With the end of the year fast approaching we’ve taken a look back at what made the news in 2013. From shameless selfies to the controversy surrounding drugs in sport, 2013 has provided us with plenty to talk about.
#gymselfie
Whether you love them or hate them, it’s hard to deny that the selfie hasn’t taken over the world. It even made Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year. #gymselfies took the lead in this social trend as we saw The Rock pose in all his vascular glory.
This appears to have inspired a whole generation of people to head to the gym only to take a selfie… or at least to cut their workout short to strike a pose by some gym equipment for social network sharing purposes.
#fitnessgirl
Continuing with summarising the year in hashtags, the next one on our list is #fitnessgirl. 2013 saw visible muscles and the ability to do lots of squats and pushups became the new skinny.
30 Day Squat Challenge
Squat challenges have been all the rage this year with the 30 Squat Challenge becoming the workout that everyone is doing. Now that squat day is everyday, instagram is full of pert behinds.
Fitness apps
The fitness app market really took off in 2013 with some of the most popular downloads including MyFitnessPal and Nike+ FuelBand. The market shows no sign of slowing down in 2013 either – sport and fitness app downloads are projected to grow by 63 percent over the next few years from 156 million in 2012 to 248 million in 2017.
Fitness transformation pictures
They’ve always existed, but now they’re flooding every Facebook feed, every banner ad and pretty much every app you use.
Instagram video
Video on Instagram was launched this year as another way to share your gym moments (and selfies). Instagram have added thirteen filters built specifically for video too.
Drugs testing controversy
Drugs and sport once again made headlines. From rugby player Richard Briggs getting a two year suspension after testing positive for anabolic steroids to Serbian tennis player Viktor Troicki getting suspended for 12 months after failing to give a blood sample, the subject has barely been out of the headlines. Most recently, there has been the annual drug test report released by major league baseball which revealed out of 5,391 drugs tests there were eight positives for stimulants. There has also been the controversy surrounding Jamaica and their drug testing policy for athletes which led 11 Jamaican Anti-Doping Commissioners to resign. If you’re worried about the ingredients in your supplements, try our PRO SERIES™ range, where both INFORMED WHEY™ & ELEVATE™ are Informed Sport accredited – meaning they are routinely tested for banned substances.
Pregnancy lifting
Lea-Ann Ellison caused controversy in September 2013 when she admitted she had been following a strict workout regime just two weeks before giving birth. Tagged as the ‘controversial crossfit mum’ she was met by the online community with differing views… some comments criticised the ‘bad mother’ whilst others praised her for staying healthy and ‘setting a good example’.
Mr Olympia 2013
The 49th Mr Olympia saw a battle between Phil Heath and Kai Green for the title. With a 40-year old Jay Cutler placing in sixth, Shawn Rhoden taking a step back from his placing in 2012 with fourth and Dennis Wolf in third, the top two could only be made up of two contenders. 2013 saw Phil Heath walk away with his third Mr Olympia title, while Kai Green had to settle for second. Again.
DeGale success
James DeGale successfully defended his WBC Silver against American Dyah Davis in winning 10 out of the 12 rounds on all the judge’s scorecards and retaining his WBC Silver Super middleweight title.
If there is anything we’ve missed out that really made an impression on you this year we’d love to hear about it. Contact us via Facebook or Twitter to let us know whether you agree or disagree with our fitness highlights and lowlights of 2013.
Happy New Year from everyone at BULK POWDERS™.
