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Hunter Labrada came up to Dallas for a few days, and CEO Michael Johansson took him on a tour at our new facilities that soon will become our GASP Gym at Destination Phase 2. This is what Hunter thought:

"When Destination Phase 2 is done it is going to be one of the coolest gyms that I have ever been to. I know it's going to be one of the best gyms in the country. There will be a lot of equipment and I am really excited to see it all done. It's going to be fun to have this close enough to just drive up whenever I want. The ceilings! Everything about the space is perfect for a gym, and then having the office right there. It's going to be a very cool environment for the employees and the gym members." - Hunter Labrada

Hunter Labrada Visits Our New Destination Phase 2

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Our Throwback items are like many other of our products made to honor the golden era of hardcore training and its athletes. We started out with a T-shirt and now we have a full collection of Tees, Tanks, T-Backs, Hoodies, and Shorts.

When we first released a Throwback hoodie the response from our community was off the chain. We received a lot of feedback, both positive and some that we could use to improve to take it to the next level, so we started working on a new version.

When we develop GASP products, we do it together with our athletes living a true GASP lifestyle. After conversations with Branch Warren and Guy Cisternino we made some improvements like removing the drawstring from the hood.

 has gone through a washed treatment and edges has been left raw giving it a throwback look.

Throwback Zip Hoodie

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If you train inhibited you tarnish your results. If you train uninhibited you grow. That is exactly what Hunter Labrada is finally able to do since before winning the Junior USA in 2018 and making it through a painful prep for the NPC Nationals to turn pro November 2018.

"I am finally hitting full stride and in uncharted territory (in regards to size and training capacity)."

The New York Pro is the biggest and most prestigious, and on that note, the toughest Pro Show to win outside of the Arnold Classic and Olympia. Needless to say Hunter is making a ballsy goal for his Pro debut BUT given the fact that he can actually train the way he wants and ultimately needs to train, it looks like he is well on his way to a successful rookie competitive year!

Here Hunter drives up to Dallas Texas to link up with the GASP team and CEO for a couple days. Arms and hamstrings were on his training agenda.

Stay tuned to GASPOFFICIAL.COM for constant Hunter Labrada, training and event updates.

Hunter Labrada – Pro Debut Arm Training

Josh Bryant MS is the author of the ISSA's bodybuilding course and is the coach to the most over-600lb benchers in the world. He has been teaming up with Ed Brown for bodybuilding programming getting him back on stage in 2020 to re win his Pro card in the IFBB.

Here he goes rep for rep with Ed explaining every technique, rep range, exercise and tempo. Check it out, try it out and follow Official GASP for more world class training information!

Ed Brown – Leg Training with Josh Bryant

Branch Warren and Johnnie Jackson have set the standard for hard work and out-working everyone. Here is an in depth raw look at their high volume leg day doing what they do best set after set in the birthplace of real Texas bodybuilding grit Metroflex Arlington.

 So what you saw today is how we train. We do this day in day out. We've been doing it this way for twenty years plus. You know, some of these instafamous people, you see them on the gram, they do one hard set of something crazy. They do it and that's that. We go hard and balls to the wall day in and day out, every time we step into the gym. Even as amateurs we trained that way. That is how we do it you know. I think with todays' generation, guys got soft. There are a few guys that want to bust ass and go heavy and try to give 100% and do better every time they go in the gym. Those guys are few and far between. For the most part these guys have gotten soft. Guys don't train like that with the high intensity and almost no one trains super heavy anymore. You look at the great champions of the past, they all trained with high intensity and they all trained heavy. All the Ronnies, Jays, Dorians, Lee Haneys. People like this. They trained hard, they trained heavy and their physiques spoke for themselves. All these people online that say you shouldn't go so heavy, you know what I say to that? FUCK YOU! What have you won?

 The difference I think from today and yesterday from when we were coming up. Our goal wasn't just to turn pro or just to make money or to live the lifestyle of a pro bodybuilder. Our goal was to be the best of what we were doing at the time no matter what it was. That happened to be bodybuilding. When we were in the gym, it was training. So it was to be number 1 in whatever gym we were training in. It didn't matter what gym of the country or internationally. We were going to be the best in the gym that day. If they had Facebook or Instagram live when we were coming up, you would see that we were outdoing everybody and training the hardest and the heaviest without a doubt.

Most people's goals are "I want to win this money. If I can get on stage and win a couple of shows, I can win some extra money." Or to get recognition from people. "Look what i am doing, look what I have done." This type of thing. That what is going on today. Not focusing on the gym, focusing on your workouts, improving your weaknesses, and making them your strengths - and making your strengths even better. Its more of "look at me, look what I am dong, look what I'm lifting after waiting 10 minutes between sets."

 You've all seen the videos of me and Johnnie training through the years. Especially when we were competing getting ready for shows. You know to be able to train like that, you need to be motivated, SUPER motivated. My motivation, speaking for myself, I wanted to win. I wanted to win what ever contest I was training for with the ultimate goal of winning the Mr. Olympia. If you're trying to be the best in the world at something, if you're not super motivated and you don't live and breathe and sleep about it all day every day, you're not going to be the best in the world at whatever your trying to do.

Every single time I came to the gym I tried to do better than the previous time I was in the gym. I tried to outwork myself, I tried to do more reps more weight and train harder every single time. And if you can do that consistently day after day month after month and year after year, you will get better and you will win!

 As you can see on our Tuesday leg workout. You can see the intensity you can see the grind and you can see the struggle on our faces and our bodies. That what it takes to challenge each set. We will have a warm up set with each exercise but after that you got to challenge yourself each and every time you step up to the plate. First of all your concentrating on catching your breath. I could never catch my breath before the next set. It's kinda like, get done, settle down, get some oxygen so you can maximize your strength for your next set. So like I said, your mind is going, it feels so heavy but feels so good to accomplish each set like another notch on your belt that you accomplished and got through. There's so many things going through your head and your trying to calm it all down and focus on your reps and getting the right form for the weight your doing. So yeah there's a bunch of noise man, your body is screaming, your head is yelling you know. You're out of breath and trying to catch that and meanwhile your scream trying to encourage the guy that your training with. I can't put it all in a nut shell everything that you're going through, the excitement, the fear, all that's going on at once but it's pretty amazing.

 When you talk about someone being tough, what I think of when you say tough, it's not physical it is mental. Toughness comes from within, If you're mentally tough your body will follow. Your body will do what your mind tells it to do. I think toughness has something to do with being motivated. If you want something really bad, you know when we are in here training especially training when we were competing I wanted to win so bad I didn't care how bad it hurt I would push through pain. I didn't care it felt like the muscle was ready to rip of the bone it hurt so bad but I would not quit. I set the bar so impossibly high that I knew to get there I would have to go through more pain the I had ever been through to get there. But I was willing to pay the price. And, that's just mental toughness. If you're mentally tough you can overcome the physical pain to reach whatever goal you set for yourself.

Speaking of the mental toughness, I beat a lot of guys that I should have never beaten when I was competing for one simple reason, I was hungrier than they were, I wanted it more, I was willing to do in the gym what they weren't. Even though they were probably more blessed than I was structurally or genetically or aesthetically, but because I was willing to pay the price and pay a higher price than they were I was able to bet them on stage. That is what it comes down to. Just because you're not the most gifted person in the race doesn't mean you cant win the race. If you want it more than they want it and you're willing to pay the price and willing to pay a higher price than they are, then you can win. And you can beat a lot of people that are more gifted than you just by outworking them. That's pretty much been the story of my whole career.

I see a lot of people at the press conference at the Olympia and at interviews at the gym and they say "Oh I am just happy to be here." MAN FUCK THAT SHIT. I'M HERE TO WIN. You know when I was competing I was fighting for 1) to win 2) to be the best in the world 3) to support my family. I had a wife a daughter and a mother to take care of so losing was not an option. I didn't have no rich parents or no rich grandfather or nothing to fall back on so all of that was falling on my shoulders. I was there to win. So fuck just being happy to be there. I WAS THERE TO WIN. Make a pay check and support my family. Most importantly I wanted to be the champion of the world. If you don't have that mindset, you're gong to get beat. And I am still working hard. I wanted to establish a legacy and I think I did that and I am still upholding being a top pro bodybuilder of the world and still dong it because I love it. If you're just happy to be there then good for you, but I beat all those guys that were just happy to be there.

There are so many opportunities available here than anywhere else in the world. I don't understand these lazy bums that they want everything handed to them. They think oh I won whatever show, pay me $100K a year. Man you ain't done nothing. This is the one place in the world that you can do anything you want if you put the work in. This generation more so than any other generation, not all of them but more so than any previous has this entitlement attitude. If you want something go out and get it. If you don't put the work in you don't get shit. Let me tell you something, no one owes you shit. Nobody. And don't get pissed off because I made it and you're a lazy bum because I put the work in for 27 years and got where I am at and you ain't done shot and you think you're entitled to have the same life I have. Nah man it doesn't work like that. So man the fuck up and go put the work in, and maybe, just maybe you can get what you want.

Branch & Johnnie – Old School Leg Training

 goes way back to 2005 and today it’s one of the most Iconic GASP products. The Vintage T-Back is probably also one of the most sold tank tops over time globally (+110 countries) and it has been on countless Bodybuilding magazine covers throughout the years.

Most Pros have over time done their workouts and shoots in this tank top and if you do an internet search on the product name you will find a huge legacy of historic pictures of famous athletes, many being legends from the last 14 years up until todays leading stars, wearing the Vintage T-Back.

 has a classic cut and is available in 7 colors. With an extra attention to details and long-lasting quality over the years, it’s easy to find great testimonials around this product, convincing us that most examples from the early batches are still in use. If you have an early production GASP Vintage T-back going back to the years 2005-2007 we would love to hear back from you so that we can get a chance to continue documenting the history (please get in touch and a reward is waiting).

History of the Vintage T-Back

**Those who are familiar with GASP and the sizing of our pants, also knows that we have, what many would consider to be, some extra length on our pants. This is to be able to cater to the extreme size of many of our athletes who may be above average in height. However, for athletes who are more wide than tall, our pants could be a bit long and making tailored adjustments in length has many times been the only option for GASP athletes like Johnnie Jackson and Branch Warren. They pull big sizes but don’t need the extra length that comes with the current models.

**Now we have news for you who may find yourself to be more wide than tall. With the introduction of another size set that we call R “regular”. The additional 5 sizes (SR to XXLR) in this R length where each size more normal in length, we call the new size Regular (R).

Johnnie Jackson tries out the new “regular” size and says: “Finally I don’t need to bring my pants to the tailor any more. To be able to have a more suitable length for me is huge as I pull a bigger size but don’t need the length that it brings. And to not have to step on the pants with the risk of slipping is so nice.”

Johnnie also mention maybe one of the most important aspects, the feeling of self-esteem. To not be the tallest guy in the gym is one thing but to be reminded every time you put on a pair of too long pants is something we would like to avoid.

With the addition of the “Regular” length in one of our most popular GASP pants ever, The 

, we now have the solution many of us have been waiting for. Expect the “Regular” length to be around 5 cm/2 inches shorter than the more universal size model we have today.

No89 Mesh Pant – Introducing New Sizes

Yes you need some badass legs to win the New York Pro. Badass legs and a badass back. Here we are pursuing greatness.

Hunter Labrada is in Dallas with GASP CEO Michael Johansson visiting the new bigger and more accommodating phase 2 of Destination Dallas and Texas headquarters for GASP and the iron community. Along with the 34ft ceilings and dedicated podcast rooms, meeting rooms, and lifestyle areas this place is gearing up to deliver something truly one of a kind.

"Everything about the space is perfect for a gym and then having the offices right there, its going to be a very cool environment for the employees and gym members that's for sure!"

Hunter spells out his hamstring focused day later on at Destination. From muscle function to execution, its a very methodical approach to training with no lack of "till the wheels fall off." Definitely everything needed to be a big disruptor in his rookie season and debuting at the New York Pro.

Hunter Labrada – Pursuing Greatness

GASP CEO Michael Johansson catches up with Hunter Labrada at his home.

"I haven't seen you in a while. What's been up?"

They delve into pre-shoulder surgery, to the impact of 8 weeks of being in a sling to recovery and hitting the gas full throttle and being able to train at 100% again.

Training and recovery is so good that Hunter is able to revisit his goal of preparing for and competing in the 2020 New York Pro.

CEO Catch Up: Hunter Labrada

Everything revolves around the training. Once the physical part of the day is accounted for the rest of the day follows suit. 

"If I miss or have a shitty workout, it's gonna be a shitty day."

Branch and Johnnie Jackson link back up now at Metroflex Arlington following a training hiatus due to Branch's recovery and hectic schedules between both of them. They are revving back up and are in the best shapes in a long time following the epic China Iron World Tour.

Johnnie Jackson is "hungrier than ever." Stay tuned to gaspofficial.com to see whats up and whats new.

Branch & Johnnie – Old School Chest Training

GASP Ambassador Emiel Oldenkamp is originally from the Netherlands but grew up in Belgium before moving to Sweden. As a child Emiel played various sports but he didn’t find true passion in any of them.

At 15 years old he found his way to the gym together with some friends. Take a peek into his journey and you may gain some valuable training tips as well.

**Shortly after I moved to Sweden, I participated in my first powerlifting meet. The entire experience of training towards it and competing elevated my interest and passion for training to a whole new level. It is also during this period that I started coaching friends for free to gain experience and began pursuing a degree in Applied Mathematics. We are a little over 2 years further now. My passion for coaching and competing has only grown larger during that time and I have started coaching people professionally in May last year.

**Being 22 years old, I realize that I am only at the start of my journey and still have much to learn. This does not mean that I am not proud of where I am right now and that I don’t appreciate the people that have helped me along the way. I would never be where I am right now if it weren’t for mentors, clients, friends, and my extremely supportive parents and girlfriend. The best is yet to come, and I am very happy to also have GASP in my corner now.

**Outside of my own training and studies, I coach people in powerlifting and strength in general. Teaching and coaching are big passions of mine. I also hope to hold more seminars and workshops in the future as I have always loved public speaking.

Alongside that, I enjoy going on walks and watching movies with my girlfriend. I am also an avid music lover and have played music in some way for basically my entire life. Although it isn’t as big a part of my life as it used to be, it is still very important to me.

**I believe in a rational and well thought out approach to training that encompasses both the tangible and intangible factors. This does not mean that my approach is complicated, I am very big on keeping the program as simple as possible. This way, when complications occur, we can easily adjust variables to solve and/or track down the source of the issue. The why is just as important as the what, and I make sure to also convey this side to my clients. By doing this, I hope to let the training transcend the weight room and improve overall movement and quality of life outside of the gym as well.

The basic concepts of training aren’t complicated. Planning is not hard when everything goes to plan and getting strong is not hard when you don’t get hurt. There needs to be a balance between sticking to the plan and being able to adapt, between getting stronger and staying healthy, between just getting the work done and enjoying training. Together with the athlete, I try to find out where those balances should sit for them at this point in time and help them balance these scales.

My best tips to someone new to powerlifting are:

**If you are thinking about competing, or even just enjoy training, give competition a shot. People are always complaining about "not being strong enough yet" and that they will compete once they have achieved an x kg total in training. The truth is that you will never be strong enough if you think like that. Look for a competition nearby, sign up, get in touch with your fellow competitors and have fun.

In an ideal world, everyone would have access to a great coach or mentor to learn about lifting technique, programming principles and other considerations regarding training. The sad truth is that these services are expensive and not everyone has the means to make use of them. Luckily, we live in a time where almost all information is readily available, and mostly free. In this day and age, there are very few excuses for being badly informed. Start out by learning the basics of anatomy and exercise physiology. You don’t need to become an expert in these fields, but you need to be able to evaluate the validity of the information you come across. There are a lot of very good resources out there, and even more crappy ones. The same applies to coaches. Being able to correctly decide into which category something fits is an extremely valuable skill, and the time (and possibly money) that you spend on developing this skill is an investment that will keep on generating profit for the rest of your training career.

With very high specificity programs being popular in the powerlifting world right now, many beginners fall into the trap of almost exclusively performing the squat, bench and deadlift in their training. What beginners need, alongside learning correct technique, is to build muscle mass. The best way to do this is to do dedicated hypertrophy training and to not be afraid to eat. Spend a good amount of the year training with hypertrophy as the main goal and stop identifying yourself with a certain weight class. Unless you are competing at a high level, weight classes are not relevant and should be disregarded. If you are cutting for a local meet, you are fucking up big time. The whole phenomenon where basically everyone that doesn’t have a huge arch has a ‘poverty bench’ can almost entirely be attributed to them being too light and not carrying enough muscle mass. Don’t let a bodybuilder of the same body weight as you bench more than you.

**In the short term, I want to total well over 800kg at my next competition coming October, the 2019 IPL Worlds in Leipzig, Germany. Next, I will compete again in November at the WRPF Swedish Nationals as my first competition in the 125kg weight class.  After that, I will spend a fairly long time training with hypertrophy as the main goal, steadily growing into the new class. I am also spending a lot of time trying to grow my client base and get my name out there in the world of strength coaching.

In the long term, I want to have a positive influence on the world of strength sports as a whole and establish myself as one of the top strength coaches in the world. As an athlete I want to put myself into a position where I can keep on improving for as long possible on all fronts training wise. Lifting weights is a big part of my life and something I love to do, and I want to be able to do it for the rest of my life.

**I believe in living a life with passion and no compromise. I don’t believe in selling people bullshit and I tell them how it is.  I pride myself on being an honest and loyal person who does not refrain from speaking (or shutting) up when I feel it is appropriate, probably my Dutch genes taking control.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you wish to contact me with questions, criticism, or if you’d like to enquire about coaching or a seminar/workshop you can reach me at 

My Journey: Emiel Oldenkamp

Heavy compound lifts build strength which translates to new tissue which recruits for muscle fibers and builds strength which builds EVEN MORE TISSUE and on and on. The point is that when the heavy compound movements are replaced with lighter weights in the "pump and pose" reps range over and over, strength gains are limited and the look of the physique lacks the dense and granite hard look.

Johnnie Jackson performs a typical high volume biceps and triceps workout with a variety of exercises including the "meat and potatoes" lifts like close grip bench presses, skull crushers and dumbbell curls. These lifts are seemingly used more sparingly these days and Johnnie has a thing or two to say about that.

Stay tuned for more of Johnnie as he revs up his old school bodybuilding training to build himself back up and show what a real dense "hard-earned" physique looks like.