2009 Highlight Edition

2009

HIGHLIGHT EDITION

Sara Long’s Nutrition Corner Sarah Long’s Recipe Corner

Pear Berry Protein Crisp Ingredients: 7 fresh pears (you can sub. other fruit) 1 cup frozen blueberries Cooking spray 1/8 c splenda 1 tbsp lemon juice 3/4 c oatmeal 2 tbsp milled flaxseed 4 egg whites 2 tbsp cinnamon 2 scoops vanilla Whey Protein powder 1/4 c chopped walnuts Sugar free syrup

Prep: pre-heat oven to 375 slice pears into ¾ in slices Spray 12x12 baking dish with cooking spray.

Arrange pear slices and blueberries in dish.

Sprinkle splenda and lemon juice over fruit.

Mix oats, flaxseed, cinnamon, and whey in a bowl.

Add egg whites until mixture is lumpy and crumbles. Spoon over fruit.

Top with walnuts (if desired) and squeeze a small amount of sugar free syrup (or natural honey) over entire dish.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-45 minutes or until fruit is soft and topping is brown.

Serve warm or @ room temperature. You can also top with lite cool whip too!!! ENJOY Nutrition: serves 8-10 Calories= 250 Fat= 9g Carbs= 35g Protein=16g

LIONEL BROWN L’TRAIN’S SHOULDER ROUTINE

I really started training them hard in 05, I was told my arms were starting to overpower my shoulders. I always used military presses as my main stable for mass, But thanks to the great Ronnie Coleman. I seen him pressing dumbbells, me being a big fan, I decided to try them for myself.

I warm up on a shoulder machine using a light stack to get a little blood going, then I go into my first exercise seated Dumbbell presses. Doing 4 sets keeping the reps between 8-12. I’ve worked my way up to 150lbs using strict form, and managing to get 10-12 reps with these puppies following that exercise. I then move into side laterals. My focus is to make them rounder, so I like to pause at the top for about a second to force more blood into that muscle. That exercise is done with 4 sets using 10-12 reps. Next is standing upright rows, but I do them with a wide grip to add more depth to the side head of my delt. That is one tip that I’ve learned, over the years. That exercise is performed using 4 sets with 10-12 reps. Next will be rear delts. I like to lay on an incline bench for this movement, really squeezing hard using the dumbbells. I really like using dumbbells because they’re great for shaping and building the muscle. You know the cliche to a known analogy, why not knock out two birds with one stone. And my last tip, you should always do shrugs with your back routine. That’s L-Train’s shoulder routine!

LIONEL BROWN CONTEST BIO 2008 IFBB Atlantic City Pro 14th 2008 IFBB 15th Annual Sports/Fitness Weekend & Europa IFBB Super Show 17th 2007 IFBB Atlantic City Pro Bodybuilding, Fitness And Figure Contest 15th 2007 IFBB New York Pro Bodybuilding Contest 16th 2006 NPC USA Bodybuilding And Figure Championships (IFBB Pro Qualifier) 2nd 2005 NPC USA Bodybuilding & Figure 4th

B E LE

S K AN

Our Champion this month should be a familiar name to any bodybuilding fan. Lee Banks has been in the hunt for a pro card for a few years now.

Lee’s physique is a combination of great lines extremely round muscle bellies and a ton of muscle. We caught up with him at the NPC National show in Atlanta back in November.

PD: Lee thanks for taking the time to visit with Posedown. Where are you from Lee? LEE: I was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida.

PD: Do you still currently live there?

LEE: Yes, I still live in Jacksonville.

B E LE

PD: What got you interested in bodybuilding?

LEE: My father was an amateur bodybuilder; so I followed in his footsteps.

PD: Anyone influence you other than your father when you were younger?

LEE: My biggest influence is Arnold Schwarzenegger because he exemplifies the limitless potential obtained through bodybuilding.

PD: Who is your favorite bodybuilder of all time?

LEE: Even though he dogged me this year, I must admit that Flex Wheeler had the best physique to ever grace the bodybuilding stage.

PD: I have to agree with you their man, Flex exemplified the perfect bodybuilder in my eyes too. You haven’t been competing very long have you?

LEE: I have only been competing for six years, (since 2003) I am 37 years old.

PD: Why such the late start?

LEE: I got a late start in bodybuilding for couple of reasons. I wanted to compete when I was in my twenties but marriage, family and my business took preference. It took me an extra ten years to make it onstage.

PD: I see. A person has to make priorities in life. You made it though and you have certainly made a name for yourself. Give me a list of some of your better placings at the National Level shows.

LEE: 2008 NPC North Americans: 2nd Heavyweight 2008 NPC USAs: 3rd Heavyweight 2007 NPC Nationals: 3rd Heavyweight 2006 NPC Nationals: 6th Heavyweight 2006 NPC USA: 8th Heavyweight 2005 NPC Nationals: 6th Light Heavyweight PD: It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the steady progress up the ladder.

2009 looks to be your year if the pattern continues. What are you working on to ensure you bring the perfect package to the stage this year?

LEE: I want to bring up my quads and calves. I think if I improve there and add that to small waist, nice lines and big guns I will be happy.

PD: What kind of contest diet do you use?

LEE: I use a low carb diet that usually last 12 weeks.

PD: How low do you usually take your carbs on a daily basis and how much fat is usually consumed per day?

LEE: I usually go no lower than 75 grams of carbs per day. I consume 84 grams of fat per day.

PD: How do you work your cardio into your contest prep?

LEE: My cardio is one hour moderately walking on the treadmill in the A.M. Then I follow that up with 30 minutes of swimming after training in the P.M. PD: Swimming huh? You don’t hear of too many bodybuilders that get ready for a show by swimming. When and how did discover that works for you?

LEE: I discovered it about two years ago. I initially started swimming to help me with my breathing; however I noticed that my conditioning improved as well.

PD: What’s your favorite body part to train?

LEE: I love to train quads because it really challenges me to my limits. My favorite lift is squats because it really strokes my ego throwing 500 pounds on the bar and going for 10 reps.

PD: What does your split training split look like?

LEE: I train Bis with Chest, Tris with back, calves with hams. Push -pull baby!

PD: What are your favorite supplements?

LEE: Champion Nutrition of course. I love the amino shooters and Glypro xts.

PD: What are your plans for the 2009 competitive season?

LEE: My ultimate plan is to go pro in 2009. I am going to do the USA”s.

PD: Did you play sports in high school?

LEE: Yes, I was a center forward on the soccer team. lol!

PD: That’s a hard picture to imagine, Lee Banks running around a soccer field. What do you do to pay the bills?

LEE I own and operate three child care facilities. I am also a Desert Storm veteran.

PD: That’s different from most of the careers that aspiring pro bodybuilders have. How did you get involved with child care facilities?

LEE: I grew up in it. My mother has been in the business for 30 years.

PD: What do you like to do relax and get away?

LEE: I like fishing when I get the chance.

PD: Lee I appreciate you taking the time to visit with us a little. Good luck in 2009! Be sure to check out more of Lee at www.leebanks.net

B E LE

S K AN

Winners Announced for Third Annual Arnold Amateur Bodybuilding, Fitness, Figure and Bikini Championships (Submitted by the Arnold Classic)

COLUMBUS, OHIO – The top 258 amateur competitors from around the world and USA competed in the Arnold Amateur IFBB International Bodybuilding, Fitness, Figure and Bikini Championships at Veterans Memorial Auditorium and the Greater Columbus Convention Center March 5-7 as a part of the Arnold Sports Festival.

Overall winners in each category include: Egberton Rulove Etienne Winklaar – Men’s Bodybuilding; Elena Shportun – Women’s Bodybuilding; Sylvia Tremblay – Fitness; Jayme Galloway – Figure; Ali Sonoma – Bikini.

“We had athletes from about 40 different countries competing this year making this one of the biggest international events of its kind” said Bob Lorimer, owner of MetroFitness Gyms and the events coproducer with the Fitness Factory’s Mike Davies. “We are fortunate to collaborate with such wonderful partners like Rafael Santonja, President of the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Jim Manion, President of the Nation Physique Committee who help us bring together so many talented competitors,” Lorimer added.

Overall winners received a Tony Nowak Arnold Classic jacket, tickets to the Arnold Classic and had their pictures taken with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Each weight or height class winner received a one year subscription to Posedown Magazine presented by Bob and Lauranne Johnson. The top five competitors in each weight or height class received trophies.

Overall Men’s Bodybuilding winner: Egberton Rulove Etienne Winklaar of the Netherlands.

Other winners of the Arnold Amateur Bodybuilding Men’s competition include: Bantamweight: 1st Bernabe Ramirez Balbuena – Mexico; 2nd Denis Pedneault – Canada; 3rd Jason Ste. Marie – Canada; 4th Lowell Starr – USA. Welterweight: 1st Jose Javier Reynoso – Mexico; 2nd Leo D’Adderio – France; 3rd Chantha Yun – USA; 4th Kob Yan – USA. Lightweight: 1st Danny Cacchirillo – Canada; 2nd Mauricio Garza Garza – Mexico; 3rd Alessandro Zuccaro – Italy; 4th Montaser Zaki Mahmoud Genidy - Egypt; 5th Andrew Awak – USA. Middleweight: 1st Charles Mario Soares – Brazil; 2nd Angel Manuel Rangel Vargas – Mexico; 3rd Peter Lagermand – Denmark; 4th Victor Javier Senovilla Cuellar – Spain; 5th John Durante – USA. Light Heavyweight: 1st Kamal Abdullsalam Abdulirahman – Qatar; 2nd Shaun Joseph Tavernier – UK; 3rd Grechukhov Vitaliy – Ukraine; 4th Dmitry Klimov – Russia; 5th Raul Martinez – USA. Heavyweight: 1st Pavel Kirilenko – Russia; 2nd Pablo Eliodoro Ayala Zayas – Paraguay; 3rd Michael Kefalianos Australia; 4th Andrzej Maszewski – Poland; 5th Glayson Souto – Brazil.

Super Heavyweight: 1st Egberton Rulove Etienne Winklaar – Netherlands; 2nd Lionel Beyeke – France; 3rd Julio Cesar Balestrim – Brazil; 4th Jaime Atienza – Spain; 5th Alvin Small – United Kingdom.

Overall Women’s Bodybuilding winner: Elena Shportun of Russia.

Other winners of the Arnold Amateur Bodybuilding Women’s competition include: Lightweight: 1st Johanna Dejager – Canada; 2nd Millie Cleveland – Bermuda; 3rd Stacey Pillari – USA; 4th Alisha Morrow – USA; 5th Denise Dinger – USA. Middleweight: 1st Elena Shportun – Russia; 2nd Jill Lundy – USA; 3rd Jo Stewart – New Zealand; 4th Salla Kauranen – Canada; 5th Krista Schaus – Canada.

Heavyweight: 1st Maria Rita Bello – Argentina; 2nd Alevtina Goroshinskaya – Russia; 3rd Geraldine Morgan – Chile; 4th Dawn Elsea – USA; 5th Marcia Ferguson – USA.

Overall Fitness winner: Sylvia Tremblay of Canada.

Other winners of the Arnold Amateur Fitness Championship are: Short Class: 1st Sylvia Tremblay – Canada; 2nd Allison Ethier – Canada; 3rd Malena Marquez – USA; 4th Patricia Venus Nguyen- Belgium; 5th Lee Michelle Yeager – USA. Medium Class: 1st Meredith Miller – USA; 2nd Lauren Niehaus – USA; 3rd Morgan Spoon – USA; 4th Patricia Sordoni – Belgium; 5th Lee Randell – Canada.

Tall Class: 1st Autumn Edwards – USA; 2nd Tamee Marie – USA; 3rd Tatiana Tishchenko – Russia.

Overall Figure winner: Jayme Galloway of Canada.

Other winners of the Arnold Amateur Figure Championship are: Women’s Figure A Class: 1st Nicole Coleman – USA; 2nd Juana Guadalupe Esparza Guerra – Mexico; 3rd Gloria Keplinger – USA; 4th Sara Schumann – USA; 5th Lindsey Bundy – USA. Women’s Figure B Class: 1st Jayme Galloway – Canada; 2nd Rachel Delmotte – USA; 3rd Christina Rieder – USA; 4th Claudia Sofronia – USA; 5th Stephanie Martini – USA. Women’s Figure C Class: 1st Shonda Lewis – USA; 2nd Nina Cash – USA; 3rd Nancy Tremblay – USA; 4th Ivonne Acosta – USA; 5th Stacey Walker – Australia.

Women’s Figure D Class: 1st Laure Lee Pine – USA; 2nd Heather Grace – USA; 3rd Teresa Brant – USA; 4th Laura Bailey – USA; 5th Kathleen Lamberson – USA. Women’s Figure E Class: 1st Lee-Ann Ellison USA; 2nd Dannie Allison Hogan – USA; 3rd Jocelyn Langton – USA; 4th Marie-Christine Deblock – France; 5th Wendy Bogard – USA. Women’s Figure F Class: 1st Lori Mork – Canada; 2nd Kimberly Lairet – USA; 3rd Stephanie Billings – USA; 4th Sheri Fisher – Canada; 5th Andrea Lyons – USA.

Overall Bikini winner: Ali Sonoma of San Diego, California.

Other winners of the Arnold Amateur NPC Bikini Championships were: Tall Class: 1st Ali Sonoma – SanDiego California; 2nd place: Sonya LaGore, Flushing – New York; 3rd Melissa Pittman – Lutz, Florida; 4th place: Nicolle Long – Grand Blanc, Michigan; 5th place: Kimberlee Strickland – Chicago, Illinois.

Short Class: 1st Gia Allemand – New York, New York; 2nd Kristal Marshall – Parker, Colorado; 3rd Beth Roedersheimer – Cincinnati, Ohio; 4th Brooke Johnson Griffin – Villa Hills, Kentucky; 5th Joleen Axworthy – Detroit, Michigan.

The Arnold Sports Festival, with bodybuilding as the heart of the weekend, features 37 events, 12 Olympic sports, 17,000 competitors, and more than 165,000 spectators.

For more information see our websites: www.arnoldclassicamateurbodybuilding.com, and www.arnoldsportsfestival.com

Third Annual Arnold Amateur Bodybuilding, Fitness, Figure and Bikini Championships

W E N OA

T N E S K I A O T TY NC

U A E B

L E V LE

A R F Y LE

H T A C

By Mike Bell

Cathy LeFrancois is one of the most beautiful female bodybuilders to ever compete in the IFBB. Her road to the stage is a lot like most peoples’ with a few twists here and there.

During her early school years, Cathy lived for sports. She started with ice skating, which should be expected, growing up in Quebec, Canada. Then she moved on to alpine skiing, tennis, and badminton. She spent many years speed skating, and participated in group dance. When asked if her parents were athletic or into sports she replied, emphatically, “No, not at all!

My mom was a nurse and my dad worked as a cook at school. They were very focused on building their retirement and providing for me.”

So after years of various sports, a person might wonder how Cathy fell into weight training. She says, “When I was 14, a friend of mine in my class had big forearms with veins! I asked how he got them. He said he was training at home with some dumbbells. A few days later he brought me a magazine with Corey Everson on the cover. I said that is the way I want to look!” So I guess we owe Corey Everson yet another thank you for inspiring Cathy to hit the iron. Cathy made her bodybuilding debut at the 1990 Quebec Metropolitan Regional Amateur. Even back then, after only a short time of training under her belt, a person could tell she had something special about her. Not only did she look great, she also presented herself to perfection and was given the best routine award.

Cathy would go on to compete once a year, never placing lower than 2nd. Then in 1995 she won the CBBF Canada Cup Middleweight Division and the Overall Championships and her Pro Card. Interestingly enough, Cathy had no clue she could even turn pro in bodybuilding. Other people saw the potential in her, but she had a hard time believing the hype.

Her climb to the upper echelon of female bodybuilding was a slow journey. She placed 12th in her pro debut at the 1995 Jan Tana Classic and followed that up with a 14th place finish at the 1996 Arnold Classic. After an extended layoff from competing, Cathy came back in 1999 and placed 8th at the Jan Tanna Classic and fifth at the 1999 IFBB Women’s Extravaganza. Then, in 2000, she made a huge splash at the Arnold Classic/Miss International with a third place finish. From the 2000 Arnold Classic through the 2003 Ms. Olympia, Cathy did not place lower than fourth in any competition. She even won the 2003 Arnold Classic Lightweight Division.

From here, Cathy made a very sudden and unusual change in her career. She decided to drop from bodybuilding and go into the figure division. She says of the decision, “It was 2003 and I had just won the Arnold and placed fourth at the Olympia. I decided to stop because my body was hurting a lot- little things like my elbows and shoulders. It always happens when I try to get bigger and try to be on stage over 140 pounds. It’s like my body rejects that weight. So I decided to take time to get better and I did a couple of figure shows just to keep me alive in the sport!”

No worries though for us die hard bodybuilding fans. Cathy would only take a brief vacation from bodybuilding. She talked to a couple of important people in the bodybuilding industry and was told that she could be a top ten competitor in the figure world, but that she would probably never be in contention for the top spot. With this in mind, and with all of the letters she had received from her bodybuilding fans begging her to come back, Cathy made up her mind to stick with her true love.

So in 2007, Cathy came back to the Arnold Classic and placed a very respectable tenth, which she followed up with a 2nd place finish at the Sacramento Grand Prix. 2008 would prove to be a tremendous year for Cathy too. After capturing a sixth place at the Arnold, she went on to win the New York Pro Show and finish up the year with a sixth place finish at the Ms. Olympia.

2009 looks to be another great year for this bodybuilding beauty. She hopes to do well again at the Arnold on March 7th. Off stage, Cathy works for Gaspari Nutrition and travels continuously all over the country making appearances on their behalf. She says of the company, “I have worked for the best supplement company in the world for five years. I care about them as if it was my own company.

I love their products and our team.” She also promotes “Training Weekends with Cathy,” her personal training business which she runs from her home gym. So, if you are interested in training with one of the most dynamic female bodybuilders in the world today, look her up at www. cathylpriest.com .

CHAMPION SERIES WITH GUY CISTERNINO It has been a long time since a middleweight competitor has had as much hype as Guy Cisternino had going into the 2008 NPC Nationals. Guy received a lot of publicity from Muscular Development and became known as a blue collar bodybuilder. He has built a huge fan base very quickly. It all started his junior year of college, after training most of his life for football. He jumped into the bodybuilding scene in 2003, when he entered the West Virginia Bodybuilding Championships. He says of that 1st show, “I was shocked. I went into it with very little help and ended up taking 1st in the Novice middleweights, the Novice Overall, and the Men’s Open 1st Place in the middle weights. After being on that stage and competing I fell in love with the sport.”

After a very successful debut, Guy teamed up with another young up-and-comer named P.J. Braun. For two years, Guy and P.J. pounded away with the iron. They decided together that Guy’s next show would be the Tom River Golds Classic in New Jersey, which he won and which also gave him a national qualification. Guy went back into the gym and continued to do what he loved- lift. About a year later, he met and befriended Evan Centopani. Evan told Guy about his nutritionist, and encouraged Guy to call and ask for help with his contest prep for his first national level show. Enter Dave Palumbo.

With Dave’s help for the 2007 season, Guy won the middleweight division at the ultra-competitive New York City Metropolitans. He also took first in the middleweights at the Jr. USA’s and then placed a close second to Jose Raymond, which is nothing to hang your head about. After his second place showing, Guy decided to hold off and have a nice long off-season and not step on stage again until the 2008 Nationals in Atlanta. This decision would prove to pay off greatly. Guy came into Atlanta being the favorite for the first time in his competitive life and left as the middleweight champion and an IFBB pro.

Not only will Guy, or the soon to be referred to, Mr. Cisternino, start 2009 as a professional bodybuilder, he will also start a new profession outside of bodybuilding. He plans on becoming a history teacher. He has the college degree now, and will be taking his teaching exam on March 14th. He says of his passion for history, “I always loved history. In high school, I had a teacher, named Mr. Cosgrove, and he made teaching history fun and animated. I remember sitting in class saying I wanted to be a teacher like him. I love all the wars from the French and Indian War to the Civil War, and all of the World Wars. There’s so much that can be learned from history it’s amazing… Now that I have accomplished my goal of becoming a pro body builder, I now can put competing on hold for a year to finally get my teaching career started and get a job I will enjoy doing. Becoming a teacher now is my next goal in life, and I will put just as much time and effort into that as I have anything else in my life.”

Guy understands the sport of bodybuilding as well as anyone. Most people would jump right onto the pro stage the first chance they got. Not Guy. He knows that if he going to be competitive with the likes of Dave Henry, Flex Lewis, and whoever else shows up in the 202 and under class, he has more work to do. He says of the improvements he wants to make, “To gain overall mass on my body, I want to bring up all my body parts. I need more cap to my delts, bigger overall arms, a thicker and wider back, and better quad sweep.” I personally think Guy is being a little hard on himself, but hey- that’s what makes him special!

A person would think training would be the hardest part of Guy’s off season, but it’s not. He says, “The key for me isn’t going to be training because that has never been a problem. I love to train! It’s going to be getting enough rest and making sure I am eating my normal 7-8 meals a day. I feel if I can get my meals in on a daily basis and get enough rest to recover after my workouts, I will bring a great package to the stage come 2010.”

There is no doubt that Guy will do just that, and I dare someone to tell him he can’t be a winner as professional bodybuilder. Guy has been told his whole his life he was too small for high school football and then that he was too small for college football. Finally, they said that he didn’t have the genetics to be a good bodybuilder and he has proven every single person wrong! Why is Guy Cisternino known as a blue collar people’s champion and why he has gotten so much attention as a middle weight? The reason… he has earned it! To find out more about Guy check his website out at www.guycisternino.com.

Hey everyone. Hope all is well with all of you. This past month has been great. The diet is coming along great, I am down to 278lbs but I feel my condition is right where it needs to be at the point in the prep. I am up to 60 minutes of cardio a day five times a week.

My training is going great. The main thing about contest prep is no injuries! My training changes a little, I do a few more things that increase the intensity from an 8 to a 10!

First thing I do differently is increase the rep range from six to eight up to eight to twelve. Reps for my back exercises usually go from 10 to 12 in the off season to 20 precontest. I really focus on squeezing and contracting every muscle fiber. However, I think its important to note that I still keep everything as heavy as possible. I also decrease my rest time between sets. As soon as my partner is done I am ready to go.

There’s very little talking, just a lot of hard work. Another training technique I employ precontest is super sets. For example, I like to do a set of leg extensions then go directly to some type of hamstring curl. I also do this a lot with biceps and triceps.

As the show nears to four to five weeks the power movements, like squats and dead lifts, are taken out of my training and we move more toward machines.

Machines are a great training tool for me because they allow me to incorporate drop sets easily. When performing drop sets I like to go extremely heavy on the first set for around eight reps and then drop the weight by half and bust out another 12 reps of really squeezing and etching in the detail.

If you would like to watch some of my training you can visit youtube.com and search for me under my profile name skuklo. I have added a lot of recent videos. I will also be guest posing at the Heart of Texas in Plano, TX on Sept. 12th and then will more than likely be at the animal booth at the Olympia. So please stop by and say hi.

Finally, I want to announce that I am not the proud husband to Amy Peters. We were married the week before the Europa in Michigan and are now back home living as a family. Until next month read the best, train with the best and be your best.

Coming Back To Glory Hey Guys, I know it’s been a while but guess whose back. As you know I’ve been competing for a while and lately I’ve only been competing in National shows. I’m blessed to consistently place in the top 10 but I figured something needed to change to get to that top spot.

Well this year I used an old and new formula to try to regain my winning ways. Texas State shows which I hadn’t done in years, and new was adding Miguel Rojas as a trainer, Pura nutrition as my supplementation program and Olympus Muscle and Fitness in Loredo as my training facility while in Loredo.

Of course in San Antonio where I live Joe’s gym was still where I trained so I was commuting back and forth several times a month but nothing ventured usually results in nothing gained.

Miguel came up with a hell of a game plan resulting in an overall victory at the Lone star Classic (a show I’d never before done). Of course the quest didn’t end there we had a national show to go after.

The Master’s Nationals show was picked and we went for the gold.

Unfortunately sometimes the best laid plans go awry and though I placed in the top five my ego and pride took a severe blow. You see some very important elements were missing in my prep that hadn’t been accounted for and no trainer in the world can give them to you. It’s something you have to do yourself. I had allowed my own focus to slip and my concentration to be distracted. Though Miguel was calling me daily even at one point almost hourly, I wasn’t allowing myself to relax. I let my own troubles stress me out.

My placing in that show left me hurt in more ways than you can imagine.

Talk about feeling like dog crap, I felt I’d let Miguel and everyone who’d ever believed in me down. First I was depressed then angry, and then determined this would not happen again. There was no way I was accepting this defeat, I had to redeem my self in my trainer’s eyes, in my friend’s eyes and most importantly in my eyes.

Little did I know Miguel was taking it as hard as I was. We were both blaming ourselves for the unexpected result. He was reevaluating all we’d done and put it all under a microscope.

The bottom line was a renewed effort on both parts and we picked The North American Championships (NAC) to be the path of redemption.

We brought the pain. I think my training partner in San Antonio Rob Washington took it personal as well. That son of a gun tried to bury me in the workouts as well as becoming a damn psychiatrist to help relieve stress.

Then one day a very close friend of mine Earnie Stevens filled in a big piece of the puzzle by simply calling and reminding me of a higher power that I had conveniently been leaving out of my life. I was made to realize maybe that’s why the added pressure had come into my life because I had not asked him to help me.

Speaking of help that was another missing component, apparently I had allowed my pride to grow so big that it took a monumental effort to ask for help from anyone. Bear in my when I decided to do the NAC I had no idea how I’d afford to get there. My money was tapped out from the previous 2 shows and I had bills out the butt due.

One day out the blue a friend of mine (Mike Shobel) was just talking to me and just came out with why you don’t ever ask folks for help. You help so many I bet they’d love the opportunity to pay you back. Boy was he ever right.

With all these revelations the fuzzy puzzle became clear. Miguel’s guidance, my family’s support, my friend’s help and God’s blessings allowed me to go to the NAC and bring back 1st place in Masters.

Now with Pura nutrition in my body, Olympus Muscle and Fitness and Joe’s gyms as my training facilities in Loredo and San Antonio and Miguel’s programs and strategies to mold me, Rob’s intensity, Debbie’s’ and my friends support and the lord’s blessings my sites are again set on the Master’s Nationals and my life long dream of finally getting that elusive pro card.

Look out Here I come.

EUROPA SUPER SHOW 2009

The Europa Super Show, promoted by Ed and Betty Pariso, was held on August 15th and 16th at the Dallas Convention Center. Much will be written about the mens open show which was won by Dennis James, and a lot will be discussed about how deep the mens 202 class was. However, I want to give everyone an idea of the entire spectale. This is much more than a bodybuilding show, it also includes one of the best car shows I have ever witnessed.

Cars like the old Mustangs Shelbies and Corvettes. For the person who envies new cars threre were Lamborghinis, Ferraris and even a state of the art Nascar racing car on display.

After taking a look at the cars you could walk over and watch the powerlifting meet that was going on up on their very own stage. Next to powerlifting was an arm wrestling tournament that went on for hours. I spoke with a guy that was part of the Wyoming Arm Wrestling Association who flew down just to compete at this show.

If thats not enough you could check out the MMA bouts being held during the day and possibly get the chance ot meeting some greats like Matt Hughes who were in attendance.

Now if you came just to see outstanding physiques don’t worry because there were plenty of those walking around. On another stage, to the left of the main stage, a model search was being conducted with tons of beautiful people.

On top of all of these things and a great bodybuilding figure and fitness show there was the expo. This was a huge expo with 100’s of vendors and many top athletes from various sports within the industry. While I was there I had the chance to speak with Trish and Branch Warren, Don Long, Steve Kuclo, Monica Brandt, Tricky Jackson, Krissy Chin, Flex Lewis and thats just to name a few.

This is not only one of the best bodybuilding shows around but in my books ranks only behind the Aronld as the best show of the year. If you get a chance next August make your way to Dallas and enjoy the weekend.

MO’S LEG TRAINING ROUTINE

Leg Workout

Leg Extensions – 4 sets 15 – 20 reps (90 – 120lbs) mainly as a warmup Reverse Lunges in Smith machine – 3 sets 12 – 15 reps ( 65 – 95lbs) (nice and deep and explode) Supersetted; Walking Lunges w/ barbell overhead - @ 30 – 40 steps (20 – 30 lbs) Reverse Hyperextensions – 15 reps Leg Press w/ feet high on platform – 20 reps (2 – 3 plates a side) Leg Extensions – 5 sets of 10 reps with only 20 to 30 seconds rest in between sets (105 – 135 lbs) Calves Standing Calve Raise – 3 sets (135 – 180lbs)

Tips I normally switch between straight leg movements and seated bent leg movements each time I train calves. I normally train calves 3 times a week.

I also like to include some supersets in my leg workouts I love the old saying “A figure girls glutes can never be too tight”.

Try adding a final burn exercise to try to get as much blood as possible into the muscle.

I will normally go back to the leg extension machine and do 5 sets of 10 reps with a 20 to 30 second rest in between

Triple Play

By Ray Joseph

There’s no precise term to describe what happened in Pittsburgh on the weekend of July 17-19, 2009. But a few phrases from the world of sports come close -- triple play, hat trick, grand slam. Or maybe “clean sweep.” Or “triumvirate.” Or, to paraphrase Julius Caesar in the plural, “They came, they saw, they conquered.”

Such was the fate of the three Dallas - Ft. Worth area teens who took their chiseled physiques to western Pennsylvania to see how they stacked up against the best teenage bodybuilders from across the rest of the United States.

And when the dust settled in the Steel City, the verdict was clear. Dallas, Ft. Worth and Grand Prairie were home to the three best teenage bodybuilders in the nation.

Middleweight Uriah McGee from Dallas dominated the middleweight class and won the coveted overall teen title as well at the 2009 NPC Teen Nationals Bodybuilding Championships. Lightweight Ft. Worth bodybuilder Chris Hunte captured first place in the teen lightweight class and took home an additional first place trophy in the collegiate lightweight class. And Grand Prairie bodybuilder Jonathan Irizarry rounded out the DFW area domination of the event with a first place finish in the teen light heavyweight bodybuilding competition.

Jonathan Irizarry

2009 NPC Teen Nationals Light Heavyweight Bodybuilding Champion Like many other young bodybuilders, Jonathan Irizarry, the 2009 NPC Teen Nationals Light Heavyweight Champion, participated in a variety of athletic activities before concentrating on bodybuilding.

Jonathan’s interest in bodybuilding didn’t begin until he attended the Europa Supershow in 2005.

“I went to that show and have been hooked ever since,” Jonathan said. “Prior to that I had never followed the sport. In school I had played almost every sport except golf. I started playing baseball when I was eight. I played lineman on the fooball team. I started playing tennis my sophmore year in high school and worked my way up to number one on the team and played in some U.S. Tennis Association tournaments.”

So what aspect of bodybuilding impressed Jonathan?

“It was the fact that people can be relatively normal sized, look good, and get into that type of condirtion,” he explained. “I started training regularly after that and started eating a little more.”

He decided to do the 2006 NPC Ronnie Coleman Classic and started his diet eight weeks before that show.

“Robert E. Lee, Ronnie Coleman’s friend, told me to do that show,” Jonathan said. “He sent me to Metroflex Gym to speak with Brian Dobson about posing and training. Brian showed me how to do the mandatory poses and we worked on those several times before the show.”

Jonathan stepped on stage at the 2006 Ronnie weighing 160 pounds and placed fourth in the teen class at the age of 16.

“I really didn’t know much about dieting. My food was pretty bland back then. I took a nutrition class in high school and read some articles in Muscle and Fitness and the other magazines and picked up more inforation from websites like Bodybuilding.Com.” Soon after that Jonathan started training on a regular basis with natural bodybuilder Trenton Taylor.

“That helped me tremendously. Having a reliable workout parter kept me motivated, get that extra rep in, and show up when I might hot have felt like training,” he said. “I got a lot stronger during that eight month time frame. And when I did the Ronnie the following year I placed second. I had put on a lot of size -- about 10 pounds -- but dieting wise, I wasn’t quite there yet. And then I did the 2007 Europa and won the teen class there. I was eating a lot cleaner but, looking back, my diet wasn’t on point because I was doing it all myself and I had lost a lot of size.”

In 2008 Jonathan again competed in and won the teen class at the Ronnie “to redeem my second place finish,” he said. “I did my own diet but became a lot more konwledgable. I read up on some material

by Layne Norton and came in a lot leaner, drier, rounder and fuller than in the previous shows.”

Jonathan Irizarry Continues After the 2008 Ronnie Jonathan planned to do the Musclemania Universe and the NPC Teen Nationals but was having trouble getting his physique to respond. That’s when a mutual friend introduced him to Sagi Kalev. Within weeks his physique responded enough for him to win the 2008 Musclemania Universe Junior Lightweight title. He went on to place 6th in the middleweight class at the 2008 NPC Teen Nationals but followed that with novice lightweight and novice overall wins at the 2008 NPC Europa.

“After Sagi and I started workout out together I had much more success,” he said. “Diet wise it was pretty much the same but we added some cardio. I got tighter in the glutes and hamstrings.

After the Europa I kind of did my own off-season stuff, including powerlifting and eating a lot. I got fat.”

The game plan for 2009 was to focus on the NPC Teen Nationals and use the Ronnie as a trial show so he and Sagi could work on how to best carb up and get him close to contest shape so it wouldn’t be so stressful to prepare for the show in Pittsburgh.

“We just worked a lot on compound movements. The main bodyparts I needed to bring up were chest, back and shoulders. I still have a way to go but we made a lot of progress,” Jonathan said.

“My biceps were always my best bodypart because of genetics, I guess. I’ve always had a good peak but they would lose size and flatten out a little at contest time.”

Sagi accompanied Jonathan to Pittsburgh to help him with the last-minute diet and preparations for the show. He credits Sagi with helping him come in fuller and rounder with the same conditioning -- and win the light heavyweight class.

“This offseason I plan on getting a lot bigger but not getting fat,” Jonathan said. “I plan to maintain my diet and eat clean with a cheat meal here and there along with a lot of heavy training with compound movements and focus on my chest and back. And I want to round off everything a little more.”

What’s the agenda for 2010?

“Honestly, I really don’t know when or where I’ll compete,” he said of his 2010 plans. “I feel like the next time I compete I need to be a lot better. I’ll also be in school and plan to be certified as a personal trainer to build a clientele and help people achieve their goals. I’m working with Sagi on a certification through the Pro PTA. He’s certified with that organization and that makes it convenient because he’s my trainer. He has helped me out tremendously; words just can’t explain it. Without him I wouild not be at the level I’m at now. And he’s much more than a personal trainer. He’s a friend for life.”

Jonathan also thanks his mother, sister and cousin for their support and Joe Lobell of MostMuscular.Com for helping with travel logistics, promotion and publicity.

“I’ve also made a lot of friends through the sport, including Chris Darby, Yumon Eaton and Charlie Montreuil, just to name a few,” Jonathan added.

Chris Hunte

2009 NPC Teen Nationals Lightweight Bodybuilding Champion 2009 NPC Collegiate Nationals Lightweight Bodybuilding Champion Chris Hunte is living proof that high quality physiques come in all sizes; that childhood athletics can lay a solid foundation for bodybuilding, and that last-minute distractions need not derail a long-sought goal. And Chris proved those things doubly true by winning both the Teen and Collegiate Lightweight titles at the 2009 NPC Teen and Collegiate Bodybuilding Championships in Pittsburgh.

Chris stepped on stage as a lightweight at 154 pounds, but he had set his goals prior to the show on winning not only his class but the overall as well.

“I was training to win the show,” he said. “I had already beaten Jonathan (Irizarry) at the Ronnie Coleman Classic, so I figured it would come down to me and Uriah (McGee) for the overall. I had everything he had so I was focused on winning it all.”

Chris’s confidence was rooted in a long history of athletic achievement. He started competing in martial arts at the age of five and changed over to powerlifting when he reached 15 years of age.

Although he was very successful in both martial arts and powerlifting, his lifelong dream was to become a champion bodybuilder.

“I’ve always wanted to do this since I was little,” Chris said. “In martial arts I earned a black belt and had trophies like crazy. I always has a really good core and really good genetics. I moved from New York to Dallas and started lifting seriously in 10th grade and won several powerlifting meets. When I was in the 12th grade my coach told me I really should do bodybuilding.”

“Ronnie Coleman, the way he trains, I just wanted to do that,” Chris said. “But the body I wanted was Flex Wheeler’s. Round muscle bellies, small waist. They were defijnitely the first two bodybuilders I saw that I wanted to be like.”

Chris trained at several Metroplex gyms before meeting Herman Steele backstage at the 2009 Ronnie Coleman Classic after winning the teen and open lightweight classes at the event.

“That’s when I went to Strouds Fitness Center for the first time. That opened my eyes to what bodybuilding was all about and Herman taught me all about nutrition. I had done too much cardio before the Ronnie and made some other mistakes but still won. Herman whipped me into serious shape for the Nationals. I came in a pound heavier than I did at the Ronnie but my waist got smaller and I was drier. Herman really relped me achieve that,” Chris explained.

But Chris’s trip to Pittsburgh was not without a bump or two along the way. A last-minute emergency kept Herman from making the trip with Chris, so a mutual friend set up Chris to stay with another competitor, Yumon Eaton, who ended up winning the Collegiate overall title at the show.

But despite the change in plans, Chris stayed focused on business.

Chris Hunte continue “I had never traveled before so everything was kind of crazy,” Chris said. “I met Yumon when I got there; he was cool. My teen class was large but it came down ot me and one other kid. He was a little drier than me at prejudging but by the time the night show came I was better. My posing routine, everybody loved it. Posing is another thing that is starting to come a little easier. Since I’ve done a few shows I’m really calm on stage now. So I was still focusing on winning the teen overall.

What happened is what happened. I know that Uriah is also planning to do the Junior Nationals in 2010, so I will have to stay focused on my game.”

Chris plans to walk on stage at the 2010 event at either the top of the middleweight class or near the bottom of the light heavyweight class. He plans to reach an off-season weight of around 200 to 205 pounds but sees no difficulties in getting back to contest weight and shape next year.

“Martial arts and powerlifting helped prepare me for bodybuilding, especially the discipline and the diet and pushing yourself -- came easily to me,” he explained. “And I love training heavy. That’s my kind of thing.”

Chris says balance is one of the keys to his off-season strategy.

“I want to make sure that the strong parts stay strong and that I improve my bodyparts that might be a little weaker,” he said. “I want to work on the whole physique and keep the waist small with round muscle bellies. We’ll be doing a lot of powerlifting to bring up my size. We’ll have more rest days since we will be lifting heavier.”

Chris says he departed from his normal dietary routine for a while after the Pittsburgh show but is now back to a more appropriate diet.

“When you eat junk you wake up feeling like crap.” Chris said. “I’m eating clean now, six to nine meals a day, pretty large portions. A lot of lean beef and potatoes, rice, chicken -- stuff pretty much like that -- with some shakes and pasta and cutting down on cheat meals.”

With his shorter term sights now set on the 2010 NPC Junior Nationals, Chris keeps a larger and longer-term goal on his radar.

“I want to become a pro, of course, hopefully as soon as possible,” Chris said. “I want to become not just a pro but a competitive pro and to someday be in the Mr. Olympia. That’s my top priority.

Not to just be a pro but a top pro at five foot five -- like a David Henry.”

Chris know a supportive enviornment will be helpful to achieving his goals, and he believes north Texas is a great place to be in that respect.

“People say that they grow them big in Texas,” he explained. “We have a lot of great bodybuilders here, a lot of the really big boys, and a lot of nice gyms down here where people take things seriously. It says a lot about our trainers and the people around us.

“And I’d like to thank a few people. My mom and my family in the good times and the tough times. My girlfriend who also supports me. My trainer Herman who cracks the whip day in and day out, like at three in the morning when I call him and he tells me to do this or that and give me encouragement no matter what time it is. And I’d like to thank Joe Lobell for doing my first photo shoot -- I had no idea what that would be like.”

Uriah McGee

2009 NPC Teen Nationals Middleweight Bodybuilding Champion 2009 NPC Teen Nationals Overall Bodybuilding Champion

For 19-year-old Uriah McGee the road to Pittsburgh began several years ago when the young 5-7 defensive back at Skyline High School wanted to improve his football performance for his senior season and turned to weight training as a solution.

“I started training to get bigger for football,” Uriah explained. “I knew I wasn’t going to get any taller so I started doing some research on the web, and that took me to powerlifting and bodybuilding sites.

And I watched a lot of bodybuilding clips on YouTube including Ronnie Coleman and his training routine for the 2004 Mr. Olympia. From that point I was hooked.”

After being bitten by the bodybuilding bug Uriah went all out for his newfound passion.

“I started working out both at home and at school,” Uriah said. “I was probably lifting eight hours a day. Frankly it didn’t make much difference in how well I played football but my body was responding well to what I was doing.”

Uriah continued his research into weight training and discovered he was overtraining.

“I bought Arnold’s Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding and DVDs by Ronnie Coleman and Branch Warren. I figured out how to get the diet and training down and was then on the right path,” Uriah said. “I decided when I was 16 that I would be ready to compete when I turned 19.”

In the meantime Uriah turned his knowledge of diet and training into a job as a personal trainer at a Dallas-area Bally’s.

“One of the new trainers there was one of Prince Harrison’s clients,” Uriah said. “He gave me Prince’s number and I called him. That was five weeks out from the 2008 NPC Heart of Texas. He said ‘I want you to do my show coming up in five weeks,’ so I did the 2008 Heart where I won the teen class.”

Uriah then returned to offseason training with even more enmthusiasm and meticulous attention to detail.

“I had every detail calculated -- every gram of protein, every gram of carbs, every workout planned,” he explained. “My workouts were geared to optimizing my body parts that I needed to bring up. Then we decided that I should do the 2009 NPC Lone Star and that my conditioning should be good enough to do the NPC Teen Nationals as well.”

The plan worked as scripted with Uriah carrying home three trophies from the 2009 Lone Star: teen class winner, novice middleweight winner, and novice overall winner. Uriah and Prince agreed it was time to up the ante a bit at the NPC Teen Nationals six weeks later in Pittsburgh.

“My preparation for the Teen Nationals was better than the other two shows,” Uriah said. “I stayed focused and did more intense cardio sessions and workouts. I just took everything to another level.”

Uriah flew into Pittsburgh the Wednesday before the show “to make sure I would have time to get rid of the water,” he said. “My glutes and hams usually some in at the very last moment, so I worried until they came in.”

Uriah stepped on stage in Pittsburgh heavier than he did at the Lone Star, weighing in near the top of the middleweight class.

“I was fuller at the Pittsburgh show, eight pounds heavier, fuller and thicker that I was at the Lone Star,” he said. “And my condition was better as well. I had watched my water intake and carbing up to make sure I didn’t spill over. That was the main thing. During the two days before the show I probably didn’t take in more than 16 ounces of water.”

As the overall teen winner Uriah received the traditional trip to California for a feature shoot with Muscle and Fitness magazine.

“It was a good experience. I had a lot of fun and met some good competitors,” Uriah said. “I was told I have good potential, I shot with IFBB Pro Stan McQuay. The article should be in the December issue of the magazine.”

Uriah is now back into off-season mode with his sights set on two shows in June of 2010.

“I’m eating red meat and white rice and trainig each muscle group two days a week,” he said.

“Sometimes I take on day of a week; sometimes two. I go by my instincts. I plan to get up to 205 or 206 pounds. last time I was at 208 before I cut down. I have good genetics overall as well as good shape and symmetry, especially my arms and back. I’m planning on improving my chest and getting bigger and thicker overall.”

His 2010 plans include competing in the NPC Lone Star and Junior Nationals, both in June, as a light heavyweight.

“My goals are to win at both shows next year and get a pro card by the age of 23,” he said. “I want to be top five at the olympia by the time I’m 25 or 26.”

In the meantime Urish, like the other Texas teen winners, Jonathan Irizarry and Chris Hunte, is proud of his home region.

“We already have big names in bodybuilding here like Ronnie Coleman, Branch Warren and Johnnie Jackson, he said. “We’re just keeping the tradition alive.

“And I just want to thank God for giving me the strength and health to do this. And I want to thank Prince Harrison and Optimum Fitness for their help and my friends and family as well for their support.

Check out Uriah at his website, www.uriahmcgee.com.

Gia Allemand is a 25 year old professional model. Born and raised in queens NY. Gia graduated from the University of Hartford and she was a professional ballet dancer from the age of 3 to 20. She is no stranger to fitness, she was doing ballet 6 days a week for at least 9 hour days. At 20 she began a career in bikini modeling and fitness modeling. She has been published in magazines such as Maxim, Sports illustrated. MAQ, beauty and fitness. She also has made a name for herself in the pageantry world where she won numerous bikini competitions such as the first Bikini division in the NPC 2009, Miss bikini USA 2008, Miss american dream, miss hawaiin tropic, and she was also crowned Miss Italia. Gia also spent a year working with MET-RX she was a model for MET-RX where she was on the cover of the calendar and also in their magazine frequently.

My year started off very well and I had a lot of big plans for myself in 2008. I had a little time off due to a shoulder injury at the end of 2007, but I aggravated the injury early in the year. Suddenly things started to fall apart. I lost my sponsorship and I did not know what to do. Luckily I have family members that really looked after me and I continued slowly go to the gym again.

I started back to the gym with a new gym partner and I decided that if I can’t do any competitions this year, I will better my weaknesses. I focused a lot on my lats, back and my waist. I really wanted people to see my improvements when I step back on stage. I am grateful that I started to work with my gym partner, because he really got me focused again on the task at hand.

We also sat down and decided to do something new.

We came up with the idée to launch a website and to add some stuff on it that bodybuilders can use. This will be like a good off and on season diet. I added my training schedule for people to use. I also invited people to email me and I started to help people with diets and gym routines. (www.heinrichvos.co.za ) My brother in law, which you know well by now also decided to try and get me into an American magazine.

I thought it was a big joke. I couldn’t believe it when he phoned me one day to tell me that Posedown Magazine wanted to do something with me. I want to take this opportunity to thank Michael, Bob and Laura and also the whole team at Posedown Magazine for this opportunity. You guys are wonderful. It really lifted my spirits.

Suddenly things started to turn for the better. The owner of Kusasa Commodities saw me in the gym one day. He approached my gym partner and he wanted to know if I was Heinrich Vos. He saw me in a magazine somewhere and he wanted to know if I am a sponsored athlete. My gym partner said no and basically told him the whole story. He phoned me up and offered me a sponsorship which I couldn’t refuse. Suddenly I could compete again.

All of this happened around 11 weeks out of the Muscle Evolution Grand Prix. My sponsor, Shane Neal imports all the well known American brands and distributes it to stores in South Africa. He also sells some of the stock online at www.abcnutrition.co.za.

HEINRICH VOS

Heinrich Vos continues I sat down with my new sponsor and we decided that I will defend my overall title at The Muscle Evolution Grand Prix and I will also do The Ultimate Showdown.

I started off with my diet. Everything went well until about 6 weeks out from Muscle Evolution. I pulled my calve muscle one night and I thought that was end of it.

Luckily it healed very quickly. A friend of mine also approached me during this time and asked me if I waned to go to Mr Olympia with him. I refused immediately. I wanted to take part and show the judges the improvements that I have made. Well, obviously my friend thought I would be crazy not to go to Mr Olympia, but on the other hand he also knew what a year I have had so far.

On 05 October 2008 it was time for the IFBB Muscle Evolution Grand Prix and I was ready to go. I weighed in rock hard 220lbs. This was the lightest I have weighed in a couple of years, but I was in the best shape ever. Everybody immediately saw the improvements I made. I won the over 198lbs line-up. Unfortunately I did not defend my overall title. The people in the crowd couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe it myself, but I was glad that the judges and the crowed appreciated the improvements I had made. I really received a lot of positive commends afterwards.

On 25 October it was time for the Ultimate Showdown. This was the first year this event was hosted, but it was not a sanctioned event by a bodybuilding organization.

It was a one line up, no weight class event. All the best bodybuilders in South Africa came to take part in this event.

I got a disappointing 5th place. I really believed that I would get a top 3 placement.

It really was the worst performance of judging ever in South Africa. Faces were judged and not the physiques of the athletes. This happens when celebrities and sponsors are used to judge athletes.

I was in even in better shape than at Muscle Evolution. I weighed in at 229lbs. Rock hard and shredded. Pose for pose I was the best on stage and pose for pose I was cheered on by the crowd. I truly can’t believe how the judging was done.

At the moment I am taking off. I want to try and stay lean, but I also want to try to add quality muscle. I would also like to continue improving my physique. I really managed to make my waist thinner. I still need to trim down my waist, but I also need to improve my back, lats and calves.

I want to get back on stage bigger, better, harder and even more shredded. My dream is to get on stage weighing around 242lbs, but this is not so important at the moment.

At the moment I would like a pleasing physique, which is pleasing on the eye.

I want to make 2009 a really big year for me. I am planning to take off the whole year of 2010. I have a fair idée what shows I will be doing. The main show the IFBB World Championships.

BLUE COLLAR BODYBUILDING Hello Iron Warrior’s hope all is well with your nutrition, supplementation, training and your careers! As you now know my column Blue Collar Bodybuilding is all about the iron warrior who makes it to the gym five to six days a week but also has to juggle a career and family life. That leads us to this months topic which has to do with what I call trimming the fat out of your life. Yes, trimming the fat out of your life!

What I mean by trimming the fat out of our lives is that we must focus on what is important to us and not to waste our time and energy worrying about things we simply can not control. In this column I will give you several examples of things that can kill the motivation of the Blue Collar Bodybuilder. We must stay focused on the task at hand an strive to achieve our desired goal. Anything that interferes with the mission should be trimmed off and out of your life like fat on a steak. Hear as several examples: 1. Focusing on other people and the gossip at the gym. When you are a blue collar bodybuilder that means you have only a limited time to get your training in so get in the gym and get it done. Take five minutes to say hello to your friends and then put the headphones on and get to work.

Its not that we are rude but as I have stated we have a limited time to get the job done. Have a plan and goal each and every time you step foot into the gym. Stay focused. If you find yourself talking in between sets keep it to a minimum and keep the conversation to bettering yourself.

Do not get sucked into the negative talk.

2. We all know that the economy is having a major impact on us all. We don’t know if we will be working next week, month or year. Yes, this is very stressful but worrying about what you can not control will only raise your cortisol levels and make you weaker even sick. Excess worry is proven to cause injuries, sickness and even death. Stress kills so keep it to a minimum and focus on things you can control. If your find yourself in a budget crunch cut back spending on other areas of your life so you can keep the bodybuilding dream alive. Do your really need that new watch when your membership is due next week?

3. Worrying about the competition. Yes, you need to be aware of your competition but can’t you control the out come of the show! You can only change the outcome of the show by coming in at your best. This means being in competition with yourself and not spending excess time worrying about the other guy. It is not uncommon for competitors to shut down there computers, phones, and even relationships to stay focused. If you focus on beating yourself then you have already won the battle. You can not control the performance of other competitors or control who will show up in what condition on game day. Trim the fat and stop stressing about others.

I want to give a shot out to my new training partner MDOC Officer Ryan Dean who is a rabbit in the gym and pushing me to all time new heights. Thanks Ryan for being early everyday and helping me to achieve my goals. The other day I got talking to a guy and Ryan slapped me and told me to get focused. I told Ryan that the kid had a show coming up and Ryan snapped back at me and said, “so do you man get to work.” This reminded me to trim the fat in my life and to get back on task. I want to thank King Kamali of www.GBNScience.com for bring me aboard. Your help and guidance is truly priceless. Check out the best workout supplement in the world at ww.GBNScince.com and you will find out why its called the, “magic powder.” I also want to thank Blake Burnstein, Jeff Johnston, Bill Strong, JD “Flex” Mason, Jay McKeown, Zack Lane, Dale Jr. for all the love and support. Thanks guys. My lovely wife Tina has been cooking the chicken and egg whites and is dialing me in. My wife is my heart and soul and my motivation to do my very best. Until next month trim the fat and get focused on your goals.

If you take this challenge you will see and feel a difference immediately.

Feel free to hit me up at ironjoeleahy@yahoo.com! Until next month keep reppin’ strong!!!

Powerlifting Sport Psychology Training Josh Bryant MFS, CSCS, PES, SSE ISSA-CFT, SSC, SPN Have you ever been to a powerlifting meet and heard some one boast about colossal training lifts? These claims are commonly made backstage, or in the warm-up area. Very frequently these comments follow a poor meet performance.

Why would a competitive lifter brag about training numbers after a pitiable performance? It is because they these lifters, once on the platform, are overrun with feelings of anxiety, rather than the performance enhancing feelings of adrenaline. These men may be physical giants, but when coupled with their mental dwarfism, they will never achieve their maximum potential. In the pages that follow I will lay out a simple plan to help you, the competitor, achieve success not only on the lifting platform, but on the platform of life as well.

“Ideal physical preparation in sport will never compensate for deficiencies produced by psychological weakness which arise during competition” Mel Siff Phd. (2 P. 13) Russian sport scientists and athletes realized early it is vital to recognize a training maximum, or TF max. (2 P.2) Since optimal motivation occurs under competitive circumstances, an athlete’s TF max will be significantly less than an athlete’s competition maximum; or CF max. On average, an experienced weight lifter will experience a 10% increase during competition lifts when compared to their TF Max (with an average variance of 2.5% either way). (3.)

The importance of nervous system training must not be ignored. The development of strength is related to the number of muscle fibers firing simultaneously, which is entirely a function of the nervous system. (2 P.60) The rate and number of fibers firing depends on voluntary and involuntary processes. The voluntary ones are closely related to PERSONAL MOTIVATION and biofeedback techniques. (2 P.60) Guided mental imagery or self-talk, to produce more rapid efforts can recruit a great number of muscle fibers at a faster rate of firing. (2 P.60) The result being a greater production of force, and an increase in the amount of weight lifted.

Mental preparation is often overlooked in the sport of powerlifting. But in a sport that requires maximum one repetition strength to be performed while adhering to stringent rules, mental preparation can prove to be invaluable. If you beat the squat command guess what happens, a missed lift and a missed opportunity to showcase your strength.

Training is for building strength and the meet is for demonstrating that strength. Without proper transference between building and demonstrating strength, a lifter will never be the best that he can be.

Your conscious mind deals with things at face value: reasoning, logic, communications and things of that nature. Most people attempt to only operate in this part of their mind. This part of your mind, however, represents only a small percentage of your total mental capacity. The subconscious mind directly influences your concept of self. The power to achieve and do great things is in your subconscious mind. You must believe to in order to achieve. Powerlifting legend Anthony Clark once said, “We are not born winners or losers, we are born choosers.”

A person’s self image is the key to their behavior and will set the boundaries to their individual accomplishments. It will define what you can or cannot do. If you are able to expand your self-image, you will, in turn, expand the possibilities of your accomplishments. (1 P.ix) In the 1950’s clinical and experimental psychologists proved that the human nervous system is unable differentiate between a real experience and a vividly imagined detailed experience. (1 P.xii) This does not mean that you can repeat ten times a day, “I will bench 600,” and it will happen. That would be a passive experience. For the nervous system to believe it is doing what you are imagining, you must create a vivid mental movie complete with the feelings, sights, sounds, and smells that would accompany the experience in real life. You need active experiences to positively affect your subconscious mind.

The discovery of self can not only help an athlete’s training, but more importantly, it can aid in the athlete’s meet day performance. T.F. James, was quoted fifty years ago in Cosmopolitan magazine as saying, “understanding the psychology of the self can mean the difference between success and failure, love and hate, bitterness and happiness.”

Our triumphs and failures and other people’s reactions to these triumphs and failures, form our concept of self. (1 P.2) In other words our experiences shape our self-image. It is not so much the actual experiences, but the way we perceive these events. The good news is the human nervous system cannot tell the difference between real and imagined experiences, which means you can train mentally with weights you are not yet physically able to lift. Here is an example; Johnny is a state level lifter who squats 600 pounds. If Johnny believes he is a state level lifter who squats 600 pounds, then he is precisely that. But if Johnny believes he is a rapidly progressing lifter on his way to a world championship the odds of him becoming good are greatly increased. A good example of this is when a lifter makes excuses and blames his genetics for his poor performance. Genetics are one piece of the equation, but how many lifters have reached their genetic potential? I would be confident in saying that very few lifters, if any, have ever reached their genetic potential. To be successful in the sports arena, or in life, you have to have a positive self-image.

Most efforts to change one’s self-image are directed at the superficial level, with bogus self-esteem programs. In order to achieve positive gains we must transform at the core of our being. Once we alter our self-image; it is easier to accomplish things within the realm of this new self-image. Prescott Lesky, who is considered one of the founding fathers of self-image psychology, conceived personality as a system of ideas all of which seem to maintain consistency with one another. Thoughts and goals that are inconsistent with this system of ideas are not acted upon. While ideas aligned with this system are acted upon. At the nucleus of this system of ideas is an individual’s concept of self. (1 P.4)

The creative mechanism within every individual is impersonal. It can work automatically to achieve success or failure.

This depends on the goals you set for your self (1 P.13) Present it with positive goals the “success mechanism” will set in. Present it with negative goals “the failure mechanism” will set in. Our goals are mental images developed in the conscious mind. The key is a realistic, positive self-image. Every living thing has a goal striving mechanism put there

by God to sustain life. (1 P.16) A squirrel born in the spring has never experienced winter yet somehow squirrels now in the fall to store nuts for the winter. (1 P.16) People not only have these innate abilities for sustaining life, but also for achieving great things.

On a personal level, is your goal just to sustain life or to increase your total? Since you are still reading I can assume it is to increase your total. Man has the ability to use mental imagery, visualization, and imagination to tap into his “built-in” success mechanism, the one he is programmed with. This means not just surviving at a meet, but thriving at a meet.

The great Scottish philosopher, Dugold Stewart, once said; “The faculty of imagination is the great spring of human activity and the source for human improvement.” You ever hear a coach say to their athlete, “see your self doing the weight.” These coaches are really onto something. The use of mental imagery doesn’t just start at the meet; it should become a regular component of training if one wishes to be their best. Know what your current goal is and know, without a doubt, that you will accomplish it. Then look to the future at a target past your current goal and how you will achieve that next goal.

Our brain and nervous system react to an environment; but remember, this is the same brain and nervous system that tell us what an environment is. (1 P.33) Man is a goal oriented being, he is engineered that way. (1 P.114) This means you must set specific goals for your meet. If I am coaching someone at a meet, they have goals for that meet, goals that have been set since the very first day of preparation for that meet. These goals need to be specific, measurable, and realistic. Goals need to be established for the micro cycle, mesocycle, and macro training cycles. Each unique phase, has a unique goal to help you achieve the ultimate goal at your meet. What do you want to total at your next meet? Where do you want to be a year from now?

“To do my best” is not a proper goal; it is very convoluted and open to interpretation. In general people with no goals feel their life is not worthwhile, the truth is they have no worthwhile goals. Man is hardwired to achieve goals and conquer obstacles. A great line from the film The Rock says volumes about this idea, “Your best? Losers always whine about their best, winners go home and screw the prom queen!” In powerlifting losers whine about their best, they make excuses about their jobs, money, or training partners; while the winners go to meets and set PR totals!

If powerlifting is important to you, the importance of a mental imager program will prove to be invaluable. Brain activity procedes movement, and it is vital that correct movements are visualized long before those movememnts are performed. Visualization techniques were utilized by top Russian weightlifters and coaches. (2 P.72) No two great lifters lift excatly the same; Soma type, limb length, muscle fiber make up, previous injuries, strengths, and weaknesses are all factors where lifters differ. Being able to visualize your optimal technique is crucial to becoming a “Master of Sport,” as they would say in Russia.

THE PROGRAM Everyday set aside twenty minutes for mental imagery training. Find a dark, comfortable place to lay down and relax your muscles. A place where all the anxieties and troubles of everyday life can be forgotten. Start developing a “movie” in your head, a movie where you are the star. Visualize yourself lifting the weights you are going to be lifting in training. Visualize yourself arriving at the gym, warming up, psyching up, and lifting the weights with ease. You should use all your senses to make the visualization as true to real life as possible. This experience should be like a vivid dream, the kind where you wake up and feel it has actually happened; you want your CNS to have a real experience. After a experiencing this vivid dream the real life experience may seem like De JaVu; you have already experienced this, your subconscious mind says so, and that is where the power of achievement lies.

Garry Frank once told me “When I walk up to the platform the lift has already been done in my mind, I am just doing the required going through the motions.” Amen Garry! Visualization must be part of your daily routinethroughout your entire training cycle. Training lifts have built the foundation, but unless performed under competitive circumstances, they are meaningless. Mental imagery is where an athlete bridges the gap. The goal should not be to equal training lifts, it should be to exceed them.

Visualize every detail of the meet; warming up, time between attempts, approaching the platform, and making your lifts “nine for nine.” Visualize the people coming up to you after meet and congratulating you.

A valuable technique I developed was loading my goal weights for the upcoming meet on to the bar. I did this two to three times a week. I would put the weight on the bar, put on my favorite music and visualize myself lifting that weight. Sometimes I would appraoch the weight and give it a good shake, reminding myself that come meet day, gravity no longer held supremacy; but that Josh Bryant did. I would set aside fifteen minutes for this activity, but many times it would last for a couple of hours. The first time I dealifted 800 in a meet my previous best was 749, but because of my mental preparation, the extra 51 pounds was a cinch.

Visualization will not be accomplished through strain, or effort; it is instead achieved through relaxation. Try to systemitically relax your muscles, one muscle group at a time. Then start to develop the movie in your head. Play back in your mind your past successes, like a successful competition or any event that makes positive about yourself.

Reflecting on past victories and successes is helpful in defining a positive self image. The key is to help these positive experiences build a base for your psyche. Realize with proper focus the future will be better and begin to view the with nostaligia.

Louie Pasteur once said, “chance favors the prepared mind.” Napaeloen Bonaparte would role play, so would General Patton. Both of these men were prepared for almost any situation that could arise because they had mentally prepared for them. Envision yourself not only as a big time lifter, but also as a “big deal.” As your total increases people will becoming to you for advice, envision your new role as one of powerlifting’s elite and the admiration and notoriety that accompnay this new status.

If you have the freedom it can be helpful to decorate your workout facility. Posters of past greats can serve as a graet motivational tool. You should have heroes that you admire and that will motivate you to become better. Todays training methods are far more advanced than those of yesteryear, so you can concievably surpass these past greats. Just remember they were way ahead of their time for their era; be thankful they paved the way for you, but never lose respect for these heros. Even the color of your training facility can have an effect on your psyche. If you are able to do so, painting your gym red is the way to go. Psychologists have linked red to aggressive behavior. (4) You now know how to create a positive self image, but what about negative people and the negative energy they bring? If you can distance yourself from these negative energies, that is you best bet. If you cannot, simply pay them no mind. Do not hate these people, because hate and contempt breed resentment. And resentment, in and of itself, is a negative energy. Let your energy flow in a positive direction and not in the direction of someone you don’t like. Save all the energy for yourself and the ones you love. Within every crisis lies some sort of opprotunity! One time I asked John Inzer, “what if Nike made powerlifting equipment?” His response was, “that would be great they would increase awareness of the product and market share.” He was completely positive, no resentment, no victimhood just complete focus on the task at hand.

By following this outlined mental preperation program, you will make it much easier to be in the ideal performance state; the goal of every athlete. This state is marked by psychological and physical effieciency. (5 P.188) The bottom line is, if you are able to lift more in the gym than at meets; something is wrong. The problem may be physical; but more likely than not is psychological. © COPYRIGHT – Josh Bryant - 2009 Sources 1.Maltz, Maxwell. Psycho-Cybernetics 2. Siff, Mel C. Supertraining 3. Zatriosky, Vladimir. Science and practice of Strength Training 4. http://www.theblufish.com/articles/decorating/freelance/colorsbedroom.html 5. Janet C.Harris, et al. Essentials of Strength Training & Conditioning

CENTRAL TEXAS SHOWDOWN 2010 www.CentralTexasShowdown.com

CHAMPION SERIES

PD: Juan thanks for taking the time to visit with us. How long have you been competing and how old are you?

JM I have only been competing since 2007 and I am 27 years old.

PD: Wow you are still really young. Where are you from?

JM: I am from New Rochelle, NY PD: What got you into the sport?

JM: I started to work out to get a bigger chest. Then I picked up a couple bodybuilding magazines and saw the contest section. I knew then I wanted my body to look like that and ever since then I have been hooked.

PD: Who has been your biggest influence?

JM: Dave Palumbo

Juan J Diesel

PD: Who is your favorite bodybuilder or competitor of all time?

JM: Flex Wheeler PD: I get that answer a lot these days. Flex was one of the best ever! What do you feel are your strong points?

JM: Chest and shoulders PD: What are your weak points that you want to bring up?

JM: My calves PD: What kind of diet do you use and how long is your contest prep?

JM: My contest prep is 16 weeks and I have used the keto diet in the past. However, this time Dave had me on a different diet that included carbs, fat, and proteiin PD: What does cardio look like for you?

JM: We started with 45 min 16 weeks out than at 4 weeks went up to 60 than at 2 went up to 90 than last week we went back down to 45 PD: What’s your favorite body part to train and what is your favorite lift?

JM: My favorite bodypart to train is legs and my favorite lift is squats PD: What are your future plans?

JM: Well I plan on taking the rest of this year off from competing and just focus on making as much gains as possible, come back next year and try to get my pro card.

PD: Good luck to you Juan. If you want to check out more of Jaun go to www.juanjdiesel.com

No one really knows what to expect from this new bikini division that started in 09. There has been some familiar faces with in the industry that has done well.

There has also been some new fresh faces burst onto the scene. One of these faces is Shina Mitchell Lewis.

This 25 year old former beauty queen has been competing since 2005 in figure but decided to make the switch to the new bikini division. When I asked her about her strong points for this new challenge she replied “My strong point is my stage presence. Coming from my pageantry background, I feel I have a strong personality on stage and a lot of people have said that Bikini is nothing but a “T” and “A” competition, but I feel I bring class and sophistication to the Bikini Class.” Indeed she does, anyone that has seen her on stage or even in pictures can tell she is already a true professional. With the help of her trainer, Mike Davies, Shina is working on tightening up her glutes for the upcoming 09 Nationals where she plans to take home her pro card and then eventually compete for the Ms. Olympia title.

When she does turn pro and qualify for the Ms. Olympia if she needs directions to the venue she could always ask her husband, as he knows the way there. See Shina’s husband is none other than James “Flex” Lewis, who has competed in this years Mr. Olympia 202 and under class. Shina obviously considers Flex to be her favorite bodybuilder, but she also looks up to Mark and Christina Dugdale, Branch and Trish Warren, and the Cutlers. She says “These couples work as a team supporting each other in their goals as I do for Flex and he does for me.”

When Shina isn’t at the gym refining her almost perfect physique she and Flex are running the smoothie bar that they own called Flex N Shake Smoothies.

She says “We sell protein smoothies, workout gear, clothing and supplements. My husband and his training partner are in the process of opening a gym called Olympus Athletic Club in Franklin , TN. The gym will be opening in January 2010.”

As you can see from her pictures Shina has every thing it takes to be a huge star in our industry. The only question is how long will it take her!

THE FUTURE SHINA MITCHELL LEWIS

THE FUTURE KIRA NEUMAN

Kira Neuman is another young beautiful female athlete that is helping to resurrect the sport of female bodybuilding. She is 27 years old and has been competing for three years.

Growing up in Greenwood, Indiana Kira was very involved in sports. She played volleyball, basketball, softball, tennis and was a competitive gymnast for 10 years. During her junior year at Ball State University she went to the yearly bodybuilding show that the school held. She says “I decided I would do that show the next year. I followed through with that decision and I was hooked.” After that show Kira would go on to compete at the 2007 Collegiate Nationals and took home 1st.

She followed that up with a 2nd place finish at the 2008 Jr. Nationals.

When not competing or at the gym there’s a pretty good chance you will find her in a classroom somewhere either as a student or as a teacher. After graduating Ball State she decided to go back to school at IUPUI. She is currently working on her masters in Special Education. Miss Neuman is also a Physical Education and health teacher for students with special needs.

As for her bodybuilding, Kira is working hard on adding size to her legs along with more detail. When you stack this improvement on her already impressive back and shoulder development she will be a force to reckon with on a national stage. If you want to see more of Kira check her out at www.kiraneuman.com.

9 0 0 2

MARCH 4-7, 2010

A four-day event showcasing 18,000 athletes competing in 44 sports & non-stop fitness entertainment!

22nd Arnold Classic Q Active Living Festival Q Amateur Fitness, Figure & Bikini Q Amateur Men’s & Women’s Bodybuilding Amateur Strongman Q Archery Q Armwrestling Q Art At The Arnold Q Bench Press Q Boxing Q Cheerleading & Dance Q CrossFit DanceSport–Youth/Senior Q EXPO (March 5-7) Q Fencing Q Figure International Q Figure Skating Q Fitness International Fitness Training Seminar Q Grappling/Jiu Jitsu Q Gymnastics Q Judo Q Karate Q Martial Arts Festival Q Ms. International Party With The Pros Q Powerlifting Q Pump and Run (5K Run/Walk) Q Skateboarding Q Sports Photography Strength Training Summit Q Strongman Classic Q Table Tennis Q Tae Kwon Do Q Weightlifting Q Wrestling TICKETS: $10 daily EXPO, Individual Event and VIP Tickets ON SALE NOW @ Ticketmaster.com/arnold or phone 800-745-3000 WEEKEND INFORMATION: www.arnoldsportsfestival.com Veterans Memorial Q Greater Columbus Convention Center Q Nationwide Arena Q Dispatch Ice Haus Q LC Pavilion Q Columbus, Ohio USA

© 2009 CLASSIC PRODUCTIONS INC

This months cover story goes to our first time repeat cover athlete. Kris Murrell also graced our cover in the May of 2008 issue. That issue we met and got to know the NPC competitor that was Kris Murell, this time is different because we are getting visiting the 2009 Overall National Champion and newest IFBB Pro Kris Murrell. She stepped on stage in Orlando Florida at the toughest amateur show in the country and won it hands down. There was never a doubt, she was that good! Not only was her physique the best on stage that night she had to be one of the most attractive National Champions the bodybuilding industry has seen in a long time! After her championship win Posedown Magazine had the opportunity to visit with her.

PD: First of all Kris, congratulations on hitting your mark and winning the overall at Nationals! You looked amazing! How are you feeling right now?

KM: Well....it kind of feels like a birthday, just another day.

Then I start to think about the next time I’m going to step on stage and the ladies I’ll be standing next to and it freaks me out a little. Exciting, nervous, anxious, scared…you name it and I’ve felt it.

PD: Who are you looking forward to sharing a stage with? I know if I had just turn pro I would have a list of people that I would want to compete against?

KM: Are you kidding? Every time I think about the women I’ll be standing next to scares the s**t out of me! Every one brings something different to the table and I’m fortunate to even be able to step on stage with any of them.

PD: What did you think about this years heavyweight class? I thought the top 4 looked really good and if things go well for these ladies the sport of female bodybuilding looks bright.

KM: I’m EXTREMELY excited about the talent that is on the rise. I didn’t really know some of the ladies until this show and I can proudly say that they are amazing! Beautiful women, inside and out!

PD: What was the main difference in this contest prep and the ones in the past?

KM: I’ve realized that quality of life has a huge effect on all aspects of attaining one’s goals. I’m living in a city that I adore and working for an AMAZING company (Europa Sports Products). My job is very important to me and for the first time I feel like I have a future with a promising career.

That set aside, learning how my body responds and reacts to different components (i.e. Training and diet) and being able to communicate with my trainer (Tony Racanelli) has helped.

Something I did add this year was EXTENSIVE posing with Big Will Harris. He kicked my butt twice a week. And trust me when I say “kicked” is an understatement.

KRIS MURRELL 2009 OVERALL NATIONAL CHAMPION BY: MIKE BELL

KRIS MURRELL PD: Who helped you with your nutrition this past year? Did they help you all year or just for your prep?

KM: I’ve worked with Tony Racanelli for 6 years. He is amazing! His approach is mental, physical, and emotional.

He doesn’t just throw you a diet and leave you to figure things out. He’s mentored me from the very beginning and I wouldn’t be the person I am now if it wasn’t for him….and that’s personally and as a competitor. I stated before that Will Harris, IFBB Pro also helped in my prep. He put me through grueling posing sessions twice a week. For those of you who doubt or are unsure of how much posing is crucial, trust me……POSE-POSE-POSE- and then POSE AGAIN!!!!

PD: That’s great advice. Did your training style change up any, more intensity or a different split?

KM: Funny that you mention, I did change my routine towards the end. I started hitting each body part twice a week.

I’ve always struggled with my lower so I ended up hitting my glutes almost every day or every other day. My lower still isn’t where it needs to be but I did manage to bring a different package.

PD: For 99% of the female competitors out there glutes are their arch nemesis? Would you mind sharing some of the exercises you used over the last few months?

KM: I have to laugh at this one due to the fact that mine are still a work in progress. I’m constantly getting beat up over my condition primarily in that area. I will say that consistently hitting exercises that focus on the back of the leg 3-4 times a week definitely helped with improvement. (i.e. single leg hyper extensions, lunges w/ various feet placements, plyos, abduction/adduction) PD: What about cardio how much did you do this year compared to years previous?

KM: We really didn’t change up my cardio that much from previous yrs.

PD: What Percentage do you feel you were at on stage this year? A few “experts” felt you were still only at 90% condition wise.

KM: I would agree with that! You’re right EVERYONE seems to be an “expert” in this industry. I know I have work to do and still need to improve. I’ve stated before, when we stop improving is when we should stop competing. I can assure you this, the next time I’m on stage, my pro debut, I’ll be that much closer.

PD: Have you and Tony talked about what you might do in order to bring you in a little tighter next time, maybe more

PD: Have you and Tony talked about what you might do in order to bring you in a little tighter next time, maybe more cardio, or a longer diet?

KM: I’ve never maximized my off season. In the past, I’ve never really incorporated cardio and my eating habits were terrible. …and I don’t mean bad food. My goal is to NOT have an off season.

PD: We don’t hear a lot about the female side of dieting, give us a brief description of your contest diet i.e. did you carb cycle, go low carb, low fat etc.

KM: It was pretty simple. It’s basically a carb rotation which varied every 3-4 weeks, depending on how I looked.

PD: What have you learned over the years about your body and different diet plans? Every single person is different so it’s always interesting to hear how different people react to different diets.

KM: That is so true. Everybody responds differently to everything! I personally don’t do well with the no carb – high fat diet. I’m not saying that it doesn’t work but it’s just not a good fit for me. To be honest, up until last year, I never really asked questions nor noticed how my body responded. I just went with what I was told. That was my mistake. My advice for anyone is to ask questions and even ask about what questions to ask.

PD: What are your plans for next year?

KM: If I had a penny for every time I was asked that question, I could retire already. Who knows, I might tap into professional kite flying. LOL! All jokes aside, I want to talk with my bosses first. My job is first priority and I want their blessing.

PD: Do you think you are ready for the pro stage or do you need to add something to your physique?

KM: I have some areas I need to “add” a little more. It’s mostly my conditioning though. I believe once I nail that, the lacking areas will pop more.

PD: What changes, if anything, in your life now that you have your pro card?

KM: That’s a good question. As you’re asking me this it’s only been a week. All I know is that no matter what happens, I want to be a good representative of this sport.

PD: Are you currently representing a supplement company? I would think with the combination of your physique and your beauty you would have companies calling?

KM: As an employee of Europa Sports Products, we represent and support almost ALL supplement companies.

PD: Is there anyone you would like to thank?

KM: The fans and supporters who make it to the shows! We all know that female bodybuilding doesn’t get the recognition that we deserve. Sure we can talk about it on the forums, emails, websites, etc….. but the true support that gauges our success for the future comes from those who make the trips and buy tickets.

PD: Very well put, I have a feeling there will be a few extra fans in attendance at the next show you decide to compete at.

I am speaking for all of the fans out there we can’t wait to see you on stage again.

U M S KRI

L L E RR

NEWS AND NOTES FROM NICK SCOTT Wheelchair Bodybuilding Camp & Wheelchair Dance Workshop December 7-10 will be the second Wheelchair Bodybuilding Camp in History—followed right after, on December 11, by a Wheelchair Ballroom Dancing Workshop! The Wheelchair Bodybuilding Camp will take place at the Shriners’ Hospital in Chicago, for six Shriners’ Hospitals for Children patients, and the Wheelchair Dance Workshop will have six to eight participants.

Last year’s camp came about from an idea from Dr. Lawrence Vogel, Spinal Cord Injury Medical Director, and Sara J. Klaas, Director of Spinal Cord Injury Services. Sara contacted me to help run the camp and instantly I said, “YES!” And that’s how the first Wheelchair Bodybuilding Camp was born!

The guys come from all over the United States; last year they came from Oklahoma, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois. We use the hospital as the home base, and the guys have daily workouts with me, outings to local fitness centers, massages from Advanced Physical Medicine students, nutrition training with SHC dieticians and more. The goal is to have them leave the camp with a healthier lifestyle and the ability to make better choices—and some of them may just end up becoming wheelchair bodybuilders!

Now, with one camp under my belt, I have a better understanding of what the guys like and what they want to learn more about, so this year I’ll make the necessary adjustments. Last year I got The Burn Machine, a company specializing in the asymmetrical barbell system, to donate five speed bags, three cross-trainers and one ultimate burn machine to the hospital. On top of that, the camp participants are displayed with the units and me on the front page of The Burn Machine’s website at www.theburnmachine.com. How many camps make that happen!

This year the guys are in for another dose of WCBB training and knowledge. One day I will expand the camp and hold it multiple times a year in different locations—it’s a great idea, but needs a lot of planning and funding to make it actually happen. It can and will be done, the question is when—and that just depends.

At the wheelchair dance workshop following wheelchair bodybuilding camp, professional dancer and teacher Aubree Marchione will lead the workshop and I will be helping her out with the demonstrations. There will be six to eight wheelchair participants and they will have partners to team up with—they will be taught the different ballroom dances, how to lead and follow, and anything else Aubree has in mind. It will be an amazing time, and at the end Aubree and I will perform our routines for everybody.

With both bodybuilding and dance, that week will be full of non-stop of excitement!

Being a former Shriners’ patient, it is an honor to be able to do this and give back. I was once lost inside and the Shriners’ Hospital in Chicago opened my eyes to something greater. My goal is to show them that anything is possible. I want them to reach for the stars, because you never know when you are going to catch them.

S K IC

N

T

T O C

S

NEW

ES U IN

T

N O C

IFBB Professional Wheelchair Division August 13-14, 2010, in Dallas, Texas, at the Europa Supershow marks the first time in history that the IFBB Pro Wheelchair Division will be added to any bodybuilding show! It will also be the first time in history that a disabled sport will be competing on the same stage as another professional sport, allowing the competitors on the same stage time and treating them as equals. Wheelchair basketball is the #1 most popular sport for wheelchair athletes, but it is nowhere close in popularity to the NBA. Right now things are still being finalized; I am working with the promoter, the NPC President, the IFBB President, the UKBFF President, the SKKF President, the Polish Federation and so many others to make this possible. This is a HUGE step for the sport of wheelchair bodybuilding because it has never been done before. Wheelchair bodybuilders have been granted honorary IFBB Pro Cards but they were never officially IFBB Pros because there was never an IFBB Pro Wheelchair Division in which they could compete. Instead, they were allowed to compete year after year at Wheelchair Nationals. Wheelchair bodybuilders slowly stopped competing because they felt there was no point—the same guys kept winning and they couldn’t move to the next level.

After years of promoting wheelchair bodybuilding, competing, and guest posing numerous times across the United States, I built a reputation, and many people now see and believe in my vision. It’s amazing to see how wheelchair bodybuilding has grown and unfolded as a sport over the years—to the point where I have just submitted the list of wheelchair bodybuilders that have earned and qualified for their IFBB Pro Cards, which is now being reviewed for approval for IFBB Pro Status!

It has been hell getting it to this point and nobody will ever know how much effort I put in to make this happen, but I am just grateful to have come this far. I will talk more about this later, but for now, this should give you a taste of what is to come! And believe me—when you see some of the guys, it will be an eye opener!

PRESENTS OCT 16, 2010

NPC

FRANK W. MAYBORN CIVIC & CONVENTION CENTER 3303 N 3RD STREET, TEMPLE, TEXAS 76501 CONTACT INFORMATON: CTSHOWDOWN@YAHOO.COM BOB JOHNSON 972-317-1701 LAURA JOHNSON 214-507-4187

BODYBUILDING, FIGURE, FITNESS, BIKINI, AND WHEELCHAIR BODYBUILDING

OVERALL WINNERS WILL BE AWARDED AN INVITE TO COMPETE IN THE 2011 ARNOLD AMATEUR SHOW POSE DOWN MAGAZINE WILL PAY FOR ADMISSION FEE TO COMPETE. FOR COMPLETE DETAILS GO TO OUR WEB SITE FOR MORE INFORMATION

www.CentralTexasShowdown.com