Training

More in Training

When you train legs like these guys, a proper top set to FAILURE can be dangerous. The constant quest for the "novel stimulus" has Hunter Labrada, Brett Wilkin, Bryan Troianello and Martin Fitzwater pushing some crazy poundage and ALWAYS trying to beat the log book.

Hunter Labrada talking about the leg development and work capacity of this leg day crew.

Needless to say it is leg day during the meat head summer camp part 2. Bryan Troianello drove up especially to partake in leg day with Martin and Brett and Hunter. Joined by Ben Chow who is about 2 weeks out in this video from competing they really push their compound movements to the max with all of them nearly passing out, losing their balance or nearly getting injured.

At this point Hunter Labrada is 8-9 weeks out from his Olympia debut and looking to improve on his already world class leg development. Check out the workout set for set and let us know if we need to link up with this crew (Colorado X Texas) again before the Mr. Olympia.

Getting Buried - Ultimate Leg Day 

The Mr. Olympia prep has started and we are kicking off with "Meathead Summercamp" as Hunter Labrada describes it.

Bryan Troianello, Hunter Labrada, Liv Roth, Ben Chow, Luke Carrol and Justin Makki AND Olivia Gravengaard all hit up Destination together and train. In this rotation we have Ben, Bryan, Hunter and Liv doing the push workout.

We are still in the eating phase and not particularly cutting so strength is going up as well as body weight for Hunter. Ben is about 3 weeks out from his contest the NPC Texas state Championships on October 3rd so he's in full shred mode.

_"The one thing we all have in common is that we are serious about this. That is our common ground and how we all bond so easily."

Check this full training feature out. The full video is the first time we get Bryan and hunter again since the epic Tampa week. Stay tuned because its non stop from here to December.

Olympia Bound - "Meathead Summercamp"

_"It's everything I love about leg day. Heavy weights. Sets that really test your mental toughness. And great friends and bodybuilders."

Hunter Labrada is 15 weeks out from the 2020 Mr. Olympia and crushing leg day to beat what he brought to Tampa to win his pro debut. Now he is winning the next 120 days until his Olympia debut.

In this leg session he is joined by Ben Chow and Luke Carrol who are both brutally strong and love a legit painful leg day.

Hunter spells out in detail not only the exercises and execution but also the mental trip it is to take sets where they need to go to progress and WIN THE DAY. Admittedly top sets are like a drug and "free therapy" for Hunter.

Olympia Bound Leg Day - Hunter Labrada

Jon Irizarry needs to nail 440lbs for 2 paused reps immediately followed by 10 sets of 375lbs x 3 paused reps superset with seal rows with a second contraction x 6 reps. Followed by dead bench at 405lbs, weighted dips at 110lbs, floor dumbbell flys and floor dumbbell extensions.

Key takeaways here are the intention Jon is learning through Josh along with the very specific plan and lifts to compliment the end goal of destroying 500lb and moving as far past 500lb as possible.

Big Bench Program - Episode 4 Third Workout

In a year like 2020, if you were lucky enough to have a gym to train at it probably helped you cope with a lot of what is going on. Many people had to make do with their own make shift gyms, bodyweight training or get caught up on some out door cardio. Nevertheless the training and physical activity is what helped and continues to help people keep balance with emotions and impulses from anything going on in the world.

Johnnie Jackson is "getting a late start" but is preparing to compete in the Chicago pro which is now hosted in Atlanta, Georgia.

_"I hesitated there a minute because if the contest was in Chicago I would've had to quarantine for 2 weeks before competing. I am a little bit behind because of hesitating but I do well under pressure."

Also part of the stressful year is the number of NPC regional and NPC national qualifiers that got either postponed or right out canceled. The GASP Supershow and Branch Warren Classic had to change locations from Houston to Fort Worth, Texas HOWEVER it is going down for damn sure.

_"This will be our 13th annual Branch Warren Classic. It will be a bit downsized from years past. We don't have 9 different events but WE WILL HAVE the event. As an athlete you need these events. If you don't have the events, you don't have a sport."

This year at the GASP Supershow Branch Warren Classic we will be offering all overall winners a full photo and video shoot with the GASP and Better Bodies team and crew which is a he opportunity to get on a global platform and still own 2020!

Train Insane - Branch Warren and Johnnie Jackson

"If you're not going to train to win you might as well not even show up."

Hunter punched his ticket to the super bowl of bodybuilding aka the Mr. Olympia by winning his pro debut. NOW WHAT? It is win the day all over again. Do the necessary with food and scaling back training until his strength is back to normal levels. Eat accordingly with re setting his metabolism as much as possible and do the necessary for mental health. No one take into account the strain the mind goes through going 100 miles an hour on a legit NO COMPROMISES prep.

_"I feel like I could be somewhat normal and hangout with friends for a change and not feel pressured."

That being said Hunter is prepared to bring an improved package to his Olympia debut. This workout is with the new 212 phenom Keone Pearson who has his competitive sights set on the Chicago pro.

More to come from both Hunter Labrada and Keone Pearson in Destination LIVE!

Train to WIN - Hunter Labrada and Keone Pearson

We had a huuuuuuge gun show crew at destination. Guy Cisternino, Hunter Labrada, Bryan Troianello and Jonathan Irizarry all linked up to take Guy to school on the HIT way of training arms.

Guy's and Jeremy Potvin's chest training video

, Guy explains that he is implementing some John Meadows mountain dog style training with warm up sets leading to al all-out top set to true mechanical failure.

This has been Hunter's and Bryan's style of training for years so they give Guy their cues for these particular sets of exercises including the preacher one arm dumbbell curl, cable push downs, seated curls and more pushdowns. Hunter and Bryan intentionally don't do compound movements on their arm day because of the intensity they put into their chest day which includes very heavy dips.

Joining this crew was Jonathan Irizarry who is at the tail end of his bench press program with world renowned strength coach Josh Bryant. Jon's own arms stretch the tape at around 22'' and are definitely a key component in what will smash his own PR for bench press. Stay tuned for the final episodes and the full bench program from Josh and Jon.

At this point Guy Cisternino and Hunter are about 10 weeks out from the Olympia and at the posting of this video we are 7 weeks out.

Follow along as Destination relocates to Las Vegas for a full IRON WORLD TOUR taking over Vegas gyms, the desert, the strip, and the Olympia!

Mr. Olympia - Armed & Ready

Courage Opara and Bernardo Costa are preparing for the Battle of Texas this December along with what seems to be EVERY other classic physique pro in the world.

Freddy Naidu and Sheilahe Brown have made a stellar reputation for the Battle of Texas being an amazing competitor experience along with world classic stage production and the feeling of an actual rock concert and bodybuilding combined.

Now with the way 2020 has been and given the contest's reputation, everyone is looking to show up and try to earn a 2021 Olympia qualification here.

This list includes top tier pro Courage Opara and rookie pro Bernardo Costa. Bernardo is making his pro debut here in about a month and they both discuss pro debuts and the ups and downs (both physically and mentally) of going pedal to the metal getting pro level shredded.

Separate Yourself - Classic Physique Pro's Speak

It is no secret that Johnnie Jackson gets a lot of comments on his explosive tempo and range of motion. Say no more...

Segue to the point of this description of him training back and having one of the most complete and freaky developed backs in history: the training principle of individual differences.

What does individual differences mean? The simplest definition is that we are all unique. Our past experiences (Johnnie began weight training at a very young age with his brother, has a military background and over 25 years training at the Original Metroflex Gym) our genetic composition, current physical condition, injuries etc. all play a role in our response to any training modality/exercise including tempo and range of motion.

Point being and as the title suggests, you're not Johnnie Jackson so most likely will not respond to his routine, exercise selection and execution how he does.

If you have aspirations for anything more than being a recreational lifter you absolutely will have to be proactive in finding what works best for you. You can flatten this curve by working with qualified coaches and trainers.

This video was recorded a few days after Johnnie competed in the Chicago pro. He had his trade mark conditioning which was evident in his back, delts and traps giving his trademark freakiness. Check it all out. It is raw and rep for rep.

The Principle of Individual Differences is a principle that states that, because everyone is unique, each person experiences a different response to an exercise program. Some of these differences may be related to body size and shape, genetics, past experience, chronic conditions, injuries and gender.https://gaspofficial.com

You Are Not Johnnie Jackson - Principle of Individual Differences

We are still in Dubai with Joe Mackey and Larry Wheels. On the agenda and program today for Joe is a max lift of 835. Joe is preparing for the meet back in Dallas on December 5th and has been programming his deadlift training with Josh Bryant.

Right now Mackey is smack dab in the middle of his offseason where he is incorporating powerlifting training to add the needed size and strength to ultimately own the IFBB stage in 2021.

"A man's character is not defined by the good times, but by how he responds to failures."

Ultimately Joe missed this 835 lift BUT learned several valuable lessons when it came to:

Stay tuned for more from Dubai and Joe Mackey's meet this December at the Battle of Texas.

Deadlifting with Larry Wheels - Joe Mackey 835lb Attempt

Hunter Labrada is joined by Ben Chow and Liv Rothenberg for this hamstring focused leg day.

By the time of this posting the news has dropped that the Mr. Olympia has moved to Orlando, Florida. Everyone has to qualify in some shape or form. Every one is a pro and every one has won a professional competition to qualify for it. This year has been filled with ups and downs and a lot of uncertainty when it came to gym shutdowns and capacity limitations that lead to contests being canceled.

Florida WILL host the contest and it is the first time in 20 years that the contest has not been held in Las Vegas.

Hunter has always had a super strong set of quadriceps when it comes to development and has been hammering his hamstrings to win his pro debut and improve them even more now for his Olympia debut.

Check out all the top sets and the effort it takes to force the body to respond at this level of bodybuilding.

Subscribe to the GASP channel. The content is revving up going into the last quarter of 2020.

Hunter Labrada's Mr. Olympia Debut - Hamstrings with Ben Chow and Liv Roth

Leg day has always been and will always be the filter of those that say they want it and those that ACTUALLY want it.

Classic physique sensation turned 212 prodigy Keone Pearson qualified for the 2020 Olympia by winning his 212 debut at the Chicago pro. Here he links up with NEW figure pro Samantha Jerring who just arrived from Sweden and is 2.5 weeks out from her own Olympia debut.

Samantha's approach to training is very much with an affinity for the pain and work and love of the process.

"I dont back off. This is what got me here so we go hard all the way to show day."

Keone and Samantha both have an ultra intense and a bit "crazy" approach to training. In this video they warm up with extensions and hit the compound movements ie hack squat and leg presses with full force and go to failure on their top two sets.

Both Keone and Samantha will be in Orlando during the Iron World Tour and Olympia weekend making appearances at Kissimmee Muscle gym and Rival Athletics for training and the team meet ups.