by Geoff Roberts

First and foremost, this article is going to be negative. For any of you who falsely believe that all negativity is “hating” or “bad vibes”, move on. Negativity is often necessary in order to properly evaluate certain events and hopefully change them for the better. Even things which are dear to one’s heart. With that out of the way, this 2018 Mr. Olympia presentation must be addressed. This years Olympia webcast was horrifying bad. I cannot even muster the proper words to describe the garbage I was subjected to whilst attempting to watch my favorite sporting event of the year. From every single angle imaginable, this presentation of the pinnacle of our beloved sport was atrocious.

by Matt Weik

Being a business owner myself, I always enjoy a good story about how businesses first got started – the struggles, the triumphs, the growth. Being that I live in Pennsylvania, which just happens to be the home of Bakery Barn (Pittsburgh, PA), I thought it would be cool to share their story being that they are one of the largest protein bar manufacturing facilities in the US. Bakery Barn caters to many different demographics, industries, and produces bars for many of the top supplement companies in existence today.

by Matt Weik

I was reading an article on an industry news website that talked about how supplement innovation is constantly growing, you just need to go in search for it and it got my wheels turning. Really? This got me thinking about the topic and the current state of the industry which prompted this article. Do we put too much pressure on supplement brands to innovate?

by Christian Duque

If your car broke down, would you let a guy who could barely change a tire get under the hood and start playing with the cables, taking out screws, and messing with the fluids? If you came into some money and wanted to invest for your retirement, would you trust your money with a person who couldn’t even balance their own checkbook? Of course you wouldn’t, and of course, most people wouldn’t, either. Why? Because people value their cars and their money; these are important things to them and they’re not going to let just anyone potentially ruin them. That having been, wouldn’t you think people would care enough about themselves to avoid being put in harm’s way as they get ready for a contest? This article will focus on the bad trainers, the people that don’t have any business coaching, but a big part of the blame rests with the many folks who think so little of themselves that they don’t demand the best.

by Christian Duque

Cardiovascular exercise is key to losing fat, staying in shape, and also ensuring heart health. It’s called cardiovascular for a reason. Although this form of training is relatively new for bodybuilding purposes, it’s become a staple of pretty much all contest prep modalities. There’s a whole industry devoted to creating machines to fit this niche. There’s stair-masters, treadmills, stationary bikes, elliptical’s – a never ending concession of hardware.

by Matt Weik

When trying to add quality lean muscle mass to your frame, on top of having a solid training protocol, it comes down to not only a caloric surplus, but it also matters what kinds of foods make up that surplus. Clearly, if you added ice cream to every meal, you’d get to your surplus quite easily. However, that route tends to have you putting on body fat which is the opposite of what we are trying to accomplish here. There are some tips and tricks in the form of kitchen gadgets you need to achieve maximum muscle growth, and I’m going to touch on them below. While these won’t directly build muscle (they’re simply gadgets), they WILL make your meal prep and nutrition much easier to follow and adhere to. You can think of these gadgets more as “convenience” items.

by Matt Weik

We all know that our time spent in the gym is for breaking down muscle fibers and that growth actually occurs outside of the gym when we rest. Yet, most people aren’t getting enough sleep at night to fully benefit from their hard work in the gym. We live hectic lives – I don’t think anyone will deny that? We burn the candle at both ends until we are completely tapped out with exhaustion or until the stress compounds and we end up sick. But, all of this could be alleviated and you could reach your true growth potential by getting more shuteye (along with following a solid diet and exercise program) – around seven to nine hours of sleep is recommended.

by Christian Duque

Whether it’s New Year’s, the start of the Fall or Spring semester in college, or whether you’re just looking to get in shape, I want you to read this article thoroughly before you stroll into a gym looking to join up. I don’t care if the place you’re going to is a judgment free zone, I don’t care if they prefer being called a club to a gym, and I don’t care how much of a family or friendly vibe you get from the sales rep, because that’s just what they are. You’re not transforming your life, you’re not embarking on a metaphysical journey, and you’re not on the verge of something big. Take all that wishful thinking out of your mind, stop acting with your heart, and put your brain and instincts to work.

by Christian Duque

First and foremost, I’d like to put my cards on the table. Yes, I’m probably the most liberal person you’ll ever meet in the world of bodybuilding. Some may even call be a closet socialist – maybe I am. I was, after all, a Bernie Sanders delegate and I did vote for Jill Stein. I will also say I’ve never been addicted to illegal drugs, but I was addicted to cigarettes for about 12yrs. Some might say that’s whack, because cigarettes aren’t a drug, but then again, nicotine most certainly is & if that weren’t enough, it probably accounts for more deaths than any drug I can think of.