Let’s talk quick about protein. Whether you want to build up some muscle or simply lose weight, protein is the most important thing to have in your diet. It’s essential. Exercise can nearly double the amount of daily protein intake that is needed for a healthy lifestyle. And it’s been recommended that an exercising athlete should get between 0.5 and 0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight (i.e. 250 lbs = 125-175 grams). And when you are trying to build muscles (like us bodybuilders) it becomes even more essential. Forget those other numbers – bodybuilders need something more along the lines of 1 to 1.5 grams per pound. This is no secret.
So for those looking beyond using protein supplements, we decided to help you out and recommend a quick and easy stir-fry recipe to help boost that protein intake. The guys over at My Recipes have the perfect meal to help you find a new way to get the protein you need while keeping your diet fresh and exciting.
Of course, we also recommend tweaking the amounts of each ingredient accordingly to help maximize the amount of protein needed for your specific build. For instance, if you double the entire recipe you can get about 50 grams of protein from just one meal without overloading on carbs or fat.
What’d you think about our recommended recipe? If you have any types of meals you’d like to see on our site, let us know in the comments section below. We’re also on Facebook and Twitter.
Look, bodybuilders spend a lot of time in the gym. This isn’t a mystery – but when you spend so much time in the gym, you are bound to have an embarrassing moment. A slip up. An awkward mistake. You know, something that makes other people suddenly stop and stare at you. And then you look around and pretend that nobody saw it. But everyone saw it. You know it and they know it.
Well you’re not alone. What better way to help embrace an embarrassing moment than to list off all of the embarrassing things that can happen while you’re lifting in the gym? Our thoughts exactly – so here we go!
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1. Passing Gas
Like we said, bodybuilders spend a lot of time in the gym. So much time, in fact, that certain… bodily functions might surface. Yes, that’s right. Passing gas. Most adults are able to hold it back until they have a moment alone. But with all of the lifting and pushing to the next rep – you might not be able to hold it back. It’s like a raging storm – sometimes Mother Nature can’t be stopped.
So what do you do? How do you prevent your gym-mates at the machine next to you from giving you the stink eye? (No pun intended). Our suggestion is to hide the fart under one of your loudest and most intense grunts during a rep. Be careful though – grunt too hard and you might find yourself pushing out a little bit more than some gas.
2. An Awkward Grunt
While some people find grunting awkward, (especially people who are new to public gyms) the plain truth is that it’s a completely natural thing. While you’re exerting so much energy, grunting is a great way to push through those last challenging reps. It’s that fantastic animalistic side to bodybuilding. A euphoric release.
But then it happens. You’re pushing through that last rep and yelling your brains out just to make it through – but it doesn’t sound right. It’s not powerful. It’s not animalistic at all. It’s a high pitched Mickey Mouse squeak. You’re voice cracked. You couldn’t help it. It just happened. What do you do? Don’t panic; just finish it off with the most over-compensating grunt you’ve ever given in your entire life. If you’re big enough – it will be just intimidating enough to prevent anyone from saying something.
3. Getting Caught Checking out a Sexy Gym-mate.
First things first, the gym is a place to work. A place to build and sculpt your body. Only amateurs go to the gym thinking they could pick someone up for a date. Sure sometimes it works but that’s not the ultimate goal of the workout, is it? That being said, sometimes you just can’t help where your eyes start lingering. It’s only human nature to want to observe beauty right?
And then someone catches your glance. You’ve been staring at them for minutes now and they just noticed. Does that make you a creep? Maybe. You’re eyes suddenly dart all around as if to say, “I was just looking at everybody.” But they know. They see the slight panic in your eyes as they bounce about. Don’t let the embarrassment start to set in. The key is to play it cool. Don’t dart away, keep the glance for a second or two and then move on to something else. It might not always work but at least you show off confidence. Just be happy she only noticed your glance. Hopefully you were wearing a baggy pair of gym shorts.
4. Putting on Too Much Weight
This one might not apply for the pro bodybuilders out there – but then again who knows. Confidence is great but overconfidence could make you look like a fool. You get on the machine, set your weight, and think to yourself, “I can handle an extra 50 pounds today.” Or maybe one of those girls/guys you were checking out before is nearby and you want to impress them with a few extra pounds.
Then you go for your first rep… and nothing happens. You can’t move the bar. It’s too heavy. Just shaky limbs and a struggling face. Honestly, there’s no great way to make this one look smooth. Our best advice is to not over compensate. Worst case scenario it’s too little weight and you can just pretend it was a warm up. Nothing embarrassing about that. No sir.
5. Running into Someone from Your Gym… at a Fast Food Joint
Once again, this might not apply to everyone. The fact is you shouldn’t be hitting up a fast food joint right after the gym. You shouldn’t be eating that stuff period. But sometimes we give into temptation. You find yourself scarfing down a big ugly burger, grease is dripping out of your mouth, and then you see someone from your gym walking by outside. You make eye contact. Worst part, it’s only been 30 minutes since you left the gym!
Actually, we’re sorry. There’s no advice to help you out on that one. Just don’t make your post workout meal something unhealthy. It’s really wasting your time – and someone might just see you. That judgmental grin? You deserve that.
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Those are just a few of the awkward gym moments we can think of. But we know that you all probably have your own personal stories that would top the list. Tell us your most embarrassing gym moment in the comments below. Or you can share them on our Facebook and Twitter pages!
The 2014 Tampa Pro Bodybuilding Championships have come and gone. It sure went by fast, we can’t believe it’s already Sunday and the whole thing is over! Every athlete competed valiantly, but in the end someone has to rise up as the winner – and while we don’t mean to brag, our two predictions for the championships turned out to be spot on. Sheila Bleck and Victor Martinez both took top spots in their respective division. So we’re making rounds in the office and collecting our cash from the naysayers who thought it was wise to bet against us! Maybe next time fellas.
We’re also extremely proud of both Victor Martinez and Hidetada Yamagishi for grabbing the #1 spot in Men’s Bodybuilding and the 212. They both looked really big and tight up there and deserved to take the gold. We can’t wait to see where the rest of the year takes them.
But you came here for results, so without further adieu – here is the Tampa Pro 2014 finals report:
Men’s Bodybuilding (Open)
1st: Victor Martinez
2nd: William Bonac
3rd: Mohammad Bannout
Men’s Bodybuilding (212)
1st: Hidetada Yamagishi
2nd: Marvin Ward
3rd: Tricky Jackson
Men’s Physique
1st: Sadik Hadzovic
2nd: Anton Antipov
3rd: Tristan Murray
Women’s Bodybuilding
1st: Sheila Bleck
2nd: Jennifer Sedia
3rd: Monique Jones
1st: India Paulino
2nd: Bianca Berry
3rd: Noemi Olah .
You can head on over to NPC News Online to find the full report on the Tampa Pro 2014 including score cards and a full list of the bodybuilder rankings. As always, follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay in the know with upcoming events and contest coverage!
Hidetada talks to Flex Online on the eve of the Tampa Pro.
Dennis James had a chance to briefly interview one of our Generation Iron alums, Hidetada Yamagishi, right before the Tampa Pro Bodybuilding Championships this weekend.
We’re always pumped to see one of our guys kicking ass in competitions. We’re especially excited as they move towards the Mr. Olympia at this time of year.
Hidetada has already qualified for the Mr. Olympia but he explains why he decided to compete at the Tampa Pro. He mentioned his missed opportunity at first place in the Chicago Pro, where he was surprised to only place 2nd. In his opinion Chicago Pro was supposed to be a #1 victory for him. So he’s back in competition at Tampa to get some justice.
He’s confident this time. At the Chicago Pro he weighed in at 206 pounds. But at the weigh in for Tampa Pro he came in at 211 – just making it into his division. He’s carrying on more size because of a change in trainers and a new nutritionist. This is a complete turn around allowing him to gain more size, maximize muscle, and continue to improve and raise the bar with every competition.
Hidetada appears confident, poised, and ready to take on the Tampa Pro and Mr. Olympia in the next month. We’re excited to see him compete in both competitions and look forward to seeing the results from the Tampa Pro this weekend.
You can watch the full video by visiting Flex Online. For more exciting and up to date information, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Welcome back Generation Iron fans! These weeks sure seem to fly by fast. It’s Friday already! Which means another recap of all the bodybuilding and fitness news and events from the GI Nation! So enough banter, let’s take a look back!
Look, sometimes it’s fun to let loose on the weekend. A few drinks turns into a lot of drinks and suddenly you find yourself a little more tipsy than expected. The next morning your head hurts and your nauseas – but that doesn’t mean you have an excuse to skip your workout. Actually, there’s some facts that reveal working out can relieve those hangover pains. We break down all of the benefits for you right here. .
While Pumping Iron and Generation Iron have done a lot to bring bodybuilding into the mainstream – it is still and often misunderstood sport. Bodybuilders are often generalized as unintelligent and violent people. We know this isn’t the case and shed some light onto the truth behind these misused stereotypes. .
Branch Warren opened up about the workout routine he uses for his back. What better way to bulk up like the pros than to use the exercises that they do. This back routine is a great way to incorporate something new into your current workout regiment. .
Everyone has that one muscle set that is harder to build than others. While genetics plays a large role in this, there are some muscle groups that are just more challenging for everyone. We break those muscles down and provide some helpful tips to increase muscle gain. .
Carbohydrates are often discussed in the mainstream when trying to lose weight – but things are very different for bodybuilders. We break down all of the basics about carbohydrates and offer some advice on how to incorporate carbs into your weekly diet. .
We searched deep into the Generation Iron vault and pulled out an exclusive interview with IFBB Pro President Jim Manion. He gives some personal insight into the rivalry between Kai Green and Phil Heath as well as how the sport of bodybuilding has changed over the years. .
Guest contributor Geo Chang gives us a nice set of rules for gym etiquette 101. Nobody wants to be “that guy” at the gym – so read over these helpful guidelines so that everyone’s experience is enjoyable. .
Nixlot Dameus, the teen who turned to bodybuilding in order to prevent bullying, stopped by Generation Iron to give a personal message to everyone out there who feels picked on. It’s great message about inner strength, brotherhood, and making a change. .
We’ve done some preview coverage of the Tampa Pro Bodybuilding championships. You can find the schedule of events, list of competitors, and our personal predictions to hype you up about the results that will be coming out soon. .
Phil Heath spoke with our pals over at Flex Online and shared his daily nutrition schedule. This is personal advice straight from The Gift himself – so make sure to check it out!
And that about closes out the week here at Generation Iron. Make sure to check back with us tomorrow for more exciting news and bodybuilding entertainment! You can always follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get up-to-date information.
Our predictions for the Tampa Pro Men’s and Women’s bodybuilding.
As we speak right now the 2014 Tampa Pro Bodybuilding Championships are moving full steam ahead. By the end of the weekend we will know the winners of the IFBB finalists and know who will be moving on the Mr. Olympia competition.
But we are too excited to wait a whole 48 hours to find out the results – So we here at Generation Iron decided to play a little game of chance and predict who we think will win in the men’s and women’s bodybuilding categories. .
Okay, so maybe we are a little biased on this one and yes, he did place 4th at the Arnold Classic. But that was over half a year ago and there’s just something about good old Vic that gives us hope that he’ll take the #1 spot in his category. Bodybuilding.com has ranked him #14 on the top 100 IFBB pro rankings, which isn’t something to scoff at. He’s looking tight, huge, and hungry to rise up and take the top spot in the competition.
Simply put, Sheila is a beast and nothing is going to stand in her way from powering to the top spot. She placed 2nd at last years Tampa Pro, just missing the gold. Now she’s back and I don’t know about you but there’s no better motivation to grab #1 than just missing it the year before. This is the perfect time for Sheila to get the justification she deserves – and we can’t wait to see her pull it off.
So do you guys think we made good picks or are we way off the money? Think you have a better pick than us? Let us know in the comments section below. You can always shout out to us on Facebook and Twitter as well.
In just a few short days we’ll know the ultimate winners and then on to the Mr. Olympia competition -which is only a 41 days away. Definitely stay pumped.
Our friends over at Flex Online had a chance to talk with our Generation Iron legend Phil Heath and get him to open up about his pre-competition training and nutrition plan. Believe it or not, Mr. Olympia is right around the corner and all of the pros are getting ready to prep for the biggest competition of the year.
Especially Phil Heath, who will now be protecting his fourth chance at grabbing the big Mr. O. Phil said it best in the film – they always try to knit-pick the people at the top. That’s how you know that this nutrition regimen is crafted at every inch to maximize preparation for the Mr. Olympia. To be honest with you, we’re getting hungry just looking over the list ourselves.
His schedule is broken down into eleven parts: Upon waking; Meals 1-5; training workout; post workout; meals 6 & 7; and a quick supplement before bed.
Speaking of supplements, Phil Heath shows off how confident he is in his new brand – as his schedule only includes Gifted Nutrition supplements. Proving that he truly believes in his new line of products. You can always stop by his official website to try them out for yourself!
So what are you waiting for? Start your path to becoming the next champion by learning from the best. You can get the complete breakdown of the nutrition plan by visiting Flex Online. And be sure to give us some love too by following us on Facebook and Twitter. Stay pumped.
Mix up your bodybuilding food choices with the plantain.
By Coach Alon Powers
Here at Generation Iron we bring you innovative and creative ways of fueling up and achieving optimal approaches to all of your fitness endeavors.
In the fitness world, we constantly look to cut corners or cut cost, all for the sake of making gains. We become accustomed to the same choices of food sources. Proteins and fats are easy to choose and consume because they’re essential to the body. When it comes to starchy carbs, the word itself is taboo, especially if you’re an endomorph. An unsuccessful carb-cycle with wrong choices of carbs leads you to commit “carbo-cyde.” Ha! Sounds tragic when it sets you two steps back in your overall training. But let’s try to think outside of the box.
Here it is…
The lengthy green plantain is derived from the fruit family. The simplicity of this carbohydrate source is also a natural super food. The nutritional benefits of green plantains are tremendous for our aesthetic gains.
Fiber: Helps to keep bowel movements regular and reduce constipation.
Vitamin C: This antioxidant helps build up your immune system and scavenge free radicals.
Vitamin A: Plays a role in vision and enhancing skin complexion.
B6 (Pyridoxine): Beneficial in treating neuritis, anemia, and decreasing homocysteine levels which are often associated with coronary artery disease and stroke episodes.
Potassium: Important components of cell and body fluids that help control heart rate and blood pressure.
. Here are the macros for 1 cup of sliced (5.4oz) of green plantain:
Total Fat: 0.3g
Total Carbs: 48g
Dietary Fiber: 3.5g
Protein: 1.2g
Prep work: Wash green plantain. Cut both ends with a knife. Slit the skin superficially from top to bottom, then gently peel sides. Cut into thick or thin slices and boil in water until soft. Check with fork.
Goes great with any source of lean animal protein, especially grass-fed beef!
Green plantains are excellent for developing an aesthetically pleasing, fat-free muscle mass wrapped in healthy looking skin. When we’re looking to substitute oatmeal, or any other of our usual mundane carb sources. Find them in season at your local farmers-market, supermarkets and bodegas all year round long. Ten plantains for one dollar is usually the deal I get here in NYC. A dollar, that’s right!! Quality and quantity (buying in bulk) saves us money, especially when its time to invest in good nutritional sources.
Isn’t that always the case in “this thing of ours?”
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Coach Alon Powers NCSF-CPT is a Health and Wellness consultant at Enjoymentbody.com. National certifications, highly acclaimed in the fitness industry for the last 12 years. An exercise nutrition expert, and movement/transformation specialist. Top amateur natural competitive bodybuilder, physique competitor.
Tomorrow kicks off the 2014 Tampa Pro bodybuilding championships. With Mr. Olympia just around the corner – there will be a lot riding on this competition for a lot of athletes. We’re very excited to have two guys from Generation Iron competing this weekend. We’ll be flexing extra hard for our brothers Victor Martinez and Hidetada Yamagishi as they take to the stage.
If you plan on being at the event – or just want to be up to date with all of the results over the weekend, here’s the event schedule for the Tampa Pro:
Friday, August 8th
10am: IFBB Preliminaries (IFBB Fitness, 212 Men Physique, & Women Bodybuilding)
There will be some winners and some losers. But every single athlete has worked their entire lives towards moments like these. No matter what happens we respect the blood, sweat, tears, and, of course, lifting every competitor has put into themselves just to get to this point. We extend all of our good luck to all the athletes.
You can find out even more information about the Tampa Pro by visiting Tim Gardner Productions. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get updates on the results of the competition!
A few motivational words from a truly inspirational teen bodybuilder.
Not too long ago we posted an influential story about a teen bodybuilder, Nixlot Dameus, and how he used bodybuilding as a way to prevent bullying in his life. His story and his unique voice inspired us so much – that we decided to reach out to him personally so that he could continue to spread his positive message out to the masses.
So here’s a personal message from Nixlot – his story through his own words: .
I Am Nixlot Dameus.
My name is Nixlot Dameus. I am a 16 years old teen bodybuilder and Power lifter from Port Au Prince, Haiti. You might say it is not normal for a 16 year old to be a bodybuilder and a Power Lifter. And you know what? Part of me might agree. But deep down I know this is right for me.
I live my life by three words “KEEP IT STRONG.”
Growing up to becoming a teenager I was bullied, it was tough to deal with due to the fact that I had no friends; I had no one to talk to about what was going on; and I didn’t want to speak to my mother about it because I knew she would stress about it at work and it would affect her health. My father is blind due to diabetes so I was all alone.
I would get attacked after basketball practice, before school, after school, during school, taking out the trash, going to get groceries, by guys who were 6-8 years older than me. I got to the point where I started to cut myself and had serious thoughts of suicide. I even attempted it once but thankfully changed my mind.
But one day I was attacked while walking through a shopping plaza in Olney. I was able to get away at first but eight of them caught up and jumped me. After that moment, I said “THAT’S IT! This is the last time.” I remembered my uncle used to workout a lot and was huge. I thought maybe if I do the same – I would definitely get these guys to back off. I started to do my push ups at the age of 11 and after awhile I started to get a bit of size on and at 12 years old I started to get huge.
I dedicated myself to weightlifting and never looked back. At 13 years old I competed in my first bodybuilding competition and won 1st place pre-teen and 2nd place Jr-teen. At 14 years old I was robbed at gun point in the school yard and no one did anything about it. Did I give up? No, I kept lifting.
At 15 years old I got bigger and started to compete in power lifting. During my first meet I was disqualified. Still this didn’t stop me. I became even more motivated for the next one. At my next meet I broke the P.S.C.P.A state bench press to 275 lbs and dead lift to 450 lbs.
By 16 years old, I already had won 5 more bodybuilding titles and broke 2 national power lifting records. In power lifting I won most outstanding lifter and also Power Lifting MVP.
I am still 16 years old now and I bench press 405 lbs, dead lift 525 lbs, and Squat 450 lbs. I am proof that things can change. That you can gain control of your life. That things can get better. So when I say “KEEPING IT STRONG” it means both mentally and physically – because otherwise I would not be alive on this day and training for the 2014 Teen Universe competition.
Don’t give up. Find something deep in yourself and say, “KEEP IT STRONG!”
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Nixlot Dameus is a competitive teen bodybuilder and powerlifter. You can find out more about Nixlot, such as his training progress and diet, on his website at www.nixyounglion.com.
You can also follow him on instagram @caribbean_muscles and his fan page on Facebook.
Lean mean protein.
Lean mean protein.
Pobody’s Nerfect.
A list of champions from the Tampa Pro.
Hidetada talks to Flex Online on the eve of the Tampa Pro.
A look back at the week of 8/8/14.
Our predictions for the Tampa Pro Men’s and Women’s bodybuilding.
Photo courtesy of 
Photo courtesy of 
Prepare like the champion himself.
Mix up your bodybuilding food choices with the plantain.
Things are going to get hot in Tampa.
A few motivational words from a truly inspirational teen bodybuilder.
