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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.

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

**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!

More in Real and Raw

**We are in Tampa, FL home of top 212 Olympia contender Derek Lunsford. Winning the champion title used to be the "end all be all" and chief aim for Derek. Today his focus, attention to detail, and drive is to carry himself as a champion even before possibly earning the title. Simply due to the fact that you have to act like a champion to truly become one.

"I'm always striving to exceed my personal "best" to positively impact my surroundings. This together with my ambitions of actually being on a platform to impact as many people as possible, makes the goal of obtaining the 212 Olympia title a bigger mission than just the title in itself. Knowing that I put more pressure on myself for a bigger “WHY” makes me work much harder to be a champion in all aspects. It makes my pursuit of being a 212 Olympia champion even more of a relentless quest and fulfilling goal."

Derek’s training philosophy is very similar to how he approaches life in general - with a diverse appetite and an open mind.

You'll grow the most by learning from various philosophies and successful people. You can take the best pieces and add it to your “experience” bank that accumulates over time. At the same time you need to know what tools to use at the right time and there is always a time and place for everything. In the end, what matters is the total knowledge and there is no single way or road that is better or more complete than another. This is the same regardless if you're talking about training, or life in general.

Act Like A Champion

More in Iron World Tour

**We set down in New York and meet up with the entire crew at the 9.11 Memorial and pay our respects. Although the scene was filled with hundreds of spectators Derek Lunsford noted that the energy was calm and serene.

After seeing a few more sights in the area we decide it’s time to make the trek to Long Island and the East Coast Mecca - Bev Francis Powerhouse Gym. Being such a densely populated city in takes us well over an hour and a half to arrive.

At Bev Francis Powerhouse Gym we catch up with the crew including Guy Cisternino, Derek Lunsford, Vlad Petric, Shaun Clarida, and Chris Pantano. Steve Weinberger and Bev Francis are also present so Michael Johansson gets some insight from both of them to their mission and vision of creating the East Coast Mecca.

“One thing that transfers outside of this gym are the lessons of hard work and respect. You've got to respect people, your environment, and always put in the work.” - Steve Weinberger

On the training side of things, the camaraderie and energy between the guys was nothing short of awesome and competitive. Derek, Vlad and Chris trained chest. Guy, Sean, and Moe trained legs.

The East Coast Mecca

**_“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

We woke up with the Big Apple on the backdrop. After taking a moment to soak up the views we headed for breakfast and a catch up with Better Bodies founder Brian Moss. It's always a pleasure to catch up with a person who had visions 40 years ago that are still highly relevant in today's society. To listen and learn from today’s discussions with Brian is a definitive guide to a successful understanding of the future.

Respect in the iron sport comes from equality in the lifestyle we live and that echoes well with the spirit within GASP and ideas around a new segment of products could just have been born from this discussion...

One more gym visit was on the agenda as we took the trip to Iron Culture Gym. This gym have just opened its doors and the owners Arthur, Charlie, and Sergio went all in to create their dream gym, Iron Culture.

This gym is quickly becoming a destination for those who want an old school type of gym with loud music. The owners also prefer it clean and nice and an important part of their concept is that hardcore don’t need to mean dirty… Hardcore can be clean and efficient.

Leaving The Big Apple

More in Events

The 2019 GASP Super Show Expo & NPC Branch Warren Classic July 6th is an event you don’t want to miss! This super show has grown to be one of the largest NPC events in the U.S. and it is now being arranged for the 13th time.

As you may know,  Branch Warren is known for his work ethic in the bodybuilding world, and he has also transferred this same mentality into building a world class event located at the beautiful NRG Center in Houston, TX.

This year is no exception, Branch and his team expect a large NPC turnout with over 400 athletes in their respective divisions, along with a very large jujitsu completion, a strongman competition, a rep challenge, arm wrestling, the USA Powerlifting Championships, and vendors.

 for more information. And watch the video from last years show for some more insight and inspiration.

GASP Super Show & Expo / NPC Branch Warren Classic

The NPC Johnnie O. Jackson Classic started out as just a dream and then a wish, and 5 years later a reality for the Pro Bodybuilder.

The show was established in 2014, and at that time it was not a National qualifying show. Johnnie was told he would have to earn the right to have a National qualifying show. He looked for a venue and found the Will Rodgers Auditorium to be the best place to establish the show. GASP soon after jumped on board to support him, and we still continue to support the show.

Already at year 2, the NPC Johnnie O. Jackson Classic was accepted as a National qualifying show. Johnnie also added other events like Powerlifting, strongman etc. to the event to make it into an interesting expo.

As he is turning the corner on the 5th year of the JOJ Classic, Johnnie says he is excited about the direction the show is headed.

“I’m looking forward to the upcoming year, and what I have in store for all the returning and new athletes.”

Mark your calendar for August 24th, 2019 if you want to take part in the 5th Johnnie O. Jackson Classic. Click 

NPC Johnnie O. Jackson Classic

Yang Liu was born in 1986 in the city of Ningbo of Zhejiang Province (East) in China.

For more than a decade he has been into weight training and a big fan of GASP. This led him to ...destination Dallas where he met with our CEO, Michael Johansson. Later on, Michael also went to China to visit Yang Liu in his home country.

Yang Liu is now working as a part of the team, helping us stay connected with the dedicated GASP community in China. Join us as we get to know him a little better.

**Where does your passion for bodybuilding come from in the first place?

**My passion for bodybuilding and weight training began with my father. When I was around 10 years old, I noticed that my father was doing exercises with dumbbells at home, like biceps curls and lateral shoulders raises, and he was doing a lot of push-ups. He told me since day one that a real man has to have a strong physique to overcome obstacles in every aspect of life. So that’s where my passion rooted.

**How many years have you been training and how do you train?

**I have been training for 15 years. I have never had any coach, I learned everything I know about weight training from magazines like 

 by Arnold himself. Like most guys out there, I began with pure bodybuilding training, like 4-5 exercises for each body part, 3-4 sets and 8-15 reps each exercise. After years of training like that, especially addicted to those pictures and articles of Branch Warren and Johnnie Jackson in 

, I fell in love with heavy training, I found my niche.

**So are you now a competitive athlete and professional?

**No, not really. After graduating from college, I became a diplomat. I speak French and English. I have worked in both Europe and Africa. I am now a journalist. Work is work, but weight training for me, that’s my calling. The relentless way of training, that’s what I am supposed to do my whole life, and that’s where I found myself in GASP.

"You don’t have to be a professional athlete to be relentless, you earn your right to keep killing it day in day out by hard work. I work hard and play hard, with no compromise."

**Oh man, GASP is a way of life. GASP means every dream could come true, if you work your ass off and like you really mean it. So many people talk about their dreams, but only a few realize what they are really talking about. 10 years after falling in love with the GASP way of life, I am now a part of the team.

From Ningbo to Dallas – Yang Liu

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

“It doesn’t matter what religion you belong to, or what believe system you have. The purpose is to be a good human and to make a positive difference to the lives of the people around you.”

 set out on a solid and intense 15 day tour across 5 cities in India. The tour has been coordinated by 

 a very avid and active health and fitness enthusiast, philanthropist, educator and entrepreneur in India. Jag along with Branch Warren, Indian bodybuilding icon 

 set out for the huge mission of spreading education of health, fitness, nutrition, and supplementation across 5 cities of India including: Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Raipur and Bengaluru.

The attention and recognition that world class bodybuilders like Branch and Sangram get in India is magnified several times compared to the United States. Add to that the appreciation for the educational seminars and you get a give back energy of epic proportions.

“The Indian people have given me a very warm welcome to their country.  I have been to Delhi, Jalandhar, Mumbai so far with several more cities left to visit. The best part of what I do is getting to travel the world and experiencing different cultures.” -

One of the stops in India was at the Unique Home for Girls Orphanage in

Jalandhar where young orphan girls ranging in age from 4 days to 19 years live (Source SikhiWiki). They are being cared for by Bibi Prakash Kaur, who was herself left on the streets as a baby 60 years ago.

Jag mentions that this place stays with the girls until they are able to get jobs and support themselves. Some of the girls have been able to make it to Cambridge and Oxford in the UK and another is a police chief today.

Branch Warren – Giving Back in India

"The best efforts come form when you are well rested and mentally primed to GO!"

Josh Bryant here with Johnnie Jackson one week out from the Europa Games where Johnnie will attempt a world record in his age 48 and weight category 242lb.

Here they explain the physiological and mental importance of the deload phase of training.