Training

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Adam Beveridge is a 24 years old bodybuilder from Canada. Join us as we get to know him a little better.

I started off playing competitive soccer at a real young age until I was 16 and moved onto football. I was extremely lean but I wanted to be a linebacker, so adding muscle to my lanky frame became priority. Not long after I started lifting at 16, I discovered bodybuilding.

**What sparked your interest for bodybuilding?

**I was on the internet looking for new workout routines to follow and came across a video of Jay Cutler from the early 2000’s training with that white headband on. It was the first time I ever saw an Olympian bodybuilder, other than Arnold from a few movies. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and I had no idea that the human body could actually achieve that amount of muscularity and be so low in body fat. I began to research all about bodybuilding and nutrition every night I got home from school for hours, finding different articles and interviews from the top IFBB pros. It was mainly Jay and Dorian Yates’ old school training videos that sparked a lot of motivation within me.

**What aspects of training do you enjoy the most?

**Progressive overload and the pump. Since day one, I’ve always enjoyed going into the gym and beating my log book. Whether it’s increasing the load, time under tension or getting a few more reps. Becoming just a little bit better each week is something that has always motivated me and wanting more. Plus, nothing feels better than throwing so much blood into the muscle that it swells!

**What has been your most challenging workout ever?

**One that consisted of many giant sets. I remember working with a few trainers that followed a lot of methods from Charles Poliquin. At the time, I believe Ben Pakulski was working with him as well. It was a leg workout of course, that had 4 exercises back to back. No rest period other than a few deep breathes in between. Every exercise within the giant sets had extremely long tempo’s which made every rep hurt and feel as if it were 30 seconds long. The entire workout was 4 rounds of a giant set that included; Stiff Legged Dead’s, Leg Press, Barbell Back Squats, and Glute Ham Raises. The second giant set was another 4 rounds of Leg Extensions, Weighted Walking Lunges, and Hamstring Curls. I puked at the end and not mid workout thankfully.

**What are the most challenging things you face with training and competition prep?

**With training, I find the most challenging thing is dealing with minor injuries that come and staying on top of mobility, stretching and other habits that’ll aid in injury prevention and improve longevity. I always want to bring 110% intensity into the gym, but sometimes you have to know when to back off and avoid certain exercises when you have a severely tight muscle or tweaked something. So finding that perfect balance between being intense, and being smart. As for competition prep, I lose fat very easily, and can do so on high calories until the last 2-3 weeks out. Those last 2-3 weeks are still tiresome though. I’ve always found my off seasons to be more difficult than competition prep because I’ve never had a crazy appetite, and eating 5,000+ calories per day of good nutritious food is always a tough task for me.

**What are you working towards? Do you have a daily mental strategy to make sure you “win the day”?

**Currently I am working towards my IFBB Pro card for the Classic Physique division. I want to be a competitive pro in that category within the near future. My daily mental strategy is just pure gratitude. I feel very blessed to be so healthy and doing what I love on a daily basis. Those two things are so important.

**Is drive and self belief something you relate to?

**Since I was a kid, I’ve always set both long and short term goals for myself. I believe with doing that from a young age, it has instilled a lot of drive within me. I’ve always been working towards something.

**What advice would you give to younger people?

**My advice to anyone would be to try new things. Many of my hobbies have changed over the years as I’ve gotten older, but regardless of that my days have always consisted of them. Every day I am doing things that I enjoy and I surround myself with people who love and support me. If your day doesn’t consist of your hobbies and doing things you enjoy, change that. If your circle of friends don’t understand you or support you and your goals, change that.

Get To Know Adam Beveridge

We ask a few quick questions to Chinas Strongest Man Yue Yang AKA the Beast From the East to get to know him better.

What was the catalyst that turned you into strength training?

When I was 23 I saw the first strongman competition hosted in Hainan I was attracted to it and immediately wanted to compete!

Tell us about your training facility. Does it specialize in all facets of iron culture (powerlifting, strongman, bodybuilding)?

In the beginning we had to learn about strength and strongman on our own. We would download foreign competition videos and learn to lift from videos and do everything we saw in them.

To build our facility we had to visit an iron waste facility to find and pick out garbage. I was making about $740 a month and spent $590 making this equipment and ended up having thousands of dollars worth of equipment and making our training base.

What does the Beast have to eat on a daily basis?

In off season it is about 3 meals. If there is a competition then it is 4 meals and between 7,000 all the way up to sometimes 10,000 calories.

I want to host competitions and teach the younger generation and also pave the way for future strongmen.

If someone wants to be strong, what advice do you have for them?

Don't compare yourself to other people. Everyone has a different physique Everyone has a different metabolism.You always continuously improve and keep doing that!

Yue Yang – Chinas Strongest Man

Join us as we meet Riko Andrej Cetin, a competitive bodybuilder from Slovenia, and a true ambassador of #NOCOMPROMISES

**I don't have any specific athletic background but I liked to play sports like soccer and basketball, and I liked to run around like every kid does.

**What sparked your interest in training and bodybuilding?

**I was a chubby child. My love for sports couldn't match my poor eating habits so I always struggled with my weight. It wasn't until I started high school that I said to myself: "ENOUGH! I have to change my lifestyle or I will never be happy." So the first step was my diet and then came fitness.

The start of it (diet and fitness) were far from ideal but I perfected both with time. And when the first results came, I was hooked for life! Then I soon started to research the bodybuilding scene and it wasn't long before I discovered GASP and what it represents. When it comes to idols, I know it is a cliche, but I looked up to Arnold Schwarzenegger from watching the movies.

**Training itself is my stress relief and the gym is my temple. I enjoy to try different styles like HIIT, mountain dog, MI40, classic pyramid, double up, supersets, Milos Sarcev (giant sets), muscle roulette etc.

**What has been your most challenging workout?

**John Meadows aka Mountain Dog's LEG day and block system, where you train a muscle 3 times a week! Just imagine training legs 3 times a week and being on a contest prep diet! This is not for everyone that's for sure, but the results are out of this world and well worth it!

**I'm always looking for improvement, not just myself and my body but in other aspects of my life as well. Anything from family to my job and everything in between. This is what bodybuilding gives you: determination, dedication and endurance to get things DONE! Who could imagine that from following a diet and a daily training regimen for years could provide such great capabilities. This is also what GASP and the NO COMPROMISES attitude is all about. Be a BEAST inside the gym and outside as well!

**What is your best advice for goal setting?

**We all have bad days and situations that are difficult, when self believe is low and drive is down, but that is also the times when you have to push harder than ever - remember, the results are worth it! Strive to improve daily, adopt the lifestyle, be happy, make others around yourself better/happy, and create the life you deserve!

**How is the bodybuilding and fitness community in Slovenia?

**The bodybuilding scene is nowhere near the way it is in the US but is improving daily. I'm doing my part and spreading the iron and no compromise lifestyle for others to try and improve their lives as best as I can. Together we are stronger!

Riko Cetin – From Mindset To Motivation

When our Chief Sales Officer Mikael Söderlund and Key Account Manager Linnea Enstedt are out on the roads there's usually some serious action. This time St. Petersburg was the destination. The mission was to meet with the GASP business partner Fitnessdesign.ru and to tap in with the GASP community in Russia.

Although Linnea and Mikael were busy in business meetings, they made it a priority as always to meet with the GASP community. Among the people they met was Sergey Kulaev. Sergey is a pro bodybuilder currently preparing for a competition in the US in the hunt for a spot at The Mr. Olympia this fall. He took some time out of a busy schedule to work out and leave some feedback feedback around the brand.

“Our business partner Fitnessdesign already cover 83% of Russia, where GASP is available in 86 cities. This is of course a great impact but with an increased integration into the community the possibilities are endless, this was our main focus for the trip.”

§“Meeting the community on a mutual ground like the gym is a great way to get a genuine feel of the brand awareness and general impact in the area. I've been working with the brands since 2005 and getting feedback from our community IRL is so rewarding. We are our community and it all started in the gym."

Hello St. Petersburg!

**_“Meeting successful people all day today and discovering their driving forces and motivation was a big reinforcement to our own "why".” -_Michael Johansson

We set out to New Jersey to meet up with Vlad Petric, Derek Lunsford and Michael Johansson at Brownstone Pancake Factory in Inglewood New Jersey. It is a very popular (especially among the fitness community), friendly and needless to say packed local eatery with a very passionate creator who is taking his second generation family legacy to the next level. “You can’t cut corners” and “Learn to enjoy the process” were two major components of our discussions with Bobby the owner of Brownstone Pancake Factory.

Bobby being a fitness fanatic himself talked in length about the importance of having a tight team of coworkers that also shares the vision to be a vital part of delivering high quality “over the top” products, and never cut corners on that mission.

As you walk into the kitchen the headline “Magicians at work” illustrates Bobby’s attention to details and he relates that to how he sees his more extreme friends who are pursuing their bodybuilding careers on a world class level.

It was consensus among our group that the food was amazing the service was likewise amazing.

Fueled up and ready to go we hit up the one and only Apollon Gym in Edison, New Jersey. Rob Samborsky The owner of Apollon have mastered the hardcore atmosphere and emphasize the importance of keeping his gym old school. He swears that staying true to the concept of working hard with everyone in his team being on-board on the mission to never cut corners, is his road to success.

To cap off the end of the day we headed out to none other than Guy Cisternino parents house. Here we were welcomed with very open and hospitable arms and had an abundant of delicious Italian style re-feed food.

The day was nothing short of completely epic and Vlad concludes the day very good with his own words that sums up the journey and meeting amazing people: 

“There are specific elements to reaching a certain level of success in any chosen craft and you can’t compromise on anything that steers you from that main objective.”

You can’t cut corners

Jason Hebert was born in Biloxi, MS and grew up doing martial arts, playing soccer, and running. Now he is a 212 IFBB Pro preparing for his pro debut in parallel with Air Force deployment.

**What sparked your interest in bodybuilding and weightlifting?

**I had played around with weight training since I was barely a teenager with some dumbbells at home into my senior year in high school (2007), but I really had no idea what I was doing. I started learning a lot more when I was active duty Marine Corps watching and asking the bigger guys questions about it.

I just wanted to be big because I was always the small skinny guy. I didn’t take interest in competing until a couple of years after my active duty enlistment. I had built a decent physique and had numerous people asking me if I competed and if I haven’t that I should.

I won the overall in my very first show in 2014 and was hooked ever since. I absolutely loved training, and since I seemed to be decent at competing, I wanted to see how far I could go ultimately earning my professional status at the North American Championships in 2018.

**What is your philosophy behind strength training and building muscle?

**I believe nothing compares to hard heavy training taking each set to absolute failure. Get yourself into the gym, hit the muscle hard and heavy, and get out of there.

I do incorporate higher volume occasionally and believe it has its place, but as far as optimally building as much muscle as possible, you just can’t do that with lighter weights in my opinion.

I see so many people spending hours in the gym every single day thinking “If I do more I’ll grow more” and that’s just not the case. You grow outside the gym through rest and your nutrition, allowing the body to repair the damaged muscle tissue you just broke down. If you’re not giving your body enough rest, you won’t grow to your full potential.

**What are your goals and what is next for you?

**2019 is definitely going to be used as a year for progression. Originally the plan was to compete in the 212 Tampa Pro this year for my debut, but I’ll be deploying with the Air Force during that time.

I’m definitely looking into the Tampa Pro 2020, but AJ (Cement Factory) and I will see where things are at that time before any final decisions are made.

**Did being in the Marine Corps affect how you approach training?

**I was already disciplined before growing up under my parents guidance, but being an active duty Marine took it to a whole different level. I definitely contribute my work ethic and discipline to both my upbringing and the Marines and i transferred that to not only bodybuilding, but everything in life.

I always have and always will strive to be the best at anything I do and will not stop until I achieve whatever goals I set out to accomplish.

**The American Bully, where did that nickname come from?

**Back in 2016, before I won the Mr. Mississippi title, I had acquired a local supplement store sponsor that suggested I come up with a “nickname” so they could embroider it on a track suit to support the brand.

Usually those things are given to you by someone else so I didn’t really look into it. One day while training, my workout partner at the time mentioned that I remind them of a pit bull or American Bully with how intense I am when I train, never quit mentality, and even looked similar to one with my stocky structure. It just kind of stuck from there on.

Jason Hebert – The American Bully

Blair Mone is an IFBB Pro Bodybuilder. Together with IFBB Pro Legend and 1995 Arnold Classic Champion Mike Francois he runs the Podcast Old Skool Muscle where they discuss all things related to Bodybuilding.

We ask Blair some questions to get to know him better.

Where were you born and where do you live now?

I was born in Springfield MA but grew up in Manchester Vermont. I’ve lived in few places; Syracuse NY,  Walnut Creek CA and Louisville KY. I currently live in Dayton OH.

**I’ve played sports all of my life. When I was younger, baseball was the sport I was most involved with. As I got into high school I was also a wrestler and Ice Hockey Player. I began training with weights at the age of 12 so I could be as big and strong as my three older brothers. Then to be better in all the sports I was involved with. I was also a huge fan of Arnold and Stallone movies and wanted to look like them.

**I rented Pumping Iron at our local small town movie store and quickly became obsessed. In fact I never returned the movie and got in major trouble with my mother for the bill we got!

I didn’t have any interest in actually competing at that point but began learning about nutrition and training and soaking it all up to be the best I could be and to try and look like a bodybuilder.

I would go to the store or book store in town and read the bodybuilding magazines but didn’t buy them because we didn’t have the money to. So I would try and read and put them back on the shelf before the clerks would see me.

My freshman year of college is when I started to want to actually compete. It wasn’t until my sophomore year at Springfield college in Massachusetts when I met John Cena (who was a senior at the time) that I actually did a competition. John had competed before and took time out of his busy schedule to help me get ready for the show. I did my first show at 19 years old and won the Teen Overall and took 2nd in the Men’s Open Heavyweight division. At that point I was completely convinced that I loved bodybuilding and it was what I wanted to do!

**I got my Pro card at the 2015 NPC USA’s where I won the Super Heavyweight division.

**How is competing affecting the rest of your life?

**I have to use an old Arnold Quote for this one. That is “

If one takes the discipline it takes to compete and applies it to every area of your life you will be successful!”

  Not that I’m perfect at this but this is very true. Bodybuilding is about setting a plan and a goal and then executing that plan day in and day out without question or hesitation. Letting nothing stand in the way of it.....no excuses, and realizing it’s all on you. You can't blame anyone else for not being successful in reaching your goals. If you apply that to relationships, business or any part of your life than you will be successful in that part of your life.

I train at the Powerstation Gym in Middletown OH. It is an awesome place. Old school hard core gym with any and all the equipment that one could ever ask for. It’s an environment that breeds great athletes. Pro fighters, powerlifters, IFBB Athletes, division 1 college athletes, and much more.

Everyone there is like a family. It is run and owned by a 2 tour Vietnam Marine who also served 30 plus years as a State Trooper, Mike Ferguson! It’s a no BS place and if you don’t want to walk in and get after it there, you won’t want to anywhere!

**Currently am planning on competing at the Chicago Pro here in July.  My wife and I are due to have our son any day now as well. So it will be a busy and exciting time!

Blair Mone – Executing The Plan

Guy Cisternino is making his comeback in Chicago July 6th. He went through a few very tough times that many claimed as the end of his competitive career but mentally Guy never had a doubt of his capabilities and a better than ever comeback after a forced hiatus from the super heavy and intense training.

 When you were at your lowest bodyweight post surgery and still physically marked up from the internal skin burns, did you think you were done and a comeback was not possible?

 Mentally, I never had a doubt. Obviously in the physical aspect it is hard to out run time and for your body to have the same response to training, diet etc but, I was definitely going to do EVERYTHING possible to comeback at my best!

Jay Cutler and Branch Warren said it best. They basically said that I needed the double shoulder surgery just to have a forced break. I have never had more than a couple of days off then I was back at training just for the fact that I love it so much.

After the long lay off from training, of course my weight went way down because I was eating 1 to 2 meals a day. Almost immediately after returning to training I gained about 20lbs.

"Everyone is always asking what the best supplement is and I keep saying FOOD is the most anabolic substance."

 You're back to pressing and squatting heavy as ever. How does your body feel using this sort of poundage now?

 I am able to handle roughly the same weights as before the shoulder surgeries. I had to stop worrying about the weight being heavy and possibly not good for my shoulders after everything I put them through. My body got to where it was by lifting heavy so I needed to get my foundation back. 

 How are your nerves with the comeback approaching in Chicago?

 I am very excited to step onstage again. However when you and next to other competitors you see the real deal. Aceto says, according to my progress pictures that I send him that my physique looks insane.

"You need to be in a straight jacket." Chris Aceto

 You have been through a lot physically and over a lot of mental hurdles as an athlete and pro bodybuilder where critics are abundant. Do you have anything to say for people facing some of the same hurdles?

 We all have the same 24 hours in a day. Do what ever it takes to be better when you wake up tomorrow. Keep getting better. No fucking compromises!

Guy Cisternino - Through The Hard Times

We catch up with Canadian Pro Bodybuilder Fouad Abiad. Fouad lives and breathes hardcore and he does everything with full dedication and focus. True #NoCompromise spirit.

 Your signature on your website is fouadabiad.com is "Sacrifice without regret." Can you give us the story behind this?

 A friend of mine who actually got me into bodybuilding decided to quit bodybuilding after a few years. That got me to thinking that a lot of people get into the sport and spend a lot of money on competing, and time away from friends and social events and then end up looking back on bodybuilding with regret.

My approach will always be that I will sacrifice the money, the time away from parties, vacations and training how I need to train and won't have regrets because I am doing what I love.

If someone is doing bodybuilding to try to get famous or make money as the end goal then if they dont "make it" they will definitely have regrets.

 You have been known to have lifted some crazy weights and have brutal workouts. Would you have been able to build the physique you have without that as a foundation?

 If I post a video of me squatting 5 plates it'll get 10,000 views on Instagram and if I post some extravagant movement for arm training it'll get 200,000 views and people will think that this is how I must've built my physique.

 The body and most of the best physiques in the world are built usually with heavy basic compound lifts. Period. The boring stuff that hurts is the stuff that works. The fancy super-set that I finish my leg training with is what gets people thinking I built my leg mass with NO, NO, NO. It is the 14 plate leg presses.

Innovation is important with a lot of things in life BUT for bodybuilding, mastering and loading up on the basics with intensity is key. I want to get the point across that bodybuilding is painful. I feel like a lot of people don't want to get to that place of pain.

 How long have you promoted the Fouad Abiad Championships and why did you want to promote competitions?

 I've been promoting my contest for 9 years now. Just like bodybuilding it is more of a passion project. I will make money where I need to but I want to again, sacrifice without regret. I want to promote a contest that shines a great light on bodybuilding. From venue, to lights, to taking care of the competitors and having the bells and whistles that make a great event, that all goes into making the participants feel great and also makes the parents and friends of the competitors proud of the accomplishments of whoever is competing.

Together with partner Paul Lauzon, it's not about making money. It's about putting out a product we are proud of and shedding a great light on what bodybuilding means to us.

 How is your training after your triceps injury?

 I am currently rehabbing the tricep and I am training everything else. More of training around the tricep without pressing. Isolation movements and then of course I am able to train legs and do cardio. People ask me why I do cardio and it is an easy response. I LOVE THIS.

I am hoping to be back in competition in late November but if the doesn't happen then late winter next year to try and qualify for the Olympia 2020. Regardless of what happens I will enjoy the process and sacrifice without regret!

Fouad Abiad - Sacrifice Without Regrets

Ron Partlow has been a hardcore bodybuilder at heart for over 30 years. Heart is what it takes to keep grinding it out after 10 runner ups at pro qualifiers through his competitive days as an amateur bodybuilder. Ron is, through his own in the trenches experiences, consistency, and how he holds this sport to a higher standard, the epitome of what makes bodybuilding great.

 Mutant on a Mission is in its 5th season now. Where did the idea come from for this show?

 I was in LA with Rich Piana watching No Borders with Anthony Bordain (a food focused reality show that highlights, food, people and culture). I said, holy shit; We already visit all the best gyms in the world. Why don't we do the same thing but with gyms and all the gym culture in different parts of the world.

6 months after having this epiphany we went to Bodypower in the UK. We started the series with Dino's gym. You will never meet anyone like Dino, he is literally the NICEST guy you could meet. Upon arrival to kick start this whole Mutant on a Mission episode 1, Dino's has techno music playing. Dino himself comes and gives me a big hug and then turns to his son and says (in classy proper english tone), "Ron is here," then immediately proceeds to switch the music to AC/DC.

The general format of the show is to tour the gym with the gym owner. Some gyms have a better story/history than equipment. Some have crazy awesome equipment, story AND atmosphere.' Dino definitely had all the above given the fact that his passion heavily complimented the gym's story having sold his house and slept on the floor for a while to be able to open the place.

**GASP:**How has the show and producing it evolved?

 Before, we really had to sell the idea to get the owners to participate. Now gyms message me. I guess now I feel like I am not alone in my passion to see awesome gyms!

Some guys dont have an emotional connection to their home gym, but I always connected the gym that I personally train at with being my "HOME." People who really love their gym I feel have something in common with me.

Now I am a gym owner (West Coast Iron) so I take it even more personal. I joke with my partners saying, "I want someone to move, just uproot where they currently live and are established and move just to be able to train at my gym." We created a place where this has happened... several times over.

Big Ron Partlow

We meet up with IFBB Pro Brett Wilkin. Brett lives in Denver, Colorado where he runs a successful training business together with his wife.

**I was a 4 sport athlete in high school. I played college football in Iowa. I got my degree in science and physical education and graduated playing football.

I didn't want to play semi pro or arena football so I focused more on lifting and gaining strength and was lifting for fun. Then I met my wife (Ivana) when I was 25 and she basically taught me how to eat for bodybuilding. I was eating 3 meals a day and she directed me towards more hardcore and structured bodybuilding.

**Do you follow anyone's training philosophies?

**My wife and I are really good friends with John Meadows and I have built my own training philosophies from watching John Meadows and Flex Lewis.

**How did you decide to compete in a physique sport?

**For the first couple of years I didn't think about competing. I traveled with my wife and went to the Arnold and Olympia. Then we started getting more involved with clients and I started developing a better physique so I figured I would really turn it on and see what I could do.

**How was your first competition experience?

**I competed in Iowa and won everything. The judges recommended I'd go to Jr. Nationals as my second contest. I was really really close to turning Pro and that's when I realized I could be really really good at it.

**I went on to win the overall in 2018 at the Jr. Nationals and that's when Ivana started working with Dillon Armbrust for coaching. We went out there (Denver, CO) for 5 days and absolutely loved it. We actually loved Colorado so much and everything else involving Denver that we never looked back.

Not only are we really growing and taking advantage of the gym but also really soaking up and taking advantage of all the sights, environment and everything that Colorado has to offer.

**This last year is when I switched to bodybuilding I went from 190 to 240 lbs. I figured I would just to continue to develop and honor my physique. Now I am competing at 212 and I'm really growing into it. I am a little tall for the division (5'9") so I took a break from competing so that I can just go full blown into the open class.

Brett Wilkin – The Road to Pro Status

Adam Young is born and raised in Denver, Colorado went to the University of Alabama. After winning his first bodybuilding contest in 2013 he dived head first into maximizing his potential and won the 2017 North American Championships which earned him his pro card. Now he trains out of Armbrust gym in Denver, Colorado.

**What triggered your interest in athletics?

**I was a 3 sport athlete in Highschool but was always a huge gym rat. "I remember walking into the gym in the 7th grade and feeling at home. I was always good at strength training and bodybuilding and had a naturally muscular physique at a young age."

**How did you turn from team sports to bodybuilding?

**I was living the college lifestyle with drinking, partying and not eating so healthy. I moved back to Colorado and met up with Allen Watkins who was the first to say "you would be a great bodybuilder," which sparked the interest in competing.

From then I linked up with Dylan Armbrust at Armbrust gym and he taught me a lot! "Dylan is like a second dad, mentor and best friend. He would always tell me to take more time, to be patient and always preached consistency and hard work."

**What is in store now and for the future?

**Well I have competed in the pro 212 division. This year I looked my best ever at the Indy pro and placed 12th which was definitely a kick in the balls. So moving forward I'm going to do something different because I just had to suck down in bodyweight too much. This is too hard on my body when you are trying to look full and impressive as a bodybuilder. I will take the rest of the year off and grow into the open division and focus and grow business wise.