2009-04

APRIL 2009 / IRON MAN MAGAZINE—WE KNOW TRAINING™

BIG LOU FERRIGNO • OVER-40 BODYBUILDING

Lou gno i r r Fe 57 Still Pumping Iron at

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Info-TV Superstar How Dean Tornabene Stays Big and Lean in Middle Age APRIL 2009 $5.99

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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™

April 2009

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

FEATURES

78 TRAIN, EAT, GROW 114 Shock your muscles to rock your gains—and burn fat sitting on your ass.

116 A BODYBUILDER IS BORN 45 Ron Harris explains how the gym can be therapy—a different mind/muscle link.

126 THE INCREDIBLE LOU At 57, he still loves pumping iron. His sons love it too.

142 MASTERING MUSCLE GROWTH The Wilsons discuss insulin resistance and muscle growth in older athletes.

158 UNDER THE INFLUENCE, PART 2 Jerry Brainum’s conclusions on booze and bodybuilding.

126 LOU FERRIGNO

178 HEART ATTACK TO SERIOUSLY JACKED! Meet Jay Papish, 63, an ’08 NPC Masters National bodybuilding champ.

240

190 LEAN DEAN TORNABENE David Young interviews the 40-something info-TV superstar.

208 CREATINE FOR BOOMER BODYBUILDERS Is it good idea to take it? Richard Baldwin, Ph.D., explores and explains.

HARDBODY CRYSTAL WEST

216 TOTAL TRAINING C.S. Sloan outlines two solid full-body workouts for advanced gains.

228 HEAVY DUTY John Little explodes some myths with help from the words of Mike Mentzer.

240 HARDBODY At 43, cut Crystal West is gunning for the world pullup record.

278 POWER SURGE Sean Katterle looks back at Doug Hepburn’s amazing raw-strength training.

304 PROFILE: STEPHEN FRAZIER The national-level superheavyweight talks training, eating and lifestyle.

330 ONLY THE STRONG SHALL SURVIVE Coach Bill Starr discusses consistency, the critical variable.

Lou Ferrigno, of bodybuilding, Incredible Hulk and King of Queens fame, appears on this month’s cover.

Hair and makeup

by Terri Groves.

Photo by Michael Neveux.

BIG LOU FERRIGNO • OVER-40 BODYBUILDING

Lou gno Ferri 57

™

Still Pumping Iron at

Incredible Pics of Lou and His Sons

New Full-Body Workouts That Work!

Build Serious Size

Master Your Muscle Growth Anabolic Diet Tricks for Older Athletes

Info-TV Superstar How Dean Tornabene Stays Big and Lean in Middle Age

178

190

APRIL 2009 $5.99

Vol. 68, No. 4

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• Prime-Time Hardbody Crystal West • Is Creatine Safe for 40-Plus Lifters?

• Yes, You Can!—Working Man Muscle Plan • Masters Bodybuilding Champ Joe Papish 2/2/09 12:38:20 PM

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

DEPARTMENTS

36 TRAIN TO GAIN The over-40 bodybuilder’s golden rule, plus Joe Horrigan on wrist curls.

54 SMART TRAINING Coach Charles Poliquin discusses arm growth and size potential.

64 EAT TO GROW Nutrition facts on recovery, carbs and the whey-vs.-aminos debate.

90 NATURALLY HUGE John Hansen presents the working man’s workout plan.

102 SHREDDED MUSCLE Dave Goodin on training abs and biceps, two favorite muscle groups.

108 CRITICAL MASS Steve Holman discusses ultimate exercises and mass machines.

270 MUSCLE “IN” SITES Eric Broser surfs to Home-Gym.com and reviews The Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout, an e-book, and Mr. O Dexter Jackson’s latest DVD release.

308

PUMP & CIRCUMSTANCE Hot bods behind the scenes

288 NEWS & VIEWS Lonnie Teper’s world of bodybuilding, IM Pro results and Rising Stars pics.

308 PUMP & CIRCUMSTANCE Ruth Silverman checks out the ladies’ side of physique competition—hot bods aplenty.

318 ANTIAGING RESEARCH What’s old is new again. Jerry Brainum analyzes growth hormone secretagogues.

340 MIND/BODY CONNECTION BodySpace Physique of the Month Elijah Maine, signs that you’ll live long and soaring through workouts with Dave Draper.

352 READERS WRITE

158

UNDER THE INFLUENCE, PART 2

Power Surge support, clear on cardio and more fat-burning info.

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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.

race when you view these studio sessions with fit, gorgeous gals.

download some of our most popular features.

Build your muscle-building collection.

See the big, brawny bodies from the ’09 IRON MAN Pro in full-page vivid color. We’ll have loads of photos of the fantastic physiques from the L.A. Convention Center stage, all practically jumping off the page. Then the Wilson brothers offer tips on active recovery for supercharging growth, Mark Perry takes you through a wicked triceps workout, and Jerry Brainum dissects the latest antioxidant research. Plus, more fat-tomuscle workout techniques from the Train, Eat, Grow men. Find the May issue on newsstands the first week of April.

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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

It’s the People As I write this, I am in recovery mode—three days after the IRON MAN Pro/Los Angeles Fitness Expo—and my mind is refocusing on the magazine. As usual the last three to four weeks before our yearly event, which is 20 now, felt like being in a time warp—what day is it? Anyone who’s been involved with a seven-days-a-week project that stretches over an extended period of time will understand. All of my eating, sleeping and working out routines are altered. What did I do at my last workout, and when was it? Go back to the workout log to be sure.

What always keep me going are the people. When you do an event the way we do, what makes it really satisfying is sharing your obsession with a group of people who are as addicted as you are. When I first started reading Iron Man 53 years ago, I sensed that within those pages were a group of special people—a group I wanted to belong to. I was right. This past weekend just underlines that fact.

The bodybuilding community is populated by a group of individuals.

I use the word individuals because they are all one of a kind, but they have facets that intermesh. This year’s group of sponsors for the IRON MAN Pro ranged from people I’ve known for almost 25 years to those I’ve just met. Let me start with Rich Gaspari, former pro bodybuilder and head of Gaspari Nutrition. I met Richie when I photographed him and his training partner, Lee Haney, at World Gym in Venice, California.

I was struck by his intensity and focus and his sheer love of what he was doing. Today he’s taken that love of bodybuilding and expanded it into a very successful sports-supplement business.

Bodybuilding.com is successful in our world for several reasons, and one of them is the patriarch of the family, Russ DeLuca. You don’t have to be around him very long to be swept up in his torrent of ideas and enthusiasm for bodybuilding.

Abbas El Moussawi is the newest addition to my community. His company, Pro Fight Supplements, was our title sponsor. With Abbas you immediately become a part of his extended family—warmth is the word that jumps to the forefront. Again, he cares about bodybuilding—wants it to grow—and believes everyone should be doing it.

Very few industries today are made up of individuals sharing a common bond, but those in bodybuilding I mentioned are different. They aren’t faceless corporations selling widgets but people who do what they do because they care.

I had many conversations this weekend that brought the above thoughts into deep focus. The following are a handful of people I saw and talked with at our event who make the journey so much fun: Bill Grant, Shawn Ray, Flex Wheeler, Kent Kuehn, Cory Everson, Brad Craig, Dean Tornabene, Jerry Brainum, Tony Novak, Teagan Clive, Joe Wheatley and Wayne Gallasch. They’re all people I would never have met without bodybuilding. Thanks for making the journey fun.

Editor’s note: The big IM Pro photo report will appear in the May IRON MAN. See the flash results on page 293. 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 Staff 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, 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

28 APRIL 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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36 APRIL 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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M AT U R E M U S C L E

Limited-Equipment Bodybuilding

Neveux \ Model: Lee Apperson

Q: I’m 53 years old. I competed twice as a younger man, and my first over-50 contest is in a few months. My main problem is my limited equipment and getting the most out of it. I train in my basement with an Olympic free-weight set, a homemade squat rack, a flat bench and a few dumbbells. I have a hard time getting full-leg results from squats, and, even though bench presses and dumbbell flyes seem to be good exercises for my chest, I’m not sure that I’m doing them properly because I see no results in my pectorals after five years. Can you help me put something together with the equipment that I have?

A: I know how hard it can be to train alone in your basement gym—but it can be done successfully. I won my first contest that way, so I know that you can do many exercises, even with limited equipment, and win.

With squats I would do the following: Let’s say you’re training every other day and taking Sundays off. That means you’d do your legs once a week. You should do one heavy day, and the next week when you train legs, make it a specialized day. On the heavy leg day, equip yourself with as much support as possible so that you can squat as heavy as possible for at least eight reps.

Wear high-top shoes, boots or weightlifting shoes that support your ankles. Wear a double-thick power belt, and, if you need it, a standard lifting belt above that.

The power belt will make your stomach muscles push against something tight to keep your spine and back muscles in place as you squat. The second belt, if you choose to wear one, will help keep your body from bending forward—best suited for tall guys who have a long torso.

You may also want to use knee wraps, but only on your heaviest set. Do one warmup set and one set of 15 reps with a weight that’s comfortable. Then pick a weight that you can lift 12 times with relative ease, but do only eight reps. For the heaviest set, shoot for a weight that you can imagine yourself using for six and do everything you can for eight to 10 reps.

Next do stiff-legged deadlifts while standing on your bench—so you can use the rack for the bar. Try to keep your legs straight, your feet together and your lower back flat. Do three sets of 12 to 15 reps.

Move on to lunges. As you lunge with your right leg, your left leg stretches behind you. Do 12 to 15 lunges without moving your back foot—use the front-leg thigh only, and never lock the knee of your lunging leg. Lunge with your right leg until it burns. Then do the left leg. Do three sets for each leg.

On your other squat day you want to warm up with a light weight, and work your way up to something that you can do easily 12 to 15 times. Now, because this is a day to go for reps instead of weight, go all out and see

how many you can do. Put your feet together, however, and keep them like that through the entire set—push off with your toes and not your heels. My guess is that you’ll reach 16 to 18 reps before your legs are done.

Every other week, when you do this one set with your feet together, add five pounds and go for either the same number of reps or more. You’re striving to build the outer and medial areas of the thigh.

Do the rest of the exercises the way you did them in the heavy workout.

As for your chest, you have a bench, so if you’re a good bench presser, that should be your main multijoint exercise. Use the same type of routine as you did for squats, only with fewer reps—six to eight—and change your hand spacing from semiwide on heavy day to semiclose on specialization day. On the light day use a weight that prohibits you from going past 25 reps. Again, add five pounds every other week.

You said that you have trouble with flyes. There can be many reasons for that, as they’re very difficult to master. I had the same problem. For decades, no matter how heavy or light the weight, I did them as I’d seen so many great bodybuilders—such as Arnold and Franco—do them, and I could not replicate their form. I felt my shoulders and triceps more than my pectorals. I wondered if it was a chicken-or-egg problem. Did those big-chested bodybuilders build their pecs because they did heavy, perfect flyes? Or were they born with the perfect pec muscles for doing flyes with a perfect motion—which then added to their ever-growing mass?

After analyzing my form, I realized that for all those years my grip strength had been forcing the dumbbells up from the bottom with the strongest areas—my thumb, forefinger and forearm—activating my front delts more than my pecs. I decided to focus on pulling up with the palm of my hand. You should try that.

As you can see, with just the few pieces of equipment that you have, you can build your entire body—if you master the exercises.

—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 available.

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Train to Gain / PRO ADVICE You gotta keep swinging

MERV

Pro bodybuilder Branch Warren once said something to me that stuck: “It’s not about how many times you get knocked down. It’s about getting back up and fighting again.” He ought to know. While training for the ’07 Mr. Olympia, he tore his triceps in a freak accident at home.

Warren is no stranger to injuries, but he does seem to have a talent for overcoming adversity. After tearing his biceps while still an amateur, he came back and won his pro card at the Nationals the next year. A couple of years into his pro caBranch Warren reer he tore his triceps has blasted and the following year through adversity won back-to-back pro many times. shows.

His latest injury—to the other triceps—won’t slow him down, either. I spoke with Branch just 12 weeks after his surgery, and the injured arm was actually a half inch bigger than the other one.

Another top pro who is a testament to triumph over trouble is Victor Martinez. In just the past three years he’s been through the death of his mother, a brief prison sentence, a partial pec tear, a horrible knee injury that knocked him out of competition for an entire year and, most recently, the death of his father. Somehow in the middle of all that he won the Arnold Classic—perhaps twice by the time you read this—and came within points of winning the Mr. Olympia.

The point is, life is full of surprises, and they aren’t always good. Or, as the saying goes, “Shit happens.” Sooner or later you may get injured or ill. You may lose your job, relationship or someone close to you. How we choose to react to the things in our lives that can and will go wrong makes all the difference. Do we lie down and give up, or do we get up and keep swinging? That’s a choice that every person has to make for himself or herself. Champions get knocked down by life, just like everyone else. They don’t stay down.

—Ron Harris

Every Single Workout Helps How long does it take for training results to show up? According to a recent study, you can expect beneficial changes after only one workout. The study was presented at the American Physiological Society’s Integrative Biology of Exercise V conference in Hilton Head, South Carolina. The subjects were five obese women. In one phase the women overate but did no exercise.

In the next phase they again overate but then exercised. The researchers found that the body’s fat oxidation capacity was reduced after one day of overeating. One day of exercise, however, increased the rate of fat oxidation.

A major cause of insulin resistance is excess intramuscular fat, or fat stored within muscle—usually more of a problem with sedentary people. In those who work out regularly, intramuscular fat becomes a readily available energy source. Conversely, the excess intramuscular fat in those who are inactive produces noxious substances that encourage insulin resistance, substances that never build up in active exercisers because the fat is burned up.

When the women in the study overate, they took in 700 calories above normal, or baseline, intake, and when they exercised, they expended the same 700 calories.

What’s interesting about the study is that the beneficial effects happened with just the one workout.

One lesson to be learned from this study is that if you overeat, you can neutralize the fat-promoting effects of those extra calories through activity.

The other lesson is that such changes occur quite rapidly.

—Jerry Brainum

38 APRIL 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Neveux \ Model: Jennifer Micheli

Getting Back Up Again

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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.

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Train to Gain / MASS MOVES

Squats: Deep Is Better Than Heavy

Merv

Neveux \ Model: Nathan Detracy

A lot of bodybuilders and serious weight trainees don’t have the leg development they are capable of because they don’t squat.

They avoid squats like the plague in favor of leg presses—top choice by a country mile—hack squats and other machine exercises. Even the faithful few who dare set a loaded bar across their back and step out of the rack for real squats, though, are often falling far short of their potential. Why? Toney “X-Man” Freeman sums it up nicely: “They go too heavy and don’t do the full range of motion.”

Freeman, currently one of the top five bodybuilders alive, according to the results of the last Mr. Over-40 pro Olympia contest, bodybuilder has some of the Toney Freeman. most impressive wheels in the sport and perhaps the best leg development ever achieved for a man of his height—6’2”. To look at his thick, sweeping quads, you could easily assume he squats at least 500 pounds for reps, if not heavier. You’d be wrong.

“I will occasionally go up to 405,” Freeman explains, “but most of the time I stick to 315 and do sets of 15, going all the way down below parallel.”

That’s a long way to go for a man of his height. Yet most of us shortchange ourselves by insisting on using megaheavy weights that we can manage for only a few reps— and even those couldn’t be called full.

“You need to leave your ego at the gym door and squat in such a way as to stimulate maximum growth,” he says.

“Most guys wouldn’t even need more than 225 if they did the exercise correctly.”

On your next leg day start even your warmups by going all the way down. Add weight only as long as you can maintain that full range of motion, and don’t be tempted to use more weight than you can handle for at least eight reps, preferably 10 to 15. Done properly, squats can be akin to pure magic for your legs and give them all the size you will ever want or need. Done half-assed and as more of an ego booster, squats aren’t any more effective than the machines that your less hardcore brethren flock to on leg day.

—Ron Harris Editor’s note: Ron Harris is the author of Real Bodybuilding, available at www.RonHarrisMuscle.com.

42 APRIL 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Train to Gain / HARDGAINER

Your age and training experience affect your goals. For example, if you’re 41 and have trained consistently since your teens, your goals and training routines will be different from those of a 41-year-old beginner. If you’re 61, with many years of training experience, you’ll probably have different concerns, goals and routines from those of a 41year-old who also has many years of training experience.

And if you’re 81, you’ll probably have concerns, goals and training routines different from those of a 61-year-old.

But whether you’re 41, 61, 81 or any other age, the golden rule will apply to you. Act on it, and ensure your relentless progress toward your goals.

Each day is an opportunity to take a small step toward your goals. Each day is also an opportunity to fail to take a small step toward your goals. And each day is an opportunity to take a small or perhaps large step away from your goals.

You can’t retake a day to make a better job of it. Each day is a one-off event. If you don’t get it right, you’ll have blown an opportunity for progress.

Your life is a sequence of todays. You get a fresh one every 24 hours, a fresh opportunity to get everything right. For determining whether you make progress toward your goals, there’s nothing more important than what you do today.

You can’t change anything from the past, and you don’t know what the future is going to bring. The best you can do is to get today right.

If today is a training day, you have a one-off opportunity to have a perfect workout. Perform only exercises that are suited to you. Use correct technique and a single-minded focus. Train hard while striving to add a little weight to each exercise every week or two. Ignore any temptation to do anything rash in your workout.

Take each workout one at a time. Make it perfect. If you can make one workout perfect, you can make the next one perfect and the next one and then the next one.

If today is a cardio day, you have an opportunity to have a perfect heart workout. Perform a cardio activity that’s safe, preferably one that you enjoy—or at least don’t dislike. Use correct technique and a single-minded focus. Train hard enough to produce a sufficient heart-training effect. Ignore any temptation to do anything rash in your workout.

Take each cardio workout one at a time. Make it perfect. If you can make one cardio workout perfect, you can make the next one perfect and the next one and then the next one.

If today is a stretching day, you have a one-off opportunity to have a perfect flexibility workout. Perform only stretches that are safe and that you enjoy. Use correct technique and a single-minded focus. Ignore any temptation to do anything rash while stretching.

Take each stretching session one at a time. Make it perfect.

If you can make one stretching workout perfect, you can make the next one perfect and the next one and then the next one.

Today you have a one-off opportunity to have a perfect day of nourishment. Eat only the number of calories that are appropriate for you at present. Eat only healthful food in quantities appropriate for you, and eat only food that you can

Neveux \ Model: Will Harris

Over-40 Bodybuilder’s Golden Rule

digest comfortably. Eat for nourishment, not entertainment, but choose a variety of healthful foods that you enjoy.

Take each meal and day’s nutrition one at a time. Make each meal perfect. If you can make one day’s nutrition perfect, you can make the next one perfect and the next one and then the next one.

You have another one-off opportunity to have a perfect night of rest. Go to bed early enough to obtain enough sleep before you have to get up—give sleep more priority than the TV, for example. Sleep until you wake naturally.

Take each day’s sleep one at a time. Make each bout of sleep perfect. If you can make one day’s sleep perfect, you can make the next one perfect and the next one and then the next one.

As far as your training, nutrition and sleep go, keep your mind totally on one day at a time. That’s the golden rule.

Give 100 percent to getting today right. Tomorrow you’ll have a new today. Give 100 percent to getting that today right.

Then the following day you’ll have another new today. And so on.

Do that relentlessly, and you’ll eventually reach your goals, provided you know how to train and eat properly and what actions to take to improve the quality of your sleep—and provided you have realistic goals.

Building a large brick wall is done one brick at a time; and building your physique is done one day at a time, bit by bit.

Inch by inch, life’s a cinch. One day at a time, bodybuilding is too.

—Stuart McRobert www.Hardgainer.com Editor’s note: Stuart McRobert’s first byline in IRON MAN appeared in 1981. He’s the author of the new 638-page opus on bodybuilding, Build Muscle, Lose Fat, Look Great, available from Home Gym Warehouse, (800) 447-0008, or www.Home-Gym .com.

44 APRIL 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Train to Gain / SPORTSMEDICINE

Wrist Curl Technique

Neveux

Arm strength, including forearm strength, has been admired in a multitude of civilizations for thousands of years. It was vital in daily tasks and of course in wielding weapons. Today’s weight-training enthusiasts still strive to develop their forearms. The bodybuilder’s need is obvious: The well-developed forearm aesthetically complements the upper arm very nicely. Arm wrestlers must

Many trainees allow the bar to roll down the length of their fingers on wrist curls. Can that cause damage?

have very strong forearms and wrists, or they will lose their competitions. Strongmen have always interested society. The World’s Strongest Man contests still get good ratings on television. In the first World’s Strongest Man competition there was a timed 100-pound wrist roll for 10 feet. First through third places went to bodybuilders—Mike Dayton, Lou Ferrigno, Franco Columbu, in order—while legendary strongman Ken Patera came in a distant fourth. The value of specific forearm training was obvious.

You can perform a wrist curl in many ways: barbell, dumbbell, sitting with your forearms resting on the tops of your thighs, sitting with your forearms resting on a bench, standing with the bar behind your back. Is it best to keep your hand closed tightly around the bar throughout the stroke or let the bar roll down your fingers and then curl it back up your fingers into a regular wrist curl?

Since 1989 I’ve been writing about common injuries in the gym, injury prevention, exercise modification and program modification. My goal has been to find sound clinical and biomechanical methods to keep you train-

Does it matter? ing. We learn so much gym myth as we grow up training that we assume those myths are true and repeat them with such authority that the next generation of trainees believes them.

So what is the truth about the wrist curl? Does the act of letting the bar roll down your fingers place great stress on the finger flexor tendons and cause injury?

I asked an expert for his opinion. John Knight, M.D., is an orthopedic surgeon with specialty training in the hand and wrist and is in practice at D.I.S.C. Spine and Sports in Marina del Rey, California, just minutes from Gold’s Gym. “There certainly is more force on the tendons of the fingers as the bar rolls down the fingers,” he said when I asked about the wrist curl dilemma.

“There’s less chance of injury if we can keep the hand closed around the bar and allow the motion to occur in the wrist. The amount of weight that can be tolerated by a disadvantageous biomechanical position is certainly less. Not only can the longer levers and greater stretch add more stress to the tendons of the fingers, hand and wrists, but the joints of the hand and wrist take much more load.”

When I asked him about someone performing the rolling style of wrist curl after a day of work as a grocery clerk or someone who types four to six hours per day, he replied, “This is an entire topic itself. People who are grocery clerks or who type all day should not be performing this movement. They need to rest their wrists and hands at night so they can recover for the next day’s work.”

As with any exercise, we have to weigh the risk against the benefit. In other words, what do we stand to lose vs. what do we stand to gain? If an exercise can produce results but has a high probability of producing an injury, then we may want to avoid it. Injuries are the most common reason that trainees leave the gym. The longer you can avoid injury, the longer you’ll train and the greater your gains will be.

I agree with Dr. Knight about the wrist curl. Simply perform it in the traditional manner by keeping the bar in your closed hand, and flex and extend your wrist only.

—Joseph M. Horrigan Editor’s note: Visit www.SoftTissueCenter.com for reprints of Horrigan’s past Sportsmedicine columns that have appeared in IRON MAN. You can order the books Strength, Conditioning and Injury Prevention for Hockey

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46 APRIL 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Train to Gain / GROW AND TELL

Do It This Way or Else!

Model: Nathan Detracy

I put out a blog called The Daily Pump in which I discuss my workouts and other goings-on. I find it amusing when some people respond by telling me almost in a panic that I’m not training in the style they think I should be. It’s great that they’re genuinely concerned, and I appreciate it very much, but they needn’t worry. For two solid years I trained D.C. style and was very satisfied with my results. For about the past six months I’ve been on a break from it. Many “Pump” readers want to know when I’m going to return to D.C. training, and the tone suggests that I can’t be training productively anymore because I’m not doing D.C. I also recently began posting on Hany “the Pro Creator” Rambod’s training site, www.FST-7.com, and forum members there seem upset that I’m not doing FST-7 consistently and for every bodypart. I must be wasting my time in the gym doing anything except what they perceive as the best way to train.

Sorry to be blunt here, but there ain’t no such thing.

48 APRIL 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

The perfect mass-building method?

The truth is that there are many, many effective ways to train. The key is to try as many as possible and find the ones you respond to best and enjoy the most. Usually those two factors go hand in hand.

If you really like a certain style of training and look forward to your workouts, chances are you’ll make good progress. Pretty much any type of intense training will produce results, at least for a certain amount of time. Sooner or later you’ll burn out on it mentally and/or physically, and it will be time for a change. That doesn’t mean you can’t return to it later and get further results.

For example, just because I’m not doing D.C. training now doesn’t mean I’m all done with it. Currently I’m training with my wife, Janet, and D.C. just isn’t feasible to do with her all the time. The same can be said about dieting and losing bodyfat. Right now a lot of bodybuilders and fitness and figure competitors are absolutely convinced that the Palumbo diet, which is essentially a more healthful version of the Atkins diet, is the only way to get in shape for a contest. I agree that it’s an effective way to get lean and that a lot of people have done well on it, but it’s not for everybody. Personally, I believe that some people do better when they have some carbs in their diet, even close to a contest. I know I do, and for many years bodybuilders were getting ripped to the bone while continuing to eat carbs. That’s how the guys in the ’80s and ’90s did it, and you can’t argue that men like Rich Gaspari and the late Andreas Munzer weren’t as ripped as the guys today.

There are many effective ways to train and to eat, and anyone who maintains otherwise either is trying to sell something or has been brainwashed. Don’t fall for the myth of absolutes. We’re all individuals and have different metabolisms, lifestyles, temperaments and so on. Never let anyone tell you that you have to do it just one way.

—Ron Harris www.RonHarrisMuscle.com

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Smart Training

by Charles Poliquin

Arm Size and Big Lies Q: What’s the truth about the arm measurements claimed by bodybuilders?

A: Most arm measurements in the bodybuilding world are extremely exaggerated. If you look at some bodybuilding publications, 20-inch arms appear to be within the grasp of just about anybody who can afford certain supplements, and 22-inch arms are about a dime a dozen on the IFBB pro circuit. Take it from me, however; that is far from the truth.

One of the first to tell the truth about bodybuilding measurements was Nautilus inventor Arthur Jones. He published the real arm measurements of elite bodybuilders such as Casey Viator, Mike Mentzer, Sergio Oliva and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

In The Nautilus Book, Volume II, Jones recounts that the most muscular arm he ever measured was that of Sergio Oliva. At 20 1/8 inches, Sergio’s arms literally dwarfed his head, making him appear the target of some weird voodoo curse. Of course, that book was published in the early ’70s.

Since then, the average bodybuilder has “evolved” considerably, mostly thanks to improvements in nutrition, training methodologies and—how shall I put it?—“recuperative” methods.

In general, improvements in arm measurement are related to gains in lean body mass. A good rule of thumb is that for every inch you want to gain on your arms, you need

A number of factors determine how big your arms can get, including the number of muscle cells.

54 APRIL 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Mozée \ Model: Sergio Oliva

to gain roughly 15 pounds of quality, well-distributed mass.

In other words, to make significant improvements in your arms, you have to gain mass all over your entire body.

The human body is a finely tuned machine that will allow for only a certain amount of asymmetry. Therefore, if you devoted your training solely to building big arms, you’d eventually reach a point of total stagnation because you weren’t training your legs—no wheels, no wings. Furthermore, if arms grew without some sort of concurrent development in the legs, most bodybuilders would have to walk on their hands.

There are some interesting correlations when you compare bodybuilders’ heights, weights and arm measurements. For instance, a 5’7” bodybuilder who weighs 214 pounds and has 8 percent bodyfat should have arms between 19 1/4 and 19 5/8 inches. Yet many of those individuals claim to have arms that are more than 21 inches, a measurement that’s quite rare, regardless of height and bodyweight.

Q: What genetic factors determine how large my arms will grow?

A: Generally, three genetic factors ultimately determine arm-growth potential:

1) Number of muscle cells. A Canadian study of elite bodybuilders revealed that those with the greatest number of cells are the ones who normally achieve the largest crosssections of

A lower point of insertion for the muscle indicates the potential for exceptional growth.

56 APRIL 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Neveux \ Model: Dan Decker

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Smart Charles Training Poliquin’s Larry Scott’s full, massive biceps were possible because of the extraordinary length of the muscle belly.

Scott’s biceps compared to Franco Columbu’s. Larry’s have a very low insertion point, which gave him great potential for arm growth.

Columbu’s insertion was relatively high, but his lats inserted very low—and that, of course, was his most famous bodypart.

3) Hormone makeup.

This is obviously the easiest one to circumvent, which is why steroids are so popular among the genetically challenged.

Regardless of your particular genetic limitations—if you have any—don’t resign yourself to the idea and accept that you’ll never have big arms. Anyone with the proper knowledge can expect to gain a significant amount of overall muscle—and that, of course, will translate into arm mass.

Q: I was told by a colleague of yours that you have your staff count down the repetitions for every set. Why is that? muscle.

2) Length of muscle belly. The lower a muscle inserts—the closer to the elbow joint for arm muscle—the greater its potential for hypertrophy. Just look at Larry

Regardless of your particular genetic limitations—if you have any—don’t simply resign yourself and accept the idea that you’ll never have big arms. Anyone with the proper knowledge can expect to gain a significant amount of overall muscle— and that, of course, will translate into arm mass.

A: The proper mind-set is critical. Arnold Schwarzenegger said many moons ago that you should always ask yourself why you’re doing a set.

Answering the question will give you the right mind-set.

The number of reps performed for a given time under tension is largely what dictates the training effect. If you know what you’re looking for, you’ll decide on the proper number of reps.

Begin every set with a definite rep goal—let’s say five. As you begin your set, count the repetitions down: five, four, three, two, one. Why? It keeps your mind focused on the task at hand, not on the outcome. When trainees count upward, they tend to focus on whether they’ll complete the set.

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

58 APRIL 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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\ JULY 2006 181

Nutrition With a Get-Big Mission NUTRITION SCIENCE

Nutritonal Recovery Studies show that engaging in resistance exercise, such as typical bodybuilding workouts, stimulates muscle protein synthesis for up to 48 hours following the training session. That is, in fact, one reason it would be foolish to train the same muscle group within a 48-hour time span: The muscle hasn’t

It was previously thought that no protein synthesis occurred during training. Recent studies show otherwise.

How long does it last?

fully recovered from the last session, and protein synthesis, which is responsible for added muscle mass and strength, isn’t yet complete. Exercise also promotes muscle catabolism, or breakdown, especially when you’re not getting enough protein.

Carbohydrates inhibit the exer-

cise-induced muscle breakdown after exercise by suppressing the effects of cortisol, the major catabolic hormone in the body, which rises during training. Carbs are also the key nutrient that replenishes depleted stores of muscle glycogen, the primary fuel of anaerobic exercise such as weight training. On the other hand, carbs are not directly involved in muscle protein synthesis after training.

Many studies show that the optimal nutrient combination for spurring muscle protein synthesis with exercise is protein and carbohydrates. Having a protein-and-carb drink before and/or after training aids muscle protein synthesis and inhibits muscle breakdown.

That has to do with heightened hormone stimulation induced by the nutrient combination. Specifically, taking in protein and carb helps release more insulin while blunting cortisol. Insulin inhibits muscle protein breakdown and, helped by a high concentration of amino acids, leads to muscle protein synthesis.

One possible flaw in studies that have examined the anabolic effects of a proteinand-carb drink is that the subjects hadn’t eaten food in many hours. Most bodybuilders who use protein-and-carb drinks have already eaten several meals, especially if you have the drinks later in the day or in the evening.

That raises the question of whether having amino acids in the blood from previous meals blunts the anabolic effects of protein-and-carb drinks. Another question is, If you drink the combo beverage at night, will the anabolic Neveux \ Model: Omar Deckard

EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT

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64 APRIL 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Take a slow-releasing protein before bed to heighten anabolism. effects last throughout the night?

Those issues were examined in a recent study.1 Subjects were randomly assigned to either a protein-and-carb group or a flavored-water group. They engaged in a two-hour full-body weighttraining session. They drank either the placebo or the protein-and-carb combo during the session plus had two more drinks, one at 30 minutes and one at 90 minutes after training. They trained in the evening and remained overnight in the lab, where researchers measured their rates of whole-body and muscle protein synthesis through tagged amino acids.

The subjects also provided muscle biopsies from their legs before and immediately after training, as well as nine hours later.

During training, the subjects drank 1.5 milliliters for every kilogram of bodyweight of the protein-and-carb formula every 15 minutes. The drinks they got at the 30- and 90-minute marks after the workout contained four milliliters per kilogram of bodyweight. The drinks provided carbs at a rate of 0.15 grams per kilogram of bodyweight, along with the same amount of protein hydrolysate, which in this case was enzymatically digested casein, a primary milk protein.

Though the subjects had eaten throughout the day, the protein-and-carb drink elevated muscle protein synthesis during exercise by 48 percent—but, while it boosted whole-body protein synthesis 19 percent in the nine hours following exercise, it didn’t boost muscle protein synthesis. It was previously thought that little or no muscle protein synthesis occurred during the actual training session, but this and other recent studies show otherwise. It may be due to the intermittent nature of weight training, given the rest periods

between sets. Even the brief periods of rest apparently enable muscle protein synthesis to occur during training, especially when protein and carbs are also concentrated in the blood. The increased blood circulation that occurs with training makes for more rapid entry of nutrients into muscle. The protein-andcarb drink boosted whole-body protein synthesis by 40 percent during the first three hours after training. Those who drank water alone didn’t experience that.

Interestingly, the muscle-proteinsynthesis rates didn’t differ between the groups. Note that whole-body protein synthesis differs from muscle protein synthesis in that whole-body protein synthesis reflects what occurs in tissues other than muscle, such as gut and brain proteins.

As to why the rates didn’t increase during the nine hours after exercise, the authors offer several possible explanations. Perhaps the protein-and-carb drink failed to elevate blood amino acids and insulin throughout the night.

Maximizing muscle protein synthesis requires a high concentration of both amino acids and insulin in the blood, which doesn’t usually happen during the night. Some have suggested getting up to eat during the night. That

might improve muscle protein synthesis rates, but the lack of sleep would offset any benefits.

The authors mention an equally dubious technique: an intravenous infusion of amino acids while you sleep.

A more practical method would be to take a slow-release protein before bed to give you a steady trickle of aminos into the blood.

Since certain amino acids also bring on insulin release, that would also take care of the insulin requirement. The protein used in this study was a rapidly absorbed casein. Yet the usual form of casein is ideal for overnight use. It’s a slow-acting protein that lasts up to seven hours in the blood, which of course fills the bill nicely for overnight anabolic muscle protein purposes.

—Jerry Brainum 1Beelen,

M., et al. (2008). Coingestion of carbohydrate and protein hydrolysate stimulates muscle protein synthesis during exercise in young men, with no further increase during subsequent overnight recovery. J Nutr. 138:2198-2204. www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2009 65

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to Grow NUTRITION NOTES

Food Facts That can affect your workouts, weight and wellness

FAT L O S S

Carb Confusion

Count down to leanness?

One of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to losing bodyfat is, How much carbohydrate should I be eating? The confusion comes from all of the low-carb and no-carb diets out there.

The truth is, following extremely low-carb and no-carb diets for extended periods can be dangerous because your body needs the phytonutrients and fiber you get from fruits and vegetables. Also, the brain uses carbs almost exclusively for energy. Low carbs can make your physique look flat, due to low glycogen stores and less fluid retention in the muscles. If you’re drug-free, the right number of carbs will help you achieve a bigger, harder look.

So what’s the optimum carb intake? The ideal amount for you is activity dependent—as are the percentages of protein and fats you should eat.

For example, the body stores 300 to 400 grams of glycogen from carbs.

The number of carbs you should eat each day depends on how much you burn.

If you lift weights and/or perform cardio, you may need to eat up to 200 grams of carbs in a 24-hour period to replenish what you burned and keep your body functioning normally, but probably no more than that. Any amount you take in above what you burn will probably be stored as bodyfat.

If you do no intense glycogen-burning activity, your carb intake should be significantly lower, as what you take in that isn’t used for immediate energy will be stored as ugly bodyfat.

Think of carbs as energy for activity, but also consider fruits and vegetables for health. Don’t restrict them, but eat only enough to supply your energy needs if you want to stay lean.

—Becky Holman Editor’s note: The above is adapted from the e-book X-treme Lean Fat-Burning and Nutrition Guide, available at www.X-tremeLean.com.

High-fructose corn syrup is one of the biggest contributors to the obesity epidemic. The average American gulps down 41.5 pounds of it per year. Soft drinks are the biggest culprit.

L-arginine, an amino acid, combined with Pycnogenol, an extract from pine bark, has been shown in recent studies to help relieve erectile dysfunctiton.

Coffee drinkers show a 25 percent lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease than nondrinkers, according to the latest research that tracked 100,000 adults. The amount was two to three cups a day.

Yogurt that contains good bacteria can protect you against numerous gastrointestinal-tract problems, including constipation, diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease and even colon cancer, according to research performed at Tufts University. That means it may improve absorption of bodybuilding supplements as well.

Walnuts can help you get lean. Australian researchers found that subjects who included eight to 10 walnuts a day in their diets lost more weight and bodyfat. The scientists believe it may have something to do with better insulin control.

—Becky Holman

66 APRIL 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.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.

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to Grow C E L L H E A LT H

Mighty Mitochondria You’ve read in IRON MAN that using drop sets and supersets helps build and strengthen the mitochondria in muscles. Mitochondria are the cell’s power supply, and new research is showing that keeping the mitochondria strong and charged can do everything from increasing endurance to curbing the aging process to keeping your hair—and, yes, building muscle too.

There are enzyme-derived drugs in the works that can bolster the mitochondria.

On the supplement front there’s resveratrol, a compound found in red wine that, when given to mice in large amounts, increased energy via mitochondrial strength and, in some cases, extended life span by up to 30

Your key to more muscle, less fat and longevity

percent. Of course, the resveratrol amounts given to the mice were much higher than what you’d get from drinking several bottles of cabernet at one sitting—not recommended. You may want to check into resveratrol supplements for additional beneficial effects.

—Becky Holman Editor’s note: The ebook The Ultimate Fat-toMuscle Workout contains weight-training techniques and programs designed to boost mitochondria size and strength as well as burn more bodyfat as you pack on muscle. It’s research-based, field-tested fat-off/muscle-on training. For more information, visit www.X-Rep.com.

HYGIENE

V I TA M I N S

Brittle Battle

Old Men and the C

Some people are simply genetically predisposed to brittle fingernails—or are they? A recent study in which 32 subjects received supplemental biotin, a B-vitamin, produced a 25 percent increase in nail thickness. Other studies show that biotin helps regulate insulin, aids in the metabolism of fat and protein and can lower triglycerides. Start with about 2.5 milligrams, or 2,500 micrograms, per day.

—Becky Holman

Do you take a vitamin C supplement? If you’re over 35, you may want to consider it. The latest research shows that vitamin C quashes many of the free radicals that prematurely age skin.

It also aids in the formation of collagen, which helps form the skin’s connective tissue—more wrinkle protection. Collagen also helps form tendons and ligaments, which can be damaged from exercise, especially weight training. Try one 500-milligram dose twice a day.

—Becky Holman

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Pump It Up With GPLC and NO First off, don’t confuse nitric oxide with nitrous oxide, which is an anesthetic. You might know nitrous oxide as laughing gas. Okay, now that you know we’re not talking about laughing gas, let’s get down to the business of nitric oxide, or NO. What is NO? It’s a key molecule that is manufactured in the body and plays numerous roles in nearly all physiological systems. In the cardiovascular system it is a vasodilator, which means it expands the internal diameter of blood vessels. Vasodilation leads to an increase in blood flow, oxygen transport and delivery of nutrients to surrounding tissue, including skeletal muscle. That’s why you’ll see NO products touted as “giving you a pump like you’ve never felt before!” Or, “it’ll give you such a pump ‘down under’ that your girlfriend, wife or both will be begging for more.” Okay, perhaps not, but you get the picture. Most NO supplements are a mix of L-arginine powder and alpha-ketoglutaric acid; however, the newest kid on the block is glycine propionyl-Lcarnitine, or GPLC. We know that taking GPLC increases plasma nitrate/nitrite—a.k.a. NOx—a surrogate measure of nitric oxide production. In a university investigation that used a double-blind crossover design, 15 healthy men, 24 years of age, were given GPLC and a placebo for four weeks each, with a two-week washout between supplement assignments. Blood samples were taken from subjects at rest and at 0, three and 10 minutes following an ischemia-reperfusion protocol—six minutes of upper-arm cuff occlusion at 200 mmHg followed by rapid reperfusion with cuff removal. Don’t try it at home, kids.

An ischemia-reperfusion protocol is a model that scientists use to study damage caused by blocking blood flow (the ischemia part) then subsequently reflowing it (the reperfusion part). Odd but true: Tissue damage is caused by both ischemia and the reperfusion. An early event during reperfusion is the development of what scientists call endothelial dysfunction. The bioavailability of the endothelium-derived vasodilator nitric oxide rapidly diminishes during reperfusion, due to either decreased production or enhanced inactivation of NO by superoxide. That, in turn, may contribute to the injury to tissues seen during the protocol.

Scientists analyzed blood samples for total nitrate/nitrite.

Eleven of the 15 subjects experienced an increase in NOx with GPLC treatment. The researchers concluded that short-term oral GPLC supplementation can increase NOx in resistance-trained men. What’s intriguing is that the study showed both responders and nonresponders to treatment. You see that even with creatine monohydrate—the issue of response and nonresponse. What’s fascinating about the effects of GPLC is its potential to elevate NO perhaps more than any other ingredient.

Its potential effect on satellite cells may be the next avenue of GPLC research.

The leading studies so far have come from the University of Memphis lab headed by Dr. Rick Bloomer. He’s discovered that GPLC can increase blood levels of NOx at a daily dosage of 4.5 grams. Also, folks taking GPLC had lower levels of “oxidant stress,” likely due to its potent antioxidant properties. Some subjects have even experienced a slight decrease in blood triglycerides, which, of course, has dramatic implications for cardiovascular disease risk. An eight-week study showed that GPLC has no untoward effects.

Perhaps some of the more exciting avenues of research regarding NO and the potential benefits of GPLC are in the area of skeletal muscle satellite cells, which hover around muscle fibers. Typically activated in response to muscle fiber damage, exercise and stretching, they can fuse to form new muscle fibers—muscle fiber hyperplasia, fuse with existing muscle fibers to make even bigger ones— muscle fiber hypertrophy, or help repair damaged muscle fibers.

Moreover, there is scientific evidence to show that NO assists the activation of satellite cells, which can occur within one minute of injury. The perfect blend of ingredients in a supplement might include GPLC and creatine monohydrate, potential activators of satellite cells. Add some arginine to further enhance the NO effect, and top it off with the essential amino acids for promoting dramatic increases in muscle protein synthesis, beta-alanine to enhance exercise capacity during superintense exercise and some phosphatidylserine and alpha-GPC to help focus your noggin on the task at hand, and you have a muscle-building combination second to none.

—Jose Antonio, Ph.D. Editor’s note: Jose Antonio, Ph.D., is a writer, teacher, radio host and frequent speaker on the subject of sports supplements. Go to www.TheISSN.org for more information.

References 1

Bloomer, R.J., et al. (2007). Glycine propionyl-L-carnitine increases plasma nitrate/nitrite in resistance trained men. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 4:22.

2 Anderson, J.E. (2000). A role for nitric oxide in muscle repair: Nitric oxide-mediated activation of muscle satellite cells.

Mol Biol Cell. 11:1859-74.

3 Wozniak, A.C., and Anderson, J.E. (2007). Nitric oxidedependence of satellite stem cell activation and quiescence on normal skeletal muscle fibers. Dev Dyn. 236:240-50.

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to Grow PROTEIN POWER

Many older people suffer from a condition called sarcopenia, which literally means “loss of muscle.” When that happens, overall body frailty and weakness become common, limiting the quality of life for older people. Sarcopenia is caused by a number of mechanisms, such as diminished anabolic hormones, including growth hormone, IGF-1 and testosterone, as well as a lack of resistance exercise. Among the suggested treatments for preventing sarcopenia is increasing protein intake. The problem is that many older people get sufficient protein but have absorption problems, such as lower amounts of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which is required for the initial breakdown of protein foods, and insufficient production of protein-digesting enzymes in the pancreas.

Studies show, however, that older people who take in easily digested protein, such as whey or amino acids, can overcome the protein deficit and may prevent sarcopenia by preserving muscle. Adding weight training makes the increased protein intake even more effective. The active ingredients in both whey and amino acid mixtures are presumed to be essential amino acids, which are so named because they can’t be synthesized in the body and must be obtained from food. Depending on which source you consult, either eight or nine amino acids are deemed essential in adult nutrition. The remaining aminos aren’t labeled “essential” not because they are unimportant but rather because the body can synthesize them. The anabolic effect of taking in essential amino acids is so potent that a mere six grams are enough to double the rate of protein synthesis. Of the essential amino acids, the branched-chain amino leucine is considered the most potent in that regard. Indeed, several studies have shown that leucine alone activates a number of reactions that form the basis of protein synthesis in the body.

One study compared intake of whey protein to essential aminos in older people who got 15 grams of each. The essential aminos more than doubled the protein balance compared to the whey intake, indicating that essential aminos are the active factors in the anabolic impact of protein. It’s as if essential amino acids are all older people need to correct protein problems.

In a new study1 15 people aged 60 to 85 were randomly assigned to take 1) 15 grams of whey protein, 2) 6.72 grams of EAA or 3) 7.57 grams of nonessential amino acids.1 In other words, the subjects got amino acids either as a whole protein source—whey—or as free amino acids, both essential and nonessential. Protein synthesis was measured by monitoring the activity of phenylalanine, an amino acid incorporated into muscle. The phenylalanine balance over a 3.5 hour period increased in the whey group but not in the essential or nonessential amino groups. How could that be, when previous studies showed that essential amino acids are superior to whey in causing anabolic effects in older people?

The answer lies in dosage. In the previous study 15 grams of essential amino acids were directly compared to 15 grams of whey. In the more recent study 15 grams of whey were compared to only 6.72 grams of essential aminos. Due to the blunted effects of protein metabolism in older people, it takes a greater amount of essential aminos, particularly leucine, to yield anabolic effects. Supplying large amounts of leucine can lead to protein synthesis in the elderly that is similar to that in younger people. Confusing the issue is that since whey contains 50 percent essential aminos, getting the same amount as straight essential aminos should

have led to similar effects, yet the whey proved superior.

Whey, however, also contains other aminos involved in protein synthesis, such as cysteine, that may explain why the whey proved superior to essential aminos in the study. The whey also brought on a greater insulin response than the aminos, likely because the whey provided twice the level of aminos, some of which spur insulin release. The relevance here is that insulin potently helps along muscle protein synthesis only in the presence of a large amount of amino acids. The ones present in whey but not in the essential aminos mixture, such as arginine and aspartic acid, are potent partners in insulin release. The authors suggest that a combination of essential and nonessential aminos stimulates insulin. Thus, the study shows that whey exerts more potent muscle protein synthesis than free amino acids because it more potently stimulates insulin.

Leucine deficiency can be remedied with supplements, but a study revealed another way to deal with that problem.2 A negative by-product of aging is an increase in oxidative damage caused by decreased activity of built-in body antioxidants, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione. Lack of antioxidant protection enables free radicals to wreak oxidative havoc in the body. That eventually results in a host of degenerative diseases related to the aging process. Oxidative damage can also interfere with the activity of body proteins, including protein-based hormones, such as insulin. A hallmark of out-ofcontrol oxidation is increased tissue inflammation, which is the underlying cause of diseases linked to aging.

It turns out that oxidation-related inflammation is responsible for the lack of anabolic response to leucine in older people.

In the new study, which lasted seven weeks, old rats with defective leucine metabolism were given a mixture of dietary antioxidants containing rutin (a common bioflavonoid found in fruit), vitamin E, vitamin A, zinc and selenium. The refractory leucine metabolism in the old rats was completely reversed, probably because of the antioxidant supplements. The effect was independent of leucine intake, meaning that it worked with normal leucine intake. Other studies have shown that antioxidant supplementation in older animals seems to help preserve muscle, and the effect on leucine metabolism may explain that frequently observed reaction.

It may be that in humans antioxidants work synergistically with increased and regular intake of protein to preserve muscle mass with the passing years.

—Jerry Brainum References 1

Katsanos, C.S., et al. (2008). Whey protein ingestion in elderly persons results in greater muscle protein accrual than ingestion of its constituent essential amino acid content. Nut Res. 28:651-658.

2 Marzini, B., et al. (2008). Antioxidant supplementation restores defective leucine stimulation of protein synthesis in skeletal muscle from old rats. J Nutr. 138:2205-2211.

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Train, Eat,

Grow Muscle-Training Program 114

From the IRON MAN Training & Research Center

by Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson

Neveux \ Model: Mike Semenoff

I

n the last installment of TEG we discussed the Rep Range week of our X-Rep version of Eric Broser’s Power/Rep Range/Shock protocol. We mentioned that we sometimes do two weeks in a row of Power or Rep Range workouts to optimize the benefits. It appears to take us two weeks to totally get in the groove of a specific protocol, especially since we’re training each bodypart only once a week. That said, we don’t do two Shock weeks in a row. Why? It’s too, well, shocking.

For the uninitiated, Shock week requires that you use supersets, drop sets, tri-sets and the like to annihilate the target muscle. We also throw in plenty of X Reps and X-hybrid techniques to heighten the shock effect and muscle microtrauma. When we pull out all the stops on Shock week, it’s a relief to go back to Power. Two Shock weeks in a row would no doubt send us into an overtraining tailspin—been there, done that too many times.

To rehash the P/RR/S protocol, here’s a quick summary: Power: Straight sets with heavy weights, four to six reps per work set.

Rep Range: On the first exercise the rep range is seven to nine, on the second it’s 10 to 12, and on

the third it’s 13 to 15—or higher.

Shock: The rep range is eight to 12 on most exercises but with intensity techniques like drop sets, slow negatives, D.C. training, X Reps and X-hybrid techniques to shock new growth.

After Shock week you go back to Power and begin again. Remember, we’ve been doing two weeks of Power, two weeks of Rep Range and then one week of Shock before going back to Power. Our current split doesn’t change. We train four days a week: Monday: Chest, calves, abs Tuesday: Back and forearms Wednesday: Quads and hamstrings Thursday: off Friday: Delts, triceps, biceps To make the split better, we should really take Wednesday off and work quads and hams on Thursday so we don’t train three days in a row. With our work schedule, however, Thursdays work better for us as an off day, so we cope with it. www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2009 79

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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):

Train, Eat,

Grow

One thing we notice immediately when we enter Shock week is that our muscle endurance has taken a step back. That’s because we haven’t done supersets, drop sets or tri-sets for four weeks—two Power, two Rep Range. Jumping into back-toback sets is truly a shock to our systems.

Notice that we use only straight sets during Power and Rep Range workouts. True, we extend sets with X Reps, but three to four X-Rep partials tacked onto the end of a set is much different from reducing the weight and cranking out five to seven extra full reps—or moving to another exercise and blasting out eight to 10.

We definitely feel a more prominent target-muscle burn during Shock week, which means more growth hormone release. That’s a good thing because we’re attempting to stay leaner over the winter—with the goal of making it less difficult to achieve an extremelean condition in the summer.

As we’ve realized, losing 15 to 20 pounds of winter blubber to reach peak condition causes lots of muscle tissue to pack its bags and say adios. In other words, we’re opting for the antibulking strategy this time around, which should result in our being bigger with extremelean detail this summer.

It’s not just about watching our diets, however. We’ve discovered some training techniques that, when applied properly during your weight workouts, can get you leaner faster. Once you read and understand, we guarantee you’ll be very excited. It’s a way to morph fat into muscle, in a sense, according to our research and experimentation in the gym.

we’re now going after that searing effect at every workout, whether it’s Power, Rep Range or Shock week.

That requires a bit of retooling. For

example, while Power week is supposed to be all low-rep work, we end each bodypart routine with a couple of high-rep sets on the more isolat-

Warning: NA sets will make you sore.

The Fat-to-Muscle Hustle We mentioned that muscle burn drives up growth hormone, a potent fat burner, so 80 APRIL 2009

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ed contracted-position exercise. On quads, for instance, when we get to the last exercise, leg extensions, we do two sets of 15 to 20 reps each— and, yes, profanity usually ensues.

During Rep Range week the contracted-position exercises get the 13-to-15 range, so muscle burn is prominent—no tweaking necessary.

During Shock week we superset from the get-go in each bodypart routine—as you can see from our Shock-week programs on page 84—so there’s no waiting; the burn begins right up front. On chest we do two rounds of Smith-machine incline presses supersetted with high cable flyes; the upper-pec fire starts on about the fifth rep of the first set of cable flyes and swells to a raging inferno by the end of the chest routine.

Getting a fat-to-muscle effect isn’t just about growth hormone, however. As we’ve discovered from analyzing the research on interval cardio, muscle damage is key to staying lean. It’s the reason high-intensity interval training has been shown to burn more bodyfat than steadystate work—not during the exercise but after. Muscle damage from the high-intensity segments ramps up the metabolism during the musclerepair process, which can take days.

So, basically, if you strive for a certain amount of muscle damage in the gym, you’ll get the metabolic uptick, or fat-to-muscle effect. To be specific, science has shown that it’s the eccentric, or lowering, phase of a rep that produces the most muscle microtrauma. It may have something to do with friction produced as the myofibrils drag across one another in an attempt to fight gravity. Based on all of that info, we determined that emphasizing the negative stroke on some sets could do great things for fat loss as well as muscle growth. We call it negativeaccentuated training.

Negative-Accentuated Sets *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This products is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Results may vary. Use in conjunction with an intense daily exercise program and a balanced diet including an adequate caloric intake.

Greg Plitt is a paid endorser of MET-Rx®. ©2009 MET-Rx® USA, Inc. 110108ra

In Nautilus-machine-training lingo, a negative-accentuated set is performed by raising a weight with two arms or two legs and lowering with one, then raising the weight with both again and lowering with

the other, alternating reps. You can use that technique only on machines, like a leg extension or a press station—so that all of the resistance can be transferred to one leg or arm without balance problems. You obviously couldn’t press a barbell with two arms and then lower it with one, unless you somehow moved the working arm to the exact middle of the bar, which is not very practical or safe but would no doubt make a popular YouTube video.

Nautilus-style negative-accentuated training is not what we’re talking about. In our NA version you raise the weight with a normal 1.5-second cadence and lower in six seconds, squeezing the target muscle all the way through the negative stroke. Then you drive the weight up again in 1.5 seconds and lower for another NA rep. We use slightly less weight than we would for a standard nine-rep set, but we get considerably more muscle damage due to accentuating the negative stroke. We usually get about seven NA reps.

Warning: Negative-accuentuated sets will make you sore. You may think that because you use a lighter weight, soreness will be minimal.

Not true. You’ll feel it the next day— for the same reason you get sorer walking down stairs than when you climb them. It’s the negative, or eccentric, stroke that damages the muscle fibers.

We know what you’re thinking: If negative-accentuated sets are good, won’t pure-negative sets done with a heavier weight be even better? Only if used very infrequently. We suggest you avoid pure-negative sets most of the time, as the damage can be too extreme. Here’s a passage from The Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout, our latest e-book, that explains: “A study performed in the 1990s

by Frank G. Shellock, Ph.D., showed the extensive damage pure negatives can do. Subjects performed one set of positive-only curls with one arm and negative-only curls with the other, both sets to failure.

Results...

“The positive-work-only biceps showed no damage, while the negative-work-only biceps showed damage that peaked five days after exercise. Soreness finally dissipated

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Train, Eat,

Grow

by the ninth day, but some subjects didn't regain all of their strength in the pure-negative-trained biceps for six weeks!”

Yes, most of the test subjects were untrained; nevertheless, you can see how damaging pure-negative work can be. We believe that’s the case

even with experienced bodybuilders. That’s why we prefer to use the negative-accentuated version most of the time.

Of course, you will adapt to NA sets. Then what? We suggest using a slightly heavier weight, one that gets you to about five NA reps. At

exhaustion, extend the set with two to four six-second negatives.

Have your partner lift the weight, and then you lower it. Remember, they’re end-of-set pure negatives, so they’re not as damaging as an entire set of pure negatives done with a much heavier weight.

IRON MAN Training & Research Center Muscle-Training Program 114 Monday (Shock): Chest, Calves, Abs Superset Smith-machine low-incline presses (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 High cable flyes (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Superset Wide-grip dips (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Low/middle cable flyes (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Superset Bench presses (NA) 1 x 6-8 Flat-bench flyes (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Superset Leg press calf raises (X Reps) 1 x 10-12 Machine donkey calf raises (X Reps) 1 x 10-12 Superset Knee-extension leg press calf raises (X Reps) 1 x 10-12 Machine donkey calf raises (X Reps) 1 x 10-12 Superset Hack-machine calf raises (first set NA) 2 x 8-10, 10-12 Standing calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 10-12 Seated calf raises (drop; X Reps) 2 x 12(8) Superset Incline kneeups (drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) Flat-bench leg raises (X Reps) 1 x 10-12 Tri-set Ab Bench crunches (X Reps) 1 x 10-12 Twisting crunches (X Reps) 1 x 10-12 End-of-bench kneeups (X Reps) 1 x 8-10

Tuesday (Shock): Back, Forearms Superset Wide-grip pulldowns (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Machine pullovers (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Parallel-grip chins (first set NA) 2 x 8-10 Superset Dumbbell pullovers (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Rope rows (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Superset Bent-over dumbbell rows (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Bent-arm bent-over laterals (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Nautilus-machine rows (NA) 1 x 8-10 Behind-the-neck pulldowns (drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(5) Superset Barbell shrugs (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Cable upright rows (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Cable reverse curls (drop set) 1 x 8(6) Superset Dumbbell reverse wrist curls (X Reps) 2 x 10-12

Forearm Bar reverse wrist curls (X Reps) 2 x 10-12 Superset Wrist curls (X Reps) 2 x 10-12 Forearm Bar wrist curls (X Reps) 2 x 10-12 Rockers (drop) 1 x 12(8)

Wednesday (Shock): Quads, Hamstrings Superset Leg presses Leg extensions (X Reps) Superset Leg extensions (X Reps) Leg presses (nonlock) Squats (NA) Sissy squats (drop; X Reps) Stiff-legged deadlifts Hyperextensions (X Reps) Leg curls (double drop)

2 x 8-10 2 x 8-10 1 x 8-10 1 x 8-10 1 x 6-8 1 x 8(5) 2 x 8-10 2 x 8-10 1 x 9(6)(4)

Friday (Shock): Delts, Triceps, Biceps Superset Smith-machine presses (X Reps) Forward-lean laterals (X Reps) Smith-machine presses (NA) Dumbbell upright rows (drop; X Reps) Superset Incline one-arm laterals (X Reps) One-arm cable laterals (X Reps) Bent-over laterals (drop; X Reps) Superset Dips (X Reps) Pushdowns or kickbacks (X Reps) Lying extensions (second set NA) Cable pushouts (drop; X Reps) Superset Preacher curls (X Reps) Cable curls Preacher curls (NA) Superset Concentration curls (X Reps) One-arm spider curls Incline curls (X Reps) Cable hammer curls (X Reps)

2 x 8-10 2 x 8-10 1 x 6-8 1 x 8(6) 1 x 8-10 1 x 8-10 2 x 8(6) 2 x 8-10 2 x 8-10 2 x 8-10, 6-8 2 x 8(6) 1 x 8-10 1 x 8-10 1 x 8-10 2 x 8-10 2 x 8-10 1 x 8-10 1 x 8-10

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.

84 APRIL 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Train, Eat,

To reiterate: Pure-negative sets, which are more severe, can heighten fat-to-muscle effects but only if you use them infrequently so you don’t overdamage muscle tissue and overtrain. The muscles must fully recover and supercompensate if you want growth to occur; otherwise, you can dig yourself into an overtraining hole.

We prefer to use negative-accentuated training on one set per bodypart, usually the last set of a big, midrange move like squats or bench presses. We’ve also found that performing NA sets on stretch-position exercises, like dumbbell flyes, heightens muscle damage as well but not enough to cause problems.

What about contracted-position exercises, like concentration curls or pushdowns? Those are continuoustension exercises, and we think they should be reserved for higher reps to trigger growth hormone output via muscle burn. That will provide another key fat-to-muscle amplifier on top of the trauma created by NA sets.

From what we’ve experienced so far, our fat-to-muscle methods are working extremely well. We went through the holidays on very loose diets and doing almost zero cardio—but our physiques remained relatively lean and vascular. We believe that this type of muscletrauma weight training will leapfrog

cardio as the number-one fat-loss method. Yes, cardio is important for heart health, but when it comes to getting ripped, it plays second fiddle to weight training—because with the right amount of damage from sets and reps, you can burn fat as you build muscle 24/7.

(For more information, research and a complete program based on the above, see the e-book The Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout, available at www.X-Rep.com.)

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 on the next page. IM

ITRC Program 114, Abbreviated Home-Gym Routine Monday (Shock): Chest, Calves, Abs Superset Incline presses (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Incline flyes (top squeezes; X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Superset Bench presses (second set NA) 2 x 8-10, 6-8 Flat-bench flyes (top squeeze; X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Decline flyes (low partials; drop) 1 x 8(6) Donkey calf raises (drop; X Reps) 3 x 12(8) One-leg calf raises (drop; X Reps) 2 x 12(8) Seated calf raises (drop; X Reps) 2 x 12(8) Superset Incline kneeups (X Reps) 1 x 10-12 Flat-bench leg raises (NA) 1 x 8-10 Weighted full-range crunches or Ab Bench crunches (drop; X Reps) 1 x 12(8)

Tuesday (Shock): Back, Forearms Chins (MRR/P; X Reps) Undergrip rows (second set NA) Dumbbell pullovers (X Reps) Superset Bent-over barbell rows Bent-arm bent-over laterals (X Reps) One-arm dumbbell rows (NA) Shrugs (MRR/P; X Reps) Reverse wrist curls (drop; X Reps) Wrist curls (drop; X Reps) Rockers

1 x 8(6)(4) 2 x 8-10, 6-8 1 x 8-10 2 x 8-10 2 x 8-10 1 x 6-8 1 x 8(6)(4) 2 x 10(6) 2 x 10(6) 1 x 13-15

Wednesday (Shock): Quads, Hams Superset Squats Leg extensions or old-style hack squats (X Reps) Squats (NA) Leg extensions or old-style hack squats (drop; X Reps)

Sissy squats (drop; X Reps) Superset Stiff-legged deadlifts Leg curls (X Reps) Leg curls (X Reps)

2 x 10(6) 2 x 8-10 2 x 8-10 1 x 8-10

Friday (Shock): Delts, Triceps, Biceps Dumbbell presses (MRR/P) 1 x 8(6)(4) Superset Dumbbell upright rows (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Seated forward-lean laterals (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Incline one-arm laterals (drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(6) Bent-over laterals (drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(6) Superset Dips or close-grip bench presses (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Kickbacks (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Decline extensions (NA) 1 x 6-8 Overhead extensions (drop; X Reps) 2 x 8(6) Superset Preacher curls (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Barbell or dumbbell curls 1 x 8-10 Preacher curls (NA) 1 x 6-8 Concentration curls (drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(6) Incline curls (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Incline hammer curls (X Reps) 1 x 10-12 MRR/P is multi-rep rest/pause. Do all three sets with the same weight; rest 15 seconds between sets.

Note: Where X-Reps are designated, usually only one set is performed with X Reps or an X-Rep hybrid technique from the e-book Beyond X-Rep Muscle Building.

2 x 8-10 2 x 8-10 1 x 6-8 1 x 10(6)

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.

86 APRIL 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Grow

The muscles must fully recover and supercompensate if you want growth to occur; otherwise you can dig yourself into an overtraining hole.

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by John Hansen, Mr. Natural Olympia

Working Man’s Workout Plan

gram to fit your work schedule. Because you work 12-hour shifts, I’m sure you want to be able to go to the gym on your days off.

You could split your muscle groups up over three days before taking a rest. If you took two days off after three consecutive days of training, you would be resting each muscle group for five days before training it again.

Here’s an example of how you could split up your muscle groups:

Q: I’m a police officer in New Jersey, and I work a rotating two-week shift of 12-hour days. I read the article you wrote on over-40 bodybuilding training, which was awesome. I recently turned 40 and noticed that taking the rest days truly does help. I was wondering if you had a suggestion for a training routine that would fit my schedule. My work schedule looks like this:

Day 1: Chest, triceps, biceps, calves Day 2: Abs, legs Day 3: Delts, back, calves Day 4: Rest Day 5: Rest That’s a good split to follow because there’s no overlap with the different muscle groups, so you won’t have to worry about overtraining any bodyparts. It’s also a good idea to train legs between the upper-body days because it gives those muscle groups a day of rest.

To fit that split into your 14-day work schedule, you could train three days on/two days off, three days on/two days off, three days on/one day off:

Monday, Tuesday: Work 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Thursday: Off Friday, Saturday, Sunday: Work 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Monday,Tuesday: Off Wednesday, Thursday: Work 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: Off A: I’m not sure what type of training routine you’re following now or how many days of rest you take between muscle groups, but I think I can come up with a good pro-

Work Schedule Monday, work Tuesday, work Wednesday, off Thursday, off Friday, work Saturday, work Sunday, work Monday, off Tuesday, off Wednesday, work Thursday, work Friday, off Saturday, off Sunday, off

Neveux \ Model: Eric Sternlicht, Ph.D.

NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HU

Naturally Huge

Training Rest day Rest day Day 1 workout Day 2 workout Day 3 workout Rest day Rest day Day 1 workout Day 2 workout Day 3 workout Rest day Day 1 workout Day 2 workout Day 3 workout

Using this schedule, you have to work out on only two of the days that you’re on duty in your 14-day rotation. The rest of your workout days will take place on your days off.

That should accommodate your schedule and let you make your workouts more intense and productive.

You could cycle two heavy workout rotations with one moderately heavy rotation. When you’ll be taking two rest days after the training cycle, train heavy—six to 10 reps—for the three preceding workouts. When you’ll be taking only one rest day after the training cycle, go a little lighter and use higher reps—10 to 15—for more of a pump workout.

That will help you to recuperate and avoid overtraining. (continued on page 102) It will also be a welcome break after heavy training three days in a row for the past two workout cycles. Good luck!

Q: I’m a 53-year-old bodybuilder. I worked my way up to the Nationals and retired in 1986—didn’t want

90 APRIL 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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For some people, being locked in position during any type of press can be traumatic to shoulder joints.

to use steroids. I hurt my shoulder doing decline Smith-machine presses four months ago. It’s been getting better slowly; I still can’t do dumbbell flyes, but I can do pec deck flyes. Any kind of free weights are very hard, and machines seem to be okay. Is that length of time normal? I don’t want surgery if I don’t have to have it. Also, I’ve been doing rehab exercises five times a week, a few minutes a day. Any help would be great.

A: Decline presses are pretty stressful on the shoulders.

Doing them on a Smith machine can be even more stressful because the muscles are locked into a set position by the machine. If you were using free weights—barbells or dumbbells—on the exercise, your body would pick the groove that would be comfortable for your structure. With a machine, you have to do the exercise according to the setup of the machine.

I recommend that you seek professional help for your shoulder injury. I’m not sure what rehab exercises you’re doing, but if the injury is taking that long to heal, getting therapy will probably speed up the healing process.

If the shoulder is getting better, you probably didn’t do any severe damage—tear the rotator cuff, etc.—but you

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 HU

Naturally Huge won’t really know until it’s examined by a medical professional. My guess is that it’s just a strain or pull to the muscle or the tendons and ligaments that surround the shoulder.

A good chiropractor or sportsmedicine doctor in your area should be able to treat the injury with ultrasound and electrical stimulation. Those methods will help bring more blood into the injured area and help it to heal faster.

As for your training, when you’re rehabbing your shoulder, only do exercises that don’t hurt that shoulder. Don’t try to “work through the pain.”

That will only make the injury worse and delay the healing process. If you can find exercises to train your chest and shoulders that do not hurt, stick with them until you consult with a medical professional.

Q: I recently listened to your natural bodybuilding radio show, and it was really inspiring. I’m 19 years old and just decided to start bodybuilding. I have been lifting since I was 16, but I’m having a hard time coming up with a solid program for putting on mass. I’m eating 500 more calories than I need every day, but I think I lack the program I need for putting on some solid size. I’m 5’8”, 165 pounds with 11 percent bodyfat. If you have any workout advice that would help me put on mass, I would appreciate it. I plan on training natural, and I’d like to enter a contest a year from now, after I put on some size.

Any advice?

A: Thanks for listening to my new Internet radio show.

The show can be accessed online at www.NaturalBody buildingRadio.com. We feature interviews each week with natural bodybuilding champions, contest promoters and writers, such as IRON MAN’s own Jerry Brainum.

I think a lot of teenage bodybuilders are in the same situation you are. When you’re young, your metabolism is going very fast, and it’s often difficult to add mass. That’s why so many people turn to anabolic steroids to help them get past their sticking points. They don’t know how to add the muscle naturally, and they believe that the only way to

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Day 1: Chest and Arms Barbell bench presses Incline dumbbell presses Flat-bench flyes Pushdowns Lying extensions Weighted parallel-bar dips Incline curls Barbell curls Standing calf raises Day 2: Abs and Legs Hanging knee raises Incline situps Squats Leg presses Leg curls Stiff-legged deadlifts

To pile on the muscle mass, you have to train hard and eat right, which includes getting plenty of complex carbs and protein.

get big is to use the drugs.

You’re on the right track by increasing your calories. By eating 500 calories more than you normally eat, you’re giving your body more growth-producing nutrients. Just make sure those calories come from good bodybuilding foods and not useless junk food that’s loaded with fat, sugar and salt and is low in protein or complex carbohydrates.

Eat high-quality, complete forms of protein with each meal. Eggs, beef, chicken, fish, turkey, milk and cheese will give you the building materials for new muscle mass. If you ate approximately 1.25 to 1.5 grams of protein for each pound of bodyweight, you’d be getting 206 to 248 grams of protein a day. By eating six small meals per day and including a complete form of protein with each meal, you should be able to get in all the protein you need.

It’s also extremely important to eat plenty of complex carbohydrates when you’re trying to gain quality bodyweight. Whole-wheat bread, sweet potatoes, baked potatoes, whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, beans and corn will supply the energy that your muscles need for your heavy workouts and help you add quality mass. When I was trying to get bigger, I ate two to three grams of carbs for each pound of bodyweight. At 165 pounds you should get 330 to 500 grams of carbohydrates a day.

I’ve got a good workout program for you to follow during your bulking period. Split up your muscle groups over three workouts and take plenty of rest days per week. Concentrate on using the basic exercises with mostly barbells and dumbbells. Use a weight that really challenges you to do six to eight repetitions—the rep range that will build the greatest amount of muscle.

Neveux \ Model: Daniele Seccarecci

NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HU

Naturally Huge

Day 3: Delts and Back Seated military presses Lateral raises Bent-over lateral raises Barbell shrugs Wide-grip chins Barbell rows Deadlifts Wrist curls Seated calf raises

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

2 x 30 2 x 30 5 x 10, 8, 6, 6, 6 4 x 12, 10, 8, 8 3 x 10, 8, 6 3 x 8, 6, 6

4 x 10, 8, 6, 6 3 x 8, 6, 6 3 x 8, 8, 6 4 x 10, 8, 6, 6 3 x 10, 8, 6 4 x 10, 8, 6, 6 3 x 8, 6, 6 3 x 12, 10, 8 4 x 20, 15, 12, 12

In order to get the proper amount of rest, you should give each bodypart five days off before training it again.

You’ll have more energy for your workouts and grow more if you don’t train three days consecutively. Taking rest days between your workouts will enable more growth to take place. Here’s how the schedule lays out: Day 1: Chest and arms Day 2: Abs and legs Day 3: Rest Day 4: Delts and back Day 5: Rest Day 6: Repeat cycle If you train very hard by making the workouts progressive—adding more weight or more reps each week—you should make great gains on the program. Remember to eat lots of complete-protein foods and complex carbs every day to feed those growing muscles, and you should be adding size to your physique in no time!

Editor’s note: John Hansen has won the Mr. Natural Olympia and is a two-time Natural Mr. Universe winner.

Check out his Web site at www.NaturalOlympia.com, or send questions or comments to him via e-mail at John@ NaturalOlympia.com. Look for John’s new DVD, “Natural Bodybuilding Seminar and Competitions,” along with his book, Natural Bodybuilding, and his training DVD, “Real Muscle,” at his Web site or at Home Gym Warehouse, www.Home-Gym.com. Listen to John’s new radio show, Natural Bodybuilding Radio, at www.NaturalBodybuilding Radio.com. You can send written correspondence to John Hansen, P.O. Box 3003, Darien, IL 60561. IM

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by David Goodin

Abs and Biceps

covered in sweat—real sweat—particularly when I’m doing the leg and back exercises. That was at the end of the shoot, and I was dying, but it certainly was worth every moment.

Michael Neveux does an absolutely masterful job with the photography, and I was blown away by how the guys at the IRON MAN studio edited the video.

Q: I recently watched the video of your cover Now, to answer your question: Most people don’t believe shoot at IronManMagazine.com. I was particularly it, but I train abs only once a week when I’m preparing to impressed with your abs and biceps and wonder be onstage for a competition or guest posing. Normally I if there’s anything special you did for those bodytrain biceps once a week—typically on Friday—with about parts. How do you train them? By the way, congrats eight to 12 sets. Last year I felt my biceps were lagging a on your cover, and great job on the video. bit, so I threw in just about four sets of curls after my chest workout on Tuesdays to do a little extra biceps work withA: Thank you for your e-mail and for checking out out overtraining them. As you can see from the video, my IronManMagazine.com. I was thrilled to be chosen for strategy worked well. the cover of IRON MAN. It was definitely a dream come I’ll give you my very simple routines for abs and bitrue—shooting with Raven Lexy wasn’t exactly horrible eiceps in a moment; first, I want to give you my big secret ther. Raven was really sweet and a lot fun to work with, but for effectively training those bodyparts. I concentrate on shooting for hours at a time is very hard work. If you look contracting the muscle as hard as I can on each rep. Let closely at the video or at the photos in my feature in that me repeat: I contract the muscle as hard as I can on every issue [January ’09], you’ll see that in some of the photos I’m rep. I do my best to perform my exercises very smoothly so that momentum doesn’t take over, and I pause in the contracted position and consciously flex the muscle as hard as I can. I then return “My favorite leg raise smoothly to the starting position, using the exercise for lower abs is eccentric contraction of the target muscle to hanging leg raises.” control the movement. To be quite honest, I use that technique on all isolation exercises, and it’s extremely effective.

My abdominal workout generally consists of two exercises. The first is a leg-raise-type exercise geared toward hitting the lower abs—hanging leg raises are my favorite—while the second exercise is a crunch movement to target the upper abs. I prefer to use Ab Slings when I do my leg raises, but if you don’t have any, you can hang from a chinup bar. I place a bench or a box under the bar to stand on while I’m getting situated in the Ab Slings, but I use it to control how far I can drop my legs at the bottom of the movement.

I start with my feet in front of the bench. I maintain a slight bend at the knees and slowly raise my legs until my ankles touch the bar. I’m careful to keep my head in a neutral position, and I exhale as I lift my legs. I flex my abs at the top of the movement and then consciously use my abs to control the speed of the descent.

At the bottom my legs are still in front of the bench. They never go all the way under my body until I’m done with the set.

A couple of things to avoid are arching your back and swinging your legs. If you swing, your hip flexors will initiate the movement, and momentum will take over, with your abs doing very little work. I’ve had very few people who could do even one rep on the hanging leg raise the first time they tried. So for most people I recommend the hanging knee raise. Everything is the Neveux \ Model: Dave Goodin

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

Shredded Muscle

102 APRIL 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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same except that you bend your knees as you lift your legs and bring them as high as possible. When I do them, I try to bring my knees to my elbows. Generally, I perform four sets of hanging leg raises, going to failure on each set.

Now I move on to crunches. I do them on the floor, on a bench or on a therapy ball. I don’t think I need to go into a description of how to do a crunch, but I’d like to offer a few pointers. First, always perform crunches smoothly. Feel your abs contracting from the starting position all the way to the top. Pause in the fully contracted position and flex your abs as hard as you can. Then feel your abs stretch as you return to the starting point. Don’t bounce and jerk on your crunches, and make sure that your lower back stays in contact with the bench or ball.

Pay particular attention to that if you do your crunches on a therapy ball. All too often I see people doing crunches on a ball and using their hips as the pivot point, and their lower backs come off the ball. To put maximum tension on the abdominals, keep your lower back on the ball, and push your hips forward as you crunch.

Again, don’t forget to flex at the top. I usually do four sets of crunches, going to failure on each set.

That’s it: four sets of leg raises and four sets of crunches. Often my abdominals are actually cramping at the end of my last set or two of crunches.

For biceps I employ the same strategy that I use for abdominals. I go for maximum contraction on each rep. I usually do two curl exercises for four to five sets each for biceps, then hammer curls or reverse curls for three or four sets to target the brachialis. Currently my favorite biceps exercises are dumbbell curls and cable curls. You can use a straight bar or EZ-curl bar, and you can vary your grip width from narrow to shoulder width or slightly wider. The curl is a really simple movement, so rather than describe it in detail, I’ll give you my do’s and don’ts.

Do: • Start with your shoulders back.

That will stretch the long head of the biceps for more range of contraction.

• Keep your torso immobile.

• Perform the exercise smoothly and with control, both on the way up and on the way down.

• Consciously flex your biceps as hard as you can at the top of the movement.

• Keep your wrists straight or slightly back. That will keep tension on your biceps in the fully contracted position.

Don’t: • Let your shoulders roll forward.

That reduces the amount of tension on the long head of the biceps.

• Swing the weight. If you do, you get momentum going and there’s less tension on the biceps.

• Let your elbows move forward under the bar. Once your elbows are under the bar, you’re just supporting the weight. It’s no longer exerting tension on the biceps. Too many lifters let their elbows move in front of the weight so they rest at the top. Not good.

• Curl your wrists in. Curling the wrists reduces the distance between the resistance (the weight) and the fulcrum (your elbow), thus reducing the tension on the biceps.

• Relax and let the weight drop after you’ve gotten to the top of the movement. If you don’t use your biceps to control the weight’s descent back to the starting point, you totally miss out on the benefits of the eccentric contraction.

After four to five sets of scorching dumbbell curls and cable curls, I usually finish off my biceps workout with three to four sets of hammer curls. By then my brachialis is already pretty fatigued, so overkill is not necessary—and for me usually leads to tendinitis. I perform the hammer curls with dumbbells. It’s the same movement as the curl but with your palms facing in. I use the same techniques, moving the weight smoothly and flexing at the top.

By the way, I feel I should warn you: If you do my abdominal and biceps workouts exactly as I’ve described, squeezing out a maximum contraction on each repetition, be sure to have a fire extinguisher close by, or load up on Red Dragon, because your abs and biceps are going to be burning like crazy. I’ve trained bodybuilders who were doing 20 to 25 sets for biceps and hundreds of reps for abs who were begging for mercy after just four to six sets of strict reps with a full conscious contraction on each rep.

Give it a whirl, and let me know how it goes.

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

Ultimate Exercises and Mass Machines

Q: I notice that some of your ultimate exercises for each bodypart [listed in the e-book The Ultimate Mass Workout] are done on machines, and you include machine exercises, such as pulldowns and Smith-machine incline presses, in that e-book as well as your others [like X-traordinary MuscleBuilding Workouts]. Most of the pros say to stay with free weights. If I want ultimate mass, shouldn’t I just stick with barbells and dumbbells?

A: Is it better to travel by horse or car? It depends on the terrain. Yes, in many instances barbells and dumbbells are best because they allow a more natural movement—more freedom. Machines tend to restrict the stroke to one plane, as in the vertical bar movement on Smith-machine incline presses or squats.

But—and this is a big but—whether your best individual choice is a barbell, dumbbells or a machine depends on the feel of the exercise, which is a function of a bodypart’s neuromuscular efficiency; that is, the nerve-to-muscle connections.

For example, I have low neuromuscular efficiency in my

pecs. When I do incline presses with a barbell or dumbbells, my delts and triceps take over almost completely, and I get very little chest stimulation.

On the other hand, when I do incline presses on a Smith machine, I have to worry only about moving the bar, not balancing it, so I can better focus on my pecs—I can stay locked in on the target muscle and drive my hands inward isometrically to better innervate my upper chest. Plus, endof-set X-Rep partials are easier to control on a machine, which adds to fiber recruitment.

Keep in mind that the huge bodybuilders who suggest all free weights all the time have superior neuromuscular efficiency in almost every bodypart. If you fall into that category, then, yes, free weights will probably be best for you on almost every exercise because you can target the appropriate muscles, getting optimal feel and innervation.

If you’re not in the genetic-superman category, a number of your bodyparts will require special attention to get a growth response. Those are your lagging muscle groups— and hardgainers have a majority of muscles that are slackers. If you can’t feel a bodypart working, it’s probably got deficient nerve connections, and you’ll have to experiment

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Q: I know the big, midrange exercises, like squats and presses, are most important for mass, but is the stretch-position exercise or the contracted-position exercise really the best follow-up for extra muscle growth? The reason I ask is that I don’t have a lot of time to train, so I’m going to do the ultimate exercise for each bodypart and one more, either stretch or contracted, whichever you say will give me the most growth.

A: Interesting dilemma. Both the stretch- and contract-

Research shows that different lat fibers are emphasized depending on the angle of the torso during pulldowns. You can’t change body position on chins, so pulldowns can have a unique effect on back development. ed-position exercises are important for different reasons.

Each triggers growth along different pathways—but there’s an easy solution to your problem I’ll get to in a moment.

I often reference the animal study that produced a 300 percent muscle-mass increase—that’s a triple-size gain—in one month of progressive-stretch “workouts.” The researchers believe the stretch overload caused hyperplasia, or fiber replication, as well as hypertrophy.1 In a more recent study that produced significant growth via stretch overload, the researchers said, “Excess muscle stretch promotes the orderly lining of sarcomeres within muscle, leading to a stronger muscle contraction and setting the stage for architectural changes in the muscle that precede growth.”2 So stretch-position exercises like incline curls for biceps, flyes for pecs, sissy squats for quads, pullovers for lats, etc., are excellent for getting extra anabolic effects after you’ve done the big, midrange move.

Contracted-position exercises, like leg extensions, leg curls, concentration curls, pushdowns, etc., produce continuous tension and Neveux \ Model: Binais Begovic

Neveux \ Model: Jonathan Lawson

with various exercises, including machine work, to get at the most growth fibers possible.

Something else to consider: Some angles are impossible to attack with free weights. For example, the ultimate exercise for hamstrings is feet-forward Smithmachine squats. The key is the body angle, with your feet out in front of your hips as you squat. You can’t achieve that with a barbell unless you’re a levitation wizard. There is no compound free-weight exercise for hamstrings—stiff-legged deadlifts are a stretch-position move.

What about pulldowns vs. chins? Research shows that different lat fibers come into play depending on the angle of pull— in other words, the amount of torso lean emphasizes some sections more than others. You can’t vary your torso angle much, if at all, on chins. Don’t get me wrong: The chinup is a great exercise, but you should augment it with pulldowns as well—one set of chins, one set of pulldowns with a slight backward lean, one set of pulldowns with a more severe backward lean.

Anyone who makes a blanket statement that free weights are better than machines isn’t thinking things through. You must use all the tools at your disposal to create the best muscle development you can—and sometimes that means training on machines. Incidentally, Jay Cutler uses many machines, including a Smith machine for squats and Hammer Strength chest machines, regularly.

Stretch-position exercises, like flyes for the pecs, can produce mass increases through different mechanisms from contractedposition exercises, like cable crossovers. www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2009 109

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occlusion. Japanese researchers got an 800 percent mass increase with occlusion compared to standard training; that is, occlusion produced 800 percent better results, not an eightfold size increase.

Other studies show that tension/occlusion triggers more lactic acid and muscle burn, which is key to growth hormone production, setting up an optimal anabolic environment.3 So which do you choose? The easy solution is to alternate them at successive workouts.

At one workout do midrange and stretch; at the next workout for that bodypart do midrange and contracted.

That’s split-positions training, and it’s very effective due to automatic variation.

In other words, the midrange exercise stays constant, but the second exercise alternates between a contracted-position movement and a stretch-position movement. You have an A and a B workout. For chest the A workout might have Smith-machine incline presses, the constant midrange exercise, followed by incline cable flyes, a contracted-position upper-chest move; the B workout would be Smith-machine incline presses again, followed by incline dumbbell flyes, a stretch-position exercise.

You can construct your own program with the ultimate exercises followed by either the stretch- or contracted-position move from Positions of Flexion—there’s an excellent split you can use below. [Note: The X-Rep-Hybrid MegaMass Program on pages 67-71 of the e-book Beyond X-Rep Muscle Building is set up as a split-positions workout.

There’s also a home-gym split-positions program with basic equipment on pages 72-75 of that e-book.]

Q: As a practitioner of 3D Positions-of-Flexion methodology who’s seen tremendous results, I want to thank you for everything you contribute to the bodybuilding community. Additionally, I have a question regarding the original 10-Week Size Surge routine that worked so well for Jonathan Lawson [who gained 20 pounds of muscle on it]. I’ve seen great results with that program, but no matter how short my rest periods are, the first POF workout— legs, chest and triceps in Phase 2—always lasts well over an hour. Would the effects of the workout be diminished if I were to split it as follows: Day 1, legs; day 2, chest, triceps; day 3, back, delts, biceps, abs; day 4, rest; day 5, repeat? Would the single day of rest be enough to allow my body to recover?

A: If you’re young and an above-average gainer with high

Performing regular deadlifts on back day can give you extra leg work. Just don’t do them the day after or the day before your leg workout. recovery ability, you may be able to get good gains from that three-on/one-off split, but you must ratchet down your intensity every four to six weeks. It’s what I call phase training. The split you’ve listed is a lot to bite off and stick with, however.

Here’s a better solution:

Neveux \ Model: Skip La Cour

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Critical Mass

Week 1 Monday: Chest, triceps Tuesday: Legs Wednesday: Off Thursday: Back, delts, biceps, abs Friday: Chest, triceps Weekend: Off Week 2 Monday: Back, delts, biceps, abs Tuesday: Legs Wednesday: Off

Thursday: Chest, triceps Friday: Back, delts, biceps, abs Notice that you work legs once a week, every Tuesday, while the two upper-body workouts alternate over Monday, Thursday and Friday. So the first week your chest and triceps get hit twice, and the second week your back, delts, biceps and abs get two hits—excellent change and recovery-time variation.

For a bit more leg work, you could add regular deadlifts to Friday’s workout when back falls on Friday (week 2 above); however, if and when you do that, eliminate most of the POF midback work that day. Deads are very taxing on your lower body as well as your back. [Note: Jonathan’s 10-Week Size Surge program is listed in the e-book 3D Muscle-Building.]

References 1

Antonio, J., and Gonyea, W.J. (1993). Skeletal muscle fiber hyperplasia. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 25:1333-45.

2 Seynnes, O.R., et al. (2007). Early skeletal muscle hypertrophy and architectural changes in response to highintensity resistance training. J Applied Physiol. 102:368-373.

3 Gotshalk, L.A. (1997). Hormonal responses of multiset versus single-set heavy-resistance exercise protocols. Can J of App Phys; 22:244-255.

Editor’s note: Steve Holman is the author of many bodybuilding best-sellers and the creator of Positionsof-Flexion muscle training. For information on the POF videos and Size Surge programs, see the ad sections beginning on page 284 and 328, respectively. Also visit www.X-Rep.com for information on X-Rep and 3D POF methods and e-books. IM

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A Bodybuilder

Is Born Episode 45

The Gym as Therapy

by Ron Harris Photography by Michael Neveux

Model: Jonathan Lawson

M

y cell phone rang about 5 p.m.

Nobody calls me on my home phone anymore except my mother, because I have given everybody I know explicit instructions not to. It’s not that I’m paranoid about giving out the number (it’s 867-5309—just ask for Jenny). It’s that whenever my 12year-old daughter Marisa is home, she’s on the phone with her little friends, usually talking crap about whichever friend is not on the other end of the line. While she has the house phone hooked on her left ear, Marisa’s right ear is typically glued to her cell phone, which looks exactly like mine except for the pink cover. Mine is fuchsia.

Also, her iTunes play list is blaring from the computer in front of her, as she is madly typing away to yet more friends on AOL Instant Messenger. I just saw a report on CNN that called my daughter and her peers Generation M. The M stands for multitasking. Actually, I’m quite impressed with how many things the kid can do at one time.

Unfortunately, cleaning her room

or changing the cat’s litter box are not among the tasks she can manage to perform in this maelstrom of frenetic activity.

It was Randy calling, and he sounded pretty down. He said he was going to take a couple of weeks off from training, so he wouldn’t be able to meet me the next day to work legs. Apparently, there was a lot going on in Randy’s life that I had no clue about. His mother had just been diagnosed with breast cancer, for one thing. They’d caught it very early on, so her chances were actually quite good, but the situation was still very troubling for the whole family. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the only source of grief.

Randy’s younger brother Mark, whom I had met when Randy brought him to the gym more than a year and a half ago, was now 16.

Mark had not taken to health and fitness after our workout together, as we’d hoped he would. Instead, he was a regular user of the drug OxyContin, which has been described by many as “heroin in a pill.” How’s that for lazy? At least previous generations had to go through the unpleasant process of tying off their arms and jabbing needles into their veins; today’s kids just pop a pill.

That way they still have a free hand

to instant-message and search for songs on their iPods.

I’m not making light of a very serious epidemic here. Drug addiction is not pretty. Like other drug addicts I’ve known, Mark had been stealing from his family to support his habit, which was not cheap. Some of his mom’s jewelry was now gone forever, as were various items of Randy’s, including a baseball signed by Ted Williams that was worth more than the car he drove.

Mark was in a court-ordered rehab, and to put the icing on the cake of Randy’s troubles, his sales at the dealership were way down and his job was in jeopardy. From the weariness in his voice, it was clear that all of the above was wearing on my young friend.

“I need some time to straighten all this crap out,” was what he said.

Having been through my own share of crises and drama in the 21 years since I started lifting weights, I knew that it was not the solution.

“Randy, I want you there tomorrow, and we are starting with squats, as usual,” I replied.

“Ron, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said. “There’s just no way I could concentrate on my training right now. I’ve got too much s**t on my mind.” www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2009 117

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Model: Jonathan Lawson

Some people pay therapists to sit and listen to their problems. For those of us who have devoted our lives to hard training, there’s no need for that. The weights are our therapists.

©2009 MET-Rx® USA, Inc.

106408dr

“I know you do, and that’s why you need training more than ever.

You need something to take your mind off all those problems. It’s not easy to do, but it can be done.”

I thought back to times when I dropped into the gym after having a particularly nasty argument with my wife, Janet. In case I have somehow presented an image of bliss in which it’s all baby talk and cuddling between us, the truth can now be told.

There are times when I swear that if my wife had the magical power to banish me to some fifth dimension of darkness and pain (kind of like Detroit), I’d be gone, and not even some fancy TV psychic like John Edwards would be able to get me back.

Anyway, I would start those workouts feeling lower than a slug’s belly and about as enthused as Lindsay Lohan at a buffet, but eventually, once I got a little sweat and pump

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A Bodybuilder

Is Born Stuff happens.

That’s why your training is so important. No matter how messed up and confusing other things in your life may be at times, you can always count on the gym.

going, I would always feel a little better. By the end of the workout my problems would still be there, but at least I’d been able to escape them for a brief time, and facing the problems head-on didn’t seem such a hopeless prospect. I guess you could attribute that to the rush of endorphins that rigorous exercise sets off, and in that sense it’s not so different from drugs—except that it’s legal, it’s good for your health, and it’s productive! Then I thought of yet another reason why training during times of trouble is a good idea.

“Randy, probably the worst feelings you’re experiencing now are helplessness and uncertainty. You feel powerless to help your mother and your brother, and you don’t know what’s going to happen with them—or your job, for that matter, right?”

“Damn, Ron, did you take the Dr. Phil online psychology course or something?”

“They wanted 500 bucks, so I said forget it. Just answer me, please.”

“Yeah,” he said. “I guess that’s about right—all that. It’s just so overwhelming, everything at once, like I can’t breathe.”

“I know, I know. We all go through

those times. It’s just a part of life that can’t be avoided. Stuff happens.

That’s why your training is so important. No matter how messed up and confusing other things in your life may be, you can always count on the gym. It’s the one constant you can rely on to be there for you when everything else seems to be falling apart.”

Randy let out a huge sigh over the phone. “Okay, I’ll be there.”

Sure enough, he was at the gym the next day. I won’t lie and say he had the best leg workout ever, but he wasn’t dragging his ass the way you might have expected him to.

He was a lot quieter than usual, and I could tell he was making a solid effort to focus on the workout and drown out the nagging voices of worry in his mind. When it was over, he dropped a real bomb—no, not an attack of flatulence, more like something he had been waiting to tell me.

“I got a call last night from Bill, the manager of my dealership. He let me go.”

“Oh, my God, Randy, I’m sorry to hear that.” The call couldn’t have come too much later than when I had talked with him. “What are you gonna do now?”

Randy shrugged his shoulders, and for the first time that day cracked a smile. “I don’t know. I’ll figure it out. I’m a smart guy, and I work hard. There’s got to be something out there for me.”

“Well, look on the bright side,” I offered. “Until then you can train with me all the time, and you’ll have time to eat more solid meals instead of drinking so many shakes and eating so many bars all day.”

“Yup,” he agreed. “Same time Thursday for shoulders and triceps?”

“Definitely,” I said.

Randy’s problems weren’t going to be solved by training, nor would working out make them go away.

But they wouldn’t seem quite so bad when he was straining under a load of heavy iron, his muscles pumped and blood coursing through his body at a rapid rate.

Some people pay therapists to sit and listen to their problems. For those of us who have devoted our lives to hard training, there’s no need for that. The weights are our therapists, never judging us but always there when we need them, and the gym is our therapy. IM

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Time in

Sons Brent and Lou Jr. with big daddy Lou in the gym.

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a Bottle

At 57, Lou Ferrigno Still Loves Pumping Iron

by Lonnie Teper Photography by Michael Neveux

I

t’s a spectacular January day in Santa Monica, California, with temperatures hovering around 70 degrees, as I arrive for my scheduled 4 p.m. interview at the home of Lou Ferrigno. I ring the front doorbell, then hear the side gate opening. “Hey, Lonnie,” Ferrigno says. “Come on in.

It’s so nice outside, let’s do this in the backyard.”

Sounds terrific to me. Speaking of terrific, I can’t help thinking that’s exactly how Ferrigno looks today, making it hard to believe the man celebrated birthday number 57 a couple of months earlier. Ferrigno looks a decade younger and is still in great shape at 6’4 1/2” and 275 pounds. Yes, he remains “The Incredible Hulk” more than 30 years after the world got to know him as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s main adversary in the 1977 cult film “Pumping Iron.”

It’s safe to say that Ferrigno, a two-time Mr. Universe, is still the second most recognized bodybuilder in the world, behind you-know-who. Like the Governator, he’s used the drive that came from bodybuilding to fuel success in several other arenas.

A dedicated family man, he’s been married to Carla for 30 years, and they have three children: Shanna, 27, a producer for Warner Bros.; Lou Jr., 24, a University of Southern California grad who recently completed his personal trainer certification; and Brent, 19, who works at Gold’s, Venice, and is currently a student at Santa Monica City College.

Ferrigno’s an actor, has run a successful personal-training business out of his home for many years and became a certified Los Angeles County deputy sheriff three years ago—yes, the kind that are allowed to carry a gun 24/7. Speaking of guns, he proudly rolls up his shirt and shows me the split in his biceps. www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2009 127

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Let’s start shooting, er, taping, big guy.

LT: You have a movie coming out in March. Fill us in.

LF: Yes, it’s a romantic comedy produced by DreamWorks. It’s called “I Love You, Man.” The plot is that I’m an entrepreneur from Beverly Hills who wants to sell my house, so I hire this guy—Paul Rudd plays that role—and it expands from there. The movie is kind of a jump from my recurring role on “King of Queens” [the television sitcom that ran for seven years]. It gave me a chance to do comedy, which I’m very happy about.

LT: You gained so much notoriety with “The Incredible Hulk” television series. It may have kept some in the industry from taking you seriously as an actor.

LF: You hit the nail right on the head. That’s why this role means so much to me.

LT: How big were you in the movie? Did they tell you to get smaller for the role?

turned 57 on November 9.

Do you bathe in Oil of Olay daily?

LF: [Cracks up] I continue to train with intensity and consistency, keep a clean conscience and follow good nutritional habits. Most imporLou’s TV and film résumé continues to grow. His latest movie is tant, I have the “I Love You, Man,” produced by DreamWorks. same passion for LF: No, not at all. They took me being a bodybuilder that I had from as I was, same as I am today, around the beginning. I train like I’m going 275. to compete tomorrow. I just love LT: You were blessed with pumping iron. That’s the secret. It great genetics. keeps me in the gym consistently.

LF: Not really. I’ve always trained LT: Where do you train the really hard. I want to throw up most, your home gym or Gold’s? every time I hear somebody say to LF: I would say about half the me, “I’m on a new cycle.” The new time here, half the time at Gold’s. terms in the gym are “gurus” and LT: You’re working with your “cycles”—not enough hard training. sons a lot now. Brent must be LT: It’s hard to believe you thrilled with his job at Gold’s.

“Brent is stronger than me in the press, and, of course, the boys are stronger than I am in the legs. Louie is 6’2” and weighs about 230 pounds; Brent is about 6’ and weighs around 220.”

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LF: I would have given anything to have a job like that when I was a kid. When I first joined a gym [R&J’s Health Club in Brooklyn, New York] at 17 or 18, I was in awe seeing all those bodybuilders in person. Two of the people I used to see were Pete Caputo and [IRON MAN scribe] Jerry Brainum. Jerry would go out to California and train and come back and tell me stories about what it was like in California, the Golden State.

LT: Rumor has it the kids are stronger than their old man now.

LF: Brent is stronger than me in the press, and, of course, the boys are stronger than I am in the legs.

Louie is 6’2” and weighs about 230 pounds; Brent is about 6’ and weighs around 220. Brent is really solid; he reminds me of Casey Via-

tor. He’s squatting over 400.

LT: Best of all, he’s going to make his bodybuilding debut at my Junior Cal on June 20 to qualify for the Teen Nationals.

LF: He’s thinking about it.

LT: When did the three of you start working out together?

LF: About a year and a half ago.

They were both on the shy side, but I eventually got them to come to Gold’s and get used to the surroundings. In time, they got more confidence in themselves.

LT: People may be surprised to hear about your sons being stronger than you, but the Incredible Hunk gets older too!

LF: I used to be stronger than them in about six or seven different exercises, but now I can only beat them in curling and rowing exercis-

www.eatgoodlookgreat.com ©2009 Worldwide Sport Nutritional Supplements, Inc. 100308mva

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In his massive heyday, Lou mesmerized the bodybuilding world with his unreal muscle size and detail.

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es. I’m not going to kill myself and try to bench 350 and ruin my shoulder! I know my limitations.

There are never enough articles on how somebody needs to change their training regimen as they get older. At this age I don’t recuperate nearly as quickly as I did when I was younger. And, of course, I’m not going to lift anywhere near the weight I did when I was younger.

If I tried that, I’d end up living in a doctor’s office with a multitude of injuries. You have to listen to your body a lot more. You don’t train as much either.

LT: When I worked on the documentary “Stand Tall” back in 1994, I knew what most people didn’t about your return to the stage at the Masters Olympia— that you had suffered a severe knee injury prior to the show.

LF: Yes, I tore my meniscus a week before. Of course, there are no excuses. You do the best you can do and hope for the best [Ferrigno finished second to Robby Robinson].

I came back for the first time in 17 years at the Mr. Olympia in Helsinki in 1992. Two years of extremely hard training took its toll, and I eventually hurt my knee.

I started winding down the heavy training after that contest. I still train with the same intensity, but I don’t lift nearly as heavy.

LT: You started lifting weights at 12 years old. With 45 years of experience under your belt, what advice do you have for people of all age groups who train?

LF: From what I see, most people train one bodypart a week. I think you should do more that that, hit it twice a week. They’re also doing 20 sets, which is way too many. I believe you should do only 10 to 12 sets, max, per bodypart. After every 72 hours or so, you should hit that part again. You can rotate exercises.

The best regimen for me is three days on/one day off. I’ll do chest and back on day one, biceps and triceps on day two and shoulder and legs on day three. The beauty is you can change exercises all the time, which always makes it interesting.

You don’t need to do that much. It’s how you train. I do one warmup set, then four sets, eight to 10 reps, three exercises per bodypart. It should

A pair of classic IM covers starring Lou. never take more than an hour to do your weight workout. You can add up to 30 minutes of cardio a few times per week.

I have to admit there’s an exception to this—Surge Nubret. He does 50 sets a bodypart. I know because I trained with him before we filmed “Pumping Iron.” We were doing leg extensions, and after the 12th set I told him, “Serge, I’m done!” The man was just a machine; he’s one of my favorite people. He had really good form; to my knowledge he never had any serious injuries—he was intense but didn’t train real heavy.

LT: How much cardio do you usually do?

LF: If I’m training quickly and watching what I eat carefully, I really don’t need to do cardio. If I want to tighten up a bit, I’ll do 20 minutes on either the elliptical trainer or the stationary bike.

LT: When you first started lifting weights, you must have grown like a weed.

LF: Not really. I was thin and had

to train really hard to put on size.

When I was 17, 18, I had small legs, didn’t have a great chest. I did have muscular arms. And even if someone has good genetics, you have to have the mind-set that nothing is going to stop you from achieving what you want.

I trained like a maniac with hopes of gaining size. There were times—when I got rejected by a girl, for example—that I’d go back to the gym and train again to get out my frustration. It’s called inferiority complex. I felt I had to get more powerful, stronger, to impress them.

Like the Incredible Hulk.

LT: What are your favorite exercises for the muscle groups?

LF: I start out on chest, doing dumbbell presses. Every time I do an exercise, I pyramid up. One set for warmup, then four sets, eight to 10 reps. I go up to 100 or 120 pounds. My second exercise would be flyes. I go 50, 60, 75 and then 90.

Then I go to incline barbell presses.

I like to put the flyes in the middle because you’re resting the triceps.

I use from 185 to 225 on the incline bench.

LT: What about arm-day exercises?

LF: I do incline dumbbell curls, barbell curls, then preacher curls.

Then I move on to triceps. I do pushdowns first, then lying French presses and finish with standing French presses.

On day three I start with shoulder presses, then go to laterals. Then upright rows. Sometimes I do rear lateral raises.

After that I take a light leg workout: I’m not squatting like I used to. I do leg extensions, leg curls and Smith-machine squats. Sometimes I add a calf workout in the same format as all of the other exercises. I usually go up to 225 pounds on the Smith; there’s no point in lifting any heavier. On legs I move up my reps, doing from 12 to 15.

I do abs when I feel like it, usually two or three sets of crunches.

You have to remember, though, that I only rest a minute between sets, and you hit the abs in all the other exercises. Consistency and intensity are the keys to successful workouts.

Even when I’m traveling, like going overseas, I always try to get to the gym for at least a short workout. www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2009 133

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It’s always better to do something than nothing.

LT: Despite the fact that you’re doing it the right way, there will always be people wondering why Lou Ferrigno isn’t stacking the plates.

Ever feel pressure to lift more to show the folks you still have it?

LF: I have nothing to prove. I’m smart enough to know if I did something like that, I would end up hurting myself. I know my limitations. Everybody needs to think like that, especially as we get older. Too many people are concerned with how much they can bench or how much they can squat or deadlift. You need to train like a bodybuilder, hitting all bodyparts equally, and know what your safety limit is. If you’re concerned about how much you can bench for one rep, go to a powerlifting competition.

LT: You’re still training clients in your home gym?

LF: Yes. It’s just me and that one person; I don’t have to worry if I’m at Gold’s if I can get to a particular exercise.

Plus, it’s hard to work at the gym, with a lot of people always coming up to me.

LT: What do you think of bodybuilding today compared to the Arnold and Lou era?

LF: You don’t see the symmetry—or the camaraderie—of the old days. The top guys in the Olympia are phenomenal, but it has more to do with size, thickness and striations. Dexter Jackson 134 APRIL 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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[2008 Olympia champion] has nice symmetry—it was good to see that.

I’d like to see the sport go back into the direction we had years ago— more emphasis on posing too.

Being a champion should represent more than just a great body; it should include the personality too.

When I first met Joe Weider, he told me, “You should come to California.

You could be a Weider superstar. I only have three—Arnold, Franco and Frank Zane. You could be the fourth.”

Those guys created electricity when they stepped onstage. They had a “wow” factor that I think is missing today. It’s the total aura of the person.

I don’t think the passion is the same. You go into the gym now and see all these guys covering themselves up with ski caps, bulky sweatshirts and long pants, even in the dead of summer. And some of them spend as much time on their cell phones, either talking or texting, as

they do concentrating on their workouts.

In the old days Arnold, Waller, Draper, Zane…they all had T-shirts and shorts.

It was real. Now you say, “What am I looking at?”

LT: Who of the current crop of bodybuilders stands out most in your mind?

LF: I like Ronnie Coleman [Coleman retired in 2007 but is, according to rumors, contemplating a comeback]. Now, there’s somebody with the “wow” factor.

LT: Who’s your favorite of all time?

LF: I would say Steve Reeves, then Arnold.

LT: If you take all the great champions, past and present, and put them in a lineup, at their best, who wins?

LF: I would say Ronnie. When he first won the Olympia, the guy was

incredible. He had size, shape and muscle separation—the whole package. I think Ronnie would have gotten more out of the sport if he’d competed 30, 40 years ago. The fans would have gone totally nuts over him.

LT: How much did you weigh in “Pumping Iron”?

LF: I was 268; Arnold was 228. We both got on the scale; the amazing thing is Arnold was in shorts and a T-shirt, and my father [Matt] said to me, “Look at him, he’s not that big.” But he has small (continued on page 141)

joints; he was like a fine Thoroughbred racehorse. He just had “it.” I was shocked; I expected him to be at least 240.

Even Frank Zane. He looked like a regular guy in clothes, then when he stepped onstage—Bam! He came alive when he posed and totally captured the audience. This was a man about 5’9” and 190 pounds, but

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Courtesy of Universa l Televisio

he jumped out at you. Same thing (continued from page 136) for Franco, as short as he was.

LT: Rank the top five bodybuilders of all time.

LF: Arnold, myself, Sergio Oliva, Ronnie Coleman and Steve Reeves.

There have been so many great ones. Zane would be right there.

Lee Haney and Dorian Yates were terrific. Then there are guys like Dave Draper, Larry Scott and John Grimek. Two more guys I really liked—Casey Viator and Harold Poole. I didn’t mention Reg Park and Bill Pearl. We’d better make this the top 20 instead!

LT: If show business hadn’t cut short your career at 23 with your role as the Hulk, how big would you have been onstage down the road?

LF: I think I could have competed at 350 eventually; Arnold could have competed at 265 or 270 if he’d continued in bodybuilding. Sergio would have been a freaky 260, with shape.

LT: Most Lou Ferrigno fans know about your impressive résumé. How many movie and television shows have you been in?

LF: I’ve done 37 feature films

n

When you’re the Hulk’s offspring, the most-muscular is the go-to shot.

over 27 years. “The Hulk” was 86 episodes over five years. Then there was “Trauma Center.” I did about 20 episodes of “King of Queens.”

Plus, I competed in the “World’s Strongest Man” competition and ABC’s “Superstars” competition. As Arnold has done, obviously, I proved you can have muscles and still be an athlete…and still be successful in other areas of life as well.

LT: There’s still more the fans might not be aware of. You’re a certified Los Angeles County deputy sheriff.

LF: I went through the entire program and officially became a deputy sheriff three years ago. My father was a police lieutenant, and I’ve always been fascinated with law enforcement.

I told Sheriff Lee Baca of my lifelong interest in the field, and he said, “Why don’t you join the department?” I took six months and went through the Sheriff’s Academy.

It wasn’t an honorary thing but full uniform, like going back to college. You have to learn everything about search and seizure, know the Constitution of the United States. If you can’t drive those cars or shoot a shotgun, you won’t get through the academy. For example, if you get shot in your right hand, you have to be able to shoot with your left.

A lot of people forget that Oliva was a police officer in Chicago, and we know Coleman worked as a law

enforcement officer in Texas for many years.

Last Sunday I was in the Angeles forest. A woman had a bad motorcycle accident; Lou is a certified L.A. I had to direct traffic County deputy sheriff. and helped transport the victim into the emergency room. I love this type of work because not only are you helping people, but it’s very challenging. I do a lot of search and rescue in the mountains. It’s part of me giving back, especially now, with what has been going on in our country. I’m a big believer in community policing—you work with the public.

LT: I’ll be sure to mind my P’s and Q’s around you from here on out.

LF: I doubt it. [Both laugh] Editor’s note: To contact Lou Ferrigno for appearances, inside tips on how to prepare for the Sheriff Academy’s rigid physical and written exams or how to fire a gun with either hand, go to www .LouFerrigno.com. IM www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2009 141

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Mastering Muscle Growth Insulin Resistance in the Older Athlete and Its Effects on Hypertrophy

A

s the popularity of bodybuilding has increased, there’s been an influx of athletes into the masters divisions. And for good reason. Science has demonstrated that men and women aged 50 to 100 can make 50 to 60 percent increases in muscle cell size, 60 to 260 percent elevations in isometric (handgrip) and dynamic (free weights/machines) strength1, 2 and 30 percent increases in power in just 12 to 16 weeks.3 While those gains are impressive, research has also shown that masters-aged individuals experience lower mass and strength gains than their younger counterparts.4 Why? During any training protocol your muscle tissue experiences trauma, with the time following training known as the regeneration period.

That’s when muscle tissue is repaired and—you hope—increases in size and contractile capability.

The regeneration process itself relies highly on two factors: 1) the nutrients taken in following exercise and 2) the body’s anabolic response

to those nutrients. It appears that older persons exhibit a blunted response to the nutrients, which may explain the impaired recovery following exercise.

In the January ’09 IRON MAN we explained that masters-level athletes lose their sensitivity to the essential amino acids responsible for stimulating growth and that, according to research, if they took in enough protein, 30 to 40 grams per meal, or essential amino acids, 15 grams per meal, they could overcome the insensitivity. While amino acids are the major components stimulating skeletal muscle protein synthesis following a meal, they’re only one part of the equation. An additional factor is the release of the hormone insulin.

Insulin’s Role in Protein Synthesis After you digest carbohydrates, blood glucose is elevated. It then must be stored in cells, such as muscle tissue. That doesn’t happen,

though, unless insulin is released from the pancreas, binds to the muscle and signals it to increase the uptake of glucose. Insulin has another role, however. Studies show that in young people eating carbohydrates increases protein synthesis beyond what happens with amino acids alone.

One mechanism behind that increase in protein synthesis is insulin’s ability to increase blood flow to skeletal muscle after a meal.5 Paradoxically, protein synthesis is actually blunted in older people when insulin is increased following the addition of carbohydrates to a protein source!5 It appears that older people become resistant to insulin’s effects, which may explain loss of muscle with age, as well as a decreased ability to recover following training.6 Evidence to support that is found in other conditions that reflect impaired insulin action, such as type 2 diabetes, or low insulin concentrations, such as type 1 diabetes, in which muscle wasting increases.

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by Jacob Wilson. M.S., CSCS and Gabriel J. Wilson, M.S., CSCS

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Insulin In older people blood flow does not increase following insulin or carbohydrate administration.7 Changes in blood flow are a result of signaling molecules that stimulate either vasodilation or vasoconstriction. Nitric oxide enhances blood flow, and endothelin-1 restricts it, either by directly constricting blood vessels or by suppressing NO production. So if your body has more NO than ET-1, blood flow increases.

That’s how insulin works: It stimulates capillaries to produce more NO and thus trigger vasodilation and amino acid–rich blood flow delivery to muscles.

A recent study found that older individuals have up to 130 percent more endothelin-1 in their blood than do younger people.8 That suggests that in the elderly, insulin may not be able to overcome elevated levels of the powerful vasoconstrictor ET-1. The result is that mastersaged individuals have an impaired muscle growth response following a carbohydrate-and-protein meal.

Given those findings, let’s look at two methods of overcoming insulin resistance in masters-aged athletes.

Method 1: Dietary Modifications In general the masters athlete should seek to maximize insulin sensitivity, as studies show that taking in carbohydrates in an insulin-resistant state can impede muscle growth.

Below are three dietary interventions for increasing insulin sensitivity and We recommend that anabolism.

Ratio of carbohyindividuals follow a drates to protein. The diet rich in essential fact that insulin impairs protein synthesis in older fatty acids, particularly muscles has spurred omega-3 fatty acids, scientists to suggest that such as what you find aging people need a in fish oil, as well as higher protein-to-carbohydrate ratio. That shifts monounsaturated fatty the reliance away from inacids of the kind found sulin to stimulate muscle growth. More important is in olive oil and avocados. that the technique revers-

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Insulin’s Actions on Blood Flow—Identifying the Problem in Aged Muscle

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Insulin

We recommend eating no more than one to 1 1/2 grams of carbohydrates per gram of protein at a meal.

(continued from page 144)

es insulin resistance.

Standard nutrition recommendations are to take in 3.5 grams of carbohydrates for every gram of protein. Research from Gabriel’s lab at the University of Illinois, however, has demonstrated that lowering it to 1.5 grams of carb results in improved insulin sensitivity, fat

Fat has several anabolic properties, including increasing testosterone production and sparing amino acids from degradation.

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loss and greater increases in muscle during training.9,10 Thus, we recommend eating no more than one to 1 1/2 grams of carbohydrates per gram of protein at a meal.

Type of carbohydrate. The impact that a carbohydrate will have on insulin depends on its fiber content. Eating processed carbohydrates with little to no fiber will result in high releases of insulin following a meal. Chronically elevated insulin counts will only further augment insulin resistance with age. We recommend that people consciously include fibrous carbohydrates in their diet, such as oatmeal, sweet potatoes, leafy green vegetables and other foods high in fiber.

The need for greater amounts of fat. When carbohydrate intake declines, the body begins to rely on muscle tissue for fuel to a greater extent, particularly during a diet.

Thus, as one energy source is lowered (carbohydrates), the need to increase an alternative energy source (fats) is elevated. Fat has several anabolic properties, including increasing testosterone production and sparing amino acids from degradation. In general, we recommend that people follow a diet rich in essential fatty acids, particularly omega-3 fatty acids, such as those in fish oil, as well as monounsaturated fatty acids of the kind found in olive oil and avocados.

Insulin Method 2: Cardiovascular Exercise—The Final Antidote to Impaired Blood Flow?

Researchers have determined what techniques can actually lower ET-1. Intriguingly enough, it has been shown that three months of

cessed carbohydrates so you get 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day, with an upper limit of 50 grams.

• For very-low-carb meals or meals that contain only leafy green vegetables, increase your fat intake with such healthful fats as fish oils, olive oil or avocados.

• Perform a minimum of three strenuous 30-to-45-minute aerobic workouts per week.

after weightlifting exercise in frail elders. Am J Physiol. 277(1 Pt 1): E135-143.

3 Hakkinen, K., et al. (1998).

Changes in muscle morphology, electromyographic activity, and force production characteristics during progressive strength training in young and older men. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 53(6):B415-423.

4 Kosek, D.J., et al. (2006). Efficacy of 3 days/wk resistance training on

Decades ago we hadn’t even scratched the surface of researching the differences between older and younger athletes and how they respond to training. Now, with thousands of studies at our fingertips, we can erase the common deficit seen between young and masters athletes. Use the information to become a better, healthier bodybuilder, no matter what your age.

Practical Applications We recommend that masters athletes do the following: • Eat no more than one to 1 1/2 grams of carbohydrates for each gram of protein.

• Eat starchy carbohydrates during the first half to two-thirds of the day, with leafy vegetables the main source in the evening.

• Choose fibrous and unpro-

Editor’s note: Gabriel Wilson is completing his Ph.D. in nutrition with an emphasis on optimal protein requirements for muscle growth and is a researcher in the Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana. He is vice president of the Web site ABCBodybuilding.com.

Jacob Wilson is a skeletalmuscle physiologist and researcher in the Department of Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee. He is president of the Web site ABC Bodybuilding.com.

Erratum: Calculating Your Cardio Intensity for Maximum Fat Burn

References 1 Pyka, G., et al. 1994, Muscle strength and fiber adaptations to a yearlong resistance training program in elderly men and women. J Gerontol.

49(1):M22-27.

2 Singh, M.A., et al.

(1999). Insulinlike growth factor 1 in skeletal muscle

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aerobic exercise decreases ET-1 concentrations in both young and elderly subjects.6 Moreover, 45 minutes of moderate-intensity treadmill running in 13 men and women 70 years of age completely restored insulin-induced increases in protein synthesis.6 Those changes were associated with a drop in ET-1.

That’s why we recommend that masters athletes perform a minimum of three to five cardiovascular sessions per week at moderate intensity, for a duration of 30 to 45 minutes. That alone should restore ET-1 to youthful concentrations, thereby reestablishing their ability to recover after training pretty much the way younger athletes do.

In “Scientific Cardio” the February ’09 issue, there was an omission in the cardio-intensity formula. That formula is presented again below, with the omitted text in bold.

“In the lab we measure exercise intensity by the amount of oxygen you can take in and use, but that’s clearly impractical for you. A second way is to estimate the percent of your VO2 max at which you’re doing cardio, which is your heart rate reserve.

“Heart rate reserve is calculated by subtracting resting heart rate from maximum heart rate. To figure your maximum heart rate, use what’s called the Karvonen formula, which is 220 minus your age. If you’re 20 years old with a resting heart rate of 60 beats per minute, your maximum heart rate would be 200 (220 – 20), and your heart rate reserve would be 140 (200 – 60).

“Say you want to train at 65 percent of your VO2 max. Simply multiply your heart rate reserve by .65, which would be 91 beats per minute. Then add resting heart rate, 60 in this case, to get the optimal number, 151 beats per minute.”

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myofiber hypertrophy and myogenic mechanisms in young vs. older adults. J Appl Physiol. 101(2):531544.

5 Volpi, E., et al. (2000). The response of muscle protein anabolism to combined hyperaminoacidemia and glucose-induced hyperinsulinemia is impaired in the elderly. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 85(12):44814490.

6 Fujita, S., et al. (2007). Aerobic

exercise overcomes the age-related insulin resistance of muscle protein metabolism by improving endothelial function and Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling. Diabetes. 56(6):1615-1622.

7 Meneilly, G.S., et al. (1995). Insulin-mediated increase in blood flow is impaired in the elderly. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 80(6):1899-1903.

8 Maeda, S., et al. (2003). Aerobic exercise training reduces plasma en-

dothelin-1 concentration in older women. J Appl Physiol. 95(1):336341.

9 Layman, D.K. (2003). The role of leucine in weight-loss diets and glucose homeostasis. J Nutr.

133(1):261S-267S. 10 Layman, D.K., et al. (2003).

Increased dietary protein modifies glucose and insulin homeostasis in adult women during weight loss. J Nutr. 133(2):405-410. IM

Decades ago we hadn’t even scratched the surface of researching the differences between older and younger athletes and how they respond to training.

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Under the Influence

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Booze & Bodybuilding Part 2

by Jerry Brainum

In Part 1 I discussed how alcohol affects the body and can degrade the liver. Let’s look at what it does to other organs and muscle as well as how it reacts with cigarettes and in women in comparison to men.

Good for the Heart?

Low blood alcohol produces a temporary increase in blood pressure and an elevated pulse, but larger amounts interfere with heart contraction, causing arrhythmia, or abnormal heart rhythms, by affecting the ebb and flow of calcium into the heart. Even a single bout of heavy drinking can bring on arrhythmia. Heavy drinking directly damages the heart muscle, leading to cardiomyopathy.

A possible result is heart failure.

Excess alcohol also raises blood pressure and nullifies the bloodpressure-lowering effect of exercise. Alcoholic binges—defined as five or more drinks at a time—can cause a type of heart disturbance called atrial fibrillation. Because it often occurs during holiday celebrations, the condition is designated as the “holiday heart syndrome.” Estimates indicate that drinking 80 grams of alcohol daily for 10 years results in heart enlargement, which predisposes to eventual heart failure.

Controversy surrounds the

beneficial effects of alcohol in preventing cardiovascular disease. Many studies show that two drinks a day increases levels of high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol. That’s good because HDL ferries excess cholesterol out of the body—indeed, it is the only mechanism the body uses to rid itself of excess cholesterol, which can’t be burned like fat. Other studies show that alcohol increases only an inert form of HDL called HDL-3. The active form is HDL-2. On the other hand, more recent studies show that both kinds of HDL offer equal protection against cardiovascular disease.1 To further confuse the issue, a Johns Hopkins University study that looked at beer’s effects on HDL found that it had little or no effect on the HDL of beer drinkers. Beer did, however, raise apolipoprotein A-1, another beneficial protein considered protective against heart disease.

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Under the Influence blood cholesterol. It does nothing for those with high cholesterol. A British study of 8,000 men found that while moderate drinking did indeed boost HDL, it didn’t significantly decrease the risk of heart attack. Other well-

Several studies found that moderate alcohol intake increases insulin sensitivity, which would favor bodyfat loss.

known risk factors, such as smoking and high blood pressure, are considered far more important.

A 1997 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that drinking moderate levels of alcohol preconditions the heart to deal with a lack of blood flow that occurs during a typical heart attack. The net effect is that heart cell death is reduced by half in the event of an actual heart attack, and the recovery rate of the heart doubles.

For athletes, including bodybuilders, the whole argument is moot. The research involved only sedentary people.

Athletes’ bodies are often high in HDL, and drinking booze doesn’t increase HDL in people like that.

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Under the Influence Alcohol and Cigarettes: Partners in Death

cohol dehydrogenase, a stomach enzyme that metabolizes alcohol.

Alcohol potently supresses the It causes them to absorb an averimmune system through several age of 30 percent more alcohol mechanisms. One way is by increasinto the bloodstream. One drink ing cortisol, an adrenal hormone raises a woman’s blood alcohol known to suppress the immune sysas much as two drinks for a man. tem. Bodybuilders who consistently Oral contraceptives interfere with overtrain also have elevated cortisol, liver alcohol metabolism, and a making them more prone to infecwoman gets drunker just before her tion and disease. Alcohol may work period because liver metabolism of alcohol slows at that time. One with overtraining in lowering immune response. researcher remarks that alcoholic Alcohol is also synergistic with women “might as well be smoking in shooting up alcohol.” The encouraging finding explains why female cancer. That alcoholics develop medicombinacal complications sooner tion greatly in life than their male increases counterparts. Interestingly, the chance although women make up of developover half the population, ing cancers they account for just one of the tongue, third of the nation’s alcomouth, throat, holics. larynx and A 1989 study involving liver. The risk 87,000 nurses implicated of head and alcohol in breast cancer. neck cancers It suggested that having is six to 15 more than one drink a times greater day increased the risk. in smokers who The National Cancer also drink. For Institute found a similar throat cancer, link for women who the risk is 44 had only three times greater. drinks a week, Alcohol is synergistic with A recent study smoking as a promoter of cancer. and subsequent studies implicated commercial mouthwashes with high related the risk to increased alcohol alcohol content in mouth cancer. consumption in women. Those who Heavy beer drinkers show increased drank one to four drinks a day had a 20 percent greater risk than nonincidence of rectal and colon cancers, although some research disdrinkers; five drinks a day raised the risk to 89 percent. putes that finding.

Drinking during pregnancy, espeWomen: At Special Risk? cially in Given the same amount of althe cohol, women get drunker faster than men. The effect was formerly attributed to women’s greater fat mass and smaller size.

More recent evidence, however, shows that women produce less gastric al-

first trimester, can cause fetal alcohol syndrome. Babies born with this syndrome have lower birth weight, height and head circumference.

They also often have irreversible defects, such as facial abnormalities and mental retardation. The syndrome shows up in 30 to 50 percent of babies born to alcoholic mothers.

It’s one of three major causes of infant mental retardation worldwide.

Less severe effects of maternal alcohol intake during pregnancy are found in 36,000 infants each year. A study of 31,000 pregnancies shows that having one to two drinks a day while pregnant substantially increases the risk of a growth-retarded infant. When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, her unborn child is drinking it too—within 15 minutes.

Alcohol is often detected in the amniotic fluid of alcoholic mothers and on the baby’s breath at birth.

Alcohol remains in the fetus twice as long as it does in the mother’s metabolic system because the baby’s system metabolizes alcohol at half the adult rate. A recent study involving lab rats showed that much of the brain damage induced in fetuses by maternal alcohol ingestion is caused by oxidation.4 It found that vitamin E, a dietary antioxidant, blocked most of the fetal brain damage. As yet there’s no evidence that the protective effect occurs in humans.

No one yet knows how much of alcohol—if any—is safe for a pregnant woman to drink. Some evidence shows that just one ounce of alcohol a week increases the risk for spontaneous abortion. A recent study found that breast-feeding moms who drank alcohol gave in-

Recent evidence shows that women produce less of a stomach enzyme that metabolizes alcohol. It causes them to absorb an average of 30 percent more alcohol into the bloodstream than men.

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fants 22 percent less milk. Alcohol apparently affects the odor of milk, which infants can detect, and it hampers women’s let-down reflex, which initiates breast feeding.

Alcohol and Muscles Bodybuilders who like to drink should consider the effects of alcohol on both muscles and hormones.

A 1989 study of alcoholics found that heavy alcohol intake damages the heart muscle in one third of alcoholics and skeletal muscles in half of them. Chronic alcoholics can lose as much as 30 percent of their muscle. Pathologist Emanuel Rubin, of Philadelphia’s Jefferson Medical College and one of the study’s authors, commented, “It’s very clear that alcohol’s toxic effects on muscles are significant and far more widespread than anyone thought.”

In fact, alcoholic myopathy, or muscle disease, occurs in 40 to 60 percent of chronic alcoholics, making it five times more common than cirrhosis. The study also found that muscle weakness is proportionate to the amount somebody drinks. The study also noted, however, that detrimental effects oc-

curred over a sustained period of heavy drinking. Nonetheless, the study concluded that alcohol “is a toxin for striated muscle, regardless of where it is.”

A 1983 British study found that three years of heavy alcohol drinking negatively affected type 2B muscle fibers. That’s significant because 2Bs are most subject to hypertrophy.

The study further noted that the myopathy was reversible when people stopped drinking. Another British study found that alcohol directly inhibited protein synthesis in the quadriceps. It also interferes with the interaction of muscle contractile proteins and the enzyme that controls the sodium pump mechanism in muscle, causing localized swelling, or edema, in muscle tissue.

Alcohol and Body Systems You may be thinking by now that research proves that long-term heavy alcohol use causes degenerative muscle changes. Well, what about people who just drink moderately?

Consider the effects of alcohol on the endocrine system. Large amounts of alcohol increase the liver breakdown of testosterone two- to fivefold over normal. Alcohol also prevents the conversion of vitamin A into an active form in the testes. That may cause sterility.

Even a single bout of heavy drinking raises counts of cortisol, enough to cause a significant drop in blood testosterone. Large amounts of alcohol decrease the binding of luteinizing hormone to its receptors in the testes. Luteinizing hormone normally stimulates the testes to synthesize testosterone. Chronic alcohol intake, however, decreases LH receptors in the

testes, thereby making them insensitive to LH and lowering testosterone production.

Alcohol also interferes with several enzymes in the testes that manufacture testosterone. By-products of alcohol metabolism, such as acetaldehyde, may exert direct toxic effects on the structure of the testes.

In 20 percent of severe male alcoholics, booze lowers testosterone production enough to cause gynecomastia—a.k.a. enlarged breasts.

Booze also causes impotence in 70 to 80 percent of alcoholic men.

While both wine and beer contain small amounts of phytoestrogens, or weak plant estrogens, it’s not enough to spike estrogen in men.5 On the other hand, high alcohol intake directly stimulates the aromatase enzyme, found throughout the body, which converts testosterone into estrogen.6 In young women alcohol increases testosterone, helping in the conversion of the adrenal androgen androstenedione to testosterone in the liver.7 In a study of middle-aged men and women, moderate alcohol consumption increased plasma DHEA-S by 16.5 percent in both sexes. Plasma testosterone in the men dropped by 6.8 percent, although levels of estrogen weren’t affected.8 Alcohol lowers growth hormone and blunts the normal GH response to decreased blood sugar. That may contribute to (continued on page 166)

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Under the Influence (continued from page 163) the higher

incidence of hypoglycemia in people who drink, as growth hormone is a safeguard against hypoglycemia.

Heavy alcohol intake helps release prolactin, a pituitary hormone linked to male impotence. Alcohol also interferes with the activity of insulinlike growth factor 1, which is considered a primary anabolic hormone. A high alcohol intake not only depresses IGF-1 synthesis but also increases the binding protein that circulates with IGF- 1 in the blood, thus lowering the amount of biologically active IGF-1.

That would adversely affect muscle recovery and repair and may contribute to the toxic effects of alcohol metabolites in muscle.

While alcohol consists of “empty” calories, booze itself cuts the rate of fat burning. In a recent Swiss study,

eight healthy young men drank 96 grams of pure alcohol a day—about seven cans of beer. That made up 25 percent of their calories. In the first part of the study the alcohol was added to the men’s usual calorie intake. Later, it replaced fat and carbohydrate in the men’s diets, equaling the same number of calories.

In both instances alcohol reduced the rate of fat burning in the men by one-third. Another study linked bodyfat and weight gain to a heavy alcohol intake of more than 30 grams daily in men aged 40 to 59.9 In addition, the researchers found that large quantities of alcohol increase the body’s acetate pool.

Excess acetate by-product is shunt-

ed to peripheral body tissues, where it often suppresses fat burning and triggers fat deposition instead. Acetate also circulates to muscle but is a poor energy source, contributing only about 6.5 percent of available energy. So excess alcohol takes a direct route to the body’s fat pathway. It also stimulates a large output of insulin, which brings on bodyfat synthesis.

An Exercise Option?

We’ve seen that drinking alcohol under conditions of low-carbohydrate intake can quickly lead to hypoglycemia. That relates to alcohol’s effects on preventing conversion of noncarbohydrate energy sources into glucose in the liver. Alcohol cannot be used as a direct source of energy by muscle and doesn’t contribute to synthesis of muscle glycogen, the primary energy source for anaerobic exercise such as weight training. In fact, recent studies show that alcohol intake directly blunts muscle glucose uptake, as well as glycogen synthesis, adversely affecting muscle repair and recovery.10 On the other hand, taking in moderate amounts of alcohol alone, away from meals, appears to offer anticatabolic effects by lowering protein oxidation, particularly that of leucine, a branched-chain amino acid that is the single most potent amino acid involved in protein synthesis. Eating any additional protein, fat or carbs, however, cancels out the anticatabolic effect.11 Several studies found that moderate alcohol intake increases insulin sensitivity, which would favor bodyfat loss.12 Another theory suggests that rather than triggering bodyfat gain, the metabolism of acetate in peripheral tis-

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Under the Influence sues stimuates higher levels of AMP, which in turn, stimulates AMPK release. AMPK favors increased fat burning in muscle. A recent study found that moderate alcohol intake increased adiponectin and ghrelin while decreasing acylation-stimulating protein, which encourages fat storage. The net effect was increased insulin sensitivity.13 Drinking 15 grams of white wine after a meal

decreases insulin and plasma glucose.14 Another recent study also found that moderate alcohol intake reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes in middle-aged women. The effect was the result of a drop in insulin resistance produced by a greater production of adiponectin.15 Although alcohol is cleared from the body at a set rate, some rat studies show that exercise may help

clear alcohol through increased body temperature, which seems to up liver enzyme activity. Exercise also speeds alcohol elimination through increased breathing and sweat loss, although only 2 to 10 percent of alcohol exits through sweat and breathing; 90 percent still must be metabolized by the liver.

As an ergogenic, alcohol falls short. While it appears to decrease

The study concluded that “alcohol is a toxin for striated muscle, regardless where it is.�

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Under the Influence anxiety, it actually slows reaction time and impairs coordination. By depressing antidiuretic hormone from the pituitary gland, booze causes a loss of fluid that can lead to dehydration.

Each 10 grams of alcohol causes a four-ounce loss of body fluid; put another way, metabolizing an ounce of alcohol requires eight ounces of water. To prevent dehydration from alcohol, drink one glass of water for every two alcoholic drinks—a 12-ounce beer, a four-ounce glass of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.

From the standpoint of sports, small doses of alcohol steady the nerves, thus aiding sports such as pistol shooting. Two pistol shooters were disqualified from the 1968 Olympic games after they were found to have used alcohol to improve their accuracy. A 1978 study comparing an ounce of 40 percent alcohol with a placebo and a tranquilizer, however, found improved effects in pistol shooters from all three.

That suggests a placebo effect that works because the shooter believes it’ll work.

The lower heart rate caused by alcohol, though, is a definite disadvantage in sports.

Alcohol constricts blood vessels in muscle, leading to increased production of fatigue by-products, such as lactic acid. It also adversely affects hand-eye coordination, reaction time, balance and other factors due to its effect on central brain processing capacity.

In addition, alcohol does you no favors where strength is concerned.

In cold weather alcohol makes blood flow to the skin, leading to a decrease in core body temperature.

That may lead to complications caused by hypothermia, or excessive loss of body heat. One study found a severe drop in blood sugar in very fit subjects who exercised for two hours at high intensity, then drank alcohol while recovering in a cold room. Taking in some sugar, such as an energy-replacement drink, appears to prevent that effect.

Conversely, the hotter your body, the drunker you get. A rise in body temperature evidently increases the brain’s sensitivity to alcohol. That may explain the occasional drowning fatality in hot tubs after somebody has a few relaxing drinks.

As with all things, moderation is the key when it comes to alcohol.

The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism suggests following the advice offered

by English physician Francis Anstie in 1877: Drink no more than 0.5 ounces of alcohol a day per 50 pounds of bodyweight; only with food; and only in dilute form. Pregnant women shouldn’t drink at all. Sir Walter Raleigh put it more poetically nearly 400 years ago: “The first draught serveth for health, the second for pleasure, the third for shame, the fourth for madness.”

Editor’s note: For more positive effects of alcohol see “Wine: A Healthful Exception” in Part 1, which appeared in the March ’09 issue.

References Klatsky, A. (2007). Alcohol, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes mellitus.

Pharm Res. 55:237-47.

2 Shirpoor, A., et al.

1

(2009). Vitamin E protects developing rat hippocampus and cerebellum against enthanol-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis. Food Chem.

113:115-120.

3 Promberger, A., et al. (2001).

Determination of estrogenic activity in beer by biological and chemical means. J Ag Food Chem. 49:633-40.

4 Emaneule, M.A., et al. (1998).

Alcohol’s effects on male reproduction. Alcohol Health Res World.

22:195-201.

5 Sarkola, T., et al. (2000). Acute effect of alcohol on androgens in premenopausal women. Alco Alcoholism. 35:84-90.

6 Sierksma, A., et al. (2004). Effect of moderate alcohol consumption on plasma dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, testosterone, and estradiol levels in middle-aged men and postmenopausal women: A dietcontrolled intervention study. Alcol Clin Exper. 28:780-785.

7 Wannamethee, S.G., et al. (2003).

Alcohol, bodyweight, and weight gain in middle-aged men. Am J Clin Nutr. 77:1312-7.

8 Burke, L.M., et al. (2003). Effect of alcohol intake on muscle glycogen storage after prolonged exercise. J Appl Physiol. 95:983-990.

9 Bernis, K., et al. (1997). Ethanol exerts acute protein-sparing effects during postabsorbtive but not during anabolic conditions in men.

Metabolism. 46:750-55.

10 McCarty, M.F. (2000). The insulin-sensitizing activity of moderate alochol consumption may promote leanness in women. Med Hypothes.

54:794-797.

11 Beulens, J.W.J., et al. (2008).

Effect of moderate alcohol consumption on adipokines and insulin sensitivity in lean and overweight men: A diet intervention study. Int J Obes. 62:1098-1105.

12 Kokavec, A., et al. (2003). Effect on plasma insulin and plasma glucose of consuming white wine alone after a meal. Alcohol Clin Exper.

27:1718-1723.

13 Beuleus, J.W.J., et al. (2008).

Alcohol consumption, mediating biomarkers, and risk of type 2 diabetes among middle-aged women.

Diabetes Care. 31:2050-2055. IM

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From

Heart Attack to

Seriously Jacked Meet Jay Papish, 63, the ’08 NPC Masters National Lightweight Bodybuilding Champion

by Sean Katterle Photography courtesy of Jay Papish

I

enjoyed watching the Summer Olympics. Thanks to NBC’s additional coverage via Internet streaming video, for the first time ever I was able to watch hours and hours of Olympic lifting and the other sports I prefer over what airs in prime time.

I’m 35, and I noticed that a lot of the competitors were a decade or more younger than I was and that most of the athletes who are about my age were described by the commentators as being in the twilight of their peak-performance years. That made me think about how rare it is to find a sports practitioner beyond the age of 40 who’s impressive not only in the masters division but in the open class as well. And when you come across one who’s still swinging for the fences in his 60s, it’s truly an inspiration. Jay Papish is such an athlete.

Jay spent the first half of his life as a jogger. In the 1980s and ’90s jogging was very much in vogue. Heart disease runs in Jay’s family, so he felt that as long as he ran and kept his bodyweight down, he would be fine.

Consequently, he diligently put in his seven miles a day and only casually exercised in the weight room.

“Distance runners are cardiovascular dynamos, but other than that they don’t have the look I decided I wanted to create for myself,” recalls Papish.

With that new realization, Jay, a respiratory therapist by profession, joined the Sunset Athletic Club in Portland, Oregon, and began his transition from runner to lifter. “I met a fellow who was a huge guy, a powerlifter,”

Jay explains. “He got me involved, and it happened quickly. The next thing I know, I’m competing in the WABDL powerlifting federation in the 54-to-60-yearold deadlifting division.”

Jay would go on to compete four times over the course of three years, and his 501.5-pound pull is still ranked as the ninth best of all time in the 181-pound 54-to-60 division. “I loved powerlifting,” Jay proclaims, “and the people I met were fascinating. It was great to break through the 500-pound barrier, but when I went for 600 at a particular show, I bent my arm during the lift, and that technical error cost me a biceps tendon.

I thoroughly enjoyed powerlifting, but tendons and ligaments don’t enjoy the heavy weights when you’re in your late 50s and older.”

Papish ended up moving to downtown Portland, a move that inspired him to join Maverick’s Gym, which later became Gold’s and then LA Fitness, the company that owns it to this day. Back when it was still Gold’s, the franchise allowed independent personal trainers to work out of the club, and one trainer in particular began encouraging Jay to try his hand at bodybuilding.

“At the time I thought that the idea was absurd because I didn’t see myself as a bodybuilder. I was just a 60-year-old guy who liked to lift weights,” Papish explains.

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Seriously Jacked try out the sport of bodybuilding by entering the NPC Emerald Cup. “I thought maybe I’d do pretty well,” Jay recollects. “At that stage in my training, I was pretty muscular but also on the bulky side. When I was powerlifting, a lot of the other lifters made the remark that I looked more like a bodybuilder. So I guess I had the genetics for it. I started training with much younger guys and trying to be competitive; I let them push me, and that was really to my benefit. So I switched to bodybuilding, and my training changed to some degree. I still wanted to stay strong and I still wanted to lift heavy weights, but I had to do it with some forethought and with stricter form.

Talking with really good bodybuilders, you learn that form in lifting is everything. Powerlifters, though, will do whatever it takes to get the lift. They’d use their eyebrows if they could. The bodybuilders told me not to worry about the weight and to focus on getting the proper form down.”

Over the course of a person’s competitive years, he’s bound to suffer from illness and injury if he’s pushing the pace as hard as he can. Jay’s no different; he’s had some serious obstacles to conquer in order to remain in the game.

“The biggest injury I had to overcome was my bypass surgery,” he relates. “Looking back, I think my heart problem was genetic and unavoidable even in this day and age. My father had a heart condition, and my brother died at 44 of a heart attack in New York. Mine happened when I was in the gym working out. I was starting to feel tightness here and there but not during training sessions, so I tried to look past it. I kept telling myself that it was something else, that the heart problem that plagued the other guys in my family wasn’t happening.

“Then I mentioned the symptom to one of the cardiac surgeons at work, and I asked him what he thought it was. He said that he wasn’t sure, but the next thing I knew he made an appointment for me, and I got a call from one of

“The bodybuilders told me not to worry about the weight and to focus on getting the proper form down.”

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Seriously Jacked

Jay Papish’s Masters Training Plan Monday: Chest, rear delts and triceps Dumbbell bench presses Incline dumbbell presses Machine flyes Pushdowns Machine rear-delt flyes Close-grip bench presses Cable kickbacks

3 x warmup; 4 x 10, 8, 6, 20 5 x 12, 10, 8, 6, 20 5 x 12, 10, 8, 6, 20 5 x 12, 10, 8, 6, 20 5 x 12, 10, 8, 6, 20 5 x 12, 10, 8, 6, 20 1 x max

Tuesday: Off Wednesday: Back and biceps Pullups Close-grip pulldowns T-bar or barbell rows Wide-grip cable rows Dumbbell curls EZ-curl-bar preacher curls Concentration curls

1 x 20, 3 x 12, 1 x 20 5 x 12, 10, 8, 6, 20 5 x 12, 10, 8, 6, 20 5 x 12, 10, 8, 6, 20 5 x 12, 10, 8, 6, 20 5 x 12, 10, 8, 6, 20 5 x 12, 10, 8, 6, 20

Thursday: Off Friday: Shoulders, traps and rear delts Dumbbell presses Dumbbell front raises Dumbbell bent-over lateral raises Machine rear-delt flyes

2 x warmup; 2 x 12-15 2 x 12-15 2 x 12-15 2 x 12-15

Saturday: Legs Leg extensions Squats Leg presses (one set narrow, medium, wide) Leg curls Standing or seated calf raises

2-3 x 20-30 5 x 12, 10, 8, 6, 20 3 x 15-20 3 x 12-15 3 x 20-30

Sunday: Off • This is a meat-and-potatoes bodybuilding routine. Of course, you should vary it at appropriate times and always listen to your body to avoid overtraining and injuries. Use weights that will keep you in good form while you rep out—don’t cheat too much when the weight gets heavy!

• I also train my abs three times per week. I add cardio whenever I feel like it and depending on what I’m trying to accomplish. Cardio is usually for a half hour, and I warm up and then go for it at a fast pace on the exercise bike, stepper or treadmill.

• It’s important to eat an hour prior to training and immediately following training and to make healthful food and supplement choices when you do. Most of us are really busy these days, but you should try to always get eight to 10 hours of sleep every 24 hours or at least to be lying down and relaxing during that time—reading a book, watching a movie, listening to music, etc.

the cardiologists from our hospital saying that I needed to come in and see her. I recall being very nervous because I dreaded being told what I already suspected.

“They ran a whole battery of tests on me from a treadmill stress test to an angiogram. They wanted to do a bypass because it was a difficult part of the heart to get to, but I insisted on a stent. It was a high-risk procedure, but I didn’t want to have my chest cracked open. My cardiologist warned me that trying a stent would really be nip and tuck, and so she had the open-heart team on standby. I was nervous as hell until they administered the sedatives, and then I was the happiest guy in the room and I couldn’t figure out why everyone else was so serious.

“So they were doing the stent, and everything was going well, and then the last thing I heard the cardiologist say was, ‘Oh, my God, Jay, I’m so sorry.’ The next thing I knew, I was waking up on a ventilator. Even though I was still heavily sedated, I realized that one of my worst nightmares had come to pass. I was really sick, and I had a hard time dealing with my situation. I had this new scar down the middle of my chest, and I was really, really weak. I’d get exhausted walking up a flight of steps, and I thought to myself that it was all over.

“Luckily, my weightlifting buddies came to see me every day at my home, and they’d either take me to the movies or to the gym, where they’d put five-pound weights in my hand. There were times when I’d say I was too weak to train, and still they made me go. I went from being able to deadlift 500 pounds to having a hard time working with 10 pounds, but thanks to my friends’ encouragement and insistence, I slowly came back.

“When I had my surgery, the doctor was wise enough to put me on an antidepressant for three months to help me deal with the disaster and slow healing process. It was a quadruple bypass. Really, though, I’m lucky that the open-heart surgery team was there and that they were able to perform the procedure that saved my life. That happened on New Year’s Eve of 2001. I ruined everybody’s New Year’s Eve, includ-

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ing the surgeon, whom I apologized to.”

In life we start out with what our genetics give us and we each begin with a physical baseline from where we must work. Some people elect to let their physical gifts and shortcomings greatly affect their lives and some choose to focus instead on improving and maximizing as much as possible while maintaining a positive but realistic self image.

I asked Jay about his thoughts on genetics and the role they play in bodybuilding.

“I think that genetics is a huge part of the sport. The factors that contribute to a person’s bodybuilding success are genetics, mind-set, diet and work ethic in the gym.

What fascinates me about bodybuilding is the muscle size. It’s the most impressive aspect of bodybuilding. Sixteen weeks out from a contest you can rip it all up, but, basically, that dieting phase is where the genetics come into play. That’s what separates the Nasser El Sonbatys from the regular big guys in the gym who only think they’re at the level of a pro. Very few people

can obtain a top level of size, shape and symmetry.

“You can make a muscle larger, smaller, dryer and tighter, but you can’t change the overall shape of it—just the size. Another important role genetics play is a person’s waist size. A guy with a 28-inch waist and a 56-inch chest has an advantage over the guy with a 34-inch waist and a 56-inch chest. There’s not a lot you can do about it because dieting will bring your waist down a bunch, but your skeletal structure, hip size, etc., are not affected by diet.”

I ask about Jay’s thoughts on hormones and hormone-replacement therapy for masters lifters and builders.

“That’s a great question,” he says, “because every time I meet with athletes who are in their 40s or older, that’s the first thing I tell them—to get in to see their doctor and to have their levels checked.

If your doctor won’t work with you, you need to find another doctor.

“There’s such an unfounded bad rap on hormone therapy. It’s bizarre at this point. They’ll prescribe a

drug for osteoporosis that is laced with side effects, but nobody wants to give you a steroid, which mimics naturally occurring hormones, to treat low hormone levels. This advice is for the average guy on the street who’s just looking to optimize the way he

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feels and performs.

“Your body stops producing growth hormone and slows down its production of testosterone as you age. A good doctor will be willing to work with you to get your hormones back up to normal levels, where you were in your 20s. That advice has nothing to do with competition.

It’s about life and the quality of it.

I believe in HRT wholeheartedly. I competed against an oncologist at the Nationals, so that shows that other medical professionals believe in it too.

“Getting your levels back up to optimum makes a huge difference. I

tell people that when you’re my age, getting out of bed in the morning hurts whether you’re training or not.

When I’m at the store and they ask me if I need help carrying out my purchases, I say, ‘No, but keep asking.’” Papish laughs when he says that.

“I try and stay in condition all year round,” he continues. “I have a workout ethic, so I’m in the gym quite a bit. I don’t do a lot of cardiovascular training. Instead, what I think works for me is maintaining a high-protein, high-fat, low-carb diet. My fats come from healthy sources like organic peanut butter and fish oils. When I choose my cuts of beef at the butcher, I go for the leaner cuts, and then I trim off any additional fat when I get home. I try and stay clean, and I try and stay within five to 10 pounds of my class weight.

“I eat six smalls meals per day.

The first thing I do in the morning when I get up is have a protein shake and then a cup of coffee.

Sometimes I may have some oatmeal, too, and a spoonful of peanut butter. I prepare my food to take to work, so I’ll have maybe 10 hardboiled eggs, then some chicken breasts and then some tuna. I keep my carbs low all day long, but I’m not too concerned over the source of those limited carbs. I’m not hung up on whole-grain this or that. I often use fruit as my carb source. I have no problem with eating whatever I want to when I go out to dinner. Otherwise, I’d go mad. I want to live my life.

“Dieting in a fashion stricter than what I outlined is too much for me.

I have a life outside of bodybuilding, and working with a nutritionist who would have me on carb wave cycles and such is just too much. I try and take in about 300 grams of protein per day, but I don’t count my fat and carb calories. One does need a balance of fats, carbs and proteins for optimal health and performance.

At the very least people should be aware of what they’re eating on a day-to-day basis and they should take some time to research basic sports nutrition.

“Regarding nutritional supplements, I use MHP’s line of products.

Along with my HRT and basic nu-

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Seriously Jacked tritional program, I rely on MHP’s products to give me an additional performance and recovery boost.

Their Secretagogue-One is a natural HGH booster, and I stack it with their T-Bomb II to further optimize my hormone production and base levels. For protein powder I go with their Probolic-SR because of its high arginine, glutamine and BCAA content. Probolic also has a patented 12-hour timed-release factor, which makes it a very effective anticatabolic. A person has to maintain a positive nitrogen balance in order to build and retain muscle.

“Perhaps my favorite supplement is MHP’s A-Bomb because it has the best combination of actives I’ve ever seen in one formula. It’s got HMB, BCAAs, alanine, AKG, GKG and ABCDEFG, ha! Seriously, A-Bomb supplies me with everything I need to maximize my workouts and to fuel my muscles for growth. MHP’s line is by far the best I’ve used, and I’m very happy to be working with them in my quest to obtain my bodybuilding pro card. I’ve got the financial resources to go out and buy whatever I choose, and I choose MHP products because I’m results driven and they help me to meet my progress goals.”

When asked about sharing his iron wisdom with lifters just starting out, Jay muses, “My advice to younger gym athletes is to be aware of how they affect the people around them. Bodybuilding and powerlifting can become very self-consuming, which can be very stressful for a person’s friends, girlfriend or boyfriend and family.

Marriages can come apart because of bodybuilding. You need to find a balance between your bodybuilding and the rest of your life, and you need to fight the urge to become too obsessed with your training and diet. That’s hard advice for me to give because I don’t always practice what I preach.

“The other piece of advice I have is that lifters should try and stay injury free for as long as possible.

Don’t take jumps in weight that you’re not very confident you can make, and really learn proper lifting techniques. Try and keep a handle on who you are and where you’re going, and when you train, train

with a focus and be intelligent and be squats, deadlifts and dumbbell self-aware. presses.”

“It’s also a very smart move to deWhen asked about what the velop your base through old-school future holds for him, Jay predicts, powerlifting. Powerlifting builds “I’ll do my next show in six to 12 tremendous core strength—it’s like months, and I’m going for my pro building a cement foundation on card. I think I’ve got two more years your bodybuilding physique house. of competing left in me. Two more If you don’t have that foundation good years and then I’d like to get built properly, then you aren’t going into training older athletes, bodyto go anywhere in pro bodybuildbuilders and masters lifters who ing. You may be able to be the most are serious about getting back into buff guy at your school or college or shape. I want to see people elevate be impressive walking around the themselves. I don’t see myself as swimming pool, but you won’t have retiring but, rather, morphing from the raw materials you’ll need to get competitor to coach. I love being your pro card. World-class bodyin the gym. I love the people I meet building is more easily attained after in the gym. I have a passion for it. a few years of focused, concentrated I hope to be making some money powerlifting training as a base. from it someday.”

Olympic lifting is also a good startAs a final piece of wisdom Jay ing point if a person has access to a advises, “When you go into the good instructor—lots of deep front gym, don’t worry about who’s to squats, close-stance squats, clean the left and right of you. Focus on and jerks, etc. improving yourself, and make it “Organize yourself and map out a a meditation and enjoy your time plan that sets you on the right path,” there. A whole world will open up Papish advises. “Meet with your for you.” IM doctor, work with an experienced bodybuilder or powerlifter, learn proper lifting form, and figure out a successful diet plan. Don’t sacrifice form “My advice for bigger to younger gym weights.

“I like to athletes is to be use a mix of aware of how machines and free they affect the weights. Free people around weights are best for mass them.” and power building, but machines are good for detail work and for rehab or working around problems you’re recovering from. Build your base with squats and deadlifts. If I could only do three exercises, it would

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Lean Dean Dean Tornabene How Bodybuilding’s 40Something Info-TV Superstar Stays Cut and Muscular

by David Young Photography by Michael Neveux

Y

ou hear the echo of clanging weight plates as you cross the street from the parking lot—ringing out like Tibetan sound bowls and stimulating an adrenaline surge. The silhouettes of the greatest bodybuilders in the world come into focus as you approach. Now you’re fired up and ready to tear the gym apart.…

Training at Gold’s Gym in Venice, California, during the ’80s was a fantastic experience. The atmosphere was electrifying and certainly the most hardcore at the time.

The cast of characters included the who’s who of bodybuilding, sports, wrestling, powerlifting—even Hollywood. Contest season brought world-class athletes vying for the Nationals as well as pro bodybuilding.

Over the years they’d come and go, but some names and faces stand out. Dean Tornabene, a former Mr. America and National Powerlifting champion—the only athlete ever to achieve both titles—is one such name. His desire for a comprehensive knowledge base so he could effectively construct fitness

and nutritional products led him to complete a national chiropractic curriculum and study under a master herbalist. Dean’s education and career give him a unique perspective that he’s exploited with unprecedented success.

Though Dean started as an athlete, his competitive drive, vision and disciplined business practices equipped him to capitalize fully on his ideas. His inventions have generated more than $500 million in sales, and the supplements he’s formulated have generated billions for numerous industry leaders.

Now past 40, Dean recently whipped himself back into photoready shape to celebrate the launch of his latest venture.

DY: How did you get started in bodybuilding and fitness?

DT: I competed in a number of sports growing up, but I was really into boxing and powerlifting as a teen. I was even an Olympic hopeful in lifting, believe it or not. My interest in training got me reading all the training books, articles and magazines I could get my hands on.

Growing up in Pittsburgh, the East

Coast’s mecca for bodybuilding at the time, I met and befriended Jim Manion about the time he was putting together the NPC. We trained together, and he gave me pointers and helped with diet, nutrition and training.

Not too long afterward, I started competing and won a number of local and state titles, including Teenage Mr. Pittsburgh, and placed in the top three at the Mr. Pittsburgh the same year, when I was only 19. I ended up moving to Los Angeles to attend college in 1981 and placed second in 1982 at the NPC Nationals. That put me on the map, and I started writing for Weider publications and began personal training at Gold’s in Venice. Things took off from there.

DY: I remember you as the first or one of the first personal trainers at Gold’s, Venice. What’s the story behind that?

DT: I was working out at Gold’s in Venice, and it was exactly like it’s been described—hardcore and crazy. Personal training was in its infancy because there were a lot of misconceptions about weight trainwww.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2009 191

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Dean Tornabene

ing, I had managed to pick up a number of clients at an exclusive private club, but inevitably they’d ask me what I was doing and where I trained. So I told a couple of them I’d take them to Gold’s. I remember asking the management at Gold’s if I could bring in people to work out. They were kind of perplexed by what I was asking. I explained that the people I brought in would buy memberships but that they wanted to pay me to show them how to work out.

Frankly, they didn’t think anyone would pay for that, so they didn’t care and let me do it. I remember a lot of other guys who worked out there shared that view until they saw how many people would actually pay. Next thing you know, all these guys were “personal trainers.”

DY: You had a pretty impressive list of clients: Pierce Brosnan, Sylvester Stallone, Peter Strauss, members of the Jackson family, Dolly Parton, Thelma Houston and Mickey Rourke. Tell us

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about some of the celebrities you trained.

DT: I’ve been fortunate to train a lot of very talented and, in most cases, really good people. I have a number of great stories. One I can share involves Pierce Brosnan. After he was picked to be Bond, it was my job to get him in shape. It was a big deal, and he worked really hard. We had a grueling schedule, but he was never late to a workout and expected the same of me.

One day, though, I came home right before I was supposed to train him, and I found my 10-foot pet Burmese python had escaped from its tank and, worse, appeared to have eaten my neighbor’s dog.

He was lying in the courtyard of my building, unable to move with this huge lump of whatever he was digesting bulging out. So I grabbed him and pulled him into my house. I explained to Pierce why I was late, but it took us another 15 minutes before we

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Dean Tornabene

“I never do the same workout twice, so I never have plateaus.

I’m a big proponent of the muscle-confusion principle” could train because he laughed so hard he was winded. I felt bad a few days later when my neighbor came by and asked if I’d seen her dog. I ended up donating the snake to the zoo because he got too big.

DY: You’ve been involved in developing and promoting many fitness and bodybuilding products. How did that come about?

DT: I was still attending college, competing and personal training, and I started formulating supplements for my own use to improve my training and performance. I didn’t have a proper lab, so I tested most of my early formulations on family members. It’s crazy when I think about it now; they were pretty brave. You have to remember, at that time “supplements” meant vitamins, and there weren’t a lot of people or companies exploring

herbal supplements for weight loss, performance enhancement or anything like that.

DY: So you used your family members as lab rats?

DT: [Laughs] Well, now that you put it that way—yes! When I hit on formulations that worked, it wasn’t long before my clients and even friends I was competing against began to notice and wanted to know what I was doing.

One of my best formulas was probably the first thermogenic product created, and people couldn’t get enough of it. At the time I was handing out supplements in ziplock bags. That’s really how it began. It grew from there organically and predominantly by word of mouth, and I made the tough decision to give up personal training.

I started getting calls from Rick Hilton—of Hilton Hotels and Paris

Hilton’s father. He was calling on behalf of Mark Hughes, the founder of Herbalife, but I kept hanging up on him because I thought it was a joke. Well, it wasn’t, and I ended up formulating Herbalife’s first thermogenic product. It became one of their best-selling products, and they still carry a version of it. I formulated a number of very successful products for many of the top supplement companies.

DY: You went on to invent a lot of successful products like the Ab Rocker, Bun & Thigh Roller, Ab Swing, Bun & Thigh Rocker and the Tone N Glide. How did you get into inventing products like that?

DT: I was approached by the former president of Weider, who at the time was working for a prominent infomercial and marketing company. He asked me if I’d thought

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Dean Tornabene about making fitness equipment for TV. Next thing I knew, they’d signed me to a huge contract. It was exciting, but the only problem was, I had no idea how I was going to make any of it. I wasn’t an engineer, and I didn’t have a shop or know how to weld. I tried thinking of people I knew who could help, and I ended up partnering with the only person I knew who could weld, a friend I’d competed against who was at one time a maintenance person at Gold’s.

Miraculously, we weren’t laughed out of the building or thrown into the streets when we presented our first prototype.

Instead I started developing products for Jake Steinfeld, of Body by Jake, and other well-known fitness personalities. Several of my products were some of the biggest hits in television history and won three “Infomercial of the Year” awards.

DY: As Jake would say, Gang, that’s abadaba-solutely wild.

Tell us about your latest project.

DT: With the ballooning obesity problem, it’s no surprise that more than 10 million people a month are searching the Web for weightloss solutions. Until now, they would mostly find false promises, gimmicks or fads, conflicting advice and a whole lot of noise.

There’s been no trusted source for weight-loss help, just a lot of pitchmen with a history of endorsing products and not creating them. I should know. I invented a lot of their products, as well as those for a variety of other large companies.

As audacious as it may sound, I wanted to create that place of authority and elevate the standards for what people should expect and receive on the Web. So I developed a site that would use not only my 25 years of education and experience, but the cutting-edge research, experts and tools that would help people achieve permanent change. The site is www.

LookCut.com, and it’s already one of the top weight-loss sites on the Web. I’m optimistic because of our mission and methods, and I honestly feel we can and will change

“I find [training and eating clean to be] mentally, physically and spiritually stimulating. It’s not just training, it’s a lifestyle. That’s enough to keep me motivated. I do what I love, love what I do and function the best when I feel the best.”

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Dean Tornabene a lot of people’s lives. In addition, I’ll be featured on Lifetime’s television program “The Balancing Act.” DY: How can readers capitalize on your expertise?

DT: The best way is to go to www .LookCut.com. There’s a lot of great information about nutrition, training and supplements, as well as some pretty cool things, including a patent pending Visual Eating Exercise Plan.

Essentially, you input personal information based on your goals—gain weight, lose weight, supplement program, etc.—and using that and other information, the program can determine your needs and completely customize an eating and supplement plan and workout program that will display all your meals and exercise programs, showing the foods in their correct portion sizes. It’s pretty sophisticated stuff that took years to construct, but it’s a powerful tool for people trying to reach their specific diet, fitness and health-related goals.

DY: It sounds like it gives people some great tools. You’re still formulating supplements then, aren’t you?

DT: Yes, you bet I am. And though it’s not the focus of the site, you can purchase supplements I’ve formulated there as well as those from a variety of other companies. I’ve formulated hundreds of products, but I have a selection of only my top, most effective products available.

The focus of my products has always been mainstream weight loss and energy products, though I help plenty of pro bodybuilders who swear by my products with their nutrition and supplement programs.

DY: What are your future goals regarding bodybuilding and fitness?

DT: I’m competing in this year’s Olympia—just kidding. I will always bodybuild, but I’m not interested in competing anymore. Those days are long gone. I want to continually refine my training and nutrition for myself, but also so I can continue to improve my products for the benefit of others. I hope I can keep researching and learning so I can share my expertise with people looking to improve themselves.

DY: Do you have hobbies?

DT: If you count reading and researching as hobbies, then that’s

where most of my time is spent. I’m a huge fan of mixed martial arts— just watching, though. I do enjoy fishing, bowling, pool, chess and, of course, cars and motorcycles.

DY: What keeps you motivated for your training and diet?

DT: I find it mentally, physically and spiritually stimulating. It’s not just training, it’s a lifestyle. That’s enough to keep me motivated. I do what I love, love what I do and function best when I feel the best.

DY: Agreed—you have to love it, and when you do, therein lies the motivation. Then it’s not “I have to do this” but rather “I get to do this!” What’s your diet strategy?

DT: I generally eat clean yearround. If I have a photo shoot or TV appearance, then I do basic food

manipulation to improve my conditioning. I increase my proteins and good fats and reduce my carb intake.

DY: Do you have a cheat day to keep your sanity?

DT: Because I eat so clean, I can eat whatever I want. If I see something I want to eat, I just do it. I don’t go overboard. If I’m dieting for a shoot or appearance, usually I work in a cheat day to bump up my metabolism and curb cravings.

DY: Can you describe a typical day’s diet?

DT: My diet is a little more structured right now because I have a number of photo shoots and appearances, but it doesn’t vary a whole lot from my typical diet.

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Dean Tornabene DY: What are you favorite supplements?

DT: My supplement regimen is crucial, and I usually take products that provide recovery and energy. A lot of the supplements I take are my own products. Some I’ve formulated specifically for my use and are not available for sale, and others I’ve been persuaded by others to release. One product that I take every day is BodyGlo, which is my premier superfood with an ORAC value of almost 8,000 per serving. It’s amazing for antioxidant protection and recovery, and it’s my insurance policy in case I don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables.

For energy and fat burning I just completed what might be my most effective fat-burning and energy products to date, Cocotrim and CST Boost. They’re very sophisticated formulations, and everyone I have let use them begs me for more. Using them with BodyGlo helps keep me lean and nutritionally balanced.

Products I take that aren’t mine include whey concentrates and isolate, beta-alanine, glutamine, BCAAs, omega-3s and CLA from fish oil and flaxseed, and ribose.

DY: How do you overcome training plateaus?

DT: I never do the same workout twice, so I never have plateaus. I’m a big proponent of the muscle-confusion principle, and I implement it by changing up my sets, reps, exercises and sequences whenever I train.

DY: How did you develop that system?

DT: The only way you really can: trial and error. I also do lots of research and then Morning Meal 6-8 eggs, one whole, the rest whites 3 pieces turkey bacon 8 ounces steel-cut oatmeal mixed with flaxseed and CLA Midmorning Protein shake, 40 grams protein BodyGlo (my antioxidant superfood) Some mixed nuts Piece of fruit, such as an apple or banana Lunch Steak or fish Rice Salad Preworkout Protein shake with some kind of carbs, like an apple or carb powder mixed in

Postworkout Isolate-based protein shake, using some nuts tossed in Dinner Fish or steak Vegetables Salad Small carb source, like potato or rice Before bed Two to three tablespoons hydrolyzed protein

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“Bodybuilding is one of the most beneficial, positive and transformative activities a person can participate in.

It’s not a hobby or pastime but a lifestyle. The changes you can make will benefit your appearance and overall health, and its principles and lessons can be applied to life, work and relationships with incredible results.”

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apply what I have learned to see what works for me. You find out through listening to your body what works and what doesn’t.

DY: What about mental preparation? Do you practice any principles like that?

DT: I always look at something from the end, not at the end. I’m not a goal setter per se but instead always perceive things as already completed. The mental imagery works like a script, and once you write it, it takes you there. You still have to do the work, but by locking the result in your mind, you can work back from there to achieve it.

I employ that technique in all facets of my life, whether developing my products or improving the way I want to look. I find it a much more positive and fruitful approach than dwelling on what-ifs or entertaining negative possibilities, because then they become reality.

DY: Any philosophies about life you’d like to share?

DT: Love what you do, and do what you love. Maximize and then capitalize on your skills, and then pay it forward. That is a successful life, especially if you can help other people along the way. It’s easy to say but hard to do. You have to look at life like every moment is an opportunity.

DY: I like that. And your training strategy?

DT: Simple. Go hard or go home.

DY: Okay, you’re plugging along with your day-to-day training and eating and then “the itch” sets in. You pick a contest or a photo date, the competitive drive takes over, and the next thing you know you’re in full-bore, sweat-dripping, adrenaline-inspired contesttraining mode. Describe how that transition takes place.

DT: It’s a pretty easy transition for me to get in top shape. The only real changes I have to make are slight diet and cardio modifications.

I clean up my eating and do more cardio. That’s pretty much it.

DY: How many weeks out do you start your preparation?

DT: I stay relatively lean and in good shape year-round, so it doesn’t take much. Usually six to eight weeks is more than enough time.

DY: Do you use supersets, forced reps and so on?

DT: I use forced reps, giant sets, supersets, partial reps. I use it all to change it up and keep it new and fresh. What is consistent is that I train heavy and hard. Most of my workouts are a hybrid of bodybuilding and powerlifting, with an emphasis on heavy compound movements.

DY: How do you organize your training week?

DT: I train six days a week—old school. Monday, legs, including calves; Tuesday, chest, biceps; Wednesday, calves, cardio; Thursday, back, triceps, abs; Friday, calves, lower back, cardio; Saturday, shoulders, traps, abs.

If I’m preparing for a photo shoot, I do cardio four to five times a week—after weight training.

DY: What kind of sets-andreps patterns do you use?

DT: They always vary. I use low reps, high reps and everything in between. I usually perform eight to 10 sets per bodypart, and the majority of the time I do six to 10 reps, depending on the muscle group.

DY: Go into more detail on your cardio work.

DT: Before a photo shoot or appearance I do cardio five times a week—and always after my weight workout. If I don’t have photo shoots or other commitments, I do cardio only twice a week. I normally do 45 minutes to an hour and always mix it up. I use pretty much everything in the gym, including the treadmill, upper-body bike and elliptical. Sometimes I jump from machine to machine doing 20-20-20 on three separate pieces of equipment, or 30-30 on just two, or I spend an hour on one piece of equipment. It just depends on how I feel that day.

DY: Can you describe a typical week’s worth of your training, bodypart by bodypart?

DT: There’s no typical week, as my workouts always change, but I do follow a few key rules. I always warm up before working out with one to two light sets on the first exercise. I also use strict form—slow, deliberate movements with a hold on the contraction.

Chest: Four sets of incline barbell presses, with a descending rep

scheme of 12, 10, 8, 6 while increasing the weight; three sets of flat bench flyes, with descending rep scheme of 10, 8, 6 while increasing the weight; three sets of 15 on standing cable flyes, increasing the weight—even though the reps stay the same.

Back: Two sets of standing pulldowns for 15 reps. Incline dumbbell rows performed with both arms at same time for four sets of 10, 10, 8, 8 reps, increasing the weight; three sets of wide-grip pullups for 12 reps.

Reverse-grip pulldowns, two sets of 12 reps.

Shoulders: Seated dumbbell laterals, three sets of 12, 10, 8 reps; two sets of rear-delt bent-over raises, 15, 12 reps; Smith-machine closegrip upright rows, two sets of 12, 10 reps; two sets of seated machine shoulder presses 10, 8 reps; four sets of 12 reps on shrugs, increasing the weight on every set.

Biceps: Three sets of standing curls, cambered bar, for 10, 8, 8; seated machine preacher curls, two sets of 12, 10 reps; two sets of machine hammer curls for 10, 8; two sets of concentration curls for 10, 8 reps.

Triceps: Three sets of standing rope pressdowns for 15, 10, 8 reps; three sets of lying triceps extensions, or skull crushers, for 10, 8, 8 reps; reverse-grip one-arm behindthe-head dumbbell extensions, two sets for 10, 8 reps; one set of dips to failure.

Forearms: Reverse curls with a cambered bar, two sets of 12 reps; grip/flexor machine, two sets to failure. Barbell wrist curls, two sets of 20 to 25 reps.

Quads: I squat only twice a month; when I do, I perform eight sets and no other exercises. Two warmup sets, two sets of 10, two sets of 8, and end with two sets of 15.

Hamstrings: Three sets of lying leg curls, 12, 10, 8 reps; two sets of seated leg curls to failure.

Calves: Three sets of seated raises for 8 to 12 reps with varied weight; three sets of standing raises for 10 to 15 reps with varied weight; three sets of donkey raises to failure with varied weight.

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Dean Tornabene

“I use forced reps, giant sets, supersets, partial reps.

I use it all to change it up and keep it new and fresh. What is consistent is that I train heavy and hard.”

15 to 20 reps; side crunches on Swiss ball, three sets for 15 to 20 reps per side.

DY: How is your rep cadence?

I’ve noticed that a lot of pros surprisingly use a fairly fast rep speed as opposed to Mentzer’s or Arthur Jones’ recommendations for slower movements.

DT: I go three seconds down, three seconds up with a one-to-twosecond pause at peak contraction.

DY: What about rest periods?

DT: I move as quickly as possible, keeping rest periods as brief as possible, generally 30 to 60 seconds.

DY: What is your overall philosophy about bodybuilding?

DT: Bodybuilding is one of the most beneficial, positive and transformative activities a person can participate in. It’s not a hobby or pastime but a lifestyle. The changes you can make will benefit your appearance and overall health, and its principles and lessons can be applied to life, work and relationships with incredible results.

DY: What do you think are the key elements of training, nu-

trition, supplementation and cardio that lead to building a great body?

DT: Variable training to keep the body guessing and improving.

Staying consistent and current with nutrition and supplements, and incorporating cardio on a permanent basis.

DY: Do you have any role models?

DT: Reg Park and Muhammad Ali. Both are exemplary athletes, champions, humanitarians and goodwill ambassadors. To me, it’s not just about a person’s physique or abilities but the whole person and how someone has used his or her gifts to enrich the lives of others.

DY: Great thoughts, Dean. In your opinion, what is the toughest thing about bodybuilding?

DT: Bodybuilding is very physically taxing, but I believe the toughest thing about it is the mental strain, especially when dieting.

DY: What is the best thing about being a bodybuilder?

DT: Empowerment and respect.

Not in an egocentric way, such as

wanting people to look at or admire your physique, but rather in a personal way in redirecting the principals and traits that have been learned and applying them to life.

Bodybuilding can be used in all avenues of life to improve one’s own life or motivate and help others. It is very powerful.

DY: Tell me your proudest achievement.

DT: My proudest achievement is that I’ve been able to parlay my passion for bodybuilding into a successful business and, more important, a way to help and transform the lives of others. I can’t count the thousands, maybe even millions, of people I’ve helped lose weight and change their lives over my 25 years as a trainer, inventor and supplement formulator. I’ll continue to do so as long as I am able, which with the help of bodybuilding, will be a long time to come.

Editor’s note: To learn more about Dean Tornabene’s products, visit www.LookCut.com. IM

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Creatine for Boomer

Presents

Bodybuilders Is It Safe and Effective for Over-40 Trainees?

by Richard Baldwin, Ph.D.

B

ecause of my 40-year history in weight training, including competition bodybuilding, training other bodybuilding champions, writing for Web sites and magazines and more than a decade of owning my own health club, I’ve seen a plethora of supplements come and go. As I demand scientific evidence that a new supplement gets results before I’ll accept nutritional claims, I’m always slow to incorporate new products into my program.

Long ago I found enough evidence of the safety and effectiveness of vitamins, minerals and protein supplements to use them religiously. Gradually, I’ve begun to acknowledge the benefits of some other supplements. For example, recently I became convinced that glutamine is an important supplement for athletes.

One product that gets a lot of attention is creatine. With sales estimated at $100 to $200 million, it obviously has a lot of believers, but is it something we boomer bodybuilders should be taking?

What Is Creatine?

Creatine is produced naturally in the human kidney, liver and pancreas from the amino acids arginine, glycine and methionine, and you can also get small amounts from eating meat and salmon. The body

Photography by Michael Neveux has approximately 100 grams of it, with 95 percent stored in the skeletal muscles and the rest in the brain, heart and testes. When taken orally, creatine combines with phosphate to create phosphocreatine, which is stored in muscle cells.

Phosphocreatine is involved in the ATPPC system, in which the body uses adenosine triphosphate for energy. When it runs out of ATP, it uses phosphocreatine to convert adenosine diphosphate— ADP— back into ATP. In other words, having extra creatine gives you more ATP for energy for short, intense activities, like weight training.

In addition, creatine appears to buffer lactic acid It turns out that creatine does attract by increasing water, so muscle tissue does enlarge the pH in cells during the confrom being saturated. Even so, studies in version process, the United States and Europe also have thus reducing the burning demonstrated increases in lean body mass sensation from with creatine supplementation. lactic acid as

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Presents

Creatine’s Role in Bodybuilding and Exercise In addition to providing energy and buffering lactic acid, the anecdotal evidence that creatine is effective for accelerating size and strength gains seems to be supported by the scientific literature. One complaint is that even though creatine helps produce a great pump that may last for days after training, any gains made are just water.

In fact, when I first experimented with using creatine, I seemed to experience some water retention and stopped taking it. I wanted lean muscle, not water-bloated muscle.

(I don’t need to be reminded that muscle is 70 percent water, but if I want to retain water, I’ll eat more salt!)

It turns out that creatine does attract water, so muscle tissue does enlarge from being saturated. Even so, studies in the United States and Europe also have demonstrated increases in lean body mass with creatine supplementation, so the anecdotal evidence was correct about that.

How Much Creatine Do You Need?

The common method of supplementing creatine is to take 20 grams a day in separate five-gram servings for up to a week, followed by five to 10 grams per day for another four to six weeks—as long as you keep growing or get stronger. After that, you take at least four to six weeks off before repeating the cycle so that the creatine receptors remain effective.

It also appears that mixing creatine powder into a protein drink and taking in some carbohydrates 20 to 30 minutes later maximizes the uptake into the muscles. Since creatine breaks down in liquids, you should only buy the powdered form.

Another tip: Don’t let your creatine

shake sit very long before you drink it.

Can Everyone Take Creatine?

It appears so.

I’ve seen no major problems reported in the literature, even in long-term studies. Yet, just to be safe, anyone who has diabetes or kidney dysfunction should probably avoid creatine until further longterm studies are done.

Some people do experience bad breath, flatulence, cramping or an upset stomach with high doses. If cramping occurs, drink more water; for an upset stomach reduce your creatine dose. Bad breath and flatulence are the baby boomers’ companions anyway, so big deal. Take some mints and stay out of crowded rooms.

Neveux \ Model: Amy Lynn

well as increasing work capacity by delaying the point of muscle failure.

[Editor’s note: That’s the premier effect of beta-alanine, which studies show is a synergist to use with creatine.]

Additional Benefits of Taking Creatine Creatine has been shown to have a number of other benefits beyond the ergogenic ones athletes are particularly interested in.

For one thing, it appears to be brain food. Yes, indeed, it seems to increase memory and analytical skills.

Creatine may even lower the risk of heart disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, it’s been shown to reduce brain damage from concussions— known as traumatic brain injury, or TBI—by 50 percent by maintaining proper ATP levels in brain tissues.

Incredibly, creatine also may be good news for the 8 million Americans—one out of six adults—who have contracted herpes: It apparently helps inhibit the replication of

Creatine appears to be brain food. Yes, indeed, it seems to increase memory and analytical skills. herpes simplex 1 and 2 viruses!

The bottom line is that I feel confident endorsing creatine for boomer bodybuilders looking to enhance gains in size, strength and energy. Indeed, creatine seems to be a supplement we’ve been searching for. So have you had your creatine today?

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

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Total Training Build an Awesome Physique With Advanced Full-Body Workouts Reg Park.

by C.S. Sloan

Neveux Brian Yerskey

M

any bodybuilders believe that fullbody workouts are only for beginners.

In fact, they’re so out of fashion nowadays that it’s not uncommon for rank beginners to go right to split workouts without ever attempting a full-body program.

What a travesty! The old-time bodybuilding gods must be hanging their heads in bewilderment and shame.

It’s time to correct that gross misconception. I’m here to tell you once and for all that full-body sessions are some of the best workouts you’ll ever perform. No matter how advanced you are or how long you’ve been working out, full-body training can completely transform your physique.

In case you’re having a hard time digesting that because it goes against what you’ve been told or you’ve read in other muscle magazines, let’s get some of the facts straight.

First, some of the best physiques in the history of bodybuilding have been built with full-body workouts.

Steve Reeves—arguably the best-

built bodybuilder of all time—never performed anything other than full-body workouts, three days a Steve Reeves. week. Reg Park—who had a physique similar to Reeves’ but carried more muscle mass—primarily performed the 5x5 routine three days per week. Marvin Eder, who was pound for pound the greatest bodybuilder/strength athlete to ever walk the planet (he could bench-press 510 pounds and squat 550 for 10 reps at a bodyweight of 198), always performed full-body workouts. And let’s not forget Casey Viator. Training under the tutelage of Arthur Jones, he gained 60 pounds of muscle in only 28 days using a three-days-a-week full-body program.

Second, full-body workouts enable you to give equal attention to all of the muscles of your physique.

Of course, proponents of split routines would object to that statement, claiming that split workouts enable you to give each bodypart more attention by training them on separate days. I find, however, that

using split routines often has the opposite effect. Bodybuilders have a tendency to skip the days involving heavy leg and back training and show up more frequently for the days involving chest, shoulders and arm training.

If you resign yourself to training your legs and lower back first in a full-body workout—before training your upper body and arms—you’ll become a more balanced and symmetrical, not to mention stronger, bodybuilder.

Third, full-body workouts enable you to train your muscle groups more frequently. Yep, you read that correctly. Frequent is good. It has become almost a fad to train infrequently and irregularly, the rationale being that increased rest between workouts will aid recovery and, therefore, growth and strength. It www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2009 217

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Total Training

should be all out.

Full-Body Mass Builder 1: The Hypertrophy Program

Incline-bench presses 4 x 10 Perform four progressively heavier sets of 10 reps. The last set should be as tough as possible.

This routine is geared strictly toward packing on as much muscle as possible. If you haven’t been performing full-body workouts, then ease into it for the first week. After that you should be pushing yourself hard.

It’s a three-days-per-week program. For many lifters that means Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but any three nonconsecutive days will do.

Sumo deadlifts 4x8 Perform four progressively heavier sets of eight reps Standing overhead dumbbell presses 5 x 10 Perform five progressively heavier sets of 10 reps.

Superset Barbell curls 5 x10 Lying barbell extensions 5 x10 Perform five progressively heavier sets of 10 reps of each, alternating the two exercises and taking minimal rest between sets.

DAY 1 Squats 5x8 Perform five progressively heavier sets of eight reps. The last set

Steep-incline situps 5 x 20 Using your bodyweight only, perform five sets of 20 reps, taking as little rest as possible between sets.

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sounds simple; it sounds as if it will work. Unfortunately for many who have tried it, it just doesn’t.

Also, if you look at all of the good systems of training over the past 20 years—from Bill Starr’s full-body 5x5 workouts to Louie Simmons’ Westside Barbell system to the full-body powerlifting methods of Russian coach extraordinaire Boris Sheiko— the one thing they all have in common is that they train the major lifts frequently.

Consider this oft-quoted principle from the great Russian strength coach and current director of the biomechanics laboratory at Pennsylvania State University, Vladimir Zatsiorsky: The idea is to train as often as possible while being as fresh as possible.

DAY 2 Front squats 5x8 Perform five progressively heavier sets of eight reps.

Neveux \ Model: Skip La Cour

“The idea is to train as often as possible while being as fresh as possible.”

Neveux \ Model: Jalai Rehan

Dumbbell bench

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Neveux \ Model: Idrise Ward-El Neveux \ Model: Jonathan Lawson

Perform five progressively heavier sets of 10 reps of each exercise, alternating the two exercises and taking minimal rest between sets.

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Total Training presses 4 x 10 Perform four progressively heavier sets of 10 reps, working up to one all-out set.

Wide-grip chins 4 x max Using only your bodyweight, perform four all-out sets.

Superset Dumbbell curls 4 x 10 Lying dumbbell extensions 4 x 10 Perform four progressively heavier sets of 10 reps of each exercise, alternating the two exercises.

er sets of 10 reps. The last set should be as tough as possible.

Steep-incline situps 5 x 20 Using your bodyweight only, perform five sets of 20 reps, taking as little rest as possible between sets.

Deadlifts 4x8 Since you used a sumo stance for the deadlifts on day 1, you use a conventional stance here. Perform four progressively heavier sets of eight reps, working up to one all-out set.

DAY 3 Walking lunges 4 x 10 Use the same weight on all sets.

Be sure to perform one or two bodyweight-only warmups first.

Seated military presses 5 x 10 Perform five progressively heavier sets of 10 reps, working up to one all-out set.

Incline dumbbell presses 4 x 10 Perform four progressively heavi-

Superset Incline curls 5 x 12 Pushdowns 5 x 12 Perform five progressively heavier sets of 12 reps of each exercise, alternating the two exercises.

Follow the program for four weeks. After that you’ll need a down week (same reps, 50 percent of the weight) to allow your body to recuperate and to rejuvenate your mind.

Steep-incline situps 5 x 20 Using your bodyweight only, perform five sets of 20 reps, taking as little rest as possible between sets.

Full-Body Mass Builder 2: The Strength, Power and Mass Program This routine is for those of you who want it all: not just muscle but the strength and power to go along with it. To do that, you use a heavy/light/medium system of training. Because you’ll be using heavy training loads coupled with a greater number of sets, you’ll need the variation.

Neveux \ Model: David Yeung

DAY 1: HEAVY Squats 7 x 5, 1 x 10 Flat-bench presses 7 x 5, 1 x10 For both exercises perform three progressively heavier warmup sets, followed by four work sets with the same weight. You should struggle to get five reps on all of your sets, the last set being damn near impossible to perform. After your final set of five, drop down in weight for one all-out set of 10 reps.

Sumo deadlifts 8x3 Perform three progressively heavier warmup sets of three reps, followed by five work sets of three reps.

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5x5

Standing presses

deadlifts.

5x5

Behind-the-neck presses 5x5 Perform two warmup sets, followed by three work sets.

Barbell curls 5 x 5 For these three exercises perform two warmup sets, followed by three work sets.

Barbell curls 5 x 5 Perform two warmup sets, followed by three work sets of five. Work this exercise as hard as you did on your heavy day.

Steep-incline situps 5 x 20 Using your bodyweight only, perform five sets of 20 reps, taking as little rest as possible between sets.

Steep-incline situps 5 x 20 Using your bodyweight only, perform five sets of 20 reps, taking as little rest as possible between sets.

DAY 2: LIGHT

Keys to Success Neveux \ Model: Joey Gloor

Squats 7x5 Perform three progressively heavier warmup sets, Steep incline followed by four work situps, 20-rep sets. For your work sets use a weight sets. that’s 65 to 70 percent of the weight that you used on your heavy day. If you squatted 400 pounds for four heavier warmup sets, followed by work sets on heavy day, you’d use four work sets. For your work sets approximately 260 to 280 pounds use a weight that’s 85 to 90 peron these. cent of the weight that you used on your heavy day. If you squatFlat-bench presses 7x5 ted 400 pounds for four work sets Perform three progressively on heavy day, you’d want to use heavier warmup sets, followed by approximately 340 to 360 pounds four work sets. For your work sets on all four work sets. After your use a weight that’s 65 to 70 perfinal set of five, drop down in cent of the weight that you used weight and perform one set of on your heavy day.

10 reps. Unlike what you did on Good mornings 6x5 heavy day, the down set should Perform three progressively not be all out. heavier warmup sets followed Flat-bench by three heavy sets of five reps. presses 7 x 5, 1 x 10 Heavy is relative on this exercise, Perform three progressively of course, since you won’t be able heavier warmup sets, followed by to handle weights anywhere close four work sets. For your work sets to what you did on the sumo use a weight that’s 85 to 90 perdeadlifts in the heavy workout. cent of the weight that you used Steep-incline situps 5 x 20 on your heavy day.

Using your bodyweight only, perSnatch-grip deadlifts 8x3 form five sets of 20 reps, taking Perform three progressively as little rest as possible between heavier warmup sets of three sets. reps, followed by five work sets of three reps. Take a conventional DAY 3: MEDIUM stance, but use a wide grip, as if you were performing a snatch.

Squats 7 x 5, 1 x 10 The weight should be less than Perform three progressively what you used on the sumo

Here are a few tips that will help you get the most out of these programs.

• Whichever of the programs you’re on, stick with it for four weeks.

After that you’ll need a down week to allow your body to recuperate and your mind to rejuvenate. During the down week perform the same workouts for the same number of sets and reps, but cut your poundages in half.

• Make sure that you get plenty of protein. These programs are physically demanding. If you’re trying to gain weight, you need to take in somewhere between 15 and 20 times your bodyweight in calories each day.

• Every few months you might want to switch back to a more conventional split program, especially if you enjoy such workouts.

That will keep your mind fresh and your workouts interesting.

Give these workouts an honest try, and I can guarantee that you’ll be more than just pleasantly surprised with the results full-body workouts can bring. You’ll be elated.

And you’ll know—once and for all—that full-body training isn’t just for beginners. IM www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2009 221

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Heavy eavy Duty uty The Wisdom of Mike Mentzer

by John Little

Muscle Turning to Fat Q: I like the idea of growing bigger and stronger muscles with Heavy Duty training, but I’ve been told that should I ever stop training, all my muscles will turn to fat. What do you say to that?

A: I’d say that it’s contrary to fact.

Muscle and fat are two totally different types of tissue, and one won’t magically transform into the other any more than an apple will transform into an orange.

Viewed under a microscope, muscle is seen as long, fibrous strands, known as myofibrils, while fat is made up of little globules. Chemical analysis of muscle and fat reveals the former to be made up of more than 70 percent water, 6 percent lipids and about 22 percent protein. Fat, on the other hand, is only 15 to 20 percent water, 70 percent lipids and approximately 15 per-

cent protein. It’s been a long-standing falsehood that muscle turns to fat later in life, most likely arising because uneducated or just uncaring athletes often continued eating the same quantity of food after they stopped competing as when they were competing.

Many hockey players in Canada were very lean when they were practicing several times a week and playing high-level hockey twice a week on top of that. Such a regimen required them to take in thousands of calories each day simply to maintain their bodyweight and fuel their training and game sessions. After their competitive careers ended, however, they weren’t nearly as active and thus didn’t burn as many calories as when they were training and competing, with the result that a good many of them are now very fat. That doesn’t mean playing hockey makes you fat; neither does bodybuilding. As Mike once pointed out: “It’s the consumption of calories beyond what you require to maintain your bodyweight that will result in your gaining fat. If you build up

an above-average-size musculature and then stop training, your muscles will over time atrophy, or shrink back to a more normal size. If, however, you eat more calories as your muscles are becoming smaller, then you’ll gain fat. Even so, muscle tissue cannot transform itself instantly into fat tissue. As long as you match your calorie intake to your energy expenditure, you needn’t worry about your muscles ‘turning to fat.’”

The Myth of Spot Reduction Q: I’d like to lose fat from the area around my chest and waist without losing size anywhere else. Can I spot-reduce those areas with Heavy Duty training?

A: Sorry to disillusion you, but spot reduction isn’t physiologically possible; it’s a bogus concept perpetrated by businesses interested in selling spot-reduction devices and supplements. As Mike pointed out years ago: “When you go on a diet, fat will be mobilized from all of your body’s www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2009 229

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Heavy eavy Duty uty fat cells, not from isolated areas you might be exercising. Once fat has been broken down and mobilized, it’s transported in the blood to the individual active cells in the body and burned for energy.”

You’d be better advised to go on a general reducing diet in conjunction with your Heavy Duty training program, working all of your major muscle groups with Mike’s Ideal Routine, if you’re a beginner, or his Consolidated Routine, if you’re a hardgainer or an advanced trainee. That will lower your overall percentage of bodyfat and build muscle at the same time, thereby causing a reduction in the areas you desire while maintaining muscle size in all bodyparts.

Don’t Train Explosively Q: One of the strength coaches at my university has the football players training with plyometrics, where they jump with weights and perform their repetitions as quickly as possible to become explosive. What are your thoughts on that method of training for bodybuilders? Will it make my fast-twitch fibers grow faster?

Chemical analysis of muscle and fat reveals the former to be made up of more than 70 percent water, 6 percent lipids and about 22 percent protein. Fat, on the other hand, is only 15 to 20 percent water, 70 percent lipids and approximately 15 percent protein. It’s been a longstanding falsehood that muscle turns to fat later in life.

A: The facts regarding impact forces and the nature of muscle fiber recruitment obviously fly in the face of what some bodybuilding and strength coaches have been preaching regarding plyometrics and other such “explosive” movements. Their theory, that the (continued on page 234) 230 APRIL 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Heavy Duty

Their theory, that the fast-twitch muscle fibers can be activated only by performing exercises as fast as you possibly can, has been debunked by research into the principles of motor control and muscle fiber recruitment. (continued from page 230) fast-twitch

muscle fibers can be activated only by performing exercises as fast as you possibly can, has been debunked by research into the principles of motor control and muscle fiber recruitment.

First off, if you train using a very high rate of speed and ballistic movements, you’ll be forced to use light weights; the heavier the resistance, the more slowly you can move it. If you use a light weight, the brain immediately picks up on the force required to move that weight and, obviously, with a light weight, the force required to move the resistance at a high speed would prove sufficient to engage the slowtwitch and maybe the fast oxidative or intermediate-twitch fibers. The fast-twitch glycolytic fibers—the ones most important to high-speed movement and the ones contributing the most to increases in size and strength—are never activated in such a system because the resistance won’t be sufficient to signal the brain to recruit them.

Not only does ballistic training not stimulate the muscle fibers, but it involves only half of the muscle fibers available to be stimulated in any given set. Obviously, if you’re stimu-

lating only half the fibers you could be, your training system is only half as efficient as it could be, and certainly only half as efficient as Heavy Duty training, which engages all of the muscle fibers. Any training system that is based on heaving weights up and down ballistically won’t come close to bringing the target muscle group into a position of full muscular contraction for a meaningful length of time and certainly won’t engage anywhere near the full complement of available muscle fibers.

As if that weren’t enough, such training is highly traumatic to your joints and connective tissue. A barbell weighing 100 pounds, for example, if curled slowly in the conventional fashion, will provide 100 pounds of resistance both up and down. So will holding 100 pounds in a position of full-muscular contraction. Jerking and heaving that same 100-pound barbell up and down, though, will magnify the trauma force on the joints to well over 1,000 pounds—and the impact to the joints that must suddenly stretch and then ballistically extend muscles, tendons, ligaments and muscle fascia can quickly add up to injury.

As Mike explained: “Never heave, thrust, yank or oth-

erwise amplify force into a muscle, as doing so can prove dangerous to the joints and connective tissues.

Not only that, but it’s unnecessary, as size and strength can be built without placing your joints at risk.”

Again, high-speed training is dangerous and far less productive than Heavy Duty training, in which the forces are kept well under control to a point of momentary muscular failure.

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 © 2009, John Little. All rights reserved. Mike Mentzer quotations are provided courtesy of Joanne Sharkey and are used with permission. IM

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IRON MAN Hardbody

Prime-Time

Body

At 43 Crystal West Trains Harder and Looks Better Than Most 20-Year-Olds—Plus, She’s Gunning to Break the Men’s World Pullup Record Compiled by Steve Holman Photography by Michael Neveux Height: 5’3” Weight: 103 Age: 43 Hometown: Winlock, Washington Current residence: Palm Desert, California Occupation: Commercial model, fitness model, certified personal trainer and aspiring movie action hero in the mold of Matt Damon and Jason Statham. I personally think the world is ready and waiting for a buff 43-year-old female action star who doesn’t have twigs for arms. Here I am.

How long have you been training? I’ve been training for 25 years, some years with less intensity, some years with more. I am currently in a more phase.

What got you into working out? In high school I was voted most athletic by my class, but it was the early ’80s and most women weren’t lifting weights back then. I played volleyball, basketball and ran track. When I attended the University of Washington for my undergraduate studies, I started looking for a new athletic challenge. A friend who was a bodybuilder introduced me to weight training, first machines and then free weights. I was hooked immediately and haven’t stopped training since. Back then I was known as Crystal “the Body” West, and I actually did compete in a bodybuilding contest in 1986.

Workout schedule: I currently train six or seven days a week. My body seems to thrive on high-intensity workloads, although I don’t recommend my schedule for most people. I’m always changing things up, and I definitely follow an instinctive training method. On Monday I work legs and calves, Tuesday is chest, Wednesday is shoulders, Thursday is back, and Friday is arm day— 240 APRIL 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Hair and makeup Yvonne Ouellette www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2008 241

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bi’s and tri’s. At the end of the cycle I will take a day off, but I still do light cardio on that day.

Monday is legs. I do squats, Romanian deadlifts, one-leg split squats, lunges, kickbacks, lying leg curls and leg presses. I do each exercise for three to four sets and stay in the eightto-10-rep range. I have also added plyometric work, which seems to have tightened my quads and glutes—always a good thing, right? For calves I do seated and standing calf raises for 20 reps, two to three sets of each.

Tuesday is chest. I usually start with incline dumbbell presses, four sets of eight to 10 reps.

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I have also added plyometric work, which seems to have tightened my quads and glutes— always a good thing, right?

I actually just got a personal best of five reps with 50-pound dumbbells. After that I do incline flyes for four sets and then four to five sets of cable crossovers, setting them high, midlevel and low to work my pecs thoroughly from multiple angles. For my last chest exercise I like to do pullovers as heavy as I can and very slow, contracting and squeezing at the top.

Wednesday is shoulders. I start with standing or seated dumbbell presses for four sets, eight to 10 reps. Next, I do a triset of lateral raises, front raises with a plate and pullups with a mixed grip. I do four rounds of that. Then comes my quad set, which consists of front raises with a 40-pound bar, arms stiff;

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I also do a pullup with legs vertical (toes to the ceiling) that hits the rhomboids hard. close-grip upright rows; behindthe-neck presses and military presses with no rest. It’s a killer combination but very effective. I do three or four rounds. For my last shoulder exercise I do four sets of bent-over lateral raises.

Thursday is back day. My favorite back workout is either pullups (various grips) for 60 to 80 minutes or compound sets of pullups with traditional back exercises.

Let’s say I start with a set of 10 wide-grip pullups; then I might do a compound set with pulldowns for 10 reps, etc. I like to do wide-grip pullups with a narrow grip, both pronated and supinated, as well as mixed-grip and traveling pullups. I also do a pullup with legs vertical (toes to the ceiling) that hits the rhomboids hard. This year I’m attempting to perfect my one-arm pullups as well. I can currently do sets of one arms, eight reps each side, but with my nonworking hand gripping my forearm, so they aren’t true one arms—yet.

Friday is arm day, and I’m cur-

rently doing bi’s and tri’s together. My arms are probably my strongest bodypart, and I love to work them. I start with dumbbell curls, four sets compounded with chins and semisupinatedgrip pullups. I’m a huge advocate of compound and tri-sets to completely fatigue the muscles. I then move to triple-drop sets of dumbbell curls with 25 pounds for six reps, 15 pounds for eight reps, and then 10 pounds on one leg, alternating arms, for seven reps per arm. Then I usually finish with rope curls.

I normally start supersetting with dips at this point because I’m transitioning into my triceps workout. For tri’s I do dips (sometimes with added weight), skull crushers and bench dips. Then I add weight—a 45-pound plate and a 35-pound plate on my lap—and do a tripledrop set, having my partner remove a plate after each set and, finally, repping out www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2008 247

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I do cardio six days a week, 45 minutes to an hour a day. until failure. I like to finish off my triceps with kickbacks and really squeeze the muscle at the end of the movement I tend to do abdominal work every day, but I do take a day off here and there if I feel drained or just don’t feel like working them. My abdominal routine is a bit Cirque du Soleil, as I do lots of hanging exercises, including tick tocks, also known as windshield wipers, for reps of 10, as well as around the worlds, 180 degree leg sweeps, for 10 reps.

I always do compound sets for abs and also tri-sets, as I think it takes a lot to really fatigue the entire rectus abdominis area.

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I can currently complete 50 in a minute and 1,123 mixedgrip pullups in 80 minutes

What type of cardio work do you do and how often? I try to mix it up. I do the elliptical, the stair climber and walk outside as well. I do cardio six days a week, 45 minutes to an hour a day. Additionally, I do a little bit more if I am preparing for a photo shoot.

What motivates you to keep training? I have three sources of motivation. The first is my desire to inspire and motivate others with my training and healthy lifestyle. I get approached fairly often with comments from people about how they find me inspirational. I absolutely love that, and I feel fortunate that I can impact people in that way. The second is that I love to feel healthy, strong and sexy. The truth is that training actually makes the aging process fun—well, okay, at least interesting—because although you’re another year older, you can still make strength gains and look pretty darn good as well. The third source of motivation is my training partner. I have a terrific one right now (thank you, Carlo), and it really helps me on the days I’m just not feeling it.

Favorite foods: Healthful ones are steak, fish and broccoli. Foods I eat rarely but love are chips, nachos and margaritas. I also love chocolate, and I eat it a lot; life is short, you know.

Diet nutrition philosophy: I think everyone is unique, but I have yet to meet an over-40 athlete who can eat a lot of carbs and stay lean. I eat lots of protein, lots of vegetables and healthful carbs, such as oatmeal, brown rice and sweet potatoes.

How do you stay lean? I stay lean by lifting heavy with maximum intensity, doing cardio every day and, most important, eating a healthful, high-protein diet. When you’re over 40, it’s even more important to eat clean, or you’re not going to get the investment back that you’ve made

with your training. For men and maybe even more for women, proper nutrition is a key component for staying lean.

Goals: Not quite two years ago I decided I needed a new challenge in the gym, so I thought I would try to do pullups. When I first tried, I could only do two, and I was disappointed in myself.

So I set a goal to do 10 wide-grip pullups. Well, let’s just say that I surpassed that 10 because my current goal is to beat the 12-hour men’s world record in wide-grip pullups. I can currently complete 50 in a minute and 1,123 mixed-

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grip pullups in 80 minutes.

Breaking the world record will be extremely challenging, but I think I can do it. I’m going to attempt it in April or May of this year. The men’s world record for 12 hours is 3,116 wide-grip pullups.

Factoid: My background is unique in that I did go to law school after college and obtained my Juris Doctor. I went on to practice law in New York City for 10 years as a criminal defense trial lawyer and loved it. I have also been lucky to be able to travel rather extensively in China—Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai—as well as Singapore, South Korea, Bali, Russia, Germany, New Zealand, northern Europe, France, the U.K. and the Middle East.

I think traveling is a gift, in that it opens your eyes to different cultures and different ways of living. It truly does expand your horizons.

What advice do you have for people who start

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working out in midlife?

I think the most important thing to remember is to start slowly but don’t ever stop.

Life as well as training is a process, and it should be enjoyed as such. There is a man who inspires me every day, a friend named Moe. At 89 years old he still works as a personal trainer, working with people in my gym. If he can do it, you can do it.

I want to thank IRON MAN for featuring me. I love this magazine, and I have to say Mike Neveux was fantastic to work with. Thank you so much, and for all the readers out there, keep training hard! It’s worth it.

Contact Information: Send e-mail to cwestfitness@gmail .com, or visit her Web site, www .CrystalWestFitness.com.

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.Home-Gym.com I just want to make a quick mention of this site, because if you’re a bodybuilder, personal trainer, physical therapist, nutritionist or athlete—or are interested in any facet of the health and fitness field, you’re bound to find anything and everything you may need at www.Home-Gym. com. Whether you want the latest pro’s DVD, the newest fat-burning supplement, the best book on stretching, a back issue of IRON MAN, a unique piece of exercise equipment or even grass-fed beef, you’re only a click away when browsing the one-stop shop of fitness. Home-Gym .com has just added hundreds of new products. Check it out.

>E-book Review: The Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout Okay, you can’t really turn fat into muscle, but a new e-book gives you all of the latest information on how to turn your body into a fat-burning furnace while packing on muscle size at the same time. The great thing is, if you follow the programs outlined in The Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout, long, mind-numbing cardio sessions aren’t necessary, according to authors Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson, creators of X-Rep training. The secret is muscle microtrauma. Using specific techniques to inflict sufficient muscle damage during your weight workouts raises your metabolism for hours and days afterward.

Why? New research says that to repair muscle microtrauma, your body uses a significant amount of energy, the majority of which comes from bodyfat. It’s the principle behind highly efficient interval cardio, but you’re using weight training. That means you’re growing muscle and burning fat 24/7. The metabolic-momentum methods that make that happen include negative-accentuated sets, stretch overload, burn sets for growth hormone release and full-range training for each muscle group. Cardio? If you hit the weights correctly, aerobic work is minimal.

See for yourself. From all indications this program is truly the ultimate fat-to-muscle workout. Prepare to get big and ripped. It’s available at www.X-Rep.com—see the X Shop for this and all of Holman and Lawson’s other best-selling e-books.

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>DVD Review: Dexter Jackson’s “The Blade 2K7/2K”

>Broser’s

Net Results Q&A

The Power/Rep Range/Shock innovator answers your questions on training and nutrition.

Q: I’ve been reading IRON MAN, as well as browsing some of the better message boards on the net, and I continually come across articles and testimonials about the effectiveness of your Power/Rep Range/ Shock training; however, most of the time it seems to feature a great deal of equipment that I don’t have access to. I train at home and have only an adjustable bench, an Olympic bar, tons of free weights, a rack of dumbbells, a pullup bar, dip station, weight belt, squat rack and leg extension/leg curl attachment. Can a P/ RR/S program be designed

In my opinion the most intriguing part of the DVD is watching Dex, with the help of his beautiful girlfriend, Gale Elie, put together his first annual Dexter Jackson Classic Bodybuilding Competition. We get to see him handling every aspect of this very different type of contest prep, making it rather clear that he’s willing to put just as much energy into running a successful show as competing successfully in one. I’m really glad that we get to see the fruits of his labor toward the end of the video, including the competitors, friends and family and the fantastic lineup of guest posers in action: Darrem Charles, Marcus Haley, Branch Warren, Tanji Johnson and the ’08 Mr. Olympia himself, Dexter Jackson. Darrem was particularly entertaining.

Several scenes make “The Blade: 2K7/2K” worth watching. The first is in Dexter’s barbershop, where the banter is straight out of a movie. Next is the smash talk between Marcus Haley and Dex outside the competitors’ hotel— classic stuff. Finally, there are several pretty funny moments during the filming of the pro seminar, with Dexter leading the way.

Good stuff, Dex, but you gotta start finishing those protein shakes!

with just those things, or do I need cables and fancy machines to get the most out of your method?

A: I’m very happy to be asked this question, as I’m sure many people are wondering the same thing. Not everyone trains at a commercial gym, and some have to get their workout fix in the garage, basement, attic or anywhere else there’s extra room to move some heavy iron. But you know what? That’s really not such a disadvantage.

First, it will force you to stick with basic free-weight movements for the most part, which are truly the most effective for gaining mass and working the stabilizer muscles.

Also, the most important aspect of P/RR/S lies in the principles of the program rather than in the specific exercises.

So, with that in mind, let me put together a full Power/Rep Range/ Shock basic routine for you using the equipment you have: Photo courtesy of Powertec-powertecpitness.com

Although Dexter Jackson was officially named the best bodybuilder in the world in Vegas last year, keep in mind that this DVD was shot several months before the ’07 Mr. Olympia competition, in which Dexter placed third behind Victor Martinez and Jay Cutler, who won his second title.

Nevertheless, “The Blade: 2K7/2K” gives you as much insight as you’ll ever need into exactly what makes our current Mr. Olympia tick. There’s far less training footage than you might expect, but there’s certainly no shortage of chances to watch Dexter cook and eat his many daily meals.

In fact, I found the DVD almost comical in that respect. I mean, do we really need to see him cooking and eating so many times? I got the point pretty early on. I must admit his food did look pretty darn good, and it definitely made my stomach growl. Something made me crazy, however, about his protein shakes: He never completely finished them.

There was always some left in the blender, but rather than drink it, he just washed it out. What a waste. Every bodybuilder I know won’t miss a single drop (LOL). And another thing: Does he own stock in zero-calorie butter spray? The man uses tons of the stuff. But I digress.

You might be interested to know that there’s absolutely nothing special about Dexter’s training. No unique exercises, no special techniques, no crazy intensity—nothing fancy—and his form is not all that great. So if you’re thinking you might learn something new by watching the new Mr. O train, well, think again. The man looks so damn good, though, with so much round, hard, full muscle, that you’ll find yourself both entertained and inspired by watching him work out. Dexter carries as much quality muscle per square inch as any bodybuilder in history.

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Net Results Power Week Rep tempo: Rest between sets: Chest Bench presses Incline presses Weighted dips Back Deadlifts Weighted wide-grip pullups Undergrip bent-over rows One-arm dumbbell rows Barbell shrugs Shoulders Seated dumbbell presses Wide-grip barbell upright rows Bent-over lateral raises Biceps Barbell curls Standing alternate dumbbell curls Triceps Close-grip bench presses Lying barbell extensions Quads Squats Leg extensions Barbell lunges Hamstrings Leg curls Stiff-legged deadlifts Lying one-leg leg curls

3/0/X 3-4 minutes 3 x 4-6 3 x 4-6 2 x 4-6 4 x 4-6 3 x 4-6 3 x 4-6 3 x 4-6 4 x 4-6 3 x 4-6 2 x 4-6 2 x 4-6 3 x 4-6 3 x 4-6 3 x 4-6 3 x 4-6 3 x 4-6 3 x 4-6 3 x 4-6 3 x 4-6 2 x 4-6 2 x 4-6

Rep Range Week Rep tempo: 2/1/2 Rest between sets: 2-3 minutes Chest Incline presses 3 x 7-9 Flat-bench dumbbell presses 3 x 10-12 Incline dumbbell flyes 2 x 13-15 Back Wide-grip bent-over rows 3 x 7-9 Undergrip pullups 2 x 10-12 Incline dumbbell rows (palms facing inward) 2 x 13-15 Dumbbell pullovers 2 x 16-20 Close-grip upright rows 1 x 7-9, 1 x 10-12 Dumbbell shrugs 1 x 10-12, 1 x 13-15 Bent-leg good mornings 1 x 7-9, 2 x 10-12, 1 x 13-15 Shoulders Seated Arnold presses 3 x 7-9 Standing lateral raises 2 x 10-12 Bent-over lateral raises 2 x 13-15 Biceps Incline dumbbell curls 2 x 7-9 Standing alternate hammer curls 2 x 10-12 Seated concentration curls 2 x 13-15 Triceps Incline overhead one-dumbbell extensions 2 x 7-9 Lying two-dumbbell extensions 2 x 10-12 Dumbbell kickbacks 2 x 13-15 Quads Front squats 3 x 7-9 Sissy squats 2 x 10-12 Walking dumbbell lunges (per leg) 2 x 13-15 Leg extensions 2 x 16-20

Hamstrings Leg curls Dumbbell stiff-legged deadlifts Lying one-leg leg curls

3 x 7-9 2 x 10-12 2 x 13-15

Shock Week Rep tempo: 1/0/1 Rest between sets: 1-2 minutes for cardiovascular recovery Chest Superset Incline dumbbell flyes 2 x 8-10 Barbell incline presses 2 x 8-10 Superset Bench presses 2 x 8-10 Flat-bench dumbbell flyes 2 x 8-10 Weighted dips (drop) 1 x 8-10(4-6) Back Superset Dumbbell pullovers 2 x 8-10 Undergrip bent-over rows 2 x 8-10 Superset Wide-grip pullups 2 x 8-10 Wide-grip bent-over rows 2 x 8-10 One-arm dumbbell rows (drop) 1 x 8-10(4-6) Superset Dumbbell shrugs 3 x 8-10 Deadlifts 3 x 8-10 Shoulders Superset Lateral raises 2 x 8-10 Seated barbell presses 2 x 8-10 Superset Wide-grip barbell upright rows 1 x 8-10 Alternate dumbbell front raises 1 x 8-10 Seated bent-over lateral raises (drop) 1 x 8-10(4-6) Biceps Superset Seated alternate dumbbell curls 2 x 8-10 Standing barbell reverse curls 2 x 8-10 Standing concentration curls (drop) 1 x 8-10(4-6) Triceps Superset Two-arm kickbacks 2 x 8-10 Bench dips 2 x 8-10 Seated one-arm overhead extensions (drop) 1 x 8-10(4-6) Quads Superset Leg extensions 2 x 8-10 Squats 2 x 8-10 Superset Alternate barbell bench stepups 2 x 8-10 Leg extensions 2 x 8-10 Barbell hack squats (drop) 1 x 8-10(4-6) Hamstrings Superset Leg curls 2 x 8-10 Straight-leg good mornings 2 x 8-10 Lying one-leg leg curls (drop) 2 x 8-10(4-6)

You can use this exact routine with the equipment you now have. Hard and consistent work will reap rewards in the form of new pounds of pure muscle. IM

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Presents

Power Surge Raw-Strength Lessons From Doug Hepburn Part 2

by Sean Katterle

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Chip “Big Hoot” Edalgo sumo deadlifting at MHP’s Clash of the Titans. Photo courtesy of JoshWinsor.GooglePages.com

L

ast fall I was seriously injured and had to take nine months off from any form of rigorous exercise. It was a nonweightlifting-related situation, but it was major. I spent 90 days in the hospital, and then for 24 weeks I was restricted to walking on a treadmill. When I returned to the gym, I was reminded of a sad fact of life in a commercial facility: Most of the people there make only minor progress, if any, in regard to getting stronger. The guys who were benching in the 200s were still benching in the 200s. The people who were curling 45-pound dumbbells and avoiding squats were still curling 45s and avoiding squats. I’ve been back in the weight room for 90 days now, and, thank God, I’m already back to lifting about 70 percent of my previous max, and I’m adding weight to the bar every week.

That brings three points to mind: Improper training and recovery usually don’t produce much in the way of strength gains. Injuries set you back, but if they get the time to heal properly, then muscle memory will come to your rescue, and the strength will return. A factor in becoming a champion is being able to train and rest properly for an extended period of time.

In an ideal world strength athletes would begin their weight training in their mid-teens. Year in and year out they would train diligently, never missing a workout and every day taking in three to four healthful, well-balanced meals and lots of sensible nutritional supplements.

They’d get eight to 10 hours of quality sleep per night. As the years went by, they’d avoid serious injuries and their technique in the competition lifts would improve to a level of mastery.

That scenario, of course, rarely plays itself out because life so often gets in the way. Girlfriends or boyfriends come and go, people take on part-time jobs while in college and lose most of their free time, job promotions mean putting in a lot of overtime at work, injuries do

happen in and out of the gym, and most people simply don’t have the discipline to stick with a strict diet or make themselves sleep at least eight hours a night. Too many temptations in the evening hours.

Looking again at our ideal world, however, how would a person’s strength gains chart out over the years? At what age are most people at their strongest? In the sport of powerlifting, one of the best lifts to track is the deadlift, as it involves roughly 80 percent of the muscles in the body. It’s also the lift in which the rules of performance are almost identical in any powerlifting competition. That means you can compare lifters from various organizations, and the deadlift is the least affected by the techno powerlifting outfits.

Squat suits and bench press shirts can artificially augment a person’s lifting “ability,” but a deadlift suit gives you only another 5 to 10 percent at most.

The World Association of Benchers and Deadlifters (WABDL) has been around in one form or another for almost 30 years thanks to the efforts of its president, Gus Rethwisch.

If you don’t recognize the name, Gus played the chainsaw-wielding, motorcycle-riding psychopath in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s futuristic game-show-of-death film “The Running Man.” Gus is still the seventh best superheavyweight deadlifter of all time with his 1986 competition pull of 865 pounds at 343 pounds bodyweight.

The United States Powerlifting Federation (USPF) is the second oldest powerlifting organization in existence, second only to the AAU, which used to sanction all amateur sports in the USA. Many of today’s USPF promoters and officials were the national-level competitors of the 1970s and ’80s.

So if we take the teen, junior, open and master’s deadlift records from both of these esteemed organizations and average them, we get an accurate picture of the peak potential for a person’s overall body strength as the years go by. For analysis I used the 198-pound weight www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2009 279

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Presents class because a 200-pound man is a good average bodyweight for our sport.

USPF National/ WABDL World Merged 198Pound-Class Deadlift Records Age 16-17 = 612.5 pounds Age 18-19 = 671.5 pounds Age 20-23 = 708 pounds Open Division (the most competitive division) = 816 pounds Age 40-44 = 742 pounds Age 45-49 = 774.5 pounds Age 50-54 = 730 pounds Age 55-60 = 685 pounds Age 60-68 = 650 pounds Age 69-74 = 469 pounds In theory, if someone spent his or her whole life training in a perfect world, and started training in junior high school, overall strength would steadily increase all the way through the trainee’s mid-to-late 30s, then dip slightly after age 40 and steadily decline after age 50. That doesn’t mean he or she has to face becoming weak. Regarding our test lifter, a 469-pound deadlift at 198 pounds bodyweight is nothing to sneeze at, especially at 69 years of age. It just means that he would peak in his mid-to-late 30s in the powerlifting game.

Doug Hepburn is a terrific example of what a weightlifter can accomplish by really focusing for a solid six or seven years. By age 22, Doug had built a solid base and was clean-and-pressing 230 pounds. A year later he’d broken the 300 barrier in that lift, and the following year he’d overhead-pressed 341 pounds. When Hepburn was in his 20s, no one had ever officially bench-pressed 500 pounds. So he set his sights on becoming the first man to do so, and he benched 456 pounds at age 25, then 502 pounds two years later. When he hit his lifting peak at ages 27 and 28, he was clean-and-pressing 381 pounds, squatting 665 pounds for a single and 550 pounds for sets of six—and we’re talking deep, Olympic-style squats. He could also bench-press his previous max of 456 pounds for a triple.

Bill Kazmaier, who lifted in the USPF during his powerlifing days, was one of the greatest strengthsport athletes of all time. Photo courtesy of Powerlifting USA Doyle Kenady, one of the strongest men ever to come out of the Pacific Northwest, burying a competition squat. Photo courtesy of Marc Caplan and friends How did Doug do it? In Part 1 I discussed Hepburn’s nutritional program—basically, grocery sacks full of eggs, milk, bananas and protein powder. You’ll remember that the odds were very good that he never took a prescriptionstrength anabolic. He slept

eight to 10 hours a day.

He was also very organized in his training, and his program was simple, straightforward and remarkably effective in producing strength gains for specific lifts.

Besides diet and rest, the most important keys to a Hepburnesque powerlifting program are to perform the lifts properly—no cheating or cutting corners—to miss no training sessions and to put forth a good deal of effort when applying yourself in the gym.

Hepburn’s program focuses on a “strength, then pump” idea. Each training day consists of one or two different lifts. The first lift is always

Sean Katterle announcing at the Europa Super Show in Dallas, Texas. Photo courtesy of JoshWinsor .GooglePages.com the primary powerlift—squat, bench or deadlift. The powerbuilding “pump” sets are either more of the same or a close variation of the competition lift you just trained. So for the squats, your A lift will always be squats, and your B lift, the higher-rep sets, can be more squats, front squats, narrow- or wide-stance squats, squats with chains, squats with flex bands or hack-machine squats.

For your bench press training days, your A lifts will always be regular bench pressing, and your B lifts can be more bench pressing, closegrip benching, decline or incline benching, benching with boards or benching with chains.

For deadlifts, your A lifts will be regular deadlifts—sumo or conventional—and your B lifts can be more deadlifts, stiff-legged deadlifts, deadlifts with chains, deadlifts with bands, deadlifts with flex bands or deadlifts standing on blocks or plates.

There are two AB training templates in Hepburn’s program. I

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suggest using Template 1 for nine full training cycles and then switching to Template 2 for one to three training cycles—and then repeating the whole process but with heavier weights. For the first template, your A sets are done with a weight with which you can properly perform eight repetitions but not nine, as the ninth rep would require help from your spotter. Your starting weight for your B sets is 20 percent lighter than what you’re using for your A sets or, if you’re performing a lift different from the standard squat, bench or deadlift, what you can perform for 10 to 12 repetitions on your own.

Initially your A sets are eight sets of two reps, and your starting B sets are three sets of six reps. So each set is fewer reps than you could actually perform in an all-out-effort set. At each subsequent training session for that particular lift you’ll be adding one rep to your total number of reps until you get to eight sets of triples on your A sets and three sets of eight on your B sets.

The pattern of training days is bench day, squat day, cardio day, cardio day, bench day, deadlift day, cardio day, cardio day and then repeat. Over an eight-day training cycle you’ll be bench-pressing twice, with 72 hours between bench sessions, and you’ll be squatting once and deadlifting once, with 72 hours between your squat session and your deadlift session.

Let’s assume you can currently squat 275 pounds for eight reps, bench-press 225 pounds for eight reps and deadlift 315 pounds for eight reps. Here’s how your program would look if you just stuck with contest-style squats, benches and deadlifts for both your A and B training lifts.

Day 1 A bench press: 225 pounds for 8 sets of 3 reps (three minutes’ rest between sets) B bench press: 180 pounds for 3 sets of 6 reps (three minutes’ rest between sets) Day 2 A squats: 275 pounds for 8 sets of 3 reps (three minutes’ rest between sets)

B squats: 220 pounds for 3 sets of 6 reps (three minutes’ rest between sets) Day 3 30 to 60 minutes of moderate cardio training Day 4 30 to 60 minutes of moderate cardio training Day 5 A bench press: 225 pounds for 7 sets of 3 reps and then 1 set of 4 reps (three minutes’ rest between sets) B bench press: 220 pounds for 2 sets of 6 reps and then 1 set of 3 reps (three minutes’ rest between sets)

30-DAY PRE-CONTEST PHYSIQUE REPARTITIONING COMPOUND

Day 6 A deadlifts: 315 pounds for 8 sets of 3 reps B deadlifts: 250 pounds for 3 sets of 6 reps (three minutes’ rest between sets) Day 7 30 to 60 minutes of moderate cardio training Day 8 30 to 60 minutes of moderate cardio training Then repeat the cycle and add one rep to each A and B workout—except for the B portions of your seventh, eighth and ninth workouts—for each lift. By the ninth day you’ll be performing eight sets of four reps for your A lifts and three sets of eight reps for your B lifts.

After your ninth lift-specific training day you’ll return to your original sets-and-reps scheme, which is eight sets of triples and three sets of six, only you’ll be using 10 more pounds than you put on the bar for the first nine squat, bench and deadlift training days. Then the process repeats all over again.

Since you’re bench-pressing twice as often as you’re squatting and deadlifting, you can choose to increase your reps only every other workout if you want to. That way, your weight increases on the bench will match those of your squats and deadlifts. Once you’ve gone through nine sessions of nine training days, you will have added 90 pounds to each of your core lifts. So if you were originally benching 225, squatting

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Presents 275 and deadlifting 315 for eight sets of triples, you will now be benching 315, squatting 365 and deadlifting 405 for eight sets of triples!

At that point you can perform one to three full cycles with Hepburn’s more intense lifting template. Template 2 focuses on training singles.

Working max singles requires total concentration on lifting form, and each rep will feel heavy and be more taxing to your central nervous system. Hepburn’s singles template can cause overtraining if followed for too long, hence my suggestion of following it for only one to three cycles of four training days.

Your A sets will be done with a weight that you could lift for three reps on your own—but need help with getting a fourth rep completed—and your B sets will be with a weight that you’d get eight times if you were maxing out. For your A sets you’ll hit five sets of singles, and for your B sets you’ll hit six sets of triples. On each subsequent training day you’ll add a single rep set to your A sets, and you’ll add a rep to one of your B sets. Over the course of four squat, bench or deadlift days you’ll go from working five singles to eight singles, and your pump sets will go from six sets of triples to six sets of four. Then, just as in the first template, you’ll add 10 pounds to each lift and repeat the training cycle. Your calendar days will stay the same—bench, squat, cardio, cardio, bench, deadlift, cardio, cardio, repeat.

Here’s how the rep and weight progressions for the two templates would look:

2 x 2 and 6 x 3 (seventh workout) 1 x 2 and 7 x 3 (eighth workout) 8 x 3 (ninth workout) Increase the weight by 10 pounds and start again with the first workout’s sets and reps.

2) Pump Sets (B sets, which immediately follow the A sets)

Increase the weight by 10 pounds and repeat the cycle again starting with the first workout’s setsand-reps scheme.

Reduce the weight from your A sets by 20 percent and perform the following, making sure to take a three-minute rest between sets.

Training Notes

3 x 6 (first workout) 2 x 6 and then 1 x 7 (second workout) 1 x 6 and 2 x 7 (third workout) 3 x 7 (fourth workout) 2 x 7 and then 1 x 8 (fifth workout) 1 x 7 and 2 x 8 (sixth workout) 3 x 8 (seventh workout) 3 x 8 (eighth workout) 3 x 8 (ninth workout) Recalculate the weight so it’s 20 percent less than your new A-sets working weight, and then repeat.

Program 2 1) Power Sets (A sets) Pick a weight that you can lift three but not four times in a row and do the following routine as indicated, making sure to take a three-minute rest between sets.

5 x 1 (first workout) 6 x 1 (second workout) 7 x 1 (third workout) 8 x 1 (fourth workout) Increase the weight by 10 pounds, and start again with the first workout’s sets and reps.

Program 1 1) Power Sets (A sets) Pick a weight that you can lift eight but not nine times in a row and do the following routine as indicated, making sure to take a three-minute rest between sets.

8 x 2 (first workout) 7 x 2 and 1 x 3 (second workout) 6 x 2 and 2 x 3 (third workout) 5 x 2 and 3 x 3 (fourth workout) 4 x 2 and 4 x 3 (fifth workout) 3 x 2 and 5 x 3 (sixth workout)

5 x 3 and 1 x 4 (second workout) 4 x 3 and 2 x 4 (third workout) 3 x 3 and 3 x 4 (fourth workout) 2 x 3 and 4 x 4 (fifth workout) 1 x 3 and 5 x 4 (sixth workout) 6 x 4 (seventh workout)

2) Pump Sets (B sets, which follow the A sets after a 10minute rest period) Reduce the poundage from your A sets to a weight that you can perform for eight but not nine repetitions, and then do the following routine, making sure to take a three-minute rest between sets.

6 x 3 (first workout)

1) The A and B sets don’t match up in the sense that in the first program you’re repeating your B sets and reps on the seventh, eighth and ninth workouts so your B weight jumps match your A weight jumps.

Every 10th training session you add weight.

2) The A and B sets don’t match up at all in the second training template because you’re making weight jumps every fifth training day in your A sets and every eighth training day in your B sets. So if you want to, you can add weight to your B sets every fifth training day as well, as long as you’re sticking with six total B working sets of three to four reps each.

3) If your B sets are lifts other than competition-style squats, benches and deadlifts, you’ll obviously want to recalculate the weight so you can do the required number of reps with good form. You won’t be able to incline-bench as much weight as you can flat-bench, so you’ll be using less weight on the bar than if your B sets were also performed on the flat bench. You’ll be able to board-press more weight than you can flat-bench so your bar weight will increase if you’re training board presses as your B lifts.

4) Do not add any other lifts or exercises to your eight-day training cycle. Resist the urge to get creative with your program or to target smaller muscle groups with isolation exercises. If you absolutely must add some type of bodybuilding exercise, go for some biceps and calf training at the end of your bench press days, but that’s it. All the other muscle groups are already being trained sufficiently by the squats, benches and deadlifts, even your core and definitely all of your

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Geoff Butia moving into 500-pound territory on the bench. Photo courtesy of JoshWinsor.GooglePages.com

stabilizers.

5) Don’t add extra sets, and don’t add extra reps.

6) Don’t change the order of lifting and cardio days.

7) Don’t deviate from the lifts you’re supposed to be choosing from in this program.

8) You must get eight to 10 hours of sleep every 24 hours.

9) You must eat three well-balanced, high-protein meals every 24 hours.

10) In addition to the three healthful meals—you can follow the Hepburn diet from Part 1 of this article if you want to—I suggest adding the following supplements to your daily program: Before every workout take a serving of MHP’s Trac Extreme-NO. That will flood your muscles with an instantaneous rocketlike fusion of nitric oxide, creatine, ATP precursors and energy substrates.

After every workout take a serving of MHP’s Dark Matter, a top-notch recovery supplement that will spike your insulin, flood your muscles with glycogen, supply your body with creatine and glycerol and give you the amino acids you need to recover faster from your intense weight training.

Three times a day drink an additional protein shake consisting

of 16 ounces of skim milk mixed with a serving MHP’s Probolic-SR timed-release protein powder.

Hepburn’s program won’t A Searcy megasquat. Photo courtesy of work forever; JoshWinsor.GooglePages.com if it did, there would be lifters out there (available at Amazon.com). who have been on it for 10 plus years and who are now raw-lifting Editor’s note: Sean Katterle is 1,400-pound squats, 800-pound the owner of Hardcore Powerlifting, bench presses and 1,700-pound LLC. His company produces profesdeadlifts! Hepburn’s approach to sional, classic powerlifting competitraining will, however, work for tions that have taken place at the many, many months, and you need Europa Super Show, the Olympia to stick with it for at least a full Expo and the Ronnie Coleman Clasyear. Avoid the temptation to try sic Expo. You can learn more about a different routine. Remember all these events by visiting Hardcorethe people in my gym who, after Powerlifting.com. If you’d like to my nine-month recovery period, interact with Sean online, he runs were still lifting the same poundthe message boards at HouseOfPain age when I returned. Those are the .com, and he writes and designs people who change routines every time they hear about a new one, and the HouseofPain.com weightlifting blog. Additionally, Sean monitors they never make any measurable the HouseOfPainIronWear MySpace strength progress. page. His office phone number is To learn more about the lifting, (503) 221-2238, and his e-mail life and times of Doug Hepburn, address is SeanZilla@Hardcore purchase Strongman; The Doug Powerlifting.com. IM Hepburn Story by Tom Thurston www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2009 283

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LONNIE TEPER’S

Updates Dept.

“Taylor Made”

Quincy Taylor and his girlfriend, Brandi Akers.

Q.T. and L.T. during a recent interview.

Andy Haman.

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Photo courtesy of Andy Haman

What else would a guy by the name of Quincy Taylor name his latest DVD? In “Taylor Made” Quincy’s fans can watch their favorite 6’4”, 330-pound mountain of muscle go through an inspiring and intense full-body workout, with other segments including diet, targeting muscle groups and competition strategies. “You can work out with a pro, get the Q-tips and get ripped,” says the irrepressible Taylor.

There’s also a one-hour interview, and, as you should know after viewing my interviews with Taylor at IronManMagazine .com over the years, those are always fun—a walk on the wild side, if you will. To say the least, Quince doesn’t mince words.

Although Taylor is the largest pro in the industry (he has gotten up to 375 off-season and has competed at around 300), he will be hard to see in 2009. Well, at least onstage.

The ’01 USA champion says he needs time off to take care of a couple of injuries but will be back better than ever in 2010. “I will be spending the year refining my body to keep it from looking like a block of cheese, or a Prego, like some bodybuilders. All you ankle biters better look out, or you might get stepped on in 2010,” the timid Taylor warns. “I will be 40 when I return and, just like wine, I will be better than ever a year from now. The fans will finally see the best of what Quincy Taylor can bring to the table next year.”

I got to talk with Taylor by chance in early January when a former competitor in my annual NPC Junior California Championships, Steve Thompson, phoned about entering the event again on June 20 after a few years out of action (for more info go to www.NPCJuniorCal.com).

Steve said that he works at the Gold’s Gym on East Flamingo Road in Las Vegas and that “Quincy Taylor is training a client right now.” Quincy, who was my Cal State Los Angeles champ in 1991, came on the phone.

Yes, Taylor has moved from Texas to Vegas, as I reported previously.

He wanted to be closer to his children—and he’s got five—so it was a logical transfer. Not to mention the fact that he was raised in Sin City.

To purchase a copy of “Taylor Made,” which was produced by Kevin Johnson and Adam Gilleland, go to www.GotThis4AnkleBiters.com —okay, just kidding, folks. It’s www.QuincyTaylor.net. But it got the attention of some of the shorter physique stars in the game, eh?

Photo courtesy of Quincy Taylor

Q.T.’s Doings in Sin City

HOT STUFF The booth babes get better and better.

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YOUTH MOVEMENT Here’s one teen with a future.

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NEW DVD Get the Q-tips from Q.T. Page 288

Heart and Lala Naidu.

Photos courtesy of John Heart

John Heart.

from Isaac Hinds by chance?), is, according to the Colorado Crusher, “filled with ridiculously funny stuff, with me guest posing, cooking, training, shopping and spending time trying to get my training done during the day while taking care of my four children!”

The highlights of the DVD, which was shot from April through September 2008, include a photo shoot with Isaac, a Halloween guest-posing gig, a segment where Andy rips cans apart, a 500-pound plus bench press done at contest weight, footage from Haman’s tryout for “American Gladiators” and film from last season’s Europa Pro contest.

“I go from 282 pounds down to 260 pounds through this elapsed time—and transition from swollen to sliced!” Dandy Andy continues. “Everything was filmed here in Colorado Springs, at FLEX Gym & Fitness and at my home, with the exception of the Europa segment.”

To find out more about Haman’s new project, check out his Web site at www.AndyHaman.com.

And it ain’t “All Lighting,” Andy and Isaac. Need to check out my last photo shoot for proof?

Heart Attack: No Payne, No Gain That’s exactly what John Heart will give you if you decide to train with the dude formerly known as Payne on “Battledome.” Well, not literally a myofarction, but a Heart attack training regimen that requires complete dedication. In simple terms, it’s John’s way or the highway.

I’ve seen John in action at Gold’s Gym, Pasadena, California, for the past year and a half. He has long followed the late Mike Mentzer’s Heavy Duty training system, and in December 2008 he came to an agreement with Joanne Sharkey of Mentzer-Sharkey Enterprises that enables him to train clients looking for authentic Mentzer protocol.

“It’s quite a compliment, as Mike was my boyhood idol and taught me the system personally when I was a new trainer, which resulted in my 2001 Tall Class Natural Mr. Universe victory,” says Heart, a 6’1”, 210pounder who looks 10 years younger than the 44 he claims. “I’m unique because I was actually trained by Mike and was a friend of his up until his death. What’s more, I actually use the system on myself, train naturally and won a drug-free world title. Plus, I started my personal-training business in 1995 full-time, using the Heavy Duty system, and now I’m a trainer in the Pasadena and Los Angeles area working with Joanne from Heavy Duty for in-thegym clientele who want authentic Heavy Duty training.”

I’m familiar with one of Heart’s success stories. Lovely Lala Naidu, the owner of Livin’ Café, a local juice bar and health food eatery, first asked John to train her several months ago with hopes of nabbing a major drug-free-bodybuilding title.

“I only had three months to put some lean mass on Lala before she would begin dieting for her contest prep,” Heart said.

“I trained her using Heavy Duty exclusively and took her from being one of the cute cardio girls in the gym who occasionally played with the 10-pound dumbbells to a hardbody with a new shape that won a natural world championship.”

Lala began her labor of love at Joe Wheatley’s Muscle Beach Labor Day show, where she took her class. She then Kassel (right) and Debbie Kruck (center) with IRON MAN’s Roland finished second in her division at the ABA Natural Ms. San Fredrick

Avidan

L.T. and Kenny Kassel.

Balik, John Balik and Ruth Silverman. www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2009 289

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Diego and followed that up with a tall-class victory at the ABA Natural Ms. USA in October. On November 15, Naidu completed her journey with her best performance yet—taking the tall-class and overall crowns at the ABA Natural Ms. Universe.

I hardly had a chance to congratulate the pretty 27-year-old. A week after her triumph she was off on another goal-based adventure: touring Southeast Asia with nothing but a backpack and a one-person tent!

In any case, congrats to both Lala and John. Now, if I can just get this lean, mean muscle machine to complete my goal of having him compete in the masters-40-and-over class at the Junior Cal. I promise I won’t make you pose down Jay Cutler at the finals, John.

Just think how appreciated that vacuum shot of yours will be in front of a packed Rosemead High School Auditorium rather than in front of only me and Tommy ”I Used to Have a Vacuum, Now I Only Have a Broom” Han at the gym.

Interested in having your own Heart attack? Contact John at www .IntenseHeart.com.

Kevin Tomasini.

As usual, Kenny Kassel and I hooked up in Atlanta at the Nationals to go over the correct pronunciations of all the competitors’ names prior to Kenny’s providing his customary intro of yours truly as I took the podium to emcee the finals. We started doing it years back whenever Kenny was part of the backstage crew at events I emceed.

And we did it at many shows, including the IRON MAN Pro, the USA and the Nationals.

Little did I realize that Saturday, November 22, would be the final chapter in our working relationship—and in our personal relationship as well. As you probably know by now, Kassel, 53, was found dead near the front door of his New Jersey home on the morning of December 24.

According to his mother, Mimi, Kenny was fully clothed and had just eaten something in the kitchen; she feels he probably passed away sometime Monday. An autopsy said the cause of death was congestive heart failure.

Like his comrade in death, his good buddy Steve Stone, who passed away in September, Kassel was a great person and got his greatest joy out of helping anyone who was looking for guidance in the industry. Kenny gave an annual seminar at the Los Angeles Fitness Expo on the subject of the do’s and don’ts of marketing oneself.

It’s been a tough year. First came the sudden loss of Stone backstage at the women’s judging at the Olympia, then Ben Weider’s death at 85 a few weeks later and, finally, the dreadful news that hit the sport with Kassel’s passing.

Condolences to Kenny’s family and his long list of friends.

Kenny, you may be gone, but you will never be forgotten.

For more on Kenny Kassel read my blog and other tributes to him at www.IronManMagazine.com.

Excalibur photography by Merv

Kenny Kassel, RIP

Mark Erpelding.

Mavi Giola.

Tomasini Tomahawk THE ’08 EXCALIBUR—Promoters Jaguar Jon Lindsay and Iron Mike Stolle ended the year on a grand note with another high-powered Excalibur, which was held during the Ali first weekend of December in Culver City, California. Congrats Olson. to Kevin Tomasini for his impressive superheavyweight and overall victories at the prestigious event. Tomasini, who finished ninth at the ’07 North Americans and 11th the same year at the USA, brought a vastly improved package to the Excalibur en route to his class win over Kevin “Superman” Reeves and the overall posedown, where he had to overcome, among others, longtime standout 290 APRIL 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Find L.T.’s blog and videos at www.IronMan Magazine.com

Mark Erpelding, the heavyweight champ.

Kudos also to Mavi Giola on her overall win in women’s bodybuilding, and to Ali Olson, who did likewise in figure. I met Ali when she came in from Colorado to compete in my Junior Cal last June; she took the Cclass and the masters-35-and-over division at that show, giving Pasadena more than a glimpse of her potential.

Look for all three winners on a national stage this year.

Do any of them have a shot at gaining pro status? Let me know your predictions; I’m tired of being right all the time in my undercover Swami suit.

Add Annual Blockbuster From left: Jaime Baird, Kristine Henigman and Crystal Rush.

Promoters Peter Potter and Maria Bellando produced another highly successful physique event last July: the 28th-anniversary edition of the NPC Southern States Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Championships, which was held in the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. On the other hand, what else would we expect after nearly three decades of excellence?

More than 200 competitors, representing 18 states, took part in the event, for which new Mr. Olympia Dexter Jackson was the main guest poser, along with Dennis Wolf, Dennis James and Paul Baker.

Andre Vaughn, a 47-year-old Miami police officer who took the masters-40-and-over and masters-overall titles in 2007, returned to grab another overall crown—this time in the open division. Evelio Costales captured the teenage championship after losing it by a single digit a year earlier; while Scott Detore, 42, won the men’s fitness overall.

In the women’s competition, Ashalyn Porter captured the bodybuilding overall, and Kristine Henigman took the fitness title. Crystal Rush topped the field in the open figure event, while the masters figure crown went to Jaime Baird.

Book of the Year Dept.

Clockwise from upper left: Maria Carman, Andre Vaughn, Ashalyn Porter, Brian Silk Sr. and Evelio Costales.

L.T. with Bob Kennedy’s Encyclopedia.

Elsa

Southern States photography by ian Ware \ IAJE Photography

Evelio Costales.

Robert Kennedy’s latest tome, Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding, is a real jewel. An almost 800-page sparkler, at that. Before I get into the book, let me start by asking the publisher of MuscleMag International, Reps and Oxygen where he possibly found the time to put together this impressive combo of information on and photos of the top bodybuilders in the world? Talk about the iron man of publishing!

When Kennedy talks, everyone interested in the topics of resistance training and physique competition should listen. Rapid Robert has seen it all during his 50 years in the industry—he also competed and judged during his lengthy tenure—and doesn’t simply accept what the so-called experts of today are spewing.

Kennedy is an observer, a thinker, a visionary and an innovator—an artist and a scientist, if you will. He’s created his own training concepts that have become accepted and used by virtually all bodybuilders worldwide.

Robert writes about, among other items, how to make the most of the genes you were given, shape your body to perfect proportions, build mass in the shortest amount of time, combine diet and cardio for maximum results and create a winning posing routine. I’ve been able to come up with the latter; it’s all the other elements that have caused me misery through the years. As an extra, there’s a chapter devoted to “The M.A.S.S. System of Training—Phase 11” and a special poster bonus that includes valuable information.

The book will be available in all major bookstores by the time you have this column in your hands. At $39.95 it provides knowledge worth that sum many times over. www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2009 291

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FINAL SALUTE TO THE ’08 SEASON Photography by Ron Avidan

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1) Michael Liberatore gets the job done.

2) Maggie Blanchard and Krissy Murrell coach L.T. on his posing.

3) Peter and Jessica Putnam just love that first-place trophy.

4) Jimmy Mentis and Tom and Kristal Richardson join Nationals promoter Steve Karel.

5) BSN’s gorgeous Katie Bopp and Becky Santiago.

6) Mark Alvisi seems to have a lock on looking incredible.

7) Isaac Hinds gets a backstage peek at Monique Minton.

8) Edward Nunn and Grigori Atoyan.

9) VPX teammates Shelly Smyth, Alexis Pratt, Brandyn Alejos, Kala Duncan and Kelci Cooley.

10) Steve Weinberger and John Tuman with Jennifer DeJoya, Jenny Migliacci, Candice Keene and Stephanie McDonald.

11) The Swami’s hair gets a touch-up—or is that stick-down?

IM 292 APRIL 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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h ! as T F l PO R RE

SILVIO SPARKLES AT THE ANNIVERSARY BASH

1. Silvio Samuel 2. Moe El Moussawi 3. Ronny Rockel 4. Hidetada Yamagishi 5. Ahmad Haidar 6. Eddie Abbew 7. Mohammad Bannout 8. Mark Dugdale 9. Marcus Haley 10. Johnnie Jackson 3

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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 email to tepernews@aol.com.

Find complete coverage of the IRON MAN PRO at www.IronManMagazine.com.

See loads of full-page pics next month.

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293

IRON MAN

Scott “Phatboi”

Turner

Weight: 176 contest; 210 off-season Height: 5’4” Residence: Scottsdale, Arizona Occupation: Personal trainer Contest highlights: ’08 NPC USA Championships, middleweight, 3rd; ’07 USA, welterweight, 4th Factoid: He dates pro bodybuilder Diana Tinnelle.

Contact: 1PHATBOI@gmail.com

Photography by Roland Balik and Merv

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LO NN I E T E P ER’S R isi ng S ta r s

Age: 37

IRON MAN

Jocelyn

Jean

L O NN I E T E PE R’S Ri si ng S tars

Age: 36 Weight: 165 contest; 195 off-season Height: 5’7” Residence: Boca Raton, Florida Contest highlights: ’08 NPC National Championships, welterweight, 1st; ’08 IFBB North American Championships, welterweight, 3rd Factoid: The oldest of six children, he worked as a corrections officer for three years and served in the U.S. Army.

Contact: Trainerr83@yahoo.com

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L O N N I E T E P E R ’S R i si n g St ar s

Ann

Pratt Age: 41 Weight: 113 contest; 120 off-season Height: 5’2 1/2” Residence: Chandler, Arizona Occupation: Senior financial analyst Contest highlights: ’08 North Americans, open and masters B-class, 1st; ’08 NPC Masters Nationals, B-class, 2nd Factoid: A Filipina, she grew up on the Island of Guam.

Contact: www.AnnPrattFitness.com

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IRON MAN

Steve

Age: 23 Weight: 256 contest; 265 off-season Height: 5’11” Residence: Plano, Texas Occupation: Firefighter and paramedic, Dallas Fire Rescue Contest highlights: ’08 NPC Nationals, superheavyweight, 3rd; ’04 and ’05 NPC Teen Nationals, heavyweight, 1st Factoid: Married to figure pro Amy Peters, he is a 2001 national-champion hockey player Contact: SKuclo@sbcglobal.net

L O NN IE T EP E R’S Ri sin g St ars

Kuclo

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2009 297

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Profiles in Muscle

Profiles in Muscle Profiles in Muscle

Stephen Frazier National-Level Bodybuilder and Muscle Asylum Project Athlete Compiled by Ron Harris

Full name: Stephen Ray Frazier Nickname: Steve Date of birth: August 4, 1979 Height: 6’1” Off-season weight: 285 Contest weight: 250 Current residence: Grand Prairie, Texas Years training: 10 Occupation: Owner, South Grand Prairie Fitness Center Marital status: Married Children: Son, Miles, 18 months Hobbies: Movies, sports, reading, cooking How did you get into bodybuilding? “I was playing football at Texas Tech and training at Metroflex Gym in Arlington. I had always thought I was too tall to become a bodybuilder, but owner Brian Dobson really encouraged me to go for it.”

Who inspired you when you were starting out? “Lee Haney and later Victor Martinez—two of the greatest physiques ever and also two men who carry themselves like champions.”

Top titles: ’04 John Sherman Classic Overall champion; ’07 NPC Nationals, superheavyweight, third Favorite bodypart to train: Legs

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Favorite exercises: Squats, deadlifts, lateral raises Least favorite exercise: Barbell curls Best bodypart: Arms or abs Most challenging bodypart: Back Obstacles overcome: “I began bodybuilding with a very bad shoulder injury from football.

For about the first three years the shoulder was constantly in pain and dislocating. It was also a challenge to make the transition from the type of training I had been doing for football to the way a bodybuilder trains.”

Do you have a quote or a philosophy you try to live by? “Train hard to win easy.”

How do you stay motivated? “I love the sport, I want to make my son proud of his dad, and I want to make the most of the gifts God was gracious enough to give me for bodybuilding.”

Favorite cheat meal: Pizza from Mama’s Pizza in Arlington, Texas

How would you describe your training style? “I never do the same workout twice and always train to failure. My workouts feature a good blend of strength training and volume, high and low reps.”

What’s your favorite supplement, and why? “That would be Freak Fix Whey Protein by Muscle Asylum Project, vanilla flavor. The taste is unbelievable, but the nutritional breakdown is also unique. Aside from the highest quality whey protein, it also has healthy fats, which are critical for gaining muscle mass.”

Training split: Monday, chest; Tuesday, back; Wednesday, shoulders; Thursday, legs; Friday, arms

Goals in the sport: “I want to make my mark in bodybuilding and be one of the top guys. I also want to be a great ambassador for the sport and help it grow.”

Favorite clean meal: Eggs and oatmeal

Web site: www.StephenFrazier.com IM www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2009 305

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RUTH SILVERMAN’S

About April: • • • •

Coming to Columbus Over-21 Champs Peak Performers Pump Portraits

NO TRICKS UP HER SLEEVE THIS TIME Which of these two comely candidates will have the biggest impact on the outcome of the ’09 Figure International?

Adela Garcia.

John Balik

COMING TO COLUMBUS

Photography by Ruth Silverman

Fitness icon Adela, at the end of her ACL rehab, is known for her physique scores, while Zivile is the hot new bod in the figure top three. “I can stand next to Jenn Gates,” says Adela. Yeah, but so can Zivile.

ROARING INTO 2009 The pro season gets under way for the women at the Ms., Fitness and Figure International competitions in Columbus, Ohio, on March 6. No, this was not Tracey Greenwood’s reaction to the news that Olympia winner Jen Hendershott will be joining her in the fitness lineup.

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John Balik

Roland Balik

Zivile Raudoniene.

WELL RED Cathy LeFrancois’ new hair color (below) signifies the passion with which she’s approaching her training for the Ms. I. “How do you think I will do?” she asks, firing off a blazing pair of guns. “Very well, indeed,” I reply, “but you will not beat Ms. Olympia Iris Kyle.” Of course, I’d have said that last year—and I’d have been wrong.

HOT LOOKS

OVER-21 CHAMPS

ROLE MODEL O’ THE MONTH Deborah Ann Straley, 42, was a finalist in the Bodybuilding .com Bodyspace Model Search, presented by IRON MAN. Did she win?

Find the answer at IronManMagazine. com or Bodybuilding.com.

MORE MODELS Ever since Raven Lexy was featured on our January ’09 cover with Dave Goodin, folks have been asking if she’s over 50. What’s your best guess?

NONPHATTIES Jen Hendershott and her Phat Camps director Heather Bear are practice-whatthey-preach types (www.GetPhatWithJen.com).

Would you believe that Heather had a baby, her second, eight weeks before this shot was taken? www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2009 309

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H I G H LY F I T P E O P L E

FAMILIAR FACE Working the IM booth at the L.A. Fitness Expo—and shooting with Mike Neveux again—made Christine PomponioPate a little homesick for figure. Enough to get back onstage now that her son, Riley, is a year old? We’ll see.

She’s obviously back in shape.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT Hanging with Bodybuilding.com’s Russ DeLuca is only one of the perks enjoyed by Tiffany Forni, 23, winner of the supersite’s ’08 Transformation of the Year award. The self-described computer nerd and former ice hockey player had ballooned to 235 pounds. Hey, Tiff, did you ever think that the girl in this photo was inside the girl in your before shot?

POWER SHAKE And you thought Nick Scott (right) had challenged Victor Konolavov to an arm-wrestling match. Keep your eye on Nick’s efforts to stage an IFBB wheelchair-bodybuilding pro-am in Kansas next fall (www .Wheelchair-Bodybuilding.com).

Bradford

YOU’RE WELCOME After my item on Team Bombshell appeared in the February issue, the ladies fired off a raft of thank you notes, including one from Gennifer Strobo, who made the F-class top three at the Fig Nat’s.

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Dobbins \ www.BillDobbins.com

PEAK PERFORMERS

JUST BECAUSE

HEATHER FOSTER SINGS No, really. The New York flexer is a member of the NYC Masters Chorale and will perform with the group at Lincoln Center in May.

MORE BOMBSHELLS Khristy Poteat, showed potent potential last year, taking fourth in her class at the Fig Nat’s.

YEN-UINE CHARM Yenny Polanco, who caught my eye at the ’07 NPC T.U Fitness Championships, has a competition résumé that covers the alphabet.

I couldn’t resist this shot of the Massachusetts trainer by East Coast lens master Reg Bradford.

SNOW BUNNY

Bradford

LIVING IN IDAHO During her year

off getting used to living Idaho, Marika Johannson-Gethin took up snowboarding, and she took to it like a.… Well, she was born in Sweden. “I just started jumping,” reports Marika, who admits that she’s “the biggest girl on the slopes.” Look for her to take up flexing onstage again next summer.

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CASTING CALL When they’re ready to do a reality show called “The Fit Wives of Atlanta,” Heather Green should be first in line for a starring role.

PUMP PORTRAITS

A different kind of Mak attack.

Laura Mak and Brooke Quist plan to tie the knot in September—and by “knot,” I don’t mean a new design for Laura’s clothing line.

Lucky guy. Bill Dobbins greets Sharon Bruneau at a party in honor of Kenny Kassel that took place during IM Pro weekend (see below).

Just because I love this pic of Toney Freeman and Cynthia James.

Thanks for everything in A.C., C.J. Photography by Ruth Silverman

Fredrick

Sign of the times. Muscle diva Lauren Powers, here with ALR’s Krissy Chin, is dialing it back. She made her figure debut at the ’08 NPC Excalibur—with a film crew following her, natch.

Solomon solo. A rare siting of “Pro Bodybuilding Weekly” host Dan Solomon without his partner in prime time, Bob Cicherillo.

Guess it’s only women who go to the rest room in pairs.

My old friend Rob Sims (above) is one of the busiest photographers on the planet, and, apparently, has one of the dirtiest minds. His RobSimsStudios .com promises “the hottest, sexiest and most revealing videos ever filmed!”

Arnold Sports Festival Preview Did Iris Kyle regain her Ms. International crown after her seventh-place slip of 2008?

Did Jen Hendershott top last year’s Hooter’s routine in the Fitness I? Did Figure O champ Jenn Gates end up skipping the lineup in Columbus after all?

Find complete coverage at www.IronManMagazine.com.

West Coast Tribute. In January, friends of the late Kenny Kassel gathered at one of his favorite spots, The Baked Potato, in Studio City, California, to inhale complex carbs and share memories. Those convening at the popular jazz club included (from left): Jeff Behar, Bill Dobbins, Timea Majorova, Lauren Powers, yours truly, Paul Wilson and Paul Allen.

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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Antiaging Research

Growth Hormone Secretagogues Growth hormone, produced in the pituitary gland, is one of the body’s three major anabolic hormones. The others are testosterone and insulin. A peptide hormone, meaning that it’s composed of a long chain of amino acids in a specific sequence, supplemental growth hormone must be administered by injection. As noted in a previous installment of this column, GH use by athletes and bodybuilders is rampant, mainly because it remains undetectable by current drug-testing methods. Whether using GH alone provides any true anabolic effects to athletes remains a matter

of conjecture, although numerous anecdotes testify that it does. Bodybuilders rarely, if ever, use GH alone; it’s part of the anabolic hormone triumvirate, with testosterone and insulin.

The other population interested in GH is older. GH drops about 14 percent per decade, and some antiaging researchers suggest that the loss of GH and insulinlike growth factor 1 may be responsible for the loss of both physical and mental function common in older people. IGF-1 is produced in the liver under the stimulation of GH release. It’s also produced locally in muscle, where it’s involved in muscle repair and growth. Both hormones maintain muscle and connective tissue, and their lack may be involved in the loss of lean mass seen in the aged.

Some studies, notably a 2007 study published by researchers from Stanford University, examined the use of GH therapy in the aged and concluded that the risks outweighed any potential benefits. It was a meta-analysis, or compilation, of previous GH studies, most of which used excessive doses and produced such side effects as peripheral edema, which is water retention in the extremities, joint pain, muscle pain, glucose intolerance and loss of insulin sensitivity. The latter two effects can set people up for diabetes if they have the genetics for the disease. Although it wasn’t mentioned in the Stanford analysis, numerous recent studies show that much lower doses produce the benefits of GH minus the side effects.

Still, the fact that GH must be injected presents problems for many people. Injections don’t duplicate the hormone’s natural release pattern, which could be related to side effects. GH is normally released in small bursts, or pulses, several times a day, with the major pulse released during the initial 90 minutes of sleep, during stage-4, deep sleep. Because of the problem, researchers have sought other ways to boost sagging GH. Since GH is nothing more than a complex protein, though, taking it orally means it would just be broken down in the gut.

As research into the mysteries of GH continued, scientists discovered GH receptors in the body and that much smaller amino acid peptides could interact with them to stimulate GH. Those peptides are called secretagogues and usually consist of about six amino acids linked Neveux \ Model: Carl Suliani

BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING

by Jerry Brainum

Numerous recent studies show that lower doses of GH produce the benefits of GH without the side effects for older people.

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together. Researchers also discovered ghrelin, another natural GH secretagogue. With that information scientists developed drugs such as MK-677 that mimic the effects of ghrelin and other GH secretagogues in the body.

Secretagogue drugs offer considerable potential advantages over GH injections. For one, they can be taken orally with no loss of activity. They boost the natural pulsatile release of the body’s own GH. Although older people often have less GH, the pituitary continues to synthesize it throughout life. The problem is that other substances, such as somatostatin, that inhibit GH release also rise with age. GH release itself is governed by a balance between growth-hormone-releasing hormone and somatostatin. For unknown reasons, the body makes more somatostatin with age, while GHRH remains stable—an imbalance that favors somatostatin dominance and less GH release.

Oral GH secretagogues such as MK-677 bypass the somatostatin barrier by interacting directly with GH receptors, thus producing GH release. Since GH is quite expensive, an effective oral drug could replace GH injections and even eliminate most current GH-related side effects. The question is, Do Oral GH secretagogues such as MK-677 bypass the somatostatin the oral GH-releasing drugs work in the real barrier by interacting directly with GH receptors, thus producing world as well as they do on paper or in the lab?

GH release in the body.

A few studies show that GH secreatagogues such as MK-677 increase the body’s GH provisceral bodyfat, MK-677 had no effect on that particular duction in both the young and the old. In the most recent fat-storage area. Fasting blood glucose rose, while insulin study that examined the effects of MK-677, 65 healthy sensitivity declined, which is common with GH injections. people aged 60 to 81 received either 25 milligrams of MKThe most common side effect, however, was an increase in 677 or a placebo for two years.1 During the first year some subjects got MK-677, while others got a placebo. After the appetite that subsided in a few months. That’s no surprise, first year those who had taken the placebo took actual MKsince MK-677 mimics the effects of ghrelin, which has a po677, while those who had been taking the MK-677 either tent appetite-stimulating effect. Some subjects also expecontinued using the drug or were assigned to a placebo rienced a mild lower-body edema and muscle pain. On the group. That’s known as a placebo-controlled, randomized, other hand, low-density lipoprotein declined in those on crossover double-blind study and is considered the highest MK-677, an effect not produced by GH injections. A high quality study available. count of LDL is linked to cardiovascular disease.

As expected, the drug produced GH in amounts typical The authors note that MK-677 likely works because it of young adults in the older people who used it, to the exmimics ghrelin in activating the body’s GH receptors. That tent that 20 percent of lost lean mass was regained. Bodyfat system has a built-in safety factor because as GH rises, increased on their arms and legs, which was surprising so does IGF-1. The increased IGF-1 signals the pituitary considering that GH is always linked to less bodyfat. While gland that the body has reached its optimal GH point. The GH injections have been shown to decrease dangerous pituitary responds by ceasing GH release. The increased fat stores in those on MK-677 reflect the ghrelin-like activity of the drug. While GH promotes fat oxidation, ghrelin promotes fat accretion. Although that doesn’t sound good, consider that many older people lose their appetite, which adds to the loss of muscle that frequently occurs. Unfortunately, MK-677 didn’t have any discernible effect on strength, function or quality of life in this study.

GH injections don’t increase strength in older people, however, or in younger people not deficient in the hormone. Only one study found an increase in strength in older men on GH, and they were also using testosterone. In this study, though, MK-677 did counteract three common factors related to muscle loss with age: reduced GH secretion, loss of fat-free mass and inadequate food intake.

Could GH secretagogues benefit those who are younger?

Some preliminary studies show that giving MK-677 to young men boosts GH release and even encourages gains in lean mass. Secretagogues bypass the body’s usual limita-

Since GH is quite expensive, an effective oral drug could replace GH injections and even eliminate most current GH-related side effects.

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tions on GH release. On the other hand, using a drug that mimics ghrelin, such as MK-677, could reverse the effect of GH by causing hunger—and a considerable gain in bodyfat. I doubt that few bodybuilders would consider that an advantage.

GH secretagogues not based on ghrelin may be effective GH boosters without the negative body composition changes linked to a ghrelin-based drug. The primary advantage of such drugs, however, is to restore GH-releasing ability in older people at far less expense and in a more natural manner than in present GH replacement therapy.

GH Effects in Athletes: Real or Imagined?

Published research linking ergogenic effects to growth hormone use is scant. Yet its prevalence in bodybuilding and athletics cannot be denied. Surely GH does something to boost athletic prowess or muscle size and strength gains.

Indeed, anecdotal evidence indicates that a combination of GH, testosterone and insulin is largely responsible for the noticeable difference in muscle mass between today’s bodybuilding competitors and those in the past. GH by itself isn’t very anabolic, but when it’s taken in that combination, the three hormones appear to offer a synergistic anabolic effect that hasn’t yet been explored or defined by mainstream science sources.

A recent study suggests that any gains made from using GH are entirely due to the placebo effect.2 Sixty-four noncompetitive recreational athletes were randomly assigned to either a placebo or GH group, the latter getting two milligrams a day of GH. The athletes didn’t know which group they were in. Physical performance was measured by various tests that examined endurance, strength, power and sprint capacity. More men than women believed they were receiving GH—81 percent vs. 31 percent. The men who thought they were taking GH improved both perceived and measured physical performance, even though they were in

Anecdotal evidence shows that a combination of GH, testosterone and insulin is largely responsible for the noticeable difference in muscle mass between many current bodybuilding competitors and those in the past, who did not use that combination of drugs. the placebo group. The authors suggest that many of the favorable effects ascribed to GH occur because athletes believe they will.

That isn’t unprecedented. More than 25 years ago a study was published in which powerlifters were told that they were getting injections of an anabolic steroid called Deca-Durabolin. About nine out of the 12 lifters reached their best lifts during the study. All the lifters had received placebo injections—which just goes to show that you can never discount the power of the placebo.

References 1 Nass, R., et al. (2008). Effects of an oral ghrelin mimetic on body composition and clinical outcomes in healthy older adults. Ann Inter Med. 149:601-611.

2 Meinhardt, U., et al. (2008). The power of the mind: An evaluation of the placebo effect in a study of GH on physical performance. GH IGF-1 Res. 18(Supp): S34.

Editing errata: In the February ’09 installment of this column, “Testosterone and Rapid Weight Loss,” the statement, “The more SHBG your body has, the less testosterone you have in your blood,” should have read, “The more SHBG your body has, the less active testosterone you have in your blood.” Also, the statement, “In addition, the carbohydrate and fat may have spurred an increased release of growth hormone,” should have read, “In addition, the reduced carbohydrate and fat may have spurred an increased release of growth hormone.” IM

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Merv

BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUI

Brainum’s Anitaging Jerry Research

Only the Strong Shall Survive

Consistency The Critical Variable

by Bill Starr Photography by Michael Neveux

T

he road to success in strength training begins with the resolve to train regularly. For any routine to produce results, the athlete must work out consistently. Hit-and-miss scheduling just doesn’t get the job done. I’ve often noted that a poorly designed program done with persistence will bring about greater gains than a perfect program done haphazardly.

For scholastic and collegiate athletes that isn’t a problem because regularity is built into their program. A well-equipped gym is readily available, as well as a coach to organize and supervise the workouts and a requirement that the prescribed workouts be done at certain times and days during the week. Plus there’s the luxury of training with teammates, which makes the experience enjoyable.

It’s what happens when athletes aren’t attending classes that really determines how motivated they are to get stronger. High school and university athletes face a great many distractions when they’re on

break—party or train? Some athletes have jobs, which greatly squeezes their free time. Frequently they have trouble finding a gym that has the equipment they need. Or they don’t want to pay $10 or more for a workout at a la-di-da fitness facility.

So they decide to just wait until they return to school to resume their strength programs.

The story’s much the same for those who have graduated from high school or college and have, in effect, ended their careers in their chosen sports. They lifted weights in the first place so they could excel at their sport, but as that’s now history, why train? Those who have decided to retire from Olympic lifting and powerlifting frequently find it a difficult transition to training merely to be fit. Preparing for contests was the fuel that drove them to put in hours in the weight room. To switch that mind-set is something quite a few are unable to do. If they do continue training, it’s usually halfheartedly, and skipping workouts is the norm.

Strength training, however, isn’t just for competitive athletes,

nor is it just for the young and robust. Rather, it needs to be an integral part of every person’s life for as long as he or she can move and is breathing. Keep in mind that strength training is a relative term. While the pro lineman who moves massive amounts of iron is doing strength training at the extreme level, so is the 50-yearold who trains with much lighter poundage in order to stay fit and achieve a pleasing physique, and so is the individual coming back after a serious knee injury with hopes that he’ll be able get strong enough to run again. The one thing those who are trying to maintain or improve their strength all have in common—and I’m including activities that involve the respiratory and circulatory systems—is that if they want to succeed in their quest, they must train regularly.

Changing from a competitive attitude to one aimed at better overall health isn’t easy. The rewards for being proficient in a sport are tangible—trophies, recognition, high self-esteem—but those in their 20s and 30s rarely think much

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Model: Ahmad Ahmad

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Only the Strong Shall Survive about their health. It just isn’t a major concern, and they take it for granted. Of course, as they get older and the aches and pains start mounting up, they begin thinking seriously about taking some steps to aid their cause.

It wasn’t easy for me to make the change. Olympic lifting was the core of my existence. I woke up thinking about my upcoming training for that day and fell asleep going over what I did in the gym. My diet was built around gaining size and strength. My daily routines on a

ab work.

That lasted about three weeks. I found I couldn’t swim long enough in the ocean to do much for my pulse rate, and the beach was too slanted to run on. Running on the road was out of the question because there were no shoulders, and the locals drove as if they were at the Daytona 500. What really altered my decision to stop lifting weights, though, came when I visited the campus of Church College of Hawaii in Laie. I wanted to see if the school’s library had

workout by doing chins and could generally do a minimum of 15.

Maybe I hadn’t been warmed up or mentally ready when I tried the rope: With determination I jumped up, gripped the bar, did three chins, let go and had to lie down on the grass because I was so dizzy—at that point both angry and confused. How in the world had I lost all my hard-earned strength so fast? More important, why had I allowed it to happen? I’d become weak, and I hated it. From the age of 15 I’d wanted to get bigger and

Model: Derik Farnsworth

Keep the workouts simple. Three primary exercises for the major groups and one or two ancillary movements for the smaller muscles are sufficient.

training day were geared to put me in the gym at a certain time of day, fully prepared for what lay ahead.

My relationships, work and leisure time revolved around my training.

After I lifted in my last Olympic meet in California, I moved to Hawaii. Since I couldn’t come up with a good reason to beat myself up with the weights any longer, I quit training for the first time in 17 years. While competing, my training credo had been based on consistency, and I’d guess that I missed only a couple of dozen workouts over those years.

Oh, I was going to exercise because I was vain enough to enjoy how I looked, but instead of pounding my joints with iron, I was going to swim in the Pacific, only 50 yards from my house, run on the beach and do chins, pushups and

sufficient references on nutrition, which I planned to include in my book. It didn’t. I wandered around, found a small weight room, then a wrestling room. A climbing rope hung over one of the mats, and I was curious to see whether I could still climb one. I’d taken pride in the fact that I could make it to the top without using my feet or legs. I got halfway up and was exhausted.

I had to hang there for several minutes before I got my composure under control, and then with feet, legs and hands gripping the rope for dear life, I slid down and dropped to the mat, totally spent.

I was stunned, but the real kicker came after I regained my breathing and walked outside. There was a chinning bar, and I vowed to redeem myself. When training at Muscle Beach, I’d finish off each

stronger and through many years of weight training had achieved that goal. Because I’d gotten lazy for just a few weeks, it was gone. I still looked strong, but that didn’t matter because I knew the truth. I was a wimp.

That’s when I pledged to myself that I would rectify the situation regardless of how long it took, and when I got strong again, I’d never, ever lay off. That was 36 years ago, and I’ve kept that promise to myself ever since. It hasn’t always been easy. I’ve been in positions where finding any type of gym was a problem. On two separate occasions when I didn’t have a car, I had to walk for more than an hour to get to a gym. One winter I stayed with a friend who lived on a remote hilltop where there wasn’t a fitness facility within 30 miles. Within a few days

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I scrounged equipment from neighbors and worked out on a Sears bar with plastic weights.

Those who know me realize how much I loathe mornings, but if my options are to miss a workout or train in the early a.m., I’ll choose the latter. I remember the time Tommy Suggs, weightlifting great and the guy who brought me in to work at Strength & Health years ago, bought a nice chunk of land in Arkansas and wanted me to come and see it. As it was a day and a half drive from the Gulf Coast, we had to be on the road by no later than 8 a.m. I worked out at 6:30.

On the way back we spent a night in a motel, and I got up before the sun to get in my scheduled run—certainly not fun, but worth the trouble to stay consistent.

I’ve also trained in Fielder’s Shed when it was 17 degrees with no heat and over 100 degrees without even a fan.

My point is not to give the impression that I possess some special fortitude. If anything, I’m no more than average. Many friends and former training mates can relate similar tales, some much better than mine. All it takes is a bit of dedication, and anything is possible. I mention them because if I can do it, so can you, as long as you do some planning and make adjustments in your program.

Tommy Suggs was a tax accountant at the time I stayed with him and Karen. Tax season meant that he had to spend long hours at his office because those six weeks brought in about 90 percent of his yearly income.

Normally he trained with a group of his friends in his garage at four o’clock. During tax season he went through a shortened version of his normal routine at 6 a.m. His workload dropped during those six weeks, but he was able to get it back quickly once April 15 came around.

What it boils down to is just how important training is to you. If it ranks high, there’s always a way to make it happen.

The reason so many fail to stay consistent when they embark on any type of strength program is

Model: Ahmad Ahmad

Only the Strong Shall Survive

The reason so many fail to stay consistent when they embark on any type of strength program is that they’re not realistic. Typically, they do too many exercises and schedule too many days for training. that they’re not realistic. Typically, they do too many exercises and schedule too many days for training.

They join a gym, write out a routine that includes exercises for every bodypart, and, because they’re so eager to make gains, they vow to lift no fewer than four times a week, sometimes five or six.

That’s fine on paper, but they fail to consider the many other factors

in their lives, such as work, family, social obligations and unexpected circumstances. For a few weeks all goes according to plan. Then they’re forced to miss a Wednesday because of a surprise birthday party for a close friend. The very next week that same friend gets tickets for the North Carolina–Maryland basketball game—can’t miss that.

They skip two sessions the following

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week because of visiting in-laws.

And so on and so forth.

After two months of hit-and-miss training where virtually no progress has been made, the decision is made to put aside training until there aren’t so many interruptions.

Sadly, that time never comes because, as we all know, things get more hectic, not more placid, as we go through life. There will always be some excuse for not training if you’re not dedicated to your cause.

Instead of embarking on an ultra-ambitious program to get in shape fast, the smarter approach is to use a three-day-a-week schedule and limit the number of exercises for each workout. That gives you a great deal of flexibility and is one of the keys to staying regular with your training. Let’s say you can’t make it to the gym on Monday, your heavy day. No big deal: Just do that intended workout on Tuesday and come back on Wednesday with your light day. Using the heavy, light and medium system also gives you an edge, as the light day is easy to slip in next to the heavy and medium days.

Then there are hectic times that force you to miss training on Monday and Tuesday. You’re still okay. Train Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. That may not be something you’d want to do often, but it’s fine occasionally and in all likelihood will only happen a couple of times a year. Three back-to-back sessions aren’t that demanding when you employ the heavy, light and medium system. Also keep in mind that you really have seven days for getting in your three workouts.

As important as the work that you do in the gym is the positive mental attitude you gain by being consistent. Knowing that you fulfilled an obligation you made to yourself is satisfying and selfmotivating.

The second part of the equation is to keep the workouts simple. Three primary exercises for the major groups and one or two ancillary movements for the smaller muscles are sufficient. If you apply yourself fully on those exercises, you’ll reap greater gains than if you spread out your sessions with six or seven exercises. By limiting the number

of exercises in your routine, you’ll be able to complete the workout in an hour or an hour and 15 minutes.

Contrast that with trying to do a long list of movements; you’ll end up being in the gym for two hours.

That’s too long for the following reasons: It isn’t as productive, you won’t be able to recover as well, and when time is short, you’re more apt to skip a longer workout than you would one that you could complete in an hour.

Another helpful consistency idea is to have one program in your repertoire for the occasions where you unexpectedly get jammed up for time. It’s happened to all of us for one reason or another. One Friday I arrived at the gym at my usual time and found a note on the door stating that the building would close at four o’clock. The gym was part of the Parks Department, which closed at every opportunity under the sun and without any prior notice.

I hurried in, checked the clock and saw that I had less than 40 minutes in which to do my regular Friday session, which took twice that long.

It was irritating, but I had a plan for just that kind of situation. It wasn’t the first time I’d been squeezed for workout time.

I shortened my warmups, set up three stations for the exercises that I’d planned to do that day—back squat, bench and shrugs—then did them in a fast circuit. Really fast.

No rest at all between sets except to change the weights. I was really blowing at the end but felt great because I’d been able to work up to nearly the same amount of weight on every exercise that I normally used for a longer session. I was also pleased with myself for being prepared enough to adapt to the problem.

Vacations and travel present unique difficulties for consistent training, but they can be overcome with some planning. If you know for certain that there isn’t going to be any place where you can work out at your destination, carry a pair of 20-pound dumbbells in your car.

They’re compact and very versatile.

It’s not rocket science to be able to put together a vigorous workout with just those dumbbells.

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Only the Strong Shall Survive friends, ask them to find out where the nearest gym is located. If you’re staying at a motel, find out if it has a fitness facility. If it doesn’t, ask the clerk to look in the Yellow Pages to see if there’s a gym close by. Travel on your nonlifting days, and I’ve found it invigorating when I’m on a long drive to stop about halfway there and take a 45-minute walk. If I can find something to do chins on, I knock out two or three sets and get a jolt of energy for the rest of the trip.

When all else fails, figure out how to do a freehand workout in your motel room. You’ll be surprised at how many exercises you can come up with once you set your brain to the project: pushups, handstand pushups, chair dips, situps, crunches, kneeups, leg raises, squats, lunges, calf raises, good mornings. If there’s anything around to use as weights, such as phone books, you can add curls, triceps kickbacks, front and lateral raises and presses. Many people are surprised at how effective such an innocent workout can be. More than one person has told me that he actually got sore in some muscles after such a low-resistance session.

They all said they felt a rush of energy after they exercised. They also felt good because they hadn’t skipped a workout. While it may seem like a small thing, to me it isn’t. It means that when you make a commitment to yourself or to others, you’re duty bound to honor the pledge. Do it with your training, and you’ll be more apt to do it in dealing with your family, friends and business colleagues.

Now for some suggestions for those who are really pressed for time. I know of quite a few in that situation, most of whom are athletes I worked with at Hopkins who are moving up the corporate ladder.

The jobs pay very well, but people exchange those financial rewards for long hours, which means there’s little time left in which to train. In many cases the gyms are closed before they end their workday.

The solution: Use the same type of program that in-season athletes benefit from, which is one heavy day on either Saturday or Sunday and another light day some time during the week. The light day

can be completed during lunch hour or at home. It helps to have some equipment available in your house or apartment, even if it’s just dumbbells. An Olympic bar and some bumper plates give you a lot more choices, but dumbbells will suffice for a light day. It works, but you absolutely have to do both workouts some time in that week.

Speaking of having equipment at home, that’s one of the best things you can do to help you train consistently because it gives you a great deal of flexibility as to when you train. It saves traveling back and forth to a gym, having to wait for a station you need to use, the expense of memberships and the necessity of training within prescribed time limits. A well-stocked gym is great, but even a few pieces are often enough. Over time, you can add to what you have by buying used equipment from classified ads or yard sales.

As you grow older, the importance of training habitually goes way up simply because you’re not able to handle as much volume in a workout as you did when you were younger. So a missed session will set you back not just a few workouts but often a few weeks. I’ve found, however, that older athletes have little difficulty in staying consistent. They know the value of systematic exercise and usually have more freedom in their daily and weekly scheduling of activities.

One of the main reasons training consistently is critical to making progress is that any program worth its salt is designed for synergy. That means the various workouts fit together and influence one another.

When formulating a program, keep in mind that what you do on Monday has a direct bearing on the Wednesday and Friday sessions.

If you miss any of those workouts, not just the next one is negatively affected but the one following that as well. Getting stronger is a longterm process, a systematic rhythm of training and recovery, both of which are aided by good nutrition and rest.

When someone tells me that he’s having trouble getting excited about training again because he can’t see any purpose in putting

in all that time and effort when he’s no longer participating in a sport, I give him a list of reasons for making it a priority in his life. For starters, regular training makes you physically and mentally stronger.

Strength is the foundation of all movement. Movement means freedom from dependence on others—and that in itself is enough motivation for me. The mind works more efficiently in a fit body. Exercising on a regular basis benefits the circulatory, respiratory, digestive and nervous systems.

You’ll rest more soundly, have a better appetite, be able to control your bodyweight and have a more active sex life. You’ll have more energy, and because you look fit, you’ll have higher self-esteem and a more positive outlook on life.

People who train consistently pay closer attention to what they eat and take nutritional supplements that enable them to work harder in the gym and recover faster. They also make sure they get enough rest to be at their very best at their next workout. No matter how much money you have, you can’t buy strength or overall fitness. They must be earned with sweat and determination. The good news is, they’re available to anyone willing to put forth the effort.

So whether you’re a sophomore in college wanting to make the starting lineup on next year’s football team, a thirtysomething executive in a growing corporation who wants to maintain your strength and physique or a 60-year-old retiree who wants to continue to feel good and stay active, train consistently: the best way to achieve all those goals. Heavy or light, it doesn’t matter—just so you train regularly.

I’ll close with an appropriate adage: Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Editor’s note: Bill Starr was a strength and conditioning coach at Johns Hopkins University from 1989 to 2000. He’s the author of The Strongest Shall Survive—Strength Training for Football, which is available for $20 plus shipping from Home Gym Warehouse. Call (800) 447-0008, or visit www.Home-Gym .com. IM

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Mind/Body BOMBER BLAST

Iron Halos, Steel Commands

A

h, the weekend to myself. Laree’s gone to visit her mom north of the Napa Valley in California’s charming wine country. The sun clings to the thin edge of fall, unable to conceal the restrained cold of a restless winter.

There’s a lot said in the candid utterance, “Brrrr,” on the lips of those whose sleeves are too short for the chilly day.

I miss Laree already. It’s dinnertime. I’ll open a can of tuna. Mugsy will join me. I’ll ruminate, Mugs will purr, and the world’s problems will diminish; we shall solve them one by one. What’s this? We’re outta tuna? You’ve got to be kidding!

Wall Street falls, Washington’s bailout fails, Main Street fumbles and now this: a devastating home-front fish-flop.

We’re finished.

Just kidding about the tuna.

Trouble is contagious. I’ve been getting more and more e-mail from guys who are having difficulty looking the iron in its cold, hard mug. I’ll bet there are an equal number of gals, but they don’t complain. They don’t see what they used to see—playfulness, pump, promise, progress—and shrug their shoulders in dismay.

It’s a bleak place, an ugly viewpoint, a revolting predicament, when what was once the answer is now the question. The vital activity that eased yesterday’s pain is now the source. The invigorating challenge of earlier days is today’s burden too heavy to bear.

I don’t have the energy, the endurance, the strength, the will. I don’t care.

I’m weary, I’m frustrated, I’m sore all over. Oh, my aching back.

Oh, no, you don’t, you wingless pretender. Get ye behind me, thin tin fake. You, unguarded and susceptible bomber, are listening to the wrong voice within—an imposter of the soul, an agent of threat to muscle might and all that is good. Confront the lying demon, the deadly enemy!

340 APRIL 2009

Soaring through workouts

There’s no time to waste. Grasp the iron now. Pump or burn.

Curl or curl up, push or be pushed, pull up or be pulled down, press on and on—or be depressed.

Screech, scream, clang, clank, thump.

We must be prepared on all occasions. I prefer not to exhibit necessary harshness in the public square, but believe it or not I just resisted the temptation to abandon today’s workout and submit to sulking and brooding and counting my woes. How scary is that? Instantly I shall don my favorite shredded T-shirt, have a slug of Bomber Blend and head to the gym, where angels are known to reside.

Upon my return, I’ll recall in sufficient detail my continued defeat of the will to quit, which attacks us all when we least expect it.

Well, I’m back from my workout, and it’s now Monday, a day later. I entered the weight room, and it was mine. Not a sign of life—only the music, unaware of itself as it danced around the equipment. I decided to follow the impetuous sounds and set up the apparatus for a quadruple multiset blast.

Four cycles of four consecutive exercises—torso-demanding rope tucks, incline dumbbell presses, straight-arm pullovers and wide-grip pulldowns—composed my scheme to light up the upper body.

Reps ranged from 35 on

My shoulders love to work, but they have grown grouchy lately. They, left and right, often prefer to work alone— much more productive.

Neveux \ Model: David Dorsey

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torso- and cardio-demanding rope tucks to 10s and 12s on the three basic muscle makers that followed.

It worked. Anything works—everything works—after the first 10 years of devoted weight-training madness. It’s all in the way you approach the iron, your attitude and finesse, intensity and sufficiency.

Be encouraged, lad and lass. When you’re new and just starting, unsure and unpracticed, anything and everything works. As you continue, though, should you continue, patterns and plans evolve that assure sound muscle and strength development. Favorite routines and even misguided schemes drag us through the tangle of weights and cables, sets and reps and injury and repair.

We may never arrive at the destination we sought, but we’ve arrived where we are, and that’s good. Sing-song quad sets work when the gym and training seem like hell. I got me a halo made outta tempered steel.

The four-set roam-a-gym workout went well. Haste-in-pace would have ruled 50 years ago, but slow walks from gear to gear with purpose minus the hurry took control. I’ll blast it when I get there. Meanwhile let me breathe...deeply.

Let’s see: Directly and indirectly, I excited the abs and torso; the shoulders, chest and back; the bi’s and tri’s and dimly lit up the cardio system. What area would appreciate and enjoy an extra charge?

I think back to my origins and what always worked when I was a kid. When in doubt, without knowledge or equipment, a job or responsibility, knock out some dips. They get everything and anything every time. There are 99 grooves to choose from, invent or discover. As when you find a purse full of loose change, you can’t buy much, but you sure feel rich.

The purse is emptied without haste or waste, and the rear exit is my final exercise—one set of one rep, and I’m outta here. Hello and good-bye, stacks of steel. It’s been a blast.

En route I pass a very seductive combination, a sturdy upright only six feet from the 25s. I am weak.

I grab a single dumbbell with hand A and the sturdy upright with hand B and arouse the shoulders and outer biceps with a series of one-arm lateral raises. That exercise has become a recent favorite because it has spirit and personality and is very forgiving. My shoulders love to work, but they’ve grown a little grouchy lately. They, left and right, often prefer to work alone—much more productive.

Done! More to do, but I have nothing left. That might be my biggest mistake, my biggest regret. More to do but nothing left. I’m still learning and have yet to discover when enough is enough. In the meantime, I press on.

We have single sets, supersets and a range of multisets at our fingertips. Single sets and supersets have made up the majority of my training menu over the years. They provide the feast for bulking up, cutting up and just plain celebrating. We wish we were younger, most of us, but aren’t you glad you can pull up a bench anywhere at the table and dig right in?

It’s kinda like flying, bombers. Once you’ve done it, you never forget how.

Higher and higher; the sky’s the limit.

—Dave Draper Editor’s note: For more from Dave Draper, visit www.DaveDraper.com and sign up for his free newsletter. You can also check out his amazing Top Squat training tool, classic photos, workout Q&A and forum.

Health Issues

Serious Smoke Out ou may think the secondhand smoke scare is overblown, but a new study of about 1,200 women found otherwise. Those who’d never smoked but had been exposed to secondhand smoke 15 minutes one day a week during a 10-year period were almost 70 percent more likely to develop narrowing of the arteries than those not exposed.

Steer clear of smoke-filled rooms if you care about your heart and circulatory system.

—Becky Holman

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Stress

Walk It Off

In nature

esearch out of Japan suggests that a stroll through a forest or park can lower stress levels and cortisol. That type of nature walk also boosted the immune system, including raising the counts of cancer-fighting blood proteins.

—Becky Holman

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www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2009 341

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MIND/BODY BodySpace Physique of the Month

MIND/BODY

Elijah Maine

Editor’s note: For more BodySpace bodies and info, visit Bodybuilding .com.

342 APRIL 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Photography by Ian Sitren \ SecondFocus

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odySpace member Elijah Main, a.k.a. “SuperMaine,” set a record for this feature: A United States Navy Seabee, Elijah is stationed at a naval air base in Sicily, and he flew all the way to Palm Springs, California, for the shoot. That’s the longest distance ever traveled by a BodySpace member for his or her photo shoot.

Born in Rochester, New York, Maine joined the Navy at 18, wanting to try something new and with the long-term goal of being part of making the future safer for his kids. That goal was tested a few years later, in 2005, when he received his orders to deploy to Fallujah, Iraq. Only days before he left, Hurricane Katrina hit the base in Gulfport, Mississippi, where he was stationed.

Elijah was evacuated to New York with his young family, but he lost everything in the hurricane and floods, even his uniforms.He was then sent to be a part of the rescue and relief effort. He felt good being able to help, he says, but it was tough because he needed help too.

Elijah has since done two tours in Iraq and has also served in Kuwait, Belize and Diego Garcia. Along the way he got into lifting weights in often makeshift gyms. Then he discovered BodyBuilding.com’s BodySpace, the online community for like-minded people looking for inspiration and motivation. There he quickly found new ways of working out and new people with whom to share experience and information.

Now, “SuperMaine” tries to talk with as many people on BodySpace as possible, finding most of them inspirational.

In addition, he’s proud to hear that he’s the inspiration for others, which comes back to Elijah’s long-term goals. He wants to keep helping people and having an impact on their lives. He wants to be somebody people can talk to and maybe, even more, be someone who leads by example.

So visit Elijah on Body Space at BodyBuilding .com; while his handle is “SuperMaine,” you can also find him as “1jz300” and online directly at BodySpace.com/1jz300.

Tell him you saw him in IRON MAN and that you heard he made a long journey to get here.

—Ian Sitren

MIND/BODY New Stuff

Biggest Rage!

MHP’s new preworkout formula

D

ark Rage introduces a new technology and an exclusive psychotropic stimulator that can bring you the most insane muscle pumps and intense workouts you’ve ever experienced. It’s MHP’s new nextgeneration preworkout formula with patent-pending dual-action EPO-NO technology. Dark Rage stimulates the production of EPO, which increases red blood cell production and blood volume. The dual action forces a large volume of blood through veins, causing a much greater pump than you get with conventional NO boosters.

Dark Rage’s exclusive psychotropic cofactor, beta-methoxyphenylethylamine, stimulates the release of adrenaline, inducing a powerful state of rage to fuel you through your workout. It greatly increases mental focus and the sense of euphoria: You’ll be in the zone. To support the new level of training intensity, Dark Rage also contains key performance-enhancing ingredients such as a multiphase creatine, beta-alanine, branched-chain amino acids and taurine to increase muscle size and strength and boost your workout stamina.

For more information on Dark Rage call MHP directly at (888) 783-8844, or visit GetMHP.com.

Success

I.Q. vs. Experience

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n interview with Malcolm Gladwell, author of the best-seller The Tipping Point, appeared in the December ’08 Reader’s Digest. His take on what makes people highly successful is interesting and controversial. Here’s a quote from the Q&A that was done by David Hochman: “An innate gift and a certain amount of intelligence are important, but what really pays is ordinary experience. Bill Gates is successful largely because he had the good fortune to attend a school that gave him the opportunity to spend an enormous amount of time programming computers—more than 10,000 hours.... The Beatles had a musical gift, but what made them the Beatles was a random invitation to play in Hamburg, Germany, where they performed live as much as five hours a night, seven days a week. That early opportunity for practice made them shine.”

At the end of the interview Gladwell outlines five steps to success: 1) Find meaning and inspiration in your work.

2) Work hard.

3) Discover the relationship between effort and reward.

4) Seek out complex work to avoid boredom and repetition.

5) Be autonomous and control your own destiny as much as possible.

—Becky Holman

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MIND/BODY Longevity

MIND/BODY MIND/BODY

Signs You’ll Live Long

A

ccording to the November ’08 Prevention, “In the 20th century, the average life expectancy shot up 30 years—the greatest gain in 5,000 years of human history.” In “Surprising Signs You’ll Live Longer Than You Think,” author Sandra Gordon lists many of those, including the following: 1) Your mom had you at a young age. If she was under 25, you’re twice as likely to live to 100 as someone born to an older mother.

2) You drink tea regularly. Both green and black tea contain antioxidants and heart-healthy nutrients.

3) You walk. About 30 minutes a day has a significant effect on longevity.

4) You don’t drink soda (even diet). Drinking one or more a day doubles your risk of contracting metabolic syndrome.

5) You have strong legs. As you age, lower-body strength prevents catastrophic falls.

tain protective compounds that keep arteries flexible, blood flowing and Alzheimer’s at bay.

7) You had a healthy weight as a teen. Being overweight in your youth increases the risk of type 2 diabetes in adulthood.

8) You don’t eat burgers often.

Eating more than 18 ounces of red meat a week increases your risk of colon cancer.

9) You’ve been a college freshman. People with more than 12 years of formal education live longer than those with 12 years or less.

10) You have a positive outlook on life. Strive to flourish.

6) You eat purple food. Grapes, blueberries and red wine con-

—Becky Holman

Vitamins

Vitamin E Flip-Flop hile some recent studies have shown negative effects of vitamin E supplementation, the latest study refutes those findings. A Harvard Medical School study of about 26,000 women who took 600 international units of E every other day for 10 years had substantially lower risk of life-threatening blood clots. Those in the study who had clots before had a 44 percent lower risk of future clots.

—Becky Holman

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MIND/BODY MIND/BODY New Stuff Breakthrough Energy Booster/Fat Burner

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ant to tap into nearly boundless energy reserves to power you through your high-impact workouts? Then you need to know about new BetaStax from BioQuest. It’s an energy-boosting, extreme thermogenic catalyst that’s definitely not your daddy’s old mix of caffeine, yohimbe and green tea. Instead, BetaStax contains a breakthrough matrix of ultrabioactive, pharmaceuticalgrade energy factors that provide for a dramatic rush that even the most stimulantresistant athletes can feel within minutes. In fact, those who’ve tried BetaStax report that the energy surge far exceeds anything they’ve tried before, including ephedra-based products.

Better yet, BetaStax contains a

key ingredient that triggers a significant appetite suppression, achieved by way of diminished glycemic load after you eat and enhanced release of the neurohormone cholescystokinin.

What does that mean to you? How about significant fat loss in as little as two weeks. That’s the result achieved in a clinical study conducted at a major American university on the key ingredient in BetaStax. It’s truly amazing what can be accomplished when visionaries are willing to settle for nothing less than an entirely new mechanism of thermogenic action.

Want to know more? Head on over to BetaStax.com, and get an advance peek at the new future of thermogenic science.

www.Home-Gym.com

Best Sellers DVDs/Videos:

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1) “’08 IRON MAN Pro”

3) The Precontest Bible by Larry Pepe

2) “’08 Mr. Olympia” 3) “Mark Dugdale’s Driven”

4) The Russian Kettlebell Challenge by Pavel Tsatsouline

4) “Jay Cutler’s Jay to Z”

5) Ronnie Coleman’s Hardcore

5) “IRON MAN’s Swimsuit Spectacular #9” Books: 1) The 7-Minute Rotator Cuff Solution by Joseph Horrigan, D.C., and Jerry Robinson 2) 10-Week Size Surge

by IRON MAN Publish-

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Top E-book: Quick-Start MuscleBuilding Guide—Your First 8 Weeks to a Muscular Transformation

by Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson (available at www.Muscle QuickStart.com).

MIND/BODY Health and Aging

Living Forever: Is It Possible? o one ever said it would be easy to live forever.

We may need ultralow-calorie diets—think baked soybeans, sardines and protein powders—and we’ll certainly need to break a sweat at the gym. Throw in a generous helping of scientific advances, however, and beating the current world record of 122 1/2 years starts to look downright doable. You might even live to 150 or longer—perhaps much, much longer.

A growing number of maverick scientists, doctors, researchers, biogeneticists and nanotechnologists—many with impeccable academic credentials—insist that the war against aging can be won. All believe significantly longer life spans—and perhaps eventually true biological immortality—are not only possible but also scientifically achievable. What’s more, it could happen in time to aid those now living.

“The first person to live to be 1,000 years old is certainly alive today; indeed, he or she may be about to turn 60,” says Aubrey de Grey, the Cambridge University geneticist who has become the de facto spokesman of the antiaging crusade. “Whether they realize it or not, barring accidents and suicide, most people now 40 years or younger can expect to live for centuries.” Nutty? Some scientists do dismiss de Grey as a wildly optimistic crank.

Plenty of others, though not necessarily accepting all his predictions, have joined in the search for a real fountain of youth. “I am working on immortality,” says Michael Rose, a professor of evolutionary biology at the University of California, Irvine, who’s already achieved breakthrough results extending the lives of fruit flies. “Twenty years ago the idea of postponing aging, let alone reversing it, was weird and off the wall.

Today there are good reasons for thinking it is fundamentally possible.”

The most tantalizing findings have been coming out of the genetics labs of big universities, where antiaging researchers are tinkering with living organisms ranging from yeast to worms and mice. Some are trying to breed for longevity, and others are seeking to alter genes in existing organisms to extend life. Still others are studying how mice and flies, when put on a near-starvation diet, seem to switch on an antiaging mechanism connected with a gene called SIR2.

Just in the past year, researchers at Harvard Medical School and the University of California, Davis, have detected four “cousins” of SIR2 that also seem to play a role in aging. David Sinclair, director of the aging-research lab at Harvard, has called the SIR2 group “as important as any longevity genes discovered so far.”

Molecular geneticists at the University of Southern California, meanwhile, stunned colleagues when they reported

N

finding that deleting a gene known to prolong aging somehow ended up greatly extending life span. At the University of Washington, researchers have successfully lengthened the lives of laboratory mice by 20 percent by boosting natural antioxidants. The hope is that these findings and others could point the way to entirely new classes of drugs to lengthen lives or treat specific, age-related ailments like cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

Note: The above is an excerpt; for the complete article, visit the Web site below.

—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.

University of Washington researchers successfully lengthened the lives of laboratory mice by 20 percent by boosting natural antioxidants.

348 MARCH 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Letters

Power Surge Support

Leg-Blasting Inventor

Photo courtesy of Frank Zane

Frank Zane I need to get something off using the my chest. Over the past few Leg Blaster. years in IRON MAN there have been several references to the fact that Frank Zane invented the Leg Blaster. In fact, a man named Jim Moore invented it back in the 1950s. He lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, before he died. I think his widow still lives there. I bought a Leg Blaster from him in the ’70s, and I still have it and use it. Mr. Zane did modify the original, but the idea was Mr. Moore’s.

Jerrold Gunter Charlotte, NC Editor’s note: Frank Zane’s version of the Leg Blaster is available at www.FrankZane.com.

I’m so pleased to see the Power Surge series by Sean Katterle. His first [installment] on the bench press was interesting and eye-opening [February ’09]. Keep the powerlifting stuff coming, but please include strongman info too.

I’d love to read how those mega-strong guys train.

James Stephenson via Internet

I wanted to thank Lonnie Teper for featuring me in his Rising Stars section in the February issue. It’s such an honor to be in IRON MAN. I know you have plenty of athletes to choose from, so it made my day when I got that issue and saw my photo in it. And, of course, I had to buy a few extra copies for my family and friends.

Holly Bacola via Internet

Editor’s note: We agree: Sean’s new series, sponsored by MHP, is a welcome addition to IM—and he promises to include some strongman info in the near future. Stay tuned.

Clear on Cardio The Wilson brothers’ article on fat burning cleared up so many questions about interval vs. steady-state work [“Scientific Cardio,” February ’09]. I’ve been trying to decide which way to go, and there was my answer from two of the best researchers in the business. Thank you.

Craig Masterson via Internet

Editor’s note: And thank you for boosting our circulation by a few issues.

Looking Good!

I was paging through the January ’09 issue and came across a full-page photo of the best-looking guy I’ve ever seen. In fact, I took a picture of that page with my cell phone and keep it as my opening screen. Very nice indeed!

Becky Holman Ventura, CA Editor’s note: That’s our editor in chief, Steve Holman— but you know that because you’re his wife, and you obviously have a knack for boosting a guy’s ego.

Photo courtesy of Holly Bacola

Rising Star

Holly Bacola.

More Fat-Burning Info Steve Holman.

I just read the e-book The Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout in one sitting. I am amazed at how the authors [Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson, www.X-Rep.com] took the latest research, made it understandable and then put it all into a concise workout plan. I can’t tell you how motivated I am to hit the gym. My transformation has officially begun!

Many thanks for this priceless reference.

Samuel Gutierrez San Diego, CA

Neveux

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Readers Write

Vol. 68, No. 4: 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 © 2009. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher. Printed in the USA.

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