It’s been eight years since Gregg Valentino and Big Frank appeared on the IronMagLabs media hub. Their shows offered a breath of fresh air from the usual smoke and mirrors that plague the bodybuilding industry. Their shows were all them. They said what they wanted, when they wanted, and how they wanted. And the response was overwhelming.
I’ll never forget being at the Muscle Gelz booth at the 2018 Arnold Classic. Almost every single person who came by the booth was there to see Gregg and/or Big Frank. Then we walked around the expo floor and it was the same. These guys couldn’t walk for than five or ten feet without being stopped by fans and onlookers. Those who didn’t know who they were, stopped them to find out. But these guys are so much more than dudes with big muscles. They have huge personalities as well. And the best part is there’s no difference between the Gregg and Frank you see on social media and the Gregg and Frank you see in real life. That authenticity is a rare commodity in an industry that’s been conned into believing in duck eggs to raw liver to people claiming to have survived IED’s. There’s no lying in Gregg and Frank.
After nearly a decade, IronMagTV is starting out small. We initially had planned on working with legendary bodybuilder Lee Priest. The plan was to start with Lee and Gregg, then slowly build and bring back Big Frank and Chris “The Goon” Griffin. Along with myself, this would have represented the core of IronMagTV from 2017-18. We had something very special back then, but I was also in a different place. The network got too big, too soon. I also lacked the production skills that I have today, but I’m still by no means in a position to produce the kind of content we see on the network.
In order to have a media hub that can hang with the big channels, we needed a dedicated executive producer. And that’s why recruiting Johnny Styles for that gig made so much sense. We worked together on 80 episodes of Muscle In The Morning and I’ve known him for many years. He’s a super-gifted producer that can take the videos to the next level. Plus, he has the eye for what people want to see, and he records the shows alongside the hosts. Johnny is an integral part of the IronMag TV team!
Although things didn’t work out with Lee due largely to a 15hr time difference, we are so blessed to know him. He’s such a great guy and a truly larger-than-life superstar without the ego that comes with it. You can’t get any more real than LEE PRIEST!
– Christian Duque
What’s really mind blowing is that in 2018 we had planned a show for Gregg and Big Frank. Sadly, things were different back then. I wasn’t the easiest guy to work with and to be real, the channel just got way bigger than what I could manage. We were also at war (a really stupid situation that should NEVER have happened) and I was up a certain federation’s butt. (LOL) There was a lot going on. But then again, hindsight is always 20/20.
The point is, I’ve learned from the past and I’ve been trying to get the bossman, Robert DiMaggio to budge on doing this again. What’s crazy is that he’s been wanting to this for a long while as well. Sometimes you just have to be optimistic, maybe little persistent, and most definitely – patient. This is network is truly special and will hopefully earn your viewership. The fact we have Gregg and Big Frank – BOTH – on our headliner show is going to be huge.
Bringing Chris back is my next goal, but all in due time. While I am the program director, I’m not the boss. At times it may seem that way because I’m the person who has to make sure everything gets done to the boss’s specs, but I’m a worker bee just like everyone else. That said, I do have a vision as well, and Chris Griffin is most definitely part of that vision. In fact, I have an idea I’m going to run by him that I already ran by Rob. Only time will tell if it takes off, but the ultimate goal for the network is to have 3-4 shows. There’s another program I might be a part of that I think would be very exciting – AND – very unexpected. Only time will tell if it happens, but suffice it to say that exciting things are on the horizon from IronMag TV. I hope you’ll take the ride with us!
We’re very excited to release the first episode of NO HOLDS BARRED with GREGG VALENTINO & BIG FRANK on Monday, March 23rd, 2026. We hope you’ll check it out, as well as all the great clips, reels, and stories to come from our Wizard Producer, Señor Styles!!
