Forget the days in which rice was white, and the only decision you had to make at the supermarket was whether you wanted a big or massive packet added to your grocery shop.
Nowadays not only do we have many different varieties of rice readily available, but also a range of different cooking options so you will find rice in cups, pouches and blends with other grains.
So, for all the rice lovers out there it is time to sort out the brown from the wild to the black and everything in between so that you can make the best choice nutritionally for you and your dietary goals.
READ MORE: The difference between dairy and plant-based milks
Even when it comes to white rice there are plenty of different options. Now you can find short-grain, arborio, medium grain and long grain varieties of white rice in both quick cook and traditional, longer cook options. White rice remains the most common type of rice, but nutritionally it is not the best choice. Processed in a way to have much of the wholegrain component removed, white rice is lower in protein, dietary fibre and essential nutrients compared to wholegrain brown rice. As a heavily refined grain, white rice also has a relatively high glycaemic index, resulting in relatively high blood glucose levels after eating.
Specifically, the shorter grain white rices include sushi rice, and arborio rice commonly used to make risotto. Shorter grain rices have a higher GI than longer grain white rices, and can even become sweet when cooked which is why they are also used to make desserts in some cultures. Medium grain white rice is the variety most commonly served with Asian cuisine and has a relatively high GI.
In addition to short and medium-grain white rice, there is also long grain rice which includes both basmati and jasmine rice. At times referred to as ‘healthier’ options, long grain rice does have a lower GI than short grain rice but still lacks the nutritional density of wholegrain brown rice.
READ MORE: Simple swaps to double your nutrient intake
The popularity of wholegrain brown rice has risen exponentially in Australia in recent years and is now a popular option in quick cook varieties as well as on Japanese menus. A medium grain rice, brown rice is made from more of the wholegrain, meaning it is higher in both dietary fibre and protein as well as key nutrients including iron, Vitamin B and magnesium. With its slightly nutty taste and chewy texture, brown rice is a healthier alternative to white rice as a daily addition is salads, stir fries and sushi.
READ MORE: How to take control of your salty and sweet cravings
Sometimes referred to as purple rice, black rice is a nutrient rich, wholegrain rice and contains the antioxidant anthocyanin which gives the rice a deep colour when cooked. Rich in iron and Vitamin E, black rice is more nutritious than white rice, and contains slightly more protein than brown rice making it an especially filling option. With its nutty flavour black rice works well with salads as well as in puddings and desserts.
While not as common in Australia, red rice is a wholegrain rice which also retains its rich colour thanks to the antioxidant anthocyanin. With a rich nutty flavour, red rice is extremely nutritious thanks to its high fibre content and versatile, making a great addition to any rice mix or flavoursome salad.
Significantly higher in protein than other types of rice, wild rice is technically a type of grass not rice. Up to 30 per cent lower in calories it is rich in a number of key nutrients including magnesium, zinc and Vitamin B. Although more expensive, wild rice is a great choice nutritionally and can easily be enjoyed mixed with other rice varieties or enjoyed as a base to salad.
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Author Susie Burrell is a leading Australian dietitian and nutritionist, founder of Shape Me, co-host of The Nutrition Couch podcast and prominent media spokesperson, with regular appearances in both print and television media commenting on all areas of diet, weight loss and nutrition.
The food trends set to take off in 2022
Professional bodybuilder Kyle “The Tiger” Kirvay is no stranger to impressive feats of strength. The International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) pro and powerlifter recently took to the squat rack and didn’t disappoint. While resting a curved Duffalo barbell on his traps, Kirvay squatted 310.7 kilograms raw (685 pounds) for five reps. According to Kirvay, it was the first time he’s used this type of barbell — he usually lifts with traditional, straight barbells.
I can’t decide if I like it or not or if it makes squatting easier. The weight felt the same to me as a straight bar.
Check out the complete set in the video below, courtesy of Kirvay’s Instagram page. In addition to the curved barbell, Kirvay wore a lifting belt for improved core stability during the set.
[Related: Bodybuilder Breon Ansley Explains His Decision To Retire From The Classic Physique Division]
Kirvay moved through the five reps of the squat set relatively smoothly. Aside from a slightly longer break right before the final rep, Kirvay powered through the entire set while maintaining his form. A quick comment of approval right before the last rep might have hinted that Kirvay appeared to consider the lift notable. He performed each of the reps controlled with deep breaths in between.
According to Kirvay’s Instagram post, he says the curved barbell can help lifters who have restricted shoulder movement. His assessment of those potential benefits adds up.
Due to the size of their traps and shoulders, some larger lifters might sometimes lack the required shoulder rotation to properly grip a straight barbell in a narrow fashion. This is important because one study showed that a narrow barbell grip can allow for more weight to be lifted, assist with comfort, and make for an improved range of motion on the squat itself. (1)
Furthermore, the curve of the Duffalo barbell can help larger people with tighter shoulders grip the weight better. In Kirvay’s video — he would qualify as a larger lifter with big shoulders — he appears to take hold of the curved barbell almost by the collars, allowing him to use a narrow barbell grip.
Kirvay currently excels in two sports — bodybuilding and powerlifting. His most notable bodybuilding achievement is a 16th-place finish at the 2020 IFBB Chicago Pro. As far as powerlifting, he recently competed in the 2022 USPA Battle at Atilis. There, during his first pro powerlifting meet, he set four New Jersey State Records and a National Record.
It’s impressive that Kirvay can compete at a relatively high level in two sports with such opposing training styles. For example, it can be challenging for a physique athlete to make serious strength gains for powerlifting during a competitive season because of nutritional restrictions. According to one study, bodybuilders’ training while in a caloric deficit often places significant stress on their bodies’ metabolism — especially when they’re trying to build or decrease mass. (2)
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that someone like Kirvay can’t and shouldnt’t lift heavy. He can still prove capable of lifting astounding amounts of weights amidst a good routine.
High-intensity, low-volume lifting can also act as a quality way to maintain muscle. As some research has stated, high-intensity and low-volume lifting even proved to be more beneficial than a high-volume, low-intensity routine over an extended period. (3) That’s because it can allow for a quality way to stimulate the athlete’s muscles if they don’t have the endurance for more extended sets on a particular day.
An athlete like Kirvay might seek to lower the volume and increase the intensity of their bigger lifts accordingly during the off-season.
Some creativity will likely be necessary to juggle two sports in a highly competitive manner. Whatever Kirvay’s training consists of, he might be thinking outside the box to shine as a bodybuilder and powerlifter.
Having only made a recent foray into competitive powerlifting, Kirvay’s ledger of work as a bodybuilder is a little longer. Below you’ll find the results of “The Tiger’s” competitive bodybuilding career to date:
Here are the results from Kirvay’s powerlifting career to date, which again only includes the 2022 USPA Battle at Atilis:
Kyle Kirvay — 2022 USPA Battle of Atilis | 140 kilograms
Whenever Kirvay decides to compete in organized bodybuilding or powerlifting competition again, his squats could prove critical to a quality showing.
Featured image: @kylekirvay on Instagram
The Esmé Burger stacks Wagyu A5 beef, sambal “animal sauce,” fried and caramelized onions, smoked gouda, and bacon between a challah bun. From personal experience, we can tell you it pairs perfectly with a sunburn and a margarita. Come night, the space transforms into a buzzy nightclub of sorts. Dance under the stars or sip sangria on a sofa. The choice is yours, and there’s no wrong one.
Note: While Esmé Miami pool is only available to guests, there are only five larger daybeds set along the pool, so get there early. If one’s not free, don’t sweat; there’s a whole area of sofas between the pool and bar to camp out on.
Mediterranean fare awaits at this breezy spot. It’s evocative of Europe’s main summer haunts and coastal towns. As such, the menu is heavy on the seafood and has a whole section dedicated to vegetable dishes, as well as a bevy of pastas and pizzas, and ones made entirely in The Drexel’s wood-fire oven and charcoal grill (think wild prawns, braised lamb shank, and roasted chicken with salsa verde).
Keep the tapas comin’ at this Andalusian gin bar. Housemade gins infused with aromatics (e.g. Moroccan mint, blue matcha yuzu, and Egyptian lemongrass), fruits (e.g. sour cherry, nectarine, and backyard mango), nuts (Sri Lanka coconut or marcona almond), and even cured meat (bellota iberico or hojiblanca alive) are the main draw, but you can order any number of craft gins from the custom-tile bar. Go classic with a G&T or choose one of the spirits from the signature infusion program to reinvent your go-to libation.
Ellyse Perry remains under a cloud for Australia’s World Cup semi-final showdown with West Indies on Wednesday, with the allrounder restricted to light duties at training just 48 hours out from the match.
Perry was forced from the field during Australia’s match against South Africa last Tuesday due to back spasms and missed their subsequent outing against Bangladesh.
The Australian team hope she can rally in time for the knockout game at Basin Reserve – even if she just plays as a batter – but her return to training for the first time since the injury on Monday was a brief one.
The 31-year-old allrounder faced throwdowns in the nets for 30 minutes, but did not face deliveries from her teammates, field or bowl during the session.
Australia have one final practice session at the Wellington ground on Tuesday morning for Perry to prove her fitness.
“Each day we’ve assessed it, seen where it’s at, and it definitely has been improving, which is really nice,” Perry said on Monday ahead of Australia’s training session.
“It’s going really well, but obviously just need to make sure that I’m in the best possible spot to be able to contribute, if I was to play.
“We’ll do a couple more things at training in the next few days.
“And if I get there, I do. Fingers crossed.”
Perry was player of the match during Australia’s comfortable win over West Indies at the same ground earlier in the tournament, removing key West Indies batters Deandra Dottin, Hayley Matthews and Kycia Knight inside the powerplay and finishing with 3-22.
However, Darcie Brown was rested from that match and will – barring any last-minute disasters – feature in the semi-final, meaning Perry would unlikely be required to open the bowling even if fully fit.
Australia have had seven bowling options in their XI every game this tournament, so playing Perry as a batter alone would take away one of those – and likely see Annabel Sutherland, who filled in for her senior teammate against Bangladesh, left out of the side.
Perry missed Australia’s semi-final and final at the T20 World Cup on home soil in early 2020 after tearing her hamstring and would be desperate to avoid sitting on the sidelines for another knockout match.
But she would not be drawn into speculation around whether she could play as a specialist batter, an idea mooted by coach Matthew Mott on Saturday, or whether she might not risk the semi-final, in the hopes of playing in the final if Australia won through to the match on April 3.
“I don’t think you can have that approach to World Cup games,” Perry said.
“(The next match) is the most important thing at the time rather than casting your mind ahead.
“(Playing as a specialist batter) is very much up to the coaching staff and selectors.
“But if I can contribute in a really positive way and add to the team by being in it, absolutely (I’ll play), I’d love to be part of it.
“It’s not my call, but I’ll do everything I possibly can to be fit one way or another.”
Perry said she had kept an eye on India’s thrilling final-over defeat to South Africa on Sunday evening, which determined Australia’s next opponent and the location of their semi-final.
Australia were safe on top of the table, but West Indies were left with their future in the tournament hanging in the balance following a washout against the Proteas last Thursday, needing India to lose in order to remain in the top four.
“I think we all had an eye on it, for packing purposes as well because if India had won that match we would have headed to Christchurch today,” Perry said.
“It was an amazing game, and I think it’s a really indicative of just how amazing this competition’s been, there’s been so many final-over results as we’ve gone along, and so many close calls.”
ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022
Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington. Travelling reserves: Heather Graham, Georgia Redmayne
Australia’s World Cup 2022 fixtures
Mar 5: Beat England by 12 runs
Mar 8: Beat Pakistan by seven wickets
Mar 13: Beat New Zealand by 141 runs
Mar 15: Beat West Indies by seven wickets
Mar 19: Beat India by six wickets
Mar 22: Beat South Africa by five wickets
Mar 25: Beat Bangladesh by five wickets
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL WORLD CUP SCHEDULE
Semi-finals
Mar 30: Australia v West Indies, Basin Reserve, Wellington, 9am AEDT
Mar 31: South Africa v England, Hagley Park, Christchurch, 12pm AEDT
Final
Apr 3: Hagley Park Christchurch, 11am AEST
All matches to be broadcast in Australia on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports
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ADELAIDE skipper Rory Sloane will be racing the clock to prove his fitness for next Friday night’s Showdown against cross-town rival Port Adelaide.
Sloane suffered adductor tightness in the third quarter of Adelaide’s 42-point loss to Collingwood, and was subbed out of the game when the result was decided in the fourth term.
“It’s a six-day break we’re on, and it’s some soreness through his adductor, I believe,” coach Matthew Nicks said.
“He tried to push on, he’s a soldier, he was just working right throughout that third, and in the end, it was just getting worse and worse for him. So we had no choice in the end. Fingers crossed he pulls up well.
“I think he might have been a little sore early, but it was through that third he really began to grind with it, so that’ll be a challenge to see if we can get him right for Showdown on Friday.”
Collingwood had its own injury woes, with recruit Nathan Kreuger injuring his left shoulder amid a lively club debut up forward, and Taylor Adams finishing the game on the bench with a migraine.
“It’s probably a little bit early to tell (the severity), he’s going to have to get a scan, but I think he might have subluxed (partially dislocated) his shoulder,” Pies coach Craig McRae said.
PIES v CROWS Full match coverage and stats
“We’ll work out what that looks like in the next couple of days.
“He gives us a bit of spunk, doesn’t he? He’s got a bit of life in him, he’s 100 per cent in everything he does, he gives a good contest and he puts pressure on, too. It’s probably unlikely he plays next week, I assume, so we’ll have to replace him.”
McRae said Mason Cox (minor ankle injury) was close to playing against Adelaide, and will be a “watch and see” for next game.
Collingwood made the unusual decision to have key forward Darcy Cameron as medi-sub – traditionally a smaller running player who can slot into a number of roles – which paid dividends with Kreuger’s substitution.
“I thought I might get a question on this one. We just thought we didn’t have much height in the game, we had probably four players with a bit of height,” McRae said.
“We learnt some lessons against GWS in a practice game – we lost, funnily enough, Kreuger in that game and we looked really out of sorts. So we thought we’d cover it, the medical sub is there for a reason, so we thought we’d cover it in case one of our keys go down, and funnily enough it did, late in the game.”
In the Halo video game franchise, Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 is the towering commander to a unit of supersoldiers known as Spartans. Through Master Chief’s perspective, players of the first-person shooter fight an intergalactic threat against humanity known as The Covenant—and, in order to reinforce that personal connection to the Master Chief, 343 Industries purposely avoided ever showing his face in the video game or cinematic scenes.
For the Halo television series, Pablo Schreiber is being deployed as Master Chief and donning the Mjolnir armor. Not only does the actor bring a strong resume of dramatic work, but his 6’5″ frame also fits the bill for an imposing warrior. “I played the game a few times as a teenager, but I had no idea how dense the Halo universe was,” says Schreiber. “There are so many stories that I’m excited to bring to a new medium for fans new and old.”
Men’s Journal sat down with Schreiber to discuss putting on the suit for the first time, acting with aliens on set, and working out in Budapest.
Pablo Schreiber: 2018 is the first time I heard about the project from director Rupert Wyatt, who was attached to lead the first two episodes. The first few scripts were sent along with this super-intense, 12-minute YouTube video by a fan who described the background of Master Chief. The video was very dense, with lots of fast talking and deep pulls. I didn’t know a lot of what was covered in there. I’d played Halo as a teenager but only at friends’ houses, because I wasn’t allowed to play video games at my own. We’d only play the versus mode, and I never had the chance to try the campaigns. So I had no clue how much story was actually written into the games. The first few episodes were written by Kyle Killen; they had an interesting hook to them, diving into that personal story of Master Chief. I liked the idea of demythologizing him, since he’s this symbol for everyone who’s played the games. There’s this sense of ownership of Master Chief and, because they left a lot open, there was an opportunity to create something new and interesting.
The first thing that happened when I got the gig was much rejoicing in the Schreiber household, because my kids were ecstatic I was going to play Master Chief. I still didn’t know much about the whole Halo franchise at that point, so my first stop was 343 Industries in Seattle where they make the game. They put me through their own version of a story bootcamp where they schooled me on the whole journey up until that point. I was there for four or five days getting up to speed.
I was then sent home with research materials, including the cinematics from all six of the mainline games. I studied the performance from Steve Downs, who’s the voice of Master Chief in those games. I chased down everything else I could find from the novels to the animated shorts to the live-action features. I started to understand the depth of the mythology that had been created. I was shocked by how rich and well-conceived it all was—and ripe for a television show. That’s when I really started getting excited.
One of the first things I realized after it was announced that I was going to play Master Chief was how much excitement and anticipation there was for a program like this. Of course with all of that, there are a lot of opinions on how the show should be. There are so many fans of these games. Our mission was solely on creating the best narrative possible that would take fans new and old on a ride. So the whole team had to do our best at separating the useful feedback from the rest of the chatter.
I don’t think my trainer Eddie Raburn and I really knew what was in store for us. We’ve done quite a few projects together, starting with Den of Thieves, but this wasn’t something we could really prepare for. We just worked on giving me the right body type. I’m a thinner guy by nature, my metabolism works very fast, so it can be hard for me to put on muscle and keep it. I ate a ton and worked out heavy so I could put on that mass before we got to set.
I felt really well taken care of while I was out there in Budapest. They brought Eddie to help me maintain. We had a chef that was helping me get five or six meals a day for roughly 5,000 calories. There was access to a public gym down the street, and a gym in my building was set up for me. The pandemic hit in the midst of all this, so at that point we couldn’t use the public gym anymore. But the gym at my apartment really had everything I needed—with a whole Rogue setup. I was grateful for that, because at 44 I needed every edge I could get.
The suit is a monster. about 55 pounds of thick plastic and not very mobile. It’s not easy to manipulate. The visibility is great through the helmet, but everything is colored gold. Once I’m inside, it’s impossible not to be sweating tons and that isn’t great for maintaining muscle mass. I’m just shedding weight. I work very hard so that I don’t have to think about how I look when it’s time to act, but it was a constant consideration with this project. Regardless, I needed to get the other elements of the character too, because if people aren’t connecting with him nobody is going to care about the show.
It’s just so cool. The process of getting the suit right and trying it on was very piecemeal. We were constantly adapting it and trying to make it more functional. I went to FBFX Studio in London about five or six times to do adjustments and try it on. During those tailoring sessions the suit wasn’t painted yet, and that paint job does so much for the aesthetic. At that point it just felt like hunks of plastic.
The moment I remember the most is when the suits were all complete and we were on set in Budapest preparing to start filming in a few weeks. They dressed all four of us Spartans that make up the Silver Team—which is the stand-in for the Blue Team in the game—and brought us out in front of the crew. The soundstage in Budapest is one of the biggest in all of Europe and there were 800 to 1,000 people on the crew. Seeing everyone’s reaction to us in our suits was amazing. Their faces were just beaming, because so many of these people worked on the series for so many years and they were seeing it finally come to fruition.
I made sure that I was able to properly recover because that’s just as important as everything else. I put a good amount of time into stretching before we started our sessions. Then it’s about doing mobility work during the training sessions, or the Knees Over Toes drills. I was getting massages throughout the week, which were crucial. I’m huge on ice baths. I was doing those at least weekly. I have an ice bath at home that I’ll sit in for five to 10 minutes, so I’m doing that throughout the year.
The first season is all about setting up the world. By the end, we want you to be really familiar with the lead character—as well as establishing the dialogue between Master Chief, the soldier, and John, the man, who starts to discover his humanity. Once all of that happens this season, I’m really excited about the subsequent ones. We have a new showrunner, David Wiener, who’s also an amazing writer. The only reason I signed onto the series was to make legitimately great television, and I’m personally going to do everything I can to bring it to its highest peak. Master Chief is an inspiring character. For years, he’s taught us about resilience, patience, and never giving up despite the odds. David Wiener is really digging into that with some of the early scripts I’ve seen for this next season too. We’re setting up the foundation, but he’s taking it deeper and really enriching the characters. We’re tapping into themes that really matter to me—like the effects of war on society and the individual. I’ve done a number of military projects and have a lot of friends who are former service members, so the ability to add to the dialogue for them is exciting.
At the first premiere of the show at SXSW. Before that I had seen maybe one shot of a Sanghelli during the scene we have in a cave. On set, I’m acting and engaging with stuntmen at various heights depending on the creatures they’re playing. The stunt people playing the Sanghellis were on five-foot stilts and the Brutes were on three-foot stilts, while our shorter stunt people played the Grunts. They’re all wearing tights and the little balls for the effects, so it’s a real acting exercise being intimidated! But seeing everything in its final form with all of the computer graphics was very cool. The creatures are all really well done, but my personal favorites are the Prophets that we see during the situation with Makee and High Charity. The Prophets are actual puppets that they manipulate on set, and the faces are just amazing. They do additional visual effects on them after as well, but they were still very impressive in real life in their floating chairs.
For fans of the franchise, there are lots of sights and sounds that will feel very familiar from the gaming experience. There’s this one moment in the first episode where Master Chief is being shot by a Sanghelli and he takes a dive roll to get behind cover. Once he’s behind cover you hear that very recognizable sound of the shield recharging. During the screening at SXSW everyone in the audience was cheering when that moment happened.
I wasn’t great at the game during those early teenage years. Fortunately I don’t have to be a good gamer to be a good actor and do right by the character—or else I might be in trouble. I’m going to keep practicing though. I’m currently going through the campaign of Halo: Infinite. I do have a really cool gamer tag that I won’t share with you on the record. Maybe when the mics are turned off—and if you share it, you’re done.
Our plan is to get back into production as quickly as we can. At this point, it looks like we’ll be back in Budapest filming this summer. The target is a moving one, though, because our main goal is to make sure this next season is really good. I’m excited for people to watch—and to set that stage. I hope the longtime fans can surrender themselves to the experience and enjoy this universe they love in a completely new way. I’m ready to make a great second season—and do it on the fastest timetable possible.
Halo is now available on Paramount Plus
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If you’re not much of a beer drinker, you probably have a hard-to-shake image of what an IPA is. It’s likely loaded with dank, resinous pine, maybe a fair amount of citrus, and is extremely (borderline aggressively) bitter. We get why this is a basic image of the IPA. But it really only describes the heavily hopped, historically bitter West Coast IPA. There are many other versions that might be better suited to some palates. Today, we’re going to turn our attention specifically to hazy IPAs.
Unlike its cousin the West Coast IPA, New England-style IPAs have a bouquet of hops in both taste and aroma but lack the bitterness that turns off some drinkers. Instead, hazy IPAs have a cloudy, almost unfiltered look. They appear to be more like fresh-squeezed orange juice than a classic pilsner.
It gives drinkers a sneak peek at what they’re in for. On top of the hazy appearance, the style has an over-the-top juicy flavor with highlights of fruits like mango, guava, pineapple, grapefruit, passionfruit, and tangerine. Moreover, many hazy IPAs are dry-hopped and many have flaked oats and other specialized ingredients added in for flavor and mouthfeel.
So, if you’re either an IPA hater or you’re looking for something juicy, fruity, and thirst-quenching any time of year, hazy IPAs should be on your list. Luckily for you, this style has been around for a few years and there are myriad exciting choices available. Keep scrolling to see our hazy IPA list of what to drink now.
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On March 19, 2022, two-time Classic Physique Olympia champion Breon Ansley shared an update about his future in the division on his Instagram page. While showing off his physique in natural light, the champion bodybuilder wrote that 2022 will be his last year in the Classic Physique Division. He did not immediately discuss his rationale behind the decision.
Natural light is always the most humbling without shadows showing added details and separation.
Ansley was well-aware he left out some context, further writing that he had “a few exciting details” to share about his plan to capture his third career Classic Physique Olympia title. He last competed in the 2022 Arnold Classic on March 3-6, 2022, where he finished fourth.
On March 24, 2022, Ansley took to his YouTube channel to shed a light on what the rest of 2022 and his Olympia future holds. Check out the video below:
[Related: Bodybuilding 101: Crafting a Powerful Physique]
In the video, Ansley first thanked his fans for “all their support” over the years. He began competing in the Classic Physique Division in 2016 and noted that he appreciated how everyone took to him as he found his groove. Ansley expressed his pride over where the division stands today, pointing out the “wow factor” of the present-day physiques and how the competition is in a great place.
To address the Classic Physique elephant in the room, Ansley was deliberate. He did not mince his words: It has to do with how Ansley prefers his body to be displayed. More importantly, he says it’s about taking better care of himself.
Ansley made the decision to step away from Classic Physique because he prefers his physique at 190-plus pounds rather than the 180-pound weight cap he’s restricted to. For context, weight caps in Classic Physique scale with an athlete’s height. Per IFBB Pro rules, Ansley’s weight cap at his height of 5-foot-7 is 185 pounds. If he were one inch taller, he would be allotted an additional seven pounds — closer to his stated ideal weight range.
Ansley believes he has enough “shredded” muscle to show off in his peak form at a higher weight. Also, a short turnaround from a usual late-week weigh-in to the formal competition over weekends during the Classic Physique Olympia events does not agree with him.
[Related: The Trifecta Of Strength: Powerlifting, Weightlifting, And Bodybuilding]
The weight cap of the Classic Physique Olympia and the “wear and tear” it places on his body is something Ansley doesn’t appreciate. This division of bodybuilding can be demanding to prepare for and Ansley is understandably concerned about the toll it’ll take on him over time. Ultimately, he thinks it’s a disadvantage to his dedication, diligence, and all the hard work he’s put in throughout his career.
Now, if my weight cap had a few more pounds on it then we might be having a different conversation. We might be talking about something different and me staying in Classic.
As such, this coming December will be the last occasion we see him on the Classic Physique Olympia stage. To prepare for his Olympia swan song from Dec. 15-18, 2022, Ansley concluded by discussing those mentioned details about a plan:
He will begin his training regimen for the competition around 20 weeks out. That means kicking into gear sometime in late July or early August. That training timeline is in contrast to the usual 10-11 weeks he’s previously followed. At the time this article is published, Ansley has not revealed what his future plans in the sport are beyond 2022.
Before announcing his leave from the Classic Physique division, Ansley competed in the 2022 Arnold Classic on March 3-6, 2022. He finished fourth overall behind Urs Kalecinski, runner-up Roman Rocha Queiro, and two-time Arnold Classic Physique champion Terrence Ruffin. It was Ansley’s first result off the podium since his Olympia debut in 2016, where he also ranked fourth overall.
[Related: Bodybuilding And Olympic Weightlifting Aren’t Mutually Exclusive]
Ansley’s overall resume in bodybuilding remains impressive. It includes six first-place finishes in the Classic Physique Division. His professional bodybuilding resume is below, according to NPC News Online:
In what is purely speculation, Ansley might seek a return to the 212 division. Not only would it allow him to accumulate the mass he wants, he has experience in that division as he competed there earlier on in his career. Ansley weighs 206 pounds in the Instagram post above where he alluded to his future away from the Classic Physique Olympia.
Ansley will be 43-years-old by the time the 2022 Classic Physique Olympia rolls around. He’s managed to compete at an elite level for years against athletes far younger than him. Perhaps Ansley’s new training plan will be the not-so-secret ingredient to put him over the top in this division one last time. The 2022 Classic Physique Olympia competition begins on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.
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