Generation Iron 3 (2018) - full transcript

[growling]

♪ Like a ship that's tossed and driven ♪

♪ Hmmm ♪

♪ Battered by an angry sea ♪

[chuckles]

All right.

-[Vlad Yudin] Are we good?

-[woman] Yep.

-[Vlad] All right.

-[woman] Great.

[Vlad] Now, you know, right now,

you're working on television,

you're working in film,

you're working on your graphic novel

that's gonna come out soon.

You have a lot of stuff

that you're busy with.

But obviously you still look like

you're in a bodybuilding shape.

With all the stuff happening

in your life right now, I mean,

I know it's... do you find it challenging

to still maintain the physique?

[Kai Greene] It's challenging,

and I think it's also very, very clear,

uh, that you can't do that.

-It's not a maintenance thing.

-But if you didn't have the physique,

do you think perception

of you would be diminished?

Yeah. I used to think

it was bodybuilding, you know.

But I've gotten a chance

to grow a little bit more,

just, just by way of having

more opportunity

to think a little deeper about it

and be exposed to a lot.

[man groans]

[chuckles]

[Kai] When it comes to the individual

that's looking at you as a bodybuilder,

a lot of times, it may be

that bodybuilding becomes the platform

that makes the introduction,

but I think the thing that allows them

to resonate well with you

is beyond bodybuilding.

The thing that may encourage someone

most to want to pay attention

to anything you have to say

has more to do with

their ability to identify themselves

in you.

That becomes everything.

You know, 'cause without that,

then there's just sets and reps

and how much can you bench

and how big is your chest versus this guy.

But the things that are unique

to your personality,

the struggles that are revealed

in, um, who you are,

um, and how that reads on film

a lot of times,

is the thing that...

allows people to want

to take that journey with you.

♪ I'm on the mission ♪

♪ The strong competition

Whoever, whatever ♪

♪ I view it all as opposition ♪

♪ Ain't came to lose

I came to win it ♪

♪ So, if you ain't with me

You're against me ♪

♪ Listen ♪

♪ I'm a rose that grew

From the concrete ♪

♪ Look how I'm grown ♪

♪ See the scratches on my petals

Scars on my thorns ♪

♪ I know you see it ♪

♪ It's win or lose, do or die

Ain't no in betweens ♪

♪ Ain't no in betweens, y'all ♪

♪ So you can call it what you want ♪

♪ But it's all I ever known ♪

♪ They tell me go hard or go home ♪

♪ So I go hard and go harder ♪

♪ Go hard or go home ♪

♪ So I go hard and go harder, yeah ♪

♪ Do it, do it or don't

No time to cry about it ♪

♪ Either you burn ♪

♪ Or stand firm

Willing to die about it ♪

♪ Writing black and white on that wall

You truth and lie about it ♪

♪ Struggle and strain against the flame

And you fry about it ♪

♪ See a brimstone and fire

Gnashing of teeth ♪

♪ For this is hell here ♪

♪ We're merely trying to try to survive

But often fell here ♪

♪ No reception in this wild

Waiting on God's call ♪

♪ Devil's calling loud, steady

Waiting on you to fall ♪

♪ You ever seen the demons

Eat an angel? ♪

♪ They get on their knees

with bloody teeth like God thank you ♪

♪ I'm a rose that grew from the concrete ♪

♪ Look how I'm grown ♪

♪ See the scratches on my petals

Scars on my thorns ♪

♪ I know you see it ♪

♪ It's win or lose, do or die

Ain't no in betweens ♪

♪ Ain't no in betweens, y'all ♪

♪ So you can call it what you want

But it's all I ever known ♪

-[horns blaring]

-♪ Oh, Lord ♪

[jazz band playing]

[Vlad] Fitness, weightlifting,

bodybuilding.

All these terms often get confused

and mixed up

amongst the general public.

Although gyms are widely available

in every city in America,

pro bodybuilding is still

a misunderstood art form

and is even looked down upon.

Being involved in this industry

for the last few years,

I often ask myself,

do bodybuilding ideals

reflect the ideals of the mainstream?

How do you feel about bodybuilding?

Uh, I don't have any thoughts

on bodybuilding.

Nothing.

It's not weightlifting,

it's actually shaping your body.

It's awesome.

I remember the comic books,

when we used to have

the back pages of comic books,

Charles Atlas.

I saw one on the train the other day

and they're just like bulky and big.

Big guys, hard to make clothes for.

I don't know.

You hear about the steroids,

you hear about what they eat

and things like that.

[Vlad] I want to show a couple images.

Let me know how you feel about these.

I used to be like that. [chuckles]

[man] That's bodybuilding.

-I think of it as body sculpting.

-OK.

They look good, they look in shape.

They look like they're

a little bit, you know, too lean.

You know, a little too ripped.

That's how you pull the look.

That guy has eight abs.

That one has six.

That hasn't gone to the freakish yet.

I mean, his head is smaller

than his body, but that's OK.

I mean, if he's happy with it...

A lot of women see that

right there, "Ooh-whee."

They'd sit and watch.

No. I... Not to me.

No.

Gross.

It's not really gross,

but it's not really like...

attractive either.

To me, it's just gross, you know.

It's just...

[Vlad] How about this one?

OK, yeah, that's

the bodybuilding I know.

-Wow.

-That is a big dude.

That's a big dude.

OK, that's too big. That is too big.

Entirely too big.

Oh, boy. [chuckles]

I look at it as an addiction

at some point.

It... it's an extreme.

It restricts them in movement and stuff

and even physically in other ways

and psychologically in a major way.

[Vlad] Competitive bodybuilding

has been an American institution

since its infancy in the sixties.

Though there have been

many foreign champions,

almost all of them had relocated

to the US to pursue their dreams.

But as technology advances

and the world becomes more connected,

are we seeing the beginning

of decentralization?

Yeah, I think America, because

that's where it was more popular,

it's where the magazines are

and that sort of thing,

you get more notice there

than anywhere else.

But, like I said, look at

some of the people coming out of,

you know, Kuwait

and all those sort of places

where you never would have heard

of them before,

but now, 'cause they're getting bigger

over there, you're starting to see

these names you wouldn't have

heard of back in the 1990s or 2000s.

It seems like everyone has to come

to the US to be able

to get that publicity and feel like

they're at that level.

We're doing the Amateur Olympia

in Algeria this year.

We're doing a show in Tunisia.

Obviously we're in Kuwait, we're in Japan,

we're in South Korea, China.

Brazil. Brazil's gonna be

one of our biggest areas.

Singapore, Vietnam.

We just had a show in Vietnam there.

There were 300 competitors

in Vietnam.

[woman] You travel to these countries

and you do these shows

and it's like you step off the bus

to go to the arena

and they swarm you.

They just want to touch you

and see you and feel you

because you're real,

you're like this celebrity.

It's like, hell, United States, you just

go to a show and you do it.

Hi, Kai Greene. Welcome to Xi'an.

-[Greene] Thank you, thank you.

-[man] Hello, hello, hello.

Thank you, thank you.

[Jay Cutler] There's a lot more excitement

there than you get in the US.

I think people now are getting

more excited to compete

and I think the talent pool

is just amazing.

You got different cultures competing

and you know the physiques.

I mean, genetic makeup

of a lot of these cultures,

a lot of these guys are built

for this business and they're dedicated.

So they're giving more time

to developing their bodies

and becoming their best

in the hopes to be able

to either leave there or represent

their country better through the business.

[Vlad] Another major factor that led

to growth of pro bodybuilding

was the recent introduction of several

new divisions by the federations.

These new divisions opened

the door to a wider audience

and tailor themselves

to specific body types.

[man] Men's Physique is a body

you would see almost in GQ

or in a fitness magazine.

A physique that's not overly developed,

but in very good condition

with excellent shape.

It would be just enough development

of a body you wouldn't even

need weights almost for.

Condition and shape is what we look for.

Classic Physique is,

you take a physique body

and a bodybuilder's body

and you meet it halfway.

It's a developed body that you need to put

in the gym, heavy squats, heavy lifting.

It's a physique that you would see

in a bodybuilding magazine

showing you exercises,

but not the ultimate.

Men's Open is the ultimate.

That is the male body taken

to the ultimate development.

The biggest muscles,

the biggest conditioning,

the biggest shape: the guys

that have taken it to the limit.

[Vlad] So what division is the best?

Which physique is supreme?

Is there such thing as a perfect physique?

Can it ever be achieved?

Or is it simply predetermined for us

based on genetic limitation?

To answer at least some

of these questions,

we decided to go all around the US

and the world

and meet some competitors who live, sleep,

and breathe bodybuilding.

Despite being only 25 years old,

many spectators and analysts believe

that Canadian athlete Regan Grimes

has the potential

to be a leading Men's Open competitor.

Regan did a few pro shows,

but the biggest challenge is yet to come.

In a month, he's gonna step

on a stage in New York.

There, he'll be challenged

by some of the top bodybuilders

in this industry.

If he ends up placing badly,

this will show that the hype

did not live up to the expectations.

[Regan] In order to do well

in bodybuilding,

you've got to be a little bit crazy.

Just with the diet and nutrition,

it's a whole other level of suffering.

Bodybuilding, I didn't even know

it was like a big thing.

I didn't even know about it.

[Vlad] Before becoming

a full-time bodybuilder,

Regan lived the dream of motocross.

But after sustaining injuries,

his life now is all about training

and eating.

Regan's not the most organized person.

He's good with the training

and he can follow the diet.

He just needs someone to like

help him with the meals.

Don't tell him I said that.

We were both working

at a supplement store

which was at Western University,

and I was attending

Western University.

Then we're also both working in a bar.

So he was doing security

and I was doing bottle service.

I always thought he was good looking

and I liked him, he was a funny guy,

nice, but I never really knew that

he had a thing for me or anything,

'cause we were just really friendly,

and you know, he's very, he's just chill.

So, he was never really

that obvious about it.

Then eventually we just

kind of started hanging out

and one thing led to the next,

and then here we are, five years later.

How was your day, Otis?

When we met, I hadn't even done

my first competition to becoming pro,

so like we kind of went through

that whole journey together.

And, you know, she's been there

for everything

and pushed me through

times I thought I would give up.

-[Victoria] Your waist looks smaller.

-[Regan] Yeah, that's coming in tighter.

[Victoria] Go back two.

I think you could hit that one better.

[Regan] Yeah, yeah.

And I think this one too,

the front I could have hit better, too.

Sometimes I lean back

and I should be leaning forward

in my upper body a little bit.

Every morning, for my coach, Chris Aceto,

we take photos,

and I send them off to him.

Uh, also, like, right when I wake up,

I'll take my weight, too,

so I'll record my weight

and then we'll come get the photos

and I'll send them both off to him,

and then he'll give me like my plan for...

sometimes he'll switch like today

or it will be for tomorrow.

[groaning, grunting]

[sighs]

[groaning, breathing deeply]

[panting]

[exhales sharply]

Let's go, come on.

Come on, two. One more.

-Good.

-[man] Is he okay?

Logan just puked everywhere.

It was hilarious.

Yeah.

He's puking.

OK. Here we go.

You're not supposed to make

eye contact during this...

[laughs]

[Vlad] Over the past few years,

bodybuilding began taking shape

in a variety of different countries,

a movement that has been pioneered

by individuals across the globe

who have made it their mission

to introduce and expand bodybuilding

to a whole new audience.

I sat down with some key members

of the industry

to get their take

on this everchanging landscape

and learn more about bodybuilding.

You know, America, US, is known

as capital of bodybuilding.

Like Venice Beach,

it's associated with bodybuilding.

Now, do you think people from

different countries all over the world

can potentially take that mecca

away from the US

if they invest in bodybuilding

and if they grow it?

I don't know, because I feel like

Arnold did this.

I feel like Arnold made it

like an American thing

because it's almost like, it's like

tied into like movies and Hollywood,

at least where he went with it,

and I think people see that

in the bodybuilding.

They almost have this dream

of maybe they could be part of that

or be somewhere along those lines,

and I think it has to do

with L.A. and Hollywood.

When I was first competing,

America was way ahead

with the gyms and the restaurants

and the food and everything.

So now you can get a good gym

anywhere in the world

and the Internet's made

the world much smaller.

Generally, in Europe

and the Middle East,

they look at it as they would look

at basketball players: they're stars.

Kai, Kai Greene is a huge star

in the Middle East.

When I went to Iran,

I was treated like a rock star.

It's the same all around the Middle East.

Ah, it's amazing.

India. China.

Uh, Brazil.

All these emerging markets now

where fitness is huge.

Everywhere. We're just trying

to expand wherever we can.

[Vlad] After investigating

these newly emerging markets,

we traveled to India

to meet Sheru Aangrish,

a now-retired bodybuilder

who has made it his mission

to transform India

into a main hub for fitness.

[Vlad] ...the population, right?

China has the biggest population,

obviously.

[Sheru] Yeah. India is number two.

Number two, but the most important

thing is, it's a young population.

Yeah, I mean, exactly 63% of population

in India is less than 35 years of age.

And if you compare the Indian statistics

a few years ago,

the literacy rate was way down,

but the younger population is literate,

so obviously when people are literate,

they have more knowledge, more sense,

and, uh, the decision making is right,

that's the key factor.

What about the income of,

you know, like a general income?

-Is it growing in India?

-Yeah.

If you see numbers, obviously

the Indian economy

is the only economy in the world with

a growth rate of 6.927.1, you know?

And I do feel it's the beginning

of a new era.

[drums beating]

[Vlad] His ambition is to make

bodybuilding bigger than cricket,

India's number one watched sport.

While he tries to engage Bollywood stars

to take interest in fitness,

India's only Men's Open pro competitor,

Varinder Ghuman,

has made it his mission to do the same,

but on an individual level.

He will soon be competing

in the San Marino Pro,

a major European competition

with top-level athletes.

[Sheru]

Varinder Ghuman, you know,

right now the only professional

bodybuilder from India.

People call him "He-Man of India."

So he's a pretty known face

and working on different ventures.

Now, you're the only Indian

-IBB pro right now?

-Yes.

Why do you think you're the only one?

Why do you think there's not a lot more?

I'm unique, man. [chuckles]

I hope there will be more, upcoming years,

India is going to produce

many more pro bodybuilders.

[Sheru]

A lot of talent coming from India

when we talk about

mainstream bodybuilding.

You will see Indian winning Mr. Olympia

when we talk about Classic Physique

and Men's Physique.

[Brandon] We're not as big

as the Open bodybuilders,

but we have a nice, you know, shape,

nice V taper, shoulder-waist ratio.

Me and guys like Andre Ferguson,

we're one of the bigger guys

in Men's Physique.

If you look at Men's Physique from 2011,

2012, around that time period,

those weren't really bodybuilders.

It was more like a beach look,

with a little bit of muscle.

And the conditioning wasn't even there.

It was like more of a softer look.

Like they didn't want you coming in

as hard as we come in now.

It became baby bodybuilding; there's no

way you're gonna look at Men's Physique--

Baby bodybuilders.

There's no way that's not bodybuilding.

The top guys are bodybuilders.

[Brandon] I think it's changing, man,

it's changing again.

There might be a new champion

this year.

When I was 16, I remember telling

my best friend, Keke, in the gym,

after practice, I was like, "I wanna be

a professional bodybuilder one day."

Didn't have the biggest muscles,

but I always had a nice shape and abs.

And I've always...

even growing up, I would always

be the one in pictures

to like lift my shirt up

and show my abs.

So I've always been that kind of like,

kind of guy that's just been out there.

And, um, I was kind of confused.

I didn't really know what I wanted to do

or where my life was gonna go,

so I ended up going to college and just

trying to figure out what I wanted to do.

Got my bachelor's in science at SIU,

and throughout those four years,

I really just partied.

I didn't lift, I didn't do anything.

I was partying.

I joined a black organization,

modeling organization, called Essence,

so I was doing some modeling;

it was a blessing in disguise

because, what I've learned,

how to use a stage in modeling.

I apply it now to bodybuilding.

Oh, these pants too tight.

Ohh!

Ooh, see, that's the problem

when you go shopping with a bodybuilder.

The pants too tight. [chuckles]

[Vlad] After starting

his Men's Physique journey in 2012,

Brandon quickly rose to the top

and won the Arnold Classic in 2016,

a major accomplishment.

Unable to land a repeat victory

the following year,

he now must work his hardest

to prove he can do it again.

[grunting]

[Brandon] So, I was backstage,

getting ready to be handed

my trophy by Arnold.

He was backstage

and he shook my hand and said,

"Man, you look awesome,

you look super shredded."

That's the Kindergarten Cop,

like, that's my idol.

I started bodybuilding, you know,

the motivation was from Arnold, you know.

He paved this way for us.

He made the opportunity.

I wouldn't be sitting right here

if it wasn't for Arnold,

so he's someone I really

look up to in the industry,

and to actually win his own show

was a super dream come true.

That was 2016.

This is 2018, my man.

[chuckles]

I'm the guy that came second

at the Arnold last year.

I won the New York Pro that year.

Got second at the Olympia.

I'm no damn underdog. [chuckles]

[Vlad] There is much more on the line

beyond his pride.

Brandon relies on sponsors

for income,

and without the awards and trophies,

sponsors tend to disappear.

São Paolo is one of the most

densely populated cities in South America.

It seems that here,

fitness is second nature.

And yet, for Men's Open bodybuilder

Rafael Brandão,

putting on muscle mass wasn't always easy.

[in Portuguese] I started to train when

I was 14 because I was very skinny.

And I always hung around older people

and they were always bigger.

They always picked on me,

called me skinny.

This bothered me a lot,

so I decided to join a gym

so I could build a physique,

so I wouldn't be picked on.

Before I was an athlete,

I was a normal teenager

who would go out on the weekends,

drink a lot.

Since becoming an athlete, I don't have

this partying lifestyle anymore.

[Vlad] His sight is set

on San Marino Pro Show in Italy.

It's an important stepping stone

for many bodybuilders,

especially those who one day

want to fight for top awards

and prize money in the six-figure range.

[in Portuguese] This will be

a unique moment.

I will only have a single debut

as a professional and this is it.

I want to get there in the best shape

and be able to take it all in

and have fun,

which will be very good for me.

Hey.

I believe the job of a bodybuilder

is not to prepare for three months,

but to live as a bodybuilder.

I at least believe that

the successful bodybuilder

lives this style of life all year round,

and that's what I do.

My name is Ariel Khadr.

And I'm originally from New York

and I'm now living in Miami, Florida.

I'm an IFBB fitness pro.

I was one of the youngest

to ever become an IFBB pro at 17.

Fitness, you know, it was something

I loved and I wanted to do it,

but, you know, I'm 17, and I was

originally recruited for gymnastics,

to Rutgers University,

but because of my ankle injuries,

I wasn't able to do college gymnastics.

Since I got my pro card,

it was actually six years

until the day I stepped on stage,

and that's where my pro career started.

There's no meaning behind

the abstract paintings, they're just...

I didn't want them

to come out like flowers. [chuckles]

So, actually this is all, mostly,

from the Arnold last year.

And this is Ms. Olympia,

Oksana Grishina.

She reminds me a little bit of how I,

like, really, really get into the routine.

Um, where you become the routine.

You don't just perform a routine,

you're now the routine.

Oksana does that, better than I do.

What's Fitness about?

It's just about creativity right now.

It's about highest energy,

strength, and they all come up

with different ideas.

Interesting ideas.

I can see they're thinking about it.

They're really trying to make Fitness

more entertainment.

The Fitness division is judged

based off of two rounds.

We have a physique round,

which is a two-piece bikini.

It's judged similarly

to how figure is judged,

in terms of proportion, muscularity,

femininity, leanness.

The physique round, though,

is only 30% of our score.

But at the same time,

we represent stamina,

highest stamina in performers.

So this is the second round,

the routine round.

The routine round is 70% of our score,

and the routine round is based off

of creativity, performance,

agility, strength skills,

and how you carry yourself,

how you're able to entertain the crowd.

So all these things you've got to

represent for two minutes on stage

for the judges.

What many people don't understand is we

compete just like every athlete on stage.

We've got to sculpt our physique, but

in addition to that, we need to find time

to put together a routine, work

on flexibility, work on strength skills,

work on dance,

so you have this entire element

that's added to prepping for a show

that several other divisions don't have.

To be honest, some people just

aren't cut out for it.

[phone rings]

[woman] Good morning.

-Hey, how are ya?

-I'm doing great, how are you?

[Whitney] I loved dance, growing up.

I was a cheerleader.

And so I had that as a background

and thought, well, gosh,

this is an awesome way to kind of parlay

what I used to do when I was younger,

but now do it as an adult.

-Hello!

-[woman] How are ya?

Good.

How are you?

[Vlad] Whitney Jones

is a veteran fitness competitor

who has been rising up

in the ranks for years.

She's one of many women,

along with Ariel,

who will fight

for the Arnold Classic title

in the absence of the former champ,

Oksana.

After a serious neck injury

that almost led to retirement,

Whitney managed to make a recovery

in the year since.

Unfortunately, we're only a month away

before the competition.

She ruptured her ACL.

Despite of that, she decides to compete.

With the surgery scheduled

after the Arnold,

physical therapy is the only option

to manage the pain

and keep the injury from worsening.

She has just a few weeks to prepare.

Neck's still doing well.

It hasn't, I mean, I...

It hasn't even been a year yet

for the neck fusion, and so...

I saw the pictures.

I couldn't believe it.

Crazy, isn't it?

I've just got to come up

with a one-legged routine.

I got one good leg.

I gotta keep this leg healthy.

-Really?

-I got to make sure I don't

screw up my neck worse 'cause now

I've got to change a lot of the skills,

which, I got to utilize my upper body

as much as I can.

So how's your routine going so far?

Um, I'm having to start all over.

I mean, normally you have your routine

done four months out.

And so I technically only have

three weeks, 'cause travel time.

So I have three weeks to put together...

[chuckles] So, it's a little crazy.

But I feel like I thrive under pressure

and it's gonna force me to think

out of the box.

[man] Wow. I like your attitude.

[Vlad] Located in the heart

of Central Asia,

Uzbekistan is not commonly known

to the Western world.

Rich in history,

Islamic tradition and spirit,

the country's only been

independent since 1991,

after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Bodybuilding is not very common here,

and the gyms are just becoming popular

in the last ten years.

But those who love it

dedicate their lives to it.

One such person is Mikhail Volinkin,

or simply Misha.

Born in Russia,

he was brought here by his parents

and abandoned at a young age.

Due to this, survival became

his way of life.

[in Russian] Misha

is a very interesting kid.

What caught my eye

is his strong character.

They told me he was from an orphanage,

very goal-oriented.

[man in Russian] You know,

there are teenagers

who, like Misha, don't have parents

and grow up in an orphanage.

And from an early age

they have no motivation.

But Misha is different.

He always loved working.

He has discipline.

[speaking Russian]

[indistinct chatter]

[Vlad] In between training

and spending time with family,

Misha visits a local orphanage,

a place he used to call home.

[boys speaking Russian]

[indistinct conversation]

[sighs]

[in Russian] It was cool.

I was the only one training.

And then boxed, we were sparring.

I could do several rounds of 20 reps

and then my hands hurt a lot.

When my palms were abraded,

I pulled up on my fingers.

Here we also did flips.

We came over here...

stepped up a bit here...

and did the flips.

[Vlad] After winning all local

and regional competitions,

Misha was selected to travel to US

and compete

at the Arnold Classic Amateur Show.

It's an honor just to be selected,

as now he finally has a chance

to win an IFBB pro card.

But in order to do that, he will have

to get a first place in his weight class

and win the overall

amongst all competitors.

He remains calm and collected,

knowing that in US,

he will compete against

the top amateurs in the world.

The African continent often gets

overlooked in the world of bodybuilding

in comparison to Europe

and the Americas,

perhaps due to the perception

of the lack of resources.

In Ghana, the average monthly income

is equivalent

to 170 American dollars.

Most gyms are a luxury,

only available to a few.

But that doesn't stop

the aspiring bodybuilder Collins Nyarko

to pursue his dream.

He wakes up early every morning

and trains his clients,

other aspiring fitness crusaders.

This is a sport that comes to you

with almost nothing.

You don't even have the gym

to begin with.

And when I'm talking about

you don't have a gym,

I'm talking you have to make your own gym

out of whatever you could find.

Pieces of stones, wood, and any metallic

object that you can find around.

And you bring these things together

just to form your gym.

In Ghana, I would say it's very difficult.

Difficult in the aspect of where to train,

especially the food aspect.

[Collins] The hardest part about being

a bodybuilder to me is nutrition.

[Samuel] I've heard

most bodybuilders

eat like 6 to 12 times the limit.

Here, looking at how things are,

you cannot afford to eat that.

You go bankrupt, yeah. [chuckles]

You can't.

I use it as a motivation.

So I want to use it

to motivate others to know that

you don't have to look at where you are.

You don't have to look

at the situation you are in.

You can make big things out

from something small.

We have such potential, we have

such good genetics here in Ghana,

so I believe that we can do

great with bodybuilding.

[Samuel] We don't even have

a single IFBB-certified professional

bodybuilder in this country.

That tells me that

we have a long way to go.

We really, really have a lot to prove.

[Victor] I want, at least,

to have an opportunity

to compete against

the best in the world,

here on home soil,

and hopefully winning world laurels.

[Vlad] As the infrastructure

of the bodybuilding federation

is not very productive here,

Collins decides to take matters

into his own hands

and puts together

a local bodybuilding competition

for him and his fellow bodybuilders.

We are the difference.

We are what they haven't seen before.

And we are what they need to see.

[Jay] I think bodybuilding

overseas is bigger.

I think everyone's looking

for the opportunity to become recognized.

Iran breeds some amazing bodybuilders,

but it's nothing new.

You know, I think because

of the advent of social media,

people are seeing it more,

but bodybuilding has been big in Iran

for decades, for centuries.

[Vlad] Many consider Iran

as the mecca of bodybuilding

in the Middle East.

Even though the country has been

largely isolated by the West,

after the Islamic Revolution of 1978,

the bodybuilding talent here is steadily

spreading throughout the world.

[King] What do they have?

Do they have clubs? No.

Can they drink? No.

So where is the one place

they can all go to?

The gym.

[Vlad] Here it's more than a sport.

It's honor.

However, participating in the most

prestigious shows in the US

is nearly impossible,

due to the recently imposed travel ban.

This hurts many

of the local competitors.

Hadi Choopan, a fierce 212 bodybuilder

from the south of Iran,

is one such competitor.

The Men's 212 division

limits all competitors

to weigh no more than 212 pounds.

This division allows for the same level

of large muscles and bulk

as the Men's Open

but drastically limits the weight.

-[horn honks]

-[chuckles]

There's a lot of amazing bodybuilders

that I think would do really, really good

competing here in the States,

but they can't because of visas.

It's horrible, it's horrible.

I... I feel really, really bad

for those guys because...

it's not in their hands.

They have nothing to do with this.

This is just pure politics

and all that nonsense.

[in Farsi] I am a professional athlete,

member of IFBB Pro,

like a newborn baby

in the professional family.

That being said, I, as the new member,

expect that the head of this family

will support me

and solve the visa problem.

so I can freely compete

in the required competitions.

We've been trying to get Hadi

into the Olympia, but I mean,

with, you know, the... the government.

I mean,

that's really out of our hands.

I mean, we've written letters,

we've tried.

But that's just really above our calling.

[Jim] I'm the president

of the NPC and IFBB,

but I'm not Donald Trump,

so I can't change that, you know.

But these guys are going to a lot

of our international pro qualifiers

and are winning a lot of them.

[Vlad] Unable to get

an entry visa to the US,

Hadi makes a decision to compete

in San Marino Pro on the coast of Italy.

However, he will have to move up

to Men's Open division,

as many European competitions

don't offer 212.

It's a shame, I mean, they can compete

in the pro shows in Europe or something,

but I don't know

if we'll ever see them here.

Hopefully, the world will change someday

that we can.

OK, good news, good news, OK.

Tell everybody, grab somebody's hand.

Everybody grab somebody's hand

and make a chain.

[interpreter speaking Chinese]

[Kai] Great things will happen in

this circle.

This circle here today.

Touch your neighbor and say,

"Great things will happen

here in this circle today."

[interpreter speaking Chinese]

Great things will happen

today in this circle.

Great things will happen in this circle.

Great things is gonna happen

in this circle.

Ready? It's getting warm.

I can feel the warm.

-I feel like a panther.

-[interpreter speaking Chinese]

I feel like a panther,

I feel like a panther.

All right? Let's get it started.

Let's do a set of ten. Let's go.

-[interpreter speaking Chinese]

-And one...

Two...

Three... Four...

[interpreter] Four.

-[Kai] Five.

-[interpreter] Five.

[Kai] Six. Seven.

[all] Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

All right, so, I want to ask you

about genetics.

Do you think people in certain countries

have genetic limitations

that will prevent them succeeding

in bodybuilding?

Do you believe that

that can be the sad truth of it all?

Yeah, you know, I can recall

being in India

and it was probably...

I don't know, 700, 800 people,

you know, in the same room.

On this platform, somebody posed

the same question.

"Do you think genetics will hold us back?

Do you think that our genetics here,

you know, collectively,

will hold us back from our ability

to achieve larger rewards

in the bodybuilding competition?"

I remember thinking, damn.

But I realized at the time that

the person wasn't trying to be funny.

And, as I looked around the room,

there were a lot of people that were there

with open eyes, you know,

really, really, you know,

expecting you to answer that.

I do believe genetics plays a part.

You know, like Asian bodybuilders,

they're not all meant to be

so big, so when you find a big

Asian bodybuilder, it's very rare.

You do see them;

a lot of them have small bones,

so they have nice structures

for like Classic Physique.

You should have really fixed joints.

You're gonna need so much more size

to make those joints look smaller.

So if you have very small joints

and round muscle bellies,

you might not need

that much weight on the scale

to look a certain way.

So, it's just, everybody has to work

with the genetics

and it's going to give

like very different physiques.

I think every nationality has some people

with great genetics,

some people not so great, but I think

Persians, Middle Easterners as a whole,

they come from a wrestling

and strength-training background.

They're really good mesomorphs.

Really capable of putting on size,

good strength.

Some of the strongest Olympic athletes

are from Iran,

broken many, many records,

so yeah, I think genetically,

Persians are primed for strength training

and bodybuilding, yes.

[in Portuguese] Since Brazilians are a mix

of different races,

the genetic pool is really big.

So sometimes you see some people

walking around who aren't athletes,

but have a beautiful physique

just from dieting and working out.

[Samuel] When it comes to Africa,

we have the genetics.

You can even see someone

who hasn't lifted weights before.

But you see that that person

is shredded with the physique.

You see the frame, everything is there.

And even when you look

outside the Western world,

most of the good bodybuilders are black.

Then again, you want to look

at these genetics

at different parts of a bodybuilder,

because there are certain parts

that Africans are not

genetically gifted at.

When it comes to these parts,

you want to look at the legs.

You want to look at your calves.

Black people, or Africans,

naturally do not have big calves.

I remember being a teenager

and people telling me in my gym,

you know, "Don't worry about calves

and things like that

because you're black

and black men don't have calves.

They can't develop calves,

so don't worry about it."

-They told you this?

-[Kai] Yeah!

The only limitations there

would have been the ones in my own mind.

[Whitney] If you want to be in the sport,

work hard

and beat 'em.

Beat their natural genetics.

Put in the hard work

so that it pays off,

and you can

put hard work over genetics.

They still have to work hard,

but maybe they're not.

[Jay] I battled Ronnie Coleman,

who I thought

was genetically superior to me for sure,

but I overcame genetics -- Branch Warren

is a prime example of that also.

We still beat people

that were better genetically.

If you have 'em,

you've just got a head start.

You got a much better chance

at reaching your goals

if you start out with good genetics.

It's just that simple.

-Genetics.

-I was blessed with genetics.

But, you know, I had to apply the work.

Everything I have now,

I had to work for it.

[scraping windows]

I'm so glad,

I just came out of Chicago.

I'm one of the maybe three guys

that came out of Chicago.

So it was nice to be recognized

out of here.

I wasn't given anything.

Everything I have now I had to work for,

work real hard for it.

And I started from the bottom, just like,

I'm not even supposed to be here.

Like, I wasn't supposed

to graduate college.

I'm not supposed to be

a successful bodybuilder.

I should be dead right now, from Chicago.

If only these guys knew about the gym,

would just get in the gym,

they wouldn't even have to worry

about looking cool on the street,

like you can look cool in a gym.

When you look at it as, I came

from nothing, you came from nothing.

We're the same people.

No matter where you're from,

we're still the same person.

We can still accomplish the same dreams,

have the same goals.

Right now, it's Men's Physique.

Winning the Arnold,

winning the Olympia.

That's my goal right now.

We might be smaller bodybuilders

but we're still bodybuilders

and we still train legs, just getting

my legs ready for next year.

Once they're developed and they match

my upper body, then yeah,

I'll be competitive in Classic,

Classic Physique, but...

Well, now I wanna fill up my board shorts

'cause they just look good. [chuckles]

Board shorts?

Good Lord, have mercy. OK, guy.

You know, these categories like Men's...

I don't know what it is,

where they wear these long shorts

and don't need to train legs.

I've tried so hard to get into

the Men's Physique, I just can't do it.

Let's be straight about it.

These are quite easy to compete in.

If you're a young person,

you're quite lean,

you could train for 12 months maybe,

and do a bikini

or a men's fitness

or whatever it's called.

[King] The essence

of bodybuilding is legs.

OK? It's what separates

the men from the boys,

the champs from the chumps, OK?

It's legs.

[Brandon] Men's Physique guys

got this misconception where...

we don't train legs, but, um...

it's... we do.

If you wanna train your legs, you can.

If you don't want to, you don't have to.

If you want to train them hard like

a bodybuilder, you can do that, too.

But they're not being scored

so they don't matter.

Men's Physique gets a lot of shit,

but it's not the same sport.

It's completely different, you know.

To each their own.

You know those guys

are working really hard.

Just being like

a low body fat percentage, it hurts,

like it's not easy to maintain.

[in Portuguese] The Men's Open guys

probably look at Men's Physique

and think because we wear shorts we don't

go through the same struggles as they do.

[King] Those guys worked very hard

and it's very difficult to obtain.

But it's a little bit more obtainable,

and more relatable, too.

I mean, I wasn't too big

for Men's Physique, honestly,

but I liked the idea of being able

to showcase my whole physique,

being able to pose.

[King] There's no bodybuilding posing.

It's supposed to be more of a natural,

"This is what I look like on the beach."

[Rich] When you're looking at physique,

it's just stances, front, side, back.

You're just looking at a body.

[Andre] What our job is to do, it's not

posing, it's looking good standing there.

You have to build your aesthetics

to a point where

you don't have to pose to look good.

A lot of people don't think that you have

to practice posing as a Men's Physique,

but you do; presentation, believe it

or not, still comes into big play.

We're looking for the muscularity,

the taper, symmetry.

And also it could be why

the Open bodybuilders

hate Men's Physique so much because

Men's Physique guys are so much more

appealable to girls,

whereas girls don't like people

that are bodybuilders,

so maybe there's a little bit

of jealousy there.

The boys who are gods are, you know,

the pretty boys.

Modeling, and the modeling contracts,

sneaky motherfuckers.

[chuckles] They probably won't

get that much respect.

Well, if I offended

any of you motherfuckers,

fuck y'all. [chuckles]

[in Portuguese] I can do a magazine cover,

an underwear campaign,

I can also look big and shredded.

Those guys are just big and freaky

and some people are intimidated

by that kind of muscle and size,

but I mean, if you're in the sport,

you understand, like,

that's the top of the food chain.

[Rafael, in Portuguese]

When I thought about being an athlete,

I wanted to compete in Men's Physique,

but when I met my first trainer he wanted

to see my physique as a whole.

So my trainer told me

I could not keep my legs hidden

since they were such a strong point

in my physique,

so I should go bodybuilding.

I'm Dr. André Santos.

I'm a physiotherapist who specializes

in chiropractic.

For his debut in San Marino

we have been working

on the volume of his back.

[groaning]

[groans]

[Rafael in Portuguese] His work

is fundamental for my preparation

since we take our body

to the extreme every day.

People always say that bodybuilding

is a lonely sport,

but I disagree.

Alone we can't do anything

or achieve anything.

[percussion band playing]

[percussion riff plays on computer]

It's weird because the beginning

of me speaking

is so loud and like unclear

and the end is so low.

We could fix the volume...

I always wanted to do an Egyptian-themed

routine, it's always been in my head,

because I'm like, I'm Egyptian,

I have to do that one day.

I'm so proud of being Egyptian,

and my mom's family is Jewish,

and my dad is Muslim, so that gives

really an awesome dynamic

in terms of my family goes.

The most important question:

can you sacrifice everything

to get on this level, to be better you?

Next time when you compete.

Unfortunately,

not everyone can sacrifice.

Sacrifice time with your family,

sacrifice time with your second half.

Sacrifice time with your kids.

So it's hard, you know,

for most people.

[Ariel] Like I was living, breathing,

sleeping bodybuilding since I'm little

without knowing that I was doing that.

And I'd love to be that person that could

win Ms. Olympia a couple of times.

I mean, I do have a life.

I can't see myself winning Ms. Olympia,

then trying to do it another ten times.

My body's just not gonna handle it.

Not just that, but I wanna live

a normal life one day.

I mean, I've been doing athletics

and being a pro athlete my whole life.

I'm 25, and even though I'm young,

almost 25 years of that,

you still yearn for like,

I wanna be a mom one day.

I got you!

[indistinct shouting]

[Whitney] My kids will always be...

always my number one priority.

If anything was ever not OK with them,

if they ever did not support what I did,

if, um, they needed me

and I was not available

because I was focused on competing,

competing would be put aside.

Obviously. They are

my number one priority.

But I'm fortunate,

I have two healthy kids.

I have happy kids; I'm able

to balance being a single mom

because I've had years

to try to figure it out.

I've been able to make it work.

They get to do all the activities

that they want to do.

They're playing... major into sports.

Every single day,

we have something going on.

But again, it requires me getting up

super early

in order to get my cardio in.

I have to have my schedule dialed in

to the minute.

Because there's no other way

I could do it.

[horn honking]

[Collins] Generally speaking,

an African bodybuilder

is much stronger and more endurance

simply because

of the hardship that a lot of us

are coming from.

You have a kid who has worked

about half of his life.

It's just going to be easier

for him to do

than somebody who, for his whole life,

has not even carried,

let's say a 30-kilo material on his head.

[Vlad] Collins's show is a success.

Not because of any prizes given

but because it provides a platform

to inspire other local athletes

as they aim to create their own brand

of natural bodybuilding.

[Collins] Being a natural bodybuilder

and getting all this attention,

this is what people like me for.

They look at my physique,

as natural as it is, and they like it.

That is good inspiration,

that is something they can look up to.

That's something they can aspire to.

Most of the times, when people

see you being a bodybuilder,

they have the notion that you might be

taking steroids or something.

But I think you can do bodybuilding

with just food.

-Yeah.

-[rooster crows]

You can do it with food,

and supplement if you can afford.

When you're a pro bodybuilder,

every single one is on steroids.

Let's make that clear.

Right? You know that, right?

The best of the best, no names mentioned.

I've worked with men who will say,

"If you told me that

taking anabolic steroids is going

to take 20 years off my life,

I would still do it, because at least

I would be big and muscular

in the time I was here."

It's incredible science,

so there's hundreds of steroids

that have been produced in the world

since the 1940s and '30s.

They're either for human-grade use

or animal use.

Equipoise is for horses, dogs and cats.

But these men use all these mixed.

They're all mixed.

There's something pathological about that.

That's not a healthy way of thinking

because at the end,

it's not about being muscular,

it's about being happy,

being confident, being accepted.

The regular dose for a testosterone

replacement patient

is about 100 milligrams of ester per week.

Bodybuilders and strength athletes

and strongmen

can use upwards of 5 grams a week.

One hundred to 5,000.

It's risk versus benefit ratio.

And I always tell people that,

if they want to go down that road,

that's up to them, but when you're 25,

you don't give a shit.

You know, when you're 25, you just

want to be the best in the world

and be Mr. Olympia.

So when you get older,

I think you start thinking about it more.

[Rich] When you see bodybuilders die

at a young age, like Dallas McCarver,

I think it's really, really sad.

There was a guy who had

great potential in being

a great bodybuilder.

And, you know, his life coming down short,

for whatever reasons, from, you know,

whatever he did in bodybuilding.

I always worried about my health,

you know.

You know, I think my injury

that caused me to retire early

was probably a blessing

in disguise because

I would have probably

pushed my body to the limits

to try to keep up with the bodybuilders

that were like getting bigger

and bigger and bigger.

Even back then, there wasn't

much emphasis on steroids.

When I got into it, I was more

about the training hard, the eating.

That sort of thing.

Steroids is like I heard about it

and knew it was in the sport,

but it wasn't like now.

You go on any website today, forums,

all people talk about is drugs, steroids.

It just drives me mad.

Social media has a lot of benefits

and a lot of pitfalls,

and one of the pitfalls are

it disseminates

a lot of unhealthy information

where young people have access to it

and now can see

some bodybuilder or someone saying,

"Oh, well, if you do this, this and this,

then you could look this big."

Let me put it to you this way, OK, look.

I have a lot of friends

in whole different genres of sports.

Football, baseball, basketball,

and many of them are professional.

Golfers use steroids, OK?

It's just a thing.

I mean, the kids at the gym,

just nobody...

Just recreational, little, you know,

Jersey Shore douchebags I see at the gym,

they're all juiced up to the max

and what have you.

Everybody does it.

Everybody does it.

So why they target bodybuilder?

Because bodybuilders,

they take off their clothes.

They're in their shorts or trunks

on stage.

Obviously, the field physique

is much different than a normal person.

So people don't see hard work

and effort that go behind.

You can take enhancers,

you can take this and that,

but at the same time, you can't buy

the hard work that people put.

[Vlad] With one week

before the competition in San Marino,

Varinder trains with his mentor, Sheru,

in their home state of Punjab.

There is a certain level

of pride in this region.

And a good performance

on a European soil

would mean a lot to them.

Yes! Come on, bro.

[indistinct chatter]

Good.

Pro!

Yep. San Marino Pro. Pro.

Come on. Yep.

[Sheru] He's been working much harder

since the last six months.

Plus his major challenge,

which also I see,

uh, he's a vegetarian.

When I was competing,

you know, me being a vegetarian,

things disappointed me.

[Sheru] A beast from India.

-Hold!

-Yup!

Good.

[no voice]

[alarm chiming]

[King] Bodybuilding is so mental.

That's what you have to do, you have to

sacrifice everything in your life.

If you're not ready here, you know...

Bodybuilding is 80% mental.

[Vlad] Before the competition,

bodybuilders go through a cutting phase.

It's a complex process that requires

balancing carbs, protein, water,

and sodium intake.

Each body reacts differently

to this process.

The adjustments in diet and water intake

are done on a daily basis,

all the way up to the competition.

Most bodybuilders don't consume

any water the day of the show

to make their bodies look

like an anatomy chart.

But dehydration can break down even

the most experienced bodybuilder.

[crowd cheering]

[emcee] Ladies and gentlemen,

from Brazil, Rafael Brandão.

[cheering and applause]

Hadi Choopan.

[cheering and applause]

Number 20, Varinder Singh Ghuman.

[applause continues]

[Jay] You've got to be

in great condition,

you have to be able to pose right,

and everything has to flow.

The symmetry has to be like, you know,

where you create that V taper

and you have round muscle bellies

and, you know, it's defined,

and, you know, whoever poses

and shows off their strong points

and hides their weaknesses

against the other guys

is usually picked as the winner.

We all have our strong points.

I mean, I was great at hiding

the flaws that I had,

and trust me, everyone has some.

And, you know, it took me a long time

to overcome a lot of that,

to be able to be the champion

and consistently win.

[applause]

[Vlad] Hadi made it to the top two.

He now goes toe to toe

against one of the top

Men's Open bodybuilders in the world.

[emcee] Second place,

the silver medal,

take that to competitor number 4,

Hadi Choopan!

[Vlad] He came close, but being

number two, despite the weight category,

will never be enough

for the Persian Wolf.

[King] These guys,

if they don't win,

the membership in the gyms come down,

they get blasted in social media,

the haters will come out and they will

take away everything they have.

So to them it's life or death

for these Iranians.

It's everything to them.

You know, it's everything to them.

It's the passion.

It's so strong.

That's why they get upset

and they go and they cry

and they do this and they do that.

There's always gonna be controversy

no matter who wins.

The only one that's happy is the guy

that wins the show

or the female that wins the show.

Everybody else is just always gonna be

unhappy from second on down.

So, what can you do?

Tired.

Finished.

[indistinct chatter]

[Vlad] Placing seventh was

not the result he wanted.

But Rafael is at peace

with a placement.

He achieved his goal and made

the pro debut in the world arena.

For Varinder,

the result wasn't as expected.

Being a vegetarian puts him at

a disadvantage for gaining muscle mass,

and he knows it.

But he's determined

to continue his career

and rep his nation around the world.

[Sharu] From front,

Varinder is very good.

As good as any other guy

in the world right now.

His problem's always in the back.

The hamstring and the back cut-up thing.

Give him like six months or one year,

you will see a new Varinder

coming up.

[Vlad] A day before the New York Pro,

Regan pays a visit to Steve Weinberger,

a head IFBB judge.

A visit is a tradition of sorts

among the top pros

who want to hear an honest and credible

opinion about their progress,

because Steve doesn't sugar-coat.

His opinions are usually sharp

and to the point.

However, suddenly Regan

has an announcement of his own.

Hey, Steve, there's some big news.

I'm doing Classic.

-Really?

-Yeah.

[Steve] I thought he was going to be

an amazing Open competitor.

Big size, great shape,

really good conditioning.

I thought, this is a guy that could be

really a top Mr. Olympia contender.

Then he told me that he's doing

Classic Physique.

And I was pretty much shocked

'cause I thought he'd be

one of the new big stars.

I can't believe he lost that much mass.

If you would have told me

the day before he's coming in

and tell me he's not gonna be

doing the Open,

and he's gonna be doing Classic

and he's gonna win,

I would say you're out of your mind.

I wouldn't think it was gonna happen.

-Gonna be dangerous also.

-Yeah. Thank you.

I just think it's...

I think I have a better shot.

-I think...

-I agree.

[Regan] Some of these guys,

all the power to them,

they look amazing, but some guys,

I just don't aspire to look like that.

You know,

I don't want to be that big.

Like I don't wanna be 330 or 320.

You're your own person, I guess,

and you gotta bring what you like.

You know, so even, I mean,

if the judges want me at 300,

I don't know if I'd even go to 300

'cause I just, "A,"

it wouldn't be healthy for me,

I wouldn't feel good,

and, "B," that's probably not

the physique that I want to be like.

I think it seems like Classic Physique

is gonna be the most popular thing.

That's what I see, 'cause

you gotta think there's so many...

Like there's so many more people

who could be on that level

of like "genetically gifted"

and work ethic and everything,

but there's, like the Phil Heath

is like the one in like... a billion.

Anyway, the Classic Physique

turned out to be

one of our fastest exploding divisions.

I think it's definitely not

an easy way out.

It's different, I guess, in many ways.

But I know for a fact, they train

with a professional Open bodybuilder

every single day.

We're still all working just as hard

and there's sacrifices

that every division is gonna have to make

in this, nothing's easy.

If you don't give it 100%,

then you won't be successful.

[Jim] There's no easy way out.

That's insulting

to the Classic Physique guys.

If you look at the group

of Classic Physique guys,

there's nothing easy about winning

a pro show anymore.

These guys are for real.

I mean, they train just like

the bodybuilders, even harder.

[Stanislas] A Classic Physique

is all about balance to me.

Balance and conditioning.

To me, it's a Greek statue.

You want to showcase the physique.

It's not just overall pure mass.

When Classic Physique is balanced first.

Classic represents the artsy side.

It is showing you straight-up art

in Classic.

It's very cool to watch,

but after a while,

if these are the same routines

over and over...

Regan's gonna be Mr. Olympia

Men's Open at some point.

I think he's a one-and-done guy

in this Classic contest he's doing now,

'cause I know he's gonna have trouble

bringing the weight down.

There's a lot of potential there

to be a Men's Open bodybuilder.

And a lot of bodybuilders don't make it

in the Open class,

so they fall down into Classic.

Well, guess what?

The waist isn't small enough,

or the lines aren't good enough

and then they're pushed out.

In five years, watch the comeback

in the sport of bodybuilding

in the Men's Open side.

-[Victoria] You trying to make it higher?

-[man] I just wanna see your legs...

[Victoria laughs]

[Victoria] Imagine that.

[man] I'm telling you right now,

It's extremely light.

-[Victoria speaking indistinctly]

-Yeah.

[man] Let's see the hamstring from behind.

-You can feel now, I mean...

-[Regan] I can feel them.

[indistinct shouting]

-[man 1] Pull straight in.

-[man 2] Stay right there.

[man] Thank you.

I know I've worked so hard

like for the competition,

and that I'm just, I'm ready, you know.

Like, now it's time to just display

what I've worked for.

-[man] Go, Greene!

-[woman] Let's go, babe!

[scattered cheering]

[woman] Go, Regan!

[scattered cheering and applause]

Go, Regan!

[cheering and applause]

[man] Yeah, Regan!

[scattered cheering]

[woman] Go, Regan!

Go, Regan! Flex!

[Vlad] A first-place finish proved

that switching to Classic

was the right decision for Regan.

But the stakes would only get higher

and competition fierce

as he's now part

of the fastest-growing division

in the pro league.

[in Russian] When I met my wife,

she always supported me.

Now we have one daughter,

but we want two more children.

So, I'm working now for their future.

So, family is not an obstacle.

On the contrary, they motivate me

and encourage me.

When I was in the orphanage,

I promised myself never to let

my own children end up there.

I started preparing.

You know, it's an important competition.

I still have some time.

You can do it, but you need to pay

attention to certain areas.

-You know what I'm talking about.

-I'm working on it.

You're ready, but you just need

to improve on those little details.

What does Timur say about

going to America?

Not much, just says to prepare.

My motivation is through the roof.

Yeah, it's the next level.

Of course I realize

I'll have to work twice as much.

IFBB is an advanced level.

I can't even imagine how it will be

if you win the Arnold Classic.

And imagine if you become

an overall champion?

[coach] Two-time... Arnold...

Classic... champion...

Brandon... Hendrickson!

-[Brandon straining]

-Come on, go.

[Vlad] We return to the Arnold Classic

in Columbus, Ohio,

where every year,

about a hundred thousand people gather

for the fitness expo and the competitions.

Everything seems familiar.

Crowds of eager fans,

cold March winds,

and a lot of excitement

as the people gather here

from all over the world.

But for the competitors,

there is no time for excitement.

[water running]

[in Russian] When people go to the US

for the first time,

they are impressed because

people dream of going there,

because everyone says

it's an athlete's paradise.

A different life,

compared to the one in Uzbekistan.

We went there to compete.

We went there to win.

To raise our flag.

To let people know about us.

-[in Russian] Oh, Misha, hi.

-[in Russian] Hi.

-How are you doing?

-OK.

-Misha, how are you?

-I'm OK.

-Did you get enough sleep?

-Yep.

Look, it's started.

The final stage.

The calves this time are good.

Oh, look. Flex it.

-Check it out, it's cutting.

-Well done.

You just gotta be calm,

don't freak out.

-Perhaps you'll get a pro card.

-Of course I will.

[Vlad] It's finally time.

This is what they have been working for.

Misha and the rest

of the amateur bodybuilders

get compared during

a tedious prejudging round.

Meanwhile, Ariel and Whitney

go through their prejudging,

the physique round.

[Ariel] When I first came out,

the judges didn't even look at me.

They were looking down,

they were like shuffling papers.

There was only a couple judges

that were really looking at me.

But, um, yeah, I mean, that's like

not a great feeling

'cause you worked really hard for this.

I'm not really sure

what they were expecting from me,

but I think I did the best that I could.

So I just want to go out there

in a routine and kind of kill it now.

[chuckles]

[indistinct chatter]

[commentator] Here we are

with the Men's Physique 2018.

Big smiles, small waists.

That's what it's about, boys.

[Vlad] While the first round

of Women's Fitness

may only be worth 30%

of their overall score,

prejudging for Men's Physique division

is everything.

This is the round

where athletes get compared

and continually narrowed down

to the best,

until top competitors are

next to each other center stage.

-[commentator] But you notice these guys.

-[emcee] 5 and 16, switch.

You can see the ones that really train

their legs through their shorts.

Right there, number 16,

Brandon Hendrickson, being one of them.

Those shorts are tight, his quads

are busting through those things.

Respect to that.

Gotta balance that body out.

[Vlad] Emotions run high

and stress is always present,

as the athletes try to inch

their way closer to the judges

in the attempt to make themselves

look bigger and more defined.

Everything is on the line with the few

minutes they have on this stage.

[emcee] Andre, move up.

I know, myself, I don't focus on people.

Like when I prep.

My focus is on beating everyone,

so how am I focusing on Brandon?

I'm here to beat everyone.

I'm focusing on me.

[Vlad] The judges narrow it down

to the top three physiques

and compare them.

While they know they've placed well,

they have to wait

until the awards ceremony

to see who gets the gold.

[speaking indistinctly]

[Ariel] I feel like I'm only

competing against myself.

I never go into a show saying,

"I have to win

or I have to do this, I have to do that,"

because, at the end of the day,

if I do the best that I can do,

I can't be any happier with that.

If you want to be at the elite level,

you go all in.

And you give it everything you've got.

And you attack it every single day.

It takes a very specific person

to be at the top.

If you're not cut out for it,

don't get in.

The people who are at the top,

they don't need to talk about it.

They're not complaining

about anything.

They're working, they are grinding.

They are doing everything that is required

and that's necessary to get there.

But people aren't willing to do that.

Because it's not easy to be in it.

It's not easy to be at the top.

This is a serious thing.

There's too many serious athletes.

There's too many people who are

so dedicated and want it so bad.

Those are the people who get it,

those are the people who deserve it.

You have to be relentless.

You have to be fearless

in everything you want.

Those people who want it know it,

and there is nothing stopping them.

[applause]

[no voice]

[in Russian] Arnold Schwarzenegger

then tells me,

"Where are you from?",

I say "Uzbekistan."

He says, "How many years

have you been in training?"

Everyone is keeping silent for a moment,

and I say, "I don't speak English."

And the audience went wild.

They were expecting me

to say something else, probably.

[indistinct chatter]

[woman] Whoo!

[indistinct announcements over PA]

[scattered applause]

[emcee] And the winner

of $1,500 for third place,

Brandon Hendrickson.

This is the end, we've been working for

this moment, because I want the titles.

You cannot be champion without

difficult times and without losing.

It's experience.

It's great experience.

And without this experience,

you cannot become a champ.

When you just got trophy very fast

for one or two years,

it doesn't make you stronger person.

It doesn't make you real champion

with good future.

[no voice]

[Brandon] At first, when I told him that I

wanted to pursue bodybuilding,

all my dad was worried about was like,

"What about retirement?

What about insurance?"

You know, he's worrying about the stuff

that I wasn't thinking about,

and then I started competing

and doing well and...

he saw that I was becoming

successful in the sport.

And so he was starting to believe

in my vision a lot more.

[Vlad] The pursuit

of the perfect physique

is what often unites the men and women

who dedicate their lives to the iron.

Their path might be discouraging at times,

and even dangerous.

At the end of the day, most know

that achieving perfection is not possible.

But that doesn't stop them.

And whether they live

in the East or West...

having little or much resource,

that ultimately has little to do

with their dream

as they will always find a way.

I heard Lee Haney say this

when I was a teenager.

He said, he said, uh,

"Great champions don't come back.

They focus and capture their now,

and they move on with their development."

There's many, many more things

that you're supposed to do

and accomplish in your lifetime.

So, yeah...

Great champions don't come back,

they be back.

♪ I'm on the mission ♪

♪ The strong competition

Whoever, whatever ♪

♪ I view it all as opposition ♪

♪ Ain't came to lose

I came to win it ♪

♪ So, if you ain't with me

You're against me ♪

♪ Listen ♪

♪ I'm a rose that grew

From the concrete ♪

♪ Look how I'm grown ♪

♪ See the scratches on my petals

Scars on my thorns ♪

♪ I know you see it ♪

♪ It's win or lose, do or die

Ain't no in betweens ♪

♪ Ain't no in betweens, y'all ♪

♪ So you can call it what you want ♪

♪ But it's all I ever known ♪

♪ They tell me go hard or go home ♪

♪ So I go hard and go harder ♪

♪ Go hard or go home ♪

♪ So I go hard and go harder, yeah ♪

♪ I've been beaten, battered and bruised ♪

♪ Look at my heart

It's in my wounds ♪

♪ Look deep in my eye ♪

♪ I bet you see that it's consumed ♪

♪ By the eternal winds ♪

♪ Motivated by my pain ♪

♪ Still the man's here with a passion ♪

♪ Nothing to lose, only gain ♪

♪ I've been through it all

From the highs to the lows ♪

♪ Stood firm in our cause ♪

♪ No matter how it goes ♪

♪ Yeah-eah-eah ♪

♪ I'm a rose that grew from the concrete ♪

♪ Look how I'm grown ♪

♪ See the scratches on my petals

Scars on my thorns ♪

♪ I know you see it ♪

♪ It's win or lose, do or die

Ain't no in betweens ♪

♪ Ain't no in betweens, y'all ♪

♪ So you can call it what you want

But it's all I ever known ♪

♪ They tell me go hard or go home ♪

♪ So I go hard and go harder ♪

♪ Go hard or go home ♪

♪ So I go hard and go harder, yeah ♪

♪ Do it, do it or don't

No time to cry about it ♪

♪ Either you burn or stand firm

Willing to die about it ♪

♪ Writing black and white on that wall

You truth and lie about it ♪

♪ Struggle and strain against the flame

And you fry about it ♪

♪ See a brimstone and fire

Gnashing of teeth ♪

♪ For this is hell here ♪

♪ We're merely trying to try to survive

But often fell here ♪

♪ No reception in this wild

Waiting on God's call ♪

♪ Devil's calling loud, steady

Waiting on you to fall ♪

♪ You ever seen the demons

Eat an angel? ♪

♪ They get on their knees

with bloody teeth like God thank you ♪

♪ You can write about your life out here ♪

♪ No peace and pity for your kiddies

or your wife out here ♪

♪ Talking bling without the Rockefeller ♪

♪ Talking eating cheese

Without the mozzarella ♪

♪ Desperation breed a fool wid it ♪

♪ In it to win it

What you gonna do wid it? ♪

♪ 'Cause me... ♪

♪ I'm a rose that grew from the concrete ♪

♪ Look how I'm grown ♪

♪ See the scratches on my petals

Scars on my thorns ♪

♪ I know you see it ♪

♪ It's win or lose, do or die

Ain't no in betweens ♪

♪ Ain't no in betweens, y'all ♪

♪ So you can call it what you want

But it's all I ever known ♪

♪ They tell me go hard or go home ♪

♪ So I go hard and go harder ♪

♪ Yeah-eah-eah ♪

♪ Oh, Lord ♪