What’s in a nickname? Sometimes you can’t choose it – it just chooses you. That perfect word or phrase encapsulates your essence. Sometimes you may not even agree, but it sticks and suddenly everyone is saying it. A good nickname is like wildfire. It spreads until there is nothing left but your sudden new alternate name.
Nicknames have had stable longevity in pro bodybuilding. Maybe that’s because it adds to their stage presence when they flex for the whole world to see. But not all nicknames are created equal. We put together this list of what we believe to be the best bodybuilding nicknames of all time.
10. Quadrasaurus – Branch Warren
Just close your eyes and try to imagine what a dinosaur called the “Quadrasauras” would look like. Now open them. Odds are it probably looked like Brach Warren. Not only does Branch have the quads that deserve such a prehistoric nickname – but everything from his attitude to his lifestyle bleeds of a powerhouse dinosaur. No wonder it sticks.
.
9. The Predator – Kai Greene
Maybe it’s because his long tendril-like hair resembles that of the dreaded Predator alien from the movie franchise. Or perhaps it is because of the way he prowls on the stage, like an animal ready to strike. Either way, the nickname is a perfect fit. A title that commands an impressive presence. One that Kai most definitely has.
8. The Dragon Slayer – Rich Gaspari
In today’s world, with Game of Thrones and high fantasy reaching maximum popularity, Rich Gaspari’s nick name would be right at home with the rest of the modern greats. And maybe that’s why he gets on this list today – because we can’t deny that a dragon slayer is a pretty bad ass thing to behold. So go ahead and behold Rich Gaspari in all his glory.
7. The King – Ronnie Coleman
Simple and to the point. The reason we rank Ronnie Coleman on the list is because he truly deserves the title. Many contend Ronnie Coleman to be the greatest bodybuilder of all time. While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, he’s definitely won enough Olympia titles to be crowned The King in our eyes.
6. The Chemist – Frank Zane
While at first glance one may believe this nickname to be a dig at steroids and performance enhancing drugs that are often used in bodybuilding. Rumor has it that Frank Zane was nicknamed The Chemist due to his knowledge of actual chemistry. He was a teacher before bodybuilding – the perfect combination of brains and brawn. And perfect to be dubbed The Chemist.
Who made it into the top 5? Head on over to page 2 and find out!
Layne Norton is famous among certain bodybuilding circles. He’s an intelligent outspoken bodybuilder that is willing to both motivation and educate – no bro science, no bullsh*t, just facts that will help you get to the massive level you always wanted to be. This quote is a case in point – you might get beat on in the gym sometimes… just don’t let it be because you didn’t give it 100%.
Why did you get started? It’s a fair question that I’m sure many bodybuilders are asked once they’ve been reaping the results of years of hard work in the gym. Some people probably will never understand the reasoning behind the countless days of torturous training. But deep down inside every bodybuilder knows exactly why they picked up the weight in the first place and what impact it’s had on their life. Clervius of Mass Motives recently conducted a casual survey of about 300 bodybuilders and posted his findings on the subject. We at GI have decided to weigh in.
.
How Bodybuilders View Themselves
It’s a question many people ask themselves. Just how the hell did I get here in the first place? How did the journey towards getting that ripped and shredded body start up? It’s a fair question to ask oneself. In order to know where you’re going, you have to know where you’ve been. You have to know why you started down the path in the first place. Was it to become pro? Was is to be a better version of yourself? Was it to prove someone else wrong? The truth is everyone has motivation to become the best at what they do. Not all of us may reach the pinnacle, but the journey along the way has all the elements to make us truly happy. For the most part many bodybuilders started out because they wanted to be happier with themselves, wanted to become a better version of themselves – one to take pride in.
There’s no questioning it. For whatever reason a bodybuilder usually starts because of some inferiority or lack of physical gifts. Most bodybuilders think they’re entirely fine from the get go, rather they feel like there’s something to be improved upon. In Clervius’ article, 357 bodybuilders were asked a simple question: “Why did you start on the journey towards bodybuilding?” After receiving the answers, he compiled, analysed them, and reported his findings. Here are some of the most common answers he found and what we think of them.
.
High School Sports Beginnings
It seems like many people who get into bodybuilding do so because of their involvement in other sports. It’s really not all that shocking when you get down to it. In most competitive sports you need to have explosive power and conditioning to operate at the top level. We lift weights to get that kind of strength and conditioning, but what happens after the competitive days have come to a close? Lifting weights becomes apart of your life and many people who lift not only wish to be strong, but look strong as well. In this way other sports work as a catalyst for bodybuilding.
“I started lifting for sports in high school and when I stopped around my Sophomore year I wanted to look good, not just big.”
The formative years of high school can have a major impact on a person’s identity. Many people get over their high school experience by telling themselves it only marginally shaped their lives, while others remain stuck in the past hoping to be better than they were when they were younger. That desire to lift is born in those younger years and will prove to be the reason that many pick up a weight.
.
Body Image
Being the little guy in your group is never easy. When most of the guys around you outweigh you or are towering over you with their height it’s no surprise to feel a sort of inferiority complex. For that reason many guys have turned to bodybuilding to level the playing field.
“Always was the smallest of all the guys around me, especially my friends that worked out. I wanted to get bigger so guys would stop hitting on my girl, especially right in front of me.”
They may never be as tall as Lebron and maybe not as bulked up as Phil Heath, but they can be the most shredded and massive out of their group of friends. That in itself is motivation enough for some people. The same goes for an overweight guy who doesn’t want to be butt of everyone’s joke. It’s a way of taking control of something you once thought you had no control of.
.
Revenge Shape
Maybe we all haven’t been affected by this, but to those who have it can prove a major motivating factor in their lifting endeavors. The idea that your ex left you because you were physically inferior may play some role in your post relationship passion for training. Some people wish to prove to their ex in hopes that they’ll realize what they were walking away from. But that’s in the beginning. Soon the love of lifting weights takes over and petty thoughts soon burn away. Soon getting shredded takes priority over…what’s her name? Exactly.
That’s the thing that’s so amazing about bodybuilding as a lifestyle. Even if it is birthed out of anger or fear – it has the rigorous discipline and focus that can actually help someone grow. Not just physically but mentally. It’s a way for someone to blow off steam; or maybe find order in the chaos around them; or maybe even give a lost person purpose.
Despite the negative connotation and stereotypes the general public try to put on bodybuilding – it truly is a way to better oneself. Physically, mentally, and in health. Clervius’ findings show us one major thing… That despite the adolescent ways that we found our way on the path – it was something that truly transformed us. And maybe for many – saved us.
.
A special thanks to Clervius for taking the time to put together his casual findings. In a way, this unites the bodybuilding community under one roof. It’s a great little sample to help illuminate some truths about the lifestyle. You can check out all of his writings by visiting Mass Motives.
Why do you lift? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
This diet plan will have you shedding those love handles and packing on lean mass in no time.
We all know the rule of thumb as bodybuilders. Your diet should consist of a number of balanced nutrients. By following a strict macro nutrient diet consisting of a large amount of carbohydrates, a lesser amount of protein, and an even lesser amount of fat, a bodybuilder can build muscle while at the same time burning fat. But what if you simply want to rid yourself of stubborn body fat? Is following the usual macro nutrient diet enough?
For those out there interested in a different diet program, then the keto diet is something to look into. The overall idea of the process is fairly simple. The idea is to put your body in a state of ketosis in which the body burns ketones or fat as fuel as opposed to carbohydrates which many athletes rely on as their source of energy for a workout. By keeping your carb consumption under 50 grams per day then it will allow your body to go into the “keto zone” so to speak. The great part of the diet is that after a long week of carb restriction it makes carb loading on one day out of the weekend a true joy. We have a list of fats and proteins that you can add to your diet to put you into the keto zone.
FATS
Avocado
This healthy fat has doesn’t just have countless nutritional benefits, but tastes pretty damn good to boot. It’s a great fat loaded with monounsaturated fatty acids as well as great fiber content. It’ll help you to burn fat with general ease.
Ever have that feeling that you were about to break under the pressure? That you may have reached a limit in your training, a point in which you found impossible to pass? Well first off, stop crying. Complaining never solved anything. Now, sometimes we need reminders of why the hell we strive for anything out of life. These champions that you watch on the posing stage didn’t get there through luck. They didn’t just wake up one day with shredded and massive physiques. They put that work in and made it happen. Whether they were injured, sick, or dealing with personal issues, they found the time to make it into the gym and push themselves towards their ultimate goal.
Take Ronnie Coleman for example. He’s a genuinely nice guy, a man that many bodybuilders and athletes look up to for his personable demeanor and his commitment to hard work and realizing his full potential. Yeah, yeah, it seems like we’ve been constantly talking about Coleman these days…but really why wouldn’t we? He’s an all time great, the legendary Olympia whose name is synonymous with the sport. There’s no denying the man’s greatness. But what got him to the heights of success in the first place? Was it his God given genetics? Was it his natural athleticism?
If you let Ronnie tell it, it had nothing to do with genetic gifts or raw potential. It was hard work and dedication that brought him to not only one, but eight Olympia titles that would see him tie the all time record held by the great Lee Haney. Coleman unearthed this rare interview from his past that gives us all another glimpse into the man behind the legend. Take a page out of Coleman’s book and push yourself to lift some heavy ass weights if you want to see those gains.
Stay tuned for more Generation Iron updates and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Forget about size. Who’s the most shredded of all time?
In the modern era of bodybuilding, mass monsters are king. The ideal has changed from smaller but perfect physiques to the “bigger is better” mentality. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – but sometimes it leads to upsets. Can a better physique end up losing out to a bigger competitor? That’s a debate what might go on forever without a real answer. But today we want to celebrate the most consistently shredded physiques. We’re ignoring size here and instead focusing on the ripped, shredded, and completely cut pro competitors. Who do you think will get the number one spot on the list? Find out in the video above!
.
Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for constant updates about our latest and greatest shows. Having anything else to say? Think we messed up this list? Let us know in our brand new GI Forums by clicking the banner just below! Stay pumped.
Get those Saiyan warrior squats with Scott Herman’s leg day workout.
Sometimes it’s great to get another perspective from fitness gurus out there on the internet. Each week, Generation Iron weeds through the bullsh*t and picks out a motivational video from the internet so that you can see different opinions all in one place.
Here’s a great video by Scott Herman on squatting like a Super Saiyan in the gym.
Check out more of Scott Herman’s videos on his official YouTube channel here. And be sure to check out Generation Iron’s Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channel for daily updates. What do you think of this vid? Let us know in our GI Forum!
Working out at a bodybuilding level can start to make you stiff. Same goes for the bikini division. That’s why Krystal gives us a little peak of her stretch and yoga session before going into the gym to pump some iron. So put on some calming music, dim the lights, and get limber along with Krystal. It will give you a nice dose of relaxation before you go nuts in the gym and start tearing up the weights.
.
Make sure to hit up all of our videos by going to our Watch page. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel and get quick updates about all of our new videos. Don’t miss out!
Kevin Levrone is arguably the greatest bodybuilder to never win a Mr. Olympia title. He was one of the pioneers of the second Golden Age in the 90’s and dominated the scene with his incredible size and definition. Competing against athletes like Shawn Ray, Flex Wheeler, and Dorian Yates, Levrone was able to hold his own, often times placing within the top three of many competition.
Since walking away from the sport there has been talks of Levrone possibly making a comeback which would’ve seen him up against the bodybuilders of the modern day era. Countless times there have been murmurs of his return to action, but so far none of it has been true. As time moves forward the likelihood of Levrone coming back to the posing stage seems pretty slim. But a recent interview with Dave Palumbo may be hinting at a return to form for the former bodybuilder. With talk of Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler looking to return to top form, is the possibilty of a Levrone return in the cards? Take a look at the video and judge for yourself.
At age 48, what kind of physique do you think Kevin Levrone could bring to the stage? Let us know what you think in the comments below and be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Sometimes when we look at big events like Olympia weekend or the Arnold Sports Festival and focus on all of the super stars. The big names. The big biceps. The killer competitors that get the top spots year after year. But what about the up-and-comers? The bodybuilders who have yet to get their pro card but might one day become the giants of tomorrow? Luca Pennazzato is one of those athletes. We can’t say anything for certain – but he might be a bodybuilder to keep your eyes on. We have an exclusive interview from the Arnold Classic 2015 right here. Check it out and make a decision for yourself.
.
What do you think? Let us know in our brand new GI Forums by clicking the banner below. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel to get immediate updates on our latest shows every single day. Stay pumped.
