PNBA athlete Jackie Gonzalez recently posted a 2-year glute transformation on social media.
Well-developed glutes play a vital role in many natural bodybuilding divisions. According to the International Natural Bodybuilding Association (INBA)/Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association (PNBA), “a slightly visible glute-hamstring tie-in” is critical to be competitive in the bikini division. PNBA bikini athlete Jackie Gonzalez has been striking them for the last couple of years. Jackie Gonzalez is a Bikini Divas and Wellness athlete, and she placed in the top ten in the Bikini Divas division at the 2021 Natural Olympia.
On August 26, 2022, Gonzalez shared a 2-year glute transformation photo on her Instagram. Gonzalez said:
“Y’all…. This is a 2 years difference!
I am completely blown away by this picture. I never thought the changes were this big! It’s important to keep in mind the right picture was me right out of Prep after my first show, while the left is me in prep earlier this year.
Yes angles play a big part & may distort the overall appearance but truth is growth still happened. Stay consistent and remember growth takes time! Don’t rush the process & take pictures along the way. You’ll be proud of how far you’ve come.”
According to an Instagram post from Jackie Gonzalez on June 6, 2022, her top 4 glute exercises are abductions, hip thrusts, dumbbell Romanian deadlifts, and glute kickbacks.
Abductions: this movement is excellent for targeting your glute muscles and strengthening your hip muscles for more hip stability
Hip Thrusts: an exercise performed with a barbell that allows you to load heavy weight to hit your glutes directly
Dumbbell Romanian deadlifts: dumbbell Romanian deadlifts don’t require you to go down as far as conventional deadlifts to engage more of your hamstrings and glutes
Glute Kickbacks: an excellent exercise that allows you to perform a lot of reps to add volume to your glutes
Although Jackie Gonzalez trains her glutes hard, your quads also play a massive role in leg definition, which is essential in most bodybuilding categories, especially for bikini athletes. Therefore, she hits her thighs, too, including leg presses, leg extensions, walking lunges, step-ups, and seated leg curls in her leg workouts.
Wellness
Although Gonzalez competed in the Bikini Divas division at last year’s Natural Olympia, she became a Wellness Pro after competing in the Wellness category at INBA PNBA Pro/Am Mr & Ms USA in Dallas, TX, on July 2, 2022. She also placed 2nd in Swimsuit Model and 3rd in the Bikini Divas classes.
Wellness is a new category that the INBA PNBA added this year. In this category, judges heavily focus on athletes’ muscle development in the hips, glutes, and thighs. But some degree of upper body muscularity is essential. And their physiques don’t have to be as developed as other categories, e.g., Women’s Physique–some muscle separation but not striation.
After looking at some recent posts by Jackie Gonzalez, there’s a good chance we’ll see her at the 2022 Natural Olympia on November 10-13, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.
Nick Walker describes what it is like being in one of the most competitive Mr. Olympia lineups in recent memory… and how one mistake will lead to failure for any of the top competitors.
The 2022 Mr. Olympia is shaping up to be one of the most stacked lineups in recent memory. A big part of that is Nick Walker – a pro bodybuilder who placed fifth at last year’s Olympia and has proven to be a true threat to the title. After a someone rocky start to 2022, Walker has made incredible progress and is seen as many to be one of the most intimidating physiques to head into the Olympia this year. In Generation Iron and Barbend’s latest episode of The Mike O’Hearn Show, Nick Walker goes in-depth about his 2022 Mr. Olympia prep and his mentality of the challenges that await him.
In part one of Mike O’Hearn’s interview with Nick Walker, he went into detail about his transition between coaches and return to Matt Jansen 12 weeks before this year’s Mr. Olympia. He also spoke honesty about how his past trauma has affected his relationships – including with his coaches.
This week, Walker speaks more in-depth about his 2022 Mr. Olympia prep and also shares his mental state going into what is considered by many to be one of the best Mr. Olympia lineups in quite some time. Let’s jump into it.
Nick Walker comments on the high stakes of this year’s stacked Mr. Olympia lineup
Nick Walker is excited to compete at this year’s Mr. Olympia in particular. Why? Because he knows he will be facing one of the best lineups since his pro career started. While it is always an honor to win a big show such as the Mr. Olympia – Walker feels the honor will be even higher if he can win with a line up that is missing no competitors. It’s one thing to win the Mr. Olympia when some competitors are missing. It’s true success to win when every single top athlete was present on the stage.
Nick Walker hasn’t won a Mr. Olympia yet – but he is showing incredible promise. He placed fifth at last year’s Olympia competition and is still quite young in his career. His massive size combined with some incredible conditioning has led to predictions that he will be an Olympia champion at some point. It’s not a matter of if but a matter of when.
“Nobody is safe this Olympia. Nobody.”
– Nick Walker
Nick Walker acknowledges that while he is extremely excited to compete in such an impressive lineup, he also understands the stakes and challenges will be higher. With such high level competitors, it only takes one mistake for a talented bodybuilder to drop down in a place. Walker believes this is true for any of the top athletes competing. This includes himself and the likes of reigning Mr. Olympia Big Ramy.
Focusing on winning Mr. Olympia vs focusing on long term health
Mike O’Hearn has often talked about long term health planning in bodybuilding. He fears that many young bodybuilders are too focused on short term success and championship titles – that they damage their future health via PED abuse and overtraining.
With this in mind, O’Hearn posed this very question to Nick Walker. What is he doing now to prepare for his future down the road? Nick Walker states that he focuses on certain wellness activities to prevent injury – such as deep tissue massages and regimented stretching. He’s also learned over the years how to train smarter when it come to heavy weight. He loves lifting heavy weight – but he also now understands the value of putting certain limits on himself to avoid burning out or injury.
Nick Walker also points out that lifting heavy weight was demonized for a long time. But modern science is starting to get behind the fact that heavy weight actually strengthens joints rather than breaks them down. So he often chooses not to wear things like knee wraps – as he thinks that they might actually condition his joints to expect support and not grow stronger on their own.
Wrap Up
There is no doubt that Nick Walker has already earned the hype behind him. His personality brings entertainment to the sport. His physique has all of the makings of a true champion. And his life journey overcoming trauma and finding bodybuilding success is a narrative that, while tragic, is the exact rise to superstardom story fans find inspiring.
You can watch Nick Walker’s full comments in part 2 of our interview in the latest episode of the Mike O’Hearn Show above. Make sure to check back every Friday for new episodes only on the Generation Iron Fitness Network or where ever podcasts are downloaded.
Brandon Curry shared his first real physique update since the Arnold Classic.
The 2022 Olympia is creeping closer and closer. That means competitors are beginning to put on some finishing touches and sharing physique updates to social media. Brandon Curryhas kept his preparation quiet but finally shared his first update.
Curry was crowned Mr. Olympia in 2019 before finishing as the runner-up to Big Ramy in each of the last two competitions. He has kept his physique in championship shape and showed it on his way to victory during the 2022 Arnold Classic.
Curry has kept his prep close to the vest but it seems as though he finally gave fans a sneak peek.
Brandon Curry Physique Update
On Thursday, Brandon Curry took to Instagram to share a video of himself posing. In the caption, he did not confirm that it was a recent update but answered some comments to make it clear.
“When do you think this was from? Current prep? Past prep?”
Fans in the comment section took some guesses and Curry responded to give a bit more insight. One fan commented that it was a recent update now that the competition is seven weeks away.
“You were close at least you guessed that it was from this prep! LFG.”
Curry confirmed that it was indeed from this prep but that could mean many things since the last time we saw him on stage was back in March. In another comment, Curry said “nope not current but from this prep!”
Reading between the lines, it seems as though this video was anywhere from 1-3 weeks ago.
Brandon Curry is considered one of the only competitors that has a chance to take down Ramy come December. He brings great tie and conditioning on stage. Some veterans have offered up some advice to Curry is he wants to take down Ramy — and muscle separation is one of the biggest tools.
The 2022 Olympia is set to be one of the most exciting competitions in recent memory. Brandon Curry will be one of the favorites to take down Ramy and make a splash.
Good or Bad, Steroids Needs to be Part of the Conversation.
You could say that steroids and bodybuilding can come hand in hand. Whenever the topic of bodybuilding is brought up, you can anticipate it being followed by misinformed stereotypes about athletes being jacked up on steroids and magically growing to incredible sizes.
The fact remains that this is a sensitive issue that needs to be taken seriously. Obviously the stereotypes behind bodybuilding are over exaggerated. An athlete’s hard work should be recognized for what it is. Steroids give an edge, but there is no substitute for hard work.
Steroids are treated as controlled substances in the USA ever since the Anabolic Steroids Control Act. Many people see the drug as a cheat and, more importantly, as dangerous. In short, most people just don’t know enough about the topic.
You need to understand that in bodybuilding, steroids are very prominent but not talked about too much. We are going to dive into the usage of anabolic steroids in bodybuilding and provide as much education on the topic as we can..
Disclaimer: Generation Iron team are not medical professionals and are not advising for or against the use of any performance enhancing drugs, rather stating the facts surrounding these substances.
Just to cover a quick history of the sport, bodybuilding originated in the late 19th century. It was originally promoted in England by a man named German Eugen Sandow. He is considered the father of modern bodybuilding. Sandow started out as a professional strongman. Later on, he allowed audiences to view his physique in “muscle display performances.”
As the sport has progressed, so have the physiques, you can clearly see. Let me give an example, Arnold Schwarzenegger stood at 6’2″ on stage and weighed 235 lbs. Current Mr. Olympia winner, Big Ramy, stands at 5’9″ and weighs 295 lbs on stage.
Yes, workouts, diet, genetics, and all of the modern research play a huge role in the size of physiques today, but we have to look at the other things too. By that I mean the drugs. Drugs have changed dramatically in the sport, both the dosages and the substances themselves. So, let’s dive into that.
Changes in Steroids
Originally, testosterone was first used in Germany in 1935 and used to treat depression. In the 50s it began to become popular amongst athletes. And by the 1980s, even the general population was tapping into the anabolic forbidden fruit. But, as far as bodybuilding, anabolics become more advanced, and more widely used.
Back in the day, it was just testosterone. As science advanced, testosterone derivatives began to break onto the scene, and the bodybuilding industry ate it up. Anavar, winstrol, anadrol, dianabol, trenbolone, are just a few names of commonly used steroids derived from testosterone.
Not even just the testosterone derivatives, but you see other things like human growth hormone (HGH) and insulin being used now. These are substances that were not as common back in the earlier days of bodybuilding. However, you now see them being used more and more in the sport.
Every different steroid serves a different purpose. For example, things like anavar and winstrol are oral steroids that can be used for cutting. Dianabol and anadrol are more for bulking.
This leads into the next point we will cover, stacking and cycling.
Stacking/Cycling Steroids
Bodybuilders will “stack” steroids in order to gain a desired affect more efficiently. For example they may throw things together like dianabol and testosterone to put on mass. On the flip side, bodybuilders run things like anavar and winstrol to achieve the hardened, cut look.
The “cycle” is the period of time that they will be using anabolic steroids. For example, if you as a bodybuilder take testosterone, anavar, and winstrol for 12 weeks, that is a cutting cycle. On the other hand if a bodybuilder is doing a bulking cycle, you will see them stack things like dianabol or anadrol and testosterone. You need to realize that testosterone is typically the base of every cycle for bodybuilders.
You may see bodybuilders also “blast and cruise” rather than “cycling” completely off. Blasting refers to taking higher doses and more compounds, while cruising refers to low doses and less compounds. A cruise typically may only be low dose testosterone, or TRT.
You also need to take a look at the “cycle support” that bodybuilders use. These compounds can do damage to internal organs, like your liver. So, if you are a bodybuilder you need to take something to protect that. These compounds can also raise your estrogen levels, so you would need to take something to stop that as well.
But what do bodybuilders do if they cycle off?
Post Cycle Therapy
After doing a cycle, if bodybuilders choose to come off of everything completely, then a post cycle therapy (PCT) must be done. This is because when anabolic steroids are taken, the body’s natural production of hormones is offset and can yield bad results if not taken care of properly.
Depending on the bodybuilder’s cycle, you will see them take things to block estrogen levels from rising, and restart the body’s natural production of testosterone. Compounds you will commonly see used by bodybuilders as a PCT can be clomiphene, tamoxifen, or Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG).
For more on steroids, you can check out our interview with Dr. Thomas O’Connor, the “Anabolic Doc”.
Wrap-Up
The mere fact is that there is no pressure to ban steroids in bodybuilding, but also it is not spoken about enough. This is just proof that mainstream media is not taking the sport and its athletes serious enough. Does that mean steroids should be banned? Not necessarily, but it means that these kinds of discussions should happen.
Bodybuilding should be more transparent about the entire process of bodybuilding. Most people know that steroids are commonly used in bodybuilding. Instead of keeping silent about it and letting the mainstream populous make opinions based off of half-facts and stereotypes, the sport of bodybuilding needs to embrace it, talk about it, and inform the world how it actually works.
Bodybuilding has evolved to amazing heights and is enjoyed by more people every year. The rising popularity of fitness within social media is heavily contributing to that. More and more people are starting to get into fitness and bodybuilding, which in turn yields more people experimenting with steroids. We need to talk about it.
Let us know your opinions about steroids vs natural bodybuilding in the comments section below. We can start the conversation right here! Shout us out on Facebook and Twitter too. Spread the word and stay pumped.
References
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2021, April 12). What is the history of anabolic steroid use? National Institutes of Health. Retrieved October 28, 2022, from https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/steroids-other-appearance-performance-enhancing-drugs-apeds/what-history-anabolic-steroid-use
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2021, November 22). How are anabolic steroids used? National Institutes of Health. Retrieved October 28, 2022, from https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/steroids-other-appearance-performance-enhancing-drugs-apeds/how-are-anabolic-steroids-used
Derek Lunsford continues to finalize his physique prior to the Olympia.
The 2022 Olympia has a chance to be an all-time competition because of the depth in the Men’s Open division. Derek Lunsfordis one of the newcomers to the division and is looking the part in a recent physique update.
Lunsford was able to reach the pinnacle of the 212 division when he took the Olympia title from Shaun Clarida. During the offseason, Lunsford added on some incredible mass. This came to light when he appeared as a guest poser during the 2022 Pittsburgh Pro.
Following this appearance, there were questions on whether Lunsford would qualify to compete in 212 come December. It turns out that he put on plenty of size and was able to get a special invitation to Men’s Open, which caused some controversy. There are some, including Iain Valliere, who believe Lunsford should have had to qualify with a victory.
Nonetheless, Lunsford will take his talents to Men’s Open and recently shared some huge physique updates.
Derek Lunsford Physique Update
Derek Lunsford has shared many posts on social media showing off his massive arms and legs. He has turned into a mass monster in Men’s Open but just how high can he place?
“Dreams 💤 should force you out of bed every morning to get up, get moving and work harder.
The opportunity to make your dream become a reality is by the effort given each and everyday.”
Derek Lunsford will be one of the top competitors to watch come December. Michal Krizo will be looking to punch his ticket to the Olympia and be one of the star newcomers, along with Andrew Jacked and Blessing Awodibu.
It will be interesting to see how the time plays out leading up to the Olympia. There is time to put some finishing touches on and Derek Lunsford is well underway.
The Biography, Life, and Accomplishments of Libby Powell
Libby Powell is not only a WBFF bikini pro champion, but she is also a fitness model and social media personality. Balancing this type of lifestyle is not the easiest, but Powell does it all. The Australian born champ has a list of achievements and statistics that you may not know!
We are going to cover everything Libby Powell.
Full Name: Libby Powell (WBFF Bikini Competitor)
Weight
Height
Date Of Birth
135 lbs
5’7″
12/14/1992
Division
Era
Nationality
Bikini
2010s
Australian
Libby Powell Biography
Born in Australia in December of 1992, Libby Powell has always wanted to be a model, even in her younger days. She sure made that dream come true. Working at club LIV in Australia to support herself while searching for modeling gigs, Powell is clearly goal driven.
Not much public information was given about her family or childhood. However, she did complete her schooling in Australia, although the school is unknown. She also has a daughter, Zyla, and a boyfriend who remains unknown.
Joining Instagram in March of 2012 and grossing over 1 million followers to date, Powell has made a career out of her competing and social media presence. Shortly after launching her modeling career, she was named a Glamcorp Dream Team member at the Las Vegas Model Search International. Also, being a WBFF Bikini champion is one accomplishment many strive for. Not to mention, she was named Miss February in a 2015 the Australian Swimsuit Calendar. Powell also was featured as the cover model of Zoo magazine.
Powell is a WBFF Bikini Pro champion. She competed in the 2010 era. Now she focuses on her social media presence, which grows by the day. Modeling seems to have become her main point of interest.
Training
Libby has actually never shared her specific workouts. This is unfortunate, because I am sure many would love to see just exactly what her routine looks like. Many people look at influencers and competitors to try and replicate their workouts in order to obtain a similar physique.
While Libby has not shared her workouts in explicit detail, she has given an outline of what she does to stay in shape. So, let’s take a look at Libby Powell’s training outline.
Weight Training
Starting with weight training, Libby goes to the gym on average about 5-6 times per week. She typically takes one day to rest and recover. This does change depending on where she is at competition wise. It is recommended to take at least one rest day a week in order to let your body recover from the workouts.
As any competitor does, Libby reduces the workload as she gets closer to competitions. This is done in order to avoid losing muscle. You do not want to lose too much muscle leading up to a competition. The goal is to be as muscular as possible, but remain with exceptional condition.
During the off-season, the workload tends to change a little bit and her workouts will look a little different. Libby keeps her volume a little bit higher during her workouts. She does over 20 sets of exercises per workout during this time. Some may say that this is too much, but it clearly is doing something for her, in a good way.
She keeps her rep ranges between 8 and 16. When she is trying to stay lean, Libby focuses on higher reps with lighter weight. The off-season typically involves heavier weight with lower reps.
Cardio
Libby hits cardio alongside her weight training. On average, she is doing cardio 2-3 times per week. However this is also subject to change depending on where she is at competition wise.
As any competitor knows, you have to increase cardio leading up to a contest. This is what Libby does. She will increase cardio as the show date closes in. Then, when she is bulking she eases off a little bit.
Libby’s got a few reasons for her cardio. One is it helps her keep a fast metabolism. Another reason is that cardio contributes to her overall health. It also boosts stamina and endurance.
Pro Tip: Cardio is definitely something that may not be a bad idea to incorporate into your workouts year round. Even when bulking, you want to keep yourself healthy. This does not mean you need to do excessive cardio. Just enough to stay healthy!
Stretching/Rest Days
Libby enjoys stretching after each and every gym session. Quite honestly, this is something any gym goer should do.
Stretching prevents the lactic acid from building up in the body. It also boosts blood flow, but more specifically to Libby it keeps her flexible.
Nutrition
Libby is keen on good nutrition. Her diet consists of lots of lean meats, good fats, and complex carbs that have fiber to improve digestion. Libby’s diet also consists of fish, eggs, vegetables, and chicken.
She tries to avoid junk foods and sugars. Although, she does take one cheat day a week. On her cheat day she can eat pretty much whatever she wants. But, she stays within limits and doesn’t go nuts with terrible food.
Take a look at Libby’s Meal Diary here:
Supplements
Libby Powell uses whey protein. She also uses the basics like multivitamins, fish oil capsules. and sometimes a fat burner. The fat burner would be utilized more so during contest prep.
Personal Life
As stated before, not much is known about Libby’s personal life. We do know that she was born and raised, and also went to school in Australia. Powell had interest in being a model from a young age, and worked at club LIV while beginning her modeling career.
Aside from that, it is known that Libby has a tattooed boyfriend and daughter, Zyla. We also can see that Libby travels in her free time. Whether that be for her modeling or leisure, we can see some of the destinations she goes to on her Instagram.
Wrap-Up
Balancing a lifestyle of being a pro bikini competitor, fitness model, social media personality, and having a social life can be difficult. Libby Powell does it all. From a young age she wanted to be a model, and she made it happen. She rose to the top in the fitness industry within just a few years of being on the scene. Overall, we can clearly see that Libby Powell is a goal driven individual. That is something we can all take from her.
More on Athletes
If you liked this article on Libby Powell, check out some more athlete profiles we have!
Our Official ZenWTR Review For Fitness and Strength Athletes
Water makes up an average of 60% of the human body, doing all different types of things to benefit your organs and joints that we will discuss. What does that mean? It is essential to survive. However, a lot of the water people consume can still contain bacteria and other impurities, even after the purification process. This is where ZenWTR comes in.
ZenWTR is ultra purified to make sure that its users are hydrating with water that is free of all contaminants. We are going to be looking at the benefits of ZenWTR, specifically aimed towards strength and performance athletes.
Editor’s Note: Generation Iron’s content is meant to be informative and should not take the place of advice and/or supervision from a medical professional/trainer. The articles and opinions on this site are not meant to be used as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. Speak with your physician/trainer if you have any concerns.
What is Water?
Well, just on the surface water is two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen, H2O. However, it gets much deeper than just a molecular build, so let’s dive in.
Benefits of Water
Let’s take a look at the things that water can do for you, and there are a lot. Water is responsible for carrying nutrients and oxygen to your cells, flushing bacteria from your bladder, aiding digestion and preventing constipation. Water also helps with normalizing blood pressure, cushioning joints and protecting organs and tissues and regulating body temperature while maintaining electrolyte (sodium) balance.
Common Contaminants
Now water, even if you think it is clean and purified, can still have contaminants in it. What are the most common contaminants found in water?
Nitrates
Bacteria/Viruses
Fluoride
Arsenic
Chlorine
Mercury
Things like these being found in water can lead to some serious health problems, like brain issues, birth defects, skin issues, bone wasting, low energy and so on. This can be detrimental to your performance in and out of the gym. Just think, if your energy is low, how are you supposed to perform at your best? If your bone is wasting away, you are increasing the risk of injury and not performing at 100%.
Alkaline water is water with a pH level higher than 7. It is said to do things like reduce acidity in the bloodstream, boost metabolism, increase energy, improve digestion, and slow bone wasting. These are all optimal for athletic performance, but we will touch on this later. First let’s look at the product before the benefits it brings.
What is ZenWTR?
Now let’s take a look at ZenWTR, the main topic of today’s discussion. Now ZenWTR is an alkaline water, but much more purified for better results. And on top of that, ZenWTR is a mission-based company. They work to help preserve our oceans with every bottle they make. ZenWTR is the only beverage in the world in bottles made from 100% recycled, certified ocean-bound plastic, which means the plastic they recycle to make their bottles was rescued from at-risk coastal environments, preventing it from reaching and polluting the ocean.
How ZenWTR is Made
The water used for ZenWTR is undergoing advanced micron filtration, carbon filtration and reverse osmosis filtration. Then it passes through ultraviolet treatment, which disinfects microorganisms or any remaining bacteria from water.
Before being ionized and re-mineralized with minerals, ZenWTR is processed through vapor distillation, the gold standard in water purification, which rids it of any possible remaining contaminants, leaving the water incredibly pure.
The pH value in ZenWTR is up to 9.5. The bottle is BPA free, 100% recycled, and 100% recyclable. Who doesn’t love a little environmental friendliness?
ZenWTR is unique in its own right. The purification process of ZenWTR is alone something that is not done for other products that are similar. ZenWTR has a 9.5 pH alkalinity, which is higher than the standard alkaline waters on the market.
Now ZenWTR brings a load of benefits to the table. Sure it hydrates you, but there is so much else as far as pros, especially for athletes.
Bone Wasting
The biggest being the 9.5 pH alkalinity, which means it is very far from acidic. Acidic water has been linked to bone loss, which is not ideal, especially for athletes. Bone wasting in athletes can lead to a multitude of injuries, decrease in performance, and overall is not ideal.
Being that ZenWTR is so far from being acidic, it is an optimal choice of drink for athletes. They can drink it without worrying about the side effects of possible acidity that comes with water that is non-alkaline.
Detoxifying
Alkaline water is said to bring detoxifying benefits. Water alone helps detoxify, but the minerals in alkaline water, like ZenWTR, help ensure you have balanced pH levels. It makes sure nutrients reach your cells and waste leaves them.
What this means for athletes in particular is better performance. When you eat your meals, especially pre and post workout, you want to be 100% sure that those nutrients reach your cells. Many athletes do “carb loads” before heavy lifts or bodybuilding shows to fill out and make sure the nutrients reach their cells to make them either lift heavier, or look bigger. A product like ZenWTR is something that could help greatly with that.
Increase in Energy
Alkaline water is said to increase energy. Those contaminants that can possibly be found in basic waters or tap water can actually slow your energy. So you want something that is as far away from acidic as possible, which makes ZenWTR a good contender.
The increase in energy would essentially lead to better performance for athletes. What athlete would not want that?
Metabolism Boost
The further away from being acidic water is, it is said to boost metabolism more. With the high alkaline value in ZenWTR, your metabolism would essentially be working faster. This in turn makes it easier to burn calories.
For athletes, if your goal is to lose weight this is ideal. However, if you are trying to bulk up it can be somewhat detrimental. On the bright side, if you are burning more calories during your workout, you can eat a little more!
But, a faster metabolism essentially means your body is being flushed out faster, which circles back to the detoxifying qualities.
ZenWTR Price
Now, ZenWTR definitely is not cheap. But, it is very far from acidic and purified like no other, and also environmentally friendly. These are all pros that make the price a little more understandable. There are a few different price options for ZenWTR.
1 Liter (Case of 12): $35.99, or for subscribers it is $30.59
23.7 oz (Case of 12): $29.99 or for subscribers it is $25.49
16.9 oz (Case of 24) $35.99 or for subscribers it is $30.59
It is definitely not the cheapest option, but we strongly encourage you to look into what goes into it before purchasing or not purchasing.
Also, ZenWTR donates 1% of all sales to credible organizations working in ocean conservation and recycling advancement in the U.S., so every purchase also gives back.
ZenWTR is unique in its own right. The purification process of ZenWTR is alone something that is not done for other products that are similar. ZenWTR has a 9.5 pH alkalinity, which is higher than the standard alkaline waters on the market.
Overall, ZenWTR is unique in its own right. The purification process of ZenWTR is alone something that is not done for other products that are similar. The purification process also gives ZenWTR a 9.5 pH alkalinity, which is higher than the standard alkaline waters on the market, and this leads into the next point. And they’re the only bottled water using 100% recycled, certified ocean-bound plastic to make their bottles, and were the first beverage to be certified plastic negative which means they support programs that recover and recycle 200% of their annual plastic footprint.
The amount of benefits brought by the alkalinity in ZenWTR is great, especially for athletes. The high alkalinity can help prevent bone wasting, delivering nutrients to cells, removing waste from cells, and increasing energy. Every athlete can gain from these benefits, both in and out of the gym.
Price is high, but ZenWTR’s purification process and environmentally friendly background make it more understandable. They’re the only bottled water using 100% recycled, certified ocean-bound plastic to make their bottles. They also were the first beverage to be certified plastic negative, which means they support programs that recover and recycle 200% of their annual plastic footprint.
In the end, we do recommend looking into ZenWTR to do your own research before purchasing it or turning it away.
Resources
Common contaminants in drinking water. Home -. (2022, March 17). Retrieved September 29, 2022, from https://savethewater.org/common-contaminants-in-drinking-water/?gclid=CjwKCAjwvsqZBhAlEiwAqAHElfyZXTUCq4m4Ohh9-5RkKRwCbVXL-gSMD0EMp3YgT73RCucVXjIyaBoChjAQAvD_BwE
Frankliln, A. (2019, May 14). A brief history of protein bars. The Bar Shack. Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://thebarshack.com/protein-bar-recipes/a-brief-history-of-protein-bars/#:~:text=Protein%20bars%20made%20their%20athletic,of%20high%20levels%20of%20protein.
How much water should you drink? Harvard Health. (2022, May 15). Retrieved September 29, 2022, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-much-water-should-you-drink
The water in you: Water and the human body completed. The Water in You: Water and the Human Body | U.S. Geological Survey. (n.d.). Retrieved September 29, 2022, from https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/water-you-water-and-human-body#:~:text=In%20adult%20men%2C%20about%2060,their%20bodies%20made%20of%20water
WebMD. (n.d.). Alkaline water health benefits: Is alkaline water good for you? WebMD. Retrieved September 29, 2022, from https://www.webmd.com/diet/what-is-alkaline-water
PNBA Chad Martin shared the workouts he’s doing to prepare him for his 19th Natural Olympia.
Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association (PNBA) athlete Chad Martin shared his Natural Olympia workout routine with Natural Olympia around the corner. 2022 Natural Olympia will be Martin’s 19th Natural Olympia, which takes place November 10-13, 2022, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Chad Martin competes in the Men’s Bodybuilding divisions. He placed fourth in the Grand Masters class at 2021 Natural Olympia. Martin got in touch with us and informed us of his workouts to prep him for the 2022 Natural Olympia, which he shared on his website. In Martin’s “Pre-Show Workouts” article, Martin said:
“As I prepare for a bodybuilding show which is usually The Natural Olympia, I tend to switch up my workouts so they become more intense with less rest in between them.
The premise behind this is to burn more calories and prepare the body for the intensity of being on stage.
During the off season I will incorporate more lower rep workouts to focus on strength and building muscle, such as Focus5 or Old School.
When preparing for a contest my workouts usually contain more volume with shorter rest periods such as Hundo, Pre-exhaust, Tetris10, etc.
Typically these workouts begin about 8 weeks out, increasing the intensity every week as I get closer to the show. The workouts become very grueling and difficult.
I tend to add only 5lbs per week because the workouts start to get near the 3 hour range, except legs, its always over 3 hours.”
Chad Martin’s Pre-Show Workouts
According to Martin, he increases the intensity of his workouts, including fewer rests between sets and more volume as Natural Olympia approaches. He begins this process about eight weeks out and increases the intensity of his workouts each week.
Martin follows the progressive overload principle by ensuring he increases each exercise’s weight by five pounds. As a result, most of his workouts are about three hours long, except his leg day, which is longer.
Martin alluded to many of his pre-show workouts in the article. One of them we covered earlier this year is “Tetris Ten.” Martin created this workout to perform ten reps with a weight heavy enough that causes him to fail before he reaches ten reps on his second set. He then swiftly decreases the weight and finishes the remaining reps with the lighter load (the weight used during the first set) to reach ten reps. He repeats this process with set three, then returns to the weight he used on his first set aiming for ten reps for his final set.
Chad Martin’s 19th Natural Olympia
Chad Martin is excited about his 19th Natural Olympia. Finally, Martin will be on stage with guys he’s known for 20 years. In addition, 6x Natural Olympia champ Kiyoshi Moody and 2020 Natural Olympia champ Meshack Ochieng will be making their way back to the most significant stage in natural bodybuilding.
Here’s a picture Chad Martin shared on his Instagram sharing the stage with Kiyoshi Moody and Philip Ricardo Jr. 10 years ago.
Masters Olympia is on its way back and Chris Cormier discussed some potential competitors.
The Masters Olympia competition will likely return in 2023 and could feature some big names in bodybuilding history. There has been some more insight rumored surrounding the show. Chris Cormierrecently made some comments on what a potential lineup for the event could look like.
Olympia President Jake Wood all but confirmed the return of the competition in 2023. Now, professional judge Terrick El Guindy has hinted at the show taking place in Bucharest, Romania in August or November 2023. The show last took place in 2012 with Dexter Jackson securing the victory.
Jackson is one of the bodybuilding legends that has shown off his lean physique in retirement. Kevin Levrone also announced a 12-week physique transformation that he will be going through.
Chris Cormier Discusses Potential Lineup
On the Muscle and Fitness YouTube channel, Chris Cormier sat down for a conversation about Masters Olympia. El Guindy and Cormier discussed some logistics, along with top competitors to watch out for.
“It will happen in 2023 — Bucharest, Romania either in August or October. So, it’s yet to confirm, but I got to tell you, I’ve been to Romania twice and it’s one of the best places in Europe to promote a bodybuilding show,” El Guindy said.
Four-time Olympia champion Jay Cutler showed off his shredded physique and hit some poses in a recent video. After some speculation, Cutler shut down the idea of returning to competition but did not rule out being a guest poser on stage.
Chris Cormier believes that Kamal Elgargni would be one of the favorites entering the show if he were to compete.
“Kamal has to be one of the best conditioned and youngest muscle looking guy with his mature muscle all in one at this time in the world right now. Yes, I got a chance to see him close up and doing some posing at the gym out there in Florida.”
The former 212 Olympia champion, Kamal Elgargni made the jump to Men’s Open. He competed at the 2022 Tampa Pro and finished as the runner-up to Akim Williams.
Jackson, who won the last Masters Olympia, could also be a threat to the crown.
“Dexter is extremely active for a guy in retirement. He kind of just took a week off and continued to train. I don’t know about the flavor of food he might choose to get back up there because I know he was having a tough time getting down fish towards the end there but maybe he could come back with all the shakes or something,” Chris Cormier said.
Chris Cormier continued the conversation by bringing up some other big names, such as Flex Lewis and Dennis James.
“I would say that would be incredible to see Flex to be back up there, Flex Lewis of course. Dennis James, I would have to help him with those legs I think, get those legs stimulated, I think. He knows that we talk about that all the time. But yeah, I think it would be an incredible story and exciting for fans.”
Titled, U-Natty States Of America, the podcast will be hosted by 3x Natural Olympia champion and PNBA Hall Of Famer Brandon Lirio.
Generation Iron Network has announced a new podcast focused on natural bodybuilding and hosted by natural bodybuilder Brandon Lirio. Titled U-Natty-States Of America – the show will be a conversational podcast featuring special guest interviews with athletes, experts, and coaches across both natural and untested bodybuilding, fitness, and strength sports. The podcast, which will be available on both video and on major audio platforms, will debut its premiere episode on Wednesday November 2nd, 2022.
Podcast host Brandon Lirio is known as one of the top athletes in the Professional National Bodybuilding Association (PNBA), having one three Natural Olympia titles (the most prestige competition in natural bodybuilding) and two Mr. Universe titles. He is also a PNBA Hall Of Fame inductee. And also the director and owner of the supplement company Battleground Nutrition – and contributes as a writer to Iron Man Magazine, one of the oldest fitness magazines still in circulation.
U-Natty States Of America will focus on talking about the top trending and most controversial topics in bodybuilding and strength sports – but from the perspective of a natural competitor. Brandon Lirio will comment and discuss with guests both behind the scenes insights and on-stage realities in today’s fitness world.
Known for his confident and outspoken personality, Lirio promises to explore both natural and untested sports leagues fairly and honestly – while asking real questions and revealing real answers beyond the stock concepts you have seen in bodybuilding articles one thousand times over.
“I couldn’t be more stoked to talk about bodybuilding from this perspective and for a major platform I have watched since I was literally starting in bodybuilding – Generation Iron. To cover it is just surreal,” Brandon Lirio commented. He continued:
“I want to be clear, this isn’t a natural bodybuilding podcast. This is a fitness centric podcast from a natural bodybuilding perspective. It’s not about pumping one side of the sport up or punching down at the other side, and it’s not the same bullshit questions such as, ‘Are carbs really bad for bodybuilding?’ or ‘These four ab exercises will get you shredded!’
We are leaning into the real questions that plague sports in terms of rules, politics, money, advertising, athlete perspectives, and anything that you, the audience, want to hear about.”
Brandon Lirio aims to bridge that gap between fans of natural vs untested leagues – having been deeply involved in PNBA natural bodybuilding for many years of his competitive career. He also has dedicated his time to being open about the greater fitness and sports world around him.
Case in point, Lirio also produces and hosts the digital series World’s Strongest Everyman, where Lirio travels across the world to legendary strongman gyms to train with the most elite strongmen alive today. His goal – to see how far an “every man” can excel as an outside to the strongman sport.
It’s this curiosity that Brandon Lirio aims to bring into the U-Natty States Of America podcast. This will also be Generation Iron Networks’ first original series expanding into the natural bodybuilding space. This comes after the release and success of the documentary feature film, Generation Iron: Natty 4 Life, which focused on natural bodybuilding competitors preparing for the 2019 Natural Olympia competition.
U-Natty States Of America is set to release its premiere episode on Wednesday, November 2nd, 2022. The podcast will be available exclusively on the Generation Iron Fitness Network or wherever podcasts are downloaded.
