The row is said to have been sparked by a post by Van Wyck on Instagram last week in which he targeted “science-based guys” like Nippard, who has a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and applies that knowledge to plan and promote his workouts . and diet.

‘Scientists really need to answer this question first: why do you remain so mediocre, even though you know so much?’ Van Wyck, who has 289,000 followers on Instagram, says in his video.

‘Bodybuilding, you can be so big, or so short in other cases, it’s always short though, somehow you’re an expert on muscle, but you don’t have any, and if you do , it is not put together very well and there are holes in the body.

“You pride yourself on being strong… strong doesn’t matter. Unfortunately, you have to apply what you know so that people can trust you. But they have these nerds and these dorks, they try to prove themselves in shows and they come in last place.”

Nippard, who has more than two million followers on Instagram and more than 5.7 million subscribers on YouTube, responded directly to Van Wyck’s video by listing his achievements in powerlifting and bodybuilding.

He also said, “It’s pretty clear that success in bodybuilding comes from great genetics and really hard training, and if you want to make it in the IFBB, the use of steroids.

‘I like science because it gives me more confidence in what really works and what doesn’t, because it isolates variables. If you trust the advice of a big guy over scientific studies that don’t bother me, I’ll listen to what big guys have to say, too.”

On Monday, a short video of the altercation at the Pure Muscle and Fitness gym in Ontario, Canada, was shared on social media, showing Van Wyck aggressively pushing Nippard to the ground by the throat.

In the video, Nippard had a hard time saying, “Damn, bro.”

In an Instagram post after the incident, Nippard wrote: “If you have seen the video by now, I would like to clarify the incident. First off, I just wanted to give an update that I had a CT scan done and I’m doing well.

“In case you haven’t seen it, this is exactly what happened and there were many witnesses. Mike Van Wyck jabbed me twice in the throat in the middle of the gym and then pushed my cameraman.

“There’s already a lie going around that Mike asked me to stay away from him, and that I didn’t listen and approached him first. This is FALSE and Pure Muscle and Fitness has security footage to prove it. I think they should release it.

‘This is exactly what happened. While I was filming bicep curls for a short YouTube video, Mike walked past me and said “sup.” This was our first appointment that day. I chuckled.

‘Mike said, “Oh, things are about to get really funny” as he walked past me. Then I asked him, “What did you mean by that?” and I made sure my cameraman was filming, in case he tried something funny.

‘Then he walked back to me, he said “turn off the camera” and immediately poked me in the throat and I fell to the ground. I got back up and he told me never to talk about him again. Then he stabbed me in the throat a second time. Then he turned to my videographer and pushed him against a cable machine. Then he walked away.

“I don’t know why he attacked me, other than he really, really hates my training style. I gave him absolutely no reason to hate me. And even if I did, there is no excuse for physically attacking someone over a disagreement. My opinion is that this was a result of the anger caused by the clip I posted yesterday in response to his question about science-based training. Pretty wild stuff.”

A statement from Pure Muscle and Fitness said: ‘At Pure Muscle + Fitness we have a strict zero-tolerance policy towards violence and bullying.

“We are deeply saddened by a recent incident involving unacceptable behavior by a member. This individual was not employed or formally associated with our gym, and we have permanently removed their access to our facility, including any rights to train clients.

“Our thoughts go out to the affected member and we fully support their well-being. The safety of our community is our top priority and we strive to maintain a safe and respectful environment for everyone. The matter is currently under police investigation and we are cooperating fully with the authorities.”

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