10 best documentaries on Netflix to fuel your summer workout

9. Generation Iron 2

Everyone who has ever been into bodybuilding has watched the 1977 documentary Pumping Iron.

Well, that movie led to the idea of the 2013 film Generation Iron. Where Pumping Iron was about the incarnation of the bodybuilding craze in the 70s, led by the world famous Arnold Schwarzenegger, Generation Iron was about the current state of bodybuilding and the impact it was having on that culture.

Naturally, when a film is successful it gets a sequel. That may not always be a good thing (I’m calling you out straight to VHS Disney sequels!), but in this case, it worked well. Generation Iron 2 came out in 2017 and took the general concept of the first film but added a new element: social media.

This second incarnation follows the new generation of bodybuilding stars in Rich Piana, Kai Greene, and Calum von Moger.

Each person is interviewed separately, but they all talk about how the bodybuilding game has affected them, both physically and mentally. It’s no secret that bodybuilding is a very demanding sport. The preparation for a single competition would drive almost anyone crazy. But when it’s your biggest passion, you do what you need to.

The group all discuss how bodybuilding itself is less about making money and becoming a star in that world. It has turned into seeing who can get the most followers on social media. Tempers flare on social media and people get mad at each other. That helps when it comes to competition day and the two keyboard warriors then have to stand face to face on stage and see who the judges like better.

For sure this documentary will get your blood pumping and make you want to go to the gym…then post it on social media.