by Matt Weik

2020 has been the ultimate “hold my beer… watch this” kind of year. I wouldn’t think twice about it if all of a sudden, we were told aliens were coming to invade the world and it could mean the end of civilization as we know it. But seriously, this year has been the ultimate cluster, to say the least. Bodybuilding and fitness shows, as well as expos, have been canceled around the globe and the most coveted of them all, the Mr. Olympia, was even pushed back to December.
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by Matt Weik

Protein bars have been under fire for years now and a group called Safefood is claiming protein bars are unhealthy and unnecessary. Being in the industry, not only did I find this funny but somewhat true. While brands have been improving the profile on their protein bars, some are still lacking. But things seem to be trending in the right direction, yet people still want to throw shade at protein bars for some reason.
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by Matt Weik

Is it a bar at the gym or a bar like “it’s 5 o’clock somewhere” type of bar? Honestly, who cares? Either way, this story I’m about to share is the true joke. It just so happens to be between the Fortnite gamer, Turner “Tfue” Tenney, and none other than the very opinionated IFBB pro bodybuilder, Greg Doucette.
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by Christian Duque

The other day I was doing an Instagram Live @StrengthAddicts and someone asked me a very interesting question that got me thinking. Before I clue you into what that was, let me get on my soapbox for a moment when it comes to these Live chats.
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by Matt Weik

It’s been three years now since the industry lost Rich Piana, yet his name continues to come up in a negative light. Most recently, a video surfaced on the Rich Piana YouTube channel that was posted to discredit Rich Gaspari. While I haven’t seen confirmation that it was 5% Nutrition who posted it, whoever is in control of his YouTube channel needs to do several things in my mind.
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by Christian Duque

Social media is the driving force of the fitness industry; it’s the driving force of almost every industry on this planet. Companies strive to have the strongest possible lines of communication with their consumers possible. In the old days, businesses would rely on the efforts of focus groups, paid trials, and invest heavily into commercials (both on television and print).
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by Matt Weik

If you’ve followed my content for any period of time, you’d know my position on steroids and steroid use. For those of you in the back who haven’t heard me the first time I said it, I’ll repeat myself. “I don’t care if you use steroids, how much you use, or what kind you use. Period. The end.” This leads us into the topic at hand which is a Texas bodybuilder being charged for selling anabolics as part of a steroid ring in Northern Texas.
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by Christian Duque

There’s been a huge amount of interest, as of late, in bringing back the Masters Olympia, largely because fans want to see another Kevin Levrone comeback, many would like to see “Sugar” Shawn Ray and Bob Cicherillo back on stage, as well. The fans are always talking about something on the message boards and the various social media platforms. As a fitness writer, I”m constantly looking at Youtube, Reddit, and all sorts of social media platforms, trying to put my finger on the industry pulse. I mean I’m so committed, I should be committed (get it?). I’ll go to pages most people don’t even think exist anymore. For example, when’s the last time you logged into Myspace? Did you even know it’s still alive and sorta well. I go there from time to time also.
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by Christian Duque

Whenever someone asks if someone is natty or not, I’m to the point where I don’t even look up anymore. It’s just such a stupid question. And yes folks, there are plenty of stupid questions – and stupid people, too. I mean, who cares if someone uses gear or not? Does their use of PED’s (performance enhancement drugs) affect you in any way, shape, or form? No. But what if you compete against someone who’s using, then you have a leg to stand on, right?
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by Christian Duque

There’s something very special about physique-based sports and the amazing champions it draws. We’ve seen folks who played various sports in high school and college try their hand; there have been pro wrestlers, mixed martial artists, and Hollywood celebs – from radio/tv personalities, tv stars, and even quite a few movie stars too. You can’t forget Mark Wahlberg or Sly Stallone, just to name a few. These guys are bodybuilders at heart. Countless people have seen old school photos of Arnold, the biggest name in our sport, others may have seen footage of Lou Ferrigno as The Incredible Hulk, or more recent shots of The Big Nasty, the G.O.A.T. of all times, 8x Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman.
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by Matt Weik

It’s no secret that the future of this nation lays in the hands of our youth. Education is a major push but what about nutrition? Look at what kids are eating these days – it’s junk. We can’t blame the kids, they aren’t out there shopping for food or spending their own money on products, it comes down to the parents and what they are buying for their kids. With that being said, is it safe to say the next big industry move should be focused on supplements for kids?
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by Christian Duque

This has got to be one of the biggest what-if type questions out there, largely, because the outcome is beyond speculative. Rhoden has been a fan favorite all over the world since 2016 when he took a controversial runner-up to Phil “The Gift” Heath. This is for a couple pressing reasons.
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