Iron Man magazine 2005 06

Transcription

Iron Man magazine 2005 06
TEEN MUSCLE • CREATINE K-BOOM! • THE FEMALE FORM AS ART
JUNE 2005 / IRON MAN—REAL BODYBUILDING TRAINING, NUTRITION & SUPPLEMENTATION
FEMALE MUSCLE ’05
•Female Muscle ’05
•Creatine K-Boom!
•10 Tips for Building
Gigantic Arms
•Teen Workout
•Get Big on a Budget
•Arnold Classic
•Ms. International
JUNE 2005
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www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2006 261
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Greg is a former Army Ranger and was
recently voted Hollywood’s top body.
150 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
June 2005
Vol. 64, No. 6
Female Muscle,
page 150
Real Bodybuilding Training, Nutrition & Supplementation
FEATURES
72 TRAIN, EAT, GROW 68
The TEG men shift to phase one of their ripping cycle with
a new twist: X-Rep pyramid power. X-cruciating drop sets
are here too.
80 YOUR TRICEPS WILL NEVER GROW!
Unless you follow these 10 titanic tips for torching your
tri’s from Ron Harris.
94 KRAIG FELDMAN
He won the Teenage Nationals in ’03, so you know he’s
got the muscle-building mojo down. All you young, aspiring bodybuilders, listen up. Kraig’s got plenty of tips to get
you growing.
110 RESEARCH TEAM
Creatine K-boom! Supplement scientist Jeff Golini analyzes creatine and
explains why Kre-Alkalyn may be the
latest and greatest C-bomb ever.
120 HEAVY DUTY
John Little channels Mike Mentzer in
an intense Q&A session. He covers
everything from goal setting to innate Pauline Nordine appears
adaptability to monitoring gains—and on this month’s cover.
intensity, of course.
Photo by Bill Dobbins.
134 THE RED ZONE
Russian Pavel Tsatsouline’s unique perspectives on
muscle building, strength and kettlebell training. Bonus:
Mike Mahler’s kettlebell power programs are included for
you to try.
150 FEMALE MUSCLE ’05
Red Zone,
page 134
Arnold Classic,
page 166
Kraig
Feldman,
page 94
It’s our annual female muscle pictorial, with dramatic,
sensual shots of the feminine form from ace photographer
Bill Dobbins.
166 IFBB ARNOLD CLASSIC
The gov. never fails to put on a fantastic physique
extravaganza. Many of the best bodies in the business
were onstage doing that flex-for-checks thing. Who won it
all? Lonnie Teper’s got the big story, along with loads of
great photos.
204 IFBB MS. INTERNATIONAL
Talk about female muscle! Even with the new muscularity
standards in place, these gals had it going on—as in
brawn and beauty. Ruth Silverman reports on how it all
came together in Columbus.
228 ONLY THE STRONG SHALL SURVIVE
Bill Starr tells you how to get big on a budget. If you can
afford supplements, great, but you can get by without them
and continue to grow with the flow. Here’s how.
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
10 Rules for Titanic Triceps,
page 80
DEPARTMENTS
32 TRAIN TO GAIN
Lateral raises vs. lateral throws (X Files analysis), carpal
tunnel toll and how much rest is best?
48 NATURALLY HUGE
Another expanded column from John Hansen. This
month he chronicles the diet that helped him move back
into the winner’s circle.
58 EAT TO GROW
Battle-of-the-bulge diet comparisons, immune system
boosters and busters and new research on how pushing
hard can burn off the lard.
90 CRITICAL MASS
Mind/Body,
page 218
Critical Mass,
page 90
Drop dead? Steve Holman analyzes drop sets and why
they should be alive and well in your size-building program. Plus, champ training and X-Rep results.
190 NEWS & VIEWS
Lonnie Teper and Ruth Silverman snapped some great
photos and snapped up plenty of inside info at the IM
and Arnold Fitness weekends. Plus, Jerry Fredrick’s Hot
Shots are here, along with booth pics from the FitExpo.
210 BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY
Jerry Brainum has a special report on what many people
are calling the new ephedrine. Does it work? Are there
side effects? Jerry’s got the latest research.
218 MIND/BODY CONNECTION
Randall Strossen, Ph.D., explains how to blow by bad
workouts, and Dave Draper drops a few bombs. There’s
also motivation from alcoholic-turned-muscular marvel Tim
Wescott. Jack LaLanne, Gallery of Ironmen and hot Caitlin
Jones’ Serious Training photos are here too. Whew!
240 READERS WRITE
News & Views,
page 190
WEB ALERT
IRON MAN FitExpo,
page 201
from the world of
For the latest happenings read the Hot
bodybuilding and fitness,
zine.com and
News at www.ironmanmaga om.
e.c
scl
mu
www.graphic
Excellent expo and IM Pro, veteran muscle (a letter from
Iraq) and X-traordinary interview—a.k.a., the X-Rep rap.
In the next IRON MAN
Next month we have an out-of-whack ab attack
that will get your midsection sliced and diced.
Steve Holman leads you to the granite-abs
promised land with an X-Rep chaser. If you’re not
seeing gut ruts yet, you will with this program—if
you can stand the burn and lay off the Twinkies.
Plus, we’ll have the second part of our wild interview with Pavel Tsatsouline, the Russian trainer
and kettlebell master. Then we powerize your
bench press prowess with some positional-isometric training. It’s a new twist on an old technique
that’ll have you sending that loaded bar skyward
with authority. Not to forget nutrition, Jerry
Brainum gives you the latest on so called artificial
dangers, as in apartame and sucralose. Oh, and, of
course, we’ll have Fitness and Figure International
coverage. Watch for the fly July IRON MAN on
newsstands the first week of June.
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John Balik’s
Publisher’s Letter
Founders
1936-1986:
Peary & Mabel Rader
The Ideal Physique
My friend, the late Art Zeller, who was a
legendary physique photographer and the
possessor of an excellent physique, had a
very clear idea of what his ideal physique
was. Sometimes his judgment coincided
with the contest judges, and sometime it
didn’t. He was not restricted to points or
posing or any written rules, as the judges are,
and he was picking out just one, so his task
was easier. His rule was quite simple: Of the
guys onstage, which physique would I like to have?
The ideal physique in bodybuilding terms has evolved as we’ve
glimpsed what’s possible. As a strength athlete and bodybuilder,
John Grimek ruled from before World War II to the advent of Steve
Reeves, whose physique represented a completely new look. Steve’s
wide shoulders, small waist and great calves were the embodiment
of classical statues but with the added size that only bodybuilding
can create. In the Hercules movies he combined a very handsome
face and that new look, taking the ideal from the pages of bodybuilding magazines to the huge movie audience. Suddenly, muscles
were a good thing, and bodybuilding became a specialized activity
in which the main goal was symmetrical development, not strength.
IRON MAN is here to help you create your ideal physique. What
type of physique has the greatest appeal to you? In Art Zeller’s
words, whose physique would you like to have? That really is the
ultimate question.
Over the years the physiques of bodybuilding-contest winners
have continued to evolve. At one time avid bodybuilders wanted to
emulate their look. Is that still true today? I know that 95 percent of
our readers don’t aspire to compete, but how do the physiques of
today’s champions influence you? Do they inspire you? Do you
want to look like them?
Over the next several months we will explore these questions at
ironmanmagazine.com with visual and verbal questionnaires. The
first round will involve simply applying the Art Zeller rule: In a perfect world, which physique would you like to inhabit 24/7/365?
The purpose of the questionnaires is to help us create an IRON
MAN that truly reflects the needs of our readers. While I believe that
IRON MAN has the best writers and photographers in the business,
they still represent a very small number compared to our readership. Without your input via polls and e-mail, we’re just guessing at
what you need to reach your goals. I read every e-mail message
that’s sent to me, so let me know how you feel about the content,
what you want to see more of and less of and how we can make
IRON MAN better fit your needs. You can write to me at
ironleader@aol.com. And don’t forget to go to our Web site and
answer that all-important question. IM
Publisher/Editorial Director: John Balik
Associate Publisher: Warren Wanderer
Design Director: Michael Neveux
Editor in Chief: Stephen Holman
Art Director: T.S. Bratcher
Senior Editor: Ruth Silverman
Editor at Large: Lonnie Teper
Articles Editors: L.A. Perry, Caryne Brown
Assistant Editor: Jonathan Lawson
Assistant Art Director: Christian Martinez
Designer: Emerson Miranda
Ironman Staff:
Denise Cantú, Vuthy Keo, Mervin Petralba,
David Solorzano
Contributing Authors:
Jerry Brainum, David Chapman, Teagan Clive, Lorenzo
Cornacchia, Daniel Curtis, Dave Draper, Michael
Gündill, Rosemary Hallum, Ph.D., John Hansen, Ron
Harris, Ori Hofmekler, Rod Labbe, Skip La Cour, Jack
LaLanne, Butch Lebowitz, Stuart McRobert, Gene
Mozée, Larry Scott, Jim Shiebler, Roger Schwab, C.S.
Sloan, Bill Starr, Bradley Steiner, Eric Sternlicht, Ph.D.,
Randall Strossen, Ph.D., Richard Winett, Ph.D., and
David Young
Contributing Artists:
Steve Cepello, Larry Eklund, Ron Dunn
Contributing Photographers:
Jim Amentler, Reg Bradford, Jimmy Caruso, Bill
Comstock, Bill Dobbins, Jerry Fredrick, Irvin Gelb,
J.M. Manion, Gene Mozée, Mitsuru Okabe, Rob Sims,
Leo Stern, Russ Warner
Director of Marketing:
Helen Yu, 1-800-570-IRON, ext. 1
Accounting: Dolores Waterman
Director of Operations: Dean Reyes
Subscriptions Manager:
Sonia Melendez, 1-800-570-IRON, ext. 2
E-mail: soniazm@aol.com
Advertising Director: Warren Wanderer
1-800-570-IRON, ext. 1
(518) 743-1696; FAX: (518) 743-1697
Advertising Coordinator:
Jonathan Lawson, (805) 385-3500, ext. 320
Newsstand Consultant:
Angelo Gandino, (516) 796-9848
We reserve the right to reject any advertising at our
discretion without explanation. All manuscripts, art or
other submissions must be accompanied by a selfaddressed, stamped envelope. Send
submissions to IRON MAN, 1701 Ives Avenue,
Oxnard, CA 93033. We are not responsible for
unsolicited material. Writers and photographers
should send for our Guidelines outlining
specifications for submissions. IRON MAN is an open
forum. We also reserve the right to edit any letter or
manuscript as we see fit, and photos submitted have
an implied waiver of copyright.
Please consult a physician before beginning any diet
or exercise program. Use the information published in
IRON MAN at your own risk.
IRON MAN Internet Addresses:
Web Site: www.ironmanmagazine.com
John Balik, Publisher: ironleader@aol.com
Steve Holman, Editor in Chief: ironchief@aol.com
Ruth Silverman, Senior Editor: ironwman@aol.com
T.S. Bratcher, Art Director: ironartz@aol.com
Helen Yu, Director of Marketing: irongrrrl@aol.com
Dean Reyes, Dir. of Operations: ironreyes@aol.com
Jonathan Lawson, Ad Coordinator: ironjdl@aol.com
Sonia Melendez, Subscriptions: soniazm@aol.com
26 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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SIZE MATTERS, SO…
With lateral
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bottom part of
the stroke, not
the top, may be
the most
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growth.
32 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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X FILES
Lateral Raises vs. Lateral Throws
heaving giant dumbbells. The better way to overload that
Contrary to popular belief, the bottom, semistretch
important semistretched position is with X Reps. When
position of a lateral raise is a key to growth stimulation.
you can’t get anymore fairly strict laterals, grab a pair of
That’s where the medial-delt head is semistretched and
heavy dumbbells and do partial upright rows, pulling the
the most force generation occurs. So wouldn’t it make
dumbbells out and up to about bellybutton height. Or do
sense to severely overload the bottom part of the exerheavy rack pulls in a power rack. Better yet, ditch the
cise’s stroke, at least on some sets, if you want extreme
laterals and do heavy dumbbell upright rows, ending with
delt growth? Yes, and that’s exactly what the biggest
bodybuilders do when they grab heavy-as-hell dumbbells X Reps. Your delts will get rounder and fuller because
you’ll be hitting the lateral heads’ sweet spot with heavy
and use body movement to crank them up and out.
weight immediately after full-range reps.
Larry Scott, the first Mr. Olympia, was a master at so—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
called heavy cheat laterals, turning the exercise into a
www.X-Rep.com
modified dumbbell upright row that overloaded his medial-delt heads, mostly near the bottom of the stroke. It
Editor’s note: The above is an excerpt from the IM
was almost as if he were doing power high pulls—but it’s
e-zine. You can get one delivered to your e-mail box
exactly what helped him overcome his narrow clavicles
every week free: Visit www.X-Rep.com and click on X
and build incredible melon-size shoulders despite his
Files. Go to any of the past installments and click on the
genetic shortcomings.
subscribe link at the bottom.
Rarely do you see bodybuilders with cannonball delts
using lighter
weights so they
can slowly arc the
dumbbells up to
complete contraction with straight
arms. To do that
they have to use
dumbbells that are
Strict laterals require a weight
way too light for
that’s much too light to stress
semistretch overthe delts at the bottom.
load at the bottom.
The big-delt dudes
usually do laterals
with excessive
weight—would you
believe 90-pound
dumbbells?—with
their upper arms
never getting very
close to parallel to
the floor—at least
not on the majority
of sets.
That’s not to say
you should be
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Stick It
INNOVATIONS
Good Strength Vibrations
Whole-body vibrators enhance power
Not to be confused with what you find in your local Hustler store (I always drive
by it; I never stop, I swear), whole-body vibrators may indeed have ergogenic
effects. A recent study compared the performance-enhancing effects of squats
done on a vibration platform with squats performed conventionally in 14 male
recreational weight trainees. The subjects trained for five weeks. After the initial
testing they were randomly assigned to either the “squat whole-body vibration”
(SWBV) group, which performed squats in a Smith machine on a vibration platform, or the “squat” (S) group, which performed conventional squats in a Smith
machine with no vibrations.
At the beginning and the end of the study the researchers performed tests
consisting of one-repetition maximums (1RMs) on the squat and vertical jump.
Vertical-jump numbers increased significantly only in the SWBV group; however,
both groups showed significant increases in 1RM performance on squats. There
was a trend toward greater relative strength increase in the SWBV group. According to the authors, “The preliminary results of this study point toward a tendency of
superiority of squats performed on a vibration platform compared with squats
without vibrations regarding maximum strength and explosive power as long as
the external load is similar in recreationally resistance-trained men.”1 My conclusion: If your goal is to achieve maximum performance, use every training tool
possible. Whole-body vibration seems to be one of those tools that will get your
body working like a finely tuned machine.
—Jose Antonio, Ph.D.
For better gains
Athletes and bodybuilders are always
searching for something that can increase
athletic proficiency or muscle. One technique that may prove useful, according to
a recent study, is acupuncture.1 In
acupuncture the skin is punctured with
stainless-steel needles in specific zones.
Studies show that it can alleviate muscle
tension, improve local blood flow, increase
pain threshold and moderate the autonomic nervous system.
In a new study two groups of female
soccer players were either given acupuncture treatment or not after intense competition. Those in the acupuncture group did
not experience the drop in salivary immunoglobulin A that usually results from
intense exercise. Immunoglobulin A is an
antibody that is thought to help prevent
various upper-respiratory infections.
Instead, those in the acupuncture
group showed decreased levels of salivary
cortisol after exercise. Cortisol is the
primary catabolic hormone in the body,
meaning that it promotes the breakdown
of muscle. Anything that blunts cortisol
increase after exercise would favor a
stronger response of anabolic hormones,
such as testosterone and growth hormone. Cortisol also suppresses the immune response, leading to a greater
chance of illness.
The acupuncture subjects had less
muscle fatigue and tension than the
control athletes. They also reported feeling
better and generally were in better moods,
experiencing less depression and fatigue.
Precisely how acupuncture produces
those effects remains a matter of conjecture. Practitioners frequently say that
stimulating certain parts of the body
through acupuncture positively affects the
body’s autonomic and endocrine systems,
which has overlapping effects on other
systems, such as immune response.
Acupuncture isn’t suitable for selftreatment. Anyone contemplating trying it
needs to consult with an experienced
practitioner.
Get the point?
—Jerry Brainum
1 Ronnestad, B.R. (2004). Comparing the performance-enhancing effects of squats on a vibration platform with conventional
squats in recreationally resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond
Res. 18:839-45.
Editor’s note: Jose Antonio, Ph.D., is the chief science officer
of Javalution (www.javafit.com) and the president of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (www.sportsnutritionsociety.org).
34 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
1 Akimoto, T., et al.
(2003). Acupuncture
and responses of
immunologic and
endocrine markers
during competition.
Med Sci Sports Exerc.
35:1296-1302.
YOU CAN BENCH BIG
Add 20 Pounds to Your Bench Press Almost Overnight!
How would you like a surge in
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bench press—say, 20 extra pounds
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workouts? Sure, adding 20 pounds
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But nine times out of 10 this stall is
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The rotator cuff muscles stabilize
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Why It’s So Simple
To get in terrific condition and stay there
(and why you never read about it), part 2
Injuries can ruin most of your progress. So what you have
to do is stay injury free or at least find a way to minimize
injuries. One way is by changing exercises at every workout
because most injuries come from using the same exercises
week after week, with increasing weights as the stress
factor. That wipes out joints and leaves you with injured
elbows, shoulders and knees.
But if injuries do occur, your workout has to speed healing. You can accomplish that by being very sensitive to any
pain whatsoever and then quickly changing the exercise to
one that is totally pain free—I mean, no pain at all. Once
you’re sure you have a pain-free exercise that works the
same area, go to town with it (see the five-set strategy I
described in the May ’05 IRON MAN).
The next step is to flood the injured area with fresh blood,
pumping it so full of healing nutrients that the blood will
almost hydrolyze any bad guys lurking in there. Believe me, it
works.
You also have to work each bodypart at least every 72
hours or it starts to shrink—you know, atrophy. But you’re
going to do a lot better than that. You’re going to work each
bodypart every 36 hours. That way you hit it again while the
muscle still has residual pump.
What about overtraining? No problem. Each time you hit
a bodypart, you only do one exercise—not the four or five
you do when you get to rest about 60 hours before you have
to get it back together again.
Next, your workout must have an element of fun. That’s
very important, but it’s almost totally disregarded—unless I
design the workout, that is. Oh, I know it seems I’m patting
myself on the back. Well, what the heck. Let me tell you why
it’s so important.
I learned from Charles Coonradt, who wrote a book called
The Game of Work, that the reason people like to play is that
they always know whether they’re winning or losing. With
work you just plug along day after day, and you never know
if you’re getting ahead.
That’s the trouble with most of our workouts. We just kind
of wander through them because we believe it’s good for us,
but we never have any goals, so we’ll never know when we
get the prize.
How do we set goals that will help us bring fun into our
workouts? Well, you have to know a little bit about yourself.
With our clients, we know how much they can lift on several
reference lifts. We
know that if they can
bench-press 200
pounds one time, they
should be able to
bench-press 170 for
six reps. The same is
true for lat pulldowns
and so on. That gives
them something to
shoot for. It’s like
sinking a putt or
hitting a home run:
When you know the
weight you’re supposed to use, you
Bob Kennedy, MuscleMag International
TRAIN TO GAIN
SUCCESS SECRETS
Doing the same exercise for extended periods of time causes
a lot of injuries. Change it up to stay injury free.
give it your all, and when you make it, it’s a good feeling. It’s
like a game. It’s a challenge, and we all love challenges.
Time to talk about workout environment. If you’re
having a hard time training regularly and you train at home, I
suggest you join a gym. It will help a lot. Your home is just
not the place to put on a T-shirt and hit the weights. When
you get home each night, your home says, “What a day
you’ve had. It’s time to sit back, pick up the paper, relax. You
deserve it.” It never says, “Okay, let’s hit it.”
Ever noticed how heavy a 10-pound plate feels in your
home? It’s so hard to get off the floor—as if it could tear your
fingernails off. In the gym it’s a Frisbee. If you insist on training at home and you’re looking at a SoloFlex or a NordicTrack or something like that, don’t buy it from the
manufacturer. Look in the classified ads. There are dozens of
hardly used ones for sale. Get my point?
Now let’s talk about zone exercises—a whole book
in itself. If you want to really make some shocking progress,
you need to include as many zone exercises as possible.
What do I mean by “zone” exercises? Let me list a few.
Smith-machine bench presses with the palms turned at a
45-degree angle, dips with the palms reversed, Scott
preacher curls, kneeling triceps exercises, donkey calf raises
with pulley and belt, scapula-rotating chins and pulldowns.
Some exercises are filled with magic. They have a zone
that can yield many times the results of other exercises.
They almost seem to have a special purity. By the way, the
zone feeling isn’t unique to me. I’ve run hundreds of clients
through these exercises, and the reaction is always the
same.
I’ll have more muscle-building stuff next month.
—Larry Scott
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Crossovers
(Ouch!) It’s All in the Wrist
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common
repetitive-work-related injury. It’s often seen in
those who work on computers for many
hours (keyboard or mouse) or perform repeated fine motor movements (tasks requiring grasping, pinching, gripping and so on).
What does that have to do with weight training? Certain exercises aggravate carpal
tunnel syndrome, which is now prevalent due
to the computer’s prominence in the workplace.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is the name given
to the irritation and compression of the median nerve in the wrist. The nerve travels down
the arm and enters the top of the forearm,
where it can also be compressed. From there
it travels down between the forearm muscles
and into the “carpal tunnel.” The floor of the
tunnel is made up of carpal, or wrist, bones,
and its roof is made of the transverse carpal
ligament, which is part of a connective-tissue
structure. The tendons of the forearm muscles, or wrist flexors, are also located in the
carpal tunnel.
Some in health care claim they know why
carpal tunnel occurs, but we really don’t
know. We do know what happens when it
occurs, however. The median nerve begins to
become inflamed and dysfunctional. Nerve
pathology is known as a neuropathy, which
makes the accurate term for the condition
median neuropathy at the carpal tunnel, but
carpal tunnel syndrome, or CTS, is easier for
most to remember.
The median neuropathy may be more than a simple compression. It may be a neurological overuse problem—too much
stimulation of the nerve.
Once the nerve is inflamed, it can be further aggravated by
being pulled against the roof or floor of the tunnel for any length
of time. One activity that commonly aggravates CTS is pulling
blankets up to your neck at night and keeping your wrists bent
or flexed for hours. People often wake up with numb fingers
and hands (usually thumb, index finger and middle finger).
Doctors prescribe splints to keep the wrist straight at night.
That keeps the nerve more centrally located in the tunnel, away
from the roof and floor.
Some exercises aggravate an inflamed median nerve. Reverse-grip bench presses are a great alternative to the regular
bench press in that they reduce stress on the shoulder. The bar
rests against a branch of the median nerve in the thumb area of
the hand, however, and can significantly increase numbness
and tingling in the hand by the next morning. The regular-grip
bench press can do the same, but it seems to be reported less
often. Some trainees may not feel those symptoms. They may
have very thick hands, and that branch of the nerve may not be
compressed to the same extent.
Anthony Clark is 5’7” and 335 pounds. He performed an
804-pound reverse-grip bench press. The late legendary Paul
Anderson was 5’9” and 360 pounds. He could deadlift only
820 pounds and blamed that on his “meaty, thick hands,”
which prevented him from gripping the bar well. When he used
hooks on the deadlift, Anderson reportedly performed 800
Carpal tunnel
syndrome
Neveux
TRAIN TO GAIN
SPORTSMEDICINE
pounds for reps on the stiff-legged deadlift. The point is, hand
thickness may protect some trainees. The famed Barbarian
Brothers used to hold the bar with foam pads on reverse-grip
bench presses.
Wrist curl and reverse wrist curl can stretch the median
nerve against the roof or floor of the carpal tunnel. That may be
enough to aggravate the nerve, especially if you do multiple
sets of high reps. Also, if the flexor tendons are inflamed and
thickened, they can irritate the median nerve in the tunnel.
Again, some trainees may not feel those symptoms.
I’ve heard of bodybuilders who develop carpal tunnel syndrome if they have a rapid and significant weight gain after a
competition. When competitors gain 30 pounds in a few
weeks, there are often complaints of tingling hands.
I’m not saying those exercises cause carpal tunnel syndrome but, rather, that your body may not tolerate them well
once CTS has developed. If you’re experiencing symptoms of
carpal tunnel syndrome, have a special test performed known
as a nerve conduction velocity. The test can be ordered after
an orthopedist, chiropractor, neurologist or medical doctor has
examined you.
—Joseph M. Horrigan
Editor’s note: Visit www.softtissuecenter.com for reprints
of Horrigan’s past Sportsmedicine columns that have appeared
in IRON MAN. You can order the book, Strength, Conditioning
and Injury Prevention for Hockey by Joseph Horrigan, D.C.,
and E.J. “Doc” Kreis, D.A., from Home Gym Warehouse, (800)
447-0008 or at www.home-gym.com.
40 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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Age-Old Muscle Migration
Use it or
lose it
You lose strength and muscle size with age if
you do nothing to avoid it. Scientists have a
name for age-related loss of lean mass: sarcopenia. Eventually, if nothing is done to forestall the
loss of muscle, people can’t take care of themselves. But what about elite athletes? What toll
does age take on them?
A recent study examined the effects of aging
in male and female elite weightlifters and powerlifters.1 Earlier studies used static exercise, with
subjects not actually moving muscles but just
exerting pressure, such as in isometric exercise.
In the new study, though, dynamic forms of
exercise, specifically Olympic-style weightlifting
and powerlifting, were the focus.
The study showed a decline in functional
muscular capacity in both men and women,
beginning in early middle age, which is younger
than in past studies. The rate of decline in performance proved greater in the weightlifters, due to
the need for a greater level of skills, including
balance and speed, than in the relatively simple
forms of lifting typical of powerlifting.
While prior research showed that lower-body
strength dissipated before upper-body strength,
this study found no differences. The female athletes showed a greater rate of decline in
weightlifting than the male athletes, though no
sex-related differences occurred in the powerlifting group.
Neveux \ Model: Jeff Hammond
TRAIN TO GAIN
ANTI-AGING
WOMEN
Dumbbells for the Ages
While many women
will admit to having gone
out with a dumbbell or
two, most haven’t considered the benefits of
trying the iron kind.
Those dumbbells can be
especially beneficial to
older women.
Recently, a group of
perimenopausal and
newly menopausal
women pumped iron for
eight weeks in a
strength-training program at the Richard
Stockton College of
New Jersey. Thirty-three
percent boosted their
energy and sex drive, 40 percent felt less anxious, and 50 percent
said they were less achy and irritable. You would be too if you had
fewer hot flashes and headaches—not to mention less painful intercourse.
How did pumping iron do all that? The researcher said, “Simple:
Lifting cuts stress.”
—Daniel Curtis, R.D.
42 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
As for what causes the decline even in athletes,
one suggestion is a downgrade with age of neuromuscular function and coordination. In practical
terms, that means aging causes a loss of the ability to
fully activate muscular structures, leading to a loss of
strength. Another explanation, provided by the researchers, doesn’t make much sense. They mention
that with age comes a loss of type 2 muscle fibers,
which are most associated with strength, and a
greater ratio of the fast-twitch type 1 fibers, which
produce less force. While that pattern occurs in people who don’t exercise, continued exercise maintains
the type 2 fibers. A more likely explanation involves
the loss of neuromuscular communication, which
could relate to certain hormonal factors.
Fortunately, men and women who continue lifting
can maintain much of their functional strength, thereby preventing some of the physical horrors linked to
the aging process, such as debilitating loss of bone
and muscle.
—Jerry Brainum
1 Anton, M.M., et al. (2004). Age-related declines in
anaerobic muscular performance: weightlifting and
powerlifting. Med Sci Sports Exer. 36:143-147.
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More Wicked Muscle Size and Serious Blast-Off Power On Every Set
TRAIN TO GAIN
TRAIN WITH ZANE
How Much Rest Is Best?
Efficient recovery
ability is the question
There’s no doubt in my mind that
training less frequently as one gets older
works better. Since you don’t work out
as often, you have more desire and
stamina to train harder. With the hormone slowdown that occurs with age,
called andropause, recuperation from
hard workouts takes longer and longer.
In my teens and 20s I trained six days
a week, working upper body one day
and lower body the next. I felt fine, recuperated well and was strong for every
workout. In my mid-20s I began training
back, biceps, forearms, thighs, calves
and abs at one workout and chest,
shoulders, triceps and abs at the other. I
remember training that way when I lived
in Florida—and each workout lasted up
to three hours.
Upon moving to Southern California in
1969, I fell into pace with Arnold’s workout at Gold’s Gym, as many did in those
days. It was now a three-way split done
six days a week: chest and back on
Mondays and Thursdays, legs on Tuesdays and Fridays and delts and arms on
Wednesdays and Saturdays. We trained abs at the end of each
workout. It worked well at first, especially for Arnold, whose
nine-to-five job was going to the gym and then the beach, and
it worked for me too, especially when I had summers off from
teaching school. But training with heavy weights for the ’72
London Mr. Universe left me so drained by the end of the week
that I usually had to take the weekend
off, squeezing my workout into five
consecutive days.
After winning my second Mr.
Olympia title in ’78, I switched to a
new three-way-split routine, on which I
trained three days in a row and rested
the fourth day: back, biceps, forearms,
abs on day one; thighs, calves, abs on
day two; chest, shoulders, triceps on
day three; rest on day four. It was the
classic three-days-on/one-day-off
cycle, or the four-day cycle, as I now
call it. It worked well, providing me
with a little more rest, and I gained a
solid eight pounds of muscle by 1979.
I won the Mr. Olympia that year weighing almost 195 in my best ever condition.
I continued to train in that fashion—
three days on/one off—taking an extra
day off when I needed it right up until a
few years ago. I found that my shoulders needed more rest, so I switched
to back, delts, chest on day one; abs,
thighs, calves on day two; and triceps,
biceps, forearms, abs on day three. The only time I do this
program three days in a row is when I train with clients as
part of my Zane Experience program. After that I take two
days off instead of one.
What seems to work best for me now, as I approach my
63rd birthday, is to spread this new three-way split over five
days: day one, torso;
day two, rest; day
MUSCLE SCIENCE
three, legs; day four,
arms; day five, rest; day
6, begin cycle again. If I
Hyperplasia for more size
feel a bit overtrained, I’ll
take two days off after
While muscle-fiber splitting, or hyperplasia, hasn’t been shown conclusively to occur in
completing the three
humans, animal studies have proved that it does happen within muscle structures. For examworkouts, thereby
ple, in one study the hyperplasia in rats was the result of stretch overload, which leads me to
training each bodypart
believe that if it does occur in humans, stretching and stretch-position exercises—like stiff(except abs) only once
legged deadlifts for hamstrings, flyes for pecs and incline curls for biceps—can contribute to
in six days. It’s all on
the phenomenon, resulting in the potential for larger and larger muscles. We already know that
my “Train With Zane”
stretch-position movements can increase the anabolic receptors on muscle tissue, so the
video, a very detailed,
informative demonstrapossibility of fiber splitting is yet another reason to use stretch-position exercises for each
tion of all the exercises
bodypart.
and stretches I do
—Steve Holman
arranged according to
Train, Eat, Grow
this most productive
three-way-split routine.
Editor’s note: The
Try it, you’ll like it.
X-Rep power-partial
—Frank Zane
technique stresses the
Three-time Mr.
target muscle in its
Olympia
Neveux \ Model: Mike Morris
Split and Grow Massive
semistretched position
at the end of any set.
That may trigger fiber
splitting and new size
gains. For more information visit www
.X-Rep.com.
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Editor’s note:
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EXERCISE SCIENCE
Making an Ice of Yourself
In the early 1970s,
during an extended stay
in my hometown of
Brooklyn, New York, I
worked in a health foods
store owned by Vic Boff.
Vic was a longtime
health and strength
enthusiast, and we often
had lively discussions
about the current status
of the iron world. The
one thing about Vic I’ll
always remember, besides his warm and
engaging personality,
was his love of swimming in the ocean. But
not just any swimming.
Vic was a member in
good standing of a
group known as the
Polar Bear Club, which
met once a week during
the winter months at the
icy shore of the Atlantic
and happily frolicked in
the icy sea. Vic and his
colleagues believed that
swimming in those frigid
waters provided health
benefits.
Whether that’s true
depends on the individual.1 To those unaccustomed to it, swimming in
icy waters can be life threatening. In some cases exposure to
cold water causes a type of thickening of the blood that leads
to blood clots in the coronary arteries. In common terms, that
causes a heart attack. In other cases the heart rhythm is
disturbed, sometimes fatally.
From a hormonal point of view, levels of norepinephrine, a
catecholamine hormone known to stimulate the heart, increases fourfold, resulting in nonshivering thermogenesis.
Other hormones, including ACTH from the pituitary, which
controls cortisol release; thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH);
and cortisol, all rise during exposure to cold water. If exposure
exceeds 30 minutes, core body temperatures can decrease
enough to cause death.
That all changes when people swim in cold water regularly.
Just as muscles get accustomed to regular exercise, so too
does the body to regular cold-water exposure. The body’s
thermogenesis reactions upgrade, while the circulatory system adapts to cold, preventing the dangerous effects that
would ordinarily occur. The metabolic adaptation prevents a
dramatic drop in body core temperature that could lead to
cardiovascular collapse.
Regular cold-water swimmers show increased beta-adrenergic stimulation of skeletal muscle that doesn’t result from
increased catecholamine release. Normally, exercise increases
the release of catecholamines such as epinephrine and norepinephrine, which interact with beta-adrenergic fat cell receptors to promote fat release. The same event occurs during
Is winter swimming
good for your health?
cold-water swimming
minus the presence of
catecholamines. Scientists
think that the exposure to
cold water may increase
beta-adrenergic receptor
sensitivity.
That has implications
for fat-burning during
regular exercise on dry
land. The sensitivity of
beta-adrenergic receptors
determines how efficiently
you burn fat during exercise. Theoretically, if coldwater swimming increases
this sensitivity, you may
tap into fat stores easier
during standard exercise
sessions.
Cold-water swimmers
also show skin adaptations. They get less blood
flow to their skin, which
acts as a thermal insulation. That results from the
lower heart rate that
occurs after regular coldwater exposure. The
question is whether any
real health benefits are
associated with icy swims.
One study found a
whopping 50 percent
reduction in insulin levels
at the end of 2 1/2
months of winter swimming compared to baseline, or starting,
levels. Lowering insulin provides a number of beneficial health
effects, including decreased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Excess insulin is also linked to increased bodyfat
and decreased longevity.
Other studies show that cold-water swimming galvanizes
immune system response. Although it does raise cortisol
levels, which are linked to immune-system suppression, it
compensates by promoting the release of cytokines, chemicals that prime and promote immune responses in the body.
One study showed that regular winter swimmers had a 40
percent decrease in the incidence of respiratory-tract infections.
Cold-water swimming may also increase the body’s antioxidant protection. Apparently, regular cold-water exposure acts
as an oxidant stressor, causing the body to upgrade its antioxidant defense system.
Because swimming in cold water can be dangerous, it’s
best to get used to it gradually—if you choose to indulge. I
can still recall Vic Boff walking into his Brooklyn store, the ice
still in his hair. At the time, I thought he was a bit eccentric,
but now I understand the method behind Vic’s winter madness.
—Jerry Brainum
1 Kolettisss, T.M., et al. (2003). Winter swimming: healthy or
hazardous? Evidence and hypothesis. Medical Hypotheses.
61:654-656.
46 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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Mr. Natural Olympia John Hansen’s
Naturally Huge
Nutrition With
a Mission
Neveux \ Model: John Hansen
Your nutrition program is absolutely vital to achieving
peak condition and attaining a ripped physique. Unfortunately, the diet that worked for you once may no longer be
applicable as you age. Like it or not, your metabolism slows
down when you reach middle age. Fat accumulates much
more easily, and the hard-earned muscle mass that you
work so diligently to achieve finds little reason to stick
around. More fat and less muscle do not equate to the ideal
bodybuilding physique.
I experienced that changing-physique phenomenon
over the past few years as I attempted to reach peak condition for the natural bodybuilding competitions I entered
from 2001 to ’04, which I discussed in last month’s column.
After trying and failing two years in a row—’01 and ’02—I
knew I needed to make adjustments to my precontest diet
to achieve my goal.
Having won the Natural Mr. Universe contest twice (’92
and ’96), as well as taken first place in the Natural Olympia
(’98) and achieved victory in many local and regional competitions, I thought I had the dieting thing down. Then,
after tearing my biceps in 2000, I had a very difficult time
getting back to the type of condition I once displayed. The
fact is, my body started changing right around the time I
turned 35, which was in 1998.
My Natural Mr. Universe precontest diet contained a
high percentage of complex carbohydrates, moderate
protein and very little fat—approximately 60 percent carbs,
30 percent protein and 10 percent fat. To prepare for the
Natural Olympia, I decided to make some slight changes. I
kept my precontest calories the same—approximately
2,800 to 3,000—but I increased fats while slightly decreasing carbs. The breakdown of that diet was 38 percent protein, 47 percent carb and 16 percent fat.
Both of those diets worked great for me. I followed both
for 12 to 16 weeks and was able to compete in ripped condition, and I won first place in both competitions.
When I came back to competition in 2001, after a threeyear layoff, I decided to follow the same diet that had
brought me such great results in ’98. I wasn’t buying into
the low-carb craze that everyone seemed to be following
because I knew what had worked for me in the past.
I believed that a bodybuilder needed to eat a certain
amount of carbohydrates to conserve muscle tissue. Carbs are said to
be protein sparing, which means
that the body uses them for energy.
That leaves more protein for rebuilding muscle. During a low-carbohydrate diet the body may be forced to
break down protein to use as an
energy source after its carbs have
become depleted.
I knew bodybuilders who successfully followed a low-carb diet for
competitions, and they looked fantastic, but they were all using
steroids. The drugs enabled them to
maintain muscle tissue no matter
how few carbs they consumed. I
believed that as a natural
bodybuilder I would surely sacrifice
muscle tissue following a diet like
that.
So what happened? When I competed in 2001 and 2002, my results
were disappointing, to say the least.
The fat came off much more slowly,
and I failed to reach peak condition
in time for the competitions despite
the fact that I gave myself 20 weeks.
Injuries forced me to forgo competing in ’03, but I decided to make
another attempt at reaching peak
condition again in ’04. This time I
purposely avoided bulking up in the
Keeping an open mind as he
experimented with his diet helped
John Hansen finally reach peak
condition once again.
48 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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Mr. Natural Olympia John Hansen’s
Naturally Huge
As you get older, your body changes. In order to lose
bodyfat, you may need to shift macronutrient percentages; for example, reducing carbs and increasing protein.
off-season so I wouldn’t have as much fat to lose.
I began my precontest diet on May 1, a full 24 weeks
before my first competition, which was scheduled for
October 23. I weighed 230 pounds, and I planned on competing at approximately 205. If I lost only one pound a
week, I would weigh 206 pounds for the contest.
Here’s how my menu looked when I began my precontest diet:
Meal 1: 1 egg, 9 egg whites, 1 cup oatmeal, half cup
blueberries
Meal 2 (protein drink): 2 servings Pro-Fusion protein
powder in water, 70 grams banana, 1 tablespoon flaxseed
oil
Meal 3: 5 ounces extra-lean turkey, half cup brown rice,
3 tablespoons salsa, 1 cup turkey chili
Meal 4 (preworkout drink): 1 serving whey protein, 1
serving creatine
Meal 5 (postworkout drink): 3 scoops RecoverX in
water
Meal 6 (protein drink): Muscle Meals meal replacement, 90 grams banana, half cup oat bran, half cup blueberries
Meal 7: 7 ounces round steak, 1 cup green beans
Totals: 3,133 calories, 323 grams protein, 313 grams
carbohydrate, 63 grams fat
Breakdown: 41 percent protein, 40 percent carb, 19
percent fat
I was now eating a diet consisting of more protein and
fat but slightly fewer carbohydrates. I kept my calories between 2,800 and 3,100 per day—more on workout days—
for a weekly average of 2,950 calories. My carbohydrate
consumption averaged approximately 300 grams per day. I
ate a little more than 300 grams of carbs on my weighttraining days and 250 grams on my days off.
Despite my strict adherence to the diet, my fat loss was
very slow and frustrating. I measured my progress by the
circumference of my waist along with my bodyweight, both
of which I recorded first thing every morning. I knew my
weight wasn’t as important as what I looked like, so I was
more concerned with my waist measurement than I was
my bodyweight.
I also knew from my previous wins at the Natural Universe and Natural Olympia that a waist measurement of 32
to 33 inches was ideal for my physique. At 230 pounds I
had a bulky 37-inch waist, which meant that I’d need to
lose a minimum of four inches before I was ready to step
onstage. I decided to give myself a little more time than the
minimum of 16 weeks, just in case I needed it.
On August 14, 2004, after 15 weeks of dieting, my bodyweight was down to 215 pounds, and my waist was at 35
inches. I’d lost 15 pounds and two inches off my waist. I
only had nine weeks left, and I still needed to lose a minimum of two more inches off my waist. My weekly average
of calories per day was now at 2,800, and my carbohydrate
average had dropped to 270 grams per day.
When I was only six weeks away from my first contest, I
decided to make some changes to my diet. I went to my
friend and fellow competitor Joe Silzer. Joe competes on
the national level and is obviously aware of what the judges
look for.
At that point my bodyweight was down to 213.5 pounds
with a 34-inch waist. My progress had been very slow, and
my waist had not lost any fat for the past three weeks. I had
Joe take some pictures of me that day, and we both had the
same view. I needed to get much harder—and quick!—or I
would not be ready in time.
My first solution was to
increase my cardio. I’d
been doing cardio three
to four days a week, so I
decided to increase it to a
minimum of six days per
week to accelerate the fat
loss. After four days of
nonstop cardio, my waist
stubbornly remained at
34 inches, and my body(continued on page 54)
Two scoops of Pro-Fusion
contain half the carbs that
a packet of Muscle Meals
does (only six grams of
carbs compared to 12 in
the Muscle Meals).
50 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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\ JULY 2006 181
Mr. Natural Olympia John Hansen’s
Naturally Huge
You can’t allow
your calories to
fall too low, or
your weight
workouts will
cause you to lose
muscle, not gain
or even retain it.
(continued from page 50)
Neveux \ Model: John Hansen
weight also refused to
budge.
I called Joe up, and we
went over my diet, meal
by meal. Joe advised me
to drop my carbohydrate
intake even lower in order
to get harder. Here are the
changes we decided to
make:
Meal 1: same
Meal 2: eliminate the
banana
Meal 3: change to 6ounce chicken breast, 120
grams sweet potato, 3
ounces broccoli or asparagus
Instead of extra-lean
turkey, I began eating
chicken breast, which is a
little bit higher in fat and
calories. I dropped the
half cup of brown rice
and replaced it with a
small sweet potato, which
has a lower glycemicindex number than the
brown rice. I also eliminated the turkey chili,
which was high in fiber
and contained no sugar
but was too high in carbs.
I substituted very lowcalorie broccoli or asparagus, which was also
high in fiber but contained a fraction of the
carbohydrate.
Meal 4: same
Meal 5: same
Meal 6 (protein drink): 2 servings Pro-Fusion, 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
I also drastically changed this meal, which I had about
30 minutes following my RecoverX drink. Instead of the
Muscle Meals shake with a banana, I used two scoops of
Pro-Fusion and no banana. That contains half the carbs of
a packet of Muscle Meals (only six grams of carbs compared to 12 in the Muscle Meals), and cutting out the banana reduced my total carbohydrate intake even further. I
also eliminated the oat bran and blueberries, using a tablespoon of natural peanut butter instead.
Meal 7: same
Meal 8 (protein drink): 2 scoops of Pro-Fusion with 1
tablespoon flaxseed oil.
The flaxseed oil supplied more essential fatty acids and
helped slow down the digestion of the protein drink. Since
I wouldn’t be
eating anything
until the next
morning, it was
important to keep
the muscle cells
saturated with the
growth-producing
amino acids from
the protein drink.
Taking in a fastacting form of
protein such as
whey before retiring would have
been a mistake.
The diet provided me with approximately 2,800
calories, 340 to 350
grams of protein,
200 grams of carb
and 65 to 70 grams
of fat. Although
the calories were
the same as the
diet that I’d been
following for the
previous 18 weeks,
the macronutrient
percentages were
different. My carbohydrate intake dropped by 100 grams
per day. Instead of getting 250 to 300 grams of carbs, I
dropped to 150 to 200. To keep the calories the same, I
slightly increased my protein from 320 to 350 grams per
day, and I also increased my fat from approximately 55
grams per day to 70.
It was necessary to get more fat because of the carb
decrease. I knew I’d risk losing muscle size and fullness if I
reduced the carbs but kept the fat the same. The added
flaxseed oil and the tablespoon or two of natural peanut
butter a day helped me maintain my muscle mass while I
was eliminating bodyfat.
So how did my experiment work? Like a charm! I started
losing fat almost immediately. I changed my diet on a Wednesday; by that Saturday my waist had dropped half an inch,
and my bodyweight was down by two pounds. Even better,
my progress from that point was consistent. I lost 1.5 to two
pounds each week, and my waist got smaller.
Instead of taking in 250 to 300 grams of carbs, I
reduced them to 150 to 200 per day.
54 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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Mr. Natural Olympia John Hansen’s
Naturally Huge
My previous beliefs regarding the
importance of carbohydrates in a
precontest diet drastically
changed. I now believe that it’s
possible to eat fewer carbs and
still maintain your muscle mass
and strength, even if you’re a
natural bodybuilder.
getting more fats and protein just as a
higher carb intake demands a much
lower fat intake.
If you’re attempting to get lean and
feel that it’s no longer possible because you’re not as young as you were,
don’t give up and head for the couch.
You may just need to change the
percentages of protein, carbs and fats
that you’re getting in order to get
results. Record your diet in a journal
each day, and keep experimenting
until your body responds. Once you
find the right diet, a ripped physique
may be right around the corner.
Editor’s note: John Hansen has
won the Natural Mr. Olympia and is a
two-time Natural Mr. Universe winner. Visit his Web site at www
.naturalolympia.com. You can write to
him at P.O. Box 3003, Darien, IL 60561,
or call toll-free (800) 900-UNIV (8648).
His new book, Natural Bodybuilding,
is now available from Human Kinetics
Publishing. IM
Neveux
By the time my competition arrived, I was in the best shape I’d been
since taking the Natural Olympia in
’98. Six years is a long time between
winnings, but that was how long I had
to wait. On October 23, 2004, my
drought finally ended as I took the
overall at the Natural America’s Cup
competition. My bodyweight was at
205 pounds, and my waist was down
to 33 inches, very close to peak condition.
Four weeks later, on November 21,
2004, I’d reduced my bodyfat even
more. I competed in the Natural Mr.
Universe weighing 200 pounds. It was
the best I’d looked in more than five
years, and it was a far cry from the
lackluster physique I’d displayed in
the previous few years.
What was amazing about this new,
improved version of my diet was that I
was able to retain all of my muscle
mass while losing the fat. My beliefs
regarding the importance of carbohydrates in a precontest diet drastically
changed. I now believe that it’s possible to eat fewer carbs and maintain
your muscle mass and strength, even
if you’re a natural bodybuilder.
The key to my diet was finding the
right number of calories I needed to
lose weight and keeping that calorie
intake the same while changing the
percentages of the macronutrients.
When I decided to reduce my carbohydrates by 100 grams per day, I simultaneously had to increase my
protein and fats so my calories didn’t
drop. If they had by a significant
amount, I no doubt would have sacrificed muscle tissue due to the heavy
weight-training workouts and the four
to five sessions of cardio per week.
When you’re a natural bodybuilder,
your energy has to come from somewhere. Eating fewer carbs necessitates
56 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
John Hansen
John@NaturalOlympia.com
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EATER’S DIGEST
Battle of the Bulge
If you look at any list of best-selling
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was. Instead, fat is extensively active,
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The question is, What’s the best
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Scientists study popular diets:
Who wins the war on weight loss?
ing? Scientists say that you must
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solution isn’t attractive to many
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Some of the most popular diet
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A recent study
didn’t seek to
determine the
superiority of any
particular diet but
instead focused
on the health and
adherence aspects of the
plans, as well as
their cardiovascular benefits—or
lack of same.1
One hundred
sixty subjects,
age range 22 to
72, were randomly assigned
to one of the four
popular diet
plans. All subjects had at least
one cardiovascular risk factor,
such as high blood pressure or elevated blood cholesterol. They were
monitored for a year.
Those in the Atkins group began
with a carb intake of only 20 grams a
day, gradually increased to 50 grams.
They got relatively large amounts of
fat and protein. Those in the Zone
group followed the Zone precepts of
carb, fat and protein percentages of
40, 30 and 30, respectively. The
Weight Watchers group could eat any
food but counted points, with each
point averaging 50 calories. The
Ornish diet, developed by cardiologist Dean Ornish, limits fat intake to
no more than 10 percent of total
calories. The participants were told to
exercise about an hour a day and
maintain a food diary.
The first finding that stood out was
the lack of adherence to any of the
diets. Only 58 percent of the subjects
maintained their diets for one year.
The greatest dropout rates occurred
58 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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GROW
Nutrition With a Get-Big Mission
in the Atkins and Ornish groups,
which were considered the most
restrictive of the diet plans. But even
those who stuck with their diets
cheated more as time went on.
Those who persevered lost between
4.6 and 7.3 pounds over a year.
One aspect of this study that
didn’t make sense was advice given
to the participants that they could
adjust the diets any way they wanted
after two months. Those in the Atkins
low-carb group increased their carb
intake to 190 grams by the six-month
mark, which means they were no
longer on the Atkins or any other lowcarb plan. Even those in the Ornish
lowfat group were eating an average
of 30 percent fat by the end of the
study, or three times the maximum
suggested.
The diets varied in their effects on
cardiovascular risk factors. All the
diets except the low-fat Ornish plan
led to a higher level of protective
high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol.
The lower-carb diets, such as the
Atkins and Zone plans, showed
greater reductions in blood triglyceride (fat), diastolic blood pressure
and insulin. The authors say their
results don’t support the notion that
low-carb diets are superior to standard diets in terms of weight loss or
cardiovascular benefits—a notion
disputed by other recent studies.
Besides, as noted above, those in
the low-carb group had abandoned
their low-carb diets by the study’s
halfway point.
The authors also suggest that the
best diet is the one that you stick
with. Adherence is a major problem
with most diets, especially among
those who aren’t highly motivated.
That’s rarely a factor with
bodybuilders, who are highly motivated to improve their appearance and
lose fat, though many don’t consider
the health aspects of dieting.
The study didn’t examine the
effects of what are probably the best
diets overall with respect to promoting health and fitness, the Mediterranean diet and the so-called
Paleolithic, or Stone Age, diet. Both
are moderate in carbs but feature a
lot of the nutrients and food factors
known to prevent most degenerative
diseases. They’re the best long-term
diets to follow, without a doubt.
—Jerry Brainum
1 Dansinger, M.L., et al. (2005).
Comparison of the Atkins, Ornish,
Weight Watchers and Zone diets for
weight loss and heart disease risk
reduction. JAMA. 293:43-53.
EATING OUT
Best Fast Food Fare
Sometimes you get more than you
bargained for—like loads of fat!
Pounder with cheese has
540 calories, 29 grams of fat
•Better: McDonald’s
Chicken McGrill (hold the
mayo) has 350 calories, 7
grams of fat
•Bad: Wendy’s Big
Bacon Classic hamburger
has 580 calories, 29 grams
of fat
•Better: Wendy’s grilled
chicken sandwich with
honey-mustard sauce has
300 calories, 6 grams of fat.
—Becky Holman
www.X-tremeLean.com
Sometimes you have to eat
fast food, but that doesn’t
mean you have to obliterate
your diet—if you make the
right choice. Here’s how some
of the more popular burgers
and sandwiches stack up
(you’ll be amazed at the totals):
•Bad: Burger King Whopper with cheese has 800
calories, 50 grams of fat
•Better: Burger King Santa
Fe-grilled chicken baguette
has 350 calories, 5 grams of
fat
•Bad: McDonald’s Quarter
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2005 59
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Eat to Grow
PREVENTION
Creatine studies show
that good things come
in small dosages.
Immune System
Neveux \ Model: Todd Smith
Boosters and Busters
ANABOLIC DRIVE
Low-Dose Creatine Jolt
To load or not to load? How about this: All you need
is about half a teaspoon of creatine to get some results. That’s right, 2.5 grams. In a recent investigation
scientists compared the effects of the supplement in
three groups: one receiving a placebo, one receiving
creatine and one receiving Mg(2+)-Cr. All the subjects
were weight-trained men who got a placebo, 2.5
grams of creatine or 2.5 grams of Mg(2+)-Cr daily.
Follow-up tests were completed after 10 days, and
both the creatine and the Mg(2+)-Cr groups had significantly larger increases in work, both absolutely and
relatively, when compared with the placebo group. The
creatine and Mg(2+)-Cr groups had similar results in
both performance tests—1RM bench press or work
done at 70 percent of 1RM—suggesting that the
Mg(2+)-Cr’s mechanism of entry is no better than the
conventional method at performing work when the dose
is 2.5 grams of creatine.
The study shows that you really don’t need that much creatine to give your
muscles a little bit more firepower. [Note: If you’re interested in maximum results
from creatine supplementation, see IM Research Team on page 110.]
—Jose Antonio, Ph.D.
1 Selsby, J.T., DiSilvestro, R.A., and Devor, S.T. (2004). Mg2+-creatine chelate
and a low-dose creatine supplementation regimen improve exercise
performance. J Strength Cond Res. 18:311-15.
Editor’s note: Jose Antonio, Ph.D., is the chief science officer of Javalution
(www.javafit.com) and the president of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (www.sportsnutritionsociety.org).
Killer bacteria and viruses are everywhere. So what keeps the human race
from dying out? Our spectacular immune
systems, the protectors of our health—
and our species. Considering all the junk
we feed ourselves, it’s no wonder our
immune systems get sluggish and we get
sick (some even say that cancer is a direct
result of a faltering immune system).
The worst immune-system busters include alcohol, high-sugar foods (diseasecausing bacteria feed on sugar, especially
the refined type in table sugar, candy and
alcohol), cured meats—like bacon that’s
loaded with nitrosamines—and trans fats,
or fats that are mutated through manmade means. To avoid trans fats, look for
the words hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated on food labels; if you see
them, don’t eat that food.
Even if you avoid all of the above,
you’re still exposed to plenty of bugs that
can take you down and force you to miss
workouts. To help marshal your defenses
against them, try to boost your immune
system through your diet. Here are some
excellent immune-system boosters:
Berries. Cranberries, blackberries,
blueberries and even strawberries contain
anthocyanidins and other immune-system-friendly flavonoids. Plus, they contain
dietary fiber and vitamin C.
Cruciferous veggies. Broccoli,
cauliflower, brussels sprouts and cabbage
contain phytochemicals that can protect
against many types of cancer. [Note: If
you have trouble getting enough of these,
you can try adding Miracle Greens powder to your protein drinks. It’s available at
www.home-gym.com and is a must for
low-carb dieters.]
Green tea. It contains polyphenols,
which are antioxidant compounds that
can squash the formation
of cancer-causing compounds produced in the
stomach. Bonus: Green
tea also ramps up the
metabolism and increases
fat burning.
Soy foods. Eating
tofu, soy milk or a soy-protein bar every
few days can do wonders for your immune system—and, no, it won’t stop you
from building muscle. You’d have to eat
loads of it every day to get its estrogenmimicking effects. Taken in moderation,
soy can reduce your risk for many diseases, including prostate cancer, due to its
many antioxidants and phytochemicals.
—Becky Holman
www.X-tremeLean.com
60 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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Eat to Grow
LEAN MACHINE
Fat Mop or Supplement Flop?
Chitosan is promoted as
a fat “trapper,” or blocker.
It’s a derivative of chitin, a
fibrous substance that
forms the cornerstone of
shellfish exoskeletons. The
initial claims for chitosan
came from studies that
showed it effectively
mopped up fatlike industrialwaste products by forming
an insoluble bond with
them. That was followed by
in vitro, or test-tube, studies, in which chitosan was
placed in a beaker with a
buffer and fat. The liquid
was then stirred, and the
resultant fat clumping was
measured. Under those
conditions, chitosan seemed to work.
But as with many other substances, what works outside
the body isn’t necessarily duplicated inside. Various studies that have tested the effects of chitosan on fat absorption in human subjects show that it has negligible effects.
The latest research examining the fat-blocking characteristics of chitosan featured both male and female human
subjects.1
FOOD FACTS
The 12 men and 12 women
were told to follow specific diet
plans that averaged five meals
a day for 12 days. Participants
took two capsules of a commercial chitosan supplement
before each meal. The total
daily doses averaged 2.5
grams. The extent of fat malabsorption induced by chitosan
was measured by examining
the subjects’ fecal output.
The fat intake per dose of
chitosan averaged 10 to 76
grams in the male subjects and
10 to 60 grams in the women.
The 2.5 grams of chitosan per
day increased the fecal excretion of fat by 1.8 grams a day in
men and zero in women. Why
the female subjects didn’t get the effect wasn’t clear, but
the amount of fat excreted by the men was inconsequential. It would take more than seven months for them to lose
one pound of fat due to chitosan.
—Jerry Brainum
1 Gades, M.D., et al. (2005). Chitosan supplementation
and fat absorption in men and women. J Am Dietetic
Assoc. 105:72-77.
FOOD FACTS
Tomato Rooter Spry Sprouts
Did you know
that the yellow
jellylike substance that surrounds tomato
seeds can make
your blood less
sticky, which
helps limit the
formation of
blood clots? Researchers are
scrambling to
develop a drug
containing the
key compound in
that substance to
help break up clots and prevent heart attacks. In the
meantime the discovery just magnifies the importance of
eating more tomatoes.
—Becky Holman
www.X-tremeLean.com
Did you know that broccoli sprouts have far more
cancer-fighting sulforaphane than adult broccoli? One
gram of sprouts contains as much of the cancer fighter as
25 grams of adult broccoli. Try broccoli sprouts in salads
or sandwiches.
—Becky Holman
www.X-tremeLean.com
Broccoli
is good,
but
sprouts
may be
better.
64 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
PERFECT POSTWORKOUT MEAL
TM
To Kick-Start Immediate Muscle Growth After You Train
Breakthrough research in
exercise metabolism now
reveals this fact: What you
consume (or don’t consume)
immediately after training plays
a critical role in determining
your success or failure! That
time period is known as the
“anabolic window” of growth.
The biggest mistake many
bodybuilders make is eating
a meal of chicken breasts,
baked potato or rice and
vegetables after a workout. This
is an approach doomed to fail
because by the time this meal
digests, the anabolic window
has slammed shut.
The best way to produce this
potent anabolic effect is simply
by drinking an amino acidand-carbohydrate supplement
within 15 minutes after training!
RecoverX™ offers the ideal
combination and provides
the perfect blend of nutrients
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acceleration.
RecoverX™ contains 40
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©2009 Home-Gym.com
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Over 4000 best-selling products online
Eat to Grow
NUTRITION SCIENCE
Anoint Your Joints
Glucosamine can do the
trick, but how safe is it?
glucosamine reaches only 20 perGlucosamine is a combination
cent of injection levels, and the
of an amino acid and a simple
suggested oral dose of glucosasugar, known as an amino
mine for human use is 23.1 milmonosaccharide.The body syntheligrams per kilogram of bodyweight,
sizes glucosamine at a rate of four
or 0.25 percent of the amount that
to 20 grams a day, with an avermade trouble for glucose metabolage of 12. Its supplemental form is
ism. Even huge oral doses of gluderived from chitin, the exoskelecosamine—as much as 2,149
ton, or shells, of marine invertemilligrams per kilogram of bodybrates. Chitosan, a popular
weight—have not been found to
supplement often included in fataffect glucose metabolism in animal
loss products, is derived from the
subjects.
same source.
Other research pointing to possiGlucosamine is available in
ble toxic effects of glucosamine
several supplemental forms, such
involved isolated-cell, or in vitro,
as glucosamine hydrochloride,
protocols. The doses used in those
glucosamine sulfate and N-acetylstudies averaged 100 to 200 times
glucosamine. The most studied
higher than blood serum levels
and popular of the three forms is
expected with oral use of
the sulfate.
glucosamine. Glucosamine exerts
The purpose of glucosamine
Injury prevention and rehab: Glucosamine is a
no mutagenic, or cancer-promotsupplementation is to prevent and
base element that helps form and strengthen
ing, effects in cells. That’s signifitreat joint and connective-tissue
connective tissue, ligaments, skin, tendons
cant because the huge doses used
problems, including arthritis. Gluand cartilage.
in isolated-cell studies often damcosamine is a base element of
age cellular DNA, which is a cause
glycosaminoglycans (GAG), which
of cell mutations that result in cancer.
in turn forms the basic structure of connective tissue, ligaIn some studies glucosamine was infused in human subments, skin, tendons and cartilage. Unlike common over-thejects, and they experienced no negative effects of either incounter drugs, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories,
sulin or glucose metabolism. That’s important because
which mask pain but do not help regenerate joints or connecinfusions, like injections, bypass liver metabolism, resulting in
tive tissue, glucosamine may help heal damaged tissue befar higher concentrations of the substance in the blood than
cause it provides the raw material for the body’s synthesis of
you get with an oral dose. The odds that glucosamine will
GAG.
adversely affect either insulin or glucose metabolism are reAnimal- and human-based studies show that glucosamine
mote at best. A recent review of glucosamine safety and
is highly absorbable, averaging 90 percent with oral doses.
But as is the case with everything you take orally, glucosamine efficiency found that the tolerable daily dose of glucosamine
was 184 milligrams per kilogram of bodyweight.1 That
is processed in the liver before it enters the blood, degrading
much of it. Studies show that oral glucosamine has only 26
amounts to 16,560 milligrams a day in a 200-pound man. In
percent of the bioavailability its intravenously administered
contrast, the usual suggested daily oral dose of glucosamine
counterpart has. Still, enough of the substance survives to
is 1,500 milligrams, or 23.1 milligrams per kilogram of bodypeak in the blood eight hours after an oral dose. Studies using
weight.
radioactively tagged glucosamine show that it takes a direct
Studies comparing glucosamine supplementation to variroute to cartilage and connective tissue.
ous over-the-counter or prescription pain relievers found that
Although those with allergies to shellfish should avoid
pain reduction was comparable between the drugs and gluglucosamine supplements, it’s safe for everyone else. Even
cosamine. The drugs, however, are considerably more hazso, some warnings have been voiced concerning a possible
ardous. Statistics show that more than 16,000 people die
glucosamine-induced interference with glucose and insulin
yearly directly as a result of using prescription pain relievers for
metabolism. A closer look at the studies those warnings came
joint pain. That’s particularly noteworthy in light of the recent
from reveals that, as Shakespeare might have said, “It’s much
controversy involving a class of prescription drugs known as
ado about nothing.”
COX-2 inhibitors. Such drugs are now associated with serious
Animal-based toxicity studies show that glucosamine
cardiovascular complications in some people, a scenario that
doses as large as 15,000 milligrams per kilogram (2.2 pounds) doesn’t exist with natural remedies like glucosamine.
are well tolerated with no apparent toxic effects. Such studies
—Jerry Brainum
have included rats, mice, rabbits, dogs and horses as sub1 Anderson, J.W., et al. (2005). Glucosamine effects in
jects, and some proved that parenteral administration, or
injection, led to possible negative effects on glucose
humans: a review of effects on glucose metabolism, side
metabolism. The doses used in those studies, though—about
effects, safety considerations and efficacy. Food Chem
9,035 milligrams per kilogram of bodyweight—aren’t compaToxicol. 43:187-201.
rable to any suggested dose for humans. An oral dose of
66 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
GRIND OUT THE GROWTH REPS™
Beta-Alanine Gives Your Muscles More Grow Power™
The biggest bodybuilders know that
the last few grueling reps of a set are
the key growth reps. It’s why they fight
through the pain of muscle burn on
every work set-—so they trigger the
mass-building machinery. But sometimes
it’s not enough; the burn is too fierce.
Fortunately, there’s now a potent new
weapon in this massive firefight to help
you get bigger and stronger faster.
Red Dragon is a new beta-alanine
supplement that packs your muscles
with carnosine—up to 60 percent more.
Muscle biopsies show that the largest
bodybuilders have significantly more
carnosine in their fast-twitch muscle
fibers than sedentary individuals for good
reason: Carnosine buffers the burn to give
muscles more “grow power” on every set.
The bigger and stronger a muscle gets,
the more carnosine it needs to perform
at higher intensity levels. You must keep
your muscles loaded with carnosine to
grow larger and stronger. It all boils down
to intensity and the ability to buffer waste
products—hydrogen ions and lactic
acid—so the muscle doesn’t shut down
before growth activation.
Straight carnosine supplements degrade
too rapidly to reach the muscles; however,
more than 20 new studies document that
beta-alanine is converted to carnosine
very efficiently. All it takes is 1 1/2 grams
twice a day, and you’ll see new size in
your muscles and feel the difference in
the gym—you can double or triple your
growth-rep numbers! Imagine how fast
your size and strength will increase when
you ride the Dragon!
Note: Red Dragon™ is the first pure
carnosine synthesizer—so powerful it’s
patented. It contains beta-alanine, the
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Red Dragon
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©2009 Home-Gym.com
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Whatever You Need—Wherever You Train ™
Eat to Grow
WARRIOR NUTRITION AND EXERCISE
Muscle Pain and the Fat-Burning Chain
“No pain, no gain” is a motto
Intense exercise
that has historically guided athcauses pain but
letes in their quest for superior
also spurs fat burn.
performance. Recent discoveries
have demonstrated that the oldfashioned approach may also
work very well for individuals
who wish to lose fat, including
the most stubborn kind.
Recent studies at the school
of medicine at RMIT University in
Bundoora, Victoria, Australia,
revealed that muscle pain during
exercise may be an important
indicator of a profound fatburning effect. The researcher
found that working muscles
release a certain chemical that
increases fat burning, or lipolysis,
during intense exercise. The
chemical, called interleukin-6
(IL6), belongs to a family of
proinflammatory immuno-compounds known as cytokines.
They are released during muscle
inflammation, which is also
associated with muscle pain.
Previous studies established
that IL6 induces lipolysis when administrated to humans.
That led scientists to believe that it’s released from skeletal
muscles during intense exercise to act in a hormonelike
manner and increase lipolysis from fat tissue to supply the
FOOD FACTS
Doughy Dementia
“Deep-fried fritters
and a half order of
craziness to go!”
Miia Kivipelto,
M.D., reports in Bottom Line Health
that obese people are twice as
likely to develop dementia.
Why? Obesity
is linked to
cardiovascular
disease, and
that may reduce
blood flow to the
brain. Lose your
fat, or lose your
mind. Another reason
being fat can drive you crazy.
—Becky Holman
www.X-tremeLean.com
Neveux \ Model: Tamer Elshahat
Pushing hard can burn off the lard
muscles with fat fuel.
Scientists found that the increased plasma level of IL6
stimulated fat burning even when fat burning was intentionally suppressed by drugs. The studies show that suppressing lipolysis and a subsequent fatty acid release during
exercise by administering high doses of niacin (10
milligrams per kilogram of bodyweight) before exercise
resulted in a compensatory eightfold elevation of IL6.
In theory, that can work as a potential stimulator for
delayed but explosive fat burning, and indeed it may help
break down stubborn fat tissue. So another training truism
may be “no pain, no fat burn.” For that matter, incorporating high intensity along with higher volume—that is, doing
many heavy, low-rep sets—and taking minimum rest between sets may be painful, but it may also be the most
effective way to increase muscle swelling and stimulate
massive fat burning without aerobics.
Note that taking high doses of niacin may cause unpleasant symptoms, such as hot flashes and tingling sensations in the skin. Though niacin, also known as vitamin B3,
is widely used with a relatively high rate of safety, it’s best to
ask your physician before taking a high dose.
—Ori Hofmekler
Editor’s note: Ori Hofmekler is the author of the books
The Warrior Diet and Maximum Muscle & Minimum Fat,
published by Dragon Door Publications
(www.dragondoor.com). For more information or for a
consultation, contact him at ori@warriordiet.com,
www.warriordiet.com or by phone at (866) WAR-DIET.
68 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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20th ANNIVERSARY
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It’s a big blast of workout information, motivation and muscle-building science in your e-mail
box every week—and it’s all free! Tons of practical
training tips, analysis and size tactics are jam-packed
into this e-zine from the IRON MAN Training &
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Train, Eat,
GROW
Muscle-Training Program 68
From the IRON MAN Training & Research Center
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72 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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Model: Steve Holman
by Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson • Photography by Michael Neveux
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7UDLQ(DWGrow / 3URJUDP68
That proved to be an awesome
strength-building sequence—but
don’t mistake it for preexhaustion,
as some people have. We’re not big
on the preexhaustion technique, at
least not early in a bodypart routine, for one big reason: fatigue.
Now, fatigue can be a good thing
toward the end of a bodypart workout, but not in the beginning, when
you’re focusing on the big exercises,
the midrange movements that are
the best for hitting the majority of
fast-twitch fibers and packing on
mass.
The human body is designed to
produce the most force when a
number of muscles work together,
like when you squat or press. To
weaken your force-production
ability on those muscle-teamwork
exercises by doing an inferior isolation exercise immediately before it
is not the best size-building strategy.
For example, if you do leg extensions and then immediately run
over and do leg presses or squats,
fatigue is going to stop you on the
more important exercise, squats,
before you get a lot of key fiber
activation. That’s not theory or
conjecture. There’s a recent study
that verified it, reported on in the
January ’04 Train to Gain section by
Jerry Brainum (Augustsson, J., et al.
[2003]. Effect of preexhaustion
exercise on lower-extremity muscle
activation during a leg press exercise. J Strength Cond Res. 17:411-
16): “The results showed that activation of the front-thigh muscles
was significantly less during preexhaustion compared to doing a
single exercise.”
So doesn’t our leg extension set
between our hack squat sets create
the same problem? No, for a couple
of reasons:
1) We rest long enough to dissipate the fatigue products in the
target muscle, so our performance
on the second set of hack squats
isn’t compromised.
2) The influx of blood during the
rest interval after the leg extensions
primes the target muscle for optimum performance on the second
set of hacks.
Rest is the key element—long
IRON MAN Training & Research Center Muscle-Training Program 68
Workout 1: Chest, Back, Abs
Smith-machine incline presses
(X Reps on the last set)
Incline cable flyes (drop set; X Reps)
Bench presses
Superset
Cable flyes (low; drop set; X Reps)
Wide-grip dips (X Reps)
Flyes (X Reps in bench press position)
Pulldowns (X Reps on the last set)
Superset
Stiff-arm pulldowns
Undergrip rope rows (X Reps)
Machine pullovers (X Reps)
Machine rows (X Reps on the last set)
Behind-the-neck pulldowns (X Reps)
Superset
Bent-arm bent-over laterals
Bent-over dumbbell rows (X Reps)
Bent-over laterals (drop set; X Reps)
Hanging kneeups (X Reps)
Superset
Hanging kneeups
Incline kneeups
Tri-set
Ab Bench crunches (drop set; X Reps)
Twisting crunches
Bench V-ups
3 x 10, 8, 6
1 x 10(8)
2 x 10, 8
1 x 10(8)
1 x 8-10
1 x 8-10
3 x 10, 8, 6
1 x 8-10
1 x 8-10
1 x 8-10
3 x 10, 8, 6
1 x 8-10
1 x 8-10
1 x 8-10
1 x 10(8)
1 x 15
1 x 10
1x8
1 x 8(6)
1 x 10
1 x max
Workout 2: Quads, Hams, Gastrocs
Hack squats (X Reps on the last set)
Squats (nonlock)
Leg extensions (drop set; X Reps)
Sissy squats (X Reps)
Leg presses (X Reps on the last set)
Leg curls (drop set; X Reps)
Superset
Stiff-legged deadlifts
Hyperextensions (X Reps)
2 x 10, 8
1 x 10-12
1 x 10(6)
1 x 8-10
2 x 10, 8
1 x 10(6)
1x9
1 x max
Leg press calf raises
(X Reps on the last set)
3 x 20, 15, 10
Hack-machine calf raises (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 12(8)
Superset
Seated calf raises (X Reps)
2 x 12
Machine donkey calf raises (X Reps)
2 x 12
Low-back machine (X Reps)
1 x 8-12
Workout 3: Delts, Traps, Triceps, Biceps,
Forearms
Rack upright rows or seated laterals
(X Reps on the last set)
3 x 10, 8, 6
Forward-lean laterals (drop set; X Reps)
1 x 10(8)
Superset
Dumbbell W presses (X Reps)
1 x 8-10
Dumbbell presses (X Reps)
1 x 8-10
One-arm cable laterals (drop set; X Reps)
1 x 10(8)
Shrugs (drop set; X Reps)
1 x 10(8)
Lying extensions (X Reps on the last set
in press position)
3 x 10, 8, 6
Tri-set
Kickbacks
1 x 8-10
Reverse pushdowns
1 x 8-10
Bench dips (nonlock; X Reps at the top)
1 x 8-10
Cable pushouts (drop set)
1 x 10(8)
Cable curls (X Reps on the last set)
3 x 10, 8, 6
Concentration curls (drop set; X Reps)
1 x 8(6)
One-arm dumbbell spider curls (X Reps)
1x9
Incline curls
1 x 8-10
Superset
Reverse wrist curls
1 x 10
Dumbbell reverse wrist curls (X Reps)
1x8
Wrist curls
1 x 15
Aftershock superset
Wrist curls
1 x 10
Dumbbell wrist curls (X Reps)
1x8
Rockers
1 x max
Cable reverse curls (drop set; X Reps)
1 x 10(6)
74 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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7UDLQ(DWGrow / 3URJUDP68
We’re testing the old
pyramid scheme with
X Reps on the last set.
Model: Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson \ Equipment: PowerBlock selectorized dumbbells, 1-800-447-0008
enough to dissipate the fatigue
products. IRON MAN contributor
Michael Gündill calls the
compound-isolation-compound
sequence postactivation, and it
works. But don’t mistake it for preexhaustion. It actually does the
opposite, giving you more power,
not less, on the second set of your
compound exercise, thanks to a
surge of oxygen- and nutrient-rich
blood to the target muscle during
the rest interval.
Now, after all that discussion
about the occlusion technique’s
power, we’ll tell you that we’ve
abandoned it (if you looked at the
routine on page 74, you might have
realized that ). Did our gains stop?
In fact they’d already started to tail
off after about five weeks, but the
real reason we shifted routines is
that it was time to begin phase one
of our summer ripping program—
and we were craving heavier
poundages on contracted-position
movements.
Even though single-joint movements are inferior to compound
exercises as mass builders, you can
still add some size with them. We’ve
found that the best way to get an
amplified mass effect from contracted-position exercises is by
combining heavy weight, drop sets
and X Reps.
Notice that we included drop
sets—which involve doing a set to
failure, immediately reducing the
weight and continuing to failure.
That’s a form of occlusion when
you apply it to continuous tension
contracted-position exercises, so
we’re still getting the benefits of the
bodypart blood bath that comes
from occlusion. We’re just getting it
a different way. Our new strategy:
We do a drop set on the contractedposition exercise, but we do it after
we complete three sets of a
midrange movement, pyramiding
the weight.
For example, for upper chest we
do a warmup set on Smith-machine
incline presses, and then we do our
first work set for 10 reps, going to
failure or at least close (we really
consider it part of the warmup, so
we may stop short of failure). For
our second set we add weight and
get seven to nine reps. We add
weight again for the third set and
shoot for six to eight reps—and at
the end of that third set we tack on
X Reps to leapfrog nervous system
failure and tax as many pure fasttwitch fibers as possible, right at the
max-force point (for inclines that’s
below the middle of the stroke).
We haven’t used the old pyramid
scheme in a while, but it’s perfect
for our first phase of spring training. Why? Because we want to use
the strength we developed over the
winter to build as much muscle as
possible while our calories are still
high enough for us to make size
gains more easily. Once we take our
calories down a notch or two and
begin ramping up cardio activity,
muscle will be harder to build (although X Reps did a fantastic job of
packing mass on our frames last
year, when our calories were at
their lowest; see the photos at our
Web site). The pyramid program
will pump up lots of different fiber
types, and our new strength should
make it even more effective.
As we said, we follow the
midrange pyramid with a drop set
on a contracted-position exercise.
For upper pecs that means incline
cable flyes. We use a weight that
forces failure at around 10 reps.
Then we quickly reduce the weight
for another six to eight reps—and
we usually add X Reps. Fatigue is a
good thing here because we’ve
hammered a lot of fast-twitch fibers
during the compound exercise.
Now we’re finishing off the target
muscle, blasting it with continuous
tension and occlusion while still
getting at some fast-twitch fibers.
And let’s not forget chasing that
important muscle burn, which
you’ll notice immediately unless
you were born without nerve endings. The burn can jack up growth
hormone release (which is especially important to old dudes like
Steve).
If you’ve read some of the material at our Web site, you know that
the pros get massive by taking advantage of many different layers of
hypertrophy—max-force point
overload, occlusion, endurancefiber work, capillary expansion,
76 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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7UDLQ(DWGrow / 3URJUDP68
anabolic hormone surges and hyperplasia, or fiber splitting. Pyramiding on the big exercises with the
addition of X Reps provides maxforce-point overload, with some
inroads into the other layers of
hypertrophy as well (X Reps provide
occlusion at the end of a set, no
matter what exercise you’re using).
But then we add a drop set on a
contracted-position exercise, like
incline cable flyes for upper pecs or
leg extensions for quads to get at a
few more fast-twitch fibers as well
as zero in on occlusion, get some
endurance-fiber work and expand
the capillary beds.
Then, to complete the full-range
chain, according to Positions-ofFlexion protocol, we end each
bodypart routine with a stretchposition exercise. For pecs that’s
flyes; for quads it’s sissy squats. We
try to do X Reps when possible, as
stretch overload has been linked to
hyperplasia, and what bodybuilder
doesn’t want more muscle fibers?
(Warning: Be very careful with X
Reps on stretch-position exercises;
you don’t want any ballistic bouncing. If you can’t do controlled X
Reps near the bottom position at
the end of a set, opt for a static
contraction instead—just hold the
weight near the bottom position till
failure.)
Of course, X Reps, performed in
the semistretched position on any
exercise, have the possibility of
triggering fiber splitting, but we
believe it’s amplified on stretchposition movements because the
stretch overload is more severe.
Plus, stretch-position exercises can
activate the myotatic reflex, an
emergency response that can activate dormant fibers, getting them
on the road to growth.
As you can see, our new program
attacks every possible layer of hypertrophy, and we’re trying to make
it as efficient as possible to avoid
overtraining. Are we doing too
much? Are we not doing enough?
Can we make it even more efficient?
Stay tuned as the program evolves
and our ripping phase shifts into
high gear in the coming months.
We’ll have updates almost daily at
www.X-Rep.com in the X Blog training journal section.
Editor’s note: For the latest on
the X-Rep muscle-building method,
including X Q&As, X Files (past enewsletters about X Reps and how
to use them) and before and after
photos, visit www.X-Rep.com or
www.X-tremeLean.com. For
more information on Positions-ofFlexion training videos and Size
Surge programs, see page 171. To
order the Positions-of-Flexion
training manual Train, Eat, Grow,
call (800) 447-0008, visit
www.home-gym.com, or see the ad
below. IM
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2005 77
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
80 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
Titanic Triceps
You’ll Never Have
Triceps
Unless You Follow These
10 Commandments
W
hen we were
kids, we
thought the
biceps were
the only muscles in the human body.
Of course we assumed
that, since that’s what we
flexed whenever we were
commanded to make a
muscle. Those of us who
developed an interest in
serious training soon
found out that there were
plenty more. And what a
surprise to learn that
even in the upper arm,
the biceps wasn’t really
the star of the show. That
honor went to the threeheaded Cerberus called
the triceps. If you wanted
huge arms, you had to
have huge triceps, no two
ways about it. Big biceps
By Ron Harris
Photography by Michael Neveux
without tri’s to match
made you look like a
chimpanzee, not a bodybuilding champion. How
many people own tri’s
that hang off their arm
bones like a couple of
pot roasts—you know,
triceps that stretch the
sleeves so tight, the fabric cries out for mercy?
My guess is, not too
many. Great genetics
combined with hard
training always help, but
all trainees can make
substantial
improvements if they do
things the right way and
avoid the common pitfalls that prevent growth.
With that in mind, let’s
discuss the 10
commandments of triceps training.
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2005 81
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
Titanic Triceps
1
Squeeze those triceps hard on at least a
few sets. Feel the target muscle contract.
Model: Tamer Elshahat
Focus on
Contractions
their triceps hard. An onlooker can
see the big horseshoe muscle in
bold relief against the upper arm. If
you don’t think that flexing the
muscle makes a difference and
forces the muscle to work harder,
then you just don’t get it. Joe Weider
was really on to something when he
categorized various training factors
and dubbed one his Peak Contraction Principle. Great development
of the triceps requires great contractions, not just bouncing out of the
end position of the rep. It’s the difference between merely lifting
weights and training a muscle.
I know I say this no
matter what muscle
group I’m discussing,
but that’s because it’s
so critical to understand and apply. The
major difference
between
bodybuilders and
people who lift
weights, of which
there are millions, is
the mind/muscle
connection. Anybody
can move a weight
from point A to point
B; if the lifter keeps
increasing the
weights, he or she will
get bigger. Still, there’s
no way to achieve the
physique of a bodybuilder without
putting emphasis on
squeezing the muscle
you’re working and
working hard to get
the most complete
contractions possible.
At the end position
of a cable pushdown,
dip or skull crusher,
bodybuilders will flex
2
Include Compound
Movements
There’s a huge variety of
extension movements that you can
do with dumbbells, barbells and
cables, including skull crushers—
a.k.a. lying extensions—overhead
dumbbell extensions, kickbacks and
pushdowns. Unfortunately, many
trainees do those movements exclusively and so miss out on a lot of
potential growth. Why? Because
they fail to include compound
movements in their triceps workouts. Exercises like dips, bench dips
and close-grip bench presses enable you to use far more weight
than extension movements due to
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
Model: Cesar Martinez
Include
compound
movements.
Model: Will Harris
Follow These 10 Rules
You get more
overload with
multijoint
exercises.
Titanic Triceps
the fact that the larger and more
powerful pectorals and front delts
are assisting. What do you think will
contribute more toward triceps
mass, a set of close-grip bench
presses done with 315 pounds or
skull crushers performed with a
120-pound barbell? Of course, you
want to include both types of movements when you train, but I believe
that a workout should commence
with your compound exercise, while
you’re fresh and at your strongest.
Here are a couple tips that have
proved useful for me.
Close-grip bench presses feel best
for me when I do them on a Smith
machine and use a decline bench
rather than a flat bench. The pressing angle feels more natural, and I
can really zap the tri’s. With weighted dips I’ve found that there are
some days when I just don’t have
the coordination. That’s when you
substitute a dip machine (I like the
feel of the Hammer Strength version
more than any selector-stack machine I’ve tried). If you have real
difficulty isolating your triceps in
compound movements and
inevitably get more of a chest workout from them, either save them
until the end of the workout for a bit
of a preexhaust effect, or go directly
for full-on preexhaust by supersetting an extension movement with a
close-grip press or a dip.
Posing can
etch in muscular detail.
only possible when you have
healthy joints and connective
tissues.
4
Beware of
Overtraining
You run a much greater risk
of overtraining your triceps
than you do your biceps.
While the biceps assist in
most back exercises, the triceps join in during both chest
and shoulder work. If you
train both those bodyparts on
different days and hit triceps
on still another day, look out
Warm up sufficiently and avoid
for that overtraining dragon
movements that cause tendon pain.
breathing down your neck
because essentially you’re
working your triceps three times a
week.
I don’t feel that it’s a good idea to
train chest and shoulders in the
Some of you are like me and live
same session unless those muscle
in perpetual pain from inflamed
groups are overdeveloped or at least
elbow tendons. Actually, my elbows
grow very easily. For most lifters the
have rarely bothered me in recent
best strategy is to pair triceps with
years, but that’s only because I
one of them. That said, I’ve found
avoid the exercises that aggravate
that working arms on a day all their
them—which unfortunately include
own can often spur new growth
nearly every type of triceps exteneven after years of stagnation. There
sion performed with free weights.
are no hard-and-fast rules here, so
Once you acquire tendinitis of the
use your best judgment and strucelbow, your elbows are never quite
ture your training to ensure that the
the same again. To avoid that districeps recover.
heartening state of affairs, take extra
One simple solution is to specialcare to prevent injury.
ize on triceps for periods of four to
Never jump right into heavy
eight weeks. During that time comtraining for any of the pushing musbine your chest and triceps workcles: chest, shoulders or triceps.
outs on one training day and work
With triceps in particular, warm up
triceps and biceps on arm day,
thoroughly with at least two or three which you schedule at least 48—and
15-to-25-rep sets of cable pushpreferably 72—hours, before or after
downs before starting work sets.
the chest-and-triceps session. AnNever bounce, or rebound, out of
other idea is to do a double split on
the bottom of a rep to cheat a couthe day you train triceps, working
ple more reps or even use more
either chest or shoulders in the
resistance. You may want to considmorning and then returning to the
er wearing neoprene elbow sleeves,
gym that afternoon or evening to hit
available at any sporting goods
triceps. Obviously that’s not an
store, to keep your elbows warm
option for most of us, but if your
and tightly supported. Just don’t buy schedule permits, it can definitely
them too tight or wear them too
put a new spark in your triceps
long, or you’ll find your hands going
workout.
numb from blocked circulation! In
Also, be aware of overall volume.
all seriousness, though, take good
Drug-free trainees probably don’t
care of your elbows and never
need more than 10 or 12 work sets
skimp on warmups. A key factor in
total, and even those who are loadgetting bigger triceps is your ability
ed up on gear should be able to get
to train them heavy with a wide
the job done in 15 sets. Unlike the
variety of movements, something
back or legs, it’s not a very complex
3
Safeguard Your
Elbow Tendons
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
Titanic Triceps
muscle group. The only situation in
which it makes sense to work the
triceps directly twice a week is if you
were specializing on arms, as discussed, and were hitting everything
else in just two other workouts, with
reduced volume. For example:
Monday: Arms
Tuesday: Legs and back
Thursday: Chest and shoulders
Saturday: Arms
5
Model: Jonathan Lawson
A final note on triceps and recovery. Always try to avoid working
triceps on the day before or the day
after you train chest or delts. Always
keep 48 hours or more between the
workouts for those bodyparts unless
you’re hitting them in the same
workout or later on the same day as
part of a double split.
Treat Tri’s to Both
Low and High Reps
It may seem like a golden rule
that the muscle groups of the upper
body grow best on sets of eight to 12
reps, but as the dialogue in many a
bad-action-film street fight goes,
“The rules are: There are no rules.”
Power movements like weighted
dips can and should occasionally be
done in sets as low as three to five
reps, if not once in every workout.
Likewise, if you only do sets of eight
to 12 reps, you may never experience the pump and burn and subsequent DOMS in your tri’s that you
can get from drop sets and supersets, which can entail as many as 30
continuous reps at once (cables are
especially suited to these). The
point is, your muscles get used to
any rep range if you treat them to it
often enough. To keep the muscles
struggling to adapt, mix up the rep
ranges, either within the same
workout or from week to week, in
the time-honored heavy/light tradition.
6
Pose and Stretch
Those Suckers
If you think weight training is the
only way to contribute to bigger and
more detailed triceps, you haven’t
tried posing and stretching them
Cables enable you to use different grip positions with ease.
between sets with the weights. The
posing improves mind/muscle
control and helps increase the separation between muscle groups, and
stretching aggressively (but cautiously!) may actually help bring
more muscle growth by breaking up
the connective tissue, called fascia,
that encases the muscle. John Parrillo came up with that theory
around the time Michael Jackson’s
“Thriller” album hit the charts, and
it has gained credence with many
bodybuilders since then.
7
Be a Cable
Guy
Free weights are fabulous tools
for training, but in the case of triceps, cables add a whole new dimension of continuous tension (try
and say that five times, fast). They
offer several advantages, such as the
ability to change the resistance
rapidly, the option of using many
different grip attachments, which
give you different hand positions,
and the ability to extend from various angles not possible with free
weights. Exercises performed with
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Titanic Triceps
9
Model: Eric Domer
Chest work
trains triceps too.
Keep that in
mind when
you determine your
arm-training volume.
An EZ-curl bar can ease the
stress on your joints.
Follow These 10 Rules
8
Become Strong
on Chest and
Shoulder Pressing
We know that the triceps are
heavily involved in chest and shoulder pressing, and it’s no coincidence
that men who can put up outrageous numbers in those lifts usually
tend to have thick, meaty, full triceps. You don’t bench-press 500 or
do military presses with 315 without
a lot of help from a set of powerful
triceps. In fact, I have known powerlifters and weightlifting purists who
did little to no direct triceps work
yet had monster tri’s as a side effect
We covered this pretty well last
month while discussing biceps
training, but it bears repeating. Not
all of us are structurally compatible
with straight bars, especially when it
comes to arm training. If your wrists
hurt when you use a straight bar for
skull crushers or close-grip presses,
you should switch to using an EZcurl bar. The same goes for cablepulley attachments. A cambered bar,
V-shaped bar or rope attachment is
often a better choice than a short
straight bar. Or, if you’re doing an
exercise like one-arm reverse-grip
pushdowns (palm up), you may find
you get better results by using either
one end of a rope attachment or no
attachment at all and grabbing the
rubber ball stopper. That way you
can extend down with a hammer
grip, shifting to palm up as you
continue the rep. If shifting your
hand position suddenly eliminates
joint strain, take heed and do the
exercise that way. Part of productive
exercise is tweaking the finer points
to fit your own body. We are not all
created equal.
10
Model: Tito Raymond
barbells and dumbbells are always
limited by the perfect vertical downward pull of gravity. I’ve written a
couple of hundred articles on the
arm training of pros and top amateurs over the years, and nearly all of
them combine free weights and
cables when they hit triceps. The
two tools complement each other
perfectly. And should you join the
doomed ranks of those who have
elbow tendinitis, you may have no
choice but to turn to cables when all
free-weight extension movements
start causing you excruciating
agony. They sure saved my ass and
allowed me to keep improving my
triceps.
Only Use
Straight Bars If
They Suit You
of heavy bench pressing, military
pressing and weighted dips. So realize that your triceps training and
your opportunity to spur growth in
them is not limited to the days you
do your skull crushers and cable
pushdowns. Chest and shoulder day,
though indirectly so, is a very important workout for your triceps. Many
writers and gurus over the years
have pointed out that by getting
very strong on the basic, compound
lifts, you grow all over. Thus, odds
are that if you spend most of your
training time pumping away on
isolation movements for your arms
and neglect your training for the
bigger muscle groups, your arms
will never grow to their full potential. Ironic, isn’t it?
Keep Surprising
Your Tri’s
Finally, as with any muscle group,
the triceps need things to be
switched around on a regular basis.
Luckily, if you read IRON MAN,
you’re privy to routines and techniques to try every month—things
like Positions of Flexion, X Reps and
many more. Whatever you do, don’t
do the same exact triceps workout
forever—unless you’re determined
to keep them looking exactly as they
do now until the day you die.
Those are the 10 rules for titanic
tri’s, and that also wraps up the
upper body. Next month we tackle
the wild and wacky quadriceps, a
muscle group many of us love to
hate training. But if you want those
babies billowing with thick mass,
tune in next time.
Editor’s note: Check Ron Harris’
Web site, www.ronharrismuscle
.com. IM
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Steve Holman’s
Critical Mass
Drop Dead?
Q: I read in Mike Mentzer’s Heavy Duty column
that he wasn’t a big fan of drop sets as an intensity
technique. You include them in The Ultimate Mass
Workout e-book programs. What’s your reasoning?
A: Mike didn’t like drop sets because when you hit failure
and then reduce the poundage, the next rep isn’t a maximum effort—your intensity drops off. Of course, it does
build as you continue with the reduced-weight set. I think
Mike believed that there was a lot of wasted effort in those
initial reps, and he had a point—if you’re trying to tax only
the pure fast-twitch fibers. I believe bodybuilders shouldn’t
think in that narrow range, however. They need to tax a
number of different fiber types to max out muscle mass,
especially hardgainers, who don’t have a lot of pure fasttwitch fibers to begin with.
To grasp what I’m saying, you have to understand the
size principle of fiber recruitment. During a normal set to
failure the low-threshold motor units, or slow-twitch fibers,
fire first; then the medium-threshold motor units fire,
followed by the high-threshold motor units, or pure fasttwitch fibers, at the end of the set. Yes, pure fast-twitch
fibers have a lot of potential for growth, but so do the fasttwitch fibers that have somewhat of an endurance capacity
and are fired during medium-threshold reps.
So with a drop set you run the gamut on the first set—
low to medium to high. Then, when you drop the weight
and continue, you primarily stress the mediums and then
some highs again. You may get a slightly different recruitment pattern, which means a few more fast-twitch fibers
respond from the medium and high categories than on the
first set. That extra stress and tension time on the target
muscle are very important for growth in the intermediary
fast-twitch fibers (medium threshold), and, as I said, if
you’re a hardgainer, you have lots of those.
Hardgainers tend to have many more endurance-oriented, slow-twitch fibers, but the majority of their fasttwitch fibers also have some endurance capacity. That’s
why drop sets are so effective for hardgainers—they have
an endurance component tailor-made for building intermediary fast-twitch fibers.
To hit the pure fast-twitch fibers, the best technique is X
Reps. Those are simply power partials done at the end of a
full-range set to failure. You move the resistance to the
strongest part of the stroke and continue to rep out with
partials. It keeps those important high-threshold motor
units firing right at the max-force-generation point, a key
spot for growth stimulation. I have a feeling Mentzer
would have embraced the technique with open arms, as it
extends any set with fast-twitch-fiber recruitment, making
the set two to five times more effective than a standard set
to failure, much better and more efficient than forced reps
could ever be. [For more visit www.X-Rep.com.]
Q: What’s the deal with soreness? I work out one
day, I’m sore the next—and it’s even worse on day
two. As a beginner, and a hardgainer, should I avoid
working out again if I’m sore? Or is it okay to train
after two days of rest if I’m only slightly sore?
Neveux \ Model: Jay Cutler
A: Soreness is muscle damage; however, it’s probably okay to hit a muscle when it’s slightly sore
(there are even studies that say it’s beneficial to
train a muscle two days in a row, but I’m not a big
fan of that idea). Nevertheless, you shouldn’t be
getting sore after every workout. What could be
happening is that you’re not hitting your muscles
frequently enough. That means they’re regressing
before you train them again—they supercompensate, stagnate and then revert to status quo before
you hit them again. It’s as if you’re starting from
scratch every time, which explains the soreness. It’s
the perfect example of the phrase “spinning your
wheels.”
Try training muscle groups more frequently, like
twice a week or once every five days. To do that,
divide your body over two workouts—maybe
three—and then plug it into a seven-day week. By
the way, there are no studies connecting soreness to
muscle growth, so don’t think you need to get sore
to grow.
Drop sets may be inefficient at hitting
pure fast-twitch fibers but very effective
at firing intermediary fast-twitch fibers,
which is important for anyone interested
in pushing the size of a muscle to
extraordinary levels. If you want to be the
biggest you can be, you’ve got to develop
more than just one fiber type.
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Steve Holman’s
Critical Mass
if you stop at positive failure. It’s the
best way to move past nervous system
failure and fatigue to get more fasttwitch fiber action. You also create
some postfailure occlusion with X
Reps because partial pulses keep
tension on the target muscle. You can
almost feel the blood being squeezed
out with each pulsing action.
You also get some stretch overload
with X Reps, which may have a connection to hyperplasia, or musclefiber splitting. Remember, you do X
Reps at a semistretched point, so they
severely stress the muscle when it’s in
an elongated state, which may help
initiate hyperplasia.
Come to think of it, my champtraining analysis also gave credence
to the Positions-of-Flexion musclebuilding method—working a muscle
with midrange-, stretch- and contracted-position exercises. You can
trigger the most fiber activation with
compound, or midrange, exercises
like presses, especially when you add
X Reps to the end of a set. Then you
can get the best occlusion effects with
continuous-tension contractedposition exercises, like crossovers.
Add X Reps to those, and you increase
occlusion time and its size- and strength-building effects.
Finally, you can use stretch-position exercises for even
more occlusion, dormant-fiber activation (thanks to the
myotatic reflex, an emergency response triggered by full
stretch against resistance) and perhaps more fiber-splitting action. Exciting stuff!
I’m not saying I’ve found the answer, although POF plus
X Reps may be the training Holy Grail for a number of
bodybuilders, but I would say I’ve pieced together a huge
section of the mass-building puzzle. We’re getting closer to
finding the final pieces as we keep experimenting and
learning. As usual, I’ll keep you posted on new discoveries
in the pages of IM. [For more on X Reps, visit www
.X-Rep.com and see The Ultimate Mass Workout e-book.]
Neveux \ Model: Ron Harris
Overloading the max-force point on an exercise’s stroke may trigger a
different type of growth than blocking blood flow with continuoustension exercises. You want to get both to max out your growth.
A: I know what you’re getting at, as Rob Thoburn alluded to it in his “Scientific Muscle Building 2” feature in the
April ’05 issue. Overloading the max-force generation
point of an exercise may provide unique fast-twitch-fiber
activation, while occlusion may do things like pump up
fluid volume and increase capillary beds—two separate
layers of growth. Plus, with its influx of blood, occlusion
may cause endurance fibers to take more of the initial load
during a set of an exercise, so you get more growth in those
fibers as well as fast-twitch hypertrophy. That’s another
mass layer.
It appears that the champs get big by maximizing a
number of growth factors, or layers, which is what I tried to
get across in “Mass Hysteria.” I explained that adding X
Reps, or power partials, to the ends of sets of certain exercises is a much more efficient means of attaining pro-style
mass than simply doing set after set on multiple exercises.
For example, by adding X Reps to incline presses, you
take the pecs past failure at the key max-force generation
point, getting much more fast-twitch-fiber activation than
New! The sharp black POF T-shirt with the original
classic logo emblazoned in gold can give you that muscular look you’re after. See page 179 for details.
Editor’s note: Steve Holman is the author of a number of bodybuilding
best-sellers, including Train,
Eat, Grow: The Positions-ofFlexion Muscle-Training
Manual. For information on
the POF videos and Size Surge
programs, see page 171. For
information on Train, Eat,
Grow, see page 77. Also visit
www.X-Rep.com. IM
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Neveux
Q: I read your article that analyzed champ training [“Mass Hysteria,” May ’05]. Wow! I was blown
away. It opened my eyes to so many things I’ve been
puzzled about, like why the big guys cheat with
explosive reps and grow so much because of it. Your
explanation of how [that style of training] hammers
the max-force point of the exercise makes total
sense. And so did your discussion on blocking
blood flow and how they use it on isolation exercises for pump. My question is, Does overloading the
max-force point of an exercise create a different
type of growth from what you get by blocking blood
flow?
Steve Holman
ironchief@aol.com
Kraig
Feldman
Little Brother Steps Out—and Up
to the Top of Teen Bodybuilding
by Rod Labbe
Comstock
R
ecipe for success: Take
one part dark good
looks, add a healthy
dollop of charisma, mix
well with 100 percent
pure aesthetic appeal,
and what do you get? An ideal
Presidential candidate? The next
governor of California? Close,
friends, but no cigar. Try Kraig
Feldman, ’03 Teen National
champ and bodybuilding’s next
evolutionary ideal.
At least that’s the premise. Face
it, competitive bodybuilding is
terrifically misunderstood. Until the
ascent of Ah-nold, men who sculpted their bodies were considered
mentally wanting, light in the
loafers or narcissistic to an alarming degree. An athletic physique
was fine, but big muscles needed
functionality.
Strong arms were necessary for
baseball, and powerful legs came
in handy for running touchdowns
or skating after a puck.
Bodybuilders, shockingly enough,
built mighty biceps and thighs to
show off, intimidate and incite
lust. Tsk-tsk! Normal, morally upstanding people just did not do
stuff like that.
We can be thankful that such
antiquated notions are behind us
today—though the general public
hasn’t quite totally embraced
bodybuilding and its various
philosophies. Even within our own
ranks we find division and needless derision: Amateurs hate amateurs, pros tear apart their peers,
natural bodybuilders vs. the not so
natural. Everybody else against
teens.
Wait, did I say teens? And you
thought silly perceptions like that
had been abandoned to time.
Think again. Teen bodybuilders
are still too wild for refined company. They’re spoken of in hushed
whispers, pointed at from afar,
dismissed as “not ready,” “immature,” “undeveloped” and “lacking
potential.” Weight-training programs are accepted components
of organized high school athletics
worldwide, but any kid going further opens up Pandora’s locker
room. The leap into bodybuilding—especially on a competitive
level—often leads to obscurity or
worse: burnout by 20, bouncing
in clubs at 30, recovering drug
addict and/or alcoholic by 40.
And by 50? Brrr!
Yet, a few rise above the fray—
Mr. Kraig Feldman, among them.
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Photo by Pat Lee courtesy of Strengthnet.com
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2005 95
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Comstock
Photo by Pat Lee courtesy of Strengthnet.com
Kraig Feldman
Teen Bodybuilding
Brother to teenage prodigy—and
’00 Teen National champ—Brett
Feldman, collegiate wrestler, aggressive bodybuilder, model and allaround good guy, Kraig has his
genetics, focus and potential firmly
in place. A recipe for success, you
ask? Hell, yeah. Let’s talk to him to
find out more.
RL: Oh, man, this must be so
frustrating for you, Kraig—all
that sharp teen muscle, and
your magazine exposure has
come in dribs and drabs. What’s
the deal?
KF: Hell if I know! Maybe there’s a
mind-set where people think a
teenager can’t pack on beef. Good a
reason as any, I suppose.
RL: They obviously haven’t
laid eyes on the sculpted Feldman bod!
KF: [Grins] I’m devoted to bodybuilding, and reaching any goal
requires 110 percent labor-intensive
dedication. It’s cool to be recognized
for my efforts, but fame’s really a
fleeting thing.
RL: Have you always been well
built?
KF: Before bodybuilding? As an
athlete? Yes, I’ve always been well
built. It’s weird, but I was born with
big calves.
RL: Both you and Brett are
revolutionizing teen muscle.
How’d all this craziness start?
KF: My dad had a small lifting set
in our basement, and Brett and I
would play around with the
weights—to be just like Pop. Every
night we’d do pullups and crunches
and curls, over and over, like little
madmen! That’s basically our start.
Wish I could make it more dramatic
for you.
RL: Is Dad still a jacked guy?
KF: He’s superbly built. Our gene
pool is swimming with potential.
RL: No doubt. Brett’s a frickin’
house. Did he pave the way for
you?
KF: Without his help and guidance, I wouldn’t be in the bodybuilding game, period. Brett always
thought I had potential to be a contender, although at first wrestling
prevented me from pursuing a
bodybuilding career. Once I had the
chance, I jumped on it! I even lived
with him while he trained me for
the Teen Nationals.
RL: Your big bro lent some
quality inspiration, then?
KF: Beyond quality! The lessons
Brett taught me directly and indirectly have proved invaluable. He
was my inspiration to wake up and
diet another day. If he could do it,
then, heck, so could I.
Brett’s the best. When we trained,
I couldn’t have asked more out of
anyone. He went way beyond his
duty as my sibling.
RL: Whatever fire Brett lit
under your ass, it produced an
exceptional bodybuilder.
KF: Thanks, but I have a ways to
go before I’m truly exceptional.
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time isn’t a priority, I don’t think it
should be forced.
RL: But your physique tells a
different tale.
KF: Bodybuilding’s a path given
to me, and I do like the feeling of
being in shape. No way would I go
to the gym unless I enjoyed it! Since
I’m an athlete with a lot of years
under my belt, working the weights
is almost second nature.
RL: What’s your training
schedule at present?
KF: The off-season split goes
something like this: Monday: chest
and bi’s; Tuesday: legs; Wednesday:
delts and tri’s; Thursday: back and
light bi’s; and Friday: light chest,
light tri’s and abs.
Teen Bodybuilding
Photo by Pat Lee courtesy of Strengthnet.com
RL: Most bodybuilders go a
little nuts during the off-season. Are you seriously chowin’?
KF: Uh-uh! Moderation is key. I
gotta maintain abs in case I’m
called for an appearance. Otherwise, gimme food! I eat to grow, but
if I see something delicious, I’ll
devour it.
RL: How long did your
wrestling thing last?
KF: I played soccer until I was a
sophomore in high school and quit
to focus on wrestling. I wrestled at
Rutgers University my first semester
and then quit that too—for bodybuilding. I originally started lifting
in ninth grade to increase mat
strength. At Rutgers I wrestled as a
freshman but slowly found myself
falling out of love with the sport.
RL: And, brutha, when that
love’s gone, there ain’t no gettin’
it back!
KF: You said it! What I dreaded
most was wasting a whole day in a
stuffy gym for a tournament. My
body and mind felt entirely worn
down. After the first semester I quit
wrestling and changed my discipline to bodybuilding.
Brett set up all my summer lifting
routines, so trainingwise, very little
changed. The big difference had to
do with dieting. Because I was a
division 1 collegiate wrestler, I
thought I’d hang with bodybuilding,
no sweat. Whoa, major mistake!
Dieting’s everything to a
bodybuilder.
RL: If you hadn’t already been
a top-flight athlete, would you
have chosen bodybuilding?
KF: Probably not. I love to eat
and have a little fun, and if gym
RL: Brett’s played an instrumental part in your bodybuilding career. Has he prepped you
from day one?
KF: Yep, beginning with my first
contest, the Philadelphia Classic, a
Teen Nationals qualifier. I’d dieted
very little and only cut water. The
Teen Nationals was 10 weeks away,
and I didn’t want to peak and mess
up my chances.
RL: A madhouse backstage?
KF: No, actually everyone
seemed open, friendly and accommodating. The pump room was a
small high school gym, with people
crowded around, all doing their own
thing. Nobody copped an attitude
or anything. We were very laid back.
RL: But it had to be a nervewracker—especially onstage.
KF: More in anticipation. I’d been
onstage in front of people before, so
large crowds don’t bother me. My
adrenaline and self-confidence
spiked, and the fans were supportive. Considering how bodybuilding
competitions work, I’m grateful my
first one went well.
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Kraig Feldman
RL: You’re the ’03 Teen National champ. Stakes were
higher, and I assume the pump
room atmosphere wasn’t exactly convivial.
KF: Things felt different, yeah. A
bit tense and edgy. No one talked
unless it was to ask for help with oil
or to use some weights. I’m a friendly guy, but even I kept a low profile.
RL: Are you and Brett collaborating on any special projects?
KF: Something’s always in the
works. Brett and I have calendars
and a just-finished video, and we’re
both doing a lot of writing,
discussing training, dieting and
other aspects of bodybuilding.
Every time I turn around, there’s a
new project.
RL: Is that when reality hit?
KF: Wow, did it! And what a rush!
I was at the Teen Nationals, competing against America’s finest. I
was psyched. Considering my
brother won the title in 2000, people had high expectations of me. I
tried not to think about it.
RL: Tell us about the
StrengthNet gig.
KF: I met Adam Silver, president
of Strengthnet.com, at the Teen
Nationals in Pittsburgh. He was
representing Repetrope and asked if
I’d like to do a photo shoot for
Strengthnet. An excellent opportunity, so I grabbed it.
RL: The feel going in—frantic
or confident?
KF: Confident. And relaxed. But I
didn’t have any solid plan, you
know? Now that I’m looking at future contests, I’ll be mentally prepared as well as physically ready,
and I won’t perform any worse than
my very best. There’s an ebb and
flow with every sport; I just have to
get acclimated enough to find it in
bodybuilding.
RL: Was it a given that you’d
win the overall?
KF: Not for me. I didn’t go into it
thinking I’d take the show hands
down, but I had confidence for a
small victory. That’s how I approach
all my sporting events. Otherwise,
what’s the point?
RL: Training with Brett
must’ve given you an edge.
KF: Of course! Brett knows my
body because it’s similar to his. With
the knowledge he’s accumulated via
competing and schooling, Brett was
able to elevate me above the pack.
RL: Any postcontest fallout?
KF: All kinds, and it’s still happening. I signed with StrengthNet as
one of their models. There’s our
Web site and personal appearances
and my Yahoo group too.
RL: I can tell you’re lovin’
every minute of this. Good for
you.
KF: Hell, why shouldn’t I? It’s
awesome! When I stop to take a
breath and think about what’s goin’
on, I freak!
RL: Ever consider runway
fashion stuff?
KF: At 5’7”, I’m too short. With
my height and physique I’m more
suited to doing physique studies.
RL: Details on the video with
Brett?
KF: Ah, the video. There’s an
accomplishment. We had more than
500 minutes to chisel down to a
usable amount. It covers my precontest training, including posing,
and discussions with Brett about
diet, supplementation and mindset. An excellent video for young
and upcoming bodybuilders or the
bodybuilding enthusiast.
RL: Are you designing your
bodybuilding career or taking
things one step at a time?
KF: It’s not easy to plan a bodybuilding career when you’re in college. My studies come first. That
doesn’t mean I won’t be competing,
time permitting. Where all this takes
me, who can say? It’s early in the
game.
RL: Competitive bodybuilding isn’t a cheap endeavor. Do
you have a sponsor?
KF: My folks, bless their hearts,
have been graciously helping me
out. Otherwise, I’d have to quit
school and find a good job. No
sponsor yet, but I’m actively looking
for one.
RL: The grocery bills alone
must be astronomical.
KF: Oh, man, don’t go there! I
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2005 99
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Kraig Feldman
Kraig Feldman’s Training
Comstock
Monday: Chest, Biceps
Bench presses (pyramid)
Incline presses
Flat-bench flyes
Dips
Cable crossovers
Dumbbell curls
Cable hammer curls
Preacher curls
can’t expect Mom and Dad to keep
footing the bill; if any sponsors are
reading this, please, drop me a line.
RL: How would you deal with
this scenario: I’m a 15-year-old
guy with dreams of becoming a
bodybuilder. My only experience in the weight room has
been lifting for football. What
else should I do?
KF: The most important thing
any young athlete can do is eat—
healthy stuff, not junk. Never be
hungry! Being hungry means you’re
not eating enough. Beyond that I’d
say augment your regular football
training regimen and develop it into
a bodybuilder’s program. Then
you’ll be training not only for
strength and endurance but for
muscle proportion, mass and aesthetics as well.
Teen Bodybuilding
RL: Excellent advice.
KF: It’s a basic plan, and the results can be golden.
RL: Speaking of golden, before you began making waves,
Brett blazed the bodybuilding
trail. What did your parents
think of their son becoming
one with the iron?
KF: Our parents support us in
whatever we do, but when Brett
decided to try bodybuilding, it was
more or less as a default sport. He’d
had some injuries, and they set him
back. Brett’s someone who loves
athletics, and not being able to play
bothered him tremendously. Bodybuilding has provided a good outlet
for his drive and determination.
Understanding my brother as well
as I do, it’s no
wonder he’s successful. That’s the
kind of guy he is—
a powerhouse.
RL: And when
you gave up
wrestling for
bodybuilding,
were your folks
happy?
KF: No-o-o, not
at first. It was a
little more difficult
for them; my dad
still wishes I’d
stayed with
wrestling. Just the
same, they’re both
proud of their
boys and wouldn’t
change our accomplishments
for anything.
RL: Brett’s
been such an
influence, and
you guys have
an incredible
relationship.
That’s cool to
see bros supporting one
another.
KF: I respect
Brett. He’s a better
person because of
bodybuilding, and
I hope to evolve
the same way.
Remember, he’s
had injuries, and
that adversity has
Tuesday: Legs
Squats (pyramid)
Leg presses
Stiff-legged deadlifts
Walking lunges
5 x 15-2
4 x 7-9
4 x 7-9
4 x max
4 x 25
4 x 7-9
4 x 7-9
4 x 7-9
5 x 15-2
4 x 7-9
4 x 10-15
3 x 50 yards
Wednesday: Delts, Triceps
Behind-the-neck presses (pyramid)
5 x 15-2
Lateral raises (drop sets)
3 x 10(10)(10)
Machine rear-delt laterals
4 x 7-9
Bent-over laterals
4 x 7-9
Lying extensions
4 x 7-9
Pushdowns
4 x 7-9
Standing cable extensions
4 x 7-9
Thursday: Back, Biceps (light)
Pullups (warmup)
Deadlifts (pyramid)
Pulldowns
Seated cable rows
One-arm dumbbell rows
Double-biceps cable curl flexions
Cable curls
Preacher curls
Friday: Delts (light), Triceps (light)
Machine presses
Machine lateral raises
Machine rear-delt laterals
Machine extensions
Machine pushdowns
Cable pushdowns
Abs (three times a week)
Decline crunches
Leg raises
Weightless twists
Calves (three times a week)
Donkey calf raises
Standing calf raises
3x8
5 x 15-2
4 x 7-9
4 x 7-9
4 x 7-9
3 x 15
3 x 15
3 x 15
3 x 15
3 x 15
3 x 15
3 x 15
3 x 15
3 x 15
3 x max
3 x max
3 x 100
4 x 10
4 x 10
Other exercises
Kraig also tries to do six sets of pullups six times a
week to failure, three sets of back extensions for his
lower back three times a week and three sets of
incline rows three times a week.
Note: All exercises and rep ranges depend on what
he did the prior week and what bodyparts he feels
are lacking.
100 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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Kraig Feldman
allowed me to see him in a
different light. There’s no one
like my brother—no one.
RL: Word is you also
think highly of Jay Cutler.
KF: Jay’s the bomb! He’s
never out of shape and has
brought bodybuilding to a
whole new level. That’s what
makes an innovator.
Comstock
RL: You’ve advanced from
unknown to contender in
an infinitesimal amount of
time. Do you ever think,
cripes, am I lucky or what?
KF: Luck has nothing to do
with it. Instead, I consider myself
genetically gifted—with a good
work ethic. I use my talents to their
full ability. Luck is for guys who
don’t cover the bases. And you just
gotta bust your ass. No matter what
it takes, I’ll continue to tackle bodybuilding—and life—with determination.
RL: Where’d you grow up?
KF: Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
Still home, sweet home.
RL: Athletics and the Feldmans go hand in hand. Can you
remember a time when you
weren’t involved?
KF: Well, I wasn’t shooting baskets as an infant, but we’re a sportsminded family. My favorite
childhood activities were soccer
and wrestling. I began organized
soccer at four and played until my
sophomore year in high school.
Teen Bodybuilding
RL: And wrestling?
KF: I first hit the mat at age six.
RL: My senses tell me you
were a rambunctious kid.
KF: Goofy is more like it. And
also very independent. I wore
bright clothes and loved the whole
’80s style. My first singlet was yellow with small blue flowers, and I
thought it was the meanest looking
thing! I’d pace back and forth and
smack my head to psyche out my
opponent [laughs]. A six-year-old
punk!
It helps to have an outgoing
personality when you’re trying to
make headway in sports. Nurturing
a fan base is part of public relations.
RL: You’ve been blessed with
outstanding aesthetics; no wonder you’re into modeling.
KF: Aesthetics entered the picture
as I trained bodybuilding specific. I
lift to keep my body symmetrical
and proportioned, something both
contest-worthy and marketable.
bodybuilder in their
midst?
KF: I’ll split it into two
reactions. Group 1 isn’t quite
sure what bodybuilding
entails and thinks it’s just a
cool thing. They like me for
who I am instead of what I
do. Group 2 consists of the
guys who are more about
bodybuilding, so they appreciate my accomplishments,
especially since I’ve begun
competing.
As my size has become
more noticeable, it’s had an
unusual effect—people are
afraid of me. I’m an amiable
fellow and like nothing better than
talking about the sport, but in social
situations and such, strangers keep
their distance.
RL: So why did you choose
Rutgers?
KF: Because of its excellent
wrestling program. A lot of colleges
were interested in me, and Rutgers
offered the most. They’re perfect for
my academic needs. Plus, the campus is close to home.
RL: Are you a good judge of
your own physique?
KF: I try. Oh, man, do I try. But it
makes me crazy ’cause there’s always
something I want to improve. It’s a
typical bodybuilding lament. You’ve
heard the drill.
As a competitor, an athlete, you
must be aware of weaknesses before
your opponent capitalizes on them. I
study my faults like Sherlock
Holmes—nothing escapes me.
RL: Is your major exerciserelated?
KF: [Chuckles] How’d you guess?
It’s exercise science. I’ll either go to
physical therapy school or some
kind of graduate school for
sportsmedicine.
RL: Are you as critical about
your modeling photos?
KF: I have a greater sense of appreciation when I see my modeling
shots. The StrengthNet pics were
outrageous. Funny, whenever I look
in the mirror, I don’t see that guy.
RL: You’re earning a degree
and not throwing caution to the
four winds. I dig that.
KF: It was my choice, and I’m not
knocking those who choose a different path. Success can be found in
sundry ways.
RL: Who do you see, then?
KF: A happy and proud individual.
Someone self-confident and aware.
I’m improving. What I like most
about myself is the ability to see
things as they are and not merely
how I wish they’d be.
RL: College isn’t all books and
classes—there’s the party scene,
too, an important part of a balanced education.
KF: Who doesn’t hang loose every
now and again? I’m no different. But
partying doesn’t build muscle. My
thoughts are never far from the gym;
that’s where I like to hang loose.
RL: We touched a little on your
having an open personality. Are
you also an accepting person?
KF: Without question! I think of
myself as open-minded, sociable,
inclusive and friendly. I love meeting
people in the bodybuilding and
fitness worlds. Since I have the natural instincts of an athlete, I tend to
drift toward that crowd. Just the
same, some of my best friends
haven’t played a sport since middle
RL: How does your posse feel
about having a title-winning
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Kraig Feldman
Kraig Feldman’s Diet
Breakfast
12 egg whites
1 cup oatmeal
Meals 2, 3, 4, 5
1 cup broccoli
1 whole sweet potato
1/2 pound chicken or fish
Meal 6
1/2 pound fish
1 cup broccoli
Note: His diet changes from
week to week, depending on his
conditioning. For example, he
may add steak, reduce his carb
intake and so on.
Photo by Pat Lee courtesy of Strengthnet.com
“It’s not easy
to plan a
bodybuilding
career when
you’re in
college.”
Teen Bodybuilding
school.
I tend to enjoy simpler things, like
the company of family and friends.
I’m in my best mood when the
weather’s nice. Ice cream can snap
me out of a bad mood instantly.
Frozen yogurt, custard, banana splits,
whatever—they all work for me.
One thing that does irk me is
when people isolate themselves in
worlds defined by ignorance, without bothering to broaden horizons.
That’s why there’s prejudice and
hatred—it’s ignorance and an inability to comprehend the other
guy’s point of view.
RL: Well said. You could also
be describing competitive
bodybuilding.
KF: The sport’s something of a
microcosm, encompassing all types
of personalities.
RL: Bodybuilding’s also a
political landscape, and unless
you score contracts or are in
with the mags, you’re at a disadvantage. It can even hurt at
contest time. Has politics affected you?
KF: I’d be naive to think it hasn’t.
Brett won the Teen Nationals in
2000, so my name moved through
the bodybuilding circuit pretty fast.
Not so much that it helped me win,
per se, but I was on a lot of people’s
minds. When push came to shove, I
had to compete on my own merits
as a bodybuilder.
RL: Is bodybuilding a healthy
endeavor?
KF: Yes and no. Whenever competition is discussed, health is
tossed out the window. Your body
experiences agonizing stress, and
precontest is unreal. Any sport at a
high competitive level loses health
aspects, whether it’s bodybuilding,
wrestling or soccer. Off-season, on
the other hand, bodybuilding can
be very healthy, as long as you’re
eating quality calories and essential
nutrients.
RL: Does it bother you that
camaraderie has been lost in
the iron world?
KF: I know where you’re going
with this—you’re referring to the
“Pumping Iron” days, when Arnold
and his crew all lifted together.
People always cite “Pumping
Iron” as an example of how terribly
bodybuilding has changed, but it
hasn’t—not really. Whenever I meet
a competitor, there’s instant camaraderie between us.
Prepping for a contest and all the
shit that goes along with it is a
baptism of fire. Hardcore bodybuilders tend to stick together,
making for a stronger sport. Successful bodybuilding isn’t a cakewalk, and I have immense respect
for any competitor.
RL: You’re contemplating a
high-profile bodybuilding
future. Is a pro card part of the
scenario?
KF: Before I can project or predict, I’ve got to put my academics
in order. I love bodybuilding, and a
pro card would be wonderful, but if
I concentrate too much on what’s
gonna happen, I forget what is
happening, you know?
RL: Besides the benefits of
fitness, what has bodybuilding
given you?
KF: A chance to help others and
share what I’ve learned. Pro bodybuilders guided me as I worked my
way up—and I’ve never forgotten
their kindnesses. Now I plan to do
my bit.
Editor’s note: For more on
Kraig and his brother Brett, visit
www.brettfeldman.com. IM
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Supplement Scientist Jeff Golini Analyzes
Creatine and Explains Why Kre-Alkalyn
May Be the Latest and Greatest C-Bomb Ever
Neveux \ Photo illustration by Christian Martinez \ Model: Jonathan Lawson
• by Steve Holman •
o question that creatine has stood the test of
time in the fickle bodybuilding world. While
size-and-strength supplements come and go
faster than J.Lo can say, I do Remember chromium?creatine burst on the scene in the late 80s and
is still going strong in various incarnations. Most
bodybuilders wouldnt think of training without it.
(After hearing claims of 10 rock-hard, steroid-free
pounds of muscle gained in less than a month, who
can blame them?)
The latest creatine innovation, Kre-Alkalyn, has the
potential to make creatine even more of a supple-
ment powerhouse than ever. Why? Because it solves
a problem thats been a closely guarded secret in
the creatine industry: Creatine is highly unstable in
liquid and can rapidly convert to useless creatinine
before your body can assimilate very much of it. You
have to take loads of standard creatine to get even
small amounts into your muscles, as a lot, if not most,
of it converts to creatinine before it reaches that final
destination. In fact, creatinine is the cause of all the
side effects of creatine supplements, not creatine
itself. If your creatine gives you stomach distress, its
because too much is converted to useless creatinine.
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2005 111
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IRON MAN Research Team
Jeff Golini
helped perfect
and then
introduce
Near-Infared
Analysis to
the
supplement
and
nutraceutical
industry.
Scientists will tell you that all creatine breaks down
into creatinine. In fact, it’s what remains after your
muscles use creatine for energy, a natural exhaust, so
to speak. That should only happen after your muscles
get the explosive benefits, not before—which is where
Kre-Alkalyn comes in. It obliterates early creatinine
conversion, sending 100 percent of its creatine payload to your muscles, according to its creator, bodybuilder-turned-scientist Jeff Golini.
Let’s quiz him on how he unlocked the mystery
behind creatine’s instability in liquid and what his
new creatine solution can do for your muscle gains.
IM: So, according to my research, you’re not a
pencil-neck scientist trying to tell bodybuilders how to get bigger. You actually have
lots of in-the-trenches experience.
JG: Yes, at one point I carried more than 270 pounds
on my frame in hard condition. I competed in quite a
few contests and won the ’88 Mr. Natural California ProAm.
IM: What led you to creatine and a desire to
make it better?
JG: I started using creatine in 1988 and got good results—but I also got some unpleasant side effects.
IM: So your stomach led you into supplement
science?
JG: [Laughs] Yes, I guess you could say that. I wanted
to solve those problems and make creatine better. It
started when I noticed that all creatine-purity tests were
performed on dry samples. I thought it would be much
more advantageous to see what actually happens to
creatine products once they’re activated with fluid.
IM: And you used your NIR testing technology
to do that?
JG: Yes, I helped perfect and then introduce NearInfrared Analysis to the supplement and nutraceutical
industry. It’s now also used extensively in the pharmaceutical industry for purity testing. It’s fast and amazingly accurate. It will test and certify every single molecule
in a compound.
IM: Impressive. So NIR testing was a
breakthrough because it allows scientists to
more precisely analyze a compound in the form
in which it’s used by the body?
JG: Correct.
IM: And what did NIR show when you tested
various creatine products?
JG: A lot of them had very little creatine left once
prepared and ingested. Most of it had converted to creatinine, a useless by-product.
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2005 113
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IRON MAN Research Team
Golini in his
competition days. He
won the ’88 Mr.
Natural California
Pro-Am.
IM: That would explain why
some people, so-called nonresponders, get very few results
from creatine—it almost all
converts before it makes it to
the muscles. In fact, I’ve heard
of some bodybuilders taking
up to 25 grams a day.
JG: Some people have to take
that much to get enough pure creatine to the muscles for even a small
size-and-strength response. That’s
because the majority of it is converted to creatinine. I can only
imagine the stomach distress
caused by that much creatinine.
IM: So you figured out a way
to stop or reduce that conversion?
JG: After extensive testing, I
found the reason creatine is so
unstable and converts to creatinine
in liquid. The problem is creatine’s
low pH level. I developed a method
of taking creatine’s pH to 12, and
miraculously the conversion to
creatinine stopped dead in its
tracks.
IM: And the result was a
much more potent creatine
without side effects?
JG: Exactly, a 100 percent stable
creatine. It’s even patented as pHCorrect technology [#6,399,661].
The various testing results are available at our Web site, www
.getkre-alkalyn.com. You’ll see the
results of everything from standard
powdered creatine to the effervescent varieties. All of the creatinineconversion values are shown.
IM: Back to bodybuilders
who take, say, five grams a day
and get results. If so much creatinine conversion is happening, why are people able to
make any gains at all on regular creatine?
JG: Your body naturally produces
about two grams of creatine a day.
When you supplement with five
grams, or 5,000 milligrams, you’ll
likely only get the benefit of 200 to
400 milligrams of actual creatine—
and about 4,600 milligrams of useless, potentially toxic creatinine.
Most of the creatine is degraded
when it’s added to liquid, and then
even more is broken down as it
passes through your acidic stomach. Nevertheless, the 200 to 400
milligrams that do make it through
provides you with a 10 to 20 percent
increase in your available creatine
pool. That’s why you may still experience some results with standard
creatine.
IM: So your Kre-Alkalyn creatine, in a sense, provides a
much more concentrated form
of creatine.
JG: Right—because very little, if
any, is degraded to creatinine. I
guess you could call it creatine
concentrate.
IM: Would you say it’s five to
10 times more effective than
standard creatine?
JG: It depends on how you look
at it. If unbuffered creatine
degrades by 90 percent in liquid
and/or stomach acid, then KreAlkalyn would be 10 times more
effective because it remains 100
percent stable. That’s 10 percent vs.
100 percent, or 10 times.
IM: Do you believe your
product is the end of the line—
the best creatine product that
is possible?
JG: Well, look at it this way: If
someone figures out a way to stabilize creatine other than manipulating its pH levels, would it work any
better than Kre-Alkalyn? The key
word is better. Kre-Alkalyn is already 100 percent stable—and you
can’t do any better than 100 percent. Also, once you’ve saturated
your cells with creatine, they simply
won’t take in any more, regardless
of the form or type.
IM: I’ve made good gains
with creatine and haven’t had
any of the side effects. Tell me
why I should try Kre-Alkalyn.
JG: Three important reasons:
1) The single biggest reason to
use creatine is to achieve results.
But if the majority of each dose you
take is converting to creatinine, can
you really be 100 percent sure
you’re getting the most from your
current brand? Or are you actually
just getting by and short-changing
yourself?
2) When your creatine converts
to creatinine, it means you’re ultimately wasting good money. Like
most people, I’m sure you work way
too hard to make that money in the
first place.
3) Even if your brand only converts to creatinine by a mere 1 per-
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IRON MAN Research Team
“If unbuffered
creatine degrades
by 90 percent in
liquid and/or
stomach acid, then
Kre-Alkalyn would
be 10 times more
effective because it
remains 100 percent
stable. That’s 10
percent vs. 100
percent, or 10
times.”
cent, do you really want
even that much extra
toxin in your body?
While I certainly don’t
want to resort to using
scare tactics to make
my point, consider the
fact that even though
many studies show
using traditional creatine supplements to be
fairly safe short term,
we simply don’t know
what the long-term
effects of excess creatinine are. In fact, evidence is quickly
emerging that may link
long-term creatinine
exposure to kidney
failure and other ailments. But only time
will tell which studies
are correct.
The bottom line is,
why take chances and
waste good money
when you don’t have
to?
IM: Good points.
So when is the best
time to take KreAlkalyne creatine?
JG: I recommend taking the entire dose first thing in
the morning. Here’s why: When it comes to getting the
most benefit from creatine, consistency is the key. So if
someone takes their dose first thing, they won’t forget
to take it later.
Most people believe they have to take it just before
their workout, but in reality all you’re trying to do when
using creatine is maximize your stores for maximum
performance. So when your stores are topped off, the
tank is full. Therefore, you’ll get the benefit from KreAlkalyn whenever you work out—much the way your
car sits with gas in the tank, ready to go when you turn
the key. Even so, we do have many users who report to
us that they’re getting good results by taking half a dose
before training and the other half after.
I also recommend that people use the same amount
each day, whether they’re training or not. And no need
to load or cycle ever.
By the way, this technology is available to any company that wants to upgrade its own creatine technology.
We’re not interested in keeping it all to ourselves, and
we hope other companies don’t see Kre-Alkalyn as
another competing product. Since we’ll make it available to anyone, we hope they see it as a breakthrough,
rather than just a threat to their bottom-line. Basically,
it’s like going from a VCR to a DVD.
IM: I’m certainly willing to give it a test drive.
Editor’s note: Get two 120-capsule bottles of KreAlkalyn creatine for only $49.95 plus shipping (you save
$30!). Call Home Gym Warehouse at (800) 447-0008 and
ask for the Creatine K-Boom Kre-Alkalyn Special. Or
visit www.home-gym.com to order. IM
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
Heavy Duty Heavy Duty Heavy Duty Heavy Duty Heavy Duty
Heavy
Duty
Mentzerian Q & A
by John Little
The Role of Realistic Goals
Q: I’m a newcomer to bodybuilding and am keen to gain as
much muscle as I can over the next year using Mike’s Heavy
Duty program. How much muscle can I realistically hope to
gain?
A: The answer to your question depends on several factors: your age,
training history and, of course, your genetics. Mike had clients who gained
20 to 30 pounds in several months, but most of them were grossly underweight to begin with. As they adjusted to having the proper training stress
and getting the right nutrition, their bodyweight stabilized.
Those who’ve been engaged in serious bodybuilding for more than a year
have probably noticed that their gains have slowed down. That can be attributed to several factors, primarily that they’ve adapted to a certain level
of training intensity. It will take an increase in your training intensity—and
corresponding decreases in your training volume and frequency—for your
body to grow more muscle. While I’ve never seen the results of studies that
might reveal exactly how many pounds the average bodybuilder gains in the
course of one year of hard training, I think that most experienced bodybuilders would agree that a five-pound gain of pure muscle tissue—as opposed to five pounds of bodyweight—would be a considerable achievement.
(continued on page 124)
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Model: Mike Mentzer
Heavy Duty Heavy Duty Heavy Duty Heavy Duty Heavy Duty
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2005 121
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HHeavy
e a v yDuty
Duty Heavy Duty Heavy Duty Heavy Duty Heavy Duty
Your training
results will
be largely
determined
by genetics.
average gain being 4 1/2 pounds.
Those figures may offer hope to
trainees who are disappointed with
similar gains.”
Your results will be largely determined by genetics as well as the
amount of effort you put into your
training and whether you get sufficient recovery time between your
intense workouts.
Innate Adaptability
(continued from page 120)
Five
pounds of muscle tissue may not
sound very impressive, but if you
could sustain that rate of growth for
five years, you’d end up some 25
pounds of muscle heavier. As Mike
once pointed out:
“If you could envision that much
beefsteak laid out in front of you on
the dinner table, you’d then get
some idea of just how much meat 25
pounds of muscle is—enough to
transform the average 155-pound
American male into a veritable
Hercules at 180 pounds of solid, cutup muscle.
“Remember, too, that of the average American male’s 155 pounds of
bodyweight, the actual muscle component is roughly 20 pounds, with
the remainder being bone, water, fat
and waste materials. Given that fact,
a muscle-weight gain of 25 pounds
over five years would represent a
transformation that would more
than double his existing muscle
mass.”
Mike was fond of pointing out
that one of the most massively muscled bodybuilders from the late
1970s and ’80s was Danny Padilla, a
man who won the Mr. Universe title
in Nimes, France, weighing a very
muscular and cut-up 165 pounds.
Mike once wrote about Padilla:
“I recall Danny telling me that 10
years prior to that contest, when he
first began training, he weighed a
meager 120 pounds. That represents
a gain of 45 pounds spanning a 10year training career, with the yearly
A: The answer in two words is
innate adaptability. According to
Mentzer:
“We’ve all witnessed the
Sisyphean efforts of the zealot who
seems to train harder than anyone
yet never shows any visible signs of
improvement or situations in which
two individuals follow the same
training protocol but while one
makes good progress, gaining seemingly at every workout, the other
appears to make no progress at all.
Since genetically determined traits
such as height, sunlight-stress tolerance and intelligence are expressed
across a broad continuum, it occurred to me several years back that
the ability of the human body to
(continued on page 128)
tolerate the
“A muscle-weight
gain of 25 pounds
over five years would
represent a transformation that would
more than double the
average American
male’s muscle mass.”
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Neveux \ Model: Greg Adler
0HQW]HULDQ4$
Neveux \ Model: Randy Vogelzang
Q: Why is it that some
people in my gym seem
to grow bigger each
week, while others who
are doing essentially
the same workout are
continually struggling?
HHeavy
e a v yDuty
Duty Heavy Duty Heavy Duty Heavy Duty Heavy Duty
that can only be accustress of exercise—parrately assessed in retroticularly high-intensity
spect, you’ll never
exercise—would likewise
really know what you
be expressed across a
might achieve unless
broad continuum.
you train hard and go
“Even a casual obseron to realize that povation will reveal that,
tential. Arnold
with regard to height,
Schwarzenegger had
there are tall people at
no way of knowing,
one extreme and small
when he started trainpeople at the other; with
ing at age 15, what his
regard to sunlight-stress
future held. It was an
tolerance, there are
unrelenting drive and
light-skinned people
ambition that made
who burn easily (includhim achieve so much
ing those genetic
in the sport of bodyanomalies known as
building.”
albinos) and darkIn other words, train
skinned people who can
hard,
get adequate rest
Exercise is a form of
spend hours in direct
and train with an eye
stress to the body.
sunlight with little to no
toward making
burning at all. Similarly,
progress at each workthere are those who have
out, and you’ll have
low, almost nonexistent
done all you can to
IQs at one extreme and
optimize your innate
genius IQs at the other.
adaptability to exercise.
And, of course, there are
Editor’s note: For a
almost as many variants
complete presentation
within the gradation of
of Mike Mentzer’s
high to low as there are
Heavy Duty training
individuals.”
system, consult his
A similar situation
books Heavy Duty II
exists with regard to
and High Intensity
one’s genetic ability to
Training the Mike
tolerate and respond to
Mentzer Way, available
the stress of exercise.
through the ad on page
Exercise is a form of
168 of this issue, from
stress to the body, just as
Home Gym Warehouse,
ultraviolet light is a
(800) 447-0008, or by
stress. Just where in the
Your ability
visiting Mentzer’s officontinuum of innate
cial Web site,
adaptability to exercise
to adapt to
www.mike
stress you fall is deterstress is
mentzer.com.
mined by your genetic
largely
John Little is availpredisposition for tolergenetic.
able for phone consulating and adapting to it.
tation on Mike
If you can adapt quickly,
you’ll have the opportuni- “You’ll never really know what you Mentzer’s Heavy Duty
training system. For
ty to train a little more
might achieve unless you train
rates and information,
frequently. (Whether it
hard and go on to realize your
contact Joanne Sharkey
would be desirable, howat (310) 316-4519 or at
ever, is another question.) potential.“
If you fall somewhere on
www.mikementzer.com, or see the
the other side of the continuum,
to keep in mind that limits will
ad mentioned above.
however, it will be impossible for
always exist, and, as these limits are
Article copyright © 2005, John
you to tolerate and adapt to freprobably of a genetic nature, there
Little. All rights reserved. Mike
quent training sessions and you’d
is little we can do to alter them. So,
Mentzer quotations that appear in
be better advised to take such stress if you have made an honest assessthis series provided courtesy of
in moderate doses and infrequently. ment of your potential and realize
Joanne Sharkey, © 2005 and used
As Mike once pointed out:
that you are limited, don’t despair.
with permission. IM
“For the moment it is important
As a person’s potential is something
0HQW]HULDQ4$
Neveux \ Model: Mike Dragna
Neveux \ Model: Steven Segers
(continued from page 124)
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Free download H
from
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Illustration by Larry Eklund
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Red
Zone
The
Russian Pavel Tsatsouline’s Unique
Perspective on Muscle Building,
Strength and Kettlebell Training
by Ori Hofmekler • Photography by Michael Neveux
P
avel Tsatsouline is a former Soviet Special Forces physicaltraining instructor, currently an
SME (subject matter expert) for
the United States Marine Corps, the
National Nuclear Security Administration/U.S. Department of Energy
and the U.S. Secret Service. Pavel
brought to the U.S. a traditional Russian training method that historically
produced some of the toughest and
strongest men on earth. He makes his
“low-tech/high-concept” fitness programs available to civilians through
his best-selling books that include
Power to the People! and The Russian
Kettlebell Challenge (Dragon Door
Publications, dragondoor.com). Pavel’s
approach, in particular his kettlebell
training, has been considered by many
sports and strength experts to be brutal and effective.
The following discussion presents
ideas that may be controversial or even
revolutionary. Nevertheless, bodybuilders who are looking for alternative training methods to help break
plateaus or gain strength will most
likely find this information quite
intriguing and useful.
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2005 135
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Red Zone
Muscle Building, Strength and Kettlebell Training
OH: What is a kettlebell?
PT: A kettlebell is a cannonball
with a handle. It’s an extreme handheld gym. Kettlebell training is like
saying: “I’m sick of your metrosexual gyms! I’m a man, and I’ll train like
a man!” Lifting a kettlebell is liberating,
and it’s as aggressive
as broadsword play.
It’s a manifestation of
your warrior instinct.
Traditionally, guys
name their kettlebells
the way warriors used
to name their
weapons. They paint
them with their unit’s
coat of arms. They get
tattoos of kettlebells.
The Russian kettlebell
is the Harley-Davidson of weights.
from 766 to 832 in less than a year.
One of my students, Steve Knapstein, ran a marathon without practicing running.
OH: How can you explain
those benefits?
OH: With such a
passionate definition of kettlebells,
can you tell me the
benefits of kettlebell training?
PT: Kettlebell training can deliver extreme all-around
fitness, all-purpose
strength, staying
power, flexibility and
“A kettlebell is a
fat loss without the
cannonball with
dishonor of aerobics.
a handle. It’s an
All these benefits
extreme handcould be
accomplished in no
held gym.”
more than one to two
hours of weekly training—all done with
one compact and
virtually indestructible tool that can be
used anywhere.
On top of that,
there’s an expression
among gireviks, or
kettlebell lifters,
called the what-thehell effect. WTH is
about getting better at
things you have not practiced. My
PT: I can’t explain how such
students powerlift heavier, hit hardseemingly nonspecific training
er, run faster, bend nails and so on
made this happen. But in our brothjust from lifting kettlebells.
erhood we don’t wait for explanaPowerlifter Donnie Thompson
tion. If it works, we do it. If the
stopped deadlifting and started
WTH effect is the best explanation
kettlebelling. He took his deadlift
there is, so be it.
The what-the-hell effect notwithstanding, as a rule you’ll do your
best by mixing kettlebell training
with specific practice of the exercise
you want to excel in. To use a martial arts analogy, you will never be
able to express all
your strength in a
punch if you do not
work with a heavy
bag.
OH: Is it possible to gain substantial muscle
mass with kettlebells?
PT: Yes, you can
get outstanding
muscle mass gains,
provided your training protocol is designed accordingly
and you throw
enough protein and
calories down the
hatch. As a rule of
thumb, to build beef,
one should do slow
kettlebell exercises
(grinds), fives (five
reps) or quick lifts of
10s (10 reps). Keep
your rest periods
minimal either way.
OH: Define
“minimal rest
periods.”
PT: As short as
you can handle.
Russian researchers
in this area concluded that training
against the clock is
significantly more
effective than selfpaced training with
near complete recovery between sets.
Note that the study
involved strengthendurance and conditioning, not
one-rep-maximum
strength. Charles Staley has the best
technique for compressing the
bodybuilding rest periods just right.
His site is EDTSecrets.com.
OH: Do you know of people
who gained substantial muscle
mass with kettlebells?
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Red Zone
Muscle Building, Strength and Kettlebell Training
Model: Mike Mahler
“Save for your pecs and tri’s,
the swing is a total-body
workout and a conditioner
second to none.”
PT: Thompson gained 26 pounds
in three months on a routine of
approximately 10x10 of kettlebell
swings and snatches. His training
partner Haney, a 51-year-old former
college champion shot-putter,
added 15 pounds of muscle on the
same routine. Retired powerlifter
Phil Workman, who already carried
more muscle mass than a human
body has the right to, started doing
multiple sets of clean and jerks with
a pair of kettlebells. His shoulders
swelled up to the point where he
was accused of taking steroids. Note
that I’m talking about elite athletes
who are not spring chickens here. If
it works for them, it should work
just as well for a beginner.
OH: What is “sustained
strength”?
PT: Sustained strength is a conditioning concept that describes the
strength to hit hard in the 10th
round, not just in the first. Repetition kettlebell swings and snatches
crank up an elite wrestler’s heart
rate to 200 in seconds. There is no
better conditioning method, period.
Just to get an idea of how tough it
can get, the U.S. Secret Service
Counter Assault Team developed a
special gut-check test for its operators: 10 minutes of one-arm snatches with a 53-pound kettlebell. You
may switch hands anytime you
want, and the total of both arms is
recorded. The team’s record exceeds
250 reps, and if you can’t put up 180
to 190, you’re nobody.
OH: In a related matter, kettlebell training has shown how
a relatively light weight can be
great for flexibility and overall
conditioning, but what about
brute strength?
PT: Inventive gireviks don’t need
a heavy barbell to provide progressive resistance. One of my senior
instructors, full-contact champ
Steve Cotter, built a pair of legs as
strong as any with a grand total of
140 pounds of weight. How can it
be? Cotter does rock-bottom onelegged squats, or pistols, with two
70-pound kettlebells. And yes, kettlebell strength has a great transfer
to other applications. The man
flipped an 850-pound tire the first
time he tried it.
OH: Given your special-ops
background, it seems odd that
you are biased toward strength
rather than endurance. Please
explain yourself.
PT: A warrior needs both, but he
can’t afford to ignore strength. Because the demands of military service are so endurance oriented, it’s
easy to focus on conditioning 100
percent. The point that most sol-
dier-of-fortune types miss is that
without a base of strength they become very injury prone. It’s no secret
that by the time a special operator
hits 40, his body is wrecked. A friend
of mine got a medical discharge from
the U.S. Navy Seals after a severe
back injury. Today he’s as good as
new, thanks to a mix of kettlebell
lifts, deadlifts and Olympic lifts.
Note that unlike other strength
tools, the kettlebell develops
strength along many planes and
angles and in the extremes of the
range of motion. This “in-between
strength,” as Marty Gallagher has
called it, makes kettlebell practitioners unusually resilient.
And if you’ve had injuries, you’ll
snap back a lot faster once you start
kettlebelling. My senior instructor,
Jeff Martone, teaches physical training, close-quarter combat and a few
other things at a federal agency. To
say the man has lived hard is an
understatement. Jeff has had at least
20 nose fractures, his knees and
shoulders have more zippers than a
biker jacket—you get the idea. Four
years ago Martone was contemplating a different line of work as his
mileage was catching up to him.
Today he can do things he could
never do many years and injuries
ago—thanks to the Russian kettlebell
and our special techniques. Jeff’s
story is typical.
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Red Zone
Model: Mike Mahler
Muscle Building, Strength and Kettlebell Training
“The one-arm kettlebell military press is the Russian ego
lift, akin to the bench in the
U.S.”
OH: Can kettlebells be integrated with dumbbells or barbells for strength training?
PT: There are two ways to train
with the Russian kettlebell. One is to
do it in the context of a sophisticated program that implements other
strength tools. That’s appropriate
for athletes and coaches who have
the education, the experience and
the hardware. Ethan Reeve’s
strength program at Wakeforest
University is a powerful example of
that approach.
Special operators, martial artists
and other minimalists prefer to use
the kettlebell as a stand-alone tool.
The kettlebell can do anything a
dumbbell can do at least as well and
with some technical advantages. For
example, the kettlebell provides an
unsurpassed range of motion on the
military press: It doesn’t restrict
your shoulder on the bottom, and it
stretches it on the top. Hang a kettlebell on your foot, Russian specops style, and you don’t need a belt
for weighted dips or pull-ups. As the
Philadelphia Kettlebell Club’s credo
goes, “We train with kettlebells in
case civilization is temporary—
don’t rely on anything you can’t
carry.”
OH: How do you define a minimalist? Does it mean one who
wishes to get maximum impact
from minimum exercise?
PT: You have only so much time
and energy for training. If you’re
pursuing multiple goals at once,
find exercises that enable you to kill
two or more birds with one stone.
For instance, if your goals are im-
proving your deadlift and your grip,
the one-arm deadlift is an exercise
that serves both of your needs. If
you want to build up your bench
and your biceps, the maximum
powerlifting legal width bench
press would address both of your
goals.
OH: What are the top kettlebell exercises?
PT: The swing is the foundation
of Russian kettlebell training. It’s
exactly what its name implies: a
swing of a kettlebell from between
your legs up to your chest level.
The arm stays straight and loose,
and the power is generated by the
hips. The motion is akin to the
standing vertical jump, except the
energy is projected into the kettlebell rather than being used to lift
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Red Zone
Muscle Building, Strength and Kettlebell Training
Pavel’s
books are
available
at www.
dragon
door.com.
the body. Save for your pecs and
tri’s, the swing is a total-body workout and a conditioner second to
none. You must experience the
swing to appreciate its power.
The one-arm kettlebell military
press is the Russian ego lift, akin to
the bench in the U.S. The rules are
simple: the fist must be lower than
the chin at the start of the press,
and the knees must remain locked.
That’s a lot harder than it sounds.
An overwhelming majority of the
bodybuilders who took our 88pound kettlebell military press
challenge at Arnold’s expo could
not do it.
OH: What kind of physique
should one get from kettlebell
training?
PT: The kettlebell swing plus the
Russian-style military press make
up a great program for an aggressive minimalist who wants to be
ready for whatever life throws at
him and who chooses a doer’s
physique along the lines of antique
statues—broad shoulders with just
a hint of pecs, back muscles standing out in bold relief, wiry arms,
rugged forearms, a cut-up midsection and strong legs without a hint
of squatter’s chafing.
OH: Can you give an example
of a basic training routine?
PT: Here’s the routine: 5x5 presses per arm, 5x10 swings per arm,
wrap up with another 5x5 presses.
It’s up to you whether you want to
clean the kettlebell once for each
set of presses or once before each
rep. Don’t fail. If you can’t make
the prescribed reps, do more sets
of fewer reps to make up the total;
for example 3x5, 1x4, 2x3 for a
total of 25. Rest as little as you can
between sets. Start with a lot lower
numbers and build up slowly.
Train three times a week. Stretch.
Eat a cow. Every fourth week take
it easy—this means do half the
reps on all your sets.
OH: What about variety?
PT: If you want variety, no
problem. The kettlebell’s design,
namely a thick, smooth handle
removed from a compact center of
mass, enables you to do a great
variety of powerful exercises. You
can swing it between your legs
without worrying about taking
your knees out. You can hold it
like a regular dumbbell or bottomup for a grip challenge, or you can
palm it like a medicine ball. The
position of the handle allows
dynamic passing of the kettlebell
from hand to hand for a great
variety of powerful juggling-type
exercises. Those drills develop
dynamic strength and make the
body injuryproof along many
planes, unlike conventional linear
exercise.
The kettlebell will give you an
infinite freedom of lifting. It has
been said that kettlebells are to
traditional free weights what barbells and dumbbells are to machines.
OH: What’s the difference
between your RKC system and
other modern styles of kettlebell training?
PT: As in martial arts, there are
hard and soft styles of kettlebell
training. The traditional Russian
soft style is characterized by maximum efficiency; keeping the unused muscles relaxed; circular,
wavy movements. It evolved into
girevoy sport, the sport of repetition kettlebell lifting. I was nationally ranked in G.S. in the 1980s.
My RKC is a hard style of kettlebell training born in the spec ops
of the Soviet Union. Hard style
refers to high muscular tension,
forceful breathing and crisp, linear
movements. RKC was designed as
According
to Pavel,
“The kettlebell will
give you
an infinite
freedom
of lifting.”
a strength and conditioning system for combative applications. If
traditional kettlebell training is
akin to aikido, RKC relates to
karate. A U.S. Secret Service instructor described the RKC system
as “simple and sinister.”
Today RKC is a school of
strength. I have a top-notch team
of eight senior instructors who
have developed their own branches of the RKC system and helped
me refine the foundation. These
Americans are advancing Russian
kettlebell training as the Brazilians
have done for Japanese jujitsu.
OH: How can one get started
in kettlebell training?
PT: Our site,
RussianKettlebell.com is your onestop shop. Books, DVDs, a directory of certified instructors, free
training articles, a forum, it’s all
there. See what you’re made of.
Editor’s note: Next month
Pavel discusses fat burning,
strength vs. muscle, breaking
training plateaus and his favorite
training program.
Ori Hofmekler is the author of
the books The Warrior Diet and
Maximum Muscle & Minimum
Fat, published by Dragon Door
Publications
(www.dragondoor.com). For more
information or for a consultation,
contact him at
ori@warriordiet.com,
www.warriordiet.com or by phone
at (866) WAR-DIET. IM
142 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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Red Zone
The Kettlebell Solution for Solid Gains in Size and Strength
by Mike Mahler
During the past few years an old-school form of
weight training called kettlebell lifting has made a
comeback in a big way. That’s largely due to the efforts
of top strength coach Pavel Tsatsouline, author of The
Russian Kettlebell Challenge, who imported this exotic
form of strength training from his homeland, where it’s
actually practiced as a sport.
I know what you’re thinking: “What the hell is a kettlebell anyway?” Imagine a cannonball with a suitcase
handle on the top, and you get the idea. Kettlebells
come as light as eight pounds and as heavy as 88
pounds. They have thick handles, and due to the way
they’re built, the weight is always off center, which
helps activate loads of stabilizer muscles.
Thousands of people have experienced the cardiovascular and muscular-endurance benefits of ballistic
kettlebell exercises, such as the clean and jerk and the
snatch. Those are exercises that teach your body to
work as one unit; they take muscular-endurance training to the next level. Imagine doing several sprints at
full power, and you get an idea of what a high-rep set of
kettlebell snatches feels like.
In addition to the cardio benefits, many people have
benefited from the tremendous fat-burning effects of
hard kettlebell workouts. I’ve had clients lose 30
pounds of fat in two months of hard kettlebell training.
While anyone who’s done a high-rep set of snatches
can attest to the cardio component of kettlebells, few
trainees realize that kettlebell training is an excellent
way to increase strength and size.
Model: Mike Mahler
Add Kettlebells to Your Gym Workout
One very simple way is to replace all dumbbell work
with kettlebells. For example, instead of doing military
presses with two dumbbells, use two kettlebells. Instead of doing curls with a dumbbell, use a kettlebell.
What have kettlebells got that dumbbells don’t have?
Good question. Kettlebells have thick handles, which
turns just about every exercise into a grip exercise. As a
result, you get bigger forearms. The thicker handles
also force you to contract all of your muscles harder to
stabilize the kettlebell and hold on to it. Expect more of
a mind/muscle connection with kettlebell training
than you get with dumbbell training.
What’s more, because the weight of a kettlebell is off
center, your body is forced to recruit more stabilizer
muscles to get the job done. The displaced weight is
constantly trying to pull you out, and you have to fight
back on every exercise to control it.
While kettlebell curls and other isolation exercises
can be beneficial, that’s not where the real benefit of
kettlebell training lies. The real benefit comes with
ballistic exercises such as snatches, swings and clean
and presses. In addition to working the hamstrings
tremendously, those work the lower back, traps and, in
the case of the clean and press, they work the shoulders
as well. Such ballistic exercises also teach body synergy—in other words, they teach you how to use several
muscle groups at once—which has obvious benefits for
athletics. For bodybuilders it will ramp up your growth
hormone levels the way that heavy squats do.
In addition to kettlebell ballistic drills, kettlebell core
exercises such as the Turkish get-up and windmill build
a rock-solid midsection in addition to developing
major shoulder stability and flexibility. Bodybuilders
always complain about shoulder problems, and now
you have a method of building stronger and more
stable shoulders that will carry over to improve your
gym workouts tremendously.
I suggest you add one kettlebell ballistic exercise to
each of your gym workouts as well as one kettlebell
core exercise. Here’s an example of a sample routine
with a few kettlebell drills:
Monday and Thursday (upper body)
A-1: Barbell bench presses
A-2: Kettlebell bent-over rows
B-1: Kettlebell military presses
B-2: Weighted pullups
5x5
5x5
5x5
5x5
Do each pair in antagonistic fashion. In other words,
do one set of A-1, wait 90 seconds, and then do a set of
A-2. Wait another 90 seconds and then do another set
of A-1. Go back and forth until you’ve done five sets of
five on both exercises. Then take a two-minute break
and do B-1 and B-2 in the same fashion. Take a oneminute break, and wrap up with:
Muscle Building, Strength and Kettlebell Training
Kettlebell
bent-over
rows.
Here are some ideas that work.
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Red Zone
Turkish get-ups (per side)
Alternate kettlebell curls (per side)
One-arm kettlebell snatches (per side)
Wednesday and Saturday (lower body)
A-1: Barbell squats
A-2: Double kettlebell swings
2x5
2x5
1 x 15
5x5
5x5
Follow the directions discussed for the upper-body
workout. Take a two-minute break after you’ve completed all sets of A-1 and A-2 and then wrap up with:
Kettlebell windmills (per side)
Double-kettlebell clean and push presses
2x5
1 x 10
There you have it: a functional size and strength
program that will address your weak links, build your
shoulder stability as well as your lower back and add
some functional strength to your program.
Kettlebell-Only Workout
Day 1: Upper-body focus
PR Zone 1: 15 minutes
A-1: Double-kettlebell floor presses
A-2: Double-kettlebell bent-over rows
Start off doing five to six reps per set and go back and
forth between the exercises, taking as little rest as possible. As fatigue kicks in, lower the reps and take longer
breaks. Your goal is to do as many total reps of each
exercise in the designated personal record, or P.R., zone
as you can. Record the total number of reps at the end
of each workout. Your goal at the next workout is to do
PR Zone 2: 15 minutes
B-1: Alternate kettlebell military presses
B-2: Kettlebell biceps curls
Follow the same instructions as described for PR
Zone 1. Take a two-minute break after PR Zone 2 and
then do:
One-arm windmills (per side)
2x5
Day 2: Lower-body focus
PR Zone 1: 20 Minutes
A-1: Double-kettlebell front squats
A-2: Double-kettlebell swings
Follow the directions for the previous workout. Once
you’ve completed the PR Zone, wrap up with;
Turkish get-ups (per side)
3x5
Try the above program for one month, and give it
everything you have. Expect to have bigger and more
developed shoulders, a strong lower back, thicker hamstrings and forearms that look like Popeye’s.
Are kettlebells necessary for getting bigger and
stronger? Of course not! Kettlebells are not magical
tools that will transform you from a skinny runt to a
mighty man. Variety is the spice of life, however, and in
order to maintain training longevity, you have to keep
things fun and interesting. I have yet to meet someone
who doesn’t think that kettlebell training is a blast.
Many of the exercises are dramatically different from
anything you’ve done before. As a result, you’ll be working muscles that you never knew you had and addressing areas of your physique that have been neglected.
Whether you’re a professional bodybuilder or just
interested in staying in shape, there’s no doubt that
you’ll benefit from kettlebell training.
Editor’s note: Mike Mahler is a strength coach and
senior kettlebell instructor based in Los Angeles. He’s
working on the upcoming book The Kettlebell Solution
to Massive Gains in Size and Strength. For more info
visit Mike’s Web site, www.mikemahler.com. IM
Double-kettlebell floor presses.
Model: Mike Mahler
Muscle Building, Strength and Kettlebell Training
Another option that works very well is to do a kettlebell-only workout for a month. It’s a great way to switch
up your workouts and shock your body. Plus you can do
them anywhere. You can do them at home or do what I
like to do: Take two kettlebells to a park for a great outdoor workout. It’s a terrific alternative for times when
you’re too busy to make it to the gym.
A kettlebell-only program that has worked very well
for my clients is the EDT/kettlebell combo. EDT (Escalating Density Training) is the brain child of top
strength coach Charles Staley. The goal is to do more
volume in less time, increasing intensity and volume,
two critical components of getting stronger and bigger.
Here’s a sample EDT/kettlebell regimen:
more reps. For example, if you did 25 total reps on each
exercise at workout one, strive to do 26 reps at the next
session. Take a five-minute break after doing PR Zone 1
and then proceed to PR Zone 2:
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FEMALE
MUSCLE ’05
Photography by Bill Dobbins
Once again we’re proud to present a
pictorial of female muscle from the
works of photographer Bill Dobbins. His
images of the female form in all of its
incarnations never fail to evoke emotion,
so be prepared. From the heavily
muscled to the sensually toned, Dobbins’
subjects are fascinating—his photos dramatic, unique and inspiring. Feast your
eyes on these examples of his art, and let
us know what you think. For more of
Dobbins’ photography, visit
www.BillDobbins.com.
—the Editors
©2005 www.BillDobbins.com All rights reserved.
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’05 IFBB Arnold
Schwarzenegger Classic
Blade RUNNER
Jackson Mows Down the Competition
by Lonnie Teper
Photography by Bill Comstock
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Three wins in
a row sufficed for Jay Cutler. Ronnie
Coleman, who took the crown in
2001, said once was enough. Flex
Wheeler, the champ in 2000, retired
two years ago. So, without a returning titleholder in the 15-man lineup, the 2005 version of the Arnold
Classic would be especially exciting. Quite appropriate, since the
gala affair would mark the 30th year
that California Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger and his partner,
Jim Lorimer, have teamed to put on
bodybuilding events in Lorimer’s
Columbus home base (the Arnold
Classic was first held in 1989).
Who would enter the event as the
fave this time around? It was pretty
clear that the winner would come
from the terrific trio of Dexter Jackson, Chris Cormier and Gustavo
Badell. Gustavo had slipped past
Jackson and into third place (costing Dexter 10K) at the ’04 Mr.
Olympia after the controversial
challenge round was initiated. And,
following his win at the IRON MAN
Pro two weeks before the ASC, the
Freakin’ Rican had to rank among
the top contenders to take home
the $100,000 first-place prize
money, along with a new Hummer
and an Audemars Piquet timepiece
priced at 25K.
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1) Dexter JACKSON
Jackson, still fuming over his loss
to Badell last October, told me in
Columbus that he was at his alltime best, and he wanted to place a
bet on whether he was really carrying the 228 pounds he claimed fit
snugly on his 5’6 1/2” frame. For
those who haven’t followed my
long-running debate with Dex on
this matter, I’ve always said Jackson’s figures were generous, to the
tune of at least 10 pounds.
We had a chance to settle it at the
press conference at the ’04 IRON
MAN, but Jackson never stepped on
the scale, citing a photo shoot with
MuscleTech as the legit reason for
passing on the opportunity. In Ohio
he asked if I wanted to see him on a
’05 Arnold
Schwarzenegger Classic
1) Dexter Jackson*’
2) Chris Cormier*
3) Gustavo Badell*
4) Lee Priest*
5) Melvin Anthony*
6) Darrem Charles
7) Victor Martinez
8) Troy Alves
9) Mark Dugdale
10) Toney Freeman
11) Shari “King” Kamali
12) David Henry
13) Frank Roberson
14) Art Atwood
15) Idrise Ward-El
*Qualifies for the Mr. Olympia.
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’05 IFBB Arnold
Schwarzenegger Classic
scale. I said, “Of course. Do you
have one in your room?” The Blade
stunned me with a “no,” and so the
great debate continues. If anyone
really cares, that is, other than Dex
and me.
Cormier has given new meaning
to the word enigma. With Jackson—
and Badell of late—you know what
you’re gonna get. Chris should be in
the “Forrest Gump” sequel, ’cause
we never know what we’re gonna
get when the 37-year-old hits the
stage. Sometimes he’s terrific,
sometimes disappointing. The
former was the case at the ’04 ASC,
where he, controversially, finished a
single digit behind Cutler and had
to settle for his fifth consecutive
runner-up landing. The latter was
the case at last season’s Olympia,
where his seventh-place finish was
1) Dexter JACKSON
I’m still dubious about his
veracity regarding the 228
pounds, but the man
looked terrific.
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’05 IFBB Arnold
Schwarzenegger Classic
2) Chris CORMIER
3) Gustavo BADELL
considered very generous by most.
So the stage was set. Place your
bet. At the prejudging Jackson and
Cormier looked exceptional; let’s
call it a coin toss. Chris, at 5’11” and
about 255 pounds, has few flaws
and, when in outstanding shape, is
hard to beat—unless Coleman and,
perhaps, Cutler are in the lineup.
He looked awfully good when he
first stepped foot onstage at the
noon judging on March 5. If he
wasn’t at his best, he was pretty
close. Would this be the year
Cormier gave up his always-agroomsman, never-a-groom status?
Jackson was on the money. Now,
I’m still dubious about his veracity
regarding the 228 pounds, but the
man looked terrific, perhaps bigger
than we’ve seen him in the past and
just as sharp. Blade Runner, indeed.
I was leaning toward Jackson as the
men dueled it out on the Veterans
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7) Victor MARTINEZ
5) Melvin ANTHONY
4) Lee PRIEST
6) Darrem CHARLES
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Memorial stage
but felt the
evening’s final
two rounds
would provide
the drama’s
outcome.
Badell, about
15 pounds heavier than last
year, when he
placed seventh,
moved into the
elite group
when it came to
the early callouts. Gustavo
was thicker than
either Jackson
or Cormier—
check out his
amazing chest
and hams—and
his guns shone,
as always, but as
his shape
doesn’t have the
aesthetic lines of
his two main
opponents, he
looked to be
positioned in
third.
From where I sat, the
biggest surprise was Lee
Priest. Lee is no stranger
to big-time success, for
sure, but after his secondplace finish to Badell at
the IRON MAN, most
didn’t believe he would
contend with the abovementioned trio. And,
according to the callouts,
he seemed to be battling
Melvin Anthony and
Darrem Charles for a top
five, not a top-three, slot.
But on this cold winter
evening in Columbus
Priest was sparkling;
much drier than he’d
been two weeks prior and
vastly superior in the
thigh and hamstring area.
His detractors declared
that his lower body wasn’t
as hard as his upper body.
They said his chest
looked small compared to
those outrageous delts.
They also pointed to a
lack of back detail and
soft glutes. I’ve comment-
8) Troy ALVES
9) Mark DUGDALE
’05 IFBB Arnold
Schwarzenegger Classic
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ed on the same blemishes
more than once.
However, everybody has
flaws. I’ve pointed them out
on every bodybuilder I’ve
ever seen compete. Look at
what the Blond Myth has
compared to others, not just
what is substandard on his
physique. Who had calves or
arms as good as Priest’s in
this lineup? Who has ever
had better all-around arm
development? Who had
better delts? Who was in
better condition? Priest’s
overall package might have
been his best, and that’s
saying a mouthful considering his sublime 10-year-plus
tenure as a professional.
As for Anthony and
Charles, Melvin looked a bit
tighter than he did at the IM
Pro; Charles always looks
great to me, but I thought he
might have been five to
seven pounds too heavy to
be at his best. And I know
why he did it: When he was
placed 10th at last year’s
Olympia—a decision I didn’t
agree with—Charles was told
he was shredded but too
small. So the man put on
some (continued on page 178)
(continued from page 174) size and
10) Toney FREEMAN
11) Shari “King” KAMALI
10) Toney FREEMAN
wasn’t quite as conditioned as he’s
been in the past.
As Darrem pointed out, and I
totally agree, he shouldn’t be compared to his last look onstage, just
to those competing against him at
the moment. Melvin had better
lines, set off by a 27-inch waist;
Charles was much harder, with
those freaky biceps setting the tone.
A tough call, to say the least.
Troy Alves, (continued on page 186)
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Jackson was
exceptionally
sharp at the
finals, taking the
two night rounds
unanimously and
scoring a
surprisingly easy
20-point victory.
(continued from page 178) coming off
a strong third-place showing at the
IM Pro, didn’t appear to be quite as
sharp as he’d been two weeks earlier
and, based on the callouts, was
going to be hard-pressed to land in
the top five, his goal in Columbus.
Victor Martinez, the ’04 Show of
Strength champ and ninth-place
finisher at the ’04 Olympia, is a big,
thick New Yorker who said he
weighed 260 (at 5’9”) two days before the show. Unfortunately, Victor
showed up about 10 pounds too
heavy and, like Alves, didn’t appear
to be destined for a top-five landing.
Mark Dugdale, eighth at the IM in
his pro debut, actually seemed even
tighter than he had two weeks past
and looked to be a shoo-in to crack
the top 10. Toney Freeman, in his
first ASC, also was sharp and seemed
to have a shot at the elite 10. Freeman, the ’02 NPC National overall
champion, has a beautiful physique,
but at 6’2”, with long limbs, he still
needs to add a bit more size to his
260-pound frame to move up in the
lineup.
Shari “King” Kamali, who was
impressive when he finished fifth at
the IM, did not look nearly as good
Jack LaLanne
shows his
enthusiasm as
he receives the
Arnold Classic
Lifetime
Achievement
Award.
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’05 IFBB Arnold
Schwarzenegger Classic
12) David HENRY
13) Frank ROBERSON
15) Idrise WARD-EL
sharp but lacks the size to give the
bigger names in the game a run for
their money—at least at this point in
his career. Atwood was the largest
man on stage at 5’11” and 280
pounds but doesn’t have the lines
the judges were looking for to be a
contender. Roberson needed more
size and conditioning; Ward-El,
suffering from a bad cold, was not
nearly in his top form.
14) Art ATWOOD
in Ohio. Kamali was a lot smoother,
and he had a large bruise on his
right biceps. Some people were
suggesting that he must have torn it;
I’m not sure what caused the discoloration, but it was definitely noticeable and added to his off night.
Also competing—but not getting
top callouts—were David Henry,
Idrise Ward-El, Art Atwood and
Franklin Roberson. Henry is always
So much for the judging. In the
hours leading up to the finals that
night, the consensus among media
and fans was that it would be a battle
between Cormier and Jackson for
first, with Badell, Anthony, Priest and
Charles fighting for a top-five berth.
Jackson kept his condition and
was exceptionally sharp at the finals;
Cormier had smoothed out a bit, was
holding water in his back and appeared to have lost any shot he had
at finally getting the monkey off his
back as a perennial runner-up.
Having seen how the judging went
down, Cormier supporters were
surprised (I was taken aback a bit
myself) to find out their guy was in
second all along, 10 points behind
Jackson—who had gotten perfect
scores—after the first two rounds.
That trend continued with Dexter
taking the two night rounds unanimously and scoring a surprisingly
easy 20-point victory.
Badell placed third, Priest fourth,
Anthony fifth and Charles sixth, with
Martinez (seventh), Alves (eighth),
Dugdale (ninth) and Freeman
rounding out the top 10.
Amazingly, Priest was in fifth, one
slot behind Anthony, going into the
posedown. I would have had him
battling Badell for third, not Anthony
for fourth in that final round. It took
a seven-point advantage over Marvelous in the posedown for Lee to
move up to fourth. I also might have
had Charles in fifth, although, as
mentioned above, choosing between
Darrem and Anthony ain’t easy.
Jackson also picked up a beautiful
Koska-Crystal vase for being named
Most Muscular competitor. Anthony
did get some solace when he was—
as he had been at the IM Pro—unanimously selected to win the Best
Presentation award, which in this
case came with a $10,000 check.
As always, the contest played to a
full house of about 4,000 fans. The
Governator excited the crowd with
his usual appearance, handing out
the first-place award to Jackson and
taking a few minutes to chat with the
fans from the podium. He’s always
said, “I’ll be back.” And despite a
mind-boggling schedule, he was
true to his word once again. IM
For hundreds of contest photos,
visit www.GraphicMuscle.com.
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Lonnie Teper’s
Press Conference: Stage-Eye View
Season Opener
Along the weigh to the IM Pro
Friday-afternoon affair
Gets the show on the road
It worked so well last year that we brought back the press conference
and weigh-in to the IRON MAN Pro men’s bodybuilding competition.
Again, we held it the afternoon before the show, but this time we moved it
to the main hall at the IM FitExpo, where the gang walked
down a red carpet and came onstage one
by one to meet their pal, John
More
Balik’s digital scale.
Press Conference
Also like last year: It
was pouring outside—
this time in recordsetting amounts.
THE TEXAS TORNADO
CHALLENGES MARVELOUS:
Raindrops were
falling on our
heads, but that didn’t keep a goodsize group of fans from gathering to
meet the lineup.
Of the 24 competitors who weighed
in (with shoes and clothes, so subtract
three to four pounds for each), Ed Van
Amsterdam from—where else?—
Amsterdam was the heaviest at 305
pounds. Jocelyn Pelletier, the 57-yearold Canadian who just can’t hang up the
posing trunks, was the lightest at 153. The
“HOW LOW CAN YOU GO?”
eventual champ, Gustavo Badell, had put on 16
pounds since last season, jumping from 234 in ’04 to 250
this time around.
The fun really started when the Freakin’ Rican did an encore of last year’s press conference
and took off his sweats; Troy Alves didn’t waste much time before joining him. Both looked to
be in great shape, and they went pose for pose, setting up what would turn out to be a great
battle the following evening.
After that we had a dance-down between Melvin Anthony and Franklin Roberson, who
got as low as you could go. Both claimed they’d be winning the Vince Gironda Award for
Best Presentation the following evening. Marvelous Melvin proved to be correct, as he took that
honor unanimously—and promptly donated the $1,000 prize to the sixth-placer, who turned out
to be Craig Titus.
As the emcee of the event, I told the crowd that the only title I won last year was “Jackass of
the Month,” which is what Shari “King” Kamali named me on his Web site twice in a row.
Even Kamali, who had his game face on for the show, cracked a smile at that one.
Comstock
Dance Fever
Comstock
Troy Alves (left) and Gustavo Badell
didn’t wait for the contest to officially
begin, strutting their stuff in front of
the fans at the Friday-afternoon press
conference and weigh-in.
Comstock
Ed Van Amsterdam at 305
pounds won the title Heaviest Dude.
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ADD PRIEST
IRON MAN PRO photography by Michael Neveux and Savannah Neveux
Four Score
Badell’s victory pushed Priest into second at
the IRON MAN for the fourth time, but Lee and
his outrageous arms have helped make the IM
an outstanding contest over the years.
Lee is groomsman again
Lee Priest is to the IRON
MAN what Chris Cormier
is to the Arnold Classic: the
guy who’s mired in second
place. Priest has been one of
the premier performers at the
IM for years, and he’s
recorded three second-place
finishes along the way. He
was hoping this would be his
season to slide into the top
slot.
It didn’t happen. The man
with the best all-around arm
development in the history of
the game (Ronnie Coleman debated me on that
subject; you can guess who
his pick was) looked impressive but was not quite at his
best. And it would have
taken his best to win the
battle with Badell, last season’s third-place finisher at
the Mr. Olympia.
Still, the Blond Myth is one of the main reasons that the IM has been such a
great competition over the years, and we hope to get him back again next
time. The fans love the guy; he always lights up the stage—and the audience.
Hang in there, Lee. It ain’t over till it’s over!
F l a s h S c o re s
’05 Arnold
er Classic
Schwarzenegg
son*
1) Dexter Jack
r*
2) Chris Cormie
dell*
Ba
o
av
st
Gu
3)
4) Lee Priest*
ony*
5) Melvin Anth
les
6) Darrem Char
ez
tin
ar
M
or
ct
Vi
7)
s
ve
Al
oy
8) Tr
e
9) Mark Dugdal
man
10) Toney Free
vid
” Kamali, 12) Da
11) Shari “King
Art
Roberson, 14)
k
an
Fr
)
13
y,
Henr
rd-El
Wa
ise
Idr
)
15
Atwood,
*Qualifies for the Mr. Olympia.
’05 San Franci
Bodybuilding Ch sco Pro
ampionship
1) Chris Cormie
r*
2) Dexter Jack
son*
3) Melvin Anth
ony*
4) Troy Alves
5) Victor Martin
ez
6) Mark Dugdal
e
7) David Henry
8) Jaroslav Ho
rvat
9) Bob Cicherill h
o
10) Art Atwood
11) Mike Morri
s 12) Shari “K
ing” Kamali,
13) Valentine Ja
bes, 14) Heiko
Kalbach,
15) Jojo Ntiforo
, 16) Rusty Jeffe
rs, 16)
Derik Farnswor
th, 16) Miguel
Oliverio De
Jesus Filho, 16
) Christian Loba
rade, 16)
Thomas Stellan
der
A D D A LV E S
Troy-mendous
Promise of ’03 was no fluke
Troy
Alves was
my Rookie
of the Year
in 2003,
when he
took eighth
at the
Olympia.
He was my
Disappointment of the
Year in
2004,
when, after
taking fifth
at the
Show of
Strength,
he dropped Taking third at the IRON MAN,
all the way Alves qualified for the Olympia
right out of the box.
to 15th at
the O.
The 38-year-old from Phoenix has one of
the most pleasing physiques in the game;
I’ve often referred to him as a modern-day
Frank Zane. Alves is too fierce a competitor
to be happy about ending last year on such a
sour note. In December he decided he would
start the year with a statement at the IRON
MAN.
That he did. At the press conference it
was clear that he was at the top of his game.
He carried that condition to a third-place
finish, although more than a few media members and fans felt he could have been second—and wouldn’t have minded if he’d won
it altogether.
Troy wasn’t angry about his placing, just a
tad disappointed. But even so, two great
things came out of the Pro IRON MAN for
Troymendous: He qualified for the Olympia
and, more important, proved he hasn’t lost a
thing.
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WATCH OUT FOR
ADD IRON MAN
On the Mark
Dugdale fares well
in pro debut
JoJo Ntiforo
Shapemaster on the rise
Comstock
One of the stories of the IM Pro was the
debut of Mark Dugdale, last year’s USA
Overall champ. The 5’6” father of three (Mark
has the prettiest guru of them all, six-year-old
daughter Maddie, to keep him in line) came
in about 10 pounds heavier than the 196 he
weighed last July and still displayed the
sharp conditioning he’s known for. Sure, he
wasn’t thrilled with his eighth-place finish,
and I’m one of many who thought the Wood-
Mark Dugdale (left) placed eighth
at the IM in his pro debut, but
more than a few supporters—like
daughter Maddie—thought he
deserved better.
STILL MORE IM PRO
David Henry dropped a placing from
last year, finishing seventh, but he
looked so sensational that Jim
Lorimer, in town to receive the Peary
and Mabel Rader Lifetime Achievement Award, promptly gave the 5’5”,
190-pound little big man an invite to
the Arnold Classic.
Craig Titus slipped out of the top five but
was the most sought-after bodybuilder in
the house, at least by the NBC camera
crew, which followed Craig around all
weekend in preparation for an upcoming
TV special.
JoJo Ntiforo could only place 11th at
the IRON MAN, but he’s got a lotta
potential. Below: winning the heavyweights at the ’02 Nationals.
This Albuquerque, New Mexico,
resident first caught my eye in 2002,
when he made a stunning leap from a
12th-place finish in the heavyweight
class at the USA to first—yup, first—in
his division at the Nationals. And, of
course, he earned a berth in the pro
ranks as a result. Though he finished
11th at the IM, I still predict big things
for Ntiforo (pronounced En-ti-foro).
The 5’10” JoJo is slowly getting
back to top form after suffering a bad
thigh injury during his first year in the
pros. He
carried 225
pounds on
his symmetrically pleasing bod in
Pasadena; if
he can add
another 10,
improve on
the calves
and get the
wheels a tad
larger from
the side,
Ntiforo will be a man on the go. He’s
got the shape, and he kinda reminds
me of a guy who did pretty well on the
pro level—Flex Wheeler.
I want JoJo back in the IM lineup
next year—don’t be surprised if he
steals the show.
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Okabe
inville, Washington, resident
could have been a couple of
slots higher. Still, he held his own
in a strong lineup, placing not
withstanding.
Dugdale turned 30 in December and will be getting better with
each contest—a great addition
to the IFBB. I said when he
turned pro that he would be a
good one, and he’s already
proven me correct, which ain’t
easy. Welcome to the big
leagues, guy.
Posers Dept.
The Greatest?
Trying to pick the very best
Without dissin’ the rest
Congrats!
I love Melvin Anthony’s
Kudos to
L.T. says Marvelous Melvin Anthony is
posing routine; thus, the
the 10 swamisthe greatest poser of all time.
moniker “Marvelous”
in-training who
given to him in 1994. I
correctly picked the
love Vince Taylor’s
top 10 at the ’05
posing routine; thus,
the moniker “Vince
IRON MAN Pro, in the
the Prince.” I love
order of their final
Darrem Charles’
placings, for our “You
routine; thus, the
Be the Judge” conmoniker “Dazzling
test. Even bigger
Darrem.”
kudos to the three
Shari Kamali’s
grand-prize winners,
routine at the IRON
selected at random
MAN had less dancfrom that group,
ing, more posing; I
each of whom received a year’s supply of Muscleliked it. And, of course,
Franklin Roberson’s
Tech supplements and two VIP tickets to the ’06
performance wasn’t too
IM Pro: Jake Yarberry of Henderson, Nevada;
shabby,
either; kudos to
Eddie Trevino of Fresno, California; and
whoever nicknamed him the
Cesar Arce of Carlsbad, California.
“Texas Tornado.”
That’s three guys we know
Now, I know some people—especially photographers and
we’ll see next year.
old-time-muscle devotees—who ain’t nuts about the jazzed-up performances of today’s physique artists. I disagree, and I say the greatest of them
all is…Marvelous Melvin by a whisker over the Prince.
Both of them begin their shtick with slow, classic posing and then shift into electrifying moves. Who will
ever forget Taylor’s Terminator bit? (By the way, the word is, we may be seeing it again in the near future.)
But Melvin can do that, and he’s the king when it comes to pop locking, electric slide, the shake and bake,
or whatever the hell it is he does. What’s more, both Taylor and Anthony were mentored by the great John
Brown—gee, how can I leave J.B. out of this discussion?
Brown, Taylor and Anthony. Hell, that’s like picking between Halle Berry, Shania Twain and Salma
Hayek. Who’s idea was it, anyway, to tackle this impossible task?
Zimmerman
Arizona figure standouts Angie Fernwault and Colette Flack
said they had a wonderful time working Colette’s BodyHobby booth at the IM FitExpo. To learn more about Colette’s
new business venture—or learn out more about Colette—
contact her at www.coletteflack.com.
Neveux
Ian L. Sitren, SecondFocus
AT T H E I M F I T E X P O
Or did he say Vince Taylor (left)? Or John Brown? Okay,
we’ll settle for a threeway tie. But wait, is that Franklin
Roberson flexing into view?
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2005 193
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FitExpo Tales: Calling Coleman
Million Dollar Baby
Mr. O to make first So Cal
Who Let the
Dogs Out?
Guest-posing appearance
Ian L. Sitren, SecondFocus
Comstock
Five minutes into Ronnie
Coleman’s seminar on the
Ronfinal day of the IM FitExpo I
nie
asked the Big Nasty a
Coleman
question from the back of
may be
the crowded room. Ten
big and
seconds into his reply, his
nasty,
cell phone went off. And
especially
in the
he answered it. “Hey,
gym, but
what’s up? I’m out here in
his true
Pasadena, giving a semicolors
WOOF! WOOF!
nar…yeah…okay, I’ll call
appeared
on the last day of the IM FitExpo when he was
you back later, dude.” Then,
introduced to the Mighty Malteses, Oliver Timmy
without missing a beat,
Teper (left) and Rio Escobar Teper, at the Weider
Coleman set his eyes on me
booth. Don’t let this picture fool ya—it took five
Was Ronnie awaiting big
and said, “What were you
minutes to get Ronnie, who was fearful of what
news from his broker?
the two ferocious attack dogs (14 pounds
asking, Lonnie?”
total) might do to him, to focus on the
Funniest moment of the entire
lens. Time for a new moniker,
weekend. Never did find out who was on the other end of the line, but after learnRonnie.
ing that Coleman recently left Weider to sign with BSN, reportedly for a two-year, $1.1
million deal, I think it might have been his investment banker. Congrats on the mega-deal,
Ronnie.
West Coast fans will get another opportunity to shake Coleman’s hand—and see him in action—when Ronnie makes his
first-ever Southern California guest-posing appearance at my NPC Junior California Championships, to be held at Pasadena
City College on June 25. Jay Cutler and Timea Majorova will be onstage as well, not to mention other celebs. Need I say
more? Be there or be square, gang.
(For complete details about the NPC Junior California Bodybuilding and Figure Championships, go to
www.graphicmuscle.com.)
D I S TA N C E A WA R D D E P T
The Longest Yard
They loved us; they really loved us
Wayne Gallasch probably flew the longest distance to the
IM Pro/FitExpo—14 hours from Australia—but since he was on
assignment to videotape the contest, as usual, he doesn’t
count. Not so the husband and wife team of Albert and
Marie Stubbington, who endured a 13 1/2-hour flight from
Auckland, New Zealand, just to take in my seminar on “Be the
Boss in Fat Loss.” Okay, so they really came to see the expo,
made a wrong turn and ended up in my room by mistake. But
Ron Avidan
they enjoyed the talk nevertheless, they claimed. Or they were
Albert and Marie Stubbington flew all the way from New
Zealand to check out L.T.’s seminar. Okay, that wasn’t the
only reason they made the near 14-hour flight, but it sounds
good, eh?
just too jet-lagged to really know what they were saying.
Albert and Marie said they had a wonderful time over the
weekend and, according to Ron Avidan of Getbig.com, are
planning to open up a nutrition store back home.
Great to have you, Albert and Marie. See ya next year.
194 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
L . T. ’ S
’05 IRON MAN PRO
AWA R D S
Gustavo
Badell.
Best Chest: Gustavo Badell
Best Arms: Lee Priest
Best Back: David Henry
Best Quadriceps: Mike Morris
Best Hamstrings: (tie): Gustavo
Badell and Mark Dugdale
Best Calves: Mike Morris
Most Improved: Troy Alves
Classiest Physique: Melvin
Anthony
Most Overlooked: David Henry
Best Costume: Franklin Roberson
HOT SHOTS
BY JERRY FREDRICK
Ronnie
signs
Terry’s belt.
Hey, Terry,
one good,
sweaty set
with that
on, and all
the ink is
gonna run
into your
shorts. Oh,
that’s part
of the
motivation?
Whatever
keeps you
pumpin’.
Some people will use
anything
handy to strangle L.T
. Sonia
prefers to wring his
neck with
an IM Pro T-shirt.
Even with
Monica
screaming
for securi
ty, Steve
refuses to
let her
leave the
IM booth.
At least
he has
exquisite
taste.
Sometimes we get
the urge
to help competitors
smooth
out their oil. Whew!
Mike
Morris.
Mervin gets posing
instruction from
the great Frank
Zane. Don’t try his
vacuum pose,
Merv. It almost
killed us.
WHOOPS!
N&V Erratum
(Not erotic—so get your mind out of the gutter)
In the February issue I wrote about the Banned Substances Control
Group (page 208), with Ryan Connolly guiding the ship as the company’s director of business affairs. Unfortunately, I left out a little something
from the company’s contact information, which has led to big confusion
for those trying to get a hold of Connolly and Co. So here it is again—the
right way: Go to www.bscgi.org, or send e-mail to info@bscgi.org.
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
Ruth Silverman’s
3803 &L5&8067$1&(
PROS SHOWS
IM to AFW
Let the games begin
Fredrick
And those were some games. The double-dollop of excitement provided by the IRON MAN Pro and FitExpo Weekend
followed by another magical mystery tour of Columbus, Ohio,
courtesy of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Lorimer
was almost more than a humble reporter could take. See the
News & Views on page 190 and the expo pics at the end of
this column for more on the Pasadena proceedings that bear
this magazine’s name.
As for the ever-popular Arnold Fitness Weekend, the amazing, ever-increasing in scope of the four-day festivities—in
tandem with the even more amazing metamorphoses of copromoter Schwarzenegger from box-office superstar to superstar governor of California—have turned our annual pilgrimage
to central Ohio into an even more outrageous adventure than it
was when I started attending back in the early ’90s. Last year
we had the pleasure of watching the outside world discover
this more-athletes-than-the-Olympics extravaganza, heretofore
The yellow-brick road. John Balik (left), IRON MAN publisher
our private property, as the governor’s hugely luminescent
and promoter of the IM Pro/FitExpo, and Jim Lorimer, promoter
presence seemed to be everywhere. This time we were too
of the Arnold Fitness Weekend, escort me into the 2005 season. Where are the Scarecrow and Toto?
wrapped up in the unfolding dramas inside the AFW to remember that the world was watching.
I arrived home to numerous phone and e-mail messages: “You must be at that Arnold thing.” Then I saw the news. Media
from coast to coast were quoting the governor’s statements on various topics made during the weekend, including those about
steroids and drug testing delivered onstage at the finals of the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic World Bodybuilding Championship. (“Schwarzenegger Wants Bodybuilding Crackdown,” screamed the AP headline filed minutes after the contest was over
on Saturday night, March 5. But I’m getting ahead of myself.)
When you’re doing the Doubletree Hotel-to-convention center-to-Veterans shuffle, “outside world” means the restaurant
where you dine after the show. Each year I swear I’m going to enjoy some of the other attractions of the AFW, and each year I
get so caught up in covering the three spectacular women’s shows and being brought up to date on everybody’s doings that
there’s barely time to grill the judges at lunch. So, while I still haven’t seen the gymnastics competition (or the cheerleading,
archery or fencing), I had a swell time, as always. The 2005 doings were so eventful—and so busy—I barely noticed when the
honorable Arnold and his entourage made their annual march through the expo hall.
Here are some of the faces and places that made the trip to Columbus so magical.
R E S U LT S • • • • • • >
UNSUNG HONORS
Humming Birds
Comstock
Quote of the weekend
And the trophy goes to Yaxeni Oriquen of
Venezuela, who won her third Ms. International
title and shared her third moment in the spotlight with Arnold. When Schwarzenegger
asked if she had anything to say, Oriquen
quipped, “Where’s my Hummer?”
Second place goes to Schwarzenegger, of
course, who, under his breath (but loud enough
to be heard in row K), returned, “Oh, you’ll get
your Hummer.”
Although Oriquen had previously told her
host that her English had improved a lot since
their last meeting, it’s unclear whether she’d
gotten to double entendre yet.
In case you’re wondering. What did the Big Fella reply when Yaxeni told him that her
English was improving? “How vould I know?”
Hendershott was dressed to
kill. See the item opposite.
196 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
DRESSING ROOM
TALES
M O R E R E S U LT S — F I G U R E I
Pulchritude A’plenty
And their bodies ain’t bad, either
Spread
’em.
Top row from left: Mary Elizabeth Lado, Christine Pomponio-Pate, Zena
Collins and Jenny Lynn. Front row from left: Shannon Meteraud and
Elaine Goodlad.
Photography by Ruth Silverman
Lightweight champ
Brenda Raganot get
s
a last minute touchup before the Ms.
International finals
. Should she have
won
the overall? See pag
e 204.
rnational
’05 FigurechIn4,te2005
The Figure International lineup got
high marks from my boss, IM’s John
Balik, who raved about the veritable
cornucopia of beautiful faces coming
across his lens. As this cornucopiac
backstage huddle shows, the boss is
never wrong.
As for the score card, no shockers in
this outcome: Jenny Lynn beat Mo
Brant again. Ho hum. Check out the
Web coverage at IM’s
Graphicmuscle.com, and look for a full
Figure I contest report next month.
Mar
*
1) Jenny Lynn
t-Peckham*
2) Monica Bran Lado*
th
be
iza
3) Mary El
mponio-Pate*
4) Christine Po
er*
5) Latisha Wild n
oh
ej
ttl
Li
r
be
6) Am
7) Jane Awad
lad
8) Elaine Good
ns
lli
Co
na
Ze
9)
eteraud
10) Shannon M
tie Ahearne
at
Be
ey
11) Lyns
less
ok
12) Allison Bo
ey
rtl
Ha
n
Je
)
13
ia.
e Figure Olymp
*Qualifies for th
FITNESS I
Shocker
What exactly was Jen Hendershott
hiding under the blingalicious coat and
cap backstage at the Fitness International (opposite page)? The total package, what else? Rolling onstage in a
miniature Hummer (probably the one the
governor plans to give to Yaxeni), she
rode right past defending champ and
current Fitness Olympia champ Adela
Garcia-Friedmansky to score her first
ever pro victory. Look for a complete
report in the July issue, and in case the
placings pose questions you can’t wait
to have answered, check out my online
coverage—and the Fitness I photo
gallery—at Iron Man’s
Graphicmuscle.com.
Spring
colors.
. Though
Lisa Aukland looks nifty in pink
the heavyshe had to settle for fourth in
honors in
weights, she took runner-up
item on
beauty and femininity. See the
page 199.
Speaking of Hummers
Teeheehee.
’05 Fitness Inte
rn
March 4, 2005
ational
1) Jen Hender
shot
2) Adela Garcia t*
-Friedmansky*
3) Kim Klein*
4) Kelly Ryan*
5) Stacy Hylto
n*
6) Julie Palmer
7) Tracey Gree
nw
8) Debbie Czem ood
pi
9) Tanji Johnso nski
n
10) Mindi O’Br
ien
11) Carla Sanc
hez
12) Kirsten Nice
warner
*Qualifies for th
e Fitness Olymp
ia.
Betty Viana has a hard time focusing
after the first attempt to get this shot
puts the fella who’s oiling her up in a
very compromising position. Don’t
worry, Betty. This is a family magazine.
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
3803 &L5&8067$1&(
T E S T O S T E R O N E C O R N E R — L I T E R A L LY
Hold Up, Girl!
Did I really say Schwarzenegger and
steroids in the same sentence?
Comstock
national spokesman on the evils of
Indeed I did—but he said it first. In
steroids.”
remarks made from the podium to the
Between the day he gave that inter3,900 or so roaring fans at the finals
view and showtime on March 5, the
of the men’s professional bodybuilding
gov. obviously did some deep thinking.
competition that bears his name and
Perhaps he was persuaded by the
to untold legions watching the event
arguments of some of the aforemenon PPV, California Governor Arnold
tioned official voices of bodybuilding—
Schwarzenegger vowed to battle
representatives of the IFBB Pro Division
steroid use in bodybuilding and sugand some of the major bodybuilding
gested that some serious drug testing
publications, including this one—who
might well be coming to the sport.
reportedly did a lot of ruminating during
Talk about your shockers. While the
Arnold Fitness Weekend. (Just because
world of major-league sports has
they’d been quiet on the subject
been for months awash in steroiddoesn’t mean they weren’t ruminating.)
related scandals and legal proceedThe governor’s statement from the
ings, a few even involving physique
podium was the first thing I ever heard
athletes, the official voices of bodyhim say onstage that didn’t get a 10 on
building had been relatively quiet on
the applause meter. Instead, it received
the subject—officially. As for the govpolite clapping punctuated by grumbling
ernor, although he’s long admitted to
whispers from some of the fans who
his own steroid use during his comhad shelled out good bucks to see
petitive years—under legal circumNutrition reform. At the Arnold Classic,
inhumanly huge creatures pose down.
stances and a doctor’s care—he had Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called for
Was he serious? Was he kidding? Was
his hands full keeping the spin from
a crackdown on steriods in bodybuilding,
he sullying the sanctity of the Arnold
the steroid issue from distracting him and the next day he declared a crackdown
on junk food in California schools.
Classic by using it to make political
from his total package of legislative
hay?
agenda. Consider this from an article
Of course, there were plenty who were thrilled that the Big
titled, “Governor Says He Won’t Flex Muscle to Curb
Fella was speaking up. Not everyone has forgotten the deaths
Steroids,” published at the Sacramento Bee online on March
of Mohammed Benaziza in 1992 and Andreas Munzer in
4, the day before the Arnold:
“But while he said he’d like to see bodybuilding clean up its ’96, both famously brought on by the extreme physiqueenhancing measures they used in their contest prep. Not
overall image, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger insisted in a
everyone is enthralled when viewing the bloated midsections
recent interview with The Bee that he’s not about to become
that turn up so frequently in men’s pro lineups.
Now, with Arnold on board and on the record,
BACK STORIES
maybe some of the ideas championed by IRON
MAN publisher John Balik and others over the
years can be implemented.
“We have to step up the testing procedures, and
Carla Sanchez was absolutely thrilled
find other ways, and be more aggressive with it,”
to get the call to Columbus this year. The
35-year-old choreographer and coach from said Schwarzenegger, who gave an interview on
Colorado had already decided to call it quits the subject to reporters earlier in the day. Accordin terms of competition. Enough of perform- ing to the AP, he “also recommended changing the
way bodybuilding is judged so that demonstration
ing with her leg in a brace—since tearing
and display count more than muscle size.”
her ACL a third time, in 2002. “It’s time to
Will Arnold be rolling up his sleeves and getting
focus on business and clients,” she said.
involved in the new drug-testing procedures? PulWhen the invite to the Fitness International
eeze—that sound bite has passed. But mark his
came, she was glad of the opportunity to
go out with a bang at one of the best com- words: Change is coming. The good news is, for a
whole lot of reasons people are finally getting topetitions.
gether to say the time has come to do something
The Rocky Mountain high priestess of
about the rampant use of pharmaceuticals in
fitness won’t really be leaving the scene
completely, though. Already a familiar figure physique competition. Bodybuilding might be a
Snow bunny. Maybe it was
just a coincidence, but
mere mosquito on the biceps of the wide world of
backstage at shows in which her clients
snow started falling in
compete, Sanchez also promotes the Carla sports, but it’s not below the radar of the prosecuColumbus just a couple of
Sanchez Fitness Fiesta, which is scheduled tors and journalists who investigate these matters.
hours after Carla tore up
for May 21 in Wheatridge, Colorado.
Besides, it’s the right thing to do.
the stage in this get-up.
Carla’s Swan Song
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
AWARDS
COMERS
Six-pack and a six-shooter. Susanne took
fourth at the Ms. I, but some folks are hoping that was fourth with a bullet.
Speaking of a new style
for women’s bodybuilding
Arguments could be made
that Susanne Niederhauser
has it. The 34-year-old from
Wels, Austria, hit the pro ranks
in 2002, when she won the
lightweights at the Southwest
USA Pro and then finished dead
last at the Olympia. Now that
the emphasis in women’s bodybuilding is presumably swinging
away from hu-u-uge, she’s
ready, willing and able to come
into her own. “When I started to
train almost 18 years ago, I
knew I would like to look like
Cory Everson and Anja
Langer,” says Niederhauser,
who works at a daily newspaper. She misses the presence of
athletes like those in the muscle
magazines and hopes to be
able to fill that void. “I think I
could represent the ideal in
feminine muscularity for the
lightweight class,” she says. The
IM team couldn’t agree more.
Femininity Redefined
Last
month
this
column
reported on a
campaign
by
bodybuilder
Carolyn
Bryant
to
reward
women
pros
She got grace. Mah-Ann
who
Mendoza, with Kevin Todd of
exemPremier Nutrition, accepts the
plify
TBN award—and check.
grace,
beauty and femininity—or words to that
effect. The bottom line came in at
$1,000, which Bryant and her Total Body
Network presented to Ms. I Lightweight
runner-up Mah-Ann Mendoza at the expo
on the day after the contest. Mendoza
was tied with heavyweight Lisa Aukland—until Bryant cast the tie-breaking
vote. Regarding Mendoza, who was tied
with Lightweight winner Brenda Raganot
going into round four of the bodybuilding, Bryant said, “I like the fact that our
winner could have also won the show,
which means that our judging was not
suspect.” Next time, she added, there
will be awards for a winner in both
classes.
Mervin Petralba
Intriguing Package
EXPO ENCOUNTERS
Wow, that was
fast. Wasn’t it
yesterday we
published that
beautiful
wedding-onthe-beach
photo of fitness star Lena
Johanneson?
Now she’s
back, and
marriage
obviously
agrees with
her.
Fresh face. I can’t
think of when I last
saw Tracy
Traskos—it might
have been when
she earned her pro
card at the Team
Universe Fitness
Championships in
2002. The 5’2”
personal trainer
from Michigan will
get her next blast of
pro competition in
the fall.
Thrilled to be here. A
difficult travel day
getting to Columbus
couldn’t dim Sara
Flom’s excitement
about being a booth
babe at the Arnold.
The So Cal fitness
hopeful is looking at
the California Championships in May as
the next stop on her
’05 competition
itinerary.
Speaking of tough travel days.
During her journey back home
to Slovakia over the holidays,
Timea Majorova got more than
a blast of the freezing storms
that were also visiting Europe.
That’s the downside of living in
Southern California, T. Once
you’ve been there a few years,
ice and snow seem even colder
than they used to.
Familiar face.
Texas talent
Michelle Greer was
a winner in bodybuilding and figure
last season. This
year, reluctantly,
she’ll stick with
figure. Says Greer,
“I really love bodybuilding and love
displaying my
muscle with posing.” Pose your
muscle for the
camera, Michelle.
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2005 199
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
3803 &L5&8067$1&(
LATE-NIGHT VIEWS
Party Girls and Guys
The lobby of the Doubletree Hotel during the
onset of the wee hours on the night of the
Arnold Classic is a great time to catch the
physique stars in one of their between times:
Between the banquet and official afterparties
and the unofficial ordering of the pizza in the
room. Behold the after-hour candids of 2005.
And if the music man is ready, pose down. Jenny Lynn
(left) and Monica Brant-Peckham and their hubbies
arrive in the next wave.
“Can I cut
in?” Ron
Lavelle grabs
a quick one,
then dances
his wife to the
elevator.
Does anyone
know the
number for
Pizza Hut?
Columbus comer Latisha Wilder,
overlooked no more thanks to her
fifth-place finish at the Figure
International, drifts in with a
group of friends.
Also drifting in are bodybuilding’s
really biggest fella, Mr. Olympia
Ronnie Coleman, and Ronnie’s
biggest fan, fitness pro Alti
Bautista, who comes over to say
hello.
More news and notes from the
Arnold Fitness Weekend next month.
S T I L L N O M O R E S U LT S
Same as the first
’05 San Francisco Pro Figure
8) Allison Bookless
9) Christine Wan
10) Colette Flack
11) Marcy Porter
To the enthusiastic reader who sent the
following e-mail note: “I owe you an apology. I have probably been as guilty as the rest in saying that the
women don’t get any coverage in the mags. That is so not true. I was
reading the IRON MAN Pump & Circumstance in the grocery store,
and it was like, you really do a great job covering all angles of our side
in the amount of space they give you.”
Aw, shucks to the compliments. We do what we can here at P&C.
But, like, wow. You read it in the grocery store? Is that any way to
support people who support women’s bodybuilding? Buy the damn
mag, girlfriend, or, better yet, get a subscription. These pages don’t
grow on trees, ya know.
FINAL NOTE
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
Neveux
*Qualifies for the Figure Olympia.
The fourth-placer gets the sliding
qualification.
Neveux
1) Jenny Lynn*
2) Monica Brant-Peckham*
3) Christine Pomponio-Pate*
4) Chastity Slone*
5) Rhonda Riley
6) Gina Comacho
7) Trish Mayberry
March 12, 2005
Neveux
Second Verse
To contact Lonnie Teper about
material possibly pertinent to
News & Views, write to 1613
Chelsea Road, #266, San
Marino, CA 91108; fax to (626)
289-7949; or send e-mail to
tepernews@aol.com.
You can contact Ruth Silverman, fitness reporter and
Pump & Circumstance scribe,
in care of IRONMAN, 1701 Ives
Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033; or via
e-mail at ironwman@aol.com.
You can contact Jerry
Fredrick, ace photographer for
Hot Shots and Hardcore
Training, in care of IRONMAN,
1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA
93033; or via e-mail at
jerryfredrick@aol.com.
IRON MAN FitExpo
Photography by Mervin
1
2
3
1) MuscleTech was the premier
sponsor of the ’05 IM Pro. Jay Cutler and Martin Pillmajer look
pleased with the turnout.
4
2) Special thanks to Weider Publications. Some of the best
bodybuilders in the world, like Mr. O
Ronnie Coleman, appeared courtesy
of Weider.
3) Bodybuilding.com made a lastminute addition to the IM Pro prize
money. These folks really support
the sport!
4) Our favorite Arnold look-alike
(and sound-alike), Roland Kickinger,
was in the house—at the Champion
Nutrition booth.
5) Obusforme, sponsor of the NPC
IRON MAN Figure competition.
6) ErgoPharm, performance-nutrition technology at its best.
7) Java Fit kept everybody revved.
8) Egg Whites International.
5
6
7
8
JUNE 2005 201
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
2
1
3
4
1) Bio-Engineered Supplements &
Nutrition.
2) SAN Corporation.
3) PharmagenX.
4) Stan McQuay at the Prolab
booth.
5) Labrada Nutrition.
6) Ultimate Nutrition.
6
7) Aqua Pro.
8) VPX.
9) Subway (no, that’s not Jarrod).
10) Tibetan Tea.
11) Promax.
12) Amend for Arnold.
5
5
7
8
9
11
10
12
202 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
14
12
13
17
12) Compex.
13) 24 Hour Fitness Solutions.
14) Met-Rx.
15
15) Gaspari Nutrition.
16
16) Brazil Workout.
17) 97.1 FM interviews Coleman
and his giant arms.
18) All American Pharmaceutical
Natural Foods Corporation.
18
19) LifeSource water systems.
20) Country Power Inc.
21) Planet Body activewear.
19
22) Monster Energy.
20
22
23) Danza.
21
24) Worldwide.
24
25) Targit.
26) Sparkletts.
27) Living Air Purifiers.
28) Vital Choice.
25
23
26
27
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
28
203
1) Heavyweight and Overall
Yaxeni Oriquen
1-Lightweight
Brenda Raganot
’05 IFBB Ms. International
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
Yaxenatin’
Rhythm
You Got ’Em on the Go; Yaxenatin’
Rhythm, They’re All Atwitter
by Ruth Silverman
Photography by John Balik and Bill Comstock
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Okay, so the
title’s a slight exaggeration, but
you’ve got to admit, Yaxeni Oriquen
pulled off one amazing sleight-oftriceps onstage at the Veterans
Memorial Auditorium on March 4,
when she basically demolished the
competition and walked off with
her third Ms. International title.
Soft on the outside, striated in the
center, she posed her 5’8” of flowing muscularity with majestic
grace, earning fives across the
board from the judges—that is, a
perfect score—in the heavyweight
class before posing down
lightweight winner Brenda Raganot
for the overall. Even more impressive, the Venezuelan vixen posed
down the notorious 20 percent rule
and came up the victor.
A little background is in order:
The six lightweights and six heavyweights hit the stage subject to the
IFBB Pro Division’s recent advisory
notice that female pro
bodybuilders, as well as pro fitness
and figure athletes, should “decrease muscularity by a factor of 20
percent.” Followers of the women’s
physique sports saw it as the latest
in a series of so far unsuccessful
attempts to stem the tide of biggerharder-and-more-ripped physiques
and get the women to look more
feminine—read, more acceptable to
a mainstream audience—although
the notice actually said, “for
aesthics and health reasons.” Questions about the fairness, subjectivity
and gender bias of the new rule—
not to mention whether it was holding women back from reaching their
potential—fomented all winter. Also
at issue: Would the judges heed
their own advisory notice?
Based on what we saw at the Ms.
International, the answer is a qualified yes, despite the complaining
you might be hearing from some
quarters. The women were pretty
much across the board smaller and
less extreme in their conditioning,
with varying degrees of success in
pulling off the look to perfection.
Heavyweight
If bodybuilding is indeed an art of
illusion, then Yaxeni is one built
David Copperfield. The fact that she
was the favorite to win in no way
diminishes her achievement. Technically speaking, she wasn’t smaller—she weighed in at 170—but the
illusion created by her long, flowing
bodyparts and long, flowing hair
moving eloquently as she flexed
made the judges believers. She
definitely presented a more femi-
nine package. For those who’ve
watched her transformation since
she lunged into the pro ranks in
1994, it was a revelation. One point
to keep in mind: Last year, as the
two-time winner and defending
champ, Oriquen lost in the heavyweights to Iris Kyle, a woman whose
physique was and is, arguably, more
muscular and more extremely conditioned than hers has ever been.
The battle for second in the heavyweights brought a certain amount of
’05 IFBB Ms. International
Overall
Yaxeni Oriquen
Lightweight
1) Brenda Raganot*
2) Mah-Ann Mendoza*
3) Desiree Ellis*
4) Susanne Niederhauser
5) Angela Debatin
6) Fannie Barrios
Heavyweight
1) Yaxeni Oriquen*
2) Betty Viana*
3) Betty Pariso*
4) Lisa Aukland
5) Christine Roth
*Qualifies for the Ms. Olympia.
Withdrew: Pauliina Talus
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2005 205
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
2) Betty Viana
1) Yaxeni Oriquen
’05 IFBB Ms. International
upward mobility.
Lisa Aukland has turned in a
personal best at every competition
she’s entered in the past couple of
years, and this one saw her classy
presentation earn fourth-place
honors. Christine Roth displayed
plenty of muscular bodyparts but
not the balance to finish higher than
fifth here, while Pauliina Talus, who
was in sixth after the judging, with-
5) Christine Roth
observers interpreted the call as
Betty P’s losing points because she
was “smaller,” it’s more likely that
Betty V’s increased polish brought
her superior lines front and center in
the judges’ line of vision. I’ve always
said that Viana, a.k.a. the other
Venezuelan vixen, has the genetics to
seriously challenge for an Olympia
title someday. Could be the current
campaign is her opportunity for
4) Lisa Aukland
3) Betty Pariso
suspense to the proceedings,
although the judges were unanimous
in their decisions. For once it was not
business as usual, as the sensationally symmetrical Betty Viana, her 5’6”,
155-pound body accentuated by
round, full muscle and tuned more
finely than it’s been at any top-tier
show, pumped past old-schoolmuscle veteran Betty Pariso to take
the runner-up check. Though some
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
drew due to injury.
2) Mah-Ann Mendoza
4) Susanne Niederhauser
6) Fannie Barrios
5) Angela Debatin
3) Desiree Ellis
1) Brenda Raganot
Lightweight
Two women known for their
total-package symmetry rather than
extreme muscularity shot to the fore
in the 135-and-under lineup. MahAnn Mendoza and Brenda Raganot
were tied going into round four, the
5’2” Mendoza being one athlete
who, arguably, didn’t need to lose 20
percent of her muscle, and the 5’3”
Raganot, who won this class in
2000, being living proof that moving
up to the heavies is not a good idea.
Was it Brenda’s thicker musculature
or her slightly superior flow-ofbodyparts—or both—that tipped
the panel in the final comparisons?
She ended the evening with a fivepoint victory in the class, which
raised the question among some
observers as to whether the panel
had missed an opportunity to make
a statement vis-à-vis women and
muscle size.
It’s all a matter of perspective, of
course. The judges probably
thought they had made a
statement—by placing Canada’s
Desiree Ellis, third at the Olympia,
in that spot here as well. At 5’1” Ellis
looked to have more conditioned
muscle poured over her bodyparts
than anyone else in the class—too
much for the current standards—
and the point could be made that 20
percent less wide would do wonders
for the illusion she creates onstage.
No disrespect to Ellis, who is a
good bodybuilder and had a stellar
season in 2004, but if the rules have
indeed changed, she was the least
successful in terms of achieving 20
percent less.
Still, in some views the real statement would have been to place
Austria’s Susanne Niederhauser
higher than fourth. The 5’4 1/2”,
125-pound office worker from Wels,
who won her class at the ’02 Southwest USA Pro Cup, has one of the
most promising aesthetic-type
packages to come along in years—
with a waist so tiny, she could have
worn Scarlett O’Hara’s gowns. Gorgeous lines and enough muscle that
she won’t be mistaken for a figure
contestant: This gal has so much
promise, some pundits could even
have seen her winning the class.
That may be a bit premature. (Baby
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2005 207
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Heavyweights (from left): Aukland, Pariso, Oriquen, Viana and Roth.
Oriquen and Raganot pose down.
steps. We’re taking baby steps.)
But I’d be willing
to bet that having
her hair and
makeup professionally done—
and some
coaching on the
best ways to
present her
physique in the
relaxed and
mandatory
poses—would do
a lot more for her
placings than
adding muscle.
Ms. International veteran
Fannie Barrios
tried to be smaller and smoother,
but maybe just a
bit smoother
would have done
it. That goes for
Angela Debatin
as well, but to a
lesser degree.
Both women’s
physiques lacked
their usual balance. Debatin
was fifth and
Barrios sixth.
Overall
Did the judges
miss yet another
chance to make a
statement when
they chose Yaxeni over the more
aesthetically gifted Raganot?
Maybe they, too, were just caught
in the spell of her Yaxenatin’
rhythm. Oriquen picked up $7,000
for the class win plus $10,000 for
winning the overall, by far the
largest slice of the $50,000 total
purse. The top three in each class
qualified for the ’05 Ms. Olympia.
Epilogue
It’s all well and good to applaud
the baby steps, but what happens
at the Ms. O, where Brenda and
Yaxeni will face defending champs
Dayana Cadeau and Iris Kyle, a pair
who make them look like the second-placers at the Cal when it
comes to hard-and-shredded muscle? How the current Olympia
champs—and former Ms. O Lenda
Murray—present their interpretations of 20 percent decreased muscle and how the judges react will let
us know whether that baby’s ever
going to walk.
However they phrase it, more
than “femininity” is at stake this
time. At the Arnold Classic on Saturday night, Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger, California head of
state and copromoter, with Jim
Lorimer, of the weekend that bears
his name, announced to a packed
house at the Veterans that drug
testing is coming to bodybuilding.
We’ll find out shortly exactly what
that means, but rest assured, it’ll be
one perk the women won’t be missing out on. IM
208 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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Jerry Brainum’s
Bodybuilding Pharmacology
The New
Ephedrine?
When the Food and Drug Administration banned the
sale of ephedrine and mahuang food supplements on April
12, 2004, companies selling those products knew they had
a problem. It wasn’t the bogus lawsuits that burgeoned
both before and after the ruling but what to do to maintain
sales of their various fat-loss products, most of which were
based on ephedrine or mahuang, often accompanied by a
natural caffeine source, such as kola nut or guarana. The
products produced millions in revenue. Unlike many other
food supplements, fat-loss products have a huge crossover
appeal, not only to bodybuilders and other athletes but
also to anyone who wants to drop a few pounds. Considering that at least one-third of all Americans are clinically
obese, the market for fat-loss supplements is enormous.
That’s particularly true when you consider what’s available in drug form for those purposes. Most products are
molecular descendants of amphetamine, or speed, targeted at promoting fat loss through appetite suppression. The
one exception is Xenical, or olestra, which is a fat blocker.
None of those drugs works very well. Studies comparing
them to the ephedrine-and-caffeine combo have found
that the latter produced better results. That, ultimately, led
to the demise of ephedrine, since both the drug companies
and the FDA had a vested interest in maintaining weightloss drug sales.
Ephedrine worked better than currently available prescription fat-loss drugs simply because it was far more
inclusive than they were. Not only did ephedrine reduce
appetite, but it also promoted mechanisms of increased fat
oxidation. Ephedrine worked that way because it was
chemically similar to catecholamines made in the body,
such as epinephrine and norepinephrine, which promote
fat mobilization. Ephedrine mimicked many of their actions.
So the problem facing supplement companies following
the ephedrine ban was finding a suitable, legal substitute.
Several candidates have emerged, such
as green tea and hydroxycitrate. The
substance most nearly resembling
ephedrine that’s still legal—though it
may not be for long—is Citrus aurantium, also known as Seville orange and
Chinese bitter orange. In herbal form it
has various names, depending on the
culture in which it’s used. Thus, in
China it’s called zhi shi, and the
Japanese call it kijitsu, while to Koreans
it’s chisil.
Like mahuang, the parent plant from
which ephedrine was derived, Citrus
aurantium, or CA, has been used for
thousands of years, though never for
fat-loss purposes. Instead, it’s been
used as a condiment and an ingredient
in beer and eaten as a rather bitter
fruit. The amounts used, however,
never approached the concentration of
active ingredients in fat-loss supplements.
Analysis of CA shows that the primary active ingredients that promote fat
loss are synephrine and octopamine.1
Synephrine bears a close chemical
resemblance to ephedrine, while octopamine looks a lot like
norepinephrine. Not only are the two
substances produced in plants, but
they’re also made in the human body,
which likely explains why they’re still
legal. Neither substance works precisely like ephedrine, despite claims to the
contrary.
Is the next best fat-loss compound synephrine?
210 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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Synephrine has alpha-adrenergic effects, as did ephedrine, but
unlike ephedrine it interacts only
with beta-3 adrenergic receptors.
Ephedrine interacted with beta-1,
beta-2 and beta-3 receptors, with
most of the fat-mobilizing effects
occurring from its interaction with
the beta-2s. The overlap with beta1 receptors is what led to
ephedrine’s side effects, such as
excessive cardiovascular stimulation. In reality, that posed a problem only with those who
overdosed on ephedrine or had
known medical contraindications,
such as cardiovascular disease, or
CVD.
Octopamine is a selective beta-3
agonist, meaning it interacts exclusively with beta-3 adrenergic receptors. Some ads have implied
that this offers distinct advantages.
Activating beta-1 and -2 cell receptors unavoidably also increases
cardiovascular stress. Beta-3
adrenergic receptors, however, are
found only in fat. It sounds good
until you realize what type of fat
those receptors are found in.
The type of fat that contains
beta-3 adrenergic is known as
brown adipose tissue, or BAT. It’s
loaded with both blood vessels and
mitochondria, a portion of cells
where fat is directly oxidized, or
burned. That explains BAT’s redbrown color. Those attributes also
mean that BAT is highly thermoSome scientists believe that some people can eat whatever they
genic, capable of converting fat
please without getting fat because they have more brown adipose
calories into heat. BAT, in essence,
tissue, which burns off excess calories as heat.
is a built-in radiator. Some scientists previously attributed the ability of some humans to eat whatever they pleased without
be expected to decrease fat oxidation.
getting fat to BAT activity.
Another frequently mentioned advantage of CA over
More research, however, showed that BAT is far more
ephedrine is the lack of apparent cardiovascular sympactive in babies and animals than it is in adults. In fact,
toms, such as fast heartbeat or the shakiness that some
BAT has little or no activity in adults because most adults
ephedrine users experienced. They were related to the
have little or no BAT. A few scientists still insist that some
activation of beta-1 receptors by ephedrine, which doesn’t
humans are born with more BAT activity than normal and
occur with CA. Unfortunately, another cardiovascular side
maintain its heightened activity into adulthood. Others say
effect often attributed to ephedrine is shared with CA—
that those who seem able to eat anything with impunity
hypertension, or elevated blood pressure.
owe their capacity to something else—for instance, inCatecholamines, such as epinephrine and norepinephcreased activity of the body’s thermogenic proteins, such
rine, promote vasoconstriction, or a tightening of arterial
as uncoupling protein-3, which by the way exists in both
blood vessels that results in elevation of blood pressure.
brown and white fat.
Since ephedrine was similar in structure to
But getting back to CA, if the main ingredients in the
catecholamines, it also led to a slight increase in blood
supplement work primarily by activating beta-3 receptors,
pressure, which didn’t pose a problem for most people.
it wouldn’t be an effective fat burner for most people. In
Synephrine and octopamine are structurally similar to
addition, the two primary active ingredients in CA—
catecholamines, and they can also increase blood pressynephrine and octopamine—inhibit the production of
sure.
cyclic AMP.2 Cyclic AMP, produced from the body’s ATP, is
What about the evidence that CA does stimulate fat
loss? Unlike the evidence for ephedrine, it’s thus far
the first chemical in the metabolic cascade that results in
sparse.3 Animal studies do show significant fat loss with
fat oxidation. A substance that inhibits cyclic AMP could
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2005 211
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Jerry Brainum’s
Bodybuilding Pharmacology
Citrus aurantium interacts
with beta-3 receptors, not
the beta-2 receptors that
are the main player in
human fat loss.
CA, but animals such as rats, hamsters and dogs have far more active
beta-3 receptors than humans. Those
studies also show that octopamine is
far more potent than synephrine in
promoting fat loss but far less potent
than norepinephrine. Octopamine
worked well for rats, hamsters and
dogs but produced no fat-mobilizing
effect whatever in humans and
guinea pigs. Synephrine does promote fat loss in humans but only
when used at levels high enough to
also significantly increase blood
pressure.
CA shares a property with grapefruit juice that doesn’t exist with
ephedrine: It contains at least two
substances that inhibit the
cytochrome P450 enzyme system in
the liver. That particular system metabolizes more than 25 percent of
available drugs, and inhibiting it
could lead to dangerously high concentrations of drugs in the body. CA is
even more potent than grapefruit
juice in that regard.
Case studies of CA’s side effects are
starting to appear in medical journals.
Like the cases that involved
ephedrine, however, they show little
or no direct cause-and-effect relationship to use of CA. One case involved a 52-year-old woman who
experienced unremitted tachycardia
(rapid heartbeat) after taking 500
milligrams of a CA supplement containing 6 percent synephrine, or 30
milligrams.4 She’d been taking thyroid
medication for 10 years, however, and
the doctors reporting her case suspected an interaction between thyroid hormone and CA. That makes
sense considering that natural catecholamines produced in the body can
result in a similar effect when used
with thyroid medication.
Another case involved a 55-yearold woman who had used a supplement containing CA.5 She had a heart
attack, which her examining physi-
cians attributed to the CA. She had no
apparent cardiovascular risk factors,
such as elevated blood cholesterol or
lipids, high blood pressure and so on.
On the other hand, she was a heavy
smoker, and smoking can independently lead to a heart attack. Again,
no true cause and effect to indict CA.
Even if CA proved to be less “dangerous” than ephedrine, it still
wouldn’t compare in effectiveness to
ephedrine. That’s mainly because CA
interacts with beta-3 receptors, not
the beta-2 receptors that are the main
player in human fat loss. Even worse,
CA has the same potential for causing
an increase in blood pressure that
was linked to ephedrine, and it inhibits the liver’s vital drug-detoxifying
system.
Food-supplement purveyors will
have to come up with something
better than CA if they want to keep
their Mercedes.
References
1 Fugh-Berman, A., et al. (2004).
Citrus aurantium, an ingredient of
dietary supplements marketed for
weight loss: Current status of clinical
and basic research. Exp Biol Med.
229:698-704.
2 Airriess, C.N. (1997). Selective
inhibition of adenyl cyclase by octopamine via a cloned A2A-adrenoceptor. Br J Pharmacol. 122:191-98.
3 Bent, S., et al. (2004). Safety and
efficacy of Citrus aurantium for
weight loss. Am J Cardiol. 94:13591361.
4 Firenzuoli, F., et al. (2005). Adverse reaction to an adrenergic herbal
extract (Citrus aurantium).
Phytomedicine. In press.
5 Nykamp, D.L., et al. (2004). Possible association of acute lateral-wall
myocardial infarction and bitter
orange supplement. Ann Pharmacotherp. 38:812-16. IM
212 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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Blowing by Bad Workouts
ow many times has this happened to you: You’re all
ready to have a terrific workout, and what you get is a
bust. Perhaps you came in raring to go because your
last training session made you think that you were on your
way to becoming a living legend. Perhaps nothing dramatic
has happened lately, but at least you seemed to be solidly
plodding along toward your goals. Or perhaps you had a
rough go of it the past several times you hit the gym, and
despite your best intentions, this latest workout, just like its
predecessors, was a flat tire.
What you do next is crucial not only to your immediate
progress but also to how much progress you’ll ultimately
make in the sport. In fact, the way you handle the situation
may be representative of the way you handle potentially discouraging situations in life. There really are just two fundamental reactions: You can keep going, or you can quit. Let’s see
what determines which way you go and lay out a strategy for
blowing by bad workouts.
H
How you handle bad
workouts is crucial to
your progress.
Neveux \ Model: Michael Ergas
IRONMIND
Mind
Let ’em go and
you will grow
The typical advice for managing bad workouts focuses on
physical things. For example, the usual explanation is that
you’ve been overtraining and should back off, that your diet is
poor or that you need to use a certain supplement. To be
sure, a host of physical factors powerfully influence the quality
of your training, but if you really want to understand the heart
of the issue, look to the psychological, not the physical, world.
Consider two very different reactions to a bad workout. In
one approach you conclude that you always have bad workouts and that every routine you’ve tried has been a failure. You
can expect nothing else, since you’re genetically challenged.
In another approach you conclude that even if this last workout wasn’t so hot, you’ve been cooking with gas lately, or
even if you stank on one part of it, other parts actually went
very well.
Research psychologist Martin Seligman and his colleagues
have been exploring the reasons some people quit and others
continue to march forward in the face of adversity. Why, they
asked, when faced with a discouraging situation, do some
people just treat it like a bad-hair day and continue taking care
of business while others are completely devastated? To help
explain such phenomena, Seligman’s group suggested three
critical dimensions: permanence, pervasiveness and personalization.
When you have a lousy workout, do you view it as something that always happens or as something that just happens
from time to time? That’s what permanence is all about, and
it’s key to the way you deal with misfortune: People who throw
in the towel believe that permanent causes underlie their
problems, while people who keep on trucking believe that
their problems are temporary. The quitter’s view of a bad
workout is that he or she always has bad workouts. Conversely, the person who sees the bad workout as an occasional thing can take it in stride.
Pervasiveness has to do with whether you regard your
unfortunate situation as specific or general. For example, one
person might say that he or she has tried everything and
nothing has worked, but another might say, “I gain a lot better
on abbreviated whole-body routines than I do on six-day
splits.” People who quit see negative situations in broad,
universal terms, while people who keep plugging away put
limits around the negative situation, controlling the damage
rather than letting it flood into other areas.
Personalization has to do with whether you explain things
by what’s called an internal or external locus of control. For
example, if you explain a bad workout by talking about your
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Body
limited potential, that’s an internal perspective—you
look inside yourself for the cause of the problem. On
the other hand, if you explain a bad workout by
noting that you simply had a bad day, nothing more
and nothing less, you’re using an external perspective.
The next step is to use those dimensions to help
frame a productive response the next time you’re
faced with a bad workout or any other discouraging
situation. First, be sure to view the problem in the
narrow frame it deserves—for example, think in
terms of this workout, not training in general. That
will help you look at the occasional bad workout as
just that: occasional and not something to get discouraged about.
Second, when one part of your workout goes
south, it’s tempting to throw in the towel, but don’t.
In fact, if you quit at that stage, you’re digging your
own grave. Reduce your weights and/or reps or
even change your routine, but keep going, and
chances are you’ll leave the gym with a feeling of
success, even if one aspect of your workout didn’t
turn out as planned.
Third, look outside yourself for explanations of
why things went wrong, rather than trying to attribute
them to your internal characteristics. Of course, that
doesn’t mean you should avoid taking responsibility
where appropriate. It does mean that you shouldn’t
call yourself hopeless when, for example, a bad
workout might easily be due to a particularly stressful
day at work.
When you’re in it for the long haul, bad workouts
come with the territory. The way you handle them,
however, is up to you: Either they can leave you
broken down and in despair, or you can learn to
blow right by them.
—Randall Strossen, Ph.D.
Editor’s note: Randall Strossen, Ph.D., edits the
quarterly magazine MILO. He’s also the author of
IronMind: Stronger Minds, Stronger Bodies; Super
Squats: How to Gain 30 Pounds of Muscle in 6
Weeks and Paul Anderson: The Mightiest Minister.
For more information call IronMind Enterprises Inc. at
(530) 265-6725 or Home Gym Warehouse at (800)
447-0008, ext. 1. Visit the IronMind Web site at
www.ironmind.com.
Muscle Lifestyle
I Love the Nightlife
Sometimes you
gotta cut loose
hen it
comes
to partying, bodybuilders
seem to have only
two extremes.
There are those
who don’t let
bodybuilding slow
them down—they
go out as often as
they like, staying
out until the early
morning and
abusing alcohol
and/or drugs.
Then there are
those who believe
that they must
never, under any
circumstances,
go to a party or a nightclub, lest they destroy their physiques and
set their gains back a decade.
Whatever happened to moderation? Partying as if it’s 1999 every
weekend will definitely have a negative impact on your bodybuilding
success, but you can still go out every once in a while and enjoy
yourself. Just limit your late-night excursions to no more often than
once a month, and go very easy on the alcohol (drugs are also
obviously something you don’t want to indulge in heavily, if at all).
You might even find it’s kind of amusing to be one of the few sober
people in a club or at a party, as you get to sit back and observe
the effects of intoxication on others. You don’t need to stay out until
dawn every time either. Two or three in the morning is plenty late.
Try to arrange your schedule so that you can make up for lost sleep
the following day, and be sure to eat a bit more the next day to
make up for any meals you may have missed while painting the
town red. You don’t have to live like a monk to get bigger and
stronger, so don’t deny yourself the pleasure of occasionally going
out and cutting loose.
—Ron Harris
W
Editor’s note: Visit Ron’s web site, www.ronharrismuscle.com.
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2005 219
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Bomber Blast
MIND/BODY
Training Is Our Thing
ou’ve
gotta
love it.
Training is our
sport, our
diversion and
our entertainment. It’s a
refuge and
private place
for thinking,
calming and
healing. It’s our
instructor and
disciplinarian,
our buddy and
our boss.
Training is a
source of daily
fulfillment and
spiritual centering, our joy
and our pain.
Training is
Neveux \ Models: Brenda Kelly and Kat Meyers
Y
the taskmaster that molds us and sets us free.
Training, the act and action, is rigid and stands out like a
warrior or champion athlete in the mind of the ordinary man.
Training suggests instruction, practice and preparation in a worthy
endeavor. In bodybuilding it means tough exercise, smart eating
and wholesome living. Training means commitment. Training
means diligence. Training means business, let there be no doubt
about it.
Left to our own devices, left to choose between exercising and
not exercising, the latter, for the overwhelming majority, is the
popular choice. Eating right, meanwhile, is accidental or pure
luck. Though common sense, experience and scientific evidence
confirm that a trained body lives longer and with better quality,
mankind is repelled by the effort it requires.
Entertain me, feed me, give me comfort, security and happiness, but, oh, don’t make me exert myself. I’ll labor for wages
because I must, but don’t expect me to strain or withhold my
appetites in my free time. Haven’t you noticed, don’t you see?—I
prefer to sit and nibble and watch TV.
Since training is not mechanical—configured into our involuntary neuromuscular system, like breathing and the beating of the
heart—we must make it happen, regularly. We must will it to
happen, or it will not. We must want it to happen, wish and need
it to happen; then and only then, happen it will.
Training must become a habit, a passionate habit.
Social activity is for the most part a collection of habits, sometimes known as traditions. Cultures are defined by their habits.
Who we are individually—good or not so good, charming or
alarming, pleasant or annoying, productive or of little value—is
reflected in and attributed to our habits. He who accurately assesses himself and rids himself of weak habits becomes a sturdier, more agreeable person. He who develops and adds
wholesome habits to his regimen becomes a powerful and more
complete person.
It’s up to us.
Achievement is directly dependent upon the individual, his
courage and understanding. Why do so few men and women
choose the golden practices of training—exercise and right eating—to support their life and well-being? Further, why do we
neglect, even spurn, those precious disciplines worth more than
gold?
Looking back to our fathers and great-grandfathers, unless
they were royalty, we see that labor—hard work—contributed to
their muscle and hardiness. They walked or saddled up. They ate
sufficiently. Today we eat inefficiently and in abundance, here,
there and everywhere. We gobble up truckloads of sugar, tubs of
bad fat and scary chemicals by the barrel. And what about nights
and weekends without TV? I suspect they did things or enjoyed
well-deserved rest.
Modern man has been run down by the speeding train of
progress. We built our towns and cities, escalators and SUVs,
governments and schools and failed to comprehensively care for
our most fundamental needs, the strength and health of our
physical bodies. We have reading, writing and arithmetic in our
classrooms, not to mention computers, but where are the basics
of nutrition and eating right? Are they not central subjects of study
for man’s personal strengthening, advancement and social welfare? We have art, mythology and social sciences, yet I don’t see
vigorous physical training on the curriculum. Shouldn’t regular
periods of fitness instruction be added to those subjects essential
to progressive living? Did we forget? Are they too exhausting, too
much trouble, too demanding and time-consuming? Are they
considered embarrassing, primitive, harsh and repressive—
socially and politically incorrect?
They are vital to humankind and should be routinely taught,
and it’s a grave mistake they are not. Let’s riot.
Where did we go wrong? We failed to educate, and we remain
ignorant. In the past year we’ve seen a flurry of media reporting
and national concern. But only a handful of people have heard the
good word—train, exercise and eat right—and of that handful,
only a pinch understand and apply its principles.
You’d think I was expounding on the philosophical themes of
life stored in the obscure minds of haunted scholars, unfathomable and untouchable. Get outta town. I’m talking about
invigorating exercise three or four times a week for an hour and
sensibly watching our food intake.
I don’t like to think of my training as a habit. Lifting weights and
getting appropriate amounts of nutritious food is to me a privilege
and determination of will, a centering and ordering of the mind
and spirit, a forceful yet desirable struggle that vents stresses
from the mind and toxins from the body; a playful release, a living,
breathing, moving creative expression, a statement about who I
am, a fix. Training separates me from enslaving guilt and provides
generous portions of physical and mental fulfillment.
Training is not worship, but it is an act of appreciation and
thankfulness. It doesn’t decide where you’re going, but it does
improve your destination and surely helps you get there. It doesn’t
reveal the future, but it does clear the way ahead and help you
understand the past. It might not tell you who you are, but a really
good workout will lead you to your soul.
Let’s promote exercise and eating right to those who don’t. For
the unconditioned and uninitiated such an undertaking is a boon,
a deliverance, a life-changing activity. Training is a novelty that
might survive as a habit and grow into a lifestyle. We don’t know
where that will take them, but it has to be good. —Dave Draper
Web alert: For more from Dave Draper,
visit www.davedraper.com and sign up
for his free newsletter. You can also check
out his amazing Top Squat training tool,
classic photos, workout Q&A and forum.
220 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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Motivation
Mastering Self Through Bodybuilding
Tim Wescott went from alcoholic to muscular marvel
im Wescott is a 49-year-old
bodybuilder who’s been lifting—on and off—for 25 years.
He missed about 11 years of training
due to alcoholism and drug abuse,
but once he pulled it together, bodybuilding pulled him out of the gutter
and into the winner’s circle. In 1995
Tim won the over-35 division of the
prestigious Southern States Bodybuilding Championships. He’s won
that class on three different occasions and placed twice in his class at
the NPC Masters Nationals, the
largest amateur contest in the United
States for bodybuilders over 40. He’s
amassed 46 trophies. He puts it in
perspective: “I went from someone
who was a serious, depressed alcoholic who didn’t want to live to someone who’s now enjoying every day
and is living the dream.”
Q: What does your diet consist
of?
TW: Precontest I eat the usual diet
fare: egg whites, chicken breasts,
tuna and other fish, lean beef, oatmeal, yams, potatoes, brown rice,
veggies and salads. In the off-season
it’s the same things, although I include dairy, fruits and breads—with
much more beef and lots of pasta.
Q: What’s your advice for beginning, intermediate and advanced
bodybuilders?
TW: Beginners: Be patient and
consistent.
Photos courtesy of Tim Wescott
T
Intermediates: Set goals and be
determined to reach and surpass
them.
Advanced: Be meticulous in your
training, eating and posing, as there
are so many competitors who may be
training and prepping far harder than
you are, even though you think you’re
spot-on.
Q: What motivated you to become a bodybuilder?
TW: I was a small, frail kid, and
there were two national-level bodybuilders living in my area. Once I saw
them at the local YMCA, that was all
the impetus I needed to start my
journey to a superior physique.
Q: What’s your favorite bodybuilding moment?
TW: Placing in the Masters Nationals and winning my class in the Southern States for the first time, when
everyone said I couldn’t do it after
years of not training and abusing my
body with booze and drugs.
Oh, I was also in the movie “Pumping Iron”—in an audience scene.
Q: What makes the difference
between a champion and an average Joe?
TW: A champion has a will of iron
and doesn’t let adversity stop him
from reaching his goals. The average
Joe is content to be just that—average. Average is easy. Just look
around. Average or below-average
people abound.
—Ben Tatar
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2005 221
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Jacked Up
MIND/BODY
Muscularize Your Tri’s
he triceps muscle is particularly troublesome for women,
but a lot of men also need to tone the back parts of their
upper arms. You use your triceps for pushing and pulling,
so having strength there will not only make you look fit but also
help prevent injury.
Triceps pushups. Grab a chair and sit on the edge with your
hands holding onto the front of the seat, palms to the back. Stretch your legs out
straight and position yourself so your back is almost touching the front of the chair.
Bend your arms to slowly lower your body till your rear end almost touches the floor,
and then push yourself up until your arms are straight and your elbows are locked.
You can do a similar movement, lifting your bodyweight, on parallel bars. If you use
parallel bars, keep your legs hanging straight down under your torso. Killer!
Triceps pushdowns. Now sit on the chair and grab it at the sides of the seat,
stretching your legs out and locking your elbows. Slide your butt off the chair and
lower yourself as far as you can, then push down to raise yourself back up.
Triceps extensions. Stand or sit with a dumbbell in one hand. Straighten your
arm so the dumbbell is overhead. Bend your elbow so your forearm moves behind
your head, inhaling as you move. Then press the dumbbell up as you exhale. You
can also do this exercise with a dumbbell in each hand, raising them simultaneously.
Try to keep your upper arms stationary, next to your head; don’t move anything
except your forearms.
Do two to three sets of 10 to 15 reps of these exercises.
—Jack LaLanne
T
Editor’s note: As of September 2004 Jack LaLanne had lived 90 years, 75 of
them steeped in innovative physical training. He was the runner-up in the ’54 Mr.
America contest and created the longest-running fitness show in television history.
He’s also famous for performing shackled and handcuffed swimming feats to celebrate key birthdays. Jack still works out two hours a day. For more information,
check out his Web site, www.jacklalanne.com.
New Stuff
Let the Shaving
Begin
ummer is upon us, and any welldefined bodybuilder will want his
or her cuts as visible as possible.
That means shaving down so the fur
doesn’t blur your muscularity. A new line of shaving gels from Edge will make
your task—and your body—less hairy thanks to skin-conditioning ingredients
that deliver the most refreshing shave ever. Here are a few of the new products from S.C. Johnson:
Edge Advanced Gel Sensitive Skin features a nonirritating formula that
contains added aloe for a soothing shave (reduces nicks and cuts).
Edge Active Care Advanced Gel Clean is a super-rich gel containing a
special blend of facial cleansers. It helps lift dirt and oil from the skin’s surface
to cleanse while you shave.
Edge Advanced Gel Extra Moisturizing contains vitamin E to leave your
face—and other areas—smooth and moisturized with every shave. Great for
dry or sensitive skin.
Edge Active Care Advanced Gel Ultra Sensitive contains no dyes or
fragrances to irritate the skin and is tailored for men who have the most
sensitive skin. Its special formula won’t block pores. This gel minimizes
irritation and actually helps to fight razor bumps, a problem especially prevalent in African-American men.
Edge Active Care Advanced Gel Soothing Aloe contains extra aloe
vera and is designed to deliver a close and comfortable shave, leaving your
face feeling soothed and moisturized.
Edge Active Care Advanced Gel Natural Cool is a unique formula with
natural extracts of eucalyptus to help minimize razor burn and soothe your
skin.
Edge Advanced Gel products are available in all mass-merchandise outlets, including drugstores and supermarkets nationwide. For more information visit www.InsideEdge.com.
S
222 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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Gallery of Ironmen
MIND/BODY
Pain Into Power
M
any athletes have to confront
medical problems in their
careers, but Steve Stanko
was forced to overcome a leg ailment
so severe, it would have sidelined a
lesser person. He was born in Perth
Amboy, New Jersey, in 1918 to parents of Hungarian extraction. Although Stanko began with a tall, thin
physique, his drive and desire gave
him the makings of a true champion.
Stanko began to lift weights after he
saw the legendary John Grimek win
the 1936 Senior Nationals. Grimek
was also a Perth Amboy native and
unquestionably a worthy model for
Steve’s youthful enthusiasm. Stanko
worked hard at his new sport, and he
made such rapid progress that in less
than two years it was Stanko who
stood on the winner’s platform at the
Nationals.
By April 1941 Stanko’s lifting
prowess had achieved even greater
success. He broke the 1,000-pound
total in an official contest. Few realized that despite his impressive
performance, Steve had performed
his lifts in great pain. He suffered from
phlebitis, which caused painful blood
clots to form in his legs, and shortly
after the contest he was forced to
spend many months in bed. It was
not until the summer of 1942 that he
was finally able to do some exercises
for his upper body, but because of
the forced bed rest, his weight had
dropped from 237 to 176 pounds.
Still, the athlete persevered. If he
could no longer be a weightlifter, he
would switch to bodybuilding.
Stanko began to work out once
Photos courtesy of David Chapman
Steve Stanko overcame illness to win the Mr. America and Mr. Universe titles
more with ever-increasing intensity.
He’d long been known for his
marathon workouts—something
quite unheard of in the mid-1940s.
Grimek told of one extra-long session
that started at 12:30 in the afternoon
and didn’t stop until 6:30 in the
evening. The men were reportedly so
pumped that they could hardly get
their clothes on.
Thanks to heavy exercise and his
boundless determination, Stanko
developed a mighty physique once
more, and in a couple of years his
bodyweight was back up to 210. He
even won a number of bodybuilding
contests. His competitive career
reached its apex in 1944, when he
was victorious at the prestigious Mr.
America contest; then in 1947 another honor came to him when Stanko
won the very first Mr. Universe competition.
Stanko stayed in good shape until
the 1960s, but eventually his condition worsened. Clots the size of
pancakes formed in his abdomen
and big lumps in his arms and legs.
Despite everything the doctors could
do, the great athlete grew weaker
and weaker. Eventually, clots formed
in his lungs, and he lost his battle for
life. Steve Stanko passed away
peacefully on New Year’s Eve, 1978.
—David Chapman
224 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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Serious Training
MIND/BODY
Caitlin Johnson
Photography by Jerry Fredrick
Location: Gold’s Gym, Venice, CA
226 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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Serious Stats
Weight: 115 Height: 5’3” Age: 23
Age began training: 19
Bodypart split:
Monday: back; Tuesday: quads and hamstrings;
Wednesday: shoulders; Friday: chest and arms
Sample workout (quads):
Leg extensions
4 x 10
Smith-machine lunges
4 x 15
Squats
4 x 10
Factoid:
“I’d lost 70 pounds of fat by the time I stepped
onstage.”
Aspirations:
To compete in the IFBB Figure Olympia
Web site:
www.CatsAllThat.com
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2005 227
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Only the Strong Shall Survive
Big
on a
Budget
• by Bill Starr •
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228 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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*DLQ6L]HDQG6WUHQJWK
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www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2005 229
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Only the Strong Shall Survive
for a can of whey protein, $35 for a
can of creatine or $40 for a bottle of
aminos is simply out of the question. I know because I was in that
boat. When I worked for the YMCA,
I’d save my change, and when I had
enough I’d splurge and buy a can of
Hoffman’s protein powder. I always
got the standard brand, which cost
$1.50, and rationed it out over a
couple of months. It contained
such a low amount of useful protein
that its benefits were most likely
more mental than physical.
When I went to York to be interviewed for the position of assistant
editor of Strength & Health, Tommy
Suggs gave me a canister of Super
Hi-Proteen, the top of the line. I’d
only dreamed of having that level of
protein powder; it cost five dollars.
Back in Marion, Indiana, I called all
my follow lifters, and we had a
protein milk shake party. It was a
grand occasion, for none of us had
ever tasted the luxury product before. We were just like a group of
gourmands at the finest French
restaurant.
I think perhaps the best
way for me to relate how
to go about gaining
useful bodyweight
when money is tight
is to tell the story of
the athletes at the
University of Hawaii
in the early ’70s. The
ones who lived in
Hale Anuenue, the
athletic dorm, faced
the problem of securing enough food to
survive several times
a year—and do so
with very little
money. That’s because when there weren’t
any classes, the school cafeteria
shut down. Those who couldn’t
afford a plane ticket to fly to the
mainland had to purchase their
own food at Thanksgiving, Christmas and semester and spring
breaks.
Most, but not all, received some
allowance from home, and their
scholarships provided them with a
meager amount for laundry, but
money was tight—very tight. The
breaks were perfect opportunities
for them to train hard with
the weights, since there
were no classes or
practices. They
couldn’t be expected to make
any strength gains,
however, unless
they ate well. I’d
just moved into
the dorm when
semester break
came along and
stranded two
dozen football
players. They came
to me for advice.
The first thing I did
was find out how much
money they had to spend. I calculated that they’d have to be able to
eat on five dollars a day—no easy
feat since Honolulu has never been
a city known for buying food on the
cheap.
With their problem in mind I
visited a local food market, checked
prices and came up with a plan. I
told the three most affluent students—a relative term because
none of them had much money—to
buy a refrigerator, blender and hot
The teenage
male
desperately
wants to
grow and
get strong,
but it seems
no matter
how much
food he eats,
he doesn’t
get any
bigger.
230 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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Neveux \ Model: Justin Balik \ Equipment: PowerBlock selectorized dumbbells, 1-800-447-0008
The college-age male typically
faces another problem in that regard: a lack of funds to buy the
foods and supplements he needs to
pack on muscular bodyweight. In
most cases the food in the university cafeteria is high in calories and
carbs, with little protein. So if a guy
does gain bodyweight, it’s often the
undesirable kind.
Young men raising a family also
cannot budget money to buy the
much-heralded but costly supplements that help put on muscular
bodyweight. When a person has
three young children, laying out $30
Only the Strong Shall Survive
plate at the used-appliance store
near the campus. I’d gone there
earlier and knew those items could
be bought inexpensively. Later I
bought a refrigerator for $20. I convinced them that they could easily
get their money back by selling the
appliances to other athletes when
they left school.
Here’s what I told them to purchase at the market: eggs, skim or
whole milk, depending on taste,
tuna, bread, a head of lettuce or
sprouts, whichever was the cheapest, a box of powdered milk and
salt. Optional items were ice cream
or ice milk, honey, yogurt and pepper. I also sent them to a health
foods store owned by Buster Nagao
that was a short walk from the
dorm.
Buster was a most generous
Neveux \ Model: Tomm Voss
Young athletes,
like college-age
bodybuilders,
rarely have the
funds for
supplements.
patron of the football program. I
wanted the athletes to buy honey
and peanut butter from him for a
couple of reasons. He’d sell the
products to them wholesale, and I
wanted the guys to have unprocessed peanut butter and honey.
You might notice the absence of
fruit on the list. Keith Gibson took
care of that. I knew of a banana
grove behind a state mental facility
near Kaneohe. The bananas
were never picked and generally
went to waste—but no longer.
We drove over the mountain
and filled the back of his station
wagon with the nutritious fruit.
I contributed some pots,
pans and a skillet that I’d purchased when I first moved to
Oahu six months before, so they
wouldn’t have to spend any
precious food money on those
items. It was a communal affair.
Those who were in better financial shape bought the optional
foods and shared them with
their more impoverished teammates.
Now they were in business.
They hard-boiled the eggs at my
suggestion. They ate the tuna
straight from the can or made
salads with it. Sometimes they
combined hard-boiled eggs,
tuna and lettuce for a great
salad. They made banana,
peanut butter and honey sandwiches and drank lots of protein
milk shakes. Their diets were
really quite complete. They took
in plenty of high-quality protein
and good fat in the milk, tuna,
eggs and peanut butter. There
were plenty of carbs in the milk,
breads, bananas and honey.
They were also getting a vast
amount of vitamins and minerals. Some found that they
couldn’t digest the milk or yogurt and started making their
shakes with fruit juice. They still
added powdered milk and had
no problem with that. (I believe
many who think they’re lactose
intolerant are really allergic to
the milk fat, not the lactose.)
At first those who were used
to more variety and spicy foods
grumbled about the
monotonous diet, but not for
long. It’s amazing what genuine
232 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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Only the Strong Shall Survive
Peanut butter and milk make a great
protein meal, and sardines are also high
in protein and rich in calcium.
hunger does for a picky eater. Kids
who’d turned up their noses at the
idea of tuna salads and peanut
butter-and-banana sandwiches
were soon wolfing them down.
They reminded me of a story
about two hunters. One told the
other that he fed his dogs turnips
only. The man replied, “Why, my
dogs would never eat turnips.” The
first hunter said, “Mine wouldn’t
either for the first 10 days.”
They all thrived on the Spartan
diet. Occasionally, they’d substitute
canned salmon for tuna if they
found it on sale. I told them that if
they wanted another inexpensive
change to buy sardines. Sardines
have a bit less protein than tuna but
a great deal more calcium, phosphorus and potassium, and they
were cheaper than tuna. Sardines
became their snack food.
Those who wanted to add more
bodyweight started drinking a protein shake after they trained and
another at bedtime. They had an
abundance of energy from the fats
and carbs and were recovering from
their workouts because of all the
protein they were getting. A positive
side of their dire economic situation was that they learned to be
very selective when they went
shopping. With only a few dollars in
their pockets, they didn’t bother
looking at junk foods, colas, candy
or pastries. Beer and pizza were
also out of the question.
Since they couldn’t afford to go
out to nightclubs, they ended up
getting plenty of rest. That was a
plus for their lifting. They’d
watch TV, listen to music, visit
one another and play countless games of Pong in the
dorm. They’d rigged the
machine so they wouldn’t
have to pay and played
far into the night. While it
may not have been very
exciting, it was a healthy
lifestyle.
The leaner players started packing on more muscle, and the chubby ones, who didn’t drink a milk
shake at bedtime, began shedding
unwanted pounds. That’s because
they were no longer stuffing themselves with the high-carb foods
from the cafeteria or snacking on
junk food at night. Now they were
using their stored fat. They had
more energy and were feeling much
better about their new physiques.
Even as they lost weight, they got
stronger.
When school resumed, the athletes who’d been on the low-budget
diet changed the way they ate at the
cafeteria. They avoided the starches
and loaded up on salads and foods
high in protein. They continued to
eat hard-boiled eggs and tuna and
drank protein milk shakes at night.
They liked the results they were
getting from the extra protein.
That diet was the one that most
of the top bodybuilders used before
the miracle weight-gaining supplements burst on the market. They
drank gallons of milk shakes, ate
truckloads of tuna and raked in
mountains of hard-boiled eggs. I
traveled with Bill St. John to a contest in Virginia when he was at the
peak of his competitive career. He
carried a bag of hard-boiled eggs
with him, and every so often I’d
hear him cracking one. He ate them
regularly to maintain a positive
nitrogen balance, much in the
manner of eating amino acid
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2005 233
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Only the Strong Shall Survive
tablets. You can buy lots of eggs
with what you’d spend on a bottle
of aminos. It wasn’t uncommon for
some bodybuilders to eat two
dozen eggs a day.
Whenever I tell a young man
about the value of eating lots of
eggs, he always comes back with
the cholesterol problem. The
cholesterol scare involving eggs
seems to run in 20-year cycles.
Currently, eggs aren’t regarded as a
cause of high cholesterol, which is
good, because they aren’t. The
cholesterol in eggs is the kind the
body needs to form hormones,
including the sex hormones, create
bile and feed brain function.
Cholesterol is a vital part of cellular
membranes.
Still, many argue that eating a
large quantity of eggs will put too
much cholesterol in the system and
cause trouble. That doesn’t happen
because eggs also contain a built-in
safeguard, lecithin, an emulsifying
One good thing about being
low on funds: You don’t have
money to waste on junk food,
stuff that can hurt your gains.
DG
agent that literally moves excess
cholesterol out of the body. Not
only that, those who throw away
the yolks are foolish. The yellow
contains valuable nutrients: the Bvitamins in balance, A, D, plus
essential minerals such as iron,
selenium and hard-to-obtain sulfur.
There are, however, a few things
you need to know about eggs to
safeguard your health. Keep them
in the refrigerator, and cook them
thoroughly. The practice of throwing raw eggs in a blender that you
saw in the movie “Rocky” isn’t a
good idea. In fact, it’s dangerous. In
the ’50s, Adelle Davis wrote in Let’s
Eat Right to Keep Fit that eating raw
eggs was a health risk. If the eggs
aren’t cooked, a substance in them
called avidin keeps an important Bvitamin, biotin, from reaching the
bloodstream. A deficiency in biotin
results in fatigue, drying of the skin
and mental depression.
There’s another, more critical
reason to cook eggs: food poisoning. You may have read about outbreaks of serious illnesses caused
by Salmonella enteritidis, a bacteria
carried in chicken, pork, turkey,
beef and egg yolks. The May ’02
234 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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Only the Strong Shall Survive
If you can’t afford protein shakes, hard-boiled eggs can be your aminopacked snack—and don’t throw out the yolks.
issue of National Geographic reported a 1994 incident in which
trucks carrying the premix for
Schwan’s, a nationally distributed
brand of ice cream, “carried traces
of raw eggs contaminated with
Salmonella enteritidis. The outbreak sickened an estimated
224,000 people in 48 states.”
Scary? The good news is that
when you cook the yolks thoroughly, the salmonella is destroyed,
which makes hard-boiled eggs even
more attractive. There’s nothing
complicated or messy about
preparing them. Boil them for 20
minutes, let them cool, and then
stick them in the fridge. Cook them
at night, and you have a ready
source of high-quality protein at
your disposal. And they’re still
cheap. You can pay less than a dollar for a dozen jumbo size—a good
quantity of nutrition for a buck.
If you decide to try this diet or
part of it, it’s important that you
purchase the best. Even if funds are
tight, don’t buy low-grade tuna or
peanut butter or white bread. Natural peanut butter is so much more
nutritious than the processed kind,
it is worth the few extra pennies. It
also provides a good plant protein,
with all the amino acids in balance,
a variety of the B-vitamins and
minerals used for cell rebuilding.
The same goes for honey: Get the
good stuff, and use a little less.
Don’t even consider white bread—
it’s nutritionally worthless.
The cornerstone of the gainweight diet on a budget is the protein milk shake. I’ve been preaching
the merits of making protein milk
shakes from powdered milk for a
long time. I first tried it when I was
nearly broke and found that it
worked just as well as the much
more costly commercial protein
powders. I do like some of the products on the market now and often
buy them. But when I run out, I go
back to the powdered milk. Sure,
commercial protein powders and
meal replacements are better, but
powdered milk can work in a pinch.
Here’s a tip on making a delicious
milk shake. Don’t put in so many
ingredients that it resembles mud.
While all the ingredients may be
good for you, thick shakes get old in
a hurry. Keep it smooth enough so
that you can drink it down and not
have to chew it. Here’s the formula I
like: a cup of powdered milk; eight
ounces of whole or skim milk (skim
milk has more protein per ounce
than whole milk); a half cup of
blueberry yogurt (it jacks up the
taste, and the yogurt helps diges-
tion); a scoop of strawberry ice
cream or ice milk (ice milk has
more protein than ice cream, but
use what tastes best because you
already have lots of protein). You
end up with 50 grams of highly
digestible protein.
Which brings me to my next
point. It’s been said numerous
times but bears repeating: It’s better
to eat many small meals than a few
large ones. Your digestive tract can
assimilate only about 50 grams of
protein at one time. If you overload,
you pass off the excess, which
means you’re in effect wasting
money.
Gaining functional bodyweight is
more difficult than losing unwanted pounds, so be consistent with
your eating and the milk shakes. Eat
small amounts throughout the day,
and drink a shake after training and
another at bedtime. If you do that
religiously, you’ll get bigger, and if
you’re also training hard, you’ll get
stronger as well.
Editor’s note: Bill Starr was a
strength and conditioning coach at
Johns Hopkins University from
1989 to 2000. He’s the author of The
Strongest Shall Survive and Defying
Gravity. IM
236 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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Readers Write
Neveux
Excellent Expo and IM Pro
I want to pass on my highest kudos for the fantastic IRON
MAN Fitness Weekend in Pasadena. Everything was truly
top-notch and greatly exceeded my already high expectations. The expo is the perfect mix of health-and-fitness
booths, strongman events and informative seminars.
This year’s bodybuilding contest had to be one of the best
IRON MAN Pros ever. The level of competition was fantastic, and Melvin Anthony’s posing performance was the best
display I’ve ever seen.
My favorite part was the VIP breakfast buffet. All the
bodybuilders were very friendly and personable, and the
food was great (It’s probably the only time I will ever follow
Ronnie Coleman in the omelette line and be able to say, “I’ll
have what Mr. Olympia is having!”).
The seminars were great too. My wife may need minor
knee surgery and was thrilled with Joseph Horrigan’s seminar and personal advice.
Now if you guys could just figure out a way to get rid of
the rain.
Ron Dunn
via Internet
as well as nonallied countries. This war will be costly because the enemy walks among us; however, the seeds of
democracy have been planted in Iraq, and we need to nurture them to maturity.
I am stationed in Iraq, and its people and military thank
us for being here. They lived in fear of death and torture for
a very long time. Some of them have expressed concern
that we will pull out before the job is complete. That cannot
happen, for the cost will be even greater down the road. We
have to get the job done this time. The Iraqi people deserve
their freedom; they have been paying for it with their blood,
sweat and tears. Let’s help those who are here to get the job
done.
With that in mind, I am asking veterans, in cooperation
with Physique Bodyware (www.PhysiqueBodywareUSA
.com), to write to those serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. Let
them know how you dealt with being away from home, loss
of comrades, personal feelings about war and so on. That
will help to build morale. Physique Bodyware will include
your letters with the care packages of exercise equipment
the company is sending to the troops. Exercising helps us
relieve the stress that we experience in a combat environment. I wish I had had this opportunity when I was serving
in Desert Shield/Storm. It would have made a world of
difference.
SFC Bartholomew T. Garner
via Internet
Editor’s note: Send letters to our troops via e-mail to
info@physiquebodywareusa.com.
X-traordinary Interview
Editor’s note: The weather was about the only thing
that didn’t go well, and even that didn’t keep the fitness
fanatics away. It was a full house all three days. See page 201
for photos from the expo. If you missed our contest coverage last month, go to www.graphicmuscle.com for hundreds of photos from the show.
Veteran Muscle
I want to begin by thanking each veteran for his or her
service to our great country. It may have its problems, but
the United States is still the best country to live in and to
serve in its military forces. Whether you served in the Army,
Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard, we are all brothers- and sisters-in-arms defending our freedom.
That freedom was shaken in the horrific attacks that took
place on September 11, 2001. I will always remember where
I was on that day when those cowardly terrorists committed
their evil acts against the United States and the world. I
wonder how many of my fellow Americans understand
what it means to be at war against this type of enemy—to
wear the uniform and fight to protect its very existence and
all the rights that come with being an American citizen. Do
they understand the price of freedom?
The war on terrorism we are now fighting in Iraq has no
distinct enemy. The terrorists/insurgents come from allied
240 JUNE 2005 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Jonathan Lawson’s interview in the March ’05 IRON MAN
on X Reps and his X Diet was outstanding. Unfortunately, I
missed part 1. Is it online?
Kyle McGill
via Internet
Editor’s note: Yes, both parts of the “X Factor” interview
are posted at www.X-Rep.com. Go to the X Q&A section and
click on interview.
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