Want to push some heavy weight? Then take these tips under consideration.
If you’re a bodybuilder looking to pack on some major size and get a bigger chest then I’ve got news for you, you’re going to have to put up some heavier weight. Yeah, yeah, maybe it’s not news to you, but nevertheless you’re going to have to find a way to put up some bigger numbers if you want to break your personal bests and increase both your size and strength.
Now that doesn’t mean you should just rush to the gym and kill yourself with heavier and heavier weight. That’s only one step to the process of getting a bigger bench, but it’s not the only way for you to move some major weight. Instead, take some of these tips under consideration and you’ll be on your way to major gains in no time.
Many people think that the bench is all about the chest. It’s definitely the main target area of focus, but it’s not the only muscle group required to perform the movement with ease. Your arms are doing the work so naturally you’ll need to make your arms stronger if you want to push more weight. The triceps make up majority of the muscle in your arms and as such you should be building up the muscle strength and endurance in that area. Skull crushers and close grip bench press can work wonders for your triceps strength making pushing heavier weight a breeze.
With the 2015 Olympia just weeks away, most of the attention is being placed on the open weight division. Stars like Phil Heath, Kai Greene, Mamdouh Elssbiay, Shawn Rhoden, and many others have perfected their forms for the big show and the general public are waiting in anticipation to see which man has what it takes to win the title of Mr. Olympia. All of these men deserve the kind of recognition and following they’re generating ahead of the show, but it’s easy to forget that there are many other competitors in different division ready to prove themselves in their own rights. One such talent is the reigning 212 champion James “Flex” Lewis.
The number one bodybuilder in the world in the 212 class, Lewis has been dominating the competition ever since he reached the big show at the 2009 Mr. Olympia event in the 202 challenge. He was unsuccessful in his first attempt coming in at 5th place, but the man’s talent and potential couldn’t be denied. Flex would go on to make the improvements necessary to eventually win the first ever 212 championship at the 2012 Olympia event. Since then he’s cemented his status as the king of the weight class.
The 212 class could be considered to be even more challenging to compete in than the open weight division. Where open weight bodybuilders have no restriction on how much they can weigh during the event, the men in the 212 class must adhere to a particular weight, cutting enough water weight to be within the weight limit while maintaining tremendous conditioning as well. It’s no easy task to compete under such circumstances, but Flex has become proficient enough that he has conquered all his recent challengers with ease.
As the weeks wind down to the 2015 event, Lewis has been pushing himself hard to ensure that he walks away as the four time champion. Watch the routine that the Welshmen has been using to build the massive muscle that has made him impossible to beat in the last three years.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XYZr012gZE
How long do you think Flex Lewis will remain champion before heading to the open weight division? Let us know what you think in the comments and forums. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Kai Greene is able to take the intangible and express them powerfully – both with his muscle and his words. That’s what makes him so unique in this industry. It’s no secret that bodybuilding has a tough time finding a mainstream audience but it might all be because of the way we first look at bodybuilders. In our latest extended scene from the Generation Iron film, Kai Greene explains that if we change our perception of what massive muscle actually means – what it actually stands for – then we can make the first step towards appreciating the sport of bodybuilding as a whole. Check it all out in the video above.
R.I.P. to the globally-renowned Iranian bodybuilder.
We’ve just learned that IFBB pro bodybuilder Baitollah Abbaspour has passed away after a hard-fought battle with Vasculitis – a disorder that involves inflammation in the blood vessels. According to reports, Abbaspour went into a coma at the Atiyeh Hospital in Iran on Tuesday morning and died shortly after.
Abbaspour was diagnosed with Vasculitis earlier in the year – the disorder causes changes in the walls of blood vessels that impede blood circulation and eventually lead to organ and tissue damage.
The first and, to date only Iranian to advance into the final round of the Masters Olympia – the loss of Abbaspour is hard felt across the entire bodybuilding community. To lose someone so young and so early, it’s impossible not to feel the pain and sorrow and everyone here at Generation Iron send our our condolences to his family and friends.
The 2015 Mr. Olympia is only a few short weeks away and even though a lot of fans like to think that the outcome of the contest is already “set in stone”, it probably isn’t. For a dedicated Bodybuilding fan the Mr. Olympia is the one moment where we can see all of the best bodybuilders in the world fight for the coveted first place trophy known as the legendary Sandow award, I know I don’t only speak for myself when I say that listening to the cheesy yet beautiful Olympia theme song before the giants walk out on stage generates an unique feeling of excitement.
For the past few years Bodybuilding has been criticized and attacked in every single way possible and while it’s true that the sport is not perfect, it’s not that bad either. Bodybuilding will always be the subject of controversy and misinterpretation, what many don’t seem to understand is that the sport has always been the target to these kinds of critiques.
One of the biggest discussions leading up to this year’s Olympia, other than the Heath vs. Greene rivalry is the untapped potential of Mamdouh Elssbiay, better known as Big Ramy. It’s no secret that the shoes Big Ramy has to fill are rather large, fans and bodybuilders all around the world have been speaking highly about the insane potential this man has, even the legendary Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman has spoken and stated that Big Ramy will be a Mr. Olympia in the near future.
Big Ramy has literally all the tools he needs in his possession to be the best bodybuilder in the world, not only is he extremely big and wide but he also has the proportions and symmetry that any aspiring bodybuilder can only dream of having, the main area that Ramy lacks in is conditioning. It’s undeniable that he came in looking very good at this year’s Arnold Classic Brasil where he beat Cedric McMillan and got to shake Arnold’s hand. Some speculate that Ramy’s trainer, George Farah helped him achieve a shape that would be good enough for him to win the Arnold and that would later be improved upon at the Olympia, if this is the case we should expect to see an improved version of Ramy that will definitely get the fans talking more than usual.
In order for Ramy to take the Sandow back home he needs to defeat every single bodybuilder on the Olympia stage, we can expect to see that everyone this year is going to bring their best and leave everything on the stage for an opportunity to be the crowned 14th Mr. Olympia. In order for Ramy to be the last man standing come September he needs to come in as lean as he possibly can and be aggressive on that stage by standing next to the top guys during the pose down.
Phil Heath, Kai Greene, Shawn Rhoden and Dennis Wolf have been the favorites coming into the past few Olympia’s, Big Ramy has also earned a spot next to these athletes leading into this year’s “Super Bowl of Bodybuilding”. Phil Heath is the current champion and is willing to do everything in his power to stay on top, the other contenders are hungrier than ever and are looking to bring the champion down, if Ramy improves he may have a chance on being that last man standing but as many know Bodybuilding is totally unpredictable and assuming that the Olympia will go only one way is just like taking a gamble, what we can’t deny is that this year’s Mr. Olympia should be something worth watching.
My name is Roderick Collins, I am a teenage bodybuilder and creator of the website www.collegiatemuscle.com created especially for the new generation of bodybuilders and athletes. You can reach out to me by hitting up my Twitter @collegiatemuscl and also by visiting my website here.
Looks like we won’t see DLB on the big Olympia stage.
UPDATE (8/26): Dana Linn Bailey has put up a personal message exclusively on Muscular Development’s website explaining why she won’t be competing at this year’s Mr. Olympia. And it seems like her main reason is… well, she’s just too busy.
It’s no secret that Dana Linn Bailey has A LOT going on these days. She’s essentially running six different businesses at the time of this article. (Flag Nor Fail, Warhouse Gym, Speed Warhouse, Onward Supplements, among others).
She also has plans to expand on her fitness adventure tours – similar to her mini tour earlier this year that ended with a group hike up Mt. Washington. So yeah, she’s not over-exaggerating by saying she’s busy. Don’t worry though – this isn’t the end of her Physique career, stating in MD:
“I am definitely going to be upset that I am not onstage this year. I am going to miss performing my routine— it is what I look forward to the most! There is something about the stage that is so intriguing to me. We torture ourselves for four months for about three minutes of glory … but somehow it is worth it. How I feel when I am onstage performing makes it all worth it! It feels weird to say I am not competing this year. I am a competitor— that is what I do, that is who I am, so it does feel a little bit weird. But sometimes the best decisions can be weird. So thank you all for your understanding and support, and don’t worry … DLB WILL BE BACK!!! I can’t think too far ahead to say what my next contest will be … BUT I will be back onstage, and it will only be that much more exciting!!!!!”
Original story follows:
A big surprise hit the bodybuilding and physique world yesterday as RX Muscle reports that Dana Linn Bailey will supposedly not be competing at this year’s Olympia competition. Considered one of the greatest female Physique competitors out there today – it’s quite the shock that she would not compete in the “super bowl of bodybuilding.” Her latest two big competitions, The 2014 Olympia and this year’s Arnold Classic – found her placing second to Juliana Malacarne. For all the DLB fans out there who were hoping to see her get revenge in next month, it seems like those dreams have been put on hold.
Dana Linn Bailey has not stated why she has pulled out of the competition – but as more information comes to light we’ll update this page with the full information. Here’s the original report from RX Muscle:
Bev and Steve get ready to host their big NPC contest.
The East Coast Mecca is a lot of different things to a lot of different people. It’s a breeding ground to becoming pro. It’s a sanctuary to escape the stress of every day life. It’s a place to stay connected to the NPC and IFBB world. But it’s also the brainchild of Steve Weinberger and Bev Francis – two people so embedded into the world of bodybuilding that it truly defines the phrase, “bodybuilding is a lifestyle.” Steve and Bev do much more than run the gym and help up up-and-coming pros. They also run their own NPC competitions in the North East.
As our East Coast Mecca show starts winding down to end it’s season – we follow Steve and Bev as they prepare to put on one of their last NPC competitions of the year. All while still giving advice to bodybuilders looking to go pro – and running the day-to-day operations of the gym itself. It’s an inciteful look into the inner workings of the NPC and IFBB and a much watch for any bodybuilding fans. Check it out above!
Make sure to stick around next week for our final episode of East Coast Mecca! Covering the actual NPC East Coast Championship events – both in front of and behind the stage. Subscribe to our YouTube channel here so you can get the update when it officially goes live! Stay pumped!
There’s no doubt that lifting heavy is an effective way of building great strength. For a bodybuilder or lifter first starting out, powerlifting is certainly a great avenue to go down. It’s great for building a strong foundation as well as building a great deal of mass to boot. When you’re lifting heavy your strength and power will undoubtedly increase and with it your confidence in your lifts.
Many new bodybuilders are always asking that same question: should they lift heavy or should they lift light? There are different schools of thought where heavy and light lifting are concerned. For a person looking to get shredded, powerlifting may not seem the most ideal point of entry for getting the perfect body. Though powerlifting is a lot more about how much you can lift rather than experiencing hypertrophy, it does have its distinct benefits. No matter what anyone says, building strength is just as important as building muscle.
On the other hand, there are many inexperienced lifters that are under the impression that lifting lighter weights will lead to a leaner and meaner form. While light weights are sure to have some kind of effect on body, lifting too light will ultimately lead to a dead end road. In an endeavor that’s as much about symmetry and proportion as it is about building muscle, a compromise has to be made in order to see desired results.
Sometimes it takes the wisdom of a veteran to learn exactly how they should proceed with their shredding endeavor. One of the best vets that’s always represented well on this website is the experienced and talented Ric Drasin. We can’t get enough of this guy – but with veteran and expert advice like this, it’s easy to see why. Take a listen to some of the advice he has about lifting heavy versus lifting light.
How heavy or light do you go in the gym? Let us know in the comments and forums. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
The 2015 Mr. Olympia is only three weeks away now and the athletes are making the final preparations for the prestigious event. At this stage of the game a great deal of the work has already been done throughout the year. For any athlete looking to make a push at this point of the game then they can count themselves out right now. The off season is a time when the pros make the most gains in order to come into the championship events with considerably more muscle and better conditioning. For the reigning champion Phil Heath the process is no different.
With so many championship wins under his belt, Heath has proven that he’s a force to be reckoned with albeit not impossible beat. Already Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay is being considered as one of the top threats to Heath’s Olympia crown. Last year Kai Greene came pretty close to taking Phil’s crown and looked impressive despite taking second place, many fans believing he’d been cheated out of the . If you couple that with the fact that many people thought Phil was off his game then it would seem that “The Gift” had a lot on his mind this past off season.
.
Needless to say, Heath took that criticism to heart. But rather than ignore the critics, Phil has used it to motivate himself and has been working pretty damn hard at improving on his already impressive physique. It takes dedication and a powerful mindset to focus on improving a physique that has already been proven to be considered the best in the world. If his training videos over the last few weeks have proven anything it’s that the Olympia champion is looking to come to the competition in top form. Take a look at one of the leg training sessions he’s been using to perfect his form.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFwDmO9c1oc
Do you think Phil will dominate the competition this year? Let us know in the comments and forums and be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Could Physique suffer the same transition as modern bodybuilding?
Bodybuilding has always been a sport about subjectivity. When athletes take to the stage each of them bring their perfected physiques in hopes of swaying the judges to crown them the champion. It’s quite a tall task in truth, knowing that you never can be sure exactly what the judges are looking for. In one instance they could be looking for size and mass. At another competition they could be looking for symmetry and definition. And at yet another competition they could be looking for conditioning and the depth of the posing routines. No matter what a judge is after – it’s up to the competitor to bring their best to the table.
Just as judging is subjective, so are the opinions of what is preferable to fans, classic bodybuilding physiques or the mass monsters that dominate today. Everyone has their own opinions on each form of bodybuilding. Where some prefer classic bodybuilding because of it’s proportions that adheres closer to the average physical form, others enjoy the mass monsters for the complete opposite reason. They love the spectacle of witnessing individuals that are larger than life, comic book characters come to life, individuals that couldn’t possibly exist in the real world.
.
So it comes as no surprise that to this day many fans have arguments over whether or not bodybuilding should return to that classic form or remain about the mass monsters. But it seems that we’ve already received an answer to question of whether not a return to form is in order. The truth is that classic bodybuilder has already returned before our very eyes.
The Men’s Physique competition is clearly the successor to classic bodybuilders. As the years pass we’re seeing physique competitors grow larger in size yet maintaining symmetry, having tiny waists and a well defined V-Taper. If those words aren’t enough to convince you then take a look at the image below and try to argue.
A photo posted by Sadik Hadzovic (@sadikhadzovic) on
That right there is a picture of Physique athlete Sadik Hadzovic and former Mr. Olympia champion Frank Zane. The comparison of their physiques backs up the argument that Physique is really just Classic Bodybuilding 2.0. If fans look at things from a different angle they’ll see that we’ve returned to classic bodybuilding while maintaining the modern version of today. It’s all about subjectivity.
Do you think that Physique has turned into Classic Bodybuilding? Let us know what you think in the comments and forums. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Want to push some heavy weight? Then take these tips under consideration.
