by Matt Weik

With so much speculation if Kai Greene will return to the Olympia stage in 2019, I decided to toss my hat in the ring with a prediction as well as my thoughts. For starters, as of the time of writing this article, despite what you may have heard, Kai Greene has not received a special invite to compete at the Mr. Olympia competition in Vegas later this year. Should he get the invite or qualify like everyone else, does he have a shot at winning his first Olympia title? Let’s discuss.

by Christian Duque

Ok, ok, I’m not about to make a video crying like that kid way back when did about leaving Britney Spears alone, then again.. Look here’s the deal folks. You can always count on me, The Iron Duque, to tell it like it is. What do I have to worry about? Getting trolled? I’ve been trolled by the BEST in the business and I always ask for more. Why? Because haters are the people who most tirelessly put your name out there. Sure, they’re trashing you, but a hit’s a hit.

by Christian Duque

In an announcement that rocked the bodybuilding world, legendary Australian bodybuilder Lee Priest announced on Sam’s Fitness Youtube channel, that after a 5yr run, he’d left supplement powerhouse, Black Skull. I saw Lee at said booth at the 2018 Arnold Classic and the lines were undeniable. When word got out that Priest would be in Columbus, it was pandemonium. Middle-aged men and women had become like kids in a candy shop.

In this week’s edition of The Iron Duque Speaks, presented by IronMag Labs, I address the haters, trolls, keyboard warriors and other losers who seem to being having a field day knocking Mr. Oympia Shawn “Flexatron” Rhoden. I also discuss Big Ramy sitting out the rest of 2019.

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by Christian Duque

History really has a tendency to repeat itself. Although we’re living in 2019, it might as well be 2009 all over again. Back then, Dexter Jackson was riding high after upsetting Jay Cutler at the 2008 Mr. Olympia. That victory, though a huge feather in The Blade’s cap, wasn’t one he got to enjoy for long. Almost from the moment he won, people started speculating about the return of Jay Cutler, the pundits weren’t sold on the new champ either, and the media was even less excited. In fact, the only major celebrity who believed Jackson would successfully defend his title, was Dan Solomon, then of Pro Bodybuilding Weekly.

by Matt Weik

I’m going to get a lot of love and hate from both sides of the spectrum revolving around this issue. There will be people who demand full transparency such as the consumer and brands who want to be upfront and honest with what they put in the product and then, on the other hand, you will have the people who don’t want to give up their special sauce (formula) for competitors to copy and sell against them. So, in the end, who truly wins from a proprietary blends and full transparency battle to the death? I’m not even sure we have a clear winner.

by Matt Weik

I swear there are just some things you can’t make up and this just happens to be one of those stories. Have you ever heard of CrossFit? You might have, right? It’s only one of the fastest growing fitness communities and workouts out there today with “boxes” popping up everywhere. Whether you love CrossFit or hate CrossFit, this story has nothing to do with the fitness side of the business, but rather the relationship status of one of their co-founders.

by Christian Duque

The fans have been asking for it since 2014, the first year the sport of bodybuilding didn’t have 4x Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler on the stage. Cutler had battled it out with The Big Nasty, Ronnie Coleman for four Olympias, won four himself, took second in 2011, recovered in 2012, and fought one last battle in 2013, placing 6th and retiring. That being said, Cutler could have kept going. He retired young and any injuries he was dealing with were corrected, but he’d done his run, and he was ready to move on. Look at The Totally Awesome, Lee Haney. He retired young, without injuries, but did he ever come back? No.

by Christian Duque

The world of competitive bodybuilding is on fire! People everywhere are taking to the Facebook groups, chatting among themselves in weight rooms, locker rooms, and by the shake bar. The few who still frequent message boards, they’re also talking. The pundits can’t fight the temptation to weigh in. Everyone is pinning their hopes, that legendary bodybuilder, Kai “The Predator” Green will emerge from semi-retirement and do one more Olympia.

by Matt Weik

In this article, I want to break down a few sides of the debate regarding should the vacuum pose be mandatory in bodybuilding competition. I see many viewpoints and being that I don’t compete or have any skin in the game, I have no reason to side one way or the other. With that being said, I think it’s fair to look at this topic from a wide lens and discuss.