Motivation

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"GASP, number 1 they never apologize for who they are and who they support and they never lost their focus. Thats why the relationship has lasted so long. Because they are hardcore and I wouldn't want to be with anyone who wasn't." - Branch Warren

What do you get when you combine the brand made for only the hardest working individuals of the iron sport and the man who fought, clawed and scratched his way to earn everything he's accomplished in bodybuilding and business? An epic, one of a kind symbiotic partnership that has sharpened and built one another for over 10 years! Branch Warren and GASP are going on 11 years of a relationship that promotes, at their respective cores, being relentless, non compromising, and earning everything you want in life. Here we have the the story of how it all started between GASP and Branch. Where we started, how we have grown and where we are going.

Stay in the loop with GASP and Branch Warren. We are preparing for next level global tours, athlete searches, productions and events all geared to keep you fired up and NO COMPROMISE!

10 Relentless Years: GASP & Branch Warren

When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe you will quickly find out that it takes grit and being relentless.

It doesn't come over night. It takes trial and error and learning and adapting and improving and consistently leveling up. When your goal is worthy, just showing up doesn't cut it. A proper goal should require an insane work ethic BUT to reach an insane level you have to have passion and meaning behind WHY you are pursuing what you are pursuing.

Relentless and Grit Defined

What does it take to turn pro? Loving the process will be a huge advantage to facilitate and expedite becoming a true professional in any trade you choose.

. Both turned professional in the IFBB this year. Christina won the overall in bikini at the IFBB North American and Olivia won the overall in figure at the NPC Jr. USA.

Both Olivia and Christina work extremely demanding jobs in healthcare with shifts ranging from 12-14 hours and most of the time never getting breaks and ALWAYS on call with an immense amount of responsibility and human lives in their care. They share with us the demands of their professions and the discipline it takes to still continue to set goals and then steps they execute to make sure they ALWAYS make progress towards them.

Check out the full video and follow Christina and Olivia. Stay tuned for more from these gals.

Discipline Prioritization & Competition - Olivia Gravengaard and Christina Heath

Simply put the definition of a leader is someone who leads or commands a group, organization, or country. Our CEO Michael Johansson takes that description and elevates it to the max and in full GASP style.

Michael has always been an avid motorsports enthusiast with a definite love for life in the fast lane and this year he took his passion for motocross up a notch.

He really dedicated himself to being the best rider he could possibly be with the end goal being to race competitively at the World Vet Motocross Championship held at Glen Helen Raceway on November 6th.

At the end of 2018 Michael began preparing for the World Vet at Glen Helen. During this time he spent a great deal of time working on his riding techniques, but he also took a new approach to his fitness. In addition to spending countless of hours at the track training to evolve as a rider, Michael also took his fitness evolution seriously. During this journey to Glen Helen, Michael made efforts to train a little different than he had before.  Bodybuilders and Motocross racers train in two quite different ways, so he had to adjust his body as well as the way he thought about training during this pursuit of his World Vet debut.

Michael by no means abandoned his iron core, as a former competitive bodybuilder, weight training will always be part of his fitness journey, but he did add more unconventional training methods to his regimen in order to give him the opportunity to be successful as a rider.

After racing race after race throughout 2019, Michael really began to develop from an avid moto enthusiast into a full fledged motocross racer putting him that much closer to really showing what he had at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, CA.

At the beginning of October 2020 it looked like Michael would have the opportunity to accomplish his goal. He had put in all the work and was performing at the top of his game. By all measures he was READY!

This past weekend as Michael prepared himself for the approach of the World Vet he took the chance to race one last time before heading to California.

Michael was riding at his best during last weekends race and it looked like he was well prepared for the race in San Bernardino, until the day out that was meant to be a brush up ride took a turn for the worst.

Michael ended up crashing during one of the weekends motos, but to no fault of this own. As mentioned before he was riding at the top of his game, but in racing some time you are at the mercy of the ability of the other riders. While chasing down another who at the very last second chose not to attempt a jump, Michael was forced to make a split second decision to either maintain his line and potentially land on the rider or take a risk by landing just outside of the boundaries the prepared track.

Being a fierce competitor as well as compassionate person Michael chose the latter and the other rider was able to ride away unharmed. That noble choice caused Michael to crash and leaving him too banged up to finish the race and potentially making it difficult to get himself  healed enough to make the World Vet.

On Monday morning just days after crashing Michael showed us all that he lives the relentless lifestyle, as he made no excuses and was in the office at 7 am at his post as the leader of the GASP, Better Bodies and Destination team.

Michael is still waiting to hear from doctors on the extent of his injuries, but he has already begun his road to recovery working with Destination based specialist and Neufit practitioner 

, while weighing his option to see if he will still make his long waited appearance at the World Vet Championships.

Help us wish Michael the best as the heals and prepares for the next step on his uncompromising pursuit of excellence.

Grit From The Top Down - Michael Johansson's Pursuit of Excellence

2019 Shaun Clarida had his first uninterrupted offseason prior to the Olympia meaning he did not have to diet and compete to qualify and then continue to diet until the Olympia. He went on to have his best showing yet and make a huge statement.

2020 had its ups and down initially BUT Shaun used it to his advantage as anyone not willing to compromise will do, and made training continue during the shutdowns.

This was the first year Shaun cracked over 200 lbs on his frame. In addition to the free weights and not willing to compromise, Shaun also explains he got started with bodybuilding when social media didn't dominate people's thoughts and actions.

Shaun wont be traveling before the Olympia to focus on his goal. Stay tuned for more updates right here.

How I Put On 20 lbs - Shaun Clarida

You've heard it time and time again, you have to enjoy the process. The every day is more enjoyable when you are more process driven vs goal driven. In a world of increasing instant gratification, it can be a constant tough "pill to swallow" that anything worth accomplishing and true success, especially in bodybuilding takes time.

Ed Brown has built up his strength and physique and KNOWLEDGE to empower others to do the same because of his ability to see the end goal and at the same time perfect the details it will take on a daily basis to get there.

To his credit, Ed has amassed a wide range of accomplished athletes including champion bodybuilders, powerlifters and weight loss success stories. It is only sustainable and actually enjoyed because of Ed's ability to instill the love of the process in his clients.

Here Ed takes us through a high intensity leg day with detailed descriptions on his warm ups, compound lifts of choice and how he finished off with occlusion training on the leg extension. Ed will once again go for his professional status at the NPC Universe in 3 weeks.

Enjoy Your Grind - Beat Yourself Everyday

Ed Brown, fresh off a pro card win at the NPC Universe visits Destination Dallas and pays homage to Kevin Levrone.

"You got guys critiquing pro's like Branch Warren and Johnnie Jackson yet haven't done jack shit themselves."

Ed gets a bit heated with internet critics with brazen attitudes who like to spread negativity.

_"There is a quote from a top pro who inspired me to return to competition and he said it best: There are those that talk about what happens, those that watch what happens and there's people that make things happen."

In the end we are all responsible for what we do and more importantly what we DONT do in life. Either eliminate excuses and make it happen or don't. You're responsible either way.

Here Ed Brown is joined by friend and client Kiu Luong who trains out of Big Tex Gym in Austin, Texas with Ed. Kiu and Ed have teamed up to build up Kiu's physique to be able to compete and qualify for Nationals soon.

Also mentioned in this video is GASP brand specialist Henry Nguyen who competed with Joe Mackey and Ed Brown in the Ronnie Coleman classic as a teenager. Definitely an environment of Iron sharpens iron.

Make Shit Happen or Watch It Happen? - Ed Brown

Everyone determines their own fate. Branch Warren had naysayers his "entire adult life" telling him he's crazy for his pursuits and going against the grain.

"Why don't you get a real job and just be normal."

Usually when you go against the grain, cut your own path in life, or blaze your own trail, it is met with opposition from the "naysayers" as Branch calls them. The opposition comes from a place in people that is envious because they have a desire to think out of the box and possibly even the will, but they lack the guts and courage to take action and realize what they actually want in life. They lack the belief in themselves that they too can do what ever they want, be successful and unapologetic with their decisions.

If normal is living a life with an imposed ceiling limiting your own capabilities, dreams and aspirations and you have acquaintances and even friends and family telling you to fall in line and "just be normal" then you have to ask yourself if normal is the life you want.

Branch Warren - Normal Is The Last Thing I Want To Be

Johnnie Jackson has made a career of being the hardest worker in the room with him and Branch Warren constantly trying to crush each other in the gym and on stage.

The physique produced from Johnnie's training background and style made him standout among the best and most powerful in the world.

Now Johnnie is leaving the competitive stage after an extensive professional career with 14 Mr. Olympia appearances and 7 professional victories.

Johnnie has partnered with Rob Impastato and Esther Chow from Big Tex Gym and GASP to create the NPLC to bring a new generation of lifters and goal oriented fans of the iron the best quality competitive experience and direction possible.

Stay tuned for 2021. This is a company made by athletes for the athletes!

Johnnie Jackson - Nothing Is Stopping Me

What does it take to really change your life?

You are going full blast in one direction for years. Heaving around an extra 200+ pounds with the low energy levels that go with that is not really a new burden, its your normal day in and out. All of a sudden you hault, do a complete 180 degree turn and go the other way...

Jake Brucker weighed 420 lbs and was at a birthday party with his 2 boys. The time came to have a race with his kids as part of the celebration festivities and he couldn't physically do it.

This was the turning point for Jake and the catalyst to search out the support he needed to compliment his new purpose of setting a new positive example for his boys and new lease on life for himself.

Jake found the GASP community groups and the NO EXCUSES mentality that we are all about and dove head first in. Since then his new purpose turned into a passion NOT only for himself but for others on a similar and newly found purpose driven path.

Jake has since been instrumental in facilitating and welcoming new members to this NO COMPROMISE environment that is the GASP community groups.

During Jake's last visit to the GASP and Better Bodies HQ at Destination he shed some light on more than a few stories he has encountered through the groups and provided some great feedback for us.

Here he links up with the team for meetings and dinner and finally a leg training session with non other than Guy Cisternino.

Jake Brucker is the real deal when it comes to life changing stories and someone who pays it forward!

Life Changer - Jake Brucker Trains with Guy Cisternino

All of the above mentioned is useless if you don't believe in your gut that its possible.

Shaun Clarida, by "normal" standards should never have won the 212 Olympia title.

For doubters, naysayers and skeptics Shaun is without a doubt too small to even dream of going pro, winning pro contests, qualifying for the Olympia or WINNING the Olympia.

Somewhere along the way in development, some people get tricked into conforming, giving the bare minimum and striving for mediocrity. They adopt external negativity until it becomes a part of them and then settle.

Shaun Clarida has never adopted this mindset.

We are super stoked that Shaun truly earned this victory and maintains his humble and even underdog mentality.

16 Years of Consistency - Shaun Clarida

Shaun Clarida is in Texas at the GASP and Better Bodies HQ to kick off a celebratory week with the team which will culminate on Friday with a huge celebration with his fiancé, coach Matt and the entire GASP and destination crew.

We hit the ground running with meeting up with the inner team for product feedback on new designs for fit feel and functionality critiques.

Shaun is still in rebound and recovery mode from his arduous prep to win the 212 Mr. Olympia but blasted through his chest and triceps session. He takes us through his training and methodology that is programmed by John Meadows and tells us some of his early triggers that made him so driven and immune to negativity.