The biggest bodybuilder - Greg Kovacs: biography, interesting facts and cause of death

Greetings friends!

Today we’ll talk about the biggest titan of the 90s in bodybuilding, and this is Greg Kovacs. Why did a bodybuilder, possessing such colossal data, get only 1 victory? What principles helped him achieve such strength indicators?

Learn about his training and nutrition.

And here are more articles about bodybuilding monsters:

MAMDU ELSSBIAY – AKA BIG RAMY: THE WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT THE EGYPTIAN BODYBUILDER

MARTIN FORD: REAL DATA OF THE ATHLET'S HEIGHT AND WEIGHT

MORGAN ASTE IS A FRENCH BODYBUILDER AND STRONGMAN WHOSE GROWTH IS AMAZING

RICH PIANA – BODYBUILDER, BUSINESSMAN, FAMOUS YOUTUBER AND JUST A MAN WITH YOUR HEAD OFF

Greg Kovacs[edit | edit code]

Grandfather Darwin never dreamed of anything like this. The way bodybuilding is developing today does not just confirm the theory of evolution with its notorious struggle for existence, in which, as we know, the survival of the fittest. No, this battle of the titans can only fit into the theory of revolution. Even 30 years ago, grateful fans were ready to carry Arnold Schwarzenegger with his competition weight of 107 kg in their arms and sing hymns to him, like the Greeks to the Olympic gods. Why, at that time he was one of the most massive bodybuilders in the world! Then, in the “Era of Titans of Mass,” it was Lee Haney’s turn to skim the caps with a mass of 117 kg, until he was replaced on the Olympia podium by the 120-kg Dorian Yates. Yes, this is how the most important metamorphoses in professional bodybuilding took place - from Grimek and Ross to Park and Pearl, from Arnold and Sergio Oliva to Lee Haney and Dorian Yates, and from Yates to the 136-kilogram Paul Dillet and Nasser el Sonbati. But with the advent of Greg Kovacs, with his gigantic 182.5 kg with a height of 193 cm, in the race for mass, all these eminent “fighters” could only nervously smoke on the sidelines. He was so huge and strong that it is difficult to imagine. Even against the background of today's best athletes, Greg would not get lost.

History to learn from

The addiction to chemicals developed into a real drug addiction. Valentino says it often happened that he used second-hand needles. This is not surprising, because due to daily injections there were not enough clean needles, so we had to somehow get out of the situation.

Such negligence and uncontrolled injections of the drug for muscle growth - synthol - led to a terrible abscess on the biceps. Gregg Valentino now talks about the events of the past with regret, because at one time he ignored the advice of doctors to stop using chemical rubbish.

In moments of terrible pain and fever, he mixed Tylenol and Advil, added some dura-cef antibiotics and drank this flammable mixture.

Instead of seeking help from a hospital to have qualified doctors remove the inflammation and infection, he decided to carry out the procedure himself, recording every moment of the “operation” on video so that he could later post the shocking footage on his Instagram.

Self-indulgence led to a muscle rupture. “Foam muscles” literally tore the skin on my arm, and rivers of ichor and pus flowed from the wound, flooding the body and the floor. The “biceps explosion” put the athlete in a hospital bed for a long time. Surgeons were forced to urgently remove infected tissue. After suffering, his hands, covered with a network of scars, look tormented, and he had to forget about his former volumes forever.

Recently, a well-known victim of synthol and steroids has been conducting radio broadcasts and blogs on the Internet, and has appeared in talk shows and videos.

For a long time, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronnie Coleman remained Greg Valentino’s idols, but during the period of “synthol fever” Greg was 100% sure that he had left his rivals far behind, and they were incredibly jealous of his results. In 2016 - 2022, he continues to work on an instructive autobiography, in which a man openly talks about the fatal result of chasing the body of an iron monster.

Personal matter[edit | edit code]

Name

: Greg Kovacs.

Date of Birth

: 12/16/1968
Date of Death
: 11/25/2013
Place of Birth
: Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

Location

: Fonthill, Ontario, Canada.

Somatotype (type of build)

: endomesomorph.

Height

: 191 cm.

Weight

: in the off-season - 182.5 kg, competition - 136-150 kg.

Biceps: 65 cm, calves - 60 cm, thigh - 89 cm, waist - 114 cm, chest volume -178 cm (weighing 182.5 kg).

Professional career

: since 1996

Trainer

: Victor Muñoz.

Best Achievements

:

  • 1996: Canadian National Championship - 1st place.
  • 1997: “Night of Champions” - 16th place.
  • 1998: Ironman Pro - 16th place.
  • 2003: Arnold Classic - 13th place.
  • 2004: Arnold Classic - 13th place.

Interesting facts from life

From the biography it is known that the bodybuilder took 12th or 13th place in competitions throughout his entire sports career. Greg didn't set such goals for himself, he trained more for himself, and also trained other young guys.

He was often featured in advertising campaigns for the fitness and nutrition industries. Kovac rarely competed, but was always the center of media attention.

In 2013, the athlete’s heart stopped, the cause of death was a heart attack. As the examination showed, the heart could not withstand such force loads.

The heroes are not us...[edit | edit code]

Greg Kovacs was born on December 16, 1968 in the Canadian town of Niagara Falls, Ontario. This date should be written in red on the bodybuilding calendar. And all because it was on this day that the army of bodybuilders was replenished with a phenomenal specimen, already abundantly endowed with muscle mass from birth. Yes, the boy was not fragile. And he probably knew what hard physical labor was - he came from a farming family. The father of the “Canadian Godzilla” also did not suffer from a lack of strength and muscle volume; with a height of 185 cm, he weighed 105 kg. However, according to Kovacs himself, the grandson took after his grandfather: there were legends about his superhuman strength. Only a little could be added to the unique genetic baggage to create the biggest and most powerful professional in history. At the age of 17, still not knowing anything about bodybuilding, Kovacs already weighed 110 kg - and that was just muscle. After a year of training, he matured to 136 kg! At the Arnold Classic 1996 tournament, his appearance was a cold shower for everyone - the referee, competitors, the public - 182.5 kg! Can you believe it? It got to the point that the usual range of weights for bodybuilding could no longer satisfy the giant: extra-heavy dumbbells began to be specially made for him. Kovacs' strength data shocked many: leg press - 900 kg (20 repetitions per set), incline bench press - 306 kg - 3 times in a row (!). One day, during a photo shoot, the photographer asked him to “work” with dumbbells in a chest exercise—lying flyes. When Greg easily picked up the “unreal” weight for the photographer - 90 kg dumbbells - and began working in his usual mode - up to 12 repetitions per set, he was dumbfounded with surprise and, as if hypnotized, watched this action. Eh, if the “student” knew that this is not the limit for Kovacs. In fact, the athlete is used to “juggling” 115-kilogram dumbbells - 6 repetitions per set. But you could only find such “dumbbells” in one room. So we had to be content with little.

Life after sports

After leaving big bodybuilding, Kovacs began a series of troubles. After the divorce from his wife, the Greek could not recover for a long time. to prison for several months . After his release, he tried himself as a sports journalist . He was good at this. He managed to write a series of articles for the website rxmuscle.com. In 2008, during a training session in one of the gyms in Toronto, an athlete lost consciousness during a bench press. He was taken to the hospital and put on life support. On November 22, 2013, Greg Kovacs passed away due to a heart attack at the age of 44.

How “steel” was tempered[edit | edit code]

Greg was born to be a bodybuilder. But the “construction of the century” did not begin immediately. At first, Greg played football, and the boy was good at kicking the ball. Well, then hockey players laid their eyes on him. Kovacs’ hockey, as they say, “went well”, and he was soon included in the Canadian national junior team. Here Greg takes the trick and throws his stick far away, firmly making it clear: he will no longer set foot on the ice! The fact is that he, like all other players, was periodically sent to the gym. And then Greg discovered that the barbell was much dearer to his heart. The persuasion of the coaches, who promised the talent millions in fees, yielded nothing. Greg fell in love with bodybuilding. And mutually.

What was so attractive to the promising guy in the “pump”?

It turns out that there is a relatively large number of repetitions per set. If you take powerlifting, which Kovacs also did for some time, then there is no rhythm in the training. You pull the weight once or twice and sit and rest. And in bodybuilding there is dynamics, flights of thought and imagination. In short, it's not boring at all. True, the true essence of bodybuilding did not reach Kovacs immediately. At the age of 20, he decided to perform for the first time. But it misfired.

Greg was aiming to win with a weight of 130 kg, but lost to a guy who weighed 85. But the whole reason was that he was very weak in “relief”, and his posing was lame. It took another 8 years for Kovacs to fully master the science of competitive bodybuilding. Completion of the course completed the assignment of a professional card. During his professional bodybuilding days, he weighed from 163 to 182.5 kg in the off-season and from 136 to 150 kg during competitions. With a weight of 156 kg (when he had relatively “lean” muscles) and a height of 193 cm, Greg had the following parameters: chest volume 165 cm, waist 102 cm, hips 89 cm, calves 58 cm, biceps volume 63 cm Despite the fact that Greg was considered a fairly famous bodybuilder, he did not take part in competitions very often. The modest prize money did not impress him; he had a good profit from advertising projects and promotions of one of the large companies - a manufacturer of sports supplements. Although he could still make a couple of curtsies towards the hungry spectacles, like bread, of fans (however, not very successful ones) (see Kovacs’ achievements in his personal file at the beginning of the article).

But the affable and friendly Kovacs could forgive everything. Many found him to be a truly handsome and charming fellow. They say about such people as “the right guy.” In short, a real cowboy! In the mid-1990s, Greg was the guest of honor at all the “top” exhibitions and sales in the fitness industry. Not too bad for a guy who's only competed in a few competitions! Despite the fact that Greg Kovacs was not a regular participant in the Pro Series tournaments, nevertheless, he was considered one of the most popular bodybuilders in the world for a very long time. As a model for a sports supplement company, Greg traveled around the world promoting himself and the company's products. Alas, today you will no longer see Kovacs at the exhibition stand at any major exhibition or tournament; he has been replaced by younger guys. But his experience is worthy of being considered in all details - after all, Kovacs still has no equal in terms of mass! However, this is not entirely true - there was another “mass monster” - Vic Richards, but you will read about him further...

Strongmen-entertainers Greg wholeheartedly advocated for the new standard of mass that Dorian Yates and Nasser El Sonbati brought with them to bodybuilding. Both of them looked like aliens among other bodybuilders only because they practiced a fundamentally new type of training - strength training. Kovacs thought so. He himself also trained extremely intensively and outwardly (just like Yates and Sonbati) looked a lot like a security officer. By the way, one day Kovacs managed to meet Yates, and he received a lot of valuable advice from him. The guys completely agreed in their views - only strength training gives you mass. That is, a small number of sets and repetitions. However, Kovacs practiced a limited range of motion, but Yates recommended a wide range of motion. According to Yates, full amplitude provides more volume to the working muscle. Kovacs tried it, and sure enough, the advice worked! Yates also gave another recommendation: you need to train according to the same scheme both in the off-season and before the tournament. If you change the scheme, injuries will occur. When you train with huge weights, the body needs too much time to adapt to new types of load. Therefore, at a crucial moment in preparation for a tournament, you cannot “change horses” in any way. “Relief” must be achieved only through diet.

Biographical information

Greg Kovacs was born into the family of a Canadian farmer in Ontario, in the city of Niagara Falls. The event happened in mid-December 1968. Good genetics determined the child’s occupation. He chose hockey for himself , and put all his energy and sporting anger into hitting with a stick. Later, the young man was included in the national junior team, where he proved himself to be a talented player.

One day he decided to pump up his arms and came to the gym, where he tried his hand at powerlifting . He later took up bodybuilding . him to this type of strength sport was the dynamics, the opportunity to improvise and change strategies. The new hobby took the guy headlong. For his sake, I quit not only hockey, but also the engineering faculty. He got rid of everything that prevented him from doing what he loved, and selflessly carried iron.

In full [edit | edit code]

Chest[edit | edit code]

Like Arnold and Lou Ferrigno, the center of Greg's gigantic physique is his chest. If you remember, Schwarzenegger once became the Guinness Book of Records record holder with a pectoral muscle volume of 147 cm, Ferrigno reached a volume of 150 cm. And our “Canadian Colossus” with a volume of 178 cm left both athletes on the sidelines!

Here is a typical chest training program from Greg Kovacs:

  • Press in the Smith machine, on an incline bench - 3-4 warm-up sets, 15-20 repetitions. Next, 2-3 working approaches, 6-10 repetitions.
  • Bench press on a horizontal bench - 1-2 warm-up approaches. Next, 1-2 working approaches, 6-10 repetitions.
  • Seated press in a “press machine” 3 1-2 working sets, 6-10 reps.
  • Dumbbell flyes, on an incline bench - 1-2 working sets, 6-10 repetitions.
  • “Crossover” on the upper block - 1-2 working sets, 12-15 repetitions.

But Greg was ready to amaze everyone not only with muscle volume, but also with strength. While still at school, he bench pressed 227 kg on the Smith machine, not just once, but for 8-10 repetitions. Then he began to press the same 227 kg with free weight, as well as 305 kg in the Smith machine.

At one time, Kovacs revised his approach to training the pectoral muscles. Once upon a time, he began training his chest with bench presses, but at a certain stage, his muscle strength began to significantly exceed the strength of his tendons. Therefore, Greg began to train his chest very carefully. To warm up, I started with incline presses and only then proceeded to bench presses, and even then with a small weight for myself - no more than 250 kg.

Biceps[edit | edit code]

Kovacs: “I used to train my arms with heavier weights, but my biceps were half the size they are now. Hence the conclusion: for biceps it is not the weight that is important, but their maximum isolation!

In “manual” training, I have never moved away from free weights, but machines also have their advantages. Some modern machines produce amazing peak reduction. So from time to time I replace free weights with machine work.

Usually, going to the gym for arm training. I imagine what I will do. But sometimes - purely instinctively - I change something. If I don’t feel in the best shape, I reduce the intensity, reduce the working weights and do more working sets of the exercises.

I finish almost every set with at least one forced repetition to bring the muscle fibers to a complete “lockdown” (of course, this requires the help of a partner.) When I want to “shock” the biceps, I use ultra-intensity training techniques: graduated sets, rest-pause and etc.

I had tendonitis - inflammation of the biceps tendon. But when I began to train more technically and a little easier, the pain went away.

To target the brachialis muscle, I end every third workout with hammer raises (instead of the usual finishing exercises). And this is already enough: the shoulder muscle receives indirect load during barbell rows, block rows and other back exercises in a weekly training cycle.

For beginners, I advise you to pump up your biceps with two exercises: dumbbell curls and barbell curls, three sets of each. And it's all! Biceps are very easy to overtrain - especially if you have not yet learned to fully control and feel the muscles.

My typical biceps program

:

  • Alternating lifting of dumbbells for biceps - 2 warm-up sets, warming up sets of 15-20 repetitions. 2 working sets of 6-8 repetitions.
  • Standing EZ-bar bicep curl. 1 set - “warm up” - 15-20 repetitions. 2 working sets of 6-8 repetitions.
  • One-arm curls on a block - 2 sets of 10-12 repetitions or one-arm dumbbell lift on a Scott bench - 2 sets of 8-10 repetitions. Before the EZ bar curls, as you'll notice, I do dumbbell curls to get the biceps to work hard - this is the PRE-FATIGUE PRINCIPLE I use when training my biceps. Sometimes, to “shock” the biceps, I use the “REST-PAUSE” PRINCIPLE. I do a set until failure, then take a short break and “finish off” a few more repetitions.

I work out my biceps and pecs in one workout, because while working on my chest, my biceps warm up well. The biceps are small muscles, and after warming up like this, they can be fatigued with fewer sets.”

Giant weights and strength training Kovacs did deadlifts with a weight of 306 kg. Moreover, he had 8 repetitions in the set, and he did not lower the barbell to the floor until the end of the set (!).

Greg bench pressed the same weight from his chest on an incline bench (three times in a row!)

He started his delt training with overhead presses of a 206 kg barbell (6 reps per set), but when his shoulder joints began to bother him, he switched to standing chest presses.

For your information, Kovacs trained his biceps with 50 kg dumbbells (!) on Scott’s bench.

But there was a problem with dumbbells for the pectoral muscles. Greg needed dumbbells of 115 kg each for lifts!!!) lying down (6 repetitions per set), but he rarely trained with them in only one gym, so Greg was usually “satisfied with” a “light” weight for himself - dumbbells. only” 90 kg each (up to 12 repetitions).

He began his triceps training with bench presses weighing 228 kg with a narrow grip. The set contains 10 repetitions.

Bent over rows? 8 reps per set with a 250 kg barbell.

His traps, as Greg explained, responded well to shrugs, but he did them his own way. Others raise their shoulders and immediately lower them, but Greg raised his shoulders and held them like that for a couple of seconds. Actually, he'd like to do dumbbell shrugs like Dorian Yates, but he can't find the right weight of dumbbells. Therefore, he settled on a barbell of 300 kg (6-8 repetitions per set).

To strengthen his quadriceps, Greg tried to squat with a 390 kg barbell (8 repetitions per set), but due to his height, the squats did not work for him. Then he took up leg presses - 20 25-kilogram plates on each side (total weight more than a ton!) and 15 repetitions per set!

Greg was born to fight weight!

By the way, Kovacs considers the well-known debate regarding legs about what is better for them - a large or small number of repetitions - to be pointless. The maximum return is achieved by combining both methods. Therefore, he varied the number of repetitions in the set: sometimes 6-8, sometimes 12-15. And one more thing: as a warm-up for his quadriceps, Greg did leg extensions in a sitting machine.

Such a fundamental muscle group as the back. Kovacs first trained on a Hummer, considering this simulator to be the best. And only then did he move on to the barbell and dumbbells.

Targeted abdominal training as part of a weekly split, Greg believed, was not necessary. The abs are already overloaded with work on the back and legs. But sometimes Kovacs rocked him in the morning, as soon as he jumped out of bed. He did crunches and reverse crunches always on an empty stomach and without additional weight.

Kovacs trained only in strength mode. Like Yates, his exercise usually consisted of 1-2 working sets of 6-8 repetitions. It is important to note that before these working sets with extreme weights, Greg had 2-4 (depending on the exercise) warm-up, preparatory sets with lower weights, and with each set the training weight in them increased. His partner is also not offended by the strength, and they regularly engaged in combat, reducing the number of repetitions to 4-6, they say, who will squeeze out more?

Fashion magazine cover star

After leaving the service, Greg becomes the holder of a fitness trainer's license.
He begins his difficult journey of training young aspiring athletes. At this time he begins to live in Los Angeles. He takes an active part in the MET-Rx direction and is even awarded the title of athlete of the year. Plitt begins to actively develop a training program using the MFT28 method. Since that time, many fashion publications have published his photos on the covers. His name is often mentioned in articles talking about a healthy lifestyle.

The athlete spent a lot of time on sports training. But this did not bother him at all. He has achieved significant success in this area. At this time, he became a participant in many fashion projects.

Despite the fact that his life was very short, he managed to appear on the covers of fashion magazines over two hundred times. He has participated in more than three dozen videos. Experts once recognized him as the best male model. In one very famous fitness magazine, he was on the cover for a long time.

Principles and philosophy of bodybuilding from Kovacs[edit | edit code]

In terms of bodybuilding philosophy, Greg was a true stoic. Here are its principles:

  • “Avoid comfort! - he advised. - If you feel that the exercise has become pleasant for you, quit it! If you find some movement that makes you sick, take on it: it means it will give the maximum impetus to growth. Discomfort and comfort are two important components of training that directly indicate the condition of the working muscles. When an exercise is unpleasant, it is a signal that the muscles are not ready for it, in other words, they are weak. It turns out that you have found your weak point, so take it upon yourself to eliminate the shortcoming.
  • The second most important aspect of ideology is regular hard training. Only perseverance and consistency ensure mass growth. Breaks inevitably lead to setbacks in working weights, and this disrupts the entire physiology, including hormonal, and prevents the body from adapting to the load by increasing strength and increasing muscle volume.
  • Bodybuilding is a deeply psychological sport. Diet requires enormous self-discipline. And during training you must use your head all the time. When I'm in the gym, I don't think about anything other than training."

Life principles of a bodybuilder

Greg Plitt: biography, training program and athlete nutrition

He always adhered to the following principles:

  1. During training, avoid a comfortable state. Once your body gets used to the exercises, quit them and look for new movements that will make you sick. Only then can you see the result, maximum muscle growth. You can eliminate the lack of weak muscles with uncomfortable exercises.
  2. Another important aspect is regular exercise. Only with persistence and regularity can you increase your weight gain. Don't take breaks. Breaks disrupt physiological and hormonal processes, then it will be difficult for the body to build muscle in the required volume.
  3. In bodybuilding you cannot achieve results without self-discipline; you have to constantly work with your head and think about training in the gym.

What principles do you adhere to during training?

Food[edit | edit code]

Greg Kovacs has 700 grams of protein and exactly 1 kilogram of carbohydrates on his menu every day.

“I believe,” he explained, “that the fundamental factor in a bodybuilder’s nutrition is protein. Every day I have about 2 kg of meat and 12 eggs on my table. To this I add 3 more servings of protein drink. In the off-season, I take 700 g of protein and exactly 1 kilogram of carbohydrates daily. A total of 7 meals. I try to vary natural proteins: for example, half a kilo of beef at one time, then chicken plus 4-6 eggs, then fish. Carbohydrates are the classics: potatoes, rice, oatmeal. My favorite meal is a big steak with potatoes or rice, a big plate of vegetable salad and yogurt for dessert. When I have to deviate from my diet, for example, during the holidays, I immediately feel a loss of energy. Nutrition for us bodybuilders is the most important thing!”

What was Kovacs hiding?

Greg
Heavy training and unconventional nutrition, as bodybuilders say, led his body to a dysfunctional state. You don't often see information about Greg Kovacs' wife, but she was the one who helped him cope with routine matters. He couldn't even travel without her. His wife, Kim, was a real stone wall for this large man. Often she could conduct seminars in his place, since Greg got tired easily, could not stand the heat and was constantly sweating profusely.

Envious colleagues were amazed at how Kim courted Greg: she cut his steak into small pieces and fed him from a fork during amateur competitions. In addition, she had to almost follow him on his heels with a fan, because sweat was simply pouring down from the mountain man.

As it turned out, other bodybuilders also witnessed the fact that he literally could not go to the toilet on his own - his wife followed him everywhere...

Athlete with great achievements

In a short time, the weightlifter achieved amazing results. Soon the dumbbells seemed light to him. Extra-heavy equipment was designed especially for him. Training with exorbitant weights put those around me into a stupor. Once, during a photo shoot, a stunned journalist asked to show the bench press again to see how dumbbells of 90 kg each fly through the air. But that was not the limit. Kovacs juggled 115 kg dumbbells like oranges 6 times in a row.

READ MORE: Top best workouts for beginners or where to start doing fitness?

  • The hero pressed 900 kg with his legs (2 times per set);
  • in the incline press I worked with a weight of 305 kg and performed 3 sets in a row.

If we take into account that his father, with a height of 180 cm, weighed 106 kg and had remarkable strength, 50% of the success can be attributed to genetics.

  • At the peak of his form with a gigantic height of 191 cm;
  • after drying, Greg weighed 153 kg. In the deep off-season, the weight reached 182 kg.
  • The biceps diameter was 63.2 cm;
  • chest - 187.

Kovacs's square figure was the envy of his colleagues in the audience and the subject of discussion in the press. It is likely that if he continued to work at the same pace, his weight would reach 200 kg.

By the way Nizhny Novgorod News 108.975 views2 years ago

Phil Heath

Phil always loved sports and played basketball in his youth. However, lack of height did not allow him to make a professional career, and Heath refocused on bodybuilding. The qualities acquired in basketball helped me quickly build muscle mass: determination, endurance and incredible perseverance. Thanks to them, the aspiring bodybuilder gained maximum muscle mass in record time and became the owner of an almost perfect body.

In 2006, Phil won a series of victories at professional tournaments, and 4 years later he became second at the Mr. Olympia competition in Las Vegas. A year later, he surpassed his own achievements and triumphantly moved to the first step, becoming Mr. Olympia 2011.

Heath liked the new status so much that he decided to stay in it longer, receiving the prestigious title 6 more times.

Victor Richards Quotes

  • My calling in this sport was not to win titles and compete. Of course, for me sport is not only physical. First of all, it is spiritual. Just as the synagogue is for the rabbi and the Vatican is for the Pope, the gym was my spiritual support.
  • Bodybuilding today is like a beautiful car that is sold for parts.
  • Arnold Schwarzenegger is the bodybuilder I admire the most. He is stubborn and unique to the point that he doesn't care what people think of him. He believed in himself and worked on himself, and did not just sit and wait to be appreciated. He set and still sets the pace.

Performance history

The guy was born into a family of farmers in Canada. Since childhood he was a big boy, and all thanks to genetics. After all, his father, with a height of 180 cm, weighed 105 kg.

He began his unsuccessful debut in the professional field of “bodybuilding” at the age of 20. Unfortunately, the first performance was a failure, since the judges did not see the necessary definition in the young athlete, and he did not pose professionally.

The first failure did not lead the “hero” astray. The athlete began to engage in strength training even more intensely. And only 8 years later, 1996 brings him first place in the Canadian national championship.

GoB Channel 359.725 views11 months ago

CompetitionPlace
Toronto/Montreal Pro 200517
Power Show Pro 2004refusal
Arnold Classic 200413
Night of Champions 200118
Ironman Pro 199814
Night of Champions 199716

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tophype 703.739 views3 years ago

Let's rewind time...

Greg Kovacs was born into a farming family in Canada. Already as a child he was a fairly large child.

Greg's first hobby was football. Then he became interested in hockey and began playing for the Canadian junior national team. We can say that this period in the boy’s life was a turning point: thanks to playing hockey, he first found himself among training equipment and fell madly in love with them. Having discovered a craving for sports equipment, the young man immediately switched to bodybuilding. This was expected, because with a height of 180 centimeters, he weighed about 105 kilograms.

His debut in the professional field of bodybuilding was rather unsuccessful: at the age of 20, his body was not suitable for professional performances, as it did not correspond to bodybuilding aesthetics - the judges did not find the necessary relief in him, and the poses that he demonstrated were too far from professional.

However, the purposeful, strong man decided not to give up and continued to intensively engage in strength training. Only eight years later, in 1996, Greg Kovacs took first place in the Canadian National Championship.

Noah Steer

The lucky third place in our top is taken by Noah Steer, the tallest bodybuilder and therefore one of the most massive bodybuilders in the world. With a height of 199 cm, his weight reached 159 kilograms in the off-season. Indeed, a big guy with 66 centimeter biceps.

Noah’s career does not include any high-profile victories or successful performances, but his unique physical characteristics have already made him a celebrity. The best result he achieved in the competition was fifth place.

Noah himself claims that he never wanted to see himself as a professional bodybuilder, forced to adhere to a strict training and recovery regime. That is why his first performance in bodybuilding competitions was also his last.

He always liked to train and spent almost every day in the gym, but he didn’t want more.

Noah Steer remains in great shape and sometimes takes part in exhibition bodybuilding tournaments.

He still has many loyal fans.

Andreas Münzer

A Schwarzenegger fan, Andreas imitated his idol in everything. Münzer won several impressive titles and acquired excellent athletic shape. However, he owed his volume and relief to potassium and diuretics. Thanks to increased doses of chemistry, Andreas reduced the percentage of subcutaneous fat to a minimum

Unbeknownst to himself, the athlete crossed the boundaries, and his body resisted. The first signal was constant pain in the stomach. A few months later, Münzer was hospitalized.

During the operation, it turned out that almost all the internal organs were modified: the liver literally crumbled, the kidneys could not withstand the load, the heart was doubled in size. The doctors could no longer help: Andreas had to pay with his life for his athletic figure.

Greg's Life Principles

He had three main principles:

  • Firstly, he believed that it was necessary to avoid a comfortable state during training. If the body gets used to the load, it is urgent to quit or change boring exercises, look for new options that will lead to a state of nausea. The result of severe torture is inevitable muscle growth. Weak muscles are strengthened through uncomfortable exercises.
  • Secondly, Greg believed that regular exercise is the key to success. Only sustained and regular training will lead to an increase in muscle mass. Breaks, Greg believes, only disrupt hormonal and physiological processes. Without breaks, the body builds muscle much faster in the required volume.
  • Thirdly, self-discipline. Greg said that without it the desired result could not be achieved. You need to constantly work with your head and direct all your thoughts to training in the gym.

Enchanted

Plitt, Greg
For 2 years, from 1999 to 2000, the promising actor became a participant in the mega-popular project “Charmed.”

As a teenager, Vaughan adored Alyssia Milano, who played Phoebe in the project. Her poster hung on his wall. Then the guy could not even imagine that he would work side by side with the object of his adoration. Although the actor had to audition twice to get the role.

Greg Vaughan plays Dan Gordon in Charmed, the witch sisters' friend and neighbor. His character is secretly in love with Piper, the middle of the sisters, but when she made peace with Leo, Dan chose to leave town. Therefore, it is believed that Dan is a very positive hero. This role made the actor even more popular.

Unlike his character, Vaughan does not always follow generally accepted rules. When the police stopped his car, a slightly sober Greg did not wait for samples and alcohol tests. He got behind the wheel and disappeared. Soon the actor was arrested and accused of resisting authorities and driving while intoxicated.

"The guy's on board"

It seemed that with his powerful shoulders he could shield not only his opponents in the hall, but also move the pros on the pedestal. However, it didn’t work out initially with titles and awards. Professional debut in 1996 was a failure.

He lost to a guy weighing 85 kg. The judges were more interested in the proportionality of the figure and the ability to pose than the gigantic size of the muscles. This forced the Canadian to change his training strategy and, without losing weight, work on aesthetics and plasticity.

Although Kovacs was a household name, he rarely played in tournaments. The bodybuilder was not impressed by the modest prize money. He preferred to act in commercials

nutritional supplements and receive decent royalties. Many believed that it would not hurt for the athlete to make a couple of curtsies towards the fans. But everything was forgiven for the smiling, kind guy, and the army of fans grew larger.

In the 90s, Greg was invited to all sales exhibitions, where he was the face of famous brands. Great advertising for a guy who has competed in several competitions! Product promotion made it possible to travel around the world at the expense of employers and not think about earning money. But young people stepped on his heels, and the athlete left the sport.

Becoming an athlete

Greg Plitt wasn't always a famous athlete. The athlete comes from an ordinary American family

During his school years, Greg began to pay attention to sports, playing football, wrestling, and golf. After graduating from school, Plitt went to the military academy, where he stayed for 5 years.

Having completed his training, Greg begins intensive training. The athlete developed his own fitness program, known as MFT28. The athlete proved its effectiveness by his own example.

After this, Greg receives invitations to work as a personal trainer. Soon he takes first place in the ranking of athletes of the year. The athlete is gaining popularity as a fitness model. Greg's photos have appeared on the cover of famous magazines more than 200 times.

Plitt starred in commercials, films, and videos. In 2022, while filming another commercial, the athlete died after being hit by a train. Many bodybuilders are still confident that the training complex invented by Greg Plitt is the best sports program for developing muscles and gaining muscle mass.

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