... And “Big” is an Understatement!

If you’re lucky, every once in a blue moon, a bodybuilder hits that stage that makes your jaw drop and your eyes pop. He’s the one you can’t take your eyes off, because he makes you question everything you thought you knew about anatomy, physiology, and biology. In 1989, it was Rich Gaspari’s striated glutes and conditioning at the Arnold Classic. In 1992, it was Dorian’s hardness and graininess. In 1998, it was King Ron’s size and thickness. Fast forward to 2013; some unknown quantity who went by the nickname “Big Ramy” was making his North American debut. He stepped onstage at the New York pro at 288 pounds and left both the crowd and judges in disbelief. He went on to win the prestigious show, and hasn’t looked back since. North American had finally been introduced to Mamdouh Elssbiay, and this era of bodybuilding would never be the same.

In 2010 Mamdouh Mohammed Hassan Elssbiay joined Oxygen Gym in Kuwait. Under the tutelage of Dennis James and Bader Boodai, he was up to 200 pounds by 2011, and when he stepped on the Amateur Olympia stage in 2012 in Kuwait, he weighed in at 286 pounds. That’s where the fun began. He was declared the champion and received his IFBB Pro card, and the rest is history—both Ramy and Bader knew it was time to take his size to America. The US wasn’t ready for what he was bringing. After winning the New York pro (beating out former champs Victor Martinez and Juan Morel) in 2013, Ramy finished off the season with an eighth-place finish at his first Mr. Olympia. Not bad for a first-timer (even Ronnie Coleman placed 15th and 11th at his first two Mr. Olympia appearances). At the time, the biggest criticisms he faced were that he hadn’t nailed that grainy conditioning that bodybuilding champions have and that his upper chest was lacking in size compared to the rest of him.

Before we delve any more into Big Ramy’s present and future, we should probably talk about his past. How else can we appreciate where he’s going unless we know where he came from? When it comes to how he got started in the industry, his trainer, Dennis James, has explained it the following way: “Basically, all six of his brothers are fishermen, and they all came to Kuwait to become full-time fishermen. He was helping out his brothers with the business, and on the side he wanted to work at Oxygen Gym. Ramy always loved working out, and he had heard that Bader was bringing all the top bodybuilding pros to the Oxygen Gyms in Kuwait, so he was trying to get a job at Oxygen Gym to follow his dreams of becoming a bodybuilder some day. The club manager at one of the Oxygen Gyms, which Bader rarely went to, gave him a job. That’s how he got into bodybuilding. He told his family that he was going to stop the fishing business to get into bodybuilding. That was in 2010.” As you might know, similar to other foreign athletes who had dreams of getting their IFBB pro card and competing in North America, there was a slight language barrier. Dennis said, “I couldn’t communicate with him because I didn’t speak the language. Bader was the one communicating with him. I’d send Bader the e-mails and plan and talk to him, and he’d then explain this to Ramy. I was doing his dieting and basically giving Bader everything to pass along because I wasn’t there. He was overseeing everything, and it was unbelievable how well Ramy responded to the diet and the plan.”

Back in the late ‘90s/early 2000s, Canadian giant Greg Kovacs rocked the bodybuilding world with his stage weight of 340 pounds (off-season 420) at 6'4". But his highest placing was 13th at the 2004 Arnold Classic. Ramy is on a whole other level. Back in 2014, people were already saying he was going to have a Sandow in his hands before we knew it. His body looked permanently Photoshopped, and you couldn’t help but stare at him … all the time. He wasn’t just a one-and-done competitor, either. Ramy had an incredible run after his first year. He went on to win the New York pro again in 2014, and improved his placing at the Olympia each year (from seventh in 2014, to fifth in 2015, to fourth in 2016). Did we mention he also won the Arnold Classic Brazil and the Kuwait Pro along the way? Well, he did.

As good as 2012 through 2016 sounded, he really hit his stride in 2017. This was his year. He was one of the featured bodybuilders in Generation Iron 2, which was released in May. Then he placed second to Phil Heath at the Olympia (though many said he deserved the title) in September at a seriously shredded 295 pounds. A week later, he went on to take top honours at the Arnold Classic Europe. As much as he travels (Ramy is a GAT sponsored athlete, so he makes appearances for them all over the globe, in addition to competing), Ramy still calls Kuwait home. He doesn’t just consider Bader a coach or owner, but rather, like a father in the sport. He wakes up around 6 a.m. every day, eats, prays, and trains. This is his life, and it works for him. And based on what we’ve seen from him on the stage in the last five years, it works for us too!

Ramy’s IFBB PRO History

• 2013 New York Pro, 1st

• 2013 Mr. Olympia, 8th

• 2014 New York Pro, 1st

• 2014 Mr. Olympia, 7th

• 2015 Arnold Classic Brasil, 1st

• 2015 Mr. Olympia, 5th

• 2015 Arnold Classic Europe, 4th

• 2015 EVLS Prague Pro, 2nd

• 2016 Mr. Olympia, 4th

• 2016 Arnold Classic Europe, 2nd

• 2016 IFBB Kuwait Pro, 1st

• 2016 EVLS Prague Pro, 2nd

• 2017 Mr. Olympia, 2nd

• 2017 Arnold Classic Europe, 1st

How to Train for Power, Mass or Endurance

Building muscle, burning fat, getting stronger, and looking better takes a lot of work, and many factors play a role in making gains and getting the best results possible. To build serious mass, you have to take in plenty of calories (including quality protein), get enough sleep, load up on vitamins and minerals, and, of course, lift weights. In fact, lifting weights is without a doubt the most important of all these factors. You can eat all you want, sleep lots, and take all the supplements you want, but without lifting consistently with all-out intensity, you’re completely wasting your time in the gym.

Training Program Basics

When it comes to designing a science-backed program, there are many variables to consider: What kind of goals did you set? Are you using machines or free weights or both? How many sets are you doing for each muscle group? How long do you rest in between sets? While all these factors are important, the most important factor in helping you reach your training goals is your rep range.

Understanding and using the proper rep range is very important for reaching your goals and getting the best results possible. But what exactly are the proper rep ranges to get the best results in the shortest time possible?

More than likely, you’ve heard you should do high reps for fat loss or “toning” (I always hate hearing that word), “medium reps” for building muscle, and low reps for strength/power.

But do high reps really just burn fat and low reps build power? Are medium reps only good for building muscle? Keep reading because I’m going to share with you the truth about rep ranges.

The Truth About Rep Ranges

Knowing why you’re lifting weights is important. Your goal will dictate your training pattern, so in this case, rep range knowledge is power.

Rep Range #1: 1–5 Reps (Maximal Strength and Speed/Power)

If you’re lifting in the 1–5 rep range, you’re working on maximal strength, speed, and power. Maximal strength refers to what is known as the 85+ percent rep range. This means you’re at about 85 percent of your 1RM (one-rep max). This type of training relies very heavily on technical efficiency, your nervous system, and more. It’s not really about how much muscle you have, although having more muscle is never a bad thing (unless you’re in a weight-class sport).

This is why you’ll see some really muscular people who just aren’t very strong, and you’ll see some people who aren’t very big but have incredible strength. A perfect example would be female powerlifters and Olympic weightlifters, who don’t have a lot of size but have incredible strength to body weight ratios.

Powerlifters and weightlifters often train in this rep range. More often than not, athletes looking to improve their sport or people who are trying to build muscle don’t train in this rep range year round, but every athlete or lifter can benefit by doing some training in the 1–5 rep range for maximal power, which will carry over to help them in any sport. Just think about football players and other pro athletes who have some of the Olympic lifts built into their training camp programming. The Olympic lifts build speed and explosive power—characteristics necessary for football. As top powerlifting coach Louie Simmons stated, “Maximal strength is the foundation of all other strength qualities.” Nothing could be truer.

Training for Strength and Power (85–100% 1RM)

Here are just some of the best rep schemes used for building explosiveness, strength and overall power, all of which fall in the 1–5 rep range:

• 5 sets of 5 reps

• 5 sets of 3 reps

• 10 sets of 3 reps (advanced lifters)

• 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (a favourite of Jim Wendler)

• 3 sets of 3 reps

You can also use the 1–5 rep ranges to improve speed if needed. If doing so, try to explode as quickly as possible during the concentric (positive) contraction of the lift. Do dynamic effort squats and deadlifts and be sure to learn the two competition Olympic lifts (the snatch and clean and jerk). Learn these two movements and you will see a significant improvement in overall speed and upper back development. When it comes to improving speed, you train in the lower rep ranges, but the weight lifted would be much lighter to allow yourself to move through the range of motion as quickly as possible. Instead of working at 90+ percent of your 1-rep max, you would work at much lower weights but at a much higher speed. The goal here is not how much weight you lift, but how fast you can lift the weight with perfect form.

Appropriate Training Percentages for Speed: 40–80% 1RM

Approximate Rest Time for Speed: 3–10 minutes between sets

Maximal Strength Tip: Always train heavy with perfect form and don’t get tired in this rep range. Also be sure to train lighter at higher speeds for overall speed and strength development.

Rep Range #2: 5–12 Reps (Strength and Hypertrophy)

If you want to build muscle and get stronger, this is the rep range that you’ll train with often. According to most top strength coaches, 8–12 reps is the general “muscle building” rep range.

However, I like to also add in some reps of 5–8 to make the best of this. This way, you get a mix of strength and hypertrophy; it’s important to have both qualities in your training. 

With 5–12 reps, your intensity is lowered (based on a percentage of your 1RM), but your volume of sets and reps is increased. This essentially places less demand on your central nervous system and more demand on your muscular and metabolic systems. In this rep range, you’ll get more of a “pump,” whereas in the 1–5 rep range you’ll hardly ever experience a pump.

The Pump and Contracting Muscles

The pump floods your muscles with anabolic blood, delivering the hormones, growth factors and nutrients needed to induce hypertrophy. Arnold loved the pump and was quoted as saying, “The most satisfying feeling you can get in the gym is the pump. Let’s say you train your biceps. The blood is rushing into your muscles. Your muscles get a really tight feeling, like your skin is going to explode any minute. It’s like somebody blowing air into your muscles. There’s no better feeling in the world.” Arnold knew the benefits of this rep range for building muscle, but he also had a powerlifting background, which played a big role in why he was one of the best. 

For basic exercises such as squats and deadlifts, it can be very beneficial to train in this rep range as it will improve building muscle but also improve conditioning and fat loss. You want to train as heavy as possible, but the weight lifted isn’t the main factor—it’s hitting the muscles and focusing on form and contractions.

In this rep range, it’s important to focus on the pump, and the squeeze. Just to reiterate, it’s not so much about how much weight you lift; it’s about how you lift the weight.

For isolation work, it’s not about how much weight you lift, because you’re only using one muscle group at a time. The goal for those particular exercises is to stimulate the muscle, go for the pump, and target the smaller areas that sometimes get neglected when you do the big exercises such as squats, deadlifts, and bench presses.

Here are some of the best rep schemes used for building overall mass:

• 3 sets of 8–12 reps

• 4 sets of 8 reps

• 5 sets of 10 reps

• Pyramid sets of 5–12 reps 

(you lower reps by 1 each set)

Appropriate Training Percentages: 50-80% 1RM

Approximate Rest Time: 2–4 minutes

Strength and Hypertrophy Tip: Focus on lifting heavy weights, but be sure to build the mind-muscle connection so that you’re allowing the targeted muscle group to take the majority of the load and always remember to aim for a great pump.

Rep Range #3: 12–20 Reps (Muscular Endurance)

High-rep training is an excellent means of increasing muscular endurance, mitochondria density and number, and improving vascularity while enhancing your ability to buffer lactic acid. Athletes such as runners, martial artists, MMA athletes, boxers, CrossFit athletes, and any athlete who does a lot of “reps” in his or her training can benefit greatly from training in the muscular endurance rep range. Higher reps can also be beneficial for building muscle and also improving fat loss and conditioning the stabilizers and fixators. One of the best overall squat programs is the “20-rep squat program” also known as “breathing squats,” which was pioneered in 1930 by J.C. Hise. Later, Peary Rader, with the help of people like Hise, was credited with coming up with the first 20-rep, breathing-style squat routine. This is a brutal training method that will put slabs of muscle on even the hardest of hard-gainers while improving overall conditioning. This training style is incredibly taxing to your overall recuperation, but 20-rep squats are a topic for a different article!

Appropriate Training Percentages: 20–70% 1RM

Approximate Rest Time: 30–90 seconds

Muscular Endurance Tip: Don’t neglect high-rep work; it has numerous overall benefits for size, strength, fat loss, and conditioning.

Absorb What Is Useful, Discard What Is Useless

From my experience working with hundreds of athletes, I don’t believe that one particular style or method will work best for everyone. But you must have a general idea of what you’re doing when it comes to what you’re training for so that you can match the correct rep scheme to achieve the best results possible. I’ve seen genetic freaks build muscle with high reps; in fact, IFBB legend Vince Taylor won 22 pro shows by training with no less than 30 reps per set! I’ve known other athletes who trained using nothing but low reps while dieting down and burning fat. So take what you’ve learned in this article and experiment with everything. If you’ve only ever stuck to high rep ranges, incorporate some of the Olympic lifts. If you’ve been a pure strength devotee forever and want functional strength, try a CrossFit-style endurance workout. Keep an open mind. As Bruce Lee said, “Absorb what is useful, discard what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.”

NEWS ALERT! We regret to report that Johnnie Jackson tore one of his quadriceps today at the SuperLeague contest that took place in Montreal. He was rushed to hospital by ambulance and we await news on his recovery. As more news comes in we will update this post. Our thoughts extend to his family, friends and fans around the world.

Photo Circa Olympia 2017

Men's Bodybuilding

1. Cedric McMillan
2. Hadi Choopan
3. Brandon Curry
4. Tim Budsheim
5. Essa Obiad
6. Clarence DeVis
7. Dani Kaganovich
8. Rafael Brandao
9. Branden Ray
10. Petar Klancir
11. Mahmoud Kafi
12. Christos Pistolas
13. Daniel Toth
14. Jeno Kiss
15. Benjamin Parra
16. Sulaiman Alterkait, Victor Rea Cano, Emiliano Dell'Uomo, Camillo Diaz Garzon, Leonid Istonim, Marek Olejniczak, Varinder Singh Ghuman, Miha Zupan, Sergei Zebald, Fabrizio Zittucro

Classic Men's physique

1. Stan De Longeaux
2. Hubert Kulczynski
3. Ali Shamsghamar
4. Abdullah Al Sairafi
5. Luigi Sarni

Men's Physique

1. Billyrose Femi
2. Dawid Wachelka
3. Anton Antipov
4. Ammar Shlash
5. Adriano Moreno
6. Alexandros Staboulis
7. Maxime Parisi
8. Andrea Mosti
9. Romane Lanceford
10. Shahin Zolfaghari
11. Sanad Alsanad
12. Nelson Rodrigues
13. Luca Biolo
14. Francesco Moutuori
15. Pontus Koskelainen
16. Mriusz Czerniewicz

Figure

1. Zulema Duran
2. Jessica Reyes Padilla 
3. Ellen Elizabeth Berg
4. Georgina Lona
5. Adela Ondrejovicova
6. Eva Berenguer
7. Eleni Zavitsanou
8. Melissa Haywood
9. Lucia Kosecka
10. Anna Banks
11. Sidibe Khoudiedji
12. Kati Alexander
13. Melinda Mercz
14. Elena Kirshchina
15. Patricia Barbero Arribas
16. Laura Guillen, Silvia Kovascova, Iina Levanoja, Katie Morris, Cong Mou, Shonita Wade, Bienbenda Periel

Bikini

1. Kim Hayeon
2. Cristobalina Pajares
3. Marielle Pellegrino
4. Sabina Plevakova
5. Rocio Lopez Cochero
6. Renata Benigno-Wisskirchen
7. Francesca Stoico
8. Olha Horobets
9. Evita Breide
10. Alla Meijer
11. Yulia Berezina
12. Olga Korchaka
13. Tanja Canc
14. Kristina Narbutaityte
15. Elsa Pena
16. Aurelia Bissoli

HIGH CABLE CURLS

Who doesn’t want a beautiful peak to their biceps? While dumbbell and barbell curls will help you add size, you should not neglect biceps training with cables. And this often-considered “shaping exercise” is one of our favourites. Of course, we are talking about the standing high cable curls performed with D-handle attachments. Add these babies to your arm routine and you—and your biceps peaks—will soon see why we love this exercise so much.

What’s Worked: Biceps

Exercise Type: Isolation    

Force: Pull

Points on Execution: 

• Set the dual pulley system to a high position on both sides and attach the D-handles. Adjust the height of the pulleys on each side and make sure that they are set at a height slightly higher than shoulder level.

• Select a managable weight. No need to go too heavy here. With this isolation exercise, it is not about the poundage you are hefting, but rather, the focus is all about muscle contraction and stretch.

• Grip each of the D-handles with an underhand grip (palms up) and stand centred between the pulleys with your arms fully extended and parallel to the floor and your feet positioned shoulder-width apart. Keep your body evenly aligned with the handles.

• While keeping your elbows pointed straight outwards (never let them drift forwards) and in a fixed position, slowly curl the weight towards your shoulders (resembling a front double biceps pose). Remember to breathe out on this part of the movement.

• At the apex of the movement, squeeze your biceps hard and hold for a second to really put emphasis on the peaks.

• Inhale as you move your hands back to the starting position.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Throughout this exercise your body should remain completely static. Only your foreams should be moving when they bend at the elbow. Everything else should be locked into place.

2017 IFBB Tournament of Champions Competitors List

Men's Physique

Nick Bowerman
Larry Crawford
Craig Donnell
Rasheed English
Lucas Ferrara
Dajuan Freeman
Christopher Henderson
James Hurst
Ryan John-Baptiste
Adonis Marcus
Romane Lanceford
Albert McHugh
Stan Morrison
Ej Nduka
Isaias Paez Martinez
Caio Pannain
Yi "Jet" Peng
Joao Pedro Reichert
Ron Riley
Thomas Riley
Arya Safaie
Mike Saffaie
Andre Smith
Kai Spencer
Zachary Stoppert
Randy Swartz

According to his Facebook page, IFBB Pro Sergi Constance will play mythical sky and thunder god Zeus, in DC Comics/Warner Bros newest Justice League movie! Zeus, who is Wonder Woman’s father in this continuity, is seen in certain trailers, personally attacking the galactic conquerer himself. The credits on IMDB.com reveal that Spanish Men's Physique/Classic Physique Pro Sergi Constance portrayed the character, who can be seen fighting alongside Ares.

The movie features a cast that includes Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne (Batman), Henry Cavill as Kal-El/Clark Kent (Superman), Gal Gadot as Diana Prince (Wonder Woman), Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry (Aquaman), Ezra Miller as Barry Allen (The Flash), Ray Fisher as Victor Stone (Cyborg), Ciarán Hinds as Steppenwolf, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Connie Nielsen as Queen Hippolyta, J. K. Simmons as Commissioner James ‘Jim’ Gordon, Joe Morton as Dr. Silas Stone, Amber Heard as Mera, and Billy Crudup as Dr. Henry Allen. 

Sergi is not only an incredibly accomplished bodybuilder and entrepreneur, but he's also a 2x Muscle Insider cover model.

We are super excited for Sergi, as we know he's wanted to break into action movies for a while!

In August 2017, we reported of the untimely and sad passing of IFBB Pro Dallas McCarver. 

Dallas was found on the floor in his living room with food scattered around his body shortly after midnight on August 22nd, 2017 by friend and fellow IFBB Josh Lenartowicz. Josh came back to the apartment he shared with Dallas, to find Dallas choking on something. As recently as the ay before, there were no signs that Dallas was doing poorly. He was training with friends the day before in the gym, and seemed to be fine. Paramedics were called and he arrived at the hospital in full cardiac arrest. He was pronounced dead at 1:03 A.M.

Anthony Robert obtained access to Dallas' autopsy report, and released it to the public. 

At the time of autopsy, Dallas had:

• Enlarged liver and kidneys
• Nephrosclerosis (a hardened kidney)
• Heavy lungs (with no mucus)
• Papillary thyroid carcinoma.

According to Anthony Roberts' summary, Dallas' prior medical history includes cholesterol issues (high LDL/ low HDL), a chronic cough and shortness of breath (he admitted himself into hospital after collapsing at the Arnold Australia, and couldn't even remember that he pass out), and childhood asthma. His testosterone levels were within normal range at the time of death. Trenbolone metabolites were also present. "Screening for additional steroids was negative, although he tested positive for caffeine and marijuana metabolites (neither of which are mentioned as contributing factors in his death). No other recreational drugs or narcotics were present.

Also noted (but neither tested for, nor listed as a contributing factor in Dallas’ death) was a prior history of hGH and insulin use."

Source: Anthony Roberts @ Medium.com

The 2018 Arnold Fitness EXPO will be held March 2-4 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center and feature more than 1,000 booths of the latest in sports equipment, apparel and nutrition and two stages that host unique, non-stop competitions and entertainment that combine to make the Arnold Fitness EXPO the heart of the Arnold Sports Festival.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Lorimer have co-produced the Arnold Sports Festival since 1989  when it debuted as a one-day bodybuilding competition known as the Arnold Classic. The Arnold Sports Festival has grown over the years and is now a four-day festival that features more than 75 sports and events.

“A Daily EXPO ticket affords a huge entertainment value for attendees to experience a great variety of sports and events,” Lorimer said. “We are very proud to provide the opportunity for athletes, a majority of them youth, to compete at the largest multi-sport festival in the world.”

Separate tickets are required for the following events:

• Arnold Amateur Fitness, Figure, Bikini and Women’s Physique Prejudging; Masters Figure and Masters Bikini Prejudging and Finals, Noon Thursday, March 1, Battelle Grand $25.
• Meet& Greet with IFBB Pros, 7 p.m. Thursday, March 1, Hilton Columbus Downtown $25.
• Arnold Amateur Bodybuilding and Men’s Physique Prejudging; Classic Physique Prejudging and Finals and IFBB Pro League Women’s Physique International Prejudging, 9 a.m. Friday, March 2, Battelle Grand $25.
• Arnold Classic 212, Arnold Classic Physique, Fitness International, Figure International and Women’s Physique International Finals, 7 p.m.  Friday, March 2, Battelle Grand $50-75.
• Amateur MMA Festival, 7 p.m. Friday, March 2, Columbus Convention Center $30-$75.
• Arnold Classic, Bikini International, Arnold Men’s Physique Prejudging and Arnold Pro Wheelchair Prejudging and Finals, Noon Saturday, March 3, Battelle Grand $50.
• Arnold Classic, Bikini International, Arnold Men’s Physique and Arnold Strongman Classic Finals, 7 p.m. Saturday, March 3, Battelle Grand $50-$100.
• ArnoldParty With The Pros, 9 p.m. Saturday, March 3, Columbus Convention Center, $25.
• ArnoldPro Boxing, 7:30 pm Saturday, March 3, Columbus Convention Center, TBA
• Arnold Sunday Showcase & Coffee With The Champions Featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger, 9:30 a.m. Sunday, March 4, Battelle Grand $25.

VIP Ticket Packages and individual event tickets are available through Ticketmaster at  www.ticketmaster.com/arnold or 800-745-3000.
For more information, including schedules, locations and hours, visit www.arnoldsportsfestival.com.

According to a SnapChat image that he posted on Nov 30th, it looks like Calum Von Moger has tore his bicep.

Calum Von Moger, a social media icon and celebrity in the fitness industry has been on everyone's radar for a while because of his exceptional physique and extroverted personality. Calum won the Mr. Universe title three times, in addition to a couple of NPC shows. He's currently cast as Arnold himself in the new Weider biopic, and is the star of Vlad Yudin's amazing sequel, Generation Iron 2.

Calum was training at Gold's Gym Venice with Canadian IFBB Classic Physique Pro, Chris Bumstead, when the injury occured. No more details yet, but as we find out more, we'll let you know.