That’s why we’ve turned to The Muscle Doc for advice on how to avoid potential life-altering injuries in the gym. In our latest GI Exclusive, Jordan Shallow details the most common gym injuries, how to avoid them, and the biggest mistakes while training to failure that often lead to injury.
An injury gained during training should be no joke. While it’s somewhat common to get general aches and pains over time. A serious injury can alter the rest of your life. For athletes in professional or competitive sports – it can also drastically alter their career forever. This certainly holds true for pro bodybuilders. An injury keeps a bodybuilder out of the gym. This affects their physique and timing – which could drop them out of a vital show. Even more seriously, an injury such as a muscle tear can lead to a permanent end to a bodybuilder’s career.
That’s why during our conversation with The Muscle Doc Jordan Shallow – we dove deep into the cause of the most common gym injuries and how to avoid them. While speaking to Shallow, he explained that the most common injuries he’s delt with in his years of his career are shoulder and knee injuries. Elbows and hip injuries are quite common as well. This makes sense of course – these are joint areas that, even beyond gym training, get damaged over time with age for most individuals.
While it’s impossible to completely avoid all injury when lifting heavy weight and pushing the body to new levels, there are two key factors to consider to help avoid these kinds of injuries. Jordan Shallow explains that load management and technique are the biggest elements in avoiding injury.
This might seem obvious, poor form and ego lifting lead to injury. But it’s something that can’t be stressed enough. Jordan Shallow also points out that improper volume is not just too much weight. This can also mean too much intensity, too much frequency, or too much density. There is a delicate balance between pushing yourself to growth and pushing yourself to injury. That’s why it is always important to start off slow – especially for beginner lifters – so that you can understand your body’s limits.
In bodybuilding and many high-level strength sports, training to failure is an important aspect towards strength and muscle growth. So how does one train to failure, without pushing too far and injuring themselves? Jordan Shallow explains that training to failure is, of course, important for serious growth. But the problem is the definition of failure in this context. Here’s what Shallow had to say about training to failure in practical terms:
“I think there’s a bigger conversation when ti comes to training to failure which is defining failure. Because failure, depending on the exercise, can be different depending on what the exercise is… Failure is a relative term. And I think the conversation gets so oversimplified…”
He goes on to explain that there can be failure on a technical level vs failure on a physical muscular level. The decision on which version of failure to reach depends greatly on what exercise you are doing and your experience level. The problem with “training to failure” when discussed in general terms – is that this nuance can get lost. Then people are pushing for the wrong things and get hurt.
Jordan Shallow provides very specific examples to further explain his case in this regard. You can watch our GI Exclusive above to get that exact detail as well as his other comments on the most common gym injuries you should be avoiding.
Robert Timms Details The Experience Of Training In Afghanistan
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During Robert Timms military tour – he discovered bodybuilding while training in Afghanistan gyms.
Robert Timms, also known as Mr. Classic Physique, is a standout Classic Physique competitor who showcases a lot of promise in the division. He also has had a rollercoaster past including a cancer diagnosis and some time spent in the military – including a tour abroad in Afghanistan. It’s actually during his tour in the middle east that Timms discovered his love of bodybuilding. In our latest GI Exclusive, Robert Timms explains his experience discovering bodybuilding and what it was like to train in Afghanistan.
For many of us here in the United States, Afghanistan seems like an entire different world. While some of those perceptions are likely based in stereotypes – there’s no denying it’s a country with a completely different culture. One, of course, with a very complicated history involving the US. Robert Timms was a soldier who was stationed in Afghanistan (many years ago before the complete pullout this past year). It’s in Afghanistan that he actually discovered his love of training in the gym and bodybuilding.
During our most recent video conversation, we asked Robert Timms what it was like to train in Afghanistan while touring in the military in comparison to his training life now in the United States. Timms explains how there were two gyms on base. There was the NATO gym and then the “prison gym” as he calls it.
“The prison gym was the gym that was like the old school – like it was rough. It was a rough gym,” Robert Timms states in his interview. He goes on to say that he was 175 pounds upon arriving at the base in Afghanistan.
Through his training in the prison gym – he started developing a love of the process and picked up a lot of basics and tips from his fellow soldiers. But he quickly realized that the way they trained wasn’t enough for what he was seeking. Robert Timms describes himself as a man who likes to deeply understand the very fabric on how things work. This included his body while training.
So after a small rough patch of training where he was plateauing – he decided to stop following along his fellow soldiers and start doing his own thing. While it wasn’t perfect and didn’t lead to a sculpted physique that could win shows – Timms ended up gaining 60 pounds. Bringing his weight to 235 pounds. His body instantly responded to his new actions in the gym as he broke off to explore training on his own terms.
It’s through that isolation on base that Robert Timms was able to, essentially, change his life. He found a new passion that ended up driving his entire life upon returning to the United States. He’s now a pro Classic Physique bodybuilder – and one that is still actively working to become an Olympia champion.
You can watch Robert Timms’ full comments on his experience discovering bodybuilding and training in Afghanistan by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!