http://imbodybuilding.com/free/manual/2006-09 by Iron Man

SEPTEMBER 2006 / IRON MAN MAGAZINE—WE KNOW TRAINING™

Poliquin on Building Big Arms • The Metabolic Syndrome

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MUSCLE FIREPOWER You Can Grind Out More Growth Reps on Every Set!

AEROBICS PACKS ON MASS Cardio Burns Fat and Builds Muscle!

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www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2006 261

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150 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

September 2006

Firefight for Firepower,

Vol. 65, No. 9

We Know Training ™

page 174

FEATURES FEATURES

60 TRAIN, EAT, GROW 83 It’s the new F/X program, for shredded size effects.

94 DAVE GOODIN Ken O’Neill analyzes how the 47-year-old Texas Shredder got to the top of drug-free bodybuilding.

114 A BODYBUILDER IS BORN 14 Ron Harris talks supplements.

124 REPPING FOR RESULTS Christopher Pennington unravels the mystery of using repetition ranges to build size and strength. Poliquin on Building Big Arms • The Metabolic Syndrome

140 READY, SET, GROW! Jim Kimbrell, Ph.D., interviews muscle-training researcher Rob Thoburn on his controversial ROB method.

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MUSCLE FIREPOWER You Can Grind Out More Growth Reps on Every Set!

AEROBICS PACKS ON MASS

158 HEAVY DUTY

Cardio Burns Fat and Builds Muscle!

John Little HITs the Mentzer files.

CUSTOMIZE FOR SIZE Workout-Construction Tips and Tricks

174 FIREFIGHT FOR FIREPOWER

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Jerry Brainum interviews John A. Wise, Ph.D., about the revolutionary new supplement beta-alanine. More reps in the zone equal fast mass!

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210 SPRINT TO NEW GAINS Dwayne Hines on the forgotten resistance exercise that can rip you up and take your development to a new level.

216 THE METABOLIC SYNDROME Repping for Results, page 124

IM reseacher Jerry Brainum explores this sneaky epidemic of insulin resistance that may be ruining your workouts, physique and health.

238 AEROBIC MUSCLE Aerobic training for faster muscle growth? Jerry Robinson looks at the research—and the startling conclusions.

Hardbody, page 260

244 X-FILES The latest muscle-building findings from the IRON MAN Training & Research Center.

260 HARDBODY Bill Dobbins’ incredible shots of Viviana Soldano in the Mojave desert. Spectacular!

282 ONLY THE STRONG SHALL SURVIVE Bill Starr shows you how to customize for strength and size—tailor your program for radical results.

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6/30/06 1:30:11 PM

Sagi Kalev appears on this month’s cover. Photo by Michael Neveux

DEPARTMENTS

30 TRAIN TO GAIN Big-back attack and lateral lunacy with Toney Freeman. Also, Joe Horrigan’s Sportsmedicine.

Muscle “In” Sites, page 252

44 SMART TRAINING Top strength coach Charles Poliquin outlines his postexhaustion routine for bigger arms.

50 EAT TO GROW Do low carbs mean low intensity? Plus, stubborn-fat prevention and the carnitine sex machine.

78 CRITICAL MASS Steve Holman talks bloodbath bodybuilding and musclefiber morphing.

Eat to Grow, page 50

82 NATURALLY HUGE John Hansen solves protein problems and retools routines for better mass building.

248 BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY Jerry Brainum looks at soy, muscles and hormones.

252 MUSCLE “IN” SITES Eric Broser wanders the Web. Hey, look, it’s Adela Garcia. Wow!

254 NEWS & VIEWS Lonnie Teper’s world of bodybuilding.

272 PUMP & CIRCUMSTANCE Ruth Silverman’s monthly foray into the fitness fray.

Train to Gain, page 30

292 MIND/BODY CONNECTION Randall Strossen, Ph.D., says there’s more to being a champion than picking the right parents—plus, loads of hot shots in Graphic Muscle Stars and Serious Training.

304 READERS WRITE News & Views, page 254

WEB ALERT!

Pump & Circumstance, page 272

from the world For the latest happenings ess, set your fitn and ng of bodybuildi agazine.com browser for www.IronManM e.com. scl Mu hic rap and www.G

Catastrophic coverage, great Scott, Dante is hot and X-tatic reaction.

In the next IRON MAN Next month we’ve got a classic mass-packing story for you, and it’s not from a rank beginner (that’s too easy). It’s from experienced drug-free bodybuilder Mike Semanoff, who packed on an amazing 20 pounds of muscle in only two months—and then won one of the biggest natural bodybuilding contests in the country. How did he do it? He’ll tell you then, but here’s a hint: He blasted out X-tra reps at every workout. Plus, you can check out Moe El Moussawi’s wicked biceps blast—many are saying he has the best arms in the sport—and peruse Lonnie Teper’s big Mr. Olympia preview (yes, folks, it’s almost here again: bodybuilding’s greatest muscle show on earth). Watch for the awesome October IRON MAN on newsstands the first week of September.

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30 SEPTEMBER 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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BODYPART BLASTS

Big-Back Attack

Neveux \ Model: Will Harris

The back, in my opinion, is the most complex muscle group in the entire body and the most challenging to fully develop. It’s also the most impressive when bodyfat is low and all of its muscles are standing out in bold relief. There are a lot of muscles to think about when you approach back training— the lats, the teres, the rhomboids, the posterior delts, the upper and middle traps, the erectors and, yes, the muscles that lie deep within the back that aren’t visible. More than any other muscle group, the back needs many different exercises, angles and grips if it’s going to reach complete development. Some people’s backs are wide, others are thick, and some have pretty good detail—but few have it all. You need to stimulate every portion of your back during each workout and do so without overtraining or spending three hours in the gym. That means not trying to do every exercise in existence. Here is a strategy that can transform your back from a weakness to a strength: Use three basic angles of pull: •one vertical pulling movement (pullups, pulldowns) •one horizontal pulling movement (seated cable rows, machine rows) •one bent-over movement (bent-over rows, dumbbell rows, T-bar rows) Use one upper-lat isolator: •stiff-arm pulldowns or pullovers (machine or dumbbell) Use one upper-trap movement and one midtrap movement: •upper: barbell shrugs, dumbbell shrugs, machine shrugs

Neveux \ Model: Robert Hatch

•middle: upright rows (bar, cable, dumbbell), behindthe-back shrugs, behind-the-back upright rows Use one lower-back movement: •hyperextensions, rack deadlifts, good mornings (I’m partial to deads)

Use three types of grips for your pulling exercises: •one exercise with close or V-handle •one wide and overhand •one medium and underhand (Note: I change which exercise/pulling angle gets which grip each time I train.) To clarify, a typical back day might look like this: Machine pullovers Wide-grip overhand pulldowns Close-grip seated rows Underhand-grip bent-over rows Rack deadlifts Superset Dumbbell shrugs Barbell upright rows

2 x 12-15 2 x 10-12 2 x 8-10 2 x 6-8 3 x 4-6 2 x 8-10 2 x 8-10

Do rear delts, which you definitely need for a completely trained back, on shoulder day for part of the year and on back day for part of the year. These tips should help you improve your back considerably. They made all the difference for me when I put this together a few years ago—and for my many clients as well. —Eric Broser www.PRRSTraining.com

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TRAIN TO GAIN

BETTER BENCHING

Comstock

Press for Your Chest Not your delts and tri’s

PUMPING WITH THE PROS

Permission Not to Squat, Sir?

•Lie down on the bench, and set your feet firmly on the floor •Arch your lower back slightly •Raise your rib cage high •Squeeze the scapulae together •Pull your shoulders downward Now you’re in the correct position to achieve maximum pectoral recruitment with far less triceps and delt interference. The key is to keep your body in that position throughout the set. It’s not enough to simply start there; learn to lock your body while you bench press—or perform any chest press or flye movement, for that matter. Once you begin your set, make sure to keep your elbows wide and under your wrists. Lower the bar to just about nipple level under full control—bouncing is a major no-no—and then push to the top in an explosive fashion. This may feel strange to you at first, but once you master it, I guarantee it will be time to shop for bigger shirts! —Eric Broser www.PRRSTraining.com Neveux \ Model: Greg Blount

Neveux \ Model: Chris Cook

If you want huge thighs, the barbell squat is your only salvation. There are going to be times, however, when you’d be wise to use an apparatus such as the Smith machine or a leg press, or else risk injury. If you haven’t had much sleep or are otherwise overly fatigued, performing squats will be exceedingly difficult. They demand total focus and attention to form and body alignment. In Ronnie Coleman’s newest DVD, “On the Road,” he trains legs late at night after a very full day of signing autographs and guest posing. We all know Ronnie is a squatting machine because we’ve seen him rep out front squats with 585 and go up to 800 pounds on back squats in previous videos. But even the world’s greatest bodybuilder shrewdly uses a Smith machine to squat when the situation calls for it. With the weight already balanced and in no danger of crushing him, he’s free to rep away and pump up his massive quads. Vince Lombardi said that “fatigue makes cowards of us all.” I would add that fatigue makes form break down even in the best squatters. When form breaks down with 300, 400 or 500 pounds draped across your back, a lot of bad things can happen. If it’s leg day and you’re scheduled to squat but are run down from lack of sleep, a cold or stress in general, give yourself permission to whack your wheels some other way. —Ron Harris www.RonHarrisMuscle.com

Ah, the bench press. Perhaps the most beloved exercise known to man. What’s the first question most often asked of a bodybuilder? “How much can you bench?” Of course! Seems pretty simple: Just lie down, unrack the bar, bring it down to your chest, and push it back up. Do that week after week and lift progressively heavier weights and— Bam!—massive pecs, right? Wrong! The bench press can be an excellent builder of chest mass; however, the way it’s most often performed, it ends up taxing the front delts and tri’s far more than the pectorals. I hear it all the time: “I don’t understand, man. I can bench 365, but my chest is still small! Every time I bench, the only thing that ends up sore are my tri’s and front delts.” If that describes you, do not fear, my friend. Some slight adjustments in form and position, and the bench press will swell your pecs to Colemanesque proportions. Here’s what you need to do before you even unrack the barbell:

32 SEPTEMBER 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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HE WANTED TO FIGHTUntil I Crushed His Hand! He was big. He was pissed. And he wanted to kick my butt. There was no way out, so I extended my arm for the opening hand shake— and then I crushed his hand like a Dorito. Fight over thanks to the Super Gripper. If you’re after huge forearms with the crushing power of an industrial vise, get the Super Gripper. It’s the ultimate forearmand grip-building tool on the market because it provides your muscles with the two essential requirements they demand for awesome size and strength: speciﬁcity (mimics gripping action) and progressive resistance. You’ll develop a bone-crushing grip fast by adding one or a number of power coils for that critical progressive-resistance effect. Remember, when you wear short sleeves, it’s the lower arms that are exposed for all to see. You’ll want your forearms to be huge and vascular to match your thick, beefy upper arms—and now they will.

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Lateral Lunacy, Toney Freeman Style exceptional shoulder development.” He’s a stickler for perfect form, and he has two very intense variations on the standard set of lateral raises that anyone craving more side-deltoid mass should try. The first is a down-the-rack scorcher that will pump up even the most stubborn pair of delts. You start with the heaviest weight you can use in good form for just five reps. Simple enough, right? You then proceed all the way down the rack in five-pound dumbbell increments, getting five reps with each pair, until you reach the littlebitty fives and rep out to failure. One of these rack-running sets should be all it takes, but if you have the fire and the guts, do it twice. Just be sure you aren’t in the middle of a crowded dumbbell rack at your gym’s peak time, monopolizing 10 pairs of ’bells. The other lateral lasher is seated dumbbell side raises—with an eight-second pause at the top of each rep, during which you contract your medial delts for all they’re worth. This is a humbling experience, as even the strongest among you will find it brutal to perform eight to 10 good reps with anything more than 20 or 25 pounds in each hand, and most trainees won’t need more than 12or 15-pounders at most. Presses will always be a crucial part of building shoulders, but don’t underestimate the value of lateral raises. Trying either or both of the above will show you why. —Ron Harris Comstock

I’m always on the lookout for ways to improve my shoulders because I truly believe that they’re the cornerstone of any great physique. As far as I’m concerned, a bodybuilder should display a pronounced V-taper. If you’re looking for the most exaggerated V-taper in the business, all signs point to IFBB pro Toney Freeman. At 6’2” and a competitive weight of 275 to 280 pounds, Toney possesses a waist that’s a mere 30 1/2 inches! A small waist by itself is all well and good, but it’s only made astonishing when the owner also sports a pair of superwide, round melon delts—and Toney does. Unlike most guys with awesome shoulders, however, he doesn’t give all the credit to presses and, in fact, feels that lateral raises are the real key to building those boulders. “Learning how to do a perfect lateral raise,” he says, “is the real beginning of

Neveux \ Model: Todd Smith

TRAIN TO GAIN

BIGGER BODYPARTS

Editor’s note: Check out Ron Harris’ Web site, www.RonHarrisMuscle.com, featuring his online training journal, The Daily Pump.

36 SEPTEMBER 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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YOU CAN BENCH BIG Add 20 Pounds to Your Bench Press Almost Overnight! How would you like a surge in upper-body power and a bigger bench press—say, 20 extra pounds on the bar—after only a couple of workouts? Sure, adding 20 pounds to your bench in two or three training sessions may sound crazy, especially if your bench press poundage has been stuck in neutral for a while. But nine times out of 10 this stall is due to an easily correctible muscle weakness—not in the pecs, delts or triceps but in a group of muscles known as the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff muscles stabilize the shoulder joint. During the bench press and almost all other upperbody movements these muscles protect the shoulder joint and prevent ball-and-socket slippage. If these muscles are underdeveloped, they become the weak link in the action and your pressing strength suffers, or worse, you injure your shoulder. One of the best ways to strengthen this area and create an upper-body power surge is with direct rotator cuff exercise. Once you start using the ShoulderHorn for two or three sets twice a week, your pressing poundages will skyrocket. This device allows you to train your rotator cuff muscles in complete comfort and with precise strengthening action. After a few weeks you’ll be amazed at your new benching power. There have been reports of 20-to-30-pound increases in a matter of days. A big, impressive bench press can be yours. Get the ShoulderHorn, start working your rotator cuff muscles, and feel the power as you start piling on plates and driving up heavy iron.

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Twisting Counterpoint I’ve written several times about the ill effects that twisting can have on the lower back. The spine has limited rotation, usually three to five degrees between vertebrae. If spine rotation is isolated, it can be very harmful. That most often occurs when trainees perform twists with a broomstick while sitting on a bench, which can cause a shearing effect on the disks between the vertebrae and weaken the disks. Many people have said to me, “Many sports involve rotation, and those people are fine.” That’s a very good point—but the action is different. If you look at slow-motion video of a baseball player swinging a bat, a golfer making a swing, a shot-putter making a throw, you’ll see the pelvis rotate slightly ahead of the shoulders, and then the shoulders quickly catch up to the hips. That rotation is far less than a trainee performing twists with a broomstick. This month I asked for a counterpoint to my position on twisting and the spine. William K. Bergman, Ph.D., of the Structural Wellness Center in Los Angeles, has been providing MedX rehabilitation exercises since 1989. The MedX system was developed by the legendary Arthur Jones, who also created Nautilus equipment. MedX equipment includes a machine to train the lower back or neck in flexion (forward bending), extension (backward bending) and rotation (twisting). Bergman was trained by Arthur Jones on both the Nautilus and MedX equipment. “I don’t like the broomstick twists either,” Dr. Bergman said. “The movement is ballistic, and the facets are chewed up. [Facets are joints that guide movement in the spine.] The trainees are also not stabilized well. “We begin the rehabilitation of the lower back with flexion and extension only for the first four to six weeks to stabilize the core. We then introduce rotation into the program. The dif-

For twisting motions to be safe, hip movement must occur.

Warning: Some twisting movements can damage your back

ference between simply twisting with a stick while straddling a bench and MedX training is the fact that we fit the patient carefully into the equipment. The proper fit is imperative. The patient is then instructed to adduct his or her thighs against a pad on the inside of the legs. This adds a great deal of stability to the back and inhibits [relaxes] the gluteus medius muscle on the outer side of the hip. The rotation on the MedX machine is limited to 33 degrees. The rotation training always begins lighter than expected to allow the patient to adapt to rotation.” When I asked if there are any precautions or concerns with rotation on the MedX, Bergman replied, “If a patient cannot tolerate flexion and extension, then we will not introduce rotation. Flare-ups can occur from the rotation, and this is usually caused by a few predictable conditions—the patient was impatient and tried to hurry the rotation in range of motion, poor technique from loss of focus and muscle imbalances. When this occurs, we reduce the resistance and gently build it back up again and instruct the patient again in the importance of proper technique. “The MedX philosophy has been to obtain functional strength first and reduce pain second because as strength improves, pain often decreases from dynamic stability. Many of these patients are developing back muscles for the first time. Many are deconditioned, and this is why we see their strength quadruple during rehab. Once they have developed strength, they improve more quickly when they experience a flare-up of low-back pain. I think the important point is, we get people moving again.” I’ve had many conversations with gym veterans, both amateur and professional, about training and injuries and about those who wrote or presented information on the subject. Trainees always trust opinions of those who train over those who haven’t, regardless of their education. Bergman, who earned his doctorate in kinesiology and certainly possesses a great deal of knowledge, also trains. He joined Gold’s Gym in Venice in 1975, was a charter member of World Gym in Santa Monica, trained at the famous Bruce Connors Gym in Westwood and trained at the Sean Harrington/Steve Davis Nautilus Gym in Brentwood, California. I still have my reservations about the effects of twisting on the average trainee’s spine. Bergman’s comments illustrate the importance of having sophisticated methods of controlling rotation and careful monitoring by someone with the education and training to protect the trainee. If you don’t have the ability to train with equipment such as MedX machines, please respect the range of motion limitations of the spine, and you’ll be able to train in much greater comfort. [Note: Dr. William Bergman can be found at the Structural Wellness Center in Los Angeles, California, (310) 441-4319]. —Joseph M. Horrigan

Neveux \ Model: Joey Gloor

TRAIN TO GAIN

SPORTSMEDICINE

Editor’s note: Visit www.SoftTissueCenter.com for reprints of Horrigan’s past Sportsmedicine columns that have appeared in IRON MAN. You can order the books Strength, Conditioning and Injury Prevention for Hockey by Joseph Horrigan, D.C., and E.J. “Doc” Kreis, D.A., and the 7-Minute Rotator Cuff Solution by Horrigan and Jerry Robinson from Home Gym Warehouse, www.Home-Gym.com, or by calling (800) 447-0008.

38 SEPTEMBER 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Eight Ab-Training Myths If you want great abs, don’t fall victim to any of the myths of ab training. Myth 1: Twisting movements will pare fat from the sides of your waist. Go to most gyms, and at some point you’ll find bodybuilders with a light bar across their shoulders vigorously twisting from side to side, under the mistaken belief that they’ll whittle away the fat on their waists. Some bodybuilders have been doing that for years, without success. Myth 2: Doing lots of ab work will pare more fat from the front of your waist. See Myth 1. Muscle and fat are different types of tissue. It’s impossible to whittle away fat by working the muscle beneath the fat. It’s impossible to reduce fat in a specific spot of the body through exercise. The most effective way to spot-reduce fat is through surgery, which has perils and isn’t a long-term cure. The other way is to decrease your food intake and increase your activity level so that you’re in overall calorie deficit; then your body will turn to its fat reserves to provide the balance of its energy needs. You could build great ab muscles, but whether you see them depends on how much fat covers your waist. You could do three hours of ab work daily, but if your food intake and activity level don’t yield an overall energy deficit, you’ll never reduce the fat around your waist. Ab work is irrelevant in determining the amount of fat around your waist. To build strong, well-developed abs, however, ab work is essential. Myth 3: The abs need high reps. To strengthen and develop the abs—which is all that ab work can do—keep your reps moderate and effort levels high, use sufficient resistance to keep the reps down, and keep adding resistance as you develop strength. Treat your abs like any other muscle. Extreme amounts of ab work can consume sufficient calories to make a contribution to energy output over the long haul, but that’s an inefficient way of burning them. For efficient calorie burning, perform an activity that’s easier, involves more musculature and can be sustained for long periods, such as walking. No matter how many calories you burn through activity, if you eat excessively, you won’t be in calorie deficit, and unless you’re in calorie deficit, you’ll never reduce your bodyfat. Myth 4: The abs need daily work. Although the ab muscles may tolerate more frequent work than most other bodyparts, they can be overtrained, too. Train your abs only two, or, at most, three times a week. Myth 5: The abs are two separate muscles— upper abs and lower abs. The six-pack, or washboard, is the rectus abdominis muscle. It’s the visible, frontal part of the ab wall—visible provided there’s minimal fat covering it. The ab wall includes the external abdominal obliques and internal

That may prevent you from etching a Greek-god midsection

abdominal obliques—the sides of the waist—and the transversus abdominis beneath the rectus abdominis. The rectus abdominis, however, is one long, flat, continuous muscle that runs from the lower ribs to the groin. While it’s not possible to isolate the upper or lower abs, the two sections may respond differently to flexion that requires the shoulders to move toward the hips than to flexion that requires the hips to move toward the shoulders. Myth 6: You need gadgets to train your abs. Some gadgets, properly used, do target the abs; however, there’s nothing a gadget can help you do that crunches can’t, provided you perform the crunches correctly. But many of the gadgets are ineffective and poorly made, and some are dangerous. Don’t be misled by hype. Stick with crunches, which don’t require special equipment, and do them well. Myth 7: Electronic muscle stimulation is the easy way to get great abs. Electronic stimulation of muscles is a way of making some people think they can exercise effectively without moving. There’s some use for electro-muscular stimulation in physical therapy, but for healthy bodybuilders it’s a joke. You have to move, sweat and push yourself, progressively, if you’re going to change the form of your body. Even if the electronic gadgets stimulated muscle the way regular progressive-resistance training does, you’d still need to lose the fat to see your abs. No electronic stimulation will remove the fat. Myth 8: It’s undesirable to develop the abdominal obliques. The external abdominal obliques and the internal abdominal obliques are parts of the ab wall. Many bodybuilders avoid direct work for their obliques thinking—wrongly— that developing them will thicken their waists. Strong obliques are desirable for torso stability during many exercises and for increasing resistance to injury. Even if well-developed, the obliques add little muscle. They do add an attractive sweep to the waist if it isn’t covered with a thick layer of fat. —Stuart McRobert www.Hardgainer.com Editor’s note: Stuart McRobert’s first byline in IRON MAN appeared in 1981. He’s the author of the new 638-page opus on bodybuilding Build Muscle, Lose Fat, Look Great, available from www. Home-Gym.com or Home Gym Warehouse, (800) 447-0008.

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Biding Your Time Hany “the Pro Creator” Rambod says, “Sometimes the hardest thing is not competing.” What he means is that Branch Warren. often you won’t be able to move up to the next level until you make certain improvements to your physique, and having the patience to hold off on further competition until those improvements are made isn’t easy. Let’s say you failed to make the top five at your most recent contest. When you asked the judges for some constructive criticism (always a good idea), they told you that your upper body overpowered your legs. Your task was to build those legs up to match your top half, and you diligently plugged away on squats, leg presses, lunges and the like. Six or eight months later your legs have indeed grown. But are they truly up to par? If not, competing soon wouldn’t be a good idea, because your physique still has that obvious flaw, giving the judges a reason to place others ahead of you. For a good example from the pro ranks, consider the case of Branch Warren. After tearing his triceps in the fall of 2004, he could have been ready to compete in the May 2005 shows in New York and Toronto. But he knew that judges wanted to see improvements in his arms and upper body in general, and the only way he could deliver those improvements was to bide his time and not compete until the fall. Did the strategy pay off? You tell me—Branch won back-to-back titles at the Charlotte Pro and Europa Supershow before placing eighth at the Mr. Olympia. Consider also Chris Cormier, who had a disastrous showing at the ’05 Olympia. Rather than jumping right back into a contest diet to try again for the Arnold Classic title (he had been runner-up there six consecutive times), Chris realized he was exhausted from too many contests (70 pro shows in 12 years) and needed a break. His goal now is the ’06 Mr. Olym-

Show it, don’t blow it, onstage

Comstock

TRAIN TO GAIN

CONTEST PREP

pia, so he’ll have a full year away from the stage. Even if you’re competing at the local or regional level, you can learn from Chris. Though you don’t necessarily need to work on gaining overall size or improving a bodypart, you still can’t get into peak condition very often. Unless you’re one of the rare bodybuilders who naturally stay shredded year-round, the process of preparing for a contest, with all the strict dieting and cardio it entails, is too much to ask of your body more than once a year. So before you start planning your competition schedule, honestly ask yourself whether the time is right to compete, or if you might be better off waiting. Just think: Wouldn’t it be cool to be the guy backstage whom everyone whispers about, as in, “Who the hell is he, and where has he been hiding?” I know I still dream about it. —Ron Harris

Neveux

Editor’s note: Check out Ron’s new free online training blog, The Daily Pump, at www.RonHarrisMuscle.com.

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Smart Training Superset 2

Bigger Arms

B-1 Parallel-bar dips 4 x 4-6 reps, 3/2/1/0 tempo B-2 Overhead rope extensions 4 x 8-10 reps, 3/1/1/0 tempo Rest 10 seconds between B-1 and B-2 Rest three minutes between B-2 and B-1

Q: I’ve trained for several years, and my arms are now 17 inches. What do you suggest I do to jolt my arms into new growth?

Do the close-grip chinups with your palms supinated (facing you), with four to six inches between your two little fingers. If you need to substitute close-grip lat pulldowns for the chinups, you’re too weak to do this advanced routine. The same goes for dips; it’s a nonsubstitution routine. The 10 seconds’ rest between the close-grip chins and the incline dumbbell curls should be the time it takes you to go from the chinup bar to the incline bench. At the end of 10 seconds you should be curling the dumbbells. Keep the 10-second rest interval strict. If you’re strong enough, use additional weight tied to a chin-and-dip belt for extra resistance. For incline curls the lower the angle on the bench, the greater the stretch placed on the long head of the biceps brachii. Be sure to fully supinate your hands in the bottom position of the incline curls. Curl the dumbbells, keeping your upper arms perpendicular to the floor for at least the first 90 degrees of elbow flexion. That’s to minimize anterior-deltoid recruitment. After 90 degrees, particularly if the

A: I recommend using a postexhaustion routine. Perform a compound (multiple-joint) exercise that recruits a lot of motor units, and follow it immediately with a superior isolation exercise that also taps into the motor-unit pool. Just the amount of delayed-onset muscle soreness you’ll get from the routine on your first go will convince you of its effectiveness for building large, muscular arms. The routine looks like this: Superset 1

Neveux \ Model: Binais Begovic

A-1 Close-grip chins 4 x 4-6 reps, 4/0/1/0 tempo A-2 Low-incline dumbbell curls 4 x 6-8 reps, 5/0/1/0 tempo Rest 10 seconds between A-1 and A-2 Rest three minutes between A-2 and A-1

Want giant, jutting peaks and full, sweeping tri’s? Try postexhaustion supersets. 44 SEPTEMBER 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Charles Poliquin’s

Smart Training Too much supinated curling without enough reverse-curl and hammer-curl movements can cause a strength imbalance in your arms. itself as you go through the program. Because of an inherent innervation pattern, it is quite normal that you feel the brachioradialis more than the brachialis. Because most bodybuilding books and magazines primarily illustrate supinated forms of curls, the average trainee tends to have an unfavorable ratio of brachialis to biceps brachii strength. To answer your second question, yes, you can apply the loading parameters to other bodyparts. Q: I have problems with ankle flexibility that affect my ability to do deadlifts and squats. Any time I try to do these exercises, my heels rise off the ground. Any suggestions?

Neveux \ Model: Ken Yasuda

A: I just came back from teaching at the FitPro convention in Loughborough, United Kingdom, and I’m constantly reminded that most trainers have no clue how to fix the most basic problems in the gym. For example, what do you do when your client needs to rise on the toes when attempting to squat or deadlift? There’s no simple answer to that, though there are myriad biomechanical reasons why it can happen. For example, your pelvic mechanics can be impaired, but without testing you in person, I can’t say if that’s really the case. However, people are more likely to be restricted in the lower-limb areas. You may want to thoroughly stretch your

Your squatting prowess may be limited by your ankle flexibility.

dumbbells are heavy, your elbows will tend to move forward slightly. As long as you keep the first 90 degrees clean, you’ll maximize isolation of the elbow flexors. By the same token, fixating on keeping your upper arms perpendicular to the floor through the full range of motion will only activate the rear delts. On the first workout of this routine it’s normal to lose a lot of strength on each succeeding superset. For example, you may be able to do six chins with a 50-pounder supersetted with eight reps of incline curls with the 45pound dumbbells for the first set. By the fourth set you may squeeze out only four reps with your bodyweight on the chinups and curl a pair of 35-pound dumbbells. As you continue to follow the routine, however, besides seeing your arm size increasing significantly, you should be watching your strength endurance skyrocket.

I have extreme soreness! I really love your training. I have two questions. The first is related to a problem that I’m having executing the paused, standing, narrow reverse-grip EZ-curl-bar curl. I have to use a very light weight due to a serious weakness in the upper part of my forearms. I have great soreness in those muscles but not in the brachialis. Any suggestions? My second question is, Should I apply the same training protocol prescribed in the book to my legs, chest, back and shoulders? A: To answer your first question, the problem will correct

Neveux \ Model: Jeff Dwelle

Q: I just read your book Winning the Arms Race. I started training as you recommended, and

46 SEPTEMBER 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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COST OF REDEMPTION Mr. Olympia’s Mind-Numbing Training DVD This 3-plus-hour DVD is a masters class on what it’s like to train without limits. Sit back and be amazed and inspired by a man who walks the walk. Mitsuru Okabe spent 4 days with Ronnie in 2003 just prior to his sixth win in a row of the Mr. Olympia. This DVD is shot in an absolute “you are there” style. There are no set ups, no retakes, nothing but the real Ronnie Coleman. Ronnie is absolutely focused on his goal and he lives his life to make it happen. You will see him do 800-pound squats, 75-pound dumbbell curls and an astounding 2250-pound leg press—almost every 45-pound plate in the gym! It’s the stuff of legends. But more than just the sets, reps and the nutrition, you get an insider’s view of the personality that always lights up any room he enters. It hits all the right notes: instructional, inspirational and a pleasure to watch a man at the top of his game. Four Stars.

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Charles Poliquin’s

Smart Training Coach Poliquin with TV host Bill Kurtis and PPC Chicago owner Mike Bystol.

gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. First, check your flexibility by squatting with an empty bar on your back. Once you reach the bottom position, pay attention to your body mechanics by assessing the angle of your shin in relation to the floor. Then stretch your calves maximally. The standard calf stretches just won’t cut it. You need the extra resistance provided by weight machines. The best way to stretch your calves is to use two calf machines—the standing one and the seated one. First get under the pads of the standing calf raise machine. Lock your knees and lower your heels as low as possible. That will ensure that both the soleus and the gastrocnemius muscles are fully stretched. If you unlock your knees, the gastrocnemius won’t have a full stretch. Hold the stretch for a full 15 seconds. Bend your knee to lower the shoulder pads and take a five-second break, during which you increase the weight by two to three plates. Repeat the stretchrest-add-weight process for another three to five reps. Then go to the seated calf raise machine to give your soleus muscles a greater stretch. Use the same training methodology, holding the stretch for 15 seconds, resting five seconds, adding weight and so on for a total of five to six reps. By this time your calves should have achieved their maximum length for the day. Then go back to the squat rack and test your marker again. If your knees are moving farther than before your stretching routine, your calves were certainly limiting your range of motion. In any case, looser calves will enable you to squat with a more upright trunk posture, thus reducing the stress on your knees and lower back. Q: What is your opinion of eating grass-fed beef? Is it really superior to cereal-fed beef? A: Last weekend at the Chicago Poliquin Performance Center, I had the pleasure of meeting Bill Kurtis of “American Justice” and “Investigative Reports” fame. He gave a brief lecture to the attendees on the benefits of grass-fed beef. After his very well-received but too-brief lecture, we

•Strong medical evidence that if the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats exceeds 4-to-1, people have more health issues. Cereal-fed beef can have ratios that exceed 20-to1, whereas grass-fed beef hovers around 3-to-1. In other words, grass-fed beef has a high content of health-enhancing fats and a low content of the fats known to create inflammation in the body. Inflammation has been implicated in cancer, autoimmune diseases, heart disease and a host of other ailments. •Grass-fed beef has four times more CLA than cerealfed beef, leading to better immune system health, insulin management and body composition. •Typically, the omega-3 fats in grass-fed beef make up 7 percent of the total fat content, as opposed to 1 percent in cereal-fed beef. •Since the average American consumes twice his or her weight in meat per year, it’s wise to eat only the best quality. [Editor’s note: For more information on grass-fed beef visit www.GrasslandBeef.com.] Editor’s note: Charles Poliquin is recognized as one of the world’s most successful strength coaches, having coached Olympic medalists in 12 different sports, including the U.S. women’s track-and-field team for the 2000 Olympics. He’s spent years researching European journals (he’s fluent in English, French and German) and speaking with other coaches and scientists in his quest to optimize training methods. For more on his books, seminars and methods, visit www .CharlesPoliquin .net. Also, see his ad Charles Poliquin on page 165. IM Bradford

Photo courtesy of Charle Poliquin

went to lunch along with our hosts, Chicago PPC owners Mike and Debbie Bystol. Kurtis certainly had interesting stories to tell us, as he’s done shows on just about every well-known serial killer or mass murderer. Like the one when cannibal and serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer had his mother over for dinner, and she told him, “Jeffrey, I don’t like your little friends.” To which he answered, “It’s okay, Mom. Just have the veggies.” All kidding aside, we were very interested in why he got involved in promoting grass-fed beef. Hence his switch from reporting on serial killers to eliminating the cereal killer. Here’s why he says everyone should switch to grassfed beef:

w w w. C h a r l e s P o l i q u i n . n e t 48 SEPTEMBER 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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SWIMSUIT SIZZLEFEST The Hottest of the Hot This Sizzlefest DVD is an uncensored look at the best of the best of our nine swimsuit videos. This collection of fourteen of the finest, fittest females in tiny bikinis (or even less) gives you a close up look at some of the most outrageously beautiful and sexy fitness females to ever slip into (or out of) a bikini. The beauty of the women is enhanced and amplified by showcasing them in the most spectacular locations from the desert to the mountains to the sea. This DVD is a 10 on every level. Look at this list of gorgeous sexy women: Ahmo, Amy, Ashley, Cori, Frostee, Karla, Laura, LeAnna, Linda, Paulina, Rebecca, Tanya, Timea, Tina Jo.

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EAT TO NUTRITION SCIENCE

Low Carbs, Low Intensity? Many myths surround the effects of low-carbohydrate dieting. The most common one is that a typical high-fat, low-carb diet will promote degenerative diseases, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. Recent studies, however, refute the notion that lowcarb diets are dangerous to health. They show instead that many cardiovascular risk factors are lowered by a reduced carb intake. Much of that is due to better insulin control, coupled with a loss of bodyfat. The South Beach diet and newer versions of the

Atkins diet encourage the intake of healthful carbohydrates, such as fruits and vegetables, while still eliminating highly processed carbs. The addition of fruits and vegetables cancels most of the risks linked to a lower carb intake, such as lack of adequate fiber and a high acidic-food intake. Despite the changes, critics of low-carb diets voice the same complaints, many of which aren’t based on scientific fact. From a bodybuilding perspective, the most pervasive is that not eating a sufficient amount of carbs leads to lean-tissue loss, mainly from muscle. According to this notion, the body requires a minimal amount of carbs in order to function properly and if it doesn’t get them, it will convert protein from muscle into glucose. The truth is that there’s no nutritional requirement for carbohydrates. The body can use other fuel sources if carbs are in short supply, including ketones from fat, lactate and even amino acids. With a high-protein diet, much Are carbs really of the protein is necessary for converted in the hard-training liver into glucose bodybuilders? in a process called gluconeogenesis.

Can you train hard and build muscle on low carbs? Thus dietary protein itself spares protein stored as muscle. The body uses several mechanisms to prevent the use of muscle, such as adrenergic stimulation. Lowered blood glucose and exercise promote the secretion of catecholamines, such as epinephrine and norepinephrine, which are necessary to promote the release of fat from fat cells. A little-known secondary effect is that the catacholamines also exert anticatabolic action in muscle tissue. Ketones, which are incomplete byproducts of fat metabolism, increase when you restrict dietary carbs. The body produces ketones to provide an alternative fuel source for muscle and other tissues, as well as to conserve existing muscle. The brain, which is a glucose hog, can work on ketones, although it’s a little like using a lowergrade gasoline in a car that requires premium fuel. Remember, however, that the liver also directly synthesizes glucose from excess dietary protein, and that glucose can fuel the brain. Early versions of the low-carb diet often mentioned a putative “fat-mobilizing hormone,” although its precise nature was never identified. The only connection seemed to be that it was secreted at higher levels when carbs were restricted and insulin release declined. The likely candidate for the longsought fat-mobilizing hormone is growth hormone, which is secreted under conditions of relatively low glucose levels; that’s what happens with low-carb diets. While some studies have shown no changes in GH during lowcarb diets, others have shown that the levels of insulinlike growth factor 1 localized in mus-

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\ JULY 2006 181

GROW Nutrition With a Get-Big Mission

week on a low-carb diet. In the new study the diet was extended to two weeks. The study began with 17 adults following the Atkins or South Beach plan for one week. After the first week five subjects continued the diets for another week before returning to a “normal” diet, the composition of which wasn’t disclosed. The study showed that exercise capacity dropped an average of 50 percent during the first week of restricted carb intake, while the levels of ketones increased to 200 to 300 percent of prediet levels. The subjects also lost an average of 3 percent of bodyweight during the first week and 4.5 percent during the second week. After one week of returning to their previous diet, exercise capacity returned to 75 percent of their prediet levels, and bodyweight returned to within 1 percent of prediet weight. While the researchers conducting the study measured bodyfat levels before and during the low-carb diets, that information wasn’t released, only the overall changes in bodyweight. The results suggest that the weight loss was likely water loss associated with glycogen breakdown. Other studies usually show that low-carb diets are superior for inducing fat losses. One notable limitation of the study was its short-term length. It takes at least two weeks for the body to adjust to a low-carb intake, and the study ended just at the point when that change would have happened. In addition, while it’s true that highNeveux \ Model: Jorge Betancourt

cle do increase. That points to a definite anabolic effect, since IGF-1 in muscle promotes muscular hypertrophy. It also might explain why low-carb dieters don’t lose muscle. Among other functions, GH promotes the use of fat as a fuel in preference to carbohydrate. The higher protein consumption typical of low-carb diets also promotes GH release, by the action of such amino acids as arginine. Recent studies also show that a high intake of branched-chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine and valine) provides potent anticatabolic activity in muscle, especially during low-carb and low-calorie diets. BCAAs not only spare muscle but also promote increased muscle protein synthesis. The one valid criticism of low-carb diets is that they initially decrease the level of training intensity. That isn’t news: Atkins warned in his first book that his initial low-carb diet might not be suitable for athletes because fat isn’t as efficient an energy source for highintensity exercise as carbs. It takes at least two weeks for the body to adjust to a drastic change in carb intake. In a study presented at the 2006 Experimental Biology meeting, the effects of the induction phase of two popular low-carb diet plans, the Atkins and South Beach diets, were examined. The initial phases of these diets severely restrict carbohydrate intake, which leads to a breakdown of stored glycogen in the liver and muscle. Since each gram of glycogen is stored with 2.7 grams of water, the rapid initial weight loss that commonly occurs with low-carb diets is often attributed to water loss. A previous study showed that exercise capacity dropped after one

intensity exercise is limited by lack of carb intake, it’s also true that there’s no reason to completely restrict carbs. Carbs eaten prior to training will be used as a fuel. Carbs ingested immediately after high-intensity training are used to replenish depleted glycogen stores and cannot be converted into fat. Thus, with a targeted carb intake you can obtain the benefits of fat loss without making significant inroads into workout intensity levels. —Jerry Brainum Forbes-Lorman, R., et al. (2006). Induction phases of the Atkins diet and South Beach diet decrease exercise capacity. Paper presented at Experimental Biology: Advancing the Biomedical Frontier, in San Francisco, California, April 2, 2006.

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ SEPTEMBER 2006 51

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Eat to Grow NUTRITION NOTES The more bodyfat you accumulate, the more estrogen you produce, which makes it easier to add even more fat.

Food Facts That can affect your workouts, weight and wellness

WARRIOR NUTRITION AND EXERCISE

Stubborn-Fat Prevention 1) Stay away from crash diets. You lose fat and gain it again. Second-generation fat is more stubborn than the first. The more your weight fluctuates, the more stubborn fat you may gain. 2) Avoid foods that you may be sensitive or allergic to. Some people react to certain foods, such as wheat, dairy or soy. If you suspect that may be the case, get yourself checked for food sensitivities. 3) Eat as much organic food as possible, thereby avoiding many estrogenic substances that are in our food supply, such as petroleum- and chemically based fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, and hormones, which are found in nonorganic meats, poultry, dairy and eggs. 4) Drink pure, filtered water. Don’t drink or cook with unfiltered tap water. 5) If food or liquid smells like plastic, stay away from it. 6) Minimize your alcohol consumption. Excessive alcohol may compromise your liver’s ability to break down and detoxify estrogenic derivatives, toxins that penetrate the blood and cause unpleasant symptoms like bloating, water retention and stubborn-fat gain. If those toxins remain unchecked, they may cause chronic diseases and even cancer. 7) Control your insulin. Naturally minimize the amount of carbohydrates you eat by having carbs as the last component of your meal. If needed, use supplements that contain all the essential nutrients necessary for stabilizing your insulin, such as essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. 8) Follow a regular exercise routine. Having a comprehensive diet and exercise routine is the first defense against stubborn fat. —Ori Hofmekler The Warrior Diet Editor’s note: Ori Hofmekler’s EstroX is a natural estrogen inhibitor that can help reduce stubborn fat and improve your immune system and testosterone levels. For details visit www. Home-Gym.com. He is also the author of the books The Warrior Diet and Maximum Muscle & Minimum Fat, published by Dragon Door publications (www.dragondoor.com). For more information or for a consultation, contact him by phone at (866) WAR-DIET or online at ori@warriordiet.com or www.warrlordlet.com.

Protein is essential for building muscle, but what food gives you the most amino bang per bite? White meat chicken has almost 30 grams in only 3 1/2 ounces. Tuna has about 23 grams in that amount, and one hardboiled egg has only about five grams. An eightounce glass of lowfat milk has eight grams. Salt can do more than blur your muscular definition. Excessive salt intake can also cause your body to waste calcium. Studies show that for every 1,000 milligrams of sodium we get, the kidneys excrete up to 25 milligrams of calcium (you pee it away). Read labels, watch your sodium, and get plenty of calcium from dairy products or even the new calcium-spiked bottled water. Green tea has some amazing health benefits, and it can speed fat burning. A new study says it can even make zits disappear. Subjects with moderate to severe acne applied a 3 percent green tea solution to their skin two times a day for 12 weeks—and the green tea cream worked as well as most conventional acne medications—but with far fewer side effects. Cinnamon has antioxidant properties that can help people with metabolic syndrome—a group of risk factors that increase cardiovascular disease and the possibility of getting type 2 diabetes. The spice apparently helps the body use insulin more efficiently. —Becky Holman www.X-tremeLean.com

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Eat to Grow FAT TO MUSCLE

Build and Burn

Does CLA help build more muscle and burn more bodyfat?

Conjugated linoleic acid is a controversial food element. It’s been touted as helping build muscle while promoting fat loss. Structurally, it’s an 18-carbon polyunsaturated fatty acid isomer derived from the essential fatty acid linoleic acid. While there are 28 identified isomers, or similar compounds of CLA, the two most active versions are cis-9, trans-11; and trans-10, cis-12. Most commercial CLA supplements are composed of a mixture of those two isomers. CLA is found naturally in beef, lamb and dairy foods. Several animal studies have found that CLA has interesting effects, such as beneficial changes in body composition and protection against cancer. The animals used in the studies include rats, mice, pigs and chickens. Nearly all animal studies show that CLA promotes significant fat loss. The results of studies done with human subjects are far more equivocal. Some indicate that people respond the same way animals do, while others show few or no changes. The largest human study of CLA, involving 180 subjects, showed that when taken for one year, CLA supplements promoted bodyfat loss and increased lean-tissue mass. Only two previous human studies looked at the effects of combining CLA with exercise. One showed a fat-loss effect; the other showed none. Those differences are often attributed to the composition of the CLA used in the studies, since one isomer of CLA is reputed to promote fat loss more efficiently than the other. The most recent exercise study of CLA had 76 subjects, who took five grams a day of supplemental CLA or a placebo consisting of seven grams of safflower oil. Both groups trained with weights three times a week during the course of the study. After seven weeks, 17 of the subjects switched to the

HYDRATION

Neveux \ Model: Idrise Ward-El

Drink More, Eat Less University of North Carolina researchers found that out of almost 5,000 Americans observed in a study, those who drank about seven cups of water a day ate almost 200 fewer calories than those who drank less. Those who drank less ate more high-fat foods and also relied on soft drinks to quench thirst. —Becky Holman X-tremeLean.com

other group, making it a crossover study. After seven more weeks those in the CLA group showed greater increases in lean mass, greater loss of bodyfat and less muscle loss. The only strength change was an increase in bench press strength in the male subjects. The CLA appeared to exert an anticatabolic effect in muscle. How it does that isn’t known, but several theories are offered, including the following: •CLA may modulate the immune stress response, possibly by interacting with cortisol release. •CLA may blunt the release of inflammatory substances linked to muscle breakdown. CLA may help reduce bodyfat by: •Increasing resting energy expenditure by stimulating the activity of thermogenic proteins known as uncoupling proteins. •Interfering with the activity of the fat-cell enzyme lipoprotein lipase, which blunts the amount of fat that can be stored in fat cells. •Increasing the activity of the enzyme that works with L-carnitine in shuttling fat into the mitochondria, where fat is burned. •Preventing new fat cells from forming by inhibiting the actions of fat-promoting genes. •Lowering levels of leptin, a protein produced in fat cells that helps to regulate food intake and energy usage. However, the authors note that the beneficial changes induced in the CLA group were small and of borderline significance. In addition, the crossover group that used CLA experienced no changes in either lean or fat mass, although CLA did appear to lower bone resorption, which would prevent bone mass loss. This study suggests that while CLA may be somewhat useful in conjunction with a weight-training program, its effect is small and, as the authors noted, not comparable to other supplements, such as creatine. What needs to be done now is to test the individual active isomers of CLA to see which works better for purposes of fat loss and muscle gain. —Jerry Brainum Pinkoski, C., et al. (2006). The effects of conjugated linoleic acid supplementation during resistance training. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 38:339-48.

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KNOWLEDGE IS POWER The Best of Bodybuilding in the 20th Century Here in one deﬁnitive, information-packed volume, you have the best that IRON MAN has to offer. The articles and photos reprinted in IRON MAN’s Ultimate Bodybuilding Encyclopedia are of enormous and enduring value to beginners and experts alike. A tour de force of bodybuilding information with stunning photos of unrivaled quality, this massive volume covers every aspect of bodybuilding with authority and depth. Included is complete information on: •Getting started •Bodybuilding physiology •Shoulder training •Chest training •Back training •Arm training •Abdominal training •Leg training •Training for mass •Training for power •Mental aspects of training •Bodybuilding nutrition With IRON MAN’s Ultimate Bodybuilding Encyclopedia, you will learn Arnold Schwarzenegger’s insights on developing shoulder and back muscles, along with many other champions’ routines. This massive volume contains 440 pages and over 350 photographs.

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Eat to Grow ANABOLIC DRIVE

Carnitine Sex Machine Neveux \ Models: Alex Marenco and Sherry Goggin

Carnitine is derived from the Latin carnus, or flesh, because it was first isolated from meat. I’m sure you’re aware of carnitine’s role in fat metabolism. Well, my friend, this nutrient has other amazing qualities. Carnitine itself refers to a number of compounds that include L-carnitine, L-acetylcarnitine, acetyl-L-carnitine and L-propionyl-L-carnitine. One of the very cool things that carnitine affects is sexual function. Yes, your favorite activity—and mine—in the whole wide world of activities. A study compared testosterone undecanoate with propionyl-L-carnitine plus acetyl-L-carnitine and a placebo in the treatment of male aging symptoms. A total of 120 patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups. Group 1 was given testosterone undecanoate, 160 milligrams per day; the second group got propionyl-L-carnitine plus acetyl-L-carnitine, two grams per day. The third group got a placebo (starch). The study lasted six months. Results: The researchers assessed a whole host of variables related to mood and penile function. They discovered that testosterone and carnitines significantly improved the peak

MACRONUTRIENTS

Muscle Minerals Did you know that a deficiency of certain minerals can derail your workouts by limiting muscular contractile abilities? Here are the ones you should be concerned with: Calcium. You need it for muscle contraction—including your heart-pumping ability—as well as bone formation and strength and blood clotting. Aim for about 1,200 milligrams a day. Potassium. It helps strengthen nerve impulses throughout the body—including the muscle—and controls blood pressure. Try to get about 4,500 milligrams a day (most Americans get only about half that). Magnesium. It also helps muscle and nerve function and is considered an energy and immunesystem booster. Plus it helps improve calcium absorption and regulate blood sugar levels (to fight against diabetes). Shoot for about 400 milligrams a day. —Becky Holman www.X-tremeLean.com

systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity, resistive index, nocturnal penile tumescence, International Index of Erectile Function score, Depression Melancholia Scale score and fatigue scale score. Carnitines proved significantly more active than testosterone in improving nocturnal penile tumescence and International Index of Erectile Function score. Did you read that? Carnitines were better than testosterone at turning your woody into petrified wood! Testosterone significantly increased the prostate volume and free and total testosterone levels and significantly lowered serum luteinizing hormone; carnitines did not. So there were no hormonal side effects with the carnitines. No drug significantly modified prostate-specific antigen or prolactin. Carnitines and testosterone proved effective for as long as they were administered; cessation of treatment resulted in a return to baseline values. According to the scientists, “Testosterone and, especially, carnitines proved to be active drugs for the therapy of symptoms associated with male aging.” Another study examined the neuroendocrine and gonadal changes following chronic intermittent stress in male rats that were given acetyl-L-carnitine. The scientists investigated the effect of two different stressors, cold-water swimming and ether, on central beta-endorphin, GnRH and plasma testosterone levels, as well as the response to an acute stress in chronically stressed rats, treated or untreated with acetyl-L-carnitine. The stressors were applied twice a day for 10 days. Autopsies on the rats revealed that chronic swimming stress induced a huge decrease in plasma testosterone levels (can you say overtraining?), while no changes were observed after ether stress. The treatment with acetyl-L-carnitine, moreover, prevented the decrease in plasma testosterone levels after chronic swimming stress. That tells us that taking the carnitines in doses of two to four grams may be a good way to kick-start your nightlife. —Jose Antonio, Ph.D. Editor’s note: You can listen to Jose Antonio and Carla Sanchez on their Performance Nutrition radio show at www .pnshow.com. Dr. Antonio is also the CEO of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (www.theissn.org) and a co-founder of Javalution (www.javalution.com). 1 National Institutes of Health. (2004). Carnitine: The science behind a conditionally essential nutrient. Retrieved from http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/News/Carnitine_Conference_Summary.aspx. 2 Cavallini, G., et al. (2004). Carnitine versus androgen administration in the treatment of sexual dysfunction, depressed mood, and fatigue associated with male aging. Urology. 63:641-646. 3 Bidzinska, B., et al. (1993). Effect of different chronic intermittent stressors and acetyl-l-carnitine on hypothalamic beta-endorphin and GnRH and on plasma testosterone levels in male rats. Neuroendocrinology. 57:985-990.

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Eat to Grow MYTHS

Milk and Mucus Although many consider it disgusting, mucus does impart some beneficial effects in the body. Mucus forms a thin film that covers the surface of the mucous membrane, which lines the digestive and breathing tracts, protecting against a number of mechanical, temperature-related and chemical irritations. Mucus itself consists of various proteins, sugars, salts and immune factors, as well as enzymes. Since those with respiratory ailments, such as colds and asthma, tend to produce excess mucus, the substance is more associated with being a liability than a protector. While a number of foods have been linked to “excessive” mucus production, milk has gotten an especially bad rap. The belief that milk increases mucus production dates back to the 12th century. But like many other food myths, this long-held belief isn’t true. As an asthmatic, I’ve been advised by doctors that I should steadfastly avoid drinking milk because it would increase mucus production, thus obstructing my bronchial

H E A LT H F O O D

Should you avoid dairy products when you’re stuffy? tubes. Despite this advice, I’ve never noticed any particular increase in asthma symptoms after eating or drinking any type of dairy food. Research examining the connection has found no actual relationship. In one study, a group of people who believed that drinking milk increased mucus flow were given milk and a beverage that had the same consistency as milk but contained no actual milk. The subjects reported that both beverages equally increased mucus release. The study authors concluded that those who think that drinking milk increases mucus production often find that it does. Milk does not increase mucus production, though anything that irritates the breathing tract does. Milk is not in that category. Nor are any other dairy foods. Milk also does not increase or bring on asthma symptoms, which are more often related to exposure to allergens than to drinking milk. —Jerry Brainum

VITAMINS

Fueling Optimum Performance In our August issue Eric Broser included a short item on Vital Choice Seafood (www.VitalChoice.com) in his Muscle “In” Sites section. Because its products pack such a powerful nutrition punch, we thought it deserved a second look. VitalChoice.com, founded by longtime Alaska fisherman Randy Hartnell, is the leading online source of superior Alaskan salmon and other wild-harvested fish. Whether fresh, frozen, canned or smoked, its skinless-and-boneless wild salmon fillets offer unsurpassed purity, culinary quality and convenience. As well as wild salmon (sockeye, king and silver), its fresh-frozen seafood selection includes halibut, sablefish and small, minimal-mercury albacore tuna, all harvested sustainably from the pristine waters of the Pacific Northwest. Nutrition-savvy physicians like Andrew Weil and Nicholas Perricone recommend Vital Choice as a source of top-quality fish rich in the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids proven to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, curb cancer growth and enhance physical and mental performance. Vital Choice now offers a growing array of other healthful, certified-organic and kosher foods, ranging from sweet berries, exquisite teas, fine oils and succulent Portuguese sardines to extra dark chocolate, aromatic herbs and scintillating spices. Check it all out at www.VitalChoice.com. —Steve Holman

D-Press Illness According to the June ’06 issue of Prevention, University of California, San Diego, researchers found that, “high vitamin D levels cut colon, ovarian and breast cancer risk by up to 50 percent, rivaling the power that not smoking has on preventing lung cancer.” The researchers recommend about 1,000 international units per day of vitamin D. Your body can manufacture D from small amounts of sunshine, and you can also get it from lowfat milk (about 100 I.U. in one cup), fish (400 I.U. in about 3.5 ounces) and your multivitamin. —Becky Holman X-tremeLean.com

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PERFECT POSTWORKOUT MEAL

To Kick-Start Immediate Muscle Growth After You Train Breakthrough research in exercise metabolism now reveals this fact: What you consume (or don’t consume) immediately after training plays a critical role in determining your success or failure! That time period is known as the “anabolic window” of growth. The biggest mistake many bodybuilders make is eating a meal of chicken breasts, baked potato or rice and vegetables after a workout. This is an approach doomed to fail because by the time this meal digests, the anabolic window has slammed shut. The best way to produce this potent anabolic effect is simply by drinking an amino acidand-carbohydrate supplement within 15 minutes after training! RecoverX™ offers the ideal combination and provides the perfect blend of nutrients for postworkout anabolic acceleration. RecoverX™ contains 40 grams of the quickest-acting bio-available protein from hydrolyzed whey—extremely fast protein for immediate delivery—whey protein concentrate, glutamine peptides, arginine and 60 grams of carbohydrate to give you the necessary insulin spike.

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Train, Eat, Muscle-Training Program 83 From the IRON MAN Training & Research Center by Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson Photography by Michael Neveux

s we discussed in our last installment, sear-factor training, or going for the burn, is very important during our ripping phase. Achieving that burn in the target muscle increases growth hormone, which is a potent bodyfat blowtorch as well as an anabolic-hormone amplifier—it synergizes with testosterone, for example, to boost its size-building power. Nevertheless, max force, not burn, has been our primary focus because of the intense anaerobic stress it brings—and anaerobic work produces the most hypertrophy. That’s why in last month’s program we began each bodypart routine with a big, basic, compound movement—usually the ultimate exercise identified in The Ultimate Mass Workout e-book—using straight sets and longer rests. After that we transitioned into a singlejoint contracted-position exercise for continuous tension and drop sets for the sear-factor effect—the chisel-with-sizzle method. For

example, one of our delt routines was dumbbell upright rows, two sets with three-minute rests and max-force-generating X Reps; then we’d follow with a double-drop set—three back-to-back sets—on forward-lean laterals, a contractedposition exercise that provides continuous tension. After we’d been doing things that way for a while, however, we started thinking about specificity. Specificity is more than just a hard word to pronounce—it’s a key muscle-training concept, and we were using it, to a degree. Maxforce generation was our specific goal up front, and we used the best exercises for that purpose—compound movements that place the target muscle in the ergonomically correct position to blast out reps with extreme force (the ultimate exercises). Then we shifted our emphasis to continuous tension, once again using specific exercises for a specific goal—single-joint continuous tension moves to fuel the fire. Now we’re thinking that there may be a better way that’s more

in line with the specificity concept, one we’ve been experimenting with that’s giving us an exceptional surge in size and strength. As we’ve said numerous times, two keys to packing on size are max force and extended tension. What if instead of combining those two in one workout, as we did in last month’s program, we attacked max force at one workout and extended tension at the next? There’d be no performance interference or adaptation confusion. In other words, your muscle cells would need to cope with and recover from only one type of stress. As strength-training researchers Vladimir Zatsiorsky, Ph.D., and William Kraemer, Ph.D., put it in their new book Science and Practice of Strength Training, Second Edition (Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics; 2006), “Training adaptations are highly specific…and the transfer of training gains can differ greatly even in very similar exercises.” As our latest research is showing at the ITRC, it all depends on how you train the exercise. For example, certain types of

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Single-joint continuoustension exercises build the endurance components of the muscle cells.

squats are the best at getting your quads to generate force. Because of the multijoint nature of the movement, you can move heavy poundages for maximum overload. You can also generate force on leg extensions, however, even though they’re a single-joint exercise with continuous tension. Sure, you can’t produce as much force as you can on squats, but the leg extension is still a viable exercise for achieving some force overload on a few more fibers. Science has shown that leg extensions can have a different recruitment pattern from that of squats, so using extensions as a force-production exercise has potential for stimulating fuller muscular development. It goes in the other direction too. While squats are best at max-force generation, you can use them as an extended-tension exercise. How? Do it nonlock style, and drop the Dbomb—the drop-set tactic—on one grueling cycle. Performing backto-back sets of nonlock squats will take courage, but the extended tension will give your quads new dimensions in no time.

Obviously, you can’t separate max force and extended tension completely. There will be overlap—the first phase of a drop set will always generate some force because it’s like a straight set; however, you can focus on one or the other at each workout. That’s exactly what we’re doing now to speed our results. Our current strategy is straight sets at one session and then drop sets, tri-sets and/or supersets at the next. In a way it’s like a heavy/light system, with a twist. We use the same exercises at each workout, but we group them to get extended tension at one session and then do straight sets at the next for max force. It’s an exciting concept if you’re after more mass with quick, precision hits. See our program on page 68 for specific examples. There’s a fly in the ointment for some trainees, however. Straight sets on max-force day shouldn’t be a problem, but if you train in a crowded commercial gym, accomplishing the tri-sets and supersets in extended-tension workouts can be frustrating or impossible (during your first exercise you have to stop

But you can also use them as max-force generators for a different mass-building effect.

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Stretch-position exercises provide unique overload that increases fiber activation and positively affects anabolic hormone release. midway and scream, “Hey, I’m going to use that!”). There’s a simple solution. Instead of tri-sets and supersets, rely on drop sets and doubledrops—back-to-back sets with weight reductions on the same exercise (or you could use the ROB or DC training methods, which don’t require weight changes; however, they do require you to rest very briefly between sets—more on those in a moment). The easiest way is to start with the ultimate exercise from the X-Rep Mass-Detail Workout in the Ultimate Mass Workout e-book (pages 78-80) and do a double-drop set. (That’s two quick poundage reductions—three back-to-back sets.) Then do the more isolated, contracted-position exercise as a drop set (two back-to-back sets). Then do a drop set on the stretch-position exercise. Let’s look at a simple delt-training example so you see the contrast between max force and extended tension:

Delts (Max Force) Dumbbell upright rows 2-3 x 9-12 Forward-lean laterals 2 x 9-12 Incline one-arm laterals 2 x 9-12 Note: Take 2 1/2 to three minutes’ rest after each set.

Delts (Extended Tension) Dumbbell upright rows (double-drop set) 1 x 8(6)(4) Forward-lean laterals (drop set) 1 x 10(6) Incline one-arm laterals (drop set) 1 x 10(6) Using drop sets will give you extended-tension benefits almost equal to that of the tri-sets and supersets we’re using in our program—a fast endurance-component blast with just a bit of force production—as well a skin-stretching pump. Notice that on max-force day you do the same exercises, only with straight sets—no drops. That’s the big difference.

X Reps, Stretch Moves and Max Force So where do X Reps fit best in our new routine? Are they max-force generators or extended-tension enhancers? Think about it. They extend a set because you use them at exhaustion to keep the muscle firing—but you do them right at the max-force point. They go both ways, like David Bowie, so they are a perfect fit on max-force day or in extended-tension workouts. On max-force day we usually use them

on the last straight set of an exercise. On extended-tension day we usually like to save them for the last phase of a drop set or the second exercise in a superset. On contracted-position exercises, say leg extensions, we like the X Fade, one of the X-hybrid techniques from our Beyond X-Rep Muscle Building e-book. Along those same X-hybrid lines, X-centric training and X/Pause work best on maxforce day, as they are more oriented toward heavy overload; stage sets and Double-X Overload—along with X Fade—work best on extended-tension day. Once we put all of this into practice, as outlined, we realized some impressive new gains quickly, but then we started thinking again— about the stretch-position exercise for each muscle. Does it really belong at the end of the bodypart routines on max-force day or closer to the beginning? Time to consult the scientists again. According to Zatsiorsky and Kraemer: If a muscle shortens immediately after a stretch, •force and power output increases, and •energy expenditure decreases. Thus, muscles can produce greater mechanical force and power while using less energy.… The greater the muscle tension, the greater the stiffness of the muscle—the stronger the muscle resists its stretch. Superior athletes can develop high forces. Well, we wouldn’t call ourselves superior athletes, but we have been using stretch-position exercises consistently for years. We’re not newbies to stretch overload, so we consider stretch-position exercises high-force movements—when fatigue-product accumulation in the muscle is minimal. That means that stretch moves belong closer to the front on maxforce day, right after the compound exercise. The max-force delt routine now looks like this:

Delts (Max Force) Dumbbell upright rows 2-3 x 9-12 Incline one-arm laterals 2 x 9-12 Forward-lean laterals 2 x 9-12 Note: Take 2 1/2 to three minutes’ rest after each set.

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IRON MAN Training & Research Center Muscle-Training Program 83 Monday: Chest(F), Lats(X), Triceps(X), Abs(F) Incline presses (X Reps) 3 x 10, 8, 8 High cable flyes (X Reps) 2 x 9-12 Wide-grip dips (X Reps) 2 x 9-12 Bench presses (X Reps) 1 x 9-12 Low/middle cable flyes (X Reps) 1 x 9-12 Tri-set Parallel-grip chins (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Machine pullovers 1 x 6-8 Undergrip pulldowns 1 x 6-8 Superset Wide-grip pulldowns (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Rope rows (X Reps) 1 x 6-8 Machine pullovers (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 9(6) Tri-set Elbows-flared pushdowns 1 x 8-10 Pushdowns 1 x 6-8 Dips (X Reps) 1 x 6-8 Superset Dips 1 x 8-10 V-bar pushdowns (X Reps) 1 x 6-8 1 x 9(6) Overhead DB extensions (drop set; X Reps) Incline kneeups (X Reps) 2 x 12-15 Ab Bench crunches (X Reps) 3 x 12-15 Full-range twisting crunches (X Reps) 1 x 12-15 Tuesday: Delts(X), Midback(F), Biceps(X), Forearms(F) Tri-set Rack pulls (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Seated laterals 1 x 6-8 Cable upright rows 1 x 6-8 Superset Rack pulls (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Forward-lean laterals (X Reps) 1 x 6-8 Standing dumbbell presses (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 8(6) Cable laterals (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 9(6) Barbell shrugs (X Reps) 2 x 12, 10 Nautilus rows or cable rows (X Reps) 3 x 9-12 Bent-arm bent-over laterals (X Reps) 2 x 9-12 Behind-the-neck pulldowns (X Reps) 1 x 9-12 Bent-over laterals (X Reps) 2 x 9-12 Superset Preacher curls (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Cable curls (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 8(6) Superset Preacher curls (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Dumbbell curls 1 x 6-8 Incline curls (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 9(6) Incline hammer curls (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 8(6) Reverse wrist curls (X Reps) 3 x 10-15 Wrist curls (X Reps) 3 x 10-15 Rockers 1 x 15-20 Thursday: Chest(X), Lats(F), Triceps(F), Abs(X) Tri-set Smith-machine incline presses (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 High cable flyes (X Reps) 1 x 6-8 High/low cable flyes (X Reps) 1 x 6-8

Tri-set Wide-grip dips (X Reps) Low cable flyes (X Reps) Dumbbell bench presses (X Reps) Superset Bench presses (X Reps) Middle cable flyes (X Reps) Parallel-grip pulldowns (X Reps) Parallel-grip chins (X Reps) Undergrip pulldowns (X Reps) Wide-grip pulldowns (X Reps) Machine pullovers (X Reps) Stiff-arm pulldowns (X Reps) Dips (X Reps) Elbows-flared pushdowns (X Reps) Decline extensions Overhead dumbbell extensions (X Reps) Cable extensions (X Reps) Pushdowns (X Reps) Superset Incline kneeups (drop set; X Reps) Flat-bench leg raises (X Reps) Tri-set Ab Bench crunches (X Reps) Twisting crunches (X Reps) Bench V-ups

1 x 8-10 1 x 6-8 1 x 6-8 1 x 8-10 1 x 6-8 1 x 9-12 1 x 9-12 1 x 9-12 1 x 9-12 2 x 9-12 1 x 9-12 2 x 8-12 1 x 9-12 1 x 9-12 1 x 9-12 1 x 9-12 1 x 9-12 1 x 9(5) 1x8 1x9 1x8 1x8

Friday: Delts(F), Midback(X), Biceps(F), Forearms(X), Soleus/Calves(X) Rack pulls (X Reps) 3 x 10, 8, 8 Dumbbell upright rows or laterals (X Reps) 2 x 9-12 Incline one-arm laterals (X Reps) 1 x 9-12 Forward-lean laterals (X Reps) 2 x 9-12 Standing dumbbell presses (X Reps) 2 x 9-12 Superset Dumbbell shrugs (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Behind-the-back shrugs (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Tri-set Nautilus rows (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Bent-arm bent-over laterals (X Reps) 1 x 6-8 Cable rows (X Reps) 1 x 6-8 Superset Behind-the-neck pulldowns (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Bent-over laterals (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 6(4) Preacher curls (X Reps) 2 x 9-12 Cable curls (X Reps) 2 x 9-12 Incline curls (X Reps) 1 x 9-12 Concentration curls (X Reps) 1 x 9-12 One-arm spider curls (X Reps) 1 x 9-12 Cable hammer curls (X Reps) 1 x 9-12 Cable reverse curls (X Reps) 1 x 9-12 Dumbbell reverse wrist curls (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(7)(6) Dumbbell wrist curls (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(7)(6) Rockers (drop set) 1 x 15(8) Tri-set Seated calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 10-12 Machine donkey calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 12-20 Standing calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 20-30

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ITRC Program 83 (continued) Wednesday: Quads(F/X), Hams(F/X), Calves(F), Low Back(X) Smith-machine squats (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Smith-machine squats (nonlock) 1 x 15-20 Superset Sissy squats (X Reps) 1 x 9-12 Dumbbell squats (low partials; X Reps) 1 x 9-12 Leg extensions (X Reps) 1 x 10-15 Leg extensions (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) Feet-forward hack squats 1 x 9-12 Stiff-legged deadlifts (low partials; X Reps) 1 x 10-15 Superset Stiff-legged deadlifts (low partials) 1 x 8-10 Hyperextensions (X Reps) 1 x 8-12 Leg curls (X Reps) 1 x 9-12 Leg curls (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 9(6) Leg press calf raises (X Reps) 3 x 15-20 Machine donkey calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 15-20 Hack-machine calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 10-15 Standing calf raises (X Reps) 1 x 15-20 Seated calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 15-20 Low-back machine (X Reps) 1 x 10 Note: See the X-Blog at www.X-Rep.com for recent changes to these workouts. Note: Where X-Reps are designated, usually only one set or phase of a drop set is performed with X Reps or an X-Rep hybrid technique from the Beyond X-Rep Muscle Building e-book. See the X-Blog at www.X-Rep .com for more workout details. The stretch-position exercise, incline one-arm laterals, moved from the last spot up to the second position to complement the force production from the dumbbell upright rows. Yes, you can still generate force on the contracted-position exercise, forward-lean laterals, but not as much as on the other two movements, so save contracted-position continuous-tension exercises for last on max-force day.

cording to Zatsiorsky and Kraemer, “If muscle tension increases sharply [as it does with a heavy max-single load], the Golgi tendon reflex evokes the inhibition of muscle action.” You can train specifically to raise the threshold of the Golgi tendon reflex, as powerlifters do, but that takes a lot of strength-oriented work, and we’re more interested in muscle gains. For bodybuilders it’s better to keep the reps in the hypertrophic zone to set off the size-principle of fiber recruitment and stimulate as many fast-twitch fibers as possible with a progressive buildup of force throughout the set. With the size principle of fiber recruitment you get the low-threshold motor units to fire first, the mediums to fire next and the high-threshold motor units to fire last. It’s the domino effect that triggers maximum fiber recruitment, and it works best with around nine reps—25 to 30 seconds of tension time per set. With a single, double or triple, you derail the size principle of recruitment and engage the high-threshold motor units immediately, which causes the nervous system to crap out early, before optimum fiber recruitment occurs. There may be unique force-generation benefits to low reps, so if you’re a bodybuilder who craves low-reps work, you could jack up the weight on your third set of your big exercise on force day and do a triple. We haven’t tried it because of the above reasoning; however, it may be worth experimenting with—but be careful!

ROB and DC Training The Rest-Only-Briefly method and the Doggcrapp method are similar. We’ve discussed both in previous installments of this series, but let’s review:

Continuous-tension exercises are generally used to create occlusion, but you can use them in a forcegeneration capacity as well.

Obviously, we want to create as much max-force generation as possible as quickly as possible up front on max-force day. So why not use low reps? Heck, why not singles? Lower reps are more dangerous, but that’s not the reason we don’t do them. It’s because of nervous system fizzle. That’s due to the Golgi tendon organs in muscle fibers. Ac-

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Singles and Max-Force Generation

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ITRC Program 83, Abbreviated Home-Gym Routine Monday: Chest(F), Lats(X), Triceps(X), Abs(F) Incline presses (X Reps) 2-3 x 9-12 Incline flyes (low partials; X Reps) 1 x 9-12 Bench presses or decline presses (X Reps) 2 x 9-12 Decline flyes (low partials; X Reps) 1 x 9-12 Pushups (X Reps) 1 x max Chins (drop or rest/pause; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) Undergrip rows (drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) Dumbbell pullovers (drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) Decline extensions (drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) Kickbacks (drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) Overhead extensions (drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) Incline kneeups 2 x max Bench V-ups 1 x max Weighted full-range crunches or Ab Bench crunches 2 x max Twisting crunches (X Reps) 1 x 10-12

Thursday: Chest(X), Lats(F), Triceps(F), Abs(X) Incline presses (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 9(6)(4) Incline flyes (top squeeze; drop set; X Reps) 1 x 9(6) Bench or decline presses (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 9(6) Flat-bench flyes (top squeeze; drop set; X Reps) 1 x 9(6) Nonlock pushups (drop—to knees; X Reps) 1 x max(max) Chins (X Reps) 2-3 x 9-12 Dumbbell pullovers (X Reps) 2 x 9-12 Undergrip rows (X Reps) 2 x 9-12 Decline extensions (X Reps) 2-3 x 9-12 Overhead extensions (X Reps) 2 x 9-12 Kickbacks (X Reps) 2 x 9-12 Tri-set Incline kneeups 1 x max Bench V-ups 1 x max Twisting crunches (X Reps) 1 x 10-12 Weighted crunches (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 12(8)

Tuesday: Delts(X), Midback(F), Biceps(X), Forearms(F) Dumbbell upright rows (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(6)(4) Seated forward-lean laterals (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) Incline one-arm laterals (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) Standing dumbbell presses (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) Barbell shrugs (X Reps) 2 x 10-15 Bent-over barbell rows 2 x 9-12 One-arm dumbbell rows 2 x 9-12 Bent-arm bent-over laterals (X Reps) 2 x 9-12 Bent-over laterals (X Reps) 1 x 9-12 Barbell or dumbbell curls (double drop) 1 x 8(6)(4) Concentration curls (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) Incline curls (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) Incline hammer curls (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) Reverse wrist curls (X Reps) 2 x 12-15 Wrist curls (X Reps) 2 x 12-15 Rockers 1 x 12-20

Friday: Delts(F), Midback(X), Biceps(F), Forearms(X); Soleus/Calves(X) Dumbbell upright rows or rack pulls (X Reps) 2-3 x 9-12 Incline one-arm laterals (X Reps) 2 x 9-12 Seated forward-lean laterals (X Reps) 2 x 9-12 Standing dumbbell presses (X Reps) 2 x 9-12 Dumbbell shrugs (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 9(7)(5) Bent-over barbell rows (drop set) 1 x 10(6) Bent-arm bent-over laterals (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) Bent-over laterals (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) One-arm dumbbell rows (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) Preacher curls (X Reps) 2-3 x 9-12 Incline curls (X Reps) 2 x 9-12 Concentration curls (X Reps) 2 x 9-12 Incline hammer curls (X Reps) 2 x 9-12 Reverse wrist curls (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(8)(6) Wrist curls (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(8)(6) Rockers (drop set) 1 x 12(8) Tri-set Seated calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 10-12 Donkey calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 12-20 Standing freehand calf raises (X Reps) 2 x max

Wednesday: Quads(F/X), Hams(F/X), Calves(F) Squats 2 x 9-12 Squats 1 x 15-20 Sissy squats 2 x 10-15 Leg extensions or old-style hack squats 1 x 10-15 Superset Leg extensions or hack squats (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Dumbbell squats (low partials; X Reps) 1 x 5-8 Front squats 1 x 9-12 Stiff-legged deadlifts (low partials) 1 x 9-12 Superset Stiff-legged deadlifts (low-partials) 1 x 9-12 Hyperextensions 1 x 8-10 Leg curls (X Reps) 1 x 10-15 Leg curls (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) Donkey calf raises (X Reps) 3 x 15-20 One-leg calf raises (X Reps) 3 x 15-20 Seated calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 15-20

Note: Where X-Reps are designated, usually only one set or phase of a drop set is performed with X Reps or an X-Rep hybrid technique from the Beyond X-Rep Muscle Building e-book. See the X-Blog at www .X-Rep.com for more workout details. Note: Train Monday through Friday, following the sequence of workouts as listed, with legs always on Wednesday only. Also, for drop sets it’s best to have a selectorized dumbbell set, such as the PowerBlock, if you don’t have a rack of fixed dumbbells of various weights. If you don’t have a leg extension machine, do old-style hacks, nonlock style. Use partner resistance, towel around the ankles, if you don’t have a leg curl machine.

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ROB This is Rob Thoburn’s method (see page 140). Basically, you take a weight that allows eight to 10 reps and do a set, and then you rest for 10 seconds, hit it again, rest for 10 seconds, and so on till you get only one rep. It usually works out to three to five sets, using the same poundage on each.

DC Training This is Dante’s method, and he recommends using it on compound exercises. Take a weight that allows 10 reps and do a set, rest 20 seconds, rep out with the same weight, rest 20 seconds and rep out one last time. It’s three sets with 20 seconds of rest after each, all done with the same weight. Dante recommends 20-second breaks to allow fatigue products to clear from the muscle. Research shows, however, that for max-force production you need 2 1/2 to three minutes after each set to clear the fatigue products. That’s the reason we consider both of these methods to be rush-to-exhaustion techniques. Because they call for very short rests between sets, they are less force oriented and more geared toward extended tension. The more endurance-oriented nature of those methods is one reason trainees get a surge in results when they first try either of them—because most trainees aren’t used to working the endurance components of the fast-twitch 2A fibers. Most bodybuilders do heavy straight sets with tension times that are too short to get at the endurance components of the 2As—six to eight reps at a rapid pace causes a set to last less than 20 seconds. If they use a more enduranceoriented method like DC training or the ROB technique, the mitochondria in the muscle cells and the sarcoplasm and noncontractile proteins that do not directly contribute to the production of muscle force begin to develop, producing some new hypertrophy. The hitch is, if you use those methods exclusively, your force production and anaerobic stimulation may eventually suffer. We like both methods, but we suggest using

X Reps done at exhaustion extend tension time and trigger more force production in the target muscle.

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Train, Eat, GROW to go something like 10, seven, five— not 10, three, one. Adjust your rest times accordingly for each exercise, but 10 seconds should be about right for most people. There’s lots to think about this month. Our program continues to evolve, so to see what we’re doing right now, go to our training blog at www.X-Rep.com.

The big exercises are king for max-force production, but heavy singles and doubles can cause the nervous system to crap out before optimum muscle activation occurs. them only on extended-tension day, on the big exercise for each bodypart. We prefer the shorter rest times of the ROB method for three multirep rest/pause sets; however, you may need longer rests, as you get

with DC training, on some exercises. For example, if you get nine reps on your first set, you may need 15 to 20 seconds of rest in order to get a respectable number on your second and third sets. You want your reps

Editor’s note: For the latest on the X-Rep muscle-building method, including X Q&As, X Files (past ezines), our before and after photos and the X-Blog training journal, visit www.X-Rep.com. For more information on Positions-of-Flexion training videos and Size Surge programs, see the ad section that begins on page 193 or visit www.Home-Gym .com. To order the Positions-of-Flexion training manual Train, Eat, Grow, call (800) 447-0008, visit www.HomeGym.com, or see the ad below. IM

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Steve Holman’s

Critical Mass

Bloodbath Bodybuilding Q: I always do two warmup sets—10 reps with 50 percent of my work weight and five reps with 80 percent—prior to my midrange movements. While that brings a little blood to the area, I don’t achieve maximum occlusion till the end of a bodypart routine, after isolation-movement drop sets. Since occlusion contributes to hypertrophy and strength, would it be more beneficial to achieve occlusion before I do the first heavy midrange movement and keep it going throughout the routine? Are midrange movements more productive when the bodypart is already engorged with blood? If so, would it make sense to precede the heavy midrange sets with several high-rep isolation sets and/or continuous-tension midrange sets as the warmup, like this:

Triceps pushdowns (occlusion) 1 x 20 Decline extensions (occlusion) 1 x 15 Decline extensions 1 x 8-10 Decline extensions 1 x 8-10 Heavy contracted- or stretch-position movements, like pushdowns or overhead extensions

A: That sounds like an excellent experiment. The occlusion study on strength suggested that stopping blood flow to the forearms for two minutes created a 20 percent increase in strength, which would increase force production, which, in turn, should trigger more hypertrophy. I believe that’s the reason postactivation works so well— a continuous-tension isolation exercise alternated with a big midrange movement with rest between them (you must rest; it’s not preexhaustion). As occlusion builds over three sets, you maintain or increase your strength on each succeeding set of the midrange exercise. Here’s an example for quads from the POF Postactivation Routine on pages 199 and 200 of my book Train, Eat, Grow (Home-Gym.com): Postactivaton superset (rest one minute before each successive set) Midrange: Leg presses or squats 3 x 8-10 Contracted: Leg extensions 3 x 8-10 Stretch: Sissy squats 2 x 8-10 When Jonathan Lawson and I have used the technique, we’ve usually lost no strength on the big, midrange exercise and often gotten stronger on each succeeding set. Heightened blood flow produced better force generation from the target muscle. We found it so effective that we used postactivation in the high-definition workout in our e-book X-treme Lean (X-Rep.com). In that program, however, we use only two sets of each midrange exercise, and between them we have one higher-rep isolation exercise with continuous tension for occlusion effects. That produces more muscle burn, which increases growth hormone and fat-burning effects, but because you rest after each set, you still achieve plenty of force-production capacity. It’s very effective at building muscle and setting the stage for more fat incineration.

Using a single-joint continuous-tension exercise, such as leg extensions, between sets of a compound movement, like squats, for the same muscle can increase size and strength gains; however, you must rest after each set to avoid derailing force production. It’s not preexhaustion!

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Q: I’ve read that for maximum strength gains you should rest at least

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three minutes between sets, but for maximum size gains you should rest one minute. If that’s true, why do you recommend longer rests—up to three minutes? I know X-Rep sets are demanding, but isn’t your primary goal mass gains over strength? Your rep range and time under tension are geared toward mass increases, so it seems that a shorter rest time would be more conducive to your goals. A: Jonathan and I rest about three minutes between sets of our ultimate exercises (compound, or midrange) because we’re after max-force production. That’s better for anaerobic stimulation of the fast-twitch 2A fibers. We reduce the rest and also incorporate drop sets, trisets, etc., on the more isolated movements (leg extensions, for example) in order to work the endurance components of the fast-twitch fibers via occlusion and longer tension times. That helps develop the mitochondria and capillary beds and is the key secondary size builder that many bodybuilders fail to take advantage of. Max force and endurance-component training are the biggest players in your quest for bigger muscles. In fact, we’re now experimenting with two different workouts for each bodypart: At one workout we do a max-force session—straight sets, a three-minute rest after each set—and at the next session for that bodypart we do more endurance-oriented training, including double drops, tri-sets and so forth for longer tension times and more occlusion. So far our gains have been very impressive with the new method, which is more in line with specificity-of-training theories. Q: I’ve heard that fibers can morph into the specific type that corresponds to the rep range that is used. For instance, if an individual has mostly slowtwitch endurance fibers—classic hardgainer—he could go on a cycle of low-rep power training and, over time, create a higher percentage of fast-twitch fibers in his muscles. Is that true? A: While it makes sense on paper, there’s no proof it can happen in real life. Scientists believe we’re stuck with our ratio of slow-twitch to fast-twitch fibers for life. The best you can hope for is morphing fast-twitch type 2Bs (pure power fibers) into fast-twitch type 2As, which have both power and endurance capabilities. Why are the 2As better for bodybuilding? Because you can attack both aspects of the muscle cell and create a double-size effect. Muscle biopsies show that the biggest bodybuilders have many more 2As than average folks, so that should tell us that 2As are king in bodybuilding. That’s why you need both maxforce work (heavy straight sets with eight to 12 reps) and extended-tension work (drop sets, double drop sets, X Reps and other extended-set techniques). Force work trains the anaerobic capacity of the 2As and extended-tension work trains the endurance components (mitochondria, capillary beds, etc.). However, if hyperplasia, or fiber splitting, is real, as many scientists believe, then you could perhaps cause division of fast-twitch fibers and increase your ratio of fast to slow. The animal studies that have achieved hyperplasia—one got a 300 percent mass increase after a month of stimulation—did it via stretch overload. That could be a reason stretch-position exercises are so effective at building mass, especially over time. So don’t neglect stretch-position exercises, like stiff-legged deadlifts for hamstrings. [Note: Stretch-position exercises are identified for each bodyp-

Book Review: Burke’s Law The subtitle of the new book by Paul T. Burke is A New Fitness Paradigm for the Mature Male. I’m 47 years old, so I was drawn to it immediately, although sometimes I question just how “mature” I am as I continue my quest for more muscle. Luckily, Burke is right there with me, still plugging away. What really intrigued me was one of his fundamental points: “No matter what you have believed or been told in the past, everyone (structurally and physiologically able) can reach this perfect zone wherein they can move a heavy weight and engage their muscles until failure, without injury. The key is to find the proper leverage point, build up your anaerobic capacity, and keep going through the pain barrier.” “Proper leverage point” appears to equate with the X spot from the X-Rep method we’ve been experimenting with here at the ITRC. Burke is also a big believer in the extended continuous tension we’ve found so effective. Here’s more on how he used those techniques to develop his massive forearms: “My forearms measure over 16 inches in circumference…. I did it by squeezing the bar and moving it only millimeters back and forth, contracting the muscles over and over, harder and harder, without ever letting the bar go. I focused simply on moving the bar slightly back and forth…for minutes and minutes at a time, until I could no longer hold the bar. This constant contraction is what mattered.” Continuous tension. Partial reps. I was nodding in agreement as I read. Burke’s book, though, is much more than analysis of those important muscle-building concepts. He also discusses the early days of weight training, including Louis Cyr and Eugen Sandow and what we can learn from the training of their two completely different body types. Burke talks about Charles Atlas, the Weider brothers, Arnold and a host of other familiar names from the bodybuilding hall of fame as well. The real focus, however, is proper training: maximum muscle stimulation in the shortest amount of time. While Burke is specific in many of his recommendations, he’s somewhat vague about which exercises are best and the whereabouts of the proper leverage point of each—but for good reason. He says that each person must discover the right movements and leverage points for himself. No two bodies are alike, though he does have form suggestions and excellent illustrations of some of the best movements for each muscle group—a good starting point for your own discovery process. Burke’s book is packed with thought-provoking muscle-building info, whether you’re a mature male or not. Oh, I forgot to mention that at age 41 Burke was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and has still managed to push his physique to new levels of development. Now, that’s impressive and gives a lot of clout to his techniques. Nice work, Burke! —S.H. Editor’s note: Burke’s Law is available for $34.95 from www.Home-Gym.com, or call (800) 447-0008. www.ironmanmagazine.com \ SEPTEMBER 2006 79

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Steve Holman’s

Critical Mass Can trainees transform slow-twitch fibers into fasttwitch fibers with heavy low-rep training? Science says no; however, if hyperplasia, or fiber splitting, is a reality, stretch overload may help create more fast-twitch fibers, providing a better fiber makeup for size increases. other hand, doing medium-intensity cardio a few days a week won’t stop your gains—and it’s very healthful. I try to do cardio at least once a week during the winter and move up to three, four and five days a week as I go through spring and summer, which includes my ripping phase. So in essence I agree with what your doctor said, but simply replacing the calories burned doesn’t ensure complete recovery from cardio or a weight workout.

art in the book Train, Eat, Grow, which is available online at www.Home-Gym.com, and the new e-book 3D Muscle Building, available at www.X-Rep.com.] Q: What multivitamin-and-mineral supplement do you take? I’m having a hard time choosing one that has a balanced array of antioxidants, B-complex, calcium and magnesium. A: I take a high-potency multivitamin-and-mineral capsule every morning. I rotate brands. Right now I’m using a high-potency store brand from Lassen’s, although I’m sure GNC has something comparable. I’m not too picky, as the meal replacement I use, Muscle-Link’s Muscle Meals, has a good complement of vitamins and minerals, with balanced calcium and magnesium. I also take a mineral capsule at night, as hard training has been shown to deplete minerals quickly. I take Muscle-Link’s ZMA-T, for extra zinc and magnesium, before bed as well (older folks tend to have a zinc deficiency, which can lower testosterone production in men), and I take two antioxidant capsules with my evening meal. Right now the one I use is Radox by Syntrax. For my complete supplement program, see the supplement blog at www.X-Rep.com. Q: A doctor told me there’s absolutely no evidence that regular aerobic exercise, as recommended by the American Heart Association, will hurt muscle gains if you replace the calories and that good cardiovascular function will improve nutrient delivery to muscles, improve cleansing of waste metabolites, improve ability to recover from taxing heavy sets and improve the ability to work out at a high level of intensity. Do you agree? A: Not completely. Any exercise takes a toll on the body, and if you have limited recovery ability, then intense cardio may limit your recovery from your weight workouts, especially if it’s traumatic to the joints, like running. On the

A: You need plenty of protein for growth, so protein supplements work, but you’re probably talking about immediate effects that you can feel and see. In that case, I’d go with MuscleTech’s Gakic. I am very skeptical, so when the team from MuscleTech came to our office and explained what Gakic does, I listened but wasn’t convinced—till I tried it. You may have read our Research Team feature on Gakic, which appeared in the November ’05 IRON MAN. Jonathan and I both got two, three and even four extra reps on many of our sets on exercises at the beginning of our workouts after we took Gakic. We also noticed the ability to crank out more X Reps at nervous system exhaustion as well. More muscle-building firepower translates into more growth stimulation. [Note: The Gakic Research Team feature appears at www.Home-Gym.com.] Even Jerry Brainum, IM’s top researcher and a bigger skeptic than I am, got incredible strength surges with Gakic. Along the same lines is a new supplement, beta-alanine (a.k.a. Red Dragon). It also can increase muscle firepower, in this case by loading the muscles with carnosine, a compound that’s much more prevalent in the muscles of large bodybuilders. It’s an adaptation to lots of hard training, as it buffers the burn to a degree, allowing you to push further into the growth zone on every set. Beta-alanine also appears to synergize well with creatine. For more on this new supplement, see the interview on page 174. Gakic plus beta-alanine plus creatine. Hmm. The sharp black POF T-shirt with the original classic logo emblazoned in gold can give you that muscular look you’re after (sorry, large size only). See page 235 for details. Editor’s note: Steve Holman is the author many bodybuilding best-sellers, including Train, Eat, Grow: The Positions-of-Flexion Muscle-Training Manual (see page 76). For information on the POF videos and Size Surge programs, see the ad section beginning on page 193. Also visit www.X-Rep .com. IM

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Neveux \ Model: Roger Stewart

Q: Which one supplement would you say absolutely works, no questions asked?

Steve Holman ironchief@aol.com

Mr. Natural Olympia John Hansen’s

Naturally Huge

Protein Problems Q: I’m 27 years old and dream of building a great physique like yours, but I’m having a difficult time. I work 40-plus hours a week, so I can’t have eight solid meals throughout the day to obtain all the nutrition I need. I’ve been using a protein powder and meal replacements, and they’ve worked wonders. I gained 10 pounds in a month. But after a few months my body started to reject them. I get an upset stomach and diarrhea. It’s happened with many products. I’ve switched brands many times, and I’m running out of options. When I take protein powders, I usually use three to four servings a day, 40 to 50 grams, with three to four regular meals. Am I supposed to take a break from these supplements, cleansing my intestines to get rid of the waste from the protein buildup? A: Digestion and assimilation of nutrients are extremely important. That old saying “You are what you eat” isn’t entirely correct. It’s actually, “You are what you eat, digest and assimilate.” Many bodybuilders ignore that when they consume huge quantities of protein without considering how well their bodies use it. Figure out how much protein you need to eat. You didn’t mention how much you weigh, but you should shoot for approximately one to 1.25 grams of protein for each pound of bodyweight when you’re trying to get bigger. If you weigh 180 pounds, you need between 180 and 225 grams of

Too much protein at any single feeding can cause problems.

protein each day. If you spread that over six meals, you’d be eating 30 to 37.5 grams of protein at each meal. You said that you take three to four servings of protein powder with three to four regular meals. I don’t know if you mean that you have the protein drinks at the same time you eat your regular-food meals or you have them at different times. You definitely don’t want to have a protein drink with meals that contain protein. That’s just too much protein for your body to digest. If you’re doing that, stop! Have your protein drinks between the regular-food meals, with at least three hours between feedings. You also mentioned that each serving of protein powder contains 40 to 50 grams of protein. Fifty grams of protein powder is probably too much for you at one meal. If a serving consists of two scoops of protein powder, have only 1 1/2 scoops instead. Remember, it’s not how much protein you’re taking in but the amount you can use efficiently. So, if you decreased your protein intake to 35 grams per serving with each protein drink and approximately 30 grams of protein at your whole-food meals, you’d be taking in 195 grams of protein each day if you eat six times a day. If you’re trying to increase muscle mass, that’s plenty. The rest of your calories should come from complex carbohydrates along with enough essential fats to help add size to your physique. If those changes don’t help with your digestive problems, you could try supplementing with digestive-enzyme tablets, which usually contain betaine hydrochloride, pepsin, pancreatin and bromelain. Take them when you eat your protein, and they’ll help you digest it and avoid an upset stomach. The Iron Guru, Vince Gironda, often recommended to his students what you suggested in your question. He’d have his protégés eat high amounts of protein along with additional amino acid and liver tablets with each meal for five to six days straight. At the end of the week he’d have them cut way back on their protein in order to make the muscle cells more receptive to protein assimilation when they went back to their high-protein diet after the short break. You can give that a try in addition to the other options I suggested.

Neveux \ Model: Ward El Idrise

Q: I’m having trouble making progress with my chest and triceps workout. I train those bodyparts every Monday, and I go to failure on each set. This is my current routine and diet: Chest Bench presses Flyes Smith-machine incline presses Incline flyes Cable crossovers

5 x 10, 8, 8, 6, 4 4 x 12, 10, 10, 8 4 x 10, 8, 8, 8 3 x 10, 10, 8 2 x 15, 12

Triceps Close-grip bench presses Pushdowns Cable extensions Overhead dumbbell extensions

12, 10, 8, 8 4 x 15, 12, 12, 10 3 x 12, 10, 10 3 x 10, 8, 6

(continued on page 102)

Meal 1 (3 a.m.): 6 egg whites, oatmeal, juice Meal 2 (5 a.m.): 45 grams whey protein, banana Meal 3 (7:30 a.m.): tuna sandwich on whole-grain bread Meal 4 (10 a.m.): chicken breast, potato, salad

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Mr. Natural Olympia John Hansen’s

Naturally Huge carbs with the whey protein for your postworkout meal. Your body needs a fast source of carbohydrates immediately following a workout to restore the depleted glycogen in the muscle cells. I always take three scoops of RecoverX after I train. It contains 40 grams of whey protein along with 60 grams of simple carbs, prefect for recuperation and recovA: The first problem I see with ery from my workout. [For more info your workout is that you’re doing too see X-Stack.com.] many sets—18 for chest and 14 for I think you should also switch triceps. If you’re training to failure, from using whey protein at meal 2 that’s too much. to a protein powder that contains For your chest workout I think you a combination of whey, casein and should limit yourself to two pressing egg proteins. That combo (found in movements and one flye exercise. If Muscle-Link’s Pro-Fusion protein you do three to four sets of the presspowder and Muscle Meals meal-reing movements and two to three sets placement powders) helps slow the of the flye exercise, you’ll cut your digestion of amino acids so they’re total sets for chest from 18 to around not rapidly absorbed into the blood10. The volume reduction will help stream. When you have to wait sevyou build more mass because you’ll Slower-digesting combo proteins are best eral hours between meals, you don’t be conserving energy and will be able for between-meal feedings. Fast-acting want the protein to be absorbed so to put more into each set. That will whey is best after you train. quickly, leaving your blood sugar eventually result in greater strength level lower than normal before your and muscle mass. next meal. The slower absorption of the whey-and-casein My suggestion is to include a flat-bench and an inprotein powders will keep your blood sugar levels more cline-bench pressing exercise. Alternate the barbell and steady compared to the fast-acting action of whey protein dumbbell variations each week to prevent staleness. For by itself. example, use flat-bench barbell presses and incline dumbWhey is a good source of protein both before and after bell presses one week, and the next week use flat-bench the workout. The rapid digestion of whey will get into the dumbbell bench presses and incline barbell presses. bloodstream immediately so you’ll have amino acids availYou could do the same thing with flyes. Use either inable for your muscles during as well as after your workout. cline- or flat-bench flyes, but don’t use both. Two to three During the rest of the day, however, it’s preferable to have a sets of flat or incline flyes is all you need to finish off a good slower absorption of protein. chest workout. Eliminate the cable crossovers for building If you make these training and dietary changes, I think mass. It’s more of a finishing movement. If you’re trying to you’ll see much faster progress. Remember to record your build more size, stick with barbells and dumbbells. workouts and your diet so you can track your progress. If I like the triceps exercises that you’ve chosen; however, you reach a sticking point, look back over what you’ve been you could probably eliminate one of them to cut back on doing and make adjustments. the sets and build more mass. For size in the triceps, stick with close-grip bench presses, pushdowns and dumbbell Editor’s note: John Hansen has won the Natural Mr. overhead extensions. Olympia and is a Use three sets for each. That will keep your total number two-time Natural Mr. of sets at nine rather than the 14 you were doing. Again, Universe winner. Visit reducing the number of sets will enable you to put more his Web site at www into each workout and make each set really count. .naturalolympia Another area of concern is the number of reps you’re .com. You can write to doing. Except for a warmup set in which you perform 12 him at P.O. Box 3003, reps, you should be using enough resistance to limit your Darien, IL 60561, or repetitions to six to 10. I notice that you’re doing more reps call toll-free (800) (12 to 15) for some of your exercises, especially the triceps 900-UNIV (8648). His movements. Keep them lower (six to 10), and you’ll build new book, Natural more mass. I usually do my first set for 10 reps, increase Bodybuilding, and the poundage and do eight reps on the second set, then new training DVD, finish with more weight for six reps. “Real Muscle,” are As for your diet, I think it looks pretty good. You’re eatnow available from ing eight meals a day, including your pre- and postworkout Home Gym Waremeals. You also seem to be eating enough high-quality prohouse, (800) 447-0008 tein and complex carbs with just about every meal. I can or www.Home-Gym suggest a few changes you might want to make, though. .com. IM First of all, I think you should include some simple Neveux

Meal 5 (12:30 p.m.): yogurt, 4 egg whites Meal 6: whey protein shake Workout (5-6:30 p.m.) After workout: whey protein shake Last meal: lean hamburger and pasta

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John Hansen John@NaturalOlympia.com

TEXAS SHREDDER The day he became the gym’s owner, a new sign appeared in the window: Dave Goodin’s All Natural Hyde Park Gym. Since then he and the gym have become a magnet for drug-free training. He not only is a drug-free champion but also champions drug-free bodybuilding through his annual Proteem Pro American Bodybuilding Championships, INBF American Championships and Texas Shredder Novice Classic mega-event. In a 1995 magazine article, Steve Downs called him the “Texas Shredder.” The name fit, and now he’s known by it—and for good reason. Dave Goodin is the Texas Shredder. His accomplishments in drug-free, natural bodybuilding have made him a top athlete in the sport for more than a decade. His titles include two-time Men’s Pro Natural World Champion, two-time Pro Natural Mr. Universe, two-time Pro Masters Cup champion, Pro Natural Mr. International, two-time ANPPC All-Natural World Cup Overall champ, the first two-time NPC Texas Overall champion and All-Natural Overall Mr. Louisiana. He’s also number one in all-time prize money earned in professional drug-free competition. The contests Dave has competed in for the past 12 years are sanctioned by the World Natural Body-

building Federation (www.WNBF. net), an organization that imposes strict requirements to ensure athletes are drug-free. Contestants are required to sign a declaration that they have not used a comprehensive list of banned substances for a minimum of seven years. Banned substances include far more than steroids, human growth hormone, insulin and pro-hormones. Any prescription drugs athletes are currently using on doctors’ orders have to be declared. And that’s just the beginning. They must also pass a lie detector test to back up their claims of being drug-free. Just prior to competition they submit urine samples under regulated circumstances. In other words, drug-free competition has zero tolerance for banned substances. That’s how the organizers ensure that they have fully natural bodybuilding competitors. On a personal note, my first experience with bodybuilding competition occurred before steroids entered the iron game. Today’s natural competitors harken back to the kinds of robust physiques we used to see in the golden age of bodybuilding. One thing has changed: Today’s natural competitors are just as big but in many cases are in their 40s and 50s. In the golden age it was commonly thought that anyone much past 30 was ancient. Better

How 47-Year-Old Drug-Free Bodybuilder Dave Goodin Gets Better With Age by Ken O’Neill Photography by Michael Neveux 94 SEPTEMBER 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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training and enhanced nutrition are extending the longevity of competitors well beyond what used to be thought possible. The Texas Shredder exemplifies that age-defying longevity of bodybuilding. The majority of his titles were won after he turned 40. Today at 47 he’s ranked as a top competitor in professional drug-free bodybuilding. What are Dave’s secrets? How did he pack on more than 20 pounds of muscle after the age of 35 to become a winner? How has he enjoyed tremendous success with natural bodybuilding well into his 40s? Aside from the incredible physique, his personal-best lifts as a powerlifter at 187 pounds include a 600-pound squat, 529-pound deadlift and 342pound bench press—all set when he was in his 40s. Dave grew up as a United States Air Force brat. It was during his dad’s last year in the service, when they were stationed in Plattsburg, New York, that the iron bug bit Dave, who was a high school freshman. With a meager set of dumbbells at home he was doing two sets of curls followed by presses to failure each night before he went to bed and every morning before he went to school. With an Air Force gym available, he went on to train two to three times a week on a Universal machine, gaining an astonishing 15 pounds in just three months during his first winter of training. While he was in high school, his training was mostly confined to summers because his football, basketball and track coaches didn’t know the value of weight training. In junior college Dave was a half-miler. His undergraduate days at the University of Texas provided little time for weights but he did run 25 miles a week and practiced tae kwon do, on top of majoring in physical education and participating in intramural sports. Only when he had completed college and secured his first coaching job, in Sugar Land, did the iron bug’s bite return. In 1982 he joined the Texas Bodybuilding Gym. Due to his busy schedule coaching football, workouts were confined to 6 a.m. six days a week. In three months of regular training he gained

Goodin packed on more than 20 pounds of muscle after the age of 35. 96 SEPTEMBER 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Texas Shredder Four-Day Precontest Split Monday: Legs Squats (warmup)

2-3 x 10 3 x max x 8RM 1 x max x 20RM Leg presses (warmup) 2-3 x 10 3 x max x 20RM Leg curls (warmup) 1 x 10 4 x max x 12RM Leg extensions (warmup) 1 x 10 3 x max x 15RM Standing calf raises (warmup) 2 x 15 4 x max x 15RM

Tuesday: Chest Bench presses (warmup) 3 x 10 4 x max x 10RM Incline presses (warmup) 1-2 x 10 4 x max x 10RM Cable crossovers or machine flyes 4 x max x 15RM Dumbbell pullovers (warmup) 1 x 12 3 x max x 12RM

Wednesday: Cardio and abs 1-hour fast walk Hanging leg raises Crunches Posing practice

3-4 x max 3-4 x max

Thursday: Back Deadlifts (warmup)

3 x 10, 8, 6

3 x max x 6RM Partial deadlifts (pull from knee height) 3 x max x 15-20RM Pulldowns (warmup) 1 x 10 4 x max x 10RM Seated cable rows (warmup) 1 x 10 4 x max x 10RM High-pulley rows (warmup) 1 x 15 3 x max x 10RM Straight-arm pulldowns (warmup) 1 x 15 3 x max x 15RM

Friday: Shoulders, arms Seated presses (warmup)

1-2 x 10 4 x max x 10RM Lateral raises (warmup) 1 x 10 3-4 x max x 12RM Rear-delt flyes or bent-over laterals (warmup) 1 x 10 4 x max x 12RM Barbell curls (warmup) 1-2 x 10 4 x max x 10RM Cable curls or seated dumbbell curls 3 x max x 15RM Dips (warmup) 1 x 10 4 x max Pushdowns or skull crushers (warmup) 1 x 10 4 x max x 10RM

10 pounds, weighing in at 160. His training partner, Charles Nichols, started bugging him about entering a competition, and in March 1983 Dave attended the Southwest Classic in Houston to see what amateur bodybuilding was all about. That one contest inspired him to compete. A scant six weeks later Dave entered the Texas Timberland competition in Nacogdoches. Training down to a shredded 147 pounds, he won third place in a field of 16 lightweights, while Charles took second. Two weeks later both competed in the medium height class at a meet in Galveston, with Charles taking first and Dave in second place. And just one week later Dave was off to the South Central USA in Houston, coming in third in an open competition. With that good start, Dave continued to compete in both bodybuilding and powerlifting. Until 1994 his bodyweight stagnated. No matter what he did, he couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t move out of the 154-to-157-pound bodyweight range. In that time he moved back and forth to Austin, including completing a masters of science degree in kinesiology at the University of Texas. His coaching schedule made it hard to get in even three workouts a week during football season. Despite that, from 1988 to 1993 he won every drug-tested show he entered. (continued on page 102)

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(continued from page 98)

Then he hit a turning point. Coming across a few issues of Natural Physique (now Natural Bodybuilding and Fitness), he thought he would have a great chance of winning the WNBF World Championships. So he entered, confident of doing well. Once he arrived at the contest, he got a wake-up call. In the pump-up room he was astonished at how big the guys were. They didn’t look that big or that ripped in the magazine photos! Despite having made the top 12 at the NPC USA in 1984, ’86, ’88 and ’90, he didn’t even place in the top 15 this time. Dave was in a real fix. He seriously thought of just giving up. Hadn’t he reached the greatest bodyweight he could attain naturally? Perhaps the only way forward was to use steroids? Thanks to WNBF Vice-Chairman Charlie Carrollo, who praised and encouraged Dave while emphasizing that he could add more muscle, Dave returned to the gym with a new zeal—and a new way of training. He discovered Stuart McRobert’s ideas about training and, concluding that he must be a classic hardgainer, thought they suggested a way out of the trap. So he cut back from five or six workouts a week to three and trained different muscle groups at each. He was now training each muscle group once a week. In 10 months he packed on nine pounds of muscle. His gains of size and strength were coming so fast, people started asking his training partner if he was on steroids. If that weren’t enough, he placed third in

Texas Shredder ThreeDay-Split Program Monday: Legs and abs Squats (warmup)

2-3 x 10 3 x max x 8RM 1 x max x 20RM Leg presses (warmup) 2-3 x 10 3 x max x 10RM 1 x max x 20RM Leg curls (warmup) 1 x 10 4 x max x 10RM Standing calf raises (warmup) 2 x 15 4 x max x 15RM Hanging leg raises 3 x max Crunches 3 x max

Wednesday: Chest, shoulders, biceps Bench presses (warmup) 3 x 10 4 x max x 8RM Incline presses (warmup) 1-2 x 10 3 x max x 8RM Pec deck or machine flyes 3 x max x 15RM Seated presses (warmup) 1-2 x 10 3 x max x 10RM Lateral raises (warmup) 1 x 10 3 x max x 12RM Barbell curls (warmup) 1-2 x 10 4 x max x 8RM Cable curls 3 x max x 15RM

Friday: Back, rear delts and triceps

the WNBF Mr. Universe that year, beating guys who had placed in the top 10 just a year before. Now he was really fired up. The next year marked another turning point. Dave entered his first WNBF pro contest. Even though he didn’t place that year, he’d called WNBF chairman and magazine editor Steve Downs before the contest to arrange a photo shoot for Natural Bodybuilding. The magazine ran the feature in which Dave got his nickname the following year. Guestposing requests started coming in, and Dave became well-known even before he won a major title. Ever since his Pro Natural Mr. Universe victory in 1997, he has won title after title, and with those

Deadlifts (warmup) 3 x 10, 8, 6 3 x max x 6RM Partial deadlifts (pull from knee height) 3 x max x 15RM Pulldowns (warmup) 1 x 10 (warmup) 4 x max x 8RM Seated cable rows (warmup) 1-2 x 10 4 x max x 8RM Dumbbell pullovers or Nautilus pullovers (warmup) 1-2 x 10 3 x max x 10RM Rear-delt flyes or bent-over laterals (warmup) 1 x 10 4 x max x 12RM Dips (warmup) 1 x 10 4 x max Pushdowns or skull crushers (warmup) 1 x 10 4 x max x 10RM

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titles purse after purse. What’s most amazing about his victories is that he earned them as he progressed through his 40s. Diet and nutrition became natural habits to Dave once he reeducated himself. More than a decade ago he divested himself of the fried foods and homemade desserts that make Texas cuisine legend. No more chicken-fried steaks, no more peach cobbler and ice cream. The Chili’s restaurant on North Lamar near the Hyde Park Gym has a special key on

its cash register for the “Dave Salad”: Dave’s standard order of a skinless chicken breast salad. He sets a target goal for at least 250 grams of protein a day. The real key to Dave’s success lies in his training. His training diaries go back to the early 1990s, with every workout recorded. Studying them reveals the basic patterns of his training—and they are very basic. Unlike earlier years, when he devoted upward of 12 weeks to powerlifting training, these days

Off-season he trains three times a week; for competition preparation he moves to four.

it’s entirely bodybuilding. Yet those decades of powerlifting forged a foundation of strength that’s evident in his training. Off-season he trains three times a week; for competition preparation he moves to four. In response to constant requests for information about his training secrets, Dave hands out the regular training and precontest training routines that are listed on pages 98 and 102. The Shredder’s routines look simple enough—maybe too simple. Dave’s actual training is more complex—something that can be discovered by reading through his training diaries. What Dave gives out is his “basic” routine— best understood as his “barebones skeleton system.” Actual training sessions add varying degrees of flesh to those bones, depending on the time of year, intensity of a given session, injuries, the demands of life and how he’s feeling on a given day. Natural, drugfree training builds on itself. Unlike pharmaceutically dependent training, increases in strength and size come about in natural increments—and they’re not lost once you stop using chemicals foreign to your body. Off-season for Dave means being within 10 to 15 pounds of contest shape. Getting into contest shape is

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training down to an ideal shredded condition. As a result, his training isn’t based on gaining and losing large amounts of bodyfat or on drug cycles that do it for you. Drug-free bodybuilding requires attending to all the details of your life that will make or break the quest for a championship. That means knowing the precise interplay of training, diet, rest and recovery. One of the benefits of natural, drug-free training, according to Dave, is that it’s a much more encompassing approach to life than is required by other sports. The Shredder’s championship career as he approaches 50 speaks well for the anti-aging, life-extension benefits of drug-free training. Natural, drug-free bodybuilding promotes proper functioning of hormones, circulatory system and joint health. Bodybuilding’s all-encompassing approach to life promotes health and well being, extending a competitive career well beyond popular expectations. Dave found that he can train with great intensity for about three weeks and then must back off to prevent injuries and protect joints. Attention to natural adaptive cycles means sustained progress. Workouts often include a lot more than two progressively heavier warmup sets. What’s more, it’s not unusual for him to perform descending sets following the work sets. The final set of some major compound movements can vary from 20 to 60 reps. The Shredder’s training diaries reveal a variety of workouts, varying in both poundage and rep ranges. As competition nears, volume increases. Training tempo is not mentioned in the bare-bones outline: his workouts are almost nonstop, combining intensity of effort with high-level endurance. Dave’s new posing DVD reveals another dimension of his training, one harking back to the wisdom of Steve Reeves and Frank Zane. A big part of the Shredder legend lies in Dave’s superlative posing skills. Reeves believed that regular flexing built a mind-to-muscle bridge that accounted for his superb development. Zane went even further, earning a second graduate degree that dealt with the mind-to-muscle

Dave’s workouts are almost nonstop, combining intensity of effort with high-level endurance.

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Whether he’s promoting the Proteem Shredder Classic or traveling the country to guest pose, Dave gives back to the sport by promoting its ideals of drug-free, natural bodybuilding.

connection brought on by regular posing practice. Posing turns out to be the best way of bringing mind and muscle into harmonious control. Unlike Reeves and Zane during their bodybuilding careers, the Shredder is well known onstage as a singer and acoustic guitarist. Music and bodybuilding both require long hours of practice. Just as music practice sessions give birth to an artist’s style for a song, Dave’s posing practice brings out the shape, size and harmonious display of his championship physique. His coaching work now includes posing as well as training. Not content just to train and compete, Dave also promotes natural bodybuilding competitions. Shortly after purchasing the Hyde Park Gym nine years ago, he began promoting the annual Texas Shredder Classic amateur and professional drug-free natural bodybuilding competitions in Austin. That was a first for the whole state of Texas. Now it’s an annual event, attracting men and women from throughout the United States and Canada, with ages ranging from teens through senior citizens. The Shredder Classic features more than 125 competitors and at least 500 fans each year. Whether he’s promoting the Proteem Shredder Classic or traveling the country to guest pose, Dave gives back to the sport by promoting its ideals of drug-free, natural bodybuilding. Since selling Hyde Park Gym in early 2006, Dave is able to focus his work on being a master bodybuilding coach and educator. Editor’s note: Dave Goodin’s Web site is www.Dave Goodin.com. Information about his new DVD, personal training and other services are available at his site. He is available for guest posing, seminars and appearances. Contact him via e-mail at dave@davegoodin.com. Ken O’Neill runs Long Life Fitness in Austin, Texas, offering personal training and workshops, and is a fitness writer emphasizing maturing athletes. To contact him, write to kayoneill@earthlink.net. IM

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A Bodybuilder Is Born

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A Bodybuilder

Is Born Episode 14:

Supplements Aren’t Magic by Ron Harris - Photography by Michael Neveux

“L

ook at this one!” Randy was going through the phase where he was wowed by the marketing techniques used in supplement ads. They’re designed to downplay the importance of hard training and eating frequent nutritious meals—which can’t possibly have much of an impact on your results compared to the latest wonder product. “See? This one turns into Dianabol when you take it.” He pointed to the product, which appeared right next to a bottle of actual Dianabol tablets, no doubt to entice those who are afraid to use illegal drugs but who would buy them in a heartbeat if they were legal. Randy was getting so excited, I thought he was going to have an orgasm, and I didn’t want to be around for that. It was time to nip this chicanery in the bud before Junior’s mind got warped any further. “Get real, Randy,” I said. “Anyone who has ever used steroids would try these things and demand his money back for false advertising. If these things really worked like steroids, the FDA would have been on them like Kobe Bryant on a hot hotel desk clerk.” “But there’s a legal loophole: They convert in the body to steroids!” I could tell my protégé had fallen for the bullshit hook, line and sinker. I sighed. “More like your money and all the money from the other suckers is going to be converted to a shiny red Ferrari for the crook who sells this junk. Probably the real cool one Demi Moore drives in “Char-

lie’s Angels: Full Throttle” that costs 700 grand. Use your head, Randy. If those things really were just like steroids, why would so many people still risk getting fake drugs, getting ripped off and getting arrested to buy steroids?” That one had my boy stumped. He flipped through a few more pages. “What about this one? These before and after pictures are pretty amazing.” I glanced, having seen that company’s ads about 10,000 times before. “If the stuff works so great at making you gain muscle and lose fat, riddle me this,” I said. “Why is everyone in the before photos pale, hairy, slumped, totally relaxed and looking miserable, like their girlfriend just left them for the Rock [my wife happens to drool over the Rock]? Then in the after shot they have a tan, the hair is shaved off, they’re flexing and have a big goofy smile like they just had a steamy one-night stand with J-Lo [I do more than drool over J-Lo]? And why does it say at the bottom of every single after photo, so-and-so’s results not typical? If the stuff is so great, how come we can’t expect to get results like any of the guys and girls in the ad?” Randy was silent, as he was obviously seeing my point. “Look,” I told him, “bodybuilders are so desperate to get an endorsement contract and get their pictures in the magazines that they will do just about anything. I have actually known guys who stopped training, stopped using steroids and ate a bunch of crap to take a before picture in which they looked like absolute dog shit. Then they would train hard and eat properly, get back on all the juice and take the after pictures. You know what they would do with those pictures?” www.ironmanmagazine.com \ SEPTEMBER 2006 115

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A Bodybuilder Is Born

Supplements can help, but they aren’t magic bullets.

Then again, if you get a placebo effect from a supplement that’s been hyped, it’s working for you.

Of course you should use supplements, but only as a supplement to good eating and hard training. Randy shrugged. “They would make many copies and send them along with a letter to 10 or 20 different supplement companies, telling them about the incredible results they experienced with the company’s product—which in most cases they had never even tried—and inquiring about the possibility of endorsing it or appearing in the ads. Most of the time they would just take the before pictures when they started their diets for a contest and then shoot the after photo once they were in top condition.” Randy wasn’t giving up just yet. He had one more ad. “Okay, check this out. You know how a lot of guys today are injecting synthol into their arms?” “Yes,” I said, ready to spit some sarcasm, “and it usually looks so realistic that none of us suspect their ridiculously out-of-proportion lumpy arms and shoulders are full of coagulated MCT oil.” “This stuff does the same thing, site enhancement, but you just rub it on. Look at the guy’s arm before and after.” I shook my head. Randy wasn’t that stupid. I knew he wasn’t.

I put up my arm and relaxed it, just like the guy’s arm was in the first picture. “Before,” I said slowly. I flexed the arm. “After. That’s all he’s doing in the two pictures, except it also looks like he stopped training for a couple months before he took the first picture. Who knows? It might not even be the same person’s arm.” Randy frowned and started shuffling the pages again. “Look,” I thundered, “if you show me an ad for pills to make your Mr. Happy grow, I am going to roll that magazine up and beat you over the head the way I would a dog that pees on the rug.” He put the magazine down. “I used to fall for those ads too, believe me,” I confessed. “I don’t know how much hard-earned cash I blew on bogus supplements that had slick ads, but it had to be a few thousand bucks all told. I wanted to think that some pill or powder was going to suddenly make this huge difference and have me looking like Arnold in no time.” “So none of these things work?” Randy was crestfallen. It was like I had just told him that Santa Claus

and the Easter Bunny weren’t real and that Martha Stewart wasn’t really as nice and sweet as she appeared to be on her TV show. “I am sure a lot of them have some effect but nothing like what they want you to believe.” “So I shouldn’t use supplements?” Randy asked sullenly. “You use a lot of supplements. That time I was at your house your kitchen looked like a GNC franchise.” “Of course you should use supplements, but only as a supplement to good eating and hard training. No bodybuilder wants to admit for a minute that maybe the reason he isn’t getting the results he wants is simply because he doesn’t train hard enough or eat right. That would be too painful, and he would have to assume some actual responsibility. Instead, bodybuilders keep on looking for some magic supplement to fill in the gaps and catapult their bodies into what they see in the magazines. Show me a guy who trains his ass off and eats six nutritious meals a day with no supplements, and then show me a guy who trains like a wuss and eats a couple junk food meals a day but uses a lot of supplements. The

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A Bodybuilder Is Born Protein powder works because your muscles need a continuous supply of amino acids to grow.

Those after photos could involve socalled illegal supplements.

Creatine has study after study to back up its effectiveness in the size and strength arenas.

Use supplements to supplement solid-food meals, not vice versa.

Busting your ass in the gym is your first priority if you want to get bigger and stronger. reached down and picked up the magazine off the floor next to Randy’s weight belt. “What are you doing?” he whined. I rolled it up into a hard tube and whacked him just once over his head. “Bad Randy!” I yelled. He yelped. Some dogs are slow to learn and you have to be firm. IM

Model: Binais Begovic

first guy will have a better physique than the second guy every single time. “So what supplements are good to buy?” “You use protein powders to give you extra protein in your diet, protein bars for when you’re on the run and you have to miss solid meals, creatine, aminos, essential vitamins, minerals and a couple other basic items. That’s all you really need as long as you’re busting your ass with the weights and making a dedicated effort to eat several clean, nutritious meals a day, as you do now.” I could see Randy was convinced I was right, which I was on this matter. The deceitful and misleading ads from some supplement companies have always been a pet peeve of mine. Randy looked around. We were in the gym, and he lowered his voice so the new front-desk girl, who was either Filipina or Japanese and had a deep tan, couldn’t hear him. She looked like she weighed about 80 pounds. “Those pills that make your, you know, grow?” I thought for a minute. He had been warned explicitly. I calmly

Supplements that work as well as steroids are like Santa: They don’t really exist.

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Repping for

RESULTS The Truth about Repetition Ranges and Speed

ow many repetitions should you perform on each set of an exercise? That’s an important question because the number of reps you do will dictate what the training effect will be. Yes, the number of reps is that important—assuming your rep speed is consistent. Of course, there’s a major difference between performing reps slowly and performing them quickly, as I’ll explain below. For now let’s assume that the average rep speed is about five seconds. Two seconds for the concentric, or lifting, phase and three seconds for the eccentric, or lowering, phase. For most intermediate-toadvanced bodybuilders that’s a good approximation of a standard rep. Let’s

Photography by Michael Neveux

not get too picky here. Whether you perform a rep in four seconds or six seconds or somewhere in between isn’t really the point; right now you need to understand the principles involved. In looking at the relationship between repetitions and training results, most agree that low reps prioritize strength gains, medium reps prioritize muscle growth and high reps are for strength endurance. Note that those are very broad generalizations, and many factors come into play that can change the guidelines, such as past training history, makeup of muscle fibers and nutritional status. Remember, many people are exceptions to the rules, and you may or may not be one of them.

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Photo illustration by Aldrich Bonifacio \ Model: Daryl Gee

by Christopher Pennington •

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There’s a lot of carryover between the zones, so regardless of which rep bracket you use on an exercise, both strength gains and hypertrophy will occur to some degree.

Here’s a general outline of the rep zones and what they do: •Low zone: 1-3 reps, strength •Mixed zone: 4-6 reps, strength and hypertrophy •Medium zone: 6-8 reps, hypertrophy •Mixed zone: 9-12 reps, hypertrophy and strength endurance •High zone: 15-25 reps, strength endurance There’s a lot of carryover between the zones, so regardless of which rep bracket you use on an exercise, both strength gains and hypertrophy will occur to some degree. The zone

you use stresses one area more than another, however, so take that into account when you plan your workout. You may be thinking, I grow on sets of one to three reps better than I do on sets of six to eight. Or you may grow better on sets of 15 to 25 reps than you do on six to eight. In fact, I can’t think of many cases where performing a set of 20-rep deadlifts or 20-rep squats won’t make someone bigger and stronger. Think back and try to determine which rep zone has given you the best results. I like working in the three-to-six bracket, but one of my training partners prefers the 10-to12 zone. The key to training success is individualization; we have both found what works best for us. Even though doing one to three reps builds strength in most people without major gains in size, you might be different. Take the time to experiment to see what works best for you. No matter which rep range it turns out to be, though, you should change your ranges periodically. One of the biggest reasons plateaus occur is the lack of variation in rep parameters. So, if you’ve been working in a specific rep range for the past couple of workouts, it’s time to switch things up. Many bodybuilders like to change rep ranges every two to four weeks on certain exercises. That’s highly recommended on your big, compound movements like bench and incline presses, overhead presses, squats and deadlifts. Here is one popular method of varying reps. Weeks 1-3: 10-12 reps Weeks 4-6: 8-10 reps Weeks 7-9: 6-8 reps That’s pretty basic, but it shows one possible method of alternating the number of repetitions to keep the body guessing and growing. It’s an extremely popular method because it works.

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Many bodybuilders like to change rep ranges every four to six weeks on certain exercises. Best of Both Worlds One of the questions I am commonly asked is, How can trainees optimally develop strength and size? Let’s face it—most of us are looking for gains in both areas. Normally, the way to do it is to perform workouts focusing on strength for a couple of weeks and then switch to workouts focusing on hypertrophy for a couple of weeks, but guess what? I want it all, and I bet you do too. A favorite workout I recommend is the classic five-sets-of-five routine. It’s an absolute blockbuster that has been somewhat forgotten recently thanks to the newer training methods being developed. Still, this workout should be taken off the shelf, dusted and given a serious test drive often. The reps are relatively low, working the strength and hypertrophy zones; however, the volume is relatively high, enabling you to deliver plenty of stress to the muscles. It’s a time-tested workout designed to pack on size while supercharging strength levels. Here’s a sample workout: Bench presses, 5 x 5 Barbell curls, 5 x 5

Model: Jay Cutler

Lateral raises, 2 x 8

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Bent-over lateral raises, 2 x 8 The two main exercises in the workout get the 5x5 scheme. For shoulder girdle

Model: Noel Thompson

Moderate rep speeds are best for muscle gains. balance you want to include the two shoulder exercises at the end. Another great way to maximize strength and hypertrophy is the following workout. Here you start out with heavy singles and then finish with hypertrophy work. Note the formula still stands for sets x reps; this can be confusing when you’re dealing with such low reps. Bench presses, 3 x 1 Barbell curls, 3 x 1

Models: Michael Turcotte and Danyella Wisehart

Bench presses, 2 x 6 Barbell curls, 2 x 6 Bench presses, 1 x 12 Barbell curls, 1 x 12 From experience I know that it’s best to use only two exercises with this method. While that may not seem like very much, you’re subjecting the muscles to so many different rep ranges, the workout

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tends to be much harder on the body than if you were using one.

Different Rep Speeds Here’s where things get confusing, so I’ll keep it as basic as I can. It doesn’t get simpler than a one-rep set. Believe it or not, one rep will have different training effects if it’s performed at different speeds. Here’s an example: Bench press: slow speed, moderate weight Eccentric (lowering): 10 seconds Isometric hold at chest: three seconds Concentric (raising): 10 seconds The total time it takes to perform that one rep is 23 seconds. This type of slow-speed rep puts some serious tension on the muscles. In this case the weight you could use is a six-rep max; however, the goal is to consciously perform the rep so slowly, you can do only one. Bench press: slow speed, heavy weight

2) Consciously slowing the rep speed to increase muscular tension

1) Speed training for athletes (great potential for injury if done by unqualified individuals)

3) Therapy situations where muscle or joint healing is occurring and slow speed repetitions provide a safe training stimulus

2) Exercises that necessitate high speeds (Olympic lifts and their derivatives)

4) Heavy singles, doubles and triples, where the weight on the bar is so heavy, you have no choice but to move the bar slowly 6) The use of techniques designed to extend time under tension, such as drop sets and compound sets, where fatigue plays a major factor in slowing down rep speed

Situations for Fast Rep Speeds:

3) Speed training for powerlifting (promoted heavily by the famed Westside Barbell Club in Columbus, Ohio) In the final analysis, moderate rep speeds are the best for muscle mass gains and safety. The use of very slow or very fast reps should be reserved for very specific reasons. Best results come from manipulating the number of reps you perform periodically to best spark muscle growth. IM

Eccentric (lowering): four seconds Isometric hold at chest: one second Concentric (raising): two seconds In this case the rep speed is seven seconds, much quicker than the previous example but slower than you’d do a one-rep max. It’s like a slow-motion1RM. In both cases hypertrophy will occur, despite the fact that the time it takes to perform the reps is different. The gains occur for different reasons, but the main point is that you should use various rep speeds throughout your workouts to maximize results. Another factor to keep in mind is that we only looked at two rep speeds, but there are all sorts of variations. Now that you understand the basic concept of varying rep speeds, here are some reasons why you would use a particular tempo:

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Ready,Set,

GROW! An Interview With Muscle-Training Researcher Rob Thoburn on His Controversial Rest-Only-Briefly Mass-Building Method

Layout Design by Aldrich Bonifacio

by Jim Kimbrell, Ph.D.

• Photography by Michael Neveux

s you grind out a set of bench presses, your muscles use up energy. Between sets you grab a swig of water or, perhaps, stare off into space. As you breathe, your muscles use the oxygen you inhale to replace the energy they burned up during the previous set. Most likely you’ve always been told to rest long enough between sets to catch your breath. What if someone told you to toss that rule? That diving into your next set while you’re still short of breath from the last one can make the muscles of even a highly experienced lifter look bigger and leaner in less than a week? That you could accomplish this with workouts of half an hour or less? Would you say the person telling you those things was crazy? Before you dismiss those statements, read the following interview. There’s

a method to the madness—the ROB method—and it can make your muscles look bigger and leaner, after just four workouts. You don’t have to lift weights to benefit, either. Are pushups your thing? No problem. It works with those too. The man behind the ROB method is Rob Thoburn. You may have read his articles in IRON MAN over the years. He’s worked in the supplement and publishing sectors of the bodybuilding industry since about 1991 (for more info visit www.RobThoburn.com). Currently, he’s the senior marketing executive and scientific adviser for Bioengineered Supplements & Nutrition (BSN) in Boca Raton, Florida. I work there as well, as the lead scientist. Rob’s training theories are very interesting and have scientific merit, so elaboration is in order.

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Model: Moe El Moussawi

GROW! W! Ready, Set,

JK: Besides being an obvious marketing gimmick, what does ROB stand for? RT: Rest Only Briefly. JK: Who is the ROB method intended for? I get the feeling it isn’t for total beginners. RT: If you have at least one year of lifting experience under your belt, then ROB is definitely worth trying. Give it a go for four weeks, and watch your appearance change with

each passing day.

“During one of my earliest experiments, I put half an inch on my upper arms in five days.”

JK: What age bracket would you say the ROB method is most suitable for? RT: Males and females, 18 years and up. If you’re too young—or for any other reason your medical doctor has told you to avoid lifting weights—then you can use the ROB method doing bodyweight-only exercises, like pushups, free squats, abdominal crunches, leg lifts and so

forth. Give this article to your doctor and ask for his or her approval first. JK: When did you develop the method? RT: In the early 1990s I began experimenting with different restperiod lengths in my workouts. I came up with the name ROB in 2003. During one of my earliest

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experiments I put half an inch on my upper arms in five days, and my bodyfat percentage went down. I already was lean. JK: What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned from using it? RT: The appearance of your muscles can change far more quickly than you may have been led to believe. Experienced lifters may find that their muscles appear bigger and leaner within three or four ROB workouts.

Model: Markus Reinhardt

JK: How long should trainees rest between sets with this method? RT: There’s no magical number, at least none that I’m aware of. The numbers I have arrived at are the result of trial and error—thousands of workouts followed by my own neurotic assessment of the outcomes of those workouts. A lot of looking in the mirror, in short. Will resting 30 seconds between sets work? Yes. Does 20 seconds work better?

“You soon find yourself craving your next set. You can’t stand waiting around.”

Rest-Only-Briefly Mass-Building Approach Here’s what Rob Thoburn has discovered produces rapid improvements in muscle size and leanness in experienced lifters:

1) Pick a weight that you can perform 10 reps with using a natural cadence (i.e., your reps are neither purposely fast or slow). 2) Complete as many reps as you can with that weight. 3) Rest 10 seconds. 4) Go back to step 2 and repeat steps 2 and 3 until you can only complete one rep. 5) That’s it. Move on to another muscle.

GROW!

Model: Dave Liberman

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“The appearance of your muscles can change far more quickly than you may have been led to believe.”

Ready, Set,

GROW!

More often than not. Does 60 seconds work? Not nearly as well as 30 seconds. Does resting one second work? Yes, but not very well. JK: What’s the number-one complaint of those who use the ROB method? RT: It’s grueling—no question about that. But there’s a kind of schizophrenia among ROB users. On the one hand, people find it really tough; it never gets easy. Right before your workout you may get a little anxious—particularly if you plan on doing barbell squats or deadlifts. On the other hand, there’s an addictive side to ROB. You soon find yourself craving your next set. You can’t stand waiting around. Thirty seconds seems like an eternity. Next thing you know, you’re resting only 10 to 15 seconds—that’s

the zone I often hover around. JK: What do you think trainees like most about it? RT: You get visible results fast. The ROB method makes my muscles look bigger and leaner more quickly than any other method I’ve tried. Of course, I’m always going to be biased by the fact that I can only look at the world through my own eyes.

RT: No. In my 20 years of working out, however, I haven’t found a method that can improve the

JK: Do you think the method is the best way to work out?

“Scientists still haven’t figured out exactly how lifting weights makes your muscles bigger.”

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(continued on page 148)

(continued from page 144)

appearance of my muscles more quickly than ROB. If I experiment with some other workout method, my muscles usually go kind of flat—they lose that full and shapely bodybuilder look. When I return to ROB, the bodybuilder look returns within a couple of days. It’s worth mentioning here that I

have a below-average ability to build muscle. I’m a classic ectomorph. I’ve been lifting weights consistently since 1986, and I’ve tried every workout method imaginable, plus a few that you wouldn’t believe. As pleased as I am with the ROB method, I continue to experiment. The shoe can always be made to fit better.

JK: What mechanisms do you think might be used to explain the results people achieve with the ROB method? RT: I don’t know. There are a number of possibilities. BSN spent nearly half a million dollars on clinical chemistry equipment last year. We’ve got testing devices that I’ve never seen at any other supplement company. When I told one of my friends who’s a university professor about our equipment, he said, “Let me know if you ever need someone to take it off your hands.” He’d love to have that kind of stuff in his own research lab. What’s my point? Dr. Jim, you’ve used our equipment to run sundry tests on me—electrolytes, muscle enzymes, liver enzymes, kidney function, hormones like testosterone, estrogen, thyroid

“The success of ROB might have something to do with giving your muscle fibers very little time to relax.”

Model: Michael Ergas

Ready, Set,

GROW!

and so on. Based on the results, we know that I’m healthy and that our supplements work. But we’d have to buy at least another half a million dollars’ worth of equipment to figure out what cellular and molecular mechanisms are triggered by ROB workouts and, of those, which ones are responsible for the rapid improvements in muscle appearance. JK: I heard that you spent about 10 years corresponding with university research scientists around the world, talking about muscle growth. You just said that there are a “number of possibilities” as to how ROB might affect muscle growth. Give me an example. RT: As you know, scientists still haven’t figured out exactly how lifting weights makes your muscles bigger. The molecular pathway by which we go from point A—lifting weights—to point B—bigger muscles—has not been confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt.

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“If you’re lifting 70 to 80 percent of your max weight up and down quickly, and you’re only resting 10 to 15 seconds between sets, that will really tax the muscle fibers.”

Model: Jamo Nezzar

When your brain tells your muscles that it’s time to lift a weight, actin and myosin slide together in a way that causes the muscle fibers to shorten, and the weight goes up. When your brain tells your muscles to lower the weight, actin and myosin kind of separate. That allows the muscle fibers to relax and your muscles to lengthen—and the weight goes down. The contractile proteins consume energy (in the form of adenosine triphosphate, or ATP) as they generate force, but a surprising amount is also consumed during relaxation—possibly much more than scientists ever imagined. It has to do with calcium. In order

The success of ROB might have something to do with giving your muscle fibers very little time to relax between contractions. Every muscle

fiber contains contractile proteins, which are responsible for generating force. Actin and myosin are the proteins you hear the most about.

“At some point the muscle fibers say, ‘Enough!’ and they are stimulated to increase their contractile proteins.”

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That makes them bigger and stronger. We say that the muscle fibers have “adapted” because they can now perform the same amount of work in less time—with fewer contraction-relaxation cycles. That saves the muscle fibers a ton of energy over the long haul. Of course, this is all just one big guess! I’ve got plenty more, but they’re all guesses. JK: You’ve talked about using partial reps in order to tax the muscle fibers even more. What’s that all about? RT: The partial reps I talk about are basically like Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson’s X Reps— the movement is restricted to a narrower range that includes the socalled sticking point. That’s where the target muscle has to generate the most force. For instance, when you do squats, your thigh muscles have to generate the most force when your thighs

are a bit above parallel to the floor. That’s because the leverage is poor there. As you return to the standing position, your leverage improves. Thus, your thigh muscles can get away with generating less force. With X Reps, you basically “hover” around the sticking point. So you’d squat down until you’re a few inches below the sticking point, and then lift the weight up until you were a few inches above the sticking point, and then go back down, and so on. That way the muscle sustains a higher overall force output, and it moves more quickly through the contraction-relaxation cycle. Now, that’s taxing! [For more on X Reps, visit www.X-Rep.com.] Editor’s note: In Part 2 of this interview, Thoburn discusses Dante’s DC training, Steve Holman’s Positions of Flexion and cardio— Thoburn doesn’t do any and believes it’s not necessary to do it to get ripped. IM

“With X Reps you basically hover around the sticking point. That way the muscle sustains a higher overall force output. Now, that’s taxing!”

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Neveux \ Model: Lee Apperson

Ready, Set,

GROW!

for relaxation to occur, calcium atoms need to be cleared out of the vicinity of the contractile proteins. That enables them to relax and the muscle fiber to lengthen. You lower the weight and then go get a drink, or you start performing your next rep. If you’re performing your next rep, then calcium has to be released back into the contractile proteins so that they can interact and produce force again. With each rep your muscles shorten (weight goes up) and lengthen (weight comes down), and calcium atoms move in and out of the contractile proteins. It costs a lot of energy to move all that calcium back and forth—and don’t forget the energy used by the contractile proteins as they generate force during muscle shortening. We all know that a superheavy weight—a weight that you can only get one rep with, for instance—can’t be lifted very quickly, but if you lighten the weight to, say, 70 to 80 percent of your max, you can usually lift it pretty quickly if you put some oomph into it. In order for a weight to be lifted up and down quickly, the muscle fibers must relax quickly between reps. If you’re lifting 70 to 80 percent of your max weight up and down quickly, and you’re only resting 10 to 15 seconds between sets, that will really tax the muscle fibers. They’ve got very little time to relax and recover between reps or between sets. At some point the muscle fibers say, “Enough!” and they are stimulated to increase their contractile proteins.

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Heavy Duty More High-Intensity Q & As

by John Little Barbells vs. Dumbbells : Did Mike Mentzer ever address the issue of machines vs. dumbbells? A: As a rule, Mike didn’t have his clients use dumbbells, except when certain pieces of equipment were not available. Some of his phoneconsultation clients didn’t have access to a Nautilus pec deck, so he’d typically have them do dumbbell flyes as an alternative isolation movement. In his own training for competition, Mike made use of whatever was available. His preference was always for Nautilus machines, but he also used barbells and dumbbells and other machines, depending on what was available: It wasn’t so much the

tool as how it was used. During Christmas of 1995, Mike came to visit me and my family. In my garage gym I had a vintage Marcy Circuit Trainer from the early 1970s. “Man!” Mike laughed, “I trained on that exact same machine when I was in the Air Force. It was that and a 45pound dumbbell—that’s all they had. I had some great workouts on that machine.” “How did you do with it?” I asked. “The results were good enough to compete in the Mr. America,” he replied. So by all means, use whatever’s available, but where possible use equipment that’s suited to proper joint and muscle function, such as Nautilus or MedX machines, and emphasize good form and control of your muscular contraction at all times.

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Heavy Duty

More on Dumbbells and Unilateral Training

A: I could say that as long as you apply the principle of progressive resistance, your muscles can’t tell if you’re training with exercise machines, barbells, dumbbells or cinder blocks. What matters is that you take each set to momentary muscular failure. That’s the key. If you can perform 12 repetitions in a given exercise but stop at any number shy of 12, then your body has no reason to change. As far as it’s concerned, it still has energy that you didn’t come close to tapping. Only a high-intensity effort requires the greatest adaptation. Having said that, I know Mike believed that dumbbells and certain machines, like the early Nautilus machines, which let you train unilaterally, were better for strength training: “The issue involved here is unilateral vs. bilateral training. On occasion I have my clients train one side of the body at a time. Unilateral training is quite effective, as it enables you to get a stronger contraction. When you train both sides simultaneously, the neurological impulse is divided, which results in a

curls and calf raises have proven particularly effective.” Mike would remind you to keep your purpose firmly in mind—that you’re a bodybuilder, not a weightlifter, and that your primary purpose is not to hoist the heaviest weights possible but to achieve maximum, high-intensity contractions of the muscle or muscles you are training to induce optimum growth.

Mass-to-Surface Ratio Q: I’ve been using Heavy Duty for six months and have grown

If you’re training with exercise machines, barbells, dumbbells or cinder blocks, what matters is that you take each set to momentary muscular failure.

Neveux \ Model: Lee Apperson

More High-Intensity Q & As

Q: I train with free weights in my gym, using Mike’s Consolidated Routine. Many times I have to wait for the barbell I want to become free, as we have a lot of members at my gym. Can I use dumbbells on some of the exercises, or am I better to wait until those guys are finished with the barbell?

less intense contraction. If you could curl a 150-pound barbell for a maximum of one rep, you might think that you’d be able to curl 75 pounds with each arm for one rep. That’s not the case, however. Because the nervous impulse is not divided on a unilateral exercise, it’s greater, and the strength of the contraction is greater. So, if you only curled one arm, you’d find that you could curl more than half the weight, maybe 85 pounds. Dumbbell training can be useful, although I prefer unilateral training with machines. In my own training and that of my clients, I have found that unilateral leg extensions, Nautilus curls, Nautilus flyes, leg

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Heavy Duty stronger at every workout. Recently, however, my mass increases have plateaued. Have I reached the limit of my genetic potential already?

reaching up, but nothing is being provided to them. You’re only eating enough to maintain the first story, the existing mass. ” In your case, I would suspect that your physique might be more linear—naturally more straight up and down—than round or muscular. So you have a disadvantageous ratio of mass to surface area, or skin. At a Toronto seminar in 1981, Mike explained that all physical organisms create heat relative (continued on page 164) to their

Unilateral training allows you to get a stronger contraction in the target muscle.

Neveux \ Model: Tommi Thorvildsen

A: While it’s possible to fulfill your genetic potential—however good or bad—within the first 12 months of training, I suspect that this is not the case, since you’ve only been training for six months. You might just have stimulated more growth than you’re allowing yourself to produce. In other words, you’ve placed a demand with high-intensity training to produce a size increase, but you may not be providing the raw materials necessary for your body to respond to that demand optimally. A client of Mike’s had made terrific increases in his strength but wasn’t eating enough for his body to produce much in the way of mass.

Mike walked him through the process: “You did effect a positive change in your muscles, as evidenced by your tremendous strength increases. You’ve been training to failure, which is what nature requires you to do to activate the body’s growth mechanism. That in itself isn’t sufficient, however. Once it’s activated, you must supply it with the nutrition it requires to build new tissue, something you’re not doing. Visualize the activated growth mechanism as a moving conveyor belt. Now picture a number of little men standing on that conveyor belt, reaching out. They’re reaching for the nutritional and calorie ‘cement’ you need to build the second story, the new muscle mass. If you continue to consume only a maintenance level of calories, you frustrate those little men. They’re

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Heavy Duty (continued from page 161) physical mass and radiate it relative to their surface area. “But as you get bigger and bigger,” he said, “your mass increases at a greater rate than your surface area can radiate that heat. And the first thing your calories are used for is to maintain body heat.” While Mike was referring to calorie needs diminishing with a significant increase in muscle mass, his point is relevant to your situation. As he put it:

“Whales live in oceans because they have to. They have so much physical mass that their surface areas aren’t adequate to sufficiently radiate the heat their great mass produces. Therefore, they have to live in the cold water of the ocean, which can absorb the heat of their bodies. Otherwise, they’d overheat and die. A linear-physique, or ectomorphic, bodybuilder would be at the other end of the spectrum. He has, in a sense, too much surface

area for his mass. Therefore, more of his calorie energy is radiated into the atmosphere than occurs with other body types. Bodybuilders with this body type usually have to eat large quantities of food just to maintain a normal body temperature.” Whatever you’ve been eating is not enough to provide growth. My advice is that you establish your present average daily calorie intake and increase it by 500. If after 10 to 14 days on the higher intake you haven’t gained a pound or two, increase your calories by another 300 to 500. When Mike’s clients indicated a problem with gaining weight, he often suggested that they start increasing their calories. If you find some bodyfat creeping on to your physique, simply reduce your calories a bit. You’ll find the “sweet spot” that keeps fat off but allows your body the calories it requires to build the muscle you’ve stimulated.

Your neck muscles receive an enormous amount of stimulation from a host of other exercises.

Training Neck and Forearms Q: Every muscle magazine I read includes articles on how to build baseball biceps, barndoor lats, bulging pecs and huge thighs. Rarely do any of them address the issues of neck and forearm development. To my mind they’re important muscles, as they are very visible and indicate a masculine appearance when well developed. Unfortunately, while I’ve had considerable success as a beginning bodybuilder with Mike’s Heavy Duty training, my neck and forearms are lagging. As much as I liked Mike’s books, such as

High Intensity Training the Mike Mentzer Way and The Wisdom of Mike Mentzer, it

Neveux \ Model: Joe DeAngelis

seems that Mike, and you, too, give the neck and forearms short shrift. Any suggestions? A: Since you’ve gained appreciably elsewhere with Heavy Duty training, your lack of progress in the neck and forearms suggests a genetic weakness. Almost all bodybuilders—even the top (continued on page 168) 164 SEPTEMBER 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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More High-Intensity Q & As

Heavy Duty (continued from page 164) champs— have at least one weak bodypart. None of it was the result of a lack of concern for those bodyparts; they were simply born with less muscle fiber density in those areas. This, I suspect, is the source of your problem with your neck and forearms. Neither Mike nor I often prescribe any direct neck or forearm exercises for our clients, as those muscles receive an enormous amount of stimulation from a host of other exercises. Mike gave shrugs and deadlifts as examples: “A few years ago I had a client who made remarkable progress with all of his major muscles, but his best progress was in the area of his neck—for which he did no direct exercises—and all he did was shrugs and deadlifts. That’s an interesting point that should impress the advocates of volume training, as it demonstrates how little direct high-intensity resistance exercise is required for optimal results.” A similar situation exists with the forearms, which are probably the most worked—and overworked— muscle group of the entire body, as they’re directly involved in almost every exercise. When you perform curls, pulldowns, rows and shrugs, your forearms receive enormous stimulation, often giving out before the primary muscle you’re working. My advice for now is to forget about direct forearm and neck work. Genetically weaker muscles rarely reach full parity with the remainder of the musculature. Also, you’ve only been training for six months. Over time, as you regularly impose high-intensity training stresses on your major muscles, your neck and forearms will gain mass. Be patient. If the problem persists after another several months of training, you might try direct, periodic neck and forearm work. Mike recommended the following for training the forearms: “Every two or three Heavy Duty arm workouts add a set of reverse curls for six to 10 reps. For the neck, employ a Nautilus 4-Way Neck machine or lie on a bench so that your head and neck are dangling freely over the end. Place

a folded towel on your forehead so that you can place a dumbbell horizontally across the top. In essence, you’ll be doing neck curls. Allow your head and neck to extend fully over the edge of the bench, and then raise them as high as you can. Perform one set for six to 10 reps at every second or third back workout.” Editor’s note: For a complete presentation of Mike Mentzer’s Heavy Duty training system, consult his books Heavy Duty II, High Intensity Training the Mike Mentzer Way and the newest book,

The Wisdom of Mike Mentzer, all of which are available from Mentzer’s official Web site, www.MikeMentzer .com. John Little is available for phone consultation on Mike Mentzer’s Heavy Duty training system. For rates and information, contact Joanne Sharkey at (310) 316-4519 or at www.MikeMentzer.com, or see the ad on the opposite page. Article copyright © 2006, John Little. All rights reserved. Mike Mentzer quotations provided courtesy of Joanne Sharkey and used with permission. IM

Forearms are probably the most worked—and overworked— muscle group of the entire body, as they’re directly involved in almost every exercise.

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Firefight for

Firepower John A. Wise, Ph.D., Reveals Why Beta-Alanine Is a True Muscle Intensi-Fire

Neveux \ Photo Design by Aldrich Bonifacio \ Model: Berry Kabov

by Jerry Brainum • hat limits muscular gains? Certainly, not training hard enough will prevent you from progressing at an acceptable rate. Not paying enough attention to diet will also inhibit rapid size and strength gains. On a more elemental level, however, muscle fatigue puts a major damper on muscle growth. The actual causes of muscle fatigue during training can vary, from a lack of sufficient carbs and calories to dehydration. The most familiar sign of impending fatigue during any particular set, however, is an intense burning sensation in the trained muscles. The burn is caused by a buildup of lactic acid, although it’s the acid part, rather than the lactate portion, that is the true problem. If you could douse the fire that causes muscle flameout during a set, you’d be able to train harder and thus speed gains in size and strength. Creatine is considered one of the most effective food supplements. While it works mainly by increasing muscle energy stores, it also provides some muscle buffering.

Photography by Michael Neveux

In short, it helps to soak up acid produced during hard training, acid that inhibits energy production in working muscle. The primary muscle-buffering substance is called L-carnosine. It’s a dipeptide, consisting of two amino acids—beta-alanine and histidine— bonded together. Several studies clearly show that the limiting factor for carnosine synthesis in muscle is beta-alanine. Beta-alanine is a comparatively obscure nutrient and is one of the few known “beta” amino acids. Other amino acids are “alpha” amino acids and are found in the natural “L” configuration or the “D” configuration, which isn’t usable by the human body. Beta-alanine exists in several foods, mainly protein, and also forms part of the structure of the B-complex vitamin pantothenic acid. Beta-alanine is metabolized into acetic acid, better known as vinegar in its dilute form. To find out the facts about using beta-alanine, I interviewed John A. Wise, Ph.D., a co-author of most of the recent studies examining the athletic use of beta-alanine

supplements. He is currently the chief science officer of Natural Alternatives International in San Marcos, California. JB: What is beta-alanine, and how does it work in the body? JW: It’s an amino acid that isn’t involved in structural proteins. It combines with another amino acid, histidine, to form a dipeptide that serves as a buffer in muscle. In human muscle the dipeptide combination of beta-alanine and histidine is called L-carnosine. JB: Can the body synthesize beta-alanine? JW: Yes, but the synthesis is under some kind of limited control. Using a supplemental form of betaalanine can significantly increase the synthesis. JB: When were the effects of carnosine first discovered by scientists? JW: Scientists have speculated about the effects of carnosine for some time, based on the known effects of other dipeptides existing

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in muscle. Something in muscle was providing a buffering, or anti-acidity, effect. The debate was just how much the intramuscular dipeptides contributed to intramuscular buffering. JB: Speaking of buffering effects, doesn’t common baking soda—sodium bicarbonate—provide a buffering effect? JW: Sodium bicarb works only indirectly because it provides buffering in the blood but not in muscle. Because of that, numerous studies have failed to show any consistent effect. JB: Not to mention the side effects that can occur, such as explosive diarrhea. Why would a bodybuilder want to use a beta-alanine supplement? JW: The main advantage for a bodybuilder would be a training effect similar in magnitude to that of creatine, although the effects differ. Using creatine allows you to train harder and recover faster. That’s also the category that beta-alanine falls into. By increasing muscle levels of carnosine, betaalanine use allows you to train harder and longer before fatigue sets in. JB: So would it be fair to say that while beta-alanine isn’t a direct anabolic promoter, as hormones are, by promoting increased training intensity with less fatigue, it can promote gains in muscle size and strength? JW: Yes, exactly. JB: Since carnosine is the key to how beta-alanine works, why not just use carnosine supplements? JW: Carnosine does work as a supplement, but it’s very expensive. Using it in doses that are efficacious as an ergogenic aid would cost hundreds of dollars a month. Ingested L-carnosine is degraded into beta-alanine and histidine

If you could douse the fire that causes muscle flame-out during a set, you should be able to train harder and thus speed gains in size and strength. as soon as it enters the blood through the activity of the enzyme carnosinase. Beta-alanine is far less expensive, and it’s the limiting factor in promoting carnosine synthesis in muscle. JB: Some studies seem to show that supplemental carnosine is taken up more rapidly in slow-twitch, or endurance, muscle fibers than it is in fast-twitch fibers. Would using a supplement that promotes carnosine synthesis in muscle, such as beta-alanine,

be more suitable for use in endurance events? JW: Current research shows that beta-alanine affects both types of muscle fibers. The effect in anaerobic, or fast-twitch, fibers would be greater because that’s the type of activity that gives you an increased acid buildup in the muscles. The levels of carnosine are also higher in fast-twitch fibers than in slow-twitch fibers, regardless of training. Using supplemental beta-alanine results in an average 60 percent increase of muscle carnosine. (continued on page 180)

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and caffeine along with the beta-alanine in the belief that carbs and caffeine are synergistic with it and make it work better. Any truth to that? JW: Simple carbs, such as glucose, can increase the uptake of beta-alanine into muscle. The effect relates to increased insulin secretion induced by the simple sugars. Insulin promotes the entry of all amino acids—including betaalanine—into muscle. Caffeine has its own ergogenic effect, but that is independent of the effect of betaalanine.

(continued from page 176)

JB: Since carnosine consists of beta-alanine and histidine bonded together, wouldn’t taking extra histidine also lead to increased muscle carnosine? JW: No, because histidine is used in protein synthesis reactions throughout the body, and increasing it merely leads to increased amino acid competition. On the other hand, beta-alanine is not involved in protein synthesis reactions and thus would directly be used for carnosine synthesis in muscle.

JB: Some new supplements contain both beta-alanine and histidine. Does that serve any purpose other than looking good on the label? JW: Adding histidine to a supplement that already contains beta-alanine is superfluous. It’s similar to adding L-arginine, a precursor of creatine, to a supplement that contains creatine. JB: Some companies also include simple carbohydrates

JB: Some studies show that taking antioxidant nutrients, such as vitamin E, boosts betaalanine uptake. Is that true? JW: We don’t have any evidence of that.

Mixing beta-alanine in a protein shake would not be a good idea.

Model: Jonathan Lawson

JB: What about combining creatine with beta-alanine? Would that be beneficial? JW: A couple of studies—but not all studies—do show that betaalanine is synergistic with creatine. It depends on how you measure the performance effects. The main effect of creatine is to increase energy levels in muscle through increasing the phosphocreatine content. The phosphate portion also provides a minor buffering effect. The main effect of beta-alanine is to increase the buffering capacity of muscle. Since the supplements work differently in muscle, they can provide a synergistic effect. But, again, it isn’t always evident. JB: What’s the optimal dose of beta-alanine for bodybuilding purposes? JW: We’ve looked at various dosages, such as 3.2 grams and 6.4 grams per day, and there is little difference in effect between the two. The carnosine increase in muscle that results from taking beta-alanine is time dependent. You don’t get a loading effect in the muscle the way you do with creatine. Using supplemental creatine promotes a rapid increase in muscle creatine content. That doesn’t happen with beta-alanine, which produces a more gradual increase in muscle carnosine content.

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Model: Todd Smith

“By increasing muscle levels of carnosine, betaalanine use allows you to train harder and longer before fatigue sets in.”

Using a beta-alanine supplement leads to a rapid increase in blood beta-alanine, but that also drops quickly, too. Based on that, we feel that taking several small doses is more effective—two to four times a day. The most efficacious dose is about one to 1 1/2 grams taken two to four times a day. Taking more than the suggested doses doesn’t seem to increase the beneficial effects of beta-alanine. JB: Is there an optimal time to take the supplements? JW: Our studies don’t point to any particular optimal time. The important thing is supplementing over time so that you get increased carnosine in the muscle. JB: Are there any side effects linked to using beta-alanine? JW: Compared to creatine, there is no increase in hydration, or water retention, when using betaalanine supplements. The only side effect we’ve found is a slight flushing effect that’s similar to, but on a smaller scale than, what the B-complex vitamin niacin causes. That happens mainly when larger doses are used. For those who find the effect uncomfortable, taking smaller doses more often eliminates it. Taking beta-alanine with simple sugars also blocks the flush effect.

JB: Does it work better for men than it does for women? JW: We’ve done several studies featuring both male and female subjects, and no gender difference is apparent in the results. We are now conducting a new study that specifically examines the effects of beta-alanine in women, so we should know more about that soon. JB: Some studies show that creatine works better in younger people. Does that also apply to beta-alanine? JW: Some data show that carnosine levels in the body drop as you get older. Increasing carnosine levels through supplemental betaalanine use may be even more effective for those over age 40, in whom carnosine levels are often lower. JB: What about teenagers and younger people? Is betaalanine safe and effective for that age group? JW: The beta-alanine safety profile is similar to that of creatine (hundreds of studies found no adverse effects with normal use). Another thing to consider is that more creatine and beta-alanine can be gotten through diet. Thus, we’re not talking about pharmacological levels but rather physiological levels that are contained in various foods,

such as chicken, turkey and shrimp. JB: Since some studies show that bodybuilders usually have elevated muscle carnosine levels, why would they need to use a beta-alanine supplement? JW: Our studies have clearly shown that even in trained athletes who have elevated muscle carnosine levels, you can still increase carnosine further by using beta-alanine supplements. This would translate into a significant performance gain, even for worldclass or champion athletes. JB: Are there any stimulant effects, such as those linked to other supplements like ephedrine and caffeine, with beta-alanine? JW: No. JB: Does beta-alanine interact with other supplements? Should it be taken alone? JW: In the studies conducted thus far, beta-alanine has been ingested only with simple sugars, nothing else. Mixing beta-alanine in a protein shake would probably not be a good idea. That relates to competition for absorption into the body among various amino acids that use the same transport system to get into cells and muscle cells.

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JB: How long does it typically take to notice any benefits from this supplement? JW: The shortest studies we’ve done were two weeks, but I’d say you would likely notice beneficial effects after two to four weeks of beta-alanine supplementation. JB: What specifically would a bodybuilder notice—increased strength, muscle endurance and so on? JW: More reps, quicker recovery between reps—and a definite training effect, along with improved recovery. JB: Are there any known drug

interactions with beta-alanine? JW: No, there aren’t. JB: How would you say betaalanine compares with popular food supplements, such as creatine? JW: I believe beta-alanine use is going to be equivalent to creatine. I think it’s going to be a safe, legal and effective supplement that can have an effect on performance-based training. How much benefit anyone gets from beta-alanine is strongly related to how hard the person trains. The benefits will be more apparent in harder-training people. JB: So there’s enough

“Carnosine can serve as an antioxidant, so it can have anti-aging effects. Carnosine levels do decrease with age.”

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existing research to claim that beta-alanine is an effective supplement? JW: Without question, there is. In fact, when you compare the level of research on beta-alanine and that on creatine, the evidence for beta-alanine’s efficacy is superior to creatine’s when it was introduced into the commercial market. JB: Since beta-alanine is a natural product, can any company sell it? JW: My company has a patent on its use for athletic purposes. We have three national and multiple international patents pertaining

to beta-alanine use. Companies that want to add beta-alanine to a supplement would need to obtain a license from us first. JB: Although the research on beta-alanine looks very impressive, so did initial research for other supplements, many of which worked better on paper than they did in the real world. Is beta-alanine just another passing supplement fad? JW: I think without doubt that beta-alanine will prove to be an effective supplement for athletes. Supplements such as HMB, which

“Using supplemental beta-alanine results in an average increase of muscle carnosine by 60 percent.”

did have some solid research behind it, are also expensive, and the doses that are effective are just too expensive for most people. Many companies don’t suggest a high enough dose for HMB, which explains the lack of results in most cases. JB: Are there any health benefits associated with increasing carnosine levels in the body through beta-alanine supplements? JW: Carnosine can serve as an antioxidant, so it can have antiaging effects. Carnosine levels do decrease with age, and I think that would adversely affect normal activity levels. JB: Some scientists suggest that carnosine is a natural inhibitor of the aging process because it inhibits the production of AGE, or advanced glycation end products that are known to produce aging effects in many tissues and organs. In fact, some isolated-cell studies have shown complete cellular regeneration when aging cells are exposed to carnosine. Since the effects of increased carnosine levels in the body have been known for some time, why hasn’t a beta-alanine supplement been introduced until now? JW: The most recent studies that document the effectiveness of beta-alanine are just now being published. We’ve presented data about beta-alanine at professional meetings for several years, and it is now being published widely in professional journals. That recent publicity about the research is what has prompted the new interest in beta-alanine. JB: Would using a betaalanine supplement also offer any benefits to an endurance athlete? JW: Recent studies show that increasing carnosine levels in muscle increases the neuromuscular threshold, or the point when muscles change from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism. Increasing carnosine levels

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significantly raises the threshold, meaning an endurance athlete can increase power output and maintain this enhanced power without experiencing fatigue from excess acid in the muscle. JB: Does beta-alanine have any particular taste? JW: No, it has no discernible taste. JB: What’s your feedback thus far from athletes who’ve used the supplement? JW: A number of elite athletes have used beta-alanine during training for major international competitions and have experienced record-breaking performances. JB: Research shows that about 80 percent of people

“We feel that taking several small doses of beta-alanine seems to be more effective. The most efficacious dose is about one to 1 1/2 grams taken two to four times a day.”

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respond to creatine use, with another 20 percent being nonresponsive. Do some people fail to respond to beta-alanine? JW: There’s a possibility, but we don’t have enough information to definitely answer the question. We have done studies showing that about one out of 30 people doesn’t show increased muscle carnosine levels after using beta-alanine for short periods, such as two weeks. Why that happens isn’t known, but it may relate to an inability to effectively absorb beta-alanine into the muscle tissue. JB: Are there any known medical contraindications to using the supplement? JW: At this time we don’t know of any medical condition that would prevent anyone from using it. JB: Beta-alanine shares the same amino acid transport mechanism as taurine, another amino acid. Does that mean that people should separate taurine use from beta-alanine intake? JW: It could be a potential problem because of the competition issue, but we haven’t seen any depletion of muscle taurine levels in any of our studies. A few studies

used supplements that contained creatine, taurine and beta-alanine, and they showed no negative effects on either beta-alanine or taurine uptake. JB: Many dietitians would suggest that you should not waste money on beta-alanine supplements, since it exists naturally in several foods and exercise itself increases muscle carnosine levels. How would you respond to such a criticism? JW: Our studies show that betaalanine will still increase muscle carnosine levels in athletes, even if they consume foods rich in betaalanine or carnosine and even if they train hard. JB: Should it be cycled? JW: We have no data suggesting that you would need to discontinue beta-alanine use. Unlike what happens with creatine, there is no known decrease in beta-alanine absorption with continued use, thus making it unnecessary to cycle the supplement. JB: How does beta-alanine compare in price to other supplements, such as creatine? JW: Beta-alanine is in the

“A number of elite athletes have used beta-alanine during training for major international competitions and have experienced record-breaking performances.” same category that creatine was when it was first introduced into the market. One reason why creatine prices have declined is because of increased demand and more efficient production. Betaalanine is not an overly expensive supplement in relation to other food supplements sold today. Editor’s note: The patented formula of beta-alanine is available in the new supplement Red Dragon, $29.95 for 120 capsules. To order, call (800) 447-0008, or visit www .Home-Gym.com. IM

“The levels of carnosine are higher in fast-twitch fibers than in slowtwitch fibers.”

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Sprint

to New Gains The Forgotten Resistance Exercise Can Rip You Up and Take Your LowerBody Development to a New Level by Dwayne Hines II

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fast. Even though it’s largely an anaerobic event, sprinting helps shed the extra pounds because resting metabolic rates are really boosted by hardcore sprinting. The body changes shape according to the demands put upon it, and sprinting and fat are not compatible. Once you start sprinting, your body will start to change shape—fast. Where do you sprint? If your only training haunt has been the local gym, you’ll have to extend your borders. Fortunately you can do it for free—the best sprinting venue is the local track. Check your neighborhood for a middle school, junior high, high school or college.

Sprinting should be approached in the same manner as weight training: Begin by stretching and warming up before moving on to the main course.

The track affords a few distinct advantages. You’ll know how far you are running (the football field inside the track is usually marked off in 10-yard increments), and you will have a surface with some give to it. Sprinting should be approached in the same manner as weight training: Begin by stretching and warming up before moving on to the main course. Former collegiate sprinter Mark Young points out, “If a person has done no substantial running in the recent past, then he or she needs to build a good base. The key is to always start out very gradually, and slowly work your way up to full sprinting speed over several weeks or months. Starting out too quickly is where you run into injuries. Log some miles on the road three times a week for three weeks or so [before starting the sprinting workouts].” Once you have that base of endurance built up a bit, start your first sprinting session by jogging a half Photo: Tony Duffy

unning is a type of resistance training that often gets overlooked in the typical workout program. The style of running that qualifies as resistance training is sprinting—all-out running for brief periods of time. Jogging is aerobic; sprinting is anaerobic. It turns out that there are a host of factors that make sprinting an attractive option for bodybuilders. Sprinting provides a terrific leg workout. In fact, sprinting is one of the top ways to work all of the leg muscles, especially the hamstrings. The next time you’re channel surfing with your TV remote in hand, stop when you see some sort of track meet and check out the hams on those sprinters. The glutes get a great workout as well. Personal trainer Paige Waehner notes, “Do you watch the Olympics? If so, you’ve probably noticed that sprinters have muscular legs and tiny butts. The reason is because of all the sprinting they do during their training.” When it comes to the benefits of sprinting, consider this: When was the last time you saw a fat sprinter? Yeah, stair climbing, power walking and stationary biking all burn the fat off—eventually. Sprinting gets it off

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Incremental Workouts Sprinting should be performed incrementally. The increment is a time of rest between sprints equal to or greater than the time spent sprinting. A good rule of thumb is to take twice as long for the rest period as the sprint time. For instance, if your sprint took 10 seconds, you would rest for 20 seconds before you perform the next sprint. Active rest is best, like walking back to the original starting line before the next sprint is performed. The intensity of the sprints is also increased incrementally as your body becomes accustomed to the workout. Neil Gresham at PlanetFear.com points out the process of using intervals: “During a training session, no sprinter or middle-distance runners in their right mind would ever dream of running every repetition of a distance at their absolute maximum. They decide on a set pace, a set number of work intervals, a set recovery time (or rest interval), and they aim to complete all the work, but only just!—or perhaps to burn out only on the very last one. By definition, this means that the first few work intervals will feel relatively easy; but as the session progresses, you will start to feel under increasing pressure by the stopwatch, until, at the end, it will be all you can do to squeeze out that final interval. Hence there is progression within the session, which ultimately reaches an intensity climax.” —D.H.

mile—two laps around the track—before moving on to the faster stuff. “I always suggest a person jog very slowly for about one-half mile or so to warm up,” Young continues. “This gets the heart pumping, and, by the way, the heart is a muscle and also needs to be stretched. Then do a good stretch routine. Then a little more jogging to completely loosen up.” Begin the sprinting with easy swing sprints—100yard runs at about 50 percent of maximum effort, keeping your knees pumping fairly high and focusing on relaxing throughout the full run. Perform a couple of these, and then it is time to go a little harder.

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Stretching is important before all-out efforts, be it in the weight room or on the track.

For your initial workout perform three sprints of 40 yards at approximately 65 percent of your estimated maximum effort, and then call it a day. It’s important to ease into sprinting, so gradually increase the difficulty of the workout from that base beginning session. Build up by increasing the number of sprints you perform, the distance and the effort you put into them. Over the course of the next two to three months aim at getting to the point

How often should you sprint? One session a week will work great, especially if you’re weight training and also doing some cardio training. Remember, sprinting is taxing leg work.

where you are performing several sprints in the 50-to-100-yard range at intensity levels varying from 70 percent up to 100 percent at each workout. From that point you can move on to longer sprints. Young points out that the first forays into the range of 50-to-200 yards “should not be done anywhere close to full speed. When beginning, they should be done at half speed at most. The speed can be increased as strength increases and fitness improves.” Young recommends working up to sprints of 2x50 meters, 3x100 meters and 3x200 meters. How often should you sprint? One session a week will work great, especially if you’re weight training and also doing some cardiovascular, or aerobic, training. A session a week will work the legs thoroughly and keep the glutes and hams tight, as well as leave room for the growth and repair necessary from your weight workouts. Sprinting is a great way to take your legs to the next level, trim fat off your physique and tighten up your glutes to boot. If you’re looking for some hot new exercise, don’t overlook the potential powerhouse results you can get from sprinting. IM

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The

Metabolic

Syndrome Is This Sneaky Insulin Resistance Ruining Your Workouts and Your Health?

lthough he had 25 years of bodybuilding-training experience, Louis B. had been slacking off lately. Personal and job pressures caused him to miss workouts with increasing frequency. That was apparent in his widening waistline, since he hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t reduced his food intake to match his reduced training. But the biggest shock came at

his annual medical exam. His blood tests showed a low level of protective high-densitylipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), coupled with high blood triglycerides, or fat. Even worse, his blood pressure was high, and so was his fasting glucose level. That put Louis among the 27 percent of Americans who have the metabolic syndrome.

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Design by Aldrich Bonifacio\ Neveux \ Model: Steve McLoed

by Jerry Brainum

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Metabolic Syndrome

Neveux \ Model: Darrell Terrell

Lifting weights favorably affects several of the features associated with the metabolic syndrome.

The metabolic syndrome has had various names over the years, such as Syndrome X, Reavan Syndrome, insulin resistance syndrome and the deadly quartet. While scientists continue to debate the full diagnostic criteria for the metabolic syndrome, most agree that having three out of the following five features puts you in the club: •A waist size greater than 40 inches in men, 35 inches in women. •Low fasting high-densitylipoprotein cholesterol levels, below 40 in men and below 50 in women. •An elevated fasting blood triglyceride level of 150 or more. •A fasting blood glucose level above 115 milligrams per deciliter of blood. One •A blood pressure reading higher than 130/85. The primary components of the metabolic syndrome are having a lot of

abdominal fat, particularly deeplying, or visceral, fat; poor blood lipid levels; high blood pressure; and insulin resistance with or without glucose intolerance. It is also characterized by a systemic chronic inflammation that is directly related to increased visceral fat stores, as we shall see. Aggravating the inflammation is an increased tendency to form blood clots, which is directly linked to heart attack and stroke. The metabolic syndrome is more common among AfricanAmericans, Hispanics, Asians and Native Americans, though it can affect anybody. In fact, the syndrome is now increasingly showing up in children and teenagers, likely the result of

characteristic of the syndrome is having a lot of abdominal fat, particularly deep-lying, or visceral, fat.

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Metabolic Syndrome

Neveux \ Model: Aaron Swanson

The syndrome is now increasingly showing up in children and teenagers, likely the result of poor diets combined with lack of exercise.

poor diets combined with lack of exercise.1,2 Surveys show that 6.4 percent of Americans aged 12 to 19 have it, and risk increases with age. By 2040 an estimated 40 percent of Americans will be afflicted with the syndrome, and it will supersede cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death. The metabolic syndromeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s constellation of symptoms predisposes you to various diseases: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, elevated uric acid, gout, kidney stones, fatty liver, gallstones and mental decline. The good news is that it is completely preventable, via diet and exercise, though in some cases certain drugs may also help.3 To understand the dangers that lie beneath the metabolic syndrome, you need to know about bodyfat.

Bodyfat: Much More Than Meets the Eye In years past bodyfat, which consists of triglycerides, a form of saturated fat, was thought to be nothing more than a storage depot for excess energy. You ate too much, didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do enough exercise to burn excess calories, and those calories took an express route to fat cells. While obesity was considered unattractive, the health concerns about it were limited to its adverse effects on cardiovascular function, blood pressure and risk of diabetes. More recently, however, scientific findings have

made it clear that bodyfat releases numerous chemicals that have potent effects on health.4 Collectively referred to as adipokines, the chemicals are released in greatest quantity from visceral fat. Many promote inflammatory conditions throughout the body; medicine now recognizes inflammation as the underlying cause of most degenerative health conditions. Excess visceral fat is the basis of the metabolic syndrome, although hormones also come into play. Even those who are only moderately fat show increased incidence of coronary artery disease. A roll call of adipokines tells a cautionary tale: â&#x20AC;˘Adiponectin. One of few good guys among adipokines, adiponectin is an anti-inflammatory agent against insulin resistance, the cornerstone of the metabolic syndrome.5.6 When adiponectin is elevated, most other inflammatory adipokines, including C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen, are decreased. Decreased adiponectin levels are linked to higher bodyfat levels, decreased insulin sensitivity, poor blood lipid levels and increased cardiovascular disease risk. Lack of adiponectin may be the basis for most of the inflammatory symptoms of the metabolic

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accumulation of fat in the liver that can eventually lead to liver failure. Sound great? Hopes for the end of obesity were dashed when it was discovered that obese people already produce excess leptin. The problem wasn’t a lack of leptin but

the body’s failure to recognize it. The effect was the same: Lack of leptin activity resulted in lack of appetite control, which perpetuates fat. High-fat diets lower leptin levels, while fish oil and aerobic exercise reduce leptin resistance.10 • Visfatin. Found in visceral fat, as the name implies, this adipokine acts like insulin in liver, muscle and fat. In short, it promotes fat gain. • Glucocorticoids. Those who

Metabolic Syndrome

By 2040 the syndrome will supersede cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death.

“Schiek products are a CUT above the rest. Train with the best quality gear!” syndrome. Adiponectin protects heart function especially. Hypertrophy of skeletal muscles is a primary focus of bodybuilding, but when a heart on long-term high blood pressure overload starts to grow, the result is heart failure. Having high levels of adiponectin prevents the excessive heart growth associated with disease.7 Smoking cigarettes lowers protective adiponectin, and so does oxidative stress, which is linked to a high level of bodyfat.8,9 Testosterone is known to lower adiponectin levels, which is thought to be the reason for the higher level of insulin resistance and atherosclerosis in men than women. Conversely, having low levels of testosterone is also linked to the onset of the metabolic syndrome in men, especially in those with normal levels of bodyfat, as will be discussed shortly. •Leptin. Leptin was the first adipokine discovered, in 1994. The isolation of leptin from fat cells heralded a new era in fat research, showing that fat depots were far more active than previously believed. The secretion of leptin is dictated by the size of fat cells; and initially it was thought to be the cure for obesity. Fat rats injected with leptin rapidly lost all traces of excess fat. Leptin was found to control feelings of satiety, energy expenditure and even hormonal function. In muscle, leptin promotes fat burning, partitions fat from nonadipose tissue and prevents

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Metabolic Syndrome

suffer from an excess of cortisol, an adrenal hormone, have the disease Cushing’s syndrome. One of its characteristics is an increase of fat stores, especially in the central, or trunk, area of the body. Many aspects of the metabolic syndrome resemble Cushing’s disease, including the excess fat in the gut area. Excess cortisol is linked to obesity because it turns out that fat cells contain the enzyme that converts inactive cortisone into active cortisol. That leads to locally enhanced cortisol activity in fat cells. Rats that are bred to lack the cortisone-to-cortisol enzyme in fat cells show smaller visceral fat depots, which translates into less chance of having metabolic syndrome. Cortisol interferes with the actions of other hormones, including growth hormone, testosterone and insulin, inhibiting the release of insulin from the pancreas, which itself leads to insulin resistance. In muscle, cortisol not only breaks down amino

acids but also impairs the activity of the main enzyme required for glycogen synthesis in muscle. Those with insulin resistance have more cortisol receptors in muscle, implying that insulin resistance may be related to increased muscle catabolism. •Free fatty acids. Obese people show elevated blood levels of free fatty acids, mainly coming from visceral fat. That promotes excess insulin secretion, which itself results in increased bodyfat.11 Excess free fatty acids also blunt growth hormone release, explaining why obese people show less growth hormone response. A sustained elevation of insulin induced by free fatty acids leads to the death of beta cells in the pancreas, where insulin is produced. Result: diabetes. Elevated FFAs can produce insulin resistance in muscle and liver as well. They induce oxidative stress and promote elevations in the inflammatory adipokines.12 FFAs also impair vascular function, which can result in cardiovascular mortality. A hypothesis suggests that once the level of subcutaneous fat is saturated, fat cells release adipokines that block further fat synthesis. So instead of being stored in fat cells, the fatty acids get into the blood, then deposited in various organs, limiting organ function. A fatty liver’s levels of blood lipids can lead to cardiovascular disease. In muscle excess fatty acids interfere with glucose uptake, resulting in insulin resistance. One reason weight training relieves insulin resistance is that larger muscles have a greater capacity to store as well as burn fat. That makes insulin work better and helps prevent both the metabolic syndrome and diabetes.13 •Tumor necrosis factor-alpha. TNF-a is a proinflammatory adipokine that stimulates the release of other inflammatory mediators, which

work with cortisol to break down muscle. TNF-a is secreted from macrophages, or immune cells, located in visceral fat. Interestingly, TNF-a actually stimulates fat breakdown, or lipolysis, but it’s linked to elevated insulin levels, insulin resistance and higher blood pressure, all of which cancel lipolysis. Excess TNF-a is also linked to cardiovascular disease. Other adipokines associated with inflammation include interleukin-6, plasminogen-activator inhibitor-1 and angiotensin. The good news is that visceral fat can be reduced through exercise and diet, mainly because it’s more metabolically active than other forms of bodyfat. Keep in mind that fat begets fat. Excess bodyfat leads to insulin resistance and higher levels of insulin, which promote bodyfat. Fatter people release higher levels of FFAs, which interfere with insulin activity, leading to insulin resistance. Continuous release of fat interferes with the muscles’ using glucose as a source of energy. The excess glucose, in turn, leads to higher insulin levels, with the glucose shunted into fat deposits. Insulin promotes fat storage by increasing the activity of the fat cell enzyme lipoprotein lipase while blunting the activity of the fat-releasing enzyme, hormonesensitive lipase. Obese insulininsensitive rats still respond to insulin’s lipoprotein lipasepromoting activity.

Excess cortisol is linked to obesity as well as muscle catabolism. It interferes with the actions of growth hormone, testosterone and insulin. P.S. supplements can help. 222 SEPTEMBER 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Is It a Question of Hormones?

Neveux \ Model: Kat Meyers

The primary cause of the metabolic syndrome is clear: excess visceral fat. The release of inflammatory adipokines by visceral fat, along with the excess release of volatile free fatty acids that results in insulin resistance, explains all the major effects attributed to the

metabolic syndrome. The cause of visceral fat is intake of excess calories and not enough physical activity to burn them. It turns out, though, that visceral fat levels are also affected by hormones, or more precisely lack of hormones. Visceral fat is rich in androgen receptors, which points to an acute interaction with testosterone. Big T inhibits lipoprotein lipase, the fat cell enzyme that promotes fat synthesis. Studies show that men with low levels of testosterone, as well as the carrier protein for testosterone in the blood (sexhormone-binding globulin, or SHBG), have more visceral fat. As men get older, free and total testosterone levels decline, and visceral fat deposits increase.14 Thus the potbelly on many men—and that potbelly is associated with cardiovascular disease. Testosterone also lowers insulin resistance, another reason it retards fat accumulation in the gut. Giving testosterone to men low in the hormone consistently lowers visceral fat deposits, according to many studies, even without lowering total bodyfat levels or affecting lean body mass. Testosterone has the opposite effect in women. While women’s T levels also decline with age, their visceral fat is associated with higher levels of free and total testosterone, A deficiency of estrogen in women produces many of the same effects as the metabolic syndrome, such as unhealthy lipid profiles.

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Metabolic Syndrome

as well as SHBG. Some studies, however, show that lower levels of SHBG predict metabolic syndrome in both men and women.15 That makes sense because insulin is known to lower SHBG. Another study found that low SHBG and total testosterone levels

are associated with a twofold to fourfold increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome in middle-aged, nonobese men.16 Giving them testosterone can directly influence that by helping prevent it. For example, it increases the liver production of the protein

that composes HDL, and it lowers elevated triglycerides through increasing insulin sensitivity and fostering lower bodyfat levels. On the other hand, giving testosterone also lowers SHBG. Estrogen promotes fat deposition, not in the gut but in the lower body, much to the chagrin of many women. But fat located in those areas stays where it is and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t affect body metabolism. Even so, a deficiency of estrogen in women produces many of the same effects as the metabolic syndrome, such as an unhealthy lipid profile. Some studies show that estrogen in women may help control the level of visceral fat. Obesity in women is linked to estrogen-related breast cancer onset. Excess insulin increases estrogen activity through decreasing SHBG, which binds estrogen as well as testosterone in the blood. Insulin also promotes the conversion of androgens in women into estrogen.

One study found that the risk of dying from the cardiovascular complications of metabolic syndrome was high, but the risk was completely eliminated by high levels of cardiovascular fitness.

Neveux \ Model: Tamer Elshahat

The Exercise Connection Fortunately, visceral fat is highly subject to oxidation, or burning, and thus is the first to go when you exercise and diet. A number of studies have confirmed that cardiovascular fitness has an inverse relationship with the level of visceral fat and, subsequently, metabolic syndrome.17 The effect of exercise is so potent that it overcomes the negative aspects of metabolic syndrome, even in the presence of excess visceral fat. In a study reported in the July 2005 issue of the journal Circulation, 10,498 subjects were evaluated for their level of physical fitness, then checked again five years later to determine the occurrence of metabolic syndrome. In both men and women it declined with increasing levels of cardiovascular fitness. The risk was 26 percent lower in moderately fit men and 53

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Weight training, too, should favorably affect the incidence of metabolic syndrome because muscle is related to insulin sensitivity.

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ SEPTEMBER 2006 225

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Neveux \ Model: Dan Gwartney

Metabolic Syndrome

Cardiovascular fitness increases HDL levels, lowers triglycerides, decreases insulin resistance and promotes increased oxidation of visceral fat.

percent lower in highly fit men than in their less fit counterparts. Fit women showed a 20 percent lower risk, while highly fit women showed a 63 percent lower risk of developing metabolic syndrome. Still another study found that the risk of dying from the cardiovascular complications of metabolic syndrome was high, but the risk was completely eliminated by a high level of cardiovascular fitness.18 Cardiovascular fitness increases HDL levels, lowers triglycerides, decreases insulin resistance and promotes increased oxidation of visceral fat. Weight training, too, should favorably affect the incidence of metabolic syndrome because

Neveux \ Model: Berry Kabov

While fewer carbs are a key weapon, you also need to pay attention to the type of fat you eat. muscle is related to insulin sensitivity. Glucose can enter muscle without the presence of insulin during exercise; in fact, insulin release is blunted during exercise by the great amounts of catecholaminesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;epinephrine and norepinephrineâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;released. Lean muscle mass fostered by weight training is responsible for 70 to 85 percent of insulin-stimulated glucose removal. The beneficial effects of lifting weights in both the

226 SEPTEMBER 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Can Diet Help? Is there a diet that will help to prevent the metabolic syndrome? That’s a controversial subject. Many scientists suggest that any diet that lowers bodyfat levels will effectively improve the syndrome’s symptoms. Others suggest that since oxidative stress produced by adipokines is the underlying cause, a prudent diet would feature a lot of fruits and vegetables, the best dietary antioxidant sources. On the other hand, a recent study made a good case for following a low-carbohydrate diet to both treat and prevent the syndrome.21 Restricting carbs lowers high fasting-glucose and resting-insulin levels, reduces elevated blood triglycerides, raises HDL and lowers elevated blood pressure. By contrast, a lowfat, high-carb diet increases triglyceride levels, lowers HDL and worsens glycemic control. Lifestyle factors, says another study, can prevent the syndrome.22 Physical activity or exercise is probably the most vital safeguard. The study also confirmed that lower

carbohydrate intake worked against the higher triglycerides and lower HDL that a higher carb intake, especially refined carbs, promotes. Carbs’ effects on triglyceride levels are greater in men than in women. Light to moderate alcohol use also appears to prevent metabolic syndrome. Alcohol intake in moderate amounts increases HDL levels, lowers LDL oxidation linked to CVD and decreases both blood pressure and insulin levels while increasing insulin sensitivity. All this reverses, however, with heavy alcohol intake. Drinking a lot increases not only triglyceride levels but also visceral fat deposit— witness the potbellies of heavy drinkers. Increasing exercise, lowering carb intake and indulging in moderate alcohol intake decrease the incidence of metabolic syndrome by more than 45 percent. While eating fewer carbs is a key weapon, you also need to pay attention to the type of fat you consume. Many low-carb-diet plans suggest that fat is irrelevant, but saturated fat is linked to insulin resistance in the

Metabolic Syndrome

prevention and treatment of the metabolic syndrome have been confirmed in recent studies. Like aerobic exercise, weight training favorably affects several of the features associated with the metabolic syndrome. Lifting weights lowers bodyfat and increases HDL levels, reduces elevated blood pressure and favors increased glycemic control, or better glucose use in the body. A recent study of 3,233 men, aged 20 to 80, found an inverse relationship between the onset of the metabolic syndrome and muscular strength.19 Muscular strength was found to protect both normal and overweight men, over a broad age range. Stronger men had a 34 percent lower risk of acquiring the metabolic syndrome than weaker men. According to another study, while both cardiovascular and weight training protected against the syndrome, lifting weights went beyond aerobics alone.20 This study showed that lifting weight lowered the risk in normal, overweight and obese men 73 percent, 69 percent and 62 percent.

Neveux \ Model: Rehan Jalali

Muscular strength was found to protect both normal and overweight men over a broad age range.

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ SEPTEMBER 2006 227

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Neveux \ Model: Marvin Montoya

Metabolic Syndrome

According to another study, while both cardiovascular and weight training protected against the syndrome, lifting weights went beyond aerobics alone.

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servings a day of antioxidantrich fruits and vegetables. Remember, adipokine-related inflammation from visceral fat comes from oxidative reactions. literature. 23 So it’s better to focus on more healthful monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, such as the omega-3 fats found in fatty fish.24 Equally important is fiber.25 Fiber affects glycemic control, delaying the entry of high-glycemic-index carbs into the blood,26 in turn lowering the insulin response. Fiber, particularly the soluble fiber found in various fruits and beans, also independently lowers elevated blood fats. A good alternative to a low-carb diet is following a “Stone Age” eating plan. That comes down to a highfiber, low-sodium diet that is high in protein but low in saturated fat and refined carbs. Its characteristic foods are fruits, vegetables, berries, nuts, fish, chicken, turkey and other lean protein sources, and it will reliably prevent the onset of the metabolic syndrome by keeping bodyfat low and promoting a high antioxidant intake. Since stress is linked to excess cortisol release, which favors the deposition of fat in the abdominal area, you should do all you can to avoid excess stress.27 Taking food supplements that may modify cortisol release, such as phosphatidylserine, also may be useful. Get an adequate amount of sleep; sleep deprivation increases cortisol and promotes insulin resistance.28 The elevated blood pressure that occurs in the metabolic syndrome can also be dealt with through a judicious program of exercise and diet. Losing fat alone lowers blood pressure. Reducing sodium intake also helps, as does increasing calcium, magnesium and potassium. An easy way to get these nutrients is with a minimum of five

The Supplement Syndrome Certain supplements are useful adjuncts: •Magnesium, chromium and vanadyl help to control insulin sensitivity and affect glucose control. Also useful are green tea29 and large doses of the B-vitamin biotin (nine to 16 milligrams daily) and cinnamon extract, which corrects defects in cellular insulin

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Metabolic Syndrome

Of course, a prudent diet would feature a lot of fruits and vegetables, the best dietary antioxidant sources.

Metabolic Syndrome

interactions (one to six grams daily). •Lipoic acid, or ALA, lowers elevated glucose independently of insulin and works as an antioxidant in fat and watersoluble environments. Lipoic acid helps recirculate other antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, after they’ve oxidized. It increases levels of the important built-in antiinflammatory antioxidant glutathione. The optimal dose is 600 milligrams daily. Divide the doses, since ALA lasts only about one to two hours in the blood. •Several supplements can help safely reduce elevated blood fats. They include policosanol (20 milligrams daily); plant sterol supplements (taken with food, they prevent cholesterol absorption); and omega-3 fats found in fish oil, which can lower elevated blood triglycerides by 60 percent. Red yeast rice extract contains lovastatin and other substances that lower blood cholesterol. A ratbased study showed that eating a diet containing 1 percent green tea, which would be the equivalent of drinking about 800 milliliters of green tea daily, reduced cholesterol absorption by 37 percent. Tocotrienols, a type of vitamin E, inhibit cholesterol synthesis in the liver much as statin drugs do minus the side effects; gamma and delta tocotrienols are 30 times more effective than the alpha version. (By the way, since vitamin E, as alphatocopherol, interferes with the lipid-lowering effects of tocotrienols, you should separate your intake of tocotrienols from tocopherol by 12 hours.) Pantetheine, a form of the B-complex vitamin pantothenic acid, also lowers blood lipids. Niacin is probably the most potent

bood-lipid-lowering nutrient, but only in doses of 1,000 milligrams a day or more. •Avoid processed carbs, such as high-fructose corn syrup, a common ingredient in processed

foods that causes a huge increase in blood triglyceride levels and gets shunted directly into visceral fat stores. The same is true for trans fats, which lower HDL and increase LDL, thus making a bad situation

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Fit women showed a 20 percent lower risk, while highly fit women showed a 63 percent lower risk of developing metabolic syndrome.

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A recent study done with mice showed that a gene defect may trigger the syndrome.30 The gene codes for an enzyme called NEIL-1 DNA glycosylase, which is involved in the repair of oxidation-induced damage to cellular DNA. When mice were bred to lack that gene, they showed various symptoms: •Severe obesity (the mice weighed more than twice as much as their normal littermates) •Enlarged, fatty livers; insulin levels four times above normal •Elevated levels of inflammatory adipokines The scientists who conducted the study think that many humans may have similar damage that predisposes them to developing

The incidence of the metabolic syndrome is going to increase over the next 20 years, but you don’t have to become one of its statistics if you adhere to the principles discussed here. You also get the additional bonuses of less bodyfat and increased lean mass, or muscle.

References 1 Weiss, R., et al. (2004). Obesity and the metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents. Obstet Gyn Survey. 59:822-824. 2 Steinberger, J. (2003). Diagnosis of the metabolic syndrome in children. Curr Opin Lipidology. 14:555559. 3 Vitale, C., et al. (2005). Metformin improves endothelial function in patients with metabolic syndrome. J Internal Med. 258:250-556. 4 Hutley, L., et al. (2005). Fat as an endocrine organ: relationship to the metabolic syndrome. Am J Med

Avoid processed carbs, such as highfructose corn syrup, a common ingredient in processed foods that causes a huge increase in blood triglyceride levels and gets shunted directly into visceral fat stores. The same is true for trans fats, which lower HDL and increase LDL. Sciences. 330:280-289. 5 Trujillo, M.E., et al. (2005). Adiponectin: (continued on page 234)

The effect of exercise is so potent that it overcomes the negative aspects of the syndrome even in the presence of excess visceral fat.

Neveux \ Model: El Idrise Ward

Dipping Into the Gene Pool

the syndrome. Since the damage is caused by oxidation, a high intake of dietary antioxidants may help prevent it. Exercise also induces internal antioxidation enzymes.

Metabolic Syndrome

worse. •Of the amino acids, arginine and taurine favorably affect both blood pressure and heart function. Also useful are garlic and Coenzyme Q10 supplements.

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journey from an adipocyte secretory protein to biomarker of the metabolic syndrome. J Int Med. 257:167-175. 6 Matsuzawa, Y., et al. (2004). Adiponectin and the metabolic syndrome. Ateriosc Thromb Vascular Biology. 24:29-33. 7 Berg, A.H., et al. (2005). Adipose tissue, inflammation and cardiovascular disease. Circ Res. 96:939-949. 8 Iwashima, Y., et al. (2005). Association of hypoadiponectinema with smoking habit in men. Hypertension. 45:1094-1100. 9 Hattori, Y., et al. (2005). Angiotensin-2-induced oxidative stress elicits hypoadipnectinemia in rats. Diabetologia. 49:1066-1074 10 Dyck, D.J. (2005). Leptin sensitivity in skeletal muscle is modulated by diet and exercise. Exer Sports Sci Reviews. 33:189-194. 11 Perseghin, G. (2005). Muscle lipid metabolism in metabolic syndrome. Curr Opin Lipidology. 16:416-420. 12 Ferrucci, L., et al. (2006). Relationship of plasma polyunsaturated fatty acids to circulating inflammatory markers. J Clin Endocrin Metab. 91:439-446. 13 Cherian, M., et al. (2006). The role of saturation of fat depots in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. Med Hyptheses. 66(4):763-768. 14 (2005). Hypogonadism and metabolic syndrome: implications for testosterone therapy. J Urology. 174:827-834. 15 Hajamor, S., et al. (2003). Relationship between sex hormonebinding globulin levels and features of the metabolic syndrome. Metabolism. 52:724-730. 16 Kupelian, V., et al. (2006). Low SHBG, total testosterone and symptomatic androgen deficiency are associated with development of the metabolic syndrome in non-obese men. J Clin Endocrin Metab. In press. 17 Lee, S., et al. (2005). Cardiorespiratory fitness attenuates metabolic risk independent of abdominal subcutaneous and visceral fat in men. Diabetes Care. 28:895-901. 18 Katzmarzyk, P., et al. (2004). Cardiorespiratory fitness attenuates the effects of the metabolic syndrome on all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in men. Arch

(continued from page 231)

Intern Med. 164:1092-1097. 19 Jurca, R., et al. (2005). Association of muscular strength with incidence of metabolic syndrome in men. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 37:1849-55. 20 Jurca, R., et al. (2004). Associations of muscle strength and aerobic fitness with metabolic syndrome in men. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 36:1301-1307. 21 Volek, J., et al. (2005). Carbohydrate restriction improves the features of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome may be defined by the response to carbohydrate restriction. Nutrition and Metabolism. 2:31. 22 Zhu, S., et al. (2004). Lifestyle behaviors associated with lower risk of having the metabolic syndrome.Metabolism. 53:1503-1511. 23 Vessby, B. (2003). Dietary fat, fatty acid composition in plasma and the metabolic syndrome. Curr Opin Lipidology. 14:15-19. 24 Graham, I.A., et al. (2004). The use of very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids to ameliorate metabolic syndome: an alternative source to fish oils. Nutrition Bulletin. 29:228-233. 25 Delzenne, N., et al. (2005). A place for dietary fiber in the management of the metabolic syndrome. Curr Opin Clin Nutrition Metabolic Care. 8:636-640. 26 Sahyoun, N.R., et al. (2006). Whole grain intake is inversely associated with the metabolic syndrome and mortality in older adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 83:1241-31. 27 Vitliano, P., et al. (2002). A path model of chronic stress, the metabolic syndrome, and coronary heart disease. Psychosomat Med. 64:418-435. 28 Karlsson, B., et al. (2001). Is there an association between shift work and having the metabolic syndrome? Occup Environ Med. 58:747-752. 29 Anderson, R.A., et al. (2002). Tea enhances insulin activity. Agric Food Chemistry. 50:7182-7186. 30 Vartanian, V., et al. (2006). The metabolic syndrome resulting from a knockout of the NEIL-1 DNA glycosylase. PNAS. 103:18641869. IM

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Aerobic Muscle Cardio Training for Faster Muscle Growth—and What About Weighted Cardio? by Jerry Robinson Photography by Michael Neveux

ay aerobics to most bodybuilders, and you’ll usually get one of the following responses: eyes rolled skyward, grudging concessions that aerobic work is important for health (but not bodybuilding), some minimal enthusiasm for cycling or running as a means of cutting up. None of those represents The Truth. The truth is, aerobic training is essential to the foundation of a high-intensity, mass-building, bomb-blasting burnout of a workout. Here’s why.

Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Two muscular-energy-production processes—aerobic and anaerobic—contribute in varying degrees to all athletic endeavors. Both processes take place within muscle cells. Aerobic energy production requires oxygen. Prolonged low-intensity exercise, such as jogging, relies heavily on the aerobic energy process. Anaerobic energy production does not require oxygen. Brief bouts of high-intensity exercise—such as single repetitions of heavy weightlifting—rely primarily on the anaerobic energy process. Energy for the performance of most exercises is not derived solely from one process, aerobic or anaerobic. Instead, both processes contribute, with the degree of contribution depending on the type of exercise performed.

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Aerobic Muscle however, indicates that aerobic processes may play a greater role in energy production earlier on than was previously thought. It suggests that those athletes whose events are almost entirely anaerobic—such as bodybuilders—ought not ignore the benefits of aerobic training to their performance. The bottom line: If you’re gonna lift, you’d better run for it!

Little Did They Know…

To Weight or Not to Weight?

It has been assumed for years that since weightlifting primarily involves the anaerobic process, a bodybuilder’s aerobic condition doesn’t impose much of a limitation on his or her lifting performance. One study calls that belief into question. Fourteen elite male weightlifters, average age 22.5 years, were tested to determine their maximal oxygen uptake, a measure of aerobic capacity. The subjects’ anaerobic power was also determined by having them pedal a bicyle ergometer (stationary bike) against extreme resistance for 60 seconds. Power was measured at 15-second intervals. The results showed a significant correlation between maximal oxygen uptake and anaerobic power after the first 30 seconds. In other words, the athletes’ aerobic capacity was significantly related to their ability to perform what is considered to be primarily an anaerobic task. What does that mean? It’s been generally thought that energy production due to aerobic processes doesn’t really contribute until at least two minutes into maximal exertion and that energy production in the first two minutes is almost entirely due to anaerobic processes. The correlation at 30 seconds,

I assume that most people reading this love lifting as much as I do. So it seems inevitable that

once you are convinced that aerobic capacity is essential for a great weight workout, you will wonder, as I did, if you can make the aerobic part of your training more intense by carrying weights while you do it. Let’s see if that’s true. Performing endurance exercises with the addition of weights has long been a method of increasing the intensity of a workout. The increase in intensity depends on the amount of weight and where you position it: Heavy loads cause a greater increase than light loads; loads on the feet cause a much greater increase than loads in the hands, at least for workouts involving primarily leg work, such as run-

The results showed a significant correlation between maximal oxygen uptake and anaerobic power after the first 30 seconds.

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For example, when you run, the anaerobic process supplies the energy at first, until your heart and lungs get up to speed. Then the aerobic system takes over and supplies most of the energy—as long as you are running slowly enough that it can handle the demand. If you suddenly sprint, the anaerobic mechanism steps back in to handle a greater part of the load.

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Aerobic Muscle

ning. Those greater loads increase heart rate, carbohydrate metabolism and stress on the muscles. Most studies have involved using weights only during exercise periods; one study examined whether continuous wearing of a weight vest during all waking hours, both in exercise and nonexercise periods, affects energy metabolism and exercise performance. Twenty-four trained endurance athletes (12 runners, 12 cross-country skiers) were studied. Half wore vests weighing nine to 10 percent of their bodyweight morning to night, including during every workout (for skiers) or every other workout (for the runners). The other half served as controls. The vests were worn for four weeks, after which time researchers gave the subjects several aerobic and anaerobic tasks. Those who wore the weight vests demonstrated improved anaerobic performance but worsened aerobic performance. The most likely explanation for that are changes in running efficiency and muscle fiber recruitment (the pattern with which different muscle fibers participate at different intensities). Those who trained with weight vests showed a decrease in running efficiency. The vests had altered their pace so that even when they were tested without the vests, they took shorter steps and exerted more energy per step. 242 SEPTEMBER 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Would his cardio be more effective if he wore a weight vest or held dumbbells? No, because adding resistance changes muscle fiber recruitment and decreases running efficiency.

wore moderately heavy vests, but even lighter weights may have similar effects if carried in the hands. The bottom line here: Since carrying weights both during and in between aerobic exercise sessions does not improve aerobic capacity, carrying weight in the quest for improved aerobic capacity is a waste of effort. Leave the weights in the gym when you do the aerobic portion of your workout. Editor’s note: Jerry Robinson is the co-author of The 7-Minute Rotator Cuff Solution, available for $29.95 from www.HomeGym.com or call (800) 447-0008. IM

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It’s probable that muscle fiber recruitment changes as well. During low-intensity running, most of the power is supplied by slow-twitch fibers (the moderate-strength, slowto-tire fibers). As intensity increases and the slow-twitch fibers begin to tire, progressively more fast-twitch fibers (the high-strength, fast-totire fibers) are recruited. The extra weight may have altered the pattern of muscle fiber recruitment in the athletes who trained with vests in that fast-twitch fibers were recruited earlier and at lower intensities. This would mean that they would exhibit more power (improved anaerobic performance) but would tire more quickly (worsened aerobic performance), as was seen in this study. So weight appears to alter gait and muscle fiber recruitment in a way that persists (at least temporarily) even when the weights are no longer worn. While wearing weights does improve anaerobic performance, it’s not the most efficient way to do so (weight training is better!); wearing or carrying weight also decreases running efficiency, which ought not be the goal of any running aerobic program. In the study discussed above, the athletes

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s e l i F X Muscle Detail & Freaky Mass:

Myth vs. Reality e’re always reading magazines and training journals, searching for ways to build mass faster. That hunger for information has made our workouts much more efficient on lots of different levels—helping us develop X Reps and X-hybrid techniques, for example. But sometimes we read things that make us shake our heads. That’s because a number of so-called facts are pure myth, passed down with hardly any rational thought. Separating the myths from the truths can help you get a bigger, more detailed physique much faster, and that’s a good thing (who the hell wants to waste time in the gym?). Here’s a good example... One of the more common beliefs is that the peak-contracted position of certain exercises produces detail and development at the insertion of a muscle. In other words, the flexed position of a cable crossover or pec deck exercise etches the inner pecs, where the muscle inserts on, or attaches to, the breastbone. On the surface that makes sense—till you

Photography by Michael Neveux

understand how muscles function. The peak-contracted point is actually where the muscle doesn’t fire effectively. Why? According to Steven J. Fleck, Ph.D., and William J. Kraemer, Ph.D., two of the most respected researchers in the muscle-science game, at that peak-contraction point there’s less tension “because with excessive shortening there is an overlap of actin filaments so that the actin filaments interfere with each other’s ability to contact the myosin crossbridges. Less crossbridge contact with the active sites on the actin results in a smaller potential to develop tension.” In other words, in the peak-contracted position—say, at the bottom of a cable crossover or the top of a leg extension—the fibers are very bunched up, so much so that they can’t produce as much tension as when the muscle is more stretched, or elongated. That’s why X-Rep paritals work best at the semistretched point, but it’s also why hitting the muscle with resistance at the stretch point will beef it up at its insertion (inner pecs, for example). Let’s say you do dumbbell flyes,

an exercise with zero resistance at the peak-contracted position (the top), after a layoff. We guarantee that you will be extremely sore at the pecs’ insertion points, the inner segment of the muscle. We know that from painful experience (see our X-Rep-Hybrid Mega-Mass Program in the Beyond X-Rep Muscle Building e-book, www .BeyondX-Rep.com). Our contention is that stretchposition overload, with X Reps or X-hybrid techniques, will help insertion-point development of any muscle (not to mention other mass-building benefits). Another good example is pullovers or even undergrip pulldowns, both of which provide more lat stretch than regular pulldowns. Those two exercises tend to cause the lower lats to jut out more—like Frank Zane’s in his legendary vacuum pose. Can you get that key insertionpoint stress with X Reps on compound exercises? That depends on the exercise. For example, X Reps done at the end of a set of bench presses overload the semistretched point near the bottom, providing

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by Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson

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s e l i F X-

In the peak-contracted position— say, at the top of a leg extension— the fibers are very bunched up, so much so that they can’t produce as much tension as when the muscle is more stretched, or elongated.

Model: Jose Ramond

lots of pull on the pecs at the insertion. Upright rows, however, don’t quite give you that pull on the delts. You need one-arm cable laterals or incline one-arm laterals for that, exercises on which the arm moves across the torso so the medial-delt head becomes elongated. We discuss in Beyond X-Rep Muscle Building how Jay Cutler stresses the stretched and semistretched positions of most exercises with the Double-X Overload technique

between reps or groups of reps. (In fact, he and Ronnie Coleman rarely, if ever, stress the flexed, or peakcontracted, position on any rep of any exercise.) We’ve said that stretch overload has been discussed as a possible link to hyperplasia, or fiber splitting; stretch overload triggered a 300 percent mass increase in one animal study in a little more than a month. Could Cutler be replicating fibers with that double-stretch technique? Could he be getting loads of extra development at the insertion, making his muscles fuller? Or could he be replicating fibers at the insertion, creating freaky mass? Maybe all of the above. Squeeze the muscle? No, stretch it—against resistance using a pistonlike action with X Reps and DXO. Try it and see for yourself. It could put some new freak on your physique!

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Huge-Muscle Dimensions With Continuous Tension

Model: Luke Wood

Locking out on many compound exercises can remove tension from the target muscle, not good for optimal mass stimulation. That’s one reason Ronnie Coleman (below) favors nonlock reps.

Comstock \ Model: Ronnie Coleman

After looking back over our 40plus years of combined training experience and analyzing the workouts of many champion bodybuilders, we’ve determined that another big contributor to bigness is—drum roll, please—continuous tension. And not getting enough of it may be a big reason for your sluggish gains. We’ve talked about Ronnie Coleman, who does only partial reps on almost every exercise—and those partials always include the maxforce point, a.k.a the X spot, where fiber activation is red-lining. Another interesting detail is that he rarely does low reps as you’d expect— they’re usually up around 12. So what he’s doing is keeping tension on the muscle for a considerable length of time (we’ve said that around 30 seconds or more is best for hypertrophy). He’s also enhancing fiber recruitment by using a controlled explosion right at the semistretched point on the stroke—like near the bottom of a bench press. But let’s talk tension time. Locking out on exercises where the target muscle can rest is useless because it kills continuous tension. That means moving the bar all the way up on bench presses and squats is costing you mass gains. The top range of the squat is almost all glutes, so the quads get a rest. At the top of a bench press your pecs relinquish the load to the triceps and front delts. So if you lock out, it’s like doing a series of singles, which is fine for powerlifters, who are interested mostly in strength development and who have to lock out in competition, but we’re interested in maximum muscle mass first, with a strength side effect. We’ve come to the realization that if you’re after the most mass stimulation possible, you should avoid the top third of the stroke on those types of exercises. Remember, continuous tension blocks blood flow to the muscle (occlusion), which triggers a considerable anabolic response—if that tension lasts long enough. (Using longer tension times is one reason Ronnie Coleman is so freaky huge!) Time under tension is very, very

important. In fact, we’ve labeled short-duration, or lower-rep, sets as one of the biggest mistakes, if not the biggest mistake, in muscle building. Why? Because most bodybuilders are obsessed with using heavy weights and lower reps, so time under tension is cut short on every set. They’ve been conditioned to believe that low reps build the most mass, which isn’t true. Extended tension times—up to a point—do more for muscle mass than lower reps (one reason is the size principle of muscle-fiber recruitment, which is explained in The Ultimate Mass Workout e-book and in the TEG installment that begins on page 60). Low reps are more for

strength with a slight size side effect. Nevertheless, doing lower-rep sets every now and then can enhance your bodybuilding progress by adding to force overload and increasing your nervous system response— more strength may allow you to involve more fibers eventually on any one set (Coleman does low reps every so often, like on squats). If you want to ensure more stimulation on low-rep sets, why not add X Reps— end-of-set, eight-inch partials right near the turnaround, where you change directions on the stroke. (Note: You may need partner assistance on some exercises to continue firing the muscle at the X spot.) Think about it. If you can get five X-Rep partials, each one lasting about one second, you can push your low-rep set closer to 30 seconds of total tension time, the anabolic time zone, and you’ll do it right at the key fiber-activation point on the stroke. That gives you a double-whammy—strength-building effects from the lower reps and more size stimulation from the extended tension time right at the max-force point. You get bigger muscle dimensions with more continuous tension, so blast out some X Reps on most of your lower-rep sets. It’s like sizebuilding insurance! Editor’s note: For more on XRep training, visit www.X-Rep.com. To subscribe to the IM e-zine, visit www.IronManMagazine.com. IM

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Jerry Brainum’s

Bodybuilding Pharmacology

Soy, Muscles and Hormones The three primary supplemental proteins bodybuilders use are whey, whey-and-casein combinations and soy. Of the three, soy is by far the most controversial. Soy contains active substances called isoflavones, such as genistin and diadzin, that are also known as phytoestrogens, or plant estrogens. They are so named because of their structural resemblance to estrogen. They confer certain health benefits, such as decreased incidence of breast and prostate cancers, but some people feel that the estrogenlike components of soy can produce negative estrogenic effects, such as water retention. Each gram of soy protein contains three to four milligrams of isoflavones. Blood levels of isoflavones begin

Neveux \ Model: Dror Okavi

Soy has positive health benefits and appears to have no effect on testosterone levels if you also get protein from other sources.

to peak one to two hours after you eat soy, although the major peak occurs after four to six hours. The half-life, or time it takes to eliminate half the initial dose, is four to eight hours. From a bodybuilding standpoint the main concern is that soy may interfere with other hormones, such as thyroid and testosterone. Testosterone is a major anabolic hormone, while thyroid hormones control the metabolic rate. Too much thyroid can lead to muscle catabolism, and too little thyroid output makes dieting difficult because it blunts the rate of fat loss. Animal studies show that soy interferes with enzymes involved in the synthesis of thyroid hormone. That research has been extended to human use of thyroid, but a recent review of human studies found that soy or isoflavone had no effect on thyroid function in healthy adults.1 If anything, soy appears to increase the level of T4 thyroid hormone in the body. It may, however, interfere with the absorption of thyroid drugs if taken concurrently. The simple solution is to take soy at a different time. Soy still may interfere with thyroid function under two conditions. The first involves an existing problem, such as hypothyroid, or low thyroid output, that’s not being treated by thyroid drugs. The second condition is a deficiency of the trace mineral iodine, which the body requires for the synthesis of thyroid hormones. The likelihood that most people in the United States have an iodine deficiency is remote. Seafood and iodized salt are common sources of iodine, and most food supplements contain it. The notion that soy interferes with testosterone metabolism stems from animal research, plus a few humanbased studies. Studies with monkeys show that feeding infant monkeys soy lowers testosterone levels—but that doesn’t happen with adult monkeys. Some rat studies show that soy lowers testosterone, others that it increases testosterone. Studies with young men did show a minor lowering of testosterone, but the effect was transient and occurred only with a low-isoflavone soy protein, which is curious because the isoflavones are thought to be the active ingredients. Those who took a high-isoflavone soy protein experienced no change in testosterone levels. The latest study to examine the issue featured subjects who were given a high-isoflavone soy protein supplement, a vanilla whey protein supplement or a placebo, vanilla cake mix.2 The subjects used the substances over four weeks. Only the soy protein provided an antioxidant effect, while none of the proteins (or the cake mix) lowered testosterone levels in any of the subjects. The authors suggest that a particular amino acid pattern in soy was responsible for the lowered testosterone levels found in earlier studies, which would not occur if other proteins were also ingested.

A Surprising Estrogen Inhibitor The enzyme aromatase converts androgens, such as testosterone, into estrogen. That’s a real problem for those who use anabolic steroids known to be subject to aromatization, including any type of testosterone injection. Too much estrogen causes water retention and fat

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deposition just under the skin. In addition, elevated estrogen levels are more potent than androgens in providing negative feedback to the brain, which results in depressed synthesis of testosterone in the body. Recent studies have implicated elevated estrogen levels in men in the onset of prostate cancer. Bodybuilders and athletes on steroids counter the effects of elevated estrogen in two ways. The older solution blocks estrogen receptors with a drug such as Nolvadex. A better solution blocks or inhibits the activity of the aromatase enzyme itself. Drugs that accomplish that were developed to treat estrogen-dependent breast cancers, especially in older women. Aromatase-blocking drugs are now the most popular means of controlling estrogen. What’s not generally known, however, is that natural aromatase blockers exist in certain foods and supplements. Red wine, green tea and grapeseed extract all contain polyphenols that have aromatase-inhibiting properties. A new study identifies another aromatase blocker: beer.3 The particular ingredients responsible for the effect are hops and barley malt. Hops add bitterness to beer, while malt is a flavoring compound. So-called prenylflavonoids in hops are thought to explain the health effects associated with beer drinking, such as cardiovascular protection and protection against cancer. They don’t interfere with the synthesis of aromatase (as do the drug versions) but instead seem to throw a biochemical monkey wrench at its activity. The net effect, however, is lower estrogen synthesis. What isn’t clear from the study is how much beer is effective against aromatase. That’s because the study design was in vitro, involving isolated cells. Earlier research showed that a flavonoid called chrysin was just as effective as anti-estrogen drugs. Later studies, however, showed that while chrysin works great outside the body, a living human being has difficulty absorbing it. That doesn’t mean the active ingredients in beer suffer a similar fate. Beer’s many benefits indicate that natural substances are indeed absorbed. The information shouldn’t be construed as a license to drink vast amounts of beer. As noted in previous editions of this column, alcohol itself can lower anabolic hormone levels and directly destroys muscle fibers. Drink beer in moderation.

High estrogen levels? Beer may be a solution, as it appears to be a potent aromatase blocker. Red wine is good too.

various other proteins, into inflammatory eicosanoids (the eicosanoids produced from omega-3 fats are neutral and don’t contribute to inflammation in the body). While that sounds good, at least one of the inflammatory eicosanoids produced from AA, known as prostaglandin F2-A, is used in muscle growth. Various published studies show that drugs that lower inflammation, such as aspirin and Advil or Motrin (a.k.a. ibuprofen), can interfere with muscle protein synthesis following exercise, thought to be due to a blocking of the synthesis of prostaglandin F2-A. Because omega-3 fatty acids also interfere with that Good News About Omega-3 Fatty Acids enzyme, it was assumed that taking a supplement such as fish oil might interfere with muscle gains as well. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish and fish oils, A newly published study, however, dispels that notion.4 offer a plethora of health benefits. Omega-3 fats lower Researchers randomly assigned 162 men and women diets inflammation by inhibiting the conversion of arachidonic that contained high proportions of saturated and monoacid (AA), a ubiquitous fatty acid found in red meat and unsaturated fatty acids for three months. Participants

Omega-3 fats lower inflammation by inhibiting the conversion of arachidonic acid, a ubiquitous fatty acid found in red meat and various other proteins, into inflammatory eicosanoids (the eicosanoids produced from omega-3 fats are neutral and don’t contribute to inflammation in the body). Free download from imbodybuilding.com

Jerry Brainum’s

Bodybuilding Pharmacology A new study shows that taking fish oil doesn’t affect the synthesis of prostaglandin F2-A, which helps build muscle.

Steroids and Antioxidant Protection Exercise protects against cardiovascular disease through several mechanisms. One obvious way involves a loss of bodyfat. Losing fat improves health by lowering blood pressure, workload on the heart and body inflammation. Since exercise requires a higher oxygen intake, the body increases the production of several natural antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase and glutathione. The natural, builtwere given either fish oil capsules (3.6 in antioxidants offset grams daily) or a placebo. the greater release of noxious byTaking fish oils produced an anproducts of oxygen metabolism called tioxidant effect but didn’t affect the free radicals, which occurs after you synthesis of prostaglandin F2-A in work out. They’re considered a priany of the subjects. In practical terms, mary benefit of exercise because they that means you can take omega-3 provide extra protection against disfatty acid supplements, such as fish eases caused by excess free radicals oils, without any fear of limiting your in the body, such as cardiovascular progress in building muscle and getdisease and cancer. ting stronger. Anabolic steroids have been linked to cardiovascular disease. In rats that were given high amounts Particularly of the anabolic steroid Deca-Durabolin when used in comparable to levels used by athletes, large amounts, the exercise-induced antioxidant steroids have protection was nullified. adverse effects That set the stage for on blood lipids, cardiovascular damage. such as highdensity lipoprotein (HDL). A new study, using rats as subjects, identifies another way that steroid use promotes cardiovascular disease.5 Researchers gave the rats large doses of the injectable anabolic steroid nandrolone

decanoate, trade name Deca-Durabolin. Deca is popular among athletes because of its high-anabolic, low-androgenic profile. On the other hand, it’s also easily identified in drug tests, and markers for the drug can be detected for as long as a year after its use is discontinued. The experiment showed that when exercised rats are given amounts of Deca comparable to levels used by athletes, the antioxidant protection exercise produces is nullified. That sets up a scenario for increased cardiovascular damage and may explain some of the cardiovascular disease effects linked to high steroid use. Although the study involved animal subjects and awaits confirmation in human studies, the mechanism is likely to also be true of humans. It would be prudent for anyone who uses anabolic steroid drugs to increase his or her intake of various dietary antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, and various minerals, such as selenium and zinc. Manganese is also vital because one of the antioxidant enzymes requires manganese to be activated in the body.

References 1

Messina, M., et al. (2006). Effects of soy protein and soybean isoflavones on thyroid function in healthy adults and hypothyroid patients: A review of the relevant literature. Thyroid. 16:249-258. 2 DiSilvestro, R.A., et al. (2006). Soy protein intake by active young adult men raises plasma antioxidant capacity without lowering plasma testosterone. Nutr. Research. 26:92-95. 3 Monteiro, R., et al. (2006). Effect of hop (Humulus lupulus) flavonoids on aromatase (estrogen synthase) activity. J Agric Food Chemist. 54:29382943. 4 Nalsen, C., et al. (2006). Dietary (N-3) fatty acids reduce plasma F-2 isoprostanes but not prostaglandin F2-A in healthy humans. J Nutr. 136:1222-1228. 5 Chaves, E.A., et al. (2006). Nandrolone decanoate impairs exerciseinduced cardioprotection: Role of antioxidant enzymes. J Steroid Biochem Molec Biol. 99(4-5):223-230 IM

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Eric Broser’s

If you ﬁnd something on the Web that IM readers should know about, send the URL to Eric at bodyfx2@aol.com.

>http://MrOlympia.altervista.org/ Here’s a site for you photo freaks. If you like to browse images of bodybuilders for inspiration, post on message boards or convert to a screen saver for your PC, it’s a site made for you! Although not all of the photo galleries are complete yet, you can easily access hundreds upon hundreds of photos of everyone from Reg Park to Boyer Coe, Samir Bannout to Dorian Yates—even current Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman. And if you’re a fan of the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger, as I am, then this is your one-stop shop of classic images (some of which belong to IM publisher John Balik). Nearly 4,500 pics of the governor are available on the site, many of which you may never have seen before: posing shots, gym pictures, magazine covers, movie images and even a gallery dedicated to the dozens of drawings, cartoons and paintings that have been done of the man over the years. It took me almost an hour to view them all. So if you’re a fan of any era of bodybuilding, from the classical lines of the ’50s and ’60 to the monstrous freaks of today, you’re bound to find tons of pictures of your favorites.

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>www.AdelaGF.com

>www.DaveDraper.com

Say hello to the official Web site of former Fitness Olympia winner and current Fitness International champion Adela Garcia. I have to be honest: Since we are all “brothers in iron,” and I like to do right by family, I’m presenting this site to you mostly for eye candy value. Adela is one smoking hot woman, and she has plenty of free pictures available for your viewing pleasure. In one particular photo she’s wearing a black top and bottoms and holding two dumbbells that I find particularly yummy (did I just say yummy?). And if you want a sexy shot of Adela hanging on your wall, she also has some photos that you can purchase. Just tell your wife or girlfriend that you bought them to inspire her, not you (yeah, right). And speaking of your significant other, Adela offers online customized programs, one-on-one personal-training sessions and even weekend boot camps for ladies looking to get into the best shape of their lives. If you’re interested in learning more about Adela, you’ll find a short biography and full contest history on the site, as well as a list of her upcoming personal appearances—just in case you want to drool over her in person. I know I would!

Although the massive, ripped, freakylooking bodies that grace pro bodybuilding stages today are a sight to behold, I’m a bigger fan of the physiques built by the earlier practitioners of the sport—guys like Steve Reeves, Bill Pearl, John Grimek, Larry Scott, Sergio Oliva, Frank Zane, Arnold Schwarzenegger and, of course, Dave Draper. And speaking of the Blond Bomber, his Web site is a gold mine of training and nutritional information. With a couple of clicks of your trusty mouse you can learn about Dave’s “Six Keys to Weight Training” or about his method of supersetting bodyparts, which was the foundation of his training methodology (and that of many others of his era). Not only does his approach offer you an unbelievable pump, but it can also help boost your muscular gains into the stratosphere

>www.GlycemicIndex.com As an IRON MAN reader you have as your goal building a bigger, stronger, leaner and healthier body. You obviously need to pay a tremendous amount of attention to your diet. One of the most important considerations when planning your menu should be the glycemic index (G.I.) and glycemic load (G.L.) of the carbohydrates that you eat. According to GlycemicIndex.com, “Not all carbohydrate foods are created equal; in fact they behave quite differently in our bodies.” The types and amounts of carbohydrates you take in daily can have great implications for muscle growth, fat gain or loss and conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. The site will help you understand the glycemic index and how it’s determined, as well as teach you the difference between the index and the glycemic load. You simply type in the name of just about any food, and the site’s database retrieves all the information you need, including the G.I., serving size, carbohydrate per serving size and G.L. The G.I. newsletter helps keep you up to date on any new happenings in the world of carbohydrates and provides you with a low-G.I. “food of the month” and even low-G.I. recipes. Now, if you’ll excuse me, my blood sugar is running a little low. I’d love to snack on some Gummi Bears right now, but after poring over the site, it looks like I’ll be chowing down some brown rice and veggies.

while taking up only half the time in the gym. And that’s not all. Dave provides great information on how to use food and supplements for weight gain, fat loss and general health. He even shows you what his daily menu looks like, in case you want to forge your physique into classic proportions, as he did. Another great feature is free access to his discussion forum, where you can interact with other bodybuilders—perhaps even Dave himself. However, my favorite part of the site has to be his gallery of images, magazine covers, articles and more. I’d forgotten just how amazing and ahead of its time Dave’s physique was until I viewed all of the photos of this bodybuilding legend! Enjoy! IM

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Lonnie Teper’s

NEWS & ViEWS New York Pro Happenings

Wanna Bet? Heath Wins Again; Ray Cleans Up in Kamali Sweepstakes

Illustration by Aldrich Bonifacio

With his victory over Darrem Charles at the New York Pro in on May 20, Phil Heath remained unbeaten. According to many who attended the event, this one was much closer than Heath’s win seven days before at the Shawn Ray Colorado Pro. David Henry continued to make me look good for choosing him as the winner of my Most Overlooked award for 2005, adding an impressive fourth-place finish in the Big Apple, just behind last year’s sixth-place finisher at the Mr. Olympia, Dennis James (Henry was third in Denver, second at the IRON MAN). But the story behind the story in New York was Ray, the Jack Benny of bodybuilding, who put his cash where his mouth was regarding the placing of Shari “King” Kamali. Months before the contest, Ray said he’d lay $500 on the line that Kamali would not finish in the top five. A couple of Kamali supporters jumped at the wager. One of those folks was a big fan, a former American Gladiator out of Florida named Sean Maloney. The friendly bet was made, on Ray’s condition that the money go to the charity golf tournament Shawn is putting on in July for the second year to benefit the Children’s Hospital of Orange County, California. By the way, I also gambled on Kamali. I bet Shari, through a middleman—Getbig.com’s Ron Avidan— that he would not finish in the top three. No money, just some butt kissing. Avidan would take the picture, to run in this space, of the loser literally kissing the winner’s behind. As you probably figured out, Shawn walked away with a lot of money for his benefit; Kamali placed in sixth, behind rookie Bill Wilmore, and left the Tribeca Performing Arts Center not only losing the wager but also barely missing out on an Olympia qualification. Close, but no cigar. “I made more money from the audience than Kamali did on the stage,” said Sugar Shawn. “Even with me in retirement, he still can’t beat me!” So what happened with my bet? Kamali told Avidan it had never been made. As Bob Cicherillo correctly pointed out, however, it wasn’t one I really wanted to collect on anyway. From comments I’ve read, though, Kamali was happy with his conditioning, felt he definitely should have been in the top five and will move on to the Europa Super Show in Arlington, Texas, at the end of August, where, says Avidan, the confident one is a shoo-in to qualify for the Big Dance. Shawn, naturally, doesn’t agree. “As we all know, Ron is a fan, not an expert,” he quipped. “Ron, stick to typing, and look into Lasik surgery.” Since I’ll be emceeing the show, I’ll be the first to know. Avidan does have a point, though: No matter where he lands, Kamali always draws major attention, adding another dimension to the battle. I’m sure Ed and 254 SEPTEMBER 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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L.T. and Dugdale.

ORGANIZERS— He’s smokin’, but where’s the cigar? Pages 258 and 259

EVENTS— What took place on this bed? Pages 256 and 257

HONORS— Is “SVU” moving in on bodybuilding? Pages 258 and 259

Betty Pariso, promoters of the event, are smiling every time a war of words hits the Internet and the mags.

ADD KAMALI: HE’S BACK-TO-BACK—King Kamali’s “Back With a Vengeance” DVD followed the release of “King of Pain.” The latter shows a one-week journey, with Kamali going toe-to-toe with heavy weights in the off-season. “No fake weights, no boring commentary, no complaining, no B.S.,” says Kamali. “Back With a Vengeance” picks up where “King of Pain” ended, highlighting Kamali’s precontest regimen and some social occasions as well. Those interested in purchasing the discs, or wanting to keep up with Kamali’s happenings, can log on to www.KingKamali.com.

Broadcast buds Solomon and Cicherillo.

Photos courtesy of Bodybuilding.com

Going Hollywood (from left): Christina Lindley, actress Shannon Elizabeth, Chick and Timea Majorova.

Russ touts new Bodybuilding.com linen department.

ADD DVDS: DUGDALE HITS THE MARK—In the spirit of reality TV, Mark Dugdale’s “Driven” is a modern-day documentary that takes you on an intimate journey of his life, in and out of the gym. Directed by Joel Barham, it follows Mark’s preparation for the ’06 IRON MAN Pro, including footage from the press conference and weigh-in, and presents a rare inside look at Mark’s family life and business world. Yes, Viola, the man does have a j-o-b! One outside the industry at that. What is it? Buy the DVD and find out for yourself. Of course, no Dugdale adventure would be complete without footage of his cherished family—wife Christina and the three amigas, Maddy, Lauren and Julia. This is good stuff; go to www.Mark Dugdale.com to find out how to purchase the video and to find out more about one of the industry’s classier gentlemen.

Talk Radio Hits One Year

Photo courtesy of Russ DeLuca

DeLucas three: Russ, Ryan and Jeremy.

Congrats to ”Pro Bodybuilding Weekly,” the first-ever talk radio show devoted exclusively to the world of professional bodybuilding, for passing its one-year anniversary in June. The brainchild of Dan Solomon, the weekly Webcast, featuring Solomon and the glib Robert “Bobzilla” Cicherillo as co-hosts, has quickly gained momentum by offering listeners the opportunity to hear directly from the biggest names in pro bodybuilding. Indeed, the show, which airs at 8 p.m., EST, has become a Monday-night fixture for many devotees of the sport. Just about everybody associated in a large way has been a guest—shoot, they even had me on one time. I know, must have been a slow week. In addition to the live Monday Webcasts, the one-hour program is available for on-demand replay and free Podcast subscription. Solomon, who serves as executive producer, says, “Bodybuilding fans are located all over the world. From day one our objective has been to make the broadcasts conveniently available to listeners at all corners of the globe. The audience statistics and the feedback have been overwhelming. We are grateful for the support we’ve received from fans who share our passion for the sport.” ”Pro Bodybuilding Weekly” has also benefited from the support of major sponsors MuscleTech and Bodybuilding.com, which has enabled it to stay afloat. Perhaps Dan’s greatest achievement to date, however, has been his success in pulling Chick away from the Getbig.com message boards, www.ironmanmagazine.com \ SEPTEMBER 2006 255

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Teper Comstock

Photo courtesy of Roland Kickinger

ADD RADIO: PEPE JOINS THE FRAY—Larry Pepe, noted bodybuilding writer (he’s the author of The Precontest Bible and writes a column for MuscleMag International), NPC judge Pepe’s people: Troy Alves and all-around good guy, jumped into in the house. the world of bodybuilding radio recently when he became the host of the shows “Muscle Radio” and “Hardbody Radio.” The two weekly hourlong productions feature interviews with special guests, including your favorite IFBB professional and NPC amateur athletes, industry insiders and IFBB judges. Larry says the shows include gossip and the latest news; training, cardio, nutrition and supplementation programs and secrets from the best athletes in the world; contest analysis from IFBB and NPC judges and more. “We just signed a deal this week with an Internet radio network called All Talk Radio that has a monthly listenership of 1.2 million people,” said an excited Pepe in early June. “‘Muscle Radio’ and ‘Hardbody Radio’ are now their exclusive provider of all bodybuilding, fitness and figure–related content.” “Hardbody Radio,” which features the world of Sedgwick and female bodybuilding, fitness and figure, airs live Kickinger—thank yew.

Photo courtesy of Larry Pepe

ADD BODYBUILDING.COM: TWO MILLION DOLLAR BABY—Bodybuilding.com went live on April 13, 1999, and in seven years has bolted up the charts in the health and nutrition market. The Boise, Idaho–based company shipped order number 2,000,000 on May 31, only 18 months after it had shipped order 1,000,000, and was ranked fifth among health-and-beauty-related sites in InternetRetailer.com’s Top 500 Guide (2006 edition). The company was also the number-one sports nutrition site listed and ranked 163rd overall, ahead of PETCO (170), Safeway (172), Nike (187) and The Vitamin Shoppe (381). The secret of Bodybuilding.com’s success? “We’re giving more control to our customers,” said CEO Ryan DeLuca. “Our focus is on industry-leading initiatives and products that enable our customers to get what they want, when they want it.” Coleman’s winners: Natosha Green, Eric The corporation continues to be at the center of cutting-edge proj- Underwood and Jenetta Thompson. ects that let bodybuilding fans follow the sport as never before— including the above-mentioned radio show, live event Webcasts, sponsoring the Fan’s Choice Award at pro shows and providing up-to-the-minute contest results. Next on tap is another Celebrity Look-alike contest, with the winner getting a one-hour shopping spree at the Boise warehouse (there’s another facility in Tallahassee, Florida). And, no, DeLuca family members are not allowed to enter, since big daddy Russ dominated last year’s votes thanks to his uncanny resemblance to Richard Gere. How suite it was! Check out the mega-site at www.Bodybuilding.com, and be sure to read about what Russ, Ryan, Chick, Timea Majorova and Christina Lindley were doing at an exclusive Hollywood mansion prior to the “MTV Movie Awards.” Hey, Russ, did you get any work as a Gere double?

Teper

where Bob engages in almost daily battles with his naysayers, for a couple of hours each Monday. Congrats, guys. A job well done.

Jackson’s cuts.

Wednesdays at 3:05 p.m., PST. You can listen live or hear on-demand replays by going to www.HardbodyRadio.com. “Muscle Radio” covers the male aspect of the industry, with appearances by such notables as Dorian Yates, Steve Weinberger and Rick Collins. The show runs live every Wednesday at 4:05 p.m., PST and can be accessed at www.MuscleRadio.com. Kudos to you, Larry, for getting this off the ground.

TV NEWS: KICKINGER CLOSES THE DEAL—Roland Kickinger, who did such a bang-up job playing the young Arnold in last year’s ”See Arnold Run” television flick, had a meaty role in the cop drama “The Closer,” in an episode that is scheduled to run July 17 on TNT. The popular show’s star is Kyra Sedgwick, who off-camera plays the real life role of Kevin Bacon’s wife. Glad to see Roland’s acting career keeps on rolling.

Richard Hatch.

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Mona Lisa Reyes.

Contest Updates

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MR. O: BLADE WILL BE SHARP IN VEGAS—Despite earlier reports that Dexter Jackson would be sitting out his second Mr. Olympia competition in a row, news came out in early June that the Blade would be slicing and dicing on the New Orleans Arena stage on September 29 and 30. Although many folks felt Dexter passed on the 2005 affair because he lost a slot in the final placings (and 10 grand) to Gustavo Badell, thanks to the now-deceased challenge round, in ’04, Jackson said the break was necessary—he’d been competing a lot and needed a rest. The ’04 IRON MAN Pro champ and winner of back-to-back Arnold Classic titles is one of the greats in the game and belongs in the Big Show. Good news for fans—and promoter AMI—alike.

Prinston Martyn.

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The Real Deal in 2005.

NPC SHOWS: RONNIE COLEMAN CLASSIC—My trip into Grapevine, Texas, to host the Ronnie Coleman Classic on May 1 started with a bang. Now, I knew promoter Brian Dobson and his wife, Brandi, were hospitable folks, but was Claire Rohr- I ever stunned when I checked into the Hilton, the host backerhotel, and was given a suite. O’Connell What did I do to deserve such glamorous digs? Did Brian want to be considered for an IRON MAN cover? Did he want me to bring my Elvis act out of retirement as part of the entertainment? Was I hosting the after-contest bash? I could get about 30 people in this space, at least. None of the above, as it turned out. It was a mistake, unfortunately for me. I did spend a couple of hours in the suite, napping, before I headed for a visit to the hotel fitness complex followed by a bite to eat. When I got back to the plush setting, though, I saw gym bags, complete with Brian and Brandi’s names on them. And a slew of contest materials in the front room that made things quite obvious: This facility belonged to the Dobsons, not me. Shortly after that I was moved into my real room and had to laugh about the few hours of VIP status. Call this flick ”Reality Bites, the Sequel.” The contest was huge, with a large prejudging crowd and a totally packed venue for the finals. I really enjoy emceeing shows in Texas: I’ve hosted several over the past few years, including the Lone Star, the Coleman Classic, the Texas Championships and the Europa Super Show. Will have been to Houston and back, emceeing the state Winning show, by the time you read this—and soon to be headed to Arlington for Ed and Betty Pariso’s blockbuster the ’93 USA. Super Show at the end of August. A lot of nice people www.ironmanmagazine.com \ SEPTEMBER 2006 257

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and a slew of terrific competitors. As always, the Coleman Classic produced some great champs: Eric Underwood took the men’s overall, Jenetta Thompson, a 45-year-old minister, won the women’s overall and Natosha Green fulfilled her wish that she could get her picture in IRON MAN by besting the field in a very competitive figure competition. A host of others also caught my eye, including novice men’s winner Abundio Munoz, teen champ Chris Norton and figure C-class top-placer Tracy Nelson. The crowd was stunned to find out, from me, of course, that Nelson is the daughter of the late great rock ’n’ roll icon Ricky Nelson. For those who believed me, I was just joshin’. But this Tracy Nelson should be making her own name in the industry real soon.

ADD CAL: WATCH OUT FOR—One of the guys Richard Hatch had to beat for the overall was light-heavy winner Prinston Martyn, a 5’7”, 186-pound bundle of muscle who hails from Liberia, Monrovia, in West Africa. The impressive Martyn, 24, left his homeland 15 years ago; he resides in Long Beach, California, where he recently completed his studies for an A.A. degree at Long Beach City College. Martyn feels he’s got the goods to compete on the pro level, and I won’t disagree with him. He wants to do a national-level show but has to work out immigration details before he can compete. I hope he solves his dilemma. His future looks bright.

Muscle Beach photography by Jerry Fredrick

ADD NPC: NO HATCH-ETT JOB—After the Coleman Classic, the next major event on my agenda was the latest version of the California Championships, or, as we call it in these parts, the Cal. As always, the contest was held over two days during Memorial Day weekend at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Culver City, and, as always, it produced an outstanding collection of competitors. Richard Hatch, who had a terrific 2005, when he won the overall at the Contra Costa and the superheavyweight class at this event (before losing the overall to light-heavyweight champ David Truly), came back to make sure lightning didn’t strike twice. Hatch won the whole ball of wax this time around and was planning to hit the USA at the end of July. In women’s bodybuilding, Claire Rohrbacker-O’Connell, who’d taken the Contra two weeks earlier, did likewise at the Cal and was impressive the second she stepped onstage with her muscular, balanced physique. Mona Lisa Reyes, her tight, sculpted tummy leading the way, was the best of the best in the figure competition and nabbed the overall. The Jon Lindsay-Steve O’Brien production featured two guest posers at the finals—Laura Mak and her Groove Attack dancing trio and the first ever appearance in Southern California of last season’s National champion, Mild Bill Wilmore, who was coming off an Olympia-qualifying fifth-place finish at the New York Pro.

Memorial Day at Muscle Beach (clockwise from top): Mickey and Mariska Hargitay; honoree Glenn Sundby; Smokin’ Joe Wheatley and Bob Cicherillo; Samir Bannout and Mike Uretz; Samir with IM Publisher John Balik and Eddie Giuliani.

MORE CAL: STILL THE DEAL?—Ran into Chris Cormier at the Friday-night prejudging, and the Real Deal was looking good at 258 SEPTEMBER 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Kim Torgersen.

about 285 pounds. Chris said he’d been living in Holland the past couple of months, “so I could focus on my training,” and that he was still planning to join Dorian Yates for some hardcore workouts at Yates’ gym in Birmingham, England, before requalifying for the Olympia at the Atlantic City pro show a week before the O. “People think I’m through,” said Cormier, who turns 39 in August, “but I’ll prove them all wrong when you see me onstage in a few months.” I’ve known Chris since he was 17; I reminded him that it was 19 years ago, at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, that I saw him win the Teen California on the same night Shawn Ray took the Cal. He’s been a great pro but has faltered lately (13th at last year’s Olympia). I reminded him of that too. “It’s too hard to compete a lot and still be at your best at the Olympia,” Cormier said. “Look how many shows I’ve entered in my career. This time is different. Just the one contest to qualify, then the Olympia. I’ll show the people who think I’m over the hill just how wrong they are.” I hope you do, Chris.

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MUSCLE BEACH MOMENTS: A MEMORIAL AFFAIR—I made my first visit to a Muscle Beach show since Smokin’ Joe Wheatley took over the reins and was impressed with what I saw of the two-day Memorial Day weekend happenings. The place was packed, as always, and booths filled the area, including ones from IRON MAN, Bodybuilding.com, Gold’s Gym, World Gym and a host of others. IM Publisher John Balik was in the house, as were Russ DeLuca of Bodybuilding.com, Mike Uretz from World Gym and IM photogs Clean Gene Mozee, Big Bill Comstock and Jerry Fredrick. Armand Tanny, Zabo Koszewski, Eddie Giuliani, Bill Howard, Mike Glass, Brenda Kelly.… Hey, if I listed all the name players who were there, it would take up this whole column. Congrats to overall winners Kim Torgersen in the men’s bodybuilding competition, Marthe Sundby in the women’s bodybuilding division and Hege Mathison in figure. Torgersen beat Prinston Martyn for the overall, and you already know what I think of Martyn’s physique, so Kim’s accomplishment speaks for itself. Mickey Hargitay, Samir “the Lion” Bannout and Glenn Sundby were the latest inductees into the Muscle Beach Hall of Fame; and, yes, Mickey’s famous daughter, Mariska, just weeks away from delivering her first child, was on hand to cheer on her dad. Good job, Joe. Things were smokin’, for sure.

Sad news came in late May that Ed Kawak had passed away in China at the age of 47 from a heart attack. Kawak, of Lebanese descent, was a 5’7”, 240-pounder who had gobs of thick muscle— and great abs for a guy with that much beef. He last competed in the ’99 Masters Olympia. According to reports, Kawak leaves a daughter and one brother.

Neveux

Hege Mathison.

Balik

Marthe Sundby.

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Passings: Ed Kawak

To contact Lonnie Teper about material possibly pertinent to News & Views, write to 1613 Chelsea Road, #266, San Marino, CA 91108; fax to (626) 289-7949; or send e-mail to tepernews@aol.com.

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IRON MAN Hardbody

Mojave Muscle Viviana Soldano Stars in a Dramatic Desert Display

Photography by Bill Dobbins, www.BillDobbins.com

he Mojave Desert is a nice place to visit—but I wouldn’t want to live there. At least, not when it’s 112 degrees at 6 p.m., as it was the day I drove figure model Viviana Soldano out into the Mojave to take photos. Viviana had called me and asked if I wanted to do a desert shoot for my Web site and hers (www.VivianaSoldano.com). I went on the Internet and looked at the weather report. Supposedly, the temperature at the location I selected would be 95 degrees— hot but bearable. When we got there, however, I checked the temperature as I negotiated the tricky switchback road up and down the steep mountain slopes in my four-wheel-drive truck. Yikes! The heat had climbed into triple digits. Viviana is an NPC figure competitor originally from Genoa, Italy, so I was concerned that she wouldn’t be able to

cope with the harsh conditions—but I was wrong. No matter how far we had to walk in soft sand or how many hills we had to climb, Viviana made no complaint and showed no signs of discomfort or slacking of energy. Nor did she object to getting up at 4 a.m. to do her makeup the next day. At 5:30 she was knocking on my motel-room door ready and eager to work. It was cooler in the morning, but we ended up doing a lot more climbing. By 10 a.m. we were finished, ready for breakfast and the drive back to L.A. Superenergetic as she was, Viviana napped the whole way back. Not surprising, as desert-location work is tough—models are rarely awake and talking on the trip home. Well, that’s why they invented satellite radio. —Bill Dobbins

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IRON MAN Hardbody

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IRON MAN Hardbody

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IRON MAN Hardbody

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Ruth Silverman’s

PUMP & CiRCUMSTANCE FLEXERS

BACKSTAGE FACES

Another Chapter Cathy’s last appearance in figure. Let the training begin.

In a familiar story

As I gathered my notes to put together this month’s installment of P&C, two themes seemed to be running through the items: Competitors who are not U.S. born and the thin, porous membrane that separates figure and women’s bodybuilding. One woman whose saga is shaped by both of those factors is Canadian star Cathy LeFrancois, a top bodybuilder who migrated to figure a year or so back, about the time the IFBB Pro Division (now known as the Pro League) eliminated weight classes in that sport. In numerous pro figure shows LeFrancois ended up with the also-rans, tied for 15th or 16th or 18th—now, that’s overlooked—a situation that had some observers wondering if the judges, subconsciously, were just unable to accept athletes like her in a revised role. At the Cal Pro, where the accompanying photo was taken, she finished 12th out of 31, better but not high enough to keep her from throwing in the towel and picking up a barbell. The suggestion from some judges that she was too big for figure and too small for bodybuilding and should consider going back to the latter hit home. She missed letting go in the gym. A week later at L.T.’s NPC Junior California Championships, the lady who won the lightweights at the ’03 Ms. International was telling folks, “I had my first workout in two years.” Also that Pro League head Jim Manion had given her permission to switch horses in midstream and switch back to bodybuilding in time for the late-season shows, even though she’d signed up for figure for 2006. And so the 5’2” flexer, who was well known for her aesthetic lines as well as her photographic features before she changed focus, becomes the biggest name to come home to the mother of all physique sports after actually competing in pro figure. Will others follow? Depending on how many women’s bodybuilding shows make it to the pro schedule in 2007, I wouldn’t bet against it.

KICKIN’ IT AT THE CAL

Amanda Savell teaches Halcyon Duarte the basics of being a booth babe.

Haven’t I Seen You Somewhere before?

Another recurring theme: Women who finished out of the running. They are scattered throughout these pages—and some of them looked pretty good.

Germany’s Susanne Bock, fourth at the ’03 Jan Tana Women’s Bodybuilding Classic, is enjoying her move to figure: “I like the girls, I like the preparation…and I like looking more feminine.” Sounds like a winwin, Susanne. Now, if only you could get the judges to remember what they liked about your structure. Reached her Pinnacle. Do we really need an excuse to run this shot of Sherry Goggin?

(right) C judge Ken Taylor y, Important guys. NP awi, whose compan uss Mo bas Ab s ple introduce , put up the last cou nts me ple Sup ht Pro Fig y to promoter Jon Lindsa grand that enabled to five placings in zes pri ney mo the extend We like that. the pro figure show.

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BUSINESS

Flex-it Strategy

Say it isn’t so, Joe, part 2

Comstock

Girl talk. MetRx regulars Julie Childs (left) and Kim Harris offer tips on the fine art of coping when expogoers are taking pictures of your butt. It’s not a problem I encounter often, ladies—really.

Another bodybuilder who found her way to figure. Dutch gym owner Mascha Tieken says she’s never appeared in an American magazine. It’s not too late to start, says IM’s Jerry Fredrick, reeling her in for a shot.

Fredrick

Photography by Ruth Silverman

Comstock

The news hit the publishmonths ending in September 2005—the last ing world on June 14, and for which public financial statements are availit came from a very reliable able—American Media reported a net loss source. “American Media of $13.2 million on revenue of $266 million,” to Sell Five of Its Magazine that meant company-wide, not Weider-wide. Titles” headlined The Wall AMI’s problems start at the Enquirer and Star, Street Journal story by Denamusing stuff for veterans of the magazine nis K. Berman and Sarah trade who enjoy reading about the foibles of Ellison. For the physique publishers, and have been much in the sights world that meant one thing: of the people who watch the people who run The rumors that had been the media (look for info on the main players swirling since before the ink at MediaBistro.com, FolioMag.com and the dried on AMI’s purchase of New York Post). Ironically, in the weeks before the Weider magazines for the story broke, the buzz on Pecker and AMI $350 million in 2002 had was all about whether uber-editorial director finally come true. Flex and Bonnie Fuller would renew her contract Muscle & Fitness were up for (still unknown as I tap this keyboard), and one sale—are up for sale, as of report speculating that all the financial housethis writing, along with M&F cleaning going on at American Media meant it Hers and two others that are would be offering an IPO, a.k.a. going public not from the Weider group. (not likely if they’re selling off magazines). American Media, pubAll of the above might be a bit off topic for lisher of the tabloids The this column except for one thing: Mr. Pecker National Enquirer and Star, didn’t just buy the magazines; he bought a is making the move “as part half interest in Joe Weider’s Mr. Olympia of a strategy to refocus on and all that went with it. Everyone who follows Vegas bound no matter who’s running the its celebrity weeklies and the physiques sports has ideas about the show. Gina Aliotti and Gina Camacho earned lifestyle magazines,” accord- Olympia qualifications at the Cal Pro Figure success of that venture, and no one is going ing to a Reuters report of to be surprised if Mr. Pecker’s fascination competition in May. the same week. The bottom with producing the biggest contest in bodyline was the bottom line. The building—and all that goes with it—wanes great expectations expressed by CEO David Pecker that considerably after the 2006 event. That has the speculators the Weider deal would morph AMI into a major media comworking overtime about what’s to become of poor old Mr. pany were still somewhere down the road. Said the WSJ, O—and they ain’t talking about Ronnie Coleman’s most “While American Media will retain Shape and Men’s Fitness, recent birthday. As those who were pushed to the frontlines it’s clear that those ambitions are being throttled back amid when AMI took over the Olympia Weekend know well, pulling tepid financial results.” off an event like that is an enormous task. Who would take it Understand that this is not all about the soft market for on? Who could? I know a possible answer to that, but it’s so bodybuilding publications or government crackdowns on outrageous, I’m keeping it to myself. dietary supplements. When the Journal said, “In the six Stay tuned for more on this story as it unfolds.

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PUMP & CiRCUMSTANCE PA S S A G E S

W E I D E R WAT C H C O N T I N U E D

But Wait!

There’s more

What about the magazines? you ask. Naturally, the bodybuilding world is sick with possible scenarios regarding who might be interested in buying Flex and M&F and whether AMI would break up the package of publications it put on the block. Those who work at rival magazines can’t help but be drawn to the subject. In fact, the rumor that Muscular Development masthead topper Steve Blechman had made an offer for Flex shot through the bulletin boards like a loading dose of creatine. No surprises if it’s true. In fact, it wouldn’t shock this keen observer of human nature if he’d done it before. What would he do with it? Use your imagination. No real news stories on any serious offers from that direction have broken yet, just idle chat, so don’t count on it. The wheel has been spun— round and round she goes, and where she stops, nobody knows. For this reporter, anything that keeps my colleagues over at those two magazines out of the job market is okay by me. Monica Brant has appeared many times in the Weider publications, but you can only find hot Neveux shots like this in IRON MAN.

Abbye “Pudgy” Stockton, a pioneer female weightlifter and women’s gym owner who was known as the “Queen of Muscle Beach” back in the 1930s and ’40s passed away at the age of 88 in June. Look for a feature on this very special athlete in an upcoming issue of IM.

NE W TALE N T

Arina’s Arena

Photo courtesy of Arina Manta

Austrian champ dives into a crowded sea of figure pros Somehow, though, I get the feeling that Arina Manta will bob to the surface. She’s certainly conquered more difficult challenges. A diving prodigy in her native Romania, Manta saw the world and got the royal treatment from the Communist athletic machine—while she was winning. “I was the youngest professional diver at the age of 12 and so was given a government salary and better quality food. I was lucky enough and had just enough talent to stay at the top for 10 years, until I was forced to retire [due to] a knee injury.” She was in her late teens, studying sports science at a university, when the opportunity to travel to Australia presented itself. “Romania is a great country, but at the time didn’t have the freedom and excitement, and, of course, the opportunities that places like the USA and Australia offered,” she said. “When Communism fell, I grabbed the opportunity to get out in case things changed back to the way they had been before.” She arrived in Sydney speaking no English and having no idea what the future held. A dozen years later she’s long-established as a personal trainer, and her physique-competition career, which started with Ms. Bikini contests, has led her to win her adopted country’s national fitness championship in 2003 and its highest figure title in ’05, when she also represented Australia at the IFBB World Amateur Championships. Now she’s branching out to yet another continent—to the Europa Super Show, in Texas, for her pro debut, where, thanks to the accompanying photo, maybe she won’t be a completely unknown face. In a recent issue of IRON MAN Australia, Vance Ang referred to the figure star’s “trademark glutes and legs,” which are much in evidence in this shot. To find out whether they kept Arina afloat at the Super Show, log on to www.GraphicMuscle.com.

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STILL MORE NEW PROS

MORE NEW FACES

Pos-Zavile-ities Another European looker joins the ranks

Wennerstrom

Last month we shined the P&C spotlight on Inga Neverauskaite, the hottest Lithuanian body to hit the pros since two-time Ms. O thirdplacer Natalie Murnikoviene a decade ago. Now meet Inga’s good friend Zavile Raudoniene, a three-time Lithuanian champ in body fitness who is the ’03 European champ and a two-time silver medalist at the World Championships. The radiant Currently living Zavile outside New Raudoniene. York City and Who could turn down a training at the look like that? powerhouse Bev Francis Powerhouse Gym, Zaville moved stateside still having amateur status. Earlier this year she won the overall at the NPC New York Metro and Pittsburgh championships, two contests that—and I’m not giving away trade secrets here—are promoted by high-ranking officials and are generally considered to be excellent opportunities for “getting noticed.” In other words, she was on the fast track, but for the little detail that she is not a United States citizen and couldn’t earn her pro card at a national competition here. After watching her win the Pittsburgh, I wasn’t surprised to learn that Lithuanian federation president Romas Kairaitus had written to Jim Manion requesting pro status for the energetic Raudoniene, who in the meantime hopped over to Italy for the ’06 European Championships and picked up another silver. Word is that Manion said yes, and I would be shocked, shocked if she didn’t make her pose-for-pennies debut at the New York Pro Figure in July. Better watch that, Jim. You’ll have people thinking you’re a pushover for a pretty face.

Don’t miss IRON MAN’s fabulous multimedia coverage of the Team Universe/ Figure Nationals/New York Pro Figure weekend.

Find it at www.GraphicMuscle.com. www.GraphicMuscle.com.

A Masae By any other name… Masae Tagami Parker.

If she ever gives up physique competition, she’s got a great name for a romance novelist.

Speaking of L.T.’s Junior Cal, Masae Parker, 41, who cleaned up in figure at that show in 2004, is another capable competitor who had to find a creative approach to pinning down a pro card. Born in Tokyo but living in the Golden State with her husband and three daughters, ages 17, 15 and 12, Masae did well on the So Cal NPC circuit, but, because she isn’t a U.S. citizen, she couldn’t take that route. Instead, she went back to Japan, where she had previously competed as a bodybuilder, won the figure nationals and represented Japan at the World Championships last September, finishing 12th in her height class. Receiving her card courtesy of the Japanese federation, she made her pro debut at the Cal and got a taste of what it’s like to land at the other end of the lineup. “I think I got last place,” she predicted with a laugh backstage before the finals. The name on the score sheet said “Masae Tagami”—her maiden name and the one on her passport—but it was the same gal. She hadn’t planned on competing so soon, she explained. “But my friends said, ‘Masae, you’re not getting any younger.’” More laughter. (With three teenagers, of course she has a sense of humor—and not much left to prove, I’d guess.) She was also not going to let a little thing like a bad score deter her from getting back on the posing platform. “I will keep competing and keep going up in placings,” the 5’1 ½” 105-pounder predicted. Sounds like a plan, Masae. You know what they say: You’re not getting any younger; you’re getting better. www.ironmanmagazine.com \ SEPTEMBER 2006 275

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PUMP & CiRCUMSTANCE B A C K S TA G E F O L L I E S : C A L P R O E D I T I O N P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y R U T H S I LV E R M A N Ines checks herself in the mirror. It’s her first pro contest. Awwww.

The figure pros fuss over Mr. Lindsay. Have a cookie, says Chrissy.

Best lounge wear. Martha wraps it up.

More food shots. Trish likes M&M’s! says Chrissy.

Says Trish, What the heck? Debbie stays in shape chasing her placings up and down the score card.

Lounge wear second place. Pia’s robe is almost as tall as she is.

Best poser. Latisha outdoes her previous efforts in the readyfor-my-close-up sweepstakes.

U P DAT E S

Hot Rocks

No losers here

Neveux

Ian L. Sitren \ SecondFocus

Kim Lyons was full of news when I ran into her in June. Of course I’d already seen the half-page item in the May 15 issue of TV Guide reporting that the fitness pro would be taking over as the trainer on “The Biggest Loser” when the NPC weight-loss reality show returned for a new season this fall. That report did not include the nugget that Lyons’ longtime squeeze, pro bodybuilder Gunter Schlierkamp, had popped the question and she’d said yes. He’d surprised her, she said, and the ring was definitely one to ooh and aah over. They were talking about a March ceremony, but with her taping episodes and him prepping for the Olympia, it was too Golden couple. early to set a date—just the typical scheduling stuff all couples face. No truth to the As for the TV show, the rumor that Matchallenges put to the contel is retooling You can contact testants are hard, Kim said, Barbie and Ken Ruth Silverman, to look like Kim and while she doesn’t have to fitness reporter and Gunther. perform them, she does make and Pump & Cirher first entrance on the show cumstance scribe, riding in on a ripcord. Accordin care of ing to the TV Guide blurb, she’s replacing Jillian Michaels, a “popular trainer with IRON MAN, 1701 Ives Ave., drill sergeant ways,” and is expected to bring “a more playful style” to the proceedings. Oxnard, CA 93033; or via e-mail at Good luck with that, Kim. I’ll have to break my no-reality-shows rule to catch you ironwman@aol.com. on the ripcord. And best wishes for a great life with the captivating Mr. S.

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Only the Strong Shall Survive

“Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners.” Othello, Act I, Scene III 282 SEPTEMBER 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Customize

for

Strength Size and

Tailor Your Program for Radical Results by Bill Starr • Photography by Michael Neveux

Model: Michael Semanoff

veryone is familiar with the concept of sport-specific training. It simply means that a strength program should include exercises that help the athlete perform better in his or her chosen sport. The defensive lineman has different needs from those of the quarterback in football, and they both have different requirements from those of basketball or tennis players. The idea is widely recognized and used by coaches and athletes. There are a lot of people, however, who don’t take part in any organized sports yet still want to maintain a high level of strength and fitness in order to live a fuller life. They should also design their programs to fit their needs. I call it activity-specific training. The term especially applies to older athletes, who are still quite active even though they no longer take part in any competitive sports. While many play in local golf tournaments, walk or run in charity events or enjoy a game of volleyball at a family gathering, it’s always on the recreational level. Their goals are to have fun and get some exercise. Winning isn’t that important, although it is icing on the cake. So this discussion is aimed at two separate groups: those who are engaged in competitive athletics and those who want to stay strong so that they can be as active as they like without suffering dire consequences.

Regardless of which group you belong to, there are certain rules everyone must follow when setting up a strength program. Keep in mind that when I refer to a strength program, I mean any training regimen that includes pushing the muscles and attachments of your body to a higher strength level. For collegiate athletes that might mean striving for a 500-pound squat. For weekend golfers it could be improving their freehand squat by 10 reps. One such rule—or guideline, if you prefer—is to do at least one core exercise for each of the three major muscle groups; shoulder girdle, back, and hip and legs at every workout. That’s necessary in order to maintain balanced strength. It doesn’t matter if you’re a topranked Olympic lifter or are training so you can improve your racquetball game. If one area of your body falls too far behind the others strengthwise, problems will result. I’m well aware of the split routine, but I believe athletes are way ahead if they condition all of their muscles in one session. It only makes sense: I cannot think of any athletic activity that uses only part of the body. Even walking involves the back and upper body. How many core exercises you include in your routine depends on a number of factors, such as, How firm is your strength base? If you’ve been training hard and heavy for several years, you’ll be able to handle a great deal more work than someone who’s just getting started. Those who are unable to do certain primary

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Model: Lee Apperson

Only the Strong Shall Survive

Those who are unable to do full squats must exercise all segments of their legs with specific movements. It may take four of those exercises to equal squats.

exercises, such as full squats, must exercise all the segments of their legs with specific movements; for example, leg extensions for the quads, leg curls for the hamstrings, adductor machine for the adductors and freehand movements for the abductors. It takes all four exercises to equal one primary—the squat. In most cases doing three primary exercises per workout is enough. After you’ve sufficiently worked the larger groups, you must give atten-

tion to the smaller muscles, such as the biceps, triceps, deltoids and calves. One of the most important principles that everyone should adhere to when organizing a training program is to be sure to finish all of the big-muscle movements before hitting the smaller groups. That may not seem like much, but it is. Should you, for example, do multiple sets of curls before moving on to high pulls or deadlifts, you’re asking for trou-

ble. Since your biceps, the prime movers of your arms, are involved in every pulling exercise, you’re not going to be able to handle nearly as much weight on those high pulls or deads when they are tired as you could if you had done them before curling. A second important point here: Putting stress on fatigued smaller groups can lead to injuries. An easy rule—big muscles, then smaller ones. Get the hard stuff out of the way, and then have fun with

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Only the Strong Shall Survive

Sometimes going old school can be just the boost your body needs for new gains in size and strength. Don’t classify the exercises from the past as ineffective.

the beach work. How many auxiliary exercises you put into your routine once again depends to a great extent on your background. Experienced bodybuilders and strength athletes can do four or five small-muscle exercises and still recover, while beginners need to limit them to two per session. I’ll get to sets and reps a bit later on, but with regard to numbers of exercises to do, it’s best to wait until your strength base is firmly established before you add

any auxiliary exercises. Put all your energy into building a firm base with the core movements, and then, after four to six weeks, start including one or two per session. Don’t fall into the habit of always doing the same ones. There are plenty to choose from, and what you really want to be doing with your auxiliary work is improving weaker areas. One of my favorite exercises for baseball players is wrist curls, done with palms up and palms down.

They also help lacrosse and tennis players, but I especially like them for baseball. Strong forearms and wrists carry the power generated by the hips and legs, back, shoulders and upper arms into the bat, as well as throwing the ball. I’ve found that when athletes wait until they have improved on their basic lifts—bench press, power clean and squat—they make much faster progress on wrist curls than if they start doing wrist curls when they first begin training.

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Model: Gus Malliarodakis

Only the Strong Shall Survive

One of the most important principles is to finish all of the bigmuscle movements before hitting the smaller groups.

That’s because all three of those core exercises involve the forearms and wrists. By waiting, they start curling from a strong base, which enables them to make gains more rapidly. For competitive athletes the formula for gaining strength is four to six sets of four to six reps. As most readers know, I stay with five sets of five for practical reasons. It’s easier to deal with the math when you’re working with a large number of athletes, but four sets of six or six sets of four will get the job done too. I trained with a very strong athlete who always did seven reps on every

exercise, including all his auxiliary movements. When I asked him why seven, he told me it was because that’s what worked. Eights were too many and sixes weren’t enough. That, in a nutshell, is what makes a good program—finding a formula that works for you. For auxiliary exercises, I recommend higher reps and generally adhere to the 40-rep rule. That means two sets of 20 or three sets of 15 or four sets of 12. I realize that the latter two don’t add up to 40, but they’re in the ballpark. The reason I keep the reps relatively high is that the smaller muscles have already

been worked during the performance of the primary exercise. More important, their attachments have been fatigued. It’s been established for a long time that once you tire the tendons and ligaments, you cannot improve their strength at that session. They need time to rest before they’ll respond to stimulation again. By doing the higher reps, you avoid stressing the attachments much less than if you did lower reps, and the muscles respond to the added work. Now to those recreational athletes who often use light weights on all their exercises. You’ll need very high reps in order to force the muscles to

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respond and to increase the workload. How many will depend on the amount of resistance used, but I think 20 reps should be the minimum for three sets. When trainees use very light weights—or no weight at all—it may be necessary to do reps in the 100 and 200 ranges. That type of routine is extremely beneficial for much older athletes and is basically what Jack LaLanne has been preaching all his life. The ultrahigh reps flush blood and nutrients to the joints without placing them under stress, a critical factor for all those who have some form of arthritis. Competitive athletes do best by training three days a week to start. You’ll need the rest days between training sessions to aid in your recuperation from the weight work. Once the base is solid, you can add another day, as long as you make it a very light day. Many trainees make bigger gains when they stay with three days a week, however, even after they’ve graduated to the intermediate and advanced stages. How can you tell if you need an extra day or it will be too much? By paying attention to the way you feel at the end of a week’s training. If you’re completely exhausted and notice more sore spots than usual, you’re most likely doing too much. Or if your top-end lifts start to move downward rather than upward, that’s another bad sign. It might be wise to go back to three days a week. Then, after another couple of months, you can again try adding a lighter session. Those who are not training heavy need to do just the opposite: They should train five or six days a week, and it won’t pose a problem because the workload on each day won’t be all that great. So recovery won’t be difficult, as long you’re eating right and getting the necessary rest. It’s really the total amount of weight you move in a week that counts. Six sessions done with light-to-moderate poundages will still be considerably less than three sessions done with heavy weights. And since highrep, lower-weight workouts aren’t as stressful to the joints or attachments, recovery will be much easier. Both groups can benefit from using the heavy, light and medium

Model: Berry Kabov

Only the Strong Shall Survive

One of my favorite exercises for baseball players is wrist curls, done with palms up and palms down. They also help tennis players.

concept. In fact, it’s essential that hard-training athletes use it, or they’ll quickly become overtrained and all progress will cease. There should be a noticeable difference in workloads on the three days for competitive athletes; however, for recreational athletes the differences need to be only slight. Recreational athletes don’t have to adhere strictly to a heavy, light and medium flow— just do a harder workout followed by a less strenuous one; then do the other harder day followed by less strenuous one, and so on. When light weights and high reps are used, there’s no reason to include a light

day. Well, sometimes there’s a valid reason. I correspond with a gentleman in his mid-70s who trains six days a week. He walks for 45 minutes, then works out with weights. He has two programs, which he alternates. One isn’t actually tougher than the other, but he designates Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday his heavy days because it takes him 15 minutes longer to train on them than it does on the other three. The shorter workouts he calls his medium days. Normally, he doesn’t bother with a light day, but occasionally he does. Like all of us, he experiments with

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Model: Will Harris

Only the Strong Shall Survive

You must learn how to train around old injuries and not try to bite the bullet and train through the pain.

his routine, and every so often he overdoes it and traumatizes some joint or muscle. When he’s nursing a ding, he does much less than usual, and that becomes a light day. He has a special set of exercises for those days. He also uses the light day in the event he’s really short on time. But regardless of whether the weights used are quite heavy or the workload is the highest, the harder workout should be first in the week. It’s just common sense. You always have more energy after a weekend or, in the case of the 75-year-old, a day of rest. By the way, he told me that the only time his old injuries bothered him was on Sunday morning and afternoon, the day following his rest day. Once he got in motion, all was fine and dandy. Your heaviest workout belongs at the first of the week and so do any high-skill exercises in your routine. In addition, quick lifts such as power cleans, power snatches, full cleans, full snatches and jerks should get priority at every workout. That is, unless you’re doing some quick lift like the power snatch as a

training exercise and are not interested in pushing up the numbers. Then it doesn’t matter where you place it in your schedule. One of the keys to gaining or maintaining strength is to continually look for weaker areas and do something to improve them. That’s just as true for recreational athletes as it is for highly competitive ones. Once you’ve identified an area that is lagging far behind, start doing the exercise or exercises for that bodypart first in your routine—and do that until it improves. I’m talking about primary exercises. Additional work for a weaker bodypart doesn’t have to be a primary exercise. Auxiliary movements can be useful as well. For example, you know your delts need extra work, so you start doing a variety of exercises at the end of your workouts, all with dumbbells, to strengthen them: incline presses, seated or standing presses, and lateral and front raises. A couple of sets of 20 over the course of several months will produce the desired results. Recognize your limitations. That’s

often difficult to do, especially if you’ve been the strongest member of a gym on some lift and suddenly find that you can no longer handle much weight on it because of some physical problem—surgery, injury, etc. All older athletes have to deal with one or more areas that they’ve hurt over the years. In many cases the injuries occurred outside the weight room, but regardless of how you dislocated your shoulder or damaged your lower back, you still have to deal with it in your training. You must learn how to train around old injuries and not try to bite the bullet and train through the pain. That’s a deadend street, healthwise. I trained with a man in his late 40s who decided that he was going to compete in Olympic lifting. In his younger days he had done well in powerlifting, and he was determined to show everyone that he could also master the quick lifts. He was quite strong, but in order to be successful in the snatch and clean and jerk, you also have to be very flexible, and that quality he sorely lacked. He had a history of shoul-

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Only the Strong Shall Survive

der problems, which only added to his inflexibility. Despite numerous failed attempts and ugly form, he plodded on. All he got for his efforts was even more damage to his shoulders. To his credit, he did enter a contest, but he never got a white light on any of his attempts because he couldn’t lock out his arms. That was an extreme case, but I bet every reader has seen a similar example: the person who will not let go of the bench press, even when he can’t sleep the night after he works it because of the pain. Never forget that the purpose of strength training is to help you lead a healthier life. If what you’re doing

Model: Dan Decker

One of the keys to gaining or maintaining strength is to continuously look for weaker areas and do something to improve them. in the gym is causing you misery, you’re on the wrong path. One of the great things about strength training on any level is that there are so many exercises from which to choose. Can’t bench? Try various angles on the incline, overhead presses or dips. Sometimes the problem isn’t the exercise but the amount of weight being used. A man wrote to me that whenever he did deadlifts, he ached all night and was unable to get around without pain the next day. He knew they hurt him yet didn’t want to drop them from his routine. Looking at his program, I saw that he always went heavy, with five or

three reps, usually ending up totaling around 400 pounds. I suggested that he try a different approach, three sets of 20 with a moderate weight, and see what happens. Two months later he wrote again and said he loved his new program and was staying with 225 for three sets of 20 because his back felt stronger than it ever had and that since he switched to higher reps, he hadn’t had any pain at all. Often, slight changes in the way you perform an exercise can make a difference. Regular deadlifts hurt? Try sumo style. Conventional shrugs cause pain? Try using a wider grip. Of course, those changes don’t always work, but the point is, give them a try and find out. My message here is that when you put together a strength program, remember that you’re an individual. No one else, not even your twin, is exactly the same as you. A truism, yet one that is repeatedly overlooked by young bodybuilders attempting to follow exactly the program outlined by a top physique star. Or novice powerlifters trying to do a workout recommended by a national champion. I’ve used this example before in my writings, but it makes sense to repeat it here. In the late 1960s Tommy Suggs and I trained together at the York Barbell Club. We lifted in the same weight class, had similar body types and identical backgrounds in lifting, were almost the same ages and had the same jobs as editors. While we did basically similar programs aimed at improving the three Olympic lifts, the way our bodies dealt with workloads was quite different. When Tommy tried to do the same amount of work as I was doing, he became chronically overtrained and his lifts suffered. And when I lowered my workload to match his, my gains ceased. We fully understood what was happening and made the sensible adjustments. I continued to run up my workload, and he did half of what I did. In the end our three lifts—press, snatch and clean and jerk—were only a few pounds apart, and our totals were identical. While on paper we should

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have had exactly the same training requirements, in reality we didn’t. In fact, everyone has a different training requirement, and the trick is to find that specific exercise or exercises that are critical to success in your chosen sport or that help you to enjoy a recreational activity to the fullest. At Johns Hopkins, I frequently talked with a chemistry professor while we dressed in the locker room. I learned that he spent nearly all of his vacation taking extended hikes. For several years he’d covered a section of the Allegheny Trail and planned on starting out in Bear Mountain, New York, that summer. One day he asked if I could give him an exercise that would strengthen his lower back. That part of his body always gave out first and prevented him from walking longer. I laid some towels on the end of the bench in the locker room and demonstrated how to do reverse back hypers. He wanted something he could do at home without any special equipment and that fit the bill. “Start out with 20,” I told him while he did some. “When that’s too easy, add more. You can do these just about anywhere. I’ve done them on desks, kitchen tables, cabinet tops, slant boards and picnic tables at rest stops. Do them every day, twice a day if you can, and try to do them while you’re on the trail, if possible.” The following fall he showed up at the weight room the first day of the new semester and reported that the reverse hyperextensions had worked wonders. He’d walked farther than ever on the first day, and never once did he have any trouble with his lower back. That’s the beauty of activity-specific training. Setting up a strength program that enables you to satisfy your competitive or recreational goals is a very rewarding effort. All it takes is some reflection and common sense, followed by constructive action.

Model: Robert Hatch

Only the Strong Shall Survive

Often, slight changes in the way you perform an exercise can make a difference. Widening or narrowing your grip is a good place to start.

Never forget that the purpose of strength training is to help you lead a healthier life.

Editor’s note: Bill Starr was a strength and conditioning coach at Johns Hopkins University from 1989 to 2000. He’s the author of The Strongest Shall Survive and Defying Gravity. IM www.ironmanmagazine.com \ SEPTEMBER 2006 291

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Mind Gene Genie

There’s more to being a champion than picking the right parents

ith all the talk about genetics in bodybuilding, you might get the feeling that your future depends almost solely on your gene pool: If you chose your parents wisely, there are big titles in your future, and if not, you might as well crawl into a corner and cry. In fact, that tendency to reduce the world to a series of gene maps isn’t limited to a 10-foot radius of the dumbbell rack; genetic explanations are popping up for an ever-increasing range of behavior and characteristics. Once born, what’s a poor body to do?

There’s something enticing about genetic explanations: They’re very tidy; they relieve the individual of direct responsibility; they offer the promise of solutions in the form of pills. What could be easier? For example, the neurotransmitter serotonin has been getting a lot of ink lately, and for good reason. Low levels of serotonin appear to be linked to everything from alcoholism to aggression, overeating to depression to suicide. Powerful stuff, that serotonin. It seems reasonable that people could correct their genetic deficiencies by taking medication to boost their serotonin levels—just what some would suggest. Things aren’t always as simple as they might first appear, though, because researchers have found that serotonin levels aren’t just the result Optimism of what’s inherited—they’re also the result of can feed environment. Research has shown that monyour inner keys raised by their peers had lower levels of champion. serotonin than those raised by their mothers, and the differences began to appear in monkeys as young as two weeks old. Similar patterns have been found in a variety of research programs, all indicating that serotonin levels are most likely the result of environment as well as inheritance. “So what’s that got to do with adding an inch to my arms or 25 pounds to my squat?” you ask. The point is that you might be tempted to attribute all manner of good and ill to genes and just collapse on the couch, letting those genes do their stuff. Far more productive is an approach that says something like, “Genes certainly are powerful, but so is my environment. I can’t alter my genes, but my environment is almost completely under my control. If I have some ideas about how I’d like to change myself, I’d better develop a topnotch environmental attack plan.” To control your environment for world-class gains, here are some tips. First, establish a good working knowledge of bodybuilding and lifting, learning what works and why. If you’re just starting off, you probably don’t know a Zottman curl from a bent press, and it’s easy to believe whoever tells you something first, often or loudest. If you

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IRONMIND

MIND/BODY

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Body stick with your training for a associates—that applies while, though, you’ll start to not only to people you understand what works—not train with but also to just what supports a pareveryone in your life. It’s ticular person’s pet ideas or especially important to commercial interest but what beware of people who works for most people most sell you short, limiting of the time. Read, watch, your expectations and ask, listen—use everything thereby ensuring that at your disposal to increase you’ll do less than you’re your knowledge. And don’t capable of doing. Rethink the educational process member, if you expect is just another dull study limits on your perforsession with little real payoff, mance, you usually get because learning what works what you expect. On the will produce dramatic results. other hand, if you expect There are countless guys big results, that’s exactly Low levels of self-confidence often keep you out of walking around who gained competitive situations in the first place. None of that what you’ll net. 20 pounds of muscle in their While the idea that low self-esteem here as Scot Mendelson benches first two years of training, properly designed 1,008 pounds at the ’06 IRON MAN Pro in February. but once they learned how training cycles or small to train productively for size, they packed on 30 pounds of enough increases can guarantee steady progress forever muscle in six weeks. belongs in a fairy tale, you need to recognize that your target Once you’ve established a sound base of training knowis above you. That means, in a general sense, no matter what ledge, put it to good use. Plenty of people, for example, know you did today, if you want to improve, you have to do more that they should be sucking in at least a gram of protein per tomorrow. Most people grasp the principle at a gut level but pound of bodyweight a day, but they continue to peck at make the mistake of thinking in terms of dramatic steps formeals that would leave their 85-pound octogenarian grandward and seeing progress as a smooth, ascending spiral. In mother ravenous. On the other hand, the people who actually actuality, huge gains are made one small step at a time, and eat the way they should produce eye-popping transformathe road upward has plenty of dips and bends. The point is tions. Similarly, you might know that it’s time to quit poundto keep your motivation for progress at high levels. That both ing away at 100 percent maximum efforts in your attempt sustains your efforts in a down period and gives you the confito boost your bench press, but you keep making the same dence to make dramatic breakthroughs when the opportunity mistake, week after week, month after month. When you get arises. Your motivation is largely under your control, unlike the caught in a bind like that, it’s good to step back and pretend biochemical pattern you inherited from your parents. that someone else with your exact profile has come to you Looking in the mirror might make you wish you had a magic for training advice. What would you tell this person to do? Be wand for adjusting your genetic base. Instead, take charge of sure to follow your own advice. your environment, let it help you work some real magic, and Always remember that even though they dwell between you’ll never wish for a gene genie again. your ears, your expectations are a potent force in your en—Randall Strossen, Ph.D. vironment, and they’re under your control. The field of psychology is filled with dramatic examples of how expectations Editor’s note: Randall Strossen, Ph.D., edits the are powerful forces in our lives, affecting everything from quarterly magazine MILO. He’s also the author of IronMind: classroom performance to whether we live or die. Remember, Stronger Minds, Stronger Bodies; Super Squats: How to too, that you don’t leave your expectations in the locker room Gain 30 Pounds of Muscle in 6 Weeks and Paul Anderson: when you train: If you expect to fail with 300 pounds today, The Mightiest Minister. For more information call IronMind you almost certainly will, and if you expect to succeed, you Enterprises Inc. at (530) 265-6725 or Home Gym Warehouse probably will. What’s more, because your expectations are inat (800) 447-0008, ext. 1. Visit the IronMind Web site at www fluenced by the people around you, be careful in picking your .IronMind.com.

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Bomber Blast

MIND/BODY

Misery Loves Company

Questions from the bomber ranks

Warner \ Model: Dave Draper

efore Laree and I hop in the bomb and head north to Bill Pearl’s Oregonian territory for a workout in his old barn gym, I thought I’d leave you with a stack of questions and answers to clutter your mind. So that you don’t think you’re the only one, here are a few bombers struggling with troubles of their own. We’re strange creatures, gaining comfort from the quandaries of others. That doesn’t make us bad people. Listen, empathize, and learn. Q: I came across an article that said you went from 165 to 235 pounds in a year. I’d like to embark on a similar bulking diet, but I have a few questions. I’d like to know how often you trained each muscle per week and/or how often you would recommend training. I would also like to know approximately how much you were eating. A: You read some article printed for entertainment value and not real information. Some muscle mags often do that (not this one, of course). Truth is, I never gained more than 10 pounds in any given year while I was determined to build size and strength, and I did that by consistent force-feeding and training in general. I trained each muscle group two or three times a week, depending on the season or year of my life, and today I suggest training each muscle group twice a week as the solid way to achieve muscle mass and density, fitness and muscularity.

Everyone is different, and few, very few, muscle builders require less. The theories recommending less come from either the drug camp, where gains come from thin air; or the scientific camp, where gains come from books, note pads and theories and not experience; or boastful hotshots with limited understanding and desire making deceptive claims. You’ve got to blast it, or you’ll get big and strong and fat. Bring on the red meat, milk products and eggs big-time, along with chicken and fish, lots of salad and fresh vegetables and choice fruit. Get your carbs from whole grains. Protein rules. Add essential fatty acids to your diet and a good protein powder for convenient and essential meals—a.m., p.m., preand postworkout. Bomber Blend is the best, in my opinion. No secrets here. Major bulking—say, from 165 to 235 pounds in a year—is crazy. Not healthy, not fun, not possible. Ten pounds a year is wise and manageable for a young man. Train hard, eat right, and settle in. You can’t hustle musclebuilding. Q: I’m trying to get information on muscle building and cardio for my friend who is incarcerated. As his time to exercise is severely limited and equipment is insufficient, he needs in-cell training recommendations. A: The best way to answer the exercise question is by asking myself, “What would I do if I were in the same dilemma?” I was once speaking directly to prisoners in their barred cells who asked the same question. I suggested running in place, performing high-rep crunches and leg raises and pushups. There are ways to grasp bars (if available) and use them to push and pull in a manner that duplicates real exercise. Deep knee bends and lunges move a lot of blood. These various improvised movements, developed into a tight routine by practice and common sense, will provide plenty of muscle work and deep breathing and will raise the heart rate considerably. The greater the affinity one has for exercise, the more realistic and doable these basic suggestions are. The process requires heart, imagination, purpose and fortitude—at the same time building those qualities, something your friend needs in stacks while behind bars. Buy tuna at the prison store, drink lots of water, read the Bible. Q: As I’m trying to get leaner, should I lay off the protein before and after workouts? I’m getting about 250 grams of protein per day, and part of that is 50 before and 50 after the workout. I’m trying to lose the fat and not the muscle. I’m wondering if the protein was causing more harm than good. A: The last place you want to reduce your calorie consumption is with protein. Your protein composes only 1,000 calories of your total daily intake. I recommend that you maintain the anabolic environment (complete proteins, essential fats and nutrient-strong carb foods) and continue to train smart and hard. Let the training build the muscle and the good food provide the energy and ingredients for muscular gains over time. Think of gaining muscle rather than losing fat. You might drop your intake of the least valuable foods throughout the day. Keep the pre- and postworkout meals but maybe—I hate to say it—perhaps, possibly, if you must, cut them in half. Gasp. No, never mind! Forget I said that. Q: I’m 60 years old, only 5’6” and 126 pounds. I’m healthy, even though I had a bypass seven years

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For immediate release... ago. I want to take up the bodybuilding sport. Have you ever heard of an older person with small stature like me to be successful in this sport? I can work hard, but I want to know if my body could take the pains and build new muscles. A: Since you express an interest in the sport, I think you should give it a go. Weight training is a fun diversion, and its benefits are not limited to building stronger, harder and shapelier muscles. Your internal health (cardiovascular system, metabolism, body chemistry, hormone balance, central nervous system) is fortified by intelligent resistance training and systemic exertion. Longevity and quality of life improve. Disciplines are recruited and grow regularly, coordination increases, and athletic and recreational abilities improve. Be aware, and be wise—elemental precepts we share as time goes by. Take it slow and easy, and crank up the workload as you become conditioned, confident and in tune with yourself. Learn the basics by trial, error and practice, and advance day by day, month to month by consistent performance, observation and common sense. Make it a game or sport like baseball or swimming; make it fun and challenging. Search the earth for a personal trainer who’s ready, willing and able to give you a bushel of advice and exercise demonstration in three workout sessions and unloose you in the gym. You’re still a kid, but you’re too old for a baby-sitter. You’re in for the trip of your life. —Dave Draper Editor’s note: For more from Dave Draper, visit www.davedraper.com and sign up for his free newsletter. You can also check out his amazing Top Squat training tool, classic photos, workout Q&A and forum. His new book, Iron On My Mind, is available at www.Home-Gym.com.

New Stuff

Zero Impact High Protein MRBs

Announces Title Sponsorship for the

2007 IRON MAN PRO and FitExpo February 16-18, 2007 “Vyotech is proud to support the IRON MAN PRO and the great athletes who compete in it. The Fit Expo provides us with tremendous exposure in a key market and keeps us in direct contact with our valued customers”. —Vince Kandis CEO Vyotech

ach Zero Impact High Protein Meal Replacement Bar contains 30 grams of undenatured quality proteins, low-glycemic-index carbohydrates, fiber and essential fats from nuts, seeds and grains. Zero Impact MRBs contain no soy, maltitol, hydrogenated oils or trans fats and no artificial flavors, sweeteners or colors. Every effort has been made to make sure the sugars contained in Zero Impact MRBs are low DE (dextrose equivalent) and therefore have significantly less impact on blood sugar levels. Zero Impact MRBs contain no sugar alcohols, which are known to elicit a laxative effect or cause gastrointestinal problems. So you can enjoy an entire Zero Impact MRB without worrying that you’ll suffer stomach upset, bloating, intestinal cramping and/or diarrhea. These bars are setting a new standard for what “clean” high-protein supplemental nutrition should be: 30 grams of high-quality protein; nothing artificial; healthful fats, fiber and low-glycemic-index carbohydrates. Compare those ingredients and nutrition facts to other high-protein bars and see the difference. Then dig into a Zero Impact MRB and understand what a true high-protein bar should taste and feel like. For more information on Zero Impact MRBs or other quality VPX products, visit www.VPXSports.com, or call (800) 954-7904.

Vince and Spiro Kandis join Shawn Ray in presenting the winner’s check to Phil Heath at the recent Vyotech Shawn Ray Classic in Denver.

For more details and regular updates watch this column or go to www.IronManMagazine.com or www.TheFitExpo.com www.ironmanmagazine.com \ SEPTEMBER 2006 295

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6/30/06 5:06:25 PM

Gallery of Ironmen

MIND/BODY MIND/BODY

Robert Duranton athlete won the Mr. France title and (perhaps more important) gained the friendship of the contest’s overall victor: Steve Reeves. Reeves admired the Frenchman’s massive deltoids and invited his new friend to come to California and learn the techniques then being used among American bodybuilders. Thanks to the bulk that he gained in the United States, Duranton went on to win the Mr. France competition three more times. The tall, handsome athlete was virtually unbeatable at that time. Robert continued to train—and tried several means of making a living—but it was not until he left the physique world and became a professional wrestler that he achieved financial stability. Because of his handsome face, massive body and natural grace, Duranton soon became very popular in the ring. Eventually, Duranton grew tired of pro wrestling, and (like his friend Reeves) he decided to go into movies. The former champion appeared in a handful of French films and so achieved the fame and respect in three fields: physique, wrestling and cinema. Robert Duranton died in his 79th year on February 9, 2005. —David Chapman Photo courtesy of the David Chapman collection

ne of the greatest bodybuilding stars of the golden 1950s was from France: Robert Duranton. In the magical era of Steve Reeves, Roy Hilligenn, Dick Dubois and others, Duranton was one of the few foreign athletes whose charisma and physique could compete with the American stars. Many considered Duranton’s shoulders to be the best formed and most muscular for his time, and photos show that the rest of his physique wasn’t too shabby, either. Duranton was born in Paris on September 11, 1926, and he began to practice physical culture at the age of 15 because he wanted to improve some respiratory problems. He made such progress that in just five years he was performing in a professional gymnastics and acrobatics act; lifting his various partners was destined to build Duranton’s upper-body strength and shape it to virtual perfection. In 1946 he entered and won his first important competition, the “Ideal Athlete” title, and because of his success, his picture and name were published in major French papers. Encouraged by that victory, Duranton entered the Mr. World competition in Cannes on the French Riviera in 1948. The Mr. France title was to be held at the same time, and although he did not win top honors in the Mr. World competition, the young

Ease Disease

Alzheimer’s Primer

nformation from emediawire.com suggests that exercise is just not enough to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. “Preventing Alzheimer’s and other dementias rests on a combination of six core lifestyle strategies,” says Dr. Phyllis Staff, CEO of AlzheimersFree Press. “Focusing on only one strategy will leave people vulnerable to developing dementia later in life.” The six core strategies are exercise, diet, a program of vitamin and herbal supplementation, regular brain stimulation, a satisfying work and social life, and consistent spiritual practice. An effective program for preventing Alzheimer’s includes all six. —Becky Holman www.X-tremeLean.com 296 SEPTEMBER 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Mind Gains

MIND/BODY

Going to Failure

1) Know that it’s part of the process and that you did the best you could with what you had at the time. 2) Change or adjust your approach if necessary and write down what you learned. 3) Take time to review your past successes. It’s important to remind yourself that you have more successes than failures. 4) Take immediate action on something positive leading to your goal. 5) Stay focused on the ultimate outcome, not the short-term setbacks. 6) Don’t give up!! Remember what Theodore Roosevelt said: “He who makes no mistakes makes no progress.” Welcome the failures because they lead to the successes. Now go to failure in all areas of your life so you’ll have great success in and out of the gym. —John M. Rowley Editor’s note: Rowley owned the gym where the movie “Pumping Iron” was partly filmed, and he was also one of the youngest senior vice presidents of a major real estate company in Manhattan. John’s passion is teaching people and companies about goal-setting, how to stay motivated and how to add fitness to their already busy lives so they will have the energy to pursue their dreams. You can contact him at Jrowley@nc.rr.com.

www.Home-Gym.com Best Sellers Books:

Redemption”

1) Train, Eat, Grow—The Positionsof-Flexion Muscle-Training Manual by Steve Holman

4) “Gustavo Badell’s Common Sense”

2) The 7-Minute Rotator Cuff Solution by Joseph Horrigan, D.C., and Jerry Robinson 3) Ronnie Coleman’s Hardcore 4) 10-Week Size Surge by IRON MAN Publishing 5) The Precontest Bible by Larry Pepe DVDs/Videos: 1) “IRON MAN’s Swimsuit Spectacular #9” 2) “Ronnie Coleman’s On the Road” 3) “Ronnie Coleman’s The Cost of

5) “2005 Mr. Olympia” Top E-book: The Ultimate Mass Workout—Featuring the X-Rep Muscle-Building Method by Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson (available at www.X-Rep .com). See their newest photos at www.BeyondX-Rep.com.

The original X-Rep manual is getting rave reviews. See “Satisfied XReppers” at X-Rep .com.

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n the gym going to failure brings great results, but real success comes when you bring that attitude into the real world. Success is generally the result of going to failure many times. In life you don’t have the luxury of a spotter when you fail. Your attitude toward failure is your spotter. Recently I sent a book proposal to a very accomplished literary agent. Within a few weeks I got a rejection letter. Was I disappointed? You bet! I would be lying if I said I wasn’t. But was I defeated? Absolutely not. In fact, it spurred me on, and it seems that I’ve have found an agent better suited to my project. Failure is part of success, and the feedback from failure is a great education. The way to use failure to your benefit is to follow these simple steps:

MIND/BODY

IRON MAN MAGAZINE PROUDLY PRESENTS:

The Bodybuilding Stars of Tomorrow Here Today!

Darren Telfair Weight: 217 Height: 6’1” Occupation: Quality engineer Residence: Azusa, California Factoid: Darren—who loves to eat— is the ’06 NPC California Overall Men’s champion.

Free download from imbodybuilding.com

Photography by Bill Comstock To see more great photos of upcoming physique stars, visit

www.GraphicMuscle.com

Sherlyn Roy Weight: 100 Height: 5’2” DOB: July 22 Occupation: Private trainer Residence: Los Angeles, California Factoid: Sherlyn won the ’06 NPC Junior California Overall Figure title and was a class winner at the ’06 California Championships. A 49er cheerleader who has a Super Bowl ring, she says she’s a football addict.

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Serious Training

MIND/BODY

Christian Egner Photography by Jerry Fredrick Location: Goldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gym, Venice, California

Free download from imbodybuilding.com

Serious Stats Weight: 200 Height: 5’10” Age: 33 Bodypart split: Day 1: chest; day 2: biceps, triceps; day 3: shoulders; day 4: back; day 5: legs Competitions: Placed second in the ’05 Nordic Championships. Factoid: Works in his own gym, which he started 10 years ago.

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Readers Write Catastrophic Coverage

looking for it. Larry is a real class act. Ronald M. Criss via Internet Editor’s note: Larry is one of the shining stars of bodybuilding’s past, a true living legend. Thanks for your comments—and to save shopping time, you may want to subscribe to IM. Just a suggestion. See page 145.

Dante Is Hot! Thank you for featuring Dante and his Doggcrapp training method [“Dante’s Inferno,” July ’06]. Ron Harris did a great job with the interview, and I really appreciated the training program that was provided. It’s given my workouts some new life. Jack Labardo via Internet

Your coverage of the Arnold Classic [in the June ’06 issue] was revolting. Do you realize that kids read your magazine and think those creatures are natural? I was at a local GNC, and the kid working there was about 20. He trained on a regular basis. We got to talking about competitions, and I told him my personal experiences have been negative due to the wide use of chemicals. His response was, “I thought they tested the pros.” I couldn’t believe he wasn’t joking. Kids are overtraining their butts off to look like [the pros], yet they don’t realize that in reality they’ll need to become friends with the local pharmacist to get that look. So I ask you to stop adding to the problem and confront the steroid epidemic head-on. Jim Mihevic via Internet Editor’s note: Contest coverage is a very small part of our editorial mix. We are not a so-called bodybuilding superstar magazine; we are a training publication, and we’ve said in print many times that the top competitors are genetic anomalies who use chemicals. There, we said it again.

Not-so-Sweet Error In Jerry Brainum’s article on sugar, “How Sweet It Is” [June ’06], it was stated that a tablespoon of sugar contains 15 calories. That’s incorrect—it’s a teaspoon that has 15 calories. A tablespoon has about three times that amount. name not provided via Internet Editor’s note: Our apologies for missing that one. Back to one teaspoon of sugar in our coffee. THE GOLDEN MAN, PART 2

More Larry Scott! I just finished reading part 2 of his interview [Legends of Bodybuilding, June ’06]. I couldn’t wait after reading part 1. I went out to three stores

“Reaching the top is a strange feeling, almost like a hazy dream.”

Photographs courtesy of Gene Mozée

Great Scott

Editor’s note: We have more Web-guru training interviews coming up, including one with Eric Broser on his Power/Rep Range/Shock system that’s guaranteed to be an eye-opener.

Team Titus

Zac and Lana Titus.

Zac and Lana Titus [the ’06 FitExpo’s Fittest Couple] make me proud to be a bodybuilder [“Zac and Lana,” June ’06]. Great, realistic physiques with the right attitudes make them excellent role models (despite the tattoos). Thanks for the inspiration, Team Titus! Forest Wilson St. Louis, MO

X-tatic About Contest Win I’m really X-tatic! I just competed in the ’06 NPC MidAtlantic Natural Classic and Fitness competition, and I took first place in the open men’s middleweight class. All the hard work paid off, and all the X-Rep techniques really gave me an edge. I keep telling people how powerful and effective X-Reps are, but most aren’t willing to work hard in the gym. Thanks again. The X-Rep techniques are the most powerful I’ve ever used. Jaime Penaranda Piscataway, NJ Editor’s note: For more comments from trainees who are using X Reps, as well as photos of Jaime, see the Satisfied X-Reppers section at www.X-Rep.com. Also, check out information on the new X-Rep e-book, 3D Muscle Building—Featuring Positions-of-Flexion Size F/X Training. Vol. 65, No. 9: IRON MAN (ISSN #0047-1496) is published monthly by IRON MAN Publishing, 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033. Periodical Mail is paid at Oxnard, CA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to IRON MAN, 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033. Please allow six to eight weeks for change to take effect. Subscription rates—U.S. and its possessions: new 12-issue subscription, $29.97. Canada, Mexico and other foreign subscriptions: 12 issues, $49.97 sent Second Class. Foreign orders must be in U.S. dollars. Send subscriptions to IRON MAN, 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033. Or call 1-800-570-4766. Copyright © 2006. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher. Printed in the USA.

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