Muscle & Fitness USA - July 2019 by nguyenducthanhminh

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INSPIRED BY...?

CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER David Pecker EXECUTIVE EDITOR Zack Zeigler

To truly succeed in the gym, at work, and in life, you’ve got to find your motivation.

nspiration can be found anywhere—even at your local movie theater. That’s why we chose Arnold Schwarzenegger to grace our latest cover. Beyond inspiring fitness enthusiasts for the better part of five decades with his infectious passion for the industry, he also set the standard for countless Hollywood A-listers who have embraced his teachings to transform their bodies for their latest movie roles. To celebrate Arnold’s impact on popular culture, we’ve compiled some of the most motivational big-screen physique transformations in a feature we call “Blockbuster Muscle” (page 18). Get inspired by the workouts that helped turn Dave Bautista, Hugh Jackman, Brie Larson, and, of course, Arnold himself into larger-than-life heroes for some of the biggest movies of all time. Then read up on some truly extraordinary women who are breaking boundaries in typically male-dominated fields as they inspire a new generation to follow their passions (“Women of Action,” page 102). These stories are meant to serve as your motivation, your driving force, that little something extra. Because once you find your inspiration, success will follow.

EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR Brian Good DEPUTY EDITOR Jason Serafino FITNESS EDITOR Andrew Gutman EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Rose McNulty

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WEIDER PUBLICATIONS, LLC, A SUBSIDIARY OF AMERICAN MEDIA INC. EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT/CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER/ CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Chris Polimeni EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, DIGITAL MEDIA OPERATIONS/ CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER David Thompson SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT/CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER Brian Kroski SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS Rob M. O’Neill VICE PRESIDENT, CONSUMER MARKETING Ephraim R. Brennan FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN EMERITUS Joe Weider (1920–2013) VP/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR EMERITUS Shawn Perine (1966–2017) PRINTED IN USA • We assume no responsibility for returning unsolicited material, including but not limited to photographs, artwork, manuscripts, and letters.

Sincerely, David J. Pecker Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer of American Media Inc.

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

The information in MUSCLE & FITNESS is intended to educate. Do not substitute it for the advice of a qualified health care practitioner.

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ED I TOR

Instagram: @zraz

Send videos or leave comments on M&F ’s social media channels or on Don’s Instagram (@donsaladino) and you might get a shout-out on M&F Reps.

GETTING THE REPS IN M&F ’s Web series Reps covers serious fitness topics without taking itself too seriously.

L 14

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

other talented coaches and specialists. And his reaction opened up the conversation to other areas, including the widespread use and abuse of anabolics in sports and bodybuilding, ways to police misinformation being spread across social media by opportunistic influencers who pose as experts, and why the fitness industry insists on taking itself too damn seriously. After lunch we brought up the idea of doing a video series or podcast. And though it took longer than we’d anticipated, we finally have several episodes of M&F Reps ready to share with you. The deal Don and I made: Be

Sincerely, Zack Zeigler Exe

Want Don and Zack to discuss a specific topic or question? Then email it to: reps@muscle andfitness.com.

R I C A S C H U LT Z

ast spring I was having lunch with my buddy Don Saladino at his New York City health club, Drive495, in SoHo. Don trains Ryan Reynolds, David Harbour, Sebastian Stan, Blake Lively, and Scarlett Johansson, among others, so I wasn’t sure if he’d smash his organic Buddha bowl into my piehole after I blurted out that I felt the moniker “celebrity trainer” sounded douchey. He didn’t; he laughed. Don has been a trainer for more than 20 years and acquired high-profile clients for no other reason than he’s a pro’s pro who remains a student of fitness and surrounds himself with

honest, don’t be afraid to get personal, and never pull punches when we discuss a topic be it BS training and di m pl So bo M m fit .co

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the billions. Each year, hundreds of brands introduce their products and services at the Olympia Expo. The sights and sounds of the Las Vegas Convention Center will keep your social media abuzz for days—and that’s just the beginning. The highlight of the weekend comes on Friday and Saturday night, when the focus shifts to the Orleans Arena, where the world’s top bodybuilders and bikini and physique competitors battle for the same title that turned Arnold Schwarzenegger into a household name.

The 2019 Olympia Weekend is set for Sept. 12 to 15, and tickets are now on sale. Life is a collection of experiences—and this is one you don’t want to miss. See you in Vegas! GET MORE INFO AT

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BLOCKBUSTER MUSCLE

> Don’t just sit back and idolize

your favorite movie physiques— learn to build a body worthy of the big screen.

T ’S COMMONPL ACE TO HE AR AC TORS

talk about how much time they spend in the gym to prepare for a movie role now, but Hollywood stars weren’t always concerned with hoisting dumbbells or tracking calories. Then the ’80s happened—or, more accurately, Arnold happened. The seven-time Mr. Olympia helped bring muscle into the mainstream, with movies like 1982’s Conan the Barbarian, 1984’s The Terminator, and 1987’s Predator raking in millions of dollars and exposing countless eyeballs to Schwarzenegger’s peak physique. Suddenly, beefy action heroes were everywhere, and if you wanted to be a blockbuster action star, you had to hit the gym. Now incredible physique transformations are an annual, if not monthly, occurrence on the silver screen, with some of the biggest names making even bigger strides in the gym. Thankfully, you can do more than gawk at the latest pair of superhero biceps; you can include their workouts into your own routine. Whether you want to look like a superhero, a jacked demon from hell, or whatever The Rock is playing this week, we’ve outlined routines from some Hollywood heavyweights so you can get your body camera-ready.

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER FITTEST ROLE :

conan the

barbarian (1982) M&F FACT: The prop department on

Conan apparently couldn’t whip up a convincing fake vulture, so Arnold had to bite into a real (albeit dead) one while filming the movie’s famous Tree of Woe scene. Before Arnold burst onto the scene, you didn’t see too many chiseled physiques. Sure, Charles Bronson’s seam-bursting biceps were the stuff of legend, but people like him were few and far between. Arnold was a revelation in the sense that his sheer size and definition helped set a standard in the ’80s and ’90s for action stars moving forward. Even today, when an actor bulks up for the latest Marvel or DC movie, they’re gaining size in Arnold’s shadow. And frankly, Arnold’s Olympia-caliber body wasn’t just a luxury for filmmakers, it was a necessity—how else are you going to pull off the comic-book proportions of the Cimmerian barbarian Conan, after all? TRAINING

ARNOLD’S CHEST & BACK WORKOUT EXERCISE

SETS

REPS

5 5 DUMBBELL FLYE SUPERSET WITH SEATED CABLE ROW

10–12

5 5 CABLE CROSSOVER SUPERSET WITH DUMBBELL ROW

D I N O D E L A U R E N T I S / U N I V E R S A L P I C T U R E S / S U N S E T B O U L E VA R D / C O R B I S V I A G E T T Y I M A G E S

Arnold was two years removed from his final Olympia win when Conan the Barbarian hit theaters. For arm-training tips from Arnold, see page 142.

B IG-S C R E E N GA I N S

DWAYNE JOHNSON FITTEST ROLE :

hercules (2014) M&F FACT: Johnson’s Hercules

diet included 4,900 calories and 547 grams of protein spread out over seven meals every day. The only thing more impressive than Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Hollywood hustle is his obsessive focus in the gym. With a new movie coming out seemingly

MUSCLE & FITNESS

TRAINING

THE ROCK’S LEG WORKOUT EXERCISE

SETS

REPS

4 LEG PRESS SUPERSET WITH WALKING LUNGE

4 ROMANIAN DEADLIFT

4 5

PA R A M O U N T P I C T U R E S C O R P O R AT I O N A N D M E T R O G O L D W Y N - M AY E R P I C T U R E S I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D

While training for Hercules, The Rock tore two tendons from his pelvis. 20

every month, Johnson continues to maintain—and even grow—his world-class physique for each new role, never letting his everballooning paychecks take away from his competitive edge. If you follow him on Instagram, you’ll get regular updates on his conditioning, including workout videos and progress pictures, at all hours of the day (most of the time before the sun is even up). All that hard work has led to Johnson sporting one of the best physiques in movie history in such diverse ﬁlms as the Fast & Furious franchise, Jumanji, and Hercules.

M AY 2 0 1 9

GAL GADOT FITTEST ROLE :

wonder woman (2017) Before entering the DC Universe, Gadot couldn’t do a single pullup.

M&F FACT:

TRAINING

GADOT’S FULL-BODY BLAST EXERCISE

REPS

REST

*** ****

*Ten-second sprint, 50-second easy pace. **For all 30/30 moves, do exercise for

30 meters, walk back to start, then go straight into the next move. ***Perform 7 sets. ****Perform 5 sets.

According to trainer Don Saladino, Harbour wanted to look like a hammer thrower.

DAVID HARBOUR FITTEST ROLE :

hellboy (2019) M&F FACT: Though Harbour got

in demonic shape for the 2019 Hellboy reboot, he promised fans that he would return to dad-bod form for the third season of Netﬂix’s Stranger Things. There’s perhaps no better proof of a solid workout and diet program than David Harbour’s full-body transformation for his role as the titular crimson demon in director Neil Marshall’s Hellboy reboot. To play this hulking comic-book hero, Harbour shed his Stranger Things weight and bulked up, with the help of trainer Don Saladino. The workout included here is just a taste of the functional program Harbour endured. The main goal was to focus on power, with both Harbour and Saladino emphasizing that they wanted Hellboy’s strength to look believable onscreen.

TRAINING

DEADLIFT AND SUIT-UP DAY* EXERCISE **

REPS

5 ***

5 25–50 YARDS

*Head over to Don Saladino’s page on the

Playbook app for more on this routine. **Use 80% of your one-rep max. ***Perform 1 set of each carry variation:

single-arm overhead (1 set for each arm), two-arm overhead, single-arm rack (1 set for each arm), two-arm rack, single-arm rack and overhead carry (1 set for each arm), suitcase carry, and farmer’s walk. 22

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

P I C T O R I A L P R E S S LT D /A L A M Y S T O C K P H O T O

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SETS

B IG-S C R E E N GA I N S

HUGH JACKMAN FITTEST ROLE :

the wolverine (2013) M&F FACT: While training for

The Wolverine, Jackman was so obsessed with keeping his size that he even brought his trainer with him on his family vacations. For more than 15 years, the Aussie actor would build his body to mutant-like perfection for each

new X-Men movie by putting on untold pounds of muscle and shedding any remaining fat until he looked like he was ripped right out of a comic-book page. For 2013’s The Wolverine, Jackman took it a step further, teaming with trainer David Kingsbury, resulting in a ﬁerce balance of immense size and shred. This was the ﬁrst time that Wolverine’s animalistic side had truly been realized on the big screen, and the work Jackman put in at the gym pushed the character over the top, even at 44 years old.

TRAINING

JACKMAN’S BACK & BICEPS ROUTINE EXERCISE

SETS *

REPS

DUMBBELL SINGLE-ARM ROW

INCLINE DUMBBELL CURL

** *Do 4 sets with weight that is 60%, 65%,

S I M O N VA R S A N O

Jackman’s personal best on the deadlift is an impressive 435 pounds for two.

75%, and 75% of your 1RM, respectively. **Perform all three moves back-to-back,

then rest for 60 seconds.

B IG-S C R E E N GA I N S

Larson used the landmine for a joint-friendly workout.

BRIE LARSON FITTEST ROLE :

captain marvel (2019) M&F FACT: In its opening week-

end, Captain Marvel made $153 million in North America and $455 million worldwide, making it the largest global debut for a female-led movie in history. Want to show the world that you’re getting into superhero shape? Just do like Brie Larson and post a video to Instagram of you pushing a 5,000-pound Jeep for 60 seconds. And that massive feat of four-wheel-drive domination was just one way the bigscreen Captain Marvel trained for her roles in both her solo movie and Avengers: Endgame—she also documented her training on social media during production, including an impressive set of 400-pound hip thrusts and her mastery of pullups. Her routine, designed by trainer Jason Walsh, focused on total-body work to boost her functional strength and get her looking like the cosmic heroine from the comics.

TRAINING

L A R S O N ’ S C A P TA I N MARVEL CIRCUIT* EXERCISE

LANDMINE PUSH PRESS

REPS

8 8

** *To get Larson’s full Week 1, Day 1

Captain Marvel workout, download the Playbook app. **After finishing the third exercise, rest for 30 seconds and repeat circuit again. 24

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

DAVE BAUTISTA FITTEST ROLE :

guardians of the galaxy 2 (2017)

M&F FACT: Despite being one

of the most successful WWE Superstars of all time, Bautista didn’t make his debut on TV until he was 33. From the moment WWE fans ﬁrst laid eyes on him in 2002, Dave Bautista has always showcased some freakish size—even by professional wrestling standards. And for his breakout role as Drax in Marvel’s blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, the former WWE World Heavyweight champion knows that his training and nutrition have to always be on point. “With Drax always being

shirtless, there’s no room to hide any fat,” Bautista told us in a 2017 interview. This meant upping his weightlifting and maintaining a clean diet of poultry, ﬁsh, eggs, and red meat—you know, the usual bodybuilding fare. Now at 50 years old, his secret to ﬁtness is simple: “It’s got to be a lifestyle thing. Whatever you choose to do to be active— whether it’s cycling or weight training or MMA—it has got to be part of your daily life.”

TRAINING

B A U T I S TA’ S D R AX CHEST WORKOUT EXERCISE

SETS

REPS

REST

DIP **

8–10

90 SEC.

10–12

Bautista weighs in around 290 pounds when at his most bulked up.

P E R B E R N A L ; © M A RV E L S T U D I O S 2 0 1 7

HAMMER STRENGTH CHEST PRESS SUPERSET WITH PUSHUP ***

TO 45 SEC. FAILURE

*Do extremely light weight until you’re

warmed up—anywhere from 1 to 5 sets. **Do a 2-second complete pause at the

bottom of each exercise. ***Perform at a slower tempo—Bautista’s

trainer, Joe Bennett, suggests each rep should take 4 to 5 seconds to complete. M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

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BATMAN: LAST KNIGHT ON EARTH #1 All you need to know about Batman: Last Knight on Earth is that the first issue’s cover shows the Dark Knight walking around with the Joker’s severed head in a jar—still smiling. So you can expect plenty of mayhem in this three-issue series. May 29; $6

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GOOD OMENS A foul-mouthed demon and a persnickety angel team up to stop the Apocalypse in this adaptation of the best-selling book by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. With David Tennant, Michael Sheen, and Jon Hamm rounding out a perfect cast, this six-episode fantasy comedy should be on everyone’s bingeing radar. May 31; Amazon Prime

GEAR

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MUSCLE & FITNESS

M AY 2 0 1 9

@muscle_fitness

@muscle_ and_fitness

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N I K O T AV E R N I S E

facebook.com /muscle andfitnessmag

E D G E

STA

WE R

By Bobbi Dempsey

WO R KO U T

BEACH’S CHEST & SHOULDER CIRCUIT DIRECTIONS: Perform 5 rounds of

12 reps for each cluster of movements below. Rest 2 minutes between rounds. EXERCISE

PARALLEL BAR DIP DUMBBELL LATERAL RAISE EXERCISE

CABLE FLYE DUMBBELL FRONT RAISE

LIFE’S A BEACH Michael Beach—featured in Apple’s upcoming series Are You Sleeping?—on how he stays in amazing shape while being a family man. THE MAN OF MANY ROLES Different groups recognize me from different things. If I’m around my brothers and sisters, it’s Soul Food or Waiting to Exhale. With bikers, it will be Sons of Anarchy. It’s funny because people in those subgroups often don’t realize I’m in other things. So sometimes if they haven’t seen me in anything in a while, they think the acting thing hasn’t worked out. ACTING UPSTREAM Streaming is changing the game. There’s probably not even going to be regular TV in five or 10 years. I’m old enough to remember when TV actually turned off at 1 a.m. 30

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

They played “The StarSpangled Banner,” and then TV was just off until 6 a.m.

B E A C H ’ S P LY O M E T R I C FINISHER DIRECTIONS: Perform 5 rounds of 1 minute of work for each move. Rest 2 minutes between rounds.

EXERCISE

LIKE FINE WINE

BALL SLAM

HOME BASE I built a gym in my garage, mostly just to be efficient. I’m very busy, and I have a bunch of children, so I just don’t have a lot of time.

I’ve gained 20 pounds. That’s when it’s important to hold yourself accountable.

BOUNCING BACK At 55 years old, one thing in my life that’s consistent is the inconsistency of working out. I can have a good run for two or three years, and then all of a sudden I’ll just crash and go back to pizza and fries. The next thing I know, it’s five or six months later and

ALWAYS BE PREPARED In the past, you’d go to a hotel and they’d have two treadmills and maybe a 20-pound dumbbell. Today, many hotels have elaborate gyms. I also belong to several chain gyms that are all over the country. That makes it a lot easier to get in workouts when I travel. Photograph by Eugene Byrd

E D G E

BODY

BOOK

COLTON’S QUEST How footballstandout-turnedBachelor-star Colton Underwood got shredded.

ou might think having “eat to excess” as an athletic requirement would be a dream. But Colton Underwood, who shined as an Illinois State linebacker and bounced around the NFL before reality TV came calling, knows differently. “I miss the camaraderie, my teammates, that brotherhood,” he says of his gridiron life. “I don’t miss force-feeding myself to stay a certain weight. I can’t tell you how uncomfortable that can be, eating to the verge of almost throwing up every day.” Since retiring from football in 2016, Underwood hasn’t just gained fame for dating Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, appearing on The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise, and headlining the most recent season of The Bachelor. He has also overhauled his fitness regimen—and transformed from a bulky 270 pounds to a ripped 225. “During college and even my professional career, I was lifting extremely heavy,” the 27-year-old recalls. “Now I’m more focused on cardio, circuit training, and supersetting my favorite exercises.” Underwood regularly hits

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

CHARGE AHEAD

Underwood balls off the field, too, and was recently on Season 23 of ABC’s The Bachelor.

By Steve Mazzucchi

the gym at the crack of dawn, staying on track thanks to sponsor MusclePharm, which maintains a private facility for its athletes while providing trainers and nutritionists to tailor customized programs. Having leaned out through high-intensity workouts, intermittent fasting, and general portion control, Underwood picks up a batch of specially prepped meals twice a week at the gym. He also swears by MusclePharm’s supps, of course. “I use their Organic Protein, multivitamin, fish oils, CLAs, and ZPM to help with sleep,” he says. “Prior to workouts, I take their BCAAs, and I’m a big fan of Assault Pre-Workout, which has a bit lower caffeine but still gives me plenty of energy.” The resulting sculpted physique makes Bachelor fans swoon, coupled as it is with a clean-cut guy who’s unfailingly honest and earnest. On a related note, Underwood has leveraged his expanded platform to publicize his nonprofit Legacy Foundation (coltons legacy.org), inspired by a cousin with cystic fibrosis. “We surprise cystic fibrosis families with a new medical

Nowadays, Underwood trains with an emphasis on functionality.

vest [Afflovest] that helps CFRs breathe clear,” he explains. “It allows these warriors the freedom and flexibility to live their best life.” Fit physique. Hit show. Growing charity. What could possibly be next for this rising star? “Oh, man,” he says, chuckling, and fresh off three months of round-the-clock shooting. “I can’t wait to get some sleep and go on a vacation.”

NFL TRAINING

STRENGTH BLOCK While training in the NFL, Underwood would lift heavier weights more often to build up his strength. EXERCISE

SETS

REPS

4 4

NEUTRAL-GRIP PULLUP

6 8

C O U RT E S Y O F M U S C L E P H A R M ( 2 ) ; G E T T Y I M AG E S

TRAINING NOW

CLEANING UP According to Underwood, here’s why he switched up his MP supplement stack.

LIFESTYLE WORKOUT Now Underwood trains with a healthy lifestyle in mind, upping his cardio and doing body-weight work. EXERCISE

SETS

REPS *

UNDERWOOD’S CURRENT STACK

UNDERWOOD’S NFL STACK

“My nutritional needs change as my lifestyle evolves," Underwood says. Now he sticks with MP’s Natural series, including their pre-workout and bars.

“During my NFL years, MusclePharm’s Combat Protein Powder and Assault Pre-Workout were my go-to supps for maximizing endurance and strength.”

PULLUP/PUSHUP

10/20

*Do 7 burpees and then 7 thrusters. Try

to get 7 rounds in 7 minutes. M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

E D G E

TRA I N

L I KE . . .

GIANCARLO STANTON The power-hitting Yankee talks training, diet, and the pursuit of a title.

iancarlo Stanton is known for hitting towering home runs— the kind that leaves fans in awe and opposing pitchers shaking their heads. The 6'6" slugger hit 59 dingers in 2017 for the Miami Marlins, winning the National League MVP. Now, in his second season with the New York Yankees, Stanton has his eye on the ultimate prize. “There is always one goal— to win,” says Stanton. “With the guys we have, we have a chance to do something special.” And it all starts with the work he puts in off the field.

TRAIN HARD, TRAIN SMART “Generally, I train with more intensity in the off-season, with more power and explosive moves incorporated into my program,” he says. That means varied workouts incorporating a variety of equipment, including barbells, kettlebells, and sleds. “During the season, my focus is training two to three times per week to maintain performance and to stay healthy.”

Stanton says that he eats as clean as possible, with chicken, pineapple, and rice among some of his favorite 34

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

JA M E S Q UA N TZ J R .

CLEAN EATS

By Kevin Gray

TRAIN TOUGH

S TA N T O N ’ S T O TA LBODY WORKOUT Whether you’re training for the home run derby or just want to mix up your workout, this Stanton go-to will build muscle and test your cardio. EXERCISE

MED BALL SLAM

SETS

REPS

6 3

3 SINGLE-LEG DUMBBELL SQUAT

20 PER LEG

SLED PUSH

*After performing the first 5 exercises, do sled pushes, jump rope, or train with battle ropes until failure.

PUSH IT REAL GOOD foods. “My schedule during the season is demanding, so my focus is making sure I’m taking in as much protein as possible,” he says. “Drinking water is also extremely important for me to keep my body ready to go.”

JA M E S Q UA N TZ J R .

STAY FUELED ON THE GO Even athletic phenoms like Stanton can use a little help. “Supplements are superimportant for recovery,” he says. He notes that, with his

crazy travel schedule—which includes 81 away games before you count pre-season and post-season play—he needs a convenient source of fuel. “Over six years ago, I partnered with Six Star Pro Nutrition, and I still take their 100% Whey Protein Plus to this day after my games.” With 30 grams of protein per scoop and a healthy dose of BCAAs, it’s got exactly what he needs to ensure that his hard work pays off.

BOTTOM LINE: Whether you’re

looking to bulk up or lean out, a quality whey protein like Six Star’s will help fuel your goal. No matter what, your muscles need protein to stay strong while you lean out, to bulk up as you aim to gain weight, and to recover from training sessions. Try Six Star, available in Triple Chocolate, Cookies and Cream, and Strawberry. M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

hen it comes to following the hottest fitness trends, Lindsey Morgan has been there, done that, and bought the T-shirt—in a variety of different sizes. “I’ve been through so many phases with my body,” she says. “I’ve been 20 pounds lighter than I am now and 15 pounds heavier. I’ve had 10% body fat and 32% body fat. I’ve run the spectrum, and I’ve learned that trying to force something that isn’t natural for my body doesn’t work.” The 29-year-old actress is a fan of weightlifting and kickboxing and also loves running, especially in new places. “As soon as I land somewhere new, I put on my running shoes and just go in one direction for about three miles. And then I turn around and go three miles back. It helps me acclimate to where I am, and it’s such a great way to see the city.”

BLAZING HER OWN TRAIL TUNE IN

E D G E

I RON MA I D E N

Her diet has evolved over the years, she says. “I struggle with diet because I grew up as an athlete, as a swimmer. So I was spoiled in thinking I could eat every single carbohydrate and burn it off. But in my early 20s I stopped swimming, and I gained weight immediately. So now what works best for me is a diet of clean, whole foods. I keep it simple— protein, veggies, and healthy fats. I’m that person who always brings healthy snacks with me. So I always have almonds or protein bars.” Morgan isn’t a fan of one-sizefits-all fitness routines or diet regimens. “Every body is different, like a custom-made Ferrari,” she says. “You have to find the exact fuel to run and maintain it.” The actress shares words of inspiration and motivational mantras with her million-plus Instagram followers, who may know her best as Raven, the kick-ass chick she plays on the CW’s sci-fi drama series The 100. The show just wrapped its sixth season, and the character has played an important role in Morgan’s own off-screen evolution. “When I got the role of Raven, I started to work out differently. She carries herself with strength and presence and has this attitude of, ‘Anything boys can do, I can do better.’ That’s when I started weightlifting,” Morgan says. “I started kickboxing because of Raven, too. Because I realized, this girl can handle herself and isn’t afraid of throwing a punch.”

By Bobbi Dempsey

Photograph by Suzanne Teresa

M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

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MOVE OF THE MONTH

TRAINING METHODS

A better barbell row to help ease back pain, p42

Warm up correctly before your working sets, p54

T A

BODY WEIGHT

ALL ABOUT...

Open up your hips and strengthen your chest with this move, p56

Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all you need to know about the power of perspiration, p59

BUILD MUSCLE,

BURN FAT, PERFORM BETTER

M R B I G P H O T O G R A P H Y/ G E T T Y I M AG E S

FIT TO LIVE

he most active men often show higher levels of arterial plaque, but a new study from the Cooper Clinic found that these extreme exercisers are still less likely to die prematurely than people who are less active. So keep on doing those hard workouts.

M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

T R A I N

NEW

ALONG FOR THE RIDE Low-impact sports like cycling are great for your heart, but they may be associated with poor bone density. That’s according to a new study from the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, which found that elite road cyclists have lower bone mineral density than runners. The researchers suggest combining cycling with resistance training to keep your bones strong.

THE BEST MEDICINE

Scientists at the University of Texas at Austin found that exercising is linked to better eating. After training for several weeks, study participants were more likely to opt for healthy foods—even without being prompted. Their taste for fried foods and sugary drinks decreased.

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

G E T T Y I M AG E S

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Visceral fat lying deep within the abdomen is associated with a number of health problems, including heart disease and diabetes. According to research out of UT Southwestern Medical Center, the best way to eradicate it isn’t medicine—it’s good oldfashioned exercise.

G E T T Y I M AG E S

MEMORY LANE Regular physical activity is known to improve memory. And now scientists at Columbia University Irving Medical Center might know why. According to new

research, exercise produces a hormone called irisin that may promote neuron growth in the hippocampus, the brainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s memory and learning center.

T R A I N

MOV E

THE

MON T H

By M&F Editors

BACK SUPPORT Rowing with your head on a bench can help ease back pain. WHY DO IT

WHEN TO DO IT

HOW TO DO IT

HEAD-SUPPORTED BENTOVER ROW

a shoulder-width, overhand grip in front of an adjustable incline bench facing away from you.

until your torso is about 45 degrees to the floor, and place your forehead firmly on the top of the seat back.

your stomach, keeping your torso straight and your forehead on the bench. Feel the contraction at the top, then slowly lower the bar back until your arms are fully extended.

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

Photographs by Per Bernal

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T R A I N

MOB I L I T Y

By M&F Editors

HIT THE WALL The mini-band wall slide shows your midtraps and serratus anterior some serious love. WHAT IT H ITS Midtrapezius, serratus anterior, some deltoid.

WHY DO IT Scapular protraction—the movement that’s occurring here—rarely gets targeted, whereas the opposite, scapular retraction, gets hit all the time. This balances things out for complete shoulder/ scapula health.

WH E N TO DO IT As part of your warmup or before bench presses or rows. HOW TO DO IT

BANDED WALL SLIDE

PLACE A MINI BAND around your midforearms and place the edges of your hands onto a wall.

ROUND YOUR shoulders forward without letting your elbows come off the wall.

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

J AY S U L L I VA N

SLIDE FOREARMS UP and down so the band goes from shoulder height to eye level.

CARD I O

By M&F Editors

T R A I N

THE MOVE YOU LOVE TO HATE It may sound brutal, but the burpee box jump will burn tons of fat.

PER BERNAL

itness pioneer Jack LaLanne said, “If it tastes good, spit it out.” In other words: You need to eat your vegetables. The same idea applies to training. If curls are the physical equivalents of cake, then the burpee is without a doubt the kale of exercises. They’re taxing, but burpees improve your full-body coordination and conditioning as you drop to the floor and then jump back up. Adding a box jump to the mix may not be a popular move, but it’ll enhance your athletic prowess, since you have to jump and land with grace. Give this workout a try—and eat your darn veggies.

EMOM

BURPEE BOX JUMP WORKOUT DIRECTIONS:

HOW TO DO IT

a 12- to 18-inch-tall box, feet shoulder-width apart.

position and touch your chest to the floor. Push back up, so you’re in the top of a

pushup, and jump your feet in toward your hands.

stance and then jump up to the box, landing heels first. That’s 1 rep. Step off the box and repeat.

M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

T R A I N

1 0 -MI NUT E

WO R K O U T

BECOME UNBREAKABLE In 10 minutes or less, you can bulletproof your neck and lower back.

B 46

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

physical sport, having a strong lower back and a thick neck is strength personified. The following workout will make you stronger—and damn near unbreakable. ABOUT THE SOURCE Jay Ashman is a strength coach at City Gym in Kansas City, MO, and creator of the Ashman Strength System.

TRAIN

THE UNBREAKABLE WORKOUT EXERCISE

SETS

TIME

ISOMETRIC FLEXION

3–4

15–30 SEC.

SUPERMAN

3–4

15–30 SEC.

PER BERNAL

eing stronger isn’t just about how much you can bench or squat. (Though, you should get good at those moves.) It’s about the supporting muscles, too. Anyone who has played football, rugby, or any other grappling sport knows that the durability of your neck and lower back needs to match your gym strength. Even if you don’t play a

By Jay Ashman

WHEY DIFFERENT MIXES CLEAR. FINISHES CLEAN. You are going to love this new, refreshingly light way to achieve your muscle-building and fitness goals.

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0g SUGAR

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T R A I N

YOGA

By M&F Editors

DAWN OF THE DEAD Jump-start your postworkout recovery with the basic, but important, corpse pose from Phil Migliarese, author of Yoga for Fighters. HOW TO DO IT

CORPSE POSE

LIE ON arms to your sides, palms facing up, feet dropped to the sides, shoulders back. You can cover yourself with a blanket to stay warm as the body cools down during this pose, and put a towel under your knees for comfort.

BREAT while your body sinks into the floor. Your body should be relaxed, and your mind absent of any thoughts.

JUST BREATHE

STAY I for 5 to 15 minutes, breathing consciously, without falling asleep.

TO PRO the pose, wiggle fingers and toes first. Then roll to your right side and press your body up to a sitting position. 48

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

Photographs by Steve Boyle

T R A I N

DAYS

TO . . .

SHED 5% OF YOUR BODY FAT High-intensity interval training plus diet tweaks will lean you out, big-time.

or Devon Levesque, fitness is a family affair. His grandfather and father were both pro bodybuilders, his mother competed in physique, and he grew up with a 2,000-squarefoot gym in his house. So the Performix House trainer and Don’t Be a Pig founder embraced designing a 30-day program to get you shredded. It’s all about ramping up your metabolism so you’re burning calories 24-7. “I focus on creating muscle memory and going more indepth,” Levesque explains. “Rather than a regular bear crawl, you’re pushing a plate in front of you, and instead of bicycles, you’re doing bicycle extensions.” These HIIT circuits may be brief, but they’re challenging to complete with little rest and proper form. Levesque advises doing each twice a week or more, plus a mile run daily to keep those fires stoked—within reason. “You have to listen to your body,” he cautions. “If you’re so sore you can’t move, then you need to recover. But if you can do six days, three of each workout, you’re going to get even better results.” To kick the process into 50

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

LESS ISN’T MORE

UPPER-BODY WORKOUT EXERCISE

SETS

REPS/ T I M E / D S T.

4 4 4

LOWER-BODY WORKOUT EXERCISE

SETS

REPS/ T I M E / D S T.

1 4 4 4 4

Shot on location at Performix House, New York , NY

M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

T R A I N

DAYS

TO . . .

TRX BAND SQUAT

Grab the handles of a suspension trainer set to high length. Walk back so thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tension on it and then squat down. From there, explode up so your feet leave the ground. Land gently.

PUSHUP

Perform standard pushups, keeping your head, back, and butt all in line. Doing them on your fingertips is one way to increase the difficulty. 52

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

LEVESQUE’S FAT-BURNING TIPS > HYDRATE EARLY: “In the morning, before I do anything, I go to the fridge and I chug a glass of cold water. Sometimes I’ll add an ice cube to make it even colder. It wakes your whole body up and gets it going.” > DROP THE COP-OUTS: “There’s just no excuse for not working out and sweating. There’s always a way, even if it’s doing a couple hundred pushups or situps. Something to get moving.”

> SPICE THINGS UP: “Hot and spicy food is always good for your metabolism as well. I put hot sauce on a lot of things. Frank’s RedHot is good. You’ve gotta watch out, because some hot sauces rack up the sodium, and that just bloats you. So find a lowsodium sauce.”

PERFORMIX SST BRINGS THE HEAT

> BOOST YOUR BREW: “Add a tablespoon of cinnamon to your coffee. That will get your metabolism going.”

M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

T R A I N

TRA I N I N

ODS

By Eric “Merlin” Broser

WA R M U P

THE WRONG WAY Doing 8 or more reps is just going to fatigue the muscle, even if it’s done with a light load. EXERCISE

SETS

REPS

WARMUP SET 2

185

12–15

WARMUP SET 4

275

8–10 4

WA R M U P

THE RIGHT WAY The key here is the low-rep approach with incremental weight jumps. You’ll increase the weight more slowly and lift lower reps before going all out on your work set of 315. EXERCISE

WARMUP SET 2

SETS

185

REPS

6 5 4

WARMING UP

WARMUP SET 4

265

3 2 1

Up the weight too quickly—or slowly—and you’ll sap your strength before your working sets. Here’s how to lift hard and heavy.

T 54

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

At right we've provided two examples for the back squat: a wrong and right way to warm up. For the first, the trainee accumulates 50 to 57 total reps with light weight before trying to hit 315 for a max set. The result leaves him too tired to reach his max potential. In the other example, only 21 total reps are performed

before hitting the work set— with no set containing more than six repetitions. There are also more weight jumps leading up to the 315-pound set. This better prepares the central nervous system (CNS), joints, and tendons for the load, as opposed to making a 40-pound jump. As a result, you’ll know what to expect.

E D GA R A RT IGA

he reality is that more often than not, most trainees overdo their warmups. Performing multiple, low-intensity, high-rep sets before each exercise will serve only to reduce your overall energy stores, disrupting your ability to maximize your efforts when most needed—your working sets.

T R A I N

BODY WE I GHT

PRESS ON The quad press is a multifaceted move that increases your hip mobility while stimulating your chest and core muscles, so try it on chest day. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how.

By M&F Editors

HOW TO DO IT

QUAD PRESS with your hands facing in, underneath shoulders.

out to create space for your midline to drop into the ground.

lever pushup while keeping the spine elongated. Do 3 sets for 45 seconds each.

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

Photographs by Per Bernal

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T R A I N

ABS

CORE

By M&F Editors

DON’T HOLD BACK

HOW TO DO IT

BEAR POSITION

BEAR DOWN

with your knees under your hips and your wrists under your shoulders.

Dragging a sled from the bear position will give you a beastly core.

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

add weight to it by strapping on a harness and attaching a weighted sled to the other end. Doing so will force your core to brace harder, in turn working your ab muscles more, and have you breaking a serious sweat.

DO NOT ROTATE YOUR hips as you move. Start by mastering the hold for 30 seconds. Then begin to walk forward, holding the position.

PER BERNAL

he bear position—down low to the ground on all fours—hits several small but important muscle groups, including the hip and shoulder stabilizers and, above all else, the core. See how to do it at right, then

DIG YOUR TOES INTO the ground and slightly lift your knees up. If a lacrosse ball were placed on your back, it shouldn’t move.

By Kristin Mahoney

A L L

ABO

. . .

T R A I N

SWEAT The inside scoop on the power of perspiration.

he sole purpose of sweat is to cool the body down. As your core temperature rises above 98.6 degrees, your brain tells your sweat glands to increase production; and when sweat appears on your skin, it’s evaporated into the air, taking body heat with it. Your sweat rate is determined by two primary factors: how hot it is around you and your individual response to heat. “Someone who is acclimated to heat and working out in a hotter environment is generally not going to sweat as much as someone new to it,” says Walt Thompson, Ph.D., president of the American College of Sports Medicine and an associate dean at Georgia State University in Atlanta.

PAT R I C K G I A R D I N O / G E T T Y I M AG E S

WHO SWEATS THE MOST? “Unfit people will start to sweat more when put in a hot environment in an attempt to thermoregulate [their] core temperature,” Thompson says. Meanwhile, gym junkies may seem relatively dry, since they are more efficient at keeping that core temperature down. But throw some exercise into the mix, and the roles get reversed. “Recent studies have shown that fit people sweat more during exercise because they are more efficient at cooling down their core temperature,” Thompson explains.

TAKE THE PEE TEST

THE NUMBERS

98.6° Your body’s optimal core temperature. Go above that and you’ll start to perspire.

2–5 MILLION

Number of sweat glands in the human body, including two main types: Eccrine glands are located throughout your body; apocrine glands are mainly found around the armpits and groin. M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

TRAINING TIPS DIET ADVICE BAD JOKES

Celebrity trainer Don Saladino and Muscle & Fitness executive editor Zack Zeigler discuss everything you wanted to know about ﬁtness...and some things you won’t expect.

MuscleandFitness.com/REPS

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

1 FOOD, 5 WAYS

HEALTHY SWAPS

DIET ID

EA F E A R FAT S

HIGH-FAT DIETS CAN LEAD TO POOR GUT HEALTH

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S IN THE FRIDGE THIS MONTH

E A T

N EWS

M I N D F U L E AT I N G

Possible Link Between Junk Food and Mental Distress An International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition study found that adults who consumed high amounts of junk food—sugary drinks, fries, etc.—were more likely to suffer from physiological distress, regardless of age, education, or gender. This study is consistent with others that linked unhealthy diets with increased risk of bipolar disorder and depression. JUNK FUEL

OODS Y DEATH iversity of Paris found that n of ultraprocessed foods is er risk of death over a seveners compiled data from more es 45 and older, and followed them for seven years. Nearly 30% of participants’ daily calories were from ultraprocessed foods like soda and chips. By the end of the study, 600 of the subjects had died. The takeaway: Avoid the fake stuff. 62

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

S O DA P O P P E D

SODA TAX CAUSES MASSIVE DROP IN SUGARY DRINK CONSUMPTION As controversial as soda taxes are, a new UC Berkeley study offers evidence that they just might work. Three years since a penny-per-ounce excise tax was imposed on sugary drinks, Berkeley, CA, has seen a 52% drop in consumption of sugary drinks among its low-income residents. The study shows that taxes might be an effective way in low-income communities where problems with diabetes, heart disease, and obesity are more prevalent.

No Other Protein Compares to HumaPro®: • Economical: Costs less per serving than other proteins† • Super Concentrated: *1 serving of HumaPro® = a Whole Food Protein • Equivalent of 25g averaged, with only 0.02 calories per serving† HumaPro® is also Vegan Friendly, and contains No: Gluten, Soy, Sugar, Lactose or Heavy Metals.

FLAVORS APPLE CIDER EXOTIC PEACH MANGO FRESH CUT PINEAPPLE GREEN APPLE CANDY MANDARIN ORANGE ROCKET POP SOUR GRAPE STRAWBERRY KIWI SOUTHERN SWEET TEA SIZES 45 Servings 90 Servings 60 Serving Tablets 90 Serving Tablets

E A T

REC I PE

THE

MON T H

DON’T BE CHICKEN Fear not—you can feast on this tasty burger without wrecking your waistline.

ASIAN C BURGER S E RVE S 4

PREP TIME: 10 1 hour for mari COOKING TIM TOTAL TIME:

1 1 1 2

lb lean grou tbsp lemon garlic clove green onion chopped 2 tbsp low-so soy sauce ½ tsp ground 1 egg white 4 multigrain b 1. In a large bow combine chick lemon juice, ga soy sauce, ging white. Form int Refrigerate for 2. Grill burgers for 5 to 8 minut internal tempe reaches 165°F. 3. Serve on bun your choice of condiments.

THE MAC

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24g CARBS

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SPOT L I GHT

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PERFORMANCE INSPIRED Give yourself an edge with Mark Wahlberg’s favorite protein and post-workout.

o get the most out of your workouts, you’ve got to fuel your body. That means clean eating and plenty of protein, plus the amino acids and electrolytes your body craves. And you’ll likely need some help to ensure you meet your daily requirements. That’s where supplements come into play, like those from Performance Inspired, the nutritional products line co-founded by Mark Wahlberg. If these supps helped craft one of the most chiseled physiques in Hollywood, well, they’re sure to help you reach your goals, too.

ISOLATE WHEY

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

Next, you’ll need some branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) to speed your recovery and spur muscle growth. For that, turn to Performance Inspired’s Post-Workout BCAA. With 5 grams of BCAAs per serving, plus 500 milligrams

of taurine for metabolic support and electrolytes for recovery, the all-natural formula is exactly what you need to bounce back after those intense training sessions and enhance your endurance. It’s available in Berry Fruit Blast and Tropical Mango Delight.

FUEL YOUR GAINS Performance Inspired’s Isolate Whey and Post-Workout BCAA are a powerful one-two punch that will jump-start muscle growth and speed recovery. The clean, great-tasting formulas provide exactly what you need and nothing you don’t, so you won’t be weighed down by unnecessary fillers. For more info, go to pi-nutrition.com.

G E T T Y I M AG E S

This naturally flavored, ultrapure, fast-absorbing whey protein isolate supports muscle growth and recovery, while featuring fewer calories, fat, carbs, cholesterol, and lactose than most other proteins on the market. Each serving packs in 25 grams of high-quality protein, with only 130 calories and 1 gram of sugar. Performance Inspired’s Isolate Whey also includes 3 grams of L-glutamine for an extra boost of this all-important amino acid. Each is sweetened with natural stevia and goes down easy, because you shouldn’t have to choke down your protein.

POST-WORKOUT BCAA

ZUCCHINI

FOOD ,

5 WA Y S

E A T

Five unique ways to whip up summer squash to enjoy the delicious vitamin and mineral boost.

Ian K. Smith, M.D., is the author of New York Times best-seller The Shred Diet Cookbook.

NUTRITION FACTS

M AY 2 0 1 9

MUSCLE & FITNESS

E A T

HEAL TH

AP RICE

LET’S WRAP

BEANS

CHEESE

BURRITO These Cinco de Mayo swaps won’t leave you overstuffed.

T 68

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

Those 10- or 12-inch flour behemoths can clock in at 300 calories, according to Amy Goodson, R.D., a specialist in sports dietetics. Opt for five-inch corn tortillas, which are less caloric and higher in fiber. “Those smaller corn tortillas have 50 calories each. So you could have three of them and still total only half the calories of a single huge flour one.”

you don’t want to give up on your favorite cheese, then just go easy with it.

SOUR CREAM For that creamy component, choose avocado or guacamole. “It’s still a fat, so the calories may not differ a lot, but the quality of the fat will,” Goodson explains.

LETTUCE MEAT Red meat isn’t evil, but you should go lean. “If you want ground beef, go for 93/7 lean ground beef or choose a really lean flank steak or sirloin cut,” Goodson says.

Keep it! Then add in delicious toppings like salsa and roasted red and green peppers. “The peppers go really well with Mexican flavors, and a quarter of a cup gives you close to your daily dose of vitamin C,” Goodson says.

G E T T Y I M AG E S

here’s no shortage of newfangled burritos, from Soyrizo-stuffed breakfast versions to the sushi-style sort, but we’re still partial to the traditional meat, cheese, and bean variety. The problem? A single burrito can top 1,000 calories and is often loaded with sodium and saturated fat. The solution? Make some swaps to create a healthier version that won’t have you longing for a post-meal nap.

TORTILLA

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E A T

D I E T

I D

By Rachael Schultz

THE WHOLE30 DIET It’s not for everyone, but the Whole30 diet can help you clean up your act in the kitchen—big-time. WHAT IT IS

THE PROS Obviously, you’re going to feel better cutting back on junk food, sugar, and alcohol, all of which can lead to weight gain, blood sugar spikes, and decreased energy levels, says Natalie Rizzo, R.D., author of The No-Brainer Nutrition Guide for Every Runner. Otherwise, there are three main upsides to following the Whole30 for 30 days, says DJ

CUT IT OUT

THE CONS You don’t need to remove dairy, grains, or legumes from your diet—and you definitely shouldn’t be doing so for more than 30 days. “All three of these food groups provide plenty of important vitamins and minerals that can enhance your diet,” Rizzo explains. Blatner adds that giving up healthy carbs in the form of grains can compromise your ability to work out harder and longer, whether you’re weight training or running. Chances are, if you feel better when you’re off grains and dairy, it isn’t because your body can’t tolerate the food— it’s because you were eating way too much of it. Trading whole-wheat bread at every meal for vegetables at two of them will, of course, make you feel more energized, Blatner points out.

WHO IT’S FOR Anyone who wants to clean up his or her habits for 30 days should give the Whole30 diet a try. Otherwise, both nutritionists agree that the Whole30 isn’t a diet that should be followed long term. 70

MUSCLE & FITNESS

M AY 2 0 1 9

P H O T O G R A P H Y © 2 0 1 8 B Y G H A Z A L L E B A D I O Z A M A N I . R E P R O D U C E D B Y P E R M I S S I O N O F H O U G H T O N M I F F L I N H A R C O U R T. A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D

The idea is to eliminate all the foods that make you feel crappy—processed food, alcohol, sugar—but also foods that might be making you feel bad—beans, legumes (soy, tofu, chickpeas, peas, lentils, peanuts), dairy, and grains for 30 days. In theory, this process of elimination could help people discover certain foods that their bodies are sensitive to. What you can eat: vegetables (including potatoes), fruit (in moderation), unprocessed meat, seafood, eggs, nuts and

seeds, olive oil, coconut oil, and coffee. At the end of the month, you can reintroduce the less dramatic offenders, like legumes, dairy, and grains, and see how your body reacts.

Blatner, R.D.N., nutritionist for the Chicago Cubs and author of The Superfood Swap. It helps you start paying attention to what you put in your body and how it makes you feel, you become more savvy about ingredient lists on packaged food, and you start cooking more.

By Frank Steele

SUPP

THE

MON T H

E A T

100% ISO WHEY BOTTOM LINE: Nitro-Tech 100% Iso Whey is the cleanest, purest protein on the market. With 25 grams of protein per serving, plus 5.8 grams of BCAAs, it’s got everything you need and nothing you don’t. It’s scientifically formulated to be bioavailable, efficiently feeding your muscles so they can recover and grow and you can get the most from your workouts.

NITRO-TECH 100% ISO WHEY

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The purest protein around will help you recover from the toughest workouts.

G E T T Y I M AG E S

ou work hard in the gym and eat right, but everyone can use an extra advantage. That’s why you’re probably supplementing your training with protein powder. Smart move. However, not all protein is the same, so don’t sabotage your gains with a subpar product.

When looking for a protein supplement, you want a clean whey isolate that your body digests efficiently. This means better fuel for your muscles sans unnecessary fillers. And you don’t have to scour the internet or the shelves at your local supp shop. We’ve done the heavy lifting for you. Nitro-Tech 100% Iso Whey is the purest isolate available, delivering ample protein with each scoop. Here’s what you need to know.

THE SCIENCE Most isolate proteins on the market use a protein source that’s 90% pure at the most— many are less. But Nitro-Tech uses 97% whey isolate as its only protein source, which means that it can deliver the most protein per scoop— 25 grams per serving, plus 5.8 grams of BCAAs—with the least amount of fat, sugar, carbs, calories, and cholesterol. Of course, none of that matters if your body can’t

absorb it. That’s why Nitro-Tech features ProHydrolase, a powerful digestive enzyme combination designed to break down protein into a highly bioavailable form. In a clinical study on protein digestion, subjects who consumed whey protein in combination with ProHydrolase experienced an average of 20% better amino acid absorption versus taking whey protein alone. That translates to better muscle growth and recovery.

HOW TO TAKE IT Supplementing with protein after your workout is always a great call, but you can benefit from Nitro-Tech’s clean protein at any time of the day. Just mix one to two scoops with cold water or skim milk, shake it up until it’s smooth, knock it back, and look forward to the results. M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

E A T

K I TCHEN

GEAR

WHAT THE HELL IS AN AIR FRYER? A look at the machine that cooks french fries and wings you can feel good about eating.

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

SRIRACHA CHICKEN WINGS SERVES 1

4 chicken wings, split into flats and drumsticks ½ cup all-purpose flour ½ cup sriracha 1 cup unsalted, plain breadcrumbs 1. Set air fryer temperature to 400°F. 2. Place chicken on paper towels and pat completely dry. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess. 3. Dip chicken wings in sriracha, then breadcrumbs to cover thoroughly. 4. Place only flats or only drumsticks in air fryer and fry 25 minutes for flats and 30 minutes for drumsticks.

U S E D W I T H P E R M I S S I O N F RO M A I R F RY I N G F O R E V E RYO N E . C O U RT E S Y O F DA S H ; G E T T Y I M AG E S

nstead of using hot oil, as with traditional deep frying, air fryers employ rapid hot air circulation to “fry” food without oil, butter, or any other type of fat, according to Catherine-Gail Reinhard, VP of product strategy and marketing at StoreBound, the company that owns Dash, an air fryer manufacturer. Jonathan Valdez, a registered dietitian and owner of Genki Nutrition, notes that, compared with deep-frying—which has been associated with an increased risk of heart disease and type-2 diabetes—air fryers are considered to be healthier.

“Since little to no oil is required when using an air fryer, it significantly cuts down consumption of fats,” Valdez says. “Even when small amounts of oil are used to prepare food, the air fryer suspends foods in a perforated metal basket, which allows fats to drain as they cook.” Valdez lists roasted vegetables, chicken, french fries, and homemade potato chips as some of his favorite things to cook in air fryers. “Since air fryers cook with dry heat, you can also use them to bake and roast,” he adds. While air fryers simulate fried foods, Reinhard says you can’t fully compare them to deep fryers. “Air fryers do well with breaded and frozen foods, but for liquid batters a deep fryer is your best bet.” As for cost, Dash’s air fryers range from $60 to $130 (depending on size and features). Competitors like Ninja are comparable in price ($130), while Philips sells its air fryers for $300-plus. “Some air fryers even include accessories like baking pans and special racks so that you can prepare cakes and kebabs,” Reinhard says. As for if it’s worth it? Well, that comes down to what you like to eat. If you love wings and fries, then an air fryer can help keep you on track and may be worth the money.

By Abigail Abesamis

F OOD

By Toby Amidor, R.D.

F OCUS

E A T

DON’T BUG OUT! They may make you cringe, but here are five reasons insects are worth trying.

ricket protein is already on shelves in vari flour, chips, and bars. And with 80% of the population estimated to include insects in th diets, this trend is on the up. Think it’s a little s Here are five reasons why eating insects may be you want to consider.

THEY’RE FULL OF QUALITY PROTEIN

According to a 2013 article published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, researchers concluded that insects specifically from the order orthoptera—which includes grasshoppers, crickets, and locusts—are rich in protein and are a valuable alternative protein source. Plus, a 2017 article published in Nutrition Review found that on a fresh-weight basis, the protein content of edible insects ranges from 7 to 48%.

THEY’RE A SOURCE OF HEALTHY FATS

THEY PACK A FIBROUS PUNCH

Fat quality varies between species and is also affected by what insects have been fed, but insects can be a source of both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat.

An insect’s exoskeleton is made up of chitin, a polysaccharide that’s recognized by the human body as a dietary fiber. That means it’s passed through the gastrointestinal track without being digested.

THEY’RE LOADED WITH MICRONUTRIENTS

A Nutriti found that inse micronutrients like copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, and zinc, as well as B vitamins.

THEY’RE SUSTAINABLE

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, eating edible forest insects has been linked to forest conservation, and scientists say that it’s a way to curb greenhouse emissions as well as a way to address global food shortages.

GIVE BUGS A TRY If you’re brave enough to try insects, here are a few brands you may want to pick up.

G E T T Y I M AG E S

CRICKET BITES amazon.com

MIXED BUGS $17

These roasted crickets come in several flavors, including Roasted Original and Spicy Cayenne Pepper.

amazon.com

$14

Dig into this medley of grasshoppers, crickets, silkworms, and sago worms and treat yourself to a buggy buffet.

EXO CRICKET PROTEIN BAR amazon.com

$34

These gluten-free, Paleo-friendly bars pack 10 grams of protein each.

M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

P RESENTS

PART 2

our weeks o

C.S. I L LY, C . S . L N I V E K BY WORKOUT

MUSCLE & FITNESS

M AY 2 0 1 9

AL PER BERN Y B S H P A PHOTOGR

FOR MORE

T H E WA R M U P EXERCISE

REPS

SQUAT

LUNGE

10 PER LEG

LATERAL LUNGE

10 PER LEG

CRUNCH

FRONT RAISE

REAR-DELT RAISE

20 *

REVERSE SHOULDER T COMBO **

*** *Raise the dumbbells straight out in front

of you as you would for a front raise, then, instead of lowering the weights, spread your arms out to your sides to form a T. Bring the weights back in front of you, then lower them. That’s 1 rep. **Bend over at the hips, keep your back flat, and perform a rear-delt flye. Hold your arms straight out to the sides, then sweep your hands forward so the weights are straight out in front of you. Bring the weights back to your sides, then lower them. That’s 1 rep. ***Explosively perform a pushup so that your hands leave the ground as you reach the top position. Don’t land stiff; absorb the impact of the landing by simultaneously lowering yourself into the next rep.

TRICEPS PUSHDOWN

With a reverse grip, grab a straight-bar attachment hooked to a cable pulley set high. Flex your triceps and push the bar down until your arms are locked out.

ROCK HARD CHALLENGE: PART 2

PLATE CURL

Grab each side of a 45-pound plate and let your arms extend as far down as the plate allows. Curl the plate up until your biceps contract. Go slowly to tax your muscles.

STANDING HALF ARNOLD PRESS

Stand holding a pair of dumbbells at shoulder level, palms facing in. Brace your core, press your arms up until your elbows are fully locked out, then lower bells back down.

DAY 1 T O TA L- B O D Y C I R C U I T DIRECTIONS: Perform all exercises marked with the same number as a superset or triset, performing them backto-back without rest, before moving on to the next cluster. EXERCISE

SETS

REPS

REST

*** ****

*After completing 10 reps, drop the weight and perform another 10 reps. **Perform dips by rotating your torso to the right for 1 rep, then to your left for the next, until you have 10 on each side. ***Do 30 total reps using 2 dropsets: 10 reps on the initial set, 10 on the first drop, then 10 on the final drop. ****Get your max heart rate (MHR) to 70%.

RO C K H A R D C H A L L E NG E: PA RT 2

DAY 2 T O TA L- B O D Y C I R C U I T DIRECTIONS: Perform all exercises marked with the same number as a superset or triset, performing them backto-back without rest, before moving on to the next cluster. EXERCISE

SETS

REPS

REST

*Walk for 1 minute, then run for 1 minute.

If using a treadmill, walk at a pace of 3.5 mph, and run at a pace of 7.5 mph or more. Push your intensity to 85% of your MHR.

2019 RHC SHRED STACK

MASS GAINS

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DEFINITION

ANAFUSE

WILD THING

TRUE SHRED

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SEVEN DAYS TO A SIX-PACK following the nutrition guidelines we laid out in Part 1 of the RHC, your abs should be pretty sharp. But to give them the polish they need to look their best on the beach, follow the seven-day plan provided by Nate Miyaki, C.S.S.N., a trainer and nutrition coach to physique athletes. Begin it seven days out from the day you want to look your best and follow it to the letter. In this example, we’re assuming a Saturday party. It won’t make a dramatic difference unless you’re hovering below the 10% body-fat barrier. If you are, then this plan will tighten the skin around your abs to show them to their best effect. IF YOU’VE BEEN

SUNDAY TO WEDNESDAY

Eliminate all potential allergens in your diet, including gluten, dairy, and artificial sweeteners. You may not think you have food intolerances, but any that exist—no matter how mild— can negatively impact your ability to get as lean as possible by causing bloating and water retention. Otherwise, follow the diet that’s been working for you so far. If you hit a roadblock consuming 12 calories per pound of body weight, you might need to drop to 10. Allow two full days of rest before your event, so if Saturday is your unveiling, your last workout should be on Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY

For the best results, perform Day 2 three days out from your event. This upper-body workout will leave your trophy muscles primed to absorb glycogen in the form of carbs. After lifting, get 2 to 3 grams of carbs per pound of your body weight before you go to bed. If you train at night, eat half your carb total Wednesday and finish the other half Thursday. Otherwise, go back to your normal diet on Thursday. Note: This isn’t a cheat meal, so choose healthy carbs.

THURSDAY

If you feel you look small and flat on Thursday (after a carb feast on Wednesday), eat 25 to 50 more grams of carbs on this day. If you look soft and bloated, eat 25 to 50 grams fewer.

FRIDAY

Continue adjusting your carb intake based on how you look, and keep drinking your normal amount of water until late in the day. In the afternoon, drink smaller glasses or avoid water entirely after your last meal. Continue eating your normal amount of salt until 24 hours before you plan to present yourself. So if you’ve been salting your food this whole week, continue to do so but stop about a full day before party time. You don’t have to avoid salt outright; just don’t add any to what’s in your food naturally.

SATURDAY

On this morning, drink about half the water you usually do until you’re ready to pump up and party. Avoid all salt as well.

Shot on location at Muscle Underground Strength and Conditioning , Chatsworth, CA

RO C K H A R D C H A L L E NG E: PA RT 2

DAY 3

DAY 5

DAY 6

S T E A D Y- S TAT E C A R D I O

T O TA L- B O D Y C I R C U I T

S T E A D Y- S TAT E C A R D I O

Set an elliptical machine to a high incline, then do 60 to 75 minutes of steady-state cardio, pushing the intensity to at least 50% MHR.

DIRECTIONS: Perform all exercises marked with the same number as a superset or triset, performing them backto-back without rest, before moving on to the next cluster.

Set an elliptical machine to a high incline, then do 60 to 75 minutes of steady-state cardio, pushing the intensity to at least 50% MHR.

EXERCISE

DAY 4

SETS

REST

T O TA L- B O D Y C I R C U I T DIRECTIONS: Perform all exercises marked with the same number as a superset or triset, performing them backto-back without rest, before moving on to the next cluster. EXERCISE

REPS

SETS

REPS

REST

* **

***

*After the initial 10 reps, drop the weight,

* *Get your max heart rate (MHR) to 70%.

and then get 10 more. **Perform a dumbbell lateral raise, keep your elbows locked out, then rotate your arms straight in front of your body. Lower the weights and repeat. ***Walk for 1 minute, then run for 1 minute. If using a treadmill, walk at a pace of 3.5 mph, and run at a pace of 7.5 mph or more. Push your intensity to 85% of your MHR.

DAY 7 R E S T D AY NOTE: If you feel as if you still need to burn more fat, you can add 20 to 30 minutes of light steady-state cardio.

INCLINE BARBELL BENCH PRESS

Unrack a loaded barbell and lower it to your chest. Drive your heels into the floor and push your knees outward as you push the bar back up.

HEART-RATE CALCULATOR Throughout this workout, you’ll see cardio intensity expressed in terms of maximum heart rate (MHR) percentage. To estimate your MHR, use this simple formula: 220 MINUS YOUR AGE So, if you are a 25-year-old male, your MHR would be 195 beats per minute (220 – 25 = 195). On days when you need to reach 85% MHR, you’d multiply the 195 by 0.85, for a target heart rate of 166 for that cardio session.

///

DI L L ON DE PI A Z Z A

HE AIR FORCE

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

later out of a coma. I was told that I had fractured my T5 vertebrae, my spinal cord was severed, and I would never walk again. There was never a period of depression. But I was angry. Because I had been in the Air Force. I used to teach martial arts. I was such a capable man. The word that I use is emasculated. I felt like someone had cut my balls off, because in the hospital I was shitting and pissing on myself. They were turning me around as if I were a goddamn lab rat, cleaning me off and shooting me up with antibiotics and other meds. I was pissed off that I couldn’t do what

PHOTOS COU RT E SY OF DI L L ON DE PI A Z Z A

high school. I didn’t s a lifelong career, but I y liked it. I became a hysical training leader. As a 19-year-old airman first class, I was the youngest and lowestranked person in my squadron to train generals, lieutenants, and colonels. I did my four years and got out. I started going to Las Positas junior college in Livermore, CA. It was in the middle of my first semester, and I had just bought a motorcycle, a Yamaha FZ-09 naked streetfighter. Supersexy. It was Sept. 7, 2014, my day off from working construction, and I was taking a nice cruise on my

motorcycle. I came around this turn, on Calaveras Road in San Jose, and this woman driving a sedan hit me head-on. It put me under the car, and I guess the woman didn’t know where I was, so in her panic, she backed over me again. I tried to get up twice and my legs didn’t work, so I knew I was paralyzed. The cops came, there was a helicopter above me going “whoosh, whoosh.” I was hearing firefighters talk to me in slow motion. It was like something out of a movie. I put my head down, and it was so comfortable. I was like, “Is this what dying feels like?” I closed my eyes and that was it. I woke up a week

From far left: DePiazza in the Air Force; the accident that changed his life; DePiazza now, as a competitive bodybuilder.

I wanted to do anymore—hiking mountains, taking a jog, taking my rottweilers out, doing martial arts. There’s purity in all of that. I instantly knew I wanted to get back to the gym. Lifting weights was something I had done my entire life. It’s my thing. It’s my peace. I figure out problems there. So about a month after leaving the hospital, I was back at my old gym. I started going six days a week. It was rough at first. All the equipment in the gym is designed for people who walk. You’ve got to be a contortionist to use some of these machines. Do you know how many times I fell on my face?

I was also embarrassed. Because at the gym I go to, I had been the stud. Everyone knew who I was. When I walked, I would look so killer. This had been my home gym for 15 years, so I didn’t want them to see me. I began going to the gym right when it opened so I could transfer and fall and no one would see it. I started training a lot with a buddy. One day somebody on Instagram saw my pictures and said, “You should compete in the bodybuilding championships in Fresno.” So I said, “Boom, I’m there.” And I won the wheelchair division—less than a year after being injured. That was my first

taste for competition, and I took off from there. In March 2017 in West Palm Beach, FL, I took second at nationals. By May 2017, everything was good. I was finally on a sleeping routine and an eating routine. The pain was subsiding. The family life was good. I had a car—a really badass Subaru WRX with hand controls that I had made. Then one night, about 11 p.m., I was coming back from visiting with my buddies. I don’t drink alcohol or take painkillers, so I was completely sober. I was merging on the freeway in San Jose, and that’s the last thing I remember. I got clipped from M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

DI L L ON DE PI A Z Z A

behind by a driver, and it put me all the way in the median—five lanes away. I partially fractured my C2 vertebrae. I broke both of my femurs. I broke my right knee. I broke my left talus. And I was in a coma for a couple of days. After three weeks in the hospital, I go, “Send me home, man.” I had to wear this neck brace like the dude from Bleed for This. But the second they took that off after eight weeks, I was back in the gym. I was rolling around in a wheelchair, a big old purple cast on my leg, working out like a goddamn savage. Just incredible feats of strength. I’m not bragging. It’s just everybody can do this if they realized how powerful they were. So under a year after all that, I flew by myself to West Palm Beach, FL, and I won nationals. Oh, it’s crazy. I love thinking about this now. It felt fucking

DILLON DEPIAZZA BIRTH DATE: Dec. 28, 1991 HEIGHT: 5'11" WEIGHT: 165 lbs BIRTHPLACE: Antioch, CA RESIDENCE: Pleasanton, CA CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 2015 NPC Central California Championships, 1st; 2017 NPC Wheelchair Nationals, 2nd; 2018–19 NPC Wheelchair Nationals, 1st INSTAGRAM: dill_pickkle

I DON’T HAVE MY LEGS. I MISS MY FAVORITE THINGS, BUT I’M AT PEACE, AND I’M ABLE TO ENJOY MY LIFE STILL.

amazing, you know what I mean? The fruits of your labor come to bear. You have to understand that it’s a marathon, not a sprint. That sometimes it takes a whole year for one day of success. For me, it took four years to get this one day of success. People are so addicted to the now, not the how. Right now, I’m focused on 86

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winning the 2019 nationals, earning my pro card, and competing at the Olympia. Actually, I’m not focused. I’m laser-focused. This bitch is mine. I firmly believe it. It’s meant to be. I’m giving it all I’ve got, because this might be my last one for a little while. I’ll need a couple of surgeries. I’ve got a dislocated hip and other stuff

that I’m working through. I’ve got two rods and 12 screws running through the middle of my back, and my metal is coming loose. This is my year. I’m still going to school. I’ll graduate next year from junior college. Then I want to go to San Jose State. I’m hoping to get into the health and fitness side of things. I also train about 20

WALL BALL SHOT

SEATED CHEST PRESS

Assume a shoulder-width stance in front of a wall, holding a medicine ball at chest height. Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor and then explode up, tossing the ball at the apex of the squat. Catch the ball and descend back into a squat. That’s 1 rep.

HIGH-CABLE CURL Attach D-handles to the ends of two cable pulleys set to high. Get in the middle of the cable machine and grab a handle in each hand. Fully extend your arms out and then curl them in toward your head until you feel your biceps contract.

clients. I write diet plans, and I help people in the gym, when I’m not training for nationals. Ultimately, I think I want to get into occupational therapy, where I help new paraplegics— show them how to move, how to stretch, how to go to the gym. The thing that has always confused me is, I’ve never gone to a hospital that has a person in

a wheelchair showing people in wheelchairs how to move. It’s all people who can walk. So in my mind, that’s doing a real disservice. I believe there are things that need to be changed. I appreciate the fact that people draw inspiration from me. It does make me feel good, and I appreciate that people go out of their way to let me know

that I inspire them. It reminds me that everything that I’m doing isn’t all for naught. When people reach out to me on Instagram and say that I’ve inspired them, it actually lights a fire under my ass just as much as it does theirs. Am I happy now? I wouldn’t necessarily say happy. I don’t know how anyone could be M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

DI L L ON DE PI A Z Z A

happy with losing their legs. But what I am is at peace. I’m at peace with the life that I have to struggle through now. I don’t have my legs. I miss my favorite things, but I’m at peace, and I’m able to enjoy my life still. I’m able to laugh still. I’m able to smile still. I’m able to have good times. You know what? Let me rephrase that: I am happy. Will I ever be as happy as I was? I don’t think so. But am I happy? Yeah. Sometimes I sit here and I look at myself and I go, “Dude, what the fuck?” Because to be run over by a car in 2014, then hit by a car in 2017, to break my neck, my

I DON’T USE PAINKILLERS. I’M NOT GOING TO LET THIS INJURY BE TOUGHER THAN I AM, PLAIN AND SIMPLE. back, both legs, my knee, my ankle. I’ve still got my face and good looks. Those are the positives I try to take from it. But, man, the pain. I can’t put into words, because it’s not normal human pain. When I hit something, it goes right to my brain because my nerves are so messed up. So everything that hurts, it’s in my brain, if that makes sense. My knee doesn’t hurt. My knee hurts in my brain. So I’m constantly thinking about my pain because it’s always sending it straight to my head. All the pain I feel—it’s excruciating. 88

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But I don’t use painkillers. I’m not going to let this injury be tougher than I am, plain and simple. You watch the news every day—opioid addiction, death by fentanyl, it’s everywhere. Those are all the things

doctors want to prescribe me. This is going to sound spiritual and kooky, but I believe the words of Louis Zamperini. He’s the guy from Unbroken who went through all those prison camps. He said, “If I can take it,

BATTLE ROPE SLAM Grab the end of a battle rope in each hand and get into an athletic stance. Alternate your arms up and down to create waves with the ropes. DILLON-STRONG

DEPIAZZA’S UPPERBODY WORKOUT To build championship-caliber muscle, try the following routine, which DePiazza employs and adjusts to fit his own needs. EXERCISE

SETS

REPS

3 3 3

I can make it.” That rings true. Maybe when I’m 70 years old I’ll be opting for painkillers, but right now I can take what it did to me. Life is going to have to try a lot harder to put down this thoroughbred.

In March, DePiazza successfully defended his title by winning the complete paraplegic division at the 2019 NPC Wheelchair Nationals. Despite this achievement, he failed to earn his pro card. After the competition, DePiazza told his Instagram followers that he was “done wheelchair bodybuilding” but would continue to be an advocate for wheelchair fitness.

A FEW SIMPLE RULES Here are the training and nutrition principles that work for DePiazza.

THREE ON, ONE OFF DePiazza works out three days in a row, takes a day off, then repeats. Day 1 is chest, Day 2 is back, and Day 3 is arms and shoulders. He doesn’t hit his shoulders too hard, though, because when you’re pushing yourself in a wheelchair all day, you get plenty of delt work.

KEEP IT BRIEF DePiazza’s workouts last 45 minutes to an hour, max. He makes sure not to overtrain, either, focusing on the mind-muscle connection rather than hoisting a ton of weight. “I call it the longevity lift, because I want to lift for my whole life,” DePiazza says.

KEEP IT COMPACT DePiazza isn’t trying to get humongous. He just wants to build solid muscle and a symmetrical frame. “I like the lean granite look rather than the bigger

look,” he says. “I think it looks better on me. The muscle is very dense, and everything flows together pretty well.”

STICK TO MACHINES For the sake of simplicity and ease of use, DePiazza prefers machines to free weights. The Hammer Strength equipment is his favorite. “These machines are designed by engineers, so they hit your muscles perfectly,” he says.

EAT SUPERCLEAN When it comes to nutrition, DePiazza says he eats like an old-school bodybuilder. There are no chips and cookies in his meal plan. Instead, it’s a steady diet of grilled chicken with mustard, white rice, eggs, protein powder, almonds, walnuts, all-natural peanut butter, bananas, and apples. “Just straightup Neanderthal diet,” he says. “It’s what works.”

rdo a c i R e u niq o M , r a t s ini rld k o i b w d u n s t a i j . e r m u u i j o g i n m f a i d a l i n e z >bOanlcances life as a uBcrtaor, fitneCsH Is/ / /mP HoO TdO GeR Al,P HaS B Y I A N S P A N I E R r BY STEVE MAZZUC t s n n ow i , n o i champ

WORKS: ANTERIOR, LATERAL DELTOID

I DON’T MISS EATING DRY CHICKEN. I DON’T MISS THE TAN.

Jiu-Jitsu Federation) world champ, Ricardo is also an instructor at husband Eddie’s Cobra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Plano, TX, a Better Bodies ﬁtnessapparel model, and a devoted mother to two young sons, Max and Michael. Monday through Friday, she’s taking the kids to school, hitting the weights, picking the boys up, taking them to class, teaching BJJ, practicing it herself, cooking, and, because the whole family’s so active, doing multiple loads of laundry. Throw in photo shoots and competitions, and it’s a heckuva hustle. But with proper prep, routine, psychology, and recovery (see sidebar, next spread), Ricardo thrives. And ever since she got into BJJ 11 years ago, she’s been hooked. “I did some classes in 2008, and

Eddie was like, ‘You have some talent, the way you move. I can make you a world champion,’ ” she says. “And I thought, ‘This guy’s just trying to hit on me.’ It ended up working every way.” The sport has taken her and Eddie all over the world, where they’re an integral part of a like-minded community. That and continually striving for gold are what keep Ricardo coming back for more. “They say it’s like a human chess game,” Ricardo explains. “I love the adrenaline you get in the competitions, and it’s just a different feeling whenever you win.” She knows that feeling well— dominating even as female participation has grown dramatically over the past several years— and recently became the IBJJF’s top-ranked Master 1 black belt

female. The keys to her success? Hard work, persistence, and a champion’s mindset. “I visualize how I want a match to go, how I’m gonna step on the mat, how I want it to end,” she says. “So it’s like I’ve been there before, and my body just follows.” Of course, to stay on top, that body has also had to step away from ﬁgure and bikini competitions. Ricardo last hit the stage in 2014, but she still loves and follows bodybuilding, and not only because her sister Janet Layug—who won the 2019 Bikini International—is a top talent. “I don’t miss eating dry chicken. I don’t miss the tan,” she says. “I do miss being supershredded.” Then again, Ricardo hasn’t exactly let herself go. Her diet’s clean, packed with shakes, vegetables, and lean protein like egg whites, chicken, salmon, and

WO R KO U T

BOULDER SHOULDERS SETS

REPS

4 4 4 4 Ricardo burns out her shoulders with 25 minutes of sparring with gloves and mitts, focusing on a basic jab-jabcross-hook sequence. /

WORKS: LATERAL DELTOID

THEY SAY BJJ IS LIKE HUMAN CHESS.

FRONT RAISE

WORKS: ANTERIOR DELTOID

Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with a slight bend in your knees. Lift one up, arm extended, until your arm is parallel to the floor. Then slowly lower it and lift the other arm.

MOTHERING—AND MAINTAINING MUSCLE—WITH MONIQUE Be a better, healthier parent with Ricardo’s time-tested advice.

B R A Z I L I A N J I U -J I T S U O U T F I T : G I B Y H AYA B U S A ; S H I R T B Y N E W B A L A N C E . WO R KO U T O U T F I T: T O P BY B O DY L A N G UAG E ; B O T T O M S BY L N D R ; S H O E S BY N E W B A L A N C E

PREP AHEAD OF TIME “I don’t want to be on the road and have a situation where, ‘Oh, my kids are hungry, I’m gonna have to buy McDonald’s.’ So I have a lot of snacks in my car—carrot sticks and pita snacks for the kids and a thing of protein powder, so there’s no excuse to eat bad. And I always have extra workout clothes and extra clothes for the kids, just in case I’m not able to come home.”

STICK TO A SCHEDULE “My husband and I are very routine-ish, and our kids are on that routine. It makes things so much easier because they know what they’re doing at all times. Everything works smoothly, and the kids don’t know any different. It’s just what they do.”

EASE UP ON THE PRESSURE “We haven’t had our kids compete in BJJ yet, because we know they’re in it for the long run, and we don’t want them to get bored or tired of it. If you push too hard, it’s so easy for it to become something they have to do. We even play games with them, like, ‘We’re not going to take you today,’ and they get upset, and they’re like, ‘No, we want to go,’ because they have friends there, and they’ve built a family there.”

FIND TIME TO RECOVER “I take naps daily because of all the training I do, plus with kids and stuff, I have to rest my body. Just like 30 minutes—it’s not very long, but it’s very helpful. There are techniques to calm the mind enough to go to sleep fast, and then when you wake up, you feel revived.”

WORKS: TRICEPS

KETO DIET 96

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> Going keto can help you cut fat in the short term, science says,

so stock up on these 25 foods if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking to shed fat fast. BY COURTNE Y ANAYA

M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

RED MEAT AND POULTRY

Red meat and poultry contain zero carbohydrates and are loaded with B vitamins and minerals, including selenium, potassium, and zinc. A 3-ounce steak contains 26 grams of protein, and 3 ounces of a skinless chicken breast contains 28 grams of protein. Bonus: Red meat and poultry take on the ﬂavor of whatever they’re seasoned with. The following seasonings are keto-friendly: chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, and pepper.

O P E N E R A N D T H I S S P R E A D : G E T T Y I M AG E S

F YOU’VE BEEN LIVING UNDER A ROCK, here’s a primer on the keto diet: Our body traditionally uses glucose to fuel both our muscles and our brain. When you cut your carb intake to less than 5 to 10% of your total calories, the glucose deprivation forces your body to instead use fat as fuel in your workouts and forces your brain to release ketones, a backup brain food that has such effects as stopping epilepsy and enhancing mental clarity. So far, science has found that keto is a viable option for those looking to trim body fat and can also help improve your insulin resistance, reduce blood pressure, improve cholesterol levels, and maybe even offset type-2 diabetes. However, another study from The Lancet suggests that limiting your carb intake can shorten your lifespan, and a large study presented at the 2018 European Society of Cardiology Congress found that people on the lowest-carb diets were the most likely to die from cancer, cardiovascular disease, and all other causes. While the jury is still out on the long-term effects of the keto diet, it can help you shed fat quickly and is safe in the short term. Looking to go keto? Be sure to stock up on these 25 essential foods that are easy to always have in the house.

B E ST K E TO FO ODS

mackerel twice a week to create a leaner physique.

6 2

EGGS

Eggs are a nutritional powerhouse and can be used in any dish. There’s less than 1 gram of carbohydrates and about 6 grams of protein in one egg. The yolk is the most nutritious part—loaded with B vitamins and antioxidants.

CHEESE

One ounce of sharp cheddar cheese has less than 1 gram of carbs but contains 10 grams of total fat (5.5 grams of saturated fat). Since cheese is high in saturated fat, it’s important to note that eating too

much of it can do damage to fat-related blood levels.

AVOCADOS

Looking for a jolt of nutrition? Make an avocado part of a meal or snack, such as using it as a low-carb substitute for spreads. One cup of avocado packs just 12 grams of carbs, 21 grams of fat, and 3 grams of protein.

FISH

Fatty ﬁsh get the nod because they are high in omega-3 fats, which can lower blood fat levels, curb joint pain and stiffness, and help treat depression. So start piling your plate with salmon and

COCONUT OIL

Extra-virgin olive oil can move aside because coconut oil is the preferred choice for the keto diet. It’s made up of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are absorbed by the liver and converted into ketones. Ketones are used as a source of energy during the keto diet. It’s best to use coconut oil when cooking with low heat. This oil pairs well with seafood, baked goods, and Asian recipes.

NUTS

You can go nuts with nuts on the keto diet. Pecans, Brazil nuts, and macadamia nuts contain the lowest amount of carbs per serving, with 4 to 5 grams of carbs in each 3-ounce serving. When you need a quick ﬁx, nuts can provide you with the right amount of energy to help you continue powering through the day. M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

SEEDS

UNSWEETENED ALMOND MILK

LEAFY GREENS

Dark greens, like spinach and kale, can fuel the body with vitamin K, ﬁber, B vitamins, calcium, and lutein. The ﬁber found in leafy greens aids in weight loss and promotes digestion, while vitamin K increases cardiac output—letting you hit the gym more efficiently. One cup of kale contains 6 grams of carbs, and a cup of spinach has only 1 gram.

ﬁnd a keto-approved protein

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LOW-CARB BREAD

Yes, low-carb bread does exist. ThinSlim Foods produces low-carb foods, ranging from sliced bread to bagels. One bagel or one slice of bread from ThinSlim Foods has zero net carbs, so you can still enjoy a classic sandwich for lunch.

GREEK YOGURT Most yogurts are high up

G E T T Y I M AG E S

you hit up the supp store, keep an eye out for BPI Sports ISO-HD Protein Powder, Perfect Keto Collagen, and Optimum Nutrition Platinum HydroWhey. Perfect Keto Collagen is made of MCTs and collagen—feeding your hard-trained

B E ST K E TO FO ODS full-fat Greek yogurt is approved for keto. One cup of whole-milk Greek yogurt will feed your body with 22 grams of protein and just 7 grams of carbs.

RICED CAULIFLOWER

Continue to enjoy pizza and stir-fry by using cauliflower as the crust or rice. You can grate a head of cauliflower for rice or find it pregrated in the frozen section. One cup of riced cauliflower has only 5 grams of carbs.

BEEF JERKY

When you’re on the go and need to keep your protein up, grab beef jerky. One large piece of beef jerky packs 5 grams of total fat, 2 grams of carbs, and 7 grams of protein. Popular brands to look out for are Krave, Field Trip, and Jack Links.

COTTAGE CHEESE

If you’re looking to change up snacks or meals, try so cottage cheese. A half-cup of regu cottage cheese contains 4 grams of fat and 12 grams of protein. Enjoy cottage cheese by itself or add it to a salad or a fajita bowl.

MUSHROOMS

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

They’re supernutritious and can add a punch of ﬂavor to any meal. Pick up some shiitake mushrooms during your next shopping trip—they’re loaded with vitamin B12 and vitamin D, which will aid in energy production and muscle recovery.

Give brussels sprouts a second chance by roasting them, creating a warm, nutty ﬂavor. Just a cup of this underappreciated veggie

has 8 grams of carbs and 3 grams of protein.

BACON

For those on the keto diet, bacon is a treat and should be consumed only in moderation due to the high saturated fat content. When shopping around for bacon, make sure to avoid ones that are sweetened.

SPICES

Keto-friendly spices will add more ﬂavor to a dish without wreaking havoc on your carb proﬁle. Try your choice of basil, oreg h me, or cil

DELI LUNCH MEATS

SPAGHETTI SQUASH

Not only is it nutritious, but spiralized squash has 7 grams of carbs per cup. It’ll also take on the ﬂavor of whatever it’s cooked in, so keep it simple with coconut oil and a bit of salt and pepper.

COCONUT AMINOS

PROTEIN BARS

Containing 17 amino acids and an array of B vitamins, coconut aminos provide a sweet-salty ﬂavor. Use them as a salad dressing, dipping sauce, or marinade.

Low-carb protein bars do exist, and the options are not mited. You can still get your tein ﬁll when you’re craving ething sweet. Add these to your ping list: Perfect Keto Protein Quest Nutrition Protein Bars, -Crave Energy Bars, and Slim Protein Bars.

These six women are breaking new ground in typically maledominated fields and inspiring a new, diverse generation to follow their passions.

WOMEN OF ACTION

JESSICA EYE ufc female flyweight fighter

A string of losses nearly cost Jessica Eye her spot in the UFC, until a change in weight class and mindset revitalized her career and turned her into a force. LOSING THREE FIGHTS IN

M I K E R O A C H / Z U F FA , L L C / G E T T Y I M A G E S ; J O S H H E D G E S / Z U F FA , L L C / G E T T Y I M A G E S

a row is the unofficial Mendoza Line of the UFC. Only a few special fighters have been allowed to stay with the organization after four consecutive losses, so when UFC president Dana White called Jessica Eye the Monday after her fourth loss back in 2016, she expected the worst. “I was like, ‘You guys are going to cut me, aren’t you?’ He said, ‘No, but I want you to take some time off and get your mind right,’ ” Eye says. “My dad had died in July. I was dealing with a

lot. I thought I could push through that. But I wasn’t fully me on that fight day.” The UFC is filled with athletes who fight well, but White has a soft spot for those rare specimens who have combat coursing through their veins, the type of fighters who live to hear the gate of the Octagon click shut behind them. It would turn out to be a prescient move by the UFC. Eye took 2017 entirely off from fighting. She sorted through her father’s estate, entered grappling tournaments to shore up her boxing-centric

fighting style, and, most important, began to bring her weight down. In May of that same year, the UFC announced it would be adding a new 125-pound female flyweight division, which is right below Eye’s previous home in the 135-pound bantamweight division. Losing those 10 pounds would be a game changer for Eye. “During fight week I saw myself in the mirror, and I was like, ‘Who is this girl?’ ” she says. “I never had a six-pack like that in my life, and I’m in my 30s!” The results speak for themselves. Eye, who is bigger and stronger in her new weight class, went on a tear in 2018, winning three straight fights and setting herself up for a June 8 title shot against flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko, one of the most intimidating fighters—male or female—in the UFC today. Eye’s faith in herself, despite the deafening chorus of voices telling her to hang up the gloves, is epitomized in her line of “Eye Believe” T-shirts. “I feel like I’ve shown what it’s like to be a comeback kid,” says Eye. “I want to teach girls self-belief. I want to empower them. If I can give them a little more strength to succeed in life, then I have done my job in society.” —Mike Carlson

DURING FIGHT WEEK I SAW MYSELF IN THE MIRROR, AND I WAS LIKE, ‘WHO IS THIS GIRL?’ M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

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ELITE GOALS All Elite Wrestling is the new alternative in professional wrestling. For the longest time, there has been one force driving the professional wrestling industry, and the people behind All Elite really just wanted to provide an alternative for people looking for anything different. We tout that we have the best talent in the world and that wrestling is the main focus. ALL-INCLUSIVE We’ve partnered with a company called KultureCity, and they are focused on making all large-scale public events and arenas sensory-inclusive—to cater to people with autism, PTSD, high levels of anxiety, recent stroke victims, people who sometimes are bothered by things like loud noises, bright lights.

BRANDI RHODES chief brand officer, all elite wrestling

No longer just a ring announcer, Brandi Rhodes looks to push the boundaries in an industry in the midst of a women’s revolution. THE UPSTART PRO WRESTLING company All Elite Wrestling

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BRAND BUILDING For me, a lot of my journey is establishing partnerships, community outreach, a lot of marketing, and aligning our brand with like-minded people. I’m very proud of that opportunity, and hopefully we’ll set the bar as high as what they can expect from me going forward.

AB+DM STUDIO

(AEW) prepares to hold its first live event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 25. And the company’s chief brand officer, Brandi Rhodes, wife of executive VP Cody Rhodes, son of the legendary Dusty Rhodes, has made it a priority to champion diversity and inclusivity, especially when it comes to female talent. Here, she explains Elite’s—and her—mission. —Tina Benitez-Eves

WOMEN IN POWER Myself being in a high-level executive position, it should absolutely give hope to other females who are right now going through the wrestling industry and saying, “OK, what’s going to happen to me in 10 years or so?” Or, you know, “What happens if I get hurt and I can’t continue in this?” It’s just going to provide that much more opportunity for these women to continue to be in the industry that they’ve grown to love.

WOM E N B R E A K I NG G ROU N D

MIA KANG model and professional muay thai fighter

By learning to embrace her health and figure, model Mia Kang has become a voice against the industry’s traditional views on beauty. IN 2015, MODEL MIA K ANG (@missmiakang) was touring the

C OU RT E SY O F M I A K A NG

world, representing big brands like Guess. But at 5'10" and 95 pounds, the size 2 model was anorexic and on the verge of a mental breakdown. She decided that she had had enough and called it quits. Then she found Muay Thai boxing and gained appreciation for what it meant to be healthy. In 2017, Kang had her first fight and won with a third-round knockout. Now, at 180 pounds and wearing a size 8 to 10, Kang is back modeling and advocating for the industry to embrace a healthier, more realistic body image. In Kang’s own words, this is her story. —Andrew Gutman

I started modeling pretty young. I was 13 when I got scouted, and then I took my career full-time when I finished school. In 2015, my career peaked. Everything was amazing, but I was ridden with eating disorders. I ate only when I had to; I’d have a square of chocolate, or a couple of nuts, or a chunk of a protein bar. I got a phone call from a client telling me to go on nothing but liquids for 10 days. Unfortunately, that’s not a crazy request. I remember breaking down completely, and I was like, this is the last time I do this. And then I just went to Thailand. I was driving around and passed a local Muay Thai gym. I pulled over and went in to try it. I fell in love instantly, and I started training every day, twice a day. I ended up moving into the gym and staying there for nine months. It was during that process that I got healthy. I overcame all the things I was battling before. For the first time, I learned to respect my body. I came back to New York and decided that the industry needed to change and that I wanted to change it. In the beginning, it was a huge shock. I lost so many of my clients. I wasn’t booking any work. Everybody was telling me that I was either too big or too small—that I wasn’t a sample size and I wasn’t plus-size. The industry is promoting two extremes, and there’s no representation of the middle. That’s what I’m pioneering for, and I call that middle-size range “street size.” What’s my goal? I don’t want young women to go through what I went through. I want to change the standard of beauty to something that’s not just aspirational but attainable. M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

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WOM E N B R E A K I NG G ROU N D

C A N D AC E PA R K E R wnba all-star, nba analyst

The 2016 WNBA Finals MVP proves that talking hoops is no boy’s club. CANDACE PARKER G AVE

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was 11 years old, and until then I was out in my driveway pretending to be Michael Jordan and Chris Webber—all these players that didn’t look anything like me,” she remembers. “So, when I first turned on the television and saw somebody that looked like me, that’s when I really started dreaming about being a basketball player and professional athlete. I hope young girls—and even young guys—look at the television and see somebody like themselves and know they can do whatever they want to do.” —Mark Lelinwalla

T U R N E R S P ORTS

former NBA champion Steve Smith a shoulder shimmy in the post, before sinking a shot during a turnaround jumper demonstration on TNT’s Players Only—and, most impressively, she did it in high heels. “The producer didn’t tell me we were doing a demo,” Parker says

about her debut on the show last fall. The Los Angeles Sparks’ All-Star power forward/center has since switched to flats to make it easier to school Smith and the other NBA Hall-ofFamers and former All-Stars she shares the floor with as an analyst for the in-studio NBA show. Parker isn’t the first women’s basketball player to analyze the NBA on TV, but it’s no secret that these gigs have typically been held by men. Now Parker wants her work to help continue opening doors for women to get similar opportunities. “Basketball is basketball, and we should give opportunities to individuals who are deserving [regardless] of their gender or

A N D R E A H U DY assistant athletics director for sport performance, university of kansas

It’s rare for a woman to serve in the strength and conditioning world at a university—let alone for one of the country’s most successful men’s basketball teams.

C O U RT E S Y O F K A N S A S AT H L E T I C S C O M M U N I C AT I O N S

THE ONLY TRUE requirement

for Andrea Hudy’s gym is a willingness to work hard. As the assistant athletics director for sport performance at the University of Kansas, Hudy oversees strength and conditioning for most of the university’s sports teams, including the highly lauded men’s basketball program. “This gym is the one place that all athletes in the athletic department pass through,” says Hudy. “We have to have a culture that can bleed into all of the 14 different cultures of sports we have here. They have different personalities and different coaches, but we have to get along with everyone.” Hudy’s people skills have been indispensable as a female who has climbed to the top of a male-dominated industry. “I always go back to the Carnegie quote that 85% of

success is based on interpersonal skills and 15% on specific skills,” Hudy says. Under her leadership, KU has developed one of the most technologically advanced strength programs in the country. She’s partnered with Sparta Science and installed six force plates in the KU gym to help analyze and improve movements such as the vertical jump. She also utilizes Elite Form technology, a velocity-based tool that gauges bar speed (in a power hang clean, for example), watts produced, and several other metrics. Hudy, who programs individual workouts for each athlete, measures and records performance in the gym to track improvement over time, explaining that “putting those two pieces of tech together and the concepts we have learned from that has separated what we do from other programs.” —M.C.

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BALANCING ACT I started training when my youngest was 9 months old, and she’s 13 now. We turned our garage into a gym, because trying to get to the gym at night when you have small kids is just hard. I’d be cooking pasta on the stove, I’d be out there training, I’d do a couple sets, come back in, stir the pasta, go back out, do a set, come back in, serve their food. MOM STRENGTH I run a daycare for teachers. I watch other people’s kids from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. My children are in sports, so then I’ve got to do their sports with them, usually four nights a week. Then I go to the gym at 10 p.m. just so I can get my workout in. RAISING THE BAR It’s definitely hard being a woman in a male-dominated sport, trying to break those barriers and trying to prove that we work just as hard. I continue to set the bar higher and higher, so when people talk about strong women, they usually mention me, like, “I want to be like her, I’m inspired to be like her.” You know? Which is pretty cool, because you don’t realize how much of an impact you have on other people just through something like lifting, through something that I enjoy and I love, but I’m impacting so many other people’s lives. —Kelly Twardziak

CASEY WITHERS

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LOVE AT FIRST SHOW I did sports growing up, and I was a thrower in college. I have kids, and I just kind of hadn’t really worked out in years, and then [my husband] stumbled upon a strongman competition, and he competed in his first one, and I was watching him, like, “This is so cool!” The next show had a women’s division, so I went ahead and entered. I won my first show and I never looked back.

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EXTEND YOURSELF

> Jack up your arm size with these hard-hitting variations of skull crushers, overhead extensions, and kickbacks. ///

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OMMERCIAL GYMS MUST BURN

through rope and V-bar cable attachments, what with all the people relying primarily on pushdowns to work their triceps. Memo to all those experiencing pushdown fatigue (aka, boredom and plateaus): That’s not the only movement available for building up the horseshoe muscles, which dwarf

the biceps and make up roughly two-thirds of your upper-arm mass. Another family of triceps exercises demands your utmost attention: extensions, including skull crushers, overhead extensions, and even kickbacks. Hit your extensions hard, using any and all of the following six variations, and you’ll start burning through T-shirts with bigger tri’s.

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1 M OV E , 6 WAY S : E X T E N SIONS

BODY-WEIGHT SKULL CRUSHER

REVERSE-GRIP CABLE SKULL CRUSHER

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ONE-ARM CABLE OVERHEAD EXTENSION

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ONE-ARM CABLE KICKBACK

1 M OV E , 6 WAY S : E X T E N SIONS

MEDICINE BALL OVERHEAD EXTENSION THROW

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Shot on location at Muscle Underground Strength & Conditioning , Chatsworth, CA

DECLINE DUMBBELL SKULL CRUSHER

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you follow this two-part plan to the letter. BY DAVID SANDLER, C.S.C.S. /// PHOTOGRAPHS BY DUSTIN SNIPES

at s

r gram—whic okin’ cut”—and y mmer comes o a close

M AY

A B S I N FOU R W E E K S

Step 1: Fix Your Diet

Step 2: Train Like a Bodybuilder

No amount of ab training or cardio or fat-burning supplements will reveal your abs if you’re eating too much food or eating the wrong proportions of macronutrients. Start by multiplying your body weight in pounds by 12 to find the number of calories you should consume daily. You should take in 1 gram of protein per pound of your body weight, 1 gram of carbohydrates per pound, and 0.4 grams of fat per pound. Follow the guidelines in the Muscle & Fitness Food Pyramid (muscle andfitness.com/foodpyramid) for the particulars on setting up a fat-loss diet, including which foods to eat. It may be tempting to remove carbohydrates altogether, as much has been written about the effectiveness of low-carb diets. But cutting carbs too much and too soon can send your energy levels into the tank and can cost you the muscle you need to keep your metabolism burning bright. Use our food pyramid at muscleandfitness.com/pyramid to calculate your macros.

You’ve probably tried a CrossFit class and have been led to believe that your workouts must be “functional.” And you may have no interest in ever competing in a bodybuilding contest. (It’s the skimpy underwear, isn’t it?) But put these hang-ups aside for the next month, and understand that snatches and box jumps won’t give you the beach-ready physique you crave. Moves like the bench press and crunch aren’t flashy, but they will build muscle and give you the shape and definition that make the body impressive—in and out of a shirt. Focus on the basic lifts, body part by body part, and avoid the temptation to break WOD PRs for a bit. Concentrate on how you perform each rep, too. For maximum muscle gain, slow and steady wins the race. Using a full range of motion for 12 situp reps will produce deeper ab cuts than repping out 50 fast, sloppy ones. Take at least four seconds to perform each rep on your ab exercises. You’ll train abs directly three days per week, followed by interval cardio activity to burn excess fat.

The Fast-Abs Training Plan Perform each workout (Day 1 through Day 6) once per week. Rest on Day 7. Repeat for 4 weeks.

Day 1: EXERCISE

C SETS

REPS

REST (SEC.)

4 4 4

Day 2: Chest EXERCISE

SETS

REPS

4 Incline Dumbbell Flye

REST (SEC.)

WIDE-GRIP BARBELL BENCH PRESS

4 Machine Pec Flye

4 4

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M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

glutes engaged.

DECLINE WEIGHTED SITUP Set a 30 Ho weig c you sittin

A B S I N FOU R W E E K S

Day 3: Abs, Cardio EXERCISE

SETS

REPS

REST (SEC.)

Hold 60 sec.

Sprint 15–20 sec., walk 60–90 sec.

None

4 Decline Weighted Situp

4 4

RKC Plank

4 3

Sprint/Walk

Day 4: Back EXERCISE

SETS

REPS

REST (SEC.)

4 One-arm Dumbbell Row

4 4

Straight-arm Pulldown

BENT-KNEE HIP RAISE

4 4

Day 5: Abs, Cardio EXERCISE

SETS

REPS

REST (SEC.)

Sprint 15–20 sec., walk 60–90 sec.

None

4 Decline Weighted Situp

4 4

Medicine Ball Rotation Situp

4 3

Sprint/Walk

Day 6: Arms, Shoulders EXERCISE

RKC PLANK

SETS

REPS

REST (SEC.)

4 Skull Crusher

Set up as you would for a regular plank, but tighten your glutes and thighs and think about actively drawing your elbows and knees together. (But don’t move.)

4 4

Barbell Biceps Curl

4 4

Dumbbell Lateral Raise

4 4

ONE-ARM DUMBBELL ROW Use your knee and opposite arm for support. Draw your shoulder blade back and row the weight to your hip. Avoid twisting or using momentum to power the dumbbell up.

MEDICINE BALL ROTATION SITUP Hold the ball at arm’s length and raise your feet off the floor. Twist your torso to one side and then the other. That’s 1 rep.

V-UP Extend your legs and reach your arms overhead. Raise your torso off the floor and bring your legs up to meet your arms.

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A B S I N FOU R W E E K S

SKULL CRUSHER

DB REAR-DELT RAISE Keep your maintain a slight arch in your lower back. Raise the dumbbells out 90 degrees to your sides, squeezing your shoulder

PLANK PIKE Get into a plank position and then drive your hips to the sky. Keep your lower back as flat as possible. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll feel a stretch in your hamstrings.

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T H E M&F DE A DL I F T GU I DE

N THE GYM OR ON THE

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THE THREE KINGS When it comes to deadlifting, there’s more than one way to pull heavy weight off the floor. Here are the three best deadlift variations.

CONVENTIONAL DEADLIFT

Because it’s the industry standard for measuring brute strength and power. “It’s the king of lifts,” says Ollie Quinn, a strongman competitor, a former Royal Marine, and the owner of BattleBells personal training in Austin, TX. “No other deadlift variation screams static strength and athleticism like this one.” EXECUTION: Stand in front of a loaded barbell resting on the floor in front of you, feet hip-width apart. Keeping your back flat and head up, bend your knees and hips to grasp the bar with a shoulderwidth grip. This is your start position. Stand up with the bar in one explosive motion by extending your knees and driving your hips forward. FORM TIP: “Fill your belly with air to brace your abs,” Quinn says. “Hinge your upper body, keep a neutral spine, and squeeze the bar—imagine bending it into a horseshoe shape, using your lats, before you pull.”

your glutes and quads are weak in your conventional pull, switching to sumos for a while will build strength in those muscle groups. EXECUTION: With your feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointed out, sink your butt down and grab the bar with your hands just on the inside of your thighs. (You can use a closer grip, as shown on the opening spread, if it’s more comfortable.) Start with your butt down, torso as upright as possible, and core tight. Deadlift the bar off the floor, keeping your back flat and knees pointed outward the entire time. When your hips and knees reach full extension, lower the bar back down. FORM TIP: “Keep as much of your body behind the bar as possible,” says Quinn. “Think about pushing the floor apart hard with your feet to lift the bar off the floor. When you get the bar moving, keep your knees out and finish by driving your hips into the bar.”

SUMO DEADLIFT

TRAP-BAR DEADLIFT

WHY DO IT:

For starters, the wide stance creates a shorter range of motion, which can help relieve lower-back pain. Also, if WHY DO IT:

According to Quinn, trap-bar deadlifts are great for three reasons: 1) They help immobile lifters get into WHY DO IT:

OPE N E R: E D GA R A RT IGA

platform, the deadlift is the great equalizer among competitive lifters and gym rats alike. There’s nothing more telling of a person’s raw strength than whether he can load up a steel barbell with heavy weight and rip it up off the floor. You can’t cheat the deadlift—it either goes up, or it doesn’t. It’s also good for you. Pulling weight from the floor is about as basic (read: necessary) of a movement that exists. Anytime you pick up your kid or bend over to retrieve a fallen wallet, you’re technically doing a deadlift, so strengthening and reinforcing this movement pattern will only benefit you as you get older. From a gym standpoint, deadlifts engage your entire posterior chain—that is, your hamstrings, glutes, and every muscle in your back—along with your core, shoulders, and arms. So if you want to get bigger and stronger...deadlift. It’ll also test your grit. And this year’s Arnold Strongman Classic winner, Hafþór Björnsson, knows all about that. Last year, Björnsson, aka Game of Thrones’ “the Mountain,” set a record on the Rogue Elephant Bar—a longer, unstable bar that moves as you pull it—by lifting 1,041 pounds. Then, at this year’s Arnold, Björnsson put four more pounds onto his already otherworldly total. Four pounds may not seem like a lot, but when you’re pulling more than a halfton of weight, every ounce counts. In the spirit of strong men lifting big weight, we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide to help you become a better deadlifter. We can’t promise you’ll be pulling weight like Björnsson (in fact, we can almost guarantee you won’t), but follow the advice and you’ll be setting new PRs in no time.

TRAP-BAR DEADLIFT

C L O C KW I S E F ROM R IG H T: E D GA R A RT IGA; PE R B E R NA L; E D GA R A RT IGA

SUMO DEADLIFT

the proper starting position; 2) a better starting position is more spine-friendly, making it safer; and 3) the optimal starting position and neutral grip usually mean you can lift more weight. And more weight means more strength gained over time. EXECUTION: Stand in the middle of a trap bar, feet hip-width apart. Grab the handles and drop your hips. Your hands should be in line with your heels, allowing your torso to be more upright. Shift your weight back to your heels and then pull. Reach full hip and knee extension at the top. FORM TIP: “It’s OK to

CONVENTIONAL DEADLIFT

get a little squatty with the trap-bar deadlift— meaning, it’s fine to let your knees come forward and hips drop

down low,” Quinn says. “This lets you take full advantage of your quad muscles to start the pull. Also,

when you grab the handles, keep your middle fingers in line with the center of your foot.”

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T H E M&F DE A DL I F T GU I DE

SHATTER STICKING POINTS

DEFICIT DEADLIFT

A lot of lifters can get stuck at different points of th deadlifts—mainly at the bottom or midway throu or they have trouble locking them out. Luckily are exercises you can use to strengthen differ of your deads. Here are our favorites for each

YOU GET STUCK...

AT THE START

Perform your deadlifts standing on a 45-pound plate (or two). This extends your range of motion, which will help make you stronger in your standard ROM. OVERLOAD DEADLIFT: Load up a barbell with 150% of your one-rep max, set up, and pull on it as hard as you can. The bar won’t budge, but this will engage all your deadlifting muscle and allow you to tug harder than you would with lighter weight. BANDED DEADLIFT: Set up a heavy dumbbell about a foot in front of and in back of both sides of a barbell loaded with about 60% of your 1RM. Loop a band around one dumbbell and then stretch it over the inside of the barbell, in front of the plate sleeve, and then loop it around the other dumbbell. Repeat on the other side. Then perform standard deadlifts. This will make the band harder to pull off the floor but easier to lock out.

all the way back down. This increases your body’s time under tension, strengthening all the key deadlift players in the process. ISO PIN PULL: Load a barbell with light weight (either 95 or 135 pounds) using fullsize plates. Set the safety pins of a power rack to knee height. Deadlift the bar into the pins, pulling as hard as possible. Hold for five seconds. Slowly lower it back down. Pulling a light bar as hard as you can into the rack places your body under immense tension. The result is an ability to pull harder for longer. This is a favorite move among strength athletes to improve the midpoint of the deadlift.

HALFWAY THROUGH

AT THE TOP

DEFICIT DEADLIFT:

130

ONE-AND-A-HALF DEADLIFT:

DEADLIFT WITH CHAINS:

Perform a standard deadlift, but as you lower the bar, stop at midshin level and pull back up. Then lower the bar

Drape chains over a loaded barbell, either in the middle of the bar or inside of the plate sleeve. As the bar

M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / M AY 2 0 1 9

DEADLIFT WITH CHAINS

PERFECT YOUR PULL Follow these five rules for a more masterful deadlift.

GET YOUR 1OVER SHOULDERS THE BAR

OVER2 DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T EXTEND

Having your shoulders over the bar will help ensure that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re moving the bar through the most efficient path of motion, as opposed to wasting energy compensating when it drifts too far forward.

Leaning too far back at the top of a deadlift is inefficient, as it forces your knees to flex, which takes tension off your glutes and hamstrings. It can also put your spine at risk of hyperextending, potentially leading to injury.

YOUR 3 FLEX TRICEPS

ONE-AND-A-HALF DEADLIFT

C L O C K W I S E F RO M R I G H T: JA S O N B R E E Z E /C O U RT E S Y O F M H P ; M I C H A E L DA RT E R ; C H R I S N I C O L L ; P E R B E R NA L

Deadlifts place a lot of pressure on your biceps, which can put you at risk of a tear. Flexing your triceps is a great cue to guarantee that your arms are fully extended, which will aid in sparing your biceps from potential injury.

raises with the chains, the load will increase at the top of the deadlift, having you handle more weight than normal at the lockout point. RACK PULL: Rest a barbell across the safety pins of a power rack set right below the knee. Load it up with about 25 to 50% more weight than you could normally lift. This eliminates the pull from the floor, reducing your ROM and allowing you to lift from knee height to lockout with heavier weight.

2 3 4

REVERSE BAND DEADLIFT:

Loop a band around the top of both sides of a power rack, then loop the other ends around the inside of a barbell, inside of the plate sleeve. Load the bar with about 125% of your one-rep max and do standard deadlifts. The bands will be most tense when the bar is on the floor, making the lift easiest off the floor and hardest at lockout.

4 CONTROL THE WEIGHT

It may feel primal to slam the weight on the ground after hitting a huge PR, but studies show that slowly lowering the weight increases muscle protein synthesis compared with a quick drop. So lower the weight with control.

THE 5 WEAR RIGHT SHOES

The soft sole of a running shoe absorbs weight and compresses, which reduces your ability to produce power through your heels. If your gym allows, try deadlifting in socks. If not, try a shoe with a flat sole, like Chuck Taylors or Vans. M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

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T H E M&F DE A DL I F T GU I DE

HOW TO SET A PR These tips will help you hit a new personal record in the gym. away at the above program for weeks, and now you want to test your strength. Follow these guidelines from Brandon Smitley, C.S.C.S., a worldrecord-holding powerlifter at 132 pounds and owner of Terre Haute Intensity Resistance and Sports Training (THIRST) in Terre Haute, IN. YOU’VE BEEN GRINDING

GO IN FRESH

Four to five days before your PR attempt, Smitley recommends that you limit your workouts to 40 minutes, avoid barbell lifts, and stay in the 15-to-25-rep range.

CARB THE HELL UP

The day before, Smitley recommends taking in 3 grams of carbs for every pound of body weight. “You’d much rather overeat than undereat, because that will definitely affect the way you’re going to perform,” he says.

WARM UP PROPERLY

Take big jumps during warmups until the weight is 50% of your PR. After that, do singles and add only 10% more each set. “You don’t want to be fatigued, but you want to prime your nervous system before you go heavier,” Smitley says. Hit a single at 90%, and if that moves well, go up to 95 to 97%. Then attempt your PR. “A 3% jump isn’t going to feel superheavy.”

RAISE THE BAR Use this four-week deadlift progression from Jon-Erik Kawamoto, C.S.C.S, owner of JKConditioning in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada (jkconditioning.com), to continually add weight to your deadlift. DIRECTIONS: Follow this program for 4 weeks.

Then add 5 pounds to your deadlift sets and repeat the 4-week cycle. This program can be repeated for a few cycles until progress stalls. The focus here is on upping your deadlift, but feel free to add 1 to 2 upper-body days or perform a couple of upper-body moves after your main workout is done.

HAMSTRING CURL

Lie down on a hamstring curl machine and secure the pads right above your ankles. Curl the pad until itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s at your butt.

DAY 1 EXERCISE

GLUTE-HAM RAISE

SETS

REPS

4 *For Week 1, do 5x5 with 80% of your

one-rep max (1RM); for Week 2, do 5x3 with 85% of your 1RM; for Week 3, do 6x2 with 90% of your 1RM. Week 4 is a deload that has you perform 3x5 with 65% of your 1RM.

Lie back against a bench with a loaded barbell in your lap. Brace your abs and drive your heels into the floor to raise your hips up; hold the position. Lower your butt down to begin your reps.

BACK SQUAT

DAY 2

Place a loaded barbell across your traps and squat down until the bottoms of your thighs are parallel to the floor. Now drive back up.

EXERCISE

SETS

REPS

3 5

BACK SQUAT

4 4

*Use 60% of your 1RM and pause the bar F RO M L E F T: P E R B E R NA L ; S T E V E B OY L E ; SA M RO B L E S L ; P E R B E R NA L

BARBELL HIP THRUST

below your knee for 1 to 2 seconds right below the knees.

DAY 3 EXERCISE

SETS

REPS

ROMANIAN DEADLIFT

4 5

*Stand on two standard 45-pound plates

or one 45-pound bumper plate. For these, use 70% of your 1RM.

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ASK SUNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S OUT... 134

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PER BERNAL

Prep for the shirtless season with expert advice on swelling beach muscles, shredding bellies, and generally looking your best.

I hit my triceps hard twice a week, with lots of compound movements, but they’re not growing or getting a lot stronger. Any ideas?

Compound exercises are great for building muscle and strength, but double-check that your form is perfect by keeping your elbows tucked into your sides. Also, do an equal number of triceps exercises—such as close-grip bench presses, dips, and skull crushers—focusing on squeez-

lean out on a budget. Any natural thermogenics that can help?

ing out at the top of each contraction, without locking out your arms.

On my upcoming vacation,

VINCE SANT is a certified trainer and co-founder of the popular vshred.com fitness platform. Instagram: @vshred.

not be so pale that I make doves jealous. In 2019, are tanning beds safe?

Good ol’ caffeinated coffee and green tea— the OG thermogenics— are excellent choices. Caffeine increases heart rate and body temperature, working simil l t t l t

)

Tanning beds exude ultraviolet light similar to the sun but often more concentrated. Ultraviolet light is ionizing radiation, meaning it can induce DNA mutation in skin cells, which can lead to skin cancers such as melanoma. It can also prematurely age the skin and cause pigmentary issues such as sun spots and melasma (brown patches). Suffice it to say, you’re better off with selftanning products or sprays.

GET

DERMATOLOGIST SUSAN BARD, M.D., is the president of Walsh Nutrition in West Palm Beach, FL. Instagram: @cannolis andcarrots.

practices at Vive Dermatology in NYC. Instagram: @thedermdiva.

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A S K

everything for my bench press— Wendler’s 5/3/1, undulating periodization, high reps, low reps—and nothing is working! What’s a plan I can use to finally blow past 225?

lats. The fur obscuring them, not so much. What’s the best way to get rid of unwanted body hair? How do the pros do it?

First, master your form. Grip the bar in line with wrists and elbows and just beyond shoulder width. Squeeze shoulder blades together and lift chest to bar, arching upper back and maximizing leg drive. Second, don’t program hop. Third, favor compound lifts over isolation movements. Finally, try benching and overhead pressing three times a week.

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DERMATOLOGIST SUSAN BARD, M.D., practices at Vive Dermatology in NYC. Instagram: @thedermdiva.

JON-ERIK KAWAMOTO, C.S.C.S., is a strength and conditioning specialist and owner of JK Conditioning. Instagram: @jkconditioning.

P E R B E R NA L ; G E T T Y I M AG E S

The best way to permanently remove body hair is with laser hair removal. Another good permanent solution for white, blond, or red hair is electrolysis. For short-term removal, shaving is quick, cheap, and easy but can lead to folliculitis (inflammation), so make sure to use a clean, sharp razor. Waxing works, but it can cause ingrown hairs—and cursing like Steve Carell in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, of course.

T H E U LT I M AT E A U T H O R I T Y I N B O D Y B U I L D I N G !

M AY 2 0 19

DEPARTMENTS

BACK TO BASICS FLEX 101 MY FAVORITE WORKOUT 1 5 6 ASKED AND ANSWERED 1 5 8 5 TIPS 1 6 0 ON THE RISE 1 6 2 ANATOMY OF AN EXERCISE 1 6 4 NPC REPORT 1 9 6 ASK THE EXPERTS 2 0 0 IFBB PRO LEAGUE INSIDER

14 8 152 154

FEATURES 142

BEST OLYMPIA ARMS Ranking the top 10 at the O.

166

SPREADING THEIR WINGS

How Wings of Strength supports womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bodybuilding. 168

SHADOW STRENGTH Tips from Dorian Yates.

176

CARVE A CLASSIC CHEST

Build a Golden Era chest. 182

SUPERSET FOR SUPER SIZE

Get big in less time. PER BERNAL

190

FIX THESE DIET MISTAKES

The rules to eating right.

MR. O PHIL HEATH

BEST ARMS EVER?

10 in Mr. Olympia History

A defined triceps that flows into the shoulder is a key part of well-developed arms. 142

MUSCLE & FITNESS

M AY 2 0 1 9

F F C L O C K W I S E F RO M L E F T: C O U RT E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H & F I T N E S S ; C H R I S L U N D ; C O U RT E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H & F I T N E S S

FEW BODY PARTS garner the attention and admiration of bodybuilding fans like an enormous, hulking set of arms. And while there have been some enormous biceps and triceps over the years, bodybuilding Hall of Famer and analyst Shawn Ray gave us his rundown of the 10 best sets of arms to ever grace the Olympia stage.

Larry Scott (left) and Lee Priest (right) were known for their arms in different eras.

VINCE TAYLOR

Vince Taylor earned his pro card in 1988 and went on to hold a spot in the Guinness World Records for the bodybuilder with the most IFBB Pro wins (22), including ﬁve Masters Olympia victories, until he was surpassed by Ronnie Coleman (who earned 26). Taylor, who was known as “the Quiet Storm,” had perfectly balanced arms to thank in part for his success.

LARRY SCOTT

Guys in the ’60s had to look no further than Larry Scott when trying to imagine their ideal physique. He was the total package of size and symmetry in those early days, but it was his arms that played an integral role in his becoming a two-time Mr. Olympia (1965–66). To this day, his biceps workouts are a solid blueprint for anyone looking to get stage-worthy arms of their own.

LEE PRIEST

The majority of Lee Priest’s photo shoots during the ’90s and ’00s focused on his freakish bi’s and tri’s, inspiring plenty of people to start building their own pair of sleeve-busters. Despite standing at only a mere 5'5", he possessed a physique that could outshine his taller competition. And it'd be remiss of us to talk about his arms without mentioning those freaky forearms. M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

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Mike Matarazzo didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the most aesthetic body, but for sure the biggest.

Left: Three-time Mr. O Sergio Oliva. Right: Albert Beckles. 144

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MIKE MATARAZZO

While not the most genetically gifted, Mike Matarazzo brought the “freak factor” to the Mr. Olympia stage with the sheer size of his arms. Though he never placed in the Olympia top ﬁve, for fans of the sport in the ’90s, it’s hard to forget that physique.

SERGIO OLIVA

C L O C K W I S E F RO M L OW E R L E F T: C O U RT E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H & F I T N E S S ; C H R I S L U N D ; P E R B E R N A L ; C H R I S L U N D/C O U RT E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H & F I T N E S S

Three-time Mr. Olympia legend Sergio Oliva had proportions that were on a different level compared with his contemporaries. His biceps, in particular, looked much larger than the tape measurers even suggested. While he lacked the “peak” or detail of some of the others on this list, he had a level of mass that people hadn’t seen before—and that separated him from the pack.

ALBERT BECKLES

Although Albert Beckles never held the coveted Mr. Olympia title, he competed in more than 100 shows throughout his career, and his arms can be credited for a slew of victories spanning four decades. More impressive than those bulging biceps is the fact that Beckles took second place at the 1985 Mr. Olympia—at the age of 55.

PHIL HEATH

Phil Heath’s level of completeness and symmetry in his bi’s and tri’s separates him from most of the others on this list. Those powerfully built, perfectly balanced arms helped him earn seven consecutive Mr. Olympia titles, tying him with Arnold Schwarzenegger in his number of Sandows.

Heath has got it all in the arm department— peaked bi’s and thick tri’s.

OLYMPIA ARMS

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ROBBY ROBINSON

RONNIE COLEMAN

Robby Robinson, otherwise known as “the Black Prince,” rose to fame for his impressive front double biceps pose. The overall girth of his arms was something that people could only guess at, as Robinson had a unique way of hitting poses that made his arms seem to grow in front of your eyes. In his prime, Robinson had a physique that could drop your jaw—and he still looks impressive in his 70s.

Ronnie Coleman is tied for the most Olympia wins with eight.

Eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman was all about the mass—and that went double for his arms. Weighing in at a whopping 287 pounds, Coleman had a victory pose that put his enormous peaks on full display. When he hit a front double biceps pose, it was simply lights-out for anyone standing next to him.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER

Seven-time Mr. O Arnold Schwarzenegger possessed huge, billowing, mountainous biceps peaks that separated him from everyone else, and his most memorable poses put his famous guns on full display. While his arms could be considered a tad “too heavy” in the biceps department, they were so superior that not many people cared whether he had equally developed triceps.

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Even by today’s standards, Arnold’s arms are considered to be massive.

C L O C K W I S E F R O M R I G H T : Z E L L E R / Â© F I T N E S S P U B L I C AT I O N S I N C . / C O U RT E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H & F I T N E S S ; C H R I S L U N D ; C R A I G D I E T Z /C O U RT E S Y O F W E I D E R H E A LT H & F I T N E S S

NEW

THE BEST GRIP

IN THE WORLD

VERSAGRIPPS.com

FLEX

Using a cable for this exercise keeps tension on your muscle throughout the entire move.

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BY M&F EDITORS

Take Your Triceps to (Old) School Combine old-school body-weight moves with a couple of proven triceps blasters for a bigger set of pipes.

BUILDING BIGGER TRICEPS is one of those do-it-yourself projects you can do anywhere. Bang out some diamond pushups in your living room and a few sets of dips on your kitchen countertop and boom—your triceps are fried. We love physique enhancers that can be done in a studio apartment, but we’re suckers for weight rooms, too. So what we’ve done here is take that at-home routine to the gym to spruce it up with some barbell and cable work for added triceps isolation. This workout is bookended with the aforementioned DIY moves (replacing the granite countertop with actual dip bars), sandwiching lying EZ-bar extensions and cable

overhead extensions in between. We've also built in some intensity techniques—like rest-pause sets and sets to failure—into your triceps training to tax more muscle fibers. What you’re left with is a nice blend of bodyweight and machine training, multijoint mass builders, and single-joint detailers. Know what else you’re left with? A beefier pair of tri’s you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home, or anywhere else you care to flex.

THE WORKOUT

BACK TO BASICS: BUILD BEEFIER TRICEPS EX E R C IS E

SETS

R E PS

Cable Overhead Extension Keep your torso stationary throughout the movement to support triceps isolation. Point your elbows out to the sides and ﬂex your triceps at the end.

3 2 ** *On the ﬁrst 2 sets, stop short of failure (SF); on the last 2 sets, go to failure (F) on each. **Failure + rest-pause (RP). Fail, rest 15 seconds, rep out. M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

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For these skull crushers, go as heavy as you can for 10 to 12 reps, with minimal ďŹ&#x201A;aring out of the elbows (though slight elbow ďŹ&#x201A;are on the last 2 to 3 reps is allowable). Bring the bar lightly down to your forehead and push up. 150

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O P E N E R : P E R B E R N A L . T H I S P A G E : P AV E L Y T H J A L L

Lying EZ-bar Extension

FLEX

Dip Keep your torso vertical with the ﬂoor (upright) throughout the set and lock out the elbows at the top of each rep.

Triceps Pushup

JOSEPH COTTRELL; PER BERNAL

Keep your elbows tight to your sides as you lower yourself to activate the tri’s more than the pecs. Use a closer hand position if your shoulders are healthy.

M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

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101

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New Curl Order

Building a set of shirt-busting bi's takes curls—and lots of them.

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Rope cable hammer curl Narrow-grip cable curl Hammer curl Incline dumbbell curl Narrow-grip barbell curl EZ-bar curl Concentration curl

heads (bi = two, ceps = heads), so to thoroughly train the biceps, you should target both of the heads in every workout. Incorporating a combination of exercises from the lists below will have you busting sleeves and turning heads in no time. One word of caution about training biceps: Straight bars are notorious for causing forearm splints (that is, similar to shin splints). These are painful, can last for weeks, and will severely hamper your arm training. Dumbbells are your safest option, but if you choose to use a bar for curls, opt for an EZ-curl bar, since they're joint-friendly.

Bend torso over so it's 90 degrees to floor, with a dumbbell in one hand. Curl it to your head.

Barbell curl Dumbbell curl Seated barbell curl Alternating dumbbell curl Cable curl Cable single-arm curl Preacher curl Scott curl High-cable curl Machine curl

WHEN SOMEBODY ASKS you to make a muscle, you don’t roll up your pant leg and flex your calf, or hit a side chest pose—you flex your biceps. They’re the first body part people think of and, whether you’re a pro bodybuilder or a gym newbie, the muscle that folks love to train the most. Unlike every other body part (with the exception of calves), biceps can be built with only one movement: curls. There are, however, a number of variations of the curl, each of which offers a unique type of resistance to develop the bi's in different ways. The biceps muscle has two

BY M&F EDITORS

PRO TIPS RONNIE COLEMAN: “I’m an avid proponent of performing preacher curls with a cambered bar, because it reduces the stress on the wrists and biceps tendons, and it also brings the brachialis partly into play.” ROBBY ROBINSON: “To up the intensity, I’ll do my concentration curls with

a barbell, taking a close grip and leaning over so my torso is parallel to the ﬂoor. At the top of the movement, I’ll hold the weight for several seconds, ﬂexing and cramping my biceps. It’s hard and painful work, but it builds density in the muscle.” SERGIO OLIVA: “The best biceps results I’ve experienced are from standing barbell curls, barbell preacher curls, and dumbbell

concentration curls. These are not the only exercises in my routines, but they’re in almost every workout because I love the feeling they produce of blowing my arms so big and tight that they hurt.” LARRY SCOTT: “The key to getting the most out of your biceps workout is isolation. By isolating the biceps and using strict form, you force them to accept the total workload.”

ARMS LIKE ARNIE’S Seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger topped our best-arms list on page 142. Here are the moves he used to curl his way to legendary biceps.

BARBELL CHEAT CURL “Choose a weight that is too heavy to curl with strict form, but not so heavy that you have to rely solely on body English to get the weight up,” Schwarzenegger says. “The idea is to get the barbell past your sticking points and let your muscles get stressed at the points where they would normally ﬁnd the exercise easy.”

INCLINE DUMBBELL CURL “Dumbbell curls performed on a bench set at 45 degrees are great for biceps growth. You feel tension throughout the entire range of motion when doing incline dumbbell curls,” Schwarzenegger says. “When you get to the top of the movement, really squeeze your biceps and hold for a second.”

TRAINING

CONCENTRATION CURL “If you’ve seen the ﬁlm Pumping Iron, then you’ve seen this exercise,” Schwarzenegger quips. “I stand and brace myself with one hand on a bench and the working hand holding the weight hanging free. For me, that’s the optimal way to perform concentration curls. I can fully contract my biceps at the top, which is the goal of this exercise.”

EX E R C IS E

SE TS

R EPS

5 5 5

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MY FAVORITE WORKOUT

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BY MICHAEL BERG

Mr. Pectacular Rack up the gains with 2017 Ferrigno Legacy Men’s Physique champ Stan Morrison’s chest-expanding workout.

THE RACK KING. It may not be the most obvious nickname at ﬁrst blush, but it makes plenty of sense once IFBB Professional League men’s physique competitor Stan Morrison explains it. “People on Instagram [@feddy moe] have started saying my chest development looks like a rack or a shelf you can put things on,” says the 29-year-old native Texan. “I’ve been getting tagged by people with, like, water bottles balanced on the top of their chests, guys trying to build their own pecs, and they’ve all been calling me ‘Rack King.’ ” The following chest workout of his dials up a mix of exercises, intensity, and tempos. Give it a go, and you might just end up with a handy place to stash your training journal after you’re done.

APPROACH THE BENCH After a thorough stretchingfocused warmup, Morrison jumps right into his working weight on his ﬁrst superset, going with about 75% of his onerep max on Hammer Strength incline presses, followed by 60% of his max for the barbell bench. “I start with a machine because I like that it provides resistance through the full range of motion, and I can ﬁre up the full pec muscle,” he says. Morrison chooses weights that cause him to fail within his target rep range. So, for example, on 154

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the selectorized machine chest presses, he’ll pick a resistance that leaves him gassed by the 15th rep. “If I fall short of 12 to 15 reps, I’ll back off the weight on the next set, and if I can keep going beyond 15, the weight was too light, and I’ll bump it up for the following set,” he says.

NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT When it’s time to really thrash his chest, Morrison brings out the negatives and rest-pause sets. “I’ll do negatives for any exercise when I have a partner,” he says. “They’re really good with dumbbell presses in this workout. Instead of ending the set with negatives, I’ll start with them. I do as many as I can, taking three to four seconds to lower the weight—say I get five, then I’ll drop the weight as needed so I can do five full reps on my own to finish the full set of 10.”

TRAINING

MORRISON’S CHEST WORKOUT EX E R C IS E

S ETS

R E PS

3 4

4 3

PER BERNAL

RIGHT ON TARGET

Changing up the tempo and intensity is key for Morrison.

ASKED AND ANSWERED

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BY MICHAEL BERG

Did your running background give you any advantages in ﬁgure? Running created good habits and a physical ﬁtness base. Sprints and jumps helped me develop my back, hamstrings, and quads, and the distance races I did after my collegiate career really helped develop the mental toughness that gets me through each contest prep.

NADIA WYATT Birth Date: July 21, 1990 Height: 5'1"

Weight: 112 lbs

Residence: St. Louis, MO

Instagram: @ifbb_figure_pro_dia

Race to the Top How 2019 Figure International runner-up Nadia Wyatt moved through the upper echelon of the pro ﬁgure ranks.

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How did you handle the high expectations people put on you going into the 2019 Arnold? Not many people had me on their radar going into the 2018 Olympia, so after that, I knew I had to show everyone that it wasn’t a fluke. I definitely felt the pressure, and that just fueled my motivation and drive leading up to the 2019 Arnold. I liked knowing that people were watching, because it pushed me to be consistent, to get better, and to be my absolute best. Now I’m most focused on establishing myself as a top IFBB figure pro, so my future goals for sure are to be the Figure Olympia and Fitness International champion.

CHRIS NICOLL

NADIA WYATT ENTERED HER FIRST NPC ﬁgure contest in May 2014 and earned her IFBB Professional League card by November of that same year at the NPC Nationals. Since then, the 28-year-old Missouri native has shined in the pro ranks, most recently taking second at the 2019 Figure International this past March, right on the heels of two-time champ Cydney Gillon. Wyatt has earned plenty of accomplishments during her young career, and here’s how the former Division II track athlete at Northwest Missouri State University hit the ground running in ﬁgure and what goals she’s speeding toward next.

In 2016, you ﬁnished outside the top 15 at the Olympia, and you came back in 2018 and took third. How did you accomplish that feat? I gave absolutely everything I had, trained harder and heavier than ever, made my diet more challenging, and really focused on recovery. One thing I realized is that to be a top competitor, I need to have the full package. So I also spent more time on my posing, sought out a great company for my ﬁgure suit, and started working with professional makeup artists.

5 TIPS

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BY MICHAEL BERG

ASSESS, ASSESS, ASSESS. “I’ve never been

someone who tape measures my body parts. What I feel has worked for me is the mirror. I also take weekly photos front and back, so that I can monitor progress. You want someone you trust in your corner, like a coach or signiﬁcant other, to be your second set of eyes. They need to be honest—otherwise you might overlook a problem that can hurt your score.”

SINGLE OUT THOSE WEAKNESSES. “There

will always be at least some slight differences in a muscle group, comparing one side to the other. I use unilateral movements to help even things out as much as possible.” Shaun Clarida has made four appearances at the 212 Olympia.

DOUBLE DOWN ON LAGGARDS. “I’ll

increase my training frequency for weaker muscle groups. For instance, if your back is lagging, do it twice in your split, while your other areas are getting hit once.”

The Pursuit of 4 Perfection

REMAIN CONSISTENT.

Short or tall, big or small, 2018 New York Pro 212 champ Shaun Clarida shares his secrets to overcoming ﬂaws and building your best body.

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FUEL UP WITH YOUR GOAL IN MIND. “I eat

the same foods off-season as I do pre-contest, but in the off-season I give myself more ﬂexibility to eat bigger meals. As long as I’m training hard and doing cardio, I know my body will utilize those calories and help me put on quality size as opposed to being stored as fat.”

PER BERNAL

IN BODYBUILDING, we all want to craft the “perfect” physique. And in that pursuit, everyone has ﬂaws to overcome, from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s famously stubborn calves to Dorian Yates’ torn triceps and biceps during his Olympia run. For 212 contender Shaun Clarida, his height of 5'2" could have proven to be a limiting factor in his competitive pursuits. That is, if he let it. Instead, the 36-year-old New Jersey native adjusted his training style and diet, personalizing his plan to amplify his symmetry. “I can’t do anything about my height, but I can do something about my width,” he says. Here’s how the four-time IFBB Professional League 212 winner suggests you turn potential shortcomings into strengths.

“By this I mean I still eat the same foods in the off-season as I do in-season. I still keep cardio in my regimen, and my training intensity never changes. I believe you can grow and still maintain a clean and balanced physique.”

ON THE RISE

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BY MICHAEL BERG

Turnaround Artist

Doubt the power of ﬁtness? The inspiring story of IFBB Professional League bikini champion Romina Basualdo might just change your mind.

ROMINA BASUALDO Birth Date: Aug. 6, 1987 Height: 5'3" Contest Weight: 105 lbs Residence: Miami, FL Website: rominabass.com Instagram: @rominabass

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“IF I CAN, you can, too!” That was Romina Basualdo’s Instagram message on Feb. 6, along with before and after photos displaying the Argentinian bombshell’s transformation from overweight and out of shape to the IFBB Professional League bikini champion we know today. It was a change that eventually propelled her to stardom in the sport—but more important, that commitment to get fit also turned her life around. “In 2008, I had a baby who was born six months premature and died,” she reveals. “Around that time, I also had some family problems, I could not find work, and I also went through a [breakup] that led me into depression by 2010.” In 2011, she met with a doctor who gave her a life-altering prescription: physical activity. “That was the first time I entered a gym,” she recalls. “One year later, Claudio Hait, who’s now my husband and coach, invited me to see a contest. I had never before connected with the bodybuilding world.” By 2013, an inspired Basualdo entered and won her first local show in Bahia Blanca, Buenos

TRAINING

BASUALDO’S GLUTE WORKOUT EX E R C IS E

S ETS

R EP S

3 3 5

Deadlift

20, 20, 20

3 Basualdo ﬁnishes with 15 minutes of stretching and 35 to 45 minutes of cardio.

Aires, Argentina. After a string of amateur wins, the Argentinian Bodybuilding Federation took notice and gave her a pro card in 2015. She’s since gone on to have plenty of impressive contest showings, including ﬁnishing fourth at the 2018 Arnold Bikini International and seventh at the 2018 Olympia Bikini event. “I love to be able to travel around the world, with amazing moments along the way,” Basualdo says. And despite admitting that the dieting required of the sport can be monotonous, she says she loves “to be onstage and to give motivation to others.” Photograph by Per Bernal

ANATOMY OF AN EXERCISE

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BY M&F EDITORS

Side Plank

Abs are made in the kitchen, but a strong core starts with the side plank. THE MOVE

SIDE PLANK How to do it

Get into a plank position, with your forearms on the ground and in line with your shoulders.

Where It Hits

Rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis

Squeeze your abs and make sure that your hips are up and that your body forms a straight line from your shoulder to your ankles

At the end of your workout 3–4 sets of 10–30 seconds per side

Perfect Your Side Plank

Follow these three tips to prevent side plank slipups.

DON’T ROLL OVER.

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move gets difficult, a lot of people will attempt to bend the knees. Don’t. The goal is to create tension from head to toe, and a bent knee is a broken link in the chain. Try flexing your quads while engaging glutes, abs, and hips—you’ll find that it forces your knees straight.

WATCH YOUR ELBOW POSITIONING. Another

major fault is placing the hand or elbow (depending on which you’re leaning on) too far forward, up close to your head. This puts undo stress on the shoulder and also extends your torso. Instead, your hand and elbow should be directly beneath your shoulder joint.

PER BERNAL

A lot of side plankers will allow the top hip to roll forward and, in turn, create torsion in the spine, which violates the intent of the exercise. The side plank is meant to increase stability through the entire core musculature and spine—not to become a rotational exercise.

KEEP YOUR KNEES LOCKED OUT.

THE TOP PRE-WORKOUT,

RAINBOW CANDY

ORANGE CRUSH

SOUR GUMMY BEAR

GREEN APPLE

GRAPE

N P C M O N T H LY

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BY FR ANK SEPE

2019 NPC Amateur Arnold USA Results Check out the results of one of the biggest b

MORE THAN 700 OF THE top amateur competitors from around the world competed at the 13th Annual Arnold Amateur NPC Bodybuilding, Fitness, Figure, Bikini, and Physique Championships in Columbus, OH, from Feb. 28 to March 2. The contest was the most successful to date, bringing the best of the best onstage and droves of fans to cheer on all the competitors who were battling it out for that coveted IFBB Pro card. Congratulations to the competitors who earned professional status in the IFBB Professional League. Here are your division winners at right.

2019 NPC Amateur Arnold USA

Columbus, OH | Feb. 28 to March 2

NPC PHOTO GYM

Morgan Aste

One of the most popular spots for top NPC/IFBB Professional League athletes is the ofﬁcial NPC Photo Gym in Pittsburgh. NPC national champions, top IFBB Professional League athletes, as well as Olympia winners, are invited to the gym to ﬁlm with NPC News Online’s chief photographer J.M. Manion. Check out the NPC News Online YouTube page for workouts, posing routines, and tips from your favorite athletes: youtube.com /user/npcnewsonline.

Men’s Bodybuilding

2019 NPC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS INFO Nov. 22 to 23, James L. Knight Center in Miami; nationalbodybuilding.com.

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f the year!

France

Abtin Shekarabi Men’s Classic Physique

Eric Lisboa Men’s Physique USA

Iran

Yahda Daniels

Cristal Medina

Women’s Figure

Bikini

USA

Dominican Republic

Katherine McLaurin Women’s Physique USA

2019 Arnold Classic Winners

This year, ﬁve Arnold Classic winners started their pro careers by earning their pro card at the NPC National Championships. Andre Ferguson

George Peterson

Men’s Physique

Men’s Classic Physique

2014 NPC National Championships

2016 NPC National Championships

Janet Layug

Cydney Gillon

Bikini

Women’s Figure

2013 NPC National Championships

2012 NPC National Championships

Natalia Abraham Coelho Women’s Physique 2015 NPC National Championships

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WINGS OF STRENGTH

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Spreading Their Wings How longtime bodybuilding fan and advocate JAKE WOOD turned a passion project into Wings of Strength, a premier promotions and media brand in the sport— and now a presenting sponsor for the 2019 Olympia Weekend.

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From left: 2018 IFBB Rising Phoenix champion Alina Popa; 2018 Rising Phoenix Best Poser winner Nicki Chartrand.

for so long. He started with a sponsorship of promoter Tim Gardner’s bodybuilding show at the 2009 Tampa Pro, followed by a membership website launched with his now ex-wife and former business partner, Kristal, called Wings of Strength,

which showcased female competitors in bodybuilding, fitness, and figure, paying flat fees for shoots while also using the proceeds to support contests. Wings of Strength partnered with Gardner on the inaugural Chicago Pro in 2011. Other show

COU RT E SY OF WINGS OF STRENGTH (2)

JAKE WOOD REMEMBERS vividly the first time he saw a female bodybuilder in person. “I was 16, and my friend and I went down to Gold’s Gym in Santa Monica,” he recalls. “We were benching—because that’s what teen boys do when they go to the gym—and I saw a woman curling who had seriously huge biceps.” Back in the 1970s, the idea of females training for muscle was a little taboo, certainly on the societal fringes, even as men like Arnold Schwarzenegger were bringing bodybuilding into the public consciousness. “I had the idea in my head that women couldn’t add muscle like that,” Wood admits. He worked up the nerve to approach her and discovered it was Stacey Bentley— who would go on to compete as a pro, taking fifth in the inaugural 1980 Ms. Olympia, where Rachel McLish won her first of two Olympia titles. Wood counted himself a fan of the women’s sport from that day on, but life kept him from doing much more than following along in magazines while he continued to train. When he was 19, his wife gave birth to his first daughter, and he ended up in the family aircraft fastener manufacturing business for the next few decades. That is, until 2008, when that successful company was sold to Alcoa, and Wood, at the age of 46, saw a chance to finally do more for the sport he had loved

BY MICHAEL BERG

WINGS OF STRENGTH AT A GLANCE • YEAR FOUNDED: 2011 • PRINCIPAL: Jake Wood • MAJOR CONTESTS PROMOTED: Tampa Pro, Chicago Pro, Rising Phoenix World Championships, Romania Muscle Fest

sponsorships were added over the years, across the country from Omaha to Virginia Beach. When the Arnold Classic dropped the Ms. International, its women’s pro bodybuilding event, in 2013, followed by the Ms. Olympia cancellation in 2015,

Wood leaped into the void. “At that point, we saw the need for a women’s world championship and our opportunity to provide one,” he says. After meeting with IFBB Professional League president Jim Manion, Wood and Gardner organized the ﬁrst Rising Phoenix World Championships contest in San Antonio in 2015. The show, held every year since, has moved to Phoenix and remains the top prize in the women’s professional bodybuilding circuit. This year on Sept. 7, the Rising Phoenix champion will take home $50,000, along with a new American iconic vehicle— last year’s prize was a Corvette Z06—and the title of world’s best IFBB Professional League female bodybuilder. Recently, Wings of Strength began branching out into other businesses. Wood purchased digitalmuscle.com, and his team is relaunching its Wings of Strength website, while expanding into video and television production. The Arizona-based company has also signed on as a presenting sponsor for the 2019 Olympia Weekend, Sept. 12 to 15 in Las Vegas, as part of a larger effort to introduce itself to the widest possible bodybuilding audience. In addition to hosting a booth at the Olympia Expo at the Las

• WEBSITE: wingsofstrength.net • OTHER PROJECTS: Trophy Kids (documentary, 2013), Trace Amounts (documentary, 2014), Buff Dynasty (TV show, 2019), digitalmuscle.com

Vegas Convention Center and being involved in numerous aspects of the weekend’s activities, Wings of Strength is planning a surprise for its fans. “We will be putting on a women’s bodybuilding event—not a competition—on the Olympia Expo stage,” Wood says. “We’re still designing that event, but we want something that showcases the sport.” The sponsorship falls directly in line with Wood’s vision as he expands his company into media projects and more live events. “Our mission statement here at Wings of Strength is to support bodybuilding, period,” he says. “We’re known for speciﬁcally supporting women’s bodybuilding, but we support the entire sport. I have stepped in because of my personal belief that if women’s bodybuilding goes away, so can men’s bodybuilding, and eventually the other divisions, too. That’s been my mantra for a long time: bodybuilding for every body. “This all started as a passion project, but after years of hard work, we have earned the opportunity to serve as presenting sponsor at the most prestigious event in the world. I’m incredibly proud of what our team has been able to accomplish. The future is bright.” M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

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Learn the lifting methods championed by six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates. I N T R O B Y G R E G M E R R I T T /// TI PS BY D O R I A N YATE S

Shadow

Strength

AT H L E T E SNAPSHOT

DORIAN YATES

Birth Date: April 19, 1962 Height: 5'10½" Contest Weight: 265 lbs Birthplace: Warwickshire, England Olympia Wins: 6 (1992–97)

C H R I S LU N D; ROB E RT R E I F F

Instagram: @thedorianyates

BEFORE 21-YEAR-OLD Dorian Yates picked up weights in 1983, he picked up books, reading all he could about training. He did four to eight working sets per body part. He also put emphasis on low reps, doing six to eight for most body parts. As he advanced, he pushed these sets beyond failure, usually with two to three forced reps, but he incorporated techniques like forced reps, dropsets, and partials. In 1988, Yates won the British Championships at 226 pounds—46 pounds heavier than he was ﬁve years prior. And he was about to launch the most consistently superb pro career of all time: 15 wins, two losses (both seconds), including six consecutive Mr. Olympia titles from 1992 to 1997. Here are 10 pieces of advice from “the Shadow” to help you add some freaky mass.

FOR UPPER PECS, CHOOSE INCLINE PRESSES OVER FLAT BENCH PRESSES I’m no fan of flat bench presses, as they rely too much on the power of the front delts. Incline presses do a fine job of stimulating the muscle fibers of the upper pecs. Set the bench at a 30-degree angle to ensure that the resistance is placed on your pecs. A steeper incline will shift the emphasis to the delts. Be sure to complete each rep with strict form. Begin with a light warmup set of 20 reps, then perform three all-out max sets of six to eight reps. Keep the movement slow and precise on the way down. Use an ordinary lockout at the top. In other words, as soon as you reach full extension, bring the weight back down in one continuous motion. M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

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DORIAN YATES’ TRAINING TIPS

FLEX_

GO BEYOND FAILURE

Forced reps are an excellent way to extend a set beyond failure. Here’s how it works for incline barbell presses, for example. During incline barbell presses, I often reach failure at the eighth repetition. Failure means being unable to complete another rep with that maximum weight—it does not mean that I’ve depleted all my strength. To put the forced-reps principle into action, my training partner places his hands under the bar to provide me with only the assistance—and no more than that—needed to keep the bar moving. In this manner, I can complete another two assisted reps and take the muscles beyond their normal point of failure.

WORK YOUR MUSCLES TO THE MAX WITH DESCENDING SETS For exercises in which forced reps are difﬁcult and impractical, try descending sets instead. For seated dumbbell curls, for instance, I work to failure with my standard set of dumbbells. At that point, I put the dumbbells down, grab a lighter pair of dumbbells, and pump out another two reps. After another two reps, as I hit failure again, I grab an even lighter set and grind out another two reps. This is a way to extend the set and work the muscles to the max. 170

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CHRIS LUND

EMPLOY A BACK-BUILDING TRIFECTA Your ﬁrst back movement should be the Hammer Strength machine pulldown. To get the back thoroughly warmed up and ready to go, do two warmup sets followed by three working sets. Focus on pulling with the lats. Pause for a complete contraction at the midpoint and release the weight in a slow, controlled, and smooth movement. Never lean back too far, or you’ll limit the range of motion. Barbell rows come next, with one warmup set and three working sets. Most bodybuilders do barbell rows with their bodies

parallel to the ﬂoor, pulling the bar into the chest. But if you want to hit the bulk of the lats and lift with max weight, align your upper body at a 70-degree angle and pull the bar up off the ﬂoor and lift it to the waist. Finish the session with one warmup set and three working sets of seated cable rows done with a long bar. I prefer a shoulder-width overhand grip to thicken the teres major and rhomboid muscles. Pull the elbows as far back as possible to help target the upper back and to produce a complete contraction.

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DORIAN YATES’ TRAINING TIPS

PLAN AHEAD

My mental focus kicks in the night before a workout. I establish the right mindset by visualizing the training environment in minute detail, preprogramming my workout right down to what poundages I’ll use. Nothing is left to chance when I walk into the gym. I’m completely focused on the exact exercises I’ll perform that day, how hard I’ll push myself, and how the pump will feel.

KNOW THAT TWO MINDS ARE BETTER THAN ONE

CHRIS LUND

Find a training partner who is in sync with your psyche and who can help you get the best out of yourself. A good training partner will know precisely when to assist and how much assistance to give in order to

barely keep the weight moving. What’s more, he will know how to do this without breaking your concentration.

BE NEGATIVE

Negative reps extend a set beyond failure and more fully work the muscle ﬁbers used during the descending part of a rep. For example, once I reach failure with pushdowns, my partner assists in lifting the stack until my arms are at the lockout position. My triceps are pretty much fried at this point, so the weight feels heavier than normal. From the fully locked-out position, I start to release the weight. The key is to lower the weight as slowly as possible in order to really burn the muscles. For safety reasons, I recommend limiting this principle to machine movements.

DORIAN YATES’ TRAINING TIPS

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BUILD UP LAGGING HAMSTRINGS People have a tendency to put more emphasis into their quad movements simply because they don’t see hamstrings in a mirror. I start my hamstring work with lying leg curls. Hamstrings respond best to continuous tension, so I throw in a firm contraction at the top of the movement and really burn the muscle. The stiff-leg deadlift, the next movement in my hamstring routine, is a crucial exercise that a lot of people don’t do correctly or skip entirely, but this exercise can make a big difference. I use an overhand grip, slightly narrower than shoulder width, and I lift the bar with my back straight and my head up, then I end each rep by going down to midshin. Never return the bar to the floor until you’re finished with your total set. I finish my hamstring work with standing leg curls. These give my hams a different emphasis from lying curls, but the movement is still slow and deliberate, while tensing the muscle at the top of the contraction. 174

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CHRIS LUND

DO YOUR CARDIO

I advocate that all bodybuilders, at all levels, initiate an aerobics program. It enhances general cardiovascular ﬁtness, and this better level of general ﬁtness increases metabolism. I did cardio yearround when I was competing because it increases endurance, and as a result I was better able to endure the rigors of my intense contest prep period. Doing cardio all year also means you are able to take in a few more calories on a daily basis than what you could if all you did was lift.

DON’T SHY AWAY FROM PARTIAL REPS

Dumbbell side laterals are an exercise for which I often use partial reps. As I reach failure on a set of this exercise, rather than ending the set, I continue to raise the dumbbells as high as my strength will allow—typically, it’s threequarters of a full movement or slightly higher. I manage that movement for a couple of reps and then continue for a couple of half-reps and then quarter-reps until my delts are fully fatigued.

Carve a

Classic Chest

B Y E R I C “ M E R L I N ” B R O S E R /// PHOTOGRAPHS BY EDGAR ARTIGA

SNAPSHOT

STEVE LAUREUS Birth Date: Feb. 24, 1986 Height: 5'11" Contest Weight: 210 lbs Career Highlights: 2017 NPC New Jersey Championships, Classic B and overall; 2018 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro Classic, 1st; 2018 Classic Olympia, 7th; 2019 Arnold Classic, Classic Physique, 2nd Instagram: @steve.laureus

BEFORE THE MASS-MONSTER ERA began to dominate bodybuilding during the 1990s, with competitors sporting immense muscularity of all extremities, a dense and balanced chest made a physique stand out for the better. Serge Nubret’s vascular arms, round shoulders, and tight midsection looked great, for example, but they all drew the eyes up and in to his massive chest—the centerpiece of his body. Same for Arnold and Franco Columbu. What follows is a three-week pec-punishing program I put together for FLEX readers who covet the ideals of Golden Era bodybuilding. (Read: symmetry, balance, and proportion.) It utilizes three unique training protocols meant to stimulate growth via different pathways and many of the same basic types of movements that have built some of the greatest sets of pecs in history. M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

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TRAINING EXPLAINED THIS IS A THREE-WEEK-LONG program that you can work into your normal regimen. So instead of doing your normal chest routine, you’ll perform these workouts instead. Each week will have a separate focus—power, varied rep ranges, and shocking principles. This ensures that all your muscle ﬁbers are taxed and that you’re able to focus on different aspects of training, like muscle fatigue, strength, and hypertrophy. Keep in mind that three weeks is the amount of time it will take to see noticeable results. You’re welcome to run this chest program for longer, repeating the cycle every three weeks.

WHAT DEFINES A CLASSIC CHEST?

Big, thick, and powerful musculature that isn’t out of proportion to the rest of the physique. Evenly distributed muscle from top to bottom, and outside to inside. A well-developed and delineated lower pectoral line that does not appear saggy. Upper pecs that jump off the clavicles and create a shelflike appearance. (Think Arnold’s side chest pose.)

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GOLDEN MOVES

Get to know the mainstays of your three-week classicchest routine.

Shot on location at Bev Francis Powerhouse, Syosset, NY

CLASSIC MUSCLE_FLEX

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CLASSIC MUSCLE_FLEX WEEK 1

Power Phase EXERCISE

Smith Machine Incline Press

SETS

REPS

TEMPO

REST

4–6

5-1-X

3–4 min.

4–6

3-3-1

3–4 min.

4 60-degree Incline DB Flye

3 3

WEEK 2

Varied-Reps Phase EXERCISE

Weighted Dip

SETS

REPS

TEMPO

REST

4–6

3-1-3

2–3 min.

3 Dumbbell Pullover

10–12

2-1-2

2–3 min.

Multi-angle Cable Crossover

16–20

2-0-1-1

2–3 min.

WEEK 3

Shock Phase EXERCISE

Smith Machine Incline Press*

SETS

REPS

TEMPO

REST

7–9

3-0-1

1–2 min. -

Dumbbell Pullover

7–9

2-1-1

1–2 min.

7–9

3-0-1

1–2 min.

Superset with

Weighted Dip** ***

*After completing 7 to 9 reps, drop the weight and bust out another 4 to 6. Do that for both sets. **After completing 7 to 9 reps, drop the weight and do max reps with your body weight. Do that for both sets. ***After completing 13 to 15 reps, rest 15 seconds and do reps to failure. Then rest another 30 seconds and go to failure again. M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

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Superset for Super Muscle growth is a sure bet with this time-saving technique.

Size

BY ERIC “MERLIN” BROSER

THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT THAT, for most of us mere mortals (which does not include men like Ronnie Coleman, Morgan Aste, or “Big Ramy”), building new muscle year after year becomes an increasingly difﬁcult and arduous endeavor. The human body does not consider the creation of a massive, Herculean physique to be a high priority in its hierarchy of needs and thus will ﬁght our efforts every step of the way. I have a little quote that I tell all my clients when it comes to making serious progress in the gym that I would like to now relay to all FLEX readers: “If you really want to get huge, you cannot politely tap your muscles and ask that they grow—you must instead knock them over and demand it!” In my many years as a coach and competitive bodybuilder, one of the best techniques I have found to force the muscles to respond, adapt, and grow is, without a doubt, supersets. A superset is generally when two exercises for the 182

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same body part are performed back-to-back with as little rest in between as possible. Your rest periods occur only after the completion of both exercises, with each having been taken to momentary (positive) muscular failure. While there are many ways to incorporate supersets into a workout, in my own training system there are two basic types that I like to focus on most often: pre-exhaustion and post-activation. A pre-exhaustion superset is one in which the trainee performs an isolation exercise followed immediately by a compound movement. Some combinations include leg extensions + squats, dumbbell ﬂyes + bench presses, and lateral raises + upright rows. The main advantage

Pair a compound move like the T-bar row with an isolation move for greater gains.

of pre-exhaustion supersets is that you can more precisely isolate the target muscle with the ﬁrst movement—pushing it to its momentary limits—and then coax it beyond those limits with a multijoint exercise that brings in other muscle groups to assist, TRAINING

PEC PUMPER EX ER CI SE

SE TS

RE P S

3 3

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forcing the target muscle to continue contracting. A post-activation superset involves a high-load, heavy (about three to ﬁve reps per set) compound movement followed immediately by a single-joint isolation exercise. A few examples might be weighted dips + cable crossovers, stiff-leg deadlifts + lying leg curls, and barbell bentover rows + stiffarm pulldowns. The interesting (and cool) element of this type of superset is that research studies show that low-rep, compound exercises manifest enhanced central nervous system (CNS) activation, creating a physiological environment where the second (isolation) movement (in a post-activation superset) will actually activate more muscle ﬁbers and exhaust a greater number of motor unit pools than

it normally would. Talk about entering into a state of anabolic nirvana! So are you now champing at the bit to hit the gym and experience some hypertrophyigniting supersets? I thought so! Here are some of my personal favorites for each major muscle group.

SUPERSET TIPS 1 If you train in a crowded gym, it’s best to create supersets that allow you to stay in the same area to make sure you can go from one exercise to the next without interruption. A few examples would be lying dumbbell pullovers + close-grip seated cable rows, incline dumbbell ﬂyes + ﬂat bench dumbbell presses, and seated dumbbell lateral raises + seated dumbbell presses.

2 When performing the compound exercise in a superset, use a slow eccentric contraction (four to ﬁve seconds) and an “explosive” concentric (pushing or pulling the weight as rapidly as possible).

OPE N E R : PE R B E R NA L . T H I S S PR E A D : PE R B E R NA L ( 3 ) ; C H A R L E S L OW T H I A N

3 When performing the isolation exercise in a superset, do the eccentric portion of the rep in about two seconds, then hold the midpoint (stretch position) for one second, and ﬁnish with a two-second concentric. Note: If the isolation exercise allows for a powerful “peak contraction” against resistance (as with leg extensions or cable crossovers, for example), then make sure to hold for a full second at that point as well.

4 Even when not using supersets through an entire workout, they are an excellent way to ﬁnish off a body part— especially if it is one that is lagging behind the others.

TRAINING

BACK BLASTER EXE RC ISE

SE TS

REPS

3 3

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S U PE R SE T S TRAINING

DELT DESTROYER EX E R CI S E

SE TS

RE PS

2 2

TRAINING

BICEPS BOMBER EX E R CI S E

SE TS

2 2

RE PS

TRAINING

TRICEPS TRASHER EX E R C IS E

S ETS

R EPS

2 2

CHRIS LUND; PER BERNAL (5)

UPERSET BENEFITS 1

Supersets allow for a greater time under tension for the targeted muscle, which is associated with igniting more rapid hypertrophy.

Supersets bring about a more intense and dramatic pump, which saturates the target muscles with enhanced amounts of amino acids, natural hormones, oxygen, and vital nutrients.

Supersets increase lactic acid production, which coaxes the body to release more growth hormone (GH) into your system. GH is a powerful musclebuilding and fat-incinerating hormone.

4 Supersets are very time efďŹ cient, allowing one to train with maximum intensity in shorter periods of time.

5 Supersets help stimulate the metabolism, making them an excellent adjunct to proper diet and cardio when looking to burn more body fat.

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EX ER CI SE

C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P R I G H T : PAV E L Y T H J A L L ; P E R B E R N A L ; E R I C A S C H U L T Z ; PAV E L Y T H J A L L

S U PE R SE T S TRAINING

TRAINING

QUAD KILLER

HAM HURTER EXE RCIS E

S E TS

S ETS REP S

RE P S

2 3

Go lighter on squats, since youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be fatigued from the extensions.

Diet Offenses and How to Fix Them

BY JOE WUEBBEN

IF ONLY WE COULD hire referees to sit with you at every meal. If only someone with a discerning nutritional eye could look over your shoulder as you ﬁx your pre- and post-workout shakes and cry “foul” when your protein-to-carb ratios didn’t add up or you used only one scoop of protein rather than two. Because here’s the deal: Too many bodybuilders make too many dieting mistakes. Whether it’s a lack of protein, an overabundance of simple carbs, or a faulty bedtime snack, such shortcomings are holding back loads of people from achieving their bodybuilding goals. Here, we break down a handful of the most egregious diet fouls we come across regularly. If you can just ﬁx these, you’ll be in good shape—literally.

DIET FOUL:

SKIMPING AT BREAKFAST

THE FACTS: You may think that if you’re trying to lean out, eating less at each meal is a good idea. But when it comes to breakfast, regardless of your goal, eating too little can put your body in a catabolic (muscle-wasting) state, which breaks down muscle tissue and prevents fat burning by slowing down your metabolism. “When blood sugar [the amount of digested carbohydrates ﬂoating around in the bloodstream] is lower, coupled with a lack of recently consumed protein, the body is more likely to fall into a catabolic state, where muscle is burned rather than built,” says Chris Aceto, author of Championship Bodybuilding and Everything You Need to Know About Fat Loss. THE FIX: Eat more carbohydrates at breakfast, says Aceto, to cushion blood sugar levels, which alleviates the burden to use up protein and muscle mass.

Remember, when you sleep, you are essentially fasting and your body turns to your muscles for fuel. Consume 80 to 100 grams of carbs (Aceto suggests oatmeal and sugar) and 30 to 50 grams of protein. DIET FOUL:

GOING TOO LOW ON PROTEIN

THE FACTS: “Protein equals damage control,” says Aceto, who notes that hightraining individuals need more protein in their diets. “When you hit the gym, even if you’re a rank beginner, you create muscle ﬁber damage in those muscles, and the primary ingredient that repairs that is protein. ‘Clinical’ recommendations are good, but look no further than your local contest winner—his protein intake will be higher than what most recommend.” THE FIX: Set your protein-intake needs to a minimum of 1 gram per pound of body weight every day. For hardgainers, this may need to be as high as 1.5 grams M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

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per pound. Getting all that protein through whole foods is tough, which is why most (if not all) competitive bodybuilders ingest a couple of protein shakes daily. DIET FOUL:

EATING UNBALANCED MEALS

THE FACTS: We’ve all been there—eating a meal that consists of nothing but protein or, worse yet, practically all

carbs. In most situations, you should shoot for a balance of protein and carbs at every meal. Because, according to Aceto, having a meal too high in carbs compared with protein will result in a blood sugar spike. That may be followed by a blood sugar crash, which not only decreases energy but also blunts fat burning. On the other hand, when protein is present in huge amounts but carbs are AWOL— for example, when drinking a

DIET FOUL

GRAZING ON SIMPLE CARBS

protein shake and nothing else post-workout—the amino acids from the protein aren’t being absorbed as effectively into the muscles because of a lack of insulin in the blood. THE FIX: Aceto suggests keeping meals balanced at a proteinto-carb ratio of 1-to-1, with a moderate amount of healthy fats mixed in (more on dietary fats in No. 5). “If you have a fast metabolism, feel free to boost the carbs up from there,” he says.

THE FIX: Eat slower-digesting carbs and keep simple carbs (white bread, sweets, other types of sugars) at a minimum—except, of course, immediately after workouts, when you’ll want anywhere from 40 to 100 grams of fastabsorbing carbs to begin the muscle-recovery process ASAP.

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O P E N E R : B E T H G A LT O N I N C . /G E T T Y I M AG E S . M A R K T H O M A S /G E T T Y I M AG E S

THE FACTS: If your typical mass-building phase results in you gaining every kind of mass (a lot of muscle and body fat), your choice of carbs might be the problem. (If your leaning-out phase isn’t working, carbs could be the issue here, too.) More speciﬁcally, you might be eating too many simple carbs. Your best bet then is to stick with slowerdigesting carbs like sweet potatoes, oatmeal, and whole-wheat bread. “Slower-burning carbs tend to have a smaller impact on the fat-storing machinery in the body than reﬁned or other carbs,” Aceto says.

DIET FOUL:

GOING FAT-FREE

THE FACTS: Sure, eating fat can make you fat. But so can carbs and protein, if eaten in excessive amounts. If the goal is to get lean, or even to build mass, fried foods are out, no doubt. Healthy (“good”) fats shouldn’t be outlawed, though— they should be embraced. “Dietary fats found in whole eggs, salmon, lean red meat, and olive oil provide the building blocks for hormones that regulate both growth and fat burning,” Aceto says. “If you eat a fat-free diet, you restrict real change, because the body is constantly in an inner turmoil searching for these healthy fats that are a necessity to facilitate positive change.” THE FIX: Eat one to three egg yolks a day. Eat lean beef regularly (as often as once a day), as even the saturated fat found in beef will raise testosterone levels. Put olive oil on your salad or cook your eggs in it. And don’t be afraid to snack on plain nuts like almonds or on peanuts or natural peanut butter. All in all, 15 to 30% of your daily nutrient intake should come from healthy fats.

Set a clear, specific goal in order to focus successfully on achieving it.

DIET FOUL:

P AV E L Y T H J A L L

NOT HAVING A DEFINED GOAL

THE FACTS: In whatever it is that you’re doing, you need to set a goal—and not a vague one. The goal needs to be tangible and speciﬁc. Dieting is no different. Simply saying you want to get bigger and leaner isn’t enough. Because, in reality, even though it’s deﬁnitely possible to gain muscle mass while also getting leaner, maximizing either requires a different nutritional approach. Why else would bodybuilders follow different diets off-season and pre-contest? M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

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and doing the other things necessary to gain mass, including taking in the right amounts of carbs and fats. DIET FOUL:

EATING TOO MUCH BEFORE BEDTIME

THE FACTS: Your metabolism slows down at night compared with earlier in the day, when you’re more active. As a result, calories consumed late in the day are more likely to be stored as body fat. This holds especially true with carbs. “Your

body requires more carbs during the day, when you’re training and working,” Aceto says, “not at night, when you’re resting and doing very little physical activity.” THE FIX: This doesn’t mean you should skip eating altogether before going to bed—just steer clear of carbs. Before bedtime, consume 20 to 40 grams of slow-digesting casein protein (in powder form, mixed with water). This will provide your muscles with a steady inﬂux of amino acids while you sleep to help keep you anabolic, not catabolic.

E X T R E M E - P H O T O G R A P H E R /G E T T Y I M AG E S

THE FIX: Set a goal to gain (or lose), say, 10 pounds. Don’t think the goal’s lofty enough? Well, then, when you’ve reached that goal, set another. If gaining (or losing) 10 pounds was relatively easy, set a goal on the heels of that to gain (or lose) 10 more pounds, or 20 more pounds. And, of course, where there’s a goal there needs to be an appropriate plan of action. Don’t set a goal to gain 20 pounds and then eat like a bird; make sure you’re eating sufﬁcient protein (see foul No. 2)

DIET FOUL:

INCONSITENCY

ASK THE EXPERTS

FLEX_

Shred Up

N O E L DAG A N TA

Sprinting will boost your bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to burn calories for longer compared with steady-state.

BY M&F EDITORS

Will sprinting get me more shredded than standard cardio? Sprinting is one of the few forms of conditioning that will burn a significant amount of fat within a short amount of time. Instead of doing slow steady-state cardio for one hour, you can sprint for 30 minutes and burn the same amount of calories or more. One of the biggest benefits of sprinting is the resulting high EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption), aka the “afterburn” effect, meaning the ability to burn calories after the workout is over. Research shows that high-intensity interval training produces much higher EPOC than steady-state cardio due to the intensity of the workout. In other words, the higher the intensity, the higher the EPOC effect. In addition to maximizing fat burning, sprinting also builds and preserves lean muscle by increasing growth hormone levels and specifically targeting the fast-twitch fibers. Plus, sprinting improves athleticism and even saves time from a workout perspective. Try the sprint workout below for a month and see where you’re at after. TRAINING

SPRINTING WORKOUT DIRECTIONS: This will take you no more than 30 minutes to complete. Do it 3 days a week with at least 1 day of rest between each session.

E D GA R A RT IGA

SPRINT L A D DE R N O. 1

SP RI N T L AD DE R NO. 2

Rest when walking back to the starting line. M AY 2 0 1 9 / M U S C L E & F I T N E S S

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ASK THE EXPERTS

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I want to lose 15 pounds this summer, so I need to up my training big-time, right? Remember that your diet is 80% of the battle when trying to lean out. For fat loss, I believe in a diet of 10 to 12 calories per pound. If your goal is to lose weight, you should lose a minimum of a pound or two a week. And the typical template I use for the macronutrient ratio is roughly 50% protein, 35% carbs, and 15% fat.

Can I drink beer socially and cheat on my diet on the weekend and still lose weight? Yes! You can lose weight and drink alcohol within moderation—one to two low-calorie drinks a week. As for cheat meals, I typically advise clients to have one or two cheat meals a week, but I would never advocate a cheat day in which you’re cheating for its duration. That will screw up your diet.

G E T T Y I M AG E S

Muscle & Fitness (ISSN 0744-5105), Vol. 80, No. 5, is published monthly by Weider Publications, LLC, a division of American Media Inc., 4 New York Plaza, 4th Fl., New York, NY 10004. Periodical Rates Postage Paid at the New York, NY, Post Office and at additional mailing offices. Copyright © Weider Publications, LLC, 2019. All rights reserved. Canada Post International Publications Mail Sale Agreement No. 40028566. Canadian B.N. 88746 5102 RT0001. Copyrighted under the Universal Copyright Convention and International Copyright Convention. Copyright reserved under the Pan-American Copyright Convention. Todos derechos reservados segúin la convención Pan Americana de Propriedad Literaria Artística. Subscription rate is $42.97 for (1yr) 12 issues in U.S.A. In Canada (1yr) 12 issues $59.97. Outside of U.S.A. and Canada (1yr) $91.97. U.S. orders outside of U.S.A. must be prepaid in U.S. funds. For Customer Service and Back Issues call toll-free (800) 340-8954 or write to: Muscle & Fitness, P.O. Box 37207, Boone, IA 50037-0207. SUBSCRIBERS: If the postal service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year. U.S. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS (See DMM 507.1.5.2); NON-POSTAL and MILITARY FACILITIES send U.S. address changes to: Muscle & Fitness, P.O. Box 37207, Boone, IA 50037-0207. CANADA POSTMASTER: Send address changes to American Media Inc., PO Box 907 STN Main, Markham, ON L3P 0A7, Canada. From time to time we make our subscriber list available to companies that sell goods and services by mail that we believe would interest our readers. If you would rather not receive such mailings, please send your current mailing label to: Muscle & Fitness, P.O. Box 37207, Boone, IA, 50037-0207. All materials, articles, reports, and photos published in this magazine are the exclusive property of Weider Publications, LLC, and cannot be used without permission in writing. Muscle & Fitness is not responsible for returning unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, or other materials. Weider Publications, LLC, and American Media Inc., publisher of Muscle & Fitness, do not promote or endorse any of the products or services advertised by third-party advertisers in this publication. Nor does Weider Publications, LLC, or American Media Inc. verify the accuracy of any claims made in conjunction with such advertisements. Title Trademark registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark office. Reprinted by special agreement in England, Germany, Italy, Austria, Japan, Canada, Netherlands, Korea, Poland, Slovak Republic, Lebanon, and China. Printed in the U.S.A.

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IFBB PRO LEAGUE INSIDER

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BY ANGELICA NEBBIA

Should You Hire a Prep Coach? While it may be worth it to reach that next level, there’s a lot to consider before you hire a prep coach. THE WORLD OF BODYBUILDING and fitness is flooded with prep coaches and trainers, but are they worth the money? In my opinion—you bet! The right coach will have experience and expertise, evaluate your strengths and weaknesses to develop a plan specifically for you, push you harder than you could ever push yourself, keep you on track to reach your goals, and bring you back when you get off course. But before you hire a prep coach, be sure to ask yourself the following questions. Hiring a pro prep coach like Neil Hill (at right) is pricey but worth the extra money.

CAN YOU AFFORD IT? Hiring a prep coach typically costs between $1K and $3K per prep, depending on his or her résumé and how much time he or she will be dedicating to you. If money is tight, take an honest look at your expenses and decide what you’re willing to sacriﬁce in order to reach your goals. When I started competing in 2008, I put most of my belongings in storage, downsized to a smaller apartment, and traded in my SUV for a midsize economy car, all to afford a prep coach and daily trainer.

HOW DO YOU CHOOSE ONE?

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ARE YOU READY TO BARE YOUR SOUL? In order for the partnership to work, there needs to be trust on both sides, which requires full transparency. For obvious reasons, you’ll need to inform your coach of any physical ailments (everything from digestive issues to worrisome aches and pains),

but you’ll also need to open up emotionally. Competing is mentally draining, and it’s important that your coach is aware of your current state of mind, as your mood and outlook can affect your results. And, of course, when you screw up and eat that unscheduled cheat meal (because you will), you need to come clean. Remember, if you’re lying, it’s only going to waste your money. ABOUT THE INSIDER Angelica Nebbia is a former IFBB Pro League figure competitor, an NPC judge, a senior editor of Muscle & Fitness, and the official liaison between M&F and the IFBB Pro League.

PER BERNAL

Research, research, research! It’s important that you do your homework, or you may ﬁnd yourself wasting a lot of money on someone who promises the world but doesn’t deliver.

Coaches who have “walked the walk” and competed themselves are much more likely to offer sound advice, based on personal experience. Check out the reviews and results of their past and current clients online, and interview the best prospects. Your coach will be working for you, after all, so ask lots of questions.

THE KING OF

PREWORKOUTS STRENGTH

STAMINA

RECOVERY