Muscle Guru Vol 1 Issue 2

AU

I SS

E

BACK DAY Get wide

enough to fly with Branden Ray

FREE MUSCLE MAGAZINE

HARRY VLAHOS

Get to know International Protein’s own Dr Harry

Posing Workshop

' n o t h g i S' potl Gerald h c s u b e l h c S Natalie & ws on Da

2016 Arnold Sports Festival

Behind the Scenes with International Protein

Tips from a Pro - Designing your physique AU SSI E MU S C L E GUR U | 1

chill, , e k a h s drink

30g Protein 10 Essential Vitamins & Minerals 2 | AUSSIE MUS CLE G U RU

20g Protein High Fibre • All Natural, Gluten Free • Sugar Alcohol Free

s k n i r D d n a s r a Protein B

Eat Easy, Train Hard!

AU SSI E MU S C L E GUR U | 3

Š Andriy Bezuglov | Dreamstime.com

AUSSIE MUSCLE GURU Publisher & Managing Editor Christine Envall National Sales Manager Troy Bremner Proofing & Editing Elle Lancaster & Sarah Chung Art Director & Graphic Designer Lisa Shotbolt Editorial Contributors Branden Ray, Christine Envall, Chleo Van Wyk, Anne Tran, Ann Titone, TA Martin, Matt Legge, Tony Doherty, Arash Samali, Gerald Schlebusch and Natalie Dawson Photographers Alex Ardenti, Dan Ray, JM Manion, Chris Nicoll, Daniel Repeti Cover Photo Harry Vlahos and Gerald Schlebuasch by Daniel Repeti Ann Titone by JM Manion Advertising Troy Bremner info@international-protein.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS Sara Bremner Forbes salesmanagement@international-protein.com Please email for information on subscribing to Aussie Muscle Guru. Aussie Muscle Guru is published quarterly.

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Disclaimer: Opinions and viewpoints expressed in Aussie Muscle Guru do not necessarily represent those of the editor, staff or publishers. Responsible individuals or organizations with something valid and relevant to say will, whenever possible, be given the opportunity. Reproduction of any material without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

The acceptance of advertising does not necessarily imply endorsement of services or products.

Available online Click on your flag

Contents

18

REGUlars

FEATURES

8 Nutrition 101: Protein; Essential to Life

12 Harry Vlahos

Everything you need to know about true protein quality.

10 Posing Workshop

Understanding the different versions of the Front Double Biceps pose.

16 Ask International Protein Do all Pre-Workouts need to contains “stims” to work?

34 How The Pros Do It

28

Q & A with Ann Titone, TA Martin, Branden Ray & Christine Envall about 3 key aspects of comp prep.

46 Chleo’s Strength Talk

A detailed look at preparing for your first powerlifting show.

50 Spotlight On

56

Get to know International Protein’s own Dr Harry, one of Australian Bodybuilding’s most qualified and knowledgeable competitors.

Gerald Schlebusch & Natalie Dawson.

54 Recipes File

Healthy Carrot Protein Bites, Flour Free Protein Chocolate Cake, Herbed Carrot Corn Bread.

18 Tips From A Pro Designing your physique creating the perfect split

20 Peppermint As A Sports Supplement Matt Legge takes a fresh look at this traditional ingredient.

24 Horses for Courses Training fads, know the good from the bad. By Arash Samali.

28 2016 Arnold Sports Festival

Behind the Scenes with International Protein.

38 Choosing Supplements

Which Product is best for me?

44 Back Day

Get wide enough to fly with Branden Ray.

60 Feature Supplement - NO Ignition Stim free for better performance.

AU SSI E MU S C L E GUR U | 5

Christine Envall IFBB PROFESSIONAL BODYBUILDING

Christine Envall is one of the Founders and Directors of International Protein and is the chief formulator for all the International Protein products. Christine holds a degree in Food Science & Nutrition and brings 25 years of experience is the food and sports supplement industries. Christine is also an IFBB Pro Bodybuilder, with over 60 competitions and guest appearances in her resume, including the 2015 IFBB Toronto Pro title. Christine combines her practical experience of competition preparation with her scientific and nutritional knowledge in her articles.

TA Martin IFBB Pro Men’s Physique

TA has an impressive competitive record; IFBB Men’s Physique Athlete- 1st Place Masters, IFBB Titans Grand Prix, 1st Place Masters, IFBB Los Angeles Grand Prix.

TA started seriously training during 2005 by entering my first show overseas at the Pacific Wide Far-east Bodybuilding Competition in Okinawa, Japan. After a string of 1st place trophies, he decided to give NPC Mens Physique a try in 2011. In 2014 TA won the prize sword with a 1st place in F-Class at 2014 Los Angeles Grand Prix and went on to the NPC Teen, Collegiate & Masters Nationals that same year earning my IFBB Pro card with another first place win.

TA’s goal is to compete at the IFBB Arnold Classic, Men’s Physique International and obtain qualification to enter the most prestigious level of competition at the IFBB Olympia Showdown.

ANNE TRAN IFBB Figure Champion & Foodie Extraordinaire

Anne Tran is an IFBB figure competitor and has been competing in figure since 2010 . The highlight of Anne’s career has been placing 1st at the 2013 IFBB Australian Amateur Grand Prix. Her most recent achievements include placing 2nd at the 2015 IFBB Australasian titles and the 2015 Australian Amateur Grand Prix. Outside of competing, Anne is a corporate lawyer and has been practicing law for 10 years. Anne also enjoys baking healthy protein treats. Check out Anne’s recipes on Instagram @protein_treat

Ann Titone

Chleo Van Wyk (B.ESSc)

AUSTRALIA’S STRONGEST FEMALE POWERLIFTER Chleo is a strength & conditioning coach at Lifters League Brisbane and is currently ranked as Australia’s all time strongest female.

Chleo holds a degree in Exercise and Sport Science, and is currently completing a Diploma in Clinical Exercise Physiology. She has years of experience working in the health & fitness industry as a S&C coach, personal trainer and allied health assistant in Cardiac Rehabilitation for QLD Health.

Chleo’s best raw competition lifts are a 235kg squat, 140kg bench press and 250kg deadlift at 86.7kg bodyweight, for a 625kg total, the highest total ever achieved by a female in Australia . She currently holds the highest totals in the under 75kg, 82.5kg and 90kg female divisions.

Branden Ray

IFBB PRO MEN’S BODY BUILDING Just call me B. Ray. I have been an IFBB Pro since 2010, winning my class at the NPC National Championships in the USA. Before turning pro, I won the NPC Jr. National Championships in 2007.

I live in Los Angeles and mostly train out of Venice Golds Gym, The Mecca. As you will see in this issue, and the corresponding issues, I have a unique training method with a knack for finding an exercise that can target any specific muscle on the body. I will teach you guys all of my tricks ;-)

Matthew Legge

Head of Research & Development – ATP Science Matthew has 20 years clinical experience as a Naturopath using Medical Herbalism, Nutritional Biochemistry, food therapy, and sports injury management techniques. Matt specialises in fatigue, pain, immune, hormonal disorders, body shaping and performance enhancement. Matt has 15 years’ experience as an inventor, formulator, author, trainer and seminar presenter in the health and wellness industry. Having created many successful education and training programs, formulated many new products and introduced new ingredients and concepts to the marketplace; Matt has gained a reputation for being able to predict future trends and priorities in the health and wellness industry.

About us

IFBB Pro Figure

In her late teens Ann suffered a life threatening car accident resulting in numerous broken bones, punctured lung, lacerated spleen and in a coma for two weeks. Long story short, Ann’s boyfriend, an avid bodybuilder and now husband, got her training in the gym and cleaned up her nutrition. This journey took Ann to her first competition in 2007 and ended with becoming a 6x figure champion and 5x Olympian with a top 4 placing in 2014.

In 2015, Ann’s old injuries reared their ugly head. With the supplementation of amazing International Protein products, primarily, Iso-Cuts, Amino Recovery and Glutamine and support from her incredible team, Ann walked away with my 6th Championship in Tampa, Fl. Ann is a firm believer that your body can achieve what your mind believes.

Ann runs a successful Personal Training company Championship Training and is a judge with the NPC USA.

Arash Samali

PT & competitive bodybuilder Arash Samali is a personal trainer, contest coach and competitive lifetime natural bodybuilder with over 20 years of training experience having competed 28 times and won 10 titles including two overalls and a multitude of podium finishes in national , state and regional levels across four natural federations. Arash started resistance training for sports performance and after two years of training moved towards bodybuilding training and has competed from 1999 through to 2015. In 2002 Arash left the field of Accounting and started his personal training business. Being a father of two Arash has learned to look at a holistic approach to bodybuilding preparation and utilised advanced nutrition techniques alongside his training to achieve his best result and conditioning.

© Jjayo | Dreamstime.com

Welcome to the second edition of

Aussie Muscle Guru

W

elcome back! We have made it to the second edition of Aussie Muscle Guru, and what a ride it’s been.

We were fortunate to make our deadline and launch Aussie Muscle Guru at this year’s Australian Arnold Sports Festival. What better event than this to launch a health, fitness and nutrition magazine! Australia’s largest gathering of athletes, fitness enthusiasts and industry members was the perfect venue to introduce AMG. Go behind the scenes with International Protein at this year’s Australian Arnold Sports Festival (p 28) and see firsthand what goes into getting ready for the expo and the results for Team International Protein athletes.

Putting this magazine together was much like competition prep, the first time we had no idea what we were in for. Some things were harder than we thought, some things took longer to prepare, we made mistakes, but we learnt a lot, and we were happy with what we achieved!

And much like competition, the positive feedback we got about the package we put together made all the hard work melt into a forgotten memory.

Aussie Muscle Guru was created as a free magazine to help provide factual, science based information about nutrition, training advice from people who not only practice what they preach but have the education to back up what they preach. We wanted this information to be accessible to everyone in the industry… but being a free magazine, we had anticipated we would get Aussie Muscle Guru out to the public via the gym and sports nutrition stores that stock International Protein.

Imagine our excitement and surprise when people started asking how to subscribe to Aussie Muscle Guru!? It seems silly now, but we never contemplated that people would want to ensure they could get their next copy of Aussie Muscle Guru. We should have expected this as it’s full of the type of information people want, but yes, this was something we totally overlooked!

By the time Issue 3 is ready, we will have a subscription page on our website where people can sign-up to order their own copy of Aussie Muscle Guru, but until then, anyone who wants a copy should email Sara on salesmanagment@international-protein.com. Although the magazine is free, we will need to charge a small amount to cover postage, or we can direct you to your nearest gym or nutrition store that will hold copies.

Copies will also be made available at most of the International Protein tasting/samples events so make sure you get along those!

In this issue of Aussie Muscle Guru we get to know International Protein Elite Athlete Harry Vlahos (p 12), we introduce new feature writer Arash Samali as he takes a look at training trends and fads over the years and find out how to tell the good from the dangerous (p 24), learn how to work out a great training split from IFBB Pro Branden Ray (p 18), learn how peppermint can be used as a sports supplement (p 20), cook up some yummy protein treats (p 54) and go in depth on the benefits of International Protein’s protein and carb products to help you work out which product is best for you (p 38).

We look forward to continuing this journey with you and thank you for reading Aussie Muscle Guru.

Christine Envall & Troy Bremner (Editors)

AU SSI E MU S C L E GUR U | 7

© Amarita Petcharakul | Dreamstime.com

HOW IS PROTEIN QUALITY MEASURED?

The protein digestibility–corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) has been adopted by FAO/WHO as the preferred method for the measurement of the protein value in human nutrition.

The formula for calculating the PDCAAS percentage is: (mg of limiting amino acid in 1 g of test protein / mg of same amino acid in 1 g of reference protein) x fecal true digestibility percentage.[2] The PDCAAS allows evaluation of food protein quality based on the needs of humans as it measures the quality of a protein based on the amino acid requirements (adjusted for digestibility) of a 2- to 5-yearold child (considered the most nutritionally demanding age group).

Using the PDCAAS method, the protein quality rankings are determined by comparing the amino acid profile of the specific food protein against a standard amino acid profile with the highest possible score being a 1.0. This score means, after digestion of the protein, it provides per unit of protein 100% or more of the indispensable amino acids required.

OTHER

(LESS ACCURATE METHODS

Biological Value

The biological value, or BV, test examines nitrogen balance. This relates to the body’s ability to digest, absorb and excrete given proteins (nitrogen sources).

BUT; both exercise and a proteindeficient diet, or fasting, will promote nitrogen retention, which could compromise the results.

Chemical Score Chemical Score compares essential amino acid, or EAA, levels to measure protein quality. This method is similar to the PDCAA’s.

BUT; it doesn’t take the digestibility of the food into account.

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AMINO ACIDS – THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF PROTEIN There are 20 amino acids found in the human body.

9 of these are essential amino acids, meaning they cannot be made within the body so must come from the diet.

The nine amino acids humans cannot synthesize are phenylalanine, valine, threonine, tryptophan, methionine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, and histidine Six amino acids are considered conditionally essential in the human diet, meaning their synthesis can be limited under special pathophysiological conditions, such as prematurity in the infant or individuals in severe catabolic distress.

These six are arginine, cysteine, glycine, glutamine, proline and tyrosine.

Five amino acids are dispensable in humans, meaning they can be synthesized in the body. These five are alanine, aspartic acid, asparagine, glutamic acid and serine Each food has a different ratio/amount of amino acids. In sports nutrition, certain foods are eaten because of their high amounts of certain amino acids.. i.e. whey proteins are high in Branch Chain Amino Acids which are metabolised during exercise so need to be replaced via the diet for proper recovery.

Nutrition

101

Protein Efficiency Ratio

The protein efficiency ratio, or PER, is a somewhat outdated method.

Lab rats are fed set amounts of a protein and then measured as they grow.

BUT; does not take into account that humans need a different amino acid profile than rats, and there are several unmeasured variables.

Does anyone NOT know why protein is needed? > > > >

Exercise without protein = protein (muscle mass) loss.

People who exercise do require more protein than non-active people.

The more intensely or more often you exercise, the more protein you need If you are actively trying to gain muscle you need more protein than someone who is only training to maintain muscle.

PDCAAS value of protein

1.00 casein (milk protein) 1.00 egg white 1.00 soy protein isolate 1.00 whey (milk protein) 0.92 beef 0.87 Sacha Inchi Powder 0.78 chickpeas 0.76 fruits 0.75 black beans 0.73 vegetables 0.70 Other peas 0.64 yellow split pea[6] 0.59 cereals and derivatives 0.52 peanuts 0.50 rices 0.42 whole wheat 0.25 wheat gluten (food)

– n i e t o Pr e f i L o T l a i t n e Ess AU SSI E MU S C L E GUR U | 9

In the first edition of AMG we looked at how to execute a men’s bodybuilding Front Double Biceps pose. We were going to examine the best way to hit each of the men’s bodybuilding compulsory poses, but we thought about it and decided that first we need to address this pose (or the equivalent pose) in ALL of the IFBB/NPC categories that have mandatory poses; Men’s bodybuilding, the new division Men’s Classic Physique and Women’s Physique.

Men’s Physique and the women’s categories Figure, Bikini and Fitness are judged on what are known as ‘quarter turn’ poses.

These poses will be addressed in future editions of AMG. The compulsory poses are extremely important, and often, if not done properly, the competitor risks not presenting themselves in a favourable light.

P O H S K R O W G POSIN sions r e v t n e fer

e dif h t g n i d n se o p s p e c i Understa ble B u o D t n o of the Fr 10 | AUSSIE MUS C L E GU RU

The information presented in this article has been taken from the IFBB Australia and IFBB international websites. We note that neither of these sites contains information about women’s bodybuilding poses.

“The comparisons of the compulsory poses cannot be overemphasized as these comparisons will help the judge to decide which competitor has the superior physique from the standpoint of muscular bulk, balanced development, muscular density and definition.” – ifbb.com

Men’s Bodybuilding & Men’s Classic Physique Compulsory Poses

MEN’S CLASSIC PHYSIQUE

“The judge will first survey the biceps muscles looking for a full, peaked development of the muscle, noting whether or not there is a defined split between the anterior and posterior sections of the biceps, and will continue the head-to-toe survey by observing the development of the forearms, deltoids, pectorals, pec-delt tie-ins, abdominals, thighs, and calves. The judge will also look for muscle density, definition, and overall balance.”

Men’s Bodybuilding, Men’s Classic Physique and Women’s Physique are judged on 4 ‘quarter turn’ poses and a series of poses known as ‘compulsory poses’.

Standing face front to the judges, with one leg slightly moved forward and to the side, the competitor will raise both arms to shoulder level and bend them at the elbows. The hands should be clenched and turned down so as to cause a contraction of the biceps and forearm muscles, which are the main muscle groups that are to be assessed in this pose. In addition, the competitor should attempt to contract as many other muscles as possible as the judges will be surveying the whole physique, from head to toe.

● Front double biceps ● Front lat spread ● Side chest ● Back double biceps ● Back lat spread ● Side triceps ● Abdominals and thighs

Women’s Physique Compulsory Poses

• Front bicep pose, open handed • Side chest • Back bicep pose, open handed • Side triceps In this edition will we re-look at the permitted basic execution of the Front Double Biceps Pose. Once you have the basic pose mastered, you can start to learn the techniques that enhance the presentation of that pose while remaining within competitive guidelines.

Front Biceps pose, open handed WOMEN’S PHYSIQUE Standing front to the judges, with the legs and feet in-line and the right/left leg placed out to the side, the competitor will raise both arms to shoulder level and bend them at the elbows. The hands should be opened, with fingers directed up. In addition, the competitor should attempt to contract as many other muscles as possible as the judges will be surveying the whole physique, from head to toe.

“The judge will survey the whole physique, from head to toe, by observing the overall body lines and balance, the contours of each body part, achieved by the

Front Double Biceps MEN’S BODYBUILDING Standing face front to the judges, with the legs and feet in-line and a short distance apart, the competitor will raise both arms to shoulder level and bend them at the elbows. The hands should be clenched and turned down so as to cause a contraction of the biceps and forearm muscles, which are the main muscle groups that are to be assessed in this pose. In addition, the competitor should attempt to contract as many other muscles as possible as the judges will be surveying the whole physique, from head to toe.

development of proper muscles, as well as the overall body proportions and symmetry. The judge will also look for muscle density, low body fat level and overall balance.”

As you can see, there are key differences in how essentially the same pose is executed in the 3 different divisions to maintain a difference between men and women and within the different men’s classes. While the position of the feet and presentation of the hands is specified, the exact execution is left up to the individual to add their own nuances to help hide flaws, such as a twist of the hips to hide a wider waist, and accentuate strong points, such as rotating the hands back at the wrists to further enhance the biceps peak.

AU SSI E MU S C L E G UR U | 11

HARRY VLAHOS

W

hen Harry Vlahos joined International Protein as a sponsored athlete in 2014, this is how he described his sport. Not only is this one of the best descriptions I’ve read for bodybuilding, it also embodies Harry’s relationship with bodybuilding and gives you a sense of the type of high achieving person Harry is.

Super Heavyweight of bodybuilding knowledge, dedication and passion “Bodybuilding has been the sport of my choice the last 15 years, I like the fact that you get out of it whatever you put in to it. The goal setting, the commitment, the dedication and the hard work that is required to excel in this sport is the same principles and rules you need to succeed in all aspects of life. Furthermore the challenge and the constant pursue of improving my physique is another reason that I love this sport.”

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THE OTHER DR HARRY Harry is no stranger to working with the human body. Prior to competing in bodybuilding, Harry already held 2 Applied Science Masters Degrees in the fields of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.

He is a Dr of Chinese Medicine (AcupunctureHerbal Medicine) and a Myotherapist and Musculoskeletal Therapist and a Rehabilitation Specialist. “I’m also the Principal Therapist at the Moreland Natural Medicine & Health Clinic located at 7/418 Bell st Pascoe Vale Sth Vic 3044.

We treat and manage any physical (muscle, joint, bone) injury or disorders

along with any health problems. We provide services in Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Myotherapy, various forms of Physical Therapies, Remedial/ Sports Massage and Soft Tissue Manipulation, just to mention a few.”

“I’m also a Personal Trainer, Contest Preparation Coach and even do online diet, training programs and Coaching and I love to share and give back my knowledge that I have accumulated with in-depth study and personal experience.”

LET'S COMPETE What do you do when you have 2 Masters Degrees and you’re looking for a new challenge, a new way of testing and motivating yourself?

Simple, you take up competitive bodybuilding!

Harry explains “Well I had just finished my 2nd Masters degree and was looking for another challenge, something to motivate me, to test me, a new goal that I can focus on and try my best to achieve. A friend had just opened a little boutique gym and [I] had gone by to congratulate him and wish him all the best over a nice bottle of red wine. It was there that for a joke I said “so when am I going to get on stage?” 14 weeks later I was on stage all tanned up and just with my posing trunks, [competing] in my first bodybuilding competition.

It seems totally logical, and the most obvious thing in the world, especially Harry’s world, but when Harry first picked up weights, his intention hadn’t been to get big. “I always used to do some weight training from the age of 18, but weight training was just a means of getting strong and complementing my Kick-boxing and martial arts.

Never was my intention then to “get big”.” It’s interesting how many very successful bodybuilders never intended to get big when they first started weight training.

So was given that it was 12 years ago that Harry first competed, we can assume he found it was the challenge he was looking for. To confirm this AMG asked Harry to take us back to that first competition and describe what it was like.

“I must admit it was hard at times and a real challenge. I found myself having to show a lot of mental strength and discipline. I had never dieted before; I always ate

what I wanted when I wanted even though I always ate healthy and reasonable thanks to my parents.

But to be “locked” in to a diet and chasing a look that you have never tried to achieve before can be testing at times.

However I did enjoy the journey and it turned out to be what I was looking for. You get to learn a lot about yourself when you push yourself to your limits. Lessons you can apply in all aspects of life.”

Harry’s mental toughness saw him land a 2nd place at the Victorian titles in the Light-Heavy weight division weighing in at 84kg and 4th a week later in Australian titles.

“I was hooked! Came back next year to win the Victorian titles, the Asia-Pacific title and then the World Championship in New York.”

Harry has reaped the rewards of his dedication and discipline to his training and diet both on season and off-season. Since that very first ‘spur of the moment’ decision to compete, Harry has gained a massive 30kg of solid muscle stage weight on his 1.76cm frame.

Harry is the most thickly muscled competitor in the Super Heavy Weight class, the division he now competes in.

12 YEARS AND COUNTING After so many years and competitions, AMG wondered if there were any similarities between Harry’s very first competition experience and his more recent competitions?

“No comparison, my last two comps have been a bit of a nightmare. The first coinciding with the birth of my second daughter Denise 4 weeks before the comp, so that was 4 weeks with no sleep with a 2 year old and a baby needing our care. The second I had an uncle and a grandfather pass away 2 weeks apart. This was 4 and 2 weeks out from the comp. So both [competitions] had to do with what life throws at you and the obstacles that you have to overcome to reach your goals. Both very mentally testing and requiring every ounce of strength to push through. “ “My biggest obstacle the first few comps was the restriction of eating whatever I wanted. That was my biggest stress, which was not even an issue. So as you can see you never know what life will present you with, all you can do is your best.”

When you first start out on a prep for a show, you never know what is going to lie ahead. How your body will respond and what external factors will come into play along the way. Harry’s approach to contest prep is to adapt as he needs to. Certain aspects of his prep remain common every time, “Every prep starts the same way.

You assess your current condition and progressively make adjustments along the way. You hit a sticking point, reassess adjust diet (calories) training/cardio and measure progress. That is the only common between preps.”

“Sticking points come at a different time along the prep, you might need to start earlier as you might be carrying more body fat, your body might resist you more with any adjustments you make to diet or training. You might need more cardio or less depending on how your metabolism is working.

Diet principles might vary; you might choose more of a keto diet or carb cycling or just keep things consistent with a high refeed day and so many other options.”

Harry has found that over the years that the more consistent and gradual the adjustments are the better the body feels. “Give yourself plenty of time and don’t think that you are smarter than your body, and there is no magic pill, you need to do the hard work.” So true!!

Let’s not forget about posing for a bodybuilding competition. Other than a strict diet, doing a posing routine to music is the other major component that separates an in the gym trainer from a competitive bodybuilder. Selecting the right music is so important to compliment your physique and entertain the crowd. This aspect of competing can be the part that intimidates even the biggest guy, but not Harry.

“I always listen to music. When I train, in the car, at home, when I’m following up with clients progress and writing diets and training programs. The music that I use is music that always will make me feel good or motivate me. It’s this music that will bring the best out of you and you will have the best time posing to also. Imagine trying to pose to music that you can’t stand listening to, can’t be inspired or motivated, no thanks!”

For anyone thinking of taking that step to go from training to competing what advice does Harry offer?

AU SSI E MU S C L E G UR U | 13

“I would encourage everyone to compete at least once. More so for the experience of having to work hard to accomplish a goal. Everyone who has competed knows it takes a lot of sacrifice, commitment, dedication, perseverance to be competitive in bodybuilding. The diet, the training, the posing, it can be hard work. If you can apply all that it takes to compete in bodybuilding and then apply it to all aspects of life you will be very successful in anything you undertake.”

TRAINING, IMPROVING STAYING MOTIVATED When it comes to the training, you’ll find Harry training by himself at Doherty’s Gym 24/7 in Brunswick.

“I also train at Atomic in Epping and Derrimut Thomastown.” Harry chooses to train alone and has done so ever since day one. As with most of us, Harry’s training has evolved over the years, to a more refined version and a more mentally honed craft. In some ways it’s the same as when he first started and in other ways it’s changed.

“No [it hasn’t changed], when it comes to using all the big compound lifts and trying to progressively overload the muscles to achieve muscle hypertrophy. Yes [its changed], I believe that my mind muscle connection is immensely superior to when I first started training and I’ve become better at listening to my body. Along the way I have tried various training principles that I cycle in my training that again has come from experience and time in the gym.”

There is no doubt Harry has grown and improved dramatically since his first show 12 years ago.

This is no accident. To some this process of improvement can be difficult… to identify what needs to be improved and then to implement a plan to make those needed improvements happen. Part of Harry’s success would have to be attributed to his analytical scientific mind and short and long term goals that are consistent with one another.

“My process is very simple.

First I’ll analyse me, how did I look on the day of the show and did I achieve my goals/improvements from last time. If the answer is yes then I’ll move on to set a different goal/improvement. I am my worst critic so I always find things that could be better. In regards to what 14 | AUSSIE MUS C L E GU RU

takes priority in improvement that is depended on what I’m after as a whole body look or goal.”

“My only competitive goal is to constantly improve and present a better Harry every time I get on stage. If I manage to do that I’m always achieving my short and long term goals. Achieve this and wins will come!”

And what motivates Harry?

“Achieving my goals. My short and long term goals. Either if that is in the gym or in business or even personal and family life. Having a purpose, a reason, a goal to get out of bed and try to accomplish what you set out to do, I find it to be most motivating.”

It’s easy to see, from his start in bodybuilding, to the things that keep him going, Harry is a very driven and motivated person.

Always looking for a new challenge and driving himself to do better.

These are the attributes that make Harry a valuable athlete for International Protein. He is a great role model and inspiration for so many in others in the sport.

DIETING TRAINING OVER 40 Harry was a relative late comer to the sport, being in his late 20’s when he did his first show. Now that he’s around 40 he finds there are certain things you can’t get away with as much as when you were younger.

“By that I mean that you need to be stricter with your diet and not allow yourself to blow out on the off season. Not that this is any good even when you are younger but it will take longer and it will be harder on you to drop off all that extra weight.”

Another aspect that isn’t as easy is recovery from training.

“Your body’s ability to recover I find decreases so you have to find ways to train smarter and learn to listen to your body.”

Supplementation becomes more of a focus as we get older, Harry says, “I think as we get older we try to cover every base of health, recovery and growth with a bit more serious approach. It could be because we notice that gains come harder, or recovery takes longer. It could also be that we learn more about vitamins, nutrients and supplements than when we were younger” Harry ensures that his supplements cover all three aspects; health, recovery, growth. “I take 2 scoops of Amino Recovery first thing in the morning and 2-3 scoops during my workout. I also include, during my workout, Extreme Carbs. I find this to have been very helpful in my recovery and increasing muscle mass.”

Other changes Harry has made over the years include increasing his intake of protein and slightly decreasing his carb intake. “So I’ve increased the amount of Whey protein I’ve been having. That could be the ISO-CUTS or Amino Charged WPI post training, Superior Whey or Synergy 5 during the day and M-Casein or again Synergy 5 at bed time.”

Harry says the following supplements have become part of his standard daily regime, “Glutamine for gut and general health and let’s not forget creatine. I use Krealkalyn in my post workout shake and also take a scoop of N.O. Ignition before workout.”

“Other supplements I have included are multivitamin, fish oil, Vitamin D3, zinc and magnesium.”

FAMILY SUPPORT In case you didn’t pick up on this, Harry is the proud father of two young girls Holly who is 3 and Denise who is now 1.

“They mean the world to me; they are the most precious and gorgeous thing that has happened in my life and I can never get enough of them. Obviously this wouldn’t be able to happen if it wasn’t for my beautiful wife and biggest supporter Poppy. She has been amazing with the unconditional love, support and help from the very start.”

Poppy has always been Harry’s number one fan. “From the start when I told Poppy I wanted to compete in bodybuilding she has supported me, kept me motivated, helped me with everything from meal prep to tanning to taking

progress pictures, etc. Couldn’t ask for anything more. I owe a lot to her.”

And when it comes to the finer details of getting on stage, like posing, Harry’s eldest daughter Holly is getting involved, making comp prep a total family affair. “We often practice posing together.

She finds it fun hitting those poses with daddy; it’s amazing to see her imitate me, blowing out the air and making little grinding noises. When the day of the competition comes I always hear her in the crowd.

Nothing beats that feeling.”

“Denise just turned 1 year old so I think that this is still very new to her, or should I say normal as she has seen dad getting ready for 2 competitions since she was born.”

“Although in times life can be very busy I’m a big believer that family should come first so I always do my best to spend as much time with my family and get to experience my little girls growing up and me and my wife growing closer.”

Family is a very important part of Harry’s life. Harry’s own father has played a key role in motivating and inspiring him to be the man he is today. “Many people can be included or mentioned to have inspired me over the years and from various forms of life some from sports, business others from politics and religion, but the person that has had the biggest influence and has inspired me the most is my father.”

“He has taught me with his words and actions how hard work pays off, to always respect and help others, never give up, believe in yourself, and so many other important lessons in life. I owe a lot of my accomplishments and who I am to my father.”

HARRY FACT FILE e without:

Food he can’t liv None.

food: Favourite “diet” lmon Sweet potato & sa se: Favourite exerci Deadlifts ” food: Favourite “cheat t food but I ea ch a y all re Sushi, not ow! sh crave it after a t: can’t live withou Supplement he is ’s) AA (E s Acid Essential Amino the time in the off all e us I g hin somet g my diet phase, season and durin nt when calories especially importa . Amino Recovery start going down the EAA’s all contains AU SSI E MU S C L E G UR U | 15

k s A

INTERNATIONAL Do all pre-workouts need to contain ‘stims’ to work?

T

The simple answer of course is NO! When “pre-workouts” first hit the market about 15 or so years ago they were designed to enhance training by improving muscular endurance, enhancing strength and power, increasing blood flow to working muscles and honing mental focus to allow people to get a powerful mind muscle connection during training or physical activity.

The key ingredients to achieve this were a combination of some form of arginine, beta alanine, creatine and tyrosine. There was controversy over the addition of caffeine as it was well known to negate the good effects of creatine when taken together.

Somewhere along the line, the basis of what made an effective pre-workout was lost and replaced with products that gave a ‘buzz’ and had some type of mind altering effect via high levels of stimulation more akin to recreational drugs. A pre-workout then became

16 | AUSSIE MUS C L E GU RU

judged by how “buzzed” a trainer felt… with little emphasis placed on improved workout performance or ongoing results.

Although many people claimed how hard they trained on this or that pre-workout, the reality was this. Training felt hard but actual performance was compromised, often leading to long term over training (due to lack of adequate recovery from sleep due to staying ‘wired’ long after the workout was over), OR a crash of energy occurred well before the workout ended (most likely from adrenal exhaustion) OR the products were so strong the workout had to be abandoned, OR the body very quickly adjusted to the new stimulants, with users quickly experiencing no effect even when “double dosing” leading to the ongoing search for something strong… much like a drug addict seeking a greater high…

Pre-workouts were supposed to make you train harder, longer, stronger and get a better pump, all hopefully leading to muscle growth… and this is exactly what N.O Ignition does.

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By taking a multi-facet approach to tap into the bodies key metabolic pathways N.O. IGNITION helps you achieve powerful longer lasting benefits in each and every workout; intense pumps (vasodilation), super reps (endurance), max weights (strength) and clear mind-muscle connection (focus).

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TIPS FROM A PRO

DESIGNING YOUR

PHYSIQUE What separates a bodybuilder from a weight lifter?

T

he answer is pretty simple. A weightlifter’s goal is to simply move the weight from point A to point B. Bodybuilding is a lot more intricate. It is a lifestyle that transcends lifting in the gym.

Bodybuilding involves proper nutrition and rest, a huge part of becoming a bodybuilder, but we’re going to focus on the gym right now and how to turn lifting a weight into a physique that’s balanced with size, shape, and symmetry. We all look for the perfect split, and the right answer is...there really isn’t one.

A split varies from person to person based on the lifestyle of the individual. Most people have families and jobs that are a priority so their split has to be based around that. For starters, I always recommend an honest assessment of one’s physique.

Know your strengths and know your weaknesses. In order to build a balanced physique, one must know which muscle group is lagging either due to genetics or effort, and centre your split around it accordingly.

For example, a good 5 day split if back is a weakness is: Day 1: Back Day 2: Chest Day 3: Legs Day 4: Delts Day 5: Arms Day 6 and 7: off Now notice how we start off with back but the very next workout is chest, then legs, the delts, then arms. This isn’t random. This split and all splits should allow a muscle trained that day enough time to 18 | AUSSIE MUS C L E GU RU

“I never do back and legs on consecutive days because if I trained back as hard as I need to for it to grow, it will hold me back on leg day when it is secondary in squats, stiff leg deadlifts, lunges etc.”

recover, including days when it’s a secondary muscle. I never do back and legs on consecutive days because if I trained back as hard as I need to for it to grow, it will hold me back on leg day when it is secondary in squats, stiff leg deadlifts, lunges etc.

Putting chest in between back and legs will allow my lower back some time to recover so that it’s not burned out and hindering those very important heavy sets in the squat rack. Now chest and shoulders are broken up by legs. Chest and shoulders are push movements.

Shoulders, specifically the front deltoids can come into play on chest day. In order to maximise your shoulder workout, give it a day or two after training chest and you will guarantee yourself a full blown shoulder workout. I put arms last because biceps and triceps and smaller muscles that help on back day (biceps) and chest and shoulder day (tricep). Now there is nothing wrong training them after a bigger muscle. For example, some people do chest and biceps or delts and triceps. However, I do believe giving them their own day will allow maximum growth rather than them being an afterthought and burned out after helping your back and chest. Now if nutrition and rest is proper, there is nothing wrong with throwing in a couple of sets of biceps and triceps after back and chest day. They are smaller muscles and will recover faster.

However these should only be used as touch up sets, for example, after back day I might do three sets of

“So, to sum it all up, first determine how many days a week is ideal for you, then build a split centred around bringing up a weak muscle group.” hammer curls for my brachialis and that’s it. After chest day I might do 3 sets of skull crushers for the outer head of my triceps. It’s not overtraining as long as I keep it around 3-4 sets.

Since bodybuilding is about developing every muscle for balance and symmetry, abs and calves cannot be ignored. I recommend alternating them at the beginning, yes, beginning, of each workout. Day 1 would start with super-setting two exercises for abs, one targeting upper and the other targeting the lower abs.

All I need is four sets since I’ll be hitting abs again later in the week.

I do the same for calves my next workout. Two exercises, one for the gastrocnemius and one for the soleus. Doing this at the beginning of your workout assures that they get done, because there are many times when we simply do not have the energy left after training a bigger muscle group and we end up putting calves and abs off. Why are these so important, specifically abs?

Well calves add to the symmetry and aesthetic of the physique. Abs however, are extremely important

for strengthening our core. Just because you see a 6 pack does not mean that your core is strong. It simply is a sign of you having lower body fat, but if you don’t train your abs, you will have back pain from your lower back over-compensating for weak abs. This comes into play in exercises like squats and deadlifts. Having strong abs will relieve a lot of stress and pressure on your lower back and ultimately help your lifts and posture.

So, to sum it all up, first determine how many days a week is ideal for you, then build a split centred around bringing up a weak muscle group. Once you do that, alternate a push workout (chest and delts) with a pull (back) and also allowing the back enough time to recover so that it doesn’t hinder your leg workout. A bodybuilder is an architect. Building a great physique has to start with a well drafted blueprint so that the workouts are efficient and the development is precise. A building is designed to be strong in any storm, the same way a bodybuilder builds and sculpts a physique that will look strong in any pose on stage.

By Branden Ray AU SSI E MU S C L E G UR U | 19

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Peppermint as a sports supplement?

P

eppermint is a well-known herb for settling the tummy and aiding digestion. You will often see it consumed at cafés and in the home. I personally will order peppermint tea at a café while my friends are ordering their espressos; this is probably because I like to take my time and sit back with my own little tea party and have a whole tea pot to myself while my mates have one sip of a coffee and it’s gone; but now I think about it I am sure it was also settling my nervous tummy.

The leaf and the oil of peppermint (mentha piperita and mentha arvensis) have been used for centuries as a tea, fluid, dry powdered extract or as an essential oil. It is commonly used for spastic complaints of the

gastrointestinal tract, the gallbladder, and bile ducts. In this instance it works to help relax the muscles of the digestive tract and stopping cramping and muscle spasms. It is commonly added to formulas and prescribed for irritable bowel syndrome, pain from gall bladder dysfunction, griping and indigestion. Basically it helps to break up the gas and stop gut pain.

It is also a very common ingredient in formulas targeting anything from digestion, liver, gall bladder, kidney, bladder, sinus and lungs. The fact that it tastes good and masks more offensive bitter flavours from other herbs also increases its appeal. For these applications it is most commonly used as a cup of peppermint tea from fresh or dried leaves or as a liquid fluid extract.

Article by:

Matthew Legge

Head of Research & Development – ATP Science

20 | AUSSIE MUSCL E GU RU

Traditional uses for peppermint • Gut pain

• Griping pain

• Bloating and gas • Indigestion • Sinus

• Anti-inflammatory

• Decongestant (sinus and bronchial congestion) • Expectorant (breaks up phlegm to aid cough) • Pain relief (topical oil in particular)

• Antispasmodic (relaxes muscle in digestive tract, respiratory tract and reproductive tract) • Anti-oxidant

There are many active ingredients found in peppermint but a lot of the credit has gone to the essential oil component of the plant. Peppermint contains approximately 1% of peppermint oil. More recently peppermint oil has received a lot of attention and the majority of the most recent research has been conducted on the oil in particular.

Studies have confirmed the peppermint oil and the main constituents of the oil menthol and menthone to be the components responsible for the muscle relaxant effects in the digestive tract and for the relief of congestion in the respiratory tract as well; but the most exciting research is on the ability of peppermint oil to benefit sports performance.

Peppermint oil for sports performance

• Peppermint oil is a central nervous system stimulant increasing energetic arousal • Peppermint oil enhances cognition and focus

• Peppermint oil enhances exercise performance

• Peppermint oil enhances thermogenesis (the generation of heat from the burning of fat) • Peppermint oil enhances fatty acid oxidation (fat burning)

AU SSI E MU S C L E G UR U | 21

© Anna Khomulo | Dreamstime.com

I

Meamarbashi A, Rajabi A. The effects of peppermint on exercise performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2013 Mar 21;10(1):15. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-10-15.

II Avicenna J Phytomed. 2014 Jan;4(1):72-8. Instant effects of peppermint essential oil on the physiological parameters and exercise performance.

Meamarbashi A III Kozyreva TV, Kozaruk VP, Tkachenko EIa, Khramova GM.Ross Fiziol Zh Im I M Sechenova. [Effect of TRPM8 ion channel activation on thermoregulatory response to cooling]. 2011 Feb;97(2):218-26.

Peppermint oil has gained a lot of interest of late for its ability to improve exercise performance parameters in some small scale trials. A small scale study by Meamarbashi et al published in January 2014 concluded peppermint may enhance exercise performance by the following actions; relaxation of bronchial smooth muscles increasing in the ventilation and brain oxygen concentration. By improving oxygenation of working tissues it can reduce the accumulation of the waste associated with the onset of fatigue, it has been shown to decrease blood lactate levels.

Peppermint can improve muscular energy metabolism delaying fatigue by increasing the burning of available carbohydrate and fatty acids.

Peppermint oil is also effective at increasing energetic arousal like a pre-workout stimulant by acting directly on the central nervous system to wake you up; improving cognitive performance, and making the exercise feel easier; reduction in the “perceived physical workload”, and improved “pain responses”.

Some of the actual results from one of the studies …

“Our results revealed significant improvement in all of the 22 | AUSSIE MUS C L E GU RU

variables after oral administration of peppermint essential oil.

Experimental group compared with control group showed an incremental and a significant increase in the grip force (36.1%), standing vertical jump (7.0%), and standing long jump (6.4%). Data obtained from the experimental group after five minutes exhibited a significant increase in the forced vital capacity in the first second (FVC1) (35.1%), peak inspiratory flow rate (PIF) (66.4%), and peak expiratory flow rate (PEF) (65.1%).”

Peppermint oil for fat loss

Have you noticed how peppermint oil can make things feel extra cold?

Like after inhalation of peppermint oil a deep breath or drinking cold water can feel extra cold and invigorating; or after application of a topical liniment containing peppermint oil the area can go from an immediate hot to cold.

Peppermint oil can trick your nerves into thinking you are exposed to cold and in response trigger a thermogenic response to heat you up. This thermogenic response burns fat to generate this heat.

To be more specific/scientific; peppermint is a central nervous

system stimulant and can induce lipolysis to liberate free fatty acids during exercise by a very novel mechanism via activation of TRPM8 thermoregulatory receptors. Even when not exposed to cold or feeling cold; menthol produces an increase in oxygen consumption and enhances non-shivering thermogenesis and lipolysis. Through this mechanism peppermint oil enhances lipolysis, thermogenesis and fatty acid oxidation.

So you will probably be seeing a lot more of peppermint and in particular peppermint oil creeping from the health food stores and grocery stores into your local sports supplement store as the science into its performance enhancing and fat burning properties gains traction with formulators and manufacturers as it hits mainstream media. What I really love about this sort of good news is that it is a good healthy herb with a lot of beneficial effects, where toxicity is low and it is nice and safe and for a change it even tastes good. In a world full of legal and illegal highs and a supplement industry dominated by big pharma it is exciting to see a humble herb get the scientific investigations to find these new applications.

© Arne9001 | Dreamstime.com

“

Do your research and don’t palm off information

which is contrary to what you want to hear.

24 | AUSSIE MUS C L E GU RU

”

o you might be thinking what on earth does this have to do with bodybuilding. But please be patient. Over the three decades that I’ve been involved in resistance training and bodybuilding, I have seen the recurring trend of people involved in the pursuit of bettering their physiques blindly following the popularist methods and ideologies of the time. Mainly following what certain champions or elite do, but either not meeting their growth and development potentials, or far worse, case of accruing a number of debilitating or career ending injuries.

So horses for courses in this context basically means do what’s suitable for your structural make up and goals. In the 90s everyone was trying to do what the pros of that and the previous eras were doing. Exercises such as behind the neck presses with huge weights, throwing around barbells in upright rows, bashing down pulldown attachments to their necks and lots of other fun counter indicated exercises such as around the worlds, Arnold presses etc. etc. left many with rotator cuff and neck problems. Now you may be one that will say I’ve done these and I never had any problems. Well you are one of the lucky ones with a structure that allows for these movements.

For most performing exercises with a natural plane was, and is, a better option.

In the mid to late 90s, there was a period where using movements that were most productive for

S

loading the muscles became the trend with the involvement of stable movements on optimally designed machines. This seemed to be the popular view of most trainers and athletes. The physiques of this era also seemed to be considered the best by most enthusiasts, and more thought was put into training techniques than previously.

Enter the naughties, the trend of this era was the introduction of the power building philosophy and much of this has remained in the sport to this date. With many of the top pros following the leader and performing powerlifting exercises and techniques to achieve ultimate mass. However the risk to rewards ratio was again increased with many trying to imitate the training volume and loads of their idols. Now don’t get me wrong, the three big lifts are essential in building strength and improving neuroglial signalling, but are they essential for muscle growth? If performed properly in a natural biomechanical motion then the answer is yes. That is if your structure is suited to these movements or if you are guided in the right direction to perform these exercises correctly. If not, the athlete can put tremendous load on joints and attaching tissues, causing chronic wear and tear injuries, or acute injuries, such as tears and strains, to slipped discs. Especially when performing these exercises on maximum loads.

In my opinion, no beginner should ever start off by performing these movements under load until they are absolutely familiar with the movements, and have built

HORSES FOR COURSES AU SSI E MU S C L E G UR U | 25

© Nemanja Mandić | Dreamstime.com

up muscular control and strength with ancillary movements. Learning to perform these lifts from an experienced professional will help to find ways to perform these movements in a plane that suits their biomechanics making these exercises much more beneficial.

Again is it absolutely necessary to perform these exercises to make optimal muscular gains? I believe not. If you’re spending more time on each rep trying to keep balance and not being able to put your working muscles under a load which gives optimum development and strength, or you have sheering forces on your joints and connective tissues, then an alternative movement or angle is definitely a better choice.

Now in current day with the popularity of social media and training and competing for the LIKES, we see more and more ridiculous movements in the gym. Gurus advocating exercises which, to anyone familiar with biomechanics and human movement, would realise are totally counter indicative and unproductive.

The lying side on single 45 * leg press, the seated side on machine chest press, the smith machine vertical leg press and smith machine glute kickbacks are to name only a few of the popular innovative exercises which are ineffective and likely to cause more injuries then results. Combine these

own experience but don’t blindly follow this because others do. If you see an exercise or a training method you aren’t familiar with but find interesting, a few factors to look out for are; does it give you pain when you perform it? and I don’t mean a muscle burn but sharp sheering pain in joints or shooting nerve pain.

If so don’t perform it.

Seek out an experienced trainer to help inform you about whether you are performing it wrong or is it actually a counterproductive movement. Do your research and don’t palm off information which is contrary to what you want to hear. Also most training articles are written by ghost writers for the magazines and online articles. Seldom do these athletes perform these workouts or volume of training. So don’t believe everything you read… watch. For optimal growth and development focus on your nutrition and consume bio available (better absorbed) protein sources and healthy carbohydrate sources…….. but let’s leave that for next time.

“In the 90s everyone was trying to do what the pros of that and the previous eras were doing.”

26 | AUSSIE MUS C L E GU RU

with back squats that look like a bad good morning and you have a recipe for disaster.

So in my humble opinion, pick what training methodologies and movements suit your body.

Pick movements that have a high reward to risk ratio, and ones that allow you to put the most load on the targeted muscle, without excessive sheering forces on joints and connective tissue, and don’t just follow the trends. Of course play around and try different methods and exercises for your

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ANTICIPATION International Protein co-director Troy Bremner started work on the International Protein booth about 9 months before the event. Due to the large crowds at the first Arnold, a lot of stress was placed on the booth structure. Troy recognised that as much as we loved our booth, the structure couldn’t cope with all the weight of people pressing up against the walls, so a new stronger design was required. We decided to keep the same basic layout of the booth, the 3 main towers with the smaller front blocks. This design allows visitors feel welcome to enter the booth to view our products, talk with our staff and athletes, and of course take photos, all without getting pushed or moved on by the flow of people outside the booth.

So with our new solid built structure came a greater storage space (more samples to give away!) and more area for signage which was the perfect opportunity to show off the bold International Protein graphics and stunning ‘larger than life’ athlete images.

Behind the scenes

INTERNATIONAL PROTEIN 28 | AUSSIE MUS C L E GU RU

THE EXPO

Finally the weekend of the event arrived. This really is a fabulous event as many of our sponsored athletes attend to compete, work or just visit the show, so it’s an opportunity for the team to meet up in person and support those Team IP members who are competing.

The Australian Arnold Sports Festival is that one event on the Australian Fitness Industry calendar each year that EVERYONE attends so you know you’re going to catch up with all the people you’ve met over the years in different gyms, at different competitions or even ones you worked with or studied with… or even the kids of people you’ve known… who have all found their way to fitness.

Each year I look forward to the familiar faces who come to take ‘this year’s picture’ with me, I love watching their children grow (literally) from year to year, and it’s always a pleasure to meet the people who have got into or got back into fitness in the last 12 months and are attending the Festival for the first time.

This year we had quite a new team for the expo, with Elle and Benson making their first appearances on the International Protein booth, along with Alisa, our ever energetic promotional sample giver. Deanne took the lead in organizing the team and made sure the booth was well staffed and everything ran smoothly.

Each year the event has a different feel, and within that, each day brings a different type of public, but no Arnold would be the same without International Protein’s USA based bodybuilder, and Aussie Muscle Guru contributor, Branden Ray. Branden has been to the last 3 of these events and has built a solid Aussie fan base for his unique and informative training clips on Instagram, brandenmray.

Branden is as much an entertainer off stage as he is on… with his booming New York accent, he draws a crowd and has some fun running various physical challenges for the young guys wanting to win an iconic International Protein t-shirt!

It seemed appropriate too, that after nearly two years as an idea, and about 6 months of writing, editing, choosing the order, choosing photos, and basically

“bringing everything together”, the FIRST EVER EDITION of AUSSIE MUSCLE GURU was launched at the Arnold Sports Festival.

Having never produced a full scale magazine there was a lot of learning and patience that went into creating this magazine, something which I personally was so proud to

be able to hand out to interested show goers. Feedback has been great, and something we never considered, people asking how they subscribe to the magazine to ensure they don’t miss an edition.

If you are interested, email salesmanagement@internationalprotein for details.

THE 2016 ARNOLD SPORTS FESTIVAL March 18 – 20 2016 saw the return of the Arnold Australia Sports Festival for the second time to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Taking over from FitX, this major 3 day sports, nutrition and fitness extravaganza made its debut as an “Arnold” event in 2015, and as expected was a massive success, so it was highly anticipated this year’s event would be bigger and even more grandiose.

AU SSI E MU S C L E G UR U | 29

THE WOMEN LEE-ANNE

After her 3rd place in the Women’s Physique Division (WPD) at the Amateur Olympia in November 2015, IP was quick to sponsor Lee-Anne Temnyk.

Lee-Anne not only took out the WPD Open this weekend, but gained her IFBB Pro Card, joining fellow IP athlete Louise White in the IFBB Pro Ranks as Australia’s two most recent IFBB Pro’s in the WPD division. Congratulations Lee-Anne, we look forward to being an integral part of your support crew as you journey into this next phase of your career. You can follow Lee-Anne too on Instagram, lee_annetemnyk.

CHLEO

Aussie Muscle Guru specialist strength writer Chleo Van Wyk achieved something no woman had ever done before. As a powerlifter, she lifted a combined total of 625kg, making her Australia’s all time strongest ever female power lifter! Chleo knows her craft and puts her body where her mouth is and backs up her teachings with incredible feats of strength. After her amazing achievement Chleo spent Sunday at the booth meeting fans and giving out tips and advice to fellow lifters and the incredulous public. For more evidence of Chleo’s strength and hard work, check out her IG chleo_v_wyk.

LEIGH

Leigh Holland-Keen has been sponsored by International Protein for years. IP has watched her grow from a determined strong young girl to a very successful, very strong, confident and even more determined young woman. Leigh took 2nd place in the Australian Strong Woman event. Leigh keeps everyone up to date with her training and progress via Instagram, leigh.keen, and prepared for this all while studying for her nursing degree.

I always enjoy catching up with Leigh and her Mum at these events and can’t wait to hear how Leigh does at the Arnold South Africa.

ANNE

If you’ve been drooling over the latest recipes in Aussie Muscle Guru… think of our athlete Anne Tran. Anne is the creative genius behind many of the delicious protein recipes featured in the magazine. Anne shares a lot of her food creations (and contest pics) on her Instragram anne_t_fitness, but she had to take a small break from her recipe creating while she dieting down for the Ms Figure competition, but it paid off with Anne taking 2nd place in the Open Figure under 161cm (yes, she’s a pocket dynamo with calves nearly as big as mine).

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THE ATHLETES

This year 7 International Protein sponsored athletes competed in events over the 3 days of the expo, taking out placings in a variety of events from amateur bodybuilding, women’s figure and physique, Strong Woman and Powerlifting events.

2016 Arnold Classic Australia International Protein Athletes Results

Chleo Van Wyk Australia’s all time strongest female powerlifter. Lifted a combined total of 625kg

Leigh Holland-Keen 2nd Place Australian Strongwoman

Lee-Anne Temnyk Women’s Physique Open & IFBB Pro Card

Anne Tran 2nd Place - Figure Open under 161cm Amateur

Pedro Relvas 4th Place U80kg Men’s Bodybuilding Amateur

Benson Milgate 2nd place O 100kg Men’s Bodybuilding Super Heavyweight Amateur

Harry Vlahos 6th place O 100kg Men’s Bodybuilding SuperHeavyweight Amateur

THE MEN

The male International Protein athletes were well represented in the amateur bodybuilding at the Arnold Classic.

PEDRO

Pedro Relvas, known as wolfpepe on his Instagram, is a unique athlete in that he has to take all of his nutrition via a PLG (feeding tube) to his stomach.

International Protein met Pedro back in 2009 and immediately sponsored him to help Pedro get top quality nutrition. Pedro would be one of the most “competed” athletes we have in bodybuilding…. Every year, every season, Pedro is on stage, making improvements, moving up weight classes. This year Pedro took 4th in the U80kg men’s bodybuilding.

BENSON

Victorian Sales Rep for International Protein by day and social media bodybuilder extraordinaire at all other times, Benson Milgate, or benothebison as he is known to his some 15,000 Instagram and FB fans, had a massive weekend, taking 2nd place in the big mans’ class, the O100kg Super Heavyweight mens’ bodybuilding. Benson shared his journey into this show, and made impressive changes from the previous year and even from a few weeks earlier at the qualifier, but beating the competitor who had placed ahead of him there.

HARRY

This editions’ feature athlete Harry Vlahos (check him out on Page 12) also took the stage in the O100kg Super Heavyweights. Harry is also a heavily titled and active competitor, not to mention heavily muscled! Harry was one of the most muscled guys in the class taking 6th place this time around.

Harry is a very knowledgeable man who shares his knowledge on Instragram as big_harry.vlahos

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A good complex multi-vitamin first & foremost, amplified by an iron & calcium additive to help with the added strain from continuous heavy lifting combined with our high protein diet that tends to drain calcium during that extra digestion cycle.

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T I DO

I don’t really count protein as a supplement, I consider it a staple part of my daily diet, so I won’t mention it here. When it comes to non-protein supplements, I do consider a lot to be essential to maintaining my health and preventing illness.

My number 1 essential supplement is International Protein Glutamine. If you can only afford 1 supplement, make sure you choose glutamine (not a pre-trainer!)

Other essential supplements; Krealkalyn (on training days), Amino Recovery (on training days) Vitamin C, “Berrocca” (B Vitamins), Co Enzyme Q 10, Kelp (for thyroid support), Liver Support formula, Magnesium complex, Evening Primrose oil (very important for us over 40’s as a source of GLA), Fish Oil (I take as a liquid).

Other supplements I find essential at different times are joint support formulations (MSM, chondroitin), Tumeric (anti-inflammatory).

BRANDEN RAY:

Well for me, in order to look good and feel good on the outside you must look and feel good on the inside.

Bodybuilders are very routine when it comes to training and diet. Because I eat the same meals every day, I take a multi vitamin to cover essential vitamins that may lack in my diet.

Now digestion health is extremely important, especially with the amount of food that we consume to grow. I make sure to take probiotics and digestive enzymes which can prevent issues like leaky gut.

Joint and bone health is also essential so I make sure to take Hyaluronic acid and fish oil for my joints and d3 2000 for strong bones.

Recovery is essential for growth and most recovery is done during a good night’s rest. At bedtime I take ZMA and melatonin and of course my M-Casein by International Protein.

Now the one supplement that I take throughout the day and can’t live without is my Amino Recovery, not only for health reasons but because it makes it easier for me to take in the fluids that I need for the day and it just taste so damn good!

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Q1.

What supplements do you consider essential to take on a daily basis?

ANN TITONE:

I always need my quiet time to find “my place” where I can concentrate on my presentation. The most important thing to me before stepping on stage is calling my mommy and having her pray for me.

TA MARTIN:

I know getting fully prepped to be big AND bone dry at the same time is super taxing both physically, emotionally and mentally draining... physique comes in smaller with less conditioning so it’s not as rough doing multiple shows.

Either way, the mental battle is won first, fully acknowledging that a certain amount of sacrifice is a big part of the process... making a conscious decision to embrace the suffering for a set amount of time (8 weeks, 12 weeks, etc.) Makes it a fun & inspiring journey of selfreliance.

CHRISTINE ENVALL:

Mental preparation for comp day starts the moment I decide which comps I am doing. Making sure I have my prep mapped out from Day 1 puts my mind at rest.

I know if I am doing everything I can to look the way I should, I will have confidence on stage.

Getting closer to the show I like to know all the key times; competitor meeting, tanning, make-up/hair, pre-judging, finals… and from the running order so I can estimate when I’ll be on stage and from there work out when certain things need to take place to peak accurately.

Things often deviate from the planned time, but having a plan is what prepares me mentally, as a plan can always be modified to suit conditions… no plan means having to make it up as you go and more chance of losing track or being too re-active which causes stress.

The final part of my mental preparation is visualisation. I like to run through my posing routine in my head, think about my presentation on stage, and even my pump up sequence… running through the entire day in my head helps me prepare.

BRANDEN RAY:

Q2.

How do you mentally prepare for Comp Day?

Well I’m never the type to get nervous. I was an athlete growing up and I loved the biggest stage and the pressure moments. I always felt that it was my time to create my legacy. This is my moment and I want to own it.

This mindset allows you to be composed and slow things down. I often hear from people whom have anxiety, that everything was a blur. I prefer to live in the moment.

Some people prefer heavy music to pump them up.

Because I want to slow everything down, I actually listen to music that mellows me out. Michael Jordan was known for doing this as well. Now this isn’t for everyone of course, but I want to chill because being chill is juxtaposed to being confident.

I keep music in my ear from the moment that I wake up, posing right away, eating, then kicking my feet up. Now after pre-judging I usually keep my posing routine music in my ear and usually watch sports on tv because seeing professionals do their respective jobs gives me motivation to go in front of an audience and handle my business!

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Q3.

What is the hardest/most difficult thing for you in the last week before your show?

ANN TITONE:

*Deciding what to eat after the show But seriously, posing is just as important as building your physique.

You can become a work of art but if you don’t present it well no one will see the quality of the creation.

TA MARTIN:

The hardest part toward the end is maintaining ALL THE WAY to the final finish, holding off on those appetizing rewards on the last push!

CHRISTINE ENVALL:

Sitting still! I’m a very active person… I do find it hard to slow down particularly the last few days when I need to let my body fill back up. Knowing when to back off the cardio and training and let the magic happen is as much a discipline as training itself.

Another difficult thing for me is the carb-up… it takes a lot to fill up my muscles and I struggle to put enough food in. I find eating tedious after a while so I need to use the same discipline that gets me out of bed to do cardio each day to push through and get the carbs in. I note that this has only become difficult as I’ve aged!

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BRANDEN RAY:

The hardest part of the final week is not the actual final week. I’ll explain.

I believe that whether you prep for 16 weeks or even 12 weeks, that’s 90-120 days to prepare for two days. This is ample time to take care of all of the things outside of the gym like travel arrangements, etc.

With this taken care of weeks before the final week, a lot of unnecessary stress outside of training, cardio, and eating is eliminated.

Now the same principle applies to the physical elements of your prep that I previously listed. You’ve had 90-120 days to prepare for 2 days. If every second of cardio is completed, every meal completed, and every workout you gave your all, no stones will be left unturned your final week.

I believe that you should be ready to step on stage minus some water going into your final week. All of the hard work was done during the weeks and months of prep. So the only difficult thing for me the last week is to control the excitement of presenting my final product to the stage. How do I accomplish this, refer back to question 2

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WHICH PRODUCT

? e m r o f t s e b s

i

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When faced with a wall of products at your local supplement store it can be confusing to know just which is the best one for you. It can take hours to read the labels of every product in the store (if you have that much time), and even though the sales assistant does everything they can to help make your choice easier, sometimes it’s best to do a little research first to determine which type of product is best for you. To make product selection easier we’ve highlighted the benefits of each of our products and given a suggestion as to what type of person might use it. As you will see, the same product can be suited to a few different uses or types of activities.

The bottom line is that whichever International Protein product you choose you can be sure you are getting a quality product without any gimmicky ingredients that don’t work.

Iso-cuts is a protein powder supplement with added thermogenic ingredients to help speed up fat burning for improved weight loss and to provide an energy lift which is useful when dieting. The combination of ingredients also helps provide a feeling of fullness (satiety) to help curb appetite while trying to lose or even maintain healhty weight.

Taking pure Whey Protein Isolate (WPI), which is naturally high in bioactive protein peptides for lean muscle growth, but very low in carbohydrates and contains virtually no fat, helps to eliminate excess calories from your protein supplementation and makes the perfect protein base for a ‘fat burning’ protein supplement.

The high quality WPI allows you to build and retain lean muscle while losing bodyfat when following a calorie controlled diet, but add to that active dosages of three key and well known weight loss ingredients and you have a powerful thermogenic protein.

Three serves of ISO-CUTS provides scientifically researched dosages of EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate), Hydroxycitric Acid (HCA) and Caffeine for thermogenesis, increased fat burning and reduced fat storage, allowing for effective weight and body composition management.

Teavigo®Green Tea, as an ingredient, has been scientifically researched, and is a concentrated source of the catechin EGCG for enhanced metabolism and fat oxidation. Teavigo® provides the best of Green Tea in its purest form.

Green Tea works synergistically with Caffeine and L-Carnitine for optimal fat burning. Teavigo® also provides antioxidant activity in the removal of free radicals.

Garcinia Cambogia (Hydroxycitric Acid) has a powerful 3 phase action on weight management. 1. Reduces the storage of excess carbohydrates as bodyfat by inhibiting the ATP-citrate lyase enzyme, 2. Suppresses appetite by increasing the body’s production & reserves of glycogen, 3. Alleviates fatigue by diverting carbs to glycogen for energy production.

Green Coffee Extract (Caffeine) provides a natural source of caffeine which works synergistically with Green Tea to help increase fat burning and energy expenditure. Caffeine can help improve energy levels for more intense workout performance leading to greater calorie burning.

While those powerful ingredients promote fat burning and other key processes to help improve body composition, four (4) other critical nutrients L-Carnitine, Choline, Inositol and Chromium support their actions.

L-Carnitine plays a critical role in energy production; without it fat burning can’t occur! Carnitine transports long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria (muscle cells’ “power plants”) so they can be oxidized (“burned”) to produce energy. Carnitine may also spare glycogen levels during exercise allowing for better endurance.

Choline & Inositol are lipotropic agents which work synergistically in the transport and metabolism of fats which help reduce the accumulation of fat in the liver. Choline also assists in the retention of L-Carnitine in the body.

Chromium is a micro-mineral that is essential for proper carbohydrate metabolism. It helps improve glucose utilisation and may help to reduce appetite, particularly sugar and carbohydrate cravings. ISO-CUTS uses chromium polynicotinate, the safest and best absorbed form of chromium.

Often when people follow restricted diets it can be hard to get all the micro nutrients needed to maintain optimal health, so to help improve and support general health, ISO-CUTS also contains 12 essential vitamins plus zinc and iron.

ISO-CUTS is suitable for people of any activity level but it works better when combined with an exercise program to support lean muscle retention.

Dieting without weight bearing exercise can lead to a loss of lean mass as well as bodyfat. ISO-CUTS is also great if you are trying to maintain a healthy weight but your metabolism is a little slower than it used to be.

This anabolic weight gainer is an energy rich supplement that provides quality proteins, muscle sparing carbohydrates, fast burning medium chain triglycerides (MCT) oils, and poly and monounsaturated fats from vegetable oils. Extreme Mass provides the same superior blend of proteins as Protein Synergy 5.

There is a constant supply of high quality proteins due to the unique absorption rates of the whey, egg and casein proteins; providing an anabolic environment for muscle development and repair. There is no compromise in quality of proteins for the addition of kilojoules. Each serve provides nearly 1800kJ of energy, making it easier to consume the energy needed for optimal lean weight gain. MCT oils provide a direct energy source for the body and in a sense mimic the action of carbohydrates. They are helpful in gaining lean mass as they provide an increase in energy intake without adding body fat as they are metabolised differently to other saturated fats. The addition of muscle sparing carbohydrates provides a fuel source for working muscles and enables the protein for muscle growth, whilst minimising fat gains. This formulation provides fast and slow release energy and proteins to maximise high intensity training programs, improving recovery and increasing energy intake to increase lean weight gain.

This supplement is ideal for athletes and non-athletes who require an increase in lean muscle mass, whilst minimising fat gains.

EXTREME MASS

ISO-CUTS

Extreme Mass has the benefits of providing a nutrient profile similar to a balanced meal.

This makes a great energy controlled snack for people on weight management plans, hard gainers and team sports such as football and rugby, and athletes that have high energy requirements through activity.

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A growing body of scientific evidence indicates whey proteins deliver important physiological benefits for consumers seeking superior physical performance and recovery. International Protein Amino Charged WPI provides the consumer with the highest quality whey protein isolates (WPI). WPI contain the highest concentration of proteins (90% or higher), are extremely low in fat, carbohydrates and lactose. These type of proteins are easily digested and rapidly absorbed for faster recovery and energy during training. This product is further enhanced with the addition of whey peptides. The hydrolysation of WPI into di and tri peptides allows for ultra-rapid absorption to stimulate the muscle repair and building pathways. WPI also contains high levels of branched chain amino acids (BCAA); leucine, isoleucine and valine. Leucine is especially important in stimulating muscle protein synthesis pathways to accelerate muscle building and repair processes post workout. This product is very beneficial to consume pre and post workout to support the maintenance of lean muscle mass and aid recovery. The immune system is also supported with WPI consumption and this can be very important in preventing a decline in health due to over training. As a good source of the amino acids cysteine and methionine, these amino acids play a role in maintaining the antioxidant levels in the body. The addition of L-arginine and L-glutamine to International Protein’s amino charged WPI sets it above other ordinary WPIs due to the higher concentration of arginine. Arginine along with lysine (also high in WPI) is thought to stimulate growth hormone, a potentially beneficial response for bodybuilders and the casual gym enthusiast as this hormone is a stimulator of muscle growth. Glutamine is important in preventing fatigue and over training in athletes, and plays a pivotal role in preventing muscle breakdown.

Amino Charged WPI is really well suited to people looking to improve exercise, training or athletic performance. It is a premium product for enhancing muscle recovery and muscle synthesis.

Trainers Choice can be enjoyed guilt free. This product has the taste of an indulgent dessert without the sugar and fat content. Perfect for men and women looking to lose weight and improve body composition.

Trainers Choice is an ideal supplement for women and men who are looking to improve body composition and weight loss but have trouble giving up the sweet sugary foods. This quality protein source tastes like an indulgent dessert, without the sugar and fat and is a source of calcium. As part of a balanced diet this protein supplement can aid in weight loss and improve body composition through helping to regulate your food intake and keeping you fuller for longer so your energy consumption is reduced.

TRAINERS choice

AMINO CHARGED WPI

Amino Charged WPI will greatly benefit everybody who trains and exercises, from the casual gym enthusiast, through to the elite level athlete. Perfect for a postworkout supplement that is rapidly absorbed and digested to refuel and rebuild muscles.

EXTREME CARBS

International Protein Extreme Carbs is a perfect blended supplement for endurance athletes to use as a pre workout carbohydrate beverage, post workout and as additional energy during carbohydrate loading regimes. This supplement is also beneficial for strength and bodybuilding athletes to replenish muscle energy stores and boost the recovery and muscle building process. Team sports and individual athletes of all sports would be able to reap the benefits of Extreme Carbs.

Extreme Carbs is an energy and glycogen recovery formula that provides a convenient source of fast and slow release carbohydrates. The mixture of glucose and fructose has been shown in recent studies to have additional benefits than glucose alone. The addition of fructose increases overall carbohydrate oxidation rates and has been shown to improve hydration due to increased amounts of water absorbed from the stomach. The addition of PromilinTM(4-hydroxy40 | AUSSIE MUS C L E GU RU

isoleucine) to this efficient energy replacement and recovery supplement further improves its function by supporting metabolism and transportation of glucose and carbohydrates into the muscle cells; this is important in for glycogen re-synthesis. PromilinTM has also been shown to have insulinotropic properties; therefore it has an effect on the production and stimulation of insulin (very powerful anabolic hormone). The neutral flavour of extreme carbs is designed for the benefit of

the consumer. It allows for easy mixing to individualise your energy replacement and recovery plan.

Extreme Carbs can be mixed with one of International Protein’s protein range to suit your sport and your specific needs. For example, an ideal recovery formula for an endurance athlete may be to combine International Protein Extreme Carbs and Superior Whey in a ratio of 4:1 (CHO: PRO). Approximately 1 1/2 serves of Extreme Carbs to 1 serve of Superior Whey.

M-Casein is the ultimate sports protein boasting natural nutritional attributes to help fuel workout energy and speed up post workout recovery packaged in a natural time release format that allows you to benefit while you sleep.

It is also ideal for night time use as it will continue to breakdown overnight, where a whey protein will be digested and stored well before morning.

Although not a nutritional attribute, but rather a physical attribute, M-Casein has a rich dessert texture. M-Casein is naturally thicker than WPI and mixes into a thicker, more dessert-like consistency. It can be used to make protein ‘pudding’ by adding half the recommended amount of liquid, or into a full bodied shake by using the recommended amount. It is very popular as a regular protein snack that fills you up. It’s also more suited to cooking applications than WPI, as it doesn’t break down in the cooking process if heat is applied.

Athletes performing at a higher level than the average fitness enthusiast should incorporate some M-Casein into their nutrition regime on a regular basis (preferably at night) to reap the specific performance related benefits of casein proteins.

M-CASEIN

M-Casein contains native (micellar) casein protein, which, unlike whey protein, has unique gelling properties during the digestion phase. This gelling process slows the rate of digestion which allows the proteins to be broken down to amino acids, which are absorbed over a sustained period of time (up to 7 hours) and in a very efficient manner, allowing for greater absorption of the protein ingested.

Casein has a different amino acid and mineral profile to whey protein, as you would expect. This is why casein is the true ‘sports’ protein… everything about it is designed to improve sports performance. It offers Natural Muscle Protection through its high levels of threonine, glutamine and arginine, the ‘glucogenic’ amino acids. These particular amino acids lend themselves to glucose production during exercise and may prevent muscle breakdown by providing a more convenient energy source for the working muscles. This is why Casein is termed an “anti-catabolic” protein… it actually minimises the breakdown of muscle, putting you one step closer to recovery by minimising the damage your body needs to repair.

Casein is also naturally high in L-Glutamine. About 20% of the amino acids in Micellar Casein are Glutamine to help spare muscle during training and improve recovery post workout.

Also key to athletic performance, Casein is naturally high in the minerals Calcium & Phosphorus. Calcium and Phosphorus work synergistically within the body.

Calcium: Is essential for efficient muscle contractions.

Phosphorus: Can help decrease lactic acid levels during training.

Phosphorus also produces high energy molecules such as ATP and Creatine Phosphate. These molecules power muscle contractions during weight training.

M-Casein offers increased amino acid absorption with its slow digestion and efficient absorption of these muscle sparing amino acids, helping keep the body in a positive nitrogen balance for maximal muscle growth and recovery.

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Protein Synergy 5 is a versatile supplement that is suitable for general users because of its sustained release of amino acids and good overall amino acid profile. The blend of proteins is also good for weight loss as you will remain fuller for longer. The combination of proteins provides a source of fast, medium and slow release proteins making it a perfect ingredient for muscle growth and night time consumption.

superior whey

PROTEIN SYNERGY 5

Proteins are all good but some are better than others and International Protein’s Protein Synergy 5 provides a constant supply of high quality proteins due to the unique absorption rates of the whey, egg and casein proteins. The combination of proteins provides fast, medium and slow release proteins that provide building blocks for every phase of muscle growth and development. Whey is essential in the bodybuilding world today because of its ability to be digested and absorbed very rapidly.

This allows the protein to become available for muscle building very quickly and is commonly used post workout to increase levels of amino acids in the blood, which is taken up by the muscles to ultimately increase mass. The high amounts of BCAAs in whey fuel the working muscles and stimulate protein synthesis. In particular, leucine plays a key role in initiating the pathways

Superior Whey is suited to high frequency users who are on a budget, just starting out, or the elderly looking for improved nutrition. This high quality protein supplement is the most economical, providing value for money in every serve.

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in protein synthesis and this may speed recovery and adaptation to exercise. The blend of whey protein isolates and concentrates in Protein Synergy 5 means there is an excellent amino acid profile and on top of the muscle building and recovery benefits, this whey protein blend works as an antioxidant to the boost the body’s immune system. The addition of micellar casein protein further enhances the benefits of this supplement. Casein protein is digested and absorbed much slower by the body, releasing protein and amino acids for a longer period of time, which reduces muscle breakdown. For optimal recovery the body needs a constant supply of nutrients, especially protein. Protein Synergy 5 has the perfect blend of whey, casein and egg protein to offer an original and complimentary profile of amino acids and absorption rates, helping to ensure that your muscles never

deplete of protein building blocks.

This supplement can improve your performance though increasing lean muscle mass, decreasing recovery times and faster muscle repair, and reducing post-work out muscle breakdown.

Protein Synergy 5 is the great ALL ROUNDER; it is an ideal supplement to take before bed or during the day for a sustained release of amino acids between meals. This protein supplement is also ideal for any weight loss program as the combination of proteins affect satiety factors, therefore helping with hunger and keeping you feeling full for longer.

The balanced amino acid profile also makes this a highly anabolic protein when combined with an exercise program designed to build muscle. So when you just want one protein for any occasion, Protein Synergy 5 should be your first choice.

Superior Whey provides a high-quality protein blend of whey isolates, concentrates and whey peptides. These proteins are easily digested and rapidly absorbed for faster recovery and energy during prolonged endurance events. Whey proteins contain high amounts of BCAAs which are important in the maintenance of muscle tissue and appear to preserve muscle glycogen, along with preventing muscle protein breakdown during exercise. The immune system is also supported with WPI consumption and this can be very important in preventing a decline in health due to over training. As a good source of the amino acids cysteine and methionine, these amino acids play a role in maintaining the antioxidant levels in the body. Addition of L glutamine to this product is important as it plays a role in preventing fatigue and over training in athletes, and plays a pivotal role in preventing muscle breakdown. Another benefit of L-glutamine in muscle maintenance is restoring muscle glycogen, which aids in recovery and performance.

International Protein Superior Whey is an ideal protein supplement for any level of endurance athlete. Its advanced formulation supports all the important physiological functions of an endurance athlete to be able to maintain a heavy training schedule. Superior Whey supports the immune system function, facilitates muscle recovery and aids energy production for hard training and sport. People who require frequent supplementation will also benefit as this products provides value for money, as it is the most economical protein per serve. Research also shows the elderly population retains more lean tissue when using whey proteins compared to other protein sources making Superior Whey a great choice for older individuals.

Energy & Glycogen Recovery Formula Enhance post-workout glycogen synthesis and improve anabolic recovery with a convenient source of energy rich fast and slow release carbohydrates.

Natural flavour from leading International Protein stockists.

For more information email: ase info@international-protein.com Multi-Ph 1.8kg & 4.55kg pails/1.36kg Bags

•

Available online Click on your flag

ishment n e l p e R Glycogen Low GI Carbs • Higmhi&lin TM Enhanced • Pro • Gluten Free

www.international-protein.com

Don’t neglect what you can’t see!

As bodybuilders we give the wrong impression to others as we flex and pose in the mirror after a set.

What the onlookers do not realise is that we are not looking at how amazing we are. We are looking at what improvements we need to make because we are usually our toughest critics. This leads into why the back is so hard for many to develop; because we rarely see our own back.

Not being able to see our own back makes it a little harder to develop the connection needed for the back to grow because we cannot see how it’s contracting during a set of rows or how pumped it is after some lat pulldowns. As you climb the ranks and make it to the Pro level, you will quickly learn that all shows are won from the back. With the term “muscle maturity” being used frequently, no other body part shows muscle maturity than the back. It takes time to develop the density required to compete on the highest of levels.

The back is also the one body part where genetics play a significant factor in development. Lat insertions play a key role. Having lower lat insertions are highly coveted in the bodybuilding world.

Bodybuilders with wide clavicles or frames usually take a little longer to develop the density needed to be competitive. Bodybuilders with narrow clavicles or frames usually do not have as impressive a lat spread than someone with a wider structure so they are forced to compensate by adding more muscle to their delts to look wider.

The key to gaining this “muscle maturity” of the back is to gain maturity while training. It is being able to distinguish the difference between snatching and rowing. It’s knowing that adding one more plate will bring in your biceps too much rather than your back. It’s knowing that there are so many muscles that make up the back and that full development comes from being able to target each muscle.

is to keep your back straight and simply pull your elbows straight down. Leaning back like most people do will miss the lower twothirds of the lats. It turns the lat pulldown movement into a high row for your traps, rhomboids, rear deltoids. A subtle arch in your lower back is all that you need.

Rope pullovers on a high cable are great to pump even more blood in the lats. The key is to keep a tight arch in your back and a slight bend in your arms. Pull the rope to the sides of your waist in a kind of sweeping arc movement. You HAVE to go relatively light or else you will use more arms than lats.

hard to breath. I still recommend the upper torso being as close to parallel to the floor as possible.

Another tip is to use 25lbs. plates instead of 45lbs. plates. I know that it may not look as beastly as grunting and snatching or barely moving a bar loaded with big plates, but this is bodybuilding, not powerlifting. The smaller plates allow you to bend forward more and increase your range of motion.

Note: bring your shoulder blades together to contract your back, don’t just move the weight up and down with your biceps.

Barbell Rows – 4 sets 8-12 reps I see this exercise done wrong more than any other in the gym.

Guys attempt to row the weight that Dorian and Ronnie row and completely miss most of their back because their torso is too upright. Look at the old pictures of Arnold and Sergio doing barbell rows. Arnold would stand on a flat bench and bend over to the point where his upper torso is parallel to the floor. Bending over more will really bring those stubborn and often missed lower lats into play, especially when using a reverse grip. However, you will likely not come even close to the weights used by Ronnie Coleman. This is where maturity comes into play and sticking to what is working instead of feeding your ego or showing off for others in the gym.

The movement is simple, feet about shoulder width or closer which will take pressure off of the lower back.

With your knees slightly bent and torso almost parallel to the floor, and lower back slightly arched, row the bar up to your waist. You DO NOT have to go up in weight each set. The key is control during reps. *To help with my control during this movement I actually prefer doing my rows on the smith machine.

BACK DAY

Lat Pulldowns (to the front)- 3 sets 15, 12, 10 reps super-set with rope cable pullovers3 sets 10 reps This superset for your lats will fire them up and put so much blood in them. The key to the lat pulldowns 44 | AUSSIE MUS C L E GU RU

T-bar rows 3 sets 8-10 reps I prefer the T-bar rows either the old school way with the bar in the corner of the gym with a v-grip handle or if you’re lucky and your gym has the T-bar row that’s screwed into the floor even better.

I’m simply not a fan of the padded 60 degree T-bar row because the angle is too high and having your chest on the pad can make it

Shrugs superset with wide grip pulldowns 3 sets 10-12 reps I know that this seems like an odd super-set, but what people forget is that the traps run down the upper middle of your back and tie into the rhomboids. The entire upper back gets flexed when we hit our rear double bicep pose. The wide grip lat pull downs simulate that movement. With a slight lean back bring the bar down to the top of your chest and your will feel your entire upper back contract. This superset will add a lot more density and detail to your upper back. Note: pull from the lats not with your arms.

Deadlifts 3 sets 6-10 reps A top professional power-lifter once asked me, “Why do you bodybuilders try crazy heavy deadlifts for multiple reps...that’s dangerous? We (power-lifters) do them for a 1 rep max.” This question gets right to my opinion of deadlifts.

They are great for overall back development especially to thicken the spinal erectors and lower back, but bodybuilders, you are playing with fire trying to deadlift for sets of 2-3 reps or even one rep max at the end of a gruelling back workout.

Stick to the weight that allows you 6-10 reps at least. Trying to do multiple reps with what should be your one rep max is extremely dangerous. If you have to pause in the bottom position after each rep and regather yourself for another rep you are subjecting your back to a lot of damage. Repetitions should be as continuous as any other muscle that you are training.

Stopping at the bottom while you are still strapped around the bar and then trying another rep will transfer much of the resistance to your spine because the muscle has now

relaxed and is not ready for another explosive rep. Rack deadlifts are great for bodybuilders and does not take away from you being ‘hardcore’.

It will prevent your hips from expanding by eliminating your lower body in the movement. Reps should be controlled at all times as well.

Machines 2 sets 10-12 reps I love back day because you have the most machines to play with.

Some of my favourites are the reverse grip pullover machine and reverse grip low row machine which are great for the lower lats. I always incorporate one of these machines for isolation of the lats.

by Branden Ray

Back Workout I.

•

II. Barbell Rows

• 3 sets 8-12 reps

• 3 sets 8-10 reps IV. Shrugs supersetted with wide grip pulldowns • 3 sets 10-12 reps V. Machines Pullover or Rows (Cable) • 2 sets 10-12 reps VI. Deadlifts • 3 sets 6-10 reps III. T-bar rows

Back Day

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Lat Pulldowns 3 sets 15, 12, 10 reps superset with rope cable pullovers 3 sets 10 reps

GROW A BACK

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How to Prepare

Powerlifting Comp

o d o t t Wha o d o t t o n t - Wha Programming

Powerlifting in Australia - where are we now?

The sport of Powerlifting has never been so popular in Australia.

Numbers at local, unsanctioned comps that were previously small are spilling over the edges. With each year, national events are growing bigger and better. Finding a competition has never been easier.

Competing is fun. However, when you’re brand new to a sport, it’s easy to make simple mistakes that can put a damper on your first competition experience. This article is a quick rundown on how to prepare for your first competition and what to expect.

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Okay, so you’ve found a competition to work towards, now you need to start training for it. It’s easy to get lost in a sea of programming advice and it can be confusing knowing how to approach your training.

Plugging ‘Powerlifting program’ into a search engine is going to unleash a world of conflicting ideas and confusion – periodisation, volume, intensity, Sheiko, Smolov, 5 x 5, Westside, 531, Cube – the list goes on and on and on. Let me let you in on a little secret … programming is not a magic trick. There’s not necessarily a right or wrong, but there is better and worse.

For new lifters, generally, a linear program with progression in weights and regression in reps across its lifespan will yield great results. How you program will depend on your training history, level of experience, current strength level and goals.

So even though programming will differ between individuals, there are a few key points that should remain constant, regardless: It’s important that your program has you practicing the big 3 lifts (squats, bench press and deadlifts) every week.

Your accessory training should be simple and compliment the big 3. Here are some of the common accessories I use with my lifters: For squats/deadlifts: deficit deadlifts (no more than 6cm deficit), front squats, GHR, abs (performed with a rigid torso), pause squats, lunges, etc.

For bench press: rows (wide grip, pull to the chest, not stomach), close grip bench press, overhead press, skull crushers, lat pulldowns, curls, abs.

Rest! It’s important to have rest days so you can recover enough to complete your programmed numbers in the next session, with good technique.

Deload. Taking the week before the competition off any hard training is important to be fully recovered to perform at your best on the day.

Within a week of the competition, you shouldn’t be lifting anything above 70% of your 1RMs. Allow at least 3 full days of rest before the competition.

for Your First Training Technique is going to play a huge part in dictating your progress and ultimately performance on the day. Regardless of how your technique looks, it’s important that it conforms to the rules. You should train the big 3 the way you compete. If you’re unsure of the technical rules of the competition you’re entering, check with the meet director and they will fill you in. The two major federations in Australia have their technical rules published online: IPF (Powerlifting Australia) www.powerliftingaustralia.com/ipf-rules-approved-list/ GPC Australia www.gpcaustralia.com/index.php/downloads Both major federations have the same rules on the major technical points, so it’s important to replicate them in your training. Here are the main points to take note of:

Squat depth Contrary to popular belief, both major federations have exactly the same rule for squat depth – “until the top surface of the legs at the hip joint is lower than the top of the knees”. This will be the same for most unsanctioned comps. There are no mirrors in competitions and watching your depth in a mirror is misleading. Face away from a mirror if you can. Film yourself from the side and get the feel of what it’s like to hit the correct depth.

Pausing bench on the chest This is probably the most commonly misunderstood rule. There is no specific time that the bar must be paused on the chest for. Both major federations and most unsanctioned comps have the same ruling for when you will get the command to press – when the bar is motionless on the chest. So if you bring the bar down to your chest and it is unstable and moving, you won’t get a press call until you stop. If the bar continues to sink into your chest once it touches, you won’t get a press call until it stops. How long the press call takes is totally up to you. It’s important that once you receive the press call, you don’t sink the bar further into your chest to gain momentum or a spring effect, as any downward motion of the bar after the press call will result in the lift not being passed.

Locking out and putting down deadlifts In the deadlift, there is only one command, and it is given once your knees, hips and shoulders are locked and you are standing tall.

It’s common for lifters to push their hips forward so hard at the top of a deadlift that their knees become unlocked. Once you receive the down call, you are required to put the bar down with control. This rule is simple, but confusing. You don’t have to put it down like the floor is glass. You just need to return it to the floor without purposely slamming it down. If you let go of the bar before it hits the ground, the lift won’t pass. So practice holding onto the bar for an extra second or two once it hits the ground and you’ll be fine.

AU SSI E MU S C L E G UR U | 47

© Alexander Lukatskiy | Dreamstime.com

1.

2.

3.

4

Sink your squats in training. Film from the side or have someone watch to make sure you always hit depth.

Pause your bench pressing. Get in the habit of pausing every single rep, from warm-up, to top weights.

Lock out your deadlifts and control them down.

Remember, you only do 1 rep for each attempt in your competition. With deadlifts, that means pulling from the floor. That said, don’t touch’n’go your deadlifts. Pull each rep from a dead stop.

Allow enough rest between sets to perform your next set without technical breakdown. In competition, you may have upwards of 15 minutes between attempts, so it’s good to get used to longer rest periods.

48 | AUSSIE MUS C L E GU RU

Competition Day - Bringing it all together Okay, you’ve put in your work, you’ve finished your program and the day has finally rolled around to compete. How the day will run will be dependent on the size of the meet and how the director decides to run it. I won’t get into too much detail about how comps run, but I’ll give you a general idea, so you know what to expect.

The comp will run in the order of squats, bench press then deadlifts.

You will have 3 attempts at each lift, split into 3 rounds. Every lifter in your group or flight will take their first attempt, then their second, then their third, before moving on to warm up for the next lift.

So between attempts, you will potentially have 15-25 minutes (maybe more in a poorly run comp), depending on how quickly or slowly the comp is moving. If you’re used to having 1-2 minute rests, this will come as a big shock.

Choosing attempts One of the most common mistakes I see in the comps I run are poor attempt selections. In order to be eligible to place, you need to have a successful attempt in each of the disciplines. If it’s your first competition, the added pressure of performing, adhering to rules and the other million things running through your head can affect performance. No meet director wants to see a lifter bomb (fail all 3 attempts of one of the disciplines).

As a general rule of thumb for firsttimers, I suggest the following: Attempt 1: Something you can easily hit, any day of the week for a triple.

Attempt 2: Something you know you can get, close to your best.

Attempt 3: This is the money maker – go for a PB now that you’re comfortable in the environment and you know the crowd is behind you.

BUT, be willing to change your plan. If you miss your first attempt, take the same weight again. It’s not worth the risk of increasing the weight and missing the lift because it is now too heavy. If that happens, you may want to take a slightly bigger jump for your final attempt, which is fine. Just make sure you get a successful attempt on the board.

Warming up

Mindset

Conclusion

Another huge mistake I commonly see is in warming up. Treat warming up at a comp no different to warming up in the gym. Warm up how you normally do. Take similar jumps. Take a similar time frame. I teach my lifters to do most of their warming up in the lower end weight range, and then work up in singles.

Your last warmup should not be your opening attempt, it should be the weight you would do before that weight in the gym. Save your energy for the platform. If you’re unsure how long it will be before you’re lifting, ask the meet director.

Powerlifting is fun. Most of us compete in Powerlifting because we enjoy it. That doesn’t mean not to be serious, but for your first competition, you should be focusing on enjoying the sport for what it is. You never know who will be at your first competition, so the idea of winning shouldn’t be a priority.

At the end of the day, people care a lot more about the fact that you’re having a go than the weight you’re actually lifting. People applaud effort and guts, irrespective of what’s on the bar. Come, do your best, meet some awesome people and be part of arguably one of the most supportive sporting communities there is.

It’s really important on the day to focus on the next lift. If you miss a lift, forget it for the time being and focus on your next attempt.

Don’t let bad attempts cloud your thoughts. Stay focussed on the task at hand. You can reflect on the day after the day is done. Remember, Powerlifting is a sport. You can’t expect to walk onto a tennis court and be Hewitt. You get better at a sport by playing it. Your first competition is an opportunity for learning and experience.

So now you’re ready to compete, it’s just a matter of putting this all into practice. It’s easy enough to find a local, unsanctioned comp these days. PTC gyms are around the country and run them regularly – that would be your first point of call.

Otherwise, check the respective federations’ websites for their competition calendars.

One sure-fire way of taking the guess work out of competing is to get a good coach. A good coach will teach you the technique, give you practice with the rules, talk you through what the day will be like and be able to make a comp seem like another day in the gym for the most part. Choose a coach with plenty of competition experience.

Remember, competing is fun.

Get ready for the ride, you’ll have a blast. The Powerlifting community is a great one to be a part of. So I hope this information has helped, and on behalf of the Powerlifting community, welcome!

AU SSI E MU S C L E G UR U | 49

SPOTLIGHT ON 50 | AUSSIE MUS C L E GU RU

Natalie

dawson What do you do professionally?

Project Manager in Federal Government What division do you compete in?

IFBB Bikini Masters Tell us about your contest history – CONTEST HISTORY: November 2015 IFBB Amateur Olympia Australia Bikini Masters 1st place November 2015 IFBB Australian National Championships Bikini Masters 1st place

September 2015 IFBB Queensland Championships Bikini Masters 1st place July 2015 IFBB All Female Classic Qld Bikini Masters 1st place

March 2015 IFBB Gold Coast Classic Qld Bikini Masters 1st place What got you into competing/ what made you decide to compete?

I used to do lots of sports when I was younger and had a twelve year break from the gym while I had children. I was turning 40 and wanted to get fit again so I joined a local gym. After 12 months of

training I was improving my condition and noticed girls half my age were competing so I thought I would have a go. I spoke to an old friend and mentor who was a pro bodybuilder, the late Justin Rys (Big Kiwi) and he was extremely supportive. IFBB Pro Eliyan Lobez was my coach for my first two comps as I trained at her gym, Take Control Performance Facility, and she assisted with my prep.

COMPETITIVE GOAL: Compete in Qld Championships October 2016

Compete in Nationals in South Pacific/Oceania October 2016 (Qualify for Arnold Classic Australia 2017)

Compete in Arnold Classic Australia 2017 Compete in NZ Amateurs 2017

Compete in Arnold Classic South Africa 2017 What was the most memorable thing about your first show/ competition?

I had never been on stage before.

I loved the training, prepping food and getting stage ready however realised once I was backstage that I had stage fright. The lights were bright and I was so nervous. The head judge called out the quarter turns and I didn’t turn, neither did the lady beside me, I was frozen.

My friend from my gym was at the front of the stage and called out to me, which was enough to make me move. During the second round I gained more confidence and took out 1st place on the day.

Where do you train?

I now train locally at Go Health at Browns Plains. Previously I trained at Take Control Performance Facility and World Gym Southside.

How long have you been weight training?

I started training when I was 16 until 28 and stopped while my children were young. I started again at 40 and am 42 now.

Did you play other sports/other activities before bodybuilding?

I used to play touch footy and jujitsu.

What is your competitive goal – short term and long term?

Short Term – to continue my fitness journey, injury free.

Long term – to continue competing in the IFBB and motivate others to be fit and healthy.

Go into a bit of detail on the last show… how did you feel about the experience, describe your prep (training split, diet, cardio), were you happy with how you looked?

My last show was the Amateur Olympia Australia and Australian Championships in November 2015. I was a lot calmer and more experienced then my first comp as I had been on stage three times. My coach Andre Barrows guided me through my prep to be stage ready.

Comp prep consisted of fasted morning cardio, weights in the afternoon and then more cardio.

Andre mixed up my weight training and diet depending of what I needed to develop. I checked in with him regularly and spent time with him at his training facility at Bondi Icebergs leading up to the competitions. He refined my conditioning, posing and supported me each step of the way.

Shevon Gee of Fitness Beauty took care of my tan, hair and make up on the day and Nikolett Szegedi of Fit Angel Bikinis made the most beautiful costume. My partner, Gerald, helped me throughout the prep and backstage. I was happy with my presentation and enjoyed being backstage with the other athletes. To be able to achieve 1st place for the Amateur Olympia and Australian title was a dream come true.

Who inspires you?

My friend the late pro athlete Justin Rys (Big Kiwi). He loved the sport of bodybuilding and was positive in every way. He was so happy after my first comp and I wish he was here to share the experience as I know he would be so proud.

What motivates you?

My coach, Andre Barrows; my family Gerald, Alicia, Teimana, Great Aunty Mae and best friends Kiri and Bec. They always love and support me to be the best I can be.

What’s one supplement you can’t live without?

IP Glutamine.

Favourite ‘diet’ food?

My morning shake of International whey protein, oats, berries and cashews.

Favourite exercise?

Legs.

Favourite ‘cheat’ food?

Pizza.

AU SSI E MU S C L E G UR U | 51

What do you do professionally?

Business Manager for ALH Group What division do you compete in?

Men’s under 100kg Tell us about your contest history – CONTEST HISTORY: November 2015 IFBB Amateur Olympia Australia Top 5 Finalist 100KG November 2015 IFBB Australian National Top 4th – 100KG

October 2015 NSW Championships Novist – 100KG

GERALD

SCHLEBUSCH 52 | AUSSIE MUS C L E GU RU

What got you into competing/ what made you decide to compete?

I spent the last 7 years in the gym working on the body I desired all my life. My partner competes and she shared the experience of comp and show time with me. I instantly fell in love with the conditioning and discipline in walking out on stage.

Finally in 2015 I competed in my first show and loved the experience.

Now I am preparing for a very aggressive timeline to compete in several bodybuilding shows.

COMPETITIVE GOAL: Compete in Qld Championships October 2016

Compete in Nationals in South Pacific/Oceania October 2016 (Qualify for Arnold Classic Australia 2017)

Compete in Arnold Classic Australia 2017 Compete in NZ Amateurs 2017

Compete in Arnold Classic South Africa 2017

What was the most memorable thing about your first show/ competition?

The level of A-Game that my fellow competitors brought to the stage was insane. I always envisioned myself as an average size bodybuilder. Although in the stage line up I presented the best conditioning and realised I have a lot to offer as a modern age bodybuilder.

Where do you train?

My bodybuilding journey has always been complimented as a member of the World Gym family and cannot thank Mike, Nathan and Jon enough for the support over the years.

How long have you been weight training?

7 Years.

Did you play other sports/other activities before bodybuilding?

Rugby Union for a few years.

What is your competitive goal – short term and long term?

Short Term – to build my body in the bulking session to get as big as possible and to bring my A-Game to every comp I enter.

Long term – To become an ambassador to the sport of body building; completing the IFBB Judge certification; and to compete on stage for as long as I can walk onto stage.

Go into a bit of detail on the last show… how did you feel about the experience, describe your prep (training split, diet, cardio), were you happy with how you looked?

My last show was the Olympia Amateur Australia 2015. I knew that everyone was going to bring their A-Game to the stage and wanted to ensure I can stand my ground.

Under the direction and leadership of my very dear friend Mike Nysten we commenced an 18 week comp prep program. Aggressive dieting, hours of cardio (1 hour fasted cardio in the morning and 1 hour cardio before bed) and weight training (1 hour per day) and personal mentoring became the norm. I literally eat, gym sleep repeat - 7 days a week. Three weeks before the Olympia Amateur Australia I met a coach I have had my eye on for a while, Chris Thomas from Alpha Ethos. His name had crossed my path several times and the results the Alpha Ethos team raked in became evident in the coach and quality input Chris delivers to his team and the outcome I was hungry for. Before I knew it I too became a Alpha Ethos team member and represented my new coach and team with pride.

The stage line up at Olympia Amateur Australia was an amazing experience and the professionalism and conduct of the IFBB team was exceptional. It was the most exhilarating, extraordinary experience of my life.

The pressure and preparation backstage was insane although the outcome made it well worthwhile.

I presented my absolute best and my very good friend and the best sports photographer Daniel Repeti

captured the moments. Although I placed 5th on the day I could not be happier and more proud of how I presented. Even today looking at my stage photo’s I smile from ear to ear and for a split moment I am back on stage.

This experience has become my passion and drive to present the best conditioning and the most superior body. I truly believe the difference in my future comps will be through the support of International Protein and their superior quality supplements available. The pride and the focus of representing this label is a great privilege.

Who inspires you?

Phil Heath and my partner Natalie What motivates you?

Positive attitudes and big muscles and my three children Jacob, Tanasha and Sebastian.

What’s one supplement you can’t live without?

Amino Recovery.

Favourite ‘diet’ food?

Kangaroo and steamed veg.

Favourite exercise?

Chest.

Favourite ‘cheat’ food?

Fresh Crabs with Coconut Cream.

AU SSI E MU S C L E G UR U | 53

Ingredients - 2 scoops International Protein Amino Charged WPI Vanilla - 1 can chickpeas (drained) - 2 bananas mashed

- ¾ cup coconut flour

- 1 ½ tbsp flaxseed meal (mixed in 3 tbsp water) - 4 eggs (2 whole 2 whites) - 2 tbsp coconut oil

- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk

- 8 tbsp powdered stevia (or 1 tsp pure stevia extract) - 1 tsp cinnamon - 1 tsp nutmeg

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- ½ cup grated carrots

- ½ cup chopped walnuts

HEALTHY

CARROT PROTEIN

BITES Makes 16

- 1 tsp baking soda - 1 pinch salt

Method

1. Blend the chickpeas and banana in a blender until smooth

2. Add all of the other ingredients other than the carrots and walnuts

3. Once all the ingredients are blended fold in the carrots and walnuts

4. Pour into a lined and greased square pan & bake for 20-25mins at 160oC

54 | AUSSIE MUS C L E GU RU

RECIPE by:

ANNE TRAN IFBB Figure Champion & Foodie Extraordinaire

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© Elena Veselova | Dreamstime.com

Cake Ingredients Icing Ingredients 2 scoops International Protein ISO CUTS Choco-latte

6 tbsp NatviaTM sugar free icing sugar

1 can chickpeas drained

2 tbsp water

¼ cup cacao 4 eggs

2 tsp cacao

1 tsp baking soda

¼ cup NatviaTM granulated sweetener

FLOUR FREE PROTEIN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Method 1.

2.

Using a blender, Blend the eggs and chickpeas until smooth

Add the ISO CUTS Choco-latte, cacao, baking soda and sweetener and pulse a few times until it’s just combined

3. Pour into a greased and lined cake tin and bake for 30 mins at 180ºC 4. Allow cake to completely cool 5.

Mix together all the icing ingredients and drizzle over the cake

56 | AUSSIE MUS C L E GU RU

RECIPE by:

ANNE TRAN IFBB Figure Champion & Foodie Extraordinaire

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© Annilein | Dreamstime.com

HERBED CARROT

CORN BREAD

Ingredients 1 cup (200g) cornmeal (polenta)

2 SCOOPS (60g) International Protein Naturals ISO-PEA Natural

⅓ SCOOP (7g) International Protein Naturals Egg Albumen 1 cup (165g) spelt flour

2 tsp (10g) baking powder

1 tbsp (20g) granulated stevia (for baking) 1 tbsp (5g) mixed dried herbs 1 large carrot, shredded 1 tbsp tabouli salad

160g tub low fat natural Greek yoghurt ¼ cup rice bran oil 300ml water

Method 1.

Preheat oven to 180ºC. Line a 14cm x 21cm loaf tin with foil and lightly oil.

2. In a large bowl combine cornmeal, International Protein Naturals ISO-PEA Natural, International Protein Naturals Egg Albumen, spelt flour, baking powder, stevia and dried herbs.

3. Stir until evenly mixed.

4. In a separate bowl, mix together carrot, tabouli, yoghurt and oil.

5. Add the water to the carrot mix and stir to combine.

6. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the carrot mixture and quickly stir until just moistened (do not over-mix).

7. Spoon into the prepared loaf tin.

8. Bake at 180ºC for approx. 50 minutes (until a skewer comes out clean).

9. Cool for 5 minutes in the tin; turn out onto a rack and gently remove the foil.

10. Serve warm or cool with soups and casseroles, or toasted, topped with poached eggs, tomato, etc 58 | AUSSIE MUS C L E GU RU

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What are the key ingredients in N.O Ignition, and what do they do?

CREATINE MATRIX

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Combines with Beta Alanine to produce carnosine. Carnosine helps delay acidosis in the muscle hence improving how hard and long muscle can contract under anaerobic conditions (weights)

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