Ironman Magazine 12, 2009 by Iron Man

DECEMBER 2009 / IRON MAN MAGAZINE—WE KNOW TRAINING™

THE NEW ANABOLIC FAT-BLASTING DIET

™

Jennifer Nicole Lee How She Shed 70 Pounds to Become a Fitness Icon (Her Ab Circle Pro Is a TV Hit!)

Kid Kong Amazing 21-Year-Old Powerhouse

Shocking Protein Power Researcher Reveals New Mass-Building Discovery JENNIFER NICOLE LEE

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Please display until 12/1/09

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www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2006 261

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150 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

&217( WE KNOW TRAINING™

'(&(0%(5 FEATURES

126 JENNIFER NICOLE LEE

72 TRAIN, EAT, GROW 122 Size Surge regurge and overshooting.

102 A BODYBUILDER IS BORN 53 Ron Harris on facing judgment day. You gotta love the smell of Pro Tan in the morning.

110 THE ANABOLIC FAT-BLASTING DIET From the Bodybuilding.com archive: Mark McManus explains the ultimate eating plan.

126 JENNIFER NICOLE LEE Dare to dream: Lonnie Teper goes one on one with the transformation sensation and infomercial megastar.

150 ALL-DUMBBELL MUSCLE BUILDING An X-Files special: Holman and Lawson’s formula for igniting mass blasts—no gym membership required.

160 SHOCKING PROTEIN POWER Jerry Brainum interviews one of the top heat-shockprotein researchers, Joe Evans, Ph.D.

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176 176 ANTHONY POMPONIO

Jennifer Nicole Lee appears on this month’s cover. Hair and make up by Katie B. Photo by Michael Neveux.

THE NEW ANABOLIC FAT-BLASTING DIET

™

Jennifer Nicole Lee How She Shed 70 Pounds to Become a Fitness Icon (Her Ab Circle Pro Is a TV Hit!)

Kid Kong Amazing 21-Year-Old Powerhouse

Shocking Protein Power Researcher Reveals New Mass-Building Discovery

All-Dumbbell Workouts Pack On Muscle at Home DECEMBER 2009 $5.99

Vol. 68, No. 12

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Please display until 12/1/09

PLUS: PLUS: • Sergio Oliva Jr. • “BenchMonster” Benching Tips • Squat to Grow

Meet Kid Kong—a soft-spoken 21-year-old bodybuilder who’s making some noise onstage and in the gym with his power. Lonnie Teper does the Q&A honors.

192 POWER SURGE Ryan “BenchMonster” Kennelly and Sean Katterle reveal advanced techniques for power benching. Pepare to drive up a new P.R.!

222 PROFILES IN MUSCLE: SERGIO OLIVA JR. The Myth’s offspring is looking big and ripped. Here’s how he does it.

176 ANTHONY POMPONIO

230 FEMME PHYSIQUE Steve Wennerstrom, IFBB women’s historian, takes an in-depth look at the legendary California Championships from its inception in 1981.

236 HEAVY DUTY Another classic column from Mike Mentzer on intense, low-volume workouts.

250 ONLY THE STRONG SHALL SURVIVE Coach Bill Starr takes a good, hard look at the squat—it’s the king that reigns supreme in the size and strength departments.

222 SERGIO OLIVA JR.

192 POWER SURGE

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DEPARTMENTS DEPARTMENTS

36 TRAIN TO GAIN Delt-training rules, plus Joe Horrigan looks at triceps extensions and elbow damage.

110

50 SMART TRAINING

THE ANABOLIC FAT-BLASTING DIET

Coach Charles Poliquin’s key facts on building extreme size and strength.

58 EAT TO GROW Creatine and muscle recovery, fat shrinking and moderate drinking and phosphatidylserine.

84 NATURALLY HUGE John Hansen discusses ripping up after 40.

92 SHREDDED MUSCLE Dave Goodin outlines his cardio regimen for serious striations!

96 CRITICAL MASS Steve Holman takes a look at Max Contraction and pro-style workouts.

200 MUSCLE “IN” SITES Eric Broser reviews some revamped sites. Plus, P/RR/S bodypart-specialization tactics.

208 NEWS & VIEWS Lonnie Teper’s Nationals predictions—plus Rising Stars and the ’09 Muscle Beach contests.

224 PUMP & CIRCUMSTANCE Ruth Silverman’s annual long, hot summer of female physique shows roundup. Sizzling symmetry here.

In the next IRON MAN: 242 BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY Jerry Brainum looks at the facts and figures on testosterone reduction and soy.

258 MIND/BODY CONNECTION A review of The Zane Body Training Manual. Plus, Dave Draper’s Bomber Blast.

270 READERS WRITE Lifesaving lifestyle, cover-story glory and fast workouts, big results.

Our January issue has an over-40 theme with a mighty twist: 50-year-old pro bodybuilder Dave Goodin reveals his complete winter power-training program. It’s the perfect size and strength blitz to help you grow in the snow. Plus, we’ll have our annual Muscle-Science Roundup, with a review of the key studies from 2009 that you can use to get huge—and ripped—by spring. Also, Todd Jewel guides you to seam-splitting shoulders, and legendary drug-free ﬂexer Bob Galluci gives you his old-school tools for sculpting mass. Find the January IRON MAN on newsstands the ﬁrst week of December.

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Whatever You Need—Wherever You Train ™

Founders 1936-1986: Peary & Mabel Rader

by John Balik

Workouts for Life

Neveux

This morning I was talking with a friend about training. He was an outstanding competitive bodybuilder 30-plus years ago and has never stopped training. The subject turned to how our workouts have evolved. Why was the process so deeply satisfying? What made it a lifetime addiction? We discussed the connection between effort and reward. At our stage we train for the pleasure that the process gives us. The physical dividend of strength and muscle is secondary to the exhilaration of the process itself. My friend went on to talk about his very athletic grandson and how coaching him is the thing he enjoys most in life—even more than his own workouts. What really “pumped him up” was the enthusiasm of a 15-year-old who can literally gain muscle and strength from workout to workout. It not only reminded him of the fun of his own workouts as a young man but also gave him the unequaled pleasure of passing on his knowledge to an exceptional pupil. I’ve enjoyed many workouts with my 20year-old son Justin, and I’ve found that John and Justin Balik. his enthusiasm fuels my training while my experience and knowledge fuel his progress. As society has changed, adults have had a harder time finding ways to relate to children and grandchildren, but the primal need for strength and muscle is easily shared. It isn’t just for boys and young men either. Recently, Mike Neveux and I were discussing our daughters’ enthusiasm for working out. They never miss a training session, and they work hard at it. Why? Whether they recognize it, the strength they build is in character and confidence as well as muscle. Strength engenders control, and physical strength gives everyone more confidence. A couple of weeks ago Rick Collins, co-author with James Villepigue of Alpha Male Challenge, called to tell me that his new book was about to be published and asked if I would like a review copy. By coincidence his book arrived today, and as I spent 30 minutes giving it a quick overview, the “feel” fit right into my own experiences. While it’s ostensibly an exercise and diet book and a comprehensive 10-week makeover plan—for the seriously committed—it’s actually much more. Rick incorporates his own thoughts on the philosophy of training and its many wonderful benefits. Strength and muscle are about much more than what you can see. They’re about how they make you feel. The incredibly talented actor and dancer Gregory Hines once told me that when he started to work out with weights, it changed his whole perception of his connection to his body. That’s part of the magic. Enjoy those workouts! IM 28 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 Webmaster: Brad Seng IRON MAN Staff: Sonia Melendez, 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 Contributing Photographers: Ron Avidan, Roland Balik, Reg Bradford, Jimmy Caruso, Bill Dobbins, Jerry Fredrick, Isaac Hinds, Dave Liberman, J.M. Manion, Merv, Gene Mozée, Mitsuru Okabe, Ian Sitren, Leo Stern

Marketing Director: Helen Yu, (805) 385-3500, ext. 313 Accounting: Dolores Waterman, (805) 385-3500, ext. 324 Advertising Director: Warren Wanderer (805) 385-3500, ext. 368 (518) 743-1696; FAX: (518) 743-1697 Advertising Coordinator: Jonathan Lawson, (805) 385-3500, ext. 320 Newsstand Consultant: Angelo Gandino, (516) 796-9848 Subscriptions: 1-800-570-4766 or (714) 226-9782 E-mail: subscriptions@ironmanmagazine.com 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, Marketing: helen@ironmanmagazine.com Warren Wanderer, Advertising: warren@roadrunner.com Jonathan Lawson, Ad Coordinator: ironjdl@aol.com Brad Seng, Webmaster: brad@ironmanmagazine.com

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36 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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

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Some of the best shoulders in the sport today belong to national-level competitor Branden Ray. The funny thing is, those deltoids might never have become so impressive if he hadn’t made some major changes to his training after dislocating his shoulder in a freak gym accident a few years ago. Until then, he’d been like a lot of us at one time or another: going superheavy all the time and using less than ideal form. Once his arm was out of the sling, Branden vowed to be a lot more careful. His shoulder injury had been a serious wake-up call. “It’s probably the worst area to injure,” he explains. “If you wreck your knee, at least you can still train your upper body. With an injured shoulder, you can’t do much of anything—bench presses, curls, chins, forget it. You can’t even hold the bar on your back to squat. If you don’t take care of your shoulders, you’re truly at risk of not being able to train at all.” Strict form and an average rep range of 10 to 12 became his new modus operandi on shoulder day, and within a couple of months Ray was shocked at the results. “My shoulders were wider, rounder and fuller than they ever had been,” he says. Here are a few of the shoulder rules he’s diligently obeyed since then: Don’t skimp on warmups. Before any upper-body workout Branden does exercises to strengthen the rotator cuff. “It only takes a couple of minutes,” he explains, “and it’s a great insurance policy against injury.” On shoulder day he also heads to a machine press and gets the blood flowing with two sets of 15 to 20 before moving on to free weights. Ditch the seated bench. When we use the seated bench specifically for shoulder presses, most of us have a tendency to

arch excessively once the weights get heavy, turning the movement into a half-assed incline press. “I use an adjustable incline bench and set it to almost but not quite vertical,” Branden says. “I keep my butt and back flat up against the seat back, and I work the shoulders and not the upper chest.” Higher reps. Ray is all done with sets of five or six reps on presses. Lower reps are “great for the ego but do little for building muscle,” he says. The risk of injury also increases exponentially with such extremely heavy loads. “In all my shoulder movements I’ve improved my form, upped the reps and, subsequently, witnessed much greater growth.” —Ron Harris Editor’s note: Ron Harris is the author of Real Bodybuilding, available at www.RonHarris Muscle.com.

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Neveux \ Model: Cesar Martinez

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B-Ray’s New Delt-Training Rules

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

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Lateral Overload

impossible. Before the ’08 Mr. Olympia, it had been a full 25 years since a man had won the title at a height of less than 5’11” or a bodyweight of less than 250 pounds. At 5’6” and 235 pounds, Dexter Jackson was not supposed to have a chance. Wonder of wonders, he trounced the 270-pound two-time Victor defending champ Jay Martinez. Cutler handily and gave new hope to those who weren’t necessarily mass monsters. He beat Jay with superior shape and razorsharp definition. So before you set limits on what you can accomplish, remember that often we’re capable of far more than we think. —Ron Harris

Are you looking for a new way to shock your side deltoids into some new growth? I think most of us are, because you can never have shoulders that are too wide and round. I recently picked up a neat little trick for lateral raises from ’07 Arnold Classic champion Victor Martinez. Vic likes to do his usual set with a full range of motion, then immediately pick up a heavier pair of dumbbells and perform only a partial rep from the bottom to about a third of the way up—a.k.a. X Reps. So a set may consist of a pair of 50s for 12 full reps, followed right away by a set of 12 partial reps with 70s. Since you still have the strength to do that after a regular set, the second part of the set with the heavier ’bells enables you to overload the medial deltoids with far more weight than they would normally be exposed to. From the first time you try it, you’ll feel a deep burn, as if you’ve awakened some dormant muscle fibers that were simply waiting for the right combination to come out and play—and grow! —Ron Harris

Roland Balik

Dexter Jackson.

Roland Balik

If you’re starting out in bodybuilding, there’s one question that’s probably on your mind a lot: How big can you eventually get? Chances are you already have a set image in your mind. Well, what if I told you that in most cases that image of your ultimate potential is probably a vast underestimation of what you are truly capable of? Take Dexter Jackson as a concrete example. Dexter began competing in the early ’90s at just 137 pounds. Not only was he a bantamweight, he wasn’t even at the top weight limit for that class. He already had good shape and muscularity, but any potential for massive size wasn’t readily apparent. You never would have thought that one day he’d be onstage with a full 100 pounds more muscle on his frame. Even once the Blade became a successful pro, nobody ever thought he would be Mr. Olympia one day—except Dexter. He never once believed such an accomplishment was

38 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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75$,1 72 *$,1 0$785( 086&/( Packing Your Tri’s With More Size Q: I’m 6’5” tall, not very broad, and I have thin knees, elbows and wrists. I have read your articles about training for tall men, but they seem to center mostly on chest and legs. How can I make my triceps fuller? They look long and thin, without the three heads showing. A: Since I’m just over 6’, I can imagine how much trouble you must be having, given your small joints and very long limbs. If you stick with the following methods for six months to a year, though, you’ll probably surprise yourself. You can isolate your triceps with pushdowns, among other single-joint exercises, but if you don’t do a multijoint exercise—for chest and triceps—you can’t make them grow to their maximum size. Try using wrist wraps and do four sets of relatively heavy flat-bench presses with your palms facing upward—a reverse grip that’s fairly close and causes your elbows to drop by your sides. Be sure that your feet are flat on the floor and your thighs are parallel to the floor—if not, that bench is not for you. Find one that lets you put both feet flat on the floor and is high enough to account for your long legs. You want your knees at a 90 degree angle. Is your chest going to be worked a bit? Yes. That’s why you should work your chest first and triceps after. Doing reverse-grip barbell bench presses will change the way your triceps grow—maximum hypertrophy for those with long arms, narrow shoulders and small joints. Find a weight that you can handle for 10 to 12 repetitions and be sure to have a spotter. Have your hands already tightly secured just an inch wider than shoulder width. You and your spotter count to three together, and once you have the bar in total control over your head, drop the bar just about where you would a regular bench press. Drive the bar up with your triceps, and lock out only on the last two hardest reps. Let the spotter put the bar back. Do four sets and keep adding weight, using more weight as months pass and you master the movement and grow. You should be using mostly dumbbell and machines for your pectorals; this palms-up flat-bench press will be the only time you use an Olympic bar for chest or triceps. It’s a bit tricky in the early stages of learning the movement, but I think you’ll find that it will help your triceps quite a bit. You should do two isolated exercises for your triceps after that big exercise. I suggest heavy pushdowns with a straight bar; however, if a straight bar hurts your wrist, use the bar that doesn’t cause pain but still gives you good leverage. Do four sets of 12 reps, with partials, or X Reps, at the end of the last

Compound vs. isolation

two sets. Lock out on the last few reps and partials. Go from there to a machine that has your elbows and hands above your chest (while seated), or do what I like to call overhead triceps pushouts. Use a straight bar, a V-bar or a rope, depending on which gives you the most leverage. Assuming the pulley is above your head and the bar is in your hands, push out so that your forearms and hands are directly above your head at the top and end up right in front of you. Let your forearms collapse all the way back onto your biceps, and press outward again. That seems to hit an area that nothing else can touch. Don’t be afraid to use something else if this doesn’t work for you. Use the dip machine or another extension-type triceps exercise. Do your repetitions at a good pace, and lock out toward the end of each set—the last two to four reps. Do as many lockout X Reps as you can for the last two sets of both isolation exercises. One last thing that I always tell people who have long limbs: If you pump up your biceps before working your triceps—just pumped without being taxed—you’ll find pressing easier. Your pumped-up biceps will act as a cushion when your forearms come back and bump up against them in the negative part of the extension. That will give you better force and torque from the bottom of the lowest, toughest angle that you can find with a pulley for cable extensions. Hit your triceps hard twice in an eight-day cycle. That will give them plenty of time to grow and plenty of hard work to coax them along. Train moderately heavy, and be sure your form is perfect. You’ll have those three heads popping. —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.

40 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Strip Bodyfat Here’s the fourth and final installment of this series. Review all of the installments when you want to get leaner. 42) Severe calorie reductions can cause your body to store fat when you eat and trigger catabolism and deplete your muscle tissue. Shed bodyfat slowly, and avoid severe calorie restriction. 43) Watch out for dietary sugars of any kind: white sugar, brown sugar, corn sweetener, sucrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, fruit juice concentrate or syrup. Stay away from sugary foods. They can cause your insulin levels to spike, which tells your body to store fat. Be informed and discerning—read nutrition labels. Even healthful sweeteners such as pure honey, maple syrup, date syrup or molasses should be used only in small quantities. 44) Takeout is easy but rarely healthful. Cook large batches of nutritious foods once or twice per week, refrigerate them, and then use them up gradually. 45) Pack your lunch and take it to work. Prepare some healthful sandwiches, or cook some chicken breasts, fish cutlets or lean hamburger patties. 46) Eat slowly. It takes approximately 20 minutes for your brain to signal satiation—a signal that you’re full. If you wolf your food, though, you may eat too much before the satiation signal arrives. 47) Most restaurant food tastes terrific because it’s loaded with calorie-laden enhancers. Curtail eating out, or at least choose more healthful foods. 48) It may be possible to obtain a decent meal from some fast-food restaurants, but watch portion sizes and calorie intake. People have lost bodyfat while enjoying fastfood wraps and healthful sandwiches and salads. 49) Even if you’re only eating healthful sandwiches, adhere to portion size guidelines and calorie goals per sitting. 50) Many restaurant salads come in at well over 1,000 calories, some at 2,000 or more. While lettuce has hardly any calories, beware the high-calorie dressings and toppings that make those salads so tasty. 51) Eating a variety of foods helps you get more pleasure out of your meals, and you must enjoy your meals if you’re going to stick with them. Come up with a list of nutritious foods that you enjoy eating, and vary them from day to day. 52) If you crave a certain food, have a little of it. If you can’t keep yourself to just a little, don’t have any. Don’t open the floodgates! 53) Always remember the fundamental premise of fat loss—you must use up more calories than you take in. If you feel like eating to excess at a party, ask yourself how you plan to burn it off. If you don’t burn it off, you’re going to store it as bodyfat. 54) Fat-loss plateaus are to be expected—your body always tries to adapt to what you do to it. Especially when

you hit a plateau, vary your calorie intake and perhaps some of your food choices, and vary your exercise program. Then you’ll burst through the plateau. 55) Vary your entertainment when you’re using a stationary bike or treadmill or walking outdoors. A portable MP3 player, DVD player or TV can keep you entertained so that you don’t get bored during low-intensity, calorie-burning exercise. 56) Brushing your teeth after each meal may keep you from snacking between meals. You’re unlikely to want to eat when your mouth has a tingly, fresh-brushed feeling. You can also gargle with mouthwash or put a breath strip into your mouth if you get the urge to snack. The intense flavor in the breath fresheners can overwhelm your taste buds and fend off the craving. 57) Have a full glass of ice-cold water with each meal. It can help create the sensation of fullness and cause you to eat less. 58) Drink skim milk instead of whole milk. If you must have soft drinks, choose diet instead of regular. Artificially flavored coffee drinks and fruit-juice drinks can be high in calories. And watch out for sports drinks. Many of those vitamin-enhanced concoctions are essentially high-calorie sugar water. Also watch out for portion sizes when drinking nutritious drinks. Having a large glass of skim milk or orange juice with each meal can unnecessarily add to your daily calorie total. 59) Eat whole fruits instead of drinking juice. For example, have an orange instead of orange juice—it can save you approximately 150 calories. The orange has more fiber than the juice, which slows sugar infusion. Liquid calories don’t satisfy your body the way solid-food calories do but can easily add up to a lot of low-nutrient calories. 60) Finally, remember that unless you’re a beginner or haven’t trained for long—or you’re a genetic freak for bodybuilding—it’s unlikely you’ll be able to build much muscle while you lose a lot of fat. If you maintain all of your current muscle mass while you shed fat, however, you’ll improve your physique substantially. Don’t overtrain, however. If you do, you’ll lose muscle along with the fat, which is exactly what you don’t want. —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 at www.HomeGym.com.

42 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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75$,1 72 *$,1 6325760(',&,1( The lying triceps extension is a common exercise associated with the elbow that’s also known for building significant strength. It is used primarily by bodybuilders and powerlifters, and it takes several forms. The first is the best known, a very strict form of the exercise often called nose breakers. You perform the movement lying on your back, typically with a cambered bar, and start in a finished bench press position. The elbows bend slowly as you lower the bar but remain pointing upward so that only your forearms move. You carefully lower the bar to the bridge of your nose—hence the nickname—then slowly straighten your elbows back to the starting position. A second variation is similar except that you lower the bar behind the top of your head, and your upper arms have to move more than on the nose breakers. The speed tends to be a little quicker, and the exercise is less stressful to the elbow. This form dates back 70 years. In fact, the bar used to be lowered all the way down, nearly to the floor behind the reclining trainee’s head. The trainee would then perform a pullover, bringing the bar to his or her chest, and then finish with a bench press. That was known as the pullover and press and was later modified into the second form of lying triceps extension. The third form evolved among a very small group of elite powerlifters. It’s a blend of a close-grip bench press and a lying triceps extension. I first saw former world champion Don Reinhoudt perform the motion. The second time I saw it was in a booklet on the bench press that was written by powerlifting world champion and World’s Strongest Man Bill Kazmaier. I then learned that former world-record holder David Shaw had used it for many years. With this form you lower the bar toward the chin and neck area as your elbows lower to about to chest level. The elbows are fully bent, or flexed, and the only muscle that will straighten the elbow is the triceps—with a little help from the anconeus, a muscle that extends the forearm at the elbow. You push the bar straight up over your neck and chin. As the bar elevates, so do your elbows, so it’s one smooth, compound motion. The lying triceps extension is a way of training the triceps that enables you to handle the most weight for a relatively isolated exercise. The problem that can arise from the exercise is elbow pain, which can occur on the inner side of the elbow.

Training triceps without pain If you bend your wrist back during a triceps extension, the wrist flexor muscles are stretched under load and can cause strain, or tendinitis, at the inner elbow. The pain occurs with triceps training but is not in the triceps tendon or muscle. The nose breaker, however, can place a great deal of stress on the triceps tendon. It’s not an exercise I would recommend for adolescent trainees. The bone is not mature, and the stress on the elbow at the triceps insertion can actually tear a piece of the bone instead of the tendon. Younger trainees and athletes should focus on more complex motions, which will certainly develop strength and the triceps muscle. Advanced trainees and powerlifters can handle a great deal of weight on this exercise. Powerlifting legends such as Kazmaier and Larry Pacifico used 200-plus pounds on nose breakers. You don’t much see the second form these days. The last form lends itself to using very heavy weight without elbow pain. Kazmaier wrote that he was able to increase the weight from 200 pounds to 425 on the last form. I saw video footage of Reinhoudt using 365 pounds on the movement. When I first tried it, I found that my weight doubled and that there wasn’t any elbow pain—as Kazmaier described. The lying triceps exercise is a good movement. Use it with care and give yourself time to adapt to it. —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 book Strength, Conditioning and Injury Prevention for Hockey by Joseph Horrigan, D.C., and E.J. “Doc” Kreis, D.A., and The 7-Minute Rotator Cuff Solution by Horrigan and Jerry Robinson from Home Gym Warehouse, (800) 447-0008, or at www.HomeGym.com.

44 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Neveux \ Model: Derik Farnsworth

Elbows and Extensions

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Maria Pernia Age: 28 Weight: 128

Training: Six days a week— 30 to 45 minutes of cardio before breakfast and two hours of weight training before dinner Titles: ’09 NPC Junior California Championships, figure D, 2nd; ’09 NPC Max Muscle Naturals Championships, figure D, 1st Sample routine (delts): overhead dumbbell presses, 4 x 15; wide-grip upright rows, 4 x 15; lateral raises, 4 x 15; dumbbell front raises, 4 x 15; bent-over laterals, 4 x 15

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Torque-Shifting Shoulder Shocker Q: I need help with my delts. I can’t get that full, round look to them. Any suggestions? A: Powerlifters and Olympic lifters have built impressive shoulders using low reps for multiple sets on compound exercises such as presses and upright rows. On the other hand, plenty of bodybuilders out there with fantastic deltoid development have used high reps, short rest intervals and mainly isolation-type movements. I think that people will achieve better deltoid development if they cycle both approaches. I’ve also found that descending sets and preexhaustion are particularly effective at bringing on shoulder growth. I guess it’s clear by now that I believe you should expose your shoulders to a wide variety of training stimuli. You may want to experiment with low-rep, multiple compound exer-

cises for a short period—around six workouts—and then switch to higher-rep, isolation-type exercises for an equally short phase. Here’s a sample routine you may want to try. It employs high-volume and shifting-torque curves: • One-arm lateral raises, 6-8 reps, 3/0/2/1 tempo Rest 10 seconds • Incline one-arm lateral raises, 10-12 reps, 3/0/1/0 Rest 10 seconds • One-arm cable lateral raises, 12-15 reps, 2/0/1/0 Cry out in pain, and curse the gods; then repeat with the other arm. Rest two minutes after you’ve completed rounds for both arms. Then do the entire tri-set again. Do a total of three tri-sets for each arm.

Neveux \ Model: Tony Breznik

A tri-set of three types of lateral raises can give your delts new mass.

50 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Upright rows can cause wrist pain, but shortening the stroke will put less stress on that joint.

Q: I hear how great lunges are for legs, but when I do them, only my glutes get sore. That’s fine by me, but shouldn’t I be feeling something in my quads? I usually start my program with lunges, since they require more balance, and then move on to hamstring curls and calves. A: If performed properly, lunges should make not only your glutes sore but also your hamstrings, quads and adductors. If you’re getting soreness only in your glutes, your lunge technique is on the wussy side—most likely your stride is too short and you lean forward too far. In the stretched position, the bottom six inches of your hamstrings should fully cover your calf muscles. In other words, in the stretched position you should see no daylight between the hamstrings and calf. Your torso should be as upright as possible; in fact, it should be perpendicular to the ground. Give the proper technique a try and see if you can walk upstairs tomorrow without cursing me and my descendants. I can guarantee, though, that if you do them the way I’ve described, your leg hypertrophy should shoot right up. Q: My wrists hurt when I do upright rows. Is there some way I can do the exercise without pain?

stress on your wrists when doing upright rows: 1) Use an EZ-curl bar and grip it where you would normally put your hands for curls; the angle on the bar will permit pain-free movement. 2) Use a rope with bulky rubber ends—the one normally used for triceps pushdowns. 3) If you use a conventional barbell, don’t lift the bar past your clavicle. 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 197. IM

A: There are three things you can do to alleviate the 52 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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($7 UP *SP Nutrition and Supplementation

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Creatine and Muscle Recovery muscles. So when they supplement with it, it doesn’t do much. Their muscles are already loaded. For most creatine users, however, the supplement is remarkably effective, and ongoing research is revealing new properties. Its primary advantage is that it acts as an energy backup in muscles. It’s like having a second battery in your car. All energy-providing nutrients eventually convert into the most elemental form of energy for muscular contraction: adenosine triphosphate. ATP provides energy when chemical reactions break off one of its three phosphate groups. Creatine is stored

Neveux \ Model: Binais Begovic

The effectiveness of many popular sports supplements may be more theoretical than factual, but not where creatine’s concerned. Creatine is perhaps the most popular sports supplement sold today—and for good reason. Since its market introduction in 1993, the science behind it has been steady and consistent. It works for 80 percent of those who use it. The 20 percent for whom it’s been deemed ineffective are those who are habitual meat eaters. Meat is the richest natural source of creatine, and those who regularly eat meat experience a natural, gradual creatine load in their

with phosphate in muscle, and when the ATP degrades, the stored creatine replaces the missing phosphate, thus maintaining the body’s energy. In addition, creatine provides a buffering activity in muscle, reducing the metabolic acid that leads to muscle fatigue and failure. More recent studies show that creatine aids muscle protein synthesis by boosting insulinlike growth factor 1 in muscle. Whether creatine also plays a role in exercise recovery was the subject of two recent studies. In one study, 14 untrained subjects were randomly divided into two groups. The first group took creatine with carbohydrate while the second group got carbohydrate only, five days before and 14 days after all subjects engaged in weight training. They did four sets of 10 eccentric-only (lowering the weight) reps, using 120 percent of their maximum concentric (raising the weight) onerep maximum on the leg press, leg extension and leg curl. Eccentric muscle contractions cause more muscle damage and soreness than concentric muscle contractions. To assess muscle damage, the researchers monitored the release of two muscle enzymes into the blood. Those who used the creatine-and-carb combo fared far

58 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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X better than the carb-only subjects. Specifically, isometric muscle strength was 21 percent higher in the creatine group, and isokinetic muscle strength was 10 percent higher. Although the study didn’t examine the precise mechanism of beneficial change, the authors suggested that creatine enhances calcium buffering in muscle. That would lower intracellular calcium, which in turn helps suppress muscle degradation. Creatine also boosts muscle protein synthesis and supports the enhanced muscle stem cell proliferation that in turn supports new muscle fiber formation. The result is enhanced muscle recovery following training. The other study explains the likely reason that prior short-term studies of creatine and muscle recovery haven’t shown much benefit. The researchers

compared the effects of providing creatine for seven and 30 days. As in the previous study, the subjects performed eccentric muscle contractions. Some subjects loaded 20 grams of creatine for seven days, followed by six grams a day for 23 days. Another group took a placebo. Creatine had no effects on measures of muscle damage after seven days, but maximum isometric muscle force was greater in the creatine group after 30 days. The conclusion: The primary increased muscle recovery provided by creatine occurs after 30 days of supplement use. Studies of shorter duration, such as seven days or less, showed no creatine-related recovery because, apparently, its effects are cumulative. It all adds up to a new notch on creatine’s effectiveness belt: increased

muscle recovery and the ability to train harder with time. —Jerry Brainum Editor’s note: Have you been ripped off by supplement makers whose products don’t work as advertised? Want to know the truth about them? Check out Natural Anabolics, available at JerryBrainum.com.

References Cooke, M.B., et al. (2009). Creatine supplementation enhances muscle force recovery after eccentrically induced muscle damage in healthy individuals. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 6:13. Rosene, J., et al. (2009). Short and longer-term effects of creatine supplementation on exercise-induced muscle damage. J Sports Sci Med. 8:89-96.

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Fat

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What’s the secret of staying lean without completely cutting out alcohol? First, keep in mind that alcohol is an energy substrate, so when you drink it, your body burns it first. That means any carb and/or fat you eat around the time you drink alcohol goes to fat cells—like pretzels, chips, peanuts and even the carbs in your “fun” beverage. So the first rule is to choose the lowest-carb libation. A good choice is wine at four grams of carb per glass. Next: Don’t drink on an empty stomach. Alcohol lowers blood sugar, which can make you ravenous for high-carb foods. The solution is to eat a meal of lean protein—chicken or fish—and a high-fiber, low-starch cruciferous vegetable like broccoli—not potatoes, rice or pasta. Last is moderation: Three glasses of wine should be the limit, and stopping at two is better—and don’t eat car-

bohydrate around the time you partake. That’s very important because, as mentioned above, it goes right to fat cells. Because your body must burn off the alcohol first, fat burning is essentially switched off till it is metabolized. That’s why you don’t want to chow down on carbs and fat while you drink, and it’s also why a low-carb beverage is best. Other than those fruity, high-sugar mixed drinks, beer may be the worst fat-adding alcohol because each 12 ounces has about 15 grams of carbs and 150 calories, compared to the 75 or so calories per glass of wine. So if you drink four beers, that’s 60 grams of carb potentially being stored as fat—and 600 extra calories. Ouch. That’s going to take you at least an hour of cardio to burn off. —Becky Holman www.X-tremeLean.com

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LIFT BIG TO GET BIG Build Incredible Pressing Power and Bulletproof Shoulders Unfortunately, shoulder injury is one of the major reasons trainees have to sacrifice gains on many of the most important strength- and mass-building exercises— from bench presses to chins to pulldowns. You’ll be amazed at how much better your shoulders feel and how much more weight you can hoist once you start training your rotator cuff muscles regularly and properly with the powerful info in The 7Minute Rotator Cuff Solution. You’ll learn: •How the rotator cuff muscles work. •Specific rotator cuff exercises. •The best and safest stretching exercises. •Exercises you should avoid. •Specific training programs. •Rehab routines for sportsspecific injuries. •Bodybuilder’s injuryprevention routine. •Detailed biomechanics to pathology.

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Food Facts

Hydroxycut Hardcore X

With all the hoopla surrounding Hydroxycut in the media lately, its latest incarnation has the bodybuilding world buzzing. The bottom line is that it’s safe and radically effective. The MuscleTech research and development division has worked tirelessly, examining medical journals, third-party research studies and countless technical documents looking for scientifically valid ways to stimulate a powerful thermogenic response. In their pursuit of developing the ultimate thermogenic formula, those expert scientists found potent raw materials and reviewed advanced delivery technologies. That takes time and effort, but the results are well worth it. Some of the brightest and most knowledgeable minds in the sports nutrition industry found the data they were looking for and began to assemble what is now Hydroxycut Hardcore X. Hydroxycut Hardcore X is formulated with a key ingredient shown to dramatically elevate human norepinephrine. Norepinephrine is unquestionably one of the body’s most important fat-breakdown hormones. “As a bodybuilder, I know that achieving powerful thermogenesis is absolutely critical,” says Branch Warren, one of bodybuilding’s most revered pros—and one with arguably the tightest conditioning ever seen on an IFBB stage. “And Hydroxycut Hardcore X is what I will now be using to get competition ready.” The foundational ingredient of Hydroxycut Hardcore X has been shown to elevate resting metabolic rate and increase intensity levels, which, research Branch suggests, provides the Warren. type of metabolic help that individuals need to burn through more calories. Team MuscleTech is committed to bodybuilding and scientific excellence—and Hydroxycut Hardcore X reflects that. Dedication to technology, an uncompromising philosophy of pursuing perfection, and the brand’s long history of delivering strong thermogenic results—it’s easy to see why hardcore athletes will greet this product with enthusiasm. “I’ve been a part of Team MuscleTech for a long time now,” says two-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler, “and I know that only the best was used to create Hydroxycut Hardcore X.” Hydroxycut Hardcore X is now available at GNC, GNC Rite Aid, www.Bodybuilding.com and other fine retailers. For more information, visit www.HydroxycutHardcoreX.com or www.MuscleTech.com.

That can affect your workouts, weight and wellness • B-vitamins can lower homocysteine levels, which have been linked to heart attack risk. The key B-vitamin is folate; you need about 800 micrograms per day. • Potassium appears to lower blood pressure. Many older trainees worry about high blood pressure risk from lifting weight, so this mineral may help. Sources include bananas,

Merv

Fat-Burning Breakthrough

avocados and peaches. • Soup can help you lose weight. Research shows that starting a meal with a light broth-based soup can help you eat less at the meal that follows—up to 20 percent fewer calories. • Breakfast is a must for weight loss. Studies show that subjects who eat at least 400 calories at the first meal of the day signal the body that it’s not in starvation mode, which releases fat for more energy. • Asparagus an aphrodisiac? Apparently. It’s rich in vitamins E and B6 and folate, which can boost arousal and orgasm. • Magnesium deficiency may be the cause of some muscle pain and spasms after a workout. Try a combination calcium-magnesium supplement to reduce postworkout pain. —Becky Holman www.X-tremeLean.com

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

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Phosphatidylserine (PS) I was surprised when I cracked open this little plain-Jane booklet and found it packed with interesting information on everything from overtraining to ATP to stress to muscle soreness to anabolic steroids. The authors are Edmond R. Burke, Ph.D., and Thomas D. Fahey, Ed.D., both key researchers on a lipid known as phosphatidylserine, or PS. That’s precisely why the booklet is so interesting—because all of those subjects are tied to what PS does. So what is PS and what does it do? It’s a “phospholipid found in cell membranes and derived from soybeans.” The amazing thing about it is that it’s been shown in a number of studies to reduce cortisol, which is the stress hormone that can cause your body to use muscle tissue for energy. One of the reasons anabolic steroids work so well at building muscle is that they negate the effects of cortisol. Does that mean that taking PS can give you the same results as taking steroids? Probably not, but, according to the authors, it’s been shown to reduce cortisol by more than 30 percent in hardtraining athletes—and that means more muscle! PS isn’t good only for your muscles; it’s also good for your brain. In the section on PS and aging, Burke and Fahey discuss research that shows how it works as a brain nutrient—that is, sharpening mental focus and counteracting some of the cognition loss associated with aging. That ancillary benefit is no doubt also related to suppressing cortisol, which has been linked to degraded brain function. You may have read about research that links PS to improved testosterone counts. Although this booklet was written years ago, Burke and Fahey discuss that benefit as well: “PS helps stop the rise in adrenocorticotrophin hormone (ACTH) after exercise that leads to lower testosterone and increases in

)$7 /266 On the Juice Vegetable juice, that is. A recent study found that overweight subjects who drank at least one cup of low-sodium V8 vegetable juice each day for 12 weeks lost four times as much weight as subjects on the same diet who didn’t drink the juice. Researchers believe the juice produced a full feeling, so those who drank it ate less. Plus, it contains many antioxidants linked to fat loss. —Becky Holman www.X-tremeLean.com

Promise for Athletic Performance

cortisol.” That’s very important for bodybuilders looking to build the most muscle possible—and burn fat. Testosterone, after all, has been shown help burn belly fat. The authors also go into detail on the General Adaptation Syndrome of stress developed by Dr. Hans Selye, tying in the cortisol factor. The exhaustion stage in Selye’s model is when overtraining sets in, and PS can help prevent that. Burke and Fahey discuss ways of recognizing overtraining and the effects of muscle soreness. They cite a study showing that PS can actually reduce muscle soreness after a hard workout, another bonus. At the end of the booklet Fahey and Burke discuss PS as an alternative to anabolic steroids. It’s information that may open your eyes and your anabolic receptors without your having to resort to dangerous drugs—and the perfect conclusion to a booklet full of interesting bodybuilding science and information. —Becky Holman Editor’s note: Phosphatidylserine (PS): Promise for Athletic Performance is available for less than a buck at Home-Gym.com. The popular PS supplement Cort-Bloc is also available there.

+($57 +($/7+ Egg-cellent Food

Let’s hope the egg controversy is over. Recent studies show that eggs do not raise blood cholesterol or pose a heart risk. In fact, in a recent study healthy adults ate a whole egg every day for 12 weeks. Result: High-density-lipoprotein cholesterol—the good kind—increased as much as 48 percent. It could be the lecithin in the eggs, which has been shown to raise HDL. —Becky Holman www.X-tremeLean.com

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BOOKS

w w w. h o m e - g y m . c o m (#266) by Dick Tyler $19.95. West Coast Bodybuilding scene. 1965-1971 The Golden Era. One of the most dynamic eras in bodybuilding. All the greats are here, in words and many rare photos. 399 pgs

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Product-Specific Science Have you ever wondered how companies “prove” the claims listed on their products? The vast majority borrow thirdparty data to support their claims. For instance, even though virtually all companies claim to have proprietary blends of this and that, very few of them actually test those blends. In fact, most of them make claims based on the science published on a single ingredient in the formula. So when companies actually do research on their actual product, we as consumers should applaud them. Below are a couple of studies, published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (www.jissn.com), showing that, indeed, certain products do work as claimed by the brand. Scientists led by the leading muscle physiologist, Darryn Willoughby, Ph.D., determined the effects of 28 days of heavy resistance exercise combined with the nutritional supplement NO-Shotgun on body composition, muscle strength and mass, markers of satellite cell activation and clinical safety. Men trained four times per week for 28 days while also taking 27 grams per day of a placebo or NO-Shotgun 30 minutes prior to exercise. What happened? Some amazing things. The NO-Shotgun group experienced greater gains in mass and total muscle protein, as well as a ginormous increase in the myogenic regulatory factors, or MRFs. In fact, this was the first study on a finished product to demonstrate MRF gains. No significant differences were found in any of the whole blood and serum clinical chemistry, which is an index of the product’s safety. In case you’re wondering, MRFs are proteins that regulate myogenesis, which is the creation of new muscle tissue. The investigators also found that satellite cells—stem cells of skeletal muscles involved in the repair of damaged muscle as well as making muscle fibers bigger—were activated with this preworkout supplement. By turning those cells on, you turn on the molecular and cellular machinery of muscle hypertrophy. For bodybuilders that’s a damn good thing—imagine a supplement that turns on the genetic machinery of a cell! The authors concluded that “NO-Shotgun effectively increases muscle strength and mass [and] myofibrillar protein content, and increases the content of markers indicative of satellite cell activation.”1 Another investigation sought to test the effectiveness of the dietary supplement BounceBack on delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS, after standardized eccentric exercise.

They discovered that subjects taking BounceBack capsules for 30 days experienced a significant reduction in standardized measures of pain and tenderness following eccentric exercise compared to those who did the same exercise but took a placebo. This product also appears to have a good safety profile.2 —Jose Antonio, Ph.D. Editor’s note: Jose Antonio, Ph.D., is the CEO of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (www.theissn.org) and is a sports science consultant to VPX/Redline.

References 1 Shelmadine, B.; Cooke, M.; Buford, T.; et al. (2009). Effects of 28 days of resistance exercise and consuming a commercially available preworkout supplement, NO-Shotgun®, on body composition, muscle strength and mass, markers of satellite cell activation, and clinical safety markers in males. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 6(1):16. 2 Udani, J.K.; Singh, B.B.; Singh, V.J.; and Sandoval, E. (2009). BounceBack capsules for reduction of DOMS after eccentric exercise: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover pilot study. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 6:14.

64 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Ah, Nuts! One popular snack food can be a godsend for bodybuilders. I’m talking about nuts, which are calorie dense and loaded with healthful fats. For hardgainers, or any offseason bodybuilder looking to boost the numbers on the scale or the tape measure, a few servings of nuts a day— between meals, with protein shakes or even as a dessert to finish off a meal—can be an excellent choice. You have to be very careful with nuts, though, once your goal shifts to losing bodyfat. I stumbled onto that discovery last year while trying to figure out why my older brother, who was supposedly eating a strict diet and doing his cardio, wasn’t dropping any bodyfat. The culprit turned out to be nuts, and I also had to admit they were stymieing my own fat-loss goals. I get the big plastic jars of mixed nuts from Costco, and BJ’s sells its own version. Just a quarter cup has 200 calories, a full 150 of them derived from fat. I’d average two servings a day of a half cup each. Let’s do the math: • Daily: 800 calories—600 from fat

If you’re trying to gain muscle and need the calories, great! If your aim is to lose bodyfat, not great. You must burn 3,500 calories to shed a pound of fat, and that meant well over a pound of fat each week that I was not losing. It would also take an hour of intense cardio—every day—for a guy of 210 to 220 pounds just to make up for the nuts. So if it’s your off-season and you want to grow, chow down. If you’re attempting to get lean, just say no to nuts, and snack on lower-calorie items. One tasty alternative I recently discovered is dry-roasted edamame, or soybeans, also available at wholesale warehouses like Costco. A quarter-cup serving has 30 calories, only 40 of them from fat. And, while the nuts provide only a single gram of protein per serving, roasted soybeans deliver 14 grams—a very simple and delicious way to bump up your total protein intake. So don’t go nuts with eating nuts—unless you need the calories. —Ron Harris Editor’s note: Ron Harris is the author of Real Bodybuilding, available at www.RonHarrisMuscle.com.

• Weekly: 5,600 calories—4,200 from fat

(OFSHZ Rinse for More Reps Ever feel that you’ve hit a wall about halfway through your workout? Rinse to revive and keep on repping. Researchers found that exercisers who merely rinsed their mouths with a sports drink trained harder afterward. Apparently, just the taste of carbs can spark the brain’s movement and pleasure centers to give you new energy, so if you’re watching calories, rinse but don’t swallow. —Becky Holman

*22' )$7 Up Your Absorption An Ohio State University study found that subjects absorbed almost five times more of the cancer-fighting nutrient lycopene in tomatoes when they were eaten with avocados. The healthy fat in avocados apparently helps you absorb some nutrients more effectively. —Becky Holman

66 DECEMBER 2009

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PERFECT POSTWORKOUT MEAL

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

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72 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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GRIND OUT THE GROWTH REPS™ Beta-Alanine Gives Your Muscles More Grow Power™ The biggest bodybuilders know that the last few grueling reps of a set are the key growth reps. It’s why they fight through the pain of muscle burn on every work set-—so they trigger the mass-building machinery. But sometimes it’s not enough; the burn is too fierce. Fortunately, there’s now a potent new weapon in this massive firefight to help you get bigger and stronger faster. Red Dragon is a new beta-alanine supplement that packs your muscles with carnosine—up to 60 percent more. Muscle biopsies show that the largest bodybuilders have significantly more carnosine in their fast-twitch muscle fibers than sedentary individuals for good reason: Carnosine buffers the burn to give muscles more “grow power” on every set. The bigger and stronger a muscle gets, the more carnosine it needs to perform at higher intensity levels. You must keep your muscles loaded with carnosine to grow larger and stronger. It all boils down to intensity and the ability to buffer waste products—hydrogen ions and lactic acid—so the muscle doesn’t shut down before growth activation. Straight carnosine supplements degrade too rapidly to reach the muscles; however, more than 20 new studies document that beta-alanine is converted to carnosine very efficiently. All it takes is 1 1/2 grams twice a day, and you’ll see new size in your muscles and feel the difference in the gym—you can double or triple your growth-rep numbers! Imagine how fast your size and strength will increase when you ride the Dragon! Note: Red Dragon™ is the first pure carnosine synthesizer—so powerful it’s patented. It contains beta-alanine, the amino acid that supercharges muscle cells with carnosine.

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Train, Eat,

Grow Muscle-Training Program 122

From the IRON MAN Training & Research Center by Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson Photography by Michael Neveux

Model: Will Harris

e frequently talk about ebb and flow to grow, or what we call phase training. That’s four to six weeks of all-out training followed by a one-week downshift in intensity—usually stopping all work sets two reps short of failure. The medium-intensity week gives our muscles and nervous systems a chance to regroup, and we often see noticeable mass increases during that week and/or after. To be honest, we’re not always good at following the protocol. Our motivation usually gets the best of us, and we’ll go a few months without a downshift phase. When we do finally take it, though, it works wonders—and we usually slap our foreheads, muttering, “Why didn’t we do that sooner?” In fact, phase training was one of the key principles that helped Jonathan pack on 20 pounds of muscle in 10 weeks back in the ’90s when he was the beta-test subject for the Size Surge program.

Size Surge Regurge If you’ve been reading our stuff for a while, you know all the details of the Size Surge experiment—but we need to regurgitate some of the important things that occurred during that project to make a point. Keep in mind that it was 10 weeks and that Jonathan’s first five weeks consisted of workouts made up of simple, big, basic moves. We classify that type of program as an anabolic primer because it gets the hormones surging and the muscles ready for a more concentrated attack in phase 2. He did four all-out weeks followed by a downshift week—the fifth—during which he used the same anabolic-primer program, but he backed off on every exercise, stopping about two reps short of failure. For the second five weeks he used Positions of Flexion, which upped his volume on each bodypart as well as trained each muscle through its full range with a midrange-, stretch-

and contracted-position exercise. For example, chest work would be bench presses for midrange, flyes for stretch and cable crossovers for a contracted-position hit. Once again, he did four weeks of all-out training followed by one backoff week. That regimented phase-training approach worked extremely well, especially with the volume uptick. We mention his increase in volume because that’s another key principle that we haven’t really discussed: over-reaching, or overshooting.

Overshooting Overshooting occurs when you apply either a sudden or gradual increase in volume—almost overtraining—then cut back significantly to let the muscles supercompensate and fill out. In other words, more mass occurs quickly as the muscles regenerate from the excess workload—and bodyfat continues to melt away. We use the overshoot technique

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ DECEMBER 2009 73

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(You can check out those past editions free at www.XRep.com in the X Files section.) It’s exciting stuff! You’ve gotta subscribe Learn how to make curls three times more effecitve at building eye-popping bi’s. See issue 03/04/05. today so you can start building the muscle size you deserve for your sweat and effort in the gym. You’ve got nothing to lose and plenty of raw muscle to gain! Here’s what to do...

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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):

Muscle-Training Program 122

IRON MAN Training & Research Center Muscle-Training Program 122

Workout 1: Chest, Calves, Abs Smith-machine Smith-machineincline inclinepresses presses (X x 9, 7(5) set) (XReps, Reps,drop)2 drop on second High Highcable cableflyes flyes High Highcable cableflyes flyes(drop, (drop,XXReps) Reps) Wide-grip Wide-gripdips dips(X(XReps) Reps) Superset Superset Wide-grip Wide-gripdips dips Dumbbell Dumbbellbench benchpresses presses Low Lowcable cableflyes flyes Cable Cablecrossovers crossovers(drop) (drop) Leg press Leg presscalf calfraises raises(drop, (drop,XXReps) Reps) Tri-set Tri-set Standing Standingcalf calfraises raises Machine donkey Machine donkeycalf calfraises raises Hack-machine Hack-machinecalf calfraises raises(X(XReps) Reps) Superset Superset Machine Machinedonkey donkeycalf calfraises raises Standing Standingcalf calfraises raises(freehand) (freehand) Superset Superset Hanging Hangingkneeups kneeups(X(XReps) Reps) Incline Inclinekneeups kneeups(X(XReps) Reps) Giant Giantset set Ab AbBench Benchcrunches crunches(X(XReps) Reps) Full-range Full-rangetwisting twistingcrunches crunches Crunches Crunches(freehand) (freehand) End-of-bench End-of-benchkneeups kneeups(X(XReps) Reps)

Workout 3: Quads, Hamstrings, Lower Back

2 x 9, 7(5) 11xx10-12 10-12 11xx10(6) 10(6) 11xx99 11xx8-10 8-10 11xx8-10 8-10 11xx10-12 10-12 11xx10(6) 10(6) 11xx15(8) 15(8) 22xx12-20 12-20 22xx9-12 9-12 22xx7-10 7-10 11xx12-15 12-15 11xx25-30 25-30 11xx12-15 12-15 11xx8-10 8-10 11xx9-12 9-12 11xx9-12 9-12 11xx9-12 9-12 11xx9-12 9-12

Workout 2: Back, Forearms Pulldowns(X (XReps) Reps) Pulldowns Superset Superset Pulldowns Pulldowns Parallel-gripchins chins Parallel-grip Superset Superset Dumbbellpullovers pullovers Dumbbell Undergrippulldowns pulldowns Undergrip Superset Superset Undergrippulldowns pulldowns Undergrip Roperows rows Rope Machinerows rows(X (XReps) Reps) Machine Superset Superset Machinerows rows Machine Shoulder-width-gripcable cablerows rows Shoulder-width-grip Behind-the-neckpulldowns pulldowns(drop, (drop,XXReps) Reps) Behind-the-neck Superset Superset Shrugs Shrugs Nautilusroll-back roll-backshrugs shrugs Nautilus Superset Superset Cableupright uprightrows rows Cable Cablehigh highpulls pulls Cable Superset Superset Alternatedumbbell dumbbellfront frontraises raises Alternate Cable high rows Cable high rows Cablereverse reversecurls curls(drop, (drop,XXReps) Reps) Cable Superset Superset Dumbbellreverse reversewrist wristcurls curls(X(XReps) Reps) Dumbbell ForearmBar Barreverse reversewrist wristcurls curls Forearm Superset Superset Dumbbellwrist wristcurls curls(X (XReps) Reps) Dumbbell ForearmBar Barwrist wristcurls curls Forearm Rockers(drop) (drop) Rockers

11xx99 8-10 11xx8-10 8-10 11xx8-10 8-10 11xx8-10 8-10 11xx8-10 8-10 11xx8-10 8-10 11xx8-10 11xx99 8-10 11xx8-10 8-10 11xx8-10 10(6) 11xx10(6) 8-10 11xx8-10 8-10 11xx8-10 8-10 11xx8-10 8-10 11xx8-10 8-10 11xx8-10 1 x 8-10 1 x 8-10 10(6) 11xx10(6) 12 11xx12 8-10 11xx8-10 12 11xx12 8-10 11xx8-10 17(9) 11xx17(9)

Leg extensions extensions (warmup) (warmup) Leg Machine hack hack squats squats (X Machine (X Reps) Reps) Superset Superset Machine hack hack squats squats Machine Leg presses presses Leg Superset Superset Leg extensions extensions Leg Sissy squats squats (X Sissy (X Reps) Reps) Superset Superset Leg extensions extensions (X (X Reps) Leg Reps) Dumbbell walking Dumbbell walking lunges lunges Hyperextensions (X Hyperextensions (X Reps) Reps) Superset Superset Hyperextensions Hyperextensions Stiff-legged deadlifts Stiff-legged deadlifts Leg curls curls (drop, (drop, X X Reps) Reps) Leg Wide-stance leg leg curls curls (drop, Wide-stance (drop, X X Reps) Reps)

18-20 11xx 18-20 10 11 xx 10 8-10 11 xx 8-10 8-10 11 xx 8-10 9-12 11 xx 9-12 8-10 11 xx 8-10 9-12 11 xx 9-12 1 12 1 xx 12 10-12 11xx 10-12 8-10 11 xx 8-10 8-10 11 xx 8-10 9(5) 11 xx 9(5) 9(5) 11 xx 9(5)

Workout 4: Delts, Triceps, Biceps Smith-machine behind-the-neck Smith-machine behind-the-neck presses (X (X Reps) Reps) 8-10 presses 11xx8-10 Superset Superset Smith-machine behind-the-neck 8-10 Smith-machine behind-the-neck presses presses 11 xx 8-10 Seated dumbbell dumbbell presses 8-10 Seated presses (X (X Reps) Reps) 11 xx 8-10 One-arm lateral lateral raises 8-10 One-arm raises 11 xx 8-10 Superset Superset One-arm cable cable lateral lateral raises 8-10 One-arm raises 22 xx 8-10 Leaning one-arm one-arm lateral 8-10 Leaning lateral raises raises 22 xx 8-10 Superset Superset Overhead lateral lateral raises 8-10 Overhead raises 11 xx 8-10 Forward-lean lateral 8-10 Forward-lean lateral raises raises 11 xx 8-10 Bent-over lateral lateral raises 10, 15 15 Bent-over raises 22 xx 10, Dumbbell close-grip close-grip Dumbbell bench presses presses (X (X Reps, Reps, drop drop)on 2 x 10, 8(4) bench Superset second set) 2 x 10, 8(4) Lying extensions 1 x 8-10 Superset Cableextensions pushouts 8-10 Lying 11 xx 8-10 Superset Cable pushouts 1 x 8-10 One-arm kickbacks 1 x 8-10 Superset One-arm kickbacks reverse-grip pushdowns 8-10 One-arm 11 xx 8-10 Preacher curls or undergrip chins 8-10 One-arm reverse-grip pushdowns 11 xx 8-10 Superset curls or undergrip chins Preacher 1 x 8-10 Preacher curls or undergrip chins 1 x 8-10 Superset Cable curls 8-10 Preacher curls or undergrip chins 11 xx 8-10 Concentration 9(6) Cable curls curls (drop) 12xx8-10 Superset Concentration curls (drop) 2 x 9(6) Incline hammer curls 1 x 8-10 Superset Cable hammer 8-10 Incline hammercurls curls 11 xx 8-10 Seated raises (X Reps) 21xx15, 12 Cablecalf hammer curls 8-10 Seated calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 15, 12

Note: For an up-to-date look at our daily workouts, visit the X-Training Blog at www.X-Rep.com.

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Muscle-Training Program 122

when we’re getting ready for our yearly photo session, although we sometimes hold the peak volume, or highest number of sets, too long due to rampant motivation. Lots of competitive bodybuilders do the same thing before a contest, gradually doing more and more—but they usually don’t back off early enough or long enough for the full size effects to occur; typically, they back off only the last two or three workouts. (Note: Steroidenhanced bodybuilders can continue to recover from just about any amount of high-intensity work for long periods if they take enough stuff, so they don’t need to back off much, if at all.) The trick is to overshoot just long enough that you almost overtrain, then ratchet back the volume to make way for new gains. In Jonathan’s Size Surge example he added volume after five weeks, but you can also increase volume gradually every week or two rather than all at once—a stairstep method. Increasing volume little by little over a number of weeks may enable the body to better adapt and grow, decreasing the chances of an overtraining regression—although using one larger-volume surge worked well for Jonathan too. Model: Omar Deckard

The trick is to overshoot just long enough that you almost overtrain.

Stairway to Mass Let’s use the biceps workout we started with this year when we began using the X-Rep Power-Density Mass Workout: Preacher curls Dumbbell curls (10x10 style) Incline curls (drop) Concentration curls

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

After a couple of workouts we added a heavy set of preacher curls but reduced the 10x10-style dumbbell curls to 3x10. That extra heavy set provided more trauma—and a very slight workload uptick. Three workouts after that we added undergrip pulldowns and a

drop set on concentration curls. Now our biceps routine looked like this: Preacher curls 3 x 8-10 Dumbbell curls (10x10 style) 3 x 10 Superset Incline curls 1 x 8-10 Undergrip pulldowns 1 x 8-10 Concentration curls (drop) 1 x 9(6) Two workouts after that we added another superset of incline curls and undergrip pulldowns—doing two superset rounds instead of one. That was peak volume—about 12 sets—which we held for only two workouts. Then we started down the volume ladder, moving back to the routine listed above—pulling back to one superset instead of two. We held to that volume for about three workouts, then made a big reduction in an attempt to accelerate extreme muscle supercompensation, fullness and vascularity...

Preacher curls or undergrip chins (drop on second set) 2 x 9, 7(4) Cable curls 2 x 15, 12 Concentration curls (drop) 2 x 9(6) Our muscles began to get even bigger and rounder, giving a tight-skin feeling. We made one more small reduction in the biceps routine— it’s in the arm workout on page 74: Preacher curls or undergrip chins Superset Preacher curls or undergrip chins Cable curls Concentration curls (drop)

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1 x 8-10

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

Muscle-Training Program 122

We may reduce the sets on the last exercise, concentration curls, to one drop set instead of two. That would put us at the same volume—five sets—as when we reduced volume the last few weeks during our first X-Rep year; that’s when the concentration-curl photo of Jonathan on page 81 was taken. It obviously worked well! The stair-step approach to overshooting is kind of a watch-andadjust scenario. Keep in mind that during the above example our calories were dropping and our cardio was increasing, so it was a real bob and weave to avoid overtraining. In fact, I’m not sure we completely

succeeded, as we were dragging at some workouts. We won’t know the final results till we get in the studio under Mike Neveux’s dramatic lighting in a few weeks.

Density-Exercise Overview In the past few installments of TEG we’ve been stressing that getting density on the opening big exercise is important. For example, in the above biceps routines we used a 10x10-style sequence, drop sets or supersets to get that longer-tensiontime effect. Density methods are designed to emphasize the endurance

side of the key 2A muscle fibers, something Arnold did frequently with his backoff sets on his first big exercise. We’ve also found that ending with a big pump encourages more gains. That’s something Eric Broser has embraced with his Fiber Damage/Fiber Saturation method. While heavy free-weight work is usually best for your opening exercise, to end a bodypart routine you should use an exercise that keeps tension on the muscle throughout the range of motion. A longer tension time is mandatory, but so is occlusion, or blocking blood flow. In most cases that means cable work. For example, in our biceps work-

IRON MAN Training & Research Center Home-Gym Program 122

Workout 1: Chest, Calves, Abs Low-incline Low-inclinepresses presses(X(XReps, Reps,drop) drop) Bench Benchpresses presses Incline setsecond drop) set) Inclineflyes flyes(second (drop on Superset Superset Decline Declineflyes flyes Pushups Pushups Donkey Donkeycalf calfraises raises(drop, (drop,XXReps) Reps) One-leg One-legcalf calfraises raises(double (doubledrop) drop) Superset Superset Hanging Hangingkneeups kneeups(X(XReps) Reps) End-of-bench End-of-benchkneeups kneeups(X(XReps) Reps) Superset Superset Full-range Full-rangecrunches crunches(drop) (drop) End-of-bench End-of-benchkneeups kneeups

Workout 3: Quads, Hamstrings, Lower Back

22xx10, 10,8(5) 8(5) 22xx10, 10,8(5) 8(5) 22xx10, 10,9(6) 9(6) 11xx8-10 8-10 11xx8-10 8-10 11xx15(8) 15(8) 22xx15(10)(7) 15(10)(7) 1 x12-15 x 12-15 11xx8-10 8-10 1 x10(8) x 10(8) 11xx8-10 8-10

Workout 2: Back, Forearms Chins Chins(X (XReps, Reps,drop) drop) Superset Superset Dumbbell Dumbbellpullovers pullovers Undergrip Undergriprows rows Bent-over Bent-overbarbell barbellorordumbbell dumbbell rows rows(X (XReps, Reps,drop) drop) 2 x 10, 8(5) Bent-arm Bent-armbent-over bent-overlaterals laterals(drop) (drop) Shrugs Shrugs(X (XReps, Reps,drop) drop) Superset Superset Barbell Barbellupright uprightrows rows Alternate Alternatedumbbell dumbbellfront frontraises raises Reverse Reversecurls curls(drop) (drop) Tri-set Tri-set Dumbbell Dumbbellrockers rockers Behind-the-back Behind-the-backwrist wristcurls curls Reverse Reversewrist wristcurls curls

Leg extensions extensions (warmup) Leg Squats (drop) Squats Superset Superset Dumbbell squats Dumbbell Sissy squats Sissy Superset Superset Leg extensions extensions Leg Dumbbell walking lunges Dumbbell Hyperextensions (X Reps) Hyperextensions Superset Superset Hyperextensions Hyperextensions Stiff-legged deadlifts Stiff-legged Leg curls curls (X (second set drop, X Reps) Leg Reps, drop)

20 11xx 20 10,8(5) 8(5) 22xx10, 10-12 11xx10-12 10-12 11xx10-12 10-12 11xx10-12 10-12 11xx10-12 10-12 11xx10-12 8-10 11xx8-10 8-10 11xx8-10 9,9(6) 9(6) 22xx 9,

Workout 4: Delts, Triceps, Biceps

22xx10, 10,8(5) 8(5) 22xx8-10 8-10 22xx8-10 8-10 2 x 10, 8(5) 11xx10(6) 10(6) 11xx12(8) 12(8) 11xx8-10 8-10 11xx8-10 8-10 11xx10(6) 10(6) 11xx12-17 12-17 11xx10-12 10-12 11xx10-12 10-12

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

Dumbbellpresses presses(X (XReps, Reps,drop) drop) Dumbbell One-arm lateral raises One-arm lateral raises Superset Superset Inclineone-arm one-armlateral lateral raises raises Incline Leaninglateral lateral raises raises Leaning Bent-overlaterals laterals Bent-over Close-grip benchpresses presses(drop) (drop) Close-grip bench Superset Superset Declineextensions extensions Decline Overhead extensions Overhead extensions Superset Superset Kickbacks Kickbacks Benchdips dips Bench Preachercurls curls or or undergrip undergrip chins chins Preacher Incline curls Incline curls Concentrationcurls curls (drop) (drop) Concentration Superset Superset Inclinehammer hammercurls curls Incline Hammercurls curls Hammer Seatedcalf calfraises raises Seated

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10,8(5) 8(5) 22xx10, 1 x 8-10 1 x 8-10 8-10 22xx8-10 8-10 22xx8-10 10,15 15 22xx10, 2 x 10, 8(5) 2 x 10, 8(5) 8-10 11xx8-10 1 x 8-10 1 x 8-10 8-10 11xx8-10 8-10 11xx8-10 10,8(5) 8(5) 22xx10, 1 x 8-10 1 x 8-10 10(6) 11xx10(6) 8-10 11xx8-10 8-10 11xx8-10 12-17 22xx12-17

Muscle-Training Program 122

Cables do a

better job

Model: Tony Jones

of keeping tension on the target muscle.

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Model: Jonathan Lawson

outs you’ll see concentration curls as the last exercise, two drop sets; however, we found that doing a set of concentration curls followed immediately by a set of one-arm cable curls produced a much bigger pump—because the cables do a better job of keeping tension on the target muscle. The same with triceps. We found that supersetting onearm kickbacks with one-arm pushdowns worked better than a drop on two-arm kickbacks. Or we would do a set of onearm reverse-grip pushdowns, rest for 10 seconds, then do standard one-arm pushdowns—a double-barrelled cable attack. That rest/pause technique is great for creating a big pump, as blood rushes in during the 10 seconds, right before you blast the muscle again for another bloodbath burst.

We’re starting to alter all of our bodypart routines to finish with a continuous-tension cable move for either a drop set or higher reps. It’s a better way to get more blood flow to grow. To see how our workouts are evolving, visit our training blog at X-Rep.com. If you want to explore more about workout density, see our new e-programs, The X-traordinary X-Rep Workout and The Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout, available as instant downloads at X-traordinaryWorkouts .com. Editor’s note: For workout and nutrition features, the latest e-zines and our X-Blog training and supplement journals, visit www.X-Rep .com. One of the best-selling e-workout programs is shown below. IM

Unleash the New Bigger, Leaner You Quick Fat-Hacking, Muscle-Packing Weight Workouts, Minimal Cardio Required Fact: It takes you six hours of fast-paced cardio to burn one measly pound of fat. There’s a better way, courtesy of the bodybuilders of yesteryear— you’ll be frying fat 24/7. You can use weight training to speed fat transport and muscle up the fat-burning “machine” in your cells; plus, you’ll enhance the primary fat-burning hormone by more than 200 percent as you build muscle (you’ll get granite abs sooner, not later).

Give your physique that “wow” factor with fieldtested, science-based methods that will get you bigger and leaner faster; you’ll be proud to peel off your shirt at the beach, lake or pool to reveal the new bigger, leaner you. Choose the three-days-perweek Fat-to-Muscle Workout or the four-days-per-week version in this e-book; print it out, hit the gym, and get it done in about an hour.

Instant E-book Download at X-REP.com Free download from imbodybuilding.com

by John Hansen, Mr. Natural Olympia

Ripping Up After 40 so low my body is shutting down? I work from home, so outside the exercise I’ve been doing, I’m not very active. A: I think you hit the nail on the head when you said, “This was much easier in my 20s.” As you’re discovering, our bodies change as we get older, and what used to work no longer does. The main difference is that our hormone levels change as we age. Specifically, testosterone and growth hormone decline after our 20s. Since testosterone is responsible for strength and muscle mass and growth hormone regulates fat deposition, you can see how the decline in those two important hormones can have a negative effect on our physiques. Of course, exercising and following a good nutrition program can help overcome the natural changes. Weight training helps maintain and build more muscle by creating a demand for those muscles. Without that demand, muscles atrophy from both nonuse and the testosterone decline. Following the right diet is also crucial in maintaining a youthful look. Fat accumulates much more easily than it did when we were younger. Foods that formerly had no effect on us now add pounds of unwanted fat. Although you’ve lowered your calorie count to only 2,100 per day, you may still be eating too much carbohydrate. Unfortunately, even complex carbs like brown rice, oatmeal and wholewheat bread can contribute to fat storage as we get older. You mentioned that 45 percent of your daily calories come from carbohydrates. That’s 236 grams a day along with 236 grams of protein and 50 grams of fat. At a bodyweight of 236 you’re eating one gram of protein and one gram of (continued oncarbohypage 102) drate for each pound of bodyweight. If you change the distribution of your macronutrients to fewer carbs, you can

Our testosterone and growth hormone decline after our 20s. That can have a negative effect on our physiques. 84 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Neveux \ Model: John Hansen

Q: I’m 38 years old and have been seriously dieting for about four weeks. My weight is 236, and I’ve been getting 2,100 calories per day on average, trying to lose fat while building muscle. I’m also doing moderate cardio for 45 minutes a day five days per week, walking on the treadmill at an average rate of 4.5 miles per hour. I’ve been maintaining my diet at 45 percent complex carbs, 45 percent protein and 10 percent fat. I give myself Saturday and Sunday to cheat a little, but not anything more than maybe 3,500 calories max per day. I’ve also been weight training intensely approximately four to five days per week. I know I’ve gained muscle, but I don’t feel that I’m losing fat as quickly as I should. I’ve cut back on the cardio a bit this week, but I see no difference on the scale or when I measure my waistline. This was much easier in my 20s. I was wondering what you recommend. Are my calories

1$785$//< +8*( Rest Days radically change Protein: 350 the look of your grams physique without Carb: 177 cutting calories. grams In fact, you might Fat: 50 grams be able to increase Calories: 2,558 the calories that you take in while You can see still getting leaner. that you’d get 400 If you increased to 500 calories your protein inmore than you take to 1.25 or 1.5 get now. That grams for each doesn’t matter, pound of bodythough, because weight, you’d be your carbohygetting 295 to 354 drate intake is grams per day. much less. The That would promacronutrients vide your muscles make more difwith more amino ference in your acids to keep your physique than body in a more the calorie intake. positive nitrogen You could balance as well probably reduce as help keep your your cardio to blood sugar more only three to four stable. It’s also imdays a week. If portant to increase you did cardio your protein intake first thing in the when you start Cycling carbohydrate is an effective morning on the decreasing your way to preserve or even build muscle days you don’t carbs. as you lose bodyfat. train, that would A low-carb diet bring it down will eventually to three days a lead to muscle loss week. Try that bebecause we need fore you add more cardio because I think the reduction in carbohydrate for energy during workouts. When you don’t your carb intake will give you the results you’re looking for. get enough carbs, your body sacrifices muscle for energy— The only other suggestion I would make is to be careful although the increased protein intake helps to prevent that. with your “cheat days.” I usually won’t cheat at all when I’m By cycling your carbohydrate intake, you can reduce fat trying to lose fat because it puts me behind. I gain some deposition while maintaining your energy and muscle size. weight and add size to my waist for a couple of days after You eat more on the days you train and less on your rest my cheat, and it takes several more days just to get my days. That way you’re essentially “starving” the fat cells; by weight and waist down to what they were before I cheated. increasing carbohydrates on your training days, you help If I don’t cheat, I’m getting leaner instead of trying to get restore the muscle glycogen that you use during training, back to what I was before I cheated. When you get older, and you have more energy available for your workouts. you can’t cheat as much and get by with it the way you Restoring glycogen in muscle cells is a crucial part of buildcould when you were younger. ing muscle and recovering from workouts. I recommend that you reduce your carbohydrate intake to a little less than one gram for each pound of bodyThe ’09 ABA Natural weight—.95—on the days that you train and go down to .75 North America Championships carbs per gram of bodyweight on the days you don’t work For the third year in a row I promoted the ABA Natural out. For your bodyweight of 236 you’d be eating 224 grams North America Championships in Bolingbrook, Illinois. of carb on your training days and only 177 grams on your The contest took place on August 1, 2009, at Bolingbrook rest days. If you trained four days a week, your carb intake High School. Our special guest performer was the awesome per week would average 204 grams a day—much less than Jennifer Abrams, one of the top natural female bodybuildthe 236 you’re taking in now. ers in the country. She won the ABA Natural Illinois ChamPutting it all together, this is what your new diet would pionships earlier this year, and she’s one of the favorites for look like: the Natural Olympia Championships in Chicago in 2010. The Natural North America Championships is part of Training Days the ABA/INBA organization. The overall winners are now Protein: 295 grams eligible to compete in the Natural Universe and Natural Carb: 224 grams Olympia Championships. The Natural Olympia will be held Fat: 60 grams on October 17 in Queensland, Australia, and the Natural Calories: 2,616 Universe will take place on November 14, 2009, in Los 86 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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1$785$//< +8*( Grand Masters (50-59) 1) Jeff Weeden Ultra Grand Masters (60-69) 1) Art Miller Overall Masters Men 1) Jeff Weeden Women’s Open 1) Jessica Olson, 2) Karen Johnson Masters Women 1) Karen Johnson Bikini Diva 1) Heather Frystak, 2) Samantha Lyle, 3) Jennifer Ericksen

Thomas Anderson, men’s open overall winner.

Ms. Fitness 1) Stacy Kvernmo, 2) Shannon Goering Figure Open 1) Brittany Ramsey, 2) Jessica Olson, 3) Jennifer Ericksen, 4) Samantha Lyle Masters Figure Bobbie Kongsgaard Teenage Men 1) Kris Carver, 2) Wali Khan, 3) Yanni Souyoutizidis, 4) Drew Milliken Junior Men (ages 20-21) P.J. Geldenhuis Novice Men Short: P.J. Geldenhuis Tall: Michael Orwig Overall: P.J. Geldenhuis Masters Men (40-49) 1) Stan Sayler, 2) Larry Johnson, 3) Jamie Johnson

Men’s Open Short: 1) Thomas Anderson, 2) Ron DeBry, 3) P.J. Geldenhuis Tall: 1) Michael Orwig, 2) Gary LeBeau, 3) Larry Johnson Overall: Thomas Anderson I want to sincerely thank all my sponsors for helping to support natural bodybuilding and fitness. My main sponsors were Optimum Nutrition and American Bodybuilding, along with IRON MAN magazine (all the overall winners received a one-year free subscription compliments of John Balik), JM Steel, Pride Nutrition, Nutrition Discounters, Capitol Nutrition and the Vitamin Shoppe. Rufus Austin

Angeles. The men’s overall contest was extremely tough. The incredible Thomas Anderson, the overall winner in last year’s contest and a class winner at the ’08 Natural Olympia, returned this year to win the title again. He was pushed hard by 52year-old Ronald DeBry from Salt Lake City. Ronald was ripped and vascular, but Thomas’ overall shape and proportion were just enough to give him a four-to-three majority from the judges. The highlight of the evening came when some legends of bodybuilding appeared onstage for a special presentation. Nineteen sixty-six AAU Mr. America Bob Gajda, ’64 Most Muscular Man Bill Seno and three-time Mr. Olympia Sergio Oliva—“the Myth”—were all on hand to receive a standing ovation. Here are the results of the ’09 ABA Natural North America Championships:

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 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.HomeGym.com. Listen to John’s new radio show, “Natural Bodybuilding Radio,” at www.NaturalBodybuildingRadio .com. You can send written correspondence to John Hansen, P.O. Box 3003, Darien, IL 60561. IM

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by IFBB Pro Dave Goodin

Sprinting, Fat Loss and BCAAs sions at about 65 to 70 percent of my max heart rate for 30 to 45 minutes. I usually do a fast walk—4.0 to 4.3 miles per hour—and burn between 200 and 300 calories during the exercise bout. While I don’t expect those sessions to elevate my metabolism for hours, I’m quite certain that I’m not back down to baseline in three minutes. Often I do multiple cardio sessions per day so that my daily expenditure during the cardio bouts averages about 500 calories a day. That alone is enough to burn a pound of bodyfat a week. I’m against using high-intensity exercise to burn off fat during contest preparation. My weight-training sessions are so intense that doing more high-intensity work for fat burning dramatically cuts into recovery from my weight workouts. I lose strength, and my joints get very sore. Second, the risk of injury is much greater on high-intensity conditioning work. About 10 years ago I decided that doing sprints would be good for my legs and for burning a lot of calories. On my second day of sprinting—even though I did a very thorough warmup and hadn’t even gotten up to a full-speed sprint yet—I tore a hamstring. The following year one of my top pro bodybuilders asked me about doing sprints for conditioning. I recommended against it and told him my story. He did it anyway and tore a hamstring. Last year

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Neveux

A couple of weeks ago, as I was preparing for the NPC Europa Super Show, I posted a status update on Facebook stating that I was off to do cardio. I received a comment on my status that asked, “Do you ever see any buff sprinters doing cardio? No. They stay lean and muscular from doing high-intensity work.” Because I’m very busy with my contest prep and training my clients, I didn’t respond. I just didn’t have time to get into an exchange of words about my contest-prep strategy. I posted another status update that said I’d had a great shoulder and arm workout and had one more cardio session to do. The same gentleman posted the following comment: “Dave, cardio promotes gluconeogenesis, or loss of BCAAs [branched-chain amino acids] from the very muscles you’ve worked hard to build as part of the metabolic damage induced. Boxers, gymnasts, sprinters, speed skaters and others NEVER do CARDIO to get ripped: Their training keeps them that way. Cardio recovery occurs in three minutes while MET will keep metabolism high for four to 24 hours postworkout.” Now, I’m a very easy-going dude. But I have more than 3,000 friends on my Facebook account—most of them fans—and getting called out about my tried-and-true contest preparation on my own profile page (not once, but twice) really got under my skin. I hate to argue, but as it happened, I was needing a good topic for my column. The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the post about buff sprinters was that I’d gladly compete on a bodybuilding stage against Hussein Bolt, Tyson Gay or Carl Lewis in his prime any day of the week. While those amazing athletes are lean and relatively muscular—and would make me look like I was backing up if I had to race them—I’d make them look like toothpicks in a physique contest. They all look “buff” on camera, but they carry nowhere near the amount of muscle relative to their frame that a good competitive bodybuilder carries. On TV you see the best sprinters in the world—the guys and gals loaded with a ridiculously high percentage of fast-twitch fibers. They have the best coaches and best nutritionists—and sometimes the best pharmacologists. I’ve seen some very good high school sprinters who weren’t anywhere close to ripped. Besides, guess what? I don’t want to look like a sprinter anyway. One more thing: When I was a sprinter, we did cardio. Let’s move on to the second point: Cardio promotes gluconeogenesis and loss of BCAAs. Gluconeogenesis is the conversion of protein into carbohydrates when glycogen stores are depleted. I’m not a fan of the low-carbohydrate diet because I don’t want to deplete my glycogen stores to the point where my body converts protein into glucose. In high-intensity exercise glucose is the primary energy source, so glycogen stores are used at a faster rate. During moderate-intensity cardio, carbohydrates are burned as the primary source of energy for the first few minutes, but as exercise continues a great percentage of the fuel comes from fat. Gluconeogenesis will occur if aerobic exercise is continued for long enough that glycogen stores become depleted. To avoid that situation, I keep most of my cardio ses-

Mary Hobbs, an outstanding national-level bodybuilder, was in tremendous shape and tore a calf muscle sprinting ramps in preparation for the USA Championships. The risk is too great when you’re just weeks from a contest, your bodyfat is extremely low and you’re subsisting on restricted calories. Frequent but relatively brief moderate-intensity cardio from which I can easily recover is best. I think my weight-training sessions are enough to elevate my metabolism for hours. Concerning the loss of BCAAs, it’s so hot here that when I go out to do my walks, I always carry a bottle of water. Even though I think my cardio sessions are short enough that I’m not tapping into BCAA pools, I add two scoops of Xtend, a BCAA supplement by Scivation, to my water, just to be on the safe side. Now, getting back to what kind of athletes “never do cardio,” while I don’t see any reason for gymnasts to do cardiovascular exercise in their training, they do have to control their bodyweight, and my understanding is that they generally do that through diet. Once again, whenever we see gymnasts on TV, we’re seeing the best in the world. Those young men and women are extremely lean, but if you go to a high school or college gymnastics meet, you’ll see that not all gymnasts are ripped. The statement that boxers and speed skaters never do cardio was just ignorant. The professional boxers that I know personally do a great deal of running. And speed skaters never do cardio? Are you kidding me? The racing distances in speed skating range from 500 to 10,000 meters. Racing at 10,000 meters requires a great deal of cardio. What bothered me most was that I was being told on my profile page that I’m going about my contest preparation all wrong by someone who—to my knowledge—has never donned posing trunks. I’m in the midst of my 27th year of bodybuilding competitions, and, considering my record, I think I deserve a little more respect than that. I’ve been using the same basic precontest strategy very successfully for 27 years with little tweaks from year to year. I’m not a huge guy, even off-season, yet over the past 15 years I’ve won 18 titles— nine of my wins were in international competitions—in 32 contests, taken 10 second-place trophies, three thirds and one fourth, my lowest placement in the past 15 years.

I’ve used the same strategy to help many clients win bodybuilding and figure titles over the years. With just a quick glance around my office I count 24 champions I’ve trained—all of them drug-free athletes. In 2007 three top-level WNBF pro natural bodybuilders contacted me to see how I get so ripped yet retain so much muscle. These were athletes who were all placing in the top three at the WNBF Pro Natural Universe and Pro World Championships. Following my advice, 54-year-old Joan Lopez won the ’07 Pro Universe. Brian Whitacre won the lightweight class at the ’07 Pro World Championships. Jim Cordova won the middleweight and overall titles at the ’07 Pro World Championships. And ’05 Pro Natural World Bodybuilding champion Nancy Hanna was also a client of mine. My point is that my system works—not just for me but for many others. My plan is simple: Use weight training to build and shape your muscle, and use diet and cardio to reduce your bodyfat to ridiculously low levels for competition. The first thing I tell everyone I work with is that you want to do as little cardio as you can get away with while dropping bodyfat at the rate that you need to drop. Being able to prepare for a show with no cardio is the ideal scenario because then you have more energy to use in recovery from your weight training. In my experience, though, that’s seldom the case. My strategy of using a basic weight-training program, along with a high-protein, moderate-carb, relatively lowfat diet and a sensible amount of moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise works extremely well for me and all of the clients I’ve trained who were diligent about following the plan. If your body can tolerate high-intensity conditioning and that gets you shredded, then by all means get after it. Please, though: Don’t call me out publicly. You might end up getting talked about in IRON MAN. Notice I didn’t mention any names—the gentleman who wrote the comments is a friend of mine and is a pretty sharp guy. Editor’s Note: See Dave Goodin’s blog at www.IronMan Magazine.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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by Steve Holman

Max Contraction and Pro-Style Workouts

A: I think Max Contraction—holding a weight in the contracted position till failure occurs, usually anywhere from 10 to 50 seconds—is a great ancillary method to use in your workouts for variation and new adaptation. In fact, Jonathan Lawson, my training partner, and I use and highly recommend StatC and StatS, which are end-of-set static holds in the contracted position and stretch position on contracted-position and stretch-position exercises, respectively.

A lot of the great research results on static contraction are based on strength increases, which occur rapidly in untrained individuals, primarily because that method is a great neuromuscular efficiency builder. Nerve force improves rapidly, as it does with any type of similar isometriccontraction work. You get stronger but not much bigger, although some tension-induced hypertrophy occurs in the endurance components of the key 2A fibers due to occlusion, or blood-flow blockage. Little is a respected colleague, and we think he truly believes in his system because he sees a lot of strength gains occurring in his clients. He probably chalks up lack of muscle mass to lack of desire or bad bodybuilding genetics that the average person supposedly has. He is right in that muscle is very hard to build for most trainees, but.... We think there are ways around many genetic roadblocks for those who do want to build bodybuilder-type physiques. I’ve demonstrated that ability with my transformation from a 120-pound stick figure to a ripped 200pound bodybuilder. Positions of Flexion and X Reps were

Holding the contracted position will get you stronger but not much bigger, although some tension-induced hypertrophy occurs in the endurance components of the key 2A fibers due to occlusion. 96 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Neveux

Q: What’s your take on John Little’s Max Contraction training? I mean, come on—a 10-second full-body workout once a week? What about eventual adaptation? Or weak-point ROM? Or fascia stretching? And he just walked away from the last, latest, greatest thing since sliced bread, power factor training, which he cowrote. Like Mike Mentzer’s “reason-derived, science-backed” writings, this seems to be another case of something that looks good on paper, but.... Any thoughts?

Q: I just want to thank you. I’ve gained five pounds of solid muscle in less than two months, and it’s all because I started using some higher-rep sets. I got X-Rep Update #1 and read the chapter on Jay Cutler’s training [“Mr. O’s Wild X-O Workouts”] and realized that even the biggest bodybuilders don’t use heavy low-rep sets all the time. That’s your PowerDensity theory, right? A: As Jonathan and I mention in that chapter, Jay does

tend to pyramid the weight up over a number of sets, but his reps rarely fall below 12. And we timed many of his sets. On his last, heaviest set of incline flyes, for example, his time under tension was 31 seconds. That’s a long set. In fact, watch not-sobig bodybuilders train in the gym and see if their sets even Jay Cutler’s extraordinary mass is the make it past the 20-second mark. result of heavy weight training as well as longer tension times on most sets. On elbows-flared pushdowns his reps were 17, 13 and 12 and ended with Double-X Overload-style hitches before the last few reps of some of those sets. That is, he double-pumped at the top, semistretch point, or X Spot, for extra fiber activation. Rarely do Cutler’s reps go below double digits, and his tension times are usually at least 25 seconds per set. That’s important. As we discuss in our new e-program, The Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout, the latest research has found that the biggest bodybuilders have muscles dominated by type 2A muscle fibers. Those fibers have both anaerobic and aerobic capabilities—so you must train with some power and endurance to get maximum, extreme size increases. Jay accomplishes that by pyramiding the weight, using longer tension times, incorporating X-Only sets and using the Double-X Overload technique for max fiber activation. It works. He’s also currently experimenting with Hany Rambod’s FST-7 method for even more density. [More on that in the Q&A below.] Merv

the key. It’s my humble opinion that Max Contraction, like Heavy Duty, simply doesn’t address all of the layers of muscle growth necessary to pack on maximum mass—including total fiber activation, max-force generation, full-range of motion and stretch overload. It takes a lot to get the body to break free from homeostasis. You essentially have to beat down Mother Nature’s need to keep your body the same. To be fair, Little’s Max Contraction training is one of the methods we talk about in the X-Rep story at the X-Rep .com homepage. It led us to the X-Rep-partials method, and X Reps helped take our physiques to the next level of mass development. I have an open mind, and I’m a big believer in Bruce Lee’s adage, “Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.” Jonathan and I embraced Max Contraction but adapted it so that it works for us. So thumbs-up to Little for all the research and effort and for fueling the thought process, but we know it takes more than one 10-second static contraction every few weeks for a muscle to grow to an extraordinary size.

Cutler’s rep range rarely moves into the single digits, and most of his sets last longer than 25 seconds.

Neveux

Q: I see a lot about FST-7 training, which is seven sets of an exercise done at the end of a bodypart routine in 10x10 style. Isn’t that just using what you’ve been saying all these years and slapping a fancy name on it? A: FST-7 is Hany Rambod’s training system, and he says that doing the quick seven sets with higher reps at the end of a bodypart routine stretches the fascia, which makes for more muscle growth. The stretching effect is due to the muscle pump you get at the end. That may be true to an extent, but as I’ve been saying for years, you need to train the endurance components of every muscle to get extreme growth—and that’s really what FST-7 does. Here’s a quote from the e-book 3D Muscle Building, the Positions-of-Flexion manual we put out back in 2006, before FST-7 www.ironmanmagazine.com \ DECEMBER 2009 97

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&SJUJDBM 0BTT of the power components during the 10x10 weeks. Jonathan and I are proof that it works. At the beginning of ’09 we each gained eight pounds of muscle after switching to a program similar to The Ultimate 10x10 Mass Workout, but using 10x10 exclusively for many bodyparts. As we said, that enabled the muscles’ power components to supercompensate as we focused on and built the endurance facets. Most bodybuilders are hardwired to believe that heavy weights are the only requirement for size. Not true, as the new study on muscle fibers demonstrates. The dominant type in the biggest bodybuilders is the fast-twitch 2As—just what we hypothesized back in 2006 in 3D Muscle Building. By using all-heavy training all the time, most bodybuilders miss out on the endurance, or density, side of the growth coin. When they move to training that contains some density-type moves, they get a growth surge—as we did with 10x10 and as many are with FST-7. So, yes, FST-7 is a good way to stimulate new gains, but it works primarily because it trains both sides of the key type 2A muscle fibers—the ending sevens on an isolation exercise provide a decisive density segment. Our contention is that you should also have a density segment for the big, compound exercises—as Arnold did with his “burnout” sets—because those movements involve the most muscle fibers. And the more fibers you activate, the larger the muscle will get. Our method, explained in The Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout, provides power for compound and isolation exercises, as well as density for both. No matter how you accomplish it, you need power and density for muscle immensity. It’s the combo for growing massive! Neveux \ Model: Abbas Khatami

Don’t use all-heavy lower-rep training all the time or you miss out on the endurance, or density, side of the growth coin. That’s because the dual-capacity 2A fibers are the key to extreme muscle size.

was around. “The 2As [which have both a power and endurance component] are king. With low-rep training, all of those 2As don’t develop to their full capacity because they aren’t being stressed enough from an endurance standpoint. They only get anaerobic stress. Critical excess development from endurance-oriented stress doesn’t occur.... “In other words, with lower reps you’re only getting half the 2As’ growth potential—the anaerobic part.... You can stress both facets of the muscle cell for a double-layered size effect. Does that mean low reps don’t build muscle? No, they’ll build muscle, but the growth will be limited till the endurance capacities of the fast-twitch fibers are developed.” That’s why all of the best mass-building programs contain an endurance-training component: Eric Broser’s Power/Rep Range/Shock (in the RR and S weeks), FST-7 (the last seven quick sets performed in 10x10 style), Positions of Flexion (the last contracted-position exercise is usually performed with higher reps), heavy/light (during light workout). You can also emphasize power for a few weeks, then move to endurance for a few weeks, doing, for instance, all10x10 workouts. That method produces extreme growth in the endurance facets of the 2As while allowing full recovery

Editor’s note: Steve Holman is the author of many bodybuilding best-sellers and the creator of Positions-of-Flexion muscle training. For information on the POF videos and Size Surge programs, see the ad sections beginning on pages 138 and 248, 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 Bornâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Episode 53

Judg

102 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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ment

Day

Part 1

by Ron Harris

Photography by Michael Neveux

t had been nearly a year since I had sat down with Randy and drawn up a plan for him to compete in his next contest—and nab his first win—a full eight pounds heavier in all the right places than he’d been at his debut. Thanks to a stroke of luck, he actually had more time to prepare for the show than we had previously thought he would. The contest was supposed to be held in mid-September, but the promoter had been forced to scramble for a new venue. For the previous couple of years he had been holding his events at a very nice but very stuffy college theater. And I don’t mean stuffy as in needing better ventilation, but rather stuffy as in, “I say, my good man, what the deuce were you thinking when you decided to wear that horrendous ascot?” Seems that a janitor cleaning up after the June bodybuilding event had found an empty whiskey bottle beneath one seat, and—horrors!—the remains of a smoked joint in a bathroom stall. Heavens to Betsy, alcohol and marijuana in a college, where students live chastely and devote themselves to study! Outraged school officials

declared bodybuilding fans a pack of degenerate hooligans and banished them. Meanwhile, all of Randy’s hard training, strict dieting and putting up with a pompous, overbearing bastard like me had come down to one day, and it was here at last. This was a pretty big regional show, second only to the New England in terms of overall numbers, quality and prestige. More important, it featured novice divisions, which gave my protégé a fighting chance to take home the glory. Weigh-ins and competitor registration were scheduled to take place at 9 a.m. I’d told Randy I’d meet him there shortly after. It was about an hour’s drive north of our area. When I showed up at a little past 9:30, he was freaking out. “Where were you, Ron? I’ve been here since 8:30!” His eyes, slightly sunken in his drawn face, were wild. “Calm down, calm down. The prejudging doesn’t even start until noon. What’s the rush?” “Look at all these guys!” he hissed, eyes darting back and forth as if we were in a den of sleeping vipers that would attack at the

slightest noise. What I saw brought back memories of the nearly two dozen contests I’d competed in since 1989. Camped out and spaced nearly evenly around the dimly lit auditorium were what looked to be about 70 male and female competitors and their entourages, which included significant others and coaches— sometimes one and the same in the case of the women. They looked like refugees. They wore sweats and track suits, with feet propped up on the chairs in front of them. Some dozed or at least tried to. The stench of Pro Tan was thick in the air. To paraphrase Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore in “Apocalypse Now,” I love the smell of Pro Tan in the morning. Smells like…victory. Actually, to me it always meant that it was time to get up there and show what you’d been working your butt off for over the past few months. To me, that alcohol-tinged aroma meant, “Let’s get it on. Bring it!” Randy didn’t seem to share that enthusiasm but appeared overly edgy and nervous. I was starting to wish I’d given him the go-ahead to bring that bottle of cheap wine, so

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Judgment

Day

he could take a few pulls and chill the hell out. “How you feelin’, kid?” “Thirsty,” he rasped. He was exaggerating a bit. I’d instructed him to drink a gallon of water the previous day but to stop all fluid intake at 9 p.m. Since his body was still in the mode of flushing water out thanks to the sodium loading and depleting process, it would continue to shed excess fluid long after he stopped drinking it. I had roughly estimated that he’d take the stage around 1 p.m., meaning that 16 hours would have passed since he stopped fluids. That should be about right, from my experience. Much longer than that, and he’d just flatten out, no matter how many carbs he ate. I say he was exaggerating because I knew there were always a few competitors who took the water elimination to dangerous extremes, going 24 or even 48 hours without drinking prior to the contest. As the body, including the muscles, is composed of roughly 70 percent water, I never thought that was smart—not that I never tried that brainless strategy. Back in 1993 I took the advice of a Collegiate Nationals winner—who had clearly not majored in premed—and dehydrated myself for close to three days before a show. Did I forget to mention he also advised me to sit in a sauna for 30 minutes, twice a day, on the Thursday and Friday leading up to Saturday’s event? Imagine my horror when I saw that my bodyweight had dropped from 176 to 158 pounds in

over that, then a big hooded sweatshirt over that. You couldn’t tell if the guy choking on a plain rice cake in the back row was 150 pounds or 250. The “psych-out” was effective only until it was time to weigh in, because you had to do that in your posing trunks, and nothing else. It had never ceased to amaze me how many of the dudes I had been intimidated by as mass monsters turned out to have a whole lot less mass once I saw their actual physiques. Sometimes it reminded me of those little wooden Russian dolls within dolls. The women’s fitness and figure competitors had already registered. Since they would compete in height classes, they weren’t required to weigh in. “Women’s novice bodybuilding!” an NPC official yelled out into the auditorium. A lone woman, a pretty blonde in her late 20s or early 30s, sauntered up onstage where the scale and tables were set up to record your weight, assign you a competitor number and badge, and collect your posing music. I looked around for stragglers, but apparently she was the only one. “Congratulations, you win!” I hollered, and a few people chuckled. She’d won by default. That had never happened to me, though there were times in the past when I’d envied such luck. Hey, as long as no one else knew you’d

Apparently he’d been awake since 4 a.m. and had been eating a small bowl of oatmeal and half a yam every hour on the hour. that brief time. Hitting poses during prejudging was a challenge, as I felt weak as a kitten with the flu and ready to pass out. I really knew I’d taken dehydration too far when I drank an entire pitcher of water with my meal between prejudging and the night show, yet didn’t urinate so much as a drop—SpongeRon, that’s how dry I was. I was also so woozy under the bright stage lights, you could have told me I lived in a pineapple under the sea. My kidneys were probably looking like prunes too. “Who do you think’s in my class?” Randy continued in that conspiratorial whisper that was starting to irritate me. I looked around with him. There was no way of telling how big anyone was. The contestants either wore clothes that were so loose they could have been smuggling an extra coach under there, or looked as if they’d been planning on climbing Everest. A lot of the men especially were dressed in multiple layers to create an illusion of greater size; a couple of T-shirts, a sweatshirt

Since his body was still in the mode of flushing water out thanks to the sodium loading and depleting process, it would continue to shed excess fluid long after he stopped drinking it. 104 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Judgment

Day

been the only one in the class and didn’t have to beat anyone, you could proudly—maybe not too proudly—list that as one of your titles. If this gal were also crossing over to the women’s open, as Randy was doing today in the men’s, she would have some real competition. There were about 10 other women bodybuilders scattered around the seats, and I recognized a few as athletes I’d seen do very well in previous shows. The officials took care of her, and then we heard the call for the novice lightweight men. There were only two novice classes, for those over and under 175 pounds. Ten men went up to register for the lightweight class. I was a bit surprised, but then again, our area hadn’t had a novice division in any of its events for many years. “Man, I am so nervous,” Randy said. “Just relax,” I told him in my most soothing tone. “You’ve done everything you could possibly do. All the hard work is over; now it’s just time to have fun and let the judges sort you guys out.” About 10 minutes later, which I’m sure felt like 10 hours to Randy, we heard the call for novice heavyweights. I was very curious to see the guys Randy would be up against, but I was more interested to see what he weighed. Apparently he’d been awake since 4 a.m. and had been eating a small bowl of oatmeal and a half a yam every hour on the hour. We hadn’t discussed weight in more than a week, and he’d been right around 200 then. Six other guys shuffled to their feet and made their way to the stage with Randy, who was doing his best to check them out without being obvious—

Judgment Day was upon Randy now, and this time he was prepared.

and failing miserably. As first in line he was the first to strip down to his trunks and step on the digital scale. The guy weighing him announced the weight to the other official, who was sitting next to him and recorded it. They were too far away and talking too softly for me to hear anything. “195!” Randy shouted to me, not caring that he was making a spectacle of himself. He pumped his fist in the air. “Yes!” That was 11 pounds heavier than he’d been at his first contest the year before—and with better condition. Our goal had been an eight-pound gain, but thanks to a lot of heavy training and a lot of good eating, he’d exceeded my expectations. Even from this distance I could see how much improved his upper chest, biceps and calves were. I could also see the grin fixed on his face as he put his clothes back on and watched the rest of his class weigh in. A couple of them

were clearly not in the proper condition. They looked as if they needed at least another month to get as lean as they were supposed to be. There was only one man who dwarfed Randy in size, but Randy was much leaner and better balanced than the guy, who had very little back development and hams that were far behind his quads. That was evident just from seeing him in trunks for maybe 90 seconds. There was one Latin guy I thought would be the one to give Randy the most trouble. Other than that, the kid had a really good shot today. As for the open light heavyweights, we wouldn’t see them for another 20 or 30 minutes, but Randy would certainly look like he belonged this time around. Judgment Day was upon Randy now, and this time he was prepared.

At 195 that was 11 pounds heavier than he’d been at his first contest the year before, and in better condition. 106 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Editor’s note: Ron Harris is the author of Real Bodybuilding: Muscle Truth From 25 Years in the Trenches, available at www .RonHarrisMuscle.com. IM

Presents

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The

Anabolic Fat-

Blasting Diet

The Ultimate Eating Plan for Maximizing Muscle Gain and Fat Loss by Mark McManus Photography by Michael Neveux

Model: Ahmad Ahmad

s strange as it may sound, you can mimic the effects of anabolic steroids by implementing a few secrets of anabolic nutrition. I’m not saying that you’ll see the same gains as a ’roidhead; you won’t. No natural diet will replicate the effects of anabolic steroids. Your results, however, will far surpass anything you are currently experiencing, and that’s a promise. The following nutritional strategy will revolutionize your bodybuilding life. Friends, I have no interest in hyperbole or B.S. This nutritional strategy works. It took me years to find it, implement it correctly and reap the rewards. I had to find out for myself how to build lean muscle mass while keeping fat accumulation at bay. It was well worth the effort, though. Please note that this method takes planning and commitment. You also want to make sure your workouts are up to par by implementing a well-thought-out training plan. Before I go any further, I want to credit a few people as sources of great information and inspiration: Mauro Di Pasquale, Anthony Colpo, Gary Taubes, Dr. Michael Eades, Dr. Robert Atkins and Paul Cribb. www.ironmanmagazine.com \ DECEMBER 2009 111

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Fat-Blasting Why This Bodybuilding Diet Is the Best So how can this nutritional strategy produce massive muscle gains? It increases anabolic hormones in the body in the same way that steroids do. The only difference is, it’s safe and natural. The diet will naturally maximize your body’s production of testosterone, growth hormone and insulinlike growth factor 1. Sounds good, doesn’t it? You’ll also have controlled insulin spikes, which enable your body to experience a strong release of growth hormone and insulin at the same time. That doesn’t usually happen, and you’ll see extremely impressive muscle gains as a result.

How? Well, you get hungry—just like a growing child. See how causality has been reversed? It’s no longer... Excess Calories = Muscle Growth Instead, it’s... Anabolic Hormones = Muscle Growth, which will drive your appetite and provide sufficient calories. Don’t get me wrong. You need calories to build muscle, but it’s important to understand the chain of causality. Calorie intake isn’t something you need to labor

What Causes Muscle Growth? We’ve been told over and over again that the driver of muscle hypertrophy is excess calories; you must eat more calories than you expend to encourage muscle growth. I’m going to hypothesize something a little controversial. Calories are also an effect, not just a cause. Think of a growing child. Are we to assume that vertical growth is caused by excess calories? I think that the release of growth hormone is what makes a child grow, and that in turn causes the child to eat more. We have posited causality the wrong way around. The traditional advice from bodybuilding gurus is to eat everything in sight to increase muscle size. They usually recommend high-carb diets laden with oats, protein-and-fruit shakes, wholegrain bread, potatoes and rice, whether white or brown. Worse still, they often recommend a lowfat diet. Hey, I thought you were trying to grow some serious muscle. If so, you’re gonna want to keep the fat intake up. If I’m right, then what we want to devise is a nutritional strategy that ignites the release of anabolic hormones. In turn, the hormones let us know when and how much to eat.

over; that will cripple your life. Let your body dictate your food intake. The best calorie counter is your stomach. When you’re hungry, eat; when you’re not, don’t eat.

This plan requires that you eat a highprotein, high-fat, lowcarbohydrate diet for five and a half days.

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I average around 27 grams of carbohydrates per day for the 5 1/2 days. Breakdown of the Bodybuilding Diet This plan requires that you eat a high-protein, high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet for 5 1/2 days. Then for 36 hours you carb up. The high-protein, high-fat part of the diet sparks the increase in blood levels of testosterone, GH and IGF-1. As you will be keeping your carbohydrates low for most of the week, your body will become a fatburning machine. At the beginning of the diet your body will undergo a metabolic shift and start to burn fat as its primary source of energy. That can take as little as two days and as long as 14 days for some people. The vast majority of you, however, will become fat-adapted by the end of your first 5 1/2 days. The advantages:

Increasing insulin through a carb-loading period is beneficial: • It helps shuttle amino acids into muscle cells. • It increases protein synthesis in skeletal muscle. • It encourages glycogen supercompensation, meaning that it replenishes muscle glycogen to fuel workouts.

Growth Hormone and Insulin You’ll also reap the anabolic effects of increasing insulin, growth hormone and testosterone at the same time. Usually when insulin increases, the others decrease and vice versa. It seems that the fat-adapted body sees the intake of high carbs at the weekend as a

• Increased lipolysis, or breakdown of fat

• Decreased catabolism, meaning muscle protein is spared from breakdown

Insulin Isn’t Your Enemy

Model: Tony Breznik

• Decreased lipogenesis, or production of fat

Regular low-carb dieters want to avoid spikes in insulin, but a controlled spike will do a bodybuilder a world of good. You’ll use a 32-to-36-hour window—weekends are good for this—to deliberately cause an insulin spike. Insulin can make you fat, no doubt about it. It has a dramatic effect on decreasing lipolysis; insulin regulates fat metabolism, so having a large amount of it means that your body won’t give up its fat stores for energy. It shuts the gates to your stored bodyfat, ensuring that it can’t be released and used for energy. Even so, insulin is not the bodybuilder’s enemy. 114 DECEMBER 2009

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Fat-Blasting Low-CarbDay Menu

This is how I eat on a typical day from Sunday to 6 p.m. on Friday: 6:30 a.m. 3 to 5 scrambled eggs Decaf coffee Splenda 10 a.m. Low-carb tortilla Chicken Cheese Mayo Protein bar 1 p.m. Low-carb tortilla Tuna Cheese Protein bar 4:30 p.m. Vegetables Steak or pork Butter Ranch dressing 7 p.m. 40 grams whey protein isolate 5 grams creatine monohydrate 5 grams glutamine

Model: Sean Harley

9:00 p.m. Nuts Ice cream Splenda Protein bar

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Fat-Blasting stressful situation and releases growth hormone as a survival mechanism. Increased growth hormone is your body’s way of mobilizing energy stores to deal with the stressful situation, which means you can get elevated insulin and growth hormone simultaneously—welcome to muscle-building heaven.

Traditional High-Carb Muscle-Building Diets On a high-carb diet—usually recommended for the bulking phase of a bodybuilding lifestyle—insulin counts are chronically elevated. You therefore don’t get the edge of maximum release of testosterone, growth hormone and IGF-1. On the high-carb approach you also prevent your body from using bodyfat for fuel and encourage the storage of new bodyfat. Result:

• You’ll lose fat without sacrificing lean mass when cutting. • Decreased lipolysis

Your carb threshold can be defined as the lowest possible daily carbohydrate intake that lets you function optimally. Because we’re concerned with building muscle, we need to find the lowest daily carb count that will enable you to not only feel good but also hammer out muscle-building workouts that continually improve week after week. I recommend you start out at 30 grams per day and adjust from there. Don’t make any changes to that for at least a week because you need to make the metabolic switch to burning fat for fuel first. Once that’s completed, you’ll be able to tell from your workout performance whether you need more carbs. If you do, increase in five-gram-per-day increments. I average around 27 grams of carbohydrates per day for the 5 1/2 days. Some days I take in 35 grams but on others just 20 grams. Going higher or lower is fine; just check your weekly averages. That small amount of carbohydrate is enough to power me through some amazing workouts. I’ve got loads of energy and feel great.

• Increased lipogenesis Not good news, friends. What the anabolic nutritional strategy does is take advantage of the anabolic properties of insulin and, at the same time, restrict its fattening properties. The bodybuilding diet will keep insulin steady and low most of the time, but you’ll also be creating carefully timed spikes for explosive muscle growth.

Your Unique Carbohydrate Threshold This bodybuilding diet is tailormade for your unique metabolic type; it’s not a one-size-fits-all diet. You’ll find your unique carb threshold. Result: • You’ll gain muscle without fat.

Model: Marvin Montoya

Model: Tony Bresnik

Postworkout Nutrition Some of you may be wondering about postworkout carbs. There is simply no need for the astronomical load of postworkout carbs a lot of people take in. Do I advise getting some postworkout carbs? Yes, a little. Postworkout carbs aren’t magical, and you must count them in your daily totals. I usually take around 10 grams of glucose postworkout and 15 grams after a particularly grueling two-bodypart workout. If, for example, I work my abs alone, I don’t need postworkout carbs. Getting some protein (40 grams or so), cre-

There is simply no need for the astronomical load of postworkout carbs a lot of people take in. Free download from imbodybuilding.com

Fat-Blasting There is a way to increase anabolic hormones in the body in the same way that steroids do. atine (five grams) and L-glutamine (three to five grams) does the trick. I remember being advised years ago that I needed around 60 to 100 grams of postworkout carbs to encourage muscle hypertrophy. It’s no surprise that I got fat. Also remember that creating daily insulin spikes will have an adverse effect on growth hormone, so follow this to the letter.

Your Carb-Up Period Don’t worry; you can enjoy your life after being so strict during the week. Have some pizza, Chinese, whatever you feel like. It isn’t an excuse to go completely nuts, but let your hair down a little. Take your woman out for a meal, have some beers with the guys, and rest assured that you’re actually benefiting. There’s no reason to eat past satiation. Let your gut decide how much to eat. I limit the junk meals to two and the rest of the time I eat a mostly high-carb, moderate fat, moderately low-protein diet. There is no real carb limit. The key is just to watch the time it takes for you to begin to smooth out, or lose definition. It may take a little bit of experimentation at first, and it will be different for everyone—32 hours works great for me. You’ll notice that every week you go through a minicycle of being bigger and smaller. That’s just due to fluctuating water in your body. When you begin to follow a lowcarb diet, you’ll flush out some water—perfectly natural. Continually monitor your weight in conjunction with your bodyfat. If you notice that by Saturday afternoon you’re smoothing out too much, you know that you’ll have to limit your carb-up period to 24

hours; keep monitoring and adjusting as necessary. Will you get fat if you eat too many calories on the low-carb, weekday section? In a word, no. It’s different from when you’re cutting, but for gaining muscle and simply maintaining your current bodyfat, it’s nearly impossible to gain fat with this anabolic nutritional strategy. Remember that insulin is key; you’ll be keeping insulin very low for the majority of the time. I’d also like to borrow from Dr. Michael Eades’ blog, to illustrate the point. “These type 1 diabetics have no insulin, so they can’t really stuff fat into their fat cells. And they are breaking protein down, converting it to glucose and urinating it away. They are voraciously hungry and eat, eat, eat, but they can’t store any fat.... Their fragile situation demonstrates that in the absence of insu-

lin it’s virtually impossible to gain weight. “After following a low-carb diet for a while, our overweight patients lower their insulin levels, so, as with type 1 diabetics, it is difficult for them to store fat as well. They crank up all the futile cycling, elevate levels of uncoupling protein synthesis and increase proton leakage to dissipate the excess energy they’re consuming, but they don’t store it as fat... If you start throwing back the carbs, however, you will lose this advantage.” I hope you can now see the huge benefit of eating this way. The bodybuilding world is still largely clueless about it. I urge you to take advantage of this knowledge. Editor’s note: For more articles by Mark McManus, visit www .Bodybuilding.com. IM

You can enjoy your life after being so strict during the week. Have some pizza, Chinese, whatever you feel like.

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DARE Dream

The Fitness Industry Is Head Over Heels for Jennifer Nicole Lee by Lonnie Teper Photography by Michael Neveux Hair and makeup by Katie B.

ail box full, try back another time. Again. And again. What the heck did I expect? Getting hold of Jennifer Nicole Lee these days is about as easy as finding a cure for male-pattern baldness. Married with children. Fitness celebrity. Author. CEO of a multimillion-dollar empire, JNL Inc. Creator, partner and designer of the Ab Circle Pro, currently ranked as the highest-selling piece of exercise equipment in the world. Certified life coach. Team Elite BSN athlete. Champion bikini competitor. Up to 200 pounds after the birth of her second son, she now carries 126 to 130 pounds of sexy muscle on a curvy 5’8 1/2” frame. Jennifer is recognized in more than 100 different countries, and her commercials have been dubbed into more than 20 languages. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock the past six months or so,

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Jennifer Nicole Lee you’ve seen Jennifer do her thing on the top-rated interactive shopping channel HSN, which reaches as many as 90 million homes. Or you’ve seen some of the 30 magazine covers she has graced, including the one on the front of this issue. Or you’ve seen her on “Oprah,” E! Entertainment network, “Inside Edition” or “The Early Show.” Lee is to high energy and motivation what Clint Eastwood is to box office longevity. Her most impressive feat to date, however, took place during her photo shoot with Michael Neveux.” The 30-something human conglomerate glided up the step machine— easily—in four-inch heels! LT: You’re our December ’09 cover model, but you shot with Michael back in January. Patience is a virtue. JNL: Yes, finally. [Laughs] So here’s a tip for fitness models—it doesn’t happen on your time. Do the work and hopefully the photos will be published. It’s been a long project in the making LT: You’re a Miami gal now, but you took quite an interesting road to get there. JNL: That’s for sure. I was born in Rochester, New York, and raised in very rural, small-town Hendersonville, Tennessee. I was three when we moved to Tennessee—a first-generation Italian family in the countryside of Tennessee. It really wasn’t a good fit, but that’s where I grew up. LT: I thought you looked Italian when I first saw you. JNL: You can’t get more Italian than Siciliano. Jennifer Nicole Siciliano doesn’t have that ring to it, so thank goodness my husband’s last name is Lee. I’ve been in Miami long enough now to say I guess I’m a New York-Italian-Southern belleLatina girl. LT: Didn’t you go to college in Tennessee? JNL: I went to the University of Tennessee. For all you football fans out there, Payton Manning was in college when I was in Knoxville. I was looking for the door as soon as I could get out; I wanted to see more of the world. I visited Miami and fell in love with the city. It’s so multidimensional—a lot of different cultures 128 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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and languages. It’s just a fun place to be, very tropical. And, of course, a lot of people are into fitness. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I moved to a place where the fitness movement was going hot and heavy. LT: When did you officially make the transition to South Beach? JNL: Eleven years ago, after leaving Tennessee, I spent the first six months visiting my family in Atlanta but wanted to be closer to the ocean. I fell in love with the freedom of the city when I got to Miami Beach—I felt like I was in Rio de Janeiro or northern Cuba, it was so gorgeous. LT: I was surprised to find out you were not athletic in high school or college. I thought you might have been a former volleyball, swimming or track star. 130 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Jennifer Nicole Lee JNL: [Laughs] Not at all. It was all about food, with the big Italian family. We ate when we were happy, we ate when we were sad, we ate to celebrate, ate to survive. Long story short—my only sport back then was eating. LT: You told me you were carrying around about 170 pounds when you landed in Florida and met fast Eddie Lee, who’s of Chinese and Jamaican descent and who didn’t mind the chunk-a-dunk look. JNL: [Busts up] Yes, Eddie loved my look—he has loved me through all the yo-yo weight-gain/ weight-loss episodes I went through. LT: People who have followed your success story know you weighed more than 200 pounds after giving birth to your second son. But there’s more to the saga. JNL: For sure. Just to let people know I haven’t always had it easy, my first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. Here I was in Jamaica—[Ed was born and raised there, and they were vacationing in Kingston]—in a thirdworld country. Not only did I lose my baby, I almost lost my life. It was a very tragic time for me. The upside of that, however, was it showed me that I needed to take much better care of myself—not only for me but for my family as well. Then I had Jaden. When Jaden was one, I got pregnant with Dylan. So, for a period of five years there I was either fat, pregnant, breast-feeding or somewhere in between. I had sizes 12 to 18 in my closet. Then it went to elastic. [Both crack up] I said, “This is bad—I’m just a baby holder, a diaper changer.” I was miserable, and I didn’t have any energy. I decided right then to not only trim down but have a whole-body transformation. LT: What time frame was that? How old are your sons now? JNL: Jaden is eight, going on 15, and Dylan is six going on 12. And the biggest baby of them all is my husband, Ed. I either have three husbands or three little boys—I’m not sure at times. [Laughs] When I was still over 200 pounds after giving birth to Dylan, I said, 132 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Jennifer Nicole Lee “This is scary. How come the pounds aren’t coming off like everyone told me they would?” All the yo-yo weight gain and loss, all the emotional eating, all the stress and strain that my body took from my miscarriage and two subsequent pregnancies back to back. I felt I really had to take action. So I took my before photo, which I’m sure everybody has seen, in that hot fuchsia bikini. [Laughs] I placed it in my bathroom and looked at it every morning. Then I started reading fitness magazines and would tear the covers off and put them right next to my before photo. I was actually creating my own vision board. That really started the transformation. LT: So even though Ed liked the shade in the summer, heat in the winter look, this was about you for once. JNL: That’s absolutely correct. I was miserable and finally was able to say enough is enough. I knew what didn’t work for me before— being a cardio queen. That’s all I knew, get on a piece of cardio equipment, press start and go. I actually got flabbier! It was an up-and-down thing for me all the time. Lose some weight, gain it back. I started looking up fitness-related things on the Internet. That’s where my love for technology first began. [She has referred to herself as Steve Jobs in a bikini.] The dormant athlete inside me was awakened. I started reading what the top fitness and figure competitors were doing, what the top athletes were doing. That’s when I realized there were principles out there that work for everyone. Weight training trumps cardio always. Women were doing a lot of weight training, little to moderate cardio. Eating a lot of protein, moderate-to-low amounts of whole-grain carbs. A lot of fiber and vegetables. And they were taking supplements, like protein powders and energy-management products. That became my mind-set, and 134 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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“People always ask me what to do, weights first or cardio first. It’s always weights first.”

Jennifer Nicole Lee

Above you see Jennifer during her overweight days. That look is gone forever!

Photos on pages 136 through 138 courtesy of Jennifer Nicole Lee

“I started reading fitness magazines and would tear the covers off and put them right next to my before photo. I was actually creating my own vision board.”

eventually my body started following my mind-set. When I was waddling into the gym at 190 pounds with the baseball cap on my head, I had the mind-set of those champion fitness athletes. I then allowed myself the time for my body to catch up with those principles. I had done the Band-Aid approach; it didn’t work. I knew I had to do it the right way, to be the best wife, the best mom and the best me I could possibly be. LT: How long did it take before you really noticed the changes? JNL: That’s a good question. Long story short, after 2 1/2 months nothing seemed to be happening. I was getting nowhere fast, but this little voice in my head said to stick with it, at least you’re getting healthier and stronger. Believe it or not, just about two weeks later it was like the flood gates just opened up. All the fat started melting off. I started losing inches and gaining stamina. So it was after about 12 weeks that things really kicked in. It took about eight months to get into the shape I have now. Then I started competing, winning bikini titles, getting cover shoots—it’s been a blast ever since. LT: You were crowned the first “Ms. Muscle & Fitness” in 2005. JNL: Wow, you’ve really done your homework. Jeff O’Connell, who was editor in chief of the magazine at the time, heard about my story and contacted me. He actually saw me win a bikini competition in Los Angeles. He saw me in the gym both the day of and the day after the competition. It’s just part of my DNA—I love it. Jeff put me on the cover; I’ve been really blessed ever since. LT: Where did your transformation begin? JNL: I did it in baby steps. I went to a $19.99-a-month all-women’s gym that was close to my house. I went for about an hour, so I could get back home to my sons. From there I went to Gold’s, which was much more hardcore, and I could see how the bodybuilders and fitness and figure competitors were training. I bounced around to different places; I felt I was a student and had to learn how to become my own fitness expert. I had to see what

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worked for me and what didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. I wanted to create a feminine yet strong physique. LT: How much time do you spend in the gym? JNL: I follow my fitness model program (www.ModelProgram .com); itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very simpleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a four-tofive-days-a-week program. You need to let your body rest. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be going backward instead of forward. I do a two-days-on/one-day-off split; Monday and Tuesday on/ Wednesday off/Thursday and Friday on/weekends off. I do upper body on Monday, lower body on Tuesday and follow the same format on Thursday and Friday. Sometimes Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll throw in a fun cardio day on Wednesday. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen a lot of people burn themselves out. LT: For sureâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the number-one cause of injuries, for both athletes and general fitness enthusiasts, is overtraining. JNL: Yes. I spend no more than an hour and 15 minutes in the gym. (continued on page 140) Okay, when

Jennifer promotes her companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s products along with the fitness lifestyle.

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$ESCRIPTIVE ERRORS SUBJECT TO CORRECTION

Jennifer Nicole Lee (continued from page 137) I’m not talk-

ing [laughs]—I’m a very social person. Sometimes an hour and a half. I warm up with my speed rope, then do my weight-training session and taper off with another 15 minutes of cardio. People always ask me what to do, weights first or cardio first. It’s always weights first. LT: You’re always in great shape. How much does your weight vary throughout the year? JNL: No more than five pounds. I don’t go over 130 and compete at about 125, 126. I live right by the BSN headquarters. I have to really be on my A game because they can call anytime. But it’s part of my lifestyle— I don’t even think about it anymore.

Jennifer demonstrates the Ab Circle Pro.

She’s had some big wins on the competition stage too.

While Jennifer is one busy lady, she makes her family a priority.

People need to schedule their workouts like they are important business meetings. Think of it as an appointment with the most important person in the world—yourself! LT: Tell us more about the Ab Circle Pro. JNL: It’s the number-one-selling fitness product in the world right now—we’re in over 100 different countries. My infomercial is number one, head to head, with P90X, which is really great. It’s in 20 different languages and is the number-oneselling item in India, Australia, New

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Jennifer Nicole Lee Zealand, Europe and Asia. We have five acres in China where we have actually given local farmers work in state-of-the-art factories. They love the new offices so much that the Chinese government has renamed the area “Ab Circle Pro City.” I really didn’t set out to create a fitness empire. That just evolved after entering competitions, getting magazine covers. It kind of came to me that I was now in the position to help other people achieve their fitness goals. So I started writing digital books; I’m going to have my first hard-copy book, available on Amazon.com and other places, coming out January 1, 2010, called The Mind, Body and Soul Diet. My goal now is to develop, design and create the exercise equipment of the future. For example, the Ab Circle Pro allows you to do abs and cardio at the same time. It increases your heart rate while carving out your core in a 360-degree track. Right now you can’t go to any gym and find that circular motion. You can also remove the interlocking pins and do inner and outer thighs as well. And it gets you up off the floor, so it eliminates any possible injury to your spine. LT: I imagine you have more new equipment in the making? JNL: Absolutely. We have something in the works that will be launched in the spring of 2010—but I’m sworn to secrecy on it, so I can’t say anymore at this point. As you know, there are competitors out there! [Laughs] LT: Seems as if you’d need at least 28-hour days to fit in all of your activities. How do you do it? JNL: It’s all about budgeting your time, writing out a to-do list the night before and understanding how much you can do with the time you have. You have to create a plan. I’m going on my 10th anniversary with my husband; my sons are

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Jennifer Nicole Lee doing very well in school and are well adjusted. Those are my main priorities, but after that I’m able to focus on everything else. Also, I’ve been successful in dialing back from things that really don’t matter. And being able to delegate duties really helps. I have a great executive assistant—she’s my right hand. She helps me with scheduling, styling, wardrobe. It’s a team effort. LT: How did you eventually get into New Wave’s studio? He gets pitched more models than any Cy Young Award winner. JNL: I love this story. I have a great friend who’s in the hair and makeup industry. I hired her to do my hair and makeup for Olympia Weekend last year. She was my little lucky charm; she told Michael that he really needed to do a shoot with me. [Laughs] Finally, after she badgered him enough [laughs louder], we set up a shoot, and I flew out to his studio in Los Angeles in January. I wanted to portray a Fitness Barbie; I love the shot when I’m on the stepper in high heels. LT: So do I; I’m looking at the photo right now. [Both crack up] I think Mike accomplished your goal. JNL: [Laughs] Yes, he did—“JNL starring as Fitness Barbie! Bend me, pose me and work out with me!” LT: That could be the line of the year. I can just see the offers coming in by the dozen as soon as the issue hits the street.

“People need to schedule their workouts like they are important business meetings.” 144 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Jennifer Nicole Lee JNL: [Laughs] It’s been great getting to know the IRON MAN staff; I got to work with living legends. LT: I guess if you do this long enough, you automatically earn that title. Speaking of living legends, tell us about the Oprah experience. JNL: Ms. Winfrey’s staff approached me about three years ago. They wanted to have me on the show to share my weight-loss experience. But as great as Miami is, it’s also the hurricane capital. We had one on the way, so I told them I couldn’t make the trip to Chicago [where the show is produced]. She actually sent a crew down here to film me; the hurricane hit just after we finished shooting! But I am getting calls from them regarding my Ab Circle Pro and my book, so I’ll be back on. LT: What type of nutritional program do you follow? JNL: I really am disciplined in my eating. I always have breakfast, the most important meal of the day. It revs up your metabolism, supercharges your fat-burning furnace. It’s always egg whites with one whole egg and my favorite veggies, whole-wheat toast and a half cup of oatmeal. And my blueberries and strawberries—with a little bit of honey. I have a protein shake every day. I love the Lean Desert Protein Shakes by BSN; they are delicious, and you can have two to three a day, which I normally do. For lunch I will have fish, chicken, lean red meat, a potato, some asparagus or broccoli. I’ll have another shake about 3 or 4 p.m, and then I have dinner a couple of hours later. Here I will take out the carbs; I might have a grilled chicken salad or a piece of grilled fish with asparagus. I do love steak. I might eat a small filet mignon with another vegetable, perhaps some spinach. I will have another shake—always with water—before I go to bed. I usually follow a no-carbs-after-4 p.m regimen. LT: Any final words of wisdom for the fans? JNL: I want to banish the myth that society has created that you can’t have it all. You know, if you’re married, have kids, forget it—give up your dreams? On the contrary, that’s when your life really starts. This industry is amazing to be a part of. There’s been so much

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Jennifer Nicole Lee happening in my life the past four to five years. Set your goals, devise a plan, and make them happen! I’m proof it can come true. Editor’s note: To contact Jennifer Nicole Lee about getting in the best shape of your life—or how to glide on a stepper in high heels, visit www.Jennifer NicoleLee.com. IM

“Weight training trumps cardio always.”

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Build More Muscle With

All-Dumbbell

WORKOUTS and

Key MassTactics by Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson Photography by Michael Neveux

Model: Greg Plitt

Q: I just got an Elite PowerBlock selectorized dumbbell set and the adjustable sport bench. Do you have a workout I can do with that limited equipment? Also, do you think I can make good gains at home with that, or do I need to buy more stuff? A: Sometimes having limited equipment can be a big boost to progress because you have to get creative. To get you started in that direction, see the At-Home, AllDumbbell Workout section in The Quick-Start Muscle-Building Guide. It’s a solid four-days-per-week program with all the key exercises that will get you growing—and each move is fully illustrated with start and finish positions and performance tips. That’s available at our Web site, MuscleQuickStart.com. Also just released is the “All-Dumbbell Workout,” a DVD featuring Greg Plitt, available at Home-Gym.com. Okay, shameless plugs out of the way, let us say that we believe the PowerBlock should be in every home gym because it’s so functional. You can change the weight by simply moving the U-shaped pin. Pull the handle out of the stack, and the poundage you chose comes free. The rest of the plates stay put on the

stand. Ingenious. The Elite set goes up to 90 pounds per dumbbell, which should be enough to get you going and growing for quite a while. In fact, that set is all we use in our gym for dumbbell work, and we’re fairly advanced trainees. Even so, training exclusively with dumbbells may eventually make you too strong to work certain muscle groups with only 90 pounds in each hand. A good example is quadriceps. For dumbbell squats you hold a dumbbell in each hand at arm’s length at the sides of your thighs. Then, while keeping your torso upright and your back flat, you squat. The quads, though, are powerful muscles and get strong quickly. So what do you do when a 90-pounder in each hand isn’t enough? Go to DXO to continue to grow. For Double-X Overload dumbbell squats, you squat till your thighs break parallel to the floor, rise about 10 inches, squat back down, then drive to the top till your knees almost lock out—not quite, as you want to keep tension on your quads. Then immediately begin another rep. It’s like doing 1 1/2 reps, with the half occurring at the bottom, semistretch position, the point at

which your quads can generate max force and activate the most muscle fibers. Another good tactic is negativeaccentuated sets. Here you take dumbbells that are slightly lighter than what you’d use for a normal 10-rep set. Now squat slowly, taking about six seconds to reach the bottom, and then drive up to near lockout in about one second. The negative, or eccentric, stroke has been shown to cause the most muscle fiber remodeling for growth, so this is very effective for jolting new size from any exercise. Plus, the microtrauma stimulates your metabolism during the recovery process. That means you’re burning more fat 24/7 when you feel some soreness—and you will get sore from just one properly performed negative-accentuated set. Last but not least is 10x10. Set the dumbbells to a weight that you could get 20 reps with, but do only 10. Rest 30 seconds, and then crank out another 10. Do that for 10 sets. Your first sets will be easy, but don’t be deceived. Your last ones will be brutal—and the muscle pump will be unreal. Plus, you’ll get that fat-to-muscle soreness. That was a favorite method of the Iron Guru, Vince Gironda, who used it to whip

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Rows

Hollywood actors, as well as Mr. Olympia contenders, into shape in record time. You can use these mass techniques on any and all exercises for a few weeks to get some variety and

Model: Greg Plitt

Bench Presses

new muscular adaptation, not just the big exercises you’ve gotten too strong on. For example, try DXO on incline curls and negative-accentuated sets on presses. Remember, one small change can ignite megagains. That’s especially true in a limited-equipment gym. By the way, you don’t have to be a home trainee to own a PowerBlock set and an adjustable bench. Steve has that setup at his home in case he has to—or wants to—squeeze in a workout there. And his wife, Becky, uses the minigym to stay in great shape. In fact, she often uses the Fantastic 4 Workout on page 47 of The Quick-Start Muscle-Building Guide because it’s so fast and efficient. It consists of the following:

1) Bench presses or incline presses 2) Bent-over rows or upright rows 3) Squats 4) Overhead presses If you do those moves as described, you can hit just about every muscle in around 30 minutes with that workout.

Squats And you can perform the entire routine with only a PowerBlock dumbbell set and an adjustable bench. It’s a bit pricey, but a PowerBlock set, combined with an adjustable bench, gives you a home setup that’s well worth the money if you’re serious about staying built for life. It’s an investment that will pay muscular dividends for years to come. Editor’s note: For more information on the e-program The Quick-Start Muscle Building Guide, go to www .MuscleQuick Start.com. For more on the DVD “All-Dumbbell Workout,” go to www.Home-Gym .com. IM

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Shocking

PROTEIN Power

An Interview With Heat Shock Protein Expert Joe Evans, Ph.D.

tress in its many guises is unavoidable. The body has numerous ways of dealing with the effects of stress, ranging from upgraded release of so-called stress hormones to changes in brain chemistry that modulate excess stress and prevent potentially negative effects on brain function. Perhaps the body’s first line of defense against stress, however, is the production of heat shock proteins, a.k.a. HSPs. Heat shock proteins are molecular chaperones that ensure proper protein folding. Newly synthesized proteins must attain a certain configuration, or shape, to properly function. Heat shock proteins guide, or help fold, them into their proper shape for optimal function. Proteins not properly folded tend to aggregate, or stick together. Improperly folded proteins not only don’t function correctly but also figure in degenerative diseases. One example: The accumulation of beta-amyloid protein in the brain is the underlying cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Brain cells tend to lose the capacity to produce heat shock

proteins with age, explaining the degenerative brain disease that can accompany advanced age. Recent studies also show that SIRT1, a protein stimulated by resveratrol, stimulates what’s called heat shock factor, the precursor of heat shock proteins. That helps explain research findings that resveratrol has antiaging properties. Even more fascinating is research showing that heat shock protein 70 blocks muscle atrophy under disuse conditions in both young and old animals. That suggests that heat shock proteins may help preserve muscle. They also remove damaged proteins, thus making room for the production of new, more efficient ones. While I discussed the general function of heat shock proteins in a recent IRON MAN feature [“Shocking Muscle Growth,” September ’09], I didn’t detail practical ways to boost HSP release in the body. You may have seen ads for sports supplements that are said to boost HSP release. The salient questions about such supplements are whether they work, the best way to use them, and

Neveux \ Model: Hidetada Yamagishi

by Jerry Brainum

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Heat Shock what you can expected if you use them. To answer those questions, I interviewed Joe Evans, Ph.D. Evans is head of a consulting firm that advises the pharmaceutical and nutracuetical industries. He’s also logged more than 20 years in research. He has specialized in natural product development for treating type 2 diabetes and obesity. Evans earned a doctorate in biochemistry from Drexel University and received postdoctoral training in molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology and physiology at Dartmouth Medical School and the University of Copenhagen. He’s published numerous papers in professional science journals and is eminently qualified to discuss the practical use and effectiveness of HSP supplements. JB: What exactly are heat shock proteins? JE: HSPs are very important proteins that exist in all organisms, from bacteria to man. They protect your organs and tissues from all kinds of stress. Specifically, they protect other proteins in the body under stressful conditions—exercise, chemical stress, exposure to toxic chemicals and drugs and other forms of stress. They can be viewed as a defense mechanism of the body against stress. While HSPs operate both outside and inside the cell, it’s the intracellular function that interests us most. HSPs protect intracellular protein structures, including enzymes, receptor proteins, tran-

scription proteins and so on. Those proteins are all subject to damage under stress conditions. You can compare HSPs to an ambulance responding to an emergency in the cell, but HSPs aid cellular function under normal conditions too. They ensure the normal synthesis of vital cellular protein structures, ensuring the production of perfect proteins. JB: So would it be accurate to say that people deficient in HSPs would be more subject to stress-related diseases? JE: While malfunction of HSP response has been well characterized in animal studies, the human studies of this aspect are not yet complete. On the other hand, based on the established functions of HSPs, we believe they would protect humans against such conditions as oxidative stress and inflammatoryrelated diseases. JB: Various supplement companies are now offering products aimed at bodybuilders and athletes that are supposed to boost HSPs. Are there any legitimate products that accomplish that task? JE: The ingredient that I’m most familiar with is called TEX-OE, which is an extract of the prickly pear cactus. That plant has a long record of safety in use by Native Americans. More recently, several patents have been awarded for use of prickly pear extract to trigger HSP responses. While other natural HSP triggers likely exist, I’ve examined the data related to TEX-OE, and I’m convinced that it’s effective in boosting HSP response in the human body. Data on the effectiveness of TEX-OE are thus far unpublished in any professional science journals, but I’m presently negoti-

ating to get the material published. JB: Do you feel that claims for commercial sports supplements should have solid scientific support? JE: I believe that supplement consumers should demand scientific proof of product effectiveness, but I can assure you that the pilot studies done with human subjects on oral doses of TEX-OE are all consistent in that they demonstrate a substantial increase in

“You can compare HSPs to an

ambulance responding to an emergency in the cell, but HSPs aid cellular function too.”

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Heat Shock

JB: I’ve read that using TEXOE will result in a sustained elevation of HSPs for two to three days after the initial dose. How does that work? JE: We don’t know the precise mechanism, but we suspect that it involves a stimulation of heat shock factor, the precursor substance the body produces for HSPs. It’s a plausible mechanism, and as long as you have a priming of heat shock factor, you’ll get a sustained rise of HSP response. That explains why you don’t need to take TEX-OE every day. The effect lasts for a few days following initial dosing. JB: One confusing issue related to HSP is caffeine intake. Many bodybuilders load caf-

Even more fascinating is research showing that heat shock protein 70 blocks muscle atrophy under disuse conditions in both young and old animals.

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Neveux \ Model: Vince Galanti

HSP response. The studies have involved various forms of stress, such as deep-sea diving, hyperbaric chambers, thermal stress involving a sauna and several exercise experiments. Eight of the initial studies have been completed. They all have involved preconditioning the subjects through an oral dose of TEXOE about two hours prior to stress exposure. Regular blood samples were taken to determine the heatshock response. While no definitive placebo was used, half of the participants got TEX-OE, and the other half received no extract. In all studies researchers measured a 200 percent increase in HSP response in subjects who took the TEX-OE extract, particularly in HSP 27 and HSP 70. More important was the time shift in the production of HSPs. In those who didn’t take the extract, the HSPs took more than two hours to appear, and by that time proteins were already showing signs of damage. In those who took the TEX-OE, the HSPs appeared in a matter of minutes. That has significant implications for those involved in exercise. It likely translates into increased muscle recovery after a workout, along with decreased muscle soreness. Some of the studies involved highly trained cyclists, making it harder to see a significant response, yet they did respond after taking TEX-OE.

Heat Shock feine as coffee prior to training. Some studies show that caffeine may interfere with HSP response, while others show that it boosts HSP response. Can you clear that up? JE: The usual suggestion is not to take in more than 200 milligrams of caffeine prior to exercise—about two cups of coffee. The problem with taking in more is that it elevates cortisol and brings on vasoconstriction, or a tightening of blood vessels. In addition, the studies that showed caffeine boosting HSP during exercise involved extracellular production of HSP—quite different from intracellular production. Most HSP-induced cellular protection occurs inside the cell. Extracellular HSP production is mainly involved in immune response.

HSPs protect other proteins in the body under

stressful

conditions like exercise and chemical stress.

Neveux \ Model: Mehmet Yildirim

JB: You mentioned cortisol, the body’s primary catabolic hormone. Is there any interaction between cortisol and HSPs? JE: Extended cortisol release is associated with a high rate of inflammation, which signals HSP release. The HSPs reduce the negative effects of excess inflammation, including what cortisol induces. So in that respect HSP can counter some of cortisol’s catabolic effects. JB: Are any other supplements or nutrients synergistic with TEX-OE in boosting HSP response? 166 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Heat Shock JE: Several nutrients can be considered complementary. One example: high-quality protein. Protein supplies the amino acids your body needs for protein synthesis. HSPs ensure that the conformation and structure of synthesized proteins is optimal. Carbohydrates also help because they spur insulin release; insulin helps with amino acid uptake into muscle. Some animal data show that alpha lipoic acid also induces HSP response. JB: What about medical contraindications to using a supplement like TEX-OE? JE: There are no known side effects of TEX-OE, nor are there any

JE: The effects of an HSP supplement aren’t immediately apparent, but right from the start a boost in HSPs improves cell protection and rescues vital proteins from damage. The increased cellular protein repair induced by HSPs results in significantly improved exercise recovery. In addition, you’ll be able to use more of the proteins that you

“[The rapid response with TEX-OE] likely translates into increased muscle recovery after a workout along with decreased muscle soreness.” established drug interactions. The plant that TEX-OE is extracted from has a long record of safety. Still, we don’t recommend the product for those under age 18 or for nursing or pregnant women. JB: What can the typical bodybuilder expect from using an HSPboosting supplement?

generate during exercise. Some amino acids are watery, while others are more fatty. When the amino acids stick together, a process called aggregation occurs, which results in malformed proteins. HSPs act as protein chaperones, maintaining orderly protein conformation and stability. The production of “perfect” protein structures, supported by HSPs, will add to muscle hypertrophy. I’d estimate that results like those will be evident within three weeks to a month after you start using HSP supplements. More muscle also means more calorie use at rest and translates into less bodyfat. JB: Should HSP supplements be used in cyclical fashion— that is, getting off them for a certain amount of time? JE: With some supplements it’s a good idea to cycle on and off. Take creatine. After you use it for an extended period, the creatine transport protein in muscle downgrades, limiting uptake into muscle. So you stop using it, letting the creatine transport protein to activate again. Since you don’t need to take HSP supplements every day, however, you’re already cycling. In addition, there is no evidence that you need to totally stop using the supplement. In testing the TEX-OE product for extended times, we didn’t notice any decrease in effectiveness. JB: Various dosing schemes are suggested for TEX-OE, such as taking it two hours prior to training on an empty stomach, avoiding fiber intake within two hours of dosing or taking it right before bed on an empty stomach. What would you say is the best way to use this product?

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Heat Shock JE: The natural fiber content of TEX-OE has been removed so the supplement can be more effectively absorbed. I think it’s best to take it away from a meal—at least two hours after eating—for best results. One possible benefit of taking it at night is that it will interact with the increased protein synthesis that occurs at that time, fostering the chaperone effect, and produce more efficient protein folding. Still, I feel that taking it prior to training is best. JB: Is it possible to produce excess HSPs with the supplement? JE: A supplement such as TEXOE isn’t directly pushing out HSPs but is instead facilitating the release of heat shock factor, the precursor substance. Your body ultimately determines the amount of HSP produced, so there is a builtin safety factor. JB: In the studies done thus far on TEX-OE, were any significant side effects noted? JE: The researchers who conducted the studies reported that the supplement was well tolerated, and no significant side effects were apparent. MRI, which sells a TEX-OE supplement, keeps track of reported side effects through various retail outlets and has thus far not received any reports of adverse effects. JB: Do the supplements produce better effects in those under age 40? JE: I don’t think there are any age or gender factors involved in the use of TEX-OE. Consider that HSP 70 is one of the most highly conserved proteins in the body. That means its function doesn’t downgrade with age, as is the case with many other body substances, such as hormones. The amino acid structure of HSP 70 is the same in bacteria as it is in humans. Nature has evolved a perfect protein to do its job. On the other hand, HSP production in general does tend to decline with age in most people. JB: Some studies have pointed out that the higher estrogen counts in women tend to blunt

HSP release during exercise. Does that mean HSP supplements work better in men? JE: Pilot studies involving human exercise did have female subjects, and all of them showed significant increases in HSPs with the use of TEX-OE supplements. I think TEX-OE will work well for women and men, producing similar exercise-recovery and training-efficiency benefits. JB: Certain supplements, such as HMB and creatine, seem to produce better results for those engaged in intense exercise. Can the same be said of HSP supplements? JE: People who don’t train regularly tend to not adapt as much to exercise, leading to recurring muscle damage. HSP supplements would likely be an asset to recreational exercisers. In those who

are various HSPs, does a supplement such as TEX-OE affect the entire range of HSPs? JE: The clinical data show an increase primarily in HSPs related to exercise, such as HSP70 and HSP27. JB: Do HSP supplements interact with anabolic hormones, such as anabolic steroids and growth hormone? JE: That hasn’t been tested with the TEX-OE products, but it does make sense that the HSP boosters would be synergistic with anabolic drugs. Those hormones promote increased protein synthesis, and HSPs work within the cell to ensure that the newly synthesized proteins have the proper shape or conformation. Imagine the synthesis of newly formed cell proteins as an assembly line. The HSPs can be viewed as quality-control workers, ensuring that the finished product

“The production of ‘perfect’ protein structures, supported by HSPs, will add to muscle hypertrophy.” train harder or more frequently, the HSPs will also improve recovery and training efficiency. JB: Are there any known interactions between HSP supplements and drugs? JE: I can’t speak about all HSP supplements, but there are no known interactions between any drugs and the TEX-OE extract. Some test subjects have used various drugs with no apparent interactions. JB: Would using TEX-OE aid bodyfat loss? JE: By helping to protect and maintain muscle, increased HSPs will yield more efficient metabolism, which tends to produce a leaner body. HSP supplements protect proteins from being degraded, but not fat tissue. JB: Considering that there

is up to par. In fact, HSPs are better than quality-control workers, who only remove defective products. In contrast, HSPs are capable of repairing malformed proteins. JB: A few studies suggest that increased body temperature brings on HSP release. Keeping that in mind, should a person taking an HSP supplement prior to training always try to maintain a higher body temperature during workouts? JE: The body temperature that turns on HSP release is far higher than would be encountered during exercise. I don’t think increasing body heat while using the supplement will make much of a difference. If you exercised in a sauna or hot tub, then the HSP production would probably kick in. JB: Other studies say that

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;By helping to protect and maintain muscle, increased HSPs will yield more efficient metabolism.â&#x20AC;?

antioxidants interfere with HSP production during exercise because the free radicals produced during exercise are a stress reaction that helps release HSPs. So should one not take antioxidants prior to training? JE: One study found that using a form of vitamin E called gamma tocopherol lowered HSP release. This particular form of vitamin E was an efficient quencher of peroxynitrate, a noxious free radical that also promotes HSP release. On the other hand, the HSPs blocked by gamma tocopherol in that study were the extracellular versions. Indeed, other antioxidants, such as lipoic acid, have been shown to increase intracellular HSPs. If anything, we feel that antioxidants are complementary with HSP supplements such as TEX-OE. JB: Thank you, Dr. Evans, for taking the time to explain HSP supplement use. IM

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KIDKONG 21-Year-Old Anthony Pomponio is a Powerhouse On the Gridiron, Onstage and in the Gym, Benching 425 at 185

by Lonnie Teper

t’s hard to imagine a mild, soft-spoken 21-year-old like Anthony Rocco Pomponio as an assailant, but that’s exactly what “Kid Kong” has been in his athletic career to date: running over defenders on the football field, easily overpowering challengers in the weight room, cutting up opponents who try to outmuscle him on the bodybuilding stage. He averaged more than 100 yards a game as a 5’7”, 185-pound running back at Whittier College in 2008. Dropping back to 172 before first stepping onto a posing dais, he took the middleweight class at the Max Muscle Naturals last March before becoming the star of stars at the ’09 Junior California with victories in the unlimited and novice middleweight divisions as well as both his class and the overall in the collegiate category. He’s benched 425, squatted 570, run a 4.38 40-yard dash. Swears he’s totally clean. In early August Pomponio, saddled with a two-hour drive, was nevertheless on time for our 11 a.m. interview at Gold’s Gym, Venice. When finished, he joined Titan himself, Michael “the Beast” O’Hearn, in a chest-training session. O’Hearn, universally recognized for his feats of strength, stands 6’3” and was carrying 250 pounds of beef that day. Of course, Anthony didn’t match

the weight O’Hearn was flinging around, but he hung in there pretty darn well, pumping 365 on the incline as Jason Kozma spotted. “Kid Kong” seems like a well-deserved moniker to me. So just who is this wunderkind? LT: You got your degree in kinesiology at Whittier College in California this year, but you weren’t raised in the L.A. area. AP: Right. I was born in Montclair, California, but my family moved to Palm Desert when I was in the third grade. LT: You were quite the athlete at Palm Desert High School, little fella or not. AP: My freshman year I was about 5’ and weighed around 100 pounds—I played football, basketball and baseball. Football became my main focus during my high school years, but I still played basketball and ran track. LT: You certainly couldn’t have overpowered anybody in your rookie season. When did you start pumping iron? AP: I got into it prior to my sophomore year. We had this thing called “Max Attack”—a bench press contest for football players. It was also used as a fundraiser for the football program. We were put into weight

Merv

Photography by Michael Neveux

classes; I was in the 115pound class and benched 160—I won the class. The following year I won my class again, benching 260 at a weight of 140. LT: You were Most Valuable Player on the junior varsity football team in the 10th grade—running back and corner—and moved up to varsity as a junior. Then injuries prevented you from ever reaching the status you had hoped for. AP: I got a big contusion on my

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KIDKONG

left leg, and it limited my playing time the rest of the year. Then, after entering my senior year with a lot of hype, I ended up injuring my right leg. I only played four games both seasons. Before my senior year I attended the Nike Camp at San Diego State, where a lot of the top prospects go. I went in as a defensive back and had the highest bench—I did 22 reps at 185 at a bodyweight of 170 and ran a 4.5 40-yard dash. LT: So the leg injuries got in the way of your racking up great stats in high school, but they didn’t avert a standout career as a sprinter. AP: No. I finished second in league in the 100-meter dash as a junior, then came back to win it my senior year. My best time was 10.80. I anchored our winning 400-meter relay team as well, and we set a new school record. LT: Still, the lack of flashy stats on the gridiron kept major college scouts away, as did your lack of size. How did you end up at Whittier, which is more known for brains than brawn? It was the home of an undergrad named Richard Milhouse Nixon. Wait— the late, great George Allen coached football at the school, and the weight room is named after him. AP: [Laughs] My high school coach had a few players go there in the past. He made up a highlight tape of me, and we sent it to about 15 schools—all Division 3 programs. A lot of them were schools in the Southern California

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Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, like Occidental, Cal Lutheran, Redlands, Pomona and Whittier. I got a lot of feedback from most of them and narrowed it down to Menlo College, located in Northern California, and Cal Lutheran and Whittier in Southern California. Redlands has a really good program, but I felt it was too close to home and wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have that â&#x20AC;&#x153;collegeâ&#x20AC;? feeling. I eventually decided on Whittier because it had just gotten a new coach, an old-school guy from the Midwest who seemed very interested in having me go there. Whittier needed running backs, and I thought Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d get playing time right away. LT: Did you? AP: Yes. I started the last seven games, playing both offensively and

defensively. My sophomore year I had about 500 yards rushing, and as a senior I had 920 yards and scored 12 touchdownsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;two on the receiving endâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;in nine games. And I made all-league. LT: You had great individual success but went through a miserable season teamwise, winning the first game but losing the remaining eight. Must have been frustrating. AP: It was horribleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;one of the worst experiences Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had in my entire athletic career. Our senior quarterback got injured early in the year, and we rotated two freshmen at that spot. The opposing teams would just stack their defense against the run, and that really hampered both my statistics the rest of the year and, more important, our chances of

1 / / 00 . $ %# ! ) % & ! ) %" ' !" % $

Anthony Pomponioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Off-Season Training Before the first work set of every lift he does a warmup of 15 to 30 reps.

Monday: Chest, Triâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s* Bench presses 6 x 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 Incline dumbbell presses 5 x 12, 12, 10, 10, 8 Machine chest presses 4 x 12, 12, 10, 10 Pec-deck flyes 5 x 15, 12, 12,10, 10 V-bar pushdowns 6 x 15, 15, 12, 12, 10,10 Rope pushdowns 6 x 15, 15, 12, 12, 10, 10 * Last set to failure on all exercises Tuesday: Shoulders, Legs Dumbbell military presses 5 x 12, 10, 10, 8, 8 Barbell shrugs 5 x 15, 15, 12, 12, 10 Seated lateral raises 5 x 15, 12, 12, 10, 10 Seated front raises 5 x 15, 12, 12, 10, 10 Arnold presses 4 x 15,12,10, 8 Shock Bench presses 135 x 2 x 20 Squats 6 x 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 Superset Leg extensions 4 x 15, 15, 12, 12 Leg curls 4 x 15, 15, 12, 12

Wednesday: Back, Biceps Pulldowns 5 x 15, 12, 12, 10, 10 Low-cable rows 5 x 15, 12, 12, 10, 10 Deadlifts 6 x 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 , 2 Pullups 50 total Barbell curls 7 x 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 Concentration curls 4 x 12, 12, 10, 10 Hammer curls 4 x 12, 12, 10, 10 EZ-curl-bar curls 4 x 12, 12, 10, 10 Shock Seated plate-loaded-machine shoulder presses 2 x 20, 20 Thursday: Weak Points Shock Pullups 2 x 20, 20 EZ-cur-bar curls 2 x 20, 20 Dumbbell front raises 4 x 10, 10, 8, 8 Lateral raises 4 x 10, 10, 8, 8 Skull crushers 5 x 10, 10, 8, 8, 8 Seated calf raises 5 x 20 Wrist curls 4 x 20 Friday: Friday:Legs Legs Leg extensions 2 x 15 Leg curls 2 x 15 Front squats 7 x 12, 12, 10, 10, 8, 8, 6 Leg presses 5 x 20, 15, 12, 10, 10 Walking lunges 4 x 10 Single-leg leg extensions 2 x 12 Single-leg leg curls 2 x 12 Donkey calf raises 5 x 20 Standing calf raises 4 x 20

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KIDKONG

Merv

winning more games. LT: It was mano a mano in the weight room though. Were you the strongest guy on the team? AP: Yeah. My max was 425 on the bench, 570 in the squat and 395 in the hang clean. In my group the closest guy was about 50 pounds away on the bench. We had a lineman who squatted 550, and another lineman did the same as I did on the hang clean. LT: The protocol they use at an NFL combine is 225 for maximum reps. Ever tried that? AP: Before my senior year we were doing a low-rep, high-weight session. All of a sudden the coach said to do the 225 test, and I did it 30 times. I think if I’d trained for it, I could have done at least five more. LT: Off topic for a bit, any other kids in the family? AP: Yes, I have two brothers. My youngest, Dominic, is 19, and Adam is 27. LT: Are you full-blooded Italian? AP: My Dad is Italian, my mother Austrian and German. LT: What got you interested in bodybuilding and entering a contest? AP: I’ve always been caught up with working out and read the various bodybuilding magazines. After my senior year the off-season came around, and I was really bored. I was talking to my older brother one night—Adam was in the Navy, did the SEALs program—and he told me to enter a show. He’d bought me a subscription to Muscle & Fitness for my birthday. LT: Why not IRON MAN? It’s cheaper. [Both LT and AP bust up] AP: I love IRON MAN too. I went to the IRON MAN Pro the past two years and was fired up about competing. A lot of people I met there asked me if I was going to compete. Adam, the fitness director at World Gym in La Quinta, California, works with a bodybuilder, Eric Domer. I met him right after he’d been on the cover of IRON MAN, and he helped

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Anthony Pomponioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Diet Meal 1, 7-8 a.m. 4 egg whites, 4 whole eggs, one half cup grits, 1 cup orange juice

Meal 2, 9-10 a.m. Protein shake (30-50 grams protein)

Meal 3, 11 a.m. 2 chicken breasts, white rice, veggies

Train, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Preworkout drink, amino acid pills, postworkout drink

Meal 4, (15-30 minutes postworkout) Protein shake (30-50 grams protein)

Meal 5, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Protein shake

Meal 6, 5:30-7 p.m. 2 chicken breasts, tilapia or steak; white rice, salad with balsamic vinegar

Meal 7, 7-10 p.m. 6 egg whites, 2 whole eggs (before bed)

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now a month away; I started with really, really light hamstring curls and leg pressesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;no squats at all. LT: Sure didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop you from putting together another highlight filmâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;this one on a bodybuilding stage. The unlimited overall champion and the novice overall winner were both 41, 20 years your senior. You had to be thrilled with the outcome. AP: I left with four trophiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a great feeling. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d moved back home, and on June 1 I started working as a personal trainer for World Gym, as well as really getting back into training. After your contest I started training with Eric three days a week, hitting it hard. LT: Your squat is every bit as impressive as your bench. Were you also the strongest kid in school when it came to legs? AP: In high school, believe it or not, I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t squat very often. I went into college benching 345 and squatting 325, so from that point on I really concentrated on my legs. LT: Why didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you run track in college? Your best time in high school would have made you the Usain Bolt of the conference four years running. AP: My main concentration was football. I needed to keep my weight up, and I lose weight easily when I start any type of running program. LT: Do you ever worry about the injury factor with the excessive poundages you lift? If not now, down the road? AP: No, not at this point anyway. I take a long time doing a proper warmup to help prevent injuries to tendons and ligaments. I always feel I do safe lifting. LT: What are your plans now? You mentioned going back to Whittier for a masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in education. AP: Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a possibility. I may also look into the nursing programs at colleges in the area. I think Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to move out to Venice someday. You can never have a bad workout at Goldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a crazy atmosphere. LT: It also helps that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 50 degrees cooler in Venice than it is in Palm Desert. Are you finally admitting the weather sucks out there? AP: [Laughs] For the past four years I went home only for the summer. I was there for the worst

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US TOUR

me prepare for my first show, the NPC San Diego Championships. I did most of it through phone consultations and would see him on weekends when I drove home. I was so raw. My tan was terrible, and my posing was ridiculous. I ended up in third in the middleweight class. It was a nightmare. Even my mother, who came by to take pictures the night before the show, was laughing at my color. I was green. LT: Nothing wrong with that. Look what it did for Lou Ferrigno. [Both bust up] AP: I was able to adjust the color a bit, but it was really blotchy. Still, I was fired up and got right back onstage the following week at the Max Muscle, where I won the class. LT: I emceed that contest and wasted no time asking you to compete in the Junior Calâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;especially as I have a collegiate divisionâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;but you were getting ready to graduate. Did that make it tougher for you to prepare? AP: No, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d graduated a month before the contest. What did hamper my training was a bad hamstring injury. I was still planning on playing football at the time and was talking to a few teams in Europe. Each country has an independent program. I was going to either Denmark, Finland, Germany or Sweden. The weather is great during the summer in those countries. I came down to Goldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Venice, one day and was talking to [pro bodybuilder] Will Harris. He told me to jump into some combines. I was preparing for one at school for the Hamilton Tiger Cats in the Canadian Football League. A few days before the combine I was running some 40s, and on the fifth one I pulled up way too soon and popped my right hamstring. It was the worst pain Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever had. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever pulled a muscle, you know the feeling. LT: Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have any muscles to pull. [AP and LT laugh out loud.] Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll just use my imagination. AP: I had to miss the combine. I went to the school training room on a daily basis and was limping around for a week or so. I worked hard on the rehab but couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t start training my legs again for another couple of weeks. The Junior Cal was

KIDKONG time of the year, weatherwise. It is nice during fall, winter and spring though. LT: What are your future plans in bodybuilding? AP: I was thinking about doing the Team Universe, but it’s only a month away or so at this point, so I’ll have to wait until next year. I plan on competing again next year, maybe at your West Coast Classic, the Collegiate Nationals, if I’m in school, then the T.U. I’m going to try to gain some weight and compete

six-pack as a kid. My dad has really big calves and legs, and my mom is pretty lean. LT: She probably has a thick, full head of hair, too, you lucky dog. AP: [Laughs loudly] Yes, she does. LT: What’s your training regimen? AP: Usually five days a week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday I work out with Eric, doing large body groups. Some weeks we do volume training, other weeks power train-

on Tuesday, so I hit them hard in the morning, and then I might do a little of chest again at night to hit all of the muscle fibers I didn’t hit the previous day. I may even do a little more on shoulders and triceps. On Wednesday I work back and biceps, and on Thursday I hit biceps and back again. Friday is total leg day. We do seven to eight sets of donkey calf raises to warm up, then move to leg extensions, three to four sets, before doing front squats. We use a pyramid method. We put on

I’ve always been really lean and vascular, and I always had a six-pack as a kid.

ing. Volume training is 10 to 25 reps per bodypart, power training usually two to eight. LT: You’re making a name for yourself with your strength on the bench. What’s a typical chest workout? AP: We start out on bench press, then go to incline dumbbell press [Pomponio has done 15 reps with 120s on that exercise]. Then we do flyes on the pec deck and sometimes superset triceps. LT: You train once a day? AP: Mostly, yes. Eric and I go from 1:30 to 3:30. On Tuesday and Thursday I may train twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. I usually do shoulders Merv

as a light heavyweight. At my height that’s the class I think I should eventually be in. LT: You claim to be 100 percent clean. A lot of people are saying, with the weights you lift, that’s a bunch of bunk. AP: Test me. LT: Would you go for a random test? AP: Of course. Give me five minutes—actually, 30 seconds—then give me a blood test. I’m used to people saying I’m on steroids. I don’t care what they think. I know what I do. LT: You should thank your parents for the Calvin Klein genes. AP: I’ve always been really lean and vascular, and I always had a

35s, do it 12 times, add 35 more on each side, 10 times, and keep going from there until we can’t do it anymore. We use the pyramid style again on the leg press. Yesterday we ended up doing five plates, two sets, 25 reps. I’ve done 1,000 pounds on the leg press 10 times. LT: Hold on. This is beginning to sound a bit screwy to

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KIDKONG me—you hit the same bodypart two days in a row? Most people feel you shouldn’t hit a bodypart more than every 72 to 96 hours. AP: From anatomy and physiology classes in college I learned you don’t really break down all your fibers in one workout. It’s pretty much impossible. Your muscles are made up of thousands of fibers. My second day isn’t strenuous; for bench I put on 135 and do two sets of 25, just to get that pump. LT: How much cardio do you do? AP: None. LT: You never have done cardio? AP: I haven’t stepped on a treadmill since before last football season. If I do cardio, I drop weight. Just jogging a mile a day during football season caused me to drop five pounds a week. Cardio has actually been detrimental to my training, for both football and bodybuilding. LT: Superlatives have dominated your football and bodybuilding careers to this point. Tell me about your weaknesses. AP: My quads need more separation, and my hamstrings need to be thicker. The injury, of course, set me back on the hams, so I need to be patient and not make it worse. I also need to build fuller biceps. At this point my triceps really take over. To be honest, because I was spending all of my time training for football, doing all of the power stuff, I really neglected my biceps until just a couple of months ago. LT: How good can you be, especially drug-free? AP: I have a mind-set to keep working until I get the results I think I can get. I’ve worked really hard all my life, and I’m not about to stop. There are no shortcuts for me. I’m not going to do something I don’t

To tell you the truth, I haven’t been as good with my

nutrition as I should be.

believe in. LT: Your goals? AP: I’m just having fun with it. I usually don’t set long-term goals because a lot of times they’re not attainable, and you get down on yourself. I set short-term goals, like gaining 10 pounds before next year. I would like to compete at 185. LT: Given your goals, say something about how you handle nutrition issues. AP: To tell you the truth, I haven’t been as good with my nutrition as I should be. A lot of times I don’t map out my meals, but I’m getting better. I don’t count calories, carbs, protein or fat; I guess I should. It could be very valuable, but I’m seeing good results the way I’m eating now. My diet consists of eggs, both whole and whites, brown and white rice, steak. I can’t give up my grandpa’s or my mom’s pasta. Usually I have four solid meals and three or four protein shakes daily. LT: You look as if you stay lean year-round.

AP: I do. I’m probably under 6 percent bodyfat as we speak. It’s genetics. I could probably eat at McDonald’s every night and still be lean, but I don’t because I know it’s bad for me. LT: Any powerlifting in your future? AP: I’ve thought about it. I want to do a bench press contest at Muscle Beach in the next couple of months. I looked up the California state record, and it’s 410 for under 22, at 181 maximum weight. I think I have a great shot at breaking that. LT: Speaking of powerlifting records, you’re here today to take on one of the strongest dudes in the game, Michael O’Hearn. Who’s stronger, pound for pound? AP: We’ll find out today. LT: Mike told me he was an All-American high school football player. Who’s better? AP: We’ll take that one to the field. I think I could prove myself there. IM

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Power Mastering Metallourgos

ost coaches, trainers and sportscasters do a bang-up job of informing athletes and fans of the complexity of the athletic moves they witness. As a result, viewers have an appreciation for the skills involved in the swing of a golf club, a fast pitch in baseball, an anaconda choke in submission wrestling and so on. In the weight room, however, most people view exercise as a nonathletic physical pursuit that builds strength and muscle via simple exertion and recovery. That attitude might be okay for general fitness, but it’s going to spell disaster if your goal is to become a competitive bench presser. The form that you use while benching will greatly affect the amount of poundage that you can press. Here are some pointers on the art of heavy bench pressing. The arch. Having a good lowerback arch will shorten the distance between chest pause and lockout. When your back is arched during a bench, more of your primary and stabilizer muscles come into play, which gives you better balance

and increased power. Most lifters can press more on a decline bench than on a flat bench. Benching with a solid arch is as close as you can get to a decline-bench angle on a flat-bench surface. To loosen your muscles and develop your arching ability, get a 1.5-to-four-inch-thick PVC pipe or dense foam roller, place it in the small of your back and slowly roll back and forth on it. Performing that stretch, over time, will greatly improve your arching ability. I suggest starting with a 1.5-to-2-inch pipe or roller and then working up as that level of flexibility becomes easier to obtain. I’ve seen advanced contest benchers press weight with footballs tucked under the small of their back! With regard to hitting a max bench, the more you can arch, the better. When you set up on the bench, grip the bar and pull yourself all the way back until the bar is over your upper stomach. Then swing up and away from the bar and come down on your upper back instead of flat on your shoulder blades. Then try to bring your hips and shoulders as close together as possible, which

will make your arch even higher. It takes practice, so keep working on it—you’ll get it down over time. If you really have a hard time arching, try benching with the PVC pipe or dense foam roller under your back for a couple of sets. If you try this method, begin with a very light weight to give your body time to get used to the new spinal position and lower-back stretch. Finally, pinch your shoulder blades together on the bench pad. If you do it correctly, you will have reduced the distance that the bar has to travel even more. Less distance equals less time under tension and less overall work. Foot placement. Use whatever is comfortable. I have seen many variations of bench press foot placement. In my opinion, your feet should be flat on the floor and straight in line with your knees. In some federations it’s required that your feet be flat on the floor, so that’s another reason to master it. If you don’t have a problem with your butt coming off the bench, you can turn your toes slightly out. If you do have a problem with your posterior

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Photo courtesy of Josh Winsor

Advanced Techniques for Power Benching by Ryan “BenchMonster” Kennelly and Sean Katterle PART 2

SURGE Collin Rhodes raw-benches more than 500 pounds in the 275-pound class.

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Ryan Kennelly winning the Arnold Bench Press Challenge.

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coming off the bench pad—which is cause for disqualification in competition—then turn your toes slightly inward. Another possible suggestion for keeping your glutes from popping off the bench is to widen your stance so your feet are farther back and out. Then, when you drive with your feet, you push down with your heels, out and away instead of directly through the floor. It should seem as if you’re trying to spread the gym flooring with your heels. Really try to keep all the pressure and pressing coming from your heels during all your reps and sets so it becomes second nature, because

the form of elastic side panels that allow for up-and-down foot flexion but prevent dangerous side-to-side movement. Additional features include extra lace eyelets and double lacing, an extended high top and a round toe box for comfort. Other brands and styles that I recommend are powerlifting shoes by Safe-USA.com and weightlifting shoes by Adidas and Werksan. Remember, you get what you pay for, so investing in some top-of-the-line shoes is a good decision if you’re planning on competing on the bench press. Even with all the technique and training in the world, though, you

Photo courtesy of PowerliftingPics.com

Kennelly is a fourtime Arnold Heavyweight Bench Press champ.

your heels are where the leg drive power stems from. Whichever foot placement you use, it’s imperative that your butt never come off the pad when you’re benching. If at any time your butt comes up, your lift will be disqualified, so don’t let yourself get into a bad habit that can cost you on meet day. The type of shoes you wear can also affect your performance. Before you settle on a certain style of athletic wear, try out shoes that have heels and some that have flat soles. My favorite flat-sole style for benching is good-quality wrestling shoes. They hug the feet, and the no-slip soles come in handy when you’re employing your leg drive. For a heeled lifting shoe I highly recommend the Powerlifting Universal Boot by LiftersAthleticWear.com. It comes with built-in ankle support in

won’t realize maximum gains without proper nutrition and recovery methods. Ryan Kennelly writes, “The supplements that BOSS and MHP have provided me have been the major key to my success. In 2007 I read in a muscle magazine that the average size of the Arnold Strongman competitors that year was 6’3” and 346 pounds bodyweight. At the time I had been stuck at 6’2” and 308 pounds for the past couple of years. Both the pro strongmen and I train as heavy as possible, even if we’re working different lifts, and all of us most likely eat around the clock, so the difference had to be the supplements. “MHP is the official sponsor of the Arnold Classic strongman event, so I figured the company must be focused on designing products intended for athletes looking to add muscle, strength and mass to

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Kennelly rack-benches 675 in training. At 6’2” he carries 308 pounds of benching mega-power. their frames. I picked up the phone, called BOSS (which carries MHP products) and got myself connected to the power-building pipeline! “Here are the supplements I used to go from 308 pounds to 342, without adding much in the way of bodyfat: MHP’s A-Bomb, T Bomb II, SARM-X, TRAC Lemon Ice, Leukidrol, Glutamine SR, Cyclin GF, Releve, Activite and Up Your Mass weight gainer. I also downed a lot of

Photo courtesy of HardcorePowerlifting.com Photo courtesy of HardcorePowerlifting.com

Photo courtesy of Josh Winsor

Joe Luther has turned the bench press arch into an art form. He benches more than 400 at a bodyweight of 165. (HardcorePowerlifting.com)

Eclipse’s The Shake RTDs and Muscle Sandwiches. Any hour that went by that I didn’t eat, I either mixed up a shake, cracked open an RTD or downed a couple Muscle Sandwich bars with a glass of milk. That’s how you pack on and keep on 342 pounds

of titanium! “After setting some new superheavyweight records on the bench, I decided to diet back down to 300 pounds because I feel more comfortable, healthy and athletic at that bodyweight. But I didn’t just want to lose weight. I wanted to retain a lot of the new muscle I built, so my weight loss needed to be mostly fat and water. The first change I made was adding cardio back into my routine. Every day I spend 30 to 60 minutes on the treadmill at a fast walking pace of 3.5 mph and with the track at a 6 percent uphill grade. As for my food, I cut out fast food, ready-to-eat meals and pretty much all junk food. I increased my consumption of skinless chicken breasts, buffalo, fish and egg whites so my daily protein content went up, but my main sources of protein were lowfat and low carb. “For supplements I maintained what I was taking before except I replaced the Up Your Mass shakes with more Probolic shakes, and I switched to the low-carb version of BOSS’s RTD shakes. In addition, I added MHP’s DREN (1 capsule per day). Daily carbs came from oatmeal, brown rice, yams and wholewheat bagels. I tried to always take in a quality source of protein every two hours throughout the whole day—which is basically eating or drinking seven protein-rich meals per day.” In the next installment of this series we’ll cover training and competition grips for bench pressing, the proper method for lowering the bar and pausing and the importance of being explosive when driving off the chest to lockout. Editor’s note: Ryan Kennelly is a four-time Arnold Classic Heavyweight Bench Press champion. He’s won pro shows all over the country and as far away as Russia. Kennelly was the first lifter to officially supershirt-bench 800 pounds on the platform and has performed such strength feats as raw-benching 315 pounds for 40 reps, 405 for 20 reps and 675 for a single—legit claims of muscle and might that were performed with accurate weights and in front of credible witnesses. IM

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by Eric Broser If you ﬁnd something on the Web that IM readers should know about, send the URL to Eric at bodyfx2@aol.com. This month I’m going to quickly go over a few sites that I’ve more fully reviewed in past columns. My reasoning is threefold. First, there is a chance that if you’re new to IRON MAN, you may have missed my discussion about these excellent sites. Second, the sites have been updated and expanded and thus provide even more resources than before. Third, I’ve received great positive feedback on the sites and have personally found them the most useful. And, heck, it’s my column, and I can do what I want, darn it (LOL).

>www.ExRx.net Okay, so it’s the third time I’ve mentioned this site here—but you know what? It’s perhaps the finest resource on the Web for personal trainers, coaches, athletes, bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts. Given the fact that it has more than 2,000 pages devoted to topics related to fitness, nutrition, exercise, weight management and sports psychology, you could spend hours clicking here and barely scratch the surface of what it has to offer. Because I do most of my personal training, coaching and consulting through e-mail, I regularly send my clients to ExRx.net for the tons of video and detailed descriptions of almost every exercise you can think of. That’s especially important for my beginners and intermediates, who might need a visual reference to make sure they’re doing an exercise with proper form. After

all, I’m not there to demonstrate it myself, as I am when I’m working with someone in person. ExRx.net recently added many new exercises to its video library and put up improved versions of older ones. If you haven’t visited ExRx.net yet, you’re missing out on a treasure chest of info among the sea of sites on the Web.

>www.PRRSDVD.com At this, the best single site on the World Wide Web, you can learn more about and, of course, purchase my best-selling Power/Rep Range/Shock Training System DVD—also available as an instant iPod download. Shameless plug? Perhaps, but I mention my own Internet presence for a reason. If you’ve already purchased the DVD or are planning to, please keep watching after the credits finish rolling. I understand many viewers have thought the DVD was over and hit the stop button. Well, don’t stop! Check out my interview with model Kyle Harris at the end. We discuss P/RR/S training and how it’s helped him achieve his goal of becoming a natural professional bodybuilder—pretty interesting exchange. If you missed it, throw it in your player one more time. If you don’t have your own copy—well, what are you waiting for? It’s time to “grow without plateau!” 200 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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>www.FitnessSingles.com

>Broser’s

Net Results Q&A

The Power/Rep Range/Shock innovator answers your questions on training and nutrition.

Q: I want to build the long, inside heads of my triceps, as I feel they are lagging. What exercises target that spot? A: If you don’t have well-developed, long heads, you’ll never stretch the measuring tape as far as you’d like. The long head of the triceps provides “hang” in the upper arm when you hit a front biceps pose and the bulk of the thickness when your arm is viewed relaxed from the rear. If you never saw Kevin Levrone in his prime hit a back lat spread, then you don’t know how insanely thick that section of the triceps can get. Kevin’s tri’s looked to be threatening to split his skin. While all triceps movements engage the long head to a degree—you can’t contract just part of a muscle—the most effective way to stimulate the fibers in that area is to use movements that place your elbows up by your ears. The list of possibilities includes seated and incline barbell, EZ-curl-bar and dumbbell overhead extensions; cable overhead extensions done with a straight or cambered bar, V-bar or rope attachment; and machines that mimic any of those movements. The key to making all overhead-extension exercises optimally effective is to control the eccentric portion of the movement—lowering in about two to three seconds—and let the weight reach the fully stretched position before exploding it upward. Don’t shortchange yourself by going down only halfway, as you’ll fail to maximize the involvement of the long triceps head. Another exercise that I’ve found particularly useful in blitzing the long head is one I came up with while experimenting with close-grip bench presses on a Smith machine a few months back. Lie on a flat bench as you

eral people I know have dated great people they met through the site—a couple of them are now engaged. I joined the site myself for a while earlier this year, and while I didn’t exactly meet the woman of my dreams, I made good friends and even picked up some clients. Nothing wrong with that, right? So if you’re single and looking, I encourage you to give it a shot.

would for regular closegrip presses, but slide your body forward so that the bar is just about even with your chin. Take a close Overhead extensions work the grip on beefy long head of the triceps. the bar, but instead of keeping your elbows tucked close to your body, rotate them outward until the upper arm is perpendicular to your torso. Of course that will also rotate the position of your hands on the bar, so be very careful about taking your grip—on this exercise it will almost seem as if the bar is simply lying on your palms. That’s why I perform these on a Smith machine, so there is no chance of the bar rolling out of my hands. Once you’re in position, unrack the bar from the safeties and lower it slowly until it reaches a point just below your chin before carefully but forcefully pressing to the top. Locking out is not really possible with this movement, so there will be constant tension on the tri’s throughout the set. I can use about 275 pounds for

Neveux \ Model: Binais Begovic

Let’s face it…the dating world can be a rough place to hang out. That’s especially true if you’re like me and work long days—even weekends—and spend a great deal of time in the gym and on the road. Meeting new people, especially those you might want to date, is never easy and becomes even more difficult when you’re dedicated to a life of physical fitness. There’s no doubt that most people who work out, eat healthfully, can’t tell an inanimate object from a person and try to build a bigger, better, stronger body are drawn to others like themselves. Well, that can be a double-edged sword. Naturally, the best place to meet someone would be the gym, but those who are truly serious about their training are there only to get in an intense workout, not to socialize. That’s why fitnesssingles.com is a wonderful place to meet and chat with potential new friends, workout partners, colleagues—perhaps even your soul mate. Sev-

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086&/( ,1 6,7(6 12 reps on a regular Smith-machine close-grip bench press, but I find that 135 to 145 pounds gets the job done on this variation. Once your set is complete and you stand up and let the blood rush through your arms, you’ll feel a seriously tight pump concentrated in the inside head of your tri’s, telling you that you just nailed the motor units to the max. Go ahead and superset the exercise with any overhead-extension movement for a doubly wicked long-head hammering.

At other times I might do my presses or flyes for three sets at three distinct angles, such as 60, 45 and 30 degrees, or something even more radical—like 75, 45 and 15. If I’m more focused on one particular movement—say, incline dumbbell presses—I often perform it at several consecutive chest workouts but at a unique angle each time. If you want a great workout for bombing the upper pectorals, here’s one that I find particularly effective: Incline barbell presses (45 degree angle) 3 x 4-6 Incline dumbbell flyes (set 1 at 60 degrees, set 2 at 45 degrees, set 3 at 30 degrees) 3 x 7-9 Smith-machine bench presses to neck 2 x 10-12 Low-cable crossovers 2 x 13-15

Varying the bench angle on incline presses brings unique pec-fiber stresses. Q: I really need to build my upper chest. What angle do you feel is best for working the pecs with incline presses or flyes? A: If you’re a regular reader of my column and/or articles, you know that I advocate varying the grips and angles on almost every movement in order to stimulate unique groups of motor units. There’s such potential to work through so many planes of motion. I don’t see why so many trainees resist variation when they could so easily make things more interesting in the gym. Also, you must remember just how amazingly good the body is at adapting to any form of stress. The more you keep the muscles and central nervous system off balance with different techniques, exercises, tempos and angles, the better your chance of improving your physique. Obviously, I don’t feel there’s one best angle for hitting the upper chest. Everyone should vary the angle from workout to workout, exercise to exercise, or even set to set in some cases. For example, in a chest workout where I plan to do incline barbell presses as well as incline flyes, I might do the presses at a 60 degree angle and the flyes at a 30 degree angle, or vice versa.

Neveux \ Model: Dave Goodin

Q: Because of my work schedule I can train only three days during some weeks, but during others I have time for four or even five days in the gym. What’s the best way to arrange my bodypart workouts, bearing in mind that my quads are lagging? A: Actually, that’s not such a bad situation, as it gives you different ways of attacking your muscle groups. I once wrote a short article for IRON MAN titled “Splitting Pretty,” about the concept of alternating weeks of three, four and five days in the gym. Taking into consideration that you feel your quads are a weak muscle group, here are three bodypart splits that you can implement, depending on your work schedule for the week:

3-Day Split Monday: Chest, lats, traps, abs Wednesday: Quads, hams, low back, calves Friday: Delts, bi’s, tri’s, abs

4-Day Split Monday: Quads, hams, calves Tuesday: Chest, tri’s, abs Thursday: Delts, traps, quads, calves Friday: Lats, bi’s, low back, abs

5-Day Split Monday: Quads, hams, calves Tuesday: Chest, tri’s, abs Thursday: Delts, traps, bi’s Friday: Quads, hams, calves Saturday: Lats, low back, abs

Editor’s note: Eric Broser’s new DVD “Power/Rep Range/Shock MaxMass Training System” is available at Home-Gym.com. His e-book, Power/Rep Range/Shock Workout, which includes complete printable workout templates and a big Q&A section, is available at www.XtraordinaryWorkouts.com. IM

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OFXT&W JFXT LONNIE TEPER’S

’09 National Championships

Swami’s Nat’s Predictions Kid Kuclo to Steal the Show

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Steve Kuclo.

Isaac Hinds \ www.liftstudios.com

Will history repeat itself at the Nationals? Can somebody who’s only 24 years old—like Evan Centopani when he won the whole shebang in 2007—duplicate that impressive achievement at the 2009 edition, set for the beach town of Hollywood, Florida, on November 20 and 21? I think so. Steve “Kid” Kuclo had the Nationals crowd—and judges—abuzz last season in Atlanta, when he displayed 254 pounds of thick, well-conditioned muscle on his 5’11” frame to finish behind only Ed Nunn, who also won the overall, and runner-up Grigori Atoyan in the superheavyweight class. Kuclo, formerly of Michigan but now living in the heart of Texas (well, Plano, if you want to get technical) with new bride Amy Peters, is a firefighter who could burn his opponents onstage at the Westin Diplomat Resort. I call him L.T. and Stephen Frazier. the New Age Dennis Newman. Good looks, good shape, plenty of beef to be the chief. Admittedly, I have not seen or spoken with Steve this year. Haven’t seen any pics, either, but I’m assuming (and we all know what that Jason really means) he’ll be even better with another Huh. year of training under his belt. Which would make him extremely tough to defeat. Another problem I have: Isaac “Hardbody” Hinds is also picking Steve, and we all know how accurate Hardbody is when it comes to men’s predictions. Kuclo won’t have an easy task though. There’s another youngster, 24year-old local fave Jason Huh, Malcolm Anthoneil Champagnie. who also finished third in Georgia Marshall. last year— Lee in the Banks. heavyweight class, landing right behind winner Mike Liberatore and

Fred Smalls.

SPINNING HIS WHEELS? Catch up with Dr. Eric Sternlicht. Pages 211-212

’09 IM PRO Will this guy try for a fifth win? Page 213

Tamer ElGuindy.

Al Auguste.

Seth Feroce.

Jeff Cook.

Photography by Roland Balik and Lonnie Teperr

Kal Gallman.

Isaac Hinds \ www.liftstudios.com

Darron Glenn.

HOT BODS Check out L.T.’s Rising Stars. Pages 214-217

this year’s USA overall winner, Mark Alvisi. The Sarasota resident moved up a division at this year’s USA and impressed once more, picking up a fifth-place medal in his first crack at the supers. If Jason can sharpen up a notch or two for the Nationals, it could be quite a battle. Let’s call this “Kids’ Korner.” Now, I can think of another guy who might have something to say about the outcome. My pick for this class at the USA, Malcolm Marshall, got dusted at that show and has redemption on his mind. I still like Marshall’s 6’2”, 270-pound physique—a symmetrical freak. Show the fans I do know what I’m talkin’ about, big guy. Is Trey Brewer coming back? Brewer surprised a helluva lot of people last year, including me, when he showed up as a sleek 236pounder. If the Georgia physique ace improves, count him in as a top-five contender once more. Speaking of redemption, how about my main man, Stephen “Down Goes” Frazier? My pick to win his class at the Nationals last year, Stephen fell to a disappointing eighth—a lot better than the 16th-place finish he earned at this season’s USA a couple of months ago. ’Nuff talking, Frazier. Put the gloves back on and start knocking some people out. Neko I thought Lee Banks was Roberson. going to the North Americans after his loss to Alvisi at the USA. The 5’9”, 217-pounder out of Jacksonville, Florida, decided he wants to win his pro card in front of his hometown fans. And that can definitely happen—Lee has a great physique. Problem for me is, I was going with Fred Smalls, the Delaware Dandy (no offense, Roland Balik), to win the heavies. Now who do I choose? Hmm. How about a dead heat, with the rapidly improving Smalls taking it in a tiebreaker, 5 to 4? Plus, Hinds is taking it all the way to the Banks in this division, so what choice do I have? Another cat I like in the heavyweights is Anthoneil Champagnie, the Brooklyn Bomber, who carries 220 pounds of crisp, cut beef. He finished right behind Huh last year, in fourth, although I would have had him up a notch. If Dan Decker does the show (shoot, I don’t know if most of the guys I’m writing about are doing the show), I think the dude with the big guns can crack the top five. The light-heavyweight class could be a barn burner. Right out of the shoot, Orlando’s Al Auguste, second last year, will be onstage. So he’s the automatic winner, right? No way, Jose. Not with the likes of Junior USA winner Darron Glenn in the field. Or phenom Seth Feroce, who’s coming off a powerful victory at the NPC Pittsburgh. Does California’s Tamer El-Guindy, coming off an upset class win over Branden Ray at the USA but devastated that he didn’t get his pro card, have a shot? Tamer has the lines, but can he match Glenn and www.ironmanmagazine.com \ DECEMBER 2009 209

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OFXT&W JFXT Feroce in mass? Kal Gallman and Jeff Cook were second and third, respectively, in the middleweight class last year, and both have a legit shot at taking the category this time. Now, if Neko Roberson enters, count him as a possible title winner as well. I told Shavis Higa to move back down to the welterweight class if he competes, and since all bodybuilders listen to my advice, I’m sure that’s what the 5’3”, 165-pounder from Hawaii will do. I like Malachi Walker in this class as well. In the welters I’m going with Shavis if he makes the 6,000-mile trek from Hawaii to Florida, and if he drops down to the lighter division. I also like Luis Santa, this year’s USA winner, and J.B. Bartlett in this division, along with Kevin Ofurum. And, let’s not forget Florida’s Teddy Atkins, who was fourth last year before dropping back in the pack at the USA. Another redemption theme here. Leonard Pacheco looked terrific last year, finishing behind only Marvin Ward in the lightweight class. The New Yorker is my bet to edge Travis Rogers, who is coming off a victory at the USA. Others to keep a close eye on for a top-five finish: the California trio of Alex Azarian (my partner in crime on the USA and Nationals predictions videos), Kelly Bautista and Ray Douglas. Should be a great class. Bantams? Okay, I’m going with Bleu Taylor because Yogi Avidan successfully picked him to win his class at the USA a couple of years back. Plus the fact that the kid from Oregon was second last year. A topnotch competitor for sure.

Shavis Higa.

J.B. Bartlett.

Leonard Pacheco.

Alex Azarian.

Kelly Bautista.

Neveux

IRON MAN’s Man About Town, Dave Liberman, was on hand at both the NPC Teen, Collegiate and Masters in Pittsburgh and the IFBB North American Championships in Cleveland during the summer to snap pics of the top dogs at the Gary Udit– produced events. Congrats to Masters Over- Bleu all champ Stan Efferding; Taylor. Lawrence Hunt, who was second in the overall balloting and earned a pro card as well; Tony Jones, the 50-and-over winner; Doug Kochneff, the 60-and-over victor; and Yumen Eaton, the Collegiate National Overall champ. More thumbs-up go to Shawn Rhoden, a former Team Universe standout who won both the heavyweight class and overall titles at the North Americans to earn pro status. Also to the two other gents who moved on to the next level with victories in the 40-and-over and 50-and-over battles, Tampa’s Mark Antonek and Texas’ Dave Goodin, respec-

Merv

Winners Dept.

Tony Jones.

Doug Kochneff.

210 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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tively. Yes, that Dave Goodin, the Texas Shredder, who continues to defy the aging process. Talk about a deserving moniker. So, Dave, are you gonna make your pro debut at the IRON MAN in January? Sure, you’ll be giving up anywhere from 50 to 100 pounds, but who will be in better condition? And, since you’ll be in town Gary working the booth anyway.… Udit and Abbas Khatami won the supers at Shawn the NAC for the second time, but the Rhoden. Irvine, California, ace once again left the arena sans pro card. If you haven’t seen it by now, check out the video interview I did with Khatami at Gold’s, Venice, on the Monday before the show. The Persian Missile was as conditioned as Goodin, so I’m making my plea to NPC Prez Jim “Lats” Manion to push for a second pro card in the open category next year. As Khatami has proved, the contest has earned it.

North American Championships and Teen, Collegiate, Masters Nationals photography by Dave Liberman

Abbas Khatami.

Mark Antonek.

Stan Efferding.

Catching Up With… Dr. Eric Sternlicht It had been years since I talked with Eric Sternlicht, Ph.D., so it was great to receive an e-mail message Dave from him last spring. I met Eric about 25 years ago. He was a solid Goodin. bodybuilder and was finishing up his doctorate in exercise physiology at UCLA. In the early ’90s we tried to team up on a bodybuilding book, but things didn’t work out. I was teaching at Cal State, Los Angeles, at the time; Eric was at UCLA. Eventually, he moved over to Occidental College in Eagle Rock, California, which, ironically, is only about a 15-minute drive from a school I’ve been teaching at since 1999, Pasadena City College. We finally hooked up again at the end of August. I drove over to Oxy, where Dr. Sternlicht is the director of the Human Performance Lab. He also still runs his highly regarded consulting company, Simply Fit, and is deeply involved in research projects and work as a trial expert. He’s 50 now but looks 35. Oh, that head of hair! I did know that Eric had traded in the weights for a bike years ago—he won the United States Cycling Federation Masters National Time Trial Championships in 2001 and ’05. In fact, I made him prove he’s still in top condition by asking him to give me a minute or so on the Concept2 rower in the lab. I asked him what projects were in the Yumen works, and he reeled off several: “The latest Lawrence Eaton. Hunt. have involved looking at exercise programs and blood lipid modifications for health benefits, meal-replacement shakes for various metabolic improvements, muscle activity during various activities and caloric expenditure during different workouts and activities. “My latest proposal is one developing a diet and activity program to treat and prevent type 2 diabetes. We’re still waiting to see if we can get funding on the project, but it looks very positive.” Eric, who has penned many articles for IRON MAN since John Balik and Michael Neveux bought the mag in 1986, lives in www.ironmanmagazine.com \ DECEMBER 2009 211

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OFXT&W JFXT

ADD BRAINUM—Jerry tells me he reviewed a couple of products from a new supplement line Tony Pearson is repping, Wellness International Network, Ltd. (out of Dallas) and was impressed by the quality of the ingredients. “Tony told me that there is no way he would associate his name with inferior-quality products,” Brainum said, “and I can vouch for his integrity, having known him for 33 years.” As it happened, I ran into Tony at the USA, and we spent some time chatting about his new venture. One of the industry’s all-time greats (will Mr. America and Pro Universe titles, in addition to his being a six-time Pro World Mixed Pairs champ, do?), the 52-year-old Pearson said he resides in Las Vegas, is a personal trainer and nutritional consultant to the stars, both in Sin City and Los Angeles, and lives “to show by example that the best lifestyle is a natural one and that, after a 19-year competitive career, I’m still in the game.” The Jet Man even sent me some products; the first bottle out of the box was the Bio Lean Dietary supplement. Now, Tony, why in the world would I need that? Okay, I get your drift. Along with it came Phyto-Vite, Win CoQ10, the performance drink Wingry and Pro Xtreme, a protein supplement. Sounds good to me. “We have over 40 products, distributed in 34 countries worldwide,” said Pearson. “WIN’s complete nutritional product line is featured in the PDR for Nonprescription Drugs, Dietary Supplements and Herbs.” Tony ain’t full of baloney, so go to www.TonyPearsonHealth.com and see for yourself. You can get mean with Bio Lean! Back to Brainum. As with Dr. Sternlicht, anytime Jerry has something to say, I listen—really carefully. Especially when it comes to supplement chatter. A must on your to-do list: Get a copy of his new e-book, Natural Anabolics—Nutrients, Compounds and Supplements That Can Accelerate Muscle Growth Without Drugs. Easy to do too— just visit www.JerryBrainum.com.

Avidan

Eric Sternlicht.

Above (from left): Bill Howard, Bill Grant and Jerry Brainum.

Photo courtesy of Eric Sternlicht, Ph.D.

Orange County with his lovely wife, Chrissy, and daughter Elena, 10. Eric and IM science writer Jerry Brainum are two of the sharpest people in the field I’ve ever encountered. For more info on Dr. Sternlicht’s company, log on to www.SimplyFit.com. Now, Eric, about that book you’re selling on the site….

Tony Pearson.

Rich Gaspari became the second recipient of the Ben Weider Lifetime Achievement Award at a presentation that took place at the Pro Bodybuilding Weekly Championships in Tampa on August 8. Chris Dickerson, the inaugural winner in 2008, was on hand for Rich’s special moment, joined by Dan Solomon, Bob Cicherillo, Rob Wilkins and promoter Tim Gardner. Good choice, gang. Rich has been a major force in the industry for 25 years, both on and off the stage.

212 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

From left: Bob Cicherillo, Chris Dickerson, Rich Gaspari, Dan Solomon and Tim Gardner.

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Photo courtesy of Gaspari Nutrition

Gaspari Honored

Repeat at the IRON MAN Pro?

Moe El Moussawi.

Silvio Samuel, last season’s IRON MAN Pro champ, has told both me and John Balik he’ll be defending his title on January 23, 2010, at the beautifully renovated Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. The venue is a few blocks from the L.A. Convention Center, where the FitExpo will again take place. It’s early in the game at this point, but Chris Cormier has assured me that, at 42, he’ll be back onstage after a long absence to try to notch victory number five, which would tie him with Flex Wheeler as the alltime record holder for the 21-year event. The Real Deal even wants me to snap a photo of him signing the contract, so I’ll see if I can oblige him. Forward the contract to me, J.B. In addition, Moe El Moussawi, runner-up to Silvio in ’08, has said he’ll be onstage too. As will Mike Liberatore, the ’08 National Heavyweight winner. Sounds like a great start to me. Ed Nunn, wanna add to the fun? The local fans would love to see that 6’1”, 255-pound physique flexing it out. So give us a shout. Keep checking for show updates at IronManMagazine.com. Chris Cormier.

Films Dept.

Photo courtesy of Alexander Nevsky

Mike Liberatore with Colette Nelson.

Avidan

Ed Nunn and Hardbody Hinds.

Alexander Nevsky with the late David Carradine.

Thanks to Russian bodybuilderturned-actor Alexander Nevsky for sending me a DVD of his action thriller, “Treasure Raiders,” which was released in the summer in the United States and Canada. I watched the flick, and the big guy impressed me with his acting skills. John Balik Alexander worked with the late and Silvio David Carradine on the movie Samuel. and had nothing but praise for the “Kill Bill” star. “David helped me a lot during shooting, not only with acting but with my English,” said Nevsky. “He was always supportive and nice. I don’t want you and your readers to believe all those negative things that the tabloids wrote about his death. I was proud To contact to work with him, a Lonnie legendary actor and Teper about warrior.” material Nevsky was also possibly kind enough to get me pertinent an autographed photo to News & of Robert Davi, an Views, write excellent thespian with to 1613 Chelsea Road, #266, San Marino, CA whom he has worked 91108; fax to (626) 289-7949; or send in the past. Thanks to e-mail to tepernews@aol.com. IM both of you. www.ironmanmagazine.com \ DECEMBER 2009 213

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LONNIE T EP ER’ S Ri si n g S tars

OFXT&W JFXT ,521 0$1

Kevin

Sperling Age: 38 Weight: 218 contest; 245 off-season Height: 5’10” Residence: Honolulu Occupation: United States Navy recruiter Contest highlights: ’07 and ’09 Hawaiian Islands Championships, overall; ’09 NPC California Championships, heavyweight, 1st; ’09 NPC USA Championships, heavyweight, 6th. Factoid: When he started training at age 20, he weighed only 145 pounds. Contact: Kevin.Sperling@ navy.mil

Photography by Merv and Roland Balik

214 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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LONNIE T EP ER’ S Ri si n g S tars

OFXT&W JFXT ,521 0$1

Paul

Estrada

Avidan

Age: 23 Height: 6’4” Weight: 194 contest; 210 off-season Residence: San Diego Contest highlights: ’09 NPC Junior California Championships, heavyweight, 3rd Factoids: Married to bikini competitor Suzanne Choplin, Paul trained with her to help her prepare for the Junior Cal and ended up competing. A former “skinny” skater who’s gained 50 pounds since he started weight training, he earned the monicker “Wolverine.” Contact: pastradul@aol.com

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LONNIE T EP ER’ S Ri si n g S tars

OFXT&W JFXT ,521 0$1

Jenna

Boyer Age: 27 Weight: 106 contest and offseason Height: 5’3” Residence: Roseville, California Occupation: Personal trainer Contest highlights: ’09 NPC Junior California Championships, figure-B, 1st; ’08 NPC Nationals, figure-B, 6th; ’08 NPC California Championships, figure-B, 1st. Factoids: Jenna grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana, and was involved in inline skating from the age of 15, competing in the ’06 World Championships. At one time she was 30 pounds heavier. She’s certified with NASM, NCSF and AFFA. Contact: JennaBoyer.net

216 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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LONNIE T EP ER’ S Ri si n g S tars

OFXT&W JFXT ,521 0$1

Jessica

Isaac Hinds \ www.LiftStudios.com

Anderson Age: 23 Weight: 130 contest; 140 off-season Height: 5’7” Residence: Jacksonville, Florida; San Diego in 2010 Occupation: United States Navy, hospital corpsman second class Contest highlights: ’09 NPC Jax Physique, bikini overall; ’09 NPC Europa Show of Champions Bikini, tall, 2nd Factoids: Of Philippine, Irish and Scottish descent, Jessica is from a military family. Her father is a retired Marine major, her brother is a Marine ﬁrst lieutenant, serving in Afghanistan, and her youngest brother is about to ﬁnish boot camp. She loves scuba diving, archery, horseback riding— “you name it, I do it.” Contact: oXjessicaXo2000@ yahoo.com

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1) The Memorial Day parade of athletes and color guard. 2) Major Ken Goode from March AFB, Bill Grant and John Balik. 3) Tina Quarles, overall bikini winner. 4) Danny Le, masters champ. 5) Joe Wheatley and his friend Shawnekia. 6) John Balik hails the bikini winners. 7) Chet Yorton, then and now. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame. 8) Jerami Whithrow, overall Armed Forces champion. 9) Joe Wheatley accepts a City of Los Angeles proclamation from Mark Antonio Grant. 10) The masters men over 50. 11) The C-17 flyover crew and Monterey Bay Fire Department. 12) The bikini competitors file off. 13) Jennifer Nixon, figure champ. 14) Anu McKnight, menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s overall winner. 15) Masters-over-60 aces Melvin Cooper and Jim Arrington.

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July 4th

3 4 5

6 7

July 4, 2009 1) Sherry Goggin and Rob Riches. 2) Relna Brewer McRae, Hall of Fame inductee. 3) Gene MozĂŠe and Molli Oliver with overall figure winner Francesca Lucioni. 4) Joe Wheatley accepts a proclamation from the City of L.A. 5) The masters figure over 45 winners. 6) The masters figure over 35 champs. 7) L.A. City Council members Jan Perry, 9th district, and Bill Rosendahl, 11th district, recognize the 75th anniversary of Muscle Beach. 8) Misha and Ivan perform Muscle Beach gymnastics from the past. 9) The teen winners show off their trophies. 10) The bikini competitors pose. 11) John Balik inducts Bernie Ernst into the Hall of Fame. 12) Sherry Goggin and the heavyweights.

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Sergio Oliva Jr. MuscleTech Athlete Compiled by Ron Harris

Full name: Sergio Oliva Jr. Nickname: People have tried to call me the Myth Junior, but I want to earn my own nickname. Date of birth: October 20, 1984 Height: 6’ Off-season weight: 260 Contest weight: 225-228 Current residence: Miramar Beach, Florida Years training: Five Occupation: Security guard Marital status: Engaged to Halley Wokersin Children: None yet—I’m still a kid! Hobbies: Watching movies—all-time favorites are “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and anything with Arnold.

222 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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How did you get into bodybuilding? I grew up in the gym watching my father, but he wouldn’t let me touch a weight until I turned 18. Once I did, I put on 35 pounds of muscle in less than six months. Who inspired you when you were starting out? My father, Sergio Oliva, the Myth, who won the Mr. Olympia title in 1967, 1968 and 1969 as well as Mr. World and Mr. Universe. Who could ask for better inspiration than a father like him? Top titles: Mr. Northwest Florida Favorite bodypart to train: Back, because it’s what I need the most. Favorite exercise: None Least favorite exercise: Anything for hamstrings. Best bodypart: Legs Most challenging bodypart: Back Obstacles overcome: Only that some people think I’m trying to ride on my father’s name or his genetics or whatever. I’m my own person, and it’s my dream now to be a pro and do well in the sport. Do you have a quote or a philosophy you try to live

by? Life moves fast—if you don’t stop every once in a while to look around, it’s gone before you know it. How do you stay motivated? The goal of being the first son of a pro bodybuilder to be a pro himself drives me. How would you describe your training style? It’s a mix of old-school and more modern techniques—but basically it’s high-volume, pyramiding up in weight and down in reps, and mostly free weights.

where I will ultimately win my pro card. But I use most of the MuscleTech supplements. Goals in the sport: Short-term goal is to turn pro; long-term is to become the first son of a Mr. Olympia to win the Mr. Olympia. If the USA has had a president who was the son of another president, why not? IM

Training split: Monday: legs; Tuesday: chest; Wednesday: back thickness; Thursday: shoulders; Friday: arms; Saturday: back width; Sunday: hamstrings, traps, abs Favorite clean meal: Chicken quesadillas with fat-free cheese and tomatoes Favorite cheat meal: I don’t like junk—but I will have peanut butter. What is your favorite supplement, and why? I love Mass Tech and Meso Tech from MuscleTech. They’re the most important products for me right now because I’m gaining more quality weight to move up to the superheavyweight division, which is

MT Products Here

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RUTH SILVERMAN’S

• Super Show Stoppers • Last Meow • Whole Lotta Legs

&,5&8067$1&( Super Show photography by Isaac Hinds and Ron Avidan; Atlantic City Pro photography by Reg Bradford

’DELA DOES DALLAS

SUPER SHOW STOPPERS

BAND OF ANGELS The fitness top three— Nicole Duncan, Garcia and Myrian Capes— keep the competition at bay.

SIZZLING AND DAZZLING The long, hot summer of body battles, 2009 edition, saw Krissy Chin (left) and Meriza DeGuzman take second and third, respectively, at the Super Show Figure to get their first Olympia nods. To find out how all the ladies did at the Big Dance, log on to Contests at IronManMagazine.com.

Merv

DRAC ATTACK The torn ACL that had kept her off the stage since the ’07 Fitness O was “just a bad dream,” said Adela Garcia, who soared into Dallas for the ’09 Europa Super Show on August 15 and flew off with a 40-point win. Did she earn her fourth Olympia title in September? You know the answer to that.

224 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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STELLAR SEASON Heather Mae French racked up her second pro win in Houston on August 29 and gained yardage in September— both on the football field and in the figure firmament.

LONG, HOT SUMMER ROUNDUP WORK-OF-ART-IN-PROGRESS Two-time Figure O champ Jenny Lynn redeemed her rep with a win in Dallas and promised a sharper set of curves for the big show.

LAST MEOW

SAY BYE-BYE Fitness said sayonara to the cat suits and 45-second routines—as well as the one-piece-swimsuit round—when the powersthat-IFBB voted them off the island for 2010. The reason they’re streamlining the sport? Got to make time for the professional stride ‘n’ snappers to get onstage. Meanwhile, at the Atlantic City Pro on September 12, Tracey Greenwood took her third straight title.

H O T TA M A L E S

1) Tivisay Briceno, who picked up plenty of fans in her three-year quest to break out of the figure pack, finally picked up some cash at the Atlantic City

Pro. Second in the masters figure and fifth in the open definitely brought their rewards, if not an Olympia invite. 2) Also getting a taste of the winner’s circle was Siobhan Tewari, who nailed top-five finishes at the Super Show and at the Jacksonville Pro on August 1. 3) Myriam Capes did the lean and mean in Dallas to nab her second runnerup award of ’09. Conspiracy theory alert: Both were earned at Europa-sponsored events. 4) Wonder Woman Nita Marquez made her pro debut, published a book and moved her 4 family to Los Angeles this www.ironmanmagazine.com \ DECEMBER 2009 225 summer.

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Bradford

NO TURNING BACK Missy Coles and Dianna Dahlgren led the F- and E-class packs at the Team Universe on September 19 in New York, where Coles won the overall. Bikini, of course. You can tell by the cut of their, well, bikinis.

W H O L E L O T TA L E G S

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Roland Balik

And that was just in August.

Roland Balik

MORE WONDER WOMEN Betty Pariso won the Tampa Pro and promoted the Super Show.

JERSEY GIRLS In Atlantic City, sisters-in-fitness Safiya and Tanji Jackson (above) became the first sibs ever to compete against each other in IFBB pro competition; while Shannon Meteraud (left) tuned up for the Fitness O by winning the masters pro figure and taking fourth in the open. Talk about bringing home the bacon and frying it up in a pan.

226 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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AT L A N T I C C I T Y S TA N D O U T S

TWO TALES FROM THE SHORE Alicia Renee Harris found her qualifying condition in A.C., where she took third, but I thought she looked fine in Dallas (opposite page). At right: Those who picked out Larissa Reis as a winner in 2008 were simply ahead of their time. The Brazilian-born bottle of hot sauce moved up from 10th to first.

ATTENTION GETTERS

CUT TO THE CHASE SHOT Lisa Aukland tells the rest of the lineup where to go en route to her fourth consecutive A.C. Pro Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bodybuilding title.

AIRBORNE Bethany Wagner got the third Olympiaqualifying spot at the A.C. Pro Fitness and departed for the Vegas venue immediately.

JACKPOT! Nicole Ball (above) bounced back from just missing out in Tampa to a top-three finish. In second, Kristy Hawkins (right) resembled the gal who ran off with the title at the â&#x20AC;&#x2122;07 Nationals.

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&,5&8067$1&( August 28–29, 2009

North American Championships photography by Dave Liberman

HOT BODS AT THE NORTH AMERICANS

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The ’09 NAC produced a bumper crop of new pros: 1) Open bikini— Jessica Lawrence and Kat Holmes; 2) open and masters figure— LaVonda Ezell, Silvana Salvati and Cheryl Brown; 3) fitness—Allison Ethier; 4) women’s bodybuilding— Tammy Patnode and Zoa Linsey; and 5) masters bikini—Kira Rivera.

Negrita Jayde 1958–2009

REVOLUTIONARY CONCEPT Monica Brant has opened up her F.E.M. Camps to B.O.Y.Z. Not what you’re thinking, however. It’s a team camp for men and women, and she’s added Austin, Texas, master trainer Cody Butler to round out the program. There’s an F.E.M. Plus Men weekend going down in Austin on November 13 through 15. For the complete 2010 schedule, go to www.Monica Brant.com.

Fredrick

Fitness trainer, author, former Canadian National champ, fiancée of the late entertainer Gregory Hines. Those descriptions, though true, hardly do justice to Negrita Jayde, who blossomed onto the bodybuilding scene in the late 1980s and passed away in September after a tough battle with cancer. Beloved by all who knew her, she will be missed.

Neveux

Wennerstrom

For more commentary from the world of women’s physique competition, read my Pump & Circumstance blog at IronMan Magazine.com

JENN-UINE SHOCKER In early September Jenn Gates (left) announced that she would not defend her title at the Figure O, then appeared on BodySport.com radio and told the story of what she’d been through since winning her crown. An abusive marriage, her husband’s suicide and the baby she’s expecting with the nice guy who was waiting in the wings were among the topics. This is one gutsy gal, and I wish her the best. Find the interview in the archives at www.BodySport.com.

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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.

Femme Physique The

CALIFORNIA Championships

A State of Unmatched Tradition, Part 1 Story and photography by Steve Wennerstrom, IFBB Women’s Historian

big, enthusiastic crowd witnessed the first California State Women’s Bodybuilding Championships at the Embassy Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles on April 12, 1980. The event was held in conjunction with the men’s and teenage AAU California Championships, and the field of 19 women added an extra air of excitement to the overall competition. The inaugural title went to Claudia Wilbourn, who’d already gained a measure of notoriety from contests she’d entered before the Cal. Wilbourn had just finished third at the first-ever United States Women’s Bodybuilding Championships in Atlantic City, and later in the year she would finish second to Laura Combes at the first American Women’s Bodybuilding Championships in Santa Monica, California. Based on her national success at the amateur level Wilbourn turned pro in 1982 and competed in the Ms. Olympia that year, where she tied for 16th. The Olympia would be her last contest in a four-year competitive career. Finishing second to Wilbourn was Shelley Gruwell. With an angelic face, blond hair and a tight midsection, Gruwell quickly became a favorite model in bodybuilding publications. She gained most of her fame in mixed-pairs competitions—first with John Brown for the ’80 American Mixed Pairs Championship, then with Tony Pearson for the ’82 and ’83 IFBB Pro World Mixed Pairs Championship. After a runner-up finish at the ’81 American Women’s Championships as a middleweight, she turned pro

Claudia Wilbourn (left) and Shelley Gruwell.

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and won the first World Grand Prix in Montreal, followed by a 12thplace finish at the ’82 Ms. Olympia. Gruwell’s résumé also included a sixth-place-middleweight finish at the first World Games in 1981 and another sixth at the IFBB Pro World in 1983. She was also selected to compete in the ’83 Caesars World Cup contest being filmed for the 1985 release of “Pumping Iron II: The Women.” Gruwell placed seventh in that controversial event. Like Wilbourn, she concluded her competitive efforts after just four years; however, both women helped give women’s bodybuilding a colorful start, and Claudia Wilbourn was inducted into Joe Weider’s Bodybuilding Hall of Fame in 2006. The remaining finishers in the top five at the inaugural Cal State event were, in order, Jan Bowden, Andrina Hawkins and Peggy Russell. 1981. The 1981 overall California champion was Madeline Almeida. At a very petite 5’ and 95 pounds, she used a solid level of genetic structural balance to earn her success in what would be an abbreviated competitive career. After placing seventh at the first American Women’s Championships in 1980, Almeida won the ’81 Eastern USA Overall title before earning the California Overall crown. Moving up to a fourth-place finish in the lightweights at the ’81 AFWB American Women’s Championships, she was then invited to compete at the first IFBB Madeline Pro World Almeida. Champion-

Stella Martinez.

ship, where she tied for eighth in a field of 17 contestants. Painfully shy and feeling the growing pressures of competing at the pro level, Almeida ended her competitive bodybuilding efforts after just five contests in two years. 1982. California champion Stella Martinez should be considered one of the true pioneers in the sport, having placed third at the first Women’s World Bodybuilding Championships in Los Angeles in 1979, which was won by Lisa Lyon. An active competitor in the early ’80s, Martinez won the ’82 AFWB California Overall title before quickly taking the AFWB USA Overall crown as well. After winning the ’83 Russ Warner Classic and finishing second in the lightweight class at the AFWB

American Women’s Championships, she called it a career without pursuing the opportunity to enter the pro ranks. Placing third in the lightweight class was Debbie Basile. Possessing outstanding overall structural balance, Basile was trained by Mary Roberts for the ’82 AFWB American Women’s Bodybuilding Championships. The result was a lightweight victory in her first national-level event. Basile elected to pass on entering the pro ranks. 1983. Susan Roberts was another lightweight who exceeded all competitive expectations, using excellent structural balance rather than a highly muscular frame to earn the judges’ favor. In a six-year career that began in 1980, Roberts—no

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Femme Physique

relation to Mary Roberts—experienced her best success in 1983, winning the overall at the NPC California followed by lightweight victories at both the NPC USA and NPC Nationals. After a fourth-place finish at the ’83 IFBB World Amateur Championships, she entered the pro ranks, competing in the IFBB Pro World and Ms. Olympia in 1984. Roberts finished her competitive career by taking 13th at the ’85 Pro World. Kris Alexander took seventh in the heavyweight class at the ’83 Cal, and, like Shelley Gruwell, she was selected to compete in the ’83 Caesars World Cup. After placing fifth in that event, Alexander competed in the IFBB Pro World in 1984, ’85 and ’87, the last-named being her final contest. She also competed in the

sor to her winning the light-heavyweight class a year later at the ’85 NPC USA. Even the fourth-place finishers in 1984 showed wow power. Fourthplaced lightweight Susie Jaso went on to win her class at the NPC USA and Nationals in ’85. As a pro she entered four IFBB Pro Worlds, one Ms. International and one Ms. Olympia. The fourth-placed heavyweight was Diana Dennis. Her career— which lasted from 1982 to 1994—is legendary and includes the ’85 NPC National Overall title, an ’89 IFBB

Diana Dennis. Balik

Ms. International in 1986. 1984. In the mid’80s the California contest became a star-making machine. The overall winner in 1984 was Sue Ann McKean. A unanimous winner at this event, McKean moved on to finish in the top five at three NPC USA events and the top five at two NPC Nationals. Turning pro in 1986, McKean competed seven times at that level, including two entries in the Ms. Olympia, placing seventh in 1986 and 11th in ’87. In addition to entering two IFBB Pro World contests, McKean placed fourth at the ’86 Ms. International. Finishing second to McKean at the ’84 Cal was Janice Ragain. Another in a growing line of future pro stars, Ragain followed that up by winning the light-heavyweight class at the ’84 NPC Nationals. In ’85 she added a silver medal at the IFBB World Kris Amateur ChampiAlexander. onships in Belgium before turning pro. Ragain competed in three IFBB Pro World events, placing as high as second in 1988, and three Ms. Olympia contests, with a best placing of seventh in 1987. She wrapped up her eight-year competitive career at the Pro World in 1989. Another outstanding runner-up came by way of Suzanne Tigert in the middleweight class. Moving to California after winning the ’81 Tennessee state title and ’82 MidCentral USA, Tigert’s second-place finish at this contest was a precur-

Nancy Lewis.

Pro World crown and nine appearances in the Ms. Olympia lineup. A consummate physique artist, Dennis was inducted into the Joe Weider Bodybuilding Hall of Fame in 2001. 1985. The ’85 California saw San Diegan Esi Rainwater win the overall, but her supporting cast was amazingly talented. Among those who missed winning the overall were future NPC National Heavyweight champion Laura Beaudry, future WABBA World champion Mishay Santos, future NPC USA Overall champion and seven-time Ms. Olympia competitor Nancy Lewis, and a pair of future IFBB World Amateur champions—Renee Casella and Cathey Palyo. In this group only Santos even won her class. Next month we’ll pick up with 1986, the year Laura Creavalle emerged. IM

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Heavy Duty

The Wisdom of Mike Mentzer This month we present another classic feature from Mike. It appeared in the March ’00 IRON MAN. Let’s approach the subject of what makes muscles grow beyond normal levels the way a good exercise scientist would. Having observed innumerable bodybuilders and strength athletes train, he concludes that there must be something about the actual workout itself, some element that can be isolated and identified as responsible for stimulating muscle growth. How does he find it? Most likely he’ll start by looking at one of the more readily observed attributes of the things that exist in reality, namely, quantity. In this context, he’d concern himself with the volume, or the number of sets being performed. Since people who don’t exercise with weights usually have normal-size muscles and those who perform some resistance exercise do grow larger muscles, he hypothesizes that perhaps growth stimulation is directly related to the volume.

In order to test his hypothesis, he observes numerous people training over a period of time, during which the volume of exercise grows progressively greater. But something is wrong. He notices that beyond a definite point, increased volume results in a complete lack of progress and that with any further increase in volume the subjects all inevitably grow weaker and suffer overuse atrophy. So what may have initially appeared obvious is now not so apparent. The growth stimulus can’t be directly related to the quantity of exercise effort, or the training subjects would be experiencing their best results with the greatest possible volume of exercise. While the notion that more is better is attractive in its simplicity, it doesn’t work. Let’s look, for a moment, at the logic implicit in that idea. More is better means precisely that: More is better. If 20 sets are good—that is, they yield satisfactory results—40

Balik \ Model: Mike Mentzer

by Mike Mentzer

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Heavy Duty Executing that last, almost impossible rep causes the body to dip into its reserve ability.

Neveux \ Model: Ahmad Ahmad

Balik \ Model: Mike Mentzer

sets would be better, resulting in greater progress than you get with 20 sets, with 80, 120, 240, 480 and more sets into infinity yielding ever-greater muscle mass. So there it is: the monumental absurdity of the volume argument wrapped in the singular, childlike notion that more is better. It is erroneous, illogical, irrational, nonproductive, counterproductive. (Look about you. Everyone who engages in exercise or athletic training of any sort performs a certain volume of work. If volume in and of itself were the key to triggering growth, those who perform the most exercise, the greatest volume, such as marathon runners, would have the largest muscles.) Yes, anyone and everyone who exercises—performing any type of exercise—has to perform

Ending a set before failure, just because you’ve completed an arbitrary number of reps, simply will not induce growth. 238 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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some volume. The vast majority of exercisers typically work out for one hour, yet they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t all invariably get the same muscle increase. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still trying to discover the exercise variable responsible for stimulating growth. Since it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the quantity of effort, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only one place left to look: the quality, or intensity, of effort. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assume that you can curl a 100-pound barbell for a maximum of 10 reps to failure. Obviously, the first rep of that set would be the easiest, the one that requires the least intensity of effort. It does fatigue you slightly, however, which is why the second rep is somewhat harder to complete, requiring a more intense effort than the first. Whereas the first rep may require on the order of 8 to 10 percent intensity of effort to complete, the second rep may require 15 to 20 percent. The second rep tires you even further, and the third rep is harder and more intense. Without belaboring the issue, you know thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how it works,

with each successive rep of the set becoming progressively harder to complete, requiring a higher intensity of effort than the previous rep. Finally, you get to the last possible rep, in this case the 10th one, which requires a maximum, all-out effort. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re gritting your teeth, shaking all over and barely able to complete the rep. That would be the only rep of the set that requires, literally, 100 percent intensity of effort. Now I ask you: which repetition of that set is the most likely to stimulate a strength and size increase, the first, which is the least intense, or the last, the only one requiring 100 percent intensity of effort? Yes, of course, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the last! Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s another question. If you were actually able to curl a 100pound barbell for a maximum of 10 reps to failure and for some reason you always performed only the first rep of the set and then placed the bar right back down on the floor, would you grow? Of course not. The intensity of the stress on your body

wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be sufficiently threatening to your physiology to cause, or warrant, an adaptive response; i.e., a strength and size increase. (By the same token, you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get a suntan sitting in front of a 100-watt lightbulb. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care how long you sit there or how much suntan lotion you rub on yourself. Nature requires the presence of a high-intensity sunlight stress.) Executing that last, almost impossible rep causes the body to dip into its reserve ability. Because it has only a small amount of that reserve to draw on, the body protects itself from future assaults on its reserves by enlarging that ability through the compensatory buildup of more muscle mass. Only high-intensity training can force the body to resort to its reserve ability sufficiently to stimulate an adaptive response in the form of a mass increase. Repeating tasks that are well within your existing capacity does nothing to stimulate growth. Ending a set before failure, just because youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve

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Heavy Duty completed an arbitrary number of reps, simply will not induce growth. Carrying a set to where you’re forced to use 100 percent of your momentary muscular ability is the single most important factor in increasing strength and size. Working to a point of momentary muscular failure, where another rep is impossible despite your greatest effort, ensures that you pass the “break-over” point, the point in the set below which you will not stimulate growth. (Even the detractors of high-intensity training are forced to admit that the last rep of a set to failure would be the most productive one. So without realizing it, they’ve embraced the first principle of the theory.) A few have raised the question of whether it’s actually necessary to train to failure, where 100 percent intensity of effort is required to complete a rep, in order to stimulate growth. For instance, maybe only 67, 85 or 92 percent intensity of effort is required. The problem would involve measuring intensity. The fact that there are only two accurate measures of intensity—0 percent, meaning you’re at complete rest, and 100 percent, meaning you’re exerting yourself maximally—makes it necessary to train to failure. As long as you exert yourself with 100 percent intensity of effort, you will pass through every possible break-over point and stimulate growth. Your body’s physiology dictates what you need to achieve an optimal increase in strength and muscular size—without a doubt the imposition of a high-intensity-training stress. Even so, that’s not sufficient to cause an optimal increase. There’s a very important physiological characteristic that must be considered and has been perpetually ignored by the bodybuilding orthodoxy, exercise science and you. That’s the reason you’ve failed to achieve your goal utilizing the blind, nontheoretical, volume approach.

Neveux \ Model: Tomas Turcott

Only high-intensity training can force the body to resort to its reserve ability sufficiently to stimulate an adaptive response in the form of a mass increase.

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 Wisdom of Mike Mentzer, which are available from Mentzer’s official Web site, www.MikeMentzer.com. See the ad on the opposite page. IM

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by Jerry Brainum

Soy and Your Testosterone You see the caution on countless Internet sites related to bodybuilding: Avoid eating soy products unless you want to lower your testosterone count. At first glance the dire warnings about soy are plausible. After all, the active components of soy products are isoflavones, primarily genistein and diadzein, which are classified as phytoestrogens because of their molecular similarity to estrogen. For years soy has been recommended to women. The logic is that since it has some weak estrogenic capabilities, it may interact with estrogen cell receptors, thereby displacing actual estrogen. With no interaction, estrogen is inert. Since the isoflavones are so weak, they block the effects of estrogen without exerting much activity themselves. One study suggests that soy isoflavones have about 1/10,000 the potency of â&#x20AC;&#x153;realâ&#x20AC;? estrogen. The ability of soy isoflavones to interfere with estrogen activity is thought to be the reason that Asian women, who eat more soy than Western women, have lower rates

of breast and uterine cancers. Each gram of soy contains an average of 3.5 milligrams of isoflavones. Japanese adults eat an average of 25 to 50 milligrams of isoflavones daily. Asian men who eat greater amounts of soy foods also have lower rates of prostate cancer. The suggested mechanism for the effect in men is related to an interference with testosterone activity in the prostate gland, but that assumes that having normal testosterone counts is a direct cause of prostate cancer, which is patently false. On the other hand, the lower rate of prostate cancer suggests that perhaps there is something to the idea that soy lowers testosterone in men. Animal studies have been largely equivocal, with some showing a lowering of testosterone with soy intake and others showing either no effect or an increase in T levels. A new study examined the true effect of soy on testosterone in men.1 It was a meta-analysis and looked at past studies related to testosterone and dietary soy in men, limiting its scope to research that Studies show that soy does not affect met certain minimal scientific testosterone levels and may have potent criteria. That left the authors fat-burning qualities. with 15 placebo-controlled studies and 32 reports on 36 treatment groups. Among the items examined in those studies were total testosterone; free, or active, testosterone; and sex-hormone-binding globulin, a protein that ties up and transports testosterone in the blood. The researchers found that soy protein or isoflavone intake had no significant effects on testosterone. Neither total nor free testosterone was negatively affected by dietary soy in any of the studies. Research that did show a lowering of T by soy had serious methodological flaws, rendering the findings useless. The authors of the meta-analysis did note one peculiarity, however, that may explain why soy has been linked to lower testosterone in men. In turns out that individuals may metabolize soy isoflavones differently. In a 10-week study 38 subjects took about 110 milligrams of isoflavones a day. Circulating isoflavones varied from 30- to 1,500-fold,

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and measures of equol, a metabolite of the isoflavone daidzein, varied by 1,000-fold. On the other hand, only 25 to 35 percent of Western people have the intestinal bacteria necessary to produce equol from daidzein. The significance of the above is that equol is more potent in estrogen activity than diadzein. Despite that, even in studies in which the isoflavone intake dwarfed the amount of dietary soy typical among Asian populations, soy had no effect on testosterone. If soy does indeed protect against prostate cancer, it isn’t because of any interference with testosterone activity. Another study, published two years ago, involved seven healthy young men who ate two pounds of soybeans a day for one week.2 They showed no changes in estrogen or total and free testosterone. They did, however, show an increase in brain activity, specifically an improvement in spatial cognitive performance. What’s interesting about that is that men are considered superior to women in that aspect of brain activity, and the often suggested reason is men’s higher testosterone levels. Meanwhile, however, genistein, the primary isoflavone in soy, does affect other hormones in the body. For example, it lowers blood insulin and suppresses the fatbuilding properties of insulin in fat cells. Mouse studies demonstrate a lowering of bodyfat when the rodents are given genistein for only 12 days. Genistein appears to alter gene expression of lipoprotein lipase, an enzyme that transports fat into fat cells, in a way that reduces fat uptake. It seems to be particularly potent in reducing fat stored in muscle. That’s significant because excess muscle fat is related to insulin resistance and diabetes, although it acts differently in those who exercise or are physically active. Having large amounts of genistein actually causes fat cells to self-destruct, but that doesn’t happen through diet alone. On the other hand, genistein also boosts the gene coding for the enzyme that works with carnitine in transporting fat into the mitochondria, where fat is oxidized. Genistein further aids fat loss by increasing the genetic production of PPAR-a, which controls fat metabolism. Enhancing its activity also boosts fat oxidation. Despite evidence of soy’s favorable effect on fat metabolism, another common warning is that it interferes with thyroid activity. Since the thyroid gland controls the resting metabolic rate, interfering with its activity could lead to bodyfat gain. Genistein does interfere with thyroid peroxidase, an enzyme that is required to produce thyroid hormone. If you have a deficiency of the trace mineral iodine, soy will interfere with thyroid synthesis, but then again, so will the iodine deficiency, since iodine makes up two-thirds of thyroid hormone. Still, numerous studies have shown that in humans, soy has no negative effect on thyroid hormones.

Soy appears to have positive effects on brain activity. One hormone that soy does reduce is cortisol. Produced in the cortex of the adrenal glands, which lie just above the kidneys, cortisol is the body’s primary catabolic hormone. While essential to life, it’s also linked to muscle loss, brain cell loss and excess bodyfat, particularly in the midsection. If anything, soy’s moderate effect on cortisol would be good for those engaged in bodybuilding. A study just published also found that soy appears to aid respiration, a not unimportant consideration for those engaged in the heavy breathing of exercise—not to mention other activities that often feature heavy breathing. So should we all start eating copious quantities of soybased foods? In fact, while soy is often labeled an inferior protein source for bodybuilders, a host of studies that compared it to whey and casein showed little difference between them with regard to protein synthesis. On the other hand, soy is a fast-acting protein, and several studies show that it tends to boost the synthesis of proteins in the gut more than in muscle. Other studies show that the amino acids in soy tend to be oxidized more rapidly in the liver, leaving less for muscle protein synthesis. From that vantage point, soy isn’t a junk protein, but it is a bit inferior to milk proteins for purposes of muscle building. One recent study, however, found that both whey and soy proved superior to casein in aiding muscle protein

Produced in the cortex of the adrenal glands, which lie just above the kidneys, cortisol is the body’s primary catabolic hormone. While essential to life, it’s also linked to muscle loss, brain cell loss and excess bodyfat. www.ironmanmagazine.com \ DECEMBER 2009 243

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%PEZCVJMEJOH 3IBSNBDPMPHZ Using anabolic steroids enables people to exceed their naturally set genetic limitations. synthesis in young men after resistance exercise and at rest. That isn’t surprising, since whey and soy rapidly release amino acids. The more rapid the amino acid release, the greater the muscle protein synthesis. Casein slowly releases amino acids over a seven-hour period, making it better for anticatabolic purposes than whey and soy. The one thing that you can take to the bank—no, forget the banks until they start providing credit, as the stimulus package mandated—is that eating soy will have no effect on either testosterone or estrogen. The one possible exception to that would be if you’re one of those rare types who produce equol from eating soy foods. Even so, you’d have to chow down a truckload of soy before you’d experience any noticeable estrogen effects.

Steroids and Genes Nandrolone, more familiarly known by its trade names of Durabolin and Deca-Durabolin, is considered by many to be one of the milder anabolic steroids in terms of side effects. Only 20 percent of the drug can convert into estrogen, which means that its estrogenic side effects are not likely unless it’s used in exceptionally large doses or for unusually long periods. If, however, nandrolone is taken in conjunction with other steroids known to lower sexhormone-binding globulin in the blood, estrogen could be bumped off its SHBG carrier, thus making it readily available. Other reports suggest that nandrolone has an affinity for progesterone cell receptors. That could lead to loss of libido, or sex drive—even episodic impotence and perhaps gynecomastia. Unlike testosterone, nandrolone isn’t capable of being converted into dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. Instead, it’s converted into a relatively inert metabolite. That means no worries about such side effects as male-pattern baldness, acne and prostate problems. Side effects like that, however, are rarely reported by athletes and bodybuilders who use the drug. A more pertinent problem is that Deca is one of the most readily detected drugs in standard drug-testing procedures. Its metabolites can be detected for as long as one year after its use has ceased. The truth is that while nandrolone is milder than many other anabolic steroids, the dictum, “Only the dose determines the poison” still applies. A drug without possible side effects is a drug that doesn’t work. A recent study examined the effects of providing a dose of nandrolone— comparable to what a bodybuilder would use—on 37 genes in the pituitary gland, testes, adrenals, fat, kidneys and liver of rats.3 The rats were given Deca-Durabolin for 14 days. The results: Profound reductions in the levels of corticosterone (the rat version of cortisol), insulin and adiponectin. The last-named is a beneficial adipokine secreted

by fat cells. While the majority of adipokines are inflammatory and injurious to long-term health, adiponectin is one of the good guys. High counts of it are associated with lowered insulin resistance, decreased incidence of diabetes and increased fat oxidation. The rats experienced a downregulation of beta-3 adrenal receptors, which are thermogenic and found more often in brown adipose tissue. Deca likely lowered the receptors because of lowered bodyfat induced by the drug. More problematic is the decreased adiponectin. Any form of testosterone lowers adiponectin, so that’s no real surprise. The authors suggest that this could partially explain the connection between high-dose steroid use and increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The interference with corticosterone resulted from the downregulation of two adrenal enzymes; however, it also increased the accumulation of mineralcorticoids produced in the adrenals, such as aldosterone and deoxycorticosterone. Aldosterone makes the body retain sodium while spurring the excretion of potassium, a metabolic scenario that adds up to high blood pressure. In the pituitary gland, Deca seriously interfered with the expression of genes for luteinizing hormone, as well as four enzymes involved in testosterone synthesis. Again, no surprise. High-dose anabolic steroid use has long been known to send a negative feedback signal to the pituitary gland, which leads to a blunted production of testosterone. In fact, none of these results are really surprising. Anabolic steroids modify genetic mechanisms. Using anabolic steroids enables people to exceed their naturally set genetic limitations. That’s easily proven when an athlete gets off steroids. In all cases the athlete’s body reverts to more normal proportions. For example, those with a tendency to be skinny will get thinner, while those who tend to add fat may lose the muscularity that steroids help add. Perhaps the most important lesson from the study is that anabolic steroids are potent drugs that affect many body systems at the genetic level, often adversely, especially if used injudiciously.

References 1

Hamilton-Reeves, J.M., et al. (2009). Clinical studies show no effects of soy protein or isoflavones on reproductive hormones in men: Results of a meta-analysis. Fertil Steril. In press. 2 Celec, P., et al. (2007). Increased one week soybean consumption affects spatial abilities but not sex hormone status in men. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 58:424-428. 3 Alsio, J., et al. (20009). Impact of nandrolone decanoate on gene expression in endocrine systems related to the adverse effects of anabolic androgenic steroids. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol. In press.

Editor’s note: Jerry Brainum has been an exercise and nutrition researcher and journalist for more than 25 years. He’s worked with pro bodybuilders as well as many Olympic and professional athletes. To get his new e-book, Natural Anabolics— Nutrients, Compounds and Supplements That Can Accelerate Muscle Growth Without Drugs, visit www.JerryBrainum.com. IM

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Only the Strong Shall Survive

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Squats

Galore The King of Exercises Reigns Supreme by Bill Starr

he back squat is the keystone exercise in all of my strength programs. It’s the first exercise I teach a beginner, and I give it priority at every workout—the exception being an Olympic lifter who’s also planning to do snatches or cleans at that session. The back squat is the ultimate hip and leg movement, and it strengthens the back and the shoulder. When you’re handling a heavy poundage, all of the muscle groups in your upper body have to be fully contracted. When you do that consistently, those groups become stronger. While many of us in the new field of strength training for athletes were preaching the merits of the full squat, others proposed that it should be avoided at all costs because it was risky to the welfare of the knees. The controversy can be traced to the research done by Dr. K.K. Klein at the University of Texas in the early 1960s. He tested competitive Olympic lifters and students at the university and concluded that full squats created unstable collateral

and anterior cruciate ligaments and advised against doing fullrange movements in the exercise. Almost instantly, that piece of research sent a firestorm across the country, and coaches, especially football coaches, since that sport was the first to adopt strength training, either dropped squats from their programs or started using partial movements. No one seemed to question Klein’s testing methods. If they had, they would have found that his was not a valid study. I know that because I was one of his test subjects. I was attending Southern Methodist University and would travel to Austin a couple of times a year to compete in Olympic meets. From my very first encounter with Dr. Klein, I complained loudly that his testing methods were extremely shaky. In the first place, the study design wasn’t blind. That is, he would ask the lifters whether they did full squats. As we were all Olympic lifters, we did full squats as part of our training. Then he, not an unbiased assistant, would apply pressure with both hands to the

Model: Antoine Valliant

Photography by Michael Neveux

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WIDE-STANCE SQUATS

Model: David Perry

sides of an aluminum gadget that he had designed and that covered the upper and lower portions of the leg around the knee joint. Then he would take a reading from a dial similar to a blood pressure gauge. In effect, he could get any reading he desired, He pushed so hard that many complained that he was hurting their knees and didn’t let him test them again. Further, he ignored the fact that the weightlifters were also doing heavy snatches and cleans, exploding to a very deep squatting position. If he was looking for a culprit for knee problems, he should have been testing those two quick lifts. When Tommy Suggs and I set about our mission of educating football coaches on the many benefits of weight training for their players, we spent more than half the time convincing them that squats were not a dangerous exercise. Some listened; some didn’t. I recall one coach saying that he not only didn’t allow his players to do full squats but that if he caught them going too low, he’d kick them off the team. When we asked him what he did to improve their hip and leg strength, he replied that he had them duck-walk the length of the football field carrying a teammate on their backs. Happily, that absurd behavior has changed. Research has shown without question that full squats do not put the knees at risk and that they are in fact the very best exercise to strengthen that joint and prevent it from being damaged in sports. Of course, you have to perform squats correctly. As with any other exercise, if you use faulty form, injuries can occur. Yet far more athletes sustain dings from bench pressing than squatting, and no one is stepping up and saying that the bench should be excluded from strength programs. One of the things I teach beginners is how to dump a squat. I have to believe that everyone who’s lifted weights for a long time has gotten stuck in the bottom of a squat. On many occasions when I was training alone, I found myself not able to grind through the sticking point and being driven down into a very deep squat. As soon as I realized what was happening, however, I reacted

by kicking the weight backward and at the same time moving my body forward. The worst part of the whole deal is having to unload the bar and set it back on the squat rack. That’s a good thing to know, and it kept me from being too timid with my weight selections when I was alone. In fact, I never liked having spotters when I squatted. I didn’t want anyone standing behind me, that’s for sure, and when I had two spotters, one always seemed to be a tad slower than the other; I ended up being jerked around with a heavy weight on my back—but that’s just me. If there are competent spotters available, by all means use them. At the same time, don’t worry if you’re squatting alone. Just learn how to dump the weights. Remember never to relax until you’ve succeeded in punching the weight off your back. While the back squat is the primary hip and leg exercise in my strength programs, several variations are very beneficial to athletes: front squats, overhead squats and wide-stance squats. Before you introduce any of them into a routine, however, you must learn how to do back squats perfectly and do them long enough to establish a solid strength foundation. For anyone Model: Antoine Valliant

Squats

just starting out on a strength program, that will help you learn how to squat correctly. For those who have been doing the exercise for some time, it will be a refresher course. It never hurts to review various aspects of any exercise. Over the years many fall into bad habits and never realize it until they take the time to reexamine all the small

DEEP SQUATS

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points. One reason so many prefer partial squats over full-range ones is simply that they’re easier. You need to understand from the outset that full squats done with heavy weights are very hard. As you get more and more involved in the strength game, though, you learn that the difficult exercises bring the greatest results. The back squat is actually one of the easiest exercises to teach someone in all of strength training. It’s a natural movement. Watch small children at play. They’re constantly squatting, and their form is perfect. If a person has not been taught improper form, he or she will do a full squat correctly on the very first set. One reason I encourage parents to teach their children how to squat while they’re quite young is that it comes so easy to them. When older people try to learn the lift, it takes more time so because they’ve lost a great deal of the needed flexibility in their hips and legs. I’ll begin with the positioning of the bar across the back. Invariably, beginners pull their heads away from the pressure on their backs in an attempt to lessen the discomfort. That, however, only increases the problem. Instead of trying to move your neck away from the bar, do this. Scrunch your shoulders together and elevate your traps as high as possible, even if you don’t have much in the way of traps yet. That will give you a ledge on which to place the bar. It will also make you keep your upper body tight, an important consideration for the lift. Next, lock the bar in place. If you don’t, it will move during the execution of the exercise and cause pain. At one time I allowed athletes to use a towel to cushion the bar, but now I discourage the practice. When the weights start to get demanding, the towel itself becomes a hindrance, so it’s best to get used to the smooth bar against your traps—that is, unless you have the misfortune of having to use a bar with a knurl in the center. Then all bets are off. Go ahead and wrap

something around it. You want to grip the bar as closely as possible so that you can lock it into your upper back. Back out of the rack and place your feet just a bit wider than shoulder width, with your toes turned out slightly. Not much—just a bit to help you with your balance. Don’t merely stand on the floor; grip it with your toes, and tighten all the muscles in your body from your ankles to your neck. Look straight ahead. Now lower yourself until your thighs are at least below parallel. Even lower is better. When you go as low as you can, pause while staying extremely tight: That’s an excellent thing to learn from the very outset. It will help you get stronger in the long run and prevent you from getting into the habit of the most abused form flaw in the squat, rebounding out of the bottom. Do that repeatedly, and the result will be sore knees. As I mentioned above, it’s not the exercise but sloppy form that causes the problem. Same as when you constantly rebound the bar off your chest in the bench press or you do dumbbell curls in a herky-jerky fashion. After that brief pause stand up quickly. Once you get the feel of the movement, the recovery should be as explosive as possible. Reset, and do another rep. Your entire body must remain extremely tight throughout the lift. Relaxing even a bit will have an adverse effect. The most common problem is that the bar runs forward, out of the proper line, making it more difficult to finish the lift. A relaxed body will also cause your lower or middle back to round, and you need to avoid that. Your entire back must remain straight throughout. The best way to ensure that is to pull your shoulder blades together before you start the squat and concentrate on keeping them together to the finish. To help keep your back straight and prevent the bar from moving too far forward, lift your head as

It’s a good idea to know how to do

wide-stance and deep squats.

you come out of the rock-bottom position. Do all your breathing at the start and finish, or at least after you’ve moved through the sticking point. If you take a breath during the hard part of the squat, your diaphragm is forced to relax, and that diminishes the power. Why is going low so important? Two primary reasons. It’s safer for your knees and builds more strength. When you do a quarter or half squat, your knee joints and the surrounding tendons, ligaments and muscles are responsible for stopping the descending weight, and that obviously places a huge amount of stress on them. In contrast, when you go below parallel, the job of halting the weight shifts to the larger muscles and attachments of the hips, glutes, quads and leg biceps. So while many people believe they’re protecting their knees by doing partial movements, they are in fact placing them in jeopardy. Partial squats strengthen the quads and abductors just fine but fall way short when it comes to working the legs’ other muscle groups. Partial squats create disproportionate strength in the lower body, and that will eventually lead to trouble once the quads move too far ahead of the adjourning groups. In short, going low is good; staying above parallel is not. The question often arises whether it’s possible to go too low. Yes. I’ve started some athletes who were so flexible in their hips that they could nearly sit on the floor when they squatted, which was all right if they were able to maintain a flat back, but they couldn’t. Rather, their lower backs rotated under them, and that you don’t want. The best way to correct it was to put the athlete inside a power rack and set pins at a point I wanted him to squat down to. In cases where a power rack wasn’t available, I had him squat down to a bench at the height I wanted. I never had him sit down on the bench—just touch it and stand up. I’m not a fan of the box squat idea. I contend that it compresses the spine way too much, especially for athletes who haven’t yet done enough work to build a strong back. I know that many powerlifters swear by box squats, but it’s been my observation that they’re all heavyweights or lifters with years

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ DECEMBER 2009 253

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Squats

FRONT SQUATS

Front Squats Whenever I was around foreign Olympic lifters and the subject of squatting came up, they always asked, “How much can you frontsquat?” They had no interest in the back squat because it didn’t have as much bearing on the snatch and clean as the front squat. Some professed that they never did any back squats but did front squats three or four times a week. The basic rule of thumb was that a lifter had to be able to front-squat a weight for three reps before he had sufficient leg strength to recover and still have enough left in the tank to jerk the weight.

The wrists are small joints and are easily injured. Since front squats place them under a great deal of stress, it’s smart to give them some protection. Wrapping them snugly in trainers’ tape works well because you can lay it on tight enough that it secures the wrists yet not so tight that it impedes circulation. If you can find leather wrist wraps, use them as well. And be sure to spend ample time loosening them up before doing any squatting.

Model: Antoine Valliant

Wrist Protection

Note: This is one variation of the front squat, with hands off the bar. Starr recommends keeping your hands on the bar, as in the finish of a clean, with elbows high to keep the bar in place and to maintain a more upright torso.

Ankle Flexibility Many beginners lack flexibility in their ankles and lower legs in the area of the Achilles tendon. It prevents them from going low on squats and usually forces them to lean way forward. Place a five- or even a 2 1/2-pound plate under your heels. In extreme cases a two-by-four might be necessary. As soon as the needed flexibility is gained, however—which happens rather quickly because the act of squatting aids in stretching out tight muscles and tendons—remove the plates or board. They place the knees in an unnatural position and should only be used for a short time. 254 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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of experience in the sport—and on more steroids in a week than all the guilty Major League players have injected in the history of baseball. That throws what they do out the window, in my opinion. Wearing a belt when squatting is a good idea. It adds support to your midsection, helps keep you warm and gives you feedback during the lift—however, it won’t save you from an injury caused by sloppy technique. Now I want to move on to a superb leg exercise that used to be part of every strength athlete’s and bodybuilder’s program—front squats. I insert the lift into athletes’ routines as soon as they’ve built a solid enough base and display the necessary flexibility in their shoulders. Again, young athletes have the advantage here since they have not yet done a lot of shoulder exercises, such as bench presses, that tighten the shoulder girdle. Your shoulders must be flexible enough to rack the bar across your front deltoids so that your triceps are parallel to the floor. The form often shown of a bodybuilder crossing his arms to hold a bar while he does front squats is not acceptable. Since you can’t lock the bar in place, you can’t use much weight. Thus it becomes an auxiliary exercise rather than a primary one. Being able to handle enough weight to increase strength appreciably depends on a solid rack. Few have the necessary flexibility in their shoulders initially, but nearly everyone who’s willing to spend the time stretching out his shoulders and elbows can achieve it. You can proceed in a couple of effective ways. Place a bar loaded with a moderate amount of weight across your front deltoids. Have a training mate elevate one elbow at a time, and then hold it for a 10-second count when it hits the point where it cannot go any farther. Then do the other arm. Next, do both arms at the same time. When you come to the holding part, make sure you don’t let your upper body lean backward, away from the discomfort. You must keep your torso straight for this to work. You can do the same routine inside a power rack. Lock a bar in place, loosen up each arm in turn with assistance from a training partner, then do both arms together.

As the count gets high, you’ll feel your elbows rising slightly. Slightly is okay, because if you do the movement often you’ll eventually achieve the flexibility that will enable you to rack the bar firmly across your front delts and do a full front squat without any trouble. It’s worth the effort. The front squat is a better test of leg strength than the back squat. On the back squat you can lean forward and use your back to help move the weight upward—not the case with the front squat. Any leaning at all will result in losing the rep. You must maintain an absolutely erect posture during front squats. Another thing I like about this exercise is that you have to go into a deep bottom position. Any attempt to cut the lift off only results in failure. Whenever I see someone having difficulty going into the hole on a back squat, I teach him how to do fronts, and in a short time he is going deep on both lifts. In the process, new muscles are strengthened, and the numbers on the two exercises begin to climb. Rack the bar firmly across your shoulders, step out of the rack and set your feet at the same place you used for the back squat. For some it’s necessary to use a bit wider stance, but you can determine that rather quickly. Look straight ahead or a little upward. If you look down, your elbows will lower, and you don’t want that. As in the back squat, make sure your body is extremely tight. While keeping your back perfectly flat, pull yourself down into a deep bottom position. Stay tight in the bottom. The initial move out of the bottom is quite different from the move in the back squat. There you want to drive the bar upward with your hips and lower back, then squeeze your hips under the bar to keep it in motion. That doesn’t work for the front squat. If you shoot your hips upward and backward even a bit, the bar will run forward, which puts a huge amount of stress on your wrists and elbows and will carry the bar out of the correct line. On the front squat your first move out of the bottom is to drive your elbows upward, and then stand up. That will fix the weight right over your power pack so you can move

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Squats right through your sticking point. Make sure you keep looking forward. Trainees tend to look down, but that carries the bar out front, and when you’re handling heavy weights, a bit out front is usually too much. You do the front squat much more dynamically than a back squat. A back squat can be lowered slowly, but if you try to lower a front

One of the hidden benefits of the front squat is that it strengthens the middle and upper back to a greater degree than the back squat does. The back squat hits the lower back more than the other segments, which means doing both reaps more benefits than just one or the other. Another version of the squat that works all the groups in the back nicely, as well as all parts of the lower body, is the overhead squat. As the name implies, it’s a full squat with a bar held overhead. It requires flexible shoulders, but in a different way from the front squat. Again, however, the shoulders can be loosened over time. Use a towel, a piece of clothesline or a

Model: Jonathan Lawson

OVERHEAD SQUATS

squat that way, it will travel forward when you pass through the middle and carry you out of the ideal position. Pull the bar downward, and when you hit the bottom, hesitate a nanosecond, tense all your muscles even tighter than before and think of your hips and glutes as power. Explode upward with your elbows leading. Breathe at the start and finish. Before doing any rep, make certain that your rack is solid. If it’s slipped off your front delts too far, then stop. Other than for warmups, I have my athletes do threes only on front squats. In the event they can’t maintain a firm rack after the second rep, I have them do doubles and add extra sets to increase their workload.

broomstick. Hold it overhead and rotate it back over your head. As you feel your shoulders become more flexible, move your grip in more and repeat the process. You can do it at night at home and just prior to overhead squatting. Core training is now the “in” word in physical fitness. There’s no better way to strengthen the core than overhead squats. They very directly strengthen all the muscle groups that surround the spine, as well as the hips, glutes and upper and lower legs, and do a terrific job on the shoulders and arms. Since the deltoids, triceps and biceps are responsible for supporting the weight overhead during the squat, they’re much more involved than in any other form of squatting. By the way,

overhead squats are an excellent exercise for those who are merely trying to stay in shape. Not a great deal of weight is needed to get the job done. They’re also a prerequisite for anyone wanting to do full squat snatches. Take a wide grip, push up against the bar, look straight ahead, and go into a deep full squat. The bar should be fixed directly over your spine. Move straight up and down, always maintaining pressure against the bar. The key to success is keeping your elbows locked and holding the bar in the correct position. Finally, it’s a good idea to know how to do wide-stance squats. They’re one of the best ways to strengthen adductors, a muscle group that often falls behind the quads and hamstrings. Weak adductors can be identified by observing an athlete’s knees during a heavy squat or pulling exercise. If they turn in, his adductors need more work. An adductor machine will serve the purpose, but one isn’t always available. How wide? As wide as you can go and still maintain your balance. Your toes should be pointed straight ahead rather than out. All the pressure is placed on the outside of your feet, which also makes this exercise different from any other type of squatting. As with the overhead and front squats, your body must stay erect throughout the movement, and for wide-stance squats to be effective, you must go very low, way below parallel. The lower you go, the more you make the adductors work. Try the different versions of the squat. They all work the body in unique ways—a good thing in strength training. One of them might improve an area that’s been holding you back for a long time. Plus, variety is most helpful in the motivation department, and we can all use all of that we can get. 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

256 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Where Do We Go From Here?

superset. Stand back, step aside, or, as they boldly and urgently say in emergency rooms, Clear! I’m outta here, taking the dirty four-wheel-drive beast in case I need to climb over traffic, dividers and rails, roadside debris, fire hydrants and parked cars. It’s hot, very hot, and it’s Sunday on the gold-lined coast of sunny and flourishing California. The gym will be empty and quiet, but for us—me and you, my imaginary friends—whooping and hollering and hoisting metallicus objectus supremus. I never party alone. So who wants to ride shotgun? The rest of you can pile in the back—no standing, no hanging over the tailgate and no mooning the other cars. It’s arm day with a brief exchange of legs and midsection. I’ll spot you, you spot me, we’ll have fun. You go first. Put your weights back when you’re done. Training gear only, no jeans or street shoes. No cell phones. Hands off the mirrors. Keep your voices down, no cussing. Don’t clang the dumbbells, and don’t drop them—put them down—after your set. You wouldn’t want to train with me, bombers, trust me. I’m boorish, grim, sulky, negative and given to sudden outbursts of anger and the tossing of plates. Train hard or go home, Bozo. Squat or rot. Hey, I’m using that bench, and that’s my bar. Scram! Time for Disneyland, Looney Tunes and stability ball exercising, girls and boys. Give me the iron, but a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do, right? Right! When nobody was looking, I rolled out the giant purple exercise ball—the Swiss ball—and gave it a few whaps and a squeeze before alighting on its gushy surface. Hmm, same height as a bench, flexible and bouncy too (duh!). That Neveux \ Model: Dave Goodin

ver get one of those wild days when you’re so alive and bursting with energy you just don’t know where to go or what to do? Think back—way back... Well, Speedo, I’m having one of those days. Laree says I’m acting like a kid—she doesn’t want to go for a ride in my weighted wheelbarrow. I’m being silly—quit rocking the Porta Potti now. And it’s about time I grew up—get down from that flagpole. I could drop the top and take the Ferrari for a spin or mount the Arabian and let him stretch his legs on the beach or race the Jet Ski to Mavericks and hit a few monsters. Nice day for skydiving—chute’s packed. Bo-o-oring!! I need a serious outlet for my awesome and dynamic charge. I thirst for extreme exhilaration. I hunger to go where I’ve never gone before. I crave the cliff’s edge, the mountain’s peak, the sky’s outer limit. I must experience life at its grandest. I know what I’ll do: I’ll go to the gym and blast the iron, melt the steel and rip the reps. I might even—gasp—

Follow the bouncing ball

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Curses!

ou know the urge you get to blurt out foul language as you come to the end of a searing set of leg extensions? You may get more reps if you let loose with a barrage of #@%! According to the September ’09 Bottom Line Health, subjects were able to keep their hands in icy water longer when swearing than when uttering a neutral word. So maybe cursing does increase pain tolerance—and help you get those extra growth reps in the gym. You may have to explain that to the gym owner though. —Becky Holman

0(17$/ 0,*+7 Coffee on the Brain

t appears that drinking about five cups of coffee a day may decrease a protein that’s linked to Alzheimer’s disease. At least that’s what happened in mice, but researchers believe the same effects occur in humans. And with five cups of coffee in you, you’ll be thinking a lot—mostly about stuff to do. —Becky Holman

Editor’s note: For more from Dave Draper, visit DaveDraper.com and sign up for his free newsletter. You can also check out his amazing Top Squat training tool, classic photos, workout Q&A and forum.

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Neveux \ Model: Greg Smyers

could be useful. Secure in myself and my lifting prowess, I thought, gee, maybe this playful circular doohickey could be an assist to my, um, limited shoulder training and deltoid development. Seems those dumb ’bells don’t go up with the ease they used to and the muscles don’t engage as cheerfully. Maybe it’s something I ate, bad night’s sleep, low-grade virus, allergies, moon risings, atmospheric pressure, overall mood of the nation, biological cycles, Satan. Who knows? In any event, the disturbance needs attention, and now. Being a now kind of guy, I’m thinking that, with the submissive surface of the ball beneath my back, I will have less stress on my scapulae, more muscle comfort and improved range of motion. Just what the doctor ordered. The rigid surface of the bench resists the natural movement of the scapulae and contributes significantly to the shoulder damage proud bench pressers endure. Oops! Don’t you hate that? There’s another thing: Having come a long way in personal maturity—wisdom, values, understanding women—I no longer depend on how much I lift to determine or display my rugged yet humble strengths. (Get the hook!) The resistance I bear and how I manipulate that resistance are what matter. The muscles of those whose years have accrued love to be warmed up, coaxed, urged and enticed into action. Explosive motion is kid stuff, sudden max effort the way of the young and foolish. Tsk-tsk! Real lifters lift the steel slowly but surely, with a hint of friendly persuasion. Here’s where the flex of the big, round, bouncy purple people-eater comes into play. I chose a lighter weight from the rarely visited end of the dumbbell rack (yeah, right! Last time he wandered past the 50s they were wearing bell-bottoms) and heft it over my head as I assume a prone position on the properly inflated ball. Whoosh...easy, big fella. Positioning takes practice and courage and three or four spotters till you get the hang of things. I, of course, practice alone in the dead of night with a flashlight. It’s an image thing. It gets better all the time. Once you understand balance, you can position yourself like a rag doll and engage the muscles as you please, need or are able. Lots of stabilizing-muscle activity is required, lots of focus and, when you need it, just enough bounce—that hint of friendly persuasion—to affectionately force out another satisfying and productive repetition. These are the reps that count, the missing reps in those sets that were colorless, fell flat, had no tone, served little purpose, were a half-step along the way. It’s not cheating. It’s finessing—hardcore finessing. The rep you couldn’t get on the strict and lifeless bench ’cuz the triceps stagnated or the elbow yelped or the shoulder growled like a bear you now complete with loving persistence and a bump from the flexible and giving stability ball, or, as we here at Draper Advanced Research call it, the Bubble Bomb. Go, bubbleheads. Circulate, get round, ball up, roll on...the Bubble Bomber. —Dave Draper

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ DECEMBER 2009 259

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0,1' %2'<

BodySpace Physique of the Month

t was fall 2007 when his buddy took away his popcorn. That started it for Leslie McCampbell at 17, 6’ tall and a not-fit 252 pounds. Leslie kept saying that he’d start to diet tomorrow. His best friend, Domenic, finally just grabbed the popcorn out of his hands and said, enough! And for Leslie it was enough. Being out of shape wasn’t going to fit in with his goal of becoming an officer in the United States Army. So the very next day Domenic took him into the gym, and the workouts started. Leslie also found BodyBuilding.com and magazines like IRON MAN to help supply the information he needed about diet and lifting. Now he’s 178 pounds and has a full ROTC scholarship at the University of San Francisco. Once upon a time, Leslie spent all his spare time playing games on the computer. Now he spends that time on BodyBuilding.com. Reading up on fat loss was once his focus, but now he’s more interested in bulking up—which is a little more difficult because of school demands and because he does lots of running. He uses supplements and whey protein from BSN and Gaspari. Leslie now finds himself in the spotlight. On BodySpace, the online fitness community at BodyBuilding.com, lots of people ask him for advice about trimming down and want to know how he did it. He also recently found himself featured as BodyBuilding.com’s “Teen Transformation of the Week.” That’s quite a distinction, as the online community has some 400,000 members. When I told Leslie that he was going to be the IRON MAN BodySpace

Physique of the Month, it was the day before his dad, Leslie McCampbell Sr., was due home from Iraq. Both Leslies came to the photo shoot, and Dad says he’s sure proud of his son and what he has done to get healthy. I can tell you something else: Leslie is sure proud of his dad. You can visit Leslie McCambell Jr. at his BodySpace on BodyBuilding.com. His moniker is “ogdefense.” Just go to www.BodySpace.com/ogdefense, say hello and find someone to take away your popcorn. —Ian Sitren Editor’s note: For more BodySpace bodies and info, visit www.Bodybuilding.com.

260 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Photography by Ian Sitren \ SecondFocus

Leslie McCampbell, Jr.

0,1' %2'< Alcohol Wine for Muscles?

e’ve all heard about the great health benefits of drinking a glass or two a day of red wine—decreases the incidence of stroke, diabetes and certain cancers. It’s even been shown to sweep away the nasty protein that can cause Alzeimer’s disease and to lengthen life span. New research shows that resveratrol, an antioxidant in red grapes and wine, can enhance muscle strength and reduce fatigue. Then again, alcohol has been shown to reduce testosterone, so you may want to get your resveratrol in supplement form. —Becky Holman

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Up Late, Die Early

o you like staying up late at night—like past midnight? Research says that it can throw off you body clock and increase the chance of arterial stiffness, which can lead to heart disease and cardiac arrest. The cause may be insulin resistance, which appears to be caused by staying up late, according to Yu Misao, M.D., Ph.D., in the September ’09 Bottom Line Health.

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Aerobic Brain Gains

etting your heart rate up—even by brisk walking three times a week for 20 minutes—gets more oxygen to your brain and helps it grow new cells. According to Sam Wang, Ph.D., co-author of Welcome to Your Brain: Why You Lose Your Car Keys but Never Forget How to Drive and Other Puzzles of Everyday Life, “Aerobic exercise is two to three times as effective as any known brain-training activity.” —Becky Holman

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0,1' %2'< Review The Zane Body Training Manual

n recent reviews of Zane’s two new booklets, The Mind in Bodybuilding and The High-Def Handbook, I mentioned that the author had one of the most aesthetic physiques ever to grace a bodybuilding stage. This third booklet explains exactly how he did it and tells how you can to do it too—to the best of your genetic capabilities. Zane begins discussing his body and how the sport of bodybuilding has gone from awarding aesthetic, artistic physiques like his to perfecting monsters of mass like Dorian Yates, Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler. Zane believes that the majority of the men on the planet want to look more like him—and a survey at IronManMagazine.com verified that. With a symmetrical, proportioned physique in mind, Zane lays out a full-body beginner program. It’s 14 exercises, and he suggests starting with one set each. “There is an advantage to being out of shape,” Zane says. “You don’t need to do much exercise to get a good workout.” The booklet provides photos of every movement for clarity, and Zane outlines how to progress by adding sets and eventually moving to a two-way split. Zane is also a big proponent of stretching. He suggests stretching the bodypart you’re training between sets. He describes and includes photos of a number of good stretches, which research indicates can increase muscle size on their own. One thing Zane is known for, besides his aesthetic physique, is his knowledge of nutrition, and this booklet is loaded with it. He lays out his complete daily eating regimen and explains glycemic index vs. glycemic load. His nutrition philosophy in a nutshell: “My eating plan for losing bodyfat is to eat one gram of

protein per pound of bodyweight, which for me is around 180, and one half gram of carbs per pound of bodyweight. Approximately 25 percent of my calories come from fat. Every fourth day I eat more carbs to bring my total consumption up to match my protein intake.” He also provides a number of simple, healthful recipes, such as high-protein pancakes, fish stew and yogurt berry pudding, and all of them are easy to prepare. Some take only five minutes. Then it’s back to training, and Zane outlines a complete two-waysplit routine, with photos of every exercise. “Never train upper body two days in a row,” he stresses. Then it’s on to his growth program— the workouts he used to win the Mr. Olympia. It’s a three-way split, and, he says, “The routine helped me grow because I incorporated one powerlifting exercise into each workout.” After a discussion of bodybuilding’s three Rs—relax, recuperate, recreate—and a number of split-routine variations, Zane describes the program he’s using now that he’s in his 60s. He also expounds on mind, body and spirituality, including meditation, psychological steps to healing injuries, physique competition, supplementation and the art of posing, a section that includes a number of spectacular images of the Zane physique at its peak. All in all, however, this is what the title states—a training manual—and you will find a lot of muscle-building information as well as motivation in its 63 pages, straight from the legend himself. —Becky Holman Editor’s note: Available at FrankZane.com.

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Vitamins

Sun for Smarts

D builds your brain

Neveux \ Model: Steve Holman

ccording to a study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry that tracked more than 3,000 men, vitamin D can improve brain function. That was especially true in middle-aged men who notably improved in attention and faster processing of information. Another study found that vitamin D can reduce breathing problems in asthmatics. Sunshine is the best source of vitamin D; just don’t overdo it and get burned. In the winter take

vitamin D supplements, about 2,000 I.U. per day, to boost your immune system when it’s not possible to get out in the sunshine. —Becky Holman

www.Home-Gym.com

Best Sellers DVDs/Videos:

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1) “Power/Rep Range/ Shock Max-Mass Training System”

4) Maximum Calves by Health for Life

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5) Ronnie Coleman’s Hardcore

3) “’08 IRON MAN Pro” 4) “’08 Mr. Olympia” 5) “Mark Dugdale’s Driven” Books: 1) The 7-Minute Rotator Cuff Solution by Joseph Horrigan, D.C., and Jerry Robinson 2) The Precontest Bible by Larry Pepe 3) Hardgainer Size Surge

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Top E-book: The Ultimate PowerDensity Mass Workout by Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson. Programs based on latest muscle-fiber research with methods used by a legendary Austrian physique star (available at www.X-traordinary Workouts.com).

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Health & Aging

Real Health Foods

study led by the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm shows that the antioxidants in cocoa are likely to increase chances of surviving acute myocardial infarction—a.k.a. heart attack. By eating chocolate two or more times per week, heart attack survivors cut their risk of dying from heart disease threefold compared to those who don’t eat chocolate. Patients who had suffered a heart attack were questioned about their food habits in the year prior to hospitalization and then were monitored for eight years. Data indicated an inverse correlation between the incidence of fatal heart attacks and the amount of chocolate eaten. Earlier research established a link between chocolate intake and lowered blood pressure, citing the ability of antioxidants to protect against free radicals that contribute to heart disease, cancer and the aging process.

Including chocolate

hormone balance causes an increase in visceral fat during menopause. The researchers measured fat content in patients’ abdominal cavities with CT scans, and blood tests gauged hormone levels. Their findings revealed that the level of bioavailable testosterone—testosterone that is active in the body—may be the key predictor of visceral fat. The study broadens the understanding of testosterone’s role in what’s known as metabolic syndrome, a collection of risk factors for heart disease. Increased risk of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women was long thought to be caused by the loss of the protective effect of estrogen. According to Imke Janssen, lead author of the study, “It is the change in the hormonal balance—specifically, the increase in active testosterone —that is predominantly responsible for visceral fat and for the increased risk of cardiovascular disease.” —Dr. Bob Goldman www.WorldHealth.net Editor’s note: For the latest information and research on health and aging, you can subscribe to the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine e-zine free at WorldHealth.net.

Now Angle on Belly Fat Visceral fat, or belly fat, is the fat that surrounds internal organs around the waistline. Research from the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago shows that a change in

266 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Letters

Exceptional Exercises?

I want to express my gratitude to IRON MAN for honoring me with a great 10-page article in the October issue. As I expressed in the interview to Lonnie Teper—who is one of the absolute best bodybuilding writers of all time—fitness has always been very good to me. It has given much reward and meaning to my life. I also want to point out that since Doug Brignole. Lonnie has known me for 25 years, it made the article much more in-depth and personal than it would have otherwise been. Further, I want to extend my appreciation to Michael Neveux for taking such great pictures of me for that issue, as well as back in 2000 and in 1991, and for all the great photos he shoots of all the great physiques seen in IRON MAN. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You guys all do a magnificent job! Doug Brignole via Internet

The October ’09 issue is another great one! Lots of good info. I’m glad Doug Brignole is doing well, but he’s way off base about dips and overhead presses being a waste of time and high risk. What else is on the list, calf raises and barbell curls? Performed properly— and with a thorough warmup—dips are a lot safer and more productive than the bench press. At 50 and with two bad shoulders from playing ball and too much bench pressing, I find that the dip is the only chest exercise I can do in complete comfort—and with 60 pounds tied to my waist. Try telling Bill Starr and Charles Poliquin that the overhead press is a bad choice. If uninformed readers believe what Brignole said, they will miss out on gains from two very productive exercises. Bill Stinson Jacksonville, FL

Neveux

Lifesaving Lifestyle

Cover-Story Glory The cover of me and my daughter, Taylor, the story and photos are first class [October ’09]. It all brought tears to my eyes. I couldn’t be prouder to be, once again, gracing the cover of IRON MAN—and with such a great feature inside with me and my MATURE MUSCLE: BUILD MASS AFTER 40 entire family. I’m truly grateful and appreciative of all that you have done for me over the How Clark Bartram years. Many thanks, Forges Family and Physique and as always, I’m here Unstoppable and ready when needArm Growth! One-Hit-Wonder ed. Now I just need to 10x10 Workout get my boy buff for the Superhero next one, and I’ll have Shoulder Width run the gamut. Complete Program Clark Bartram Bulletproof via Internet Your Lower

IRON DAD

™

Clark Bartram, 45, and His Daughter Taylor, 17

Back

Editor’s note: Con• Vitamin D—New Research You Need to Know gratulations. Your cover • 2009 Mr. Olympia Preview—Is the Hex on Dex? • Safe, Scientific Exercise—Preexhaustion Rules is a historical event, the first father-daughter cover IRON MAN has ever done. Let’s hope there are more to come to promote the bodybuilding lifestyle to every generation. OCTOBER 2009 $5.99

PLUS: PLUS:

www.IronManMagazine.com

Please display until 10/1/09

Editor’s note: Overhead presses can be dangerous if you use excessive back arch, which comes from lifting with your ego and not your delts and arms. And dips can do damage if you go too low. Hmm, from our vantage point any weighted exercise can be dangerous when done with bad form. We’re sure Doug will clarify in his upcoming book.

Fast Workouts, Big Results I’ve been using the 3D POF routine [from 3D Muscle Building] for more than four months and have gotten the best results I’ve ever had. I’m 18 and have seriously added to my measurements while losing bodyfat at the same time. My arms are now at 17 inches, while my waist has gone down to 29! X Reps have also changed my life forever, and they will always be in my workouts. I plan on staying drugfree and competing soon, as I feel like I’ve stumbled upon the Holy Grail of muscle building! Thank you! Sage Natvig via Internet Editor’s note: For more on POF, visit www.3DMuscle Building.com. The new e-program, X-traordinary X-Rep Workout with POF, is available at www.X-Workouts.com. Vol. 68, No. 12: 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, P.O. Box 90968, Long Beach, CA 90809-0968. 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, P.O. Box 90968, Long Beach, CA 90809-0968. Or call 1-800-570-4766 or 1-714-226-9782. 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.

270 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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