Ironman Magazine 2008-06 by Iron Man

FRANK ZANE—MR. O AT 65: AMAZING NEW PHOTOS! JUNE 2008 / IRON MAN MAGAZINE—WE KNOW TRAINING™

s s e l Age ! e l c s Mu

™

Lee Apperson, 49 Jennifer Micheli, 4

•Number-One Over-40 Supplement •Mind-Power Tactics That Crush Old Barriers •New Antiaging Research

FRANK ZANE AT 65 AGELESS MUSCLE / FRANK ZANE

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Please display until 6/3/08

Nancy Georges Age 39

PLUS: •Hot Hardbody Nancy Georges, 39 •Mega Muscle—Full-Page Pics From the Arnold Classic

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www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2006 261

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150 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

IRON MAN MAGAZINE WE KNOW TRAINING IRON MAN MAGAZINE WE KNOW TRAINING IRON MAN MAGAZINE WE KNOW TRAINING IRON MAN MAGAZINE WE KNOW TRAINING IRON MAN MAGAZINE IRON MAN MAGAZ

WE KNOW TRAINING™

June 2008

CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS C

FEATURES

68 TRAIN, EAT, GROW 104 The TEG men explore Double-X Overload training for pro-style gaining.

94 ANTIAGING AND MATURE MUSCLE Steve Holman quizzes rresearcher Jerry Brainum on middle-aged muscle building—supplements, training, diet. It’s all here.

116 A BODYBUILDER IS BORN 35 Ron Harris explains why going through the motions isn’t enough to grow.

126 FRANK ZANE Ken O’Neill explores the Zane Integrated Method and how it helped the former Mr. Olympia achieve peak condition at age 65—training program included.

126 FRANK ZANE AT 65 Untold secrets of muscle building

150 BRANCHING OUT FOR MORE MUSCLE Jerry Brainum looks at why BCAAs have had a resurgence in bodybuilding.

172 HEAVY DUTY John Little shares Mike Mentzer’s views on forced reps and heavy training.

188 POWER AGING David Young reveals Pete Siegel’s proven mental steps to crush “old” barriers.

206 BENCHLESS CHEST CHISELING From the Bodybuilding.com archives: Former Mr. America Richard Baldwin discusses building perfect pecs without the bench press.

218 FAST MASS, PART 2 Our European research correspondent, Michael Gündill, concludes his look at explosive training and how you can do it safely for more mass.

238 ARNOLD CLASSIC Mass rules in Columbus, as the biggest bodies in the sport go biceps to biceps. Lots of giant full-page pics here, gang, perfect for your gym wall.

268 HARDBODY Nancy Georges still has a passion for fitness—after all these years.

282 ONLY THE STRONG SHALL SURVIVE

206

BENCHLESS CHEST CHISELING Build perfect pecs without the bench press

Calling all baby boomers. Here’s coach Bill Starr’s take on ageless strength training and muscle gaining for the over-40 set.

238

ARNOLD CLASSIC The Blade was sliced and diced!

Lee Apperson and Jennifer Micheli appear on this month’s cover. Photo by Michael Neveux. Inset photo of Frank Zane by Christine Zane; inset photo of Nancy Georges by Michael Neveux.

FRANK ZANE—MR. O AT 65: AMAZING NEW PHOTOS!

Ageless! Muscle

™

Lee Apperson, 49 Jennifer Micheli, 44

•Number-One Over-40 Supplement •Mind-Power Tactics That Crush Old Barriers •New Antiaging Research

FRANK ZANE AT 65 Frank Zane

Frank’s Time-Defying Bodybuilding Workout Inside

FAST MASS Grow Like the Pros—Safely

JUNE 2008 $5.99

Vol. 67, No. 6

Free download from imbodybuilding.com

www.IronManMagazine.com

Please display until 6/3/08

C1_04-June2008_F.indd 1

Nancy Georges Age 39

PLUS: •Hot Hardbody Nancy Georges, 39 •Mega Muscle—Full-Page Pics From the Arnold Classic 3/28/08 3:07:06 PM

268

CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CO

DEPARTMENTS

28 TRAIN TO GAIN Stretching truths and shoulder width. Plus, Joe Horrigan on concentration curls.

HARDBODY She still has a passion for fitness

48 SMART TRAINING Coach Charles Poliquin’s training tactics for tremendous tri’s and bi’s.

56 EAT TO GROW Carbs that burn fat and the biggest weight-loss mistake you can make.

78 NATURALLY HUGE John Hansen tells you how to stop pain for more gain.

86 SHREDDED MUSCLE Dave Goodin’s recommended carving compounds. Get big and ripped.

90 CRITICAL MASS Steve Holman talks pro training and weird science—as in jacked-up studies.

224 ANTIAGING RESEARCH Jerry Brainum looks at what’s under our control when it comes to aging.

228 MUSCLE “IN” SITES Eric Broser clicks on Milos Sarcev’s site as well as FeminineBodybuilding.com. There’s Broser-style training info here too.

232 NEWS & VIEWS Lonnie Teper’s on-location report from the big Arnold Fitness Weekend.

258 PUMP & CIRCUMSTANCE Ruth Silverman’s camera was clicking in Columbus too. See her hot pics of gorgeous chicks and dapper dudes—with muscle, of course.

292 MIND/BODY CONNECTION Dave Draper, Gallery of Ironmen, Rising Stars, BodySpace Physique and a new column from Dr. Bob Goldman’s American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine.

CRITICAL MASS Pro training and weird science

304 READERS WRITE Best issue yet, inconsistency and age-defying workouts.

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COVERAGE Get the latest, greatest results, photos, video and blogs from the biggest events.

CLIPS LIBRARY >PDF >BEHIND>HOT THE-SCENES Feel your heart Read and/or VIDEOS See and hear interviews with the stars of the muscle world.

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First up, Ron Harris talks with rising bodybuilding star Peter Putnam—on everything from his training to diet to the state of the sport. The cat’s got it going on! Then Jerry Brainum takes a look at coffee. How healthful is that double espresso you’re downing before your leg workout? We’ll also hit triceps with Dan Decker, have part 2 of Bill Starr’s look at ageless strength training and feature some hot full-page pics from the Ms. Fitness and Figure Internationals. Look for the July issue on newsstands the ﬁrst week of June.

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PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S

Publisher’s Letter by John Balik

How to Be Happy Early this week I was listening to National Public Radio as I drove to work, and there was a feature about a report on the state of happiness in the USA. The statistics weren’t very positive. A psychologist commented on why the numbers were so dismal and what to do about it. My mind wandered back 30-plus years to the original Gold’s on Pacific in Venice, a workout with Arnold and the breakfast that followed. The conversation in the gym was about living in the moment and the fact that the only rep that mattered was the rep you were doing. Arnold is renowned for his ability to be totally focused on one thing at a time and his ability to switch from one to the other without “overhang.” During the set, the outside world disappeared for Arnold and reappeared after the set. He could be “in character” in one instant and joking the next. One of Arnold’s major attributes is the unmitigated joy he takes in everything he does. As he’s said to me many times in various ways, “Everywhere I go I have a good time.” That’s his mantra. Back to our conversation: Besides exhorting me to concentrate on the present and lock out the past and the future, he referred to several people in the gym and commented on why they seemed to just be going through the motions. To paraphrase him: no emotion, no focus, no hope. As for living in the moment, we all know now that Arnold was able to live his master plan (and continues to), but how did he do that? His advice to me was to plan for the future but not try to live there! He executed his own plan in the present to ensure that the future turned out the way he wanted. Let me explain. Arnold created a team to make sure that his goals would be met. In the NPR piece the psychologist mentioned the percentage of negative thoughts each of us has in the course of a day and that our environment affects the balance and content of our thought and, ultimately, how we feel—our happiness. Why were (and are) Franco and Arnold friends? Arnold recognized that Franco had strengths both physical and emotional that made both of them better in the gym and in life. Arnold was very clear: Negative people and situations are destructive. While Arnold was and is empathic—he would give you the help you need, as he did to me in the gym—but if you started whining about how it’s too hard or voiced other negative thoughts, he would quickly lose interest in helping you. The psychologist on NPR echoed what Arnold said to me long ago: The most important thing you can do to ensure joy and happiness is to surround yourself with joyful people. We are what we think about all day long, and those thoughts are heavily influenced by the people around us. Long before the term “toxic personalities” was coined, Arnold understood that there was no room in his life for people who didn’t share his vision of joyfulness. IM

Founders 1936-1986: Peary & Mabel Rader Publisher/Editorial Director: John Balik Associate Publisher: Warren Wanderer Design Director: Michael Neveux Editor in Chief: Stephen Holman Art Director: T. S. Bratcher Senior Editor: Ruth Silverman Editor at Large: Lonnie Teper Articles Editors: L.A. Perry, Caryne Brown Assistant Art Director: Brett R. Miller Designer: Fernando Carmona IRON MAN Staff: Mary Gasca, Vuthy Keo, Mervin Petralba Contributing Authors: Jerry Brainum, Eric Broser, David Chapman, Teagan Clive, Lorenzo Cornacchia, Daniel Curtis, Dave Draper, Michael Gündill, Rosemary Hallum, Ph.D., John Hansen, Ron Harris, Ori Hofmekler, Rod Labbe, Skip La Cour, Jack LaLanne, Butch Lebowitz, John Little, Stuart McRobert, Gene Mozée, Charles Poliquin, Larry Scott, Jim Shiebler, Roger Schwab, Pete Siegel, C.S. Sloan, Bill Starr, Bradley Steiner, Eric Sternlicht, Ph.D., Randall Strossen, Ph.D., Richard Winett, Ph.D., and David Young Contributing Artists: Steve Cepello, Larry Eklund, Ron Dunn, Jake Jones Contributing Photographers: Jim Amentler, Ron Avidan, Roland Balik, Reg Bradford, Jimmy Caruso, Bill Dobbins, Jerry Fredrick, Irvin Gelb, Isaac Hinds, Dave Liberman, J.M. Manion, Merv, Gene Mozée, Mitsuru Okabe, Rob Sims, Ian Sitren, Leo Stern

•

Director of Marketing: Helen Yu, 1-800-570-IRON, ext. 1 Accounting: Dolores Waterman Subscriptions Manager: Sonia Melendez, 1-800-570-IRON, ext. 2 E-mail: soniazm@aol.com Advertising Director: Warren Wanderer 1-800-570-IRON, ext. 1 (518) 743-1696; FAX: (518) 743-1697 Advertising Coordinator: Jonathan Lawson, (805) 385-3500, ext. 320 Newsstand Consultant: Angelo Gandino, (516) 796-9848 We reserve the right to reject any advertising at our discretion without explanation. All manuscripts, art or other submissions must be accompanied by a selfaddressed, stamped envelope. Send submissions to IRON MAN, 1701 Ives Avenue, Oxnard, CA 93033. We are not responsible for unsolicited material. Writers and photographers should send for our Guidelines outlining speciﬁcations for submissions. IRON MAN is an open forum. We also reserve the right to edit any letter or manuscript as we see ﬁt, and photos submitted have an implied waiver of copyright. Please consult a physician before beginning any diet or exercise program. Use the information published in IRON MAN at your own risk.

IRON MAN Internet Addresses: Web Site: www.ironmanmagazine.com John Balik, Publisher: ironleader@aol.com Steve Holman, Editor in Chief: ironchief@aol.com Ruth Silverman, Senior Editor: ironwman@aol.com T.S. Bratcher, Art Director: ironartz@aol.com Helen Yu, Director of Marketing: helen@ironmanmagazine.com Jonathan Lawson, Ad Coordinator: ironjdl@aol.com Sonia Melendez, Subscriptions: soniazm@aol.com

26 JUNE 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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SEXY ROCK-HARD ABS FAST The Secret to Etching your Granite-Carved Abs in 10 Short Minutes Picture this... you with tight, shredded abs, serratus and intercostals all sharp, sliced and visible from across the room or on the sun-glared beach! And from the rear, lower lumbars that look like two thick steel girders supporting your muscle-studded back. Imagine looking like a Greek god... in street clothes... in the gym... or anywhere. The incredible breakthrough design of the pad on the Ab Bench pre-stretches the targeted muscles prior to contraction, giving you a full-range movement, making each exercise up to 200% more effective. The Ab Bench takes the physiology of your spine into consideration with its design like nothing else on the market. The contraction takes place all the way into the pelvis where the abdominals actually rotate the spine, forcing the abdominals to completely contract... from the upper abs to the lower abs. Using the Ab Bench is the “sure-ﬁre” guarantee for you to get those attention-grabbing washboard abs. From full stretch to complete contraction—in total comfort. The Ab Bench is the most complete midsection exercise in existence. You’ll feel the incredible difference from your very ﬁrst rep.

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28 JUNE 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Big and Broad Q: I’m a 54-year-old man who’s been training with weights for 10 years. My shoulders don’t seem to be getting any wider. Do you have a shoulder routine for building width? A: Genetic musculoskeletal factors are involved here. The first is the natural shape of your upper body. The width of your clavicles, or collarbones, in relation to the width of your waist and hips, is a very important ratio. Wide clavicles and wide hips and waist would not be good for bodybuilding. Wide shoulders and a narrow waist and hips will create the X-frame look. The width and shape of your shoulders is predominantly genetic; I never had the advantage of naturally wide shoulders either. Even so, as I found out, with smart and consistent specialty training it’s possible to overcome genetic disadvantages and make your shoulders look wider. First off, find the most leverage-advantageous multijoint deltoid exercise for creating the most intensity. For most people that’s going to be barbell, dumbbell or machine presses—straight up and down with as much weight as possible. The length of a person’s arms is usually an indicator of how well and how heavy he or she can press. So those who have long arms should use primarily dumbbells and/ or shoulder-pressing machines to lift the most weight with the most intensity without a struggle. In other words, the more smoothly, heavily and intensely you can press up and down, rep after rep without stopping until failure, the greater the chance for maximum muscle stimulation. The greater that stimulation, the more chance there is that the body will grow new muscle once it heals the microtears that intense, properly executed training produces. You want to stimulate the most fibers with a minimum of clumsiness and/or shaking—which is a sign that the weight is too heavy. When shaking occurs, it usually means the nervous system is being engaged at a higher rate than is necessary for muscular stimulation. In fact, central nervous system recovery will override muscle recovery. Keep in mind that heavy weight means a weight that you can use with perfectly smooth reps until you hit muscular failure. Once you’ve done two to four heavy but fluid sets of presses, move to working on the outside of the deltoids. I’ve found the most effective way to hit the outer heads is to use gravity and weights at the same time with onearm leaning laterals. Hold onto an upright with your free hand and take a dumbbell in your other hand. Wedge your feet against the base of the upright, leaning your body outward. Now do one-arm lateral raises with your arm straight and your body rigid. Move the dumbbell up and down for 12 to 15 reps. No cheating. You want to get a pumped feeling in the outer-delt head. Do two to four sets for each arm without rest—just switch arms, reverse your body position and keep moving. You can also do this exercise on a low cable, as pictured.

Shoulder-width workout

One-arm leaning laterals.

Next comes a similar movement—incline one-arm laterals, performed while lying on your side on an incline situp board. Do 12 to 15 reps. Raise the dumbbell until you feel your deltoid is no longer engaged, and then bring it back down to your outer thigh—but don’t let it touch your body before you raise it again. Do one side to failure, then immediately switch your position and do the other side. Always do the two isolation movements after your heavy pressing. The more burning, aching pain you can stand, the more shoulder width you’ll build. Arnold taught me both of those motions more than 30 years ago, but it took almost five years of dedication before I could actually say that I’d changed the “shape” and size of my shoulders. Still, it did happen. So don’t give up; stick with the program. The takeaway: No matter who you are, even if your genetics aren’t the best, you can compensate by training smart and hard. —Paul Burke Editor’s note: Contact Paul Burke via e-mail at pbptb@aol.com. Burke has a master’s degree in integrated studies from Cambridge College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He’s been a champion bodybuilder and arm wrestler, and he’s considered a leader in the field of over-40 fitness training. You can purchase his book, Burke’s Law—a New Fitness Paradigm for the Mature Male, from Home Gym Warehouse. Call (800) 447-0008, or visit www.Home-Gym .com. His “Burke’s Law” training DVD is also now available.

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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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Train to Gain / BREAK-IN PRO TRAINING

Neveux \ Model: Begovic Binais

Old Dog, New Tricks

Ease Back, Gain More

Merv

After ’07 USA champion Ben White was forced to take a monthlong break from training toward the end of the year, he wisely resumed his workouts with light weights and gradually increased the poundage as the weeks and months went by. That wasn’t easy for him psychologically because he’d already targeted the New York Pro show in May ’08 for his much-anticipated debut. For a man who’s officially bench-pressed more than 700 pounds in powerlifting competition, “Go heavy or go home” was a mantra that he had to force himself to ignore. “To make the improvements I wanted for my pro debut, I had to train hard but I also had to stay healthy and injury-free,” he said. “As tempting as it was to jump right back into my usual working weights, I had to take it easy and work my way back there. I could have easily jeopardized my competitive career by getting hurt.” Ben is a truly exceptional physical specimen, with genetics for strength and recovery that the rest of us can only dream about. If he took such precautions on his return to training, average lifters should pay heed. It’s humbling and disheartening to go back to the gym and handle weights that you suspect cause other members to laugh at you behind your back, and most of us are impatient to regain size or strength we may have lost during our time away from training. Rest assured, however: Trying to rush that process isn’t the smart way to go about it. Our bodies need to reacclimate to the stress of heavy weights, which is why it’s wise to make haste slowly, as the saying goes. Ben White. Ease back into your training, starting with weights that aren’t terribly challenging, and increase them just a little bit at each workout. It takes patience, and you may feel that you’re wasting time, but quite the opposite is true. You’re ensuring that you’ll be able to get back to where you were before your break and then surpass it, rather than getting hurt by stupidly attempting to rush the process and missing even more time. In the words of the great rock poet Axl Rose, “All we need is just a little patience.” —Ron Harris www.RonHarrisMuscle.com

Recently I watched the latest DVD from ’07 IRON MAN Pro runner-up Mark Dugdale, “A Week in the Dungeon.” The dungeon in this case is Temple Gym in Birmingham, England, owned by Dorian Yates and the place where he trained for all six of his Mr. Olympia wins. I’ve seen my share of training videos, and most are mindnumbingly similar. How many big freaky dudes can you watch grunt and groan as they lift heavy weights to heavy-metal music, anyway? The twist here is that Dugdale wasn’t simply training—he was being trained by Dorian. The workouts are an eye-opening experience. Even though Dugdale had been training for 15 years and has obviously built one of the world’s best physiques, Yates had plenty of advice to offer him. For instance, Dorian was known throughout the ’90s for his amazingly thick back development; that’s an area Dugdale admittedly needs to improve. And no doubt he’ll be doing so. Dorian pointed out that Mark was fairly weak in the contracted position of all rowing movements. “If you can’t hold the static contraction,” Dorian pronounced, “then you weren’t really lifting the weight Mark Dugdale. with pure muscle power.” Yates also shared his preexhaust beliefs. For example, after working hard on the Nautilus pullover machine, you’ll use a lot more lats and less biceps on machine pulldowns and barbell rows. Mark left England with a wealth of valuable tips on how to make his training more productive. That ought to show the rest of us that no matter how long we’ve been training and how far we’ve managed to take our physiques, there’s always something we can do a little better or more effectively. Make a point of hooking up with another experienced lifter for a workout or two every so often and offer each other feedback and suggestions, sharing tricks and techniques. Both of you old dogs will undoubtedly come away with a few new tricks. —Ron Harris www.RonHarrisMuscle.com

30 JUNE 2008 \ 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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Train to Gain / PREVENTION

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Stretching between sets increases your odds of injury.

Neveux \ Model: Greg Blount

Six weeks out from the ’08 Arnold Classic, Victor Martinez was heavily favored to win (and I mean, practically a shoo-in) for the second year in a row. Then tragedy struck during a leg workout. While stretching between sets of lunges, he felt something go in his knee. That something was his patellar tendon tearing, and it was an injury severe enough to require emergency surgery and knock him out of the show he’d been preparing for. Is there a lesson to be learned here for the rest of us? I believe so, and it may surprise you. What happened to Victor could be a strong warning to avoid stretching a muscle until you’re completely done working it. That flies in the face of what many experts have told us for years. Aggressive stretching between sets is something that both John Parrillo and Dante Trudel (creator of DC training) advocate as a means of loosening the tough connective tissue called fascia that surrounds our muscles, theoretically allowing more growth to take place. While I’m not denying the validity of that theory, I question the safety of the practice, especially for those with extreme amounts of muscle mass and strength, which would put more strain on the connective tissues when they’re stretched Victor Martinez. to their maximum

You want flexibility, not injury

Merv

length. Charles Glass, certainly one of our most respected trainers, explains why he doesn’t have clients stretch until after a muscle group is trained: “Obviously, we know that stretching before a workout is a bad idea,” he says. “Studies have shown that this decreases muscle power by up to 30 percent. By taking that a step further, you can see that stretching a muscle between sets would decrease performance for the set that follows.” As for between-set stretching increasing the odds of injury, Glass also agrees: “Here you are, contracting the muscle over and over again as you perform repetitions in a set and attempting to make the contractions as powerful as possible. Then you want to interrupt that with exaggerated stretches? Our muscles are pretty elastic, but you shouldn’t push your luck like that.” If your reasons for stretching are to maintain or increase flexibility or even if you’re attempting to break up and loosen the muscle fascia, you can get those benefits by stretching the muscle at the end of the workout or at least when you’ve finished working a specific bodypart. —Ron Harris www.RonHarrisMuscle.com

32 JUNE 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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The Brothers Grimm

half-pound plate to each dumbbell. They’d ordered some magnets, which would be easier to load. Next the brothers loaded the seated Hammer shrug machine. They used a parallel grip. Had the machine not been available, I’d have had them use a parallel grip with a pair of dumbbells. A single warmup set and two work sets followed. They got their target 10 reps and then eight reps on the work sets. That entitled each of them to add two pounds to this exercise at their next upperbody session. The brothers took about three minutes between sets for all exercises—enough rest so that they could make a full effort on the next work set but not so much that they cooled down. During the rest they had a drink of water or updated their training log. They never exceeded the target reps. The focus was on gradual poundage progression for each exercise, with a fixed rep count for each set, albeit not the same rep count for all exercises. For lats and upper back, Stelios and Yiannis did pulldowns, with a supinated grip and their hands a little closer than shoulder width. A single warmup set and two work sets followed. Their target reps were eight on the first work set and six on the second—but they made eight and five. They wouldn’t be increasing the poundage next time and would stay with their current weights until they got the eight and six. Because they’d already done low-incline bench presses or dips and the back-supported dumbbell presses, their triceps had been heavily trained. For their biceps, although pulldowns provided significant work, I had them do incline dumbbell curls to ensure full stimulation. They did them on a 45 degree bench, starting with a parallel grip at the bottom of each rep and supinating their wrists, rotating them outward as far as possible as they curled. After a brief pause at the point of full contraction at the top, they returned to the parallel-hand position at the bottom. They hit their target eight reps and then six reps on the two work sets, which entitled them to add half a pound to the exercise on the next upper-body day. For a pair of dumbbells that means a quarter pound on each. They finished their workout with a few sets using hand grippers—a warmup set and two work sets per hand. Before they left the gym, the brothers spent about 20 minutes carefully stretching, and then they had a postworkout shake of carbs and protein. About an hour later they had a proper meal. —Stuart McRobert www.Hardgainer.com Neveux \ Model: Mike Semenoff

In the last installment I took you through the Grimm brothers’ new lower-body routine. Now let’s go through their new upper-body workout. Their new program alternates two routines—an upper/lower split—over three training days a week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday. That gives them four full rest days each week and has them train each bodypart three times every two weeks. They start upper-body day with the Hammer crunch machine. Had the gym not had a good crunch machine, I’d have had them do crunches on the floor, with their calves resting on a bench and their knees bent at about 90 degrees—and with a dumbbell held horizontally across their chests for resistance. On a recent Monday they both did one warmup set with two-thirds of their crunch work-set poundages and then two intense work sets. They got the target 10 reps and eight reps on the two work sets, which entitled them to add one pound to the exercise at their next upper-body workout—pinning a one-pound plate to the weight stack. (Yiannis and Stelios always bring their set of small weight plates to the gym.) As on their lower-body days, the brothers now use immaculate exercise technique and a controlled rep speed, typically two seconds for the lifting portion of each rep and two for the lowering portion, with a pause for a second or two between reps. When they get to the final reps of each work set, their rep speed slows a little. For their pecs they used to spread their effort thinly over pec deck flyes, incline flyes and bench presses. Now, they do just one exercise each. Because Yiannis is lankier than Stelios, he’s more suited to dips as his chest exercise, but Stelios is well suited to low-incline bench presses. Yiannis uses V-shaped bars for the dips, a medium bar spacing—neither wide nor close. The day I was there, he did a warmup set of pushups and then a set of dips with bodyweight only. Then he got his target eight reps and six reps on the two work sets. That entitled him to add one pound to the exercise at his next upperbody day. For Stelios, the bench was set at 30 degrees. He did two warmup sets: one with half of his work-set weight and the second with about 80 percent of his work-set weight. Then he did two work sets. I spotted for him, and he got his target eight reps and then six reps on the two work sets without assistance. That entitled him to add one pound to the exercise at his next upper-body day. For their shoulders they used to do laterals, seated backsupported dumbbell presses and shrugs. Now they do the latter two exercises only, the bench set at about 75 degrees for the back-supported presses. They did one warmup set with two-thirds of their work-set weights. Then they did two work sets. I spotted for them, and they both got their target eight reps and then six reps on the two work sets without assistance. That entitled them to add one pound to the exercise at their next upper-body day—one pound on a pair of dumbbells means half a pound on each. To do that the brothers taped a

A bodybuilding odyssey, part 6

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 Home Gym Warehouse, (800) 447-0008, or go to www.Home-Gym.com.

34 JUNE 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Concentration Curls

The concentration curl has been a mainstay of weight training since at least the early days of the York Barbell Club, in the 1930s. There are many photos of the form and weight those men used—and nothing’s changed. You perform the concentration curl while sitting on a bench with your knees spread apart a bit and a dumbbell in one hand. With the elbow of the arm holding the weight resting

X-FILES

Exercise for High Bi’s

against your inner thigh, you begin with the dumbbell in the bottom position and the elbow straight. Then, without any swinging or momentum, you bend, or flex, the elbow fully, performing the curl. The opposite hand is usually placed on the opposite knee for stability. Some trainees lean on the opposite thigh with their free forearm. The exercise is often used as a lighter, finishing move for the biceps following heavy barbell or cambered-bar curls and preacher curls. Many trainees believe that concentration curls contribute to the shape of the biceps, particularly the peak. That’s debatable, as it’s virtually impossible to have one portion of the muscle fire and the adjacent part not fire. If trainees feel that the concentration curl is actually contributing to their biceps peak, it may be due to the fact that the very strict form required by the exercise is forcing them to actually work their biceps. Other muscles can contribute significantly when you perform barbell curls, but the concentration curl is a more isolated movement. Some people use the concentration curl as their main biceps exercise, or they use it at one biceps workout and barbell curls at the next. They eventually work up to very heavy dumbbells. A former world-class powerlifter, David Shaw, performed concentration curls with 100-pound dumbbells. Shaw was not the first to handle that amount of weight, but he’s a member of a small club. There are very few clinical or biomechanical concerns regarding the concentration curl. It’s a safe and effective movement. The only problem could be caused by letting the dumbbell drop quickly and swinging on the downstroke because that could hyperextend the elbow and injure the joint or the ligaments in front of the elbow. The concentration curl is somewhat similar to the spider curl, which is performed on a vertical bench similar to a preacher curl bench. The difference is that the back of the spider curl bench is vertical instead of slanted. Spider curls were made popular by threetime Mr. Olympia Sergio Oliva. The concentration curl is like the spider curl in that it is a very strict movement that has a somewhat vertical plane. —Joseph M. Horrigan

So can concentration curls develop biceps peak? While that’s debatable, magnetic resonance imaging suggests a reason it may be true. When a trainee performs curls with a wide grip, the inner, or medial, head of the biceps is primarily activated, with less emphasis on the outer, or lateral, head. Closer grips appear to favor the outer head of the biceps, and doing concentration curls places the arm in an “in” grip—it’s about as close in as you can go because the working arm moves across the body to the opposite deltoid. Outer-head development can create more peak in some trainees because when the biceps is flexed the outer head can rise above the inner head. That can become even more pronounced when the brachialis is developed. The brachialis snakes under the biceps and connects down on the forearm, so when it becomes larger, the biceps rise higher. Hammer curls work the brachialis and make a perfect peak-complementing combo with concentration curls. —Steve Holman

Merv \ Model: Ronnie Coleman

Neveux \ Model: Begovic Binais

The biceps is probably the most popular muscle to develop and has been for nearly 100 years. Think of all the exercise variations for such a simple muscle: barbell curls, dumbbell curls, hammer curls, reverse curls, preacher curls, Zottman curls, spider curls—and concentration curls, which is this month’s topic.

More pump and peak?

Editor’s note: For more on biceps and triceps exercises, development and specialization workouts, see the e-book X-traordinary Arms, available at X-Rep.com.

36 JUNE 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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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, (800) 447-0008 or at www.Home-Gym.com.

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Many men experience a significant drop in their testosterone count after the age of 40. The reasons vary— changes in testicular function, a failure of the Leydig cells of the testes (site of testosterone synthesis) to respond to the luteinizing hormone sent from the pituitary gland and increased blood levels of sex-hormone-binding globulin, which ties up active testosterone. What it all adds up to is that the average 70-year-old man has 40 percent less testosterone than men in their 20s. Studies associate low testosterone in men with decreased sexual function, muscle loss, decline in muscular strength, osteoporosis and loss of brain function. Men low in testosterone also often have insulin resistance, higher blood pressure and excess bodyfat, all of which make them susceptible to the metabolic syndrome and premature mortality from cardiovascular disease or diabetes. Most doctors are reluctant to prescribe supplemental testosterone based on the misguided notion that many men harbor small cancers in their prostate that could be activated by testosterone therapy. While most men do have small cancers in their prostate gland by age 80, most die from other causes. The small cancer stays localized and doesn’t do anything. And if it were true that testosterone causes prostate cancer, then all men who reach the age of 80 would die from the disease, since they’ve been exposed to testosterone for eight decades. Men often have to look for other ways to boost lagging testosterone. Several studies show that those who regularly exercise have more testosterone than sedentary men—but that means weight-training exercise. Aerobic exercise tends to lower men’s testosterone, especially when accompanied by a lowfat diet. Some studies even suggest that the combination of aerobics and a lowfat diet is a way to prevent prostate cancer. A recently published yearlong study examined the effect of exercise on hormone levels in middle-aged and older men. One hundred and two men, aged 40 to 75, were randomly assigned to a control group that did no exercise or a group that engaged in moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise for 60 minutes, six days a week. Several hormone measures were taken over the course of the year, including testosterone, estrogen and dihydrotestosterone, a hormone that comes from the breakdown of test. The exercising men had more DHT and sex-hormonebinding globulin than the sedentary ones. The amounts were related to increased aerobic fitness, as determined by a rise in maximal use of oxygen. The study found no changes in the exercising men’s testosterone—interesting, when you consider that many bodybuilders believe that doing aerobics suppresses testosterone.

Neveux \ Model: Dan Gwartney, M.D.

Aerobics, Testosterone and Older Men

While abundant DHT is often linked to prostate cancer, the authors cite studies that suggest the reverse: that DHT offers protection against it. They also point out that estrogen may be more active in prostate cancer than DHT and that because DHT can’t be converted into estrogen, having more DHT is protective. Sex-hormone-binding globulin is a protein produced in the liver that, as indicated above, binds active blood testosterone. That means it’s not available to bind to androgen cell receptors. While the exercising men didn’t experience any changes in their testosterone or estrogen counts, having more sex-hormone-binding globulin would without doubt inhibit testosterone reactions in the body. This study strongly suggests that older men who engage in aerobics without lifting weights undergo changes that would reduce the effectiveness of testosterone in their bodies. The next study should examine a group of men of the same age range who lift weights for a year. I have a feeling that it would result in far more desirable measures of big T. —Jerry Brainum

38 JUNE 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Strong-Arm Tactics Q: My biceps and triceps aren’t as strong as they should be on certain lifts. Is there any way to figure out what poundages I should be using on arm exercises? A: You should establish poundage goals on three different lifts for the elbow extensors and three for the elbow flexors. In my opinion, the best lifts for testing those muscles are dips, close-grip bench presses, lying triceps extensions, Scott curls, incline dumbbell curls and standing reverse curls. Consult the chapter on exercise technique in my book Winning the Arms Race for more information on how to perform them properly. Not having balanced strength will greatly limit your growth. If, for example, your dips are subpar in relation to your close-grip bench, include dips in your

triceps routine until they come into balance, as indicated in the table below. You will be rewarded in terms of strength and size. The most common deficiencies in arms I see are on incline curls and reverse curls. The goals listed below will help you direct your training, causing your motivation to skyrocket. You don’t have to go for a max single on all those lifts. To save time and the stress on your adrenal glands, you could just find your six-reps maxes on the six lifts and use the percentages listed to figure out where your deficiencies are. Basically, the table includes the optimal relationships among the poundages for the six key lifts. Note that all the percentages for these “norms” are based on closegrip bench press strength; the poundage used for that exercise represents 100 percent.

Optimal Strength Ratios in the elite male athlete for upper-extremity structural balance. (Poli-

The most common strength deficiencies in arms are seen on incline curls and reverse curls.

quin, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003) Parallel-bar dips* 423 pounds, 117 percent Close-grip bench presses 360 pounds, 100 percent Scott barbell curls 166 pounds, 46 percent Incline dumbbell curls** 160 pounds, 44 percent Lying triceps extensions 144 pounds, 40 percent Standing reverse curls 126 pounds, 35 percent * The norm for the dips includes the athlete’s bodyweight.

Neveux \ Model: Dave Goodin

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** The weight for the incline curls is the total weight of the two dumbbells. Q: I have a physique that most consider quite pleasing, but my gym owner says that I have the upper-trap development of Bill Gates. How can I grow some

48 JUNE 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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back part of your head toward the shoulder. Should you train traps on back day or on shoulder day? It depends on the split you use. If you need a shoulderspecialization program, you have to cut back on the workload devoted to other bodyparts, particularly the chest muscles. All chest work recruits the front deltoids. If your traps are definitely a weakness, you should train them first. The best exercises for the traps are undoubtedly power cleans, power snatches and shrugs done with a variety of implements—barbell, dumbbells and low pulley. Interestingly enough, when trainees have a hard time increasing their curling poundages and suffer from forward head carriage, a trapspecialization program brings about an increase in elbow flexor strength.

Neveux \ Model: Derik Farnsworth

Often when trainees have a hard time increasing curling poundages, trap specialization solves the problem.

Q: I know you recommend a high protein intake, but you can’t always have solid food handy, and I'm sure you don’t carry around a blender. What do you use when you can’t have a solid meal? A: Solid food is always better, but modern life doesn’t always give us access to prepared food or even a blender. Proper planning is the key. I

traps fast? A: Don’t worry about having the trap development of Bill Gates—as long as your girlfriend doesn’t broadcast that your male appendage should be featured in an advertisement for Microsoft. Your lack of trap growth can be due to two things: neural blockage or a poor routine. A trained health professional can help you find out. (The neural blockage could be caused by a subluxation at C3 or C4 or by the accessory nerve adhering to the trap itself. A health practitioner trained in manipulation and Active Release Techniques can help you out with that. To find someone in your area who is trained in those techniques, call [719] 473-7000.) If you are well aligned, here’s a great routine for packing meat on your traps. 1) Seated dumbbell shrugs 1 x 6-8, tempo 2/0/2/0 2) Rest 10 seconds 3) Standing barbell shrugs 1 x 10-12, tempo 1/1/0/1 (pausing at the top of the movement) 4) Rest 10 seconds 5) Hammer neck extensions 1 x 12-15, tempo 2/0/2/0 6) Rest 2 minutes 7) Repeat steps 1-6 two more times. The seated dumbbell shrugs should be done with your palms facing each other. You also want to make sure to keep an upright position when doing shrugs. Very few people realize that neck extensions help thicken the traps, because when the shoulders are fixed, the clavicular division of the upper trapezius draws the

Neveux \ Model: David Fisher

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50 JUNE 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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A postworkout shake is important for kick-starting protein synthesis. prefer to reserve shakes for postworkout nutrition. When I can’t get access to solid food or a blender, I use three products for convenience: I just keep 60 grams of my own brand of high-quality, dry organic whey protein powder in a stainless-steel canteen. All I have to do is to add water. With the shake I take three one-gram fish oil capsules—my own brand. That keeps the insulin response down and supplies some omega-3s for overall general health. In my briefcase I have a plastic bag containing 15 caseinprotein tablets. That ensures that my protein levels stay constant longer. I also carry jerky and nuts to supply nutrition needs throughout the day. Eating solid food keeps blood sugar levels more constant. Q: I’ve recently taken up your suggestion of eating two grams of carbs and .5 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight for my postworkout meal, and it seems to be helping speed up recovery. My question is about calorie requirements for the rest of the meals. The suggestion I see often is: Bodyweight x 10 = Daily calorie requirement while dieting Bodyweight x 12 = Calorie requirement for staying the same weight Bodyweight x 15 = Calorie requirement for building muscle and possibly adding a little bodyfat Obviously those aren’t cast in stone and may require individual customizing for a specific person, but are they pretty close? Or are they myths when

it comes to daily calorie needs? I realize you can’t design a custom meal plan for me, and that’s fine, but could you give me some basic guidelines or formulas to use as a starting point for either gaining lean mass or losing bodyfat? A: I couldn’t care less about calorie requirements. Never did, never will. There are so many factors that can influence your calorie requirements. All calorie counting does is make people neurotic. I never really use calorie guidelines with clients. I use a meal plan that revolves around protein and good fats for a trial. After the trial period I adjust the carb requirements up or down based on a variety of factors, such as muscle mass effectively gained, volume of energy system training and sleep requirements. 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 on page 231. IM

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\ JULY 2006 181

Nutrition With a Get-Big Mission NUTRITION SCIENCE

The Beta-Alanine Scene New study It used to be an obscure amino acid. Now beta-alanine is one of the hottest nutrients for bodybuilding and other athletic purposes. Beta-alanine plays a key role in the synthesis of carnosine, which is a dipeptide, meaning that it’s a combination of two bonded amino acids—in this case beta-alanine and histidine. Various studies show that beta-alanine is the most critical substance required for carnosine synthesis in muscle. Muscle tissue has a rich natural supply of histidine, thus making

extra histidine intake unnecessary. Carnosine helps soak up the excess acidity—or, more specifically, hydrogen ions—that is produced as a result of intense exercise. You feel it as a burning sensation in muscle at the end of a hard set. Excess acidity produces muscular fatigue mainly because it inhibits the enzymes your body needs for energy production and muscle contraction. A number of recent studies, many of which I’ve discussed in IRON MAN, highlight the potential ergogenic value

of beta-alanine supplements. The enthusiasm for beta-alanine is like the reaction when creatine debuted in the commercial supplement market about 15 years ago. The research on betaalanine is equally positive and promising. Like creatine, beta-alanine doesn’t have significant side effects. That’s an important consideration in an era of questionable food additives and supplements. A common flaw of many published studies is the use of untrained subjects, often college students. That doesn’t necessarily invalidate the results, but the findings are often not applicable to more advanced athletes because of the many changes in metabolism and in the handling of various nutrients that occur

New studies show that taking beta-alanine leads to getting more bench press reps.

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with training experience. Carnosine is a perfect example. Various studies have found that merely exercising intensely increases muscle carnosine content considerably. Clearly, that results from the body’s adaptation to exercise, with the need to buffer the excess acidity that results from intense training. So it would appear that advanced trainees don’t require supplements—such as betaalanine—that are capable of boosting muscle carnosine. In fact, however, the few studies that have examined beta-alanine supplementation in elite athletes show that using it boosts muscle carnosine content beyond that of exercise alone. Even more interesting, beta-alanine is effective with long-term use—a difference from creatine. The extent to which you can load muscle with creatine is finite; the law of diminishing returns sets in on the creatine transport system.

No such limitation has been identified with beta-alanine. A recent study examined the shortterm effect of using betaThe study involved alanine 26 male athletes, suppleall of whom had In discussing beta-alanine’s ments on elite athletes. extensive weightThe subjects were 26 training experience. lack of effect during the football drills, the authors suggest male football players, all that since the subjects were of whom had extensive experienced athletes, the three-week weight-training experience. Their averstudy may not have been long enough age age was 19. They were divided into for them to accumulate enough added two groups, with one group taking 4.5 carnosine in their muscles. Another grams of beta-alanine daily (1.5 grams possibility is that more advanced three times daily) and the athletes may need higher doses to other group getting a pladerive maximum benefits. Again, that’s cebo. The supplementation because experienced athletes already began three weeks before have higher than usual levels of carnopreseason football training sine in their muscles. In the tests where camp and continued for beta-alanine had little or no effect, the another nine days during subjects’ bodies may not have prothe camp. The athletes duced enough increased muscle acidity underwent various tests to to limit the activity. In the test that took measure anaerobic capacmore than 60 seconds, which produced ity and fatigue. One test more acidity, beta-alanine showed a involved football drills, which definite beneficial effect. showed that beta-alanine From a bodybuilding perspechad no apparent effect on tive, the important aspects of fatigue. During anaerobic this study are that beta-alanine power tests those in the helped increase training volume beta-alanine group and reduce feelings of fatigue. performed increased That combination would add up training volume—i.e., to a greater capacity for intense more reps—on the training in the gym. bench press and on —Jerry Brainum all other weight-training exercises involving upper-body movements. The subjects in the beta-alanine group also felt less fatigue than the placebo group.

Hoffman, J., et al. (2008). Shortduration B-alanine supplementation increases training volume and reduces subjective feelings in college football players. Nutr Res. 28:31-35.

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2008 57

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to Grow NUTRITION NOTES

Food Facts That can affect your workouts, weight and wellness

LEAN MACHINE

Carbs That Burn Fat

Like potatoes?

Say what? Aren’t potatoes high on the glycemic index and therefore a notorious fat accumulator? Maybe not, according to D. Milton Stokes, R.D., who wrote “Nature’s Fat-Burning Breakthrough” in the March ’08 Prevention. The breakthrough is resistant starch, a dietary fiber found in a lot of carb foods, like potatoes, that resists digestion. Grains and some beans also contain resistant starch, but they have to be cooled to give their resistant-starch content potency. And, according to Stokes, that potency includes an increase in your body’s ability to burn fat and feel full, which reduces hunger: “One study found that replacing just 5.4 percent of total carbohydrate intake with resistant starch created a 20 to 30 percent increase in fat burning after a meal.” What’s more, resistant starch appears to have powerful health benefits too, protecting the lining of the colon, making it less likely to sustain damage that could lead to cancer. So should we start scarfing down potatoes? Well, maybe not too many. Stokes suggests that adding just a half to one cup of cooled resistantstarch-rich food per day can do the trick. So maybe half a baked potato— after it’s cooled off. Other suggestions are bean dip or hummus, bananas (slightly green), yams, brown rice and corn. You’ve read in IRON MAN that all calories aren’t created equal—for example, protein is thermogenic. Maybe all carbs aren’t necessarily bad carbs. Those with resistant starch may be thermogenic too. —Becky Holman www.X-tremeLean.com

Water can increase your strength. Getting adequate hydration prior to a workout enhances nervous system activation, which speeds muscle contraction. Drink eight to 16 ounces of water before you hit the gym. Caffeine is used before training for more energy, but it can also enhance muscle contraction. It appears to enhance calcium reactions in muscle, which makes for harder contractions. Brown sugar is not more healthful than white sugar. Your body processes both the same way. Molasses makes brown sugar brown, but the calories and carbs are the same. Vitamin K, which is found in lettuce and spinach, appears to increase the elasticity of the skin, making it less likely to wrinkle. More salad, please.

Sunlight helps you live longer. According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vitamin D, which your body makes from sunshine, can slow the aging process by reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer. Almonds are a perfect bodybuilding snack. Eating nine almonds gives you about six grams of good fat, a few grams of protein and only 69 calories. —Becky Holman www.X-tremeLean.com

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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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Fat Loss: the Biggest Mistake Excessive motivation is the biggest mistake people make when they’re trying to get lean. How so? When they decide it’s time to lose as much ugly fat as possible and get in shape, the first thing they

do is make a gigantic calorie cut. That tells the body that starvation may be imminent, so the body puts the brakes to its metabolism and starts throwing muscle into the energy furnace. Not good for anyone, especially bodybuilders looking to increase lean mass. The solution is to pull back on the reins of enthusiasm a bit and make gradual calorie reductions. For example, for one to two weeks reduce your daily calorie intake by 50 to 100 grams, preferably through a reduction in carbs. You want to keep your protein fairly high, as it helps increase your metabolism and quash hunger pains (not to mention build muscle). After two weeks or so you can make another small calorie reduction, and so on. Once you are down to around 1,500 calories, you should hold there and begin to gradually increase your activity to continue the leaning process. —Becky Holman www.X-tremeLean.com Editor’s note: The above is adapted from the e-book X-treme Lean. SKIN

The Secret

C Fewer Wrinkles

What is it? You’re reading IRON MAN, so you should have a pretty good idea. It’s consistent workouts. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recently released data that said that people who exercised at least 30 minutes per day from their 20s into their 40s gained very little bodyfat. Keep hitting the iron at least three times a week, and you’ll keep your sleek physique. (If you want to build muscle, it may take a bit more than that.) To put it another way, if you want abs, get off your ass. —Becky Holman www.X-tremeLean.com

A 2007 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that foods loaded with vitamin C reduce dryness in aging skin. So if you want to avoid overly wrinkled skin as you get older, get plenty of vitamin C. —Becky Holman www.X-treme Lean.com

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to Grow ANABOLIC DRIVE

Those Potent Yellow Orbs I often get this in my seminars: “Hey, Dr. Antonio, er, what do you think is the best source of protein?” “Well, that’s a good question,” I reply. And let’s be honest—there are a lot of great protein sources, such as whey, casein, milk, beef, chicken and fish. What about eggs, however? I mean, think about it; you’re eating an entire animal, though it’s shaped more like the planet Saturn. Eggs are one of the best foods on the planet! Yes, on the planet! And just so you know that I’m not some two-bit journalist who makes stuff up for a good story, I’ve got the proof— straight from the vaunted halls of science. Here are a couple of studies that’ll tickle your cholesterol-filled craniums. In one study, 28 overweight men, 40 to 70 years old, were recruited to evaluate the contribution of dietary cholesterol from eggs in a carbohydrate-restricted diet. The subjects were randomly allocated to the EGG group, getting three eggs with 640 milligrams of dietary cholesterol per day, or the SUB group, which got an equivalent amount of egg substitute with zero extra dietary cholesterol per day. Both groups’ calories went from 2,447 calories to 1,903. All subjects lost bodyweight and had smaller waist circumferences at the end of the study, and their plasma triglycerides dropped as well. The plasma concentration of beneficial high-density lipoprotein, however, increased in the EGG group. So eggs can actually be good for your cholesterol. Go figure. In a follow-up study the same researchers examined the effects of egg on adiponectin, a marker of insulin sensitivity, and on inflammatory markers in the context of a carb-restricted diet. Again, 28 chubby guys aged 40 to 70 went on a low-carb diet for 12 weeks. The subjects were

randomly assigned to eat eggs or a placebo. Bodyweight, total bodyfat and trunk fat were reduced in all subjects after 12 weeks. Increases in adiponectin were also found. The subjects in the egg group had a 21 percent increase in adipokine compared to a 7 percent increase in the placebo group. What does that mean? According to the authors, the study shows that “eggs make a significant contribution to the anti-inflammatory effects of a carbrestricted diet, possibly due to the presence of cholesterol, which increases high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, and to the antioxidant lutein, which modulates certain inflammatory responses.” As an adjunct to a carb-restricted diet, eggs are a great food. In the world of physique competition, it would seem that they’d be ideal during a precontest phase. —Jose Antonio, Ph.D. Editor’s note: You can listen to Dr. Jose Antonio and Carla Sanchez on their radio show Performance Nutrition, Web and podcast at www.performancenutritionshow.com. Dr. Antonio is the CEO of the International Society of Sports Nutrition—www. TheISSN.org. His other Web sites include: www. SupplementCoach.com, www.Javafit.com, www. PerformanceNutritionShow.com and www. JoseAntonioPhD.com.

References Mutungi, G., et al. (2008). Dietary cholesterol from eggs increases plasma HDL cholesterol in overweight men consuming a carbohydrate-restricted diet. J Nutr. 138:272-276. Ratliff, J.C., et al. (2008). Eggs modulate the inflammatory response to carbohydrate restricted diets in overweight men. Nutr Metab (Lond). 5:6. 62 JUNE 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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to Grow CARBS

Low or Medium Carbs Popular diets recommend different amounts of carbohydrates. At one end of the diet spectrum are the high-carb, lowfat diets—at least 60 percent carbs, with the suggested carbs being those high in fiber, such as fruits, grains and vegetables. The idea is that fat is the densest source of calories, at nine per gram, compared to the four calories per gram in carbohydrates and protein. Since most lowfat, high-carb diets are either low or moderate in protein content, however, they’re not popular with those seeking added muscle. Protein and fat positively influence the flow of anabolic hormones conducive to building muscle, such as testosterone and growth hormone. For most bodybuilders who want to lose fat, low-carb diets are the way to go. One reason low-carb diets are effective is that they lower insulin levels. While insulin has anabolic effects in muscle, it’s also “fattening,” stimulating every known mechanism that increases bodyfat levels. Carbs stimulate more insulin than protein or fat. Even among low-carb advocates, however, debate rages about how many carbs are required. Popular diets such as Atkins and Protein Power recommend beginning with an ultralow level of carbs, averaging 30 grams a day or fewer. The idea is to bring down the resting insulin level. Since most people with excess bodyfat have a higher-than-normal insulin response to meals and at rest, lowering insulin kick-starts fat loss. The initial rapid weight loss on an ultralow-carb diet is mostly water, but it provides a psychological impetus to staying on the diet. Other diet experts recommend a moderate intake of carbs. Biochemist Barry Sears suggests that 40 percent of your daily calories should be carbs. His Zone diet mandates only lowglycemic-index carbs, which are those higher in fiber. Which type of diet most effectively curtails the hunger demon? A recent study compared the effects of an ultralowcarb diet and a moderate-carb diet similar to the Zone diet. Seventeen obese men followed one of two types of diets: 1) a low-carb, or ketogenic, diet containing only 4 percent carbs

For fat loss

or 2) a moderate-carb diet containing 35 percent carbs. Both diets featured 30 percent protein. The men were permitted to eat as much as they wanted on either diet, as long as they stayed within the parameters of the nutrient content. The subjects ate fewer calories on the lowercarb diet than on the higher-carb one. They were also less hungry, explaining why they ate less. The ketogenic diet is so named because it favors a higher level of ketones in the blood. Ketones are metabolic by-products of fat metabolism that can serve as an alternative energy source when sufficient carbs aren’t available. Both muscles and brain can easily use ketones as an energy source. Animal studies show that an abundance of ketones exerts an appetitesupressing effect on brain chemistry. A frequent criticism of low-carb diets is that dieters eat less because the foods aren’t palatable. That wasn’t the case with this study, which featured a wide variety of flavorful foods. The moderate-carb diet proved superior in its effects on low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, which is linked to various cardiovascular diseases. On the other hand, a low-carb diet is an effective way to lower blood triglycerides, which are a precursor of LDL synthesis in the liver. In addition, a recent study showed that when men followed low-carb diets and also ate eggs (which are high in cholesterol), they experienced significant increases in highdensity-lipoprotein cholesterol, which offers protective effects against cardiovascular disease. —Jerry Brainum

References 1

Johnstone, A.M., et al. (2008). Effects of a high protein ketogenic diet on hunger, appetite, and weight loss in obese men feeding ad libitum. Am J Clin Nutr. 87:44-55. 2 Mutungi, G., et al. (2008). Dietary cholesterol from eggs increases plasma HDL cholesterol in overweight men consuming a carbohydrate-restricted diet. J Nutr. 138:272-276.

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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,

Grow From the IRON MAN Training & Research Center

Muscle-Training Program 104 by Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson Photography by Michael Neveux

68 JUNE 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

you’ve missed our last few installments, it’s basically a streamlined POF program with one all-out work set in each of the three positions of flexion for every bodypart. Over the winter we trained four days per week with that program on the following split: Week 1 ONE WEEK Monday: Chest, lats, triceps, abs Tuesday: Quads, hamstrings, calves, lower back Wednesday: Delts, midback, biceps, forearms Thursday: Off Friday: Chest, deadlifts, triceps, abs Weekend: Off (with cardio) Week 2 TWO WEEK Monday: Delts, midback, biceps, forearms Tuesday: Quads, hamstrings, calves, lower back Wednesday: Chest, lats, triceps, abs Thursday: Off Friday: Delts, deadlifts, biceps, forearms Weekend: Off (with cardio) Week 3 THREE WEEK Repeat Week 1

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Models: Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson

good training partner can be indispensable; however, motivation and attentiveness aren’t the only necessary qualities. It’s best if your partner has the same body type as yours and responds to the same type of training. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with us, and it drives us bonkers at times. For one thing, we’re different ages— Jonathan is 35, and Steve is 48. Guess which one of us needs more recovery time. But that’s only part of the problem. Jonathan is also more anaerobic than Steve. While he’s not a pure fast-twitch animal like most pro bodybuilders, he does lean more in that direction than Steve does. That means Jonathan responds better to max-force-style training, which for the most part is heavy weights and straight sets. Steve, on the other hand, has genetics more suited to Ping-Pong than bodybuilding—he’s a thin hardgainer type. Nevertheless, by maximizing all of the facets of growth—pure fast-twitch fiber hypertrophy; high-glycolytic-fiber growth and endurance-component development (mitochondria, capillaries, etc.)—he looks like a bodybuilder when he’s in shape. That’s with a below-average fast-twitch fiber count. We’re going over all of this is because we’re about to explain why we’re altering our 3D HIT program somewhat. In case

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It’s a big blast of workout information, motivation and muscle-building science in your e-mail box every week—and it’s all free! Tons of practical training tips, analysis and size tactics are jam-packed into this e-zine from the IRON MAN Training & Research Center, where there’s more than 50 years of training experience to get you growing fast! Here are a few of the latest editions’ titles (online now):

Grow

On that split we work legs only once a week, although we substitute regular deadlifts for the back routine on Friday giving us residual leg work at the end of the week as well as a heavy back blast. We follow deads with one or two sets of a direct back exercise—pulldowns if it’s lat day, machine rows if it’s midback day. How did it work? Steve got good results, while Jonathan saw sporadic gains, remaining fairly stagnant most of the time. Is that because of Steve’s age and his need for more recovery? Or is it because Jonathan wasn’t getting enough max-force work? Maybe a little of both. On the max-force exercises, as with Smith-machine incline presses,

for example, we did only one set plus X-Rep partials at the end of that set. Because Steve responds less to max force than Jonathan, that was okay for Steve. He got more from continuous tension on the last two exercises, a stretch-position move and a contracted-position exercise, the latter usually with a drop set. He even got extra continuous-tension work on warmup sets. In other words, Steve was getting a good dose of what he requires most to grow: continuous tension

Models: Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson

Train, Eat,

Double-X Overload is using an X-Rep partial after each full rep.

IRON MAN Training & Research Center Muscle-Training Program 104 Workout 1: Chest, Lats, Triceps, Abs Smith-machine incline presses (X Reps; DXO) High-low cable flyes (drop; X Reps) Dumbbell bench presses (X Reps) Flyes (X Reps) Superset Wide-grip dips (X Reps) Low cable flyes Superset Low cable flyes Wide-grip dips (DXO style) Wide-grip pulldowns (X Reps; DXO) Undergrip pulldowns Machine or dumbbell pullovers Stiff-arm pulldowns (drop) Lying extensions (X Reps; DXO) Overhead dumbbell extensions or cable pushouts Tri-set Pushdowns Kickbacks Bench dips Giant set Incline kneeups Ab Bench crunches Twisting crunches End-of-bench kneeups

2 x 9-12 1 x 10(6) 1 x 9-12 1 x 9-12

Machine standing calf raises or one-leg calf raises (drop; X Reps) Seated calf raises (X Reps) Hyperextensions or Nautilus lower-back machine (X Reps)

1 x 12(7) 1 x 15-20 1 x 10-15

Workout 3: Delts, Midback, Biceps, Forearms 1 x 9-12 1 x 8-10 1 x 8-10 1 x 9-12 2 x 9-12 1 x 9-12 1 x 9-12 1 x 10(6) 2 x 9-12 1 x 9-12 1 x 10-12 1 x 8-10 1 x 8-10 1 x 12-15 1 x 10-12 1 x 10-15 1 x 9-12

Workout 2: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves, Lower Back Leg extensions (warmup) 1 x 12-15 Squats (second set DXO) 2 x 9-12 Sissy squats 1 x 9-12 Leg extensions (drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) Walking lunges 1 x 10-15 Stiff-legged deadlifts (DXO) 1 x 7-9 Leg curls (drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) Knee-extension leg press calf raises (X Reps) 1 x 12-15 Leg press calf raises (DXO) 1 x 12-15

Smith-machine upright rows (X Reps) Seated lateral raises (X only) One-arm cable laterals or incline one-arm laterals (X Reps) Forward-lean laterals (drop; X Reps) Smith-machine presses (X Reps) Seated dumbbell presses (DXO) Bent-over laterals (drop; X Reps) Machine rows (X Reps; DXO) V-handle cable rows (X only) Bent-arm bent-over laterals (drop; X Reps) Dumbbell shrugs (drop; X Reps) Preacher curls Cable curls (DXO) Incline curls Concentration curls or one-arm spider curls (drop) Incline hammer curls (drop) Superset Dumbbell wrist curls (X Reps) Behind-the-back wrist curls Superset Dumbbell reverse wrist curls (X Reps) Forearm Bar reverse wrist curls

2 x 9-12 1 x 9-12 1 x 9-12 1 x 10(6) 1 x 9-12 1 x 7-9 1 x 10(6) 2 x 9-12 1 x 9-12 1 x 10(6) 1 x 12(7) 1 x 9-12 1 x 9-12 1 x 9-12 1 x 10(7) 1 x 10(7) 1 x 20 1 x 10 1 x 15-20 1 x 8-10

Friday Workout Deadlifts (substitute for back workout)

1 x 9-12

Note: Where X-Reps are designated, usually only one set or phase of a drop set is performed with X Reps or an X-Rep hybrid technique from the e-book Beyond XRep Muscle Building. See the X-Blog at www.X-Rep.com for more workout details.

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Train, Eat,

Grow

and occlusion. Jonathan was essentially getting only one set of what he needs most: max force. We also have to keep in mind that we put the program into play at a time of year when our motivation is lowest— winter. For abbreviated programs to work, you have to wage war on every set. That didn’t always happen, thanks to holidays, crummy weather and the fact that our bodies were covered with sweatpants and long-sleeved shirts. So the question becomes how we alter the program now—almost spring—so Jonathan gets more of what he needs without derailing Steve’s progress. The answer is Xonly and Double-X-Overload sets.

X-Only Sets We’ve talked in this series and in our e-books and e-zine about the

semistretch point, near the turnaround on an exercise’s stroke, and how it’s the best spot for max-force generation and therefore optimal fast-twitch-fiber activation. More work in that area sounds like just what the doctor ordered for Jonathan’s extra dose of max force. Sure, we could just add a second standard set of a big, midrange exercise like Smith-machine incline presses, but we wanted to zero in on the problem without wasting effort. That means an entire set of X-Rep partials, moving the bar to the semistretch point—near the turnaround—and up only eight inches on each rep. We use the same weight that we use on our first normal set, except we do only X-Rep partials—10 to 12 of them in a row. It’s a quick, fairly explosive set, and we can feel the target muscle firing for all it’s worth.

While that sounds perfect for Jonathan, will it be too much for Steve? It hasn’t been in the past, but he’s pushing 50 now, so it could sap his recovery ability. In an attempt to prevent that, we do a Double-XOverload set in place of the X-only set at every other workout.

Double-X Overload This style provides double hits at the important semistretch point, but the weight is lighter than it is on a standard set. For example, on seated dumbbell presses, we drive the dumbbells to near lockout, lower to chin level, drive them up to eye level, lower back down to chin level, then drive them overhead. It’s like a hitch at the bottom of each rep, and that provides unique semistretch overload as well as a slightly more explosive movement, similar

IRON MAN Training & Research Center Home-Gym Program 104 Workout 1: Chest, Lats, Triceps, Abs Incline presses (X Reps; DXO) Incline flyes (drop) Bench presses (X Reps) Flyes (X Reps) Wide-grip dips or decline presses (X Reps) Decline flyes (drop) Chins Undergrip chins Dumbbell pullovers Undergrip rows (drop) Lying extensions (X Reps; DXO) Overhead dumbbell extensions Kickbacks (drop; X Reps) Giant set Incline kneeups Flat-bench leg raises Ab Bench or full-range crunches End-of-bench kneeups

2 x 9-12 1 x 10(6) 1 x 9-12 1 x 9-12 1 x 9-12 1 x 10(6) 1 x 9-12 1 x 9-12 1 x 9-12 1 x 10(6) 2 x 9-12 1 x 9-12 1 x 10(6) 1 x 15-20 1 x 10-12 1 x 10-12 1 x 9-12

Workout 2: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves, Lower Back Leg extensions (warmup) Squats (second set DXO) Sissy squats Leg extensions (drop; X Reps) Walking lunges Stiff-legged deadlifts (DXO) Leg curls (drop; X Reps) Knee-extension donkey calf raises (X Reps) Donkey calf raises (X Reps; DXO) One-leg calf raises (drop; X Reps) Seated calf raises (X Reps)

1 x 12-15 2 x 9-12 1 x 9-12 1 x 10(6) 1 x 10-15 1 x 7-9 1 x 10(6) 1 x 12-15 2 x 10-15 1 x 12(8) 1 x 15-20

Hyperextensions (X Reps)

1 x 10-15

Workout 3: Delts, Midback, Biceps, Forearms Seated laterals/upright rows (X Reps; DXO) Incline one-arm laterals (X Reps) Forward-lean laterals (drop; X Reps) Barbell or dumbbell presses (X Reps) Bent-over laterals (drop; X Reps) Bent-over rows (X Reps; DXO) One-arm dumbbell rows Bent-arm bent-over laterals (drop; X Reps) Dumbbell shrugs (drop; X Reps) Dumbbell curls (second set DXO) Incline curls Concentration curls or one-arm spider curls (drop) Incline hammer curls Superset Dumbbell wrist curls (X Reps) Behind-the-back wrist curls Superset Dumbbell reverse wrist curls (X Reps) Forearm Bar reverse wrist curls

2 x 9-12 1 x 9-12 1 x 10(6) 2 x 9-12 1 x 10(6) 2 x 9-12 1 x 9-12 1 x 10(6) 1 x 12(8) 2 x 9-12 1 x 9-12 1 x 10(6) 1 x 9-12 1 x 20 1 x 10 1 x 15-20 1 x 8-10

Friday Workout Deadlifts (substitute for back workout)

1 x 9-12

Note: If you don’t have a leg extension machine, do oldstyle hacks, nonlock style. Use partner resistance, towel around the ankles, if you don’t have a leg curl machine.

72 JUNE 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Grow

to what the pros use—but safer because of the lighter poundages. Speaking of the pros, Jay Cutler uses the technique on many exercises. Watch his DVDs, and you’ll see it in action—although he often does three or four X Reps at the bottom of each rep before driving through a full repetition. DXO is one of our favorite techniques, and it works well on most big, midrange exercises—even squats. Your quads will be screaming as you double dip at the bottom of each rep. It also works well on most stretch-position moves. One of our favorites is stiff-legged deadlifts. You don’t have to use as much weight, so you hammer your hamstrings in the stretch position without a lot of lower-back stress. DXO sets are also ideal for older bodybuilders who have joint problems. It makes for fast-twitch recruitment with lighter weights. Steve has found that it makes him more muscular quickly. In fact, it was one of our dominant techniques the year after our first XRep experiment. We gained nearly an additional 10 pounds of mass

Models: Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson

Train, Eat,

Steve’s ectomorphic structure has training requirements different from those for Jonathan’s more mesomorphic physique.

that year, 2005, and DXO was a big reason. That’s documented, along with the program we used, in our e-book Beyond X-Rep Muscle Building. Maybe it’s time for us to reread our own stuff—to remind us what works. We’re both getting older, so we forget sometimes. Note: In the programs on pages 70 and 72, where DXO is listed, it’s usually applied on the second set of that exercise. For example, Smith-

machine incline presses (X Reps; DXO) means the first set is performed with end-of-set X Reps and the second is lighter in DXO style or as an X-only set with the same weight as the first standard set. Editor’s note: For the latest on X Reps, X e-books and the X-Blog training and supplement journals, visit www.X-Rep.com. A few of the mass-training e-books are shown below. IM

X-traordinary Workouts — X-ceptional Results!

The Ultimate Mass Workout. This is the original X-Rep manual. Includes the ultimate exercise for each muscle and workouts.

Beyond X-Rep Muscle Building. More on X Reps and X-hybrid techniques, including X Fade and Double-X Overload.

3D Muscle Building. Positions-of-Flexion mass training. Includes the 20pounds-of-muscle-in-10weeks size surge program.

X-Rep.com 74 JUNE 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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X-traordinary MuscleBuilding Workouts. The big 10 mass-program arsenal. Includes Heavy/Light, 20Rep Squat, Power Pyramid.

by John Hansen, Mr. Natural Olympia

Stop Pain for More Gain

2006 issues on the subject, but I can summarize my recommendations. Elbows. The elbows take a beating on any type of extension movement for Q: I’m 42 years old, and I’ve been training conthe triceps. sistently since I was a teenager. I’m having a lot of They can also joint pain during my training. I know you’ve been hurt during training a long time also, so I wanted know what pressing exeryou’d recommend to help me work out without so cises, especialmuch pain. Any tips? ly those done with a barbell. A: Getting old is not fun, is it? I’ve definitely had to To prevent make a lot of concessions in my training as I’ve gotten elbow pain, I older. Pounding my body with heavy weights for 30 years like training has taken its toll on my joints and lower back. I wrote a triceps immediately after chest. The heavy pressing movetwo-part article for IRON MAN in the January and February ments I do during my chest routine warm up my elbows and triceps, so when I train the triceps directly, I don’t have as much elbow pain as I would have if I did triceps first. In addition, I never begin my triceps routine with an extension movement like skull crushers or overhead extensions. I always do either a pressing movement like close-grip bench presses or an exercise that’s not as stressful to my joints, like pushdowns. Only when my triceps are fatigued and my elbows are thoroughly warmed up do I perform an extension exercise. Knees. Years of heavy squats, leg presses and hack squats have had a shearing effect on my knee tendons. My knees seem to be okay as long as I warm them up by doing other exercises first. Only then do I do the exercises that place a lot of stress on the knee tendons. I always begin my leg workouts by training abs. Exercises for the lower abs usually involve the legs to some degree (hanging knee raises or lying leg raises), and that helps bring some blood into the legs in preparation for the leg workout. Years of heavy squats and/or leg presses For my actual quadon workout I don’t (continued page 102) can take a toll on knees. Performing start with leg presses or squats. Inan extensive warmup or putting those stead, I do leg extensions, beginning exercises last in your quad routine can with a light weight for 20 reps and addalleviate some or all of the discomfort. ing weight on the successive sets for 15 and 12 reps, respectively. That pumps Neveux \ Model: Greg Smyers

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Naturally Huge

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Neveux \ Model: Jonathan Lawson

NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY H

Naturally Huge

Rotator cuff work can warm up the shoulder for heavy pressing exercises. up my quads and warms up my knees at the same time. At that point in the workout, I can perform squats or leg presses. If I’m going to include an exercise that’s particularly hard on the knees, like lunges or hack squats, I do them at the very end of the workout so I don’t have to go as heavy and my legs are really pumped. Shoulders. I never had problems with my shoulders until I strained a rotator cuff in 2002 when I was training very heavy. To prevent the problem from recurring, I do light rotator cuff exercises with dumbbells before I begin my shoulder or chest workouts. That seems to strengthen the small rotator cuff muscles and also warms up the shoulders for the ensuing heavy training. For the first rotator cuff exercise I place my elbow on a preacher bench while I sit on the bench sideways. My arm is bent at a right angle, and I lower my forearm forward and then come back to the starting position. That strengthens the rotator cuff muscle in the back of the shoulder, where my original injury occurred. The other rotator cuff exercise has me lying on my side on a bench, holding the dumbbell in one hand. I keep my upper arm pressed against my side with my arm bent at the elbow. I lower my forearm down to the bench and bring it up while keeping my upper arm pressed against my side. That also works the rotator cuff in the back of the shoulder. I do two sets per arm of each rotator cuff exercise for approximately 15 to 20 reps per set. By doing the exercises consistently before my chest and shoulder workouts, I can prevent rotator cuff problems. If my rotator cuff starts to flare up again, however, I have no problem with going to a good chiropractor for treatment with electrical stimulation and deep-tissue massage. Lower back. My biggest problem over the past few years has been my lower back. Thirty years of training heavy on exercises like squats, deadlifts, barbell rows, T-bar rows and overhead presses has compressed the disks in my lower back substantially. I’m currently seeing a chiropractor who is trying to help me regain the natural curve in my spine to take some of the pressure off the compressed disks. I’ve also added yoga and stabilization exercises for the lower back to my training regimen in order to stretch and strengthen the lower-back

muscles. I’m still able to do squats and deadlifts, but I take great care to do both of them very slowly and under control. I do the deadlifts at the end of my back workout, and I do each rep slowly, especially on the negative portion. I also do squats slow by holding the bottom position for a two-second count before coming back up. Getting older can make training tougher, but it’s still possible if you make adjustments in your training and do everything you can to work around the injuries. Keep going to the gym and follow the tips. Train hard! Q: I weigh 160 pounds, and I use a lot of creatine (10 grams a day) and glutamine (10 grams a day), but I have a problem with not being able to eat a lot of protein consistently. I train four times a week, one hour per session, but I may get only 100 to 110 grams of protein a day. I don’t eat too many eggs, as the yolks have high cholesterol, and the whites don’t have a lot of protein. I may eat five egg whites, but not 15 or 20. I don’t like fish. I do have a serving of whey protein after my workout. Can I gain lean muscle if I compensate by getting a lot of creatine and glutamine? Or should I eat more protein? I just cannot eat 30 grams of protein per meal, and whey powders cost a lot in my country. I’ve been training for 10 years and have gained merely 22 pounds. What can I change in my lifestyle to approach the size of the pros, who weigh more than 220 pounds? The pros advise eating eight meals a day with 250 to 300 grams of protein daily, but I cannot eat like that without becoming overweight. I’ve tried getting to 170 pounds in the off-season, with much bodyfat, but when I cut up for a contest, I can only compete at 150 pounds ripped. How can I attain a contest weight of 170 pounds with less than 5 percent bodyfat? Should I eat more carbs in the off-season? A: You don’t need to do exactly what professional bodybuilders do—they are stating what works for them and their physiques (eating eight times a day and taking in more than 300 grams of protein)—however, you do need to change your nutrition program in order to add some size. The best method for putting on size and weight is an individual thing. It depends on, among other things, your age

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Working hard on the big exercises will increase your muscle size—if you feed your muscles the nutrients they need to recuperate and grow.

I’m not eating six whole-food meals a day. It’s more convenient to have protein drinks in addition to the whole-food meals when you’re working or going to school. One serving of a high-quality protein powder provides almost 50 grams of complete protein. You were right on the money when you asked if increasing the carbs will help you to gain weight and add more size. If you’re not eating enough complex carbohydrates in the off-season, you are limiting the amount of muscle mass you can pack onto your frame. Bodybuilders who are naturally thin and have a hard time gaining weight should be eating at least two grams of carbohydrates for each pound of bodyweight. In your case that adds up to 320 grams of carbs per day. If that doesn’t help you add more size and bodyweight, you can increase it to three grams of carbs for each pound of bodyweight—or 480 grams of carbs per day. Complex carbohydrates, such as oatmeal, sweet potatoes, whole-wheat bread, brown rice and whole-wheat pasta, will help keep the glycogen stores in your muscle cells full. In addition, they provide the energy you need to train heavy and hard in your workouts. Speaking of your training, you should push yourself to get stronger and train heavier at each workout. By progressively getting stronger and using more resistance on the basic exercises for six to eight reps, you’ll develop more muscle size and thickness. You’ll never get really big until you get strong first. Keep the sets moderate for each muscle group so you don’t overtrain the muscles, and use the basic exercises for the majority of your workouts. When you start getting stronger on exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, incline presses, overhead presses, barbell rows, T-bar rows, stiff-legged deadlifts, close-grip bench presses and barbell curls, you’ll get bigger—if you feed your muscles the nutrients they need to recuperate and grow. You asked if creatine and glutamine could replace a low protein intake. The answer is no. Although both creatine and glutamine are important and effective supplements, you need protein from food if you want to build more muscle tissue. Creatine is great for providing more power to the muscles during your workouts, and glutamine helps strengthen the immune system and aids recuperation, but neither can take the place of high-quality protein for rebuilding damaged muscle tissue. Neveux \ Model: Jimmy Mentis

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Naturally Huge

and your metabolism. It sounds as if you have the type of body that has a difficult time adding size. So start increasing your calories. Start out slow by gradually increasing the amount of food that you take in on a daily basis. Write down exactly what you’re eating now and count up the calories as well as the amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fats. If you’re eating only 100 grams of protein a day, you need to increase that to build more muscle. I recommend at least 1.25 grams for each pound of bodyweight. If you weigh 160 pounds, you should try to get 200 grams of protein a day—double what you’re currently taking in. You don’t need to eat a tremendous amount of food at each meal in order to get in the nutrients you need. That’s the value of eating six small meals per day as opposed to three big ones. If you ate 33 grams of protein six times a day, it would add up to 198 grams of protein. In my book Natural Bodybuilding I list several sources of complete protein foods along with the serving sizes and the amount of protein that each serving contains. For example, eating 10 egg whites gives you 170 calories and 35 grams of protein, a five-ounce serving of lean ground turkey comes out to 33 grams of protein, a four-ounce portion of sirloin steak contains 34 grams of protein and a six-ounce chicken breast has 36 grams of protein. I prefer to supplement my diet with protein drinks so

Editor’s note: John Hansen has won the Natural Mr. Olympia and is a two-time Natural Mr. Universe winner. Visit his Web site at www.naturalolympia.com. You can write to him at P.O. Box 3003, Darien, IL 60561, or call tollfree (800) 900-UNIV (8648). His new book, Natural Bodybuilding, and new training DVD, “Real Muscle,” are now available from Home Gym Warehouse, visit www.HomeGym.com, or call (800) 447-0008. IM

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by David Goodin by David Goodin

Carving Compounds

Q: I’ve seen both your print and video ads for GH Stak. Do you really use it? If so, is it effective? What other supplements do you recommend? A: That’s a question I’ve been asked a lot lately. The answer is, yes, I really do use the GH Stak. It’s an outstanding product. In the video commercial that I did (on HomeGym.com), I talk about taking GH Stak 30 minutes prior to a workout. Actually I like to take it first thing in the morning, Dave, at age 48, when my stomach is completely empty. I have a glass on my was in the best bathroom counter. As soon as shape of his life I get up, I fill it with water and drop in two effervescent tabs. at the ’07 Team Then I get in the shower. By the Universe. He time I’m through showering, it’s gives part of the dissolved and ready to drink. How effective is it? Well, I credit to certain can’t unequivocally give GH supplements. Stak all the credit, but after using it for 10 months I was in the best condition of my life for the ’07 Team Universe, at age 48. The reason I say that I can’t give GH Stak all the credit is that I started using several other Muscle-Link products at the same time I started on the GH Stak (I’ll get to the other supplements in a moment). I can, however, point to my speedy recovery from hamstring tendon reattachment surgery as an indication that the GH Stak does indeed work. My orthopedic surgeon was amazed at how quickly I recovered. When I went for a checkup 7 1/2 weeks after surgery, I was supposed to be on crutches. He was flabbergasted that I was able to walk into his office with just a cane (which I really didn’t need). I could already completely straighten my leg, and I ditched the cane as soon as I left the office. My recovery was so rapid that I was able to guest pose just 16 weeks after surgery. People my age are not supposed to heal that quickly. I attribute the accelerated healing to elevated growth hormone levels because I used the GH Stak. The other products that I started using at the same time are Pro-Fusion protein, Omega Roland Balik

SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSC

Shredded Muscle

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I can point to my speedy recovery from hamstring tendon reattachment surgery as an indication that GH Stak does indeed work. My orthopedic surgeon was amazed. (See page 138 for more information on GH Stak.) Stak, CreaSol, Red Dragon (beta-alanine), ZMA-T and Cort-Bloc. With the Pro-Fusion, Omega Stak and CreaSol I simply switched from similar products I was already using. I must say that the Pro-Fusion protein is definitely the best tasting powder I’ve used. All of my clients absolutely love it. The Omega Stak is an excellent blend of essential fatty acids. I highly recommend it to everyone for the fantastic array of health benefits that it provides: anti-inflammatory properties, increased elasticity of muscle and skin, improved brain function and dramatic improvement in cholesterol profile. CreaSol is an outstanding creatine monohydrate supplement. A number of my clients couldn’t tolerate regular creatine because it upset their G.I. tract. Every one of them was able to take the CreaSol with no G.I. distress whatsoever. Red Dragon, which is pure beta-alanine, is another outstanding product. Jon Jon Park (son of the late Reg Park) said that in his estimation beta-alanine was the best bodybuilding supplement to come out since creatine hit the scene about 15 years ago. ZMA-T is a product that is purported to enhance recovery and boost testosterone production. I’m not sure if it’s actually doing all that, but I can tell you that I sleep much better when I

take it (others have told me the same thing), and sleeping well definitely enhances recovery. Last but not least is Cort-Bloc. Although it’s not the type of supplement that you can feel an immediate effect from, I’ve used it consistently. At the time of this writing— my 49th birthday is a couple of weeks away—I’m relatively lean (7 percent bodyfat) and much bigger than I’ve ever been at this percent bodyfat, while still not fully recovered from my hamstring surgery. Cort-Bloc controls the action of cortisol, and that decreases protein breakdown and, with the help of a good protein supplement like Pro-Fusion, increases protein synthesis. The effect is more net protein gain per workout. Over time that adds up to significantly more muscle. As you can see, given the extraordinary line of products from MuscleLink, it’s hard to pin my recent success on GH Stak. One thing’s for sure: I’m definitely going to continue to use it and recommend it. Supplements I use that are outside the Muscle-Link line are Life Pak Nano, a vitamin-and-mineral formula by Pharmanex; Lean Body Bars by Labrada Nutrition; Tri-o-plex Oatmeal Cookies; and Extend, a BCAAs formula by Scivation. Protein supplements that I generally recommend are Anabolic Extreme by Proteem and Lean Body Protein by Labrada.

DESIGNED TO BUILD RES U L T S

FROM THE MAKERS OF OHYEAH! COMES RE-SATUR8 ®

™

RELOAD. RECOVER. GROW.

Editor’s note: See Dave Goodin’s new blog at www.IronManMagazine .com. Click on the blog selection in the top menu bar. To contact Dave directly, send e-mail to TXShredder@ aol.com. IM

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CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL M

Critical Mass by Steve Holman

Pro Training and Weird Science

Q: I read about a study showing that explosive training produces the best muscle gains when used exclusively; when it was used along with slow-rep sets, though, growth wasn’t as good. Should I not use fast- and slow-rep sets at the same workout for a muscle? I know the pros train with explosive sets, but I’ve also seen them use slower-rep sets too. Any insights? It’s confusing. A: Building muscle is difficult, and it becomes even more so when you read conflicting studies and/or watch drugassisted bodybuilders work out. You can learn things from the pros, but always keep in mind their genetics and, um, enhanced dispositions. Please don’t start throwing heavy weights around in the gym. There are better ways to get hypertrophic overload, which I’ll get to. First the study: It was for six weeks using an isokinetic leg extension device on untrained subjects—note the word isokinetic; that’s important, as you’ll see (J Appl Physiol; 51(6): 1437-42. 1981). 1) Explosive training (5 sets of 12 reps) resulted in a 10 percent increase in fast-twitch-fiber size.

2) Using half slow and half fast training (slow: 2 x 6; fast: 2 x 12) produced no size increase. 3) Slow training (5 sets of 8 reps) resulted in about a 5 percent increase in fast-twitch-fiber size. At first glance you’d think that training with slow reps somehow counteracts training with fast reps, as no gain occurred when both styles were used together. Unfortunately, there are problems extrapolating usable training data from that 27-year-old study. Here’s why: 1) Untrained subjects were used. Trained subjects’ muscles may react differently because of their better neuromuscular efficiency, or nerve-to-muscle development. 2) An isokinetic leg extension was used—that’s a machine that has only positive resistance, meaning it resists only as you raise the weight. There’s no resistance pulling the legs back into position, so tension is lost during that part of the movement. That means no occlusion, or blockage of blood flow. Nor was there any resistance in

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Leg extensions done on a standard machine are much different from those done on an isokinetic version, which permits only positive work—no resistance on the negative stroke and therefore no occlusion, or blockage of blood flow.

the only solid conclusion I can draw from the study is that if you’re a beginner and you train with isokinetic machines, you need at least five sets of either fast- or slow-rep sets to get enough stimulation for a hypertrophic adaptation, a.k.a. muscle growth. Other than that, I’m not sure you can come to any conclusions, primarily because of the equipment used—a positiveonly isokinetic device. Adding negative work to the mix changes the picture completely.

3) The study lasted for only six weeks. As the researchers put it, “It should be rememberd that the duration of training was six weeks. It seems likely that training of longer duration may be required for more substantial morphological (size) changes to occur.”

Neveux \ Model: David Dorsey

the flexed position. (According to the researchers, “Flexion occurred passively, and the subjects came to a full stop before setting themselves and bursting into the next repetition.”)

Q: I was reading that because most bodybuilders do a lot of pressing, they shouldn’t do much direct triceps work. I do bench presses and incline presses for chest and overhead presses for delts, so isn’t that enough work for my triceps? I don’t want to overtrain them.

Neveux \ Model: Moe El Moussawi

A: Two things to consider: For most trainees max-force generation is the biggest fast-twitch-fiber stimulus, so it makes sense that the fast reps, which generated the most force, produced the most fast-twitch growth. That’s why with standard Positions-ofFlexion programs I recommend doing your big, midrange exercises—the max-force generators like bench presses— with a 1.5-seconds-up/1.5-seconds-down cadence. That’s a hair slower than most pros’ rep speed, but better safe than sorry. You can even the force-generation score with end-of-set X-Rep partials, which are eight-inch controlled explosions, usually at the semistretch point; you do them when no more full-range reps are possible. That extends fast-twitch-fiber recruitment (as dictated by the size principle of fiber activation). With end-of-set X-Rep partials you get equal, or perhaps better, fast-twitch activation than an all-out pro-style explosive set. It’s safer—that’s for damn sure—but you have to be able to tolerate some pain. The puzzling result of the study is that the group that used slow and fast training together didn’t show any fasttwitch-fiber growth at all—zero! You’d think that, as all of the subjects were untrained, any type of stimulation would cause growth. Did the slow sets diffuse the growth stimulation produced by the explosive sets? That doesn’t seem likely. My guess is that two explosive sets didn’t provide enough max-force generation to trigger a pure fast-twitch growth response in beginners, and the two slower-rep sets didn’t provide enough growth stimulation for the more endurance-oriented fibers. Remember, because there was no negative resistance, the volume and intensity were significantly less than sets on normal leg extension machines—you’d need five sets on an isokinetic leg extension machine to equal one or two sets of a standard one that provides positive and negative work. In other words, the five explosive positive-only sets triggered some growth in the pure power fast-twitch fibers, while the five slow-rep sets stimulated growth in the more endurance-oriented fast-twitch fibers. But doing only two sets of each type on an isokinetic machine wasn’t enough stimulation for growth to occur. So what’s the practical application of all of this? About

1) MRI studies show that bench presses and overhead presses do hit the triceps but mostly the medial and lateral heads; in other words, the bulkiest section of the triceps, the big long head, is almost totally neglected. 2) On the types of presses you mentioned, you aren’t mentally focused on triceps—at least you shouldn’t be thinking about triceps—so that automatically reduces the arm stimulation (the mind is very important in triggering muscle growth). If you’re concerned about overtraining your triceps—or at least the medial and lateral heads—you can do just one direct triceps exercise that focuses on the long head. Lying extensions performed on a flat bench emphasize the long head with only minor activation of the other two heads. Or, if you want to use an exercise that hits all of the heads but in a more isolated fashion, you could do overhead dumbbell extensions (stretch position) at one triceps workout and V-bar pushdowns (contracted position) at the following triceps session. That will give you stretch overload with some force activation when you do the overhead extensions workout and more tension and occlusion when you do the pushdowns. Stretch overload has triggered enormous increases in muscle size quickly in animal studies (300 percent in one month!). Occlusion has also done some great things for muscle size in a very short time. Alternating those two modes of muscle stimulation should keep your arms growing quickly without overtraining. Editor’s note: Steve Holman is the author of many bodybuilding best-sellers and the creator of Positionsof-Flexion muscle training. For information on the POF videos and Size Surge programs, see the ad sections beginning on pages 248 and 281, respectively. Also visit www.X-Rep.com for information on X-Rep and 3D POF methods and e-books. IM www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2008 91

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Antiaging d n a

Mature Muscle An Interview With Researcher

Jerry Brainum by Steve Holman

Neveux \ Model: Ed Myska

erry Brainum is IRON MAN’s top researcher and has been involved in bodybuilding for nearly five decades. He’s considered the experts’ expert, and he has an answer for almost any question, which is why we decided to hit him up with a few on antiaging and muscle building in middle age and beyond. Q: How much protein does an older bodybuilder need? More than his younger counterpart, considering that his system is becoming less efficient with age? A: The assumption that older folks should eat more protein is indeed correct. Older people who don’t exercise are highly subject to a condition called sarcopenia, the medical name for muscle loss. Both weight training and a higher protein intake have been proven to prevent it and thus significantly improve the quality of life for older people. As you age, your body’s chemistry interferes with protein uptake—there are drops in hydrochloric acid and the protein-digesting enzymes that

help you absorb dietary protein. On the other hand, a recent study found that aging doesn’t impair the anabolic response to a protein-rich meal—good news for those of us who continue to train over age 40. The study compared amino acid entry into the blood in middleaged and older people who ate four ounces of meat. Plasma amino acids were higher in the older subjects, which is consistent with research showing that older people assimilate more protein when they eat fewer high-protein meals than when they have frequent, smaller meals. Frequent, smaller protein meals are better for those under age 40. Other studies show that if you take specific essential amino acids, particularly a branched-chain amino acid called leucine, you can reverse the effects of aging on protein metabolism. To me, that translates into advising people over 40 to get the majority of their protein from easily digestible sources that are also rich in leucine and other essential aminos. One example is whey protein, which is 26 percent branched-chain amino acids. Most

high-protein foods also fill the bill—meats, fish, eggs, milk and so on. The key is to get at least 1.6 milligrams of protein per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of bodyweight. Increase that amount if you’re on either a low-calorie or low-carb diet—at least one gram per pound of goal bodyweight. On a percentage basis, protein intake should constitute 30 to 35 percent of daily calories if you’re physically active and want to build muscle. Q: How about carbs? What’s best for a hard-training bodybuilder in middle age or beyond? Should they be limited? A: Muscle glycogen—itself a complex carbohydrate—is the main fuel that powers all anaerobic exercise, including bodybuilding. So you need carbs to replenish the glycogen stores that are diminished after intense training. Research has demonstrated that doing only three hard sets of curls lowers biceps muscle

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“You want a fastacting carb just after training to bring on an insulin release; it’s best to combine it with a fast-acting protein source, such as whey.”

glycogen levels by more than 75 percent. There are two basic types of carbs: fast-acting, or high-glycemic-index, and slow-acting, or low-glycemic-index, carbs. Whether the carbs are fast or slow depends on how big an insulin release they elicit. The fast-acting carbs produce a more rapid release, which accounts for their higher glycemicindex number. Bodybuilders need both types of carbs, but at different times. You want a fast-acting carb just after training to bring on an insulin release; it’s best to combine it with a fast-acting protein source, such as whey. Insulin, in turn, activates enzymes that bring on muscle and liver glycogen synthesis. Another time that you may want to get fast-acting carbs is during training. That may help maintain blood glucose, delay glycogen depletion and lower training-induced rises in the stress hormone cortisol.

Cortisol is particularly relevant to over-40 bodybuilders, since studies show that its level is higher in older bodybuilders and that getting carbs during training can blunt its effect considerably. Q: Doesn’t taking carbs while training block fat oxidation? A. Yes, but bodybuilding exercise is powered primarily by glycogen, not fat. Q: Still, carbs are easy to overdo. A. You have to handle them right. If you opt for liquid carbs during training, make sure that the carb portion doesn’t exceed 8 percent or include large amounts of fructose. That will put you into gastrointestinal distress. An 8 percent carb drink that you have while training in the heat can speed fluid uptake faster than plain water, particularly if the drink contains electrolytes such as sodium and potassium. At other times, inactive, sloweracting, or low-glycemic-index

Neveux \ Model: Skip La Cour

Antiaging

carbs—the kind found in fiber-rich fruits and vegetables—should be your choice. You don’t want high resting blood insulin, which is a recipe for both bodyfat gain and more rapid aging. Putting excess fast-acting carbs like sugars into your body when you’re at rest grafts sugar molecules onto protein structures, such as connective tissue and muscle, compromising their structural integrity. Researchers always find low resting insulin in people who live to advanced age. One interesting note about carbs: They aren’t required in the human diet. That may sound contradictory in light of how carbs work in the body, but it’s nonetheless true. Organs like the brain and red blood cells do need a steady supply of glucose, but they can also adjust to using alternative fuel sources, such as fat, lactate and ketones, which are by-products of fat metabolism. When you follow a high-protein diet, more than half the protein you

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Antiaging

Neveux \ Model: Ed Myska

“Finishing off heavy sets with a lighter set that enables you to get higher reps doubles the GH release.”

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get converts into glucose in the liver—the process is called gluconeogenesis. In other words, the body never runs out of fuel as long as you eat regularly. Q. On the other hand, the processes you’re talking about take a while for the body to adjust to— isn’t that right? A. Yes. Switching your body over to using fat as its primary energy source takes two to three weeks following reduced carb intake. If you’re doing intense training, you need a really good supply of muscle glycogen. That’s why carb intake is still the best way to go. It’s difficult to suggest a specific carb count, which depends on individual metabolism, bodyfat, activity, insulin sensitivity and so on. I’d advise experimenting with various amounts of carbs, keeping in mind the time constraints on eating specific carb types. You can judge the effect of carb intake by training energy and recovery after training, as well as degree of muscle pump—no glycogen means rapid fatigue and little or no pump. Q: How should an older bodybuilder train? More rest days? Fewer sets? A: Most champion bodybuilders change their training as they age—in frequency, volume, rest between sets and exercises and training intensity. While you can delay many of the effects of aging, some are immutable, like the stiffening of connective tissue. Muscles stay surprisingly youthful with the passing years, but tendons and ligaments

“Prior to these studies, it was generally thought that the rate of muscular hypertrophy declined after age 40 or so. Now it’s known that satellite cells, the cells that are involved in muscle growth, can continue to be active if stimulated at any age.”

aren’t so fortunate. Attempting to lift the same weights at 40 that you did at 20 can result in debilitating connective-tissue injuries. Two recent former Mr. Olympia winners found that out the hard way. You still want to lift as heavy as you can comfortably afford, but avoid getting overenthusiastic and winding up with an injury. As to frequency, most top bodybuilding champs I know who are over 40 have reduced their training frequency over the years. They often say they need additional recovery time. Most have not, however, reduced their training intensity, believing that would make their muscles smaller. Reducing the number of sets while perhaps doing medium to higher reps of eight to 12 also places less stress on susceptible connective tissue. What’s more, a number of experiments have found that doing more than four sets per exercise provides no added benefit but does increase the risk of injury and overtraining. Warming up and flexibility are increasingly important with age, both to prevent injuries and improve training efficiency. With regard to stretching, it’s best to stick with individual exercise prestretches. Reserve industrial-strength stretching for after the workout; doing it before or while training can lead to a slight loss of muscle strength. On the other hand, stretching at times other than your weight workout

Neveux \ Model: Carl Silvani

Antiaging

helps keep aging connective tissue strong and flexible. Studies show that connective tissue does respond to regular stimulation by staying more supple. Q. Should older bodybuilders

still train as intensely as possible to failure—or is that unhealthy as we age? A. Optimal training intensity is an individual choice that must be aligned with a person’s energy and

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Antiaging recuperative ability. Generally, you want to maintain higher intensity because it fosters gains in size and strength no matter how old you are. Training to failure is useful in that regard, but you need to regulate it. That is, don’t train to failure yearround. Do it for shorter periods to break through training plateaus. Training to failure all the time—especially if you’re over 40—puts too much strain on vulnerable connective tissue. I once asked Albert Beckles, who was at that time the dean of professional bodybuilders, to tell me his secret for maintaining his superlative muscularity at 50-plus. He said he had adjusted his training over the years to train with lighter weights and higher reps but at the same intensity. That style of training resulted in none of the usual joint pains experienced by many others in his age group. I recently saw Albert, now in his 70s, at a contest, and he looked quite fit. He also told me that he’s still training regularly. Q: Many older bodybuilders don’t want to use too many supplements because of the unknown consequences. Other than protein, what are one or two supplements that they should be taking that can make a real difference in their gains? A: That’s an easy one. The short and sweet answer is creatine and beta-alanine. Creatine works for 80 percent of those who lift weights regardless of age. Research also shows that creatine may have other beneficial effects on neuromuscular function—a plus for the over-40 crowd. Beta-alanine is the precursor of Lcarnosine, a major buffering amino acid in muscle. It can boost training intensity and strength and keep you from feeling tired during your workout. I’m convinced that both supplements will work for the majority of older bodybuilders. They’re both also safe and without known health risks. Q: Can anything out there— supplements or food—legitimately increase testosterone in older males to stoke muscle growth and fat burning? A: If you’d asked me that question four years ago, I could have named a number of over-the-counter pro-

“Beta-alanine can boost training intensity and strength and keep you from feeling tired during your workout.” hormone supplements that would work well, but they were banned in 2004. That last generation of prohormone supplements were genuine anabolic steroid drugs that, for one reason or another, had never been released by the drug companies that developed them in the 1960s. They definitely helped build size and strength—that’s the voice of experience speaking here. Now that those supplements are gone, many other products are marketed as testosterone boosters. The ones with chemical-sounding ingredients are mostly manipulated forms of plant sterols, which is basically the plant form of cholesterol. Cholesterol is the precursor of all steroid hormones, including testosterone and estrogen. That said, plant sterols are not very absorbable in humans. In fact, another use for them is to lower absorption of dietary cholesterol, since they compete with cholesterol for uptake into the body. I’ve thus

far seen no scientific proof that any of the current sterol-based “prohormone” supplements have any effectiveness for humans. Those who claim muscular progress after using such products are likely experiencing the well-known placebo effect: If you believe that something will work, it just might. Consider the literal meaning of the word placebo—I shall please. Q: Do any supplements help the body generate testosterone? A. Well, yes and no. Take the test boosters that are called estrogen blockers, which inhibit the enzyme aromatase from converting testosterone into estrogen. By doing that, they raise the count of free, or active, testosterone. Studies done at Baylor University in Texas—paid for by the companies that market the supplements—show that the supplements work as advertised. The problem is, that’s not all they do. They also boost DHT, the hormone almost always mentioned when

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prostate cancer comes up—testosterone’s evil twin. That probably isn’t a problem unless you don’t cycle off the supplements or already have an enlarged prostate. A recent study found that some of the older pro-hormones, such as andro, can promote a rapid form of prostate cancer—even in men who had no previous signs of cancer. Those pro-hormones are off the market, but you need to be careful about underresearched supplements. Case in point: boron. A study that had older women as participants found that the trace mineral boron increased testosterone levels. Pretty soon boron was being sold as an “anabolic mineral.” The boron balloon burst not long afterward when a study of young male bodybuilders who used boron found zero evidence of any effect on testosterone in the body. Several other natural substances allegedly have test-boosting properties. An herbal formulation called tribulus is supposed to make the pituitary gland release luteinizing (continued on page 108) hormone,

Neveux \ Model: Clark Bartram

Antiaging

“Reserve industrial-strength stretching for after the workout; doing it before or while training (other than an individual exercise prestretch) can lead to a slight loss of muscle strength.”

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Antiaging (continued from page 104)

which controls test production in the Leydig cells of the testes. More recent studies show that tribulus does not boost test but does boost estrogen in men. One supplement user reportedly developed gynecomastia. More recently, researchers in Nigeria reported that an indigenous African herb, Fadogia agrestis, significantly boosted test by increasing testicular cholesterol. Not only that, it behaved like an aphrodisiac in the body—of the lab rat. No human study followed, so whether it affects human test is speculative at best. On the other hand, “There’s some intriguing research with older people the same group also found that large doses of the herb could do who lift weights: Subjects who ate more cholesterol testicular damage. I’d recomhad greater gains in muscular size and strength than mend leaving this one for the those who ate less.” rodents to nibble on. Q: Sounds like natural testosterone boosters are a no-go. various commercial names, may all the vitamins, minerals and other A. There’s some intriguing reboost test and enhance sex drive. It nutrients—for example, lutein for search with older people who lift seems to help deploy the testostereye health—and half the protein weights: Subjects who ate more cho- in an egg. Both eggs and meat are one-cholesterol connection. In case lesterol had greater gains in muscugood sources of arachidonic acid, an the evangelicals out there are wonlar size and strength than those who dering, YTE isn’t based on stem cells. omega-6 fat that is the precursor of ate less. Bodybuilders should think Here’s a side note about eggs: Buy prostaglandin F2A, a potent player about that when they discard egg the free-range kind. It means the in muscle growth. yolks, which contain 300 milligrams hens get to walk and peck around A new supplement, young tissue of cholesterol each, not to mention outside and aren’t confined to small extract, is derived from fertilized cages. Technicians have found that eggs. Preliminary experiments indifree-range eggs have one-quarter cate that YTE, which is sold under less cholesterol and one quarter less fat, twice the omega-3 fat content and higher levels of most other nutrients than are present in cageraised eggs. It’s because of the more varied free-range diet. They may cost a little more, but they are worth it. An herb that does seem to actually boost test production is called longjack, or Tongkat ali. This herb, found mainly in the Malaysian rain forest, seems to do in both rats and humans what tribulus is supposed to do—raise luteinizing hormone and test. The one side effect is greatly enhanced libido, which many men would consider a plus. In my regular IM column on bodybuilding pharmacology, I wrote about ecdysteroids, types of insect-molting hormones that have

“Another herb that seems to actually boost test production is called longjack, or Tongkat ali. This herb, found mainly in the Malaysian rain forests, seems to do what tribulus is supposed to do—raise luteinizing hormone and test.”

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Antiaging

Neveux \ Model: Carl Silvani

“Studies show that doing only three hard sets of curls lowers biceps muscle glycogen levels by more than 75 percent.”

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molecular structures similar to human steroids, including testosterone, and that are ingredients in some test-boosting supplements. I criticized them because the claims came out of early Russian research of shoddy design that was never duplicated in the West. Newer research I’ve come across, though, suggests I might have been premature in my assessment. It seems they could have anabolic properties at the cellular level, but I’m still looking at the literature. The final food suggestion that I would make in regard to testosterone is to eat a diet containing at least 30 percent fat, mainly saturated and monounsaturated. Other forms of fat, such as omega-6 vegetable oils or omega-3 fats, don’t do the trick. Also, get adequate sleep. Insufficient sleep lowers test by as much as 40 percent, even in young men. It also blunts growth hormone release and raises cortisol. Q: What about growth hormone? For those who want to increase GH naturally, what’s the best method, supplements and type of training? A: GH consists of a chain of 191 amino acids in a specific molecular sequence. There are also experimental drugs called GH secretagogues, which consist of far shorter chains of amino acids, averaging about six aminos. With names like GHRP-1, hexarelin, MK-0677, SM-130686 and EP-01572, those drugs trigger release of GH in the body. Several amino acids aid GH release, including arginine, methionine, phenylalanine, lysine and histidine. Most of the trials demonstrating the effect of those aminos on GH have administered them intravenously. In fact, intravenous delivery of 30 grams of arginine is a standard method of identifying GH response in humans.

Antiaging Taking glutamine or arginine orally results in GH spikes of 200 to 450 percent more than controlgroup participants experience. One study showed a considerable boost in GH after an oral combo of arginine and lysine, although that particular experiment was never replicated. A double-blind study reported in 2005 attempted to find the ideal oral dose of arginine for GH release. On four separate occasions subjects received either a placebo or five, nine or 13 grams of arginine. Blood samples were drawn every 10 minutes for five hours. Researchers measured an increase in GH with doses up to nine grams, peaking 30 minutes after intake. Taking 13 grams had no additional effect on GH release. Also, some of the subjects responded to the amino acid intake more than others. One subject showed a 300 percent rise in GH over baseline, while another showed a whopping 1,300 percent rise. The older you are or the more bodyfat you have, the less responsive you are to oral amino acid intake in relation to GH release. Researchers who gave par-

ticipants arginine prior to exercise found a 200 percent increase in GH levels—but that was still 50 percent less than the GH response to exercise alone. The increase in GH GH release is optimal under from arginine was low-blood-glucose conditions. greater when it was is alpha GPC, also known as glycertaken at rest. Taking arginine prior ylphosphorycholine. The dose is 600 to exercise seems to blunt the GH to 1,200 milligrams, and it must be response to it. taken with no other amino acids or Bodybuilders often overlook food. certain nutrition issues in regard GH release is optimal under hyto GH. One theory is that a higher poglycemic, or low-blood-glucose, pH, or acidity, in the blood proconditions. Fat intake promotes revokes a GH release during exercise. lease, while carbs block it. So eating Another suggests that GH release a high-carb meal before you train, during exercise is governed by the then topping it off with arginine or release of acetylcholine, a brain any other nutrient would get you no neurotransmitter that facilitates GH. Bodybuilders who try arginine muscle contraction. Some studies and eat a meal before exercising show that you can boost GH release wonder why nothing happens. Now by taking supplemental forms of you know why. The same principle choline, the precursor of acetylchoapplies to taking amino acids before line. It’s a little tricky because you bed. GH release normally peaks have to get a form of choline that during stage-4 sleep, or after about can easily penetrate the formidable 90 minutes. That means you can’t blood-brain barrier. The best form

“Researchers always find low resting insulin in people who live to advanced age.”

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Antiaging

Neveux \ Model: Bob Donnelly

eat anything for at least three hours before going to sleep. Otherwise the amino acid you take for GH release goes nowhere. On the other hand, drinking a protein-and-carb cocktail two hours before and immediately after training produces a greaterthan-normal GH release. As for the exercise itself, studies show that doing multiple sets or forced reps leads to a greater release of GH than doing single sets. Exercise intense enough to produce a burn seems to provoke GH release, as does working larger muscle groups, such as back and thighs, and using shorter rest intervals between sets. Finishing off heavy sets with a lighter set that enables you to get higher reps doubles the GH release. A few studies found that exercising in a warmer environment leads to GH release, while training in the cold blunts release, suggesting that you should stay warm when training in cold weather. Even hot baths can lead to marked GH release. Q: For older bodybuilders with joint pain, is there any supplement can that help alleviate some of it? A: The old standby combination of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate is effective. I think the glucosamine sulfate form is better than other forms, such as glucosamine hydrochloride. Green tea prevents cartilage degeneration and may help reduce inflammation in joints. Methylsulfonlymethane is a sulfur source that is safe and helps lower joint pain if used consistently in doses of about two to six grams daily. S-adenosyl-L methionine, usually referred to as SAMe, is effective for joint pain but requires larger doses of about 1,600 milligrams daily—could be expensive. Collagen hydrolyate is a special form of gelatin that helps alleviate joint pain but takes up to three months to work at a dose of 10 grams daily. Luckily, it’s not expensive. Cetylated fatty acids, or Celadrin, may help joint pain. Ditto for turmeric, ginger and the herbs ashwaghandha and boswellia. Another herb called devil’s claw seems to aid lower-back pain. Fish oil helps reduce overall inflamma-

“Attempting to lift the same weights at 40 that you did at 20 can result in debilitating connectivetissue injuries.”

tion. A recent study found that hyaluronic acid oral supplements relieve knee pain. For acute pain, I’ve recently experimented with an herb called Korean angelica, marketed as Decursinol. I got relief in about 30 minutes with no side effects. It works differently from OTC analgesics such as Advil, possibly by encouraging the release of pain-killing endorphins in the body or through the central nervous system. Q: For those of us who have been training for many years, is it possible to continue to build muscle past age 50? A: Muscular strength peaks on average at age 30, so it’s harder to get stronger as you age. Muscle growth is another story, however. Studies done at Tufts University showed that older people, some of whom were over 90, made gains in muscle size

but fewer gains in strength, after a weight-training program. Prior to those studies, it was generally thought that the rate of muscular hypertrophy declined after age 40 or so. Now it’s known that satellite cells, the cells that are involved in muscle growth, can continue to be active if stimulated at any age. In the future, gene therapy will permit the use of forms of muscle growth factors that will turn back the clock on muscle aging. For now, studies show that lifting weights works at the gene level to reverse much of the effects of aging on muscles. Meanwhile, the muscle gains and improvement in health and appearance that can result from a judicious program of weight training are nothing short of remarkable. So I’d say that lifting weights is the closest thing we have to a fountain of youth. IM

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A Bodybuilder

Is Born Episode 35— Going Through the Motions Isn’t Enough by Ron Harris Photography by Michael Neveux

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Modes: Mike and Holly Semenoff

write about training with Randy all of the time, but the reality is that my main training partner, especially since Randy started selling Fords last year, is my wife of 14 years, Janet. As good a training partner as Randy is—a young stallion that this old veteran has to keep in his place by lifting heavier and harder—Janet is actually better in several ways. For one thing, she’s much nicer to look at. Another bonus is that she is such a form cop that I almost never get hurt training with her. If I can’t get the first few reps of an exercise, I always know she won’t contribute to my delusion—known in bodybuilding psychology as the “All You” syndrome— by helping to lift a portion of the weight. Instead, she will stand idly by, hands nowhere near the weight, and with deadpan delivery inform me, “It’s too much weight.” With Randy and every other male I’ve ever trained with, there’s no such thing as too much weight. With “just a little help,” which often translates into an all-out effort from two men, almost any amount of resistance is possible. The fact that this type of nonsense could easily lead to a torn muscle or wrecked joint pales in the face of the tremendous ego boost that comes from feeling that you’re the world’s strongest man. Oddly enough, when I get asked for a spot from strangers in the gym who I can see are looking for me to lift half the weight for them—as you might imagine, there is usually a bench press involved—I’m not generous in the least. If I have to help too much, I get perturbed and tell them, “I’m not lifting the weight for you, dude.” Rarely do they ever ask me for a spot again—which is fine. I’m a busy guy. As a wife and husband who are also bodybuilders, Janet and I tend to stand out in the gym. For a single man or woman to be a prime physical specimen is impressive enough, but when people find out we’re married, have real jobs—if you can call being a writer a real job—and have two children, we often get the same awed reaction you might expect from a person who’s walked on the moon, climbed Everest without oxygen tanks or resisted buying an eight-cylinder, gas-guzzling SUV despite being a U.S. resident. We tend to draw a lot more attention when we’re in shape, as you might guess.

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A Bodybuilder Is Born

Shortly before the NPC New England, which we both entered as heavyweights (look for that story in the next episode, including Randy’s competitive debut), we were both tanned, lean and looking like something right out of the pages of a muscle magazine. To be blunt, we stood out among the average Joes and Janes around us as freaks, but attaining the status of freaks as bodybuilders was an honorable distinction. It meant that our years of dedication to consistent hard training and good nutrition had resulted in bodies that were completely unlike those of the garden variety

Our years of dedication to consistent hard training and good nutrition had resulted in bodies that were completely unlike those of the garden variety Homo sapiens.

Homo sapiens. We both got a lot of questions from folks in the gym, like how we got that way. Janet gets about double the number I do, since a beautiful, feminine woman with muscles is a far rarer creature than a buffed adult male. Of course, many of those asking her for advice were really just horny guys trying to hit on her who totally ignored her wedding band. They never seemed to come around when I was training with her, oddly enough. As you might also imagine, there were always plenty of sincere women who approached Janet looking for a quick fix in the form of some superslimming diet or fatburner pill or the one magic exercise that would melt away their chunky butts and thunder thighs. Many of them were quick to offer up as the excuse for their being anything from a little flabby to roughly the size and shape of an elephant seal that they’d given birth one or more times. As we all know, that means you absolutely have to get fat and remain so for the rest of your life, right? I loved it when Janet informed them that she was the proud mother of an 11-year-old and a five-yearold, and that she had ballooned up to 205 and 190 pounds, respectively, during her pregnancies. She was a whole lotta woman in those days, let me tell ya. I won’t say I wasn’t still attracted to her, but I will say that the only positive change to her body was that her breasts swelled up two full cup sizes without any surgical procedure involved. For quite some time we’d been getting stared at by a married couple I’ll call Tony and Tina. They were in their early 30s. Tony had a little bit of size on him but needed to drop a good 30 pounds. He was about 6’ and 230 pounds, with a bit of a potbelly and absolutely no muscle definition, just a smooth mass of indeterminate bulk. He did stay incredibly tanned year-round, since his sister, a former stripper, owned a tanning salon down the street that always reeked of incense and had techno music blasting 24/7. Tina was a pretty young blonde who often let her roots grow too long between dye jobs and had more tattoos than Janet and me

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A Bodybuilder Is Born

Models: Mike and Holly Semenoff

We were both tanned, lean and looking like something right out of the pages of a muscle magazine. To be blunt, we stood out among the average Joes and Janes around us as freaks, but attaining the status of freaks as bodybuilders was an honorable distinction. combined—which at last count was eight. She had the classic skinny-fat body. Her height and weight of 5’4” and 125 pounds didn’t tell the full story. The woman had no muscle on her and was kinda mushy and squishy all over. I go by the motto “a hard woman is good to find,” so she held no appeal for me—which was good, because Janet doesn’t take kindly to my drooling over anyone but her, the Cuban Missile. Anyway, probably because Janet and I were in peak precontest condition, Tina and Tony finally got up the guts to approach us one Monday morning—leg day for us. I whispered to Janet that I hoped they weren’t swingers. Tina spoke first, addressing Janet. That’s usually how it worked. Rarely did anyone ever approach me first if Janet was with me. Janet says it’s because I am always giving dirty looks. Not true: It’s just that my face is genetically twisted into a permanent dirty look. “Hey, you guys look really great,” she offered as an introduction. “Thanks,” we responded in unison. “Uh, we were just wondering what supplements you guys take, like protein powders and fat burners and stuff,” Tony said. That was the most common type of question we were hit up with. Nobody ever liked our answer, but I’m not the type to dance around reality. Whether those two liked it or not, I was going to let them know what they were least likely to hear in this world where

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A Bodybuilder Is Born everyone is afraid of offending everyone else. “Believe it or not, supplements are only a small part of the reason we look the way we do,” I explained. “In fact, there are millions of people who use supplements on a regular basis and don’t look much better than the average person. That’s because training and nutrition are far more important, and most people just don’t train hard enough and eat right.” Now I waited for the standard comeback. Tina gave it, word for word almost identically to all the rest over the years. “But we do train hard and eat right,” she said. “You see us in here all the time.” I looked to Janet to clue her in. “Tina,” she said in her sweet, caring way that is so different from my blunt, callous tone, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you do anything but a lot of very easy cardio and very light weights, and then only for legs.” “That leg press machine you use over there?” I pointed. “See those poles sticking out on the sides? You can actually put weights on them; that’s why the plates have the holes in the middle the same size.” Janet elbowed me pretty hard for that and continued. “And when you say you eat well, are you eating either lean protein or a low-carb protein shake or bar every two hours, getting in about six or seven meals a day?” “Six or seven meals?” Tina stammered. “Who has time for that? I have coffee and a muffin for breakfast, salad for lunch and—” “And a huge dinner with tons of rice or pasta, right?” I interrupted. She stared at me like I was a mind reader. I turned to Tony to handle the manly part of this. “Tony, you do okay with the weights, though I’ve never seen you train to failure and beyond on a single set, and your form in general is atrocious.” His jaw dropped. Apparently no one had ever had the balls to tell him. “I’ve seen you using the same exact weights for at least a year. Furthermore, if I can be so bold, you could certainly stand to do some regular cardio and drop some bodyfat, but I’ve never seen you over there on a machine. Usually Tina is cruising along on the

treadmill at a turtle’s pace, and you’re over at the weights doing curls that look like clean and jerks. You guys should be training together as we do.” They looked at each other as if I’d just suggested they start dressing in each other’s clothes and learn to communicate in Japanese. “We met in a gym in 1989 and have been training partners ever since,” Janet said. “It certainly is some of the best time we spend together,” I added. “No kids, no phone calls, pure quality time.” “But I don’t want to get all muscle-bound and masculine-looking like those women in the magazines,” Tina said. “Guys,” I said, trying to keep a straight face, “Janet has been training hard and heavy for more than 16 years now. Does she look musclebound or like a man to you? Tony, seriously?” Tony only stared, eyes wide and unable to even come up with a grunt in response. Janet was wearing a pretty small, tight little outfit that day. Now he was the one who got the elbow in his ribs from his wife. We talked to them for about another 20 minutes. Janet is a personal trainer and set up a consultation with both of them to go over their goals and eating habits. I had them order a few products that would definitely make clean, frequent, high-protein eating a lot

easier. They got protein powder and protein bars as meal replacements, and whey and waxy maize powders, creatine monohydrate and L-glutamine for their postworkout shakes. I also had them round out their nutritional needs with multivitamin and mineral tablets, vitamins C and E and omega-3 gel caps. There would be more things that would be useful to them soon, but for now I just wanted them to have the basics covered. Janet was going to educate them on how to eat properly and take them through a few training sessions so they got a better idea of what it was going to take for them to start seeing real changes in the mirror. And in a truly sappy moment, as soon as they walked away, I said to Janet, “The couple that trains together stays together.” She gave me a quick peck on the lips. “Except for when you get really irritated with me and tell me to f*** off and train by myself that day.” “You always have to ruin the moment, Ron,” she said. What can I say? I’m a writer, and I have a way with words. IM

I had them round out their nutritional needs with multivitamin and mineral tablets, vitamins C and E and omega-3 gel caps.

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The

Zane

Integrated Method Untold Secrets of Muscle Building by Ken O’Neill

rank Zane never ceases to amaze bodybuilding fans. His career began with prestigious victories in the mid1960s and continued up to 1980. Zane is a bodybuilding legend. His stunning proportions, razorsharp definition and incredible muscular development evoke awe in a generation of bodybuilders born after his three Mr. Olympia victories. Youtube.com videos evidence his masterful posing exhibits: Where others move awkwardly from pose to pose, Zane seems to be a body electric, gracefully flowing from one well-choreographed pose to another. Zane’s last Mr. Olympia victory was in 1979, nearly 30 years ago. Since then Olympia standards have migrated from the classic proportions favored in the ’70s and best exemplified by Zane to today’s freakish monsters. Those born during Zane’s three-year reign as Mr. Olympia now have children old enough to be interested in bodybuilding themselves. A few years ago IRON MAN conducted a poll asking what physique

readers would like as their own. More than 2,000 people responded. The results suggest an immense gulf between today’s pro champions and all-time physique favorites: Frank Zane, 26.16 percent (525) Steve Reeves, 25.06 percent (503) Arnold, 22.12 percent (444) Dexter Jackson, 13.15 percent (264) Ronnie Coleman, 7.08 percent (142) Lee Haney, 6.43 percent (129) Despite retiring from competition in the early ’80s, Zane has steadfastly continued training, setting a standard for lifelong bodybuilding. He’s also coached thousands of individuals seeking bodybuilding excellence. The most recent photos of him bear vivid testimony to his almost age-defying bodybuilding excellence. Decades of refining his proprietary Zane Integrated

Christine and Frank after he’d just won the ’79 Mr. Olympia. At right: Frank today at 65.

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Christine Zane

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Zane

Christine Zane

Method have left nothing to chance. A holistic approach to training, his method coordinates the full spectrum of body and mind abilities to optimize physique development. The story behind Frank’s recent peaking at 65 reveals a wealth of practical techniques for building muscle at any age by working body and mind in harmony. He’s made unique contributions to a new art and science of building muscle throughout life based on natural processes inborn to us all. Although the subject of numerous articles from the 1960s to the present day, Zane’s real story has not previously been told. Like his posing performances, his approach to training has always been well choreographed, every step a movement forward. While most of us think of bodybuilding as a matter of training, diet and nutrition—and favorable genetics—Zane’s perspective leading to his victories as Mr. America, Mr. Universe and Mr. World and his three Mr. Olympia titles depended on far more.

A Different Drummer Frank and I met in 1977, when we joined a group of prominent American and Soviet researchers investigating the mind/body connection. They taped us working out at a gym, and then we were off to a privately endowed parapsychology research center. The reigning Mr. Olympia at that time, Frank astonished the group by explaining that he understood himself to be a body sculptor, not a bodybuilder. Body sculptor? Frank told us that despite his considerable success in bodybuilding, he was born with what some would consider few advantages for the sport. Most bodybuilding champions are mesomorphs. Barely a mesomorph myself, I was surprised to learn that his 128 JUNE 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

wrist was close to an inch smaller than my own. How could that be? And that wasn’t the only generally accepted idea about muscular development that fell by the wayside that day. As a body sculptor, Frank explained, he did not approach championship-winning bodybuilding as a quest for piling on masses of muscle everywhere. Instead, he took into account his strengths and weaknesses, then developed programs to sculpt a physique of classic proportions. With posing, he avoided certain movements so he would not appear to shrink before the audience. For example, for the most muscular pose, Frank abandoned the popular “crab shot” in favor of a hands-on-the-hips pose that emphasized his wide shoulders. He made sure his medial delts were large and thick, like those of a gymnast. In proportion, his waist was

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Zane small and muscled, and he could always pull it into a full stomach vacuum to heighten the sweep from his small waist to his massive chest and lats. Body sculpting created the appearance, which became a unique kinetic art form when he posed. Despite posing next to much larger men, he drew attention where he wanted it with sweeping displays of muscle control and flowing movement. The champions fell to him.

Recovery and Personal Power Just as a sculptor’s workshop is filled with tools and his skill the result of mastering numerous techniques—none of which appear obvious in the finished artwork—so, too, is Zane’s approach to training complex yet integrated. It’s called the Zane Integrated Method. Key elements include training, diet and nutrition—and state-of-the-art methods for enhancing recovery. That’s why we met with the researchers. The Zane Integrated Method trains the whole person, viewing body and mind as one integrated

unit, not two separate things. That means recovery’s not dumbed down to simple rest and rebuilding. Training tears down muscles, and recovery builds them bigger and stronger. Tearing down muscles is another way of talking about stress. The father of stress medicine was Dr. Hans Seyle, an exercise physiologist who recognized that exercise and psychological stress go hand in hand. Of great importance to muscle building was Seyle’s insight into how stress alters normal balances of our whole hormone system. Overstress from training or emotional stress elevates cortisol levels—cortisol is a catabolic, or tissue-destroying, hormone, the opposite of anabolic, or tissue-building, hormones. What’s more, learning to control cortisol is amazingly simple. Other researchers demonstrated that both testosterone and growth hormone levels can be elevated by the use of relaxation techniques. Since then whole books have been published on the psychological and physiological benefits of meditational exercises aimed at voluntary control of ourselves. Much of sports conditioning, bodybuilding included, treats ath-

letes as headless bodies. Just try to remember the last time you read about the importance of training your mind and emotions in bodybuilding. Instead, we read endlessly about sets, reps and weight, along with diet, nutrition and recovery. Our minds and emotions are left out of the picture—our real lives don’t seem to count in the equation. In the 1950s and ’60s that began to change. Walt Baptiste’s famous gym in San Francisco integrated yoga with bodybuilding, with Baptiste even publishing a magazine for a spell. Martial arts began growing. One thing was sure: The cultures of India, China and Persia had long paid attention to the mental and emotional as well as the physical development and training of their athletes. In the West we began learning that bodybuilding just might be a matter of training the whole person to get the best results. Tommy Kono’s victories in Olympic lifting and his Mr. Universe win underscored that—as did Bill Pearl’s pursuit of mental mastery. Around the same time new scientific research was showing how powerful the mind/body connection is—biofeedback, the relaxation

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Researchers demonstrated that both testosterone and growth hormone levels can be elevated by the use of relaxation techniques.

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Zane response, and the new psychology of meditation revealed hidden powers we’re all born with. With training we have great capacity for controlling aspects of our involuntary nervous system—blood pressure, bleeding and headache relief among them.

Integrating the Method

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Word on the iron grapevine had it that more was at play in

Zane’s training than met the eye. One story was that during bodybuilding tours of Japan he spent his spare time with Zen masters learning Zen meditation. Underground circulation of transcripts of his seminars mentioned the role of visualization, guided imagery and Zen. That caught my interest, especially as I’d returned from Japan in late 1972 as one of the few Americans credentialed as equivalent to a Zen master. We were both applying mindbased methods to enhance muscle growth. Zane finished his undergraduate degree as valedictorian of his class. Bright and searching for answers, he was led by his search for bodybuilding success to explore the deeper reaches of human nature. What is the role of visualization and imagination in developing 132 JUNE 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Zane oneself to the fullest degree? What mind-to-muscle connections lead to exceptional muscular development—for example, the medial portion of the deltoid? How does the control of emotions enhance postworkout recovery? What do life-extension specialists know of biochemistry that bears directly on muscle growth—and extreme longevity in bodybuilding? Pursuing a second master’s degree in experimental psychology, Zane did work in the entrainment of the two cerebral hemispheres, developing a powerful technique of self-mastery that gets results years ahead of traditional meditation. That led to development of his Mind Muscle Machine and special training CDs.

Frank’s approach is not hypnosis, which is a powerful tool but which in the long run can shortchange you. So-called meditation techniques aim at waking you up to dormant powers that are inborn. Hypnosis lulls you to sleep so someone else can plant seeds for some of those powers to come to life. Mindfulness practices wake you up to become a high-performance driver of your mind/body vehicle. Zane’s CDs and Mind Muscle Machine are state of the art, incorporating his skills as a master practitioner of neuro-linguistic programming. NLP originated in the 1970s as a dynamic system of powerful and effective communication, making use of both the conscious and unconscious mind. An immense

breakthrough at the time, it radically departed from poorly working theories, being based on hard data about language, neurology and human-information processing and on natural processes we all use all the time but aren’t very aware of. Most important of all, it looked at how people change and succeed in life. Zane has made eloquent use of NLP. How well does it work? The answer is twofold. First, Zane won every title worth winning, overcoming obstacles along the way. We still see the bodybuilding world divided into a small number of genetically elite and a huge population of hardgainers. The Zane Integrated Method destroys that useless myth, enabling average persons to enjoy

Frank Zane’s Training Program Day 1: Chest, shoulders, triceps, abs Smith-machine incline presses 120 x 12, 140 x 9 (bench set at 20 degrees; doorway chest stretch between sets) Hoist V-1 incline presses 90 x 12, 100 x 10 (doorway chest stretch between sets) V-1 neutral-grip decline presses 135 x 12, 150 x 9 Pec deck 115 x 12, 130 x 10 (doorway chest stretch between sets) Nautilus-machine pullovers 125 x 12, 135 x 10 (one-arm shoulder stretch between sets) Rear-deltoid machine 2 sets (rear-deltoid stretch between sets) Seated dumbbell lateral raises 15 x 2 x 10 Superset Machine parallel-grip dips 180 x 12, 190 x 10 Pushdowns 60 x 2 x 10 (arm stretch) One-arm triceps extensions 20 x 2 x 10 Note: Frank performs no pressing movements because his front delts get plenty of work with chestpressing movements.

Day 2: Abs, thighs, calves Superset Incline leg raises 1 x 100 Hanging leg raises 1 x 50 Crunches 1 x 100 Seated twists 1 x 100 Hoist V-1 one-leg leg extensions 60 x 25, 70 x 20 Hoist V-1 one-leg standing leg curls 40 x 12, 50 x 10 Nautilus leg extensions 130 x 15, 140 x 12, 150 x 10

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Superset Leg curls 80 x 15, 90 x 12 35-degree hyperextensions 2 x max Zane Leg Blaster squats 150 x 12 (only one set due to hip injury) Leg Blaster standing calf raises 1 x 20 (immediately after do a 15-second calf stretch) Donkey calf raises (drop set) 200 x 12, 150 x 10 (immediately after do a 15-second calf stretch) Seated calf raises (drop set) 100 x 12, 90 x 10 (immediately after do a 15-second calf stretch)

Day 3: Back, biceps, forearms, abs Concept II rowing machine 2 minutes Leverage V-bar rows 85 x 12, 100 x 10 (two-arm lat stretch after each set) Parallel-grip pulldowns to front 135 x 15, 150 x 10 (two-arm lat stretch after each set) Superset Low-cable rows 150 x 12, 165 x 10 Panatta-curl-machine shrugs 143 x 12, 153 x 10 One-arm cable rows 100 x 12, 110 x 10 (one-arm lat stretch between sets) Panatta-machine one-arm curls 55 x 12, 66 x 9 Cable preacher curls 100 x 12, 110 x 10 Preacher-bench rope curls 90 x 12, 100 x 10 Barbell wrist curls 70 x 30, 70 x 20 Concept II rowing machine 4 minutes Note: For aerobics Frank walks about two hours a week with his dog, usually on days when he doesn’t work out with weights.

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Zane superior muscular development. Second, at age 65 Frank has once again peaked, defying standard ideas about age and muscular development. It should be kept in mind that his successes at 65 are the fruit of decades of wholeheartedly following the body-sculpting way of life. You, too, can become the sculptor of your success, the architect of your physique, regardless of age.

At the heart of the Mind Muscle Machine and other tools used by Frank is the phenomenon of brainwave entrainment, or synchronization. That makes use of the human brain’s natural tendency to change its dominant electroencephalography frequency toward the frequency of dominant external stimulation. We do it all the time. Music is a good example. Ever noticed how the resounding beat of a rock ’n’ roll tune instantly enlivens you? Or certain music has a calming effect. Scientists have come up with methods of altering our complex brainwaves, in turn altering our even more complex neurophysiology—including blood pressure and hormones. Lower, more subtle brain frequencies are associated with sleep and meditation. Artificially generated acoustic tones known as binaural beats can be fed through an audio device for the purpose of brainwave synchronization of the two hemispheres of the brain. Each beat frequency has a behavioral correlate. The lower the frequency, the more relaxation and drowsiness (continued on page 140)

Christine Zane

Vibrational Resonance: Tuning Into the Rhythm of Life

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Zane (continued from page 136) are induced. When you’re in a relaxed state, your mental performance is optimized for workout recovery and stress recovery. Frank’s approach to recovery coordinates entrainment techniques and sleep. In addition to normally

enon: working one arm and then imaging working the other seems to entrain the nervous system in a manner that can be measured—the limb whose work was imagined tests stronger. Another clue comes from the annals of medicine. Close to 30

in greater numbers becoming survivors. If diseased persons can employ visualization techniques to heal, can healthy athletes benefit from them? Learning visualization or imagination skills constructs a bridge to the actual development of more muscle,

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Using a pulsating magnetic field device and the Mind Muscle Machine, he generates acoustic tones at various frequencies in order to facilitate alertness, relaxation or sleep.

sleeping from midnight to 6 a.m., he also schedules times during the day for doing entrainment. Using a pulsating magnetic field device and the Mind Muscle Machine, he generates acoustic tones at various frequencies in order to facilitate alertness, relaxation or sleep. A number of studies in strength work have demonstrated that part of our response to exercise amounts to developing or strengthening the neural networks connecting mind to effort. Some have even shown a seemingly unbelievable phenom140 JUNE 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

percent of persons diagnosed with terminal illnesses undergo what’s called spontaneous remission— their illness simply goes away. Medical science aims at curing illnesses or extending the life span for those who can’t be cured. Some physicians became interested in how the superhealers spontaneously recovered without medical intervention. That led to investigation of the incredible powers of visualization. Since the 1960s the use of visualization techniques for healing patients with terminal illnesses has resulted

greater speed, agility and athletic success. A surprising benefit comes about from entrainment. A sense of calm and peace naturally arises as the stress of life gets off your neck. In time people notice the immense difference between living on a roller coaster ride of knee-jerk reactions to life vs. a natural calm and peacefulness. Most vote for the peace and calm. That’s life-changing and a source of greatly improved health and muscular growth all in one. Such people don’t need medicines

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Zane for hypertension, anxiety, depression or for a good night’s sleep.

Peaking at 65 Even though IM began championing “training past 40” a few years ago to shatter the long-standing myth of bodybuilding as a young person’s activity, age-related myths still hold fast. Bodybuilding and weight training came to life big time in the ’60s and ’70s, and the long-term effects of regular training continue to tear down myths of “normal” aging. In fact, so-called normal aging increasingly looks to be a sad condition of disuse of our bodies—we fall apart with illnesses by not bodybuilding. Tufts University research holds to that idea, and the Centers for Disease Control now have weight-training manuals online for senior health solutions. Because popular opinion and standard medical practice are equally disconnected from research laboratories and publications, the notion of someone peaking to bodybuilding standards at age 65 is simply mind boggling. Zane reveals a way we can all follow with success. In his peaking cycle he came in at 170 pounds bodyweight, down a scant 12 pounds from his Mr. Olympia–winning condition 30 years earlier. Frank trains regularly. In October of last year he aimed at peaking in December. He was traveling familiar territory, yet the journey was to differ from earlier voyages. Each year of our lives introduces subtle changes. Longevity in bodybuilding is affected by injuries and a slowing down of metabolic processes that apply equally to leanness and muscle growth. In Frank’s case, a fall from his bike several decades ago resulted in rotator cuff damage severe enough to require surgery that had an impact on both his training and his archery. As we age, training poundages fall somewhat. More important, subjecting ourselves to more injuries promotes profound disinterest in record-setting lifting. We prefer to stay injury-free, ensuring that our training moves forward without interruptions. 142 JUNE 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

Zane’s breakthrough was the invention of his patented Zane Leg Blaster. In essence, it supports a concentrated frontsquat-like movement that so intensely accesses and recruits the quads, you need to use less than half the amount of weight you would use on normal squats.

Knee and back problems forced Frank to come to grips with squatting in the ’80s. While he used to work up to more than 400 pounds on squats for reps, he got to a point where aversion to compressing his joints made for a breakthrough—the invention of his patented Zane Leg Blaster. The Leg Blaster is a kind of steel yoke fitted over the shoulders,

connected by a cross beam fitting across the chest, weights added to the sides. The Blaster unit fits on its own upright stand so you can get in and out of it. In essence, it supports a greatly concentrated front-squatlike movement. So intensely does it access and recruit the quads that you need to use less than half the amount of weight you would use on

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Zane normal squats. For lunges it brings about greater stability, allowing for intense quad or hip work, depending on the angle used. Photos of Frank’s exceptional thigh development testify to this safe and sane alternative to heavy squats, while his healthy, pain-free back illustrates the correctness of its design. Frank feels his use of the Leg Blaster exclusively for squatting over the past 25 years has made his leg development better than ever.

Working the Program

Christine Zane

In the late ’70s Frank guest-posed at a powerlifting contest and became excited about a new way of training: the three-way split. Threeway splits had been around for quite some time in bodybuilding but spanned a six-day training week, with the cycle being repeated twice. The powerlifter version was different: three days on/one day off— pulling muscles on

day one, legs on day two, pushing muscles on day three. Over the years he’s varied the split even more, always tweaking it for more rest days interspersed with training days to match recovery needs. That’s not to say that Frank gets lazy or bored with training. He has personaltraining diaries going back close to 50 years. He’s made a continuing study of his training, including workouts, diet, Due to a back injury, Frank supplements, rest and recovery. doesn’t squat heavy. His quad That’s resulted development today is the in far above average biofeedresult of only a few sets of leg back regarding extensions and Leg Blaster work. what’s going on with his training progwith and mentored Frank in diet ress. Instead and supplementation. Long before of calling for a random day off, “life-extension” approaches became his days off are based on an popular, Frank was immersed in understanding of when it’s “right-molecule” nutritional aptime to back off and when it’s time to plow ahead. His semi- proaches optimizing muscular growth and prolonging youthfulnars and personal coaching ness. at The Zane Experience unLast October Frank shifted from derscore journal-keeping as a tool for self-understanding training to peaking. His training schedule amounted to two variato maximize muscle growth. The role of diet and nutri- tions. When coaching private students in the Zane Experience, he tion is central to the Zane trains with them three days in sucIntegrated Method. Early cession; otherwise, he uses a onein his career he earned the on/two-off approach. During the nickname “the chemist” peaking period he did his final trainfor his intense study of ing with the nine-to-five method. foods and supplements. Issues of IM from the ’70s reLong before amino acid supplementation became ported on how he trained in those days. In comparison, he trains less popular, he was importand rests more now. Slowing down ing kilograms of aminos with age? Perhaps somewhat. The from overseas manufacmost significant change, however, turers simply because has been that of empowering selfthey were not available knowledge, combining less volume, in the United States. greater intensity, increased training Pioneering bodybuilddensity and specialized movements ing nutritionist Rheo best suited to (continued on page 148) Blair both consulted

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Zane (continued from page 144) his biomechanics. He’s cut back from upwards of six sessions in seven days to half that while being close to his Olympia condition of 30 years ago. Here’s the core of his three-day workouts:

Day 1: Chest, shoulders, triceps Day 2: Legs Day 3: Back, biceps, forearms For one-on/two-off cycles, he trains one day, then “rests” for two days. On one of the rest days he walks a mile and does 300 to 400 reps for abs. In addition, he spends lots of time in his pulsed magnetic field device. With the nine-to-five combination you train

three days a week but not always the same three days. If you begin it on a Monday, the split looks like the two weeks that are charted in the box below. He used that schedule for several weeks before final peaking and photo shoots to maintain muscle size, increasing definition and keeping his training enthusiasm high. As always, Frank’s sessions embody the body-sculpting principle. He doesn’t train for bulk; instead, he trains to sculpt his ideal proportions. Each movement is carefully se-

Week 1 Monday: Day 1 Tuesday: Rest Wednesday: Rest Thursday: Day 2 Friday: Rest Saturday: Rest Sunday: Day 3

Week 2 Monday: Rest Tuesday: Rest Wednesday: Day 1 Thursday: Rest Friday: Rest Saturday: Day 2 Sunday: Rest

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lected to bring out size and dimensions, contributing to the overall appearance he’s noted for. His entire program appears on page 134.

The Zane Experience Prior to winning his first Mr. Olympia title, Frank worked as an educator. After winning the Mr. Olympia, he left the public schools to become a body-sculpting writer and educator. During the ’70s and ’80s major publishers brought his books to market. In the past 10 years his quarterly magazine Building the Body has promoted the art of body sculpting. Since retiring from competition, Zane developed The Zane Experience, a one-to-three-day program featuring intensive sessions of hands-on personal body-sculpting coaching. A highly successful program, it works well because those enrolled become training partners with Frank for the program, working out along with him. In that manner the fine points of movements are brought to life. Editor’s note: Frank’s Web site, www.FrankZane.com, offers a wide array of monthly articles along with his products and educational services. Ken O’Neill is a training and life-coaching consultant in Austin, Texas. To contact him, send e-mail to kayoneill@earthlink.net. IM

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ranching Out for More

Muscle How Branched-Chain Amino Acids Can Help You Get Bigger, Stronger and Leaner

By Jerry Brainum

Bodybuilders do not need to eat protein.

Neveux \ Model: Steve McLeod

There, I’ve said it. Before I’m accused of an ephedrine overdose or outright psychosis, permit me to qualify that seeming heresy. What bodybuilders—and everyone else—need are amino acids. During the digestion process, whole-food proteins, such as milk, meat and eggs, are broken down into their elemental parts, which are amino acids. Twenty-two dietary amino acids have been identified. Eight are considered essential, in that they cannot be synthesized in the body but have to be supplied by food. While all essential amino acids are vital for making gains in muscular size and strength—indeed, recent studies show that only the essential aminos are required in muscle protein synthesis—some of them are more vital than others. Three—valine, isoleucine and leucine—are collectively known as the branched-chain amino acids, so named because of their molecular structure, which features branched chains of carbon extending from their primary carbon structure. The BCAAs are unique because they’re not metabolized in the liver but in muscle instead. That’s why

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BCAAs

One great advantage of BCAAs is that they spare muscle under hardtraining conditions.

they’re called muscle aminos. Leucine stands out as having the most anabolic properties. When you see ads for supplements that claim to “overcome genetic limitations” and that feature complicated diagrams of protein synthesis, you’re probably looking at an illustration of BCAA molecules, especially leucine. BCAAs make up more than a third of the minimum daily requirement for essential aminos. They account for 15 percent of the total amino acid content of food proteins. Some popular protein supplements, such as whey, are effective primarily because of their rich BCAA content, although other aminos in whey, such as cysteine, offer considerable health benefits. Controversy dogs the BCAAs. Many scientists suggest that endurance athletes need more protein than strength athletes because extended exercise taps into protein as an energy source. The aminos primarily used for energy purposes in muscle are the BCAAs. Ammonia is a by-product of BCAA metabolism in muscle. While a high level of ammonia production is linked to fatigue, the ammonia produced in (continued on page 156)

If you overtrain or are under industrialstrength stress, taking extra glutamine would be a sound idea.

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BCAAs

Taking BCAAs before cardio spares—that is, doesn’t gobble up—muscle aminos, thus preventing excess muscle protein breakdown during training.

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(continued from page 152)

muscle by BCAA metabolism converts into two other amino acids, glutamine and alanine, which are energy substrates. Alanine gets transported to the liver, where it’s converted into glucose. Early studies concluded that the energy-producing effect of BCAAs was so potent that it constituted a third form of muscle energy, after carbohydrate and fat. Later studies, however, showed that the enzymes involved in BCAA oxidation are too limited to affect muscle energy. Using radioactive-tagged leucine, researchers observed that BCAA oxidation increases—at most—by a factor of three. Compare that with the 10-to-20-fold increase in carbohydrate and fat oxidation. Besides, taking in carbs before or during a workout prevents the use of BCAAs for energy, which is good, as BCAAs are more suitable for muscle-building purposes. BCAAs offer a definite protein-sparing action in muscle during low-carbohydrate dieting. When glycogen stores in muscle and the liver are low as a result of limited carb intake, the body tends to tap into muscle aminos as a source of energy. That’s more likely to happen when total calories are very low in relation to exercise or when bodyfat is below a certain point. The leaner you are, the higher the risk of tapping into muscle amino acid stores, especially during aerobic exercise. Taking BCAAs before cardio spares—that is, doesn’t gobble up—muscle aminos, thus preventing excess muscle protein breakdown during training. Another controversy related to BCAAs is whether they improve exercise performance or efficiency. In

BCAAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Levels of testosterone, a major anabolic hormone, were higher when the men took BCAA supplements.

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one experiment, presented at the 2004 conference of the National Strength and Conditioning Association, six healthy men took either BCAAs or a placebo, then engaged in weight training. When they took BCAAs, their levels of the stress hormone cortisol and creatine kinase, an enzyme released during muscle breakdown, went down and their testosterone count went up. The authors noted that participants who had more bodyfat needed a bigger dose of BCAAs to experience any anabolic effect. In a study of endurance exercise that used rats as subjects, researchers found that feeding the rats BCAAs led to a threefold increase in blood BCAA after only five minutes and gave them more stamina.1 The rats also generated more ammonia in their muscles because of BCAA metabolism. Studies show a relationship between the oxidation, or burning, of fat in muscle and the subsequent oxidation of BCAAs in the body.2 Exercise promotes the activity of an enzyme (BCKDH) that controls BCAA oxidation. That implies that any exercise leading to fat oxidation also raises the requirement for BCAA intake, explaining why those engaged in endurance exercise, which uses fat as an energy source,

need more BCAAs. The same may apply to those engaged in extensive aerobic exercise to lose bodyfat. Too much exercise can depress immune function, exposing hardtraining athletes to disease. Some studies have linked the immune suppression to both the increased presence of cortisol and the decreased presence of glutamine. Studies with endurance athletes show that when they supplement

with BCAAs, their glutamine count and immune function hold steady.3 Glutamine is important because immune cells use it as a direct fuel source. The relationship of BCAAs to glutamine synthesis raises the obvious question of whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beneficial

to use glutamine supplements if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also getting plenty of BCAAs. As with so many health issues, the answer is, it depends. For example, if you overtrain or are under industrial-strength stress, taking extra glutamine would be a sound idea. It counteracts the catabolic properties of cortisol and myostatin, and your body would prefer to conserve BCAAs for anabolic activity. One great advantage of BCAAs is that they spare muscle under hard-training conditions. In an experiment that used swimmers as subjects, one group received BCAA supplements, while another group got a placebo. Those in the BCAA group experienced decreased muscle breakdown following intensive exercise.4 Elsewhere, researchers who observed the behavior of rat skeletal muscle found that BCAAs block catabolic pathways in muscle by activating ubiquitin lysosome enzymes.5 Some have suggested taking BCAAs before training as an ana-

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When they took BCAAs, their levels of the stress hormone cortisol and creatine kinase, an enzyme released during muscle breakdown, went down and their testosterone count went up.

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BCAAs

Of the three BCAAs, leucine stands out as having the most anabolic properties. bolic stimulus, but they don’t come into play as an energy source except under extended low-carb dieting or with people who are way low in bodyfat. Nor do BCAAs contribute to protein synthesis during actual training; in fact, training blunts protein synthesis.6 The main concerns during training are energy production and maintaining muscle function. Protein synthesis kicks in after exercise. On the other hand, recent studies show that taking essential amino acids, including BCAAs, before exercise kick-starts anabolic processes. That’s because the increased blood flow you get from training promotes greater amino acid entry into muscle. One study showed that BCAAs help diminish muscle damage during exercise and block what is called delayed-onset muscle soreness following intense training.7 Sixteen women and 14 men took five grams of BCAAs prior to doing seven sets of 20-rep squats, resting two minutes between sets. Some of the subjects got a placebo. Those who took the BCAA supplement had significantly less soreness than the placebo group, the effect being

more pronounced in the male than female subjects. The authors suggest that the mechanism may be a combination BCAAs’ blunting muscle breakdown and leucine’s stimulation of muscle protein synthesis. We already know that overtraining releases cortisol, which helps pump your stress up and break your muscle down. Some studies show that BCAAs trigger the metabolic processes that result in muscle protein synthesis. Other studies show that abundant cortisol interferes with BCAA metabolism, which may partially explain why cortisol is linked to muscle loss.8 Also acting against cortisol are anabolic hormones, such as testosterone, growth hormone and insulin. It turns out that BCAAs stimulate the activity of all three anabolic hormones, which may help explain why BCAAs spare muscle protein.9 Leucine in particular potently partners with insulin, which is

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BCAAs

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Recent studies show that taking essential amino acids, including BCAAs, before exercise kick-starts anabolic processes. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because the increased blood flow you get from training promotes greater amino acid entry into muscle.

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anticatabolic and which, along with the essentital aminos, encourages muscle protein synthesis. Still another controversial aspect of BCAA metabolism involves the relationship of BCAA intake to exercise fatigue. The literature lists five possible causes of exercise-related fatigue: 1) Depletion of muscle creatine 2) Increased metabolic acidosis in muscle 3) Depleted muscle glycogen 4) Lowered blood glucose 5) An increase in the ratio of the amino acid tryptophan to BCAA. Take another look at item 5, which is known as the central fatigue theory, formulated in 1987. It seems that fatty acids and L-tryptophan compete for places to bind with a protein in the blood called albumin. During exercise, when free fatty acids increase in the blood, tryptophan gets bumped from albumin and travels to the brain, where it rapidly converts into serotonin, the brain chemical linked to relaxation, sleep and feelings of fatigue. BCAAs are in the picture because they compete with tryptophan for uptake into the brain. Their molecular structures enable them to get to the brain more easily than tryptophan, thereby blunting the fatigue effect.10 The problem with the central fatigue idea is that it’s unlikely to play a significant role in bodybuilding workouts, the notable exception being working out in the heat. That’s why you tire more when you train in a warm environment. Taking BCAAs could possibly energize you, but you probably couldn’t tell anyway if your workout is shorter than one hour.11 The central fatigue theory seems more relevant to long-distance endurance exercise. So really, you need to take another look at items 1 through 4 above. Recent scientific findings show that of all amino acids, leucine is the most potent by far in relation to muscle protein synthesis. Some

studies even suggest that taking leucine all by itself would be sufficient. It works both with and without insulin to get the muscle protein synthesis ball rolling.12 Several studies point to leucine as a means of maintaining muscle, while dieting to lose bodyfat. If you do aerobics while dieting, taking a BCAA supplement prior to training—a dose of about five grams ought to do it—will prevent muscle loss. To get the most out of the BCAAs, include a source of vitamin B1, or thiamine, which is required for BCAA metabolism. A B-complex vitamin would work. Studies with older people show

that a primary cause of frailty is muscle loss, known as sarcopenia. One reason that condition is so prevalent in older people is that age has blunted muscle protein synthesis. Studies show that such people respond favorably when provided with higher doses of BCAAs, particularly leucine.13, 14 One recent study found that depleting animals of leucine initiated a type of starvation response and led to a complete loss of bodyfat.15 After 17 days on their leucine-deficient diet, normal mice lost 48 percent of their liver fat and 97 percent of their abdominal fat. While that finding could lead to the development of new drugs in the war against obesity, don’t try it at home: Removing leucine from your diet would result in serious health problems. Yes, you would lose plenty of fat—but muscle too. One thing that does impair

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Studies also show a relationship between the oxidation, or burning, of fat in muscle and the subsequent oxidation of BCAAs in the body.

leucine’s protein-synthesis effect is alcohol, which produces leucine resistance in muscle and shuts down muscle protein synthesis.15 While leucine is the most anabolic of the three BCAAs—indeed the most anabolic of any amino acids—your body still needs the other essential aminos. The usual suggested proportions for the BCAAs are 50 percent leucine, 25

percent isoleucine and 25 percent valine. Since the BCAAs compete with other amino acids for uptake into the brain, getting too much of one or another could lead to a drop in the synthesis of brain chemicals, such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. By and large, BCAAs are nontoxic and balanced in dietary intake. The only exception is with a genetic disorder specific to

newborns, called maple syrup disease. So named because the urine smells like maple syrup (don’t add to pancakes!), it’s caused by a lack of enzymes that metabolize BCAAs, leading to an unhealthy buildup of the aminos in blood and brain. One result: mental retardation. So do you need to take BCAAs? BCAA supplements do come in handy just prior to training, but if

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BCAAs youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re taking a protein supplement, odds are youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting plenty. Consider the content of common protein sources: Food: leucine, BCAAs Whey protein isolate: 14%, 26% Milk protein: 10%, 21% Muscle protein (meat): 8%, 18% Soy protein isolate: 8%, 18% Wheat protein: 7%, 15% To take or not to take; the decision is up to you.

1 Calders,

P., et al. (1997). Preexercise branched-chain amino acid administration increases endurance performance in rats. Med Sci Sports Exer. 29:1182-1186. 2 Shimomura, Y., et al. (2004). Exercise promotes BCAA catabolism: Effects of BCAA supplementation on skeletal muscle during exercise. J Nutr. 134:1583S1587S. 3 Bassit, R.A., et al. (2002). Branched-chain amino acid supplementation and immune response of long-distance athletes. Nutrition. 18:376-79. 4 Tang, F. (2006). Influence of branched-chain amino acid supplementation on urinary protein metabolite concentrations after swimming. J Am Coll Nutr. 25:188-94. 5 Busquets, S., et al. (2000). Branched-chain amino acids inhibit proteolysis in rat skeletal muscle: Mechanisms involved. J Cell Physiol. 184:380-84. Studies with endurance 6 Blomstrand, E., et al. (2001). BCAA athletes show that when intake affects protein they supplement with metabolism after but not during exercise in BCAAs, their glutamine humans. Am J Physiol count and immune Metab. 281:E365-E374. 7 Shimomura, Y., et al. function hold steady. (2006). Nutraceutical effects of branchedchain amino acids on skeletal muscle. J Nutr. 136:529S-532S.

Orally administered leucine stimulates protein synthesis in skeletal muscle of postabsorptive rats in association with increased eIF4F formulation. J Nutr. 130:13945. 13 Rieu, I., et al. (2006). Leucine supplementation improves muscle protein synthesis in elderly men independently of hyperaminoacidemia. J Physiol. 575:305-315. 14 Fujita, S., et al. (2006). Amino acids and muscle loss with age. J Nutr. 136:277S-280S. 15 Guo, F., et al. (2007). The GCN2 elIF2a kinase regulates fatty acid homeostasis in the liver during deprivation of an essential amino acid. Cell Metabol. 5:103-114. IM

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8 Zhenqi, L., et al. (2001). Branched-chain amino acids activate messenger ribonucleic acid translation regulatory proteins in human skeletal muscle, and glucocorticoids blunt this action. J Clin Endocrin Metabol. 86:21362143. 9 De Palo, E., et al. (2001). Plasma lactate, GH and GH-binding protein levels in exercise following BCAA supplementation in athletes. Amino Acids. 20:1-11. 10 Blomstrand, E. (2001). Amino acids and fatigue. Amino Acids. 20:25-34. 11 Mittleman, K.D., et al. (1998). Branched-chain amino acids prolong exercise during heat stress in men and women. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 30:83-91. 12 Anthony, J.C., et al. (2000).

References

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Heavy Duty

Balik

The Wisdom of Mike Mentzer “Forced and negative reps can be beneficial,” Mike Mentzer wrote in his book Heavy Duty, “but only when used on an occasional basis. When used with every set of every workout, they soon result in overtraining.” Having trained and kept records on more than 2,000 clients, Mike was among the first to recognize that too much intensity, like too much volume or too much frequency, can quickly create an overtrained condition that the human body simply can’t recover from within seven days. Forced repetitions are a method of taking a muscle beyond positive failure. While that can be viewed as a good way of ensuring that you’ve milked the last bit of fiber involvement out of a set, it can also be bad if you do it at every workout. That’s because some fibers, such as fasttwitch fibers, once tapped, require a very long recovery period. Indeed, recent research on sprinters, who almost exclusively use fast-twitch motor units, reveals that recovery of those fibers can take upwards of three weeks. Wishing to stimulate as many muscle fibers as possible while working within the confines of the body’s limited recovery ability, you can’t employ “advanced” Heavy Duty techniques such as forced

reps, negatives, hyper reps, rest/ pause and static holds on a whim or just because you “feel” your body’s up to it. The fact that you feel fresh after four or five days of recovery means merely that the postworkout symptoms of the previous workout have abated, not that the recovery process has run its course or that the overcompensation process has been initiated. Should you employ such advanced techniques as forced reps, and what exactly are they? This month we’ll begin to examine such questions as they apply to all of the training weapons in the Heavy Duty trainee’s arsenal. Mike Mentzer will be your guide.

Forced Repetitions When Mike first appeared on the bodybuilding scene in the late 1970s, he roared in like a lion, winning the ’76 Mr. America contest handily and shortly thereafter coming in a close second to bodybuilding legend Robby Robinson at the IFBB World Championships in Montreal. Robinson was at the time considered well nigh unbeatable. Even veteran scribes were forced to describe Mike’s rapid rise as “almost miraculous.” Rick Wayne, a journalist who’d seen it all in bodybuilding, was impressed:

“His training methods indicate a certain strength of will…for he is not afraid to challenge old concepts, not afraid to debunk old myths… like a scientist discovering new ways to greater bodybuilding gains. Many will find Mike’s ideas totally revolutionary, which they might not necessarily be. It’s just that so many bodybuilders are afraid to push themselves to the limits of their capabilities, while Mike Mentzer, on the other hand, thrives on his exploration of the outer limits.” One of the techniques that Mike used during that stage of his competitive career was forced reps. Most of us have heard of and perhaps even employed the technique from time to time, but Mike had specific reasons for, and a specific way of, including them in his training. What worked for Mike, however, has to be considered in the context of his superior genetic constitution. That enabled him to tolerate greater intensity and still recover from it within a three-to-seven-day period. The average trainee probably won’t be able to recover so readily. Let’s hear from Mike how he employed the technique: “I believe forced reps should be used only at the conclusion of a number of strict repetitions. I use a training partner to help go beyond ‘normal failure’ in training. So you www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2008 173

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might do as many strict repetitions as possible, then use a training partner who’s in tune with your training style to help you make the last couple of repetitions that would otherwise have been impossible.” Next up, Mike’s explanation of how he’d normally perform a given set before making use of the forcedreps principle. “I don’t like to go beyond eight repetitions and not under five. So I train heavy enough that I can only perhaps force out— force might not be the proper word—eight repetitions without any back movement or cheating and with the training partner giving me just enough help with his hands while I am still doing a strict movement to get me through. He doesn’t make it easy for me. He only makes the completion of the exercise possible. “You understand that without that little bit of help it would otherwise have been impossible. It’s important that your training partner know exactly what you’re trying to achieve, or he could mess the whole thing up. Mike was among the first to I think using a good trainrecognize that too much intensity, ing partner is better than like too much volume or too much attempting to achieve a frequency, can quickly create an similar effect by loosening overtrained condition that the your form and ‘cheating’ human body simply can’t recover the weight up. The partner from within seven days. gets the work done more effectively. It’s also much safer. With a cheat or ers who trained with moderate heave to complete a repetition, it’s weights and aimed at achieving a very difficult to control the contracdecent “pump.” Mike took a differtion, particularly when you’re using ent view: heavy weights and you expose your “You have to realize that when ligaments to the trauma of jerky Arnold was in Europe laying his movements. The connective tisfoundation—when he was buildsue also gets a very rough time that ing his mass—he did handle heavy way.” weights. In fact, he did a lot of Some say that heavy weights aren’t necessary for building muscle. powerlifting and weightlifting, from what I’ve gathered. He used what, They cite Arnold Schwarzenegger for him, was a heavy weight in most and Robby Robinson as bodybuild-

Balik

Heavy Duty

of his exercises. When he came to America, it was to refine what he’d achieved in Europe. So he stuck with relatively lighter training poundages. Robby’s also used forced reps and handled heavy weights.” Mike was often compared to bodybuilding legend Reg Park, who was known for his thick, dense muscularity. Park was one of the first bodybuilders to employ very heavy weights in his workouts—the first

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Heavy Duty

“It’s important that your training partner know exactly what you’re trying to achieve, or he could mess the whole thing up.”

bodybuilder to bench-press 500 pounds. He routinely performed standing calf raises with well over 1,000 pounds. Mike understood the comparison and also believed that he understood the reason underlying the similarity in their physiques: “I would say that similarity starts with inheriting from our parents a certain bone structure. Yet I think the thickness, the muscle density that we both have, perhaps the hallmark of our physiques, is due primarily to very heavy training poundage and forced repetitions.”

Training Heavy When Mike said he used “very heavy training poundage,” he wasn’t joking. He routinely handled 315 pounds for eight repetitions in the incline press, and he performed incline flyes with a pair of 120-pound dumbbells. According to Mike, when he was preparing for the Mr. America contest: “I did leg presses with 1,200 pounds for five reps, heavy sets of incline presses with 325 for three reps, and comparable weights for other body areas. I worked up to a 565-pound squat, a 300-pound

behind-the-neck press, a 460-pound bench press, a 385-pound incline press and a 600-pound deadlift [all for reps, not singles]. Obviously, heavy weights are the hallmark of my workouts.” I recall seeing Mike work out at the old Gold’s Gym in Venice, California. He used the entire weight stack on the pec deck portion of the old Nautilus Compound Chest machine, which had bigger cams and a heavier weight stack, and then pinned an additional 45 pounds on the stack to “rep out” with the machine’s decline press feature. In

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addition, using just one leg, he performed leg extensions on the old Nautilus leg extension machine—the one with the really big cam—with 220 pounds for eight repetitions. He also used a 175pound barbell for his preacher curls! Despite all that, Mike recalled that he wasn’t always strong: “I’m the type of person who has to work very hard to develop strength. I’m not the Marvin Eder type or like Franco Columbu, to whom power is natural.” Mike did not, however, believe that all trainees should try to equal his weights in their workouts. Nor did he think it was necessary: “Some body types are better able to cope with top poundages. You should bear in mind that heavy is relative; a guy who’s much lighter than I am shouldn’t try to emulate my training poundages. That would be ridiculous. He shouldn’t be afraid, though, to push himself within reason.” One of the ways a Heavy Duty trainee can do that is by incorporating forced repetitions into his workouts. According to Mike: “Anything you do John Grimek to make your training favored heavy harder—not longer, but training for more brutal moment his herculean to moment—will raise development. the intensity and thus the effectiveness of your workouts. After you’ve reached a point of failure where another strict rep is impossible despite the greatest effort, you can increase the intensity still more by having your training partner assist you in completing two or three forced reps. In most cases it’s best to keep the same weight on the bar and have your partner assist you just enough so that you can barely complete the rep with all-out gut-busting effort.

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Heavy Duty

Balik

“Anything you do to make your training harder—not longer but more brutal moment to moment—will raise the intensity and thus the effectiveness of your workouts.”

pleting several more reps—a.k.a. a drop or strip set—was just as good. Mike’s answer was always no. Here’s why: “If you reduce the weight too much, the next rep won’t require maximum, all-out effort. So the intensity will actually fall below the level of the last strict rep you completed on your own. Keeping the weight the same and getting just enough assistance from a partner who’s in tune with you assures an increase in intensity.” Forced reps aren’t necessary, however, for beginners. Intermediates shouldn’t use them all the time unless they pay particular attention to recovery. Let’s give Mike the final word on that important consideration: “Intermediates might add forced reps to one of the exercises in a preexhaustion sequence—either the isolation exercise or the compound

movement. They should do so, however, infrequently, perhaps every other workout. Advanced trainees who are training once every seven to 10 days with an abbreviated program can incorporate the technique at almost every workout but must monitor their results to ensure that they’re recovering adequately and making progress. If not, they have to use them a little more sparingly. “Advanced bodybuilders who require higher intensity and are more in tune with how their body is responding need to play it by ear—and by their progress chart. They may want to depart from the suggested rep protocol of six to 10 positive reps followed by forced reps. Since their larger and stronger muscles place much greater demand on their cardiorespiratory and other physical systems during very heavy muscular contraction, they may want to use weights that permit

a maximum of only four strict positive reps. It’s a matter of judgment.” Editor’s note: For a complete presentation of Mike Mentzer’s Heavy Duty training system, consult his books Heavy Duty II, High Intensity Training the Mike Mentzer Way and the newest book, The Wisdom of Mike Mentzer, all of which are available from Mentzer’s official Web site, www.MikeMentzer .com. John Little is available for phone consultation on Mike Mentzer’s Heavy Duty training system. For rates and information, contact Joanne Sharkey at (310) 316-4519 or at www.MikeMentzer.com, or see the ad on the opposite page. Article copyright © 2008, John Little. All rights reserved. Mike Mentzer quotations are provided courtesy of Joanne Sharkey and are used with permission. IM

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Power Aging Pete Siegel’s Proven Mental Steps to Crushing Old Barriers by David Young Photography by Michael Neveux

WARNING:

he following interview isn’t for couch potatoes or the pathetically lazy. It’s for those who want more—a lot more—from life than just growing old with dignity. What do you think your future holds? Happiness? Fulfillment? Enthusiasm? Strength? Physical power? Or does it hold quiet desperation? Anger? Physical compromise? Frustration? Do those various emotions, attitudes and thought processes have anything to do with your belief regarding how well or how poorly you’ll age? “You’re only as old as you feel,” goes the saying. While that statement has a lot of merit, how you feel essentially starts with how you think. So the seed of how you feel is this: “You’re only as old as you think.” Think about people like Jack LaLanne, age 93; Albert Beckles, 70, who competed in the Mr. Olympia competition at age 56; Bill Pearl, 78, a former Mr. Universe who still trains hard; and Chuck Norris, age 68. You begin to sense that they never ascribed to the atrophy-and-rust age-related beliefs so many do. Instead, they make a project of staying mentally strong and physically commanding. So can your mind-set positively—indeed decisively—influence the manner in which you age? The answer is a resounding yes—if you have the correct strategy, that is. For some people, striving to age “gracefully” is enough. In fact, most people learn to accept or even succumb to aches, pains and slowdowns as they age. On the other hand, emerging research suggests that you can also age purposefully—sustaining mental and physical strength and vital performance power. Someone I know who personally embodies that belief system—and more important, demonstrates it as living fact—is renowned sports and peak performance hypnotherapist Pete Siegel. Many years ago Pete helped me improve my workout concentration and intensity to the point that I was able to far surpass my previous levels of strength and development. That intensity earned me training-partner status with several pro bodybuilders at Gold’s Gym, Venice. It was at Gold’s in the early ’80s that Pete introduced a radical new concept to the world of bodybuilding: that the mental aspects of increased muscular size, shape and power were as important as the physical. His mental-training sessions became the secret of many top athletes during that time. So when I learned that Pete had developed some eyebrow-raising strategies on how to address aging head-on, I decided to ask him if he’d share them. DY: At 53 I still love training, and you’ve got my attention with this topic. You’ve spent decades working with world-class athletes. What sparked your interest in developing strategies for the aging athlete? PS: I want people to know that as you get older, you don’t have to decline. You can keep improving. I’m the embodiment of that idea. I’m 51, and I recently did a television-news segment where I leg-pressed 1,100 pounds for 10 reps, did 200-pound dumbbell rows—10 reps for each arm—300-pound seated cable rows for 10, the stack for rope triceps pressdowns, and then, with 550 on the Hammer Strength shrug machine, I did 15 reps. www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2008 189

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Power Aging The media talk about aging in terms of demise, decay, problems, health issues. No. You can train your mind and continue to train your body and be strong for as long as you choose. I call it Power Aging. DY: There is real research behind some of the concepts you’re talking about that brings together expertise in the behavioral sciences, neuroscience, immunology and the role the mind has in overcoming disease. How do these factors connect with Power Aging? PS: Think about it: Negative emotions, such as anger, resentment, anxiety, fear, anguish, agitation and aggravation, produce stress hormones that compromise your health and have a negative impact on the body. In addition, research has clearly shown that anger, resentment, hostility and a negative type-A personality enhance the potential for heart disease, arteriosclerosis and stroke. Most notably, the stress hormone adrenaline just pours into the system when these emotions prevail; they all have what’s called a “slow-burn effect” on your nervous system and cardiac efficiency. DY: It’s amazing that those emotions can have such a profound negative impact on the body. PS: Knowing that, however, doesn’t mean you’re not going to experience those emotions. You can’t not experience them because you’re human. People tell you to shut off the bad and focus only on the good. In the fantasy world of Hollywood maybe that can occur, but in real life we have a broad range of feelings. But you can choose to generate positive emotions, such as gladness, selfrespect, self-esteem, hope, happiness and feelings of self-worth—emotions that enhance systemic function because they stimulate nourishing biochemical reactions. They don’t prepare the body for fight or flight. You can determine what emotional state you want to predominate within you, and you can cultivate and sustain it. Much as training on a regular basis gives you the best muscle-building results, sustaining positive emotions empowers you in a way that will enrich and enhance you for the rest of your life. DY: With all the challenges we meet in life, how can we develop a mind-set that negates the nega(continued on page 194) tive?

“Continuing to train hard as you age teaches you how to be tough no matter what happens. It enhances your efficiency and ability to rebound, recover, restore, repair and rejuvenate regardless of what you go through.”

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Power Aging (continued from page 190)

PS: to use it as a generalized When you wake up concept of what I believe in the morning, your is possible. People say, “Negative emotions, such as anger, day hasn’t happened “Where do you get your resentment, anxiety, fear, anguish, yet. If you do nothing energy from?” And in the mentally to establish a gym they go, “All right, agitation and aggravation, produce sense of new, inspiring are you taking?” I stress hormones that compromise your what possibility upon awaksay, “What do you mean, ening, your mind-set what am I taking?” They health and have a negative impact on from yesterday will say, “Well, obviously the body.” linger into your today. you’re taking steroids.” When that occurs, I shoot back: “I’m takequivocation creeps ing hypno-bolin stacked in. When you ask with NLP-bolin.” They someone, “How’s it say, “Where can I get going?” the answer is some?” That’s when And almost always, “Well, I tell them, “Go to www. you know, same old, incrediblechange same old.” .com and see what’s in DY: How can store for you.” [Both people weed their laugh] mental garden so Because they can’t it stays nourishing understand how a guy and thrives? can be 51 years old and PS: The “weeds” naturally be as big, as come from thinking strong and as driven as I and doing the same am. I don’t know what 51 thing over and over. looks or feels like. I go to The way you weed the gym and push myself your mental garden to be a size, strength and is to become the type power monster. That’s of “gardener” who my mind-set. doesn’t allow weeds to So you can use it as grow. an affirmation; it’s also a DY: How does that postulate. It’s also a selfwork? definition and reference PS: You structure an point on how you choose empowering life posto perceive what’s possibility overview and subconscious cles—physically through working sible for you and how you are going personal-success framework upon out, mentally through deliberate to live. awakening in the morning and reself-empowerment thinking—the DY: Let’s say a person is feelinforce it throughout your day. You more you continue embodying and ing his or her age—aches, become a “power gardener” who living a life of strength. pains and lack of workout endoesn’t let mental “weeds” of lesser Here’s an example of deliberate ergy—and has succumbed to choices ever have a chance to root. self-empowerment thinking: “The the effects of aging. What can You focus on your goals, dreams, older I get, the stronger I become— change that mind-set and turn desires and your life-embodying and more of what I believe possible it around physically? power and success. PS: It’s a process. People have keeps me vital, empowered and DY: Does it all begin with bought into the traditional idea of commanding.” changing or revamping a peraging, and once that happens, they Form your own beliefs about son’s core beliefs on what aging follow through physically. You’re not aging; don’t just mindlessly ascribe means and how it will affect us? going to work out as hard or with to what some expert thinks. Age PS: I’m glad you asked that. the same intensity—or as diligently is a function of chronology. PerYou’ve got to redefine your personal or as purposefully. You’re not as conformance, power, well-being and concept of aging. Despite what peosistent or as disciplined with your strength are a function—an unfoldple think, aging does not automatifood intake. You become less active, ment—of the thoughts and beliefs cally involve slowing down, losing less involved; you’re getting ready to you choose to embrace. physical strength and/or decreased DY: Are you using that empow- slow down and do what the rest of vitality and mental function. the world tells you is inevitable. erment statement as an affirThe more you keep generating To begin changing your mind-set mation, or is it a mind-set? Is it power through your mind, emoand turning it around for yourself a postulate or a belief system? tions, nervous system and musphysically, establish—and follow PS: It’s all of those things. I like

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Power Aging through with—a new life mission and life purpose. That requires ingenuity, discipline, persistence and task completion. For example, here’s a new mind-set that will inspire physical enhancement: Why not become a person who can show the world you can be fit, muscular, athletic, strong, powerful and virile at age 40, 50 or 60? Become an example for the world to admire. Show the world that you’re someone who doesn’t rust, who doesn’t slow down. Increase your physical strength and conditioning levels; start these enhancement workouts now. You needn’t have pro-bodybuilder aspirations, but you can certainly be way stronger, way more conditioned, way more fit and healthy than you currently are. Challenge yourself mentally and you’ll find you can still do things. When you find you can still do things, then you’ll want to do things. When you want to do things, you’ll do things and do them well and successfully. You wholly embrace a proactive mind-set. That’s how you begin to turn things around for yourself. DY: Young guys ask me how I can train so hard. The truth is I don’t know how to train without training intensely. It’s part of me. PS: I don’t understand the mentality of “eased-up” training because of age. F%#k that. Continuing to train hard as you age teaches you how to be tough no matter what happens. It enhances your efficiency and ability to rebound, recover, restore, repair and rejuvenate regardless of what you go through—no matter what it is. That’s what training hard does for you your whole life. Another reason I train as forcefully as I do is that I work with pro athletes all the time. When they see me show up with 19-inch arms, all natural, they know that I’m real—that I walk the walk. DY: Do you believe people have set their own bar or comfort zone to a level of achievement that they believe is the limit for them? PS: Well, they tend to set it based on societal norms or based upon what the world, their family or contemporaries suggest to them. People set those bars by what they choose to believe. I like to look at examples. Icons like Jack LaLanne stand the test of time. What do you think Jack believes? He still challenges himself and sets the bar high. He doesn’t think in terms of slowing down. No. At age 93 he still power-swims, lifts hard and lives life to the fullest.

“Why not become a person who can show the world you can be fit, muscular, athletic, strong, powerful and virile at age 40, 50 or 60? Become an example for the world to admire.”

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(continued from page 196)

DY: How can you change what you believe you’re capable of? PS: You determine what you can do or will do. You define your capabilities. Living in L.A., you see many women who take care of themselves in their 40s and up. They think right and have an active lifestyle and exercise. They eat right, and they look phenomenal. They don’t buy into the idea that as you get older you get gray hair and wrinkles. To hell with that nonsense. That’s a choice. That’s the old way of thinking—letting old clichés prevail. It’s what people have been traditionally indoctrinated to believe. Life doesn’t rust; life doesn’t slow down. No. If you attune your thought process to the natural purpose of life, which is to continue expanding, growing and remaining strong, then that’s what life will give you back. Your physical strength, your feelings, your attitudes, your workout performance, your sex life—they all become empowered and enhanced when you start determining what you can do or will do. When people see me train as heavy and as full out as I do, they say, “Don’t you worry about injuries?” “Never,” I say. They ask, “What if you get hurt?” I say, “What if I complete the set and succeed?” That’s where I pin my faith and intent. In my way of thinking and believing, I’m as strong now as I was back in my 30s. In fact, I’m stronger than I was back then—way stronger. I focus on my power—pushing myself physically—and the good that will happen because I do. DY: So you’re talking about conscious thought and determination, right? PS: We start off with conscious ideas because we have to evaluate new concepts, don’t we? For example: “You mean, even though I let myself buy into the rust and slow-down connections to traditional thoughts about aging, I can begin to reverse that through a power mind-set focused on improving?” That’s a concept you have to first consciously consider and then reinforce. Reinforcement of new ideas then leads into new subconscious ideas and intents, which become actions and energy, which then produce whole new sets of results for yourself. If you go into a workout with a power mind-set, focused on improving, you’ll naturally move toward feeling you can do more for your personal advancement. Then, you just do. The only reason you wouldn’t is that you’ve embraced a limitation-based philosophy about aging. Now, though, you’re

“I don’t know what 51 looks or feels like. I go to the gym and push myself to be a size, strength and power monster. That’s my mind-set.”

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Power Aging (continued from page 201) redefining yourself, your exertion capacity and intent. You don’t just “dive into” intensified workouts, however. You condition yourself so you make your body and mind stronger gradually and progressively. You begin pushing yourself appropriately, and you continue to eat right and take your supplements and sleep right and think right and pray and meditate and do self-hypnosis and uphold imagery contexts that suggest life, liveliness, power, continuance and personal strength in all aspects of your life. You begin deliberately generating thoughts and attitudes that embody being strong physically. For example: “I am physically strong. My muscles stay as powerful as I choose. I intentionally exert myself during my workouts, as I know I can—to sustain the vitality and physical condition I believe is possible.” DY: How do athletes in their 40s, 50s and 60s mentally pre-

exertion. Do what you sense you’re capable of, feeling a burn on each set, even performing forced reps— with a spotter, of course. If you want to engage in Power Aging, then listen to what I’m telling you here. Let your mind direct your outlook and your effort—despite any information to the contrary. DY: Such as? PS: “Well, when you get older, you lose testosterone, you decline in strength and so on.” Remember, you make your own decision. When you’re in the gym, push yourself just the way you always have. Don’t quit early. Start exerting power in your thinking, power in your workouts, not just to maintain but to improve. DY: Let’s say you’re going to do it. How do you actually prepare for Power Aging? PS: You make a sweeping, lifechanging commitment. You communicate to yourself through a new idea base centered upon these tenets: “I am; I can; I will; I do.” Take the idea of chro-

strably strong.” Emphatically affirm the power mind-set: “I exude energy, vitality, vibrancy and personal success that continues empowering me; each new day I awaken to live, to thrive, to prosper and apply my strength toward making myself better.” Then you’ll have a subconscious life-commanding base, a physicalstrength-instigating base, that will motivate you toward improvement. DY: What could compromise this new command and idea base? PS: One of the best things you can do for yourself is to separate yourself from contact with “rusty toys.” That includes people who are dream killers, people who believe and will try to convince you, “Ah, you’re going to hurt yourself. You’re getting older, so you’ve got to slow down. You’re going to wreck your joints. You’re going to have a heart attack.” Don’t hang out with those people; don’t subject yourself to those influences. Instead, connect with other “What do energized, posiyou think Jack tive people—active and fitness-lifebelieves? He style people who still challenges are vital, energetic and motivated for himself and sets physical improvethe bar high. He ment. People who keep engaging life doesn’t think in to become more terms of slowing for them, better for them, indeed all it down. No. At can be for them. DY: Do you age 93 he still have any tools power-swims, that would help a in Power lifts hard and person Aging? Jack and Elaine LaLanne lives life to the PS: There are with IM Publisher John Balik. four programs on fullest.” my Web site, www .incrediblechange pare for a productive, progress- nology inevitably leading to physical .com. The first is called “Winning stimulating workout? at Life”; the second is called “Living and mental compromise and throw PS: The first thing is to engage a it right out the window. Embrace the Invincibly Positive”; the third is thorough and proper preworkout “Success Mind-Sets”; and the fourth new notion: “Age is never the factor. warmup, always. Once that’s been is called “The Formula.” They’ll help State of mind is.” achieved, choose the “challenge and you structure the self-impression Remind yourself—and really push yourself” mind-set. mean it: “As I get older, I keep apply- and self-concept base that will With each set you perform, make continue to unfold as strength, ing my strength, my belief, my will sure you focus on the muscle that vitality, confidence and enthusiasm and my intent. I keep myself menyou’re training and strive for peak tally and physically strong—demon- for the rest of your life. IM 204 JUNE 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Benchless Chest Chiseling Build Perfect Pecs Without the Bench Press—From the “Bodybuilding for Baby Boomers” Series by Richard Baldwin Photography Michael Neveux : How can I build a bigger chest without bench pressing?

A: You have given me too little information to give you a quick answer. Why would you not want to do bench presses? Do you just hate them? Do you have an injury that prevents you from doing them? Or have you just found them to be unproductive in the past? Bench presses are among the most popular and effective exercises for building strength and impressive size, yet many trainees don’t like them. On the one hand, benches don’t work that well for everyone. On the other, they work too well for some people, whose pectoral muscles get out of balance with the rest of their physique. The fact is that we do not all respond to any specific exercise the same way. Someday maybe a group of experts in biomechanics will put out a book that explains how to

measure bone lengths and tendon insertions to determine which exercises are best for the individuals sharing the same anatomical characteristics. Until then all we can do is figure out what works for each of us by trial and error. Luckily, there is information that can help cut the trial-and-error period short. To begin with, I’ll assume that the bench press is just not working for you and you want a routine that will bring out whatever potential for pectoral-muscle growth you do have. Yet that’s not all that is involved in acquiring a bigger chest. The size of your rib cage is also a determining factor. The most impressive rib box I ever saw belonged to John Grimek, the Monarch of Muscledom and the only undefeated competitive bodybuilder in the history of the sport. John could expand his rib box, tighten a belt around it and then expel enough air to allow another man to slip inside the belt. Another freaky rib box was that of Ellington Darden, an acquaintance of mine from college days www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2008 207

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Pumping Pecs With POF to increase your rib cage size during your teen (continued on page 215)

After I hurt my shoulder while doing heavy bench presses during a powerlifting bender in my 20s, I thought my chest development was doomed, especially considering that it had always been my weakest bodypart. While it has been difficult to build pectoral mass, I’ve found that attacking the chest from three specific angles, or positions, has helped me add muscle to all its areas without much wasted effort in the gym and without doing heavy bench presses. Lower-chest midrange Wide-grip dips 2 x 9-12 Lower-chest stretch and contracted Low cable flyes (drop) 1 x 9(6) Upper-chest midrange Incline dumbbell presses 2 x 9-12 Upper-chest stretch and contracted Incline cable flyes or crossups (drop) 1 x 9(6) Middle-chest stretch Flat-bench flyes 1 x 9-12 With this program you work all of the sections of the chest— lower, upper and middle—with max force (midrange exercises), stretch overload (stretch-position exercises) and continuous tension and occlusion (contracted-position exercises)—no flat-bench presses necessary, although you could do dumbbell bench presses in place of or in addition to the flyes at the end. That’s a very efficient program that covers all the facets of muscle Holman, age 48. growth and the various angles of pull for the pectoral muscles. —Steve Holman

Wide-grip dips.

Model: Steve Holman

Photo courte

Ellington Darden achieved incredible rib cage development.

sy of Ellington

Darden, Ph.D.

who is a former Mr. Texas and collegiate Mr. America winner and a prolific and popular fitness author. El had an amazing capacity to expand his rib box to produce a sidechest pose that would elicit gasps from the unbelieving audience. Note that it’s a lot easier

Editor’s note: For more on Positions of Flexion training, visit www.3DMuscleBuilding.com.

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Model: Mehmet Yildirim

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A and B) Incline dumbbell flyes C) Two-arm low-cable crossups D) Dumbbell pullovers E and F) Alternate cable crossovers

Neveux \ Model: Jose Raymond

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(continued from page 210)

years and early 20s. By the time you get to your 30s, the cartilage and bone are not as malleable, but younger bodybuilders (you didn’t give me your age) can profit greatly from doing dumbbell pullovers, particularly between sets of so-called breathing squats.

That brings me back to the best exercises for building the pectoral muscles. Because the two muscles that make up the chest, the pectoralis major and minor, share the same functions at the shoulder—flexion, adduction (toward body) and medial (inward) rotation—there are two exercises other than benches that

Doing alternate cable crossovers enables you to move your arm across the front of your torso for a better pec contraction.

most bodybuilders favor: dips and cable crossovers. To maximize the effectiveness of dips, keep your elbows pointed out. That isolates the chest muscles and minimizes triceps involvement. I’ve also found it helpful to bow your back and keep your head down so that it’s directly over your feet. Performing slow repetitions while you’re concentrating on maximum contraction of the pectorals seems to be the most effective technique. Doing three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions should create a nice pump and burn. Slow repetitions are also effective on cable crossovers. I am able to maximize pectoral contraction by deviating from the standard method of performance. I pull the cable handle down and across my chest one arm at a time to maximize contraction of the pectoral muscles rather than doing the standing two-arm crossover. Using that technique is the only way I’ve ever been able to achieve a solid contraction of the pectoral. See if it works for you. A final suggestion on exercises: Do dumbbell benches and flyes. A number of lifters have told me that they did not experience the discomfort with dumbbells that they did while benching with a barbell.

Model: Jonathon Lawson

Editor’s note: Dr. Richard Baldwin, 58, is a former Mr. USA and Mr. America class winner. IM

Richard Baldwin.

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Fast

MASS

Part 2

How to Get the Most Mass and Strength From Explosive Training by Michael Gündill Photography by Michael Neveux

ast month I discussed how and why most top bodybuilders train explosively. Their muscles respond best to fast contractions because they’re mainly endowed with fast, type 2 fibers. Champions also lower their weights very fast, but we’re constantly told to slow down our reps, especially on the negative, or eccentric, stroke. Well, my contention is that fast negatives are better for mass than slow negatives. Explosive training is not perfect. Because the repetitions are fast, time under tension is very short, but we can solve that problem.

Are Negatives Overrated? The eccentric phase of a repetition is supposed to be the most important part of the exercise— lowering the weight being more traumatic than actually lifting it. That means the negative should stimulate more growth. Most of the studies conducted with eccentric training, however, used untrained subjects. They show that negatives are more trau-

matic than concentric reps. That’s predictable, as sedentary subjects rarely use their muscles, especially in a negative fashion. Because negative work is so new to their bodies, the untrained subjects get profound trauma from that style of training—and the trauma translates into fiber remodeling and growth. Studies also demonstrate, though, that once a single workout is performed in a negative fashion, it’s very hard to replicate that growth response with another workout. That’s called the second-bout effect, an immunization against growth that lasts at least six months.1 So, while negatives are important, the more experienced you are, the more they lose their value as direct growth stimulators.

The Two Main Roles of Negatives If I ask you to jump as high as possible, what do you do? You squat down a little before jumping up. Why do you go down when your goal is to go up as high as possible? In other words, why do you perform a short negative before

your positive effort? To hypertrophy your muscles? No. You go down simply because that short eccentric movement helps your muscles produce a much greater force of contraction. Try to jump from a seated position. Without a prestretch your muscles are pretty weak. The eccentric part of an exercise has a twofold purpose: 1) Storing elastic energy. A muscle is like an elastic band. The more you stretch it, the more explosive the shortening is when you release it. It’s exactly the same for your muscles. Whenever you stretch them, they store energy, a.k.a. force, which is released during the ensuing contraction, and the extra involuntary force is added to your voluntary strength. 2) Triggering the myotatic reflex. The faster the stretch is, the more powerfully muscles react to it. A violent stretch “scares” the nervous system. As a result, unconscious reflexes force the muscles to contract in order to stop a potentially dangerous stretch. That’s called the www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2008 219

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MASS MASS myotatic reflex, and it’s an involuntary contraction.

Fast negatives produced more muscle trauma than slow negatives.

So the main purpose of a negative is to add as much involuntary strength as possible to your voluntary force in order to create a more explosive effort.

What Do the Scientific Studies Show? 1) Fast negatives are more traumatic. Sedentary subjects trained one biceps in an eccentric fashion.2 They performed the negatives either fast (half a second) or slow (two seconds). Here’s what fast negatives induced: • A greater loss of strength. • More soreness.

Model: Jeff Dwelle

• A 450 percent greater release of creatine kinase, a blood marker measuring muscle trauma. • A need for prolonged recovery in between workouts.

2) Fast negatives alter the composition of muscle fibers. In another, similar study, sedentary subjects trained one of their biceps in an eccentric fashion for 10 weeks.3 They performed either fast (less than half a second) or slow (two seconds) negatives. Muscle performance Training improved the most with with bands fast reps. With slow ecappears centrics the subjects all to be the reached a plateau after only five weeks of trainsafest way ing, a consequence of to train the second-bout effect. explosively. Fast negatives overcome that limitation. creased the number of type 1 fibers Furthermore, fast by 13 percent. By increasing the negatives increased the number of density of type 2 fibers, fast negatype 2 fibers by 7 percent and de-

Illustration by Larry Eckland

Immunization against growth will not be as significant with fast eccentrics as with slow ones.

tives render muscles more prone to growth. 3) Fast negatives trigger more

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MASS MASS growth. In yet another study sedentary subjects trained one of their biceps in an eccentric fashion for eight weeks.4 They performed either fast (less than half a second) or slow (two seconds) eccentrics. Muscle size increased 13 percent with fast eccentrics vs. 8 percent with slow ones. Using advanced measuring techniques, another study confirmed those results.5 For eight weeks sedentary men trained one of their biceps in an eccentric fashion. They performed either fast (less than half a second) or slow (two seconds) eccentrics. Fast negatives increased type 2a fiber density while decreasing the number of type 1 fibers. Slow negatives had the opposite effect, creating an environment in which growth became more difficult to trigger. Type 1 fiber hypertrophy was roughly similar with both styles of training. Hypertrophy was three times greater for type 2a and two times greater for type 2x fibers with fast rather than slow eccentrics.

Slowing Down the Negatives Is a Waste

How to Accelerate Negatives

In order to jump up, you prestretch your muscles as violently as possible. Try stretching your muscles slowly before a jump. It will reduce your performance because you won’t be able to recruit as much involuntary strength as possible. A major reason for a lack of progress in bodybuilding is that we use the same weight during the lifting and the lowering phases of an exercise. The negatives are way too easy because:

Dropping the bar by relaxing your muscles is one way to accelerate the negatives, but that’s not how bodybuilders should do it. The easiest solution would be to have a partner pushing slightly on the bar or lever arm of a machine while you lower the weight. The problem is that not everyone has a training partner. A more innovative strategy is to hook up elastic bands to the bar or machine. Combining weights and elastic bands as resistance provides four major advantages for bodybuilders: 1) Bands create faster but less-dangerous negatives. As you stretch an elastic band, it accumulates elastic energy. That stored energy is released all at once when you release. That’s why bands “accentuate” the negative part of the movement. As you start lowering the weight, all the accumulated kinetic energy is suddenly released, violently pulling the bar down. Because of that brutal reaction, the negative will be much faster than with free

• Resisting a load is much easier than lifting it. • Negative strength is more important than positive strength. To render negatives more difficult, we’re told, we have to slow them down. That’s a good idea for beginners. For advanced bodybuilders, however, it’s counterproductive, as it will prevent them from recruiting as much force as possible to lift the weight up.

Partner resistance on the negative stroke can generate a stronger muscle-building effect.

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Even if you add more weights to a bar, muscles still have to overcome a similar pattern of resistance. They don’t react to the exercise anymore. By providing most of their resistance in the contracted position, bands shock muscles into new growth. Whenever elastic bands are added to a bar, muscles are constantly at failure during a set: • Positive failure as they fail to accelerate the bar as much as they should because bands slow the weight down. • Negative failure as they fail to slow down the acceleration of the bar provided by the bands. Because of that extra intensity, you won’t be able to perform as many sets. You will also need more rest between workouts, as band training is much more traumatic. It’s therefore an intensity strategy that you should not use at every workout. At most, use it every two workouts for a single muscle group.

Models: Jonathon Lawson and Steve Holman

Model: Mehmet Yildirim

Muscles adapt to pure-negative training performed in a slow fashion after only one or two workouts. weights alone. You should attempt to resist the bands, but if you chose the resistance (elastic and iron) properly, you’ll be unable to do so. Yet bands render fast eccentrics less dangerous, as the bar is rapidly unloaded. In the stretched position (the most dangerous part for both the tendons and the muscles), the total load is much lighter than in the contracted position. The risk of injury is therefore limited. The extreme soreness you’ll feel the following days will prove that bands render the negatives much more productive. 2) Bands add extra involuntary force. The faster the negative, the more extra involuntary strength will be available to lift the weight up. Because your muscles exert a greater intensity of contraction during each repetition, they will get tired much sooner than usual. You

won’t be able to perform as many sets as you can when the negatives are performed with the same load as the positives. Training intensity is enhanced. 3) Bands increase time under positive tension. The main flaw of explosive reps is that time under tension is very short. As you contract your muscles, the bar gains momentum. Adding elastics to the weight solves that problem. Bands will act as strong brakes, which will slow the bar down. You will still train explosively, but you will constantly be at failure—failure of being able to speed up the bar. Time under positive tension will increase. 4) Bands break the monotony of the pattern of resistance. Bands completely alter the pattern of resistance an exercise provides. The monotony of resistance is another cause of a lack of progress.

Editor’s note: Michael Gündill, IRON MAN’s European research correspondent, is based in France.

References 1 Nosaka, K. (2001). How long does the protective effect on eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage last? Med Sci Sports Exerc. 33(9):1490-1495. 2 Chapman, D. (2006). Greater muscle damage induced by fast- vs. slow-velocity eccentric exercise. Int J Sports Med. 27(8):591-598. 3 Paddon-Jones, D. (2001). Adaptation to chronic eccentric exercise in humans: The influence of contraction velocity. Eur J Appl Physiol. 85(5):466-471. 4 Farthing, J.P. (2003). The effects of eccentric and concentric training at different velocities on muscle hypertrophy. Eur J Appl Physiol. 89(6):578-586 5 Shepstone, T.N. (2005). Shortterm high- vs. low-velocity isokinetic lengthening training results in greater hypertrophy of the elbow flexors in young men. J Appl Physiol. 98(5):1768-1776. IM

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by Jerry Brainum

Aging: What Is Under Our Control? In 2006 scientists from the School of Ocean Sciences at the University of Wales, Bangor, found an unusual specimen growing on the seabed in the icy waters off the north coast of Iceland. It was an ocean quahog, a clam also known as Arctica islandica. What made that particular mollusk unique was its age: It was between 405 and 410 years old and still very much alive and thriving. It’s now the oldest living creature on earth, eclipsing the old record of 220 years held by another clam found in 1982. The longevity of the newly discovered marine Methuselah makes the human longevity record of 122 seem paltry. I’d wager that most people would be happy to live to 100 or more, provided that life span also included a high quality of life. (Living a long time in poor health is Jack LaLanne hardly ideal.) turns 94 this Most bodybuildyear—and he still ers would opt trains hard. to follow the example of Jack LaLanne, who turns 94 this year. Jack still trains regularly, and I can verify that his grip is as strong as that of a man a half his age. When asked the secret of his high level of health and fitness, the fitness legend cites his continuing workouts and focus on good nutrition. The fact that he’s a slight man who hasn’t been overweight for most of his life also figures into his longevity. We cannot entirely halt the aging process, but we can slow it down and maintain our quality of life through the passing years. Contrary to popular opinion, many degenerative diseases associated with aging are not inevitable. Absent genetic anomalies, the two main causes of death, cardiovascular disease and cancer, are largely preventable through exercise and diet. A recent study involving 2,401 twins proved that exercise slows the aging process at the molecular level. Those who engaged in regular exercise had lower rates of cardiovas-

cular disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and osteoporosis. The authors noted that a sedentary lifestyle “increases the propensity to aging-related disease and premature death.” One portion of the study measured the length of telomeres in participants’ white blood cells. Telomeres are the ends of chromosomes, and their length determines how much more a cell can replicate and repair itself. Shorter telomeres mean faster aging. While all of the subjects in the study had shorter telomeres with age, those who were inactive had considerably shorter telomeres than those who remained active. In fact, the most physically active subjects had telomere lengths that would indicate that they were biologically 10 years younger than their physically inactive counterparts. Many scientists who study aging differentiate chronological from biological aging. Chronological aging refers to your age in years. Biological aging refers to it from a functional point of view. A 30-year-old can be biologically 50 and a 60-year-old biologically 30. The factors that affect biological age are known as biological markers. In 1991 two scientists from Tufts University published Biomarkers: The 10 Determinants of Aging That You Can Control, which offered the then-revolutionary premise that by eating correctly and keeping the body strong through lifting weights, people could extend the quality of life almost indefinitely. The salient question these days is whether ongoing research on aging confirms the tenets offered 17 years ago in Biomarkers. Let’s take a look at those biomarkers: 1) Muscle mass. As most people age, lean muscle is gradually replaced by bodyfat. The loss of muscle may result in a loss of mobility, the primary reason older persons wind up in nursing homes. For a bodybuilder the importance of maintaining muscle increases when you get past age 40. While you may not be able to retain the same mass that you had at 20, the muscle you do retain will improve your quality of life. So the key is to continue training long after your competition days are over. That’s precisely what most bodybuilding champions do. 2) Strength. A lack of exercise leads not only to

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Fredrick

ANTI-AGING RESEARCH ANTI-AGING RESEARCH ANTI-AGING RESEARCH ANTI-AGING RESEARCH ANTI-AGING RESEARCH ANTI-AGING RESEARCH ANTI-AGING RESEARCH ANTI-AGING RESEARCH ANTI-AGING RESEARCH ANTI

Anti-Aging Research

muscle loss that accelerates past age 40 but also to a loss of strength. What happens is that the fast-twitch-muscle fibers, which are responsible for both muscle mass and strength, atrophy, or shrink, while the slow-twitch fibers, which are smaller and weaker, become dominant. Studies show that most people who don’t exercise lose 20 percent of the fast-twitch fibers in their thighs between 30 and 70. Fast-twitch fibers also dictate speed of movement, and their atrophy accounts for the slowness associated with age. Connective-tissue aging and degenerative diseases, such as arthritis, also play a role. A major myth—debunked by research—is that you cannot build muscle or strength past a certain age. True, muscular strength and size do peak around age 35, but muscle exhibits a remarkable plasticity and responds to exercise at almost any age. Tufts University researchers found that even those in their 90s who relied on canes or walkers were able to discard them following a weight-training program. Okay, you won’t see any of them challenging Jay Cutler at the Mr. Olympia, but their increased mobility was a victory as fulfilling as winning any title. 3) Basal metabolic rate. The BMR refers to how many calories you burn at rest. That measure in turn largely determines how much bodyfat you carry. Those with a higher BMR can take in more calories without gaining fat. Conversely, those with a low BMR can get fat rapidly if their calorie intake is ahead of their physical activity. The BMR naturally declines with age, chiefly because of muscle loss. Muscle determines BMR, since muscle burns the most calories at rest. Studies with master athletes—over age 40— show that some decline is inevitable. On the other hand, the decline is less in those who continue to lift weights. Just doing aerobics will do little or nothing to prevent the agerelated decline in BMR. 4) Bodyfat percentage. Many older people weigh no more than they did during their earlier years but look much different, usually because of bodyfat. As people age, they become less active yet may still eat the same number of daily calories, resulting in more bodyfat. The change in body composition is often so gradual that the term “creeping obesity” has been applied. In years past, bodyfat was considered more of an aesthetic problem than anything else. Ongoing research, however, has linked excess fat to overall inflammation. Fat is far more than the inert energy storage site it was long considered. Bodyfat is an active endocrine organ, releasing more than 100 chemicals collectively known as adipokines. Most of them are inflammatory mediators, playing active roles in most diseases. Having excess fat in the midsection is particularly dangerous. Visceral fat is linked to insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and the onset of the metabolic syndrome. The good news is that it’s also the most labile, or easily manipulated, kind of bodyfat,

On the other hand, just doing aerobics will do nothing to prevent the agerelated decline in basal metabolic rate; however, the decline is less in those who continue to lift weights.

the first to go when you take up a sensible diet and exercise. A low level of bodyfat is good for a number of health benefits over the years: low blood insulin, low blood lipids, lower overall inflammation and lower blood pressure. Consider how rare it is to see an obese person living past age 90. 5) Aerobic capacity. Many bodybuilders ignore this one. For example, I know a former top bodybuilding champion, now in his 60s, who doesn’t do any formal aerobic One theory of aging is that the exercise. He believes loss of mitochondria in cells with that cardiovascular benefit can be derived age leads to cellular death. If that entirely from weight theory holds true, aerobics may be training. He also sufa kind of actual fountain of youth. fers from heart disease; aerobics would significantly improve his condition. While weight training can duplicate many of the cardiovascular effects of aerobics, the specificity-of-exercise principle, as the physiological literature calls it, comes into play. Various forms of exercise specifically focus on certain body systems. For building strength and muscle, nothing tops weights. For flexibility, stretching reigns supreme. For working the heart and lungs, aerobics is best. From a longevity point of view, there are many good reasons to incorporate aerobics into your weight-training program. Long-term heavy lifting imposes structural changes in the heart that predispose you to congestive heart failure. You can avoid that if you continue to exercise or if you modify those structural changes by also doing aerobics. Aerobics is also the most effective way to control bodyfat, since fat can be oxidized, or burned, only in the presence of oxygen. Still another reason it’s prudent to maintain aerobic fitness has to do with organelles in the cell called the mitochondria, where the cell’s energy comes from and where fat is burned. The more mitochondria in your cells, the more fat you can burn and the more oxygen you can process to produce ATP, the elemental cellular energy source. Nothing beats aerobics for triggering mitochondrial synthesis, which appears to boost natural antioxidant functions that add a further level of protection to the cells. One theory of aging is that the loss of mitochondria leads to cellular death. If that theory holds true, aerobics may be a kind of fountain of youth. 6) Glucose tolerance. Many people become insulin insensitive with age, which sets them up for diabetes and accelerated aging. When there’s too much glucose in the blood, the excess sugar combines with protein, leading to a loss of tissue strength, a process that’s thought to be responsible for the stiffness linked to aging. More recent studies show that high blood glucose and www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2008 225

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ANTI-AGING RESEARCH ANTI-AGING RESEARCH ANTI-AGING RESEARCH ANTI-AGING RESEARCH ANTI-AGING RESEARCH ANTI-AGING RESEARCH ANTI-AGING RESEARCH ANTI-AGING RESEARCH ANTI-AGING RESEARCH ANTI

Brainum’s Anti-AgingJerry Research

Exercise, especially weight-bearing exercise such as weight training, maintains bone density over the years. That’s particularly true if certain bonebuilding elements, such as calcium, magnesium and vitamin D, are included in the diet. insulin counts are associated with Alzheimer’s disease. What’s called insulin-degrading enzyme breaks down insulin, as well as a protein called beta-amyloid, in the brain. If the brain has too much glucose and insulin, the insulin-degrading enzyme doesn’t effectively clear out the beta-amyloid. Many researchers consider its buildup in the brain the primary underlying cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Blood glucose can be controlled by keeping your bodyfat low, working out and maintaining as much muscle as possible. Lifting weights promotes the activity of GLUT-4, a protein that transports glucose from the blood into the muscle. In fact, that process may be the reason lifting weights helps lower the risk of diabetes by more than 60 percent. Eating excess saturated fat is also linked to insulin resistance, especially in those who are sedentary. In those who lift weights, a certain amount of saturated fat acts as a substrate for testosterone synthesis. Testosterone, in turn, provides numerous antiaging benefits, especially to muscles. Unfortunately, most medical professionals still subscribe to the long-standing myth that testosterone is linked to prostate cancer. A new study published in the January 29, 2008, issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute analyzed the results of 18 prior studies that included 3,886 men with prostate cancer and 6,438 men who were cancerfree. The researchers found no asociation between cancer risk and the blood amounts of any sex hormones, including testosterone, estrogen, DHEA and DHT. 7) Cholesterol-to-HDL ratio. Having excess cholesterol in the blood has long been considered a risk for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of mortality, but recent studies show that the older you get, the less role blood cholesterol plays in cardiovascular disease. Some recent research even shows that a sudden drop in plasma cholesterol may be a harbinger of dementia. Other studies show that cholesterol intake from food provides an anabolic effect in older persons who lift weights. Among its other functions, cholesterol acts as the direct precursor of testosterone synthesis, and testosterone is associated with gains in muscular size and strength. High-density lipoprotein is considered the beneficial form of cholesterol. Composed mostly of protein, HDL helps ferry excess cholesterol in the blood back to the liver, where it is degraded into bile, then excreted. That’s the only way the body can rid itself of superfluous cholesterol, since, unlike fat, cholesterol cannot be oxidized. HDL also helps prevent the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein, which is also produced in the liver and is the major cholesterol transporter in the blood. LDL becomes dangerous when oxidized, and paroxanase, the built-in antioxidant found in HDL, prevents that. HDL increases when you exercise, stop smoking and lose bodyfat. The levels are also increased when you drink a small amount of alcohol. 8) Blood pressure. Preventing obesity, doing aerobics

and controlling sodium intake will help prevent hypertension, a.k.a. high blood pressure. High blood pressure eventually causes congestive heart failure and is the primary risk factor for strokes. While drinking small amounts of alcohol helps prevent cardiovascular disease, excess amounts are closely linked to stroke. Chronic hypertension also gradually destroys the neurons in your brain, resulting in vascular dementia, which is nearly indistinguishable from Alzheimer’s. Taking plenty of potassium (at least 5,000 milligrams daily) and magnesium (at least 600 milligrams daily) will also block hypertension by blunting sodium mechanisms and other pathways. 9) Bone density. The mineral content that provides bone density begins to leak from bones when you turn 30. Small-boned women who don’t do any weight-bearing exercise and are calcium- and estrogen-deficient are at high risk for osteoporosis. A lack of testosterone is associated with the onset of osteoporosis in men. Older men who walk around hunched over are likely exhibiting spinal degeneration resulting from a long-term testosterone deficiency. Exercise, especially weight-bearing exercise such as weight training, maintains bone density over the years. That’s particularly true if certain bone-building elements, such as calcium, magnesium and vitamin D, are included in the diet. You also want to optimize the acid-to-alkaline balance to prevent the leaching of vital structural minerals from bone—the best way is to eat fruits and vegetables to balance the acidity that results from a high protein intake. 10) Regulating internal temperature. The most important thing to do here is to make sure you drink enough fluid. The sensation of thirst is impaired in many older people. That, in turn, can result in dehydration. Lack of sufficient fluids imposes stress on the kidneys, eventually leading to loss of kidney function. A low blood volume from dehydration interferes with oxygen delivery to muscles and other tissues, impairing energy levels and producing fatigue. In hot weather dehydration may result in cardiovascular collapse and death in older people. From a bodybuilding perspective, dehydration promotes catabolic reactions in cells, leading to muscle loss. On the other hand, keeping cells hydrated has anabolic effects. Maintaining these 10 biomarkers of age will improve your quality of life as you age. You’ll look and feel better. You may never achieve the life span of an Arctic clam, but look on the bright side: You won’t ever have to worry about ending up as chowder.

References Guralnik, J.M. (2008). Successful aging: Is it in our future? Arch Int Med. 168:131-32. IM

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MUSCLE “IN” SITES MUSCLE “IN” SITES MUSCLE ‘IN’ SITES MUSCLE “IN” SITES MUSCLE “IN” SITES MUSCLE ‘IN’ SITES MUSCLE “IN” SITES MUSCLE “IN” SITES MUSCLE ‘IN’ SITES MUSCLE “IN” SITES MUSCLE “IN” SITES MUS

Eric Broser’s

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

>www.MilosSarcev.com Between 1991 and 2003 Milos Sarcev competed in more IFBB events then any other pro, often taking the stage more than 10 times in a single year. Amazingly, he never competed out of shape and continued to better his proportions throughout his career. Milos had one of the most aesthetically pleasing physiques of all time and perhaps the best abdominals ever. These days “the Mind,” as many in the industry call him, spends most of his time running his Southern California gym, lecturing, writing and preparing dozens of athletes for physique competition. His client list includes such successful pros as Dennis Wolf, Hide Yamagishi, Luke Wood and Johnnie Jackson, who all claim that Milos is truly a master trainer. If you too would like to learn the ways of this bodybuilding guru, visit his site to set up a consultation for the everyday low, low price of just $350 per hour. If that’s a bit too steep, how about just 15 minutes for $120 (ouch)? But guess what? It’s probably worth it. Or go ahead and join his free (yes, I said free) message board, where many pros and top amateurs hang out, answering training, nutrition and supplement questions and discussing today’s hottest bodybuilding gossip. Also available at MilosSarcev. com are incredible photos of the man himself in top condition, as well as videos and a variety of cool clothing. I have to take my hat off to Milos: champion pro bodybuilder, top trainer, successful businessman...and most important, husband of a smoking-hot wife, Milamar Sarcev. The epitome of the American dream.

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>www.FeminineBodybuilding.com Here’s one for the ladies. FeminineBodybuilding.com is “The Premiere Site for the Female Physique Athlete.” Officially launched on January 1, 2008, the site was created for the competitors, supporters and fans of female bodybuilding, fitness and figure. It’s a staffed and moderated solely by women, among them national-level NPC athletes and judges, as well as IFBB pros. The goal of the site is to create a feeling of community among female athletes and to provide an open forum for discussing every aspect related to the ladies’ side of the sport and industry. The site also wishes to give back to the female athletes who “have slaved for many years with little or no financial return” by providing sponsorship opportunities that range from $500 to as much as $10,000. The site is free to join for limited access to the forums, but also offered are premier subscriptions, which provide users with many more valuable options and resources. Having attracted more than 2,000 members in less than two months’ time, FB.com looks to be one of the fastest growing fitness communities on the Net.

>DVD Review: “Battle for the Olympia XII 2007” Going strong for more than 10 years, Mitsuru Okabe’s Battle for the Olympia video/DVD series has become almost legendary among fans of men’s professional bodybuilding. Every year, Okabe travels all over the country capturing each pro in the final stages of his preparation for the big show. The 2007 version features several athletes who have not yet appeared on a BFTO DVD, such as Marcus Haley, Will Harris, Silvio Samuel, Mark Dugdale, Hide Yamagishi and eventual fifth-place finisher Dennis Wolf (whom I believe will one day wear the Olympia crown). The DVD also most likely contains the final appearance of the greatest bodybuilder ever, Mr. “Light Weight, Baby” himself, Ronnie Coleman—the only pro to have been on every DVD in the series from 1996 to 2007. The training footage of Wolf, Yamagishi and Johnnie Jackson was definitely the most interesting (and painful) to watch. Each was working

under the watchful eye of Milos Sarcev, who’s become known for his “insane” giant-set workouts, which often include up to 15 nonstop exercises. Jackson’s leg workout was particularly grueling, and I had to wonder how he survived it. Dexter Jackson and David Henry stood out as the two most shredded athletes, with the kind of striated muscle that is truly rare these days. The highlight of the DVD, however, was the coverage of the pre-Olympia press conference, which included some stand-up comedy from Melvin Anthony, a discussion about hair from Cutler and Coleman and some heated debate between Quincy Taylor and, well, just about everybody. The total running time for the 2007 BFTO is more than eight hours, so it’s great to watch a little at a time while doing your morning cardio. Editor’s note: “Battle for the Olympia XII 2007” is available from Home Gym Warehouse—call (800) 447-0008, or visit www.Home-Gym.com.

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Eric Broser’s >Net

Results Q&A

The Power/Rep Range/Shock innovator answers your questions on training and nutrition. Q: I was formerly a bodybuilder, but I’m trying to cross over into figure. I’ve basically been trying to maintain the overall balance of my physique while dropping some of my muscle size. For the past year I’ve used the same training program but have increased my reps from six to 10 to 12 to 20. That has worked great for my upper body, but my legs have not gotten smaller. In fact, I think they grew. How can I bring my leg size down but still keep the same shape and tone? Here’s my split: Monday: Back, abs Tuesday: Chest, triceps Thursday: Quads, hams, calves Friday: Shoulders, biceps

In Freestyle training the idea is to work the muscle group(s) between four and six times per week so that it cannot fully recover. That will lead to atrophy, or a reduction in the size of the muscle. The legs of a marathon runner, for example, are quite toned but very skinny because of the severe overwork they get. You need to do something similar, although not to the same extent, as figure competitors need fairly muscular legs to compete at the highest level. You’re probably saying, “Just tell me what to do already.” And because I respect and understand your impatience (all of us in the physique sports want to reach our goals—yesterday), I will happily comply. Here’s your new bodypart split: Monday: Back, quads, hams Tuesday: Chest, quads, hams Wednesday: Cardio (stationary cycling) Thursday: Shoulders, quads, hams Friday: Arms, quads, hams Saturday: Cardio (stationary cycling) Don’t worry about calves or abs too much while engaged in your thigh-reducing program, or if you wish, get in a few sets for them on Wednesday or Saturday. As for your upper body, I suggest reducing your normal volume by about half so that you avoid systemic overtraining and prevent overly long workouts. Here are your leg workouts for each of your training days: Monday Squats Leg extensions Stiff-legged deadlifts

A: What you describe is not an uncommon problem, so don’t feel that you’re alone. Be happy that you’ve been able to build muscular legs, as many females struggle with that during their entire training careers. I’m glad that you’ve been able to successfully “tone down” your upper body, but it’s apparent that your legs require a somewhat different approach. Years ago I learned about a training protocol called Freestyle, which was designed primarily for women looking to make their legs smaller but more toned and muscular. It sounded interesting, so not only did I research it, but I became a certified instructor in the method as well. Since that time I’ve experimented with it extensively, arriving at what I feel is the most effective way to employ the basic Freestyle strategy. Without getting too technical about the physiology behind the program, I can give you the big picture. Think of Freestyle as intentional overtraining. In the world of bodybuilding the goal is to build as much muscle size as possible by training intensely and then letting the muscle rest and repair so that it can grow.

3 x 15 3 x 15 4 x 15

Tuesday Walking barbell or dumbbell lunges Leg extensions Lying leg curls

3 x 20* 3 x 20 4 x 20

Thursday Alternating barbell or dumbbell bench stepups Leg extensions Seated leg curls

3 x 25* 3 x 25 4 x 25

Friday Leg presses (feet at top of platform) Leg extensions

5 x 30 5 x 30

*Per leg. I warn you, it’s a rather grueling program, but it should get your thighs to where you want them to be within six to 12 months. I suggest using the system for about eight weeks, then returning to your regular split for four weeks before switching once again to the Freestyle method. It should take only two to three full cycles to bring your thigh development into proportion with your upper body so that you can make a successful transition into the world of figure. IM

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LONNIE TEPER’S

’08 Arnold Sports Festival

The Calypso Tumblers.

He’ll Be Back—Again Big Fella Plus Big Jim Equals Another Huge Weekend

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The Alexis Brothers.

Gaspari won it ﬁrst. Arnold Classic photography by Roland Balik and Merv

So, where are the naysayers who assured us that the Big Fella would not be back, at least when it came to being Jim Lorimer’s partner in the Arnold Fitness Weekend, after he became the governor of California in 2003? Well, they were right, in part. The happening has continued to expand, so much that the title of the mega-event held annually in Columbus, Ohio, was changed to the Arnold Sports Festival. If you check out www. ArnoldSportsFestival.com, you’ll find not only the results of all the sports activities that took place last month but also that next season’s edition is already set for March 6 through 8. With Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger still teaming up with longtime buddy Lorimer, by the way. Okay, I can understand why the cynics made their claims. How could Schwarzenegger possibly still find time to support the huge Columbus weekend with so much on his political plate—a plate that is filled with meetings, appearances, etc., from dawn till dusk? He certainly wouldn’t be able to find the time to spend four days in Ohio any longer, right? A person is only as good as his word, and that’s exactly what Arnold gave Lorimer when they promoted their first show, the Mr. Olympia, back in 1976. I’ve been at the mike at the ASC since 1993—in ’04 and ’05 I moved to the pay-per-view team—and there have been some memorable proceedings, but I don’t know if any matched the overall ambience of the 20thanniversary edition, which was held February 28 through March 2. As always, the lineups were terrific, even though last year’s champ, Victor Martinez, couldn’t defend his title due to recent knee surgery. The production, led by Sugar Shawn Loevenguth of Live Technologies (and his much better-looking assistants, Maxine Mendelson and Flex won it Monica Megaro), was the most exceptional, as always. The times—four. show at the finals included a wonderful tribute to the late Reg Park, a deserving Lifetime Achievement Award for Ben Weider and a performance by the amazing Alexis Brothers, who are unmatched in skill, strength, flexibility and grit and who

SMOOTH MOVES Who was that masked man? Pages 235-236

CLASSIC LINES Mandy is dandy Pages 236 and 237

GLADIATOR NEWS Surely he jousts Pages 236237

Lorimer and the governor brought back for the occasion. The Calypso Tumblers, who also performed, ain’t chopped liver, either, when it comes to mind-boggling talents. The most touching part of the evening, at least for me, was when I had the honor of bringing back onstage most of the past Arnold Classic and Ms. International champions, complete with life-size cutouts from their championship days. Rich Gaspari, who took the inaugural battle with a victory in 1989, was the first onstage, followed by Mike Ashley (’90), Shawn Ray (’91), Vince Taylor (’92), Flex Wheeler (’93, ’97, ’98, ’00), Kevin Levrone (’94, ’96), Michael Francois (’95), Ronnie Coleman (’01), Jay Cutler (’02, ’03, ’04), Dexter Jackson (who had to come onstage with his posing suit instead of the dapper duds the other guys were draped in—’05, ’06 and ’08) and Martinez (’07). What an amazing sight to see all of those living legends return to the platform that they once dominated (and Jackson is still dominating; see below), side by side. Couldn’t get any of them to take off the suits and pose down, though. Thanks, Jim, for setting up that wonderful moment for the fans. And the former champs. And me.

Ben Weider and Arnold.

Kai Green.

Phil Heath.

Dexter Jackson.

Melvin Anthony.

L.T. and Branch Warren.

Liberman

Dynamic duo: Jim Lorimer and Governor Schwarzenegger.

ADD ASC—As you can see from “The Experts” Arnold Classic forecast video, posted at IronManagazine.com, I slipped a bit in the ratings with my selection of Marvelous Melvin Anthony as the projected champ. Originally, however, I’d chosen Martinez to repeat, but when he tore up his knee, my next selection, Dex, was already taken by, of all people, Ron “Yogi” Avidan. If introducing the former winners at the finals was the highlight of my weekend, introducing Yogi as the Swami of the ASC was definitely the low light. What’s more, admitting that Isaac Hinds, the third member of our astonishing prophecy trio, did a pretty bang-up job by picking Phil Heath, who ended up behind only Dexter Jackson, was a bit painful too. Okay, I was a bit off, but not as much as those two jokers made it sound. I mean, Marvelous did win 10 grand along with another Most EnterThe Experts plus taining Posing award. A win is a win, special guests Shawn guys; don’t get so picky. Ray, Keith Thomas Shawn Ray and Kevin Levand Kevin Levrone. www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2008 233

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Mostmuscular Branch.

Silverman

rone joined us moments into the wrap-up video. Both said Jackson definitely deserved the nod, and unlike Yogi they had no problem with Heath’s finishing second. “Kai Green was second in this one,” Yogi said matter-of-factly, ignoring insults from the incensed Hinds, who’s the unofficial president of the Phil Heath Fan Club. Lifter was immediately mandated by yours truly to sign up for a month of anger-management sessions after he went off not only on Yogi but also a handful of freezing ticket-buying fans who thought Gustavo Badell was among the leaders when we conducted our Man on the Street interviews after the prejudging. Gale Elie and Dexter Jackson. Keith Thomas, CEO of EST, the company that inked Levrone to a contract last year, also made a cameo on the wrap-up show but played it safe every time I asked him a question. “You’re putting me on the spot,” he kept saying. Yes, Keith, that’s exactly what I do on such videos! Anyway, about sponsoring the Junior Cal...

Amateur Arnold photography by Roland Balik

Liberman

ADD DEXTER—Jackson made it two for two with a victory at the Australian Grand Prix VIII the following weekend and made it a trifecta at the New Zealand Elite Pro on March 15. Oh, by the way, my man Melvin moved up to second at both shows, which proves, once again, that the Swami is beyond reproach. Posedown at the Amateur Arnold. Jackson and I have had our tiffs through the years because I don’t believe he weighs as much as he claims. As you may know, I don’t believe that most bodybuilders weigh as much as they claim. For some insane reason they think that if you don’t carry X amount of poundage, the judges will think that you’re too small and score you down. Absurd. The magistrates don’t even know how much anybody tips the scales at; they just look at the physiques on stage and decide who has the most complete package. At about 5’6” and some change, Jackson goes anywhere from 205 to 215, I say. The Blade claims he’s been as heavy as 225 to 230 onstage. Yes, and I found a cure for male-pattern baldness. Bottom line: It’s irrelevant what the Jacksonville, Florida, resident really weighs; what matters is he’s proven to be one of the greatest, most consistent bodybuilders in the history of the industry. Amazing when you consider that the guy began his career as a bantamweight! Tarek Although I’ve praised the man for years, it’s time to point Elsetouhi. out, once again, just how terrific this 38-year-old has been and that he’s a Hall of Fame physique star. With—or without—a scale under his feet.

More Arnold ADD AWARDS—Two weeks before the ASC, onstage at the IRON MAN, I named Moe El Moussawi the early winner of my 2008 Most Improved Bodybuilder award. After he went from back-to-back 14th-place finishes to third at the IRON MAN (and the Australian Grand Prix), could anybody else even be considered? Well, Branch Warren might not be an appropriate candidate for that honor, but his strong fourth-place finish—and 234 JUNE 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Allison Ethier.

Yogi Avidan and the midget wrestler.

second Most Muscular Man award in three years—in Columbus proved that the whispers of Branch’s demise as a top contender were extremely premature. Sure, Warren did slip in 2007. Although he topped the field at the New York Pro, he could manage only seventh-place landings at the Arnold and the Colorado Pro to go along with a very disappointing fourth at the Keystone Classic. Plus, after his impressive eighth-place finish at his first Mr. Olympia, in 2005, he dropped to 12th a year later, and he wasn’t even onstage at the O last season. Warren was spot-on in Columbus, however, as good as—or better than—I’ve ever seen him, and he’ll be back on the Olympia platform, where he belongs, at the end of September.

Jason Dhir and Marcus Allen.

Avidan

Tara Scotti and J.M. Manion.

Avidan

George Gimp

ADD ASHLEY—It’s always a pleasure to run into Mike Ashley, although the opportunities are few and far between these days. One of the nicest men in the sport, Michael looks fabulous at what, 50? Says he’s very content in his life, running a oneAmanda Quinn, Isaac Hinds and Krissy Chin. on-one personal-training business in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I first saw Ashley at the ’86 Men’s Nationals, the first men’s nationals I covered for this mag. The light-heavyweight class had a huge field, but IM Publisher John Balik pointed out Michael and his abs of steel as soon as he filed onstage. “There’s the winner,” Balik said. No offense to eventual champ Tom Terwilliger (Ashley finished second), but I agreed with him. Nice to see Ashley get some well-deserved recognition again in Columbus. He was a great one.

Mari Segura, (left) and Candace Houston.

ARNOLD AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS—In a nutshell, this year’s version of the amateur competition, now an IFBB event, was twice as competitive as the initial show in 2007. Two hundred and twenty-five bodybuilders and figure and fitness athletes hit the stage at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium for the prejudging on Thursday night and Friday morning, with the finals taking place at the expo on Saturday morning. The competition, open to athletes from all over the world this year, drew from 22 countries and 36 states. Just how tough was the event? Well, for starters, Robert Piotrkowicz, a two-time IFBB World Amateur champion, didn’t win the superheavyweight class, although he was leading the division after the prejudging (Robert did win the amateur New Zealand show that was held in conjunction with the pro event). And a few of those guys could have held their own at the ASC a few hours later. Get the picture? The IFBB rules for international competition prevailed, and so the competitors were judged again live at the finals, where German entry Tarek Elsetouhi, who’d sharpened up from the day before, moved past Piotrkowicz to win not only the class but the overall as well. All division champions were outstanding, and plenty of the fellas who finished behind them were extremely impressive. Congrats to heavyweight Benjamin Parra, light heavyweight Eduardo Correa, middleweight Arturo Castaneda, welterweight Javier Reynosa, lightweight Jose Carlos Santos and bantamweight DeWayne Sammons on their wins. In the women’s bodybuilding competition Mari Carmen Gomez Segura (what, only four names, Mari?) topped a tough field to follow up her overall victory at last season’s North American Championships with the biggest trophy here. Middleweight winner Holly Nicholson and lightweight champ Joanne Stewart, who’s from New Zealand and is the current World Amateur Masters champ, were also outstanding, although I felt Alicia St. Germaine of Michigan, the ’05 Junior National Lightweight champ, was going to win the middles. www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2008 235

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The figure field was terrific; Las Vegas resident Candace Houston, who won her class in the masters competition at the ’07 North Americans, topped a huge field with her triumph in the B class and overall battles over standout class winners Linda Fodor-Egelstig (A), Pamela Soper (B, in a terrific battle with Casey Jovan), Krista McKinney (D), Natalie Waples (E) and Sandy Helmig (F). Thumbs-up to Allison Ethier, who came down from Quebec, Canada, to earn the fitness title. No wonder Allison was confused when I kept saying how cold I was.

Columbus Social Stuff

Knot tiers Lena Squarciaﬁco and Evgeny Mishin.

Isaac Hinds \ www.LiftStudios.com

Liberman

L.T. and Mandy Blank.

Ben White.

TEPER’S TALES—Hinds reports that pro bodybuilder Evgeny Mishin and fitness competitor Lena Squarciafico exchanged wedding vows on Saturday, March 1, the day of the Arnold Classic. They met at the event in 2004 and decided that it was only fitting to tie the knot in Columbus. Dave Palumbo and Colette Nelson served as best man and maid of honor. Congrats...Ben White, last season’s USA Overall champ, posed down for a huge throng of fans at the expo, assuring them the New York Pro title will be his come May 10.… Chris Cormier, who originally told me he would 236 JUNE 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Isaac Hinds \ www.LiftStudios.com

LET’S PARTY, MY DHIR—I hear things got pretty wild at Jason Dhir’s (pronounced dear) Charity After Bash V, which was held at a converted church. As he has every year, the altruistic Dhir donated $5,000 of the proceeds to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. I only heard about it though. I only heard that things got wild, and the reason I didn’t get to see them up close and personal for myself was that Isaac Hinds and Yogi Avidan banned me from the event as punishment for my “terrible” prediction for the Arnold Classic. They did, however, allow me to attend the annual postcontest banquet, as long as I promised to be back in my room—alone—by 11 p.m. I complied. Yogi insisted on going to Dhir’s party because he thought the venue was a renovated synagogue. When they got there, all kinds of crazy things were taking place, according to Isaac, including ninjas dancing on the balcony, but the weirdest of all was catching Yogi, decked out with hood, mask and chains, carting one of the female midget wrestlers across the room. Lifter got the horrific sight on camera, but Yogi caught him out of the corner of his eye and, yarmulke flying off his head along with the mask, dashed at Isaac like Charles Manson on meth and trashed the camera. Or so he thought. Fortunately, an extralarge opera singer, part of an ensemble that performed a medley of patroitic songs, happened to be in the area and body-slammed Mike Yogi before he could do any damage. O’Hearn. Oh, and Hinds wasn’t so innocent either, according to an embarrassed Avidan, who said at breakfast the next morning, “Did he tell you how he was dancing with two babes [figure competitors Krissy Chin and Amanda Quinn] who were wearing nothing but body paint?” No, but as long as Hinds wasn’t the one wearing only body paint, I had no problem with it. The guys said that celebs like Marcus Allen and Jose Canseco were at the bash and that, natch, J.M. Manion was snapping away for Kevin Levrone hours in his coverage for the Hirleman Hair Club and Jim Manion. News, er, NPC News. I’m ticked I wasn’t allowed to get a peep, er, peak at the happenings, and will be sure to show up, at least for an hour, next year. What will Yogi do for an encore in 2009?

also be onstage in New York, said those plans have been put on hold for financial reasons.… Shawn Ray and wife Kristi are expecting their second child on April 30. Their little dynamo, Asia Monet, who will be three in August, recently auditioned for a commercial.… Kevin Levrone has a new film, “I Am,” due for a fall release.… The latest Arnold Classic Webcast on Bodybuilding.com set a new record with a total of 117,000 live views, up more than 100,000 from last year. As usual, Dan

Solomon and Bob Cicherillo hosted.… The second season of “American Gladiators” premieres on NBC on Monday, May 12. Gladiator stud Michael O’Hearn was a big hit at the Arnold expo but didn’t knock any fans out with his famous moves on the joust.… I ran into former fitness star Mandy Blank at the MuscleMag International booth, and Dandy Mandy, who moved from Florida to Los Angeles to pursue modeling and acting a few years back, looks as sublime as ever. I think you’ll agree. IM

UP, DOWN AND AROUND THE ARNOLD SPORTS FESTIVAL Photography by Lonnie Teper, Dave Liberman and Isaac Hinds

1) Phil and Jenny Heath. 2) Downtown Leon Brown and Sergio Oliva. 3) Clint Richards and his mom. 4) Asia Monet Ray (photo courtesy of Shawn Ray). 5) Dave Liberman and Linda Reho. 6) Shawn Loevenguth. 7) L.T. and Kyla McGrath. 8) Jon Jon Park. 9) L.T. with production assistants Maxine Mendelson and Monica Megaro. 10) Victor Martinez on crutches. 11) Kerry and Jay Cutler. 12) Rick Bayardi, Eric Fankhouser, Andy Bartolovich and Rich Gatch.

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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ARNOLD CLASSIC 2008 Photography by Merv, Roland Balik and John Balik

RESULTS: 1) Dexter JACKSON 2) Phil HEATH 3) Kai GREENE 4) Branch WARREN 5) Silvo SAMUEL 6) Gustavo BADELL 7) Toney FREEMAN 8) Melvin ANTHONY 9) Johnnie JACKSON 10) Desmond MILLER 11) Moe ELMOUSSAWI 12) David HENRY II 13) Ronny ROCKEL 14) DeShaun GRIMEZ 15) Adorthus CHERRY

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1) Dexter JACKSON

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2) Phil HEATH

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3) Kai GREENE

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4) Branch WARREN

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5) Silvo SAMUEL

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6) Gustavo BADELL

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7) Toney FREEMAN

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8) Melvin ANTHONY

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12) David HENRY II

11) Moe ELMOUSSAWI

9) Johnnie JACKSON

10) Desmond MILLER

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RUTH SILVERMAN’S

About June: • • • •

’08 Arnold Classic Breakout Performances Hot Bods Pump-Pourri

BREAKOUT PERFORMANCES

Photography by Ruth Silverman, Roland Balik and Merv

HIT IT! Oksana Grishina continues to stretch the boundaries of fitness. With Jen Hendershott up to her old tricks at the Fitness International (right), Grishina was unable to duplicate her Olympia win in the long routines. She’ll do better at the New York Pro in April.

HIGH CONCEPT “Take your order, sir? Jim Manion’s buying.” Hendershott was a hoot as a waitress at guess where. With her highenergy, high-skill performances, she took both routine rounds to finish second overall.

TOP DIVA Did Kim Klein’s prisonerthemed routine (“I want to break free”) symbolize her newly single status? As the physique shot in the center shows, Klein was her old self again, and her Fitness I win was substantial—17 points. BALANCING ACT (far left): Veteran Stacy Simons earned her best finish at a major show since 2002 (when she made the top five), landing in seventh.

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NOSTALGIA

ANNIVERSARY WALTZ Seven former Ms. International winners came back to the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Columbus, Ohio, to celebrate the event’s 20th anniversary, including P&C’s old friend Yolanda Hughes (’97, ’98).

TAKING THE PRESSURE OFF Regiane DaSilva got her highest placing yet at a big competition—sixth—and picked up an early-season invite to the Fitness Olympia. All the women’s shows at the Arnold Classic are top-six qualifiers.

MORE MS. I ANNIVERSARY 1) Before this contest four champs were tied at three Ms. International titles each, Vickie Gates (’99, ’00, ’01), Iris Kyle, Laure Creavalle and Yaxeni Oriquen. 2) Iris’ (’04, ’06, ’07) controversial seventh-place finish here left the door open for Yaxeni (’02, ’03, ’05) to take the ’08 crown (see page 262). 3) Anja Schreiner (’92) was a hit with the many media members who swarmed around the former champs in the pump-up room after the presentation.

2 1

4) Kim Chizevsky (’93, ’96) is one of three Ms. Internationals who have also won the Olympia. Guess who the other two are. 5) It was good to see Creavalle (’90, ’94, ’95) again. Rumor has it these old friends and warriors had some verylate-night International gabfests during the weekend.

For crackling commentary on all things women’s bodybuilding, fitness and figure, read my Pump & Circumstance blog at www.IronManMagazine.com.

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S C E N E AT T H E A R N O L D S P O RT S F E S T I VA L GO, CANADA! Speaking of old friends, here’s my old friend Garry Bartlett with his old friend Mindy O’Brien.

INCANDESCENT Miami sparkler Kristal Richardson makes me look like a good photographer. She

PERFECT PAIRINGS What do Catherine Anderson (left) and Natalie Benson have in common besides being the coolest-looking snow bunnies in cold, cold Columbus? They tied for eighth at the Figure I.

was 10th in the Figure I, but I wouldn’t count her out in any show she enters.

CHICK-POWER RADIO. Thanks to Nancy Di Nino (left) and Chandra Tangi for inviting me to be on the Webcast of the women’s shows. Find the replay at Bodybuilding.com.

GIFTED Julie Lohre’s jump to fourth in her first Fitness I, after taking eighth at the O, was beyond cool, according to her biggest fan, her son, Tre.

MORE CANADA Allison Ethier, a familiar face from her days of competing in another organization, won the fitness division at the IFBB Amateur Arnold.

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HOT BODS

FIGURE I

DEPTH OF FIELD At right are the winner and runner-up of the Figure International contest. Brenda Smith finished last. Talk about a tough competition. With a smokin’ presentation like this, Columbus’ Smith is a sure bet for upward mobility in the near future.

CLASH OF THE BODYPARTS Jennifer Gates (left) and Gina Aliotti went delt to delt and triceps to triceps, among other beautifully proportioned muscle groups. The panel gave Aliotti an eight-point win, but Gates got plenty of buzz. Let’s see what happens when the two take on Jenny Lynn at the O.

B A C K S TA G E C L A S S I C S An hour or so before the women’s judging—in a large room outside the Arnold Expo that served as the fitness and figure dressing room—the ladies were just coming to life.

1) The mirrors finally arrive, and Debbie Leung discovers that she looks fabulous.

2) Bethany Gainey poses for her before shot.

MORE SIZZLERS Speaking of hot Columbus cookies—and I don’t mean the ones they give out at the host Doubletree Hotel—Briana Tindall took 13th (out of 16). What’s it going to take for this blond body beautiful to start getting some appreciation?

3) Amy Fry has a final spoonful of peanut butter for the road.

To see the after shots for all the athletes on these pages, go to the Ms., Fitness

and Figure International contest galleries at IronManMagazine. com.

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Far left: Juicin’ before the show. Julie Palmer hits another classic backstage pose.

PUMP-POURRI—ARNOLD CLASSIC With only two points keeping her from the Ms. I crown, Dayana Cadeau moved ever

Left: Shannon Meteraud and Greg Henry chill at the Eight Ball Nutrition booth. Doesn’t Shannon look relaxed? It’s easy when you aren’t competing, eh, Shannon? Photography by Ruth Silverman

At the Arnold Classic finals, Amy Wilkins introduces me to her and hubby Rob Wilkins’ newest creation. What a cutie! And, apparently, young Robert can sleep through anything.

closer to convincing the judges that she’s the best in bodybuilding.

Two very happy people: Amateur Arnold co-promoter Mike Davies and figure winner Candace Houston.

Still speaking of old friends, Albert Busek (left) and Steve Wennerstrom kept me laughing as they recounted an old story about a missing banquet ticket.

Above: Colette Nelson swears she came in smaller this year—in more ways than one.

Even more old friends. Here’s Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger with Yaxeni Oriquen, who now has a record four Ms. I wins.

Left: Videographer Wayne Gallasch was on hand, as always, to capture all the women’s prejudging action.

Cathy LeFrancois says her superstrict diet helped boost her into sixth— which earned her a Ms. Olympia qualification.

You can contact Ruth Silverman, fitness, figure and women’s bodybuilding reporter and Pump & Circumstance scribe, in care of IRON MAN, 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033; or via e-mail at ironwman@aol.com.

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Fit

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IRON MAN HARDBODY

and Loving It! Nancy Georges, 39, Pursues Fitness With a Passion Compiled by Jonathan Lawson • Photography by Michael Neveux Hair and makeup by Yvonne Ouellette

Height: 5’9” Age: 39 Weight: 140 Hometown: Los Angeles, California Current residence: Los Angeles, California Occupation: Lifestyle coach Marital status: Single Workout schedule: “I usually train every day and take a day off only if I feel overtrained. I train each bodypart once a week, and I don’t have a set of listed exercises or reps. I train to failure 100 percent of the time.” Favorite foods: “My favorite meal of the day is breakfast, which is always oatmeal and egg whites, whether off-season or on. I love a good pizza after a show.” Factoid: “I first stepped onstage in a fitness show back in 1989 and had no idea that I’d still be loving the sport as much as I do today. In fact, I love it more now than when I first started, and what began as a way to challenge myself physically has become a lifelong passion that’s always evolving. It’s in my darkest hours of training and dieting that I’m challenged to strip my soul of all that interferes with my objectives and push myself to release emotions that no longer serve me and embrace myself for who I am and why I exist.”

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IRON MAN HARDBODY Future plans: “To continue to do what I love to do, which is compete in figure, for as long as I have the passion. I love the way the universe guides me and directs me. I have a general direction I’m heading in with my thoughts and dreams, and things always seem to just flow. I’m always in the creation process. I really love coaching figure girls and putting on posing workshops and would love to expand on that even more.” Web site: www.NancyGeorges.com.

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IRON MAN HARDBODY IRON MAN HARDBODY

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Ageless Strength Training Considerations for the Older Athlete

Part 1 by Bill Starr

Photography by Michael Neveux

Model: Jon Hansen

veryone who does any type of weight training is seeking greater strength to some degree. Strength enables you to handle heavier weights and larger workloads, which in turn makes you more proficient in any sport you choose. It results in a feeling of pride and accomplishment. To be able to say that you can bench-press 400 pounds or squat 500 elevates self-esteem. The strength that you gain through countless hours of hard work and dedication is something you value and want to retain for as long as possible. When we’re young or even in our 20s, 30s and early 40s, we’re optimistic that we’re going to be able to stay strong and perhaps even increase the numbers on certain lifts in the future. Unless something interrupts regular training, that’s what happens. For those who are genetically gifted, the ability to handle heavy weights seems ageless. Icons like John Grimek and Karl Norberg were able to remain impressively strong and healthy into their late 70s. In the end, of course, gifted and nongifted

alike will come face-to-face with the hard reality that at some point they’re not going to be able to lift as much as they did previously, no matter how determined they might be. Those who fight the inevitable get injured—no conjecture on my part but rather a basic fact of life. As you grow older, your body goes through many changes, and none of them are good for someone attempting to maintain a high level of strength. Beginning at age 35, men start to lose muscle mass, typically about a pound a year. At the same time, unwanted bodyweight is easier to gain. Organ functions also diminish as you age, sometimes as early as your 20s. The number of fast-twitch fibers declines, while flexibility, balance and endurance also wane. For men, the most important alteration in regard to gaining and retaining strength is by far the decrease of testosterone manufactured by the testes and adrenal cortex. It begins in their 40s and continues for the remainder of life. For many in their late 50s or early 60s, the hormone is severely lacking. The implication of that loss to anyone www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2008 283

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No one, no matter how careful he’s been, is immune from getting hurt. Over the years, injuries begin to add up.

Ever wonder why the vast majority of older men have beer bellies even when they’re not overweight? Testosterone decline.

who’s still trying to move heavy weights is obvious, or should be: that it’s not going to happen, Eh? Howzzat? Stay with me, gentlemen. I’m very aware that individuals vary considerably in the amount of testosterone they produce at any age, but everyone eventually has less than he used to have in his system and will face the same problem as those who have had less for some time. Insufficient testosterone has other negative influences for anybody who wants to stay fit and look good. Ever wonder why the vast

majority of older men have beer bellies even when they’re not overweight? Testosterone decline. One of Mr. T’s primary roles is to allocate fat to your legs, hips, glutes, back, chest and arms. When Mr. T ain’t what he used to be, though, that same fat accumulates inside your lower abdomen, and absolutely nothing detracts from a

Change Is a Good Thing Andy Adams is a 65-year-old fitness enthusiast who writes me about his training, mostly to keep me up to date, but sometimes to ask some advice. He and his wife, Grace, travel a great deal searching for antiques to add to their extensive collection. When he’s on the road he does only freehand exercises so he doesn’t have to deal with any equipment. His upperbody exercise of choice is pushups. He was doing three sets of as many as he could do and had moved up to 40 reps per set. Last fall he wrote me that he had to stop doing them because they aggravated his left elbow so badly that he could barely use his left arm for several days after a workout. I suggested that he lay off pushups for a month or so, then try them again—and then, do two sets of 30. If there were no problem with the elbow, I said, slowly increase the reps on the two sets to 40, then slowly add a third set of 15 or 20 and proceed from there. His last letter informed me that he did as I recommended and was now able to do all three sets of 50 reps. It’s really just a matter of understanding what various exercises are doing to your body and making changes as necessary—instead of hammering away at movements that have proven to be hurtful. The people who do that bring to mind Einstein’s famous definition of insanity: endlessly repeating the same process, hoping for different results.

fit appearance more than a potbelly. It’s often referred to as “gray fat” and is extremely hard to get rid of. So much for strike one. Strike two is the high incidence of osteoarthritis in the United States. If either of your parents had any type of osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis or some other degeneration of their joints, then odds are you’ll encounter it as well. Eighty-five percent of all people in the United States over the age of 70 suffer from degenerative arthritis, and most of them became symptomatic in their late 50s or early 60s. Strike three: injury. No one, no matter how careful he’s been, is

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Of all the shoulder-girdle exercises, the bench press is the most troublesome yet the one movement that most trainees refuse to give up.

immune from getting hurt. Over the years, injuries begin to add up. In most cases, they’ve occurred outside the weight room, perhaps on a sports field. More often than not, they’re the result of an accident. Take my case: Two areas of my body that I have to constantly be aware of when I’m training are my left shoulder, which I dislocated 25 years ago in a fall, and my left ankle, which I blew out when I and my Trans Am did battle with a highline pole. Over time I’ve dinged or outright injured every joint and muscle in my body at least once. I’m not in the least bit unique in that regard. All of my friends of a certain age have similar tales to tell about their injuries. It’s par for the course when you train heavy and for a long time. In addition, a great many older

athletes have had some sort of surgery, usually dealing with a joint, at some point in life. All of those factors must be in the mix for you when you’re setting up your training program. Problem is, even when all the signs and portents are saying that it’s time to stop lifting heavy and shift to a more sensible routine, there are some who refuse to do so. They’re convinced that they can continue to be the strongest bencher, squatter or deadlifter in town. They start using strength-enhancing pharmaceuticals, usually in large doses, in hopes of retaining or improving strength. Not only is that risky to overall health, but it seldom works: Once the joints begin to degenerate, no drug on the market can replace lost bone and cartilage.

Same holds true for nutritional supplements. I do think that glucosamine and chondroitin can help keep joints stronger, but they must be taken—in ample dosages—long before any disintegration occurs. If you’re already having severe joint pain, save your money. There are other routes. Some trainees gulp pain pills before, during and after training, determined to keep lifting at a respectable level. Well, that’s a dead-end street. No kidding—you could lock yourself in an abused, poorly operating body for the remainder of your life. Then there are those who simply can’t deal with handling lighter weights and quit training altogether. They can’t make the mind shift to appreciating the benefits of just looking and feeling healthy.

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You Can Get

Model: Dave Goodin

Happily, there are those who recognize that it’s foolish to stay on a path that’s causing so much pain and discouragement. They make the switch to a more sensible training regime. They’re more than willing to trade big numbers for a fit, healthy body that enables them to enjoy such simple pleasures as taking a long hike, swimming in an ocean or riding a bike through a state park. Okay—it’s a difficult transition. It certainly was for me and everybody I know who made a mark in competitive lifting, particularly in either Olympic lifting or powerlifting. What they accomplished on the platform was joined to their self-image and therefore self-esteem. So when they began to lose that hardearned strength, they felt less proud of themselves. That kind of perception isn’t limited to worldclass athletes. Think about the lifter who managed to place only in state or local contests and who just can’t seem to curtail heavy training in favor of a more commonsense approach. The trophy, medal or having his name printed in some magazine are tangible evidence of his worth. Result? He continues to train hard and heavy, even if that means (in the almost words of the song) painful days and sleepless nights. Bodybuilders, on the other hand, can make the switch from heavy weights to lighter ones much more readily. So they use higher reps—so what? They’re maintaining a fit appearance if they keep to the routine, and having a fit look—as opposed to striving to lift big numbers—has always been their primary goal. Getting stronger was a nice by-product of training but was never as important as developing a prize-winning physique. Also, whereas competitive weightlifters rarely did more than 10 reps on any exercise and as

a rule hated high-rep movements, bodybuilders by and large (yes, really) used some type of light-weight, high-rep program some time during a year to prepare for a contest. They knew the drill. I’m frequently asked if there is a specific time line for switching from a low-rep, heavy-weight to a higherrep, lighter-weight routine. No, because individuals differ greatly. Some, like Grimek and Norberg, are genetically blessed and can lift heavy into their golden years. I’ve known several on the local level who never entered a contest but managed to handle massive workloads into their 70s. By contrast, I’ve also known ambitious physique contestants and lifters who were forced to stop heavy training before they reached 50. Which raises the question, “How will I know?” I reply, ”You’ll know when it’s time to make changes in your training schedule.” That may not be a full-blown epiphany, but it’s close. You’ll wake up one morning and realize that the course you’ve been following for the past few years is doing more harm than good. You no longer look forward to going to the gym. In fact, you dread the idea because it means more pain—and not the good kind—from exertion. Not infrequently, you’re also facing some health issue: accident, serious illness, injury or surgical procedure. Uh-oh. You’re ready to toss the magazine across the room, right? Well, stay loose. It’s important to note that, initially, you may have to make adjustments only in a couple of areas, not your entire body. Let’s say your back and legs can handle the low reps without any problem but your upper body can’t. Adjust your routine accordingly. It’s possible that the exercises in your routine—not the sets and reps—are the culprits. Of all the shouldergirdle exercises, the bench press is the most troublesome yet the one movement that most trainees refuse to give up. Two choices. One, drop the lift entirely for several months, then see if you can do it without damaging consequences. Two, go to high reps and light weights and, again, determine whether the movement itself is causing the pain. I’m assuming, of course, that

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Only the Strong Shall Survive

Models: Lee Apperson and Jennifer Micheli

High-skill exercises like power cleans should be replaced with deadlifts, bent-over rows and overhead presses.

you’re willing to take a giant leap for mankind and forget your old numbers. There’s no question that turning the page on the training log and personal bests is the hardest part for anybody who’s forced to switch from heavy lifting to lighter poundage—even if maintaining strength and fitness is the trade-off. Still, you must do it. Older strength athletes and former Olympic lifters who did lots of high-skill exercises when they were younger often attempt to keep a few of those moves in their routines. It’s not a good idea: Explosive movements put a huge burden on the joints. Static exercises are less stressful, and as you get older, there’s really no reason to include quick lifts in your program. They’re great for young athletes who participate in Olympic competitions or engage in contact sports, but I doubt whether many 50- or 60-year-old

men do blocking and tackling that’s not related to a salmon run or trout stream. So replace power cleans, power snatches, jerks, high pulls and shrugs with deadlifts, bent-over rows and overhead presses. While you’re at it, avoid exercises that cause pain, whether during or after your workout. Even seemingly innocent movements can be trouble—and yes, I do mean curls, front and lateral raises and triceps kickbacks. Lots of times, if you take a layoff from doing an exercise that hurts, you might be able to add it back later if you use less resistance and lower reps than before. The problems facing an older athlete who wants to stay physically fit may seem insurmountable, since just about everything I’ve mentioned so far reads like an introduction to a Dickens novel. It isn’t. Despite the handicaps and restrictions the older body faces, it can still

be altered in a positive manner. The deck may be stacked against athletes of a certain age, but they know how to do a vast array of exercises correctly and have learned how to pay closer attention to the signals coming from their bodies because of their exercise. Perhaps the most beneficial attribute an older athlete possesses is patience. Tell your average athletes that it will take them a year to achieve a certain level of strength, and they’ll have a fit. They want it now or at least soon, not later. To an older athlete, though, a year is no more than a few heartbeats. As long as he’s moving closer to a goal, he’s content. Younger athletes can benefit from using heavy weights for lower reps, but older ones can’t, for the many reasons we’ve seen. Higher reps with lighter resistance, however, fit the needs of men who are in their late 50s—and in some cases, before the 50s kick in. That approach to strength training works because it enables you to improve and maintain the integrity of your joints without stressing them in any great degree. The higher reps, which involve the tendons and ligaments, primarily act on the muscles. Yet they deliver much more blood than lower reps, which nourishes and strengthens the cartilage. So you can have your cake and eat it too, reducing the wear and tear on your aging joints while building muscle. Apply yourself diligently to such a routine, and you’ll be able to create an attractive and functional physique. By any stretch of the imagination, that’s not a new idea. Many of the old-time strongmen deployed it—can you say Jack LaLanne? Now in his 90s and as robust and active as a 20-year-old, he’s long been the spokesman for the multiple sets and reps of low-impact conditioning. He’s never had any joint problems simply because he never abused his joints. Rather, he maintained their health. So now you’re asking if that’s really strength training. I believe it is. The low-rep, heavy-weight system is geared for developing peak strength, the ability to move heavy resistance for one rep. The high-rep routine, by contrast, builds the horizontal strength, or endurance, that’s lack-

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Model: John Grimmik

John Grimek was able to remain impressively strong and healthy into his 70s.

ing in older people as a rule. It can, however, be reclaimed if the spirit is willing. It’s certainly of great value to any older athlete and, in some instances, for a younger one as well. I didn’t find out that this mode of training could be elevated to such a high level until I trained with Jack LaLanne. I’d been hired by his company to market a home-fitness product, a compact set of pulleys that attached to a wall. He had one installed at his house, and I went there so he could show me how to

use it. Just retired from Olympic lifting, I was still training heavy, benching and squatting 400 for 10 reps. Like everybody else, I was aware of his legendary feats of endurance, but I (wasn’t I the one, though?) had been running and playing a great deal of volleyball on the beaches of Santa Monica and figured I was up to the task. Besides, I was 25 years younger than Jack. What I didn’t know was that he loved going head to head with

weightlifters. I was grist for his mill. The first exercise he wanted me to do was a combination of curls and triceps pushdowns in super, super-set fashion—15 reps of curls immediately followed by the same number of pushdowns, then another set of curls, with no rest whatever between sets. Since the apparatus had stacks, I have no idea how much actual weight was used, but it wasn’t that heavy. He demonstrated the technique, then told me to do as many sets as I could without stopping. Breathing like an asthmatic from the unaccustomed high reps, I managed to complete five sets of both exercises before my muscles locked up. Jack’s turn. With ease he quickly knocked out 15 sets and didn’t even break a sweat. He could have done twice that if he’d wanted to. The rest of the workout—he definitely made his point—was more of the same. I left with a tremendous appreciation for Jack’s type of strength and have utilized the concept on several occasions when I’ve found myself with only light weights to use for training. The high-rep approach is ideal for the older body, as it takes the burden off the susceptible joints and builds functional strength that can be used in everyday life. Just because the natural process of growing older prevents you from handling the numbers you once did doesn’t mean that you have to get progressively weaker. It’s very reassuring to realize that you have a great deal of control over how you look and feel. Death is inevitable, but becoming fat, feeble and inactive beforehand is not. Next month I’ll go into the specifics of putting together a high-rep, light-weight program. We’ll also look at cardiovascular, respiratory fitness and improving flexibility and balance. Editor’s note: Bill Starr was a strength and conditioning coach at Johns Hopkins University from 1989 to 2000. He’s the author of The Strongest Shall Survive—Strength Training for Football, which is available for $20 plus shipping from Home Gym Warehouse. You can call (800) 447-0008 or visit www.HomeGym.com. IM

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Mind/Body BOMBER BLAST

Ah, the Good Ole Days

remember when weights were 17 cents a pound, I grew like a weed and muscle aches were some sort of mystery my parents grumbled about. Recollection is an inevitable, involuntary and necessary process. It can be profitable, instructive, entertaining, insightful and painfully dull. Recollections and memories can also be ominous—guilt, fear and doubt are not infrequently lurking in their shadows. My past resembles an edge-of-town junkyard littered with crumpled chassis, dismantled engines, threadbare tires and rusting fenders. Battered witnesses stand clutching the far side of the fence and stare inward. Imagined voices from the deteriorating images call out as a mob, Whatta bum, getta job, grow up, what’s it all mean, lift and shut up. My blissful journey of innocent wonder started when I was 10 years old with a heap of battered weights totaling 100

Pure and simple

pounds. At 10, 100 pounds sounds serious, grown-up, impressive, huge and worldly. You’ve heard it all before, but what the heck: There they lay in my designated space on the bedroom floor, dumb, heavy and inert. While my brothers stepped over the dense and confined mess, I crawled under it, into it. I proceeded to haul the clattering and merciless load everywhere I went, treating it like treasure, food and shelter, a matter of life and death, the Holy Grail. Perhaps companionship—he ain’t heavy, he’s my brother. Soon enough I was 18 and the Newark YMCA was my introduction to working out in a gym. Ha! It was an afterthought crammed into a space adjacent to the boiler room and clogged with Olympic bars and benches from a defunct detention center. Order was nonexistent, and neither form nor focus was encouraged; grab ’n’ hoist was the preferred M.O. Move the iron, heft and toss it. I learned something right in learning everything wrong. When I benched 400 for the first time, I was 19 and training at the far end of a snazzy Vic Tanny’s in Jersey City. The place looked more like a tawdry madam’s house than a gym, with red carpeting and chrome weights and mirror-covered walls and ceilings and strange electrical devices that wriggled and vibrated various puffy bodyparts. A few of the occupants— trendy rascals—wore leotards and tights. And me, fresh from the Elizabeth Y—and plumbers, carpenters and cops, sweaty T-shirts, B.O. and expletives, splinters, leaky pipes and cold steel. Anyhow, I pressed the chrome bar adorned with 18 shiny 20-pound plates (biggest in the house and gathered from all corners), two 10s and a pair of cutesy chrome collars. The contrivance was silly and unwieldy, and the racks upon which it balanced were spindly and chrome and attached tentatively to a bench upholstered in gold-flecked plastic. I could hear the tinkle of weights amid the Muzak in the background. I considered asking for a spot, but the consequences of the request, should it be accepted, were unimaginable. Better alone than assisted by a dapper dude with trembling hands clasped over his tightly shut eyes. I warmed up, paced, peered out the second-story windows at the sparkling nightlife of Journal Square, pawed and sucked in air like a rhino and knocked out one good rep. Nobody cared. Better that way. It’s all history now, in a nutshell, where it belongs. Growing up is hard to Nevertheless, next stop, new job, another phase: do, and lifting weights the warehouse of Weider Barbell Company, alongside apparently slows down Leroy Colbert—you remember Leroy—for seated the process, which can dumbbell alternate curls and overhead triceps extenbe a good thing. sions. A brief stint in Hackensack at American Health Neveux \ Model: Pax Beal

MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BOD

MIND/BODY

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Studios, then a flight destined for L.A. and the doorstep of Muscle Beach Gym, a.k.a. the Dungeon, the home I’d been looking for. Good day, sunshine. Hello, Southern California, 1963. My second outstanding recollection of bench-pressing four plates and change—440, if my shaggy, braggy memory serves me well—was shortly before dawn in the dim yellow light of the silent, empty, grim and wonderful Muscle Beach Dungeon. I stared at the bent bar long after the clang of the last plate had ceased. What a stark contrast to the perky atmosphere 3,000 miles east and six months earlier. Freedom in captivity. The clearly homemade-in-the-USA wooden bench had no shortage of splinters and wobbles and incorrect body-accommodating measurements—low to the ground and wide as an ironing board, with short, precarious uprights. No padding. First attempt, after numbing doubt, resulted in the everpopular, noisy and embarrassing survival movement—slowly tipping the bar to the right and then swiftly tipping to the left, a graceless method of unloading the bar of excess plates. Slam bam. Second attempt, after self-castigation and vigorous rib-rubbing, the bar now bent convincingly across the chest, was rotated from the sternum to the hips, where movement ceased, and I was forced against all laws of physics and degrees of tolerable pain, to sit upright and maneuver the deadly iron from my lap to the floor several light-years away. I saw stars. Third attempt, after unacceptable thoughts of failure under the bar and unbearable images of ascending the gym steps in defeat, I blew out one honest rep. At the same moment, early-morning strongman Steve Merjanian emerged from the sunlit Netherlands above and greeted me with cheer, “What’s up, Drapes?” Not much, Steve. What elevated the weight is beyond me: muscle and might, power of the mind, fearful emotion, peaking energies, dumb luck, resident ghosts, coincidence, or the right combination of them all? Go figure. Three years and a lifetime later, Joe Gold, the Maestro, opened the original Gold’s Gym, and I merged and evolved— for good and evil—with the ’60s. A few contests and a few hoorays and a few years and a few beers, and it’s off to Central California and a few World Gyms. They come and they go, they came and they went, along with 15 or 20 years. Growing up is hard to do, and lifting weights apparently slows down the process. I’ve never met a muscle builder who isn’t part kid, the better part. Some try to fake it—me man, me woman—but it’s a bust when they get that last rep or an outstanding pump and break spontaneously into hulky pirouettes across the gym floor, howling incoherently something like, who’s ya momma now, or I’m cool, I’m bad. I think it’s healthy and hopeful—endearing and authentic—and dumb. I feel like a kid at times playing with a bunch of scrappy toys worn out by years of roughhousing. I go to the gym in an hour, dragging my wagon of toys bumpity-bump. No wings, no wheels, just air and high hopes. Ready for change, ready for the fundamentals. Maybe I should run for president. —Dave Draper

Emotions

Calm Isn’t a Time Bomb t used to be said that you need to let off steam, to release the anger in arguments, for example. Bottle it up, and you could explode later— as in, have a heart attack. Oregon State University researchers found the opposite—that staying calm can raise your HDLs, also known as the good cholesterol. High-strung men tend to have high triglyceride counts, which could lead to cardivascular problems. Bottom line: Work on keeping your cool. —Becky Holman www.X-tremeLean.com

Innovations

Fat-Loss Vibrations ccording to an item in Bottom Line Health (February ’08), laboratory mice that were put on a vibrating platform five days a week for 15 minutes each day had 27 percent less fat and more bone mass. Maybe that’s why there are so many thin people in Southern California—it’s earthquake country. —Becky Holman www.X-treme Lean.com

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.

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MIND/BODY BodySpace Physique of the Month

MIND/BODY

Rob Carbo ometimes you see a guy walk into the gym who looks like he eats the weights when he’s not lifting them—a guy like Rob Carbo. Rob is a 52year-old powerlifter who won a Masters Bench Press Championship in ’05. The guy benches 555 pounds, squats 745 pounds and deadlifts more than 600 pounds—at 5’9” and 250. Rob’s been lifting off and on for 35 years, and back in 1999 he did his first bodybuilding show. Placing third was below his expectations, however, so he tried powerlifting. He found that he really liked throwing around the big iron—so much that he’s still doing it five days a week. His schedule is different from the ones most people follow. Rob does his heavy powerlifting on the weekends, and three days during the week he works out more like a bodybuilder, using lighter loads. He calls it active recovery. A monster of iron, he has three specific recommendations for those who want to try moving serious platters on the ends of those bars. First, get your form right. Learn the biomechanics of your lifts, and make them smooth and short. Second, don’t lift heavy all the time. And third, get your rest and maintain good nutrition. Nutrition for Rob includes eating seven meals a day, getting 50 grams of protein at each. He uses a quality protein powder to keep him on track and creatine to keep his muscles full and hydrated. A fat burner gives him a solid workout energy booster. And for learning how to lift, what products to use and where to buy them, Rob turns to BodyBuilding.com. You can catch more of Rob on his BodySpace at http:// bodyspace.bodybuilding .com/carbonics. —Ian Sitren Editor’s note: For more BodySpace bodies and info, visit Bodybuilding.com.

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Photography by Ian Sitren \ SecondFocus

MIND/BODY Fat Fighters

Cellulite Solution?

r. Lionel Bissoon, author of The Cellulite Cure, has an interesting tip to help get rid of cellulite and/or prevent it: Sleep naked. Bissoon says, “Tight elastic on underwear can cut off circulation and inhibit the lymphatic drainage in thighs and buttocks.” No doubt men will be spreading this cure like wildfire, which could result in another baby boom. —Becky Holman

Synapses

Creatine

For young and old

lot of new research suggests that creatine is an ideal supplement for the older generation, and not just for muscle resilience. Researchers gave elderly subjects five grams of a placebo four times a day for one week, followed by the same dosage of creatine for the second week. Another group got a placebo both weeks. The creatine had a significant effect on the subjects’ ability to perform a number of mental tasks. The scientists concluded that creatine supplementation aids cognition in the elderly. —Becky Holman Neveux \ Model: Pax Beal

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MIND/BODY Mental Might

You Must Believe

ou’ve no doubt heard the adage “Believe and you will achieve.” The more research that’s done on the mind/body connection, the more valid that statement becomes. Here’s a good example: In the March ’08 issue of Bottom Line Health, Rebecca Shannonhouse discusses a study performed with 84 hotel maids. Being a maid at a large hotel is a very physically active job, but almost 70 percent of the maids in the study didn’t think their work was exercise. The researchers took physical measurements and then divided the maids into two groups, with one group being informed of the number of calories they burned per day and how it related to exercise, fat loss and health. The other group didn’t get that information. A month later the maids were measured again, and those in the first group had a 10 percent

MIND/BODY MIND/BODY Your mind is mightier than you think

reduction in blood pressure and an average two-to-four-pound loss of bodyweight. The uninformed group’s stats stayed the

same. It appears that if you want a weight-loss program to work or a bodybuilding regimen to get you big and ripped, the first prerequisite is that you believe it to achieve it. —Becky Holman

Energy

Is Your B12 Shot?

f you’re middle-aged or older and feel fatigued regularly, you may be low in vitamin B12. New research suggests that B12 deficiency is common in adults over the age of 50 due to the decline in gastric acid, which is mandatory for B12 absorption. Another B vitamin, folic acid, is also usually low in older adults. Take a B-complex supplement for insurance. —Becky Holman www.X-tremeLean.com

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MIND/BODY Gallery of Ironmen

MIND/BODY

Paul Spadoni

™

Photos courtesy of the David Chapman collection

n the early 1900s, the Germans were nuts about strongmen. Vaudeville audiences in the Fatherland never seemed to tire of watching husky men lift and toss barbells, cannon balls and other huge, bulky objects. One of the greatest of those stage strongmen was Paul Spadoni, who specialized in lifting, balancing and juggling just about anything heavy. He was born in 1870 in Berlin, and his real name was Paul Krause, but in those days circus and vaudeville performers were expected to have Italian-sounding names. In addition to being very strong, Spadoni was a great showman. He had a superb sense of balance, and his act was always very successful. At the height of his career, he would appear onstage dressed as a Roman centurion, driving a chariot. He then unhitched the horses, picked up the chariot and balanced it on his head. Spadoni also used a springboard quite frequently, and one of his most spectacular feats was to put a large cannon on one end of the springboard and then jump on the other, sending the gun flying into the air. He would then catch it and balance it on his back and shoulders. Spadoni’s act had become so

successful by the early 1900s that he decided to take it to America, where there were large and eager audiences. The American public proved to be just as receptive to the German athlete’s act as Europeans had been. He traveled around America for many years and was always on the top of the bill because of his strength and panache. Spadoni changed his scenery and sets often so that his performances wouldn’t get stale. At one point he forsook his Roman outfit and switched to playing a caveman in a fur loincloth. He wielded a large wooden club, juggling it with ridiculous ease. In Europe in 1914 when World War I broke out, Spadoni was eventually sent to fight for his country. Wounds that he suffered in the trenches in addition to advanced age (he was in his mid-40s) put an end to his theatrical career. After the war he chose to stay in show business by forming a very successful theatrical talent agency. Over the years he handled the bookings for some 50,000 performers from all over the world. Paul Spadoni finally retired and moved to Rome, where he died on July 11, 1952. —David Chapman

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MIND/BODY Health and Aging

Vitamin D May Help Slow Aging

vitamin made when sunlight hits the skin could help slow down the aging of cells and tissues, according to researchers. A King’s College London study of more than 2,000 women found that those whose bodies had more vitamin D experienced fewer aging-related changes in their DNA. The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, stopped short of proving cause and effect.

Snapshot Measurement The genetic material inside every cell has a built-in clock that counts down every time the cell reproduces itself. The shortening of those strands of DNA, called telomeres, provides a way of examining the aging process at a cellular level. The King’s team looked at white blood cells, which tend to experience faster rates of turnover—and faster shortening of telomeres—when the body’s tissues are suffering from inflammation. They looked at a total of 2,160 women between the ages of 18 and 79 and took a snapshot measurement of the levels of vitamin D in their blood, comparing it to the length of the telomeres in their white blood cells. After adjusting for the age of the volunteer, they found that women

with higher measures of vitamin D were more likely to have longer telomeres in their cells, and vice versa. Professor Brent Richards, who led the study, said, “These results are exciting because they demonstrate for the first time that people who have higher levels of vitamin D may age more slowly than people with lower levels of vitamin D. This could help to explain how vitamin D has a protective effect on many aging-related diseases, such as heart disease and cancer.” Another of the study’s authors, Professor Tim Spector, said, “Although it might sound absurd, it’s possible that the same sunshine that may increase our risk of skin cancer may also have a healthy effect on the aging process in general.”

No Proof

The authors conceded that while the study suggested a link between vitamin D levels and telomere length, it did not provide unequivocal evidence that vitamin D and not some other factor unaccounted for in the research was responsible for the effect. Professor Thomas von Zglinicki, a leading telomere researcher from the University of Newcastle, said that the study was more evidence that telomere length could be related to aging and age-related diseases. “What we do know is that while telomere length can be used as a biological marker, for an individIt might sound absurd, but ual, it is not a very precise one. Other studies have found that people who die at the the same sunshine that same age can have significant differences may increase our risk of in their telomere length—up to 30 times the skin cancer may also have differences described in this study. We just still don’t know how all the different faca healthy effect on the tors that correlate to telomere length work aging process. together.” Von Zglinicki explained that it was possible that the action at work was not vitamin D delaying the shortening of telomeres but another factor altering the way the vitamin is created and metabolized by the body. —Dr. Bob Goldman www.WorldHealth.net Editor’s note: For the latest information and research on health and aging, subscribe to the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine e-zine free at WorldHealth.net.

300 JUNE 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Merv Merv

Age: 32 Weight: 195 (contest); 210 (off-season) Height: 5’7” Residence: Orlando, Florida Contest highlights: ’07 USA, light-heavyweight, 2nd; ’07 NPC Nationals, lightheavyweight, 3rd Contact: www.AlAuguste.com

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ JUNE 2008 301

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MI N D/ B O DY I R O N MA N R i si n g S t a r s

Al Auguste

June 2008

Inconsistency?

Best Issue Yet

In the Readers Write in the December ’07 IM you responded correctly to a reader who asked for drug information. You wrote that IM doesn’t provide drug information because drugs are illegal and because IRON MAN is about “sane” training. But on the same page a female bodybuilder, who obviously uses plenty of those drugs, wrote enthusiastically that science should view female development as “evolutionary.” She then defined that word as meaning, “The gradual process in which something changes into a different and usually more complex and better form.” Well, when women use male hormones, they change into something different all right, though I’m not sure about better. In view of how you set the former individual straight about the impropriety of drugs, why didn’t you do the same with the lady? name withheld via Internet Editor’s note: Unless someone admits to using drugs, we don’t point fingers. The woman’s statements could have been taken in a number of different ways, so we let it slide. The other letter was on point—no interpretation necessary.

Neveux

I never write to magazines, but after reading your April [2008] issue, I had to drop you a line. That’s the best issue you’ve put out in a long time. Maybe the best one ever. Dan Decker’s arm-training article was great, the occlusion feature was very interesting, the bench press article had lots of practical information, and Bill Starr, who is always interesting, was particularly so this time with his insights on increasing running speed with weights. It was also good to see Greg Zulak back with his ideas on trap training. And to top it off, hardbody Jamie Eason was breathtaking. Lone Star Stunner, indeed. Keep up the great work. You’ve got a lifetime subscriber in me. Samuel Jasper Portland, OR

Co-author Kudos I want to thank IRON MAN for publishing the article on blood occlusion training [April ’08]. It’s one of the articles I’m most proud of; however, I cannot take full credit for the arIs Blocking Blood ticle. Gabe and Flow the Next Big Jacob Wilson of Muscle-Building www.abcbody Frontier? building.com were also cowriters and were of tremendous help. I wanted to thank them for that and let the readers know that they had just as big a hand in the ild and crazy training methods seem to come out every other week these days. article as I did. W Whether it’s static-contraction training, superslow mo or one-set-per-week workouts, the get-big fads go in and out of style faster than bell-bottom jeans and capri Layne Norton pants for guys. via Internet 304 APRIL 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READE

Readers Write

Occlusion Training

Model: Tom Platz

by Layne

Norton • Photography by Michael Neveux

AgeDefying Workouts After reading IRON MAN and having a cup of it on a regular basis, I have been able to defy the aging process. I get my regular treatment and have been able to sculpt my body past the age of 45. Even my children get in Alan Boyle (above) and his kids (below). on my workouts sometimes. I feel great and have always trained without chemicals—I use the oldfashioned hard-work way. Your magazine has helped me train smarter. Thank you. Alan Boyle Fort Wayne, IN Vol. 67, No. 6: IRON MAN (ISSN #0047-1496) is published monthly by IRON MAN Publishing, 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033. Periodical Mail is paid at Oxnard, CA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to IRON MAN, 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033. Please allow six to eight weeks for change to take effect. Subscription rates—U.S. and its possessions: new 12-issue subscription, $29.97. Canada, Mexico and other foreign subscriptions: 12 issues, $49.97 sent Second Class. Foreign orders must be in U.S. dollars. Send subscriptions to IRON MAN, 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033. Or call 1-800-570-4766. Copyright © 2008. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher. Printed in the USA.

304 JUNE 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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