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Reg Par
MARCH 2008 / IRON MAN MAGAZINE—WE KNOW TRAINING™
REG PARK: A LEGEND REMEMBERED—RARE PHOTOS
™
MUSCLE
SIZE
SIMPLIFIED
The Science of
Hyperspeed
Hypertrophy
STEROIDS
THE TRUTH
•Who’s Using and
Why, page 240
•Life After ’Roids
page 298
MUSCLE SIZE SIMPLIFIED / REG PARK
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download from imbodybuilding.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
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www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2006 261
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150 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
IRON MAN MAGAZINE WE KNOW TRAINING IRON MAN MAGAZINE WE KNOW TRAINING IRONMAN MAGAZINE WE KNOW TRAINING IRON MAN MAGAZINE WE KNOW TRAING IRON MAN MAGAZINE IRONMAN MAGAZ
WE KNOW TRAINING™
March 2008
284
CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS C
FEATURES
HARDBODY
Marzia Prince
62 TRAIN, EAT, GROW 101
Back to POF basics with the Arthur Jones–inspired 3D HIT routine.
92 A BODYBUILDER IS BORN 32
Ron Harris says bigger isn’t better when it comes to physiques.
102 GROWTH-REP TURBOCHARGER
Mike Lackner explains the wonders of beta-alanine and why it’s taking the
bodybuilding world by storm.
118 SHOCKING SHOULDERS
From the Bodybuilding.com archives, Layne Norton lays out his prescription for
electrifying delts.
130 THE SCIENCE OF MUSCLE SIZE
Steve Holman explores the research that has produced record-breaking muscle
growth and how to apply the science in the gym.
154 THE LONG, LONG ROAD TO VICTORY
Ron Harris outlines the contest prep that put him in the winner’s circle.
168 REG PARK
Gene Mozée remembers the legendary bodybuilder with one of his last
interviews—and plenty of classic photos.
204 TONIC IN A TEAPOT, PART 2
Jerry Brainum’s conclusion on the health-fixer elixir that burns fat.
224 HEAVY DUTY
John Little channels the wisdom of Mike Mentzer. This month: soreness.
246 FITTEST COUPLE
The winners of our ’07 event—looking good!
260 IRON MAN PRO RETROSPECTIVE
Big full-page photos of our champions—19 years’ worth of awesome muscle.
284 HARDBODY
168
REG PARK
Remembering
a legend
Marzia Prince reveals her eye-popping, jaw-dropping physique.
298 ONLY THE STRONG SHALL SURVIVE
Bill Starr’s take on life after steroids.
260
IRON MAN PRO
RETROSPECTIVE
19 years of winners
Marzia Prince and
Gegg Plitt appear
on this month’s
cover. Hair and
makeup Alex
Almond. Photo by
Michael Neveux.
Inset photo of
Reg Park by Russ
Warner.
Reg Park
REG PARK: A LEGEND REMEMBERED—RARE PHOTOS
™
MUSCLE
SIZE
SIMPLIFIED
The Science of
Hyperspeed
Hypertrophy
STEROIDS
THE TRUTH
•Who’s Using and
Why, page 240
•Life After ’Roids
page 298
3D H.I.T.
Complete
Workout to
Up Your
Mass
FAST!
MARCH 2008
$5.99
PLUS:
Vol. 67, No. 3
•See More of Her Inside (She’s Our Hardbody)
•IRON MAN Pro Retro—Full-Page Pics of
Every Winner (Cutler, Priest, Wheeler, Wow!)
C1_Mar2008_F.indd 1
RegPark_312_F.indd Sec6:187
1/3/08 6:33:35 PM
CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CO
DEPARTMENTS
28 TRAIN TO GAIN
Get wider wings. Plus, Joe Horrigan’s Sportsmedicine column covers fatigue.
42 SMART TRAINING
Coach Charles Poliquin on size vs. strength rep ranges.
48 EAT TO GROW
The zinc enigma and X-treme lean tips and tricks.
74 NATURALLY HUGE
John Hansen tells you how to train, eat, sleep and grow.
84 SHREDDED MUSCLE
Dave Goodin discusses getting the ultradry look.
252
88 CRITICAL MASS
Steve Holman presents a reverse-pyramid primer.
NEWS & VIEWS
The world of
bodybuilding
234 MUSCLE “IN” SITES
Eric Broser’s Web-site suggestions, reviews and training advice.
240 BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY
Jerry Brainum discusses who uses bodybuilding drugs and why.
252 NEWS & VIEWS
Lonnie Teper covers the wild world of bodybuilding.
274 PUMP & CIRCUMSTANCE
Ruth Silverman’s picturesque look at all the happenings around the sport.
308 MIND/BODY CONNECTION
Bomber Blast with Dave Draper, Gallery of Ironmen (but it’s a woman) and IRON
MAN’s Rising Stars too.
320 READERS WRITE
Cover controversy, Shredder siting and the Governator meets the Abdominator.
234
MUSCLE “IN”
SITES
Surfing the Web
ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLIN
In the next IRON MAN:
See more Photos @
See more Video @
ONLINE VIEWERS CHOICE
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clicked on the most:
>CONTEST
COVERAGE
Get the latest,
greatest results,
photos, video
and blogs from
the biggest
events.
CLIPS
LIBRARY
>PDF
>BEHIND>HOT
THE-SCENES
Feel your heart
Read and/or
VIDEOS
See and hear
interviews with
the stars of the
muscle world.
race when you
view these
studio sessions
with fit,
gorgeous gals.
download some
of our most
popular features.
Build your
muscle-bulding
collection.
We delve more deeply into occlusion,
or blood-flow blockage, the new frontieer of muscle growth. New studies
say it works big time—in other words,
clues you can use to get huge. Then
we get your traps rising with an analysis of the best upper-back exercises—it
takes more than just shrugs. Plus, Jerry
Brainum checks out low-carb dieting—is it really dead (not on your life),
and we show you how to optimize
your size with the 3D HIT program.
Look for the April issue on newsstands
the first week of March.
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PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S
Publisher’s Letter
by John Balik
The Legacy
of a Legend
The legacy of Reg Park is worldwide, and it’s a living legacy, manifest
in the bodies and lives he changed by his example. In 1956 I was in the
eighth grade, and I distinctly remember seeing a photo of Reg in Muscle
Power. He was doing a front lat spread. I stared at it in amazement, and
I began to dream of being stronger and more muscular. At the time I
weighed 100 pounds and was about to borrow my uncle’s weights so
that I could begin to realize my dream. In a very real sense, my lifelong
connection with bodybuilding started with that photo.
Fast-forward 25 years, and I’m on the outside deck of World Gym in
Venice, California, taking exercise photos of Reg and his son, Jon Jon. I’d
met them through Arnold. Reg had an unmistakable presence, a voice
and a demeanor that got your attention—regal yet not aloof. Here was a
man who’d won everything there was to win in his day but never mentioned it. He was just a guy who loved to help people, and he loved to
train. That wasn’t false modesty—it was simply the way he was.
The last time I saw Reg was at the Arnold Classic in 2007. He greeted
me warmly, as if we’d talked the day before, when in fact it had been a
year since I’d last seen him and his wife, Mareon. When the emcee acknowledged the Parks, the crowd rose as one with a sustained standing
ovation—a “goose bumps” moment.
When I was a teenager, Reg unknowingly touched me through his
photos, and last December I had the privilege of attending a tribute to
him and celebration of his life hosted by Arnold. Speaking about his
friend and mentor, Arnold said that as a teenager he’d had Reg’s picture
taped to his bedroom
ceiling. He also said that
he wouldn’t be where he
is today without Reg, citing the inspiring photos
as well as being invited
to South Africa after the
NABBA Mr. Universe contest in 1965.
The three weeks Arnold
spent with Reg in South
Africa were a turning
point in his life. As Arnold
said, “Reg’s influence taught me about ‘I’ and ‘we’.” In observing the love
between Reg and Mareon and Reg’s devotion to his children, Arnold saw
what family life—something he didn’t have growing up—was all about,
and he wanted his life to be that way. He saw, too, that Reg was not only
a bodybuilding champion but also a successful entrepreneur and actor.
Reg’s example revised Arnold’s vision of what he could do, and the rest
is history.
The thousands of e-mail condolences Jon Jon Park received from
people around the world bear witness to his father’s legacy. On a personal level, I always say that our only touch with immortality is through
our children. In this case, Reg Park is immortal because of the way he
led his life and the way he touched the people he encountered. IM
Founders 1936-1986:
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Publisher/Editorial Director: John Balik
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Contributing Authors:
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Rod Labbe, Skip La Cour, Jack LaLanne, Butch
Lebowitz, John Little, Stuart McRobert, Gene
Mozée, Charles Poliquin, Larry Scott, Jim
Shiebler, Roger Schwab, Pete Siegel, C.S. Sloan,
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IRON MAN Internet Addresses:
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26 MARCH 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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WHEELS
Neveux \ Model: Chris Cook
Squats: Don’t Skip ’Em
why he even bothers to squat at all.
“There’s something
about the squatting
motion itself that
simply can’t be duplicated with anything
else,” he observes.
“I believe you don’t
even have to necessarily go heavy at all
to reap the benefits
of the squat.” That
statement should
set off some bells
in your head if you
can’t or won’t squat
heavy anymore. I can
punish my legs just
as brutally with three
sets of 20 with 225
as I could with 405
for eight to 10 reps.
There are also
other methods of
making lighter weight
feel heavier, such
as constant-tension “piston” squats,
pause squats—
where you hold the very bottom position for a beat
before driving back up—and slow-motion reps. As
a bodybuilder with a very tender lower back that’s
been injured dozens of times over the past 20
years, I’ve used all of those techniques successfully
to keep squats in my leg workouts. The kicker is
that in many cases the other types of sets stimulated even more growth than heavy straight sets.
So those of you who refuse to get under a dangerously heavy barbell and squat, try using more
moderate weight to work your wheels. Giving up on
squats completely is probably the worst thing you
can do in regard to lower-body training. Find a way
to keep this miraculously productive movement that
simply can’t be replaced or duplicated in your workouts, and I promise that you’ll be glad you did.
—Ron Harris
www.RonHarrisMuscle.com
Merv
The argument has
Peter Putnam.
raged for decades now:
Do you absolutely have
to squat with a barbell
to maximize your thigh
development, or can you
get the job done with
Smith-machine squats,
leg presses and hack
squats? I’ve flip-flopped
on the question many
times over the years.
The number-one reason most people don’t
squat: a current or previous injury. Either they’re
suffering pain in the
lower back or knees to
the point that they can
no longer go heavy with
a bar on their back, or
they avoid heavy squats
out of fear of reinjury.
My own experience
has been that no matter
how heavy and intense
my work is on any combination of other leg
exercises, I never feel
as if I’ve truly worked
my legs unless I’ve squatted. I always believed
that if I couldn’t go heavy on squats—for whatever
reason—I didn’t see the point of doing them. Why
not just do heavy leg presses or something else
instead?
Recently, I spoke with ’07 USA light-heavyweight
winner Peter Putnam, an up-and-coming bodybuilder who has some serious wheels. Putnam squats
last in his leg workouts for two reasons. First, he
wants to make sure his calves and hamstrings are
worked as hard as they need to be. He finds that
ham and calf work don’t detract from his squats
anywhere near as much as squatting first saps
his energy and performance for hams and calves.
Second, he squats last so that he won’t be able to
handle as much weight. “It’s just a lot safer for me
to squat with 400 pounds than 600,” he says.
Looking at his incredible quads, you may ask
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Train to Gain / MASS MOVES
X-FILES
X-traordinary
Arms
Neveux \ Model: Sebastian Segal
Q: The leadoff exercise for
the triceps sweep workout [in
the e-book X-traordinary Arms]
is lying extensions, or skull
crushers. You describe the best
grip width and how to use an
EZ-curl bar for more long-head
involvement, but I don’t like
dragging a bar over to a flat
bench. Can I use dumbbells for
lying extensions instead of a
bar?
Get Thee Behind, Satan
Behind-the-neck pulldowns have acquired such a notorious reputation as
a wrecker of rotator cuffs that you’re as likely to find bodybuilders doing them
as you are catching them doing the backstroke in piranha-infested waters or
trimming their nails with a chain saw. Behind-the-necks can indeed damage
the rotator cuff muscles to the point where chronic pain severely limits virtually
anything you do for the upper body. But do they have to be dangerous? Do
they really have to be consigned to bad-exercise hell? Not necessarily.
After speaking with both supertrainer Charles Glass and Ms. Olympia Iris
Kyle on the subject, I’m convinced that the behind-the-neck pulldown can be
a safe and effective exercise for the middle and lower regions of the traps as
well as the smaller, “detail” muscles of the upper back, such as the rhomboids,
teres major and minor, and infraspinatus. Having a bit of extra development
can definitely give you an edge in the rear “relaxed” pose and the rear doublebiceps pose.
Even if you don’t compete, your back will have a more polished and complete look. Iris explains how to eliminate the risk, which is really nothing more
than minimizing the external rotation of the shoulder joint. “Don’t pull all the
way to the neck,” she advises, “only to the middle of your head. And don’t go
very heavy—I do them toward the end of my back workout and really focus on
the squeeze.”
One more tip. Tilt your head slightly forward when you do pulldowns behind
the neck. That will let you pull in more or less a straight line downward, so your
shoulders aren’t ever put in the precarious position they’d be in if your hands
and elbows were to travel a few inches to the rear to get around your noggin.
Try doing them at every other back workout near the end for three sets of 12
to 15 reps with an emphasis on the peak contraction (hold it for a count of
two), and see if you notice a difference in the musculature of your upper back
within a couple of months.
—Ron Harris
A: Magnetic resonance imaging
shows that lying extensions done on a
flat bench with a bar mostly stress the
triceps’ long head, so we classify it as
a sweep exercise. You’d think using
dumbbells would be the same—but
that’s not the case.
With dumbbells your palms face
each other, which forces your upper
arms inward.
That throws
more emphasis onto
the lateral, or
outer, head, so
it’s more of a
width exercise
(see the in-forout/out-for-in
rule). The outer
triceps head
is most noticeable from
the front when your arms are at your
sides, creating a wide-arm look.
You could try rotating your hands to
a palms-up position once the dumbbells get past the sides of your head
near the bottom of the stroke, but that
can be awkward. If you’re after the
most triceps sweep, use a bar or EZcurl bar on a flat bench, elbows flaring
out slightly. By the way, the long head
is the most massive segment of the
triceps muscle.
—Steve Holman and
Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com
Editor’s note: This is an excerpt
from the IRON MAN e-zine. You can
subscribe and have it delivered to
your e-mail box free every week. Go
to www.IronManMagazine.com
and provide your e-mail address in the
upper-left corner of the home page.
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But nine times out of 10 this stall is
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Train to Gain / MATURE MUSCLE
Wider Wings for a V-Taper
A: You’re training
your back too often. I
say that assuming that
you’re not using any
muscle-growth-enhancing drugs. Working any large bodypart
once in an eight-day
cycle is optimal for
most men who are
over 40 and natural.
When I create
workouts for clients,
I ensure that they get
plenty of rest after
doing the most leverage-advantageous
exercises to failure for
each bodypart. Those
exercises are based
on an enormous
amount of information
that each person gives
me in a questionnaire
that took me 20 years
to develop. It asks
clients the measurements of their entire musculoskeletal system—everything from wrist, knee and ankle circumferences
to specific information that tells me the shape of their spine
and rib cage and the width and shape of their clavicles, as
well as arm and leg lengths from various joint-to-joint points. I
apply the information to a database that I’ve compiled over 25
years, which includes more than a thousand male measurements and the optimal exercises for developing each bodypart. That speaks to their potential muscular hypertrophy.
Let’s say your arm is 35 inches long and you’re 6’3”. You
may have relatively wide shoulders and a relatively robust rib
cage, but your spine’s shape leans toward being almost inverted from L-1 to S-1. That would tell me that your trapezius,
rhomboids and muscles around the scapula are taking a lot of
the load in a workout. Your genetic tendency would be to have
a thick inner back; however, the latissimus and teres would
suffer because of how your musculature is shaped around
your spine.
The solution is to do your pullups and pulldowns with a
narrow V-bar grip. That will activate your lats more effectively.
There once was a notion that the wider you held your hands
doing pullups and pulldowns, the wider the back muscles
would get. That’s
true only if your
spine has a perfect shape, your
muscles are in
perfect alignment
and you have a
perfect musculoskeletal frame.
No one has that.
We all have to
look at our spine,
rib cage, arm
length and so on
to understand
what exercises are
best for maximum
muscle stimulation.
By changing
the long bar for
the V-bar, you’ll
be biomechanically reaching
the lats because
the stretch and
contraction will be
enhanced. You’ll
attack your outer
muscles instead
of struggling with
a wide grip and
wide bar—which
both work the
inner part of your
back as opposed
to the outer back.
The form of
your genetic musculoskeletal frame indicates what exercises
are most biomechanically advantageous. The key in formulating your lat training lies in understanding how certain exercises
affect specific muscle groups on you and you only.
—Paul Burke
Neveux \ Model: Gus Malliarodakis
Q: I’m 49 years old and have never been able to
get that V-taper. I do have a small waist, but I can’t
get my lats to
grow outward. I do
three sets of 10
By changing the
long bar for the
reps on pullups,
V-bar, you’ll be
pulldowns and
biomechanically
low-pulley rows
reaching the lats
twice a week and
because the stretch
have never gotten
and contraction will
my lats to grow.
be enhanced.
What am I doing
wrong?
Editor’s note: To contact Paul Burke, write to pbptb@
aol.com. Burke has a master’s degree in integrated studies
from Cambridge College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He’s
been a champion bodybuilder and
arm wrestler, and he’s considered a
leader in the field of over-40 fitness
training. You can purchase his book,
Burke’s Law—a New Fitness Paradigm for the Mature Male, from Home
Gym Warehouse. Call (800) 447-0008,
or visit www.Home-Gym.com. His
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Train to Gain / HARDGAINER
The Brothers Grimm
It’s been two months since Yiannis and
Stelios took the two workouts I described
in Part 1 [January ’08]. Previously, the
brothers were subconsciously resigned to
bodybuilding failure. They’d experienced
years of little or no progress, although
they kept plugging away in the gym.
Now, though, they have training purpose,
confidence and know-how—and bodies
that are ready for effective training.
Even good bodybuilding progress is
slow, but slow and steady progress for
a few years produces terrific physiques.
Here’s the seven-point plan Yiannis and
Stelios must follow:
1) Passion and desire for physique
improvement and training—training
regularity is essential.
2) Appropriate training routines and employing exercises that
suit each of them.
3) Correct exercise technique and smooth, controlled rep
speed.
4) Hard, serious training.
5) Full satisfaction, every day, of the components of recuperation from training—nutrition, rest and sleep—and the adoption of a healthful lifestyle. Without their health, the brothers
can’t train hard and consistently.
6) Consistent progression—adding weight to their exercises
without any perceived increase in effort to achieve the target
reps and sets and without any compromise on technique
and rep speed. For example, if Yiannis adds some weight to
an exercise every week or two but each time he perceives
an increase in the effort required, he’ll soon grind to a halt
because he won’t be able to add weight. But if he’s able to
add a tad of weight on a consistent basis to each exercise
without a perceived increase in effort and while maintaining correct technique and rep control, he’ll make consistent
progress.
7) Apply points 2 through 6 with persistence and patience.
The brothers need to get today right, then tomorrow, then
the following day, then the next and so on. Regardless of
whether it’s a training day, each day will contribute to their
progress.
A big part of the brothers’ problems was that they weren’t
capable of hard but safe squatting and deadlifting. Done safely,
the squat and the deadlift are great exercises, but if they aren’t
done safely, they’re dangerous. They should be done correctly,
or not at all. Because I wanted Yiannis and Stelios to train as
effectively as possible and because I would supervise them,
they’d be squatting and deadlifting.
When I first saw them train, neither could use correct squat
or deadlift technique because they didn’t have the required flexibility. As a result, their forward tilt was excessive, they couldn’t
A bodybuilding
odyssey, part 3
keep their heels flat on the floor, they couldn’t
keep their lower backs slightly hollow at the
bottom position of the squat and deadlift, and
they couldn’t keep their knees in the correct
position on the ascent of the squat.
It wasn’t just overall flexibility they were lacking; they lacked symmetrical flexibility, for two
main reasons: First, they never did any flexibility
work. Second, due to some jammed-up muscles as a result of past neglect and injury, each
had greater inflexibility on one side of his body
than on the other. That led to asymmetrical
squatting and deadlifting technique, which kept
irritating their backs or knees and preventing
the intensity required to build bigger muscles.
From the first week under my direction the
brothers stretched every other day for about an
hour, using a combination of common athletic
stretches and a few yoga asanas, or postures.
They concentrated on their calves, hamstrings,
thigh adductors and hip musculature but covered the rest of
their bodies too.
I had both of them get a few treatments from a chiropractor
to correct some structural problems, and I had them get some
soft-tissue therapy from a physical therapist. The combination
of those treatments and six weeks of gradually progressive but
safe stretching made a big difference. They could squat without
any elevation under their heels other than the thin heel of their
shoes, with their lower backs slightly hollow even at the bottom
position of the squat and deadlift, with their feet in a wider position in the squat than they were used to and with their knees
lined up with their flared feet.
Even with that type of preparation, some bodybuilders have
a body structure unsuited to the squat or the deadlift. Tall, lanky
people aren’t well-suited to the squat, and people with short
legs and arms but long torsos aren’t well-suited to the deadlift.
If you’re truly not suited to the squat even though you’re flexible
enough, try the leg press or parallel-grip deadlift instead. And if
you’re truly not suited to the deadlift, even though you’re flexible
enough, use the partial deadlift (from knee height) and the back
extension instead.
Now the brothers are ready to squat and deadlift, provided
they use correct technique—that’s another big stumbling point
for most bodybuilders. Even if they’re truly fit for the movements, they can’t progress well on them because they don’t
use correct technique. As a result they repeatedly injure themselves.
In the future I’ll take you through the brothers’ new workouts,
and you’ll see the difference in their old and new regimens.
—Stuart McRobert
www.Hardgainer.com
Editor’s note: Stuart McRobert’s
first byline in IRON MAN appeared in
1981. He’s the author of the new 638page opus on bodybuilding Build Muscle,
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Train to Gain / SPORTSMEDICINE
Where Is Training Fatigue?
Neveux \ Model: Dave Goodin
All of us who train hard have experienced the burn
during our toughest sets—the last few reps at the end of
the workout. It seems quite obvious that we can’t do any
more reps because the muscle can’t contract anymore.
It doesn’t just feel fatigued; it feels wiped out. So it may
seem silly to raise the question, Where is training fatigue?
The question isn’t so silly. There’s more than one type
of fatigue, and there’s much research into muscle or performance fatigue each year. You should know about two
main types of fatigue: peripheral and central.
Peripheral fatigue includes the energy systems in the
muscle itself. When the muscle consumes all the available
energy substances, it won’t be able to contract. When
the by-products of muscle work, such as lactic acid and
carbon dioxide, increase to very high levels, the burn
increases, and it becomes very difficult for the muscle to
work.
When the muscle is working so hard, oxygen is consumed as well. The contraction of the muscle exerts force
on the small arteries and veins leading into and out of
the muscle, and they’re compressed as well. That further
interferes with the muscles’ ability to continue to work
because their work exceeds the body’s ability to supply them with what they need. When the nerves to the
muscle are stimulated too many times in a short amount
of time, the peripheral nerve can fatigue too, so it’s difficult for the nerve to keep conducting an impulse without
proper rest. Rest enables the neurotransmitters to recover and helps reestablish the balance between sodium
and potassium. That may sound complicated, but much,
much more is taking place when you’re performing, say,
preacher curls to failure.
Central fatigue occurs in the brain and spinal cord.
Have you ever had a day in the gym where the workout,
sets, reps or weight just didn’t seem to be happening the
way you thought they would? Have you ever had days
where you had enough sleep and didn’t think you were
tired, but the bar just didn’t want to move and the weight
felt heavy with a poundage that you moved for sets the
week before? That may be a sign of central fatigue.
We need to keep in mind that strength is a neurological
phenomenon. If a muscle fiber is a little thicker, it is a little
stronger; however, if we can learn to recruit more muscle
fibers, we can be much stronger. Strength is determined
by an impulse starting in the brain, traveling down the spinal cord, spinal nerve root and peripheral nerve to a point
on a muscle known as a motor endplate. From there the
impulse spreads throughout the muscle, and that determines how many muscle fibers should be recruited and
how fast.
The average untrained person recruits about 53 percent of the muscle fibers. Training increases that threshold. We literally learn to recruit more fibers. The part of
the brain controlling that, the motor cortex, can fatigue as
well. That’s been monitored on studies known as function
MRIs. Once the motor cortex fatigues, there’s less output
to the body or bodypart to continue the same motion.
Some studies have shown that the fatigue can spread to
other areas of the brain such as the visual cortex (Benwell, Mastaglia and Thickbroom. Reduced functional activation after fatiguing exercise is not confined to primary
motor areas. Exp Brain Research; 2006).
Whenever we discuss fatigue, we must bring in the
topic of recovery. The balance between fatigue and recovery is what keeps us in the gym. Too much central
fatigue leads to overtraining and a lack of results—or
even a loss of strength and size. I’ve addressed overtraining many times over the past 18 years, and I will again.
For now, if your workouts aren’t working—if your gains
stopped and you tried changing your routine, and you’re
getting enough sleep and eating well and are fully hydrated—try taking a break from training for a week or two
and see if you become rejuvenated in the gym.
—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 books,
Strength, Conditioning and Injury Prevention for Hockey
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Train to Gain / ROLE MODELS
Who Do You Want to Look Like?
Following the recent—and highly controversial—Mr. Olympia competition, several
Internet sites conducted polls to determine
which of the top five men the readers would
rather look like. The results were supposed
to correlate to how the placings should
have been determined. After all, Mr. Olympia does, theoretically, have the ideal physique that we all aspire to.
Predictably enough, more people stated
that they would prefer owning a more
shapely and aesthetic physique along the
lines of Victor Martinez, Dexter Jackson or
Dennis Wolf than the sheer bulk of mass
monsters like Jay Cutler and Ronnie Coleman. I don’t want to argue over the hows
and whys of those opinions. We all have our own
tastes. What I find slightly disturbing is the whole
concept of aspiring to look “just like” any top pro—
and not for the reasons you might think.
I have said ad infinitum that the top pros are all
genetic freaks and, for the most part, are all
chemically assisted as well. Unless you
share their rare genetics and have access to the same chemicals, the idea of
OPTIMAL WORKOUT
Time to Train
Many trainees wonder
what time of day is best for a
workout. Is it morning, noon
or night? Research suggests
that peak performance occurs in the afternoon or early
evening because your muscles are warmer from moving
all day, your body temperature is normal, and your heart
and lungs are functioning
efficiently. Of course, if early
morning is the only time you
can hit the weights, do it.
That’s a lot better than trying
to make it to the gym after
work, when it’s crowded and
you’re dragging. Do it when
you can get to it.
—Becky Holman
www.X-tremeLean.com
resembling them is pure fantasy. More important,
everyone has a unique genetic blueprint. We can
only do the best we can with the genetics we’ve
been born with, and who’s to say that the physique
we eventually build can’t be great in its own way?
Just because it wouldn’t belong on the Mr.
Olympia stage doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be
something to be proud of and that people
everywhere wouldn’t respect and admire.
Those of you who have put years into
hard training and good eating probably
already know what I mean. People you
meet are often as impressed by your
physique as they would be by any pro’s.
In fact, they may be even more impressed
because you have a more attainable look
than that of a cartoon-proportioned freak.
It’s perfectly fine to draw inspiration from
the physiques of the pros and to respect
the hard work they put in to look the way
they do. All I want to get across to you is
that in aspiring to look exactly like them,
you’re doing yourself a disservice. Why
not aspire to be the most incredibly and
perfectly developed you that you can be?
That’s a goal you can actually reach. When
you do, you’ll be pleased to find that it feels
just as good as looking like a pro. Knowing
you reached your ultimate potential feels
damn good—maybe even as good as becoming Mr. Olympia!
—Ron Harris
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guns into cannons and your
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to Granite Abs is also included
on this action-packed DVD.
©2009 Home-Gym.com
by Charles Poliquin
Q: There’s a recent trend in bodybuilding to do
fewer reps than the traditional recommendation.
I’m talking about eight to 10 sets of three reps. Typically, according to what you used to say, at least,
that’s more or less for strength and not for hypertrophy. What are your thoughts?
A: True, it’s best to do higher reps when you’re looking
for hypertrophy in the shortest time. You can definitely
grow on sets of three; it just takes longer for the muscle
mass to come along. You’ll get stronger on that low-rep
system way before you get bigger. The thing is that most
intermediate bodybuilders don’t grow because they’re just
too weak. If you do eight sets of three or cluster training or
some other heavy-load set-and-rep scheme, you use maximal weights, and your body learns to recruit high-threshold
motor units.
Let’s say a guy can do 250 for eight reps on the bench
press, and his pecs are at their limit. He can then go on a
strength cycle. If he does 250 for eight, his max should be
about 320. If he goes on a strength cycle and gets his bench
up to 360, when he goes back to doing sets of eight, he’ll
be able to handle 280. For that reason his pecs are going to
grow—because he has used enough weight long enough to
stimulate growth.
But look at Olympic lifters. They never do more than six
Neveux \ Model: Ted Arcidi
Size vs. Strength
Rep Ranges
Powerlifters and weightlifters use low-rep sets,
while bodybuilders tend to use higher reps.
Low reps will hypertrophy muscle tissue; it
just takes longer than using the bodybuilding
standard of eight to 12.
Neveux \ Model: Dave Goodin
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reps, but they have huge thighs and traps—because they’ve
done it over a long period. What people don’t know is that
muscle grows because it’s easier for muscle to hypertrophy than it is to recruit more motor units. It’s basically the
body’s laziness. If you tap into new motor units and then go
back and do sets of eight with your new max, you’ll grow.
The opposite is also true. Some guys, for example, go
into the weight room and lift every day, and their lifts
haven’t improved since Hillary Clinton smiled. I ask them,
“What’s your best for eight reps?” and they say, “I don’t
know, 250.” And I say, “Try training with only eight-rep sets,
and get that max up to 270. Then go back to heavy training.”
So if you haven’t gained strength in a long while, you
have to hypertrophy the fibers. Hypertrophy training is
actually quite simple—I didn’t say easy. It’s much harder to
make an athlete gain strength on a relative basis—that is,
strength on a pound for pound basis—than to gain mass.
The key to hypertrophy training is variety in applying the
loading limits.
Q: In your writings you come across as a low-carb
type of guy. Can you summarize why?
A: How about a list? I’d like to make the following points
regarding low-carb diets. Of course, I could go on and on,
but these are important points to consider:
1) Carbohydrate intake should be individualized. Some
people (a minority) simply cannot train for extensive periods on low carbs. They’re usually gifted for aerobic sports,
so I don’t see them anyway.
2) Low carb for life is the best solution for at least 75
percent of the population. If we banned grains, 90 percent
of the health-care costs would go down. No more triglycerides, LDL, C-reactive proteins, low androgens, etc.
3) A lot of people are kidding themselves about how
many carbs they need. There’s a difference between a
mouth and a vacuum. Skip a high-carb meal, and you can
save a small African country.
4) You need more a low-carb lifestyle than a low-carb
diet. Forty to 50 grams per day of good carbs is plenty for
most of the population. That’s why there are so many fat
dietitians and personal trainers. I recently saw a fitness author who’s a legend in his own mind for his dietary counseling prowess and a record of never healing weight training
injuries. He’s never met a carbohydrate he didn’t like. No
wonder his waist size exceeds his shoulder girth.
5) You need to distinguish between carbs and “neo”
carbs. Neo carbs were not accessible to cavemen. Did a
caveman have access to doughnuts? No. Doughnuts are
neo carbs. Did a caveman have access to pasta? No. Pasta
equals neo carbs. Did a caveman have access to grapes?
Yes. Grapes are allowable carbs (in some instances).
6) Nutrient timing makes a difference. A 200-pound man
can stay lean eating 250 grams of carbs a day if he takes 200
of them postworkout and spreads the other 50 throughout
the day as low-glycemic carbs. I said, “stay lean,” not get
lean. If you want carbs, get lean first. You have to deserve
them.
7) No one eats enough vegetables. Have you ever heard
of anybody bingeing on brussels sprouts? If you don’t eat
enough veggies, a daily intake of mixed fibers may be indicated for a short period. If you were to get all nutritionists to agree only on one thing, it would be that everybody
needs to eat more vegetables.
8) The leaner you are, the more carbs you can eat. That’s
one of the reasons I insist that my athletes get as lean as
possible as early as possible when they start working with
me.
9) You can dramatically improve insulin sensitivity.
When I teach the Biosignature, I give 16 hours of info on
It should be a low-carb lifestyle rather than a low-carb
diet. Forty to 50 grams per day of good carbs is plenty
for most of the population.
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that topic alone. Plenty of nutraceuticals (i.e., R-form stabilized
alpha-lipoic acid, not the useless
racemic form that everybody sells)
and botanicals will improve insulin
sensitivity, and functional tests can
determine which ones would work
best for you. Insulin sensitivity and
the ability to hypertrophy while
leaning out are very strongly correlated—much more than androgen
output.
10) Every fifth day you should go
back to eating more good carbs, as
oxidation of branched-chain amino
acids is compromised on low-carb
diets. The number of good carbs
should be inversely proportional to
your percentage of bodyfat.
11) Following a low-carb diet
without getting a high intake of
smart fats is suicidal. Make sure to
eat good sources of omega-3s and/or
supplement them in your diet.
Q: My arms haven’t grown in a
while. Anything you can suggest
to get me out of the rut?
A: Try fixation/insertion supersets. In kinesiology, the origin of
the muscle is what’s fixated, and
the insertion is what moves. If you can somehow superset
movements that combine those two opposite functions,
you tear fibers at both ends, and you get supercompensation.
Here’s a nasty superset for biceps:
Do four to six reps of close-grip chinups (or
close-grip pulldowns, if you’re not strong enough
to do chinups), rest eight to 10 seconds, and then
do eight to 10 reps of incline dumbbell curls.
Do five supersets, resting approximately two
minutes after each round, and I guarantee you
there will be no way you can bend your elbows
without feeling extreme soreness for at least five
days.
Here’s what’s happening: When you do the
chinups, the origin is at the elbow and the insertion is at the shoulder. Then, when you do the
incline dumbbell curls, it’s the opposite: The
origin is at the shoulder and the insertion is at
the elbow.
Mechanically, you’re doing two extremes, and
you’re inducing fiber damage beyond belief.
For triceps you can superset weighted dips
with overhead extensions. Do five reps of weighted dips, rest eight to 10 seconds, and then do 10
to 12 reps of overhead extensions with a rope
attachment. Rest two minutes and repeat. Do a
total of five supersets, and you won’t be able to
brush your hair for a few days.
Again, because
of varying arm
positions in the
two movements,
you have your
elbows below your
shoulders in one
movement and
your elbows above
your shoulders in
the next.
Editor’s note:
Charles Poliquin is
recognized as one
of the world’s most
successful strength
coaches, having
coached Olympic
medalists in 12
different sports,
including the U.S.
women’s trackand-field team for
the 2000 Olympics.
He’s spent years
researching European journals
(he’s fluent in
English, French
and German) and
speaking with
other coaches and
scientists in his
quest to optimize
training methods.
For more on his books, seminars and methods, visit www.
CharlesPoliquin.net. Also, see his ad on page 271. IM
Neveux \ Model: Derik Farnsworth
Fixation/insertion
supersets involve
attacking a muscle at
both ends, origin and
insertion.
Neveux \ Model: Cesar Martinez
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Training
Poliquin’s
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Train ™
\ JULY 2006 181
Nutrition With a Get-Big Mission
NUTRITION SCIENCE
The Zinc Enigma
Do hard-training athletes need more, and does it raise testosterone?
A supplement popular with many
bodybuilders is known as ZMA. That’s an
acronym for its primary ingredients—30
milligrams of zinc, 450 milligrams of magnesium aspartate and 10.5 milligrams
of vitamin B6, or pyridoxine. The B6 is
added because it participates as a coenzyme in reactions involving the uptake
and absorption of the mineral content.
The suggested dose for ZMA is three
capsules taken just before sleep—the
magnesium is a sleep aid.
According to the developer of ZMA,
many hard-training bodybuilders and
other athletes are deficient in zinc
and magnesium. When you consider
that vital minerals activate more than
300 important enzyme systems in the
body—including the ones involved
with protein and carb uptake, hormone
release and fat oxidation—it’s not hard
to understand why being deficient in
either or both hampers muscular gains
and athletic progress.
The human body contains two to
three grams of zinc, of which 0.1 percent is replenished daily by food. Red
meat is the most reliable food source.
Poultry and fish,
common staples
of bodybuilding
diets, are inferior
sources. One study
showed that adult
men whose primary
protein sources are
fish and chicken
had insufficient zinc
intake. Women often
shun red meat,
which places them
at higher risk for both
zinc and iron deficiencies.
While zinc exists
in plant foods, some
natural substances in
those foods interfere
with zinc absorption—phytates in
whole grains and
lignins in flax, for
example. Overcooking protein results in
what chemists call
a Maillard reaction,
which interferes with
Neveux \ Model: Peter Putnam
EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROWEAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT
to Grow
both zinc and protein absorption. Other
nutrients can also block zinc uptake,
such as calcium, iron and large doses
of the B-complex vitamin folic acid.
Most researchers suggest that at
least 25 percent of the world’s population is at risk for zinc deficiency, although most of those people live in
poor Third World countries. Zinc is
required for growth and development, as well as for immune
function, cellular DNA repair,
reproduction, vision, taste and
brain function. Most forms of cancer
involve damage to cellular DNA, and
zinc is required for enzymes that repair
DNA damage. Another way zinc helps
protect against cancer is through interaction with superoxide dismutase, a
major antioxidant that blocks the noxious effects of free radicals known to
damage cells and initiate cancer.1
Various diseases impair zinc uptake,
including those associated with alcoholism, such as liver cirrhosis. Stress
can lead to enhanced zinc excretion. A
potentially deadly genetic disease called
acrodermatitis enteropathica is marked
by an impairment of intestinal absorption of zinc. Signs of zinc deficiency
include lack of growth, impaired immunity, dermatitis, poor healing of wounds
and hair loss, with black hair often
turning reddish brown. Zinc may also
help prevent dementia, although higher
amounts of zinc are also found in some
demented older people.
Just as zinc deficiency is a problem,
so is zinc overload—usually the result of
supplement overkill, though the effects
are generally subtle. The recommended
daily intake of zinc for adult men is 11
milligrams, eight for women. Vegetarians require an additional three to four
milligrams daily because natural elements in vegetables and grains interfere
with zinc uptake. Pregnant and nursing
women also require about the same
amount of additional zinc.
Like most minerals, zinc follows a
bell curve: Too much is as bad as too
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little. Too much zinc leads to
an imbalance between zinc
and copper, resulting in an excess excretion of copper. The
effects of a copper deficiency
include a type of anemia and a
decline in protective high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, and
a serious copper deficiency
could lead to a breakdown
of the aorta, the large artery
leading out of the heart, because copper is required for
the synthesis of collagen, which
strengthens blood vessels.
While having sufficient
zinc is vital for the function of immune cells known
as T cells—which, among other
things, protect against viruses
and tumor formation—getting
too much zinc works in reverse,
impeding immune reactions
in the body. Taking as little as 80
milligrams of zinc daily will have an
immune-suppressing effect in most
people. It concentrates in the prostate
gland, and one study found that consistently taking 100 milligrams of zinc or
more daily led to a 290-percent increase in the risk of metastatic prostate
cancer. Even taking only 53 milligrams
of zinc daily can impair copper status in
the body. Plus, while not having enough
zinc impairs blood-platelet aggregation,
which leads to increased bleeding time,
having too much increases the risk of
internal blood clotting, which is linked to
heart attack and stroke.2
From an athlete’s point of view, zinc
status can either help or hinder. Low
zinc intake is associated with impaired
muscle function, reduced strength and
a greater propensity to fatigue prematurely during exercise. Among the
enzymes activated by zinc is carbonic
anhydrase, needed for the metabolism
of carbon dioxide. So if you’re too
low on zinc, the enzyme’s activity is
impaired, which messes with your
breathing and would result in premature
exercise fatigue.3 Zinc also works with
various anabolic hormones, including
testosterone, insulin, IGF-1 and growth
hormone.
Without it,
nitric oxide
declines,
which
adversely
affects
hormone
function
and blood
flow to
exercising
muscles.
So
can ZMA
aid your
bodybuilding efforts? If you
know the effects of zinc deficiency,
the benefits of a supplement like ZMA
seem clear. Suppose, however, you get
enough zinc in your diet—would ZMA
still prove beneficial?
A recent study compared the effects
of taking the suggested three-capsule
dose of ZMA to those of taking a placebo.4 The subjects were 14 healthy,
exercising young men whose baseline
daily zinc intake averaged between
11.9 and 23.2 milligrams.
A study published in 2000 showed
that semiprofessional athletes who took
the suggested dose had a 30 percent
increase in plasma testosterone and
a corresponding increase in muscular
strength compared to athletes not taking the supplement. In the new study,
however, those taking ZMA had no rise
in testosterone or its urinary metabolites. The pills were analyzed and found
to contain no trace of pro-hormones,
although they did meet label specifications. Other effects of ZMA in the
subjects included a rise in urinary pH,
or alkalinity, and a doubling of urinary
flow over the eight-week study. The
increased urine flow was likely related to
the rapid excretion of zinc in the subjects taking ZMA.
While the authors noted that the
training level of the subjects was inferior to that of the subjects in the 2000
study, both groups had similar zinc and
testosterone measures before and after
the studies. The authors suggest that
for those not deficient in zinc, taking
ZMA won’t affect testosterone levels.
They further suggest that the ZMA
effect on pH, as well as the increased
urinary flow, may prove a problem for
some people, citing the 30-milligram
dose, which is close to the suggested
tolerable safe daily dose of 40 milligrams. Since zinc is an ingredient in
many other supplements bodybuilders
use, such as meal replacements and
vitamin-and-mineral capsules, that calls
for caution on the part of supplement
users. On the other hand, since studies show that fish and chicken aren’t
reliable sources of zinc, bodybuilders
who eschew red meat may benefit from
some type of zinc supplement.
Two other factors to consider are
that only about 20 percent of a zinc
supplement is absorbed under the best
conditions (25 percent is absorbed from
food). Other minerals, such as calcium
and iron, speed zinc excretion. The
other mineral in ZMA, magnesium, is
also far more likely to be lacking in a
typical bodybuilding diet. So a supplement such as ZMA may prove
useful for many people. Just
don’t depend on it to raise your
testosterone too. —Jerry Brainum
References
1 Ho,
E. (2004). Zinc deficiency, DNA
damage and cancer risk. J Nutr Biochem. 15:572-78.
2 Hughes, S., et al. (2006). The effect of zinc supplementation in humans
on plasma lipids, antioxidant status
and thrombogenesis.J Amer Coll Nutr.
25:4:285-91.
3 Lukaski, H. (2005). Low dietary zinc
decreases erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase activities and impairs cardiorespiratory function in men during exercise.
Am J Clin Nutr. 81:1045-51.
4 Koehler, K, et al. (2007). Serum
testosterone and urinary excretion of
steroid metabolites after administration
of a high-dose zinc supplement. Eur J
Clin Nutr. 1-6: In press.
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ MARCH 2008 49
LIFT BIG TO GET BIG
Build Incredible Pressing Power and Bulletproof Shoulders
Unfortunately, shoulder injury
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•Bodybuilder’s injuryprevention routine.
•Detailed biomechanics to
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to Grow
NUTRITION NOTES
Food Facts
That can affect your
workouts, weight and wellness
Neveux \ Model: Gus Mallarodakis
Chocolate for
your teeth? Researchers at Tulane
University discovered that theobromine, a compound
in cocoa beans, is
better than fluoride
for hardening tooth
enamel and fighting decay.
FAT L O S S
Watered-Down Fat
Now water can get you leaner
Neveux \ Model: Tom Voss
Your muscles are about 70 percent water—reason enough to get plenty
of it during the day. Here’s another: Water also ramps up your metabolism.
Researchers conducted a study to test its thermogenic effects, meaning its
conversion of fat calories into heat. Seven men and seven women, average
age 27, drank 500 milliliters, or about
half a quart, of cold water. That caused
a metabolic increase of 30 percent over
resting status. The increase occurred
within 10 minutes, reaching a maximum
at 30 to 40 minutes after the subjects
drank the water, and it lasted for more
than an hour. It led the authors to suggest
that drinking just a little more than a quart
of water a day would augment energy
expenditure by 200 kilojoules a day. That’s
like taking 50 milligrams of ephedrine
three times a day, which would give you
an increased energy expenditure of 320
kilojoules. Granted, that adds up to only
about 100 extra calories burned daily, but it does add to weight loss (J Clin
Endocrinol Metab, 88:6015-6019; 2003).
—Becky Holman
www.X-tremeLean.com
Onions
have lots of
quercetin, a
bioflavonoid
that reduces
inflammation
in the same
manner as
aspirin. That
means onions can do good things for
healing joint pain as well as cardiovascular health.
Seaweed may make junk food
healthier. How? By increasing its
fiber content. In a study done at the
University of Newcastle in the United
Kingdom, scientists added seaweed
to white bread for the health-boosting
effect. Let’s just hope it doesn’t make
toast smell like a fish
market.
Oil taken in with
meals, whether
as fish oil capsules or salad
dressing, has
been shown to
boost absorption of
some antioxidants
and phytochemicals in vegetables by
as much as 10 percent. Take a few
fish oil capsules with every meal.
Magnesium
can help
you sleep
better. The
mineral helps
the body
produce
melatonin, a
chemical in the brain that helps you
relax. Try taking 200 milligrams with
dinner.
—Becky Holman
www.X-tremeLean.com
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
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•Mental aspects of training
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©2009 Home-Gym.com
to Grow
SUPPLEMENTS
Creatine Timing and Loading
The research on creatine continues to point to its amazing effectiveness and versatility. One recent study examined
the absorption effects of creatine when it was an ingredient
in a drink and in two types of food bars.1 The bars contained
either protein
or beta-glucan,
a soluble fiber
found naturally in oatmeal
and barley.
The dose of
creatine was
two grams in
all cases. The
subjects got
it three times
daily for one
week in one
form, then
took it in another form for
a week—that
is, one week
liquid, then
protein bar, then beta-glucan bar.
The absorption of creatine was slowed eightfold by the
beta-glucan bar and fourfold by the protein-and-creatine bar.
Interestingly, all forms of creatine were completely absorbed,
contrary to some advertising claims that most dietary creatine is largely degraded in the gut. The greatest effect was
observed when creatine was combined with the beta-glucan,
M I N D M AT T E R S
For the best muscle
saturation
resulting in the least urinary
excretion and greatest retention. That implies that if you
slow creatine absorption, you’ll
retain more of it.
Another study compared
the usual creatine-loading regimen—five grams of creatine
four times daily—with a more
frequent intake, one gram 20
times a day.2 Nine subjects
got the usual five-gram load
at three-hour intervals, while
those getting the one-gram
dose got it every 30 minutes.
Both regimens lasted five
days. The results: The smaller
creatine dose resulted in less urinary excretion than the larger
one, which led to higher creatine retention. The authors concluded that taking smaller doses of creatine more often, or
possibly using a timed-release form of the supplement, would
bring better results.
—Jerry Brainum
References
1 Deldicque,
L., et al. (2007). Kinetics of creatine ingested as
a food ingredient. Eur J Appl Physiol. In press.
2 Sale, C., et al. (2007). Urinary creatine excretion following supplementation with 4x5 g day or 20x1 g day of creatine
monohydrate for 5 days. J Sports Sci. 25:249.
DIETS
Berry Good Memory
Low Carb or Low Fat?
We’ve all
had short-term
memory lapses
(“Where did I put
those keys?”).
Blackberries may
help. Anthocyanin, a phyotochemical they
contain, has been
shown to improve
memory. The
compound appears to help protect and rebuild brain cells, and
in older folks it’s been shown to actually reverse
age-related memory decline.
—Becky Holman
www.X-tremeLean.com
Maybe neither is
best for long-term
weight loss. University of Pennsylvania
scientists found that
extreme changes in
diet, like lowfat or
low-carb regimens,
trigger the release
of stress hormones
in the brain. That,
in turn, causes anxiety, which can lead to binge
eating. Carb reduction is a good strategy for losing weight, but don’t get carried away. Balance is
best if you want to maintain your ripped physique.
—Becky Holman
www.X-tremeLean.com
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to Grow
ANABOLIC DRIVE
Recent Relevant Research
Food news and
supplement science
A carb-and-protein blend better than carbs.
A study looked at whether resistance exercise performance and postexercise muscle damage were altered
for those drinking a carbohydrate-and-protein beverage.
Thirty-four male subjects completed three sets of eight
repetitions at their eight-repetition maximum to fatigue.
They did, in order, high pulls, leg curls, standing overhead presses, leg extensions, lat pulldowns, leg presses
and bench presses. In a double-blind manner they
drank 355 milliliters of either a carb-and-protein beverage or a placebo (electrolyte and artificial sweetener) 30
minutes prior to exercise: 177 milliliters immediately prior
to exercise, 177 milliliters halfway through the exercise
bout and 355 milliliters immediately following exercise.
Those on the carb-and-protein drink experienced reduced muscle damage and soreness.1
Neveux \ Model: Daniele Seccarecci
Not to blindside you with too much science, but here’s
the lowdown on some recent work from the ivory tower.
First off, anyone who thinks that merely drinking sugarcontaining sports drinks is enough, think again. Drinking
a sports drink before, during or after exercise is about as
effective as entering the UFC’s Octagon after taking ballet
lessons. Yep, it just ain’t enough.
A creatine-aminos-and-protein combo is better than carbs. Researchers compared a drink
containing creatine, amino acids and protein to a carbohydrate placebo on body composition, strength, muscular
endurance and anaerobic performance before and after
10 weeks of resistance training. Fifty-one men were randomly assigned to either the test drink or the placebo and
performed two 30-second Wingate anaerobic tests (which
is one painful bike exercise) to determine peak power and
mean power. They found that the test drink was more ef-
fective than carbohydrates alone for improving anaerobic
power production.2
Protease supplement works. What about the use
of enzymes? Scientists studied the effect of a protease
supplement on delayed-onset muscle soreness. They
discovered that a protease supplement may be useful for
reducing strength loss immediately after eccentric exercise
and for aiding in short-term strength recovery.3
—Jose Antonio, Ph.D.
ANTIOXIDANTS
Fruit Salad Synergy
When we eat fruit,
most of us grab a
single apple or banana for a blast of
healthful antioxidants,
but eating a few fruits
together may be better. Mixing fruits, as in
fruit salads, appears
to boost antioxidant
reactions more than
eating individual fruits
alone. Sure, it’s easier to peel a banana than to get out
the knife and cutting board, but if you take the time to
dice up lots—more than one serving—and put your salad
in the fridge, you’ll have it for convenient snacking.
—Becky Holman
www.X-tremeLean.com
Editor’s note: You can listen to Dr. Jose Antonio and
Carla Sanchez on their radio show Performance Nutrition,
Web and podcast at www.performancenutritionshow.com.
Dr. Antonio is the CEO of the International Society of Sports
Nutrition—www.TheISSN.org. His other Web sites include
www.SupplementCoach.com, www.Javafit.com, www
.PerformanceNutritionShow.com and www.JoseAntonioPhD.
com.
References
1 Baty, J.J., et al. (2007). The effect of a carbohydrate and
protein supplement on resistance exercise performance,
hormonal response, and muscle damage. J Strength Cond
Res. 21:321-9.
2 Beck, T.W., et al. (2007). Effects of a drink containing
creatine, amino acids, and protein combined with ten weeks
of resistance training on body composition, strength, and
anaerobic performance. J Strength Cond Res. 21:100-4.
3 Beck, T.W., et al. (2007). Effects of a protease supplement on eccentric exercise-induced markers of delayed-onset
muscle soreness and muscle damage. J Strength Cond Res.
21:661-7.
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to Grow
X-TREME LEAN
X-treme Lean Tips and Tricks
1) No-carb or
extremely lowcarb diets are a
bad idea. They can
cause everything
from low energy
to flat muscles to impaired workout
performance to depression to ill
health.
2) Carb stack, if possible. Eating
the majority of your daily carbs in the
morning can increase fat burning later
in the day.
CARBS
Carbo Countdown
What’s your optimal intake?
A no- or very-lowcarb diet isn’t right
for most people. The
question is, How
many carbs per
day do you need?
Carbs are energy, so
it depends on your
daily expenditure.
The human body
stores 300 to 400 grams of carbs as glycogen
in muscle tissue and the liver. A weight workout
may deplete 100 grams of that, cardio another
50 to 100 grams. Your brain runs on glucose
as well, so 150 to 200 grams of carbs on training days should be about right to force your
body to dip into its fat stores for energy. Just to
make sure, get your carbs in the morning and/
or around your workout.
—Becky Holman
www.X-tremeLean.com
3) Think of
carbs as
energy.
Getting fewer
carbs at a
meal than the
energy you
need before
your next meal
can force your
body to burn stored bodyfat for fuel.
Neveux \ Model: Marvin Montoya
The following fat-burning tips
are from the e-book X-treme Lean
by Steve Holman and Jonathan
Lawson. For more information visit
www.X-tremeLean.com.
4) Always include plenty of carbs—
and protein—in your postworkout
meal, and have it immediately
following a workout. If you don’t,
your muscle repair and growth may be
impaired. Shoot for 60 grams of fast
carbs and 40 grams of fast protein,
like whey.
5) Never eat carb-only meals.
Eating combination meals of carbs,
protein and fat slows down the
speed at which glucose enters
your bloodstream. In other words,
combining carbs with other foods
can prevent insulin surges that can
increase bodyfat storage—as long as
you don’t eat too much at one sitting.
Each meal should be no more than
350 calories, except postworkout.
6) Try to choose natural carbs—
like fruits and vegetables—over
processed carbs like candy and
cake. Processed carbs are calorieand carb-dense. They can stop
fat burning and cause fat storage
because of the excess energy they
supply. Getting your carb allotment
from processed carbs as opposed
to fruits and vegetables can also
cause health problems due to lack of
vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.
7) Get 20 to 40 grams of protein at
each of your five to six meals a
day. That will ensure that the musclebuilding blocks are readily available
and signal your body that it’s A-okay
to add more muscle.
PERFECT POSTWORKOUT MEAL
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Breakthrough research in
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your success or failure! That
time period is known as the
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The biggest mistake many
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baked potato or rice and
vegetables after a workout. This
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©2009 Home-Gym.com
Train, Eat,
GROW
Muscle-Training Program 101
From the IRON MAN Training & Research Center
by Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
Photography by Michael Neveux
S
ometimes a death in the family can have some positive ramifications. We’re not
talking about a big inheritance, although that’s not a bad thing. We’re referring more to
reflection and the insights that can result. For example, we were saddened by the loss
of Arthur Jones, creator of Nautilus machines and the father of
high-intensity training; however, his passing caused us to reflect on the
birth of 3D Positions of Flexion—because our favorite mass-building
protocol sprang from many of Jones’ muscle-building concepts.
You may have seen Steve’s ode to Arthur in the December ’07 edition
of this series. He remembered Jones’ impact on him and his early
training:
“POF incorporates specific exercises so that the target muscle
is trained at three distinct points along its range of motion—midrange, stretch and contracted. That has a direct correlation to Jones’
Nautilus training principles. For example, he designed the pullover
machine so that it trained the full-stretch and complete-contracted
positions of the lats, while the Nautilus pulldown trained the muscle’s
midrange position. I dissected and then adapted that full-range conArthur Jones.
cept to standard equipment, including barbells and dumbbells, for
every bodypart—and my muscle gains took a giant leap.”
Recalling how well Steve’s muscles responded to the early POF programs has sparked us
to morph the heavy/light program we’ve been using for the past eight weeks into 3D HIT. It’s
a triple-hit high-intensity-training routine for each bodypart, with only one work set in each
of the three position (that’s three work sets total for each muscle). It’s simple, basic POF with X
Reps and a few other X-hybrid techniques to ensure optimal fiber activation in a single set.
That’s reduced our time in the gym considerably—for example, our leg workout on Tuesday
takes about 45 minutes. The quad routine is squats (midrange), sissy squats (stretch) and leg
extensions (contracted)—simple, basic POF—one work set for each.
GRIND OUT THE GROWTH REPS™
Beta-Alanine Gives Your Muscles More Grow Power™
The biggest bodybuilders know that
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Fortunately, there’s now a potent new
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Red Dragon is a new beta-alanine
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Muscle biopsies show that the largest
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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
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Straight carnosine supplements degrade
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more than 20 new studies document that
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©2009 Home-Gym.com
Models: Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
From the IRON MAN PRO Style Store
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•How the Pros Pack on Extreme Mass
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w w w. I ro n M a n M a g a z i n e . c o m
© 2005 IRON MAN Magazine
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 &
Research Center, where there’s more than 50 years of
training experience to get you growing fast! Here are a
few of the latest editions’ titles (online now):
Train, Eat, GROW
Here’s a review of our current
split before we continue:
Week 1
Monday: Chest, lats, triceps, abs
Tuesday: Quads, hamstrings,
lower back
Wednesday: Delts, midback,
biceps, forearms
Thursday: Off
Friday: Chest, lats, triceps, abs
Weekend: Off (with cardio)
Week 2
Monday: Delts, midback, biceps,
forearms
Tuesday: Quads, hamstrings,
lower back
Thursday: Off
Friday: Delts, midback, biceps,
forearms
Weekend: Off (with cardio)
Week 3
Repeat Week 1
We work legs only once a week,
And, as in our last program, we
still substitute regular deadlifts for
whichever back routine is called for
on Friday. That gives us residual leg
work at the end of the week as well
as a heavy back blast. We follow the
anabolic acceleration we get from
deadlifts with one or two sets of a
direct back exercise—pulldowns if
it’s lat day; machine rows if it’s midback day.
So we’re off the heavy/light program and on to 3D HIT—every
exercise is heavy to at least positive
muscular exhaustion; however,
there’s much more recovery time
and not as much systemic stress
because we’re doing fewer work
sets than in our previous program.
We do get so-called light work on
the contracted-position exercise to
end each bodypart with a flushing
pump—doing the work set
for 12 to 15 reps, which extends the
proper warmup,
tension time.
which usually inOur new program is a boon to
cludes doing two
recovery. Training four days a week
to three progreswith one work set in each position
sively heavier sets
of flexion for each bodypart is a nice
for each midrange
change, but is it enough to spur
movement. Back
new growth? The hardto squats: We
est part is getting the
muscle-building job
done in one set. For
example, the key
exercise in
the quad
routine
is squats,
which we
do first.
We try to
hammer
it into our
heads that
we get
one shot
at making
it count,
so no quitting the set
early.
One of
One of the keys to getting the muscle-building job done
the keys
in one work set is getting a proper warmup. Occlusion, via
to making
continuous-tension isolation exercises, can help.
it count is
getting a
Model: Jamo Nezzar
Wednesday: Chest, lats, triceps,
abs
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Workout 1: Chest, Lats, Triceps, Abs
1 x 9-12
1 x 12-15
1 x 9-12
1 x 9-12
1 x 9-12
1 x 12-15
1 x 9-12
1 x 9-12
1 x 9-12
1 x 12-15
1 x 9-12
1 x 9-12
1 x 12-15
1 x 12-15
1 x 10-15
1 x 10-12
1 x 10-15
1 x 9-12
Workout 1
Smith-machine incline presses (X Reps)
High cable flyes
Bench presses (X Reps)
Flyes (X Reps)
Wide-grip dips (X Reps)
Low cable flyes
Chins
Parallel-grip pulldowns
Machine or dumbbell pullovers
Rope rows
Lying extensions (X Reps)
Overhead dumbbell extensions
or cable pushouts
Pushdowns or kickbacks (X Reps)
Incline kneeups
Flat-bench leg raises
Tri-set
Ab Bench crunches
Twisting crunches
End-of-bench kneeups
Workout 2
Workout 2: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves, Lower Back
Leg extensions (warmup)
Squats
Sissy squats
Leg extensions (X Reps)
Walking lunges
Leg curls
Knee-extension leg press calf raises
(X Reps)
Leg press calf raises (X Reps)
Machine standing calf raises
or one-leg calf raises (X Reps)
Seated calf raises (X Reps)
Hyperextensions or
Nautilus lower-back machine (X Reps)
1 x 12-15
1 x 9-12
1 x 9-12
1 x 12-15
1 x 10-15
1 x 9-12
1 x 12-15
1 x 12-15
1 x 12-15
1 x 15-20
1 x 10-15
1 x 10-15
Seated laterals/upright rows (X Reps)
One-arm cable laterals
or incline one-arm laterals (X Reps)
Forward-lean laterals
Smith-machine presses (X Reps)
Bent-over laterals
Machine rows (X Reps)
V-handle cable rows
Bent-arm bent-over laterals
Dumbbell shrugs
Dumbbell curls
Incline curls
Concentration curls or
one-arm spider curls
Incline hammer curls
Tri-set
Behind-the-back wrist curls
Rockers
Forearm Bar reverse wrist curls
1 x 9-12
1 x 9-12
1 x 12-15
1 x 9-12
1 x 12-15
1 x 9-12
1 x 9-12
1 x 12-15
1 x 12-15
1 x 9-12
1 x 9-12
1 x 12-15
1 x 9-12
1 x 12-15
1 x 15-20
1 x 8-10
Friday Workout
Deadlifts (substitute for back workout)
1 x 9-12
Workout 3
Workout 3: Delts, Midback, Biceps, Forearms
do a warmup set for 10 reps, add weight
and do a second for eight reps, add
weight again and do six reps. Then we
attack our work set.
We’re not sure if Jones would’ve approved, but we’ve talked to bodybuilders who used to train with the Mentzer
brothers, and Mike and Ray, who were
fervent HIT advocates, did extensive
warmup sets before their Heavy Duty
work sets during their competitive
years. The same for Skip La Cour, who
used minimal work sets to exhaustion
preceded by many subfailure warmup
sets—and that wasn’t just to make the
heavy set safe.
Getting the muscle as warm as possible simply makes sense—not only
from an anti-injury standpoint but
from a muscle-stimulation standpoint
as well. In our e-books we’ve discussed
the blood-pressure-cuff study that
produced a 20 percent increase in
strength after blood flow was blocked.
The cuff was put on the upper arm for
two minutes, and when it was removed,
the trainees were stronger on wrist curls
than when they were tested without the
blockage—20 percent stronger. That
shows you that an influx of blood is
necessary to get a muscle to contract
with max force, which in turn triggers
maximum hypertrophic stimulation.
A comprehensive warmup mimics the
occlusion effect by pushing blood into
the muscle after each lighter set.
In fact, it’s one reason postactivation
is so effective. That means alternating a
big, compound exercise with a continuous-tension isolation movement for the
same target muscle, then resting after
each set, not in preexhaustion fashion—sorry, Arthur—for example, bench
presses and cable crossovers. Many
trainees actually get stronger on each
succeeding set of the compound exercise when they alternate it with a continuous-tension isolation move, resting
after each exercise. You can apply the
postactivation method to your warmup.
If you have trouble getting sufficiently warmed up with lighter sets of
a compound exercise—bench presses
in this case—we suggest substituting
a higher-rep set of a continuous-tension isolation movement for one of the
warmup sets. You could do two progressively heavier warmup sets on bench
presses—50 percent and 80 percent of
Note: Where X-Reps are designated, usually only one set or
phase of a drop set is performed with X Reps or an X-Rep hybrid
technique from the e-book Beyond X-Rep Muscle Building. See
the X-Blog at www.X-Rep.com for more workout details.
Train, Eat, GROW
Mike Mentzer,
intensity-training
pioneer. 3D HIT
merges many of
his ideas with
an efficient
multiangular
attack, Positions of
Flexion.
your work weight—then a 12-rep
set of fairly light cable crossovers,
using only the bottom two-thirds of
the stroke for max occlusion. Rest a
minute as the blood surges into your
pecs, and then attack your work set
of bench presses. It will give you
much better pec-fiber activation.
You’ll feel it, believe us.
Small details like that can make a
huge difference in mass gains, especially when you’re doing only one
work set for each exercise. We’ll have
more on 3D HIT next month.
Balik \ Model: Mike Mentzer
Note: Our latest e-book, Xtraordinary Arms, is available at
X-Rep.com. It includes biceps and
triceps specialization routines for
width, peak and sweep plugged into
our 3D HIT program.
Editor’s note: For the latest on X
Reps, X e-books and the X-Blog training and supplement journals, visit
www.X-Rep.com. The training ebooks are shown below. IM
X-traordinary Workouts — X-ceptional Results!
The Ultimate Mass Workout.
This is the original X-Rep
manual. Includes the
ultimate exercise for each
muscle and workouts.
Beyond X-Rep Muscle
Building. More on X Reps
and X-hybrid techniques,
including X Fade and
Double-X Overload.
3D Muscle Building.
Positions-of-Flexion mass
training. Includes the 20pounds-of-muscle-in-10weeks size surge program.
X-Rep.com
X-traordinary MuscleBuilding Workouts. The big
10 mass-program arsenal.
Includes Heavy/Light, 20Rep Squat, Power Pyramid.
NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY H
Naturally Huge
by John Hansen, Mr. Natural Olympia
Train, Eat,
Sleep, Grow
Q: I’m 40 years old, 5’9” and 187 pounds (not very
lean) and have been trying to build muscle for four
years. I managed to gain 22 pounds in the first few
years of training by mainly increasing my protein
and calories, but in the past 18 months there have
been no gains. I’ve tried bulking up with calories
and got pretty big—mainly fat—but after dieting
that off over three months,I was back down to the
size I’d been before bulking. Does my age prevent
me from gaining more muscle, or does my lack of
sleep prevent it? I average about five hours a night
on weeknights because of my job. I’ve been trying
Mike Mentzer’s high-intensity training for the past
few months. What’s your opinion of that type of
training? I’m trying it to improve recovery.
A: Building muscle in your 40s is definitely more challenging than it was in your 20s or 30s. Your testosterone
and growth hormone are down, so it’s not as easy to add
Building muscle
in your 40s is
definitely more
challenging than
when you were
younger, but it
can be done if
you pay attention
to the details.
size. If you
stimulate the
muscle with the
proper intensity
and feed it the
correct nutrition, however,
you can get
bigger after the
age of 40.
Building
muscle begins
with your workouts. If you’re
overloading the
muscle with
enough stress,
it will have no
choice but to respond by growing. The trick is doing the best exercises using a training
method in which the intensity is progressively increased
without overtraining.
The best and most effective exercises are the basic ones
done with barbells and dumbbells. It’s hard to beat squats,
barbell rows, deadlifts, bench and incline presses, overhead
presses, dips, barbell curls and the like. They force the muscles to work extremely hard, which creates growth. That’s
the first step toward getting the muscles bigger—overload
them with a heavy resistance using the best exercises.
Exercises like squats and deadlifts are also great for
releasing testosterone in the body. Because of the energy
output required, the body releases greater amounts of
testosterone in response to the stress. That’s why it’s important to include them in your program. It’s also important to
use heavy weights that will really challenge you to do the
exercise in good form for six to eight reps.
You said that you’re using Mike Mentzer’s training program to increase your recovery and recuperate fully from
each workout. That’s very important and a big factor in
getting the muscles to grow. It’s also important to make
sure that each workout is progressively harder than the
last. Progressive resistance forces the muscles to grow in
response to the continued stress placed upon them.
You can increase the intensity by using more resistance
(going heavier) or doing more reps with the same weight
(keeping them in the growth-producing six-to-10 range).
Another way is to use some type of high-intensity technique such as drop sets, forced reps or supersets.
I like to pick one progressive-training method (increasing resistance, increasing reps or using a high-intensity
technique) and make each workout progressively harder
for a cycle of eight to 10 weeks. For a week or two after the
conclusion of that cycle I either(continued
perform lighter
workouts
on page
102)
or take off a complete week in order to let my body recover
before starting another cycle.
Mike Mentzer’s Heavy Duty training method is basically
the same philosophy: increase intensity progressively at
each workout and allow the muscles enough time to rest
74 FEBRUARY 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Naturally Huge
adding fat. You’ll figure out what works for you and how to
eat in order to have more energy, more strength and more
size. That will also help you if you want to diet to get more
cut. By knowing what you’re eating and drinking every day,
you’ll have a better idea of what to cut back on in order to
get more ripped without losing size.
One final word of advice. You’re right to think that you
need more than five hours of sleep per night. If you can’t
get enough sleep on the days you work and work out, make
sure you take a one-to-two-hour nap on the days you don’t
train and catch up on your sleep on the weekends.
Train three to four days a week if you’re trying to gain
mass. By cycling your carbohydrate intake and getting
enough sleep on your rest days, you should be able to overcome the long hours you spend at work and get enough
sleep to help you recuperate and grow.
Mike Mentzer’s training system preserves recovery but is
too limited to stimulate most muscle groups to their full
potential.
in between workouts to fully recover. The difference is that
Mentzer believed in working the muscles with very low
volume; that is, very few sets.
I also believe in performing only a moderate number
of sets when training for size and strength, but I think you
have to do a certain number of exercises in order to fully
develop each muscle. The back, for example, needs at least
three or four exercises to develop all areas. You could never
fully train the back or other large muscle groups with only
one or two exercises.
As for your diet, you were on the right track in the beginning when you increased the amount of protein and carbs
to add more muscle mass. Now you need to get more specific about what you’re eating. I recommend that you count
every calorie and every gram of food you take in every day
so you can determine exactly how many calories and how
much protein, carb and fat you need to gain muscle without adding too much bodyfat.
I like cycling my carbohydrate intake to achieve that
goal. By eating more carbohydrates on training days and
then cutting back on the days when you don’t train, you’ll
be less likely to put on bodyfat. Most bodybuilders who are
trying to gain weight and get bigger eat a lot of calories and
extra carbohydrates every day, but if you’re trying to add
muscle only without gaining fat, you should watch your
carbs on your rest days.
By writing everything down each day, you’ll be more
aware of what your body needs to gain muscle without
Q: I know that you’ve written about cycle training
in the past, and I know that bodybuilders like Frank
Zane and Arnold cycled their training to avoid burnout. With that in mind, I’ve done some research, and
the best ideas I’ve found come from Shawn Ray. He
used to cycle his workouts to gain mass and shape.
He divided his training into three cycles. Each cycle
lasted three months or so. During phase 1 he divided his body into three parts:
Day 1: Back, biceps and abs
Day 2: Chest, triceps and calves
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Thighs and shoulders
Day 5: Rest
He used four exercises each for back and thighs,
three for chest and shoulders and two for biceps,
triceps and calves. He used basic exercises only, like
barbell rows, bench and incline presses, deadlifts,
squats and military presses. He did four sets per
exercise for six to 10 reps. During phase 2 he added
a shaping exercise to the mix; for example, concentration curls for biceps, lunges for legs and cable
crossovers for chest. Because of the added volume
he divided his body into four parts:
Day 1: Shoulders, biceps and abs
Day 2: Legs and calves
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Chest, triceps and abs
Day 5: Back and calves
Day 6: Rest
He did five exercises each for back and thighs,
four for chest and shoulders and three for biceps
and triceps. He still did four sets per movement and
eight to 12 reps per set.
What I’d like you to do is create routines that I can
follow that are consistent with Ray’s parameters.
I know it’s a big job, but I also know that you’re the
best source for natural bodybuilding information. I
think that cycle training might take my physique to
the next level and enable me to win.
A: I like the idea of cycle training, and I think the way
Shawn Ray designed his program is very good. He was
doing the same thing that Frank Zane and Arnold did when
they prepared for the Mr. Olympia each year, gradually
building up the intensity in order to reach peak condition
at the end of the year.
Those champions were smart enough to know that you
Naturally Huge
can’t train all out every week of the year without eventually
burning out. They would hold back on their training at the
beginning of the year, gradually increasing the intensity
and volume of their workouts until they reached peak condition at the end of their yearlong training cycle.
My recommendation to you as a natural bodybuilder
would be to keep the sets slightly lower and the training
cycles shorter. That will enable you to use heavier weights
and increase your muscle mass without burning out.
Twelve weeks of training heavy and hard are pretty tough
Shawn Ray.
Squats
Leg curls
Total sets:
4 x 6-10
3 x 6-10
3 x 6-8
13
By keeping the sets low and the focus on increasing your
strength by using more resistance each week, you’ll be increasing your muscle mass without overtraining. You’ll also
be able to train heavier each week and put everything into
each workout because of the low volume and emphasis on
just the basic exercises.
If you did three eight-week cycles focusing on the
basic exercises done for low reps and low sets, you could
build substantial size and strength after 27 weeks of training—three eight-week cycles with one week of rest after the
conclusion of each cycle.
When your contest is 12 to 16 weeks away, you can do
what Shawn did: Start training your body over four days
instead of three and add another exercise to each training session to create more shape and separation in your
bodyparts.
You could add leg extensions or lunges for your legs,
seated cable rows and one-arm dumbbell rows for your
back, flyes for your chest, upright rows for your delts and so
on. That would add a little more volume to each workout
and would increase the intensity. At this point in the year
you should be much stronger and bigger than you were at
the beginning of the first cycle.
Shawn gave each muscle group five days’ rest during
phase 1 of his training, but he increased that rest time to
six days for phase 2. I agree with that strategy, and I recommend the same training split.
During your size cycles, you could train two days on/one
day off/one day on/one day off to give each muscle group
five days of rest. When the contest or the end of your peaking season gets closer—12 to 16 weeks out—you could train
your body over four days using the two-days-on/one-dayoff/two-days-on/one-day-off cycle. Here’s an example of
how you could split it up:
Mass Cycle
Day 1: Chest, arms, calves
Day 2: Abs, legs
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Delts, back, calves
Day 5: Rest
Repeat cycle
on the body, and you might begin to regress if you try to go
heavier each week for that many weeks.
I think you can keep the total sets for each bodypart between eight and 12 by focusing on the basic exercises. Even
the bigger muscle groups can be trained with the basic
movements for a moderate number of sets to increase the
muscle mass and strength. Here’s an example of an off-season workout for back and legs:
Back
Wide-grip chins
Barbell rows
Deadlifts
Total sets:
3 x 6-10
3 x 6-8
3 x 6-8
9
Thighs
Leg presses
3 x 8-12
Peaking Cycle
Day 1: Chest, triceps, calves
Day 2: Abs, legs
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Delts, traps, calves
Day 5: Back, biceps, abs
Day 6: Rest
Repeat cycle
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 tollfree (800) 900-UNIV (8648). His new book, Natural Bodybuilding, and new training DVD, “Real Muscle,” are now
available from Home Gym Warehouse, www.Home-Gym.
com or (800) 447-0008. IM
by David Goodin
Getting the
Ultradry Look
altogether for the final three weeks, even rubbing
Preparation H on my thighs. Nothing seems to work.
Please tell me what to do.
A: The first thing that we have to get straight is the difference between bodyfat and water retention. It sounds to
me as if you’re not getting your bodyfat low enough. Some
people (like me) are lucky enough to have bodyfat distribQ: I was looking at your photos from the ’07 Team
uted very evenly over our entire bodies. Others might store
Universe. You were ripped to shreds from head to
more bodyfat around the midsection (typical for men) or
toe. In fact, in all of the contest photos of you that
on the thighs and hips (typical for women). Bear in mind
I’ve seen over the years, you’re always fully ripped.
that when you retain fluid, you retain it all over your body,
I seem to hold water in my lower body, particunot just in one bodypart. I bet I’ve heard a million times,
larly in the thighs and glutes. How do you get your
“Oh, he’s holding water in his lower abs,” or “She’s just
legs to have that chiseled, ultradry look? I’ve tried
holding some water in her glutes and hams.” That’s B.S.
everything: dehydration, dropping squats from
When everything else is ripped and certain areas are still
my precontest leg workout, dropping leg training
soft, that means there’s still a thin layer (or sometimes a
not-so-thin layer) of bodyfat in the soft area. It’s because that’s where your body has more fat cells, and
it’s the last place that all the fat is going to come off.
Acknowledging the difference between a thin
layer of bodyfat and water retention will make a
humongous difference in your bodybuilding success. If you’re ripped to shreds most of the time and
end up softer for a day or so but the next day are
ripped again, that’s water retention. If you’re not
quite there—just a little soft (or a lot soft) every day,
even if it’s just one part of your body, that, my friend,
is a layer of bodyfat still hanging on. You must stay
strict on your diet and diligent with your cardio until
you’re ripped everywhere. Then you’re ready.
Whoever came up with the idea that dropping
squats will make your legs more defined should
have the sh#* slapped out of them. If your goal is to
lose muscle size in your lower body, by all means
drop the squats. Ditto for dropping leg training the
last three weeks. If you don’t use that
muscle, you’re gonna lose it. DefiniThe idea that if you
stop squatting and/or tion is all about how thin you can get
your skin—or, in other words, how
stop training legs
low you can get your subcutaneous
weeks before a show,
your legs will be more bodyfat. True, you don’t want to do an
all-out leg workout the last couple of
defined is absolutely
days before you compete (you don’t
ludicrous!
want your legs to be tired and sore
when you go onstage), but if you don’t continue
to work your lower body hard, you’re going to lose
muscle. That will make your skin looser and make
you appear softer at a given bodyfat percentage
because your skin is no longer stretched tightly over
the muscle.
The idea that if you stop squatting and/or training legs weeks before a show, your legs will be more
defined is absolutely ludicrous. It won’t make your
skin any thinner; it will just make your lower body
less muscular and your skin less tight. Take a look
at my photos from the ’07 Team Universe. I trained
legs hard on the Sunday before the show. Normally,
I’d have trained them on Monday, but the prejudgRoland Balik
SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSC
Shredded Muscle
If you dehydrate yourself, most of the water will come from
muscle cells and blood volume, leaving you flat and unable to get
a pump.
ing was on Friday evening. I also did whole-body workouts,
retention. If you’re willing to work and diet hard enough
including legs, on the morning of the prejudging and the
and smart enough to get your bodyfat to minimal levels all
morning of the finals. If squatting or training legs really
over, your skin is going to be paper thin, and you’ll look as
made one’s legs softer, I would have been dead in the water.
if you were chiseled in stone. If you allow a layer of bodyfat
Okay, that really got me fired up. Now for the dehydrato remain, no harebrained last-minute scheme is going to
tion issue. If you’re taking anabolic steroids or exogenous
make you shredded. My best advice is to be ready early. If
testosterone, you probably need to go ahead and order
you do that, you’ll be ripped to shreds at showtime.
some prescription diuretics from your local drug steroid
Train hard; stay natural.
dealer and dehydrate yourself to get that superhard, thinEditor’s note: See Dave Goodin’s new blog at
skin look. If you (like me) aren’t using any bodybuilding
www.IronManMagazine.com. Click on the blog selection
drugs, then dehydrating will leave you flatter and softer
in the top menu bar. To contact Dave directly, send e-mail
with less vascularity. Muscle tissue is almost 75 percent
water, blood is about 83 percent water, adipose tissue is
to TXShredder@aol.com. IM
only about 25 percent water, and bone
is approximately 22 percent water.
If you dehydrate yourself, most of
“Schiek products are a CUT above the rest. Train with the best quality gear!”
the water will come from muscle cells
and blood volume. Dehydration will
Jay Cutler, Mr. Olympia
our
leave you flatter due to less muscle volk out at
Chec website om
ume, and your skin won’t be stretched
new .schiek.c
www
as tightly, which will make you appear
smaller—because you’re softer. With
the loss of blood volume, you’ll have
a hard time getting a pump, and your
vascularity will be less pronounced.
Along with looking less muscular and
less vascular, you’ll greatly increase
your chance of cramping up onstage.
I’ve been battling the dehydration
myth with natural bodybuilders for
years. To have the thinnest skin possible, you have to diet away all the
bodyfat. At the last minute you can take
measures to avoid retaining water on
contest day. That means avoiding highsodium foods and foods that you have
slight allergies to and taking a mild antihistamine just in case you’re exposed
CONTOURED
Dowel style
to allergens. Last year I could see that
shown above
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Most scientific research
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Now for the last ridiculous notion—
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rubbing Preparation H on your body to
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CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL M
Steve Holman’s
Critical Mass
by Steve Holman
Reverse-Pyramid
Primer
Q: In your heavy/light program you call for reverse pyramids on heavy day. They sound
like drop sets. Is there a rest
between sets, and if so, how
long? You reduce the weight on
each successive set, so is a rest
necessary?
A: Yes, a rest is necessary because
of the specific mass-building characteristic you’re attacking with the
method. Reverse pyramids are a
way to achieve max force, so you
rest 2 1/2 to three minutes between
sets. You reduce the weight enough
to get the listed number of reps.
After two warmup sets the first
work set is only five reps, which
primes the nervous system for the
lighter sets to follow. With the heavy
weight you actually trick the nervous system into firing more fibers
on the lighter set.
After the rest you take a reduced
poundage and get seven to eight
reps. Rest, reduce the weight again
one last time, and then crank out
a third work set of nine reps with X
Reps.
Technically, the seven-rep set
may not be necessary; you could go
from a five-rep set to a nine-rep set.
Because most trainees don’t warm
up enough or don’t focus enough
on their warmup sets, however,
the seven-rep set is a good way to
ensure max force on the final set of
nine. If you’re recovery challenged,
you may want to try the heavy/light
program with only two work sets on
your midrange exercise.
[Note: The heavy/light program
is discussed and outlined in the ebook X-traordinary Muscle-Building
Workouts, available at X-Rep.com.]
Q: First I’d like to say, I love
your training articles and ebooks. One problem I have
is that most of your training
is designed for hardgainers,
which I am not. I weigh 380
pounds and stand 6’10”. I’m at
about 37 percent bodyfat, so
I carry about 137 pounds of
fat. The good news is that my
lean body mass is around 250
pounds. My question is, Should
A: Thanks for the compliments regarding my articles and
e-books. I’ve worked with people in your situation, and the
first thing I tell them is that they shouldn’t neglect building
muscle—continue to work out to add solid lean mass—but
don’t concentrate on only low-rep sets. I’m guessing you’re
very strong, so your inclination is probably to do more
power-oriented workouts. That’s okay on a few sets, but
higher reps and/or drop sets and supersets are important
because you need to go for muscle burn at every workout.
The burn triggers growth hormone release, and GH is a
very potent fat burner. So is testosterone, which lower-rep
sets will help with.
Whatever workout program you choose, make sure you
get rep-range variance and muscle burn at every session.
For example, you could do your big, midrange exercise, like
bench presses, for low to medium reps like seven to nine
and your more isolated work (contracted-position exercises
like pec deck flyes or crossovers) with higher reps, like 12
to 15, or drop sets. A drop set is two sets done back to back
with descending weights. For example, do a set at which
you reach exhaustion at about 10 reps, reduce the weight
and immediately do another set to exhaustion, reaching it
at around six to eight reps. Yes, it does burn—but as I said,
you want that.
As for cardio, your blood is clear of glucose after you
train with weights, so that’s the best time to tap into fat
stores with low-intensity work on a treadmill. Do a medium-pace walk for 30 minutes after each of your weight
workouts. Also try to do some walking or other cardio-oriented activity on your off days. The more calories you burn
outside the gym, the better.
Neveux \ Model: Robert Hatch
Q: I just read in [one of those general men’s magazines] that most weight machines are dangerous. In
fact, it listed the top 10 machine exercises to avoid,
including leg extensions, pec decks and Smith-machine squats. Many of your programs include those
movements, so I’m wondering what your response
is. Did you see the article?
A: Yes, I saw it, and believe it or not, I agree with it—if
what you’re after is some functional strength with minimal
risk of injury and no interest in impressive muscle size. The
workout in that article featured a lot of bodyweight exercises for conditioning. That’s great if you’re an older guy
trying to maintain your 14-inch arms. Unfortunately, if you
want maximum muscle size, workouts like that won’t do
it. You have to attack every muscle with the three facets of
growth—max force, stretch overload and continuous tension—and some machine exercises can help you accomplish that efficiently.
For example, to get the most effective continuous-tension effect in your quads, leg extensions are best. Yes, you
could use nonlock squats, but that can be awkward, and
it’s very easy to lose tension on your quads. Not so with leg
extensions. Once you start repping, the tension builds with
no way to derail it—unless you rest at the bottom, which
you shouldn’t. And don’t let your knees bend past 90 degrees. That can overstress the joint. Blocking blood flow, or
occlusion, has been shown to boost size and strength significantly, and leg extensions do it best for quads.
Is the machine dangerous? It can be, but that’s why I
suggest you do it last in your quad routine and use lighter
weights and higher
reps. Remember, the
goal is longer tension
time and max occlusion so blood rushes
into your quads at
the end of the set.
That finishes off the
muscles with a nutrient-packed blood
bath, kick-starting
anabolism. Of course,
Fat folks should build muscle for a
squats are the best
metabolic kick, but they should also
mass builder because
go for the burn to churn out extra GH.
you can generate
max force. But for the
unique muscle-building characteristics of tension and occlusion, leg extensions get the job done better.
All of the above goes for the pec deck as well. Just don’t
overstretch. Stretch is important, but machines restrict
freedom of movement, so stay in a comfortable range on
every rep. Cable crossovers or cable flyes can provide the
stretch-overload benefits for the pecs, but the freedom of
movement they allow can limit that effect—it’s easy for you
to lose tension in the target muscle.
The Smith machine is probably the most dangerous
of the three because of the way trainees use it. If you do
Smith-machine squats as your first exercise on a power-oriented routine, you’ll tend to bounce out of the bottom. Bad
idea. On the other hand, if you do Smith-machine squats
with your feet forward as a transition exercise between
quads and hamstrings, your quads will be fatigued, and
your poundage will be lighter. You’ll also have to control
your reps to feel your hamstrings working.
The bottom
line is that, yes,
it’s safer to train
for functional
strength with
little regard for
muscle size. If
your goal is impressive hypertrophy, however,
you’ll have to go
out on a limb
and use some
exercises that
can be dangerous. Just make
them as safe as
you can. Keep in
mind that any
weight-bearing
The Smith machine: joint jacker or
exercise is danmuscle maker?
gerous—even a
so-called ergonomically correct bodyweight exercise like
pushups. You just have to use your head and minimize the
risks. Controlling every rep is a good place to start.
Neveux \ Model: Mark Perry
I concentrate on losing fat and then build back the
muscle later? I’m a true ironhead and can’t imagine
not lifting—I love it too much. What would be the
best course of action?
Editor’s note: Steve Holman is the author of many
bodybuilding best-sellers and the creator of Positionsof-Flexion muscle training. For information on the POF
videos and Size Surge programs, see the ad sections
beginning on page 116 and 296 respectively. Also visit
www.X-Rep.com for information on X-Rep and 3D
POF methods and e-books. IM
A Bodybuilder
Is Born
Episode 32
Bigger Isn’t Better;
Better Is Better
by Ron Harris
O
ur schedules had not
been meshing well lately.
Randy’s being a car
salesman and my being a
parent meant that we had very little
free time. When I was a kid, keeping
myself amused was my responsibility. Anything requiring money or my
being driven anywhere was out of
the question. As far as my mom and
dad were concerned, I had food in
my belly and a roof over my head;
their job was done. I recall wanting desperately to enroll in a local
karate school, but my parents were
too cheap to pay the $10 a month.
Oh, how times have changed! We
think nothing today of paying for
all manner of classes, lessons and
sports activities after school and on
weekends. Kids today are so busy,
they actually need Palm Pilots and
little daily planners to keep all their
commitments straight. You can see
them earnestly coordinating meetings on their cell phones while they
try to trade Yu-gi-Oh cards.
“Tuesday? No good, I have CCD,
then art class. Thursday? Ooh, boy,
I’m totally booked: play practice,
tae kwon do—don’t even mention
Friday because that’s gymnastics
from four to seven. We’re looking at
middle of next week at the earliest.
I’ll have to get back to you on that.”
I even had to make an appointment
with my 10-year-old daughter’s
assistant to tuck her into bed one
night.
Yes, we have to keep our kids very
busy because we can’t possibly let
them play outside. When I was a
kid, we would be gone for hours,
riding our bikes over into the next
ZIP code, but now we fear that if we
lose sight of Junior for two minutes,
he’ll wind up on the side of a milk
carton. When I was a kid, milk cartons were just for drinking milk out
of. We hadn’t yet been brainwashed
by scary TV news into thinking there
was a serial killer lurking behind
every telephone pole.
Randy and I barely met to train
together anymore, as he worked
out at six in the morning, an hour
before I rolled out of bed to serve a
sugar-packed breakfast to the kids.
Trouble was, the New England was
Model: Gregg Plitt
A Bodybuilder
Is Born
Bodybuilding is
body sculpting.
Train to get your
weak bodyparts
in line with your
stronger ones.
Model: Greg Smyers
Merv
Darrem Charles,
’07 Olympia
Merv
Dexter Jackson,
’07 Olympia
coming up in 10 weeks, and he still
needed a lot of work on his posing.
Hitting shots between sets was
one thing. Nailing your quarter
turns and finding exactly the right
way to position yourself in the
mandatory poses to highlight your
strengths and steer attention away
from your flaws was quite another.
So at least once a week, usually
around nine o’clock, we met for
posing practice. As so often happens with first-time competitors,
Randy was seriously considering
bailing out of the show. Wouldn’t
you know it, it was once again
a matter of feeling too small.
Women ask whether they look fat.
Bodybuilders have the opposite
concern. We’re forever worried
that we’re shrinking. Eventually, I
imagine, we’d be battling ants over
crumbs and using matchsticks to
build a little log cabin to live in.
“I’m already down to 199. What
the hell?” he wailed when we finally
got together. He was looking for
sympathy. He should have known
better. If he wanted nurturing, he
should have gotten Oprah to coach
him.
“Yeah, and look—you’re already
showing a good six-pack, some
serratus and very respectable separation overall for 10 weeks to go,” I
pointed out. “Right on schedule to
be in killer shape.”
“What am I going to be onstage,
185?” he cried desperately.
“Maybe. So what?”
Randy stopped posing to grab
a quick drink and wipe his sweaty
brow with a black gym towel that
probably hadn’t been washed in
quite some time. The dried white
salt stains from his sweat reminded
me a little of the Shroud of Turin. I
squinted but couldn’t make out the
face of Jesus.
“So that’s too small. I knew I
should have waited until I was bigger to do a show.”
“How big do you have to be, then,
huh? 220? 260? 300 pounds ripped?
Bigger is always better. Is that what
you think?”
Randy shrugged. “Look at Ronnie
Coleman. He’s almost 300 pounds
ripped, and he’s the best in the
world.”
A Bodybuilder
Is Born
“Best in the world according to a
few guys in blue blazers that judge
the Mr. Olympia every year, sure.
But if you asked a lot of fans which
body they preferred, 300-pound
Ronnie or smaller, more sculpted
guys like Dexter Jackson, Darrem
Charles or Ahmad Haidar, you’d be
surprised how many people don’t
find the mass monster ‘freakazoid’
look attractive.
“Shawn Ray put it best in a recent
conversation I had with him, the
first time we’d talked since the early
’90s, as a matter of fact. He took a
lot of flak for not putting on much
size in the 13 years he competed
as a pro, only about 10 pounds.
I ought to know. I was one of his
critics. But in those 13 years he was
top five in the Mr. Olympia contest
12 times in a row and was runnerup on three different occasions to
men who outweighed him by 40 to
50 pounds—Lee Haney and Dorian
Yates—in very controversial close
calls each time. Even though he was
often pressured to put on more size,
he always remained true to the ideals he had for physical perfection.
Shawn’s belief was that bigger wasn’t
better. Better was better.”
We ended every session with
one-minute holds of each of the
quarter turns and the seven mandatory poses. It was grueling, and
Randy was usually shaking like a
leaf and gritting his teeth with effort
to maintain the poses. Nevertheless, it was an effective technique
my friend Rob Fleischman had put
me through for a recent show. Once
you had gone through it a few times,
you could stand onstage and make
it all look effortless. While everyone
around you was grunting, grimac-
ing and in general looking painfully constipated, you smiled with
smooth confidence. We were at that
point in the practice session.
“Quarter turn to the right,” I
called out, and Randy obeyed.
“Legs,” I reminded him, as he had
the very common novice habit of
tensing his upper body but letting
his legs relax.
“So what, Ron, are you telling me
not to train for size?”
I was impressed that he could
even talk at this time, since he had
to be exhausted. “Of course not.
You definitely need to train for size,
but not just for the sake of sheer
size. You want to have an aesthetic
physique: a small waist, a nice taper,
good overall shape and proportion.
I know right now you want to be a
pro bodybuilder, but you might very
well change your mind soon. Things
Shawn Ray, ’90 IRON MAN
Bob Paris, ’89, Neveux
Studio
A Bodybuilder
Is Born
Men like Steve
Reeves, Arnold,
Serge Nubret,
Frank Zane,
Lee Labrada
and Bob Paris
had physiques
that even the
average person
could appreciate
and admire. The
guys now are
just too big.
Model: Gregg Plitt
“Hey! Stay in the front double-biceps. We’re going to hold the poses
for two minutes from now on so you
can really make it look effortless.”
“You’re such an a-hole,” he sputtered, shaking and probably about to
cramp up.
“Three minutes each pose!” I
shouted. I know Luke Skywalker
wasn’t such a wise-ass with Yoda.
“And if you mouth off like that
again”—I reached into my bag, then
“You’re still not getting it. I’ve told started snapping pics with my digital
you many times that your shape
camera—“I will post these on the
and overall proportion are very
Web as a thread called ‘My boy Randy
good. I’d give my left nut for a waist is gonna kick all your sorry asses at
and hips as small as yours. My hips the New England.’ Okay, front lat
look more suited to childbirth than spread.”
bodybuilding. You might stand next
The cramp hit just as he was going
to some guy who’s technically biginto the pose. It was his calf, oddly
ger and thicker because he weighs
enough. “You wouldn’t dare,” he
the same as you do and is shorter,
whimpered.
but he might have a big old belly, a
I smiled my impish smile. “You
wide waist, clunky joints and so on. know I would. I’d find it quite hilariIf it was only about size, we could
ous, actually.”
diet down a lot of powerlifters and
“What kind of coach are you?” he
World’s Strongest Man competidemanded accusingly.
tors and have them winning all the
“You’ll thank me someday,” I asbodybuilding shows. But bigger
sured him. “Here’s hoping with a nice
does not mean better.”
new car or something. Either that
Randy stared at me. “Hello?”
or you’ll come looking for me with
“What?” I responded casually.
a shotgun. I’ll probably be retired in
“Next pose?” and he started going Miami Beach by then anyway under
into a front lat spread.
an assumed name, so good luck.” IM
have really changed. Men like Steve
Reeves, Arnold, Serge Nubret, Frank
Zane, Lee Labrada and Bob Paris
had physiques that even the average
person could appreciate and admire. The guys now are just too big.
They don’t even look real anymore,
and the size-for-the-sake-of-size
mentality has resulted in big guts,
giant butts and bodies that sometimes look more like big mutated
lumps of meat than a thing of beauty. People wonder why bodybuilding is a small cult sport compared
to football and baseball. They don’t
realize it’s turned into a freak show.
Front double-biceps.”
“The thing is, he said, going into
the pose, “I know I’m going to look
small compared to the other light
heavies at the show. It’s embarrassing, that’s all.”
Growth-Rep
Why Beta-Alanine Is Taking the
Bodybuilding World by Storm
by Mike Lackner
Neveux \ Model: Derek Farnsworth
Y
ou’re sweating profusely. Rep number
six was tough, and
now number seven
is fighting you every inch of
the way. The fire in your heart
can hardly overcome the burn
in your muscle. The biggest
competition of your career is
approaching, and succumbing
to fatigue and pain is not an
option. Repetition number eight
defeats you—the barbell stops
at the halfway point, and the intense burn and exhaustion force
you to quit. Against your will
you had to get help from your
spotter. If only you could have
pushed it a little bit further. You
give the motionless barbell a defiant stare and think about your
perfect nutrition program and
the fact that your energy levels
are the best they’ve ever been.
So why is the muscle fatiguing
when you know you could have
done more?
The intense burning sensation is what you strive for during
your sets. It lets you know that
you’re working as hard as you
should; however, the acids that
create that feeling cause the
muscles to tire and energy levels
to rapidly decline, forcing you to
end a set before you intend. The
key to prolonging the set is to
increase the training threshold.
If the buildup of acids within
the muscle could be buffered,
energy levels could be maximized, and you could compel
the muscles to complete those
extra couple of growth reps on
each set and push your gains to
the next level. More muscle in
less time. You need something
to buffer lactic acid. That something is beta-alanine.
To “L” and Back
As many of you already know,
amino acids help repair muscles
that have been broken down
during intense training. They
also perform many other functions. In the case of L-carnosine,
one of those functions is to help
you keep going when the burn
is about to set in. L-carnosine
is a dipeptide, meaning that it’s
made up of two amino acids,
beta-alanine and histidine. The
beta-alanine plays the major
role in forming L-carnosine, and
the amount of L-carnosine your
body can produce is limited by
the amount of available betaalanine.
Just in case you’re planning
to make an appearance on the
game show “Jeopardy,” you
may be curious as to why many
amino acids have an L in their
name. The L amino acids are in
the family of alpha amino acids,
which have all of their amino
and carboxyl groups attached to
the same carbon atom, forming
their molecules in an L shape. In
a beta amino acid the defining
atom group is attached to the carbon atom next to the one to which
the carboxyl group is attached.
Although beta-alanine is found in
many proteins, the body doesn’t use
it to form structural proteins. The
only naturally occurring beta amino
acid, beta-alanine is broken down
into acetic acid (vinegar) during the
metabolic process and acts as a buffer in the muscle to combat fatigue.
The body’s capacity to construct
beta-alanine is limited to some
degree, so if you don’t eat enough of
the right foods to get your required
quantity, you’ll need to supplement
with it. The fact that IRON MAN
readers are hardcore lifters means
that they train with optimal intensity and need much more beta-alanine than the average individual.
Supplementation is a necessity.
Neveux \ Models: Justin Schlak and Christian Boeving (top)
Fibers and Fatigue
L-carnosine (beta-alanyly-L-histidine) isn’t exactly a recent discovery.
It’s been known to the scientific
community since 1900, but not
until 1995 did the public become
aware of L-carnosine’s ability to
affect exercise performance. L-carnosine actually breaks down into
beta-alanine and histidine and gets
absorbed by the muscle. Then the
two substances combine and reform into L-carnosine—nothing like
taking the long route. Even though it
may appear to be inefficient, L-carnosine enables you to achieve new
strength and power by keeping you
from succumbing to fatigue.
The muscles consist of different
types of fibers that serve diverse
purposes. Slow-twitch, or type 1,
fibers can contract for an extended
number of cycles while creating
modest force, and fast-twitch, or
type 2, fibers can contract rapidly and powerfully but fatigue
very quickly. L-carnosine is most
abundant in type 2b fibers, which
contain double the amount found
in type 1 fibers, The 2bs contract
with the greatest speed of all the
type 2 fibers and make for the most
explosive muscle movements. As a
matter of fact, a muscle can’t contract optimally unless it enlists type
2 fibers. The problem is, while speed
and power are fine and dandy, type
2 fibers tire too soon.
In order to force your body to
add muscle, you must move large
amounts of weight and perform explosive movements. Ballistic training and recruitment of type 2 fibers
are therefore mandatory. If you can’t
maintain the intense workout for
very long, you won’t be able add
mind-blowing amounts of muscle
mass in the shortest amount of
time possible. The key is to be able
to keep those type 2 muscle fibers
firing as many times as possible
without stopping.
Type 2 muscle fibers are anaerobic, so they must generate energy in
a hurry without the luxury of using
oxygen. When energy is used for ATP
synthesis in that manner, positively
charged hydrogen ions (H+) are
created as part of the energy release
from glycolysis. The muscles’ pH
balance is disturbed as acid byproducts saturate it. As the muscle
is continually forced to increase its
intensity and work, more and more
H+ ions are formed, the pH balance
in the muscle continues to drop,
and the muscle becomes more and
more fatigued.
You can’t avoid that process when
training intensely, but you can minimize it. Luckily for us muscleheads,
the lab coats have found a way to
deter excessive buildup of acid in
the muscles during extreme workouts. Research shows that L-carnosine takes up the H+ ions that cause
pH to decrease and lead to fatigue.
Supplementing with beta-alanine
or L-carnosine and increasing their
presence in blood causes more H+
ions to be absorbed, and thus pH
balances will remain higher as well
as muscle energy levels. L-carnosine studies have shown that it only
benefits power-type activities. Raising blood levels of L-carnosine by
supplementation with beta-alanine
will help you get a couple more reps
during an explosive movement, but
it won’t help you when you’re doing
aerobic exercise.
In order to
force your
body to add
muscle,
you must
move large
amounts of
weight and
perform
explosive
movements.
Growth-Rep
Saturation Studies
How Much?
Optimal times
to take two
of the doses
would be
directly before
and after a
workout, since
you’ll also
take higherglycemic
carbohydrates
at the same
time.
The majority of studies on Lcarnosine have been done with
animals. One of the studies that
did use human subjects included
sprinters, 800-meter runners,
rowers and marathon runners.
Muscle biopsies revealed that the
sprinters and rowers had much
more L-carnosine in their bodies, which illustrates that powerbased exercises have an effect on
the amount of L-carnosine used
by muscle. The 800-meter and
marathon runners did not display
any statistically significant elevation in L-carnosine compared
to subjects who did not train at
all. The study demonstrates that
the different stresses of powertype muscle actions influence
the amount of L-carnosine in the
muscle. Further, it shows that
muscle does use L-carnosine
to buffer fatigue-causing activities. Another study showed that
muscle L-carnosine was highly correlated to peak power output during
sprint cycling.
Researchers who fed subjects a
combination of beta-alanine (10
milligrams per kilogram of bodyweight) and histidine (12.5 milligrams per kilogram of bodyweight)
for 30 days observed an increase of
13 percent in participants’ muscle
L-carnosine. Some studies, however,
have shown that supplementing
with larger amounts of beta-alanine
and histidine increases muscle Lcarnosine by as much as 60 percent.
In one experiment researchers gave
rats a diet that contained just under
2 percent L-carnosine and saw an
increase of up to 500 percent in
the rats’ muscle L-carnosine. That
tells us that L-carnosine can be
increased by supplementation. In
most studies that used beta-alanine
only, subjects took three or four
doses of 400 or 800 milligrams in
an eight-hour period for 10 weeks,
after which the average increase in
intramuscular L-carnosine was 80
percent.
Having been around gyms for a
long time, I can already see the lightbulbs flash- (continued on page 110)
Neveux \ Model: Alex Azarian
(continued from page 106) ing.
Neveux \ Model: Todd Smith
Don’t fall into the more-is-better
trap. It’s always important to
be responsible when supplementing. There hasn’t been
a great deal of research done
on L-carnosine, especially in
human subjects who were given
large doses for long periods. In
one study, parathesis, which is
a tingling feeling of pins and
needles, was reported by those
using a dose of 50 milligrams
per kilogram of bodyweight of
L-carnosine—much as an oral
dose of niacin affects many
people. Another study found no
significant difference in muscle
L-carnosine levels when subjects got doses of 3.2 grams per
day compared to doses of 6.4
grams per day. Definitely consult your physician before supplementing with L-carnosine or
beta-alanine.
We’ve seen that when Lcarnosine is taken in, it breaks
down into beta-alanine and
histidine and that the amount
of L-carnosine your body can
manufacture is dependent on
beta-alanine. L-carnosine as a
complete compound is more
expensive than its elements
beta-alanine and histidine in
their pure (continued on page 114)
form.
In the event that your budget
is very limited and you must
choose between the two, it
would be better to supplement
with beta-alanine alone than
histidine alone. That’s because
histidine is used in many protein
synthesis reactions, and supplementing with it would only
cause more amino acid competition. Beta-alanine, on the other
hand, isn’t used in protein synthesis, and all of it would go to
developing L-carnosine.
When supplementing with
beta-alanine, there’s no spiking
effect. Beta-alanine’s influence
on muscle carnosine appears
to be time dependent. It should
be taken in three to four small
doses each day. Optimal times
to take two of the doses
would be directly before and
after a workout, since you’ll
also take in higher-glycemic carbohydrates at the
same time. The simpler
carbohydrate will cause
insulin levels to spike
slightly, and insulin
drives amino acids
into the muscle. With
more beta-alanine
driven into muscle,
your body can use it
to produce greater
amounts of L-carnosine.
Why should
you supplement
with beta-alanine?
Well, maybe you
shouldn’t—unless
you want the benefit
of being able to perform more reps, recover more
quickly between reps and recover better from training. Don’t
allow yourself to be defeated by
the soreness and fatigue that
come from acid buildup in the
muscle. Supplement with betaalanine to extinguish the burning inside the muscle. Those
extra couple of repetitions on
each set will add up to a lot more
muscle over time. IM
Neveux \ Model: Christian Boeving
(continued from page 110)
Shocking
Shoulders
Keys to Building
Electrifying Delts
by Layne Norton
M
any bodybuilders
have great physiques. A lot of them
are huge, however—so huge, people often say,
“They don’t need to get any bigger.” Even so, the deltoids are one
muscle group that everyone could
use a little more of.
A wide shoulder structure is the
first thing that identifies you as a
bodybuilder. Having big shoulders
makes your waist look smaller, makes
your lats look bigger and makes your
upper body as a whole look better.
Unfortunately, the deltoids can
be quite stubborn. A few genetically
blessed people have wide shoulders
with naturally round deltoids, but
the majority of us have to bust our
asses to get bigger shoulders. When
I first got serious about bodybuilding, I already had a good base. I had a
big chest and big arms; however, my
body looked much like a ruler. I had
no delts; that is, they didn’t stand out
at all from my arms.
I knew that if I wanted to have
any hope of making it in the sport, I
would have to drastically widen my
shoulders. I tried many different routines and half-assed my way around
the gym doing it. In the end it took
me doing quite a bit of research and
experimentation to find a program
that worked.
Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty
science behind the shoulders. The
deltoid complex is unique, as it can
move in almost any direction. As a
result, many different exercises can
be used to stimulate the muscle
fibers in many ways. The deltoid is
composed of three heads: the anterior, or front, delt; the posterior, or
Neveux \ Model: John Cowgill
Dissecting the Delts
The deltoid complex is unique, as it can move in
almost any direction. As a result, many different
exercises can be used to stimulate the muscle fibers
in many ways, and to maximize growth you must
work each of the three heads: anterior, or front;
medial, or middle; and posterior, or rear.
firm believer
in isolating
each delt head
with a specific
exercise in
order to maximize growth;
however, it’s
also key to
include a good
compound
movement for
building overrear, delt; and the medial, or middle,
delt. To stimulate muscle fiber
and maximize growth, you must
do exercises for each head. I am a
all size and strength.
In terms of compound movements for the shoulders, I believe
that dumbbells are far superior to
barbells. When you use a barbell,
your hands are locked into one
position, which hinders your range
of motion. Not only does it place
more stress on your joints, but, in
my opinion, it also takes away fiber
stimulation because of the limited
range. Don’t take my word for it,
though. Try doing a shoulder workout with barbell presses and one
with dumbbell presses. I guarantee
that you’ll feel a difference in fiber
stimulation.
Here are the two shoulder routines I use. Note that I do warmup
sets for all exercises and that I do all
the work sets listed to failure.
Workout 1
Seated dumbbell
presses
2 x 6-12
Arnold presses 2 x 6-12
Dumbbell bent-over
lateral raises
2 x 6-12
Braced one-arm
lateral raises
2 x 6-12
Workout 2
(Preexhaustion)
Cable lateral
raises
2 x 6-12
Seated dumbbell
presses
2 x 6-12
Upright rows
2 x 6-12
Cable bent-over
lateral raises
2 x 6-12
I alternate these workouts every four weeks and
work all exercises through
a full range of motion. I
Developing the reardelt head will create
more fullness in the
muscle and create a
wider-shoulder look.
believe that the number of muscle
fibers you can stimulate is directly
proportional to how far you can
stretch and how well you can contract a muscle. (Why do you think
calves and forearms are problem
bodyparts for so many people? They
have limited ranges of motion.)
For example, on seated dumbbell
presses you should lower the dumbbells until they touch the tops of
your shoulders and then press them
overhead, moving up and together
until they touch at the top, and on
lateral raises you should raise the
dumbbells as high as the top of your
head and slowly lower them back
down to the sides of your thighs.
Repetition Cadence
Each repetition should be done in
controlled fashion. The most I ever
use on lateral raises is 30-pound
dumbbells, but I see people who
weigh 50 pounds less than I do using
45-pounders on the same exercise.
How do they do it? They swing the
weight. If I used momentum and
swung the weight, I could do lateral
raises with 55 to 65 pounds in each
hand. So why don’t I do it? I want to
get big, and I’m not going to let my
ego get in the way of that.
If you’re using momentum and
swinging the weight, you aren’t stimulating jack. And if you don’t stimulate many muscle fibers, you won’t
grow. When I do lateral raises, I
slowly lower the weights—usually I resist as hard as I can—
and it can take six full seconds
to lower the weights.
To raise the weights, I use
my shoulders, not momentum. I quickly lift the weights
through the positive part of the
rep, but I do it with control. All exercises should be done in that slow,
controlled fashion. On most of my
exercises the positive portion of the
repetition takes about two seconds
while the negative portion takes
six to eight seconds. True, I use less
weight than many people in the
gym, but I’m also bigger than most
of those guys. So take heart and use
lighter weights.
No Cheating!
It’s very easy to cheat on shoulder exercises and use other parts
of the body to assist in lifting the
weights. If you’re serious about
muscle growth, you’ll avoid that. As
I said, many people cheat on lateral
raises by moving their entire upper
body to get the weight up (it’s actually quite comical to watch). Braced
laterals will help keep you from
using momentum, as they virtually
eliminate all cheating. Here’s how to
do them.
Take a dumbbell in one hand,
and, using the other arm to stabilize yourself on a bar or a seat, lean
away from whatever you’re holding
onto. Now simply lift the dumbbell
in a lateral raise. Note that you won’t
be able to use the rest of your body
to help you lift the weight.
Preexhaustion
Braced one-arm laterals enable
you to attack the important
medial-delt head without
cheating.
In workout 2 you’ll
also note that I do
cable raises before
dumbbell presses. If
you’re wondering why
in the hell I would put
an isolation exercise
before a compound
exercise, the answer
is, to better stimulate
muscle fibers—with
preexhaustion.
Have you ever done
shoulder presses and
felt as if you could do
more reps but you
failed to get them
because your triceps
gave out and you
couldn’t lock out the
weight? That happens
quite frequently; it is
normal. The triceps
are a smaller and weaker bodypart
than the shoulders, so they frequently fatigue before the shoulders
on presses.
Undoubtedly, if you feel your
shoulders can still do more, you’re
missing out on some fiber stimulation. To remedy that, you preexhaust them. Do a couple of sets of
an isolation exercise to failure, and
your shoulders will be “prefatigued”
and stimulated before you bring in
the triceps, ensuring that the muscle
fibers will get more stimulation.
Shoulder Do’s and Don’ts
Do:.
• Use heavy weights that you can
control.
• Work through a full range of
motion.
• Use isolation exercises in conjunction with compound movements.
• Work in a slow and controlled
cadence.
Don’t:.
• Cheat when lifting the weight.
• Lift the weight quickly and in an
uncontrolled manner.
• Use more weight than you can
handle in a controlled manner.
• Use more weight just to be a
show-off.
• Use any other part
of your body to lift the
weight.
Editor’s note:
Layne Norton has a B.S.
Layne Norton.
in biochemistry and is a Ph.D. candidate in nutritional science. He’s a
professional drug-free competitive
bodybuilder in the IFPA and NGA.
His Web site is www.BioLayne.com.
For more of his articles visit
www.Bodybuilding.com. IM
Model: Toney Freeman \ Photo Illustration by Brett Miller
The Science of
Muscle Size
Simplified
Applying Hypertrophic Research to Make
Record-Breaking Gains
by Steve Holman
M
uscle growth—and we’re talking giant leaps
in size—should be a lot easier for most
bodybuilders to achieve. After all, hyperspeed hypertrophy happens in the lab with
specific scientific applications. For example, there’s
the animal study that triggered a 300 percent increase
in muscle mass in only a month with a specific type of
overload (more on that coming up). Did you get that? A
triple-size muscle rise in 30 days! (Imagine your biceps
and triceps doubling or tripling in size in one month.
Holy crap!) Then there are the Japanese scientists who
got an 800 percent increase in size over standard-training results using a specific method (more on that coming up too).
Are you getting excited? You should be if you’re into
packing on more muscle as quickly as possible because
these types of phenomenal muscle gains provide clues
you can use to get huge!
Muscle Size
3D Muscle Morphing
No, you don’t need special
glasses. It’s “3D” because there are
Model: Toney Freeman
The mysteries of muscle growth
seem to perplex every generation of
bodybuilders—so much so, in fact,
that most quit out of frustration,
overtrain into oblivion—as in zero
gains—or resort to dangerous drugs
just to maintain a halfway decent
amount of size. It doesn’t have to be
that way, at least for most trainees
who have average, or even slightly
below-average, genetics. It’s not
that difficult to pack on some major
mass—if you know precisely what
to do in the gym to mimic what
scientists have done in the lab to
create an extreme anabolic environment. It all comes down to three
things: exercise selection, intensity
and recovery. Let’s focus on exercise
choice first so that you can go to the
gym and pull the get-bigger trigger
at every workout. That’s where anabolic acceleration starts.
three points of attack
for each muscle, and
each of those points,
or positions, produces
specific—and often
dramatic—anabolic
and hypertrophic stimuli, as dictated by scientific research. (Regular
IRON MAN readers will
recognize this as Positions of Flexion, or POF,
but as you’ll see, new
research has evolved
that system into a more
effective mass-building
method.)
With POF you use
up to three exercises
for each bodypart,
chosen for their unique
mass-building effects:
midrange moves for
maximum force, stretch
moves for stretch overload and contracted
moves for continuous
tension and occlusion.
(See the “Hypertrophy
Hierarchy” on page 134
Model: Toney Freeman
Mysteries of Muscle
Growth Solved
Simplified
Muscle Size
Simplified
Hypertrophy Hierarchy
Midrange Exercise = Max Force
Stretch Exercise = Stretch Overload
Contracted Exercise = Continuous Tension and Occlusion
Stretch
Contracted
Midrange
resistance to a point on the stroke
where the target muscle is semistretched, such as near the bottom
of an incline press, and power out
eight-inch partials to enhance force
generation and activate more fasttwitch growth fibers. This technique
circumvents nervous system failure
so you continue to fire high-threshold motor units.
Stretch. In the introduction I
mentioned the animal study that
got a 300 percent increase in muscle
mass in only one month. The
only form of muscular stress that
was used in that experiment was
progressive-stretch overload. The
scientists gradually increased the resistance on a bird’s wing in a stretch
position over the course of a month
of “workouts.” The scientists believe
that extreme muscle growth oc-
for a more visual representation.)
Midrange. These exercises are,
in most cases, the compound moves
that engage a number of muscle
groups at once—the big, multijoint
exercises. The muscle teamwork
that occurs on compound movements means that you can overload the target muscle with heavy
poundages (think squats or deadlifts). They not only overload the
target but also help jack up anabolic
hormones like testosterone when
you go heavy and push to exhaustion.
So the keys to the anabolic ability
of these mass boosters are muscle
teamwork and max overload,
which enable you to optimize force
production because of the heavy
poundages you can use. Generating max force elicits the anabolic
cascade that builds the fast-twitch
muscle fibers—the fibers with the
most potential for growth. If you
don’t generate enough force and
don’t strive to increase it, you don’t
trigger a size increase in those
fibers. It’s that simple; however,
extreme size is much more—a lot
more—than just developing fasttwitch fibers, as you’ll see.
Examples of midrange exercises
include close-grip bench presses
(triceps), chins (lats) and squats
(quads).
Supercharger: X Reps. When
you reach exhaustion on a set, at
about rep eight or nine, lower the
Model: Steve Kummer
Model: Omar Deckard
Stretch-position
exercises, like sissy
squats for quads
and pullovers for
lats, have unique
muscle-building
characteristics,
including anabolic
hormone release
in the target
muscles.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and
Tom Platz (far right) used
stretch-overload techniques
to get extraordinary anabolic
adaptation. For example,
Arnold’s bottom-range dumbbell
flyes for pecs.
cured due to hyperplasia, or
fiber splitting: “Using this approach produced the greatest
gains in muscle mass ever recorded in an animal or human
model of tension-induced
overload, up to 334 percent
increase in muscle mass with
up to a 90 percent increase in
fiber number!” (Antonio and
Gonyea. Med Sci Sprts Exerc.
25:1333-45; 1993).
In other words, the researchers
are saying that a lot of the triplesize muscle gain was due to fibers
multiplying rather than expanding.
But do you really care how it happened? You just want it to happen
to your muscles—now!—and that
means using progressive-stretch
overload at almost every workout.
Mild freehand stretches or yogaparty routines won’t do it; you have
to have an overload component,
which means weights (think heavy
dumbbell flyes). Like midrange
exercises, stretch-position moves
generate considerable force. Bonus:
Stretch-position exercises have also
been linked to anabolic
hormone release inside
muscle tissue. Obviously, they are very special
hypertrophic stimulators.
Arnold knew that instinctively. Remember how he used
to do his dumbbell flyes, emphasizing the bottom stretch and never
coming up more than about halfway? He used heavy dumbbells and
targeted the area of muscle elongation, driving through the pain of
stretch overload. Could that be one
reason his pecs grew to enormous
proportions? Oh, he brought his
calves up with stretch overload too.
He did a lot of donkey calf raises, a
stretch-position move, emphasizing
the bottom range of the stroke at the
end of sets, and his calves became
monstrous. Was part of that due to
hyperplasia? Hmm.
Tom Platz, a legendary bodybuilder who was known for his
freaky quad development, used to
do a combination of hack and sissy
squats; at exhaustion he would
move to the sissy squat bottom,
Simplified
Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler emphasize the
stretch position of many exercises. Has it triggered
fiber replication and enhanced their ability to get
abnormally huge? Scientific studies say yes.
stretch position and pulse
for as many partials as he
could stand. Could the
extreme stretch overload be a
reason his quads moved into
the freak-physique category?
It’s possible; and remember that
this happened during a time
when steroid use was minimal.
Interesting!—if you’re into
building extreme muscle size,
that is.
Today you see Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler emphasizing
muscle-stretch overload in their
programs. Watch any of their
DVDs and notice the attention
to muscle elongation with heavy
weights. Coleman often does
only the bottom, stretch portion
of an exercise, adding a distinct
explosion at muscle elongation,
while Cutler double or triple
hitches at the point of stretch on
a lot of his exercises.
Examples of stretch-position exercises include overhead
extensions (triceps), pullovers
Merv
Merv
Muscle Size
(lats) and sissy squats
(quads).
Supercharger: Double-X Overload. This is similar
to what Jay Cutler does on many
of his exercises—a single, double
or quadruple hitch at the semistretch point of every rep. For
example, on overhead triceps
extensions you lower the ’bells
to full stretch behind your head,
drive up about eight inches,
lower to full stretch again, then
drive overhead for a full rep. You
can use one or more of those
partials between reps to more
thoroughly tax the key stretch
position.
Contracted. Blocking blood
flow to a muscle, called occlusion, has been shown to do
tremendous things for muscle
strength and size. It may be an
adaptation effect created by
choking off fuel and nutrient
delivery. One study, which was
reported on in the Journal of
Strength
(continued on page 140)
You can see
why the biggest
bodybuilders
include
continuoustension sets in
their routines—
they force blood
out of the muscle
and create massand-strengthincreasing
occlusion effects.
Model: King Kamali
menting with
kaatsu, or
occlusion,
techniques.
They got a
predictable,
paltry 7 percent increase
in quadriceps
cross-sectional
area in four
months with
standard training, but when
they used occlusion, they
got an 8 percent increase
in cross-sectional area—in
only two weeks!
That’s right,
better results
in about oneeighth the time—two weeks
as opposed to 16 weeks. That’s
about an 800 percent increase
in gains when blood flow was
impeded. Wow! You can see
why the biggest bodybuilders
include continuous-tension sets
in their routines—they force
blood out of the muscle and create those mass-and-strengthincreasing occlusion effects.
Giving the target muscle no
rest during a set produces the
blood-flow-blocking effects.
Why does blocking blood
flow produce such spectacular
increases in muscle size and
strength? Part of it may be due
to the incredible rush of blood
to the bodypart once blood
flow resumes and the development of endurance components
like capillary beds and cell
mitochondria. Scientists have
suggested that the bodypart
bloodbath that occurs after occlusion can produce everything
from upgraded release of heat
shock proteins to alterations in
muscle calcium metabolism (calcium contributes to contraction) to
greater recruitment of fast-twitch
muscle fibers. Interesting—and
exciting—especially when you do
the math: Let’s see, a conservative 8
percent increase in quad size times
12 months—holy cow! That’ll double-size your thighs in a year!
(continued from page 136) Conditioning Research (15:362-366; 1997),
applied it to subjects’ forearms by
placing a blood pressure cuff on
their upper arms for two minutes.
The cuff was then removed, and
the subjects did wrist curls. Results:
Those who had their blood flow
impaired prior to exercise showed
a 20 percent strength increase over
the subjects who didn’t use the
blood pressure cuff. Yes, 20 percent!
(If we were talking bench press,
and your max was 250, a 20 percent
increase would have you benching
300 pounds—instantly!)
What about muscle size? Japanese scientists have been experi-
Muscle Size
other anabolic hormones, like
testosterone (triggered by midrange exercises), to make them
much more potent. (Bonus: GH
also helps you incinerate bodyfat at a far greater rate.) Whew!
Are you starting to see all of the
anabolic benefits of contracted-position exercises and their
unique characteristics?
Examples of contractedposition exercises include
pushdowns (triceps), stiff-arm
pulldowns (lats) and leg extensions (quads).
Supercharger: Higher
reps or drop sets. You want
to extend the tension time, so
doing continuous-tension exercises in the 12-to-15-rep range
will make them more effective.
You can also do two medium-
Model: Tomm Voss
As I said, the keys to creating
occlusion in the gym are continuous tension—no target-muscle rest
during a set—and resistance in the
contracted position, where blood
is “wrung” out of the muscle. That
usually means single-joint isolation exercises (like leg extensions)
done for higher reps. Those exercises are also notorious for igniting
muscle burn, which in and of itself
is anabolic—it’s directly linked to
growth hormone release, as verified
by a study published in the Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology
(22:244-255; 1997). That connection may have something to do
with higher blood lactic acid levels,
which are partially responsible for
muscle burn. Or it may be the occlusion effect—or both. GH is important because it synergizes with
Simplified
Model: Will Harris
Examples of
contractedposition
exercises
include
pushdowns
(triceps),
stiff-arm
pulldowns
(lats)
and leg
extensions
(quads).
Muscle Size
3D Results
compound exercises with almost no
stretch-position moves. Then for the
second five weeks he shocked his
muscles using full 3D POF routines
for every bodypart, hitting each
muscle with midrange-,
stretch- and contractedposition work—but only
one or two work sets of
each.
His results were astonishing, especially in that
second five weeks, when he
introduced stretch-overload exercises. No, he didn’t
get a 300 percent increase
in mass like the subject in
the bird study, but he did
gain 20 pounds of muscle
over the course of that
10-week experiment—and
that’s with no steroids (he
is a lifetime drug-free athlete). Jonathan’s before and
after photos from that experiment appeared in last
month’s IRON MAN (February ’08, Train, Eat, Grow). If
That’s a lot of information, but
what should filter through to you is
the three-pronged approach to scientific muscle building—midrange,
stretch and contracted movements.
There’s a specific 3D biceps example
coming up, but first let’s talk about
results. The most dramatic example
of 3D POF’s power that we’ve witnessed occurred in the early ’90s
when it was first tested on Jonathan
Lawson in the 10-Week
The occlusion effect of contractedSize Surge protocol. He
position exercises develops the
used a basic routine for
capillary beds and mitochondria in
the first five weeks, mostly
muscle tissue. It also encourages the
release of growth hormone.
you missed them, you can see them
at www.3DMuscleBulding.com.
A good example of how and why
this program worked so well is his
two-phase biceps workout. During
Model: Jonathan Lawson
rep sets back to back. For example,
on leg extensions use a weight that
causes you to reach exhaustion at
about rep nine; then reduce the
weight and immediately do another
set, reaching exhaustion at around
rep six. With either method you will
elicit a full pump. On drop sets you
also get more of those hard end-ofset reps that hit the high-threshold
motor units, but you get a brief rest
between the sets as well. Which is
better? Neither. They are different.
Use them both.
Simplified
Muscle Size
Simplified
Holman
The first exercise was switched
to cable curls because it’s impossible to do X Reps on regular barbell
curls—it’s a leverage-shift problem.
Also note that you do fewer sets due
to the higher intensity on the
Jonathan’s
second routine. Does it work?
19-plusJonathan still uses variations
inch arm.
of those 3D POF routines
today, and he’s pushed his
arm measurement to more
the first five-week phase he only
than 19 inches—despite wrists that
did barbell curls (midrange) and
measure only seven inches. Most
concentration curls (contracted), for experts say that a seven-inch wrist
one to two works sets each, hitting
indicates a fairly small bone strucarms once a week, on Wednesday.
ture that won’t support a lot of mass.
(He trained his back, chest and delts Jonathan’s arm measurement says
twice a week, on Monday and Friotherwise.
day, which provided residual arm
3D POF is a simple concept based
work, so he was getting some arm
on real science that attacks all the
work three days a week.) Remember
Positions-of-Flexion training
that the first five weeks constituted
is based on real science that
the anabolic-primer stage, with few,
attacks all the facets of muscle
if any, stretch-position exercises.
growth—from max force to
For his second five-week phase he
stretch overload to tension and
moved to full 3D POF programs for
occlusion.
every bodypart. So for biceps he did
barbell curls, incline curls and concentration curls every four or five
days. Note the addition of incline
curls, a key stretch-overload movement. He did only one to two work
sets of each exercise—usually four
or five total sets for biceps.
Jonathan put a full 1 1/4 inches
on his arm measurement in that
10-week span, and he didn’t add fat;
in fact, he lost one inch off his waist.
Here is the full 3D POF biceps program he used (by the way, it was one
of Arnold’s favorite biceps routines,
although Arnold used more volume
because of genetics and, um, well,
other advantages):
facets of muscle growth with precision and efficiency. It’s anabolic
acceleration. We’ve had reports of
even better gains than Jonathan’s
from 3D POF users. Heck, I’m 48
years old and making some of the
best gains of my life with the above
tactics and fast workouts. Try the
new-and-improved 3D biceps routine, taking each nonwarmup set to
exhaustion and beyond, and you’ll
feel it working. Could you add 1 1/4
inches to your arms in a few weeks,
as Jonathan did? Give it a shot.
You’ve got nothing to lose—and
loads of muscle to gain!
Editor’s note: For more info
on Positions of Flexion and
Jonathan’s complete 10-week
size-building program, visit
www.3DMuscleBuilding.com.
IM
Midrange: Barbell or
dumbbell curls
2 x 7-9
Stretch: Incline dumbbell
curls
1-2 x 7-9
Contracted: Concentration
curls
1-2 x 7-9
Midrange: Cable curls
(X Reps)
1 x 7-9
Stretch: Incline dumbbell
curls (DXO)
1 x 7-9
Contracted: Concentration
curls (drop set)
1 x 9(6)
Model: Omar Deckard
Applying the intensity superchargers discussed above, that new
program would look like this:
The Long,
Long Road to
VICTORY
How I Finally Won a Bodybuilding Contest
by Ron Harris
Photos courtesy of Ron Harris
If you’ve been reading IRON MAN for a while, you’re
probably familiar with my name. It was in this magazine back in 1992 that I was first published, and I have
continued writing for IM ever since. I also do a lot of
writing for other magazines, and in fact it has been
my full-time job for more than seven years now. Over
the past 15 years I’ve written so many articles about
how someone became a champion bodybuilder that
I lost count a long time ago. That happens when you
turn out 200 manuscripts a year. Being a competitor
myself since 1989, I always wished for my own victory to write about. It took nearly two decades and
more than 20 contests, but in August 2007 I finally did
it: I won the light-heavyweight and overall titles at the
NPC Natural Colonial Cup.
Long Road to
VICTORY
The Little Bodybuilder
That Could
I was really never meant to be
good enough as a bodybuilder
to win contests. Most guys like
me give up on that goal sooner
or later and decide either to
compete just for the love of it
and accept that they will never
win or to train to look and feel
good and forget about getting
onstage. Not me. I am just too
stubborn. Way back in 1988 I
sent some photos of myself to
Ellington Darden, Ph.D., whose
training books had been motivating me since I’d discovered
them the previous fall. A week or so
later I dialed up Nautilus headquarters and somehow got him on the
phone. Seizing my stroke of luck, I
implored Darden to rate my potential, expressing my desire to be a pro
bodybuilder like my heroes Rich
Finding the Best Diet
for You
Gaspari and Lee Labrada.
“Forget it; you don’t have the
genetics,” he bluntly informed me,
pointing out various structural flaws
and the fact that my muscle bellies weren’t long enough to carry an
extreme amount of mass. I thanked
him for his time and his honesty,
One thing you will notice
about my contest diet is that I
don’t eliminate carbs. The zerocarb diet has become very popular recently, but I don’t feel it’s for
everyone. Personally, I believe
that carbs are very important
both before and after training.
Your workouts are better, you get
a good pump, and you replace
the lost glycogen and start recovering for the next workout. Even
on days when I didn’t weight
train, I would still have a small
amount of carbs in the form of
an apple or a cup of strawberries
after my cardio session. When I
stop eating carbs, I lose muscle,
and I suspect that happens to a
lot of other bodybuilders. Drugassisted bodybuilders seem to
do better on zero carbs because
the drugs act to maintain their
muscle mass. Natural bodybuilders don’t have that ace in the
hole. Experiment with different
types of diets and find one that is
both effective for you and doesn’t
make you feel like death warmed
over. It’s true that there’s always
going to be a certain amount of
suffering and sacrifice involved
in getting ripped, but it shouldn’t
be so bad that you feel like staying in bed all day.
—R.H.
but inside I was seething. I’ll show
him, I said to myself. He wasn’t the
first or the last person to tell me I
was wasting my time, and each one
only fueled my determination.
Only after moving to the Los
Angeles area in 1991 and being
immersed in the bodybuilding industry thanks to my job with ESPN’s
“American Muscle” (now defunct)
did I finally begin to understand
that extraordinarily gifted genetics
as well as large amounts of steroids
played major roles in the physiques
of the men I wanted to look like.
Since I obviously wasn’t a genetic
freak and had no intention at that
time of ever using steroids, I lowered my expectations.
Though standing on the Mr.
Olympia stage wasn’t in the cards,
My Contest Diet*
7:15 a.m.: 1 whole egg, 6 egg whites, 1 cup rolled oats, a few strawberries or 1/2 sliced apple, 1 scoop Parrillo Hi-Protein powder (15 grams
protein)
9 a.m.: Weight train
10 a.m.: BCAA powder, 5 grams glutamine
10-10:45 a.m.: Cardio
10:45 a.m.: 60 grams whey protein, 50 grams Gatorade, 50 grams waxy
maize, 5 grams creatine, 10 grams glutamine
12 p.m.: 2 turkey breast burgers, 1 small sweet potato, 1 large raw carrot
2:30 p.m.: 60-gram protein shake (Muscle Milk Lite and Parrillo mix),
1/2 cup unsalted nuts
4 p.m.: 12 ounces salmon, 1 medium sliced cucumber
7 p.m.: 60-gram protein shake and nuts (see 2:30 feeding)
9 p.m.: 5 whole eggs, large green salad, 1 tablespoon natural peanut
butter
1 a.m.: 35-gram protein shake
4 a.m.: 35-gram protein shake
Supplements: Parrillo Performance Hi-Protein, Optimized Whey, Liver
Aminos, Essential Vitamin, Essential Mineral-Electrolyte, Advanced
Lipotropic, Creatine Monhydrate, Evening Primrose Oil, Bio C, Natural E-Plus, Higher Power L-Glutamine; Gaspari Halodrol Liquigels and
Novedex XT; Cytosport Muscle Milk Light; NOW Super Enzymes; ginger
root; Nature’s Best Zero-carb Isopure (whey protein); Sci Fit Kre-Alkalyn
and BCAA powder; Nutrex Lipo 6; Biotest Hot Rox Extreme; Species Nutrition Lipolyze; Labrada Nutrition Lean Body RTD (occasionally)
On days when I don’t weight train, my first meal is whole eggs, and I
have a whey shake and an apple after cardio. Then every meal is either
protein and veggies or a protein shake and some nuts.
*This was the diet from 16 weeks out until four weeks out, at which point
the only change I made was to cut my carb intake in half.
—R.H.
I knew I could still at least win a
contest if I continued to train hard.
Being fortunate enough to have
access to many of the top minds
in the industry, such as Steve Holman, John Parrillo and dozens more
throughout the ’90s, I became far
more educated about proper training and nutrition. Slowly but surely,
my physique grew and improved.
My gains were never dramatic, but
as I tell others who get discouraged,
every little bit adds up over time to
eventually make a substantial difference. When I started training at age
14, I weighed only about 95 pounds.
By age 23 I was up to 230, albeit
carrying more bodyfat than I should
have been.
Time to Hang It Up?
I competed fairly regularly over
the years, and eventually a pattern emerged. Whether there were
two guys or 10 guys in my class, I
inevitably took second place. It was
beginning to look as if I was butting
my head against a wall. No matter
how good I looked, there was bound
to be someone else who looked
better. Obviously, that was negative
thinking, and I tried my best to stay
positive. I had to believe that as long
as I refused to give up and continued to do everything possible to improve my physique, my day would
come. There were many times when
I struggled with the idea that fate
was conspiring against me. Guys
whom I had beaten would go on to
win other shows, or they might have
already won other shows. I began
competing in the ANBC, but by the
mid-’90s I had switched to the NPC.
My first three NPC shows were IRON
MAN Naturally events held in Los
Angeles, Las Vegas and again in Los
Angeles.
In 2000 I moved back to Boston
with my wife and two children, who
had come along in 1994 and ’99,
and in 2002 I began competing in
nontested NPC events for the first
time. I did the New England three
times and the Massachusetts Championships twice, taking second in
the heavyweights on three of those
occasions, and I even flew back out
to Southern California to place—
you guessed it, second—as a light
heavy at the tough Orange County
Muscle Classic.
After the ’05 New England I was
really starting to think it was time
to bow out gracefully and move on.
Preparing for competitions is so
time consuming and forces one to
be so self-absorbed that I just didn’t
think it was the best thing for me as
a husband and father. I hadn’t quite
made up my mind to quit, but I was
on the verge.
Neveux
Coming Clean—for Good
Some guys
can take small
amounts of
drugs and get
absolutely
huge. Others
can take plenty
of steroids
and make
only moderate
gains.
I’m writing about this for the first
time here in IRON MAN because
this is where I began my writing
career. Much of my early writing
focused on natural bodybuilding
and railed against steroids, and all
of my competitions from 1989 until
1995 were drug-tested. I had every
intention of remaining drug-free,
but eventually my curiosity (and
cynicism) got the best of me. In late
1996, a couple months after I turned
27, I did my first cycle of steroids.
Though I stopped for almost two
years toward the end of the decade,
I used them in regular intervals off
and on until February 2005, when
I was 36 years old. I never used
growth hormone, but I did use plenty of regular steroids like test, Deca,
Equipoise, trenbolone, Winstrol and
Dianabol.
My results were okay but nothing spectacular. What many people
don’t realize is that just as some
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My Training Program
L, B, C Rotation: L = legs; B = biceps and back; C= chest, shoulders and triceps
Train on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, following the sequence—L1, B1, C1, L2, B2, C2 and so on.
L1
Hack squat calf raises
Standing leg curls (RP)
Adductor machine (RP)
Squats (1 SS)
Leg presses (WM)
L2
Leg press calf raises
Lying leg curls (RP)
Hack squats (1 SS)
Leg presses (WM)
L3
Seated calf raises
One-leg leg curls (RP)
Smith machine squats (1 SS)
Leg presses (WM)
B1
Dumbbell spider curls (RP)
One-arm cable reverse curls (1 SS)
Standing cable curls (WM)
Undergrip pulldowns (RP)
Cable pullovers (WM)
Hammer Strength seated rows (RP)
B2
EZ-curl bar curls (RP)
Pinwheel curls (1 SS)
Cable curls (WM)
Rack chins (RP)
Barbell rows (RP)
B3
Hammer Strength curls (RP)
Dumbbell hammer curls (1 SS)
Standing cable curls (WM)
Hammer Str. Iso pulldowns (RP)
One-arm dumbbell rows (RP)
C1
Incline dumbbell presses (2 SS)
Cable crossover (2 SS)
Hammer Strength presses (RP)
One-arm laterals (WM)
Decline skull crushers (RP)
C2
Arnold presses (2 SS)
One-arm dumbbell laterals (WM)
Hammer Str. incline presses (RP)
Cable crossovers (2 SS)
Hammer Strength dips (RP)
C3
Hammer Str. flat presses (RP)
Cable crossovers (2 SS)
Smith-machine front presses (RP)
One-arm laterals (WM)
Cable pushdowns (RP)
RP= rest/pause, SS = straight set, WM= widowmaker
I got rid of all the stuff
I had and started over
again, doing it all naturally after several years
on the dark side.
people respond to training by growing more than others, so, too, is
there a sliding scale when it comes
to how effective steroids are. Some
guys can take small amounts of
drugs and get absolutely huge. Others can take plenty of steroids and
make only moderate gains. That was
me. Whether I was on or off, the difference was usually about 10 to 15
pounds of muscle and water.
Eventually, I began to give serious thought to getting off the drugs
for good. There were many reasons.
First and foremost, I worried about
long-term effects on my health and
longevity. More and more bodybuilders were dying or coming down
with serious illnesses. I had lost my
own dad to cancer when I was 16.
Did I really not want to see my own
kids grow up, get married and have
children of their own? And for what?
So my muscles could be a little
bigger, and I could lift a little more
weight in the gym?
I also couldn’t ignore the legal
issues. People I knew were getting
into big trouble. I had never been
arrested in my life, and the last thing
I needed as a respectable citizen
was to go to jail. Plus, I was spending a few thousand dollars a year on
drugs, money that should have been
invested in my home and family.
Finally, I was sick of having to
dodge the issue and tell people it
was none of their business when
they asked me if I used. What kind of
role model was I to my kids and my
readers? I got rid of all the stuff I had
and started over again, doing it all
naturally after several years on the
dark side. I decided I would compete again in a tested show, though I
didn’t know where or when.
In the meantime I had to be off
drugs at least a year to qualify for
any tested shows and also had to
readjust mentally and physically
after depending on the extra boost
that steroids had imparted. One last
note I need to add is that to all of
you who feel let down by a man who
once championed natural bodybuilding having turned to steroids,
I am truly sorry. My use is nothing I
am proud of, but it does feel good to
tell the truth at last. I felt I owed that
to you all.
Neveux
For the first
time in more
than 20 years
of training, my
workouts were
structured to
the last detail
and always
had a clear
goal.
D.C. Training
A few months after I got off the
juice, I finally took the plunge and
started D.C. training, which I had
been on the fence about for a couple of years. I was fortunate enough
to have the guidance of its creator,
Dante Trudel, in the beginning. He
helped design my programs and offered suggestions and changes while
monitoring my progress.
For the first time in my more than
20 years of training, my workouts
were structured to the last detail
and always had a clear goal. I always knew exactly which exercises
I would do on a given day, and the
mission was simple—to beat my
numbers. That meant I had to either do more reps than last time I
had performed a particular exercise or, if I had exceeded the rep
ranges indicated, use a little more
weight. I trained on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays using
a three-way split, so whatever I
worked on Monday got hit again on
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Long Road to
VICTORY
As I forced
myself to gain
strength in
many exercises,
I saw new size
gains, even in
bodyparts like
arms that had
seemingly hit
their genetic
limit. I was
making real
improvements
to my physique
for the first
time in years
and doing it
drug-free.
Friday.
D.C. isn’t for everybody, but it
was exactly what I needed at exactly
the right time in my training career. I had been at a plateau of size
and strength for a very long time.
Even in the years I used steroids, I
would get to a certain point and no
further. What I needed was a systematic approach aimed at increasing strength. Dante believes that a
stronger muscle becomes a bigger
muscle, and I found it to be true in
my case. As I forced myself to gain
strength in many exercises, I saw
new size gains, even in bodyparts
like arms that had seemingly hit
their genetic limit. I was making real
improvements to my physique for
the first time in years and doing it
drug-free. By the end of 2006 I had
been training D.C. style for half a
year, and the results were so satisfactory that I set a goal of competing—and winning—for 2007. I just
needed to find a show.
Sweet, Sweet Victory|
at Last
In January ’07 NPC District Chairman Dave Follansbee released the
schedule of events in New England.
I had spoken with him several times
about promoting natural shows in
the area, as I felt they could provide
viable options for myself and many
other NPC athletes who choose to
train drug-free. I was pleasantly
surprised to see not one but three
tested events on the schedule for
2007. The first was in April and thus
too soon for me to prepare properly. The last was in late October,
which was longer than I wanted to
wait. The middle one was in August,
though, which was perfect. The kids
would be out of school, I could tan
out on my pool deck, and I would be
in shape for the whole summer. The
clincher was the name—the Natural
Colonial Cup. My first contest, in
1989, was called the Colonial Classic. I took that as an omen that this
was the show I had to do.
I started cleaning up my diet in
mid-January, weighing 233 pounds.
Without the
drugs my waist
came down to
32 inches, the
smallest it had
been in 10 years.
I knew from past experience that
a longer, more gradual diet would
help me maintain as much muscle
mass as possible. It also meant I
wouldn’t have to go crazy on the
cardio. I started out at 30 minutes
four times a week and never did
more than 45 minutes a day, six or
seven days a week. My machines
of choice were the Treadmaster by
Nautilus (a hybrid of a treadmill and
a stepper), the Precor elliptical runner and the Stepmill.
Another muscle robber in the
past for me had been overtraining.
In my enthusiasm to win, I would
add exercises and sets to my workouts and thrust myself right into
catabolism. Now that I was dieting
without the muscle-maintaining
benefit of steroids, it was more
critical than ever to avoid that pitfall. Since I was training D.C. style,
that was not an issue. I followed the
same brief, intense workouts that I
had in the off-season and gave my
body plenty of time to recover.
By June I was looking my best
ever and gaining confidence by
the day. When I was on steroids,
my midsection would bloat to the
point where even when I was dieted
down, my waist still measured 36
inches. Without the drugs it came
down to 32 inches, the smallest it
had been in 10 years—and I was still
holding a little over
200 pounds. The
final weeks were all
about fine-tuning
and dialing in.
I weighed in at the
show at 194 pounds.
Though it was the
lightest I had been
in more than a decade, my improved
proportions and
V-taper, as well as
the muscle maturity
resulting from all the
additional years of
heavy training, gave
me the illusion of
looking bigger. I won
my class and then
swept the overall
with a perfect score
in each case. The
most intense feeling I experienced
was actually relief.
After all those years
of trying my best and coming up
short, when I finally won, I felt as if a
tremendous weight was being lifted
off of me.
We Are All Winners
Of course, I was a winner all along
because I was improving every
year. That’s what bodybuilding is all
about. Your most important opponent is you. That said, it still felt
wonderful to be the last man standing onstage that day, as it validated
all my years of hard work and persistence. At so many contests over
the years I had envied “that guy.”
There was almost always that one
guy who was so good that everyone
knew he was going to win. At last I
got to be that guy.
What’s next for me? I’m all done
with competing, at least for a couple
of years. I will be 40 in the fall of
2009, so maybe I will come back to
compete in both the masters and
open divisions at another tested
event. In the meantime, working
in the sport I love and enjoying my
family and my health will be all I
need.
Editor’s note: For more on Ron
Harris, visit www.RonHarrisMuscle
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Tonic in a
Teapot,
Part 2
The Health-Fixer
Elixir Helps Burn Fat
and Build Muscle Too
by Jerry Brainum
Part 1 described tea’s effects on
metabolism and its cancer-prevention characteristics. This time we’ll
look at its cardiovascular and brainbuilding effects, plus ways it can
help burn bodyfat.
Neveux \ Model: Alex Azarian
The Cardiovascular
Effects of Tea
An initial event in cardiovascular
disease involves the oxidation of
low-density lipoprotein, the socalled bad cholesterol, which is the
primary carrier of cholesterol in the
blood. In vitro, or test-tube, studies
show that green tea inhibits LDL
oxidation. EGCG, the primary antioxidant in green tea, is more potent
at inhibiting LDL oxidation than tocopherol, a.k.a. vitamin E, is. Black
tea—in much larger doses—also
inhibits LDL oxidation. Green tea
prevents the proliferation of smooth
muscle in the walls of arteries that
causes arterial narrowing.1
Animal studies, such as those
done with rats, show that green tea
lowers serum and liver cholesterol.
It stimulates cholesterol excretion
in the bile, helping regulate the only
way the body eliminates excess
cholesterol. In a recent experiment,
rabbits were fed diets containing excess cholesterol for two weeks, then
supplied with green tea for another
four weeks. The green tea lowered
blood cholesterol by 60 percent and
LDL by a whopping 80 percent. LDL
liver-receptor activity increased
by 80 percent. The green tea also
lowered cholesterol synthesis in the
animals.2
Hamsters have been used in some
clinical studies. When hamsters are
fed a high-fat diet that mimics highfat human diets, their cholesterol
soars. When the hamsters get green
tea in their diet, however, it doesn’t
soar, evidently because of increased
bile excretion and decreased absorption of dietary fat.3
A high-fat meal leads to increased
oxidant production in the blood,
causing blood vessels to stiffen and
constrict, hampering blood flow.
A recent trial tested the impact of
green tea on that dynamic. Ten
healthy volunteers ate meals conwww.ironmanmagazine.com \ MARCH 2008 205
Tonic in a Teapot
Studies show
that the EGCG
in tea acts as a
natural inhibitor
of angiotensinconverting
enzyme, or ACE,
which is associated
with high blood
pressure.
taining 79 percent fat, and some
of the group also drank black tea.
Drinking the tea mitigated much of
the adverse blood vessel reaction to
the high-fat meal. Another study of
302 men and 210 women in Japan
found an inverse relationship between drinking green tea and atherosclerosis in the men, though not
in the women.4
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a major risk factor for heart
attacks and strokes. In vitro studies
show that tea has vasodilation activity, which would be expected to
lower blood pressure. The favorable
Researchers attribute tea’s
stroke-protective properties
to its stimulation of nitric oxide
metabolism.
impact of tea on the lining, or endothelium, of blood vessels also helps
guard against hypertension. Clinical
trials of tea intake in human subjects, however, have failed to replicate those results. One reason for
the discrepancy may be that most of
the human studies involved subjects
who did not (go figure) have high
blood pressure.5
On the other hand, an eight-year
longitudinal study of 1,500 middleaged people in Taiwan found that
those who drank more than 20
ounces a day of green or oolong
tea for more than a year showed a
65 percent reduced risk of hypertension. Those who drank no tea
showed no risk reduction, and the
beneficial effects of drinking tea
didn’t show up for a year.6 Studies
show that the EGCG in tea acts as
a natural inhibitor of angiotensinconverting enzyme, or ACE, which is
associated with high blood pressure.
Drugs that act specifically on ACE
are used to treat high blood pressure. Studies using rats as subjects
demonstrate that green tea inhibits
the intestinal absorption of sodium,
which would also lower blood pressure.7
Inflammation is a cornerstone of
cardiovascular disease. Most heart
attacks and strokes are initiated by
a clot that blocks blood flow in an
already occluded artery. A recent
study of healthy nonsmoking men,
aged 18 to 55, randomly assigned
them to either a group drinking
black tea or a placebo group.8 After
six weeks those in the tea group had
significantly reduced tendency toward internal blood clotting, along
with lower levels of the inflammation-related C-reactive protein.
Stroke, too, is linked to high blood
pressure. A clinical investigation
of 5,910 women aged 40 and over
found that the incidence of stroke
was 5.5 times higher for women
who didn’t drink green tea than for
those who drank five or more cups
daily.9 An investigation of 7,730 men
found a 33 percent risk reduction
for stroke among tea drinkers but
not among those who didn’t drink
tea. Researchers attribute tea’s antistroke properties to its stimulation
of nitric oxide metabolism, which
prevents formation of internal clots
and helps regulate blood pressure.10
Can Tea Save Your Brain?
Several studies point to tea’s protective effects on brain function.
They show that drinking tea leads to
a rapid increase in alertness and in-
Researchers
observed an
upgrade in gene
activity linked
to memory and
learning as well
as a decrease in
genes linked to
inflammation,
a hallmark
of the brain
degeneration
identified in
such diseases as
Alzheimer’s and
Parkinson’s.
formation processing. When drunk
throughout the day, tea may prevent
a decline in mental performance.
While tea contains caffeine, a recognized brain stimulant, its impact on
brain function isn’t caffeine-related.
An experiment with rats found
that those that had tea in their diets
exhibited improved learning ability—at least as far as traversing a
complicated maze was concerned.11
The rats on tea also experienced less
oxidation in the hippocampus, the
seat of learning and memory in the
brain.
A study published recently in the
Journal of Neuroscience found that
a combination of epicatechins and
exercise led to beneficial changes
in the section of the brain involved
in learning and the formation of
memory. Researchers observed
an upgrade in gene activity linked
to memory and learning as well
as a decrease in genes linked to
inflammation, a hallmark of the
brain degeneration identified in
such diseases as Alzheimer’s and
Parkinson’s. Exercise was also found
to enhance the benefits of epicatechins on brain function.
Elsewhere in lab-coat land, adding green tea to the diet of mice
significantly delayed memory regression, which told researchers that
green tea protects brain neurons.12
Another study found that black and
green teas inhibited the breakdown
of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which the brain requires for
memory and learning and which
is deficient in Alzheimer’s patients.
Doctors currently treat Alzheimer’s
with drugs such as Exelon and Aricept, which inhibit the activity of
acetylcholinesterase, the substance
that degrades acetylcholine. Green
tea also blocked the production of
beta amyloid, a protein superabundant in the brains of Alzheimer’s
patients.13
Scientists from McGill University found that green tea prevented
neurons exposed to beta amyloid
from being destroyed. Mice prone to
a rodent version of Alzheimer’s had
54 percent less beta amyloid than
untreated mice. The green tea used
in the study, however, was directly
injected into the mouse brains; a
comparable oral dose of EGCG in
humans would be 1,500 to 1,600
milligrams.
Stress fosters brain degeneration,
and tea can alleviate it—particularly black tea, which contains the
amino acid theanine and its precursor, theaflavin, in greater quantity
than are found in green tea. A study
reported in the journal Psychopharmacology found that men who
drank black tea four times a day for
six weeks had 47 percent less cortisol, a stress hormone, than men
who drank a tea substitute. The tea
drinkers also reported a greater feeling of relaxation after performing
tasks designed to increase stress.
Theanine is known to help relax
the brain. It reduces anxiety and
stress without the side effects associated with drugs used for the same
purpose. Studies show that theanine
increases alpha waves, brain waves
that indicate increased relaxation
but without losing alertness. Studies
(continued on page 212)
done with
Tonic in a Teapot
(continued from page 207) athletes
show that they perform best when
alpha waves dominate the left
side of their brains. Creative people tend to produce more alpha
waves when faced with a problem
to solve.
Theanine can be absorbed
into the brain, where it modifies
the activity of such brain neurotransmitters as serotonin and
dopamine, leading to improved
memory, learning ability and
relaxation. Theanine can even
negate some of the overstimulation produced by caffeine. Three
to four cups of green tea provide
60 to 160 milligrams of theanine,
and it maximizes in blood between 30 minutes and two hours
after drinking. A 2003 study found
that theanine activates gamma
delta T cells, immunity cells that
are the first line of defense against
infection.
Test-tube studies show that tea
interferes with the formation of new
fat cells, which emerge when your
body is loaded up with a critical
mass of fat.
Tea and Bodyfat
One of the most effective natural fat-reducing supplements was
the combination of ephedrine
and caffeine. The United States
Food and Drug Administration
removed ephedrine from sale
three years ago, based on dubious
reports of adverse health effects.
Since then, purveyors of various
“fat-burning” supplements have
scrambled to come up with suitable
replacements. Little or no research
confirms the effectiveness of most
ephedrine stand-ins. Green tea,
however, is special.
Most people think green tea helps
reduce excess bodyfat thermogenically, as indeed it does. Test-tube
studies show that it interferes with
the formation of new fat cells, which
emerge when your body is loaded
up with a critical mass of fat. The
fat cells already present undergo
hyperplasia, splitting to form new
fat cells. That’s why fat is so hard to
lose.
Green tea has multiple thermogenic properties. It increases
the release of CCK, a gut hormone
linked to decreased appetite. It also
increases the power of the thermogenic hormone norepinephrine,
chiefly by attacking COMT, the main
enzyme that halts norepinephrine’s
role in releasing fat from fat cells,
and by working synergistically with
caffeine to stimulate bodyfat loss.
Thermogenic activity, however,
is only part of the story. Look at
how green tea affects fat digestion. It inhibits both gastric and
pancreatic lipase, the primary
fat-digesting enzymes, leading to a
37 percent reduction in the breakdown of long-chain triglycerides,
a.k.a. dietary fat. The fat you eat
needs to be emulsified, or degraded
into smaller particles, before lipase
can act on it. Green tea interferes
with that activity, which further
lowers fat absorption and uptake. It
also attacks a primary fat-synthesis
enzyme, appropriately called fatty
acid synthase. Green tea may even
help regenerate and protect the
beta cells of the pancreas, where
insulin is synthesized, thus indirectly guarding against both diabetes and pancreatic degeneration.14
Rat-based studies show that
green tea inhibits enzymes in the
intestine that break down sugar
Neveux \ Model: John Cowgill
HEATH!
FREEMAN!
Green tea can improve insulin efficiency,
so less insulin is secreted. What’s
released does more work, however, and
that can lead to less bodyfat accrual.
>The Greatest
Bodybuilders
In The World
Will Be At The
>2008
tose.16
About now you’re thinking there’s
a screw loose somewhere. How can
stimulating insulin release be a
good thing if insulin release is linked
to bodyfat synthesis?
It comes down to green tea’s role
as an efficiency expert. The fact
that green tea potentiates insulin
sounds bad until you realize that
upregulation equals improved insulin efficiency, which is different
from merely increasing the volume
of insulin that’s pushed into the
blood. In other words, less insulin is
secreted, but it does more work because of the presence of green tea,
which means there’s less bodyfat in
the offing.
You get a picture of how it all
works from a study in which scientists fed rat subjects either a
DUGDALE!
and starch, thus limiting glucose
uptake and insulin release. A clinical
trial of 49 men and 11 women found
that taking the tea-extract equivalent of four cups of green tea daily
lowered glycosylated hemoglobin, a
measure of long-term blood glucose
control.15
Some of the properties of green
tea are subtle. As you would expect,
a high intake of the sugar fructose
is linked to insulin resistance, and
we’ve seen that green tea attacks insulin resistance and glucose uptake.
Here comes the subtle part, because, conversely, green tea upregulates several genes that stimulate
glucose uptake and insulin signaling in cells, thereby blocking—yes,
really—the negative effects of fruc-
...Will You?
>>>>>
Neveux \ Model: Greg Smyers
Tonic in a Teapot
high-fructose diet or the same diet
supplemented with green tea. The
rats that got the green tea had decreased insulin resistance, which
was linked to the increased—that is,
more efficient—behavior of GLUT4, a cellular glucose transporter.17
Other studies have also demonstrated that drinking green tea lowers
elevated blood glucose, a hallmark
of prediabetes.18
To take advantage of green tea’s
effect on insulin, avoid using it with
milk or cream. Research proves that
50 grams of milk lower green tea’s
insulin potentiation by 90 percent.19
One study examined the effects
of green tea and caffeine on energy
expenditure and fat oxidation.20
The subjects were 10 healthy young
men, average age 25, who ranged
from lean to moderately overweight.
For six weeks they took two capsules of 1) green tea extract plus 50
milligrams of caffeine, 2) 50 milligrams of caffeine or 3) a placebo.
The men getting the green tea had a
far higher energy expenditure than
those getting either the caffeine or
placebo and tended to use more fat
calories than those who took the
placebo—all of which demonstrated
that the thermogenic effects of
green tea extend beyond its caffeine
content.
Another study examined the
effects of drinking oolong tea.21
Twelve men drank one of the fol-
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Tonic in a Teapot
lowing:
1) Water
2) Full-strength tea
3) Half-strength tea
4) Water containing 270 milligrams of caffeine
Fat oxidation was 12 percent
higher when subjects drank
the full-strength tea instead of
water.
Another study found that
when subjects drank enough
tea to supply 600 milligrams of
tea catechins, they decreased
their visceral, or deep-lying,
fat in the gut.22 That’s big
health news, as visceral
fat is the most active and
dangerous fat in the body,
linked to cardiovascular
disease and diabetes. The
antiangiogenic effects of
green tea appear to lower
and prevent excess fat
deposition.23 A recent study of
Japanese men and women who had
large visceral fat deposits found that
12 weeks of drinking tea containing
583 milligrams of tea catechins resulted in a significant drop in blood
pressure, bodyfat and LDL.24
A study of mice showed that
green tea increased exercise
endurance from 8 to 24 percent.
Neveux \ Model: Dave Dorsey
Green Tea and Your Body
Just as it affects bodyfat, so also
does green tea appear to affect body
composition. Scientists investigated
the tea-drinking habits of 1,103 subjects, 473 of whom had drunk tea
once or more per week for at least
six months. 25 Habitual tea drinkers
for more than 10 years underwent
a 19.6 percent reduction in bodyfat
percentage, and a 2.1 percent reduction in waist-to-hip ratio compared
to what those who didn’t drink the
tea experienced. Conclusion: Longterm tea intake may promote beneficial changes in body composition.
Some scientists suggest that tapping into fat stores more efficiently
would increase exercise endurance
by sparing limited glycogen stores
in muscles. A study of mice showed
that green tea increased exercise
endurance. The mice were put to
swimming exercise, and the ones
that were fed green tea extracts had
not only greater endurance but also
green tea offered protection against
oxidative-induced stress in exercising animals, especially in the liver
and kidneys.27
But Wait! There’s More!
One study even
suggests that
drinking green
tea can nudge the
growth of human
hair.
Green tea’s antiinflammatory properties
may minimize sunburn
as well as offering
protection against skin
cancer.
Neveux \ Model: Lena Johannessen
increased fat burning. The higher
the tea intake, the greater the endurance, from 8 to 24 percent. The authors suggest that a human athlete
weighing 165 pounds would need
to drink about four cups of green
tea to replicate the effects shown in
the mice. A single dose of green tea
didn’t have much effect; long-term
consumption did the trick.26 Another study involving rats showed that
The primary green tea antioxidant, EGCG, inhibits histamine
release by up to 90 percent in ratcell cultures. That implies green tea
is anti-allergenic, since histamine
is released during allergic reactions and accounts for many allergy
symptoms. Mice studies show that
green tea also produces anti-inflammatory effects against arthritis, and
human studies show that
it may blunt joint degeneration.
Tea extracts offer protection against many types
of bacteria, including the
infamous H. pylori, which
causes ulcers. Tea is active against salmonella,
shigella, candida (yeast)
and other bugs. In the
intestine, green tea acts
as a probiotic, stimulating
the growth of beneficial
bacteria. Tea also kills the
bacteria in the mouth that
cause both cavities and
gum disease, the major
cause of tooth loss. Tea
inhibits the influenza
virus, as well as an enzyme
that is complicit in spreading HIV in the body. Other
studies show beneficial effects of tea
against alcohol intoxication, insect
stings, kidney stones and cataracts.
Drinking tea may offer protection
against skin cancer.28 Tea suppresses
the activity of tyrosinase, the enzyme that converts the amino acid
tyrosine into melanin, the primary
skin pigment.29 That means it may
be useful in preventing overproduction of melanin, which occurs in
pregnant women. It also means that
drinking it before going in the sun
may minimize the tanning reaction.
On the other hand, the anti-inflammatory properties of green tea may
minimize sunburn.
Tonic in a Teapot
BMiller
Since tea inhibits the enzyme
5-alpha reductase, it blunts conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone; DHT is the root cause of
such maladies as acne and malepattern baldness.30 One study even
suggests that drinking green tea can
nudge the growth of human hair.31
Rat-based studies show that large
amounts of green tea, amounting
to 5 percent of the animals’ diets,
decreased thyroid hormone activity;
however, rats are more sensitive to
substances that affect the thyroid
than humans are. The amount of tea
lab rats get isn’t likely to be drunk by
humans.
Green tea inhibits aromatase, the
enzyme that converts testosterone
into estrogen.32
Its EGCG
has been
found to
lower
levels
of such
hormones as testosterone, estrogen,
leptin, insulin and IGF-1, though
the fact that it was injected directly
into the rats is significant. You’d
have to drink 12 cups of tea in one
hour to approach lab-rat-equivalent
intake.33
Green Tea Side Effects
The principal problems related to
overconsumption of black or green
tea involve caffeine, aluminum and
iron. Black tea has the highest caffeine content, followed in order by
oolong tea, green tea and fresh tea
leaf. The average cup of green tea
contains 32 milligrams of caffeine,
compared to the 100 to 200 found in
coffee.
Aluminum is a
problem because
of its association with
Alzheimer’s
disease and
other maladies. Black tea
contains six
times more
aluminum than
green tea. On
the other hand,
aluminum is not
very bioavailable
and is poorly
absorbed from
foods, including tea. Tea may
bind to free iron,
which is a potent
oxidant of blood
LDL, but that
can be overcome
simply by adding
lemon to tea or
drinking it when
you’re not eating
iron-rich foods
or supplements.
Several reports have suggested that tea
catechins can
be toxic because
they convert into
pro-oxidants.
Conversion is
common with
most other antioxidants, and
they tend to
reconvert each other back into antioxidants. Besides, the amount of tea
you’d have to drink to worry about
toxicity is so great that you shouldn’t
worry. Isolated cases of liver failure
in human patients have been published, but nearly all other studies
show that green tea is remarkably
safe and beneficial.
References
1 Locher, R., et al. (2002). Green
tea polyphenols inhibit human
vascular smooth muscle cell
proliferation stimulated by native
low-density lipoprotein. Eur J
Pharmacol. 434:1-7.
2 Bursill, C., et al. (2007). A
green tea extract lowers plasma
cholesterol by inhibiting cholesterol
synthesis and upregulating the
LDL receptor in the cholesterol-fed
rabbit. Athersclor. 193:86-93.
3 Chan, P.T., et al. (1999).
Jasmine green tea epicatechins are
hypolipidemic in hamsters fed a
high-fat diet. J Nutr. 129:1094-1101.
4 Sasazuki, S., et al. (2000).
Relation between green tea
consumption and the severity of
coronary atherosclerosis among
Japanese men and women. Ann
Epidemiol. 10:401-408.
5 Hodgson, J.M. (2006). Effects
of tea and tea flavonoids on
endothelial function and blood
pressure: A brief review. Clin Exper
Pharmacol Physiol. 33:838-41.
6 Yang, Y.C., et al. (2004). The
protective effect of habitual tea
consumption on hypertension. Arch
Intern Med. 164:1534-40.
7 Kreydiyyeh, S.I., et al. (1994). Tea
extract inhibits intestinal absorption
of glucose and sodium in rats. Comp
Biochem Phram Tox Endocrin.
108:359-65.
8 Steptoe, A., et al. (2007).
The effects of chronic tea
intake on platelet activation
and inflammation: A doubleblind placebo-controlled study.
Atherosclerosis. 193:277-82.
9 Sato, Y., et al. (1989). Possible
contribution of green tea drinking
habits to prevention of stroke.
Tohoku J Exp Med. 157:337-43.
10 Fraser, M.L., et al. (2007). Green
tea and stroke prevention: Emerging
evidence. Comp Ther Medic. 15:4653.
11 Haque, A., et al. (2006). Longterm administration of green
tea catechins improves spatial
cognition learning ability in rats. J
Nutr. 136:1043-47.
12 Unno, K., et al. (2007). Daily
consumption of green tea catechin
delays memory regression in aged
mice. Biogerontology. 8:89-95.
13 Okello, E.J., et al. (2004). In
vitro anti-beta-secretase and dual
anti-cholinesterase activities of
Camellia sinensis L. (tea) relevant to
treatment of dementia. Phyto Res.
18:624-27.
14 Chakravarthy, B.K., et al. (1982).
Functional beta cell regeneration in
the islets of the pancreas in alloxaninduced diabetic rats by EGCG. Life
Sci. 31:2693-2697.
15 Fukino, Y., et al. (2007).
Randomized controlled trial of an
The principal
problems
related to
overconsumption
of black or green
tea are related
to caffeine,
aluminum and
iron.
effect of green tea extract powder
supplementation on glucose
abnormalities. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1-6.
In press.
16 Cao, H., et al. (2007). Green
tea polyphenol extract regulates
the expression of genes involved in
glucose uptake and insulin signaling
in rats fed a high fructose diet. L
Agric Food Chem. 55(15):6372-8.
17 Wu, L.Y., et al. (2004). Green
tea supplementation ameliorates
insulin resistance and increases
glucose transporter-4 content in a
fructose-fed rat model. Eur J Nutr.
43.
18 Gomez, A., et al. (1994). Antihyperglycemic effect of black
tea (Camellia sinensis) in rat. J
Ethnopharmacol. 45:223-226.
19 Moon, H.S., et al. (2007).
Proposed mechanisms of
epigallocatechin-3-gallate for antiobesity. Chem-Biol Interactions.
167:85-98.
20 Dullo, A.G., et al. (1999).
Efficacy of green tea extract
rich in catechin polyphenols
and caffeine in increasing 24hour energy expenditure and fat
oxidation in humans. Am J Clin
Nutr. 70:1040-50.
21 Rumpler, W., et al. (2001).
Oolong tea increases metabolic rate
and fat oxidation in men. J Nutr.
131:2848-2852.
22 Nagao, T., et al. (2001). Tea
catechins suppress accumulation
of body fat in humans. J Oleo Sci.
50:717-28.
23 Diepvens, K., et al. (2007).
Obesity and thermogenesis related
to the consumption of caffeine,
ephedrine, capsaicin, and green
tea. Am J Physiol Regul Integ Comp
Physiol. 292:R77-R85.
24 Nagao, T., et al. (2007). A green
tea extract high in catechins reduces
bodyfat and cardiovascular risk in
humans. Obesity. 15:1473-83.
25 Wu, C.H., et al. (2003).
Relationship between habitual
tea consumption, percent bodyfat
and bodyfat distribution. Obes Res.
11:1088-95.
26 Murase T, et al. (2004). Green
tea extract improves endurance
capacity and increases lipid
oxidation in mice. Am J Physiol
Regul Integ Comp Physiol.
27 Alessio, H.M., et al. (2002).
Consumption of green tea protects
rats from exercise-induced oxidative
stress in kidney and liver. Nutr Res.
22:1177-1188.
28 Katiyar, S., et al. (2000). Green
tea and skin. Arch Dermat. 136:98994.
29 No, J.K., et al. (1999). Inhibition
of tyrosinase by green tea
components. Life Sci. 65:241-46.
30 Alexis, A.F., et al. (1999).
Potential therapeutic applications of
tea in dermatology. Int J Dermatol.
38:735-43.
31 Kwon, O.S., et al. (2007). Human
hair growth enhancement in vitro
by green tea epigallocatechin-3gallate (EGCG). Phytomed. 14(78):551-5.
32 Satoh, K., et al. (2002).
Inhibition of aromatase activity
by green tea extract catechins and
their endocrinological effects of oral
administration in rats. Food Chem
Toxicol. 40(7):925-33.
33 Kao, Y.H., et al. (2000).
Modulation of endocrine systems
and food intake by green tea EGCG.
Endocrinol. 141:980-87. IM
Heavy Duty
The Wisdom of Mike Mentzer
by John Little
The Value of Muscle
Soreness
Q: I don’t seem to get sore the
day after I train to positive failure. I’m wondering if I should
change my exercises or the way
I perform them, as I think I
should feel some soreness, just
to know that my muscles did
some work.
A: Soreness, as Mike Mentzer
pointed out, indicates a feeling
only—not necessarily growth stimulation—and it’s certainly not the
sine qua non of having a productive
workout. According to Mike:
“Achieving soreness is no indication that you had a successful
workout. The only time I ever got
sore was upon resumption of training after an extended layoff. If getting sore was necessary, somehow,
to build big muscles, I never would
have been Mr. Universe. Feelings—
especially soreness, which is still a
mystery—tell you little or nothing
about the success of a workout. No
one knows what causes soreness
or what significance it may have; it
just hurts. And if you thought that
getting sore was necessary and you
didn’t get sore, what would you do—
try to get sore? The only proper way
to gauge the success of any workout
is by the standard of strength increases. If you’re stronger at the next
workout, a positive change obviously occurred in the muscle. As you
continue to grow stronger and eat
adequately, you’ll grow larger.”
How Much Muscle
Can I Gain?
Q: How much muscle can I
gain over the course of a year?
I know Mike had many clients
who gained 20 to 30 pounds
over a span of several months,
and I’d sure like to do the same.
A: While Mike did have many
clients who gained 20 to 30 pounds
of muscle over the course of several
months, the size that your muscles
will ultimately reach is a matter
dictated almost entirely by genetics. At my strength-training center
(Nautilus North Strength & Fitness
Centre in Bracebridge, Ontario,
Canada) we have a client who is 64
years old and has 18 1/2-inch calves.
He’s had them since he was 16 years
old. That speaks to the muscle fiber
density, or the amount of muscle
fibers per square inch, he has in his
calf muscles—not to his training
approach. He doesn’t train his calves
at all because he doesn’t want them
to become bigger, but if you were
looking at his calves simplistically,
you’d have to conclude that his “not
training” has resulted in his producing calves that would be the envy of
Steve Reeves.
If you’re underweight, proper
Heavy Duty training will very
quickly get you to the muscular
bodyweight that your genetics will
permit. Ultimately, however, your
genetics will determine how much
muscle you can gain. I recall speaking with renowned personal trainer
Drew Baye (www.Baye.com) about
the amount of muscle he gained
while training on Mike’s Heavy Duty
program during his college years.
Here’s what he had to say:
“When I was in college, I started
reading Mike Mentzer’s articles in
his Heavy Duty column in IRON
MAN, and I just dropped all the
high-volume stuff and everything
else I’d been doing. I went to one of
his programs that had me training
only twice a week, following a routine that he’d outlined in one of his
columns.”
I asked Drew about the results
Heavy Duty
he’d gotten while on other training
programs. He said he’d made “little
or no meaningful progress and [was]
just grossly overtraining.” On Mike’s
program, however, he “was able to
go from the low 150s and not much
definition to a fairly lean 180 to 182
pounds over a period of maybe a
half year or so.”
I like Drew’s response because
there’s been a lot of nonsense going
around, particularly in Internet chat
rooms, that building strength, as
Mike advocated, has nothing to do
with building muscular size—which
is false on its face. Drew’s ability to build 30 pounds of muscle
over six months as a result of what
was essentially a “strength-building” program belies it. If you have
the genetics to gain 30 pounds of
muscle in six months, as Drew did,
then Heavy Duty training will bring
out your genetic potential. If, however, your bodyweight is more stabilized—that is, you’re not grossly
underweight—or if you don’t have
the genetics to grow 30 pounds of
muscle, then you’ll still grow bigger
and stronger muscles but to some
measure less than those whose
genetics are better suited to it.
Mike pointed out during a seminar I attended in 1981 that for the
average bodybuilder a five-to-10pound gain of muscle per year is actually an excellent rate of progress.
According to Mike:
“Anybody with any training experience has recognized that adding
muscle tissue beyond normal levels
is a seemingly impossible process.
But as a matter of fact, the growth
process is probably even slower
than you realize. Many bodybuilders’ dietary indiscretions, as well as
the training errors they make, are
the direct result of a failure to realize
just how slow the growth process is.
If a bodybuilder expects to gain a
pound of muscle a week or a pound
a month and he’s not seeing those
gains, then he’s going to become
hysterical and begin training more
often, increasing his protein intake
and so forth. If, however, you can
develop a firm grasp of how slow the
process of muscle growth is, then
it’s my firm belief that you’ll be less
inclined to commit a lot of the ridiculous dietary and training errors
that bodybuilders fall prey to.
“Just how slow is slow? We can all
“If you can develop a grasp of how slow the
process of muscle growth is, then it’s my
firm belief that you’ll be less inclined to
commit a lot of ridiculous dietary and training errors that bodybuilders fall prey to.”
Overdoing
nutrient
replenishment
can stress the
body and is a
direct result
of impatience.
Remember,
muscle growth
is a very slow
process.
DESIGNED TO BUILD RES U L T S
FROM THE MAKERS
OF OHYEAH!
COMES RE-SATUR8
®
™
agree that gaining even 10 pounds
of muscle a year is a tremendous
achievement. Not 10 pounds of
bodyweight, mind you—that’s
easy—10 pounds of pure muscle. It
isn’t a whole hell of a lot, but look
at it over the long term, five years,
which is how you have to look at
your bodybuilding career. Nobody
ever became Mr. America in one
year. At 10 pounds a year, in five
years you’d gain 50 pounds of muscle, enough to transform an average
165-pound adult male into a 215pound Mr. Olympia. In fact, the vast
majority of Mr. Olympia competitors weigh under 215.
“Suppose we can gain 10 pounds
of muscle in one year. We still don’t
think in terms (continued on page 230)
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®
Heavy Duty
(continued from page 227) of a year,
blocks of a year, or blocks of five
years. We think about daily progress, daily workouts and so forth.
So if you think 10 pounds of muscle
growth in one year is slow, it’s unbelievable how slow that growth is on
a daily level.
“On a daily level, 10 pounds of
muscle over 365 days works out to
.027 pounds of muscle gained per
day, which is the same as 12 grams,
As Mike repeatedly pointed
out, you must train intensely to
stimulate your muscles to grow
bigger and stronger and then
give your body adequate time to
recover and overcompensate. That
can be anywhere from four days
for a beginner to 10 days or longer
for a more advanced trainee.
or less than half an ounce—not
enough to register on a scale. Yet
how many of you weigh yourself
every day looking for gain? If you are
seeing weight gains every day, then
you’re not gaining muscle.
“What are you gaining? Fat. If you
could gain 10 pounds of muscle a
year—something most of us are incapable of—you’re not going to see
even a one-pound gain per month.
So it’s almost ridiculous to ever
weigh yourself. You should gauge
your progress by your appearance.
“Think of how minuscule 12
grams of muscle gained per day
is—assuming you’re gaining those
10 pounds of muscle per year. Yet
when we don’t seem to be gaining
fast enough, we increase our training time, increase our intake of
protein and so forth. Those things
don’t hasten the growth process;
they slow it down.”
Heavy Duty
“With a valid theoretical approach to training,
progress should be immediate, continuous and
worthwhile all the way to the full actualization
of one’s potential. The actualization of potential,
too, is a genetically determined trait.”
As Mike repeatedly pointed
out, you must train intensely to
stimulate your muscles to grow
bigger and stronger and then
give your body adequate time
to recover and overcompensate.
That can be anywhere from four
days for a beginner to 10 days
or longer for a more advanced
trainee. The rest is up to your
genetics. Let’s have Mike weigh
in again on the matter:
“I’m not suggesting that
everyone who buys my books
and/or tries a Heavy Duty, highintensity-training program will
actualize his potential in one
year or less. I’ve learned through
conversations with those who
have read my books that they
don’t always fully understand the
theory’s proper, practical application. With a valid theoretical
approach to training, progress
should be immediate, continuous and worthwhile all the way
to the full actualization of one’s
potential. The actualization of
potential, too, is a genetically
determined trait. So some will
reach their upper limits in a matter of a few months, some within
a year and others over a slightly
longer period.”
Editor’s note: For a complete
presentation of Mike Mentzer’s
Heavy Duty training system,
consult his books Heavy Duty
II, High Intensity Training the
Mike Mentzer Way and the
newest book, The Wisdom of
Mike Mentzer, all of which are
available from Mentzer’s official
Web site, www.MikeMentzer.
com.
John Little is available
for phone consultation on
Mike Mentzer’s Heavy Duty
training system. For rates and
information, contact Joanne
Sharkey at (310) 316-4519 or at
www.MikeMentzer.com, or see
the ad on the opposite page.
Article copyright © 2008, John
Little. All rights reserved. Mike
Mentzer quotations provided
courtesy of Joanne Sharkey and
are used with permission. IM
Muscle “In” Sites
If you find something on the Web that IM readers should know about, send the URL to Eric at bodyfx2@aol.com.
>www.NancyGeorges.com
If you recognize the name Nancy Georges,
it’s because she’s been on the fitness scene for
many years. In fact, Nancy competed in the
inaugural Fitness America Pageant in 1989
after spotting a poster of Cameo Kneuer (sister of none other than former Ms. Olympia
Cory Everson), who was the reigning Ms. National Fitness at the time. “I thought she was
gorgeous, and naturally I wanted to compete
right away. What a great way to mesh my athletic background with my passion for modeling,” says Nancy. In 1991 she was victorious
at both the Ms. Fitness USA and Ms. National
Fitness, making her an industry celebrity. In
great demand, she traveled all over the globe
to give seminars about fitness and inspiring
others to pursue a more healthful lifestyle.
After a long sabbatical from the stage Nancy
returned to fitness competition—as ever consistently presenting one of the best physiques
in the sport—only to find that the routine
round had outgrown her abilities. After several frustrating contest outings she turned to figure competition, which was far more suited to her strengths.
In ’07 Nancy earned her IFBB pro card at the North
American Figure Championships, making yet another
dream become a reality. Says Nancy, “There is nothing
quite like this hobby. Where else can you get all made up
in gorgeous makeup, wear beautifully styled swimsuits,
be tan and have bodyfat in the single digits and make
new friends who have similar interests, all the while
inspiring and educating the newbies on what is possible
when you put your mind and your heart to work for a
goal.” Nancy, who feels more fit and energetic now than
she did when she was 20, plans to compete for years to
come while helping as many people as possible along
the way. Her site offers motivational and educational
CDs, personal training, hypnotherapy, figure coaching,
posing assistance and her special “Stage Might” workshops. She has a beautiful photo gallery and a constantly
updated journal to let her fans know what’s going on in
her life. If you’re a figure or fitness competitor in need
of an awesome Internet presence, Nancy also offers her
services as a Web-site designer—that’s one multitasking
figure beauty! At 5’9” and 145 pounds of sleek, perfectly
proportioned muscle, she’s also one who will be bringing
home many more trophies in the years to come.
Merv
MUSCLE “IN” SITES MUSCLE “IN” SITES MUSCLE ‘IN’ SITES MUSCLE “IN” SITES MUSCLE “IN” SITES MUSCLE ‘IN’ SITES MUSCLE “IN” SITES MUSCLE “IN” SITES MUSCLE ‘IN’ SITES MUSCLE “IN” SITES MUSCLE “IN” SITES MUS
Eric Broser’s
>www.Getbig.com
If you’re a true fan of bodybuilding, fitness
and/or figure competition and every aspect of
the industry that encompasses those sports,
certain Web sites should be at the top of your favorites list. Getbig.com is definitely one of them.
You can spend hours a day on the site and never
see the same thing twice. There are videos, articles, contest results, gossip columns, interviews
and more. Best of all, Getbig.com is always up to
date with the latest happenings, unlike similar
sites, which are often months behind. In addition, the Getbig discussion board is one of the
largest and most heavily trafficked of any on the
Web, with almost 19,000 members and close to
1.5 million posts on thousands of topics. Many
of the IFBB’s elite frequent the Getbig boards,
enabling you to interact with great champions
and industry insiders. Seriously, I could write a book about Getbig; however, it would not only take up too
much space but also cause me to miss my next meal (and that just can’t happen). So do yourself a favor:
Stop by Getbig.com and see why it’s known as the Web’s number-one source of American bodybuilding and
fitness info.
>Book Review: IRONMAN’s Ultimate
Guide to Arm Training
On a recent trip home to New York I made sure
to book a flight on Jet Blue because of the little
TV sets they have on the back of every seat. I
can usually find a decent movie or a few good
sitcoms to help pass the time, as I find flying extremely boring. On that particular flight, however, I
never even put my earphones on. Instead I spent
my time reading IRONMAN’s
Ultimate Guide to Arm Training—half on the flight going
and the other half returning.
Normally, I don’t like reading
on airplanes, but this book
was filled with material that
kept my interest from beginning to end. I even skipped
the little bag of peanuts they
offer, which is usually my
only pleasure while flying
(unless, of course, there is
a pretty gal seated next to
me). For those who are into
building sizable guns, I highly
recommend this book. It’s
filled with unique arm-blasting programs like Compound
Aftershock, One Rep Per Set, Heavy Duty and
more. You’ll also find the routines used by such
greats as Sergio Oliva, Bill Pearl, Larry Scott and
even Arnold himself. My favorite sections of the
book are about EMG studies designed to test
the effectiveness of various biceps and triceps
exercises, the results of which can tell us what
movements are the most effective arm builders. The
tome is stuffed with inspiring
photographs of some of the
world’s best bodybuilders
flexing and posing, as well
as demonstrating every arm
exercise that is discussed. It’s
an excellent read for trainees
of all levels, and especially for
guys and gals looking to get
“an arm up” on the competition. You can get a copy from
Home Gym Warehouse, (800)
447-0008 or www
.Home-Gym.com. Or if you really want to save some bucks,
get it free by subscribing to
IRON MAN. See page 145.
Eric Broser’s
>Net
Results Q&A
The Power/Rep Range/Shock innovator answers your
questions on training and nutrition.
Q. I’m extremely ectomorphic. My goal is to
gain as much bulk as possible, but I don’t want
to get too fat. I weigh about 155 and wish to
get to 185 in the next year. Should I be doing
cardio along with my weight training?
A. The “FD” in FD/FS stands for “fiber damage.”
The training methods that this program employs (eccentric emphasis and stretch under tension) are meant
to cause microtrauma—i.e., damage—in the muscle
fibers, which in turn will cause you to feel quite sore—
sometimes for days on end. It’s the muscle damage
itself, however, that turns on your body’s anabolic machinery through the activation of satellite cells, which
will eventually divide, multiply and fuse with existing
muscle fibers, making them bigger and stronger.
If you were to take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drug such as Advil to decrease muscle soreness, you’d
also decrease your body’s response to training by interfering with the very repair and healing process that
causes muscles to hypertrophy. In other words, take
the pain if you want to gain. Drop that bottle of Advil
and slowly back away. FD/FS training is definitely not
Neveux \ Model: Dave Perry
Neveux \ Model: Greg Smyers
A. I was in a very similar situation when I first
started, although I was even skinnier, if you can believe
that. I weighed a paltry
125 pounds when I first
wrapped my hands around
a barbell. In other words, I
feel your pain.
I’d have to say no, you
shouldn’t do any cardio at
this time. As you’re an ectomorph struggling to add
muscle and bodyweight,
the last thing you want to
do is burn more calories
and increase your already racing metabolism
through cardio. You want
every calorie you eat to
be pointed toward muscle
repair and growth, even if
you store a little bodyfat
along the way.
The best way to avoid
adding too much adipose
tissue while gaining size
is to make sure that you
eat a relatively clean
high-calorie diet. Try to
get the bulk of your calories from steak, eggs, milk,
chicken, fatty fish, protein powders, rice, pasta, potatoes, whole-grain breads, fruits and vegetables. While
the occasional pizza, ice cream and pancakes won’t
hurt you, make foods like that the exception and not
the rule.
Another point about cardio and the ectomorph is
that, in my experience, those with your body type tend
to have more limited recovery ability than most—not
so much in regard to individual muscles as systemic
recovery. That means overtraining is more of a concern than with other body types. Thus cardio on top
of weight training is not a good idea for us naturally
skinny types (at least in the early bulking stages), as too
much exercise will make too great an inroad into our
recovery ability, which will all but bring muscle gains to
a screeching halt.
My advice is to train hard and heavy no more than
four days per week, eat at least six clean, high-calorie
meals per day and sleep seven to nine hours every
night. That’s your simple yet reliable equation for muscle growth.
Q. I just finished my first week of FD/FS
training, and I’ve never experienced such
muscle soreness before. I’m about to start my
second week and want to know if I can use
something like Advil to offset the pain a bit.
for the faint of heart or for those who shy away from
discomfort. It’s a method for those who enjoy pain
while training and look forward to even more in the
days after.
It’s important to follow the nutritional guidelines of
the program closely and to get as much rest and sleep
as possible after each workout. While the fiber damage
serves as the trigger for muscle growth, you must give
your body everything it needs to complete the healing
process from A to Z if you expect maximum results.
IM
Bodybuilding Pharmacology
BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING
by Jerry Brainum
Who Uses
Bodybuilding
Drugs and
Why
If you were to believe reports in the popular media,
you’d think athletes and teenagers were the primary users
of anabolic drugs. The recent publicity about elite athletes’
use of illicit anabolic drugs—by track star Marion Jones and
baseball’s Barry Bonds, for example—underscores the notion that steroid use is rampant in high-end sports. Alarming reports pointing to widespread use of anabolic drugs by
teenagers suggest that steroid use may be endemic in that
population too.
Athletic cheating through the use of drugs is repugnant
to the majority of sports fans. Many initially viewed Barry
Bonds’ Major League home-run record of 73 season hits
with awe, but that view was subsequently tainted by rumors of Bonds’ extensive anabolic drug use. The fact that
such drugs are commonplace in baseball and many other
sports is overlooked by the public and even sportswriters,
who should know better. Some jump to the inane conclusion that without drugs, Bonds would have been just
another mediocre ballplayer. Still, using drugs to attain athletic success is antithetical to the tenets of fair play in sport.
One obvious solution to the dilemma would be to legalize
anabolic drug use in sport, but that’s not likely.
In the case of teenagers, drug use is alarming because
teens are not yet mature either physically or mentally, and
some believe that steroids can have unusually dangerous
effects on the young. Reports of teens committing suicide
after using anabolic steroids have led adults to equate
youthful steroid abuse with the use of hard dugs, such as
cocaine and heroin. Indeed, steroids are often characterized as gateway drugs—that is, they tend to encourage the
use of life-threatening controlled substances.
Lost in all the adverse publicity is the fact that the largest population using anabolic drugs is neither professional
athletes nor teenagers but—according to a survey published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports
Nutrition—white male professionals, average age 29.1
The researchers recruited 1,955 male subjects through
the Internet as well as bodybuilding magazines and mass
Bodybuilding Pharmacology
BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING
by Jerry Brainum
Who Uses
Bodybuilding
Drugs and
Why
If you were to believe reports in the popular media,
you’d think athletes and teenagers were the primary users
of anabolic drugs. The recent publicity about elite athletes’
use of illicit anabolic drugs—by track star Marion Jones and
baseball’s Barry Bonds, for example—underscores the notion that steroid use is rampant in high-end sports. Alarming reports pointing to widespread use of anabolic drugs by
teenagers suggest that steroid use may be endemic in that
population too.
Athletic cheating through the use of drugs is repugnant
to the majority of sports fans. Many initially viewed Barry
Bonds’ Major League home-run record of 73 season hits
with awe, but that view was subsequently tainted by rumors of Bonds’ extensive anabolic drug use. The fact that
such drugs are commonplace in baseball and many other
sports is overlooked by the public and even sportswriters,
who should know better. Some jump to the inane conclusion that without drugs, Bonds would have been just
another mediocre ballplayer. Still, using drugs to attain athletic success is antithetical to the tenets of fair play in sport.
One obvious solution to the dilemma would be to legalize
anabolic drug use in sport, but that’s not likely.
In the case of teenagers, drug use is alarming because
teens are not yet mature either physically or mentally, and
some believe that steroids can have unusually dangerous
effects on the young. Reports of teens committing suicide
after using anabolic steroids have led adults to equate
youthful steroid abuse with the use of hard dugs, such as
cocaine and heroin. Indeed, steroids are often characterized as gateway drugs—that is, they tend to encourage the
use of life-threatening controlled substances.
Lost in all the adverse publicity is the fact that the largest population using anabolic drugs is neither professional
athletes nor teenagers but—according to a survey published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports
Nutrition—white male professionals, average age 29.1
The researchers recruited 1,955 male subjects through
the Internet as well as bodybuilding magazines and mass
mailings. The survey featured 291 questions about patterns
to take steroids to get high, which strikes me as an odd
of drug use, where the drugs were obtained, which drugs
question to have asked. Clearly, anyone who’s read enough
were the most popular and beneficial, side effects, user
about steroids to know which drugs to use also knows they
profiles. Most of those who responded to the survey—as
can’t alter consciousness—unless you include depression
you might not expect—were professional men earning
when steroid use ceases.
above-average incomes. They
Notably absent
were competitive and highly
was a desire to
motivated people. One poscompete in any type
sible weakness of this type of
of contest, includstudy is that more educated
ing bodybuilding.
people, especially those with
Only a minority
Internet experience, are more
expressed interest in
likely to respond. Despite
bodybuilding comthat possible flaw, the study
petition. In fact, the
answers matched previous
majority were not inresponses from other surveys
volved in any sports
and seemed truthful.
activity whatever.
The researchers rated the
A rather surprising
effectiveness of 15 anabolic
finding was that
steroid drugs. The most comnearly 85 percent
monly used were testosterhad never competed
one injections, Dianabol and
in bodybuilding.
Deca-Durabolin. The responWhile most of the
dents rated single and multiyounger responester (such as Sustanon)
dents were highly
testosterones and trenbolone
interested in gaining
as the most effective. Dosages
more muscle mass,
ranged from 200 milligrams
older respondents
to 5,000 milligrams per week,
mentioned a strong
with an average of 500 to
desire for significant
1,000 milligrams weekly. Also The reasons for using anabolic drugs range from more
fat loss, something
popular were thermogenic,
that many past 40
muscle mass and strength to enhanced appearance.
or “fat-burning,” drugs, such
Lower bodyfat and more confidence also made the list. can relate to.
as clenbuterol and thyroid
Nearly all respondrugs. Many also added
dents began using
growth hormone, IGF-1 and
steroids as adults.
insulin. Other drugs were used to offset possible side efMost had used them for an average of 5 1/2 years, rangfects, such as Clomid, Nolvadex and Arimidex, all of which
ing from one to 43 years of cycling steroids. They reported
work to minimize estrogen-related side effects from the
training an average of 11 years, working out four to five
steroid use.
days a week. They also reported eating high-protein diets,
More than half the drugs used by those who participated
half saying that they ate more than six to 10 daily servin the survey used were obtained from Internet sites. Other
ings of high-protein foods. They claimed they avoided
sources included friends or training partners, physicians’
fried foods and limited saturated fat intake, as well as
prescriptions and foreign countries—a pattern typical of
sugar. Slightly more than a quarter said they took in large
drug use by professional bodybuilders and athletes.
amounts of milk. Most admitted that they didn’t get the
As for the reasons for using anabolic drugs, most reminimum of three to five servings of fruits and vegetables
ported wanting increased muscle mass and strength and
daily.
enhanced appearance. Others listed increased confidence
The majority of respondents reportedly used steroids
and bodyfat loss as goals. Nearly all users denied wanting
for six months out of the year, with the longest continuous
The researchers rated the effectiveness of 15 anabolic
steroid drugs. The most commonly used were
testosterone injections, Dianabol and Deca-Durabolin.
Dosages ranged from 200 milligrams to 5,000
milligrams per week, with an average of 500 to 1,000
milligrams weekly. Also popular were thermogenic, or
“fat-burning,” drugs, such as clenbuterol and thyroid
drugs.
BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUI
Jerry Brainum’s
Bodybuilding
Pharmacology
The current focus on pro athletes and teens may
be just plain irrelevant because it ignores the
largest group of drug users—young white male
professionals.
cycle being 12 weeks. Significantly, they obtained nearly
all the drugs needed for their cycles in advance, and each
cycle was thoroughly planned.
While most expressed willingness to seek medical supervision and others obtained blood lab work, the consensus
was that medical professionals were not good sources of
information about anabolic drugs. Respondents felt that
public opinion of steroid dangers was overblown and inaccurate and that opinion was promulgated by medical professionals who could not be trusted.
The authors, who included a lawyer experienced in
steroid-related cases, noted that many of those arrested as
dealers may have been users caught engaging in the common practice of acquiring a stock of drugs in advance of a
cycle. It may have looked like dealing even when that was
not what was going on. Meanwhile, the authors also imply
that the current focus on pro athletes and teens may be just
plain irrelevant because it ignores the largest group of drug
users—young white male professionals.
I’m not buying into some assertions that the survey
makes. One is that most respondents are well-read on
drug use and are careful to avoid health problems and side
For more drug insight, see Bill Starr’s “Life After
’Roids,” beginning on page 298.
effects. A respondent who declares having cycled anabolic
drugs for 43 years could hardly fit in the “healthful” category, nor could the respondent who uses 5,000 milligrams a
week—more than many pro athletes use. Reports of insufficient intake of fruits and vegetables (less than three to five
servings daily) are particularly troubling, since those nutrients offer both health benefits and potential protections
impacts against anabolic drug-related side effects.
In fact, mention of side effects was notably lacking in
the otherwise ostensibly complete survey. You might start
thinking that nearly any anabolic drug use is totally safe, as
long as you use other drugs to counteract side effects and
cycle off now and then. Maybe so, for some, but it’s axiomatic that others will suffer idiosyncratic medical reactions.
Potential side effects are based on time and usage: The
longer you use the drug in a quantity required to produce
desired effects, the greater the risk of incurring adverse
health effects. Another point that should go without saying:
Only the dose determines the poison, meaning that any
drug that is effective can also produce negative and unexpected effects.
No medical professional or scientist can reliably predict
the long-term effects of consistent use of anabolics. Short
cycles of such drugs have largely proved innocuous for
most users, but no one can predict what’s up the line for
those who use them for long periods. Current research says
that nearly all side effects disappear when the drugs are
stopped, but there are always exceptions.
I’ve studied anabolic drug use for decades, and I’m mystified by those who use drug regimens comparable to those
of professional athletes when they have no motivation to
compete in an organized sport. At least you can make sense
of athletic use—maybe not morally but in terms of the
athletic benefits that anabolics confer. Ironically, I’ve interviewed countless professional bodybuilders and other athletes who bemoan their use of anabolic steroids and other
drugs but feel that they’re a necessity for staying competitive. Many have confided that they would love to get off the
drugs and intend to do so pronto when their competition
days are over. Contrary to public belief, they’re not cavalier
about anabolics. They express concerns about their future
health and are fully aware of the attendant risks attendant
of extensive long-term anabolic drug regimes.
Using drugs when you have no intention of competing
does nothing except gratify ego. That’s particularly true
when you consider how much progress you can make
even if you use no drugs. The notion that you can use large
amounts of anabolic drugs risk-free is a gamble.
1 Cohen, J., et al. (2007). A league of their own: Demographics, motivations and patterns of use of 1,955 male
adult non-medical steroid users in the United States. J Int
Soc Sports Nutr. 4:12-17. IM
The
Perfect
Pair
Mike Davila and Jennifer Jo
Clifton, ’07’s Fittest Couple
by David Young
Photography by Steven Elliott Hendrix
M
Contest Photography by Jerry Fredrick
ike Davila and JJ (Jennifer Jo) Clifton created quite a fire when
they stepped onstage
in Pasadena for the ’07 Fittest Couple competition. The stage was filled
with worthy pairs, but the future
firefighter and the hot hairstylist
grabbed attention immediately.
They’d met several months earlier
at the ’06 Europa, where Mike won
the Hot Male Bod Model Search and
JJ won the Hot Female Bod Model
Search. “After the show,” Jennifer
said, “the two of us were being photographed separately by everyone,
but people wanted photos with the
two of us together. Out of nowhere
some girl says, ‘Wow! You two look
great together; ya’ll should date!’
“I believe the two of us thought
that sounded pretty good. I then
invited him to go out with my fam-
ily and friends for beer and pizza
(my favorite cheat meal after a
show). Ever since that evening
we’ve been inseparable.”
They decided to train together
for the IRON MAN FitExpo ’07
Fittest Couple contest—and it
was stressful. As Mike put it:
“We put ourselves through a
very strenuous program, and
that can be very tough on a
relationship. But we did it, and it
brought us closer.”
Let’s find out more about this
perfect pair.
DY: What are your respective ages, heights
and weights?
JJ: I’m 26 years old and
5’3”. In the off-season
my weight is 125 to 130
pounds; for competitions I
lean out to 115 pounds.
MD: I’m 22 years old; I
weigh 185 off-season, 167
for a show. I’m 5’11”.
DY: How long have you
been training?
MD: I’ve been training
since high school because
of football. I got into bodybuilding two years ago.
JJ: I’ve been training seriously for three years.
DY: How did you get
started in bodybuilding
and fitness?
JJ: I began working with
my trainer, Wade Causey,
three years ago, just for fitness and conditioning. Then
one day he said, “JJ, you’d be
a great fitness competitor;
you ought to give it a try.”
I didn’t take him too seriously at first, but the more I
thought about it, the more I
kept thinking, Why not give
it a shot? So I began training
like a bodybuilder for a year
and entered the Europa Super
Show in Arlington, Texas.
That’s where I won the Hot
Bod Model Search.
MD: Two years ago I met
a man named Doug Fagan.
I saw him in my gym all the
time. I started talking to him
about weight training. He
said he saw a lot of potential in me, and he took me
“You need
to figure out
what your
body requires
and how to
accommodate
your workout
and eating
schedule to your
everyday life.”
under his
wing. He helped
me with my training, food
intake and supplements. I was 19 at
the time. He’s a big part of why I am
where I am today.
DY: Bodybuilding involves a
lot of discipline, and discipline
is fueled by motivation. What
keeps you motivated for your
training and diet?
JJ: I like to keep a vision of the
lifestyle as well as the benefits that
I get from training hard—at least
that’s how I stay motivated. The
lifestyle itself is very rewarding. We
both agree that we feel our best
mentally and physically when
we’re on top of our game. Also, I
look at all the other fitness and
figure models and that inspires
me—people like Monica Brant
and Jamie Eason.
MD: JJ definitely keeps
me motivated. She’s one of
the most dedicated people
I’ve ever met. I see how
dedicated she is, and I get
inspired. I also get motivated by some of the top
people and how intensely they train—guys like
Branch Warren, who
lives and trains not too
far from where we live.
DY: What type of
diet do you follow?
MD: My diet on-season goes through several
stages. The first half is the massbuilding stage, where I’m eating
more carbs and lean red meat. Then
midway through I begin to reduce
the carbs. As I move into the last
several weeks, I eat mainly protein.
Oatmeal and green vegetables are
the only carbs I take in. Throughout
the entire process, I eat every two to
three hours.
After a competition, I take a
couple of weeks off and don’t worry
about it as much. The rest of the offseason I continue with my normal
diet—healthful high protein, whole
grains, good carbs and good fats,
with one cheat day a week.
DY: What are your favorite
supplements?
JJ: Our favorite supplement is
Mega Cleanse. It’s a gentle detoxifier
that is taken every day to keep you
cleansed and free of buildup. We
also love Isopure protein, Designer
Supplements Exceed and Super
Charge.
DY: What are your goals regarding bodybuilding and fitness?
MD: I’m training for conditioning
and functional strength right now to
get into the fire department. That’s
my current training focus.
JJ: We’re talking about getting
married and starting a family soon,
so no competitions right now. I’m
helping other girls with their preparations.
DY: How
do you organize
your training week?
MD: We always lift a minimum of
four days a week, with six to seven
days of cardio.
DY: How much cardio do you
do?
JJ: During my building stage I do
30 minutes six days a week. At eight
to 12 weeks out I’m doing 1 1/2
hours a day. My favorite cardio
machine is the stair climber. I keep
my heart rate at about 138 so that I
don’t burn too much muscle.
DY: Describe a typical training program for you, bodypart
by bodypart.
MD: We train together now, so
we do the same workout—but obviously I use heavier weights.
Chest
Dumbbell bench
presses
4 x 15, 10, 8, 7
Incline presses
4 x 15, 10, 8, 7
Floor presses
4 x 12
Superset
Cable flyes
4 x 12
Pushups
4 x 25
Bench presses (light burnout set)
Back
Low-pulley rows
Wide-grip pulldowns
Superset
3 x 12
3 x 12
AD
Pulldowns
Low-pulley rows
3 x 12
3 x 12
Shoulders
Dumbbell presses
Lateral raises
Front raises
High pulls
3 x 12
3 x 12
3 x 12
3 x 12
Biceps
Standing curls
Preacher curls (with
10-second negatives)
Barbell 21 curls
Superset
Hammer curls
Concentration curls
Triceps
Skull crushers
Weighted dips
Rope pushdowns
4 x 12
4 x 12
4 x 21
4 x 12
4 x 12
4 x 12
4 x 8-20
4 x 12
Legs
Squats
1 x 15, 2 x 10, 3 x 8
Lunges
3 x 15
Hack squats
3 x 12
Leg presses
3 x 10
Leg extensions
3 x 10
Leg curls
Seated calf raises
Standing calf raises
3 x 10
3 x 10
3 x 12
4 x 10-12
Abs
Anything and everything
DY: What do you think are the
key elements that lead to success?
MD: The key element is having a
plan and sticking to it. Also knowing your body. Everyone is different,
and one thing does not work for
everyone. You need to figure out
what your body requires and how
to accommodate your workout and
eating schedule to your everyday
life.
Editor’s note: Visit Mike and
JJ at www.myspace.com/miked_
jj_TheDynamicDuo or to contact
them for modeling or contest prep,
send e-mail to m_j_TheDynamicDuo@hotmail.com. IM
LONNIE TEPER’S
New Season Dept.
Bright Future
Stellar lineups at IM Pro and
ASC start off great ’08
Toney
Freeman.
Silvio
Samuel.
Johnnie
Jackson.
Contest photography by Roland Balik, Merv and Keith Berson
By the time you have this edition of the News & Views in your
hands, the 2008 contest season will be ready to rumble. For the
19th year in a row the IRON MAN Pro will lead things off, followed
two weeks later by the 20th edition of the Arnold Schwarzenegeger Classic. Based on early reports, both shows will field
magnificent lineups.
The IM Pro and Los Angeles FitExpo, which are set for February
15 through 17, will feature a change of venue this year; after four
seasons in Pasadena, promoter John Balik and company are
heading to downtown L.A., to the Los Angeles Convention Center,
adjacent to Staples Center and the brandnew Nokia Theater.
Phil
Since the contract deadline for the IM
Heath.
is nearly a month off as I write this, I can’t
tell you exactly who’ll be in, for sure, but it’s
shaping up to be the best lineup in years.
Toney Freeman said a month or so ago
on the MD radio Webcast that he’ll be back
to defend his title. I had a feeling that would
happen after his spectacular success early
in 2007 was negated, somewhat, by his
shocking 14th-place finish at the Mr. O.
I heard that the 6’2”, 285-pounder out of
Atlanta, who has since that interview signed
with AMI, was ill before the O. I didn’t hear
it from him, but it would make sense, as he
was coming off victories at the IM and the
Sac Pro and a third-place landing at the
Arnold Classic.
Was the X Man really under the weather at the Olympia? Was it
just precontest mistakes? Or was he, at 41 years old, just too tired
from the early-season contests to peak again? I think the man is still a
terrific bodybuilder, and his desire to prove just that will get him back
onstage in Los Angeles.
Another question: Will Phil Heath be joining him? Early on “the
Gift” told me he was going to open the year at the IM, which certainly
would make sense. A win here, or at least a very strong showing,
would carry over to Columbus, Ohio, and the Arnold two weeks later.
The 28-year-old from Denver packed on some impressive size in the
off-season; he looked very good at about 265 pounds when I saw
him at the Nationals in November, and a competition weight of around
235, up 10 to 12 pounds from last year’s Arnold (at 5’9”), is certainly
not out of the question.
Heath sat out the past two Olympias to “put on size,” he said. Now
that he’s accomplished that, it’s time for Phil to compete, not watch from
GRAPPLING AT THE ASF
But is this the ultimate
fighting championship?
Pages 254-255
COLUMBUS
SIX-PACK?
Who’s getting
back onstage
at the Arnold?
Pages 254255
’07 NPC IRON
MAN Figure
winners.
his seat. And another Freeman-Heath battle would certainly be a treat.
Of course, a Freeman-Health-Samuel battle would be even better.
The winner of my Pro Bodybuilder of the Year award in 2007, Silvio
Samuel was a highly disputed fourth at the IRON MAN Pro last year,
and after winning the 210-and-under
Gary
division as well as the main event at the
Strydom,
Europa—and finishing a strong seventh
2006.
at the Olympia—Silvio has earned the
right to be considered a precontest
favorite with Toney and Phil. Samuel
competed an amazing eight times last
year and looked terrific in every single
contest, proving that it’s certainly possible to peak more than once—or
twice, or three times—in one season.
And let’s not leave out Johnnie
Jackson, who had one terrific 2007,
winning the Atlantic City Pro and then
earning an impressive ninth-place finish
at the O. Jackson is one of several topflight stars being trained by Milos “the
Mind” Sarcev.
Now, if Gustavo Badell jumps
into the fray, as rumored, things will
definitely get, as Ron Avidan is famous
for saying, “quite interesting.” The Frican’ Rican, a former IM Pro winner, was
fourth at the ’07 Arnold and finished a
very disappointed eighth, one slot behind Silvio, at the O.
Isaac Hinds \ www.LiftStudios.com
Dawn
Kirkham,
Monica
Mark and
Danielle
Edmonds.
BLAST FROM
THE PAST
Can you name
that contest in
one guess?
Page 256
Eddie
Abbew.
Ray
Arde.
Comstock
DeShaun
Grimez.
ALSO LIKELY TO BE BACK ON
THE IM STAGE—Eddie Abbew,
Marcus Haley, David Henry and
Hidetada Yamagishi, who finished
third, fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively, last year, top the list here. Abbew, the
David
best-built nurse in the world, has said
Henry. he’ll be coming in from England again to
compete. Haley’s Comet finished fifth in
Marcus
his first crack at the event, getting the benefit
Haley.
of the show’s new status in 2007 as a top-five
Olympia qualifier.
Henry, second to Lee Priest in 2006,
fell a few slots last year, but don’t let that
fool ya. The guy might have been the most
conditioned athlete onstage at the O, where
he took 10th. Yamagishi ranked among the
most improved pros on the circuit last year
and became the first Japanese bodybuilder
to grace the Olympia stage. Plus, he always
has a huge entourage of fans in the audience,
which adds to the excitement of any show he
flexes in.
Ditto for Troy Alves, who’ll be returning
to the show after sitting out the 2007 edition. The 5’8”, 220-pounder
from Phoenix placed third in ’05 and ’06 and at 41, despite not qualifying
for the Olympia last year, still possesses one of the sport’s classiest physiques. Always include Troy’s name in the battle for a top-five finish.
Two rookies—DeShaun Grimez and “Sting” Ray Arde—have told
me they’ll make their pro debuts in Los Angeles. Grimez won his pro card
by taking the heavyweights and finishing second to Ben White in the
overall balloting at the ’07 USA; Arde won the light-heavyweight crown at
the ’05 Nationals. I think both guys can hold their own on a pro stage.
Gary Strydom said at the Nationals that he’ll be competing in the
show this year. At 48, the 6’1”, 275-pound Strydom has defied the aging
process, and if he does follow through on his promise, he would be making his first appearance at the IM since the initial event back in 1990.
I’m sure I’m missing some others who’ll be there come showtime—locals Will Harris and Omar Deckard and Arizona’s Rusty Jeffers
could be on that list. Harris has a tremendous physique and finished
behind only Silvio Samuel at the Europa. He looked great at the O, despite his out-of-the-top-15 finish. Will can definitely be a thrill in February.
Oh, and the buzz out of New York is that King Kamali could be
jumping in the fray as well. As you know, Kamali adds excitement, on and
off the stage, to any show he competes in.
The IRON MAN NPC Figure competition returns to the festivities, with the overall winner receiving a photo shoot with Michael Neveux, as usual. A new, positive twist to the ladies’
show—no limit on the number of contestants, so the lineup could
be the largest in its eight-year history.
The bodybuilding community suffered a great loss in November when Reg Park succumbed to melanoma at 79. Park will
be honored posthumously with this year’s Lifetime Achievement
Award. See Gene Mozée’s tribute to him on page 168.
For updates on the IRON MAN field (and the entire event), not
to mention the latest “The Experts” video, wherein Isaac Hinds,
Ron Avidan and I once more display our uncanny prognostication talents, log on to www.IronManMagazine.com.
Troy
Alves.
Omar
Deckard.
King
Kamali.
Arnold Classic
FIELD OF DREAMS—Just as the Arnold Sports Festival
weekend keeps getting bigger, the Arnold Classic lineup keeps
getting deeper! The top six from 2007—Victor Martinez, Dexter Jackson, Toney Freeman, Gustavo Badell, Phil Heath and
Silvio Samuel—are scheduled to get on the Veterans Memorial stage in
Columbus again on March 1.
In addition, the Marvelous One, Melvin
Anthony (fifth in the show in 2005 and ’06,
and sixth and fifth, respectively, in the past two
Olympias), and Kai Greene, the winner of my
Most Improved Bodybuilder award for 2007,
are prepping for the Classic. So promoter Jim
Lorimer’s latest lineup will have not only two
great physiques but also the two best posers in
the industry, in some people’s opinions.
The only big names from last season’s Olympia that will be missing in Columbus are Jay
Cutler and the retired Ronnie Coleman.
The addition of Anthony and Greene makes it,
at least on paper, one of the greatest lineups in
the 20-year history of the show. For those who
may not remember, Rich Gaspari took the
initial crown back in 1989, with Robby Robinson in second and Gary
Strydom in third. Lorimer is rounding up as many past champions as
possible to honor at the finals. And who knows what other surprises Jim
and his co-promoter, the Governator, are packaging?
Will
Harris.
Wrestling and fencing at the Arnold
Sports Festival.
Martinez copped his first Arnold win last year by
besting two-time champ Jackson, and the two went
on to finish second and third, respectively, at the
Olympia. Even so, Dexter felt he should have been
rewarded with his third straight ASC crown last year.
He’ll get another chance to prove who really deserves the $130,000 first prize.
Dexter
Jackson.
Gustavo
Badell.
Kai
Greene.
MORE THAN A PRO-BODYBUILDING
SHOW—Last year, in addition to emceeing the
Arnold Classic, I got to host the extremely successful
NPC Arnold, a bodybuilding, fitness and figure event
that was added to the weekend. This season it will
include not only NPC athletes but also IFBB amateur
competitors from Europe, Asia and Canada. And it
will be run over three days rather than two.
“The Arnold Sports Festival is proud to announce
this historic collaboration between Rafael Santonja, president of the IFBB, Jim Manion, presiMelvin
dent of the NPC, and Classic Productions,” said Jim
Anthony.
Lorimer.
Added Santonja, “The IFBB is most pleased to
further our relationship with the Arnold Sports Festival; the inception of this competition will create a premier opportunity for
amateur athletes all around the world.”
Bob Lorimer, co-director of the event with the Fitness Factory’s
Mike Davies, said, “We are thrilled to once again allow top amateur
athletes an opportunity to compete on the legendary Veterans Memorial
stage, where every icon of the sport has competed. This opens our competition to international exposure and broadens the scope of the entire
sports festival.”
The Arnold Sports Festival showcases 12 Olympic sports, attracts
more than 17,000 athletes and features a 650-booth expo. New additions
include the Arnold Cycling Challenge, the USA Powerlifting Championships and a USA Weightlifting world team–qualifying event.
Of course, any discussion of the amazing weekend has to include
the return of the UFC Championships on Saturday night. Last year the
19,000-seat Nationwide Arena sold out in an hour—at an average of
$200 a ticket. The pay-per-view buys were through the roof.
Needless to say, those planning on getting their fannies to Columbus
this year better get their ducats immediately. See ya in Ohio.
Add NPC Contests
UFC at the Arnold.
SOUTHERN BEAUTY—The annual Southern States
Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure event, held July 13
and 14 at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, featured sublime champions and exciting
changes. No surprises there for anyone who’s followed
the prestigious competition’s growth over the years
“We added a novice class to both figure and men’s
bodybuilding so that athletes starting up the NPC ladder
would not be intimidated by those competing in the open
division,” said promoter Peter Potter. The 250 contestants were equally divided among bodybuilding, fitness
and figure and represented 18 states. Some impressive
stats: 11 women in the open fitness competition and 15
in the teen men.
Karate in Columbus.
Manuel Romero, a “definite future pro and a
look-alike to guest poser Victor Martinez,” according to Potter, was a unanimous winner in the men’s bodybuilding. A 6’
232-pounder who’s been training for only four years, he has the goods
Robby
Robinson,
Rich
Gaspari
and Gary
Strydom
at the first
Arnold
Classic.
Victor Martinez
in ’07.
People
GOTTA HAVE HEART DEPT—Last summer I returned to Gold’s Gym,
Pasadena, after an 8 1/2-year hiatus. I saw many familiar people at the facility
(which was previously known as World Gym, Pasadena) but in many instanc256 MARCH 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Photo courtesy of Dave Liberman
OHIO REPORT—On the subject of annual successful shows, the dynamic duo of Todd Pember
and Dave Liberman produced another big one in
October, with 124 of the very best drug-free competitors
from the Midwest (not counting crossovers, which is the
only number that counts) stepping on the Lakewood
(Ohio) Civic Auditorium stage for the Natural Northern
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim
Ohio Championships. A large crowd viewed the event,
Lorimer.
which drew competitors from 13 states. Tommy Robertson Jr. captured the men’s overall crown, with
Maria Bradley winning it all in women’s bodybuilding and Lauren Kryser taking
the figure title.
I met Robertson at the Nationals, where the impressive 5’5”, 165-pounder from
Cincinnati finished third in the welterweights. It was not his first time doing well at a
high-level contest, however: He won his class at the ’99 North Americans and was
third at the ’97 Junior Nationals. I really like Robertson’s physique, and I think the
35-year-old equipment operator has the tools to take his class at this season’s Team
Universe Championships in September. Remember, you heard it here first.
Bradley is a 5’5”, 140-pound personal trainer from Akron, Ohio, who has played
competitive handball in Brazil and Switzerland and who also has plans to flex at the
T.U. this fall. Kryser, who’s only 22, is a 5’3”, 125-pound special-education
instructor from Ravenna, Ohio, who placed fourth in her class at this contest
in 2005 and second at the Big Dust Classic.
Pro star Bill Wilmore guest posed, and IFBB figure pro Chastity
Sloane made a special appearance. Sloan was also promoting her Fitness
Layne Personal Training and Day Spa in Troy, Ohio. You can check it out at
www.FittnessLayne.com.
Congrats to Todd and Dave on the continued success of this show, which
enforces a strict (and expensive) testing protocol. It’s the same test used in
the Olympic Games, and it detects the use of anabolic steroids, diuretics and
clenbuterol within the previous year.
Neveux
to follow in the footsteps of both Martinez and
Dexter Jackson, the ’94 Southern States
champ, Peter said.
Only two times in the 28-year history of
the contest has a fitness or figure competitor
crossed over to bodybuilding and won the overall title there: Tammy Simpson in 1996 and
Stephanie Kessler, the ’06 Team Universe
overall winner and an ’07 Ms. Olympia competitor, in ’03. Now you can add Anastasia Maillard to that list. Entering her first bodybuilding
contest, the 112-pound court officer easily took
her class before scoring the overall win.
“The caliber as well as the quantity was exceptional, as always,” said Ken Taylor, who
flew all the way out from Los Angeles to lead a
star-studded judging panel that featured eight
NPC national judges from four states. The
record book lists 16 former overall Southern
States winners who eventually moved on to the
pro ranks. This year’s class may well carry on
that tradition.
Congrats to all involved.
Ohio winners Robertson, Bradley and
Kryser.
Michael
O’Hearn.
Ryan DeLuca.
THE RETURN OF “AMERICAN GLADIATORS”—It’s no surprise that multitime IRON MAN cover model Michael O’Hearn is one of the featured players
in the latest version of “American Gladiators,” a show that ran on cable TV in the
early-to-mid-1990s. A former high school football standout, premier bodybuilder
and champion powerlifter, O’Hearn starred in the original series and then had a spot
on “Battledome” a few seasons back.
This time around the show will appear on a major network, NBC, running weekly
on Monday nights. It was set to premiere on Sunday, January 6, with Michael in the
role of “Titan.”
Congrats also to Tanji Johnson (“Stealth”), Beth Horn (“Venom”) and Valerie Waugaman (“Siren’), who landed three of the seven positions on the ladies
side of the ledger. Another lass who made the cut is
strength athlete and figure competitor Robin Coleman, whom I met at Gold’s Gym, Northridge, in
October. It’s great exposure for some of the industry’s
A-list players. Doesn’t get any better than prime-time
TV, gang. I’ll be watching.
MOVIN’ ON UP DEPT—The honors keep
coming in for Bodybuilding.com. In December the
online Internet Retailer magazine named the Boise,
John Heart and L.T.
Idaho–based company one of the top 100 Internet
do Heavy Duty.
retail sites in the world. The list was chosen based on
striking and effective site designs, site search functionality, risk taking in new technologies and setting
new trends in the Internet retailing industry.
“We are building something—this is not just based on
making money,” said Ryan DeLuca, CEO of the health
and fitness products e-retailer. “Everything we add to our
site is based on helping visitors stick with their programs
and reach their goals. That will ultimately lead to much
higher revenue, a much more valuable brand based on
emotional connections and more profitability based on
increased customer loyalty.”
On the subject of building, Ryan may have to come up
with some extra room in his garage since wife Bryna presented him with a brand-new custom Bodybuilding.com
chopper, built by the famous Orange County Choppers, at
a surprise 30th-birthday bash thrown for Ryan at the Big
Easy in Boise.
Speaking of growth, their support for the bodybuilding
industry remains stronger than ever—Bodybuilding.com
and promoter Jon Lindsay recently agreed to a multiSouthern States champs (from left): Tom Toy, Manuel Romero, Anastasia
year deal, in which the company will be the title sponsor for
Mallard, Gabriel Figueras, Christina Morales and Seine Silva.
Lindsay’s annual USA megabash. IM
Ian Ware \ IAJE Photography
Neveux
Neveux
es I knew the face, not the person. That was the situation with John Heart, one of
the club’s most successful personal trainers.
I recognized him as “Payne” on “Battledome,” although some remember Heart
as the winner of the tall class at the ’01 Natural Mr. Universe. Formerly known as
John Sperandeo, the 6’1” 210-pounder was born and raised in New York and
came out to Cali in the ’90s.
In watching Heart work with clients, I could see he follows the Heavy Duty ideology of the late Mike Mentzer. As it turned out, John worked with Mentzer in the
early 1990s. He started his personal-training business 15 years ago using Mike’s
principles. They must work—the 43-year-old remains in terrific shape year-round.
The personable Heart was more excited than usual on a particular day in midOctober. No, he didn’t beat me in a posedown. His wife, Zalika, had just announced the good news that the couple’s third child was on the way.
To find out more about John, check out his Web site, www.IntenseHeart.com,
where you can download new high-intensity-training programs.
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.
Retrospective
A 19th-Birthday Photo Celebration
It’s hard to believe that 2008 is the IRON MAN Pro’s
19th year. The pro-season opener has been won by many
superstar bodybuilders—established big names as well as
those on the verge of breaking out—with a list of champs
that includes Shawn Ray,
2006
Flex Wheeler and Jay Cutler.
We’ve had a smorgasbord of
major muscle every year, and
this time will be no different.
To whet your appetite for the
fabulous physique athletes
who will be onstage at the
Los Angeles Convention
Center on February 16,
here’s a look back at all the
past winners.
1990
—the Editors
2003
1999
Toney Freeman
2007 IRON MAN PRO
CHAMPION
IRON MAN PRO
Retrospective
Lee Priest
2006 IRON MAN PRO
CHAMPION
IRON MAN PRO
Retrospective
Gustavo Badell
2005 IRON MAN PRO
CHAMPION
Dexter Jackson
2004 IRON MAN PRO
CHAMPION
IRON MAN PRO
Retrospective
Jay Cutler
2003 IRON MAN PRO
CHAMPION
Chris Cormier
1999, 2000, ’01, ’02
IRON MAN PRO CHAMPION
IRON MAN PRO
Retrospective
Flex Wheeler
1993, ’95, ’96, ’97, ’98
Vince Taylor
1992 IRON MAN PRO
CHAMPION
IRON MAN PRO
Retrospective
J.J. Marsh
1991 IRON MAN PRO
CHAMPION
IRON MAN PRO
Retrospective
Shawn Ray
(The first winner)
1990
RUTH SILVERMAN’S
About March:
•
•
•
•
’07 Pro Highlights
Doings
Columbus Bound
Pump-Pourri
BIG WINNERS OF 2007
Photography by John Balik, Ruth Silverman, Roland Balik and Merv
FITNESS ’OLA
Adela Garcia
claimed her
third Olympia
crown—second
in a row—and
announced that
she’d take the
early season off
in ’08, skipping
the Fitness International for the
first time since
she turned pro.
In eight straight
appearances at
the Columbus,
Ohio, megaevent
the chica suprema earned eight
top-five finishes,
five of them in
the top three,
with two wins.
SISTER ACT Iris Kyle and Dayana Cadeau ended the year
exactly where they started—one and two. Iris was the
only athlete to win at the Arnold and the Olympia.
SEASON IN A NUTSHELL New pro Heather Policky (left) muscled into
the top three at the Ms. International, but by year’s close, Dayana,
Iris and Yaxeni Oriquen had retained their lock on the sport.
PROMINENT FIGURE FIGURES
TIME TO GET
SERIOUS
Mary Lado
took her
second International
crown and
then crashed
at the O.
She passed
on defending her title
in February
in order to
regroup.
FAIRY TALES (CAN COME TRUE) Jenny Lynn got the guy
and won the Figure O—again. And it was the same guy,
Blair Mone.
H E I R E S S E S A P PA R E N T
1) Jen Gates went
from flavor of the
month to fourth at
the Figure O.
2) Second at the
’07 International,
Amanda Savell was
poised to move up at
the O, and she did,
to fifth—not quite
as high as some
thought she’d go.
Her exclusion from
the ’08 Figure I invite
list had folks scratching their heads.
3
1
3) Sonia Adcock,
the flavor of several
months during the
early season, strolled
past both of them to
finish third at the O.
4) Meanwhile,
Gina Aliottl kept a
careful eye on the
competition and left
them in her Olympia
dust, taking second
to Jenny Lynn.
4
2
PRETTY POSER
Is fear of strutting
keeping you
from getting the
most out of your
quarter turns?
Let Nancy show
you how to find
your inner model.
Veteran physique
star and new
IFBB pro Nancy
Georges conducts
her popular Stage
Might figureposing workshops
in Pasadena,
California, on
February 24,
April 13 and July
13. Get the
details (including
hotel info) at
www.Nancy
Georges.net.
Ron Avidan
DOINGS
CONSOLATION
PRIZE Jamie Reed
didn’t get her pro
card last season,
but the 5’8” structural engineer
from New York
did cop a prize
that was sought
by many in the
industry: a spot on
NBC’s new “American Gladiators.”
A summa cum
laude graduate of
Cornell University,
Reed earned Ivy
League honors in
softball and the
pole vault, skills
that should serve
her well (along
with scrounging
for dressing space
backstage at the
USA) when she
unleashes her
powers as “Fury.”
For more on the
latest incarnation
of TV’s ultimate
game show, see
News & Views on
page 252.
INNER AND OUTER BEAUTY In August, radio
hosts Nancy Di Nino (left) and Dr. Z. Catherine
Navarro (right) presented their first Living
Beautiful Award to Julie Palmer. Jules earned
the beautiful plaque—and a $1,000 check that
came courtesy of the Vein Centre of the Palm
Beaches—“through her multifaced roles as a
professional athlete, trainer, girlfriend, business associate and registered nurse.” Find
more news about LBR on page 288.
Photo courtesy of Nancy Di Nino
THEY’RE BA-A-ACK Adela Garcia, Jenny
Lynn and Susie Curry save the world from
futuristic monsters—in color. Available
for $3.99 from DigitalWebbing.com. DW
says: “Fitness models in spandex!” I say:
What’s wrong with that?
DOES SCOTTY REALLY HAVE ABS OF STEEL
YEAR-ROUND? The truth may be found on Scott
and Monica Brant-Peckham’s reality DVD series,
but I’m not promising anything. For info or to
subscribe, go to FitnessandFigureReality.com.
MISS VICKIE’S SHOW
What: First Annual
Vickie Gates Classic
When: May 3, 2008
Where: Dallas Black
Academy of Arts
Divisions: Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure
Also: A portion of
the proceeds will go
to several Dallas-area
nonprofit organizations.
For info: Call
(817) 9995757, or send
e-mail to
OndreaGates@
sbcglobal.net.
COLUMBUS BOUN
NOT
LOOKING
BACK
Having
licked her
Olympia
wounds,
Kim Klein
will defend her
Fitness
International
title.
New Faces at
the Arnold
BIGGEST (PLEASANT) SURPRISE OF THE SEASON: AMY FRY At least for
this reporter—and only because she got her pro card by taking second
in her class. (Those gals have a greater challenge in the pros—admit it.)
From the moment she hit the stage in Pittsburgh, however, Fry found
what she’d been missing, and she ended the year in eighth at the O.
TOUCHDOWN Julie Lohre improved
more than just her football skills in
2007.
M O R E I N T E R N AT I O N A L N E W B I E S
Look for these outstanding athletes
onstage in Columbus on February 29:
2
1) ’07 NPC USA Figure champ Catherine Anderson.
2) ’07 Team Universe Bodybuilding
champion Tracy Beckham.
3) Sizzling South American figure
pro Juliana Malacarne.
For crackling commentary on all
things women’s bodybuilding,
fitness and figure, read my
Pump & Circumstance blog at
3
1
Milamar
Sarcev
shows the
rookies
how it’s
done at
the Cal Pro
Figure.
PUMP-POURRI—PRO-SEASON ROUNDUP
Janet KearnsKoehler pumps
up some
beautiful figure
muscle at the
Pittsburgh Pro.
Left: Heidi Fletcher’s rollercoaster year ended with fourth
place in West Palm Beach.
Below: Mary Jo Cooke scored
five runner-up finishes in 2007.
That’s gotta be some kind of
a record
Welcome aboard. Jen Hendershott
greets newcomer Amy Villa Nelson
at the Fitness International.
Roland Balik
Photography by Ruth Silverman
Toughest interview of all time. Watch Steve
teach me how to accentuate the positive—in
the Olympia videos at IronManMagazine.com.
Hot rocks. Åsa Lötbom was
the most blingalicous babe
at the Olympia. The two-time
Swedish Middleweight champ
is a jewelry designer who does
amazing things with Swarovski
crystals.
Congratulations! Fresno’s
Farinaz Tavakoli, D.C., partied
at the O and then won the
figure overall at the NPC San
Francisco a week later. Nice
chatting with you, Doc.
Costumer Cynthia James takes the pins out
of her mouth long enough to pose with her
creations—and the ladies who wore them so
well, Amy Haddad and Tracey Greenwood.
Colorful. Briana Tindall and
Kristi Tauti make a pretty backstage pair.
Pauline
Nordine
presents
arms at the
Soldiers
and Sailors
Memorial
Hall in
Pittsburgh.
SPEAKING OF LIVING
BEAUTIFUL RADIO Catch me
on Nancy Di Nino and Dr. Z.
Catherine Navarro‘s radiofest
for women on February 7 at
11 a.m. EST and downloadable
forever at www.LivingBeautiful
Radio.com (with a broadcast
from WWNN 1470 AM
Radio Palm Beach Florida on
February 11 at 6 p.m. EST).
The topic: Handicapping
the Ms., Fitness and Figure
International competitions. I’m
so looking forward to it.
You can contact Ruth Silverman, fitness, figure and women’s bodybuilding reporter and Pump & Circumstance scribe, in
care of IRON MAN, 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033; or via e-mail at ironwman@aol.com.
IRON MAN Hardbody
’07 Ms. Bikini
Universe
Marzia Prince Has One Out-of-This-World Physique
Compiled by Jonathan Lawson • Photography by Michael Neveux
Hair & Makeup by Alex Almond
IRON MAN Hardbody
IRON MAN Hardbody
IRON MAN Hardbody
IRON MAN Hardbody
IRON MAN Hardbody
Height: 5’9”
Age: 33
Weight: 135
Current residence: Dallas,
Texas
Occupation: Fitness specialist,
model and athlete
Marital status: Married
Factoids: “I’m the ’07 Ms. Bikini
Universe, a Gaspari Nutrition
spokesmodel, and I’ve been a
fitness trainer for six years. I
got started in the fitness world
through sports in high school. I
ran track and played volleyball,
but it wasn’t until I was in nursing school that I hired a fitness
trainer. I was addicted from day
one, so I quit nursing school
after three years and became a
trainer myself. I absolutely love it
and have no regrets.”
Future plans: “Besides running my own personal-training
business and shooting for fitness
magazines, I’m doing a reality
series on Bodybuilding
.com. I show viewers what it’s
like in my world, and I’ll be
doing a client transformation
there as well. I get a lot of fan
e-mail from women, and I hope
that my fans get some of their
questions answered by watching
the series. I’d like to have my own
show one day, so this is going to
be great practice!”
Web site:
www.MarziaPrince.com or
www.MarziaFitness.com.
For bookings contact
MarziaPrince@aol.com.
IRON MAN Hardbody
IRON MAN Hardbody
LIFE AFTER
The Return of Uncle Buddy
by Bill Starr
I was enjoying bluegrass music out of Marion, Virginia, late one Friday night,
when Uncle Buddy knocked on my door. He brought in a 30-pack of Miller
and a sword from Scotland, where he’d been for the past month, entertaining
one of his many lady friends. This time it was Heidi, an American Airlines flight
attendant. I’d met her on a previous visit, and she was a knockout, a slightly
older version of Torrie Wilson.
Uncle Buddy was a merchant seaman with an unusual lifestyle. He’d sign on
a ship and never take any time off for six or seven straight months. When he’d
accumulated enough money, he’d hook up with one of his ladies and travel to
some very desirable location, such as Italy, France, Greece or the British Isles.
When his money ran out, he’d go back to work. There was always a place for
a worthy seaman, he told me. On nearly every furlough he’d come to visit me.
He had other relatives but never bothered with them. We had common interests
in music, athletics and politics and so got along very well.
We were also both consistent about our training, which was perhaps the
main reason he’d drop by. I always provided him with a place to train. Uncle
Buddy was extremely generous, but he hated to pay to work out. He’d go to
great lengths to avoid laying out
even five bucks to lift. So I always
managed to have a guest pass for
him or take him to someone’s home
gym. It was a fair deal for me, since
he paid for everything else when he
stayed with me.
We stayed up till four a.m. talking
and slept past noon. Then I fixed a
huge ham-and-cheese omelet, and
we lounged around watching beach
volleyball and baseball. Saturday is
my slug day, and Uncle Buddy said
he was taking a day off as well, so
we didn’t have to plan around any
training.
That evening, after crab cakes at
Grumpy’s, I drove him over to Ripken Stadium, where the Aberdeen
IronBirds were playing the Oneonta
Tigers from upstate New York. The
real reason for going to the stadium
wasn’t to watch the game as much
as to see whether Cal was in attendance. He’d recently been inducted
into the Baseball Hall of Fame, and
Uncle Buddy wanted to get him to
autograph a baseball for the son of a
lady friend.
The place was packed, and all
we could get were standing-roomonly tickets. That was fine with us
because we both preferred
to stand rather than squeeze into
an uncomfortable seat. After Buddy
bought a baseball from the shop
inside the stadium, we found a
spot with a nice breeze and leaned
against a support beam. While keeping a lookout for any stray
foul balls, we
chatted
and scanned
the crowd in
hopes of spotting
Cal.
We’d been there for
only about 15 minutes when
I saw Ken walking toward us, grinning like a Cheshire cat. “Well,” he
blurted, “if it ain’t the hermit and
his famous uncle. Good to see you
guys.” Uncle Buddy and I shook his
hand.
We’d trained with Ken on several
occasions when Fielder’s Shed was
the place for heavy lifting in the
county. It’s since been replaced by
a three-car garage. Ken owns and
operates a highly successful surveying business and was one of the best
athletes to come out of North Harford High School. He was
all-conference at Gettysburg College and went
on to play three years
of Arena football before
becoming a powerlifter. At one time he was
ranked in the top 10
in his weight division,
the 220-pound class.
I hadn’t seen him
for a long time and
was stunned at his
appearance. He’d
gone from being a
stout athlete to a
slumping, overweight shell of
his former self. I
didn’t comment
because I figured he’d been
sick, but Uncle
Buddy didn’t
hold back.
“What the hell
happened
to you?” he
asked in his
typical blunt fashion.
“It’s sort of a long story,” Ken
muttered.
“We’re just watching a game. We
got time. You been sick?” Buddy
said.
“Guess you might say that. Okay,
I’ve been wanting to come down
and talk to Bill anyway about this
whole deal. I’ve tried calling but
only get your fax. Truth is, I’m at a
loss for what to do right now. I know
I need to do something, but I’m not
sure how to go about it.”
“Why’d you stop training?” I inquired.
“I’ll start at the beginning of
the ordeal, in 2003. I was training
for the Nationals to be held out
in Columbus, which is a lot closer
than it usually is, so I wouldn’t have
to take much time off from work.
My lifts were all moving up nicely,
and I was getting psyched. If I kept
improving, I had a shot at placing.
Then I started getting these headaches—migraines—and I seldom
got headaches. I figured it was from
working out in the sun for so long.
We’d been really busy with all the
new buildings going up. I remember Bill telling me to take lots of the
water-soluble vitamins and minerals in hot weather. It helped some,
but I still got those splitting headaches a couple times a week. I didn’t
say anything to Helen, but they were
wearing me down.
“Then, during one heavy workout
I got nosebleed when I did my heavy
set of squats. I didn’t think it was a
big problem, only some weak tissue,
and I was putting out 100 percent
on that squat and didn’t plan on
telling Helen. But damn if she didn’t
spot the bloody towel in my gym
bag, and that’s when the shit hit the
fan. She’s never liked the idea that I
took steroids and insisted that I go
to our family doctor to get checked
out. She even tagged along just to
make sure I didn’t skip the appointment.”
“Bad news?” Uncle Buddy asked.
“From the get-go. First thing he
did was check my blood pressure,
and he nearly dropped his stethoscope. It was off the charts, 190 over
130.”
“Good grief,” Uncle Buddy said,
and I whistled.
“He didn’t tell me what it meant
exactly, except to say I was lucky
that I didn’t have a stroke. Either of
you know?”
“That’s more my nephew’s territory,” Uncle Buddy said.
“The first number in the blood
pressure reading,” I said, “measures
systolic pressure, the force exerted
against the walls of the arteries
when the heart beats and pushes
blood out into them. The second
figure is your diastolic pressure, the
force exerted when your heart rests
between beats. Both are way too
high, but that diastolic is the scary
one. And he told you it was due to
taking steroids?”
“Well,” said Ken, “I hadn’t mentioned them yet. I was hoping it
might be some kind of virus or flu
bug. But when he asked me to tell
him all the medication I was taking, I told him about the ’roids. He
wasn’t happy because he knew I
didn’t get them from him. But even
then, I wasn’t positive they were the
source of my problems. I’d always
heard that injectables were safe. It’s
the oral kind that cause trouble.”
“Not completely true,” I answered. “The injectables are usually
safer than orals, but they’re not safesafe. While the orals put more stress
on your liver than the injectables
because they pass through your
liver twice and the injectables only
once, how they affect you depends
on lots of other factors: age, diet,
how many other foods you eat that
place undue demands on your liver.
Then there’s always the matter of
individual differences.”
“He took some blood for a liver
function test and gave me some
medicine to help lower my blood
pressure and in no uncertain terms
told me not to take any more ’roids.
He put a rush on the liver function
test and called me two days later.
He wanted to put me in the hospital
because my liver was in such bad
shape, but I refused. I was way too
busy to be lying around in a hospital
bed and I felt okay. The headaches
had stopped. I agreed to do whatever he told me, but no hospital.”
“How much and what were you
taking?” Uncle Buddy wanted to
know.
“Lately just Deca-Durabolin,”
Ken said. “I’d start with one cc a
week and slowly increase the dosage
over a two-month period. When the
headaches started, I was up to three
ccs twice a week.”
“Damn!” Uncle Buddy grunted.
“You were a human pincushion.”
Ken laughed. “You can say that
again. My ass was always sore.”
“That’s when you quit training?”
I asked.
“No,” he said. “I stuck with it. I
knew I wasn’t going to be nearly
as strong as I was and had to forget about the Nationals, but I still
wanted to stay in decent shape
and maintain a respectable level of
strength.
“For about a month everything
was okay. My lifts dropped but not
too much. Then I started losing
weight. I chugged down protein
shakes and ate throughout the day
to keep it up. All of a sudden, my
appetite went south, and my energy
level dropped to zero. I couldn’t
make it through a complete workout
without having to lie down between
sets. Even when I cut my program
way back, I still couldn’t do a full
workout. It was really discouraging.
“When I went back to the doctor
for a follow-up, he ran more tests.
My liver was much better because
I’d also eliminated alcohol and anything else that made it work harder.
My blood pressure had dropped to
160 over 110—not good but getting
there. I asked him why I was losing
weight and strength so fast, and he
told me it was because my testosterone level was way below normal.
He said the glands that produce
testosterone had almost shut down
because of the ’roids. I’d never heard
anything about that before. You?”
“Sure,” I said. “Lots of times when
high dosages are used. The ’roids
are basically just synthetic forms of
the male hormone. When you overload your system with any kind of
steroid, your body stops producing
testosterone. It’s kind of a defense
mechanism to prevent you from
overwhelming your liver, kidneys
and other organs. Your body is
You Can Get
always trying to maintain equilibrium. In your case your hypothalamus—which controls the nervous
and endocrine systems—sent signals to your testicles that there was
plenty of testosterone available and
to stop making it. When they shut
down for a long time, as often happens when someone never takes a
layoff from using ’roids, the glands
cease to function. The good news is
they’ll recover, but it may take some
time.
“You said this was in 2003. I bet
you’re producing testosterone at the
same level as you used to before the
’roids. Have you had it tested?”
“No. No reason to when I quit
lifting.”
“So what prompted you to quit
altogether,” I asked.
“Well, I started getting injured,”
Ken replied. “First came my lower
back, then my right knee, then my
right shoulder. I decided to give my
body a rest to let everything heal.
We’d just started in on surveying
Bulle Rock and putting in really long
hours, so it seemed like the right
time for a break.”
“And you never started back,” said
Uncle Buddy.
He nodded. “Yeah. For one thing,
I was embarrassed to go to the gym
and let my old buddies see how
weak I was. Then I started to pack
on weight, and not the good kind.
It wasn’t long before I became a
Steroids are
basically synthetic
forms of the male
hormone. When
you use them, your
body shuts down
its own production
of testosterone.
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slob and sure as hell didn’t
want my old training buddies to see me like this. But I
made up my mind a few days
ago that I’m going to make
some changes. Thing is, I’m
not sure how to go about it.
That’s why I wanted to talk
to you guys. Bill, I know you
used ’roids at York when
you lifted for them, so you
must have gone through the
transition when you stopped
taking them,”
“I did, and so did everyone
else. It was easier for some
than others, and a few kept
right on using until some
health issues forced them to
stop. I can’t say it was easy
for me because I relished
being strong, but soon after
I stopped competing, I got
into strength coaching and
couldn’t justify telling my
athletes that they had to
stay clean while I was taking
It’s the process, the
steroids. But then I rememjourney, more than
bered why I got interested
the destination,
in lifting in the first place
that’s of value.
back in my teens. I wanted to
look good, be fit and healthy.
Once you’re able to alter your
mind-set from being super
strong to being extremely
healthy, the rest comes naturally.”
stop using ’roids for about the same
“You might think you got a bad
reason you did. He took up running
break when those headaches and
with the goal of eventually running
nosebleeds came along,” Uncle
in the Boston Marathon. It took him
Buddy said, “but I have to believe
six years, but he did it.”
you were lucky they happened.
“I doubt if I’ll start running,” Ken
Sounds like you were a walking
said, “but I hadn’t considered Olymtime bomb, a heartbeat away from a
pic lifting. I always wanted to give
stroke or heart attack. You only got a that a try.”
slap on the wrist, health-wise. You’re
I thought about my friend Jack
young, what? Thirty-two?”
King and related his story. He did
“Thirty-four.”
end up in a hospital because of
“So you got a lot of living ahead of steroids and nearly died. After he
you. It’ll help if you have something
got out, he found that the Olympic
to shoot for.”
lifts were too hard on his weakened
“Like what?”
body, and he became a competitive
“When we trained together at
bodybuilder. Over the years he won
the shed one time, you were doing
every physique title in the South,
power snatches and seemed really
including the Master’s Mr. America.
smooth. How about Olympic lift“Uncle Buddy’s right,” I said.
ing? All those guys are clean, so you
“Having a goal helps, and the goal
wouldn’t be at a disadvantage the
can change regularly. Equally imway you would in powerlifting. Alportant is to give yourself time to get
though I was looking at Powerlifting
back into shape. Figure on a year.”
USA this afternoon and saw results
I saw his mouth drop open, so I
for natural contests. I had a good
continued: “I know, a year sounds
friend from Colorado who had to
like a long time when you’re in your
30s, but it isn’t. If you obtain your
goal of getting completely back in
shape before that, well and good.
If it takes a bit longer than a year,
that’s all right too. It’s the process,
the journey, more than the destination, that’s of value.”
Ken sighed. “I guess you’re right.
No sense trying to get in a hurry if
I’m planning on training the rest
of my life. But I sure don’t look
forward to starting from scratch,
especially if any of my old buddies
are around.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that,” I
said. “There are a lot of new gyms
in the area, and you could pick
one where no one there knows
you. There’s even a 24-hour facility
in town that would let you train
when you pleased or when it’s
almost empty.”
Uncle Buddy spoke up. “Or you
could train at home. Buy some
used equipment from the classified ads and build your own gym.
You save on gym memberships,
and it’ll give you flexibility as to
when you train.”
“I know you’re right,” Ken said.
“It could have been a whole lot
worse. I like that idea of putting
together my own gym. Then Helen
could use it too, and when Luke
gets old enough, I could start him
on a program. Now, how should I
proceed?”
“Slowly,” I answered. “Start with
the basics: one primary exercise for
your upper body, back and legs. For
the first week just do three sets; then
slowly work up to five or six sets for
five reps. You can stay with the same
basic exercises at every workout
or switch them around if you want
variety.”
“Such as? Give me some examples.” He was scribbling on the back
of the game program.
“Okay, you may decide to only
do benches, squats and deadlifts
for a while. Or alternate benches
with inclines and overhead presses
for your upper body; deadlifts,
power snatches or power cleans and
shrugs for your back; and lunges
and front and back squats for your
legs.”
Ken nodded that he understood,
so I went on. “After two or three
weeks, or when you feel you’re recovering from the workouts, add a
couple of auxiliary exercises for the
smaller muscles: biceps, triceps,
deltoids and calves.”
“How often should I train?”
“Three days a week at first. When
you think you’re ready to handle a
heavier workload, add another light
day. Be sure to use the heavy, light
and medium concept that you used
when you were powerlifting. One of
the hardest things you’re going to
have to deal with is forgetting about
what you did before, ‘Ole Man Usta
died,’ my mother would often say,
and it applies to anyone getting
back into a strength program. Start
with a clean slate. That’s the difficult
part, but on the flip side you have
advantages over a rank beginner.
You have muscle memory and understand how your body works and
what you can and cannot do. You’ve
already beaten the numbers you’ll
be working through. That’s a huge
plus. The danger is that you’ll try to
get back in prime shape too quickly.
I’m guessing
that you stopped taking supplements once you quit training.”
“That’s right. Didn’t think I needed them.”
“Well, start back. They’ll help you
train with more intensity and recover faster. Recovery is the key. You
also need to start paying attention
to your diet and make sure you get
the rest you need. I doubt if you’ll
like this, but also start doing some
cardio on your nonlifting days.”
He grimaced. “I hate the idea of
running.”
“I didn’t say running. Pick any
aerobic activity that suits you. Walking is fine. So is swimming, biking
or using a treadmill or any other
machine. Remember what you’re
trying to accomplish with your
program this time around—longterm health and fitness, not just
pure strength. The cardio will help
you get rid of the unwanted pounds
you’re lugging around, reduce your
risk of heart disease and elevate
your HDLs—the good kind of cholesterol that
Remember
what you’re
trying to
accomplish
with your
program
this time
around—longterm health
and fitness,
not just pure
strength.
carries harmful fats out of your
system. Ease into whatever activity you choose: 20 minutes at first,
then slowly increasing to 45 minutes
to an hour. That’s something else
Helen could do with you, and you
can walk anywhere.”
“Speaking of Helen,” Ken said, “I’d
better get back. I only came down to
buy a baseball for Cal to sign.”
“Cal’s here!” Uncle Buddy barked.
“Yeah, upstairs. The whole family’s here. Helen was talking to Cal’s
wife, Kelly, so she won’t mind that I
abandoned her. I’d take you up, but
you can’t get in the elevator unless
you have tickets.”
“Could you get Cal to sign this
ball? To Brian?”
“Sure thing. Least I could do. Be
right back.”
“That was a stroke of luck,” I said.
“Who’s Brian?”
“He’s Elizabeth’s son. They live in
Carmel. I plan on stopping by on
my way to San Francisco next week.
That’s my next port of departure.”
True to his word, Ken was back
with the signed ball quickly.
Uncle Buddy thanked him, and
Ken said, “No, thank you two. I
feel like a heavy weight’s been
lifted off my shoulders just
knowing that I’m about to start
training again. I didn’t realize
how much I missed it until I
talked to you two. Any way I can
get in touch with you?” he asked
me.
“I’ll be here for the kids’ world
series in a few weeks.”
“That’ll work. See you then,
and thanks again.” Ken waved
and hurried off toward the elevator.
“What say we head back to
your air-conditioned apartment,”
Uncle Buddy said, “and knock
down some very cold Miller? I’ve
had enough baseball for one day.”
“Excellent idea.”
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—Strength
Training for Football, which is
available for $20 plus shipping
from Home Gym Warehouse. Call
(800) 447-0008, or visit www.HomeGym.com. IM
MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/WB
MIND/BODY
Mind/Body
BOMBER BLAST
Another Day of Scheming
And daydreaming
T
his month I’m compelled to dash off a sally of littleknown weight-gain proposals (low-tech facts, free-form
ideas, unstructured notions and educated guesses) that
work for most people. They’ve worked for me for more than
50 years.
Eat better, train harder, be tougher, think surer, and rest,
well, morer.
Of course, there’s always the slightly expanded version:
1) Late flash! Gaining lean muscle weight is a slow process.
Lots of good food, hard training, guts and persistence
required. You mustn’t pursue weight gain randomly or surrender to the tediousness of the process. Backward steps
are too hard to recover. Never give up.
2) Seeking lean muscle only is a frustrating mission, as
few—I’ve known three or four—are blessed with the superior metabolism and genetic blueprint to succeed readily.
Waiting for lean muscle to grow, meanwhile, is like watching
a pot of water—it never boils.
3) Though lean mass is the desired goal, gaining muscle
mass, or bulk, a solid composition of muscle and essential
adipose tissue, is the more common achievement of sizeconscious muscle builders.
4) Well-distributed bulk is appealing, useful and rewarding for most lifters with long-term goals and a tolerance for
temporary bodybuilding smoothness. Proper bulk provides
strength and energy to overload the muscles during a
workout and plenty of tissue-building resources for muscle
development.
5) Guess what? The lifter must eat
more and better meals—a balance
of complete protein, nutrient-dense
carbs and non-greasy-fat meals.
Eat smaller portions more frequently
throughout the day without failure
for better nutrient absorption, more
consistent tissue building and less
system overload. Break out the
Tupperware, and embrace the routine of preparing meals for the road.
Missed meals are backward steps.
6) Drink lots of water. I repeat—
water, water and water. No soda
pop. Soda is a crime, water divine.
While on the subject, no junk, no
garbage, no kidding.
7) Most serious muscle builders drink milk, eat dairy and eggs
and include red meat in their diet.
There’s more: A quality protein powder as a dietary supplement and
meal fortifier is a most effective and
convenient weight-gain tool.
8) Remember: Fresh fruit and
salads are invaluable for weight
gain, health and system vitality.
9) Drugs and chemical enhancers are out of the picture.
They work hastily to supply greedy needs, but so do petty
theft and grand larceny. Getting something for nothing is for
nobody and no one. Once you open the outhouse door, it’s
tough to shut. Stinky too.
10) Workout sessions, along with meal regularity, take
center stage. Know yourself, know your training, and persistently bomb it without overtraining and without failing.
Common sense, instinct, practice, trial and error, observation and time teach and guide. Missed workouts are backward steps.
Limit your aerobics schedule to three 15-minute blasts a
week and think training intensity. An acquaintance of mine
doesn’t do any aerobic activity, convinced it interferes with
his mass gains and muscle retention. He adds the conserved time and energy to his regimen of intense weight
training, believing his thus-amped training is sufficient for
cardiovascular health.
11) Rest and relaxation are as important as drive and vitality to developing lean muscle. Sleep well, rest and de-stress
regularly, and meditate on building a strong body and mind
and soul when musing.
12) Remember the words of one of the greatest lifters in
the world, Sir Winston Churchill, “Never give in. Never give
in. Never, never, never, never.”
The secrets are revealed, the buried treasures uncovered,
the gems of truth fixed in settings of gold. Light replaces darkness.
Peculiar thing about muscle-building secrets: There aren’t
any.
When you’re a bomber, nothing is new. The only thing
remaining is hard work, love, hope and faith.
Throttle forward, steady as she goes, soar...
—Dave Draper
Editor’s note: For more from
Dave Draper, visit www.Dave
Draper.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.
Problem Solving
Sleep on It
H
ave you ever
awakened in
the morning
with the answer to
a question you were
pondering the night
before? Maybe you
were trying to figure
out a puzzle, and the
next morning you
solved it. Apparently,
sleeping helps us organize our thoughts.
In a Harvard study,
reported on in the October ’07 Prevention, subjects were
given brain teasers, and many were much more likely to
solve the problem after a good night’s sleep. According to
lead researcher Matthew Walker, Ph.D., “Sleep can knit
ideas together: You go to bed with pieces of the puzzle
and awaken with the picture complete.” So, according to
the study, if you have a tough problem, sleep on it.
—Becky Holman
www.X-tremeLean.com
Emotions
Anger
Danger
study of
people
50 years
old and older
found that those
who expressed
anger by yelling
and becoming agitated were more likely to have calcium deposits in their
coronary arteries. In other words, screamers are more
apt to have a heart attack than those who suppress
anger. It’s believed that outwardly expressing anger
causes a temporary high in blood pressure, which can
damage blood vessels. This finding runs counter to the
belief that “you need to let it out.”
—Becky Holman
www.X-tremeLean.com
A
Farrally \ Model: Mike Icolari
Neveux \ Model: David Perry
EFAs from olive
oil, flaxseed and
fish add health
to the body and
calories to your
muscle-building
diet. I periodically forget to include everything
and suspect you
do too. Living
foods and essential fats are
great warriors
and supportive
cheerleaders.
Lock and load!
Go, muscles, go!
MIND/BODY BodySpace Physique of the Month
MIND/BODY
Maria Rogers
Editor’s note: For more BodySpace bodies and info,
visit www
.Body
Building
.com.
Photography by Ian Sitren \ SecondFocus
I
f you want the fashion accessory of the decade, a great
body is a good place to start—and Maria Rogers won’t
have to go shopping to get hers. At 5’8” this girl has a
body that was made for wearing clothes—a lot or a little. It’s
all part of the benefit of having a master’s degree in nutrition
and loving a good workout.
Maria made her NPC figure competition debut in 2006
at the Orange County Muscle Classic. She also did the San
Diego Bodybuilding and Figure Championships and took first
in her class at the prestigious ’07 California Bodybuilding,
Figure and Fitness Championships. That qualified her for the
’07 USA, which was held in Las Vegas last summer, where
she placed fourth in her class. Not bad, considering that she
was pretty much a beginner.
Maria first got interested in health and working out while playing volleyball in high school.
Then the Grecian beauty, who does speak
Greek, not only got a master’s degree in nutrition from Cal State Fullerton but also became
certified in alternative nutrition.
You’ll soon be seeing her new clothing line of
active and casual wear, MaryMee, in gyms and
boutiques. She’ll also be back on the competition stage in ’08, going for her IFBB pro card.
For more on Maria Rogers, check out her
profile at http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/
marrrria/.
—Ian Sitren
MIND/BODY Hygeine
Take a Bite Out of Stress
B
odybuilders are familiar with cortisol, the stress hormone
that can eat hard-earned muscle tissue. New research
says it can cause your gums to recede as well. A Brazilian
study suggests that
those with high cortisol are more prone
to peridontal disease.
Cortisol impairs the
immune system, which
encourages bacteria to
munch on your gums.
High-strung individuals should brush more
often and perhaps take
a phosphatidylserine supplement. PS is a soy lipid that has been
shown to reduce cortisol by 30 percent (see page 164).
—Becky Holman
New Stuff
HotPex
P
ushups are a great
upper-body exercise, and simple new
devices are making the
move even better. A set
of pushup handles called
HotPex makes the exercise more comfortable and
ergonomically correct while
increasing the range of motion. Here’s what Brad Harris, Hollywood stuntman
hall-of-famer and HotPex
creator, had to say about
them:
“After 60 years of performing pushups in every
position I could dream of, including with a pair of crudely
homemade wooden handles
that I carried with me around
the world for several years
during my career as a stuntman, stunt coordinator and
star of a slew of foreign
films, I finally came up with
HotPex. I’ve tried just about
every other pushup handles
on the market place, and
HotPex are the best—forget
the rest.”
For more information, visit
www.HotPex.com.
MIND/BODY New Stuff
MIND/BODY
MIND/BODY
Anabolic Optimal Dose
™
Hybridized musclemutating postworkout
composite
ormulated to overwhelm your
devastated muscle cells,
Anabolic Optimal Dose is unlike any other postworkout formula.
Molecularly altered to engulf muscle
fibers with key hyper-anabolic compounds, Anabolic Optimal Dose is
designed to activate satellite cells
for unbridled muscle tissue growth.
Each oral dose contains the following potent ingredient mix:
Creatine taurinate. A novel
form of creatine patented by Muscle
Asylum Project researchers, this
ingredient enhances the ability to
produce higher muscular force
and/or power, aids in postworkout
recovery and increases lean muscle
mass.
Taurine. One of the nonessential amino acids, taurine supports
cell volumization and insulin sensitivity.
Beta-alanine. An unparalleled
muscle-building amino acid, beta-alanine is a precursor of the dipeptide
carnosine (beta-alanyl-L-histidine),
which is highly concentrated in
muscle.
Glycine. An amino acid that’s
a precursor of the synthesis of
creatine, glycine can facilitate insulin-mediated uptake of glucose into
muscle tissue. It also plays a key
role in the synthesis of a number of
biologically important compounds,
including proteins, ATP, glycogen
and hemoglobin.
L-lysine HCI. Required for the
synthesis of proteins that make up
muscle fibers, this amino acid is in
crystalline form and thus has extremely high bioavailability.
Alpha lipoic acid. A potent
F
antioxidant, ALA has been known
to enhance insulin sensitivity, forcing more creatine and nutrients into
the muscle cell for immediate tissue
replication and expansion.
MAP scientists developed Wave
Pulse Technology™ to take advantage of and improve on dynamic
nutrient transport. Anabolic Optimal
Dose invades your muscle fibers to
a degree never experienced before,
injecting size and strength where
utter destruction has occurred.
For more on Anabolic Optimal
Dose and other innovative Muscle
Asylum Project products, vist www
.MuscleAsylumProject.com.
References
Graham, A.S., and Hatton, R.C.
(1999). Creatine: A review of efficacy
and safety. J Am Pharm Assoc.
39(6):803-810.
Gannon, M.C., Nuttall, J.A., and
Nuttall, F.Q. (2002). The metabolic
response to ingested glycine. Am J
Clin Nutr. 79:1302-1307.
Irving, C.S., et al. (1986). Lysine
and protein metabolism in young
women. Subdivision based on the
novel use of multiple stable isotopic
labels. J Clin Invest. 77(4):13211331.
MIND/BODY Gallery of Ironmen
MIND/BODY
t was long
thought that
women were
not supposed to lift
weights, do heavy
exercise or build
muscles. They could
do all the housework
they wanted, but if
they dared pick up
a dumbbell, then
at best they would
become uppity and
mannish, and at worst they would
kill themselves. That attitude began
to break down in the early 20th
century, when it came as something
of a shock to both genders that
women could indeed build impressive muscles.
One conclusive proof was a
mighty woman who put many men
to shame with her superbly muscled
arms and upper body. Her name
was Luise Leers, and she was renowned for both her muscularity and
her femininity. She was born around
1907 in Wiesbaden, Germany. The
daughter of a skilled trapeze performer, she learned from him the
stunts and tricks that would become
her profession.
For many years father and daughter performed together throughout
Europe in a high-wire act, but it was
not until the girl was spotted by an
agent for the American Ringling
Photos courtesy of the David Chapman collection
Luisita Leers
I
Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus that
her stardom was secured. Louise
and her father were brought to
America, and from 1929 to 1936 she
was a famous and much-loved bigtop performer. At some point she
changed her name to a more Latin
and exotic form, and thus became
“Luisita.”
The performer’s most famous
stunt was her “giant revolutions,” or
one-arm swings, in which she threw
her entire body in a circle while she
grasped the trapeze with one hand.
It was a stunt that only long hours of
practice and spectacularly powerful
muscles could accomplish. At the
height of her strength, Luisita could
perform 190 revolutions in a row
without stopping.
Because of those incredible performances, the young lady’s upperbody muscularity was phenomenal.
Even more amazingly, she was quite
proud of her muscles and would
regularly pose in a double-biceps or
side-triceps shot for the photographers. That was unheard of in her
day; women were not supposed to
show off like that.
When World War II broke out,
Luisita was trapped in Germany, and
her circus career came to an abrupt
end. The last notice of her came in
1949, when she sent an appeal to
an American circus magazine asking
readers to send her food so that she
could regain her strength and restart
her performing career. Sadly, there
is no indication that ever happened,
and she was not heard from again.
—David Chapman
M IN D/BODY I R O N M A N R isin g S t a r s
Jenny Lewis
Age: 28
Residence: Elizabeth, Colorado
Contest Highlights: ’07 NPC USA
Figure Championships, 9th; ’07 Figure
Nationals, 4th
Factoid: “I was a professional
wrestler for almost three years and
was accepted into the Ohio Valley
Wrestling School in ’04. That same
year I had my first WWE ‘dark’ match
in Columbia, South Carolina—on my
26th birthday!”
Contact: www.JennyFitness.com
Roland Balik
M IND/BODY I R O N M A N R isi n g S t a r s
Jeff Schwartzer
Merv
Weight: Contest, 215; off-season,
240
Height: 5’5
Residence: Pembroke Pines, Florida
Contest Highlights: ’03 NPC Nationals, heavyweight, 2nd; ’07 USA,
heavyweight, 5th
Factoid: “In high school I played
in the marching band while others
played football (my overprotective
mother was a nurse and would have
nothing of it). In college I was a
deejay at two clubs and was known
as ‘Deejay Quad.’”
Contact: djquad103@aol.com
March 2008
with everything you said—he’s a great ambassador for our
sport and always ripped. Promoters interested in booking
the Texas Shredder for exhibitions and/or seminars can
contact him via e-mail at TXShredder@aol.com.
Cover Controversy
Seeing as how I’m partial to exotic-looking women, I
thought your January ’08 cover featuring Dina Al-Sabah
was incredible! The photos of her inside the issue also had
me gasping for air. Nice work, Mr. Neveux. That cover is
sure to sell out everywhere.
Samuel Ericson
via Internet
™
MUSCLE
SCIENCE
DINA AL-SABAH
8
Mini-Posters
Dave Fisher
Inside
Age 40
ROUNDUP
Light Weights
Build Mass
Heat Ignites
Growth Fast
Stretch It for
Serious Size
Anabolic
Supplements
on the Rise
WINTER
4COMPLETE
MASS WORKOUTS
Be Bold in the Cold
NITRIC OXIDE
Can It Prime Your Pump?
JANUARY 2008
$5.98
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PLUS:
•The At-Home Big-Gain All-Dumbbell Workout
•Mass-Packing Diet: Chow Down to Muscle Up
•Athletes: Any Chump Can Jump—Sky-High!
C1_GATEFldJan08_F.indd 1
11/5/07 12:17:56 PM
I want to thank Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
for all their good advice. They’re doing a great job! At last
someone is really explaining how the science of muscle
building works. For more than 40 years I’ve studied all the
bodybuilding literature I could lay my hands on. There’s
such a bewildering variety of methods, all claiming to be
the best. But because no one could explain how the science
worked, I could never make an informed judgment as to
the best system to adopt. Consequently, I’ve only trained
sporadically, fearing that, with my light bone structure, I
might end up with long-term problems. Thanks to [Holman and Lawson’s] research, however, even at my age I feel
confident to proceed (with caution) in the knowledge that
what I’m doing is scientifically sound. All the pieces of the
puzzle are falling into place. I can`t thank them enough.
Keep up the good work.
Chris Gavin
via Internet
I am a family man
with three young
daughters. I subscribe
to IRON MAN, and I
love the content, but
I have a problem with
some of your covers.
For example, the January ’08 issue was very
suggestive, something
I don’t want my kids to
see me reading. How
about going back to
training covers or more
wholesome-looking
couples without the T
and A?
Stephen Hobson
via Internet
Editor’s note: A lot of Holman and Lawson’s findings
are discussed in “The Science of Muscle Size Simplified,”
which begins on page 130. There’s more information at
X-Rep.com and 3DMuscleBuilding.com.
Editor’s note: We argue about this a lot around the IM
offices. A cover with a beautiful woman on it sells well, and
we do one every so often. We thought the cover with Dina
Al-Sabah had muscle without too much suggestiveness
(although the dumbbell is placed somewhat suggestively,
it’s covering particular areas). The debate continues. We’d
like to hear from other readers on the subject.
Governator Meets
the Abdominator
Doug Brolus, a man renowned for his etched abs, sent
us this photo. He was visiting Southern California and
happened to run into the state’s governor while he was out
enjoying the
sights. Some
people have
all the luck
running into
famous folks.
Arnold’s been
lucky that way
all his life.
Shredder Sighting
I recently helped judge a physique contest in Juneau,
Alaska, along with Dave “Texas Shredder” Goodin, who
also guest posed. What a wonderful ambassador he is for
the sport of bodybuilding. I thoroughly enjoyed talking
with him. Dave also conducted a very informative
Q&A seminar, and he’s a
Dave
wonderful spokesperson
Goodin.
for the Muscle-Link line
of supplements. Dave is a
throwback to old-school
bodybuilding, and he was a
breath of fresh air. And the
moniker Texas Shredder is
most deserved, as he was
in spot-on condition.
Dennis Weis
via Internet
Editor’s note: Great,
now Dave will ask for a
raise. Seriously, we agree
Photo courtesy of Doug Brolus
FREAK-PHYSIQUE EXTRA: GIANT FULL-PAGE MR. OLYMPIA PHOTOS
Awesome Advice
California Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger and Doug Brolus.
Roland Balik
READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READE
Readers Write
Vol. 67, No. 3: IRON MAN (ISSN #0047-1496) is published monthly by IRON MAN Publishing, 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033. Periodical Mail is paid at Oxnard, CA, and at
additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to IRON MAN, 1701 Ives
Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033. Please allow six to eight weeks for change to take effect. Subscription rates—U.S. and its possessions: new 12-issue subscription, $29.97. Canada, Mexico and
other foreign subscriptions: 12 issues, $49.97 sent Second Class. Foreign orders must be in
U.S. dollars. Send subscriptions to IRON MAN, 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033. Or call
1-800-570-4766. Copyright © 2008. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be
reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher. Printed in the USA.

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