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Bodybuilder Wins National Strongman Competition In Bhutan

By
Nicholas Bell
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Bodybuilder crossing over to strongman.

On National Day in Bhutan, the Bhutan Bodybuilding and Weightlifting Federation (BBWF) hosted a lifting competition in the Bhutanese capitol of Thimphu.

The city has a population of just over 100 thousand, and of these, 5 women and 18 men including white collar workers, military personnel, and professional athletes, appeared to contend against the weights.


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BBWF President Sonam Tobgay Dorji told Kuensel Online that the event was designed to generate interest in fitness among the local youth:

“The competition is held to promote health and fitness and to help youth get an international platform in future.”

The contest was a sort of strongman and powerlifting hybrid. Each athlete performed four sets of the traditional three strength lifts- deadlift, bench press, and squat- along with a distance farmer’s carry.

Thinley Dorji, an international bodybuilding champion, performed extremely well, winning the title of Bhutan’s Strongest Man along with a trophy and a cash prize of Nu 30,000 (about $466).

He was excited for the opportunity to display the functional fitness brought to him by bodybuilding:

“One should take bodybuilding as a lifestyle to live a healthy life. We should take up the sport not to be a bodybuilder, but to stay fit.”


In the female division, a Bhutan Basketball Federation coach named Tshewang Dema rose to the top. She received the title Bhutan’s Strongest Woman, along with the trophy and a prize of Nu 15,000 (about $233).

Dema was thrilled with her performance:

“I did not expect to win as I took part for the first time. But it was a positive mind and the support of my colleagues that gave me the title.”

Gyem Tshering from Dagana, who was an anticipated contender, performed disappointingly in the competition. He achieved 29 repetitions of the 120kg (264lb) back squats, but only 1 repetition of the 100kg (220lb) bench press.


In way of an explanation, he said that specific training is necessary to perform well at specific competitions:

“I was in the gym a day ahead of the competition for practice. Strongman competitions, traditional and modern are equally tough but the traditional competition has more weight and distance.”

For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

FDA Raids Dr. Tony Huge’s Enhanced Athlete Facilities

By
Nicholas Bell
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FDA is cracking down on Enhanced Athlete supplement brand.

According to Natural Products Insider, on December 6, federal authorities raided the Sacramento, California facilities of a company associated with “Dr. Tony Huge,” that sells SARMs (selective androgen receptor modulators).


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The company, ‘Enhanced Athlete’ stated via their website:

“We believe this to be the first time that the FDA’s criminal investigation unit has executed a search warrant related to SARMs.”

But in October, the FDA reported SARMs—including Ostarine and LGD-4033, the chemicals seized—are the subject of substantial clinical trials, and that products containing them are excluded from categorization as dietary supplements.

On Enhanced Athlete’s website, they assert that their product Ostamuscle “is sold for research purposes only, and NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION.”


According to the Insider, Hughes is registered attorney in Sacramento with a specialty in bankruptcy law. However, he laid down legal practice a few years ago to pursue his career as “Dr. Tony” the spokesman. Hughes was not a founder of Enhanced athlete, but he gave video endorsements for many of their products, including those containing SARMs.

Specifically, he discusses Ostarine, in one video stating:

“My testicles did not shrink as a result of the ostarine … and all the people that I have reporting to me on their use of ostarine—including very experienced, competitive bodybuilders and coaches—have all reported no signs of testicular shrinkage.”


“Maybe there’s a little bit of suppression, but let’s talk about whether suppression even matters. I personally don’t care if my testosterone level is suppressed while I’m on ostarine because ostarine gives me a lot more strength and stamina and energy, and so if my testosterone drops but the ostarine gives me all those same benefits of testosterone, then I don’t need the testosterone.”

At the end of the video Hughes mentioned that his information is not that of a medical professional or gleaned from a scientific study.

“It is just experience,” he said. “It is bro science.”

For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

Josh Emmett Emerges As A Legit Contender With A Frightening KO Of Ricardo Lamas

By
Nicholas Bell
-

Josh Emmett is a legit threat at featherweight.

UFC Featherweight Ricardo Lamas was set to face Jose Aldo at UFC 218. But when Aldo answered the call to step in for a rematch with division champ Max Holloway, Lamas was left without a dance partner… until Josh Emmett stepped in to face him in the co-main event of UFC on FOX 26 on Saturday night.

Emmett achieved a frightening first round knockout, and was more than happy to divulge the secrets of his approach at the post-fight press conference.


“We’ve been breaking down Lamas’ style and I’ve had two teammates and a coach that have fought him, so that really played well into my favor as well. I was hoping to lure him into my game, and that’s like an all-out brawl where I can roll and land punches or if I could drag him in, coming in I could catch him with that check hook.

“He threw the leg kick, he was trying to beat up my shins — it seems like everyone is trying to do that now since the (Jeremy) Stephens and (Gilbert) Melendez fight — so I ate that to throw an overhand right and just came back with that check hook and found the chin.”

To his credit, Lamas seemed to be doing an excellent job of not getting drawn in to a brawl. His movements looked clean and efficient compared to Emmett’s. But the advantage of throwing hard is that sometimes you only need to land one.


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In fact, the knockout was so severe that Emmett said it dampened his own rush of excitement:

“It’s a little tough to watch. Afterwards I was really excited that I got the win of course, but then when I see him down there still, and you know, he’s got a wife and kids,” he said. “You know, his family is here so I wish that on nobody. I can’t really celebrate too much when I see something like that.”


Emmett missed weight for this fight, and along with sacrificing a portion of his purse, the failure also cost him any chance at a performance bonus. Appreciative of the opportunity afforded him by Lamas, Emmet seemed open to the proposition of a rematch.

For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

WATCH: This Kickboxer Is An Insane Shreddy Mass Monster

By
Beast Ugis
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Alain Ngalani has the physique of a bodybuilder and the skill of a kickboxer.

Bodybuilding change the concept of what is “big” and muscular. We’ve probably all had that moment where you think a football player is jacked or a movie star is massive… only to see a bodybuilder physique and realize that the human form can take on a whole other level. But then you have the interesting case of Alain Ngalani, a kickboxer who has a physique that is so shredded, so massive, that you wouldn’t be wrong to think he is a competitive bodybuilder. He actually lives up to having a monster physique on the level of a bodybuilder – but still maintains the technical skill of a kickboxer. It’s impressive to say the least – and you can check him out in Beast Ugis‘ video highlighting him above!

If you like what you see make sure to subscribe to Beast Ugis’ official YouTube channel right here!

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Firas Zahabi: Georges St-Pierre WILL Return, But Only For “Mega-Fight” With Mayweather or McGregor

By
Jared Jones
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Is Georges St-Pierre already planning his next comeback?

Just when you thought that he was out (for good this time), the allure of fighting has once again pulled Georges St-Pierre back in. Or rather, the allure of mega-fighting.

Following a four year flirtation with his longtime organization, St-Pierre made his triumphant return to the octagon last month, beating the brakes off of Michael Bisping at UFC 217 to become the promotion’s middleweight champion. Before he could even enjoy his seat on the throne, however, St-Pierre announced that he would be vacating the belt and going on (another) hiatus to deal with the colitis he had been stricken with in the fight’s build-up.

And though it’s been less than a week since one of St-Pierre’s coaches cast a grim shadow over his fighting future, today brings news from another one of his coaches that, yes, he will 100% be fighting again. Classic Georges, amiright?

That coach? Tristar gym head coach Firas Zihabi, who told TSN that fans should expect to see “Rush” back in the Octagon before too long for a “mega-fight” with literally the two first names that popped into your head just now.

“I think Georges is going to get better, get back in the gym. He’s going to feel his body out and see what he wants. What’s the most interesting, epic fight out there? Mayweather? McGregor? We need a mega-fight.”

Yep, that’s right: Conor McGregor or Floyd Mayweather are currently the top two priorities on the docket of Georges St-Pierre. One, the lightweight champion who fought at welterweight two times, and the other, a 40-year-old re-retired boxer who’s fought as high as 154 pounds. Ooof.

It’s easy to see what GSP is after at this stage of his career, and I’ll give you a big hint, it isn’t prestige. St-Pierre knows that he’ll remain one of the biggest draws in the UFC as long as he’s still able to compete, and with so few UFC stars to match his drawing power, McGregor is pretty much the only guy that “makes sense” for him currently. It’s a matchup with more sense behind it than McGregor vs. Mayweather ever had, at the very least, but sweet merciful God, no, do not allow this to happen. At least not next, when McGregor’s lightweight title still remains undefended. St-Pierre has accomplished incredible things in his UFC career to say the very least, but the last thing anyone needs is for him to stall up another division playing fantasy matchmaker.

Then again, its not as if the UFC wouldn’t indulge him.

For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

Jared Jones is a writer, musician, and filmmaker currently residing in Boston, MA. Angry comments can be directed to his Twitter and/or Facebook pages. 

Luke Rockhold Leaves His Gym, Says He’d “Slap Down” Kelvin Gastelum

By
Nicholas Bell
-

Luke Rockhold and Kelvin Gastelum engage in war of words.

When Georges St- Pierre vacated the UFC Middleweight title early last week and Interim champion Robert Whittaker was promoted to undisputed champion, it became clear that Whittaker would defend his title at UFC 221 in Perth. The only question was: against whom? The two obvious candidates were former champion Luke Rockhold and rising contender Kelvin Gastelum.


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Despite some strong social media campaigning by Gastelum, Rockhold was chosen to match up against Whittaker. At a recent media scrum Rockhold defended his selection as the contender:

“I know I’ve proven myself,” Rockhold said. “I’ve accomplished things in this sport, whereas little midgets like Kelvin Gastelum haven’t. I’ve destroyed Chris Weidman, which he got destroyed by Weidman, so it’s like ehh [shrugs].”

Later, Gastelum responded via twitter:

“I haven’t done anything in the sport but I did KO the 2 guys that shut the light out on him! Haha.”

Gastelum is referring to Michael Bisping who knocked out Rockhold to win the belt at 199 and Vitor Belfort, who knocked out Luke with a spectacular wheel kick in 2013. Gastelum KO’d Bisping several weeks ago at UFC Shanghai and KO’d Vitor Belfort in March 2017.


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Of course the counter arguments are that Rockhold was injured when he fought Bisping, whereas Kelvin fought Bisping two weeks after he got concussed by GSP. As for Vitor, Rockhold fought Vitor when the Brazilian was on Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT), and Kelvin fought a deflated version, years later.

But Rockhold doesn’t seem concerned with the banter:

“This kid hasn’t beaten really anybody and done anything in this sport, and for him to run his mouth, it’s pretty funny. It’s laughable. He’ll find out real if he continues his efforts at 185. I’d slap that kid down real quick. Real quick.”

Rockhold has recently switched camps, leaving American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) to train with Dutch striking coach Henri Hooft in Florida.


“AKA’s not what it used to be. Like, you get guys filtering in and out, but, I mean, Cain’s [Velasquez] been injured, Khabib’s [Nurmagomedov] always in Russia, DC’s [Daniel Cormier] doing TV. I gotta look out for myself. I love my brothers and my team out there and you’ll see a lot of them in my corner I’m sure, but this is time to be the best I can be and think about myself right now.”

For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

Dubai Muscle Show Projected To Grow By 75%

By
Nicholas Bell
-

The Dubai Muscle Show is gaining momentum.

Last weekend at Dubai Muscle Show, the Middle East again asserted it’s place as one of the most promising fitness markets on the planet. Bodybuilding stars including Jay Cutler and Kai Greene, among many others, flocked to Dubai to share knowledge, competition, and love of bodybuilding.


Nick Blair, Exhibition Director of Dubai Muscle Show told The National that, “We saw a huge gap, especially in the Arab and local community. A lot of these guys don’t go out and party – so they love to be in the gym and train. The competition we have this year is officially the most athletes ever to compete in the Middle East in a bodybuilding competition.”

Many Arab stars made appearances including Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay , and 2017 Arnold Classic 212 champion Ahmad Ashkanani.

In 1972, when the Mr Universe competition was held in Bagdhad, it represented a massive step for bodybuilding in the Middle East. Iraq even announced that it’s national airline would fly entrants and officials from Geneva, and Pakistan free of charge.


Now, over 40 years later, despite political upheaval and global conflict between east and west, bodybuilding is growing faster than ever through the Middle East.

Egyptian-born Mo Ismail, aka Mo Muscles, said, “Bodybuilding is massive in Egypt. In the 1990s, you saw posters of Arnold [Schwarzenegger] almost everywhere. People look up to them and professional soccer players – a Hercules-type physique is idolised in a way.”

And Ashkanani boasted, “Bodybuilding is the most popular sport in Kuwait, especially in the past five years. Now we have more than 10 Kuwaiti pro athletes.”

Kai Greene flew into Dubai from an expo Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He told TheNational that Arab culture can be very conducive to bodybuilding success.

“Culturally they have some very interesting things – a structure and a lifestyle. So if a champion was having difficulties getting into the headspace, or setting aside the creation of the solitude necessary to train, eat and sleep, it seems they have put together an interesting little world that is totally devoted to being able to do that.”


Dubai Muscle Show has the potential to become one of the biggest fitness expos in the world. One initiative being pursued for next year is international competition among female bodybuilders.

“We are already booked for next year,” Blair said. “It’s going to be 75 per cent bigger.”

For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

Tyron Woodley Believes He Will Knock Out Rafael dos Anjos

By
Nicholas Bell
-

Tyron Woodley thinks beating Rafael dos Anjos will be easy money.

The week prior to UFC On Fox 26, Dana White announced that the winner of the headline bout between Rafael Dos Anjos and Robbie Lawler would receive the next Welterweight title shot against Tyron Woodley.

RDA dominated Lawler with strikes over 5-rounds achieving a dominant victory, ostensibly securing the shot. Woodley was working the Fox Sports desk for the fight and confidently stated that in a match with either fighter he would achieve a knockout.


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“In my opinion, what I saw tonight is that if any of those two guys in that bout would fight me, one of those guys is going to get knocked out,” he said. “I saw the IQ wasn’t as high as I would like for a No. 1 contendership fight. Both of those guys are always talking about pushing the pace, and they were going to do this and they were going to do that. I saw a ton of openings for myself (in that fight).”

Woodley fought Lawler in July 2016 at UFC 201 and took the Welterweight title with a flash first round knockout. Since then he has defended it three times, twice against Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, an elite kickboxer, and once against Damein Maia, a Jiu Jitsu specialist. The Welterweight champ is now shamelessly pursuing a ‘money fight’ and he won’t get one with any of the current contenders, including RDA.


He was quite respectful of the Brazilian’s performance, and stated that he carried the weight well, moving up from 155 pounds. But the champ stayed firm in his assessment of RDA as an inferior fighter.

“Obviously, I don’t want to steal the shine. RDA had a great moment, he went out there, he did his job. Robbie Lawler is a very dangerous opponent and he’s knocked out so many different people, but just being honest and keeping it 100 percent, I’m the champion for a reason.”


Right now the contender pool at Welterweight is a shark tank. Darren Till, RDA, Colby Covington, and Santiago Ponziniboi are all elite fighters in a frenzy for the title. Most likely, two will fight for an Interim belt early next year. Woodley has announced he is having shoulder surgery after a labral tear suffered in the fight against Maia. No timetable is set on his return, but the rehab process usually takes months.

For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

James Bondi Joins Team Generation Iron Brasil!

By
GI Team
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James Bondi Bodybuilder Brasil Generation Iron

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Bodybuilder James Bondi is the latest Brasilian athlete to join Generation Iron.

We’re proud to announce yet another Brasilian Bodybuilder has joined Generation Iron as part of our larger expansion into the Brasilian world of bodybuilding. Ever since James Bondi was a little kid – when people would ask him what he wants to be when he grows up – he would answer, “I just want to be really strong.” Fast forward to today and you have an amateur bodybuilder striving to earn his pro card and face off against the greats in bodybuilding. Bondi is a Brasilian bodybuilder whose recent win was overall at the Bodyclassic 2017.

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WATCH: Chanel Jansen Talks Fallout From The Death Of Rich Piana And What’s Next

By
GI Team
-

Chanel has some words for the haters and her supporters.

While many fans of the fitness world are finding ways to cope with the death of Rich Piana, there are still those who are dealing with the aftermath of the bodybuilding personality’s death. One such individual is Chanel Jansen who was dating Piana at the time of his death.

There are those who have passed judgment on Chanel for one reason or another and have felt obligated to take the low road and accuse her profiting from the death of Rich Piana. Well it seems that Chanel has heard the negative talk online and has saw fit to address the situation and discuss exactly what comes next for her after the passing of her significant other.

For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

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