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In the realm of bodybuilding, some names resonate louder than others, and Rich Gaspari is undoubtedly one of those iconic figures who have left an indelible mark on the industry. From his humble beginnings as a south Jersey outsider to his stellar rise in the pro ranks as the first-ever Arnold Classic champion and an entrepreneur known for innovation, Rich Gaspari's story is nothing short of extraordinary. With the 2023 Olympia weekend in Orlando, FL fast approaching, the fitness world eagerly anticipates the release of a new feature-length documentary from Generation Iron that delves into the life and career of this true bodybuilding legend. Directed by the talented Frank Zarrillo, known for his work on The Wrestler, A Q.T. Marshall Story, and produced by Big F Pictures, the upcoming documentary promises to be an immersive experience for fitness enthusiasts and fans of Rich Gaspari alike. Here's a sneak peek into what this documentary will bring to the screen:  Rich Gaspari's Humble Beginnings Every legend has a starting point, and Rich Gaspari's journey in bodybuilding is no different. The film will take you back to the early years when Gaspari was just an East Coast outsider, striving to make his mark in a world dominated by giants.   The Rise to Stardom Gaspari's story is not just about overcoming obstacles; it's about soaring to the pinnacle of bodybuilding success. As the first-ever Arnold Classic champion, Rich Gaspari etched his name in the annals of bodybuilding history, and the documentary will capture this epic rise to stardom in vivid detail.   Entrepreneurial Triumph Beyond his triumphs on the stage, Rich Gaspari revolutionized the supplement industry. He was among the first bodybuilding athletes to create his own sports nutrition business, setting a new standard for excellence in the world of sports supplementation. The documentary will provide an inside look at this aspect of his life, shedding light on the business acumen that made him a force to be reckoned with.   The Mr. Olympia Connection Gaspari's connection to the Mr. Olympia competition, the most prestigious event in bodybuilding, is another facet explored in the documentary. His journey, achievements, and contributions to this iconic event are a testament to his impact on the sport. With this documentary, Generation Iron and the talented team behind it aim to celebrate Rich Gaspari's legacy and contributions to the world of bodybuilding and the sport supplement business. It is a story that exemplifies dedication, resilience, and the pursuit of excellence.   Here's a few things you might take away from the film:   Inspiration Rich Gaspari's journey is an inspiration for anyone pursuing a dream. His story shows that with passion, hard work, and determination, even the most unlikely contenders can become legends.   Innovation in Fitness Gaspari's entrepreneurial success demonstrates that bodybuilding is not just about building muscle but also about building businesses. He paved the way for athletes to leave a lasting impact on the industry beyond their physical achievements.   A Glimpse into History This documentary will not only provide a close-up look at Gaspari's life but also offer a window into the evolution of bodybuilding and sports nutrition over the years.   Rich Gaspari's Legacy The film will undoubtedly solidify Rich Gaspari's place in the pantheon of modern bodybuilding, ensuring that his legacy endures for generations to come.   As the 2023 Olympia weekend approaches, the anticipation for Generation Iron's documentary on Rich Gaspari continues to build. It promises to be a compelling tribute to a bodybuilding legend, an inspirational figure, and an industry standard setting entrepreneur. The story of Rich Gaspari is a testament to the power of determination and hard work in shaping one's destiny, both on and off the stage. Get ready to be inspired and captivated by the life and career of this extraordinary individual. Stay tuned for the release, as it's a documentary no fitness enthusiast should miss.

There are many different types of exercise that can be effective for losing fat and improving overall health. However, recent research has suggested that short sessions of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) may be more effective for fat loss than long bouts of low-intensity, steady-state cardio. In this blog, we will explore the science behind this claim and discuss the benefits of HIIT for fat loss. What is High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)? High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a form of exercise that involves short bursts of intense activity followed by periods of rest or low-intensity activity. For example, a HIIT workout might involve sprinting for 30 seconds, followed by walking or jogging for 60 seconds, and then repeating this cycle for several rounds. The goal of HIIT is to push the body to its limits during the intense bursts of activity, which can lead to increased fat burning and other health benefits. How Does HIIT Lead to Fat Loss? One of the main reasons why HIIT may be more effective for fat loss than low-intensity, steady-state cardio is that it can increase the body's metabolic rate. Metabolic rate refers to the number of calories that the body burns at rest, and research has shown that HIIT can increase metabolic rate for up to 24 hours after a workout. This means that even after the workout is over, the body is still burning calories at a higher rate than it would be during a steady-state cardio session. Another reason why HIIT may be more effective for fat loss is that it can lead to greater fat oxidation. Fat oxidation refers to the process by which the body breaks down and uses fat for energy. During steady-state cardio, the body primarily uses carbohydrates for energy, while during HIIT, the body switches to using more fat for energy. This can lead to greater fat loss over time. Additionally, HIIT can lead to greater muscle retention than steady-state cardio. When the body is in a calorie deficit (i.e., consuming fewer calories than it burns), it can start to break down muscle tissue for energy. However, research has shown that HIIT can help to preserve muscle mass while still promoting fat loss. This is important because maintaining muscle mass can help to keep the metabolism elevated and prevent weight regain.  A recent study published in the Journal of Obesity compared the effects of HIIT and steady-state cardio on body composition in overweight and obese individuals  The participants in the study were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a HIIT group, a steady-state cardio group, or a control group that did not exercise. The HIIT group performed three sessions per week of 8-10 cycles of 60 seconds of high-intensity exercise followed by 75 seconds of low-intensity exercise. The steady-state cardio group performed 40-60 minutes of continuous exercise at a moderate intensity three times per week. After 12 weeks, the researchers found that both the HIIT and steady-state cardio groups had significant reductions in body fat percentage compared to the control group. However, the HIIT group had significantly greater reductions in body fat percentage and waist circumference than the steady-state cardio group. Additionally, the HIIT group had greater improvements in aerobic fitness than the steady-state cardio group. While both HIIT and steady-state cardio can be effective for fat loss, the evidence suggests that short sessions of high-intensity interval training may be more beneficial than long bouts of low-intensity, steady-state cardio. HIIT can increase metabolic rate, lead to greater fat oxidation, and preserve muscle mass, all of which can contribute to more effective fat loss. Furthermore, HIIT workouts can be completed in a shorter amount of time, making them a more convenient option for individuals with busy schedules.

The first thing you have to do when you set a goal is to determine exactly for whom you're doing it. Everyone needs goals, but we also need motivation to realize those goals. Many times, when the purpose of the goal is undetermined or ambiguous, the goal goes unrealized. Even while it may seem selfish or narcissistic, the best goals realized are those you set for yourself. Success is often measured in terms of accomplishment. But really, the accomplishment is realizing the goal. Success is just, sometimes, a side effect of reaching your goal.  The best advise I ever received to effect an accomplishment is to set your goals high and strive to achieve them. Here's a good example: Between January 1985 and April 1996 I had been on a total of 35 magazine covers. After you've been on several, the novelty wears off and it just becomes part of the deal. By no means did I ever set a goal to be on a magazine cover.  I'd never minimize the tremendous honor it is to be on a cover, but, the reality is, if you're a top pro, you get covers. But, every now and then something really cool happens that puts the whole magazine cover mystique into perspective. At least it did for me. The first cover I did for Ironman magazine was in November,1988—as the hero, Hercules Incarnate. I got another Ironman cover in February of 1991. And, one more, the last Ironman cover of my competitive career, in April of 1992. During my induction into the Bodybuilding Hall of Fame, on Memorial Day, 2011  Ironman publisher, and old friend John Balik, came up to me and asked if I would consider being on the cover of his magazine again.   “I’d love to,” I said, maybe a little too quickly.  “Good,” he said, “we have a tight publication schedule, the photo shoot is on July 15. Can you be ready?” “Heck yeah,” I responded, without thinking it through (that’s how I’ve always been - accept the challenge and figure out how to get it done later). Then I started doing the math. Oh boy.... That would give me 52 days to get in photo shoot shape – that's like two inches away from contest shape! Could I do it? At 48 years of age? Now, I was still in good shape. You have to be if you own a nutritional supplement company. People would tell me I looked good. But, You know, you get brutally honest people that would punctuate that statement with, “not like you used to though, but still pretty good.” “Pretty good?” Oh man.... What did I just get myself into? It was 15 years since I did a cover shoot! (Flex magazine, April 1996). I knew I had serious work to do to be ready. I was currently eating four meals a day - I had to ratchet that up to seven immediately. I was training four days a week - that had to increased to five. I had no room to miss a single training day. The mechanics of what I did were pretty cut and dry. But what drove me? Was it to promote my company? Sure. But we were already growing nicely. Nothing as crazy as what I bit off was necessary! Pride can be a great motivator, But after 35 covers, I had nothing to prove I thought back to the last Rocky movie that came out in 2006, Rocky Balboa. There’s a scene where Rocky is asked why he’s making a comeback and he says, “I still have the fire in my belly. I’m doing it for me.” I liked that. And that was my real reason. I took on this ambitious goal for me. To make a long story short, I put my nose to the grindstone, I put in the work and sacrifice and showed up at the shoot just as I had for any of the other photo shoot I've ever done – ready. But, it didn't hit me until that October 2011 issue of Ironman magazine showed up in my mailbox with me on the cover – 20 years after the last one I did. I was like a kid on Christmas morning. I did it. If I do say so myself, I looked pretty damn good – even for an old man!  There may be a lot of thoughts and motivations swirling around in your head for something you're trying to accomplish. Maybe you're trying to get someone to notice you. Maybe you want to show your significant other or your parents what you can accomplish. I’ve been there too. But let me say to you right now: don't do it for anyone else – do  it for you. For your own personal sense of accomplishment. I’m a people pleaser. You may be too. That’s fine. Nothing wrong with it. But don’t forget the one person you're with 24 hours a day, the one you see in the mirror each morning. And here’s a little secret you probably already know: when you please yourself you're usually more pleasing to those around you. It’s almost impossible to impress yourself and not impress others. If you want to take better care of the important people in your life, start by taking better care of yourself. Hit the gym with a passion today. Don’t do it for anyone else. Do it for you . . . impress yourself!

Hard work is at the core of every single thing that's worthwhile to achieve. Everyone has their unique take on what that is, how to achieve it and their version of hard work. The only viable metric to know if you're advancing or not is competition.  Competition is good. It pushes us to do better than what we think we're capable of doing – because we all want to win. Competition lets us know where we fall short. I won plenty of hardware in my career. But I never captured the greatest prize in bodybuilding – the Mr. Olympia. In that competition I always had a mountain named Lee Haney blocking my path. I didn’t have the genes to produce the freakish width of his clavicles or the naturally narrow waist he had. I knew there was only one way in the world I was going to beat him. I was going to have to outwork him. I learned this lesson early on in my bodybuilding career. By the time I was 14, I was working out like a mad man. When I got to high school I was well on my way to benching 400 and squatting 600 pounds as part of my regular workouts. Even though I was really strong for my age and size, I wasn't ready to compete. Until Paul came along. This kid was a year older than me; he had been in some competitions and brought home some medals. The other kids in the gym looked up to him. He was admired. Me? I was just a gym rat. And, one day in the gym, Paul let me know it. He flat out told me I was nothing compared to him. He had “competed” after all, and brought home hardware. Well, that was a giant mistake. Little did he know he just woke up the dragon slayer. At that moment I not only decided I could beat him, I was committed to beating him. I found out what show Paul would do next and I registered for it too -  Physique ‘79. I trained with everything I had for that show. I was so focussed.  All I could think of was beating Paul and earning the respect of the guys at the gym. Well, show time came around and when the dust settled I had taken sixth place. Not a very auspicious start to my competitive career; it would take me three more years to not only win the youth section of the event, but the overall as well. But, the good news was, sixth place was good enough to beat Paul. I still had a long way to go to become a champion, but, beating Paul gave me the confidence to believe I could achieve what I set out to do.  Even though Lee Haney was indeed the preverbal mountain in my path to winning an Olympia title, I never thought I couldn't beat him. I believed it with every fiber of my being. When I think back on that time even I cringe when I think of some of my workouts. I basically doubled what everyone else was doing and did two sessions a day. Why? Simple - I wanted to beat Lee. I never got him though. I knocked on his door three times, but he never let me in. But, training with him and competing against him pushed me to achieve levels of greatness I would never have approached otherwise.  I’ve told Lee more than once that I thought there was at least one year, maybe two, where I had him beat. He laughs and tells me I might be right, but the Sandow is staying at his house. To become a champion, you have to beat the champion. And, in a subjectively judged competition like bodybuilding, it can’t just be by the narrowest of margins. You have to be the clear winner. You have to knock out the champ. I couldn’t do that, but I still reached new heights by trying with everything I had in me. The lesson I learned was that the greatest competition I could face was not Paul or Lee Haney. It was with myself. Even though I was trying to beat these guys, and many more in between, it was the standard I set for myself that I had to beat. When Usain Bolt runs the 100 m or 200 m and sets a new world record, is he competing against the field or himself? Since no one is within three strides of him, the only way he can get better is to compete against himself.  Did the late Steve Jobs, the legendary CEO of Apple, sit in his office all day worrying about how he could beat Bill Gates? I’m sure the two men felt some personal competition. But, if Steve had spent all his time thinking about Bill, he wouldn’t have had the brain space to think of so many breakthroughs where he bested what he had done before. He competed with himself. So, let me dare you. It’s time for you to get up on that stage- in what-ever venue of your life that you need a challenge. It’s time for you to show how far you’ve come and where you're headed. Here’s who you have to beat—you! You have to beat who you were when you were in the very best shape of your life. You have to beat you from a week ago and a month ago. And to get the trophy, you can’t win by just a little. You have to show up and score a knockout. Are you up for the challenge? There's probably someone like Paul who says you're nothing;  they're going to whoop you. What are you going to do about it?