HIGH-INTENSITY TRAINING • THE LOST MIKE MENTZER INTERVIEW

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 LOW-CARB
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www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2006 261
 Build Your
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150 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

 April 2007 Vol. 66, No. 4
Growth Zone,
page 106

We Know Training™
FEATURES
FEATURES
58 TRAIN, EAT, GROW 90
More Power/Rep Range/Shock tweaks for bigger, stron-
ger physiques.

88 MIND/MUSCLE EXPLOSION
Peter Siegel teaches you how to push your belief thresh-
old higher for mega gains.

106 GROWTH ZONE

Dwayne Hines II revs you up to push to the limit and
beyond for mind-numbing size.

114 PARTIALS, BURNS AND X REPS

William Litz’s take on extending time under tension for
extreme growth—and he’s got before and after photos to
prove his point. HIGH-INTENSITY TRAINING • THE LOST MIKE MENTZER INTERVIEW

132 REP-RANGE RELOAD GROWTH ZONE

TRAINING
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142 MAGNESIUM Shoulder-Blasting Workout

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page 88 Di Nino (inset) appear
158 A BODYBUILDER IS on this month’s cover.
BORN 21 Photos by Michael
Neveux
Rise of the machines. Ron Harris
explains why free weights aren’t always the answer.

166 CARDIO AND CARBS

From Bodybuilding.com: Shannon Clark explains why
bodybuilders need both, whether massing or ripping.

180 HEAVY DUTY

Part 1 of a lost Mike Mentzer interview from 1986.
BEFORE AFTER

Partials, Burns and

X Reps, page 114
198 DELT DETONATION
Eric Broser takes you through a shocking shoulder
workout that’ll swell ’em like melons!

216 CHAD MARTIN

The ’06 Junior USA winner talks bodybuilding, life and leg
training.

230 ANABOLIC FIRESTARTERS

Certain vitamins, minerals and compounds can create a
Delt Detonation, hypertrophic firestorm. So says George Redmon, Ph.D.
page 198
268 HARDBODY
Nancy Di Nino shows the bod that weight training built.

282 ONLY THE STRONG SHALL SURVIVE

Bill Starr on how to get your body back after a layoff.
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
 DEPARTMENTS
28 TRAIN TO GAIN
Knee-wrecking wrap-up and drop-set solutions. Joe
Horrigan’s Sportsmedicine covers a new grip aid.

42 SMART TRAINING
Charles Poliquin discusses eating out and ripping up.

48 EAT TO GROW
Anabolic Firestarters, Protein and muscle resizing, glycemic-index insights and
page 230 more beta-alanine benefits (that stuff works!).

74 CRITICAL MASS
Steve Holman on the adaptation-confusion theory. Plus,
creatine dosing and eating tips for leaning out.

78 NATURALLY HUGE
Hard Body, John Hansen cranks on the competition ignition—advice
page 268 for the newbie bodybuilding competitor.

246 NEWS & VIEWS

Lonnie Teper’s got a fever, and the cure is the pro-sea-
son openers. Plus, Jerry Fredricks’ Hot Shots are back.
Let the gargoyle games begin.

252 MUSCLE “IN” SITES

Eric Broser takes a look at bodybuilding Web sites from
legends Ed Corney and Lee Labrada. And his always
popular Net Results Q&A has answers on supersets.

258 BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY

Does testosterone kill brain cells? Jerry Brainum explores
the newest research and also checks out whether ana-
bolic steroids help endurance athletes.

262 PUMP & CIRCUMSTANCE

Train to Gain, Ruth Silverman’s review of ’06 continues with a look at
page 28 what went on in the amateur femme-physique ranks.

A Bodybuilder is Born, News & Views, 292 MIND/BODY CONNECTION

page 158 page 246 Randall Strossen, Ph.D., explains why progress is your
responsibility. Dave Draper chimes in with muscle-building
attitude, and a couple of hot Graphic Muscle Stars will
inspire you to hit the gym.

304 READERS WRITE

Jenny is worth every penny—Timea too. But Great Scott
didn’t get a shot.

In the next IRON MAN

Next month we’ll have an in-depth look at stretch
overload that will change the way you train for-
ever—if you want to get huge! Contraction is great,
but progressive-resistance stretch may be the real
key to growth. We’ll present part 2 of the lost Mike
Mentzer interview, in which he discusses his body’s
response to steroids and the 45-minute training
program he used to become Mr. America. We’ll also
WEB ALERT! switch on the recorder with Flex Wheeler, who has
from the world some eye-opening views on bodybuilding and the
For the latest happenings
of bod ybu ildi ng and fitness, set your too-huge crew. Watch for the mind-bending May
w.I ron Ma nM agazine.com IRON MAN on newsstands the first week of April.
browser for ww om.
and www.GraphicMuscle.c
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 TRAIN ANY TIME
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 John Balik’s
Publisher’s Letter
Big Dreams
Dreams, in the sense of visualizing the
future, are as personal and unique as the
dreams we experience while we sleep. Ev-
erything starts with the dream. Whether it’s a
home at the beach, the physique you aspire
to or anything else, it all starts with a dream.
I love the quote from computer scientist Alan
Kay that Ferrari has been using in its ads:
“The best way to predict the future is to in-
vent it.” Only a few words but they have life-
changing power.
I just reread a book I first came across in
the late 1960s, The Magic of Thinking Big.
Don’t be put off by the hokey title. Life’s ac-
complishments—be they family-, business- or bodybuilding-related—
are all about being able to see yourself as you want to become rather
than the way you are. As a testament to the book’s power and truth, it has
been in print for more than 40 years. Buy it, read it, and then reread it. It
will be time well spent.
When James Cameron won the Academy Award for Best Picture for
“Titanic” in 1997, the presenter—I believe it was Kathy Bates—asked
him in wonderment, “Who gave you permission to create a project of
such impossible proportions?” Cameron’s simple but profound answer
was that he gave himself the permission. The fact is, we all give ourselves
permission to become who we are and what we do. It is the irrevocable
law of accountability.
In January my daughter, Lilli, and I had the honor of attending Arnold
Schwarzenegger’s second inauguration. His vision for the state of Cali-
fornia, as projected in his inaugural speech, was a masterful example of
thinking big. (You can hear the speech at IronManMagazine.com.) I was
struck by the elegance and power of his vision and got to thinking about
the way his vision propelled him from Graz, Austria, to the center of the
bodybuilding stage and beyond to become one of the most recognized
celebrities in the world. None of that happened by accident. Now he
has moved to the world stage in politics as the leader of the world’s sixth
largest economy. He calls California a “nation state.”
It was interesting the way people reacted to Arnold’s vision. On the
radio the next day three Sacramento pundits were commenting on his
speech, and two of them did what negative people always do—they
started to go through the litany of why Arnold’s ideas were riddled with
obstacles and why the speech was overly optimistic. The third person
observed that while the speech might have been very optimistic, he
believed that anything Arnold puts his mind to, Arnold believes he can
do. As Arnold used to joke in the gym many years ago, “It’s mind over
matter—if you don’t have the mind, nothing matters.” Arnold has had a
lifetime of impossible dreams that he made possible because he never
gives up until the impossible has been obtained.
There is only one Arnold, but the same rules apply to all of our
dreams. IM
26 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
Founders
1936-1986:
Peary & Mabel Rader
Publisher/Editorial Director: John Balik
Associate Publisher: Warren Wanderer
Design Director: Michael Neveux
Editor in Chief: Stephen Holman
Art Director: T. S. Bratcher
Senior Editor: Ruth Silverman
Editor at Large: Lonnie Teper
Articles Editors: L.A. Perry, Caryne Brown
Assistant Art Director: Aldrich Bonifacio
Designer: Emerson Miranda
IRON MAN Staff:
Vuthy Keo, Mervin Petralba,
R. Anthony Toscano
Contributing Authors:
Jerry Brainum, Eric Broser, David Chapman,
Teagan Clive, Lorenzo Cornacchia, Daniel Curtis,
Dave Draper, Michael Gündill, Rosemary Hallum,
Ph.D., John Hansen, Ron Harris, Ori Hofmekler,
Rod Labbe, Skip La Cour, Jack LaLanne, Butch
Lebowitz, John Little, Stuart McRobert, Gene
Mozée, Charles Poliquin, Larry Scott, Jim
Shiebler, Roger Schwab, Pete Siegel, C.S. Sloan,
Bill Starr, Bradley Steiner, Eric Sternlicht, Ph.D.,
Randall Strossen, Ph.D., Richard Winett, Ph.D.,
and David Young
Contributing Artists:
Steve Cepello, Larry Eklund, Ron Dunn,
Jake Jones
Contributing Photographers:
Jim Amentler, Ron Avidan, Reg Bradford, Jimmy
Caruso, Bill Dobbins, Jerry Fredrick, Irvin Gelb,
Isaac Hinds, Dave Liberman, J.M. Manion, Gene
Mozée, Mitsuru Okabe, Rob Sims, Leo Stern
Director of Marketing:
Helen Yu, 1-800-570-IRON, ext. 1
Accounting: Dolores Waterman
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Sonia Melendez, 1-800-570-IRON, ext. 2
E-mail: soniazm@aol.com
Advertising Director: Warren Wanderer
1-800-570-IRON, ext. 1
(518) 743-1696; FAX: (518) 743-1697
Advertising Coordinator:
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Newsstand Consultant:
Angelo Gandino, (516) 796-9848
We reserve the right to reject any advertising at our
discretion without explanation. All manuscripts, art
or other submissions must be accompanied by a self-
addressed, stamped envelope. Send submissions to
IRON MAN, 1701 Ives Avenue, Oxnard, CA 93033.
We are not responsible for unsolicited material.
Writers and photographers should send for our
Guidelines outlining specifications for submissions.
IRON MAN is an open forum. We also reserve the
right to edit any letter or manuscript as we see
fit, and photos submitted have an implied waiver
of copyright. Please consult a physician before
beginning any diet or exercise program. Use the
information published in IRON MAN at your own
risk.
IRON MAN Internet Addresses:
Web Site: www.ironmanmagazine.com
John Balik, Publisher: ironleader@aol.com
Steve Holman, Editor in Chief: ironchief@aol.com
Ruth Silverman, Senior Editor: ironwman@aol.com
T.S. Bratcher, Art Director: ironartz@aol.com
Helen Yu, Director of Marketing: irongrrrl@aol.com
Jonathan Lawson, Ad Coordinator: ironjdl@aol.com
Sonia Melendez, Subscriptions: soniazm@aol.com
 SEXY ROCK-HARD ABS FAST
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 SIZE MATTERS, SO…

Wrapping your
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rep sets it could do
damage.

28 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 PREVENTION

Knee-Wrecking Wrap-Up? Can knee wraps

do damage?

Knee wraps were once used almost exclusively by probably more so for powerlifters, who do squats as
powerlifters, but lately more bodybuilders can be seen heavy as possible for singles, doubles and triples. For
on leg day wrapping up their knees before getting bodybuilders, who tend to do higher reps for com-
under a heavy squat bar. Some guys wrap their knees pound leg movements, wraps might be something
before every set of leg presses and hacks too. you can, and possibly should, do without.
You could see it as a prophylactic measure. The —Ron Harris
wraps keep the knee tight and
warm. That sounds good, but is it?
Some top bodybuilders don’t think When Dorian Yates
was urged to use knee
so. Dave Henry, runner-up at the ’06 wraps so he could
IRON MAN Pro, believes wraps don’t squat with heavier
belong in a bodybuilder’s gym bag. weights, he said a
“They compress the patella, which big spring in his ass
would do the same
can’t be a good thing,” he says. thing—with the same
“There’s a reason there’s space and zero-muscle-building
fluid behind the patella—because effects.
it acts as a sort of shock absorber.
Taking that shock absorber away so
you basically have bone grinding on
bone sounds like a recipe for disas-
ter in the long run.”
Another pro who gives knee
wraps the thumbs-down is Art At-
wood, who’s managed to build some
seriously enormous quads and hams
without using wraps. “I’ve only seen
two guys tear their quads in my
entire life,” he explains, “and they
were both using knee wraps when
they did it.”
Here’s a final word on knee wraps
from six-time Mr. O Dorian Yates, a
laconic champion who spoke only
when he had something meaningful
to say. Once a fan was urging him to
start using knee wraps, arguing that
Neveux \ Model: Derik Farnsworth

they’d enable him to handle more

weight on squats. “I could also stick
a big spring in my ass too,” Yates
replied, “but what good would that
do me?”
The bottom line is that knee wraps
Neveux

can be a worthy training aid, but

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 HE WANTED TO FIGHT-
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TRAIN TO GAIN WHEELS

The Leg Press

and Back Stress
Lower-back injuries are about as
common among bodybuilders as tribal
tattoos. As a result, many in the iron
crowd shun squats in favor of the leg
press, in which the back is fully sup-
ported. Overall that’s a good thing,
as the leg press enables you to train
heavy without putting your lower back
at risk, especially if you have a his-
tory of injury to the area. The trouble
begins when you’re lulled into a false
sense of security, mistakenly believing
that it’s impossible to injure the lumbar
spine on leg presses.
Peter Putnam.
IFBB Pro Chris Cormier discovered
just how wrong that assumption is.

Comstock
Chris was just beginning his prepara-
tions for the ’06 Mr. Olympia, a contest
he desperately wanted to do well at
BIGGER BODYPARTS in order to redeem himself after his
13th-place finish in ’05, the only time
The Red-Headed Stepchild of Muscle Groups he’d missed the top 10 in as many
appearances at the O. The Real Deal
What is it about the back muscles that makes them so neglected? Much of the
has a history of
blame has to go to sheer ignorance. In my high school lifting years, not only did I
lower-back prob-
not train my back, I had no idea I could. Occasionally I’d jump on the chinup bar to lems going back
challenge myself, but I didn’t realize the exercise was anything more than a means 15 years, so he
of testing strength or getting in general condition for sports or military boot camp. I often uses the leg
was far from alone in my naiveté. press as a tool to
Recently I was speaking with USA light-heavyweight runner-up Peter Putnam, craft his phenom-
who’s currently playing catch-up with his own back as he strives to bring its de- enal legs. On that
velopment in line with the rest of his thickly muscled physique. “My early years of particular occasion
weight training were as a high school football player,” he said. “The main goal was he was using the
vertical leg press,

Neveux
to improve our explosive power so we could keep driving forward down the line.
We did a lot of bench-pressing, military presses and squats but not a single row, feeling fantastic
chin or deadlift.” and going heavy.
His training partner noted that he was
Even when his emphasis shifted to bodybuilding a few years later, he failed to
going deeper than usual on reps.
give his back the work it needed. “I had no guidance and wasn’t even reading
Though Chris felt no pain then, by the
the magazines yet, so I just put all my effort into the muscles that I could see in next afternoon he was lying on his
the mirror.” Putnam believes he’s been training his back as hard and heavy as he back on the floor, unable to move. He
should for only the past three years and that the improvements he’s making are spent two weeks in the hospital.
satisfactory. “It’s only a matter of time now before it’s a very good bodypart for me.” Looking back, Cormier realizes that
Back neglect is so common in gyms and health clubs that there ought to be a lowering the weight too far was the
hotline to report it—800-LAT-LESS. Few gym rats have any desire to develop their culprit. “With any leg press, but even
lats, traps, spinal erectors and the smaller upper-back muscles like the rhomboids more so the vertical type, you can’t
and teres major and minor. Even many who identify themselves as bodybuilders ever let your tailbone curl up toward
give short shrift to back training, knocking out a few unenthusiastic sets of cable your torso, which is what happens if
pulldowns and cable rows every once in a while when the mood strikes. They may you lower too far.” Chris had herniated
have no desire to compete—yet. But many a competitive bodybuilder recalls a two disks in the past, and now he’d
compressed another two. If someone
time when he or she could never imagine getting onstage and flexing in a skimpy
with Cormier’s training experience and
little posing suit. So there may come a day when you start to wonder how the phy-
savvy can make a mistake like that, so
sique you’ve built would fare against others. You don’t want to realize at that point can any of us. All it takes is one rep—
that you have a huge area like the back to develop to match everything else. taken too deep with enough weight
Work your back just as hard as the rest of your body, with productive move- loaded up—to bring about lower-back
ments like chins, deadlifts and barbell and dumbbell rows. You’ll be glad you did, disaster. So go ahead and use the leg
whether it’s when you’re in a lineup of bodybuilders onstage and are asked to turn press, but always keep safety in mind,
around, or walking away from a group of girls and hearing the gasps of apprecia- and descend only to parallel or just a
tion at the powerful back in their view. —Ron Harris bit below.
RonHarrisMuscle.com —Ron Harris
www.RonHarrisMuscle.com

30 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 YOU CAN BENCH BIG
Add 20 Pounds to Your Bench Press Almost Overnight!
How would you like a surge in
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bench press—say, 20 extra pounds
on the bar—after only a couple of
workouts? Sure, adding 20 pounds
to your bench in two or three training
sessions may sound crazy, especially
if your bench press poundage has
been stuck in neutral for a while.
But nine times out of 10 this stall is
due to an easily correctible muscle
weakness—not in the pecs, delts
or triceps but in a group of muscles
known as the rotator cuff.

The rotator cuff muscles stabilize

the shoulder joint. During the bench
press and almost all other upper-
body movements these muscles
protect the shoulder joint and
prevent ball-and-socket slippage. If
these muscles are underdeveloped,
they become the weak link in the
action and your pressing strength
suffers, or worse, you injure your
shoulder. One of the best ways to
strengthen this area and create an
upper-body power surge is with
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Once you start using the
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TRAIN TO GAIN MATURE MUSCLE

Stretch to Grow And prevent injuries as well

Q: Can you explain why I should stretch after
working out with weights?
A: It is very important, especially as you age. First, if you
do everything correctly from a stimulation standpoint with
weights—from refueling to getting proper rest and recovery—
the result should be some muscle growth. Now, when mus-
cles are growing, they’re actually shortening to a degree. So
as they hypertrophy, they’re also getting shorter and tighter.
If you weight-train for years on end and then attempt a very
fast motion, such as throwing a baseball hard, the tendon at
the lower biceps insertion can rupture. That’s because you’ve
trained the muscles and tendons at a slow speed and with
heavy resistance. Once they encounter a fast, lighter form of
movement, the unique stress can cause a rupture. You should
incorporate other types of exercise so that your muscle won’t

Neveux \ Model: George Farah

develop one dimensionally—and that includes stretching.
Stretching can also positively affect the myofascia, which
encases the muscles. Think of the skin on a chicken. Beneath
the skin but on top of the meat is a thin, whitish layer. That’s
the myofascia. It can become tight and thick when the body
is under too much stress or at rest too often. Stretching can
help loosen the tissue, but a more aggressive remedy is myo-
fascia trigger point therapy. If you’re feeling tightness in odd
inactive got fibromyalgia, but it’s now known to hit anyone at
places, like the neck, lower back or top of the pecs, you may
anytime (provided a certain predisposition gene is exacerbated
have fibromyalgia. It was once thought only people who were
by stress and some other immune factors). The likelihood
INTENSITY of this disease happening to a bodybuilder is slim; however,
having myofascial problems is common for those who use
Drop-Set Solution their muscles daily. If stretching and some recovery time don’t
relieve the problem, take a trip to a good physical therapist.
One last point on injuries: Near-max attempts can cause
Q: The drop-set concept you rec-
ommend works! I’ve already put on problems. I have seen bodybuilders rupture the pectoral-
about 10 pounds of muscle in two deltoid tie-in and the vastus lateralis, the outer part of the
months. My question is, How do I quadriceps, where the muscle attaches near the knee. The
do drop sets on dips and chins? I ruptures are usually due to steroid use, which can result in
Neveux

only use 20 pounds on those exer-
cises, and that’s not a big enough
poundage reduction to enable me
to get more reps on a subsequent drop set.
A: Try using a similar exercise for your drop set. In other
words, make it a superset instead. For example, after you fail
on dips, do pushups—that is, if you’re working chest. If you’re
using dips for triceps, go to bench dips when you hit failure.
For bench dips you set two flat benches parallel to each other
a few feet apart. Position yourself face up, hands on the edge
of one—behind your back—and heels on the edge of the other.
Now dip. Bench dips are much easier than bar dips, so you
should be able to knock out at least eight to 10 immediately
after your weighted dips.
As for chins, go to pulldowns when you hit failure. If you
don’t have a pulldown machine, you can do undergrip barbell
rows. Those actually work very well with chins because the
undergrip rows train the lats in their contracted position, while
chinning with an overhand grip is midrange work for the lats.
You’ll feel a searing burn in your lats during undergrip rows,
guaranteed. —Steve Holman
3D Muscle Building
3DMuscleBuilding.com
lifting weights that are far too heavy for the body’s frame and
tendons and ligaments. Smart bodybuilders never use weights
that can’t be pushed (or pulled) for a minimum of five to six
perfectly smooth reps for the upper body and eight to 12 for
the lower body. Staying with moderate, low-end rep counts
will almost ensure a rupture-free bodybuilding career.
How to stretch will be the topic next month—and you’ll be
surprised at my recommendations. —Paul Burke
Editor’s note: You can contact Paul Burke via e-mail at
pbptb@aol.com. Burke has a master’s degree in Integrated
Studies from Cambridge College in Cambridge, Massachu-
setts. He’s been a champion bodybuilder and
arm wrestler, and he’s considered the leader
in the field of over-40 fitness training. You
can purchase his book Burke’s Law—a New
Fitness Paradigm for the Mature Male, from
Home Gym Warehouse. Call (800) 447-0008,
or visit www.Home-Gym.com. His “Burke’s
Law” training DVD is also now available.

32 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Get a Grip For better training and gaining

Foam rubber grips

have been used in heavy
bench press training by Why do the grips ap-
bodybuilders for ages. The pear to help trainees get at
idea is that extra padding least one more rep out of
protects the nerves in your each set? There are sev-
hands. Some trainees re- eral ideas. Pearson noted,
port numbness after many “There is enough data on
sets of heavy regular- or muscle recruitment and
reverse-grip bench press- activation with isometric
es. The foam pads seem exercise to support the
to help somewhat. Some idea that changes can
trainees have used gloves occur with a change in the
in training to prevent cal- diameter of the bar with
luses. Sports performance the grips. That may have
catalogs carry denser, a significant impact on the
thicker grips to use when racquet sports—baseball,
bench pressing. They also hockey and tennis. The
carry “fat” bars to spread baseball bat is bigger than
out the force on your hand. an Olympic bar. The added
There may be other grip diameter is a good
reasons that having some- idea for performance.”
thing to grip or squeeze If the grips only prevent-
can improve the perfor- ed calluses, no one would
mance of a lift like the be excited, but these grips
bench press. There are fall into the performance-
theories in kinesiology and enhancement category.
in neurology that activating “We can see the change
the gripping muscles can in a single use of the
improve the strength in the kinetic chain. Kinesiologists refer to grips,” he continued. “That implies a neurologic effect be-
that as the transfer of strength from one bodypart to another. cause the muscle isn’t stronger yet. Rather, more fibers were
I recently came across a new product simply called Grips. recruited. Female athletes gain strength through recruitment
E.J. “Doc” Kreis, D.A., head speed-strength and conditioning rather than through hypertrophy. Therefore, the female athletes
coach at UCLA, gave me a pair to try. The grips caught my respond faster than male athletes to the use of the grips.”
attention immediately. On the other hand, he said, “We don’t believe the grips are
Dave Pearson, Ph.D., director of the strength research useful in a ballistic exercise like power cleans because the bar
laboratory at Ball State University in Indiana, had quite a bit must rotate just right, and too much grip force is not useful in
to say about the purpose of the grips. “The grips do not re- that lift.”
place gloves. The grips are a performance aid. The flexors of Pearson concluded, “I spoke with one of our biomecha-
the hand and wrist isometrically contract around the Olympic nists, and he stated that each person’s hand has an ideal grip
bar. I have gripped the bar since I was 19 years old. It’s never diameter. For example, gripping a pencil is overkill, but grip-
changed in 40 years. I noticed when I used the grips, I began ping the thick end of the baseball bat is too much. The range
to knock out one more rep in the pullups and pulldowns. The is somewhere in between. If a trainee has used the Olympic
best explanation we have thus far is the fact that the grip di- bar for years and now uses the grip, he or she will have the
ameter was changed, and this produced new joint angles. This feeling that his or her grip sinking in. I think coaches who are
would change the strength and recruitment of the muscles of looking for subtle change will be interested in the grips. I also
the hand and wrist.” think tennis is a great choice too. There’s so much overreach-
Kreis added, “The grips won’t work as well with other mate- ing and overuse in tennis, leading to the development of ten-
rials. The material is durable and will not unbalance the hand. nis elbow. The grips may turn out to be a great training aid.
People have tried using other materials, such as leather and Perhaps the best part is there isn’t any real downside to the
canvas, without as much success.” grips.”
From what athletes are reporting, it appears that lifts in For more information or to order, visit www.lynxpt.com.
which two arms are used are most affected. That includes —Joseph M. Horrigan
pressing, pulling and rowing.
Kreis added, “Female and smaller male athletes can’t use Editor’s note: Visit www.softtissuecenter.com for reprints
fat bars effectively, due to the diameter of the bar. Fat bars of Horrigan’s past Sportsmedicine columns that have ap-
also can’t be used for power cleans, which are a key exercise. peared in IRON MAN. You can order the books Strength, Con-
Female athletes in water polo and softball started using the ditioning and Injury Prevention for Hockey by Joseph Horrigan,
grips and liked them.” Athletes reported improved throwing D.C., and E.J. “Doc” Kreis, D.A., and the 7-Minute Rotator
velocities. Cuff Solution by Horrigan and Jerry Robinson from Home Gym
Pearson chimed in, “These are anecdotal reports and re- Warehouse, (800) 447-0008, or at www.home-gym.com.
sults. These types of reports always precede research.”

34 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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TRAIN TO GAIN HARDGAINER
How to Avoid Injury
In the last issue I gave you the first 10 recommendations
for how to avoid injuries. You simply can’t make bodybuilding
progress if you keep getting injured. Many bodybuilders seem
to constantly struggle with injuries—one injury after another.
Follow the recommendations in this series, and you won’t get
injured.
11) Use the right weight for you. Use weights you
can handle with correct technique. Most bodybuilders use
more weight than they can handle correctly. That leads to
cheating and a loss of control.
12) Choose safe exercises.
An exercise that’s safe for some
bodybuilders may not be for others. If
you’re a beginner, your intensity and
poundage will be low, so you’ll be able
to maintain correct technique. But be-
cause of physical anomalies, accidents
or other injuries, specific exercises may
be problematic, especially if you’re not
a beginner. Don’t use exercises that
aren’t suited to you. If an exercise irri-
tates a joint or causes sharp, stabbing
or sudden pain, don’t persist with it.
13) Avoid high-risk lifting. All
types of weightlifting can be dangerous
if not done correctly, but some forms
carry a higher risk than others. For
example, rock lifting and handling other
awkwardly shaped objects carry a far
higher risk of injury than barbell, dumb-
bell and machine training.
14) Don’t follow the examples of the genetic
elite. A few bodybuilders can withstand training abuse that
would cripple most bodybuilders. But eventually even they pay
a heavy price. Don’t take liberties in the gym—you’ll pay for
abuse.
15) When using machines, follow the manufac-
turers’ instructions. For some exercises you may have to
line up a specific joint with the pivot point of the machine. The
right setup is critical. Changing the seat’s position (and thus
your position) by just one peg, for example, can make a differ-
ence in the comfort of a given exercise.
To accurately line up a given point on a machine with a
given point on your body, your eyes need to be at the same
level as the points being lined up. That usually isn’t practical,
so ask someone to help line you up. Once you have the right
setup for a specific exercise, make a note in your training log
of future settings you require, for reference.
If you’ve used a machine as the manufacturer advises (often
through instructions fixed to the equipment) and have tweaked
the setup to suit you and have used smooth rep speed, and
yet the exercise still irritates a joint, substitute an alternative
exercise.
16) Don’t squeeze machine handles more than
necessary. On some machine exercises, such as the leg
curl and the leg press, you need to stabilize yourself by hold-
ing onto handles or other grip supports. Don’t squeeze the
handles more than necessary to stabilize yourself. Intensive
squeezing increases blood pressure.
17) Be safety conscious. Never begin an exercise
without having first checked safety considerations. Check
that bolts are tight, cables aren’t frayed, cable connections
are secure, rack pins are securely in position, adjustable
weight saddles are fixed in place, locking pin(s) for adjust-
36 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
Part 2
able benches and seats are
secure, and benches are stable
and strong. Never use dumbbells
without checking that the collars
are securely fixed. A dumbbell
coming apart while you’re using
it, especially overhead, could be
disastrous.
Remember, just one accident could stop you from training
for a long time. Be careful.
18) Avoid singles and low
reps. Any exercise performed in
Sore muscles are any rep range will hurt you if you use
more prone to injury. poor technique. If you always use
correct technique, all rep counts
can be comparatively safe, at least
in theory. Your body must, however,
be accustomed to the rep count
you’re using before you start to push
yourself hard. That especially applies
to singles (one-rep sets) and low
reps (sets of two to four reps). If you
get out of the ideal groove during a
maximum single, you’re more likely
to hurt yourself than if you get out of
the groove during a set of medium
or high reps. That doesn’t mean
high reps with reduced weights are
guaranteed safe. If you use poor
technique, you’re asking for injury
no matter what rep range or pound-
age you’re using. Beginners should avoid singles and low-rep
work. Stick with medium or higher reps.
19) Don’t train when you’re very sore. Sore and
tight muscles are easily injured, although a little local soreness,
especially for beginners, shouldn’t prohibit training. When
you’re training following severe soreness, reduce your effort
level a little and build on it over several workouts to prevent
a repeat of the excessive soreness. Keep in mind that when
you’re sore, you may be more prone to injury. Give yourself
extra rest before you train the sore area hard again. Low-inten-
sity aerobic work gets blood flowing and can ease soreness
somewhat. Massage may help, as may a hot bath. Paradoxi-
cally, another bout of the exercises that made you very sore—
but done very light and easy—may help relieve the soreness.
20) Don’t train when you’re fatigued from a pre-
vious workout. If you’re systemically wiped out—which
may or may not be accompanied by muscular soreness—rest
for an extra day or two. Then when you’re back in the gym,
reduce your training volume or intensity and build it back over
several workouts to give your body a chance to adapt. If you
get wiped out again and the components of recuperation are
in order, there’s something amiss with your training. Modify it;
abbreviate it.
—Stuart McRobert
www.Hardgainer.com
Editor’s note: Stuart McRobert’s first
byline in IRON MAN appeared in 1981.
He’s the author of the new 638-page opus
on bodybuilding Build Muscle, Lose Fat,
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.Home-Gym.com.
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TRAIN TO GAIN EXERCISE SCIENCE
Fast Mass Or is it just nervous
system coordination?
A recent study, which I discussed in a previous issue,
showed that muscle gains come quickly when a person
starts weight training. Most exercise physiology texts say
that initial gains are usually in strength rather than muscle
size. Your brain develops more efficient communication with
your muscles, or, to put it in scientific terms, you develop
neuromuscular efficiency. As the brain and muscles work
in tandem to recruit muscle fibers, changes occur, such as
increased muscle protein synthesis, that result in muscle size
gains. According to the texts, though, that doesn’t occur until
after an average of two to three months of regular training.
Recently, however, researchers found that college stu-
dents who did leg extensions were able to add muscle to
their front thighs in as little as two to four weeks, far faster
than previously believed. The authors cite the rapid response
of anabolic hormones induced by the training.
A new study expands and confirms those findings and
suggests that exercise intensity is the major factor respon-
sible for rapid initial muscle gains. Seven healthy young
men trained for 35 days doing leg extensions on a special
flywheel-based machine. The design of the machine made
it gravity-independent, which maximizes both the raising
(concentric) and lowering of the weight (eccentric) during
the exercise. Maximum stress was applied to the exercised
muscles.
Past studies may have overlooked early signs of muscle
growth because the equipment used was incapable of exam-
ining the muscle changes occurring at a molecular level. For
example, more recent investigations of muscle growth show
that satellite cells, or progenitor muscle stem cells involved
in the hypertrophy and repair processes after exercise or
trauma, begin to proliferate within four days of a single weight
workout. Muscle protein synthesis increases 60 percent
within 4 1/2 hours of a workout featuring both concentric and
eccentric muscle contractions—the usual style of bodybuild-
ing training.
The men training on the leg extension–flywheel apparatus
showed a rate of front-thigh muscle growth of 3.5 to 5.2
percent after only 20 days. That translates to a 0.2 per-
cent increase per day. Maximum muscle strength rose by
Stretch lines up the muscle
sarcomeres for a number
of mass-building effects.
38 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
38 percent by
the end of the
training period.
Since the cross-
sectional area of
the front thighs
Neveux \ Model: Nathan Detracy
(an indicator of
muscle increase)
increased by
7 percent, the
strength gain
largely came
from neuromus-
cular changes,
confirming long-held findings.
On the other hand, the gains in muscle size surpassed
previous expectations of the time required to acquire gains.
The maximum voluntary muscle contraction improved signifi-
cantly in only 10 days, detectable before any size increase.
That points to increased muscle efficiency.
At the molecular level the training rapidly led to produc-
tion of intramuscular growth factors, mainly insulinlike growth
factor 1 and its cleavage form, mechano-growth factor. The
upgraded production of IGF-1 signals a biochemical cascade
resulting in increased muscle protein synthesis, which in turn
leads to muscle hypertrophy, or growth. The authors think
that the flywheel design of the machine maximized every
rep done by the subjects, and it was the maximal effort that
promoted the IGF-1 response.
Another interesting finding was that a muscle’s internal
architecture changes with the onset of exercise. The purpose
of the change is to prepare the muscle for growth. Structures
in muscle called sarcomeres are lined up in an orderly pattern
conducive to muscle growth. As it happened, the flywheel
apparatus provided more stretch—which facilitates the lineup
of sarcomeres within muscle—than usual machines.
While the authors suggest that some of these changes
occurred because of the unusual design of the machine, the
principles could be applied to any type of resistance train-
ing. For example, since the machine imparts more muscle
damage due to a potent emphasis on
both raising and lowering the weight,
that aspect should also be emphasized
in any exercise. The stretch aspect can
be duplicated by using a full range of
exercise motion, including a prestretch
at the start of every rep. Again, that lines
up the muscle sarcomeres, not only lead-
ing to a stronger muscle contraction but
also acting as a precursor of the muscle
architectural changes that precede actual
muscle growth.
Neveux \ Model: Michael Turcotte
—Jerry Brainum
Seynnes, O.R., et al. (2007). Early
skeletal muscle hypertrophy and archi-
tectural changes in response to high-in-
tensity resistance training. J Appl Physiol.
102:368-373.
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 Charles Poliquin’s
Smart Training
but it’s about making the smart or the best or, in some
cases, the least worst choice. I haven’t met you, so I can’t

Eating Out and prescribe a specific diet. Generally, though, I suggest low-
carb choices.
If you can, always book the restaurant yourself. That way

Ripping Up
you know there will be something appropriate to eat. If you
let the others reserve the spot, you don’t know where you’ll
end up—it could be at an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet or
the VIP table next to Rosie O’Donnell. Here are some tips
for eating out:
1) Have water with lemon or lime. That helps alkalize
Q: I’m presently reducing my fat percentage for your system. The more alkaline you are, the easier it is to
beach season. I’m tired of going to the beach and combat stress.
being uncomfortable with my shirt off. Everything
is going well except when I have to eat out. My job 2) There’s always steak, chicken or other meats on the
requires me to “do” lunch with coworkers and meet menu. The problems arise with the preparation and/or
with advisers from other companies. I can’t take my the toppings that come with the meat. Ask the waiter
lunch with me because I look like a weenie or some about any sauces or topping to check for hidden carbs.
cheap freak, and I can’t ever decide what 3) Order a salad with your meat, and get balsamic vin-
to eat. Any tips? egar and oil to make sure there
A: No problem at all. Actually, your worrying are no hidden carbs again. It’s
about it is probably pushing your cortisol level quite common for restaurants
up and doing more harm than anything else. to add sugar to salad dressings
Rarely do I find a restaurant that doesn’t have for taste. The balsamic vinegar
anything suitable to eat. It may not be perfect, actually lowers the glycemic
index of your meal by up to 20
percent. Ask for your salad to
be served with the main meal.
If it comes early, put it aside
and eat it after your meat.
4) When you order, ask for
vegetables, and make sure
they’re steamed or raw. You
don’t want the side of potato
or rice. Order veggies—or
extra veggies—instead, and
you won’t be tempted to eat it
while you wheel and deal mil-
lion-dollar deals.
5) Tell the waiter that you won’t be having dessert,
so he or she won’t ask you at the end of meal. That
way you’ll be less tempted when coworkers order
it.
Q: I train first thing in the morning, an
hour after I get up at 4 a.m. That’s the only
time I can fit in workouts. My brother-in-law
is a personal trainer and says I should eat
before my workouts, but I feel sick if I do and
usually have to stop my workout. Any sugges-
tions?

A: Even though I find that people’s gains acceler-

ate when they have two meals before they work
out, that approach may not be realistic for many
individuals—particularly for people who operate in
Neveux \ Model: Markus Reinhardt

the corporate world and have children. I suggest a

protein-only shake as soon as your feet hit the floor

Eating out at restaurants frequently

doesn’t have to smooth out your
muscularity—if you make smart choices.

42 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

Free download from imbodybuilding.com
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 Charles Poliquin’s
Smart Training

On reverse curls and hammer

curls keep your wrists in
a neutral position, but on
supinated, or palms-up,
curls cock your wrists so
your hands are back. That
will give you better biceps
activation.
read or suggest for trainees.
A: I just finished reading the
The Brain Diet by Alan C. Logan,
an excellent book that explains the
connection between diet, mental
health and realizing the full poten-
tial of our intelligence. It shows how
poor nutrition adversely affects our
mental health and success and what
can be done to achieve optimum
intellectual capacity. It’s a book that
should be required reading for all of
our political leaders, not to mention
bodybuilders.
Another great book that I rec-
ommend strongly is The Greatness

Neveux \ Model: Nathan Detracy

Guide by Robin Sharma. He’s a great
self-help author who’s lectured to
many Fortune 500 companies. He
gives you 101 success formulas of
the über-successful. Each chapter
is short and to the point. I’ve given
this book to all of my top clients this
year.
Q: Why
do you rec-
ommend
cocking the
wrists down
and back on
in the morning. Use a whey protein concen-
supinated
trate instead of an isolate, as it enhances your
curls?
immune system. Muscle growth is correlated
with the strength of your immune system—as A: That
the survival of so many longtime AIDS patients trick was
can attest. shown to me
Then drink a mixture of branched-chain by bodybuild-
amino acids and glutamine while you train. ing trainer
I suggest one gram of BCAAs for every five and nutrition-
pounds of bodyweight. Make sure that leucine ist Bill Mac-
is the most abundant amino acid in the stack. Donald of
As soon as your workout is over, down Fresno 24
your postworkout shake. As close as you can years ago. Bill
to one hour after your shake have your first had trained
solid meal of the day. Meanwhile, remember a host of
Neveux \ Model: Jose Raymond

what Thomas Jefferson said: “The sun has not Mr. America
caught me in bed in 50 years.” contestants,
including
Q: I want to thank you for your help
Gary Leonard,
over the years; I have all of your books
who later
and love studying to be a better trainer. I
turned IFBB
was wondering what good books you’ve
pro. MacDon-

44 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 Charles Poliquin’s
Smart Training
negative-accentuated rep.
Franco Columbu, Mr. Don’t worry if your curling
Olympia and one of Arnold’s poundages go down. The levels of
training partners, believed in growth in your elbow flexors will
establishing a strong mind/ compensate for the diminished
muscle connection. loads. Because of the better over-
load, you should be handling your
previous loads in the new style of
curling in no time.
Q: What is your opinion on
selecting exercises based on
“feel”?
A: I first learned this one from
Franco Columbu, D.C., who was a
world-class bodybuilder and train-
ing partner of the Governator at his
bodybuilding peak. Multiple Mr.
Olympia Dorian Yates confirmed
that concept with me. The premise
is that if there’s no mind/muscle
connection, you’re wasting your
time.
Having talked to a number of
high-caliber bodybuilders, I find
that they tend to use exercises that
they could feel well. For example,
Columbu told me he felt nothing
from decline barbell presses, so he
scrapped them.
My good friend IFBB pro Milos
Sarcev is also of that opinion. He
reports that he may start every arm
Neveux

workout with very light concentra-

tion curls and focus his mind on
ald was way ahead of his time in terms of nutrition and the shortening/lengthening cycle
training. Too bad the bodybuilding media never discovered to the point where he can feel the mind/muscle connec-
him. He showed it to me as we were discussing the effect of tion, then proceed with his planned workout.
tempo on muscle hypertrophy. Most people unconsciously The mind is an often neglected element of training. I
initiate the action by curling the wrist in, or they curl it in always encourage athletes to make that mind/body con-
when approaching fatigue. That reduces the resistance, nection as early as possible in their training careers.
thus improving your leverage. Since some of the load is
being taken by the forearm flexors, the burden on the Editor’s note: Charles Poliquin is recognized as one
elbow flexors diminishes. of the world’s most successful strength coaches, having
The rationale is that you prevent the use of the fore- coached Olympic medalists in 12 different sports, includ-
arms during curls by extending the wrists down and back. ing the U.S. women’s
The consequence is that you increase the overload on the track-and-field team
elbow flexors, which is what you really want when you do a for the 2000 Olympics.
curling exercise. He’s spent years re-
You may well ask if that increases the stress on the searching European
wrists: No. In the past 24 years, none of the trainees with journals (he’s fluent in
whom I’ve shared that tip have ever reported wrist pain English, French and
or forearm strain from it. However, you should extend the German) and speak-
wrists down and back only in supinated (palms-up) curls. ing with other coach-
When doing reverse curls or hammer-style curls, your es and scientists in
wrists should stay in a neutral position. his quest to optimize
Another way to use the technique is to extend the dura- training methods. For
tion of a set. When you can’t get any more reps with your more on his books,
wrists cocked back, curl your hands forward during the seminars and meth-
concentric action, and then lower the weight with your ods, visit www
wrist cocked back. Since you’re about 15 to 20 percent .CharlesPoliquin
Bradford

stronger with your wrist curled up than curled down, that .net. Also, see his ad
can substitute for having a partner apply upward pressure on page 183. IM
for a forced rep or two. In other words, it would be like a Charles Poliquin
w w w. C h a r l e s P o l i q u i n . n e t
46 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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Train ™ \ JULY 2006 181
EAT TO
NUTRITION SCIENCE
Protein and Muscle Resizing
Milk contains two primary proteins:
whey and casein. Several studies have
examined their uptake. Whey is rapidly
absorbed, reaching peak values of
amino acid entry into the blood within
90 minutes, after which amino acid
blood levels return to normal. In con-
trast, casein curdles in the stomach,
leading to a slow release of amino acids
48 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
New protein studies
show mixed results
that can last up to seven hours. catabolic effects.
The rapid release of amino acids A number of studies both dispute
promotes protein synthesis after exer- and support those findings. One study
cise. It also promotes the breakdown of found that both proteins produced an
those amino acids in the liver, explaining equal amount of protein synthesis after
why they disappear after 90 minutes. exercise. Another found that providing
While rapid amino acid appearance fa- more frequent whey feedings had an
vors increased muscle protein synthesis anticatabolic effect similar to that of
following exercise, that’s only part of the casein. Still another found that with a
muscle-building constant infusion of amino acids into
equation. The the blood, all muscle protein synthesis
Many protein other aspect ceases after four hours.
supplements involves an anti- Adding to the confusion are two
designed for catabolic effect,
bodybuilders recently published studies that exam-
now contain also controlled ined the anabolic effects of milk protein
whey and by the presence metabolism. The first study looked at
casein. of amino acids in precisely how different milk proteins
the blood. affect the body’s anabolic processes. It
Since compared the metabolic fates of three
muscle pro- types of protein formulations: 1) micel-
tein synthesis lar casein (MC); 2) milk-soluble protein
occurs for 36 isolate (MSPI); and 3) total milk protein
hours follow- (TMP), which contains both casein and
ing a weight whey. The proteins were labeled with
workout, an radioactive tracers to map their metab-
optimal nu- olism in 23 healthy subjects divided into
tritional envi- three groups. Each group got one of
ronment will the three protein formulations. Prior to
constantly the study, they were all on a standard-
supply amino ized diet containing the same amount
acids during of protein in each meal for one week.
that time. The fate of the proteins was mea-
Casein fills sured over an eight-hour period. The
the bill here, MSPI, which had the most rapid diges-
since its tion rate, also produced the highest
amino acids rate of amino acid breakdown into
Neveux \ Model: Omar Deckard
are released urea, the liver’s major metabolic protein
over seven waste product. The rapid release of
hours. As a the amino acids from MSPI promoted
result, studies the liver breakdown of its amino acids,
show that casein despite the high amino acid content of
is superior to MSPI, including leucine, a branched-
whey for anti- chain amino acid largely responsible for
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GROW
Nutrition With a Get-Big Mission
inducing muscle protein synthesis. The
breakdown occurred within two hours
and produced levels of urea twice as
high as occurred with the other two
protein forms. After eight hours MSPI
showed an amino acid breakdown 7
percent higher than that of casein.
While the high branched-chain-
amino-acid content of MSPI, which is
similar to that of whey, should have led
to a sustained muscle protein synthesis
effect, the BCAAs in the blood returned
to baseline after four hours, in contrast
to the sustained BCAA levels produced
by the other two protein sources. The
rapid breakdown of amino acids from
MSPI makes it unlikely to have anabolic
effects in muscle, according to the
authors.
The total milk protein pro-
duced the highest nitrogen
retention of the three, which
would point to a greater ana-
bolic effect in muscle. That was
thought to be related to an early meta-
bolic and hormonal effect of the whey
protein fraction, followed by a sustained
effect from the casein portion.
Another study came to a different
conclusion. It compared hydrolyzed
whey isolate—similar to the MSPI used
in the previous study—to casein on
strength, body composition and plasma
glutamine levels during a supervised
10-week bodybuilding program. Thir-
teen noncompetitive male bodybuilders
took either whey isolate (WI) or casein
(C) in amounts of 1.5 grams per kilo-
gram of bodyweight per day throughout
the study. Thus, a 200-pound body-
builder would get 135 grams of protein
supplement daily. The study used a
double-blind design, so neither group
knew who got the whey or the casein.
While the primary focus of the study
compared the effects of the two major
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
milk protein supplements, a secondary
focus was on their effect on plasma
glutamine levels. Some studies show
that higher-protein diets have an in-
on ap-
petite. On
the other
hand, as
verse effect on glutamine levels. Other mentioned
studies show that weightlifters have above,
lower blood levels of glutamine than the whey
other athletes. High-intensity anaerobic group
training, such as bodybuilding, is also consumed
known to lower plasma glutamine. slightly
Since whey is rich in BCAAs, which are more calo-
the precursors of glutamine synthesis, ries than
the authors wanted to see how a whey the casein
or casein supplement would affect glu- group.
tamine in the trained bodybuilders. So Total milk protein,
After 10 weeks neither group which that contains
showed any changes in glutamine protein is casein and whey,
levels. The whey group, however, had better for produced the
highest nitrogen
significantly greater lean mass gain, muscle-
retention.
greater fat loss and greater strength building
gain. On the other hand, the whey purposes, whey or casein? It’s
group got an average of 250 more calo- probably best to play it safe by
ries daily than the casein group. That’s getting both forms, such as with
significant because past studies show a total-milk-protein supplement.
a direct relationship between calorie That provides the best of both
intake and protein requirements, in that worlds, with the rapid uptake
a higher protein intake is supported and increased muscle protein
by the intake of additional calories for synthesis provided by whey,
purposes of increasing muscle. along with the sustained, anticata-
Interestingly, the authors suggest bolic effect produced by casein. That
that whey’s higher content of the amino equation equals more muscle growth.
acid cysteine led to a reduced produc- —Jerry Brainum
tion of urea. That’s in direct opposi-
tion to the findings of the study that References
showed greater urea production from a
Lacroix, M., et al. (2006). Compared
wheylike protein source because of its
with casein or total milk protein, diges-
rapid amino acid uptake. The cysteine
tion of milk-soluble proteins is too rapid
content of whey isolate is also thought
to sustain the anabolic postprandial
to account for the fat loss. The casein
amino acid requirement. Am J Clin Nutr.
group experienced no change in fat
84:1070-1079.
loss during the study.
Cribb, P., et al. (2006). The effect of
Those in the whey group also tended
whey isolate and resistance training on
to reduce their intake of food protein
strength, body composition, and plas-
in favor of the whey. That could relate
ma glutamine. Int J Sports Nutr Exerc
to the satiety effect of concentrated
Metabol. 16:494-509.
protein, which can have a marked effect
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 49
LIFT BIG TO GET BIG
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 Eat to Grow

NUTRITION NOTES

Food Facts
That can affect your
workouts, weight and wellness
Sun exposure
early in life may
ward off multiple
sclerosis. Accord-
ing to Bottom Line
Health, a study
of more than 700
pairs of twins
found that those born in northeastern
states were almost twice as likely to
Mixing foods changes the glycemic index of the meal, as get MS as those born farther south.
compared to eating a lone carbohydrate. Researchers link less risk with early
sun exposure.
Amino acids reduce
WARRIOR NUTRITION AND EXERCISE
muscle soreness. Japa-
GI for carb nese researchers gave
Glycemic Index Insights selection? 30 subjects a mixture of
amino acids isoleucine,
leucine and valine before
The glycemic index shows how much insulin your body secretes when a nutrient squat workouts. The sub-
is introduced into your blood. Although it sounds simple, it’s actually quite confus- jects experienced signifi-
ing. The same food can have a different GI depending on how it’s cooked. Pasta cantly less soreness and
al dente (pasta that’s cooked for a shorter time and so remains slightly hard) has a fatigue than those who
lower glycemic index than well-cooked, soft pasta. Baked potatoes have a higher took a sugar pill, which would indicate
glycemic index than mashed potatoes because of a difference in the that taking amino
macrostructure of the carbohydrate. acid supplements
When you add butter, milk, monunsaturated oil or essential fatty before training is a
acids to food, it usually lowers the GI. So if you eat a baked potato good idea.
with oil, for instance, it has a lower glycemic index than a plain baked Coffee cranks
potato. Fiber slows carbohydrate absorption and therefore may help up your workout
reduce the glycemic index of the carbs. Whole grains have a lower energy, but it can
glycemic index than refined grains. also help prevent
Even though many people consider type 2 diabetes by
the glycemic index as the more than 40 per-
key to selecting carbs, cent. That’s what
I don’t believe that a Harvard study
the GI is always as found—and it only
critical a factor as takes two to three
it’s believed to cups of coffee a
be. Fructose, day.
for example, has a lower GI A high-fiber
than white rice. In my opinion, breakfast can
though, high-fructose corn help keep your ap-
syrup, which appears in many petite in check. You
commercial foods, processed foods should get about 30
and health bars, is one of the most grams of fiber a day,
dangerous and destructive sources of but try to get a big
carbs. White rice, with dose in the morning.
its higher GI, is the far superior Pomegranate
choice. —Ori Hofmekler juice appears to re-
duce the growth rate
Editor’s note: Ori Hofmekler is the author of the books of prostate cancer, says a
The Warrior Diet and Maximum Muscle & Minimum Fat, new study. It looks as though it also
published by Dragon Door Publications (www.dragondoor promotes blood flow to the sexual
.com). For more information or for a consultation, contact organs and to the heart.
him at ori@warriordiet.com, www.warriordiet.com or by —Becky Holman
phone at (866) WAR-DIET. www.X-tremeLean.com

50 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

Free download from imbodybuilding.com
 KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
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 Eat to Grow

SUPPLEMENT SAFETY

Teen Toxicity? Is creatine safe for young athletes?

Many parents and coaches wonder if creatine supple-
ments are safe for teenage athletes. Some suggest that as
teens are still growing, creatine may somehow adversely affect
their health. They suggest that despite having no evidence
whatsoever to support such ideas. A study presented at the
American College of Sports Medicine Conference on Integra-
tive Physiology of Exercise in 2006 examined the effects of
creatine use on teen athletes.
Twenty 16-year-old male football players from Spokane,
Washington, were divided into two main groups. One group
ate large amounts of protein and carbohydrate and supple-
mented their diets with a daily intake of 10 grams of creatine.
The others ate whatever they wanted but also took 10 grams
of creatine daily. Two subgroups, one of which ate a high-
protein and high-carb diet, while the other group ate whatever
they wanted, didn’t take creatine. All groups followed a four-
day workout program, training two days on and one day off.
After 26 weeks those on the creatine who ate a lot of pro-
tein and carbs showed a 20 percent improvement in various
measures of physical performance, including speed, strength
and agility. They also had more muscle mass and less bodyfat.
None showed any signs of side effects from the creatine. This
study demonstrates that creatine use, combined with good
nutrition, offers teenagers significant benefits for sports perfor-
mance and body composition without any side effects.
—Jerry Brainum
Neveux \ Model: Justin Balik

Dami, D. (2006). The effects of oral creatine in combination

with specific nutrition to enhance adolescent sports perfor-
mance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 38: Supp 1:S30.

FAT FLUX WEIGHT LOSS

Calorie Counterattack Stay Warm, Lose Weight

Conjugated linoleic Did you know that cold temperatures tend to stimulate
acid is a fatty acid appetite? Folks with naturally low body temperatures are
found in dairy foods more prone to weight gain because of that. In fact, every
and beef—and it may degree increase in
help you control your body temperature
weight. Scientists increases metabo-
at the Univerisity of lism by 14 percent.
Wisconsin had 40 One reason may
overweight subjects be that higher
take four grams of temperatures are
CLA or a placebo with more conducive to
breakfast. After six growth hormone re-
months the CLA users lease. If you’re train-
had lost 1.3 pounds, ing in a cold gym,
while those who took bundle up to keep
the placebo gained your muscles warm,
Neveux \ Model: Robert Hatch

2.4 pounds. Although your metabolism

CLA isn’t a miracle stoked and the GH
fat-loss compound, it does appear to be helpful in curbing flowing.
fat gain. —Becky Holman
—Becky Holman www.X-tremeLean
www.X-tremeLean.com .com

52 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 Eat to Grow

ANABOLIC DRIVE

The Dimension of Time and Hypertrophy

When I was an undergrad wa-a-a-y back in the 1980s,
my nutrition professor told me that it didn’t matter when
you ate as long as the total calories throughout the day
balanced your energy needs. Of course, she was the same
professor who said too much protein was bad for your
kidneys and that it was a waste of money to take multivita-
mins. Hmm, I hope she’s still not saying that stuff today.
Times have changed. We definitely know that when you
eat matters. Nutrient timing is one of the most intriguing
new subfields of sports nutrition, and the research that is
pumped out each year is amazing. Ask yourself this: Rather
than taking my supplements pre- and postworkout, why
not just take the stuff when I wake up and then again in
the evening? It’s certainly more convenient. Well, buckle
your chinstraps, my friend, and take heed with the latest
research showing that timing does indeed matter.
A recent study looked at the effects of supplement
timing on muscle-fiber hypertrophy, strength and body
composition during a 10-week weight-training program. In
a single-blind (meaning the investigators knew what they
were giving the subjects but the subjects didn’t know what
they were getting), randomized protocol, resistance-trained
males were matched for strength and placed into one of pound person, that translates into 32 grams of protein, 34.4
two groups. One group got a supplement (one gram of the grams of carb, less than 0.4 grams of fat and 5.6 grams of
supplement per kilogram of bodyweight) containing protein, creatine monohydrate.
creatine and glucose immediately before and after weight Guess what? The group that took the supplement before
training. The other group consumed the same dose of the and after training had better adaptations. They demonstrated
same supplement in the morning and late evening. For a 176- a significantly greater increase in lean body mass and one-
repetition-maximum strength on the squat
and bench press. That group also had a
greater increase in the size of their type 2,
or fast-twitch, fibers and contractile protein
content. Last but not least, preworkout and
postworkout supplementation also resulted
in higher muscle creatine and glycogen levels
after the training program.
The take-home message: Take a com-
bination of carbs and protein immediately
before and after training. Your strength, lean
body mass, fast-twitch fibers, intramuscular
creatine and intramuscular glycogen levels
will improve to a significantly greater extent.
—Jose Antonio, Ph.D.

Editor’s note: You can listen to Dr. Jose

Antonio and Carla Sanchez on their radio
show Performance Nutrition, Web and pod-
cast at www.PerformanceNutritionShow
.com. Dr. Antonio is the CEO of the Interna-
tional Society of Sports Nutrition (www
.TheISSN.org). His other Web sites include
www.SupplementCoach.com, www.Javafit.
Neveux \ Model: Jeff Dwelle

com, www.PerformanceNutritionShow.com
and www.JoseAntonioPhD.com.

Cribb, P.J., and Hayes, A. (2006). Effects

of supplement timing and resistance exercise
on skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Med Sci
Sports Exerc. 38(11):1918-1925.

54 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 Eat to Grow
SUPPLEMENT SCIENCE
Beta-Alanine Benefits
Beta-alanine is best known for its role in improving
exercise efficiency by reducing the buildup of hydro-
gen ions, or acid, in muscle. The increase in acidity
produces muscle fatigue by inhibiting the function of
energy-producing enzymes in muscle. Beta-alanine
works because it’s a direct nutrient precursor of L-
carnosine synthesis, which is a major intramuscular
buffer.
But beta-alanine has lesser-known functions in
the body, such as antioxidant activity and the ability
to reduce the accumulation of beta-amyloid, a pro-
tein that is directly related to the onset of Alzheimer’s
disease. A new study shows that beta-alanine may
also help protect the liver from the toxic effects of
various substances.
The study found that beta-alanine decreased the
liver content of another amino acid, taurine, by 60
percent. Taurine and beta-alanine compete for uptake into
Neveux \ Model: Rachel McLish
56 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
Does beta-alanine protect
organs?
the body because they share a transport system.
Taking taurine with beta-alanine results in the
rapid excretion of taurine in the urine. In effect,
beta-alanine blocks the normal reuptake of
taurine in the kidneys. Taurine is synthesized in
the body from sulfur-containing amino acids,
mainly cysteine and methionine. When beta-
alanine causes the body to excrete taurine, the
body responds to the loss of taurine by retain-
ing more cysteine.
That’s significant because cysteine is re-
quired for the synthesis of glutathione, a major
cellular antioxidant and one of the primary de-
toxifying elements found in the liver. In the new
study, mice were given 3 percent beta-alanine
in their drinking water for one week, then were
exposed to carbon tetrachloride, a substance
known to cause liver toxicity. Other mice didn’t receive
the beta-alanine. The mice that didn’t get the beta-
alanine had elevated liver enzyme levels indicative
of impending liver damage. Those that received the
beta-alanine, however, had no liver enzyme eleva-
tions.
The study showed that beta-alanine increased
both glutathione and taurine levels in the liver, likely
through increasing cysteine availability. So beta-ala-
nine may be a natural liver protector, since
the major job of the liver is to degrade tox-
ins. Beta-alanine may ease the work of the
liver by promoting increased liver glutathi-
one.
Another new study looked at the effects of beta-
alanine in women who train. Twenty-two women got
either beta-alanine or a placebo for 28 days. They un-
derwent various tests, such as fatigue threshold and
maximal oxygen consumption, before engaging in a
submaximal cycling bout. Those in the beta-alanine
group showed a 13.9 percent increase in ventilatory
threshold, a 12.6 percent increase in time to fatigue
and a 2.5 percent increase in time to exhaustion.
Those in the placebo group showed no changes from
baseline values.
The study shows that women respond
much as men do to beta-alanine supple-
ments. The increased exercise capacity in
both sexes is related to the higher muscle
carnosine stores they experienced after
using beta-alanine supplements.
—Jerry Brainum
References
Lee, S.Y., et al. (2006). Effect of beta-alanine ad-
ministration on carbon tetrachloride-induced acute
hepatotoxicity. Amino Acids. In press.
Stout, J.R., et al. (2006). Effects of beta-alanine
supplementation on the onset of neuromuscular
fatigue and ventilatory threshold in women. Amino
Acids. In press.
 TM

PERFECT POSTWORKOUT MEAL

To Kick-Start Immediate Muscle Growth After You Train

Breakthrough research in
exercise metabolism now
reveals this fact: What you
consume (or don’t consume)
immediately after training plays
a critical role in determining
your success or failure! That
time period is known as the
“anabolic window” of growth.

The biggest mistake many

bodybuilders make is eating
a meal of chicken breasts,
baked potato or rice and
vegetables after a workout. This
is an approach doomed to fail
because by the time this meal
digests, the anabolic window
has slammed shut.

The best way to produce this

potent anabolic effect is simply
by drinking an amino acid-
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RecoverX™ offers the ideal
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58 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
 GRIND OUT THE GROWTH REPS™
Beta-Alanine Gives Your Muscles More Grow Power™

The biggest bodybuilders know that

the last few grueling reps of a set are
the key growth reps. It’s why they fight
through the pain of muscle burn on
every work set-—so they trigger the
mass-building machinery. But sometimes
it’s not enough; the burn is too fierce.
Fortunately, there’s now a potent new
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you get bigger and stronger faster.

Red Dragon is a new beta-alanine

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with carnosine—up to 60 percent more.
Muscle biopsies show that the largest
bodybuilders have significantly more
carnosine in their fast-twitch muscle
fibers than sedentary individuals for good
reason: Carnosine buffers the burn to give
muscles more “grow power” on every set.
The bigger and stronger a muscle gets,
the more carnosine it needs to perform
at higher intensity levels. You must keep
your muscles loaded with carnosine to
grow larger and stronger. It all boils down
to intensity and the ability to buffer waste
products—hydrogen ions and lactic
acid—so the muscle doesn’t shut down
before growth activation.

Straight carnosine supplements degrade

too rapidly to reach the muscles; however,
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very efficiently. All it takes is 1 1/2 grams
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the gym—you can double or triple your
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Whatever You Need—Wherever You Train ™

 Muscle-Training Program 90
From the IRONMAN Training & Research Center
by Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson • Photography by Michael Neveux
ou could say that we’re
Y
on a quest to find the
perfect muscle-building
routine—but, ironically,
the perfect routine doesn’t
exist. Oh, sure, a sound training
program works for a while, but
eventually you have to move on
to something else. Why? Adap-
tation.
The human body is de-
signed to adapt as it strives
for homeostasis—to maintain
equilibrium. But we don’t want
equilibrium; we want to con-
tinue to grow, and that means
that when adaptation morphs
into stagnation, you gotta
throw the body a curve.
Eric Broser’s Power/Rep
Range/Shock is designed with
the body’s high level of adapt-
ability in mind—you change
Model: Eric Broser
things fairly drastically every
week. To review, here’s how
P/RR/S works:
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
Week 1: Power
Train every exercise with
straight sets—no supersets,
tri-sets or drop sets—and reps
stay in the four-to-six zone. We
use slightly higher reps on en-
durance-oriented muscles like
calves, abs and forearms.
Week 2: Rep Range
For the first exercise you pick
a weight that allows you to get
seven to nine reps. For the sec-
ond exercise you do 10 to 12 reps.
On the third exercise you move
the rep range up to the high end
of fast-twitch recruitment—13 to
15 reps. (Note: That works excep-
tionally well with 3D POF. We use
a big, midrange-position exer-
cise as our first movement and a
stretch-position exercise as our
second, and then we finish with
a contracted-position move-
ment for continuous tension. For
example, for upper pecs we do
Smith-machine incline presses,
incline flyes and high cable
flyes.)
Week 3: Shock
This week is for putting your
muscles through the meat
grinder with supersets, drop
sets and so on. Reps for most
muscles stay in the eight-to-10
range, but extended-set tech-
niques are a must.
Cycling through those three pro-
tocols has given us lots of new in-
sights into training, not to mention
some incredible strength gains. As
for size gains, we’ve reported that
they’ve been sporadic, but accord-
ing to many, that’s how size gains
happen—size surge followed by
drought, even when strength is in-
creasing. Maybe cutting back a bit
and intensifying our efforts could
kick up some mass.
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 59
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w w w. I ro n M a n M a g a z i n e . c o m
 Train, Eat, Grow / Program 90
We’ve been
supersetting
incline flyes, a
stretch-position
exercise for
upper pecs, with
high cable flyes,
a contracted-
position
movement.
Abbreviated Workouts
The winter holidays threw a bit
of a monkey wrench into our train-
ing—and eating—as usual, but we
didn’t miss workouts. Instead, we
chose to condense and combine
them, training only three days in-
stead of four during Thanksgiving,
Christmas and New Year’s weeks on
the following split:
Workout 1: Chest, back, abs
Workout 2: Quads, hamstrings,
calves
Workout 3: Delts, triceps, biceps,
forearms
Even with three-days-per-week
training, hitting each bodypart only
once every seven days, we got stron-
ger on many exercises, so we weren’t
just maintaining.
To speed up our abbreviated
workouts even more, we would
often do multirep rest/pause, in
Dante’s D.C. style, on the first mid-
range exercise for each bodypart.
That means we’d take a weight that
60 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
allowed us to barely get nine reps;
we’d rest for 20 seconds, hit another
set, rest another 20 seconds, then hit
a third and final set, usually with X
Reps. Yes, our rep total dropped on
each set, going something like nine,
six, four, but that’s what’s supposed
to happen. It’s intense, especially
with X Reps tacked onto the end,
but it helped us blow through three
heavy sets rather quickly.
After that we usually superset-
ted a stretch-position exercise with
a contracted-position one. So for
upper chest we’d do Smith-machine
incline presses in MRR/P—multi-
rep rest/pause—style; then we’d do
incline flyes supersetted with high
cable flyes, keeping the reps on both
exercises in the seven-to-nine range.
For shock effect we like ending
stretch-position exercises, like in-
cline flyes, with a static X—a hold
at or near the stretch position—and
contracted-position moves, like
high cable flyes, with an X Fade;
that is, X Reps in the contracted, or
flexed, position, followed by X Reps
in the bottom, semistretch position.
Model: Derik Farnsworth
Those quick workouts provided
super pumps very quickly; however,
we did feel that max-force genera-
tion was lacking in most cases. Why?
The latest studies show that the
best rest between sets for max force
is three minutes. Now, 20 seconds
on MRR/P does good things for the
muscle cells’ endurance compo-
nents but leaves them somewhat
lacking in the force-production
department due to fatigue accu-
mulation—the muscle doesn’t have
time to regenerate sufficiently to fire
with max force. (Note: That may not
be as big a deal for those with supe-
rior neuromuscular efficiency and
exceptional recuperative powers.)
To ramp up force production a
bit, you could do one set, rest for
three minutes, then do another
set, rest 20 seconds, then do the
third—a max-force/MRR/P combo.
That gives you two sets on your big
exercise with max force, then the
third added on as a rest/pause set to
transition into endurance-compo-
nent work. That takes a little longer,
but it’s more balanced.
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 Train, Eat, Grow / Program 90
Here’s how that looks for quads:
Squats 1x9
Squats (MRR/P) 1 x 8(4)
Superset
Sissy squats 1-2 x 9-12
Leg extensions 1-2 x 9-12
Still a pretty quick workout, even
if you do two supersets to finish.
That makes it a good template
for condensed workouts. We were
thinking about using that style for a
few weeks, training with the three-
day split outlined earlier but four
days a week—Monday, Tuesday,
Thursday, Friday (Monday’s work-
out repeats on Friday; pick up with
Tuesday’s workout on Monday and
so on). So while you use less vol-
ume, you train each bodypart more
frequently, and the frequency varies
from four to six days, depending on
where it falls in the cycle (training-
frequency variation—nice!).
That may be our next experiment,
but we’re not quite ready to give up
on training each bodypart only once
a week just yet (those strength gains
are motivating!). What we’re experi-
menting with now are combination
Power/Rep Range/Shock workouts;
that is, using all three protocols
to some degree in every workout.
Here’s an example of how we’ve
been training lats on the P/RR/S
combo system:
62 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
For quads we
superset sissy
squats with leg
extensions. As
strength increases,
you’ll have to
begin using
specific machines
for sissies, like
the Smith or the
Powertec squat/
calf.
Pulldowns 2 x 4-6
Pulldowns 1 x 10-12
Superset
Machine pullovers 1-2 x 10-12
Undergrip pulldowns 1-2 x 8-10
So we train the Power range
on the first two sets of the big,
midrange exercise, then do a
back-off set to hit the midrange
exercise within the so-called
ideal hypertrophic rep range.
Next we finish off the bodypart
by supersetting a stretch-position
exercise with a contracted-position
movement, but we use different rep
ranges—higher on the first exercise.
You may be asking, But where’s
the 13-to-15-rep set? We figure that
by supersetting two exercises for the
same bodypart, we get that higher-
rep effect. In fact, the combined rep
total is usually more than 15. As we
said, for Shock effect we do X Reps
and/or a Static X on the stretch-
position exercise. We’ll do the same
on the contracted-position move, or
we’ll do an X Fade. That all adds up
to mucho intensity and a pump and
burn you won’t believe.
How long will we run with that
combo protocol? We want to see if
it will trigger a size surge, so we’ll be
on it at least a few weeks—or till we
start craving some standard P/RR/S
Model: Sebastion Siegel
workouts, whichever comes first.
D.C. Apologies
In the July ’06 IRON MAN Dante,
the creator of DoggCrapp training,
was interviewed by Ron Harris.
Ron did a very thorough job of
interrogating the D.C. master on his
system; however, the sidebar that
listed exercises for each bodypart
was misleading—at least to us. It led
us to an erroneous conclusion—that
in D.C. training you use three
compound exercises for each
bodypart at every workout.
As it turns out, the three exercises
listed under each muscle group
are supposed to be rotated. In
other words, in D.C. training you’re
supposed to use only one exercise
per bodypart, not three as the table
made it appear. Our apologies to
Dante and D.C. followers for that
misrepresentation.
That shot a few of our theories
in the Train, Eat, Grow in that
same issue all to hell. For example,
we said, “Performing [nine] sets
of compound exercises [for each
bodypart] may drain your recovery
ability.” Wrong, because it’s only
three sets, not nine.
We also suggested that maybe
three exercises for three sets each
was Dante’s prescription in order
(continued on page 66)
 Train, Eat, Grow / Program 90

(continued from page 62)
to make up for the lack of force
production. As we said, performing
sets with less than 2 1/2 minutes
between them reduces force
production on successive sets due
to fatigue-product accumulation.
That’s similar to what studies
have shown with preexhaustion,
when you immediately follow an
isolation exercise with a compound
movement for the same muscle—
force production is reduced on the
important compound movement.
Nevertheless, if you’re looking for
more endurance-component work,
preex is excellent. For example, it
works great on light day if you use a
heavy/light program—or traumatic/
nontraumatic (T/NT) from the
book Train, Eat, Grow. Because D.C.
includes some rest between sets
and is mostly compound-exercise
work, it has more force-generation
potential than preex, but not as
much as straight sets performed
with 2 1/2-to-three-minute rests.
That’s not to say D.C. training
doesn’t work. It’s built lots of size
and strength for a number of

IRON MAN Training & Research Center Muscle-Training Program 90

Monday (Shock): Chest, Calves, Abs Thursday (Shock): Quads, Hamstrings
Superset Superset
Incline presses (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Machine hack squats (nonlock; X Reps) 2 x 8-10
High cable flyes (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Leg extensions (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Incline flyes (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Superset
Superset Leg extensions (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Bench presses (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Leg presses (nonlock) 1 x 8-10
Low/middle cable flyes (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Leg presses (nonlock; X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Wide-grip dips (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 8(6) Smith-machine sissy squats (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 8(5)
Flat-bench flyes (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Lunges 1 x 8-10
Superset Stiff-legged deadlifts (low partials; X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Knee-extension leg press Superset
calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 10-12 Leg curls (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Machine donkey calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 10-12 Hyperextensions (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Superset Leg curls (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Hack-machine calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 10-12 Low-back machine (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Standing calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 10-12
Seated calf raises (drop set; X Reps) 2 x 12(8) Friday (Shock): Delts, Triceps, Biceps
Superset
Incline kneeups (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) Superset
Flat-bench leg raises (X Reps) 1 x 10-12 Smith-machine wide-grip
Tri-set upright rows (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Ab Bench crunches (X Reps) 1 x 10-12 Forward-lean laterals (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Twisting crunches (X Reps) 1 x 10-12 Dumbbell upright rows (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 8(6)
End-of-bench kneeups (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Superset
Incline one-arm laterals (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
One-arm cable laterals (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Tuesday (Shock): Back, Forearms Superset
Superset Behind-the-neck presses (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Wide-grip pulldowns (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Dumbbell presses (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Machine pullovers (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Bent-over laterals (drop set; X Reps) 2 x 8(6)
Parallel-grip chins (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Superset
Undergrip pulldowns (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 8(5) Close-grip bench presses (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Behind-the-neck pulldowns (drop set; X Reps)1 x 8(5) Pushdowns or kickbacks (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Superset Decline extensions 1 x 8-10
Nautilus rows or cable rows (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Overhead dumbbell extensions
Bent-arm bent-over laterals (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 (drop set; X Reps) 2 x 8(6)
V-bar cable rows (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Superset
Superset Barbell curls 2 x 8-10
Smith-machine close-grip Preacher curls (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
upright rows (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Concentration curls or one-arm
Dumbbell shrugs (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 spider curls (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 8(6)
Superset Incline curls (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Reverse wrist curls (X Reps) 2 x 10-12 Cable hammer curls (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Forearm Bar reverse wrist curls (X Reps) 2 x 10-12 Note: Where X-Reps are designated, usually only one
Superset set or phase of a drop set is performed with X Reps or an
Wrist curls (X Reps) 2 x 10-12 X-Rep hybrid technique from the Beyond X-Rep Muscle
Forearm Bar wrist curls (X Reps) 2 x 10-12 Building e-book. See the X-Blog at www.X-Rep.com for
Rockers (drop) 1 x 12(8) more workout details.

66 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 Train, Eat, Grow / Program 90

people, including pro bodybuilder
David Henry (although recently
Henry has said he’s increased the
volume of his D.C. workouts, so
maybe our three-sets-of-three-
exercises misinterpretation was a
premonition). Pure D.C. training is
a great back-to-basics way to train
for a few months. It also works well
in a force/extended-tension (F/X)
program, as outlined in our e-book
3D Muscle Building—we use D.C. on
the extended-tension days, as well
as drop sets, and straight sets on
max-force days.
No matter how you’re training,
however, you’ll want to work in
other methods after a few months
to shift gears. It’s that adaptation
thing we alluded to at the beginning
of this installment. For example, the
F/X program in 3D Muscle Building
is a five-week phase; it’s followed by
five weeks of classic 3D POF (that’s
a good example of throwing your
muscles a curve).
If you do give pure D.C. a try,
you may want to follow Dante’s
suggestions:
1) Rotate two or three exercises
for each bodypart at each suc-
cessive workout. For example,
for biceps you’d do preacher
curls at the first workout, barbell
drag curls at the next and dumb-
bell curls at the next.
2) Work each bodypart twice
every eight days:
• Monday: Chest, shoulders, bi-
ceps, back width, back thickness
• Wednesday: Biceps, forearms,
calves, hamstrings, quads
• Friday: Repeat Monday’s work-
out
• Monday: Repeat Wednesday’s
workout
3) Do only one compound exer-
cise for most bodyparts, three
sets with 20-second rests. Your
reps should go something like
nine, five, three.

ITRC Program 90, Abbreviated Home-Gym Routine

Monday (Shock): Chest, Calves, Abs Leg extensions or
Superset old-style hack squats (drop set; X Reps) 2 x 10(6)
Incline presses (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Sissy squats (drop set; X Reps) 2 x 10(6)
Incline flyes (top squeezes; Front squats or lunges 1 x 8-10
drop set; X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Superset
Incline flyes (low partials; X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Stiff-legged deadlifts (low partials) 2 x 8-10
Superset Leg curls (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Bench presses (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Leg curls (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Decline flyes (top squeeze; X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Decline flyes (low partials; X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Friday (Shock): Delts, Triceps, Biceps
Donkey calf raises (drop set; X Reps) 3 x 12(8) Superset
One-leg calf raises (drop set; X Reps) 2 x 12(8) Dumbbell upright rows
Seated calf raises (drop set; X Reps) 2 x 12(8) or rack pulls (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Superset Seated forward-lean laterals (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Incline kneeups (X Reps) 1 x 10-12 Incline one-arm laterals (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 8(6)
Flat-bench leg raises (X Reps) 1 x 10-12 Dumbbell presses (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 8(6)
Weighted full-range crunches or Bent-over laterals (drop set; X Reps) 2 x 8(6)
Ab Bench crunches (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 12(8) Superset
Close-grip bench presses (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Tuesday (Shock): Back, Forearms Kickbacks (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Chins (MRR/P; X Reps) 1 x 8(6)(4) Decline extensions 1 x 8-10
Undergrip rows (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 8(6) Overhead extensions (drop set; X Reps) 2 x 8(6)
Dumbbell pullovers (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Superset
Superset Barbell or dumbbell curls 2 x 8-10
Bent-over barbell rows 2 x 8-10 Preacher curls (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Bent-arm bent-over laterals (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Concentration curls (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 8(6)
One-arm dumbbell rows (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Incline curls (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Shrugs (MRR/P; X Reps) 1 x 8(6)(4) Incline hammer curls (X Reps) 1 x 10-12
Reverse wrist curls (drop set; X Reps) 2 x 10(6)
Wrist curls (drop set; X Reps) 2 x 10(6) Note: Where X-Reps are designated, usually only one
Rockers 1 x 13-15 set or phase of a drop set is performed with X Reps or
an X-Rep hybrid technique from the e-book Beyond
X-Rep Muscle Building. For more workout details see
Thursday (Shock): Quads, Hams the X-Blog at www.X-Rep.com.
Superset Note: If you don’t have a leg extension machine, do
Squats 2 x 8-10 old-style hacks, nonlock style. Use partner resistance,
Leg extensions or towel around the ankles, if you don’t have a leg curl
old-style hack squats (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
machine.

68 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 Train, Eat, Grow / Program 90

3) Train each bodypart an aver-

age of once every five days, a
little less frequently than with
standard D.C., but remember
that you’re doing more work for
each bodypart—an extra mid-
range set and stretch- and con-
tracted-position work. You could
develop your own three-day
split or use the split we outlined
earlier:
• Monday: Chest, back, abs
• Tuesday: Quads, hamstrings,
calves
• Thursday: Delts, triceps, biceps,
forearms
• Friday: Repeat Monday’s work-
out
• Monday: Repeat Tuesday’s
workout

The first exercise

for each bodypart
is a big, midrange
movement that
involves multiple
joints and heavy
weights.

Or you can try our variation,

which incorporates 3D Positions
of Flexion and a bit more force
generation:

1) Start with a midrange, or

compound, exercise for each
bodypart. Do a warmup-set se-
quence—see Chapter 12: Prelude
to Mass in our e-book 3D Muscle
Building—then do a straight set
of nine reps to exhaustion, with
X Reps. Rest three minutes, and
then do standard D.C. training
on that exercise, three sets with
20 seconds of rest after each.

2) Follow with one or two super- At some workouts

sets of a stretch-position exer- we do the midrange
cise and a contracted-position movement in D.C.
style—multirep
exercise, with a Static X on the
rest/pause with
Model: Jeff Dwelle

stretch move and an X Fade on

20 seconds beteen
the contracted-position exercise. sets.

70 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Train, Eat, Grow / Program 90

Lots of choices and info this

month. If you want to see what
we’re doing in the gym at any given
time, check out our training blog at
www.X-Rep.com. Also, it’s almost
spring, so that means it’s time to
start ripping it up. Check out our
supplement blog at www.X-Rep
.com for what we’re using to get lean
without getting too mean.

Pro bodybuilder David Henry
has been using D.C. training.
Note: Our Shock week is outlined
on page 66. For our complete P/
RR/S program—three weeks of 12
separate workouts—in a form that
you can print out and take to the
gym so you can experiment along
with us, see pages 103 through 114
in Chapter 15 of the e-book 3D
Muscle Building.
Editor’s note: For the latest on
X Reps, including X Q&As, X Files
(past e-zines), before and after pho-
tos and the X-Blog training journal,
visit www.X-Rep.com. To order
the Positions-of-Flexion training
manual Train, Eat, Grow, call (800)
447-0008, visit www.Home-Gym
.com, or see the ad below. IM

Free download from imbodybuilding.com

 Steve Holman’s

Critical Mass
or less concentrate on one type of stress each week.

Adaptation
It does make sense, so much so that when I revised
the old 10-Week Size Surge program in the new e-book
3D Muscle Building, I retained the three-days-a-week
format of phase 1 but alternated a max-force workout
with an extended-tension workout. Trainees are already

Confusion
reporting some great gains with that F/X application.
[Note: For more on P/RR/S, 3D POF and F/X training, visit
www.3DMuscleBuilding.com.]
Q: In a recent Critical Mass column you recom-
Q: In one of your articles you mentioned “adapta- mended taking creatine before and after a workout.
tion confusion.” What I’ve been led to believe about Considering a Monday-Wednesday-Friday pro-
that is that it can happen from using different rep gram or even a high-intensity routine with longer
schemes and loading parameters in the same work- breaks—say, three to five days between workouts—
out. Supposedly that confuses the body about which should I take creatine every day?
way to overcompensate. Does that sound legitimate?
A: You should probably take creatine before and after
A: The theory I proposed was that perhaps using many you train on those days and then perhaps a five-gram dose
rep schemes and loading parameters in one bodypart the day after just to be sure your creatine stores are fully
workout may overpower recovery—there’s too much dam- replenished. Take it again on your next training day.
age to sufficiently recuperate from. So if you train Monday, Wednesday and Friday, take cre-
For example, if you do a number of low-rep sets, higher- atine before and after you train. Take a five-gram dose on
rep sets, supersets, drop sets and so on, you’re training Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Don’t take it on Sunday.
many different fiber types as well as stressing the endur- With more days between workouts, you’d obviously have
ance components of the muscle cells. On the other hand, if more days like Sunday, a second off day in a row, on which
at one workout you did mostly lower-rep sets, with only a you wouldn’t take any creatine.
set or two of extended-tension work, and then at your next
Q: I’m a 40-year-old woman, not a bodybuilder,
workout you did mostly extended-tension sets with only
but I train with weights two to three times a week.
one or two lower-rep sets, you’d be stressing primarily max-
I’m having trouble figuring out what to eat just to
force components and fiber types at the first session and
stay healthy. I crave hamburgers and fries; that’s
more endurance components at the next.
about it. What should I do?
That may be one reason champs in the past, before
steroids were so prevalent, relied on a heavy/light system A: Eat small meals, but try to eat often. Find a good
of training. Also, if that’s true, Eric Broser’s Power/Rep protein bar you
Range/Shock routine has a lot of merit because you more like and eat half
or a whole one
between regular
meals. Make
breakfast some
type of cereal
you like, even
if it’s Captain
Crunch, and cut
it with Fiber One
(one-third Fiber
One, two-thirds
other—or, bet-
ter, half of each).
Drink some or-
ange juice and
have a small glass
of milk—in ad-
Neveux \ Model: Steve Namat

Neveux \ Model: Dror Okavi

dition to what
you put on your
cereal. Then
midmorning have
a protein bar.
(A protein drink

Mixing lots of heavy lower-rep straight-set work with a

number of extended-tension techniques could overload
recovery because too many growth components are
stressed at once. Making workouts either max-force
dominant or extended-tension dominant may be a better
recovery-oriented solution.

74 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

Free download from imbodybuilding.com
 Steve Holman’s

Critical Mass
would be better, but I know that most nonbodybuilder
types won’t take the time to pull out the blender and pow-
der.)
Lunch could be a hamburger once in a while, but if you
go for fast food, a better choice is Taco Bell chicken tacos—
good protein, not a lot of carbs, plus lettuce and tomatoes.
Or yogurt. If yogurt has loads of sugar, that’s still not too
bad; however, be sure to cut it with a few nuts. I like pecans.
That will slow down digestion and diminish the insulin
surge (which causes fat deposition). Beef jerky is a
good protein source too—it’s portable and
has very few carbs. Cottage
cheese is excellent, and so
are apples—they’re a very
low-glycemic fruit with lots

Neveux \ Model: DJ Green

of fiber. I eat one every day
with my lunch. [There are
more suggestions and choic-
es, as well as meal-by-meal
diets, in the X-treme Lean
e-book, available at www
.X-tremeLean.com.]
Dinner should be protein You have to experiment to determine your best training
and vegetables or chicken frequency—and that can change depending on stress
salad. Having pasta every levels, workout volume and intensity, diet and so on.
so often is okay, but pasta is
empty calories. I hate it for far only minor blips on the size meter. We’re tweaking the
Yogurt can be a good
that reason. If I’m going to P/RR/S program to gear it more toward building size than
snack, but if it has added
have empty carbs, give me strength—for example by using a back-off set on the big
sugar, a few pecans
dark chocolate and wine! exercise for each bodypart during low-rep Power week.
stirred in will slow
At least they have loads of It all comes down to experimentation. We’ve tried train-
digestion and diminish
health benefits, not to men- ing each bodypart once a week in the past, but it never
insulin production.
tion warm-buzz potential. worked for us. The new P/RR/S system, however, has a lot
of potential from both size and strength standpoints—it’s
Q: I have a few questions: What are the consider-
just a matter of customizing it.
ations for determining workout frequency—or does
I’m a hardgainer type, so I need more extended-tension
it just depend on your schedule? Can I focus each
time—longer sets, drop sets and so on—with fewer lower-
day on a different bodypart with four or five work-
rep sets. Easy gainers with more pure fast-twitch fibers
outs per week and get the same effect as training
tend to respond best to straight sets done with lower reps,
each bodypart more often, like every four days? I’m
but they also need some extended-tension work to build
just not sure how to determine how often a bodypart
the endurance components of specific fiber types. If you
should be trained for best results.
read our training blog, you’ll see how those experiments
A: That’s one of the bigger challenges when it comes to are panning out for me and Jonathan, who is more of the
bodybuilding: You have to experiment to find your opti- athletic ectomorphic type than I am. Trying to figure it all
mum workout frequency, and that can change depending out and getting muscle growth spurts along the way are
on stress levels, age, workout volume and intensity, diet what make it so interesting and fulfilling.
and so on. Of course, your schedule comes first—you have
to work out on the days your schedule permits. If you force The sharp black POF T-shirt with the original
it, you won’t stick with it. I usually ask people interested in classic logo emblazoned in gold can give you that
starting a weight-training program how many days a week muscular look you’re after (sorry, large size only). See
they want to train—then I subtract one from their answer page 235 for details.
so they stay hungry for the pump.
As for training each bodypart only once a week, you can
Editor’s note: Steve
experiment with that using your current program. It’s how
Holman is the author many
I set up the Power/Rep Range/Shock program at the end of
bodybuilding best-sellers, in-
3D Muscle Building, which is the way Jonathan Lawson and
cluding Train, Eat, Grow: The
I are training now. It’s a four-day split, with each bodypart
Positions-of-Flexion Muscle-
trained once a week. We work out on Monday, Tuesday,
Training Manual (see page
Thursday and Friday. It’s best to try not to work out three
72). For information on the
days in a row so your system as a whole recovers (although
POF videos and Size Surge
we break that rule every year during our ripping phase).
programs, see the ad sections
Has training each bodypart only once a week worked for
beginning on page 220 and
us so far? As we’ve reported in the Train, Eat, Grow series in
278, respectively. Also visit
Neveux

IRON MAN and in our training blog at www.X-Rep

www.X-Rep.com. IM
.com, we’ve gotten some outrageous strength gains, but so
Steve Holman
76 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com ironchief@aol.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
 Mr. Natural Olympia John Hansen’s
Naturally Huge
Competition
Ignition
Q: I’d like to enter a bodybuilding competition
in a year or two, but I want your advice. I’m cur-
rently in a job where I can make it to the gym only
once a day for about an hour (I work from 9 a.m. to
midnight every night and usually go every day or at
least five days a week in the morning before work).
In the past year or two I’ve hit a bit of a plateau—I
haven’t really gained much (still a chubby 230 at
6’), and my lifts have stayed constant (235 x 8 on the
bench, 305 deadlift, 305 squat). If possible, I’d re-
ally like to break that and gain a solid 20 pounds
in the next year. I’m a hard worker. Do you think
it’s doable with only an hour a day during the week
and whatever is necessary over the weekend? Also,
what type of diet and supplement commitment am
I looking at? I’m a good cook, so I can make pretty
much anything. My concern is that I need to eat at
specific times of the day—once every two or three
hours, right? I just turned 24, and I’ve always been
a little overweight, so losing the fat might be harder
for me. I’ve also been lifting on and off for about
three years. My first year I decided to step it up and
got a bodybuilding trainer. We trained for three
months—not for a competition, just for general fit-
ness—and I dieted pretty rigorously: 10 egg whites
for breakfast with oatmeal; four meals of chicken,
steak or fish; and I was taking pro-hormones when
they were legal.
A: I think your goal of entering a bodybuilding competi-
78 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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tion in another year or two is completely realistic. Since
you’re limited in the time you can train, the morning, I
recommend that you train five days a week. You can train
a major muscle group along with a smaller one at each
workout to keep your sessions shorter instead of doing two
major muscle groups or a major muscle group and two
smaller ones each workout.
I don’t think you should train five days in a row, however,
as you’ve been doing. Taking a day off after two or three
days of training is much better. Your body needs complete
recuperation after two or three days of heavy training. Plus,
since you’re working so many hours a day at your job, it
would be nice to have a day off from training in the middle
of the week, when you could sleep in a little later.
Here’s the routine I recommend:
Monday: Chest, calves
Tuesday: Abs, legs
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Delts, calves
Friday: Abs, back
Saturday: Arms, forearms
Sunday: Off
If you aren’t doing it now, begin writing down what you
do at each workout so you can gauge your progress. You
should be training heavier or harder each time. That pro-
gressive increase in intensity will help you to gain muscle.
As for your goal of putting on 20 pounds of muscle in
one year, that’s very difficult to do. You mentioned that
you’ve always been overweight and that losing fat might be
a problem for you. Because of that, I don’t recommend try-
ing to put on 20 pounds in the next year—it will probably
result in more fat deposition in addition to muscle gains.
If you’re considering entering a contest in the near future,
you don’t want to bulk up when you already feel that you
have too much fat on your body.
Begin writing down everything you eat, and figure out
Merv
 Mr. Natural Olympia John Hansen’s

Naturally Huge
If you have limited time to train, work on a fast, which could consist of egg
major bodypart and one minor one. whites and oatmeal. The rest of
your meals should be either protein
drinks (I recommend the combina-
tion of whey, casein and egg pro-
tein found in Pro-Fusion protein
powder and Muscle Meals meal
replacements) or lean protein (such
as chicken, fish, turkey or lean red
meat) and vegetables.
To get leaner, you should eat
most of your complex carbs in
the morning and early afternoon,
tapering them off as the day pro-
gresses. If you can continue build-
ing muscle mass while staying lean,
you’ll be in a better position to
prepare for a contest when the time
comes.
Here’s an example of a good off-
season diet that will keep you lean
while letting you build muscle. Ex-
periment with it until you find the
number of calories and amounts
of protein, carbs and fats that you
need.

Neveux \ Model: Nathan Detracy

Meal 1 (preworkout): 1
serving whey protein with
water, 1 cup oatmeal, 1/2
banana
Meal 2 (postworkout):
3 scoops RecoverX with
creatine
how many calories, protein, carbs and
fats you’re consuming on a daily basis. Meal 3: 1 egg, 7 egg
That will give you a good idea of where whites, 1/2 cup oatmeal
you need to go. with 1/2 cup blueberries
Many bodybuilders who begin a Meal 4: Protein drink
precontest diet don’t have any idea of made with water, 2 scoops
how many calories they’re eating in Pro-Fusion protein pow-
the off-season. When they start dieting der, 1 tablespoon flaxseed
for the contest, they often cut their cal- oil
ories or carbs too low. They might be Meal 5: 5 ounces chicken,
able to eat more calories and still lose 150 grams sweet potato, 3
the fat while keeping their metabolism ounces broccoli
Neveux \ Model: Derik Farnsworth

fast if they knew what they were eating

in the off-season. Meal 6: Protein drink
Yes, you need to eat every 2 1/2 to made with water, 2 scoops
three hours. It doesn’t matter what Pro-Fusion protein pow-
time you eat as long as you eat consis- der
tently in that time frame. Meal 7: 4 ounces lean
If you’re training early in the morn- steak, 1 cup green beans
ing, I recommend that you have a Meal 8: Protein drink
whey protein drink with oatmeal made with water, 2 scoops
about 45 to 60 minutes before starting your workout. That Pro-Fusion protein powder, 1 tablespoon flaxseed oil
will give you the amino acids and carbs you need to fuel
your workout.
Immediately after your workout have a drink like Recov- Q: What do you think is the best age for reaching
erX, which contains 40 grams of fast protein and 60 grams your peak in bodybuilding? Many people feel that
of fast carbs. That will give you the nutrients you need to natural bodybuilders don’t reach full muscle matu-
properly recuperate from your session. rity until they’re in their 40s.
When you get home from the gym, you can eat break- A: Reaching your peak in bodybuilding is really specific

80 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 Mr. Natural Olympia John Hansen’s

Naturally Huge
to the individ- both worlds, muscle maturity, size and strength combined
ual. Bodybuild- with a metabolism that would let me bulk up and cut up
Murrell Hall is ers who are with little difficulty.
still competing so-called easy When I reached my late 30s, I noticed a definite change.
at age 64. gainers will look My metabolism was slower, and bulking up in the off-sea-
fantastic when son resulted in more fat deposition than muscle gain. It
they’re in their was also much harder to lose fat when it came time to diet
teens and early for a contest, and I noticed that my strength and muscle
20s. Arnold mass had decreased slightly.
Schwarzeneg- The reason for those changes has to do with the natu-
ger, Casey Viator rally declining hormone levels as we age. Our growth
and Lee Haney hormone (which regulates bodyfat deposition) and testos-
immediately terone (which regulates muscle mass and strength in ad-
come to mind dition to other masculine characteristics) decline after the
when I think of age of 25. By the time we get to our late 30s and early 40s,
bodybuilders those hormone levels are naturally lower than they were
who achieved when we were in our 20s and early 30s.
incredible de- In this column last month I had a story on Murrell Hall,
velopment while an outstanding 64-year-old bodybuilder from Illinois. Mur-
they were still rell has an incredible physique, with abs that most 20-year-
teenagers. olds would die for. He’s been training hard and consistently
Arnold had since he was in his 20s. Murrell recently took fifth place in
nearly 20-inch the open division of the NPC Natural Mid-States, where he
arms as a teen, competed against guys who were in their 20s and 30s.
and he won Even so, he recently admitted to me that he believes
the NABBA Mr. he’s lost about 15 pounds of muscle mass over the past 30
Photos courtesy of Murrell Hall

Universe contest years. Murrell is probably as dedicated a bodybuilder as

at only 20 years you’ll ever find, but he’s lost some muscle because of his
old. Lee Haney naturally declining hormones.
won the Teenage Despite being in his 60s, he’s maintained a physique
Mr. America at that’s fantastic for any age. He still trains hard and eats a
19 and was the clean bodybuilding diet all year long and he has the phy-
biggest body- sique of someone 20 to 30 years younger because of it. But
builder competing in the ’80 Mr. USA at 20. Casey Viator set even Murrell would admit that he peaked physically when
the record for the youngest Mr. America winner when he he was younger.
won the title at 19. That’s why I feel that the early to mid-30s is the peak
I think a bodybuilder who begins training when he’s in period for natural bodybuilders. If you’ve been training for
his teens has a big advantage over one who starts training at least 10 years at that point, you will have developed the
in his mid- to late 20s. The teenage body is growing and muscle mass and maturity and your metabolism will still
responds rapidly to heavy training and nutritious food. In be fast enough to enable you to reach your best condition.
fact, many people have very fast metabolisms at that age,
so they can eat lots of calories and stay lean while adding Editor’s note: John Hansen has won the Natural Mr.
muscle mass. Olympia and is a two-time Natural Mr. Universe winner.
Arnold, Lou Ferrigno, Haney, Viator, Boyer Coe, Jay Visit his Web site
Cutler, Rich Gaspari and many other professional body- at www.natural
builders built the foundation of their physiques during olympia.com.
their teenage years. The muscle mass and development You can write to
that they created then paved the way for the incredible him at P.O. Box
physiques they displayed as they matured. 3003, Darien,
I did the same thing when I was young. Although IL 60561, or
competing so often as a teenage bodybuilder (I entered call toll-free
10 competitions between the ages of 16 and 19) kept my (800) 900-UNIV
bodyweight down because of the constant dieting, I was (8648). His new
able to bulk up to 230 pounds by the time I reached 21. The book, Natural
size I developed at that age was a major asset to me in later Bodybuilding,
competitions. and new train-
As for muscle maturity, I think a natural bodybuilder ing DVD, “Real
reaches his peak in his early to mid-30s. I won my first Muscle,” are
Natural Mr. Universe contest at 29, but I think I reached my now available
physical peak when I was between 32 and 35. from Home
Neveux

When I was in my early to mid-30s, I was able to bulk up Gym Ware-

in the off-season to 235 to 240 pounds, and my metabolism house, (800)
John Hansen
was still fast enough to enable me to get down to around 447-0008 or www
205 ripped pounds for my competitions. I had the best of .Home-Gymcom. IM J o h n @ N a t u r a l O l y m p i a . c o m

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 Mind/Muscle Explosion

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 Pushing Your Belief Threshold
to New Size Detonations
by Peter C. Siegel, R.H.
hink about those who possess big, powerful,
muscle-packed physiques. Then think about
you. Hmm, what’s the difference? Well, responses
here frequently include genetics, drugs, number of
years training, being an easy gainer and so on.
Yes, perhaps those factors have played a role in
structuring the physiques of the standout athletes
you want to be like. You’ve been training for a while
now, though, haven’t you? You’ve also been consis-
tent with your workouts, training hard and heavy
and tenaciously pushing yourself. No doubt you’ve
made gains compared to where you were when you
began to train.
So why aren’t you bigger and stronger than you
are now—at least close to the champs you emu-
late? “Uh, well, those other guys take steroids.”
Maybe they do, but let me tell you, there’s a factor
just as powerful, perhaps more so, as drugs that
moves you into realms of increased size and power.
Let me give you some personal stats here that
may surprise and inspire you. First, I do not use
steroids. I take a little creatine with apple juice
about one hour before each of my workouts and
have a protein shake after I’m done.
I train intense and heavy and push myself to the
max, every workout (I’ve been training like that for
32 years). I’m 50 years old, and I do leg presses with
up to 1,000 pounds for 10 reps. I work up to barbell
rows with 315, dumbbell rows with a 200-pound
dumbbell and seated cable rows with the stack—300
pounds.
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
All natural, all “balls to the wall,” all conquest
intensity and challenging myself to the limit
at each workout. I’m not as huge as the Mr.
Olympia competitors who consult me, but I am
at a size and power level that provide me an
abundance of self-respect and esteem. Hey,
I’ve worked my ass off to get where I am, and
I strive to keep improving. (You can come to
World Gym in Marina del Rey, California, be-
tween 8:30 and 10 nightly to see me walking
the walk.)
Having been around the sport for so long
now, having written and published hundreds
of articles on the mind and bodybuilding since
1980, and having personally worked with in-
dividuals who’ve gone on to win Mr. America,
Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia titles, I can tell
you one thing right here: What moves people
into the realm of champion is what they hon-
estly, subconsciously believe about:
• How big they can get
• How strong they can get
• How powerful they can become
• How physically commanding and
dominant they can become
• How successful they can ultimately become
Let me go more deeply into that awareness, so
you’ll fully understand what I mean.
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 89
 Mind/Muscle Explosion

Belief-directed mind
power fuels the workout
Neveux \ Model: Nathan Detracy

machine, and what fuels

the machine determines
what it will ultimately
produce.

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 Mind/Muscle Explosion

The Workout Machine

You know the ones. They always
look around at life—seeing what
exists outside of them—and by self-
assessment and so-called reason
determine what they can and cannot
have, do, be, acquire and/or become.
They’d really like to drive the sleek
new cars, wear the high-fashion
clothes and reflect accomplishments
and successes similar to those they
see on TV and read about in maga-
zines. In so many cases, however, as
they think about those things, they
creatively think of all the “justifiable”
reasons that they can’t have them
instead of thinking about what they
could do, pursue or produce that
would enable them to get what they
say they want.
Belief-directed mind power fuels
the workout machine, and what fuels
the machine determines what it will
ultimately produce. Three impon-
derables are at work here:
1) Why do they think they’re in-
capable of reaching or experiencing Do you think
the increase they say they really Ronnie Coleman
want, embracing limiting, self-com- puts any limits
promising beliefs? on how big he can
get? No way!
Comstock

2) Why do they wait to see what

the world around them offers and/or
produces (and then become “want
seduced” by others’ creations)?
3) Why, instinctively, don’t they
consider why they possibly could
get/acquire/achieve what they say
they want—and then, fueled by total
confident resolve, go about creating
and/or actualizing it?
Here’s the understanding that will
either floor you or kick your ass into
proactive-success gear: You’ll wait
for the world to bring forth new and
evolved things, or you’ll position
your “what I feel is possible” frame-
work in relation to acquiring and
producing what is new (and desired).
From that contrast, you’ll establish
your “what I can and cannot have/
be” beliefs.
Or (and here’s the secret to in-
creased muscular growth and in-
crease in any area of your life) you’ll
look deeply into yourself, indeed,
more deeply into your very soul,
and will become a self-starter who
forges an expanded belief regarding
what’s possible for you. You’ll then
invest your full power into the self-
constructed new belief and move to
actively externalize it.
Retooling Your
Belief System the
Champion’s Way
Were you born to “can’t”? Were
you born to “not to”? Are you here
to want but (in so very many cases)
not have? What do you sense about
those who bring forth the new and
evolved believe? I can tell you un-
equivocally that they think in terms
of advancing what is, going beyond
the current, widening their possi-
bility scope—and then creating the
more they believe they can.
They perceive more is possible,
and possible for them. They see it
clearly in their minds. They give
themselves every conceivable rea-
son that they can, are capable of,
should and will produce, acquire
or actualize it. More important,
through a compelling faith—
through invincible, expanded
belief—they act and keep acting,
filled with self- and earth-moving
conviction, until their belief be-
comes materialized fact.
Do you think Ronnie Coleman,
Jay Cutler, Gunter Schlierkamp or
Lee Priest put any limits on how
big they can get? Or how strong
they can become? Or on their
ability to use the poundage they
know they must to get to the size
and power realms they determine
they’ll reach?
They don’t. Neither does any
other champion in bodybuilding or
life. Sir Edmund Hillary had an ex-
panded belief when he conquered
Mount Everest. Howard Schultz
had an expanded belief when,
despite continual negative external
commentary, he went on to found
Starbucks Coffee. Arnold Schwar-
zenegger, Lee Haney, Dorian Yates
and Ronnie Coleman all had (Cole-
man still does) expanded belief—
which drove them year after year
to keep growing and improving in
their pursuit to win the Mr. Olym-
pia title numerous times (which
they all did).

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 91

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 Mind/Muscle Explosion

possible. Your mind instinctively

Where’s Your Belief
Regarding What
You Can Physically
Become?
So just what do you believe re-
garding how big you can get, how
powerful you can become—in-
deed, how successful you can be-
come in your bodybuilding efforts?
If such beliefs are not inspiring
and do not suggest progress and
triumph, why do you embrace
them? Indeed, why do you have
and entertain them at all? (Are
they, in fact, even yours—truly
self-determined, self-established,
self-legislated by you, of you, and
for you? Hmm, probably not.)
“Yeah, Pete, but the people you
just cited are all monster individ-
ual success stories; I’m just, well,
me.” Exactly my point. At one time
they were just so-called ordinary
people with dreams and aspira-
tions. What separated them from
the others, what compelled them
to the heralded levels they reached
lay in what and how they be-
lieved—and because they believed.
Belief is your choice. Belief is
your responsibility. Belief is your
personal commitment to move
yourself toward a greater, more
substantive and more successful
life.
If you keep it in check and con-
stricted, your body, and life, will
reflect it. If you expand it (in a
moment I’ll show you how), you’ll
clearly come to grow and advance.
You can think of all the reasons
you want as to why something
“can’t” or you “can’t.” New and ex-
panded belief, however, poignant-
ly and demonstrably overcomes
it all. Just ask little shepherd boy
David what he believed before he
went on to kick Goliath’s ass.
You taking a 16-inch arm to
17. Or 17 to 18. Then 18 to 19 fol-
lows suit. So does, for example,
coming to bench more, building
more massive delts, lats, pecs and
Expanding Your
Bodybuilding Belief
Threshold (the Mental
State That Compels
Increased Training
Intensity and Growth)
Now we’ll work on expanding
your bodybuilding belief regarding
the size and strength possible for
you so you don’t limit yourself and
so you can bring forth the most and
best you’re truly capable of.
Can you become bigger and
stronger than you now are? Well,
you already know the answer is yes.
Before we get into the specific mus-
cular-belief and inner-power ex-
panding process, let me first discuss
the concept of belief momentum.
Once you experience it, you can
produce an increase-related result
because you naturally broaden your
belief with the awareness that what
you either didn’t know was possible
or never before experienced is now
says, “Interesting. If I did that, then
I can go even beyond that.”
Then your belief expands even
more, and you begin focusing
on a realm beyond what you just
experienced and produced. You
tenaciously reach toward—and
attain—that level, and the “belief
broadening awareness” process,
which naturally focuses on even
greater success (and the behavior
you use to actualize it), continues.
The belief momentum has
bearing on any process of in-
crease—whether it’s making
money, generating peak athletic
performance, personal produc-
tion levels or building a powerful,
thickly muscled physique.
It stops only when you “deter-
mine” that’s all there can be, or
is, for you. Let me tell you from
almost three decades as the coun-
try’s leading peak-performance
hypnotherapist: You never hit your
ultimate potential. All you do is ac-
tualize and unfold more of it as you
continue to expand your belief.
The belief
momentum
has bearing on
any process of
increase—whether
it’s making money
or building a
powerful, thickly
muscled physique.
Neveux \ Model: Hidetada Yamagishi

quads—and coming to forge the

thickly chiseled muscle and power
you’ve been holding in the back of
your mind as what you really ulti-
mately want from your training.
Literally, what you believe, you
become.

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 Mind/Muscle Explosion
Give yourself every reason you can to believe
that it’s fully possible for you to create and
bring forth increased muscular dimension.
The Process: Pushing
Your Belief Into New
Growth-Inducing
Realms
First, thoughtfully read through
this five-step process in its entirety.
Then apply it exactly as outlined.
Step 1: Perceptual Contrast.
In your home, preferably in the
evening after you’ve completed your
major activities, do the following:
Decide on the bodypart you re-
ally want to improve (chest or lats
or whatever). Focus on only one
bodypart, so all your mental energy
can be dialed in.
Next, lie comfortably on your
back on either your couch or bed,
and take three l-o-n-g, d-e-e-p
breaths—inhaling deeply through
your nostrils and exhaling easily
through your mouth.
Now, to the best of your ability,
graphically envision and f-e-e-l the
muscle in its current dimension.
Then, mentally expand it—and feel
it occurring to a level beyond where
it is now and into a realm you de-
cidedly know is possible for you to
produce (17-inch arm to 17 1/4 to
17 1/2, etc. ).
Vividly experience (and feel)
yourself possessing the increased
muscular size. Visualize a tape
measure clearly indicating that you
possess the bigger size.
94 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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Comstock
Step 2: Visualize the Workout Step 3: Self-Convincing:
Effort You Know Will Produce Giving Yourself the Reasons
the Experience of More. It’s Possible—and Possible
for You.
Shift your attention to you work-
ing out at your gym. Mentally, Now, having completed steps 1
graphically perform one set of two and 2, direct your thinking so you’re
different exercises you’ll be doing to giving yourself every reason you can
actualize your expanded belief. to believe that what you just men-
For example, for your arms, you’d tally experienced is possible for you
visualize standing barbell curls, or physically.
preacher curls, or incline dumbbell For example, you might want to
curls, etc. use notions such as:
Once you decide on the
two exercises you’ll men-
tally engage, imaginatively
step into the workout sce-
nario, begin your set, and
thoroughly f-e-e-l yourself
performing each tenacious,
locked-in feverish rep of
each set. (Really mentally
crank out each rep with
total intensity.)
Don’t be surprised to
find your heart rate, body
temperature and breath-
ing rate magnify as you get
deeply into training that’s
geared to actualizing your
expanded belief.
Then, after you’ve envi-
sioned yourself mentally
performing both sets (as
outlined), let yourself
feel the intense flush of
blood—and the burn—
your lasered effort pro-
Balik
duced in the muscle you
mentally trained. Arnold’s expanded belief drove him in
bodybuilding and still drives him today.

• When I’ve trained exceptionally
hard, I’ve gotten noticeable
results. As I continue training
fiercely hard, I’ll continue getting
results.
• If I truly believe something is
possible for me—and fully set my
mind to it—I can and will make
it fact.
• When I’m seriously motivated
and confident that success can
happen for me, I feverishly work
in the way I must—for as long as I
must—until it does.
• When I eat right, train
tenaciously like a warrior and
invest my whole mind in getting
bigger, stronger and more
commanding, I make my body
grow. I can and will do exactly the
same thing—now.
You can use these notions or com-
pose your own. Remember: Give
yourself every reason you can to
believe that it’s fully possible for you
to create and bring forth increased
muscular dimension.
Neveux \ Model: Carmen Garcia
If you want it, believing it can
happen is the first step.
Step 4: Subconsciously
“Ingest” the Expanded Belief
Triumph Affirmation.
Now, firmly say to yourself (and
mean it), “I choose what I believe.
I determine what’s possible for me.
And the more I envision and experi-
ence it, the more I direct my workout
efforts to decidedly unfold that be-
lief.”
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
Next, to return to your full con-
scious awareness, feel the backs of
your arms, legs, torso and head on
the mattress or cushions beneath
you. Then just easily let your eye-
lids open. Inhale deeply. And s-t-r-
e-t-c-h. Then go on to engage your
next planned activity.
Step 5: Committed Action
Follow Through.
Now you become conscious of
upholding your expanded belief
(regarding the bodypart you’ve
chosen to increase) when you work
out. You see and think of it this new
way. You train every set the intense
way you visualized. You mentally
exclaim your triumph affirmation
before and after each workout. You
stay in this mental-conviction zone
until you physically experience that
your expanded belief has become a
muscular fact.
I guarantee that if you stay with
steps 1 through 5 as I’ve outlined
them, you’ll come to experience
your new belief as fact. You’ll then
start enjoying the exceedingly posi-
tive impact of belief momentum.
The Reinforcement
Stay with steps 1 through 5 regu-
larly, until your physique conclu-
sively reflects your new, expanded
belief. That means setting aside
time each day to mentally condi-
tion yourself to grow.
If you’re serious about wanting
more, you’ll engage the process
eagerly and regularly. Why? Because
you’ll realize you have the missing
link now to bypass self-imposed,
limiting beliefs. Remember: What
you truly believe, you will truly
become.
Editor’s note: Pete Siegel is
the country’s foremost sports and
peak-performance hypnotherapist.
Check out his acclaimed Think &
Grow BIG and Steppin’ Up to Mega-
Muscle and Power!, mental-training
programs for massive bodybuilding
success at www.IncredibleChange
.com. There you’ll also see the list
of bodybuilders he’s worked with
who then went on to win Mr. Amer-
ica, Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia
titles. IM
 Model: Hidetada Yamagishi

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 Take It to
the Limit—and Beyond—
to Build Extreme Muscularity
by Dwayne Hines II

re you growing? When it comes to building the

muscularity of your physique, that’s a crucial
question—and so is your answer. Look at it
this way—if you’re not growing, what are
you doing in the gym? Trying to break even? Breaking
even is good for the guy who doesn’t want to end up
in a nursing home, but for anyone who’s serious about
muscle, the bottom line is growth.
The obsession with growth applies to all areas of life.
In finance, the ready money goes to companies that
are growing, and big companies are always trying to
grow their dividends, their income, their assets. Even
relationships are discussed in terms of growth.
Growth shows up everywhere because it is vital for life.
There are three alternatives here on planet Earth—you’re
breaking even, losing ground or growing. That paradigm
can be applied to most anything, and especially to
building the body.

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 107

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 Complacency Kills must send the body a signal that it
needs to step it up—which it will
Complacency is the deadly never do unless you step it up in the
enemy of growth. Although loss (de- gym. Gallagher makes a very suc-
crease, shrink, diminish) is the op- cinct statement: “The human body
posite of growth, complacency is the does not alter itself in response to
tool that delivers it. It’s insidious, sameness.” Doing the same routine
and that’s precisely the reason that or any routine that doesn’t push the
complacency is so nasty. Compla- envelope for your physique will not
cency serves up loss in such a subtle bring about change. Keep a training journal to
manner that many people don’t minimize guesswork.
recognize what’s going on. Facts
don’t cease to exist simply because
you ignore them, and you incur the
Tracking Training
loss nonetheless. You can see count- Trajectory
less examples in any gym—guys
whose arm size never increases, If you want to track your training
weight loads that remain the same, trajectory accurately, keep a train-
max-out totals that never increase. ing journal. Without one, everything
Complacency kills progress. Are you you do is guesswork. The thinnest
complacent? line is better than the stoutest mem-
The opposite of complacency is ory, it is said, and keeping track by
challenge. To break out of the com- getting your training achievements
placency trap, you must challenge down on paper is crucial to growth.
your body—and your mind—at It will help you set up incremental
various levels. As five-time world increases in your work that will get
master powerlifting champion As the Eagles said, “Take it to you beyond the previous workout’s
Marty Gallagher puts it, “To trigger the limit one more time.” numbers. It will show you in black
physical progress, you have to bump and white if you are really progress-
up against current boundaries. You ing. Keeping a training journal helps
have to test the limits and break
Intelligent Barrier remove much of the subjectiv-
the barriers. You have to deal with Busting ity of training and enables you to
the pain and discomfort a serious track even subjective factors. For
exercise induces. You cannot trigger instance, if you’re feeling under the
muscle hypertrophy (the core goal The key to forcing the body to weather prior to a workout, you can
of all progressive-resistance train- change is to break through barri- note that for future reference.
ing) by training submaximally.” ers. Exactly how do you do that? The path to growth is no mystery.
So, the question becomes, Are The Eagles sang, “Take it to the You must push your body further
you bumping up against current limit one more time,” and that is in a measured pace. Forget all the
boundaries? And if not, why not? the perfect answer. It’s essential to fancy workouts and supposedly
If you’re not challenging your- take your body beyond where it has secret tips. The bottom line is that
self—if you are coasting below your been. That said, you need to apply your body won’t grow unless you
physique’s boundaries—you cannot a little intelligence. You don’t want make it. Yes, that involves a lot of
expect progress. To trigger physi- to push yourself to oblivion at every pain, but that’s where the growth
cal progress in your physique, you workout. That’s a sure ticket to over- lies. If you want to make progress
training, injury and a compromised with your physique, you have to
immune system. Instead, push your push into the growth zone.
Complacency kills progress. body to new limits systematically (continued on page 112)
Challenge kills complacency.
over a period of time. Your train-
ing doesn’t have to produce new Your body won’t grow unless
achievements at every workout, but
you push its pain threshold.
it should be producing new achieve-
ments over time. You may break
through a barrier every other week.
Or every month. Or maybe every
three months. The goal is the overall
trajectory of your training—is it up,
Model: Hidetada Yamagishi

flat or down? Gallagher suggests

establishing a baseline performance
level that you strive to exceed in
some manner or fashion; for ex-
ample, nudging poundage or repeti-
tions upward.

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 Further Than Failure!
Normal muscular failure means you can no longer
do another full-range rep in good form, which is fine
most of the time. Sometimes, though, you have to take
it to the next level—further than failure and into the
growth zone. That means going past the point of nor-
mal muscular failure by using one or more of the fol-
lowing techniques:
Balik
1) Cheat reps. Loosen up your form a bit and use
some momentum to complete a few more full repeti-
tions. For example, if you’re doing barbell curls, when
you reach the point where another strict rep is impossi-
ble, swing the weight up using a slight torso bend at the
beginning of each rep and perhaps lean back a bit to
complete the rep. The point is to use the least amount
of cheating possible to complete the rep.
2) Forced reps. A spotter helps you complete one
or more reps when you cannot get any more on your
own. For example, during bench presses, when you get
stuck at the midway point, your spotter will pull up on
the bar just enough to enable you to complete the rep.
Your spotter should provide the least amount of help
possible.
3) Negatives. A spotter helps you complete the
positive portion of the next rep so that you can lower
the bar as slowly and with as much control as possible.
(Unlike what happens with a forced rep, the spotter
helps you get the bar back to the top with you using
the least amount of force possible.) You reach positive,
or concentric, failure first, but the muscle hasn’t yet
reached negative, a.k.a. eccentric, failure; so with your
partner’s assistance you can continue the set working
only the negative portion of the rep.
4) Rest/pause. Pick a weight that you know you can
only get two to four reps with. Once you reach failure,
set the weight down for about 15 seconds. Pick up the
weight and attempt to get another one or two reps. Set
the weight down for another 15 seconds, and repeat.
You may be able to do it three or four times before the
entire rest/pause set is complete; that is, you can’t get
any more reps.
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5) Drop sets. Lift a weight to failure, and then re-
move 15 to 20 percent of the weight (or grab lighter
dumbbells if it’s a dumbbell exercise) and continue to
lift without resting. You can repeat the process two to
three times before terminating the set. The drop-set
technique works particularly well with dumbbell ex-
ercises in what are called down-the-rack sets. That’s
where you begin an exercise, like laterals raises, with,
say, 35-pound dumbbells, and when you reach failure,
you go to 25s, 15s and then 5s. Yes, it’s pretty painful—
but very effective!
6) Partials. Perform half or quarter reps after you
reach failure on full-range reps. End-of-set partials
produce a very painful lactic acid burn in the muscle,
especially when you do them rapidly. They’re best used
on exercises like curls, laterals, leg extensions, leg curls
and similar movements, rather than bench presses,
squats, deadlifts and so on, on which you need a spot-
ter and the danger level is high. End-of-set partials
done at the max-force point on the stroke of an exercise
are called X Reps, and they are an even more effective
form of the partials technique [see www.X-Rep.com for
more info].
Model: Lee Apperson and Alexander Lee Apperson
Just remember that going beyond failure is not for
beginners or even most intermediates. Most people
can grow quite nicely simply by training near or right
at normal failure. Only advanced trainees should
push themselves to that level, as their bodies are bet-
ter adapted to the rigors of such training ferocity.
They often need to push themselves that far to force
continued overcompensation to take place—the key
to growth. That said, it’s easy to overtrain using tech-
niques like the ones discussed above no matter how
advanced you are, so use them sparingly.
See you at the gym—the only place in the world
where failure is a positive thing!
—Eric Broser
www.PRRSTraining.com IM
 Partials,
Burns & X Reps
Extending
Time Under Tension for
Extreme Muscle Size
by William Litz
Photography by Michael Neveux
lot has been written recently about time under
tension and the optimal amount of time a set
must last to trigger hypertrophy. For pure
strength gains a shorter time under tension
is best, as it aids in fortifying tendons and ligaments. Basi-
cally, one to five reps works best for power. If your goal is to
add mass, however, you need a longer time under tension.
Even top pros like Ronnie Coleman use higher reps with
great success. Coleman does flirt with maximum poundag-
es on certain lifts, but if you watch him train, you’ll notice
that a good portion of his sets are in the eight-to-15 range.
(I think the max-single attempts on squats and deadlifts
that he does on his various DVDs are as much for show as
they are for building strength. Not to take anything away
from the man—an 800-pound deadlift is amazing at any
Model: Ronnie Coleman

time, and at five weeks before the Mr. O it’s insane. But it
makes for a good DVD more than it makes for good size
training.) (continued on page 118)

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 www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 115
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 Partials, Burns and X Reps
(continued from page 115)
There are other ways to extend
the time under tension than just
doing higher reps. Steve Holman,
IM’s editor in chief, and Jonathan
Lawson have written a lot in the
past few years about X Reps and
their variations. The X-Rep concept
is an insightful new way of looking
Model: Larry Scott \ photo courtsey of Robert Kennedy
at an older training technique that
was on the verge of becoming ex-
tinct—burns.
Burns were developed in the
1950s as a way of extending the time
a muscle was under fire. Once a
trainee could no longer do full reps,
he did a series of short partial reps,
or burns, near the top or bottom of
the stroke.
Larry Scott was famous for his
use of burns at the top of the stroke
BEFORE AFTER
William Litz took his physique from a soft standard were amazing.
220 to a hard, abs-blazing 210 in only eight
weeks using X-Rep partials and stretch
overload. His legs responded nicely too.
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Larry Scott
often extended
his sets with
partials at the
top and bottom
positions for
more tension
time.
on preacher curls. After stretch-point partials. While they
six heavy reps to failure do at times train the top, contracted
he’d be helped into the position, usually on continuous-
top position and would tension isolation exercises like leg
squeeze out four to six extensions, most of the time they
burns. He sometimes prefer doing X-Rep partials at the
did burns at the bottom end of a set to exhaustion, at a point
as well. where the muscle is elongated and
New research indi- under tension, like near the bottom
cates that bottom-, or of the stroke of an incline press.
stretch-, position burns They believe that it’s the max-force
are more beneficial, point of the target muscle, where it
but to keep variety can fire most effectively and, there-
alive—and maybe hit a fore, activate the most fibers.
few different fibers—I I’ve been doing variations of
believe it’s useful to partials and burns since the early
work X Reps at different ’90s, when I first saw “Pumping
points on the stroke, Iron.” I was struck by how Arnold
even within a single set, did his dumbbell flyes—he never
as you’ll see in my calf- brought the dumbbells together at
training example com- the top; instead, he focused on the
ing up. stretch position only. In that same
Keep in mind that movie Lou Ferrigno did his incline
stretch-position par- presses in the same manner—he
tials can activate a lot only did the bottom half or third of
of growth fibers and the stroke. It appeared as though he
may even lead to fiber was “bouncing” in and out of the
splitting, if such a stretch position, overloading the
phenomenon actually muscle to the max while avoiding
exists. Training various the top part of the rep. If you watch
Photos courtesy of William Litz
positions with X-Rep closely, you’ll see that while Arnold
partials will help avoid finished off his massive pecs with
stagnation, however, cable crossovers to get a strong
and who can argue with contraction, he holds the stretch
Larry Scott’s results? for a definite pause on many of his
The man had arms that reps, something Holman and Law-
even by today’s freaky son noticed Jay Cutler doing on his
training DVD “Ripped to Shreds” [an
Holman and Law- observation that evolved into the X-
son’s X Reps primarily hybrid technique known as Double-
focus on bottom-posi- X Overload].
tion, stretch- or semi- Keep in mind that X reps are more
than just burns, which were usually
performed in the contracted posi-
tion. As I said, I like to do X Reps
in the contracted position too, but
I think the stretch position takes
priority. That’s the beauty of X Reps;
they can be tailored to any move- Holman and
ment and can work at various posi- Lawson’s X-
tions. Rep concept
Doing heavy X-Rep-only sets, primarily stresses
as Ferrigno did on incline presses the bottom,

Models: Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman

in “Pumping Iron,” can attack the
stretch position and wake up sleep-
semistretch point
ing pec fibers. Hitting that bottom at the end of a
stroke of the rep on the Smith ma- full-range set.
chine will give anyone an unreal
burn. Holman and Lawson describe
standard X Reps as end-of-set par-
tials. So you would do a full-range
set to exhaustion, lower the bar to

near your chest, and then fire off

Ronnie Coleman eight-inch partials in the stretch-po-
uses continuous- sition range. Once again, incredible
tension exercises burn.
in his workouts, What about top-end X Reps on
but he rarely holds presses? The top of pressing move-
ments is almost all triceps, so if
the contracted
you’re hitting chest, stick with bot-
position. tom-range partials. Work in and
around that bottom half of the
rep, banging out as many partials
with constant tension as you can.
Machines can make the technique
more effective. On Smith-machine
inclines, for example, you can focus
on pushing without balance issues,
so you have more control. All it
takes is two bottom-end sets with
X Reps on Smith-machine inclines,
and my chest is toast.
X Reps are spawning many varia-
tions called X-hybrids. I mentioned
Double-X Overload earlier. Oth-
ers include various pulse-pushing
methods performed at certain areas
along the range of motion and/or in
combination with other techniques
like multirep rest/pause, also known
as Dante’s D.C. training. The evolu-
tion is excellent because all good
training methods should be flexible
enough to be tailored to a trainee’s
individual needs.
Here’s an example of how I’ve
adapted the X-Rep concept to my
leg press calf raises, an approach
you can easily use on donkey or
standing calf raises.
Start with two warmup sets. Then
stretch each calf for 30 seconds and
then 60 sec- (continued on page 122)

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 Partials, Burns and X Reps
(continued from page 119) onds. For
the first work set load a weight that
lets you crank out 10 to 12 reps. At
full-range exhaustion let your heels
sink as far down as they will go and
hold the stretch for 10 seconds. Now
push the footplate up as far as you
can and do five pulsing X Reps. Hold
the fifth X Rep in the full stretch po-
sition for 10 more seconds. You can
stop there if the pain is too intense; I
usually don’t quit.
I get the weight back up by hook
or by crook to the top and do five
squeezes at the contracted position;
then I lower and hold the bottom
stretch for yet another 10 seconds.
At that point I’ll stop, have my
partner strip off a few 45s and then
immediately crank out 12 more full
reps. On rep 12 I lower and hold the
stretch for 30 seconds. But I’m not
done.
I jump/hobble off the leg press
and on to a wooden block, where I
do more freehand stretches. I do a
deep stretch for 60 seconds on each
calf followed by a few bodyweight
calf raises.
Ouch! Two rounds of that torture,
or something similar, is all I can
take. I finish with one set of seated
calf raises for 50 to 100 reps, usually
with just a 45 on each side. On the
last rep I hold the contraction as
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long as possible before racking the
weight, and I’m usually sobbing like
a little girl—but a little girl with very
big calves!
X Reps combined with static
stretches aren’t fun unless you’re
the kind of person who enjoys being
tied up and flogged (but that’s re-
ally none of my business). Despite
the pain they cause, X Reps and
X-hybrid techniques are some of
the best training tools I have ever
used, and I recently proved just
how effective they are. After allow-
ing myself to indulge in a doughnut
diet (I don’t suggest it—it’s tasty
but not that great for muscle size),
I found myself in very brutal shape.
I needed to get lean and add some
size in a hurry. X Reps combined
with stretch overload and extreme
stretching transformed my physique
in eight weeks (see photos on page
118). I went from a fat 220 pounds
to a tight 210 with abs in only eight
weeks. You can see that I dropped
bodyfat while adding lots of muscle
and strength, something I’ve always
found difficult to do.
I noticed immediately that X
Reps work very well with fascial
stretching (popularized by trainer
John Parrillo and more recently by
Dante). The intense stretching helps
loosen the fascia surrounding the
The biggest bodybuilders
usually start bench
presses in the lockout
position but don’t lock
out again till the end of
the set. Bottom partials
stress the low, semistretch
Model: John Cowgill
point of the stroke for
continuous tension and
maximum fiber activation.
muscle, thus allowing more space
for the muscle to grow. Often lifters
who have a stubborn muscle group
will find that the fascia surround-
ing that particular muscle is too
constricting. Stretching and stretch-
overload exercises, as well as X
Reps, can help remedy the situation
somewhat.
Why burns fell out of favor is
beyond me, as all top bodybuilders
used the technique in the 1950s and
’60s. It clearly produced amazing
builds in the decades before chemi-
cal warfare became the norm. Now
X Reps and other current methods
take that old technique and run with
it—to painful and strange places
where huge bodybuilders roam.
Note: For more on X Reps, visit
www.X-Rep.com.
Editor’s note: William Steven
Litz is vice president of R. Litz &
Sons Co. LTD. and is the founder of
Cobra-Gym Training Systems. He’s
been training for 15 years and for
the past eight has trained clients
of all ages—from high school ath-
letes to senior citizens to top-level
powerlifters and national-level
bodybuilders. He offers online- and
personal-training consultations and
is in the process of opening a new
state-of-the art strength-training
facility. IM
 Model: Ken Yasuda

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Rep-Range Reload
Techniques
for Building a Bigger Bench
and Impressive Pecs
by Chris Pennington • Photography by Michael Neveux
ost bodybuilders strive for a big bench—not
necessarily because they have powerlifting
aspirations, but because they understand that
having a strong bench aids muscle growth. That goes for
more than just in the pecs, by the way.
Increasing bench press strength seems to have an over-
all strengthening effect on the upper body. It works the
chest but also stimulates many other muscle groups,
much as the squat and deadlift do for the lower body. The
trick to keeping gains coming is to not kill the goose that
lays the golden eggs.
The problem with the bench press is that enthusiasm
for the exercise leads to overuse. Good intentions, bad
outcome.

Model: Ray Campisi

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 Rep-Range Reload
Using excessive volume and/or
intensity on the bench press can
quickly lead to a breakdown in tech-
nique, overtraining and the worst
possible outcome: injury. How can
you avoid all of that? With smart
workout design.
The Multisided Approach
to Development
Your goal is to develop both mus-
cular hypertrophy and strength.
One way to achieve that is to com-
bine low- and high-rep training
to stimulate both metabolic and
neural systems. Repetition selec-
tion is important because it dictates
the load you’ll use and the type of
stimulation. Obviously, the weight
you use for a 10-repetition set will
be much lighter than what you’d
use for a six-rep set, assuming the
If your goal is to
build both muscle
and strength, you
need to combine
low- and high-rep
training.
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rep speed is the same for both.
(Slow-motion or acceleration train-
ing—using either very slow or very
fast tempos, respectively—would
be an exception, but not too many
bodybuilders train that way.)
Which rep bracket is best? If you
want size and strength, don’t get
stuck on one favorite. I speak from
experience. For years I benched
strictly within the four-to-six-rep
range because I got great results
with it. If it’s not broken, don’t fix
it, right? Wrong. The problem was
that I used it without any variation.
I needed change. I should’ve spent
some time benching in higher and
lower rep ranges. Eventually, I fig-
ured that out, but not until after I hit
a training plateau.
The need for rep-range variation
goes beyond the bench, however; all
the assisting muscle groups, such
Model: Eric Broser
as the triceps and back, should get
it as well. It’s important to note that
both strength and hypertrophy are
developed at all rep ranges. So it’s
not an either/or situation. Still, the
degree to which either is stimulated
is highly influenced by the number
of repetitions you do.
Lower repetitions tend to develop
strength to a greater degree while
higher repetitions—up to a point—
tend to favor hypertrophy. That’s a
generalization because factors such
as fiber type, recovery ability, train-
ing experience and supplement use
come into play, and your specific
situation could be different. Never-
theless, those guidelines are safe for
most bodybuilders.
The key, then, is to get the best
of both worlds by systematically
changing rep ranges from week to
week or performing a single work-
out that combines multiple rep
ranges. Both techniques are excel-
lent, and you should use both. The
week-to-week method is more of
a long-term approach. The second
option, using multiple rep ranges
in a single workout, is more of a
short-term solution—you can’t use
it for long periods because it takes a
heavy toll on recovery. Let’s look at
some examples.
Weekly Variations in
Repetitions
Making periodic variations in
volume and intensity is a good way
to encourage steady muscle growth
because it helps prevent overtrain-
ing. Keep in mind that the nervous
system will eventually adapt to any
constant stimulus. So it’s not a mat-
ter of whether there’s a need for
variation but, rather, when it should
occur.
One way to vary repetitions is to
base them on a percentage of your
one-rep maximum for the exercise
at hand. The following is a com-
mon periodization scheme used by
Olympic athletes in many different
sports, and bodybuilders can ben-
efit from using it from time to time.
Simply work with a certain percent-
age of your 1RM for a certain num-
ber of weeks, and then change the
working percentage for another two
weeks and so on. Here’s how you
could do it on bench press.
 Rep-Range Reload
X-Files: Shocking Strength with Muscle-Size Side Effects
If you’ve been reading our Train, Eat, Grow series
in this magazine or our weekly e-zine (sign up free at
IronManMagazine.com), you know we’ve been using
a version of Eric Broser’s Power/Rep Range/Shock
system. It’s a way to vary rep ranges, and it’s sent our
strength gains through the roof!—90-pound incline
dumbbell flyes, 75-pound seated laterals, 400-pound
hack squats, 400-pound shrugs and 1,000-pound leg
presses. (None of those poundages will have Ronnie
Coleman peeing with fright,
but not bad for a couple
of drug-free muscleheads
weighing in the lower 200s.)
Now, we’re not throwing
out those numbers to brag
because, truthfully, strength
isn’t our thing; we’re after
muscle. In many cases,
however, more strength can
translate into a serious size
surge—eventually. Arthur
Jones, the creator of Nauti-
lus exercise machines, put Eric Broser, the
it this way: creator of Power/
“When the actual prog- Rep Range/Shock.
ress of an individual trainee
is carefully charted over a
period of a few months, several rather surpris-
ing results will become immediately apparent;
for example, while strength levels will increase
in a series of gentle curves, increases in size of
the involved bodyparts—and thus apparent
increases in muscular mass—will result in a
stair-step pattern.”
What Jones was saying is that strength increases
are usually fairly steady, fluctuating slightly up and
down but on a distinctly upward trajectory, while size
increases come in sudden bursts followed by pla-
teaus—a stair-step pattern. Says Jones, “In effect, size
increases permit strength increases—and strength
increases force size increases.”
After nine weeks, or three cycles, of P/RR/S training
infused with X Reps and 3D POF—and huge increases
in strength—we noticed a distinct mass move. We’re
both suddenly five pounds heavier. As we’ve said in the
past, though, a strength increase doesn’t always lead to
more size.
Strength can increase due to neuromuscular effi-
ciency (improved nerve-to-muscle connections) alone,
which may or may not produce a size increase. And
muscle growth that you get via capillary bed expansion
and mitochondria size—that is, by training the endur-
ance components—may not cause much, if any, in-
crease in force output, or strength. So strength and size
are somewhat related, but there’s not always a direct
cause-and-effect relationship.
Power/Rep Range/Shock, however, covers all the
bases in three-week cycles, so it produces significant
strength and size gains—eventually. Here’s a quick
summary of each week so you can see how that hap-
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pens:
Week 1, Power: Train every exercise with straight
sets—no supersets, tri-sets or drop sets—and keep
your reps in the four-to-six zone. You may want to use
slightly higher reps—eight to 10—on endurance-ori-
ented muscles like calves, abs and forearms during
this low-rep week.
Week 2, Rep Range: For the first exercise pick a
weight that allows you to get seven to nine reps. For
the second exercise it’s 10 to 12 reps. On the
third exercise move the rep range up to the high
end of fast-twitch recruitment—13 to 15 reps.
(Note: That works exceptionally well with the
3D POF exercises: We use a big, midrange-posi-
tion exercise as our first movement, a stretch-
position exercise as our second and then a
contracted-position movement to finish off the
muscle group with continuous tension, occlu-
sion and an awesome pump thanks to the higher
rep range.)
Week 3, Shock: This
week is for putting your
muscles through the
meat grinder with su-
persets, drop sets, mul-
tirep rest/pause (D.C.,
ROB, etc.) and exten-
sive use of X Reps and
X-hybrid techniques.
Reps for most muscles
Lawson and Holman. stay in the eight-to-10
range, but extended-set
techniques are a must.
Think brutal bodybuilding!
(Note: All the workouts, 12 total, are available in a
printable format in the e-book 3D Muscle Building.)
If you read through each P/RR/S week, you should
realize why it’s so effective: because you cover all the
muscle-building pathways multiple times over three
weeks. During Power week you use straight sets for low
reps, so you focus primarily on max-force generation.
Rep-Range week has you run the gamut of hypertro-
phic rep ranges, so you hit a multitude of fiber types
with max force and extended tension. And Shock week
has you jacking up the intensity and tension times for
a mix of anaerobic and endurance-component devel-
opment, not to mention blasting up anabolic hormone
output with severe, almost unbearable muscle burn.
If you’re looking for some major strength gains with
a significant side effect of size, this type of three-week
mega variation is at the top of the list. You can adapt
it to any program you’re using. Keep in mind that we
do X Reps or an X-hybrid technique on one set of each
exercise every week. In other words, we shoot for some
muscle burn whether we’re doing Power, Rep Range or
Shock work. That’s important for keeping the anabolic
hormones flowing—and your muscles growing!
—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com and www.3DMuscleBuilding.com
Weeks 1-2 Weeks 11-13
6-8 reps, 78 to 82 percent of 1RM 4-6 reps, 82 to 88 percent of 1RM
Weeks 2-4
12-15 reps, 65 to 70 percent of
In this training structure you
1RM
perform the specific number of reps
Weeks 5-7 for a few weeks. Each time the rep
3-5, 86 to 90 percent of 1RM range changes, the poundage you
use must change. That can be any-
Weeks 8-10
where from one to four weeks, but
10-12 reps, 70 to 75 percent of
in the above example it’s every two
1RM
weeks. Again, that’s assuming the

The need for rep-

range variation
goes beyond the
bench, however;
all the assisting
muscle groups
should get it as
Model: Luke Wood

well.

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 Rep-Range Reload

rep speed stays the same, which it

should except for near the end of a
Work with a certain set, when fatigue slows you down.
You don’t need to perform a
percentage of bunch of 1RM tests to determine
your 1RM for a what weights correspond to the var-
ious percentages of your 1RM on the
certain number of bench press. Instead, pick a weight
weeks, and then that will let you get the appropriate
rep range. Your 1RM is good infor-
change the working mation to have, but it’s simply not
practical to be constantly testing for
percentage for 1RMs. As long as you increase the
another two weeks, weight from your last workout done
in that repetition bracket, you’re
and so on. heading in the right direction. This
model keeps the body stimulated by
varying the training demand on a
consistent basis.
The drawback is that your body
isn’t a machine. Just because a spe-
cific rep scheme is laid out doesn’t
mean that it’s optimal for your body
at that time. You have the final say
on how you feel and what you think
you’re capable of. For instance, if
during weeks five through seven in
our example you really don’t feel
that you can handle three to five
reps, you can increase the reps or
take some time off. Use the chart as
a guide, modifying it as needed. As
a side note, the bench press is the
exercise illustrated, but you can and
should work other muscle groups in
the same manner.
The next example shows a dif-
ferent way to incorporate repeti-
tion ranges in what is known as a
pyramid scheme. It’s an extremely
popular workout routine, and it has
been used for many years by lifters
for both strength and mass develop-
ment. The base is higher repetitions
of moderate weights until you hit
a peak of heavy low-weight train-
ing. Earlier weeks focus on muscle
hypertrophy, while later weeks focus
on strength.
Week 1: 12-15 reps
Week 2: 10-12 reps
Week 3: 8-10 reps
Week 4: 6-8 reps
Week 5: 6-8 reps
Week 6: 3-5 reps
Model: Skip La Cour

Week 7: 3-5 reps

Week 8: Cycle begins again, or
attempt 1RM

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 Rep-Range Reload

Recently, that training approach
has been taking some hits. The
basic disagreement is similar to
what was discussed above—that
the body should be trained more
by feel than by a rigid program.
That’s a legitimate concern, as no
workout scheme can replace the key
indicators you receive from your
body. Even so, many lifters have
been using the program successfully
to build bench press strength and
upper-body muscle mass.
As with any program, there are
people who like it and those who
dislike it. The only way you can find
out if it works for you is to give it a
try. It also works incredibly well for
squats and deadlifts.
All-Rep-Ranges-in-One
Workouts
In this you vary the rep ranges
within the workout itself. It’s a very
productive but incredibly hard
method of training. In addition to
multiple sets of different rep ranges,
you give equal attention to impor-
tant muscle groups, such as the
back and lats, and add some extra
work for triceps at the end. Keep in
mind that this is only one workout.
The program listed here probably
doesn’t include enough isolated
triceps work for most trainees, so if
your triceps are a weak point, you’ll
need extra work for them on an-
other day.
Bench presses 4x2
Seated rows 4 x 6-8
Bench presses 2 x 6-8
Seated rows 2 x 10-12
Shrugs 3 x 8-10
Lying extensions 2 x 12
During the first four sets of
bench presses the reps are low and
the weight should be heavy—very
heavy! You’re stimulating the ner-
vous system and tapping into type 2
muscle fibers.
The bench sequence is then bro-
ken up by four sets of seated rows,
which work the midback and lats,
two very important assisting muscle
groups for the bench. Then it’s time
to revisit the bench, only this time
the reps are significantly higher.
You’re after metabolic changes and
also looking to fatigue the slower
motor units within the muscle. As
you can see, you’re really getting the
best of both worlds with this type of
workout.
If you’ve been hammering away
at the same set-and-rep scheme
for the past couple of months, it’s
time to change your routine. Vary
the number of reps you use. It may
seem awkward at first, but that’s
your body’s way of letting you know
that you’re finally giving it a novel
stimulus, just what it needs for pro-
gressive strength and muscle gains.
Note: For another effective
rep-range-variation protocol, see
“X-Files: Shocking Strength with
Muscle-Size Side Effects” on page
136. IM

Using multiple rep

ranges in a single
workout is more
of a short-term
solution—you
can’t use it for long
periods because it
Model: Berry Kabov

takes a heavy toll

on recovery.

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 The Muscle
Mineral
by Jerry Brainum
Photography by Michael Neveux

If you were to ask the average bodybuilder which nutrient

was most vital to promoting muscular growth, he or she would
likely answer, “Protein.” Indeed, the literal translation of the
word protein means “of first importance.” Few would argue
the necessity of optimal protein intake in the quest for a more
muscular body. Truth is, though, that protein, while important,
is only part of the bodybuilding-nutrition equation. You need all
the required nutrients to make training progress. That means an
array of essential nutrients other than protein, such as vitamins
and minerals.
Some vitamins and minerals are directly linked to building
muscle. Most vitamins are coenzymes, meaning that they’re
part of the enzyme structure. Minerals, meanwhile, are enzyme
activators, which means vitamins without mineral support can
be useless. Of the minerals most linked to building muscle, two
stand out. One is zinc; the other is magnesium.

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 Magnesium
Zinc activates some 200 enzymes
in the body, and magnesium more
than 300. Many of them are related
to magnesium’s active role in the
physiology of adenosine triphos-
phate, or ATP, the most elemental
energy source. All foods are eventu-
ally converted into ATP, but without
magnesium ATP activity would be
inhibited, leading to a number of
possible complications. Magnesium
stabilizes the phosphate bonds in
ATP, enabling enzymes that break
those bonds to work more efficient-
ly and thus release actual energy.
Any enzyme reaction in the body
that requires ATP also requires mag-
nesium.
ATP helps deliver phosphates to
other enzymes. Creatine kinase is
the enzyme that adds phosphate
to creatine, thereby activating it in
muscle. The metabolite AMP, which
is made from ATP, requires mag-
nesium and is involved not only in
hormone release, but also in the
series of reactions that result in fat
release from fat cells.
Magnesium acts as a natural
calcium regulator in the body and is
often called a natural calcium chan-
nel blocker because it competes
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Model: Derik Farnsworth
with calcium for entry into cells. As
a result, it’s implicated in everything
from muscle relaxation to antago-
nizing calcium’s role in blood clot-
ting.
Magnesium has a close rela-
tionship with potassium. Without
magnesium, potassium cannot be
retained in cells and is excreted
from the body. That’s why taking po-
tassium without magnesium doesn’t
make physiological sense. Magne-
sium regulates intracellular potas-
sium and keeps blood potassium
within the normal range. Together
magnesium and potassium regu-
late the cellular sodium-potassium
pump and are involved in creatine
uptake in muscle.
Magnesium’s regulation of cal-
cium and potassium also affects
heart function and blood pressure.
It influences the stability of cellular
membranes, which are prone to
oxidation because of their fat con-
tent. Many cardiovascular problems
are related to oxidation; magnesium
is an indirect antioxidant. Animals
deficient in it show signs of pro-
oxidant activity, such as lipoprotein
oxidation and a proinflammatory
state linked to many diseases.
Magnesium
in the Body
The body’s total stores of magne-
sium are between 21 and 28 grams,
about one ounce, in a 150-pound
adult. Most of the stored magne-
sium is in bones (50 percent), with
the remainder in soft tissue. Muscle
contains a fourth of the body’s
magnesium, and a small amount
circulates in the blood. The kidneys
control magnesium retention and
excrete excess amounts.
The more magnesium you take
in at one time, the less your body
absorbs. When your body stores
of magnesium are low, you absorb
considerably more; the usual ab-
sorption rate is 30 percent of the
dose. One study found that with
an intake of 36 milligrams a day
of magnesium, 65 percent was
absorbed.1 When the daily intake
increased to 973 milligrams, the
absorption rate dropped to only 11
percent.
Several substances are known to
favor or hinder magnesium absorp-
tion. Fructose and fermentable
carbohydrates favor magnesium
uptake, and excessive fiber intake
may slightly blunt absorption. Natu-
ral food elements, such as phytates
from wheat and oxalates from veg-
etables, could impair magnesium
uptake by forming an insoluble
complex with the mineral, but the
chlorophyll in many vegetables
forms its own complex with mag-
nesium, favoring absorption. Too
much zinc also may interfere with
magnesium (continued on page 148)
Magnesium
also acts as
a natural
calcium
regulator
in the body
and is often
called a
natural
calcium
channel
blocker.
 Magnesium
Magnesium’s
role in
regulating
calcium and
potassium also
affects various
cardiovascular
functions,
such as heart
function and
blood pressure.
(continued from page 144) uptake.
Moderate protein intake boosts
magnesium uptake, while getting
more than that impairs it.
Excess intake of fat, refined sug-
ars and alcohol, as well as the use of
diuretics, can promote magnesium
excretion. Many bodybuilders have
experienced painful muscle cramps
after taking diuretic drugs, such
as Lasix. That’s because the drugs
trigger the excretion of sodium,
water, magnesium and potassium,
and mineral loss is what causes
muscle cramps. Use of high-dose
thyroid drugs, such as Cytomel,
also promotes magnesium losses.
When magnesium is deficient, the
body secretes more aldosterone, an
adrenal hormone that encourages
sodium retention along with potas-
sium and magnesium excretion—
leading to a vicious metabolic cycle.
A high insulin release causes a shift
of magnesium from blood into cells,
lowering blood levels. Recent evi-
dence shows that magnesium plays
an essential role in both preventing
diabetes and controlling insulin
levels.2,3 The good effects of magne-
sium on blood fats and insulin also
mean that it may help prevent the
metabolic syndrome.4
Calcium promotes muscular
contraction, and magnesium helps
to temper that activity. That may be
helpful in situations where exces-
sive contraction may be a problem;
for example, in the case of the hy-
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phorus. Conversely, a high magne-
sium intake results in phosphorus
excretion—no problem, as phos-
phorus is ubiquitous in all proteins.
Natural Mineral Facts
Stress is an important cause of
many types of disease. It affects
bodybuilding negatively, due to
higher cortisol release and loss of
vital nutrients. Research shows that
magnesium helps blunt its negative
effects in the body.6
When magnesium is deficient,
stress-related cardiovascular dam-
age is increased during heart at-
tacks. Even the release of fat from
cells lowers blood magnesium be-
cause the liberated fat bonds with
magnesium in the blood, resulting
in magnesium losses. Catechol-
amines, such as epinephrine, stimu-
late the release of fat, but they also
peractivity of the smooth muscle overstimulate the heart. The body
in bronchial tubes that occurs with releases more catecholamines—
asthmatic attacks, magnesium can which are considered stress hor-
help relieve bronchial constriction.5 mones—when magnesium levels
Because magnesium is a natural an- are low.
tihistamine, it may also help prevent A lack of magnesium increases
the allergic onset of the disease. aggressive behavior, which you can
Another mineral that reacts with reverse with magnesium supple-
magnesium is phosphorus. Excess mentation. Magnesium helps pro-
consumption of phosphorus leads mote the sleep you need to break
to magnesium excretion, which down accumulated stress hor-
explains why drinking a lot of cola mones. Studies show that magne-
lowers magnesium levels, since sium may reverse age-related sleep
carbonated drinks are high in phos- problems.
Cancer usually involves cellular
mutations that result in damage to
DNA, and magnesium is involved
Most of in DNA repair. It activates enzymes
the stored that are required for DNA repair.
magnesium Magnesium’s antioxidant activ-
is in bones ity, control of resting insulin levels
(50 percent), and role in DNA repair explain re-
with the cent findings showing that a high
remainder magnesium intake helps prevent
in soft tissue colon cancer.7 Cancer also involves
elements of the immune system
(mainly
and out-of-control inflammation;
muscle,
studies show that lower blood mag-
containing nesium leads to a greater release
a fourth of of inflammatory mediators in the
the body’s body.8 Another mineral, selenium,
magnesium) is linked to lower cancer rates,
and a small but without magnesium, the body
amount doesn’t absorb or retain selenium.9
circulating Magnesium intake may be even
in the blood. more vital as you age. A recent study
of 1,138 men and women, average
age 67, showed that older people
with higher magnesium levels also

Food Sources of Magnesium
(in milligrams)
Tofu, 1/2 cup, 118
Sunflower seeds, 1 ounce, 100
Baked halibut, 3 ounces, 80
Cashews, 1 ounce, 75
Baked potato with skin, 1 medium, 55
Navy beans, 1/2 cup cooked, 50
Watermelon, 1 slice, 50
Peanut butter, 2 tablespoons, 45
Raw spinach, 1 cup, 44
Plain yogurt, 1 cup, 43
Banana, 1 medium, 34
Cooked oatmeal, 1/2 cup, 32
2 percent milk, 1 cup, 33
Whole-wheat bread, 1 slice, 26
Chicken breast, 3 ounces, 25
Lean ground beef, 3 ounces, 16
Brewed coffee, 3/4 cup, 9
Egg, 1 medium, 5
have stronger muscles. Think about
that in light of the main reason
people end up in nursing homes:
frailty. Another study found that
magnesium helps reverse memory
loss in middle-aged people through
its interactions with the NMDA
receptor in the brain.10
Magnesium and
Exercise
Since muscle stores a fourth of
the body’s magnesium, it seems that fer the excess acid), and phosphate
magnesium must play a vital role
in exercise. Magnesium regulates
neuromuscular activity, excitation
and muscular contraction, and it
promotes the activity of enzymes
that participate in muscle protein
synthesis. Thanks to its role in ATP session ends, magnesium levels re-
physiology, it’s essential for muscle turn to normal. But some scientists
energy. Its antioxidant and anti-
inflammatory activities help delay
fatigue and boost muscle recovery.
Magnesium is needed for the
synthesis of insulinlike growth-hor- from high-intensity training causes
mone-1 (IGF-1), which is anabolic.
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
That’s why it’s included in a food
supplement that also contains zinc,
which is involved in the activity of
such anabolic hormones as testos-
terone, growth hormone and insu-
lin. Since magnesium promotes the
synthesis of prostacyclin and nitric
oxide, it facilitates vasodilation in
muscle, which increases muscle
pump during training and oxygen
delivery to muscles. Magnesium
further aids muscle endurance by
helping to boost production of 2,3
DPG, a substance in red blood cells
that helps release oxygen.
The short, intense exercise that
characterizes bodybuilding helps
increase blood magnesium levels,
probably due to dehydration and
the movement of magnesium from
muscle into blood. On the other
hand, overtraining lowers mag-
nesium levels, probably related to
the increase in stress hormones,
such as cortisol and the catechol-
amines, which trigger the mineral’s
excretion. Studies show blood level
reductions of magnesium ranging
from 5 percent to 25 percent fol-
lowing long-distance running and
after 90 minutes on a treadmill.
You also lose magnesium in hot
weather.
High-intensity exercise may in-
crease magnesium excretion for
several reasons. During intense
training the kidneys’ ability to con-
serve magnesium is temporarily
impaired, leading to magnesium
excretion, an effect amplified by
the rise of several hormones that
occurs during hard exercise: aldo-
sterone, antidiuretic hormone and
thyroid hormones. They can remain
elevated for as long as 14 hours after
intense training. The rise in blood
lactic acid during hard exercise can
elevate plasma phosphate (to buf-
pushes magnesium out of the body.
A big debate is whether the drop
in blood magnesium represents an
actual loss or a redistribution of the
mineral from blood to muscle. The
latter implies that when the exercise
think the return-to-normal process
isn’t efficient in many people, lead-
ing to lower magnesium levels. In
addition, the acidosis that results
magnesium to be excreted.
 Magnesium

Research shows
that magnesium
helps blunt the
negative effects of
stress on the body.
Model: Steve Namat

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Mag Scientists
The results of studies that have
looked at magnesium in athletes
have been contradictory, some
showing beneficial effects and
others no effect. Athletes with full
stores would show no effects from
added magnesium intake. On the
other hand, many athletes avoid
the best food sources of magnesium
(legumes, dark green vegetables,
seafood, grains and nuts). They
may take in substances that lead to
magnesium losses, such as caffeine,
fats and phosphate (from soda and
other sources). So—no surprise—
many athletes come up short on
magnesium. That’s especially true
in sports that have weight limits,
where diets are often restricted.
Drinking hard water adds magne-
sium to the diet (9 to 27 percent).
Studies show that most Ameri-
cans get about 76 percent of the
suggested daily dose of magnesium;
deficiency begins when you get 70
percent or less. Studies of strength-
trained athletes show that most
average about 135 percent of the
RDA for the mineral. But since a
high-protein diet uses up magne-
sium and popular low-carb, high-fat
diets often don’t include magne-
sium-rich foods, bodybuilders and
other strength athletes are still more
prone to marginal deficiency. Food
processing and the depletion of
magnesium in farm soils also limits
access to the mineral.
One study examined the effects
of supplemental magnesium dur-
ing strength training.11 For seven
Moderate
protein
intake
boosts
magnesium
uptake;
getting
more than
that impairs
magnesium
absorption.
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
Another
mineral that
reacts with
magnesium is
phosphorus.
Excess
consumption
of phosphorus
leads to
magnesium
excretion,
which explains
why drinking a lot of cola
lowers magnesium levels,
since carbonated drinks are
high in phosphorus.
weeks, young men received either
a placebo or a magnesium supple-
ment at a dose of eight milligrams
per kilogram of bodyweight. The
placebo group got an average of
250 milligrams a day of magnesium
from food, while the supplement
group averaged 507 milligrams
daily. Peak-torque leg extension
levels increased by 20 percent in
the supplement group, while those
in the placebo group gained by 11
percent.
Even those taking food supple-
ments may not have optimal blood
magnesium. About a quarter of all
athletes show magnesium intake
below the RDA. A dietary limit for
magnesium saturation may exist.
The suggested dose of magnesium
for a hard-training athlete is esti-
mated at eight milligrams per ki-
logram of bodyweight daily, or 720
milligrams for a 200-pound athlete,
taken in divided doses. The dosage
includes food intake; taking more
than 350 milligrams at once gives
you diarrhea.
Excess magnesium is an issue
mainly for those with renal failure,
since the kidneys regulate mag-
nesium retention and excretion.
Some people experience excess
magnesium levels when they take
over-the-counter medications that
contain magnesium, such as Epsom
salts or antacids. Magnesium is also
elevated in some medical condi-
tions, such as low thyroid and viral
hepatitis, and in those taking lithi-
um. In extreme cases, excess mag-
nesium can cause death by stopping
the heart. The treatment for excess
magnesium involves forced diure-
sis and administering intravenous
calcium.
 Magnesium
Magnesium intake may be
even more vital as you age.
A recent study of 1,138 men
and women, average age 67,
showed that older people with
higher magnesium levels also
have stronger muscles.

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A lack of magnesium increases aggressive
behavior, which you can reverse with magnesium
supplementation. Magnesium also helps promote
the sleep you need to break down accumulated stress
hormones.

Model: Markus Reinhardt

Good organic sources of

Supplement Issues
Some magnesium supplements
are better than others. Organic
forms, such as citrate, aspartate and
fumarate, are better absorbed than
inorganic forms, such as magne-
sium oxide and hydroxide. Unless
it’s finely ground, magnesium oxide
has low water solubility and thus
lower bioavailability than, say, mag-
nesium citrate, which is absorbed
4.5 times better than oxide. Magne-
sium carbonate is chalk, has a low
absorption rate and can lower plas-
ma magnesium. Magnesium sulfate,
better known as Epsom salts, has
more use as a relaxing bath soak.
Magnesium hydroxide is sold as
Maalox, an antacid; long-term use
is linked to heart problems in some
people. Magnesium chloride is sold
as a timed-release drug called Slow-
Mag, but less of it is absorbed than
from food sources, such as almonds.
magnesium supplements
include the following:
• Magnesium citrate
• Taurate (magnesium
combined with the amino
acid taurine, especially
good for heart function)
• Magnesium pidolate,
good for relaxation
• Magnesium malate,
which may have some use
in treating fibromyalgia, a
muscle-pain disease
• Magnesium aspartate
and magnesium digly-
cinate chelate, both good
for those with sensitive
stomachs

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 Magnesium Magnesium
is needed
to activate
the enzymes
required
for creatine
storage in
muscle as
well as the
sodium-
potassium
pump
mechanism
that powers
the creatine
transport protein that actually
pushes creatine into muscle.

Since magnesium
promotes the synthesis
of prostacyclin and
nitric oxide, it facilitates
vasodilation in muscle,
which increases muscle
pump during training and
oxygen delivery to muscles.

For maximum absorption rates,
it’s best to take smaller doses. The
larger the dose, the less absorption
and the greater the chance of the
primary side effect, diarrhea.
One newer form combines
magnesium with creatine—very
sensible, as magnesium activates
the enzymes required for storing
creatine in muscle as well as the so-
dium-potassium pump mechanism
that pushes creatine into muscle.
One study showed improved bench
press numbers after subjects used a
magnesium-creatine supplement,
but the same effect occurred with
creatine alone. In another study the
mag-creatine supplement increased
intracellular water content, which
acts as an anabolic signal in muscle.
Then there’s ZMA, which com-
bines magnesium, zinc and vitamin
B6. That combination is touted as
a potent anabolic complex; both
magnesium and zinc are involved
in anabolic hormone function. The
originator of the supplement (who
later achieved notoriety by distrib-
uting designer steroids to athletes)
maintains that nearly all athletes are
deficient in those nutrients. Stud-
ies that have evaluated ZMA have
found no anabolic effect, though
one experiment detected an in-
crease in IGF-1 in football players
who took the supplement. If your
diet is low in those nutrients, you’d
benefit from the supplement. Since
the recommendation was to take it
before sleep, the magnesium con-
tent would help with relaxation and
sleep. Sleep itself breaks down accu-

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 Magnesium

Magnesium
activates more
than 300 enzymes
in the body.

Model: Hidetada Yamagishi

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Model: Derik Farnsworth

The results of one study

showed that peak-torque leg
extension levels increased by
20 percent in the magnesium-
supplemented group, while
those in the placebo group
gained by 11 percent.

mulated stress hormone levels while 5 He, K., et al. (2006). Magnesium 293:86-89.
promoting growth hormone release. intake and incidence of metabolic 9 Tam, M., et al. (2003). Possible

syndrome among young adults. roles of magnesium on the immune

References
1 Fine, K., et al. (1991). Intestinal
absorption of magnesium from food
and supplements. J Clin Investig.
88:396-402.
2 Lopez-Ridaura, R., et al. (2004).
Circulation. 113:1675-1682.
6 Eby, G. (2006). Rescue treat-
ment and prevention of asthma
using magnesium throat lozenges:
Hypothesis for a mouth-lung bio-
logically closed electric circuit. Med
Hypotheses. 67(5):1136-1141.
system. Eur J Clin Nutr. 57:1193-97.
10 Jimenez, A., et al. (1997).
Changes in bioavailability and tis-
sue distribution of selenium by
magnesium deficiency in rats. J Am
Coll Nutr. 16:175-80.
11 Slutsky, I., et al. (2004). En-

Magnesium intake and risk of type-
2 diabetes in men and women.
Diabetes Care. 27:134-40.
3 Song, Y., et al. (2004). Dietary
magnesium intake in relation to
7 Seelig, M. (1994). Consequences
of magnesium deficiency on the
enhancement of stress reactions:
Preventive and therapeutic implica-
tions. J Amer Coll Nutr. 13:429-46.
hancement of synaptic plasticity
through chronically reduced cellular
flux during uncorrelated activity.
Neuron. 44:835-849.
12 Brilla, L.R., et al. (1992). The

plasma insulin levels and risk of 8 Larsson, S., et al. (2005). Mag- effect of magnesium supplementa-
type-2 diabetes in women. Diabetes nesium intake in relation to risk of tion on strength training in humans.
Care. 27:59-65. colorectal cancer in women. JAMA. J Am Coll Nutr. 11:326. IM

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 A Bodybuilder Is Born

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 A Bodybuilder
The Rise of the Machines
by Ron Harris Photography by Michael Neveux
S
ome arguments are destined to rage
on forever. Which religion is right?
Who is the greatest baseball player
of all time? Should you buy Ameri-
can or foreign cars? For those of us
in the fitness world, the eternal de-
bate is, Which are better for building muscles,
free weights or machines? And wouldn’t you
know it, Randy and I were about to have the
same heated discussion that countless others
before us had engaged in regarding those two
very different training tools.
“No more machines!” Randy announced
as we were putting our gym bags away before
our chest workout. “I just read in blank’s [a pro
bodybuilder I won’t name here for reasons that
will become clear in a minute] column about
how he thinks only free weights can make you
grow. Machines and cables are for sissies!” I
tried to hold in my smug chuckle.
“Don’t you know I write that column for
blank?”
“You do?” Randy looked confused.
“Yes. Just as I will never have his 21-inch
arms, he will never have my God-given ability
to string words together. Besides, to most peo-
ple, sitting down and writing is about as much
fun as a root canal.”
“But he did really say that, right?”
Model: Jorge Betancourt
“Yes he did, and he believes it too. Blank
avoids machines like the plague in his work-
outs, and he has built a hell of a thickly muscled
physique with free weights.”
“So he’s right then, isn’t he?” Randy really
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
Episode 21
thought I was going to go along with him that
easily. Little does he know the fur on my back
bristles (up until about age 29 I didn’t have any
hair on my back—aging sure is fun) whenever
someone tries to claim that any one thing is
the only path to results and everything else is a
waste of time. That’s like trying to say that Jen-
nifer Lopez is the only truly beautiful woman
on earth. Wait, that was a bad example. She is.
“The thing about that pro is that he’s incred-
ibly gifted genetically. I find it hard to believe
that he wouldn’t be as impressive if he’d used
more machines in his training over the years.”
“You’re not going to try to tell me machines
are better than free weights now, are you?”
Randy said, challenging me.
“No, because that wouldn’t be true either.
Free weights are the toughest training tool, and
the core basic movements like bench presses,
squats, deadlifts, rows, overhead presses and
dips have packed more muscle on more bodies
combined than any machine ever could.”
Randy shook his head and threw up his
hands—it seemed as if I’d defeated myself in
this debate with that admission.
“However,” I continued, “there are some
machines that free weights can’t duplicate the
motion of, or at least not very well. A couple of
good examples are leg extensions, leg curls and
pressing machines like the leg press and hack
squat. Squats and Romanian deadlifts are the
best overall mass builders for the thighs and
hamstrings, but for complete development
you also need to use those machines. Even
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 159
 A Bodybuilder Is Born
Machines can
be a godsend
when your
lower back is
tweaked.
Ronnie Coleman, who is a big
proponent of free weights, uses
the full spectrum of free weights
and machines for his leg training.
Of course, he leg-presses 2,500
pounds on top of 800-pound
squats. And how big are his legs?”
“About the size of my whole
body,” replied Randy glumly. This
wasn’t exactly accurate. Com-
bined, Ronnie’s legs were prob-
ably no more than 170 pounds,
even at his off-season weight of
320. So Randy still had the upper
hand—barely.
“The problem is that for years
machine manufacturers, in par-
ticular Arthur Jones of Nautilus,
tried to convince the world that
free weights were obsolete now
that we had those wonderful
machines to use. The Nautilus
machines were very good—and
ahead of their time in many
ways—but when bodybuilders
Ronnie Coleman is a big tried training only on machines,
proponent of free weights, but they quickly learned that they
Comstock
could not even maintain the
he also uses a lot of machines.
same levels of size and strength
160 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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as before, much less improve. Even
the famous bodybuilders who Jones
persuaded to switch to machine-
only training, such as Mike Mentzer,
Casey Viator and Boyer Coe, eventu-
ally went back to using more free
weights and fewer machines in their
training. Thus, bodybuilders be-
came disenchanted with machines
in general and dismissed them as
nothing more than marketing hype.
And that was unfortunate.”
“But why?” Randy demanded. “If
all they’re good for is a couple leg
exercises, what’s the big deal?”
“That’s not all machines are good
for. For example, today we are hit-
ting chest. We’ll start with a dumb-
bell press, flat or incline, and do four
good work sets of five to 10 reps. But
if I try to do the other type of dumb-
bell press after that, what happens?”
“You turn into a pumpkin?”
Randy offered.
“No, wiseass. I have to use much
lighter weights. For the first dumb-
bell press I can use as much as 140
or 150 pounds, but then if I try a
second one, the weights are down to
around a hundred pounds.”
“Big deal,” Randy replied, shrug-
ging. “So your strength goes down
after your first exercise.”
“No, that’s not what’s happening,”
I corrected him. “It’s my ability to
balance the weights that goes to hell
in a handbasket. I still have plenty of
strength left in me. If I go to a Ham-
mer Strength machine next, I can
load up a few plates on each side
and blast away. Not everyone is like
me. You don’t seem to be, but there
are a lot of bodybuilders who have
to be fresh in the workout to be able
to balance heavy free weights. For
us machines are a perfect way to
continue training heavy for a couple
more exercises.”
Most
machines
remove the
need for
balance,
so you can
better focus
on pushing.
 A Bodybuilder Is Born

There is no
free-weight
substitute
for leg
extensions,
which isolate
the quads.

As a
bodypart
workout
wears on,
free weights
can become
Model: Kyoichiro Morinaga

Model: Tamer Elshahat

less effective
thanks to
stabilizer
fatigue.

“Okay,” Randy conceded, “that for a while, or your training options That one went on for the rest
sounds right. But since I don’t lose will be quite limited.” of the workout, and we never did
my ability to balance, why do I need Randy looked satisfied with my agree. But if we all liked the same
machines?” explanations. “Machines aren’t so things, what fun would that be? And
I reached around Randy and bad, I guess.” for the record, it’s Jessica Simpson
tapped him on the lower back. “No, they are not. I would never by a long shot. IM
“Remember this?” I said in my tell anyone
most evil voice—which sounds a trying to put
little like Darth Vader to me. Others muscle on to
have commented that it sounds like abandon the
I’m trying to imitate Dan Rather. free-weight
Randy’s face turned the color basics, be-
of ash, letting me know that the cause that
memories of his back injury from would be a
last year had all just flooded back in huge mistake.
Technicolor. He seemed to be reliv- But to cate-
ing the pain as he winced. gorically deny
“You couldn’t squat for a while, yourself the
so you did heavy leg presses. And advantages
your legs didn’t shrink, they grew. and training
You couldn’t do bent-over barbell variety ma-
rows while your back was healing, chines offer
so you used the supported T-bar row just because
and a couple of Hammer Strength some genetic
back machines. Your back got more freak told you
muscular. If you hadn’t had access to would be
to any machines, what would your as bad.” I let
training have been like during that that sink in
time, Junior?” before con- Pulldown
“About as intense as a turtle on tinuing. machines enable
Valium,” he said, echoing one of my “Now let’s you to blast
pet phrases. argue about the lats from
Model: Marvin Montoya

“You got that right. God forbid more impor- different angles
you hurt your back again, though tant matters. by angling your
I find it hard to believe you never Who’s hotter, torso. You can’t
will. When that day comes, you may Britney or do that on chins.
need to use more machines again Jessica?”

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 161

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 Bodybuilding.com Presents

166 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 CARDIO
AND
CARBS
Two Important Bodybuilding
Factors You May Be Neglecting
by Shannon Clark • Photography by Michael Neveux
any bodybuilders
and fitness athletes
today are adopting
one of two strategies: They
either cut cardio out of a
workout program in an
effort to gain mass or cut
carbohydrates out of their
diets in an effort to lose fat.
While both strategies work
for most individuals, a far
better approach would
be to include moderate
amounts of both cardio
and carbs, regardless
of your goal. There are
physiological as well as
psychological reasons for
doing so.
Cardio:
Model: John Hansen
Adding Muscle Mass
When it comes to adding quality
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
mass, many people believe cardio
will hinder their efforts, as they’ll
burn away precious calories that
could be used to build muscle tis-
sue. True, cardio burns calories, but
as long as you don’t do so much that
you begin to resemble a pet gerbil,
you can just add the calories that
you burn back into your diet.
Performing cardio while putting
on muscle mass will enable you to
speed up your metabolism, which
will help your body remove by-prod-
ucts and build new, stronger muscle
at a quicker rate. Performing cardio
will also help reduce the amount of
fat you add while you’re eating the
hypercalorie diet you need in order
to gain muscle tissue.
For someone on a mass-build-
ing program, it would be ideal to
perform high-intensity cardio in the
form of sprints two to four times a
week for 15 to 30 minutes per ses-
sion. Just keep in mind that you’ll
need to replace the calories you’re
burning. So the longer your cardio
session, the more you’ll have to eat
(and if you’re already eating 4,000-
plus calories a day, you’ll probably
want to keep cardio on the shorter
end of the scale).
The important thing, however,
is to get your heart rate up high
enough to send all your metabolic
processes into overdrive.
Cardio for Fat Loss
At the other end of the spectrum
are people wanting to lose fat mass.
Most of the time they’re well aware
that they need to be doing cardio.
Sometimes, however, they use the
wrong approach, especially women.
Far too often I see women at the
gym spending hour upon hour on
the treadmill or elliptical trainer.
Yeah, they’re going to burn a large
number of calories, but they’re just
going to end up being a smaller ver-
sion of themselves, with the same
percentage of bodyfat.
It makes much more sense to
use cardio to change your body
composition and lose weight in the
form of bodyfat, rather than lose fat
combined with muscle. That’s where
high-intensity training comes into
play. You should follow the same
principles as someone who wants
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 167
 Bodybuilding.com Presents

The important thing

is to get your heart
rate up high enough
to send all your
metabolic processes
into overdrive.
to put on muscle, but you’ll want
to perform a few more sprints (to
make the total time a little longer)

A faster metabolism
will help your body
remove by-products
and maybe decrease the intensity of
and build new, the sprints slightly so that you can
stronger muscles at sustain yourself for the longer pe-
riod of time.
a quicker rate. For maximal fat loss you should
perform two to three longer cardio
sessions of moderate intensity and
duration per week in addition to the
fat-loss sessions described. Just be
sure to keep it under one hour. That
will give you the best of both worlds.
The longer session will enable
you to burn more calories, while the
shorter session will enable you to
burn calories after you’re finished
working out. In the meantime the
body tries to repair itself from the
good ass-kicking you just dealt it (a
principle known as EPOC).
Model: Daniel Decker

Cardio’s Health Benefits

A final reason you should include
cardio in your workouts is for the

168 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 Bodybuilding.com Presents
health benefits it has to offer. Far
too often you get wrapped up in
the aesthetics of working out and
forget why you’re here (or should be
here) in the first place: to improve
your health and increase your vital-
ity. Your heart is a muscle too, and
many people seem to forget that.
The best way to give that muscle
a workout is to get it beating faster
and keep it there for an extended
period. That will make your body
much more efficient at transport-
ing blood and nutrients around the
body, increase the amount of oxy-
gen the body can use at any given
time (VO2 max) and keep your blood
pressure and resting heart rate in
check.
Add Cardio, Add Carbs
When you add cardio to your ex-
170 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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lose bodyfat.
The best way to Even if you’re trying to shed body-
fat, you still need to include carbs in
give your heart your diet. Focus on the fibrous carbs
a workout is to that come from vegetables such as
get it beating broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage,
which are less calorie dense. To
faster and keep increase mass, focus more on the
it there for calorie-dense, low-glycemic carbs,
such as oatmeal, whole-wheat pasta
an extended and bread and sweet potatoes.
period.
Psychological Benefits
There are many psychological
reasons for adding cardio to your
workout and carbs to your diet.
Research shows that cardiovascular
exercise of any kind improves mood
and reduces depression. I’m sure
almost all of us have experienced a
postexercise high after a hard run
or sprint session. It may feel like
torture while you’re doing it, but
afterward you never regret that you
did it.
Another factor that improves
mood during cardio is the endor-
phin rush. That occurs during
long-duration exercise when a
hypothalamic neurotransmitter is
released from the anterior pituitary
Model: Sebastion Siegel
gland. The endorphins then block
the pain sensation, promote a feel-
ing of euphoria and reduce feelings
of stress in the body.
A final reason cardio helps your
psychological well-being ties in with
ercise program, it only makes sense sustainability. If you’re perform-
to add carbohydrate-rich foods to ing cardio, you’ll be able to include
your diet. The main form of energy more food in your diet, since
used when you perform cardio is you’re burning more cal-
stored glycogen (which you get from ories. That fact alone
carbs). Because you’ll be perform- is enough to
ing cardio on a regular basis, you put people
need to keep your glycogen levels in a good
up, especially if you’re trying to add
muscle mass.
By keeping carbs in your diet,
you’ll be eating a sufficient number
of calories, which will keep your me-
tabolism higher as well as provide
you with the nutrients and fiber in
those foods.
You’ll also prevent your body
from turning to its precious muscle
tissue for energy when your muscle
glycogen and blood sugar are low.
Eat more carbs if you’re trying to
add muscle mass (since you’ll be
taking in a greater amount of total
calories) and less if you’re trying to

mood. How many times have you
or people you’ve known started a
diet on which they felt deprived and
wound up cranky and depressed
and eventually just decided to screw
it and go off their diet?
The number-one reason
diets fail is that people don’t
like to feel deprived. So if
you can eat a little more
food each day, there’s less
chance you’ll feel deprived
and binge on unhealthful
foods, destroying the prog-
ress that you’ve made.
Now to move on to the psy-
chological reasons for including
carbohydrates in your diet. First
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By eating carbs, you
prevent your body
from turning to its
precious muscle
tissue for energy
when your muscle
glycogen and blood
sugar are low.
and foremost, carbs give you en-
ergy. They are your body’s primary
fuel source. If you want to be able
to work out hard, perform cardio
and have an abundance of energy
during the day, you’re going to need
carbohydrates.
Don’t get me wrong: Eating a
high-glycemic, all-carb meal is
not the proper way to include that
nutrient in your diet. You need to
balance it with a good source of lean
protein and some healthful fats. The
key is moderation. There’s nothing
wrong with a moderate amount of
low-glycemic carbs in your meals
(assuming you’re not doing any-
thing that requires more extreme
Bodybuilding.com Presents
measures, such as training for
a bodybuilding show, which re-
quires extremely low bodyfat).
Carbohydrates cause the body
to release a neurotransmitter
called serotonin. Studies have
shown that people who have
depressive symptoms are often
low in serotonin. By getting some
quality carbohydrates in your
diet, you’re providing your body
with enough serotonin, which
helps reduce chances of depres-
sion. (Note: I’m not suggesting
that depression is caused by low
serotonin or that you can cure
depression by eating carbs, but
you may help offset that disorder
or reduce symptoms by eating
enough carbohydrate.)
The release of serotonin will
improve your mood and therefore
make staying dedicated to fitness
and eating healthfully seem like a
lesser challenge.
The final thing to remember is
that everyone is different. Some
people will need more or less
cardio to accomplish their goals.
Plenty of individuals can stay lean
by doing cardio only once or twice
a week while others need it on a
daily basis. People also respond
differently to different diet com-
binations.
I personally do not feel good on
a high-protein diet, while oth-
ers thrive on chicken breasts and
tuna. The important thing is to
Model: David Dorsey
not go to extremes and complete-
ly cut those factors out of your
life. There are reasons, other than
aesthetics, that make cardiovascu-
lar training and carbohydrate-rich
foods important in every healthful
lifestyle.
Editor’s note: Shannon Clark is
a graduate of the University of Al-
berta’s Bachelor of Physical Educa-
tion program,
specializing
in sports per-
formance.
She is a certi-
fied personal
trainer living
in Edmonton,
Alberta. For
more of her
features, visit
Bodybuilding
.com. IM
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 171
180 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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 Heavy
Dutyy Lost
Mike Mentzer
Interview, Part 1 by John Little

I am the master of my fate; that caused him to completely so often since he passed: “What was
I am the captain of my soul. reformulate high-intensity training. it like to speak with Mike Mentzer?”
—“Invictus” So the “lost” interview is
particularly meaningful. Reading JL: If you had to get back into
Recently I was cleaning out some it brought back fond memories top shape quickly, what would
old boxes in my office. As my of Mike—his dry sense of humor you do regarding training and
family has moved some seven and our dialogues over the years diet?
times (covering two states and two concerning exercise and the MM: Well, let’s say I had a contest
countries) over the past 14 years, “ultimate” training program. It’s a in two months and there was a $500
you can imagine the boxed-up response to the question I’ve heard million cash prize.
materials accumulated over time.
During the most recent cleanup,
I was shocked to discover a
transcript of an interview that I
conducted with Mike Mentzer
back in 1986.
It’s a historic interview. Mike
opened up on many subjects that
I’d never heard him touch on
before, such as his appearance
in the nationally televised
Superstars competition. He
also offered a keyhole through
which to view the evolution of
his thinking on high-intensity
training. He hadn’t yet made
Balik \ Model: Mike Mentzer

the full conversion to one set

per exercise, but even then he
was considering its validity as a
training method. It was four years
before he started training clients
Neveux

and amassing the huge database

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 181

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 HEAVY DUTY
JL: Yeah, something very
realistic.
MM: I could be in very close to
top condition from now in about
eight weeks. The first three weeks I’d
progressively increase the intensity,
and I’d be at full tilt for the last five.
JL: Speaking of intensity, I
noticed that when you worked
out the other day, you did
more sets than I would have
assumed. When you say that
you’d increase your intensity,
you’d also decrease your sets,
wouldn’t you?
MM: Yes. Part of the reason for
“Almost 99.9 percent of all
bodybuilders—in fact 99.9
percent of most people—do
everything that they do because
other people do it. They do
what they do out of convention,
imitation, tradition and outright
fear—fear of being different.”
182 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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doing the somewhat higher sets much. The biggest problem I have
in the beginning would be just is the dieting. Any bodybuilder
to increase my conditioning and can get cut up on three weeks of
exercise tolerance. The reason I’m merely dropping the Twinkies and
doing it now is to burn calories ice cream. For me to get ripped, I’ve
and stay toned. I’m not locked in got to spend nearly three months
dogmatically to the notion that if starving.
you do more than three sets, the
world is going to stop revolving JL: A thing that I found
or my head is going to explode or interesting is that when
something. you were in the Superstars
It was obviously a haphazard competition [Note: The concept
workout at best anyway. Given a was that big-time pro athletes
contest two months from that day, competed in sports very
though, I’d progressively increase different from their own.], you
the intensity, and in three weeks I’d couldn’t shed any muscle mass,
be at full tilt and remain there for even though—perhaps for the
the last 3 1/2 weeks or so. first time in your life—you
During that time really wanted to.
I’d also progressively MM: It was my intention to go
increase the duration from my bodyweight at the time,
of some aerobic 217 pounds, down to about 190.
activity—probably I knew that the sport I was going
bicycling—until I was to engage in didn’t require all
doing it three to four that much upper-body mass, and
days a week, up to it would actually prove to be a
about an hour and a hindrance, not in terms of making
half per session. I’d me “muscle bound,” but it would be
keep my calories quite
low—1,500 to 2,000
extra baggage I had to carry around
in the running events, for instance.
at the most, with an So in the two-month period that I
occasional higher spent preparing for the Superstars,
burst in there when I didn’t lift weights aside from
I needed it—and I’d practicing the jerk from the racks.
still gain muscle and Apparently, however, the intensity
lose fat despite the of the bicycling—which I did three
lowered calorie intake days a week—and swimming and
and the increased running and so forth were sufficient
activity. to maintain my mass, which had
been accumulated relatively slowly
JL: Why is that? over a period of more than a decade
MM: In part of heavy training. I think that’s the
from the increased reason it tended to stay, when for
intensity, in part from the first time in my life I wanted it
tissue memory—I’d to leave.
be gaining back my Arthur Jones said years ago that
old size. I wouldn’t “the longer you take to build muscle
think that in two and the longer you hold it, the more
months I could it becomes part of your system,
improve on my and the longer it would take to lose
Neveux \ Models: Tito Raymond and Derik Farnsworth
former size. Unless it it.” Any amount of muscle that you
was something that gained in a month you’d most likely
was to prove very lose the next month if you stopped
lucrative, I’d be very training. But if you were to spend
strongly disinclined 10 years acquiring and maintaining
to get back into considerable muscle mass, you’d
my previously best keep it for a longer time after you
condition or even quit training, although it would
close because of the eventually atrophy until you were
strain that it puts on back to normal levels. So I didn’t
my entire physical lose any bodyweight. As a matter
and psychological of fact I entered the Superstars
being. It’s just too weighing 217. (continued on page 186)
 HEAVY DUTY
(continued from page 182) JL:
What are your thoughts on that
contest? Did you enjoy being in
it?
MM: Oh, it was great fun. I
thought that I’d do better than I
did in my actual placing overall,
although I did, I think, quite well
given the level of competition.
JL: You were competing, quite
literally, against the world’s
best athletes.
MM: One of the primary things
that held me back was the extra
bodyweight.
JL: How about the swimming?
Did you find the extra
bodyweight to be a hindrance
in swimming?
MM: It was. I still did very well—I
got second place in the swimming.
I lost by two-tenths of a second to
a guy who I found out later was a
champion swimmer in high school
and college in the freestyle. He was
very light in bodyweight.
JL: Given the density of your
physique, you’d sink like the
proverbial stone.
MM: It requires more energy
just to stay afloat and propel
yourself. As a result, you have an
advantage when
you’re lighter.
I did enjoy the
competition,
though, and
that’s the main
thing. I made
a little bit of
money and
received more
public visibility,
which helped.
I completed it, but on that particular
lift, as with all the previous ones, I
never perfectly locked out my left
arm because my left elbow had been
broken and it’s very difficult for me
to lock out. The distance that I didn’t
lock out was so minor that you
could barely notice.
JL: What’s it like to go into a
gym, given what you know, and
see people pumping out set
after set—the marathon-style
trainees?
MM: I don’t make it a practice
to preach, but I give advice
when solicited. Where I may
see somebody doing something
potentially lethal and they don’t
know it, I’ll walk up and offer my
advice.
For instance, I’d say, “Excuse me,
but I have some advice on what you
are doing. Would you mind if I told
you what it was?” If they respond
politely and seem to be receptive,
I’ll continue. If not, I’ll let them kill
themselves. And where someone
approaches me and politely asks
for advice, I’ll give them all the time
that is practical at the moment.
Often, however, I’ve scratched
my head in wonderment. Even
though it’s been claimed that
bodybuilding is scientific and all, it’s
“It’s been claimed that
bodybuilding is scientific,
but it’s probably one of the
most primitive endeavors
engaged in by modern man.”
probably one of the most primitive
endeavors engaged in by modern
man. There’s no rhyme or reason to
what most people do. When I went
to Europe in 1983, I began all of my
seminars with a rather audacious
statement: “Everyone in this room
does everything wrong from the
moment you walk into the gym until
the moment you leave, from how
you grasp the bar, to the number
of sets you do and so forth.” Never
once was anyone certain enough
about what they were doing to voice
an objection. More often than not,
I saw a lot of heads bobbing rather
sheepishly in the affirmative.
JL: So they’re really lacking in
knowledge.
MM: They assume, and maybe
it’s natural to think, that once an
individual has attained a certain
level of development—for example,
Mr. America or Mr. Universe—then
that person “must” know something
about what he’s doing or he
wouldn’t have reached that level.
And while he may know something,
he may not. In most cases genetics
and a certain amount of discipline
and hard work (which is laudable)
got them where they were. Anyway,
I no longer scratch my head, get
upset or whatever when I see all the

JL: I
understand
that you were
defeated in the
weightlifting
event by none
other than the
“Hulk” himself,
Lou Ferrigno.
MM: Well, I
jerked whatever
it was that he
did. I think it
was 335 pounds.
Balik

Whatever it was,

186 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 HEAVY DUTY
things that are done improperly in
gyms.
JL: With good genetics, can
an aspiring bodybuilder reach
his potential using Nautilus
principles—that is, one set per
bodypart, eight to 12 reps, 12
total sets, three days per week?
MM: Not necessarily one set per
bodypart. One set per exercise?
Yeah, I think so. In fact, I know so,
without question.
JL: That’s refreshing to hear
from someone in the upper
echelons of the sport. Often the
young bodybuilder only hears
those who refuse to look at
training rationally and instead
goes by tradition.
MM: Almost 99.9 percent of all
bodybuilders—in fact 99.9 percent
of most people—do everything
that they do because other
people do it. They do what they
do out of convention, imitation,
tradition and outright fear—fear
of being different. Rather than risk
disapproval from the group, they
completely go along and do what
they see others doing—not knowing
why it’s done or even if it’s going to
be productive.
“It’s natural to think, that once an individual
has attained a certain level of development—for
example, Mr. America or Mr. Universe—then that
person ‘must’ know something about what he’s
doing or he wouldn’t have reached that level.”
188 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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JL: Why is one set woefully
inadequate for totally
stimulating a bodypart even
if performed at maximum
intensity?
MM: I’m not sure it’s woefully
inadequate, but it takes me one
good set to warm up.
JL: Let’s say you’re doing a
whole-body workout. After
you’ve elevated your body
temperature by even one
degree, you are, in effect, as
warmed up as you’re going to
be.
MM: It’s almost impossible
to do just one set per bodypart,
even if it’s only through indirect
stimulation when you’re doing
other exercises. But again, Nautilus
never recommended, or at least I’m
not aware that it recommended,
doing just one set per bodypart.
One set per exercise, maybe. That’s
essentially what Boyer Coe did
during that six-month experiment
when I was down there. He did
improve dramatically. I was there
for almost every workout, and I can
testify to the fact. He entered the
experiment after a considerable
period of no training at all—and no
steroids. He was, to put it bluntly,
in bad shape at the outset. He was
smooth and small, but six months
later, using about 50 minutes
total training a week, he was in
phenomenal shape! He was ripped
to the bone—more ripped than I’ve
ever seen him. You could actually
see every fiber in his back.
JL: And that was a steroid-free
experiment?
MM: Right. There were no
steroids. He gained only three
pounds during the six months,
but he lost considerable fat. So
his actual lean weight gain was
probably much more than three
pounds. But the important thing
was that his appearance improved
dramatically. He put on a lot of
muscle and lost a lot of fat in order
to appear the way he did. He was
even doing numerous exhibitions
and looking quite good. I saw those
appearances.
Next month Mentzer discusses
recovery ability, steroids and the
workout program he used to win the
Mr. America.
Editor’s note: For a complete
presentation of Mike Mentzer’s
Heavy Duty training system, consult
his books Heavy Duty II, High
Intensity Training the Mike Mentzer
Way and the newest
book, The Wisdom of
Mike Mentzer, all of
which are available
from Mentzer’s
official Web site, www.
MikeMentzer
.com.
John Little is
available for phone
consultation on Mike
Mentzer’s Heavy Duty
training system. For
rates and information,
contact Joanne
Sharkey at (310)
316-4519 or at www.
MikeMentzer
.com, or see the ad on
the opposite page.
Article copyright ©
Neveux \ Model \ Dave Fisher
2007, John Little. All
rights reserved. Mike
Mentzer quotations
are provided courtesy
of Joanne Sharkey and
used with permission.
IM
 With a Power/Rep
Range/Shock Twist
by Eric Broser
Photography by Michael Neveux
Illustration by Larry Eklund

It was a rare but welcome rainy day

here in my newly adopted hometown
of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where we
had just come through about three
straight weeks of sunny, blazingly
hot weather. At this point I think
most everyone was looking for a
little cooling down—well, all except
for me, that is! While most people
were happy to stay at home and
listen to the raindrops rhythmically
pounding against their windows, I
was looking to heat up my shoulders
at the local L.A. Fitness with a little
Power/Rep Range/Shock treatment.

198 APRiL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 199
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
 Hybrid Power/
Rep Range/
Shock combines
elements
from all three
protocols into
one workout.

Model: Luke Wood

200 APRiL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Model: Noel Thompson
It was about 5 p.m. when I ar-
rived, and by then it was raining
so hard, I had to make a mad dash
from my car to the gym. Luckily, I
don’t have a single hair on my head,
so no worries about getting my do
messed up. (Ah, the perks of being
bald.)
Once inside I said a few hellos to
some gym regulars and then headed
for the locker room for my “pregame
warmup.” After a quick trip to the
restroom, I downed about 10 grams
of BCAAs, five grams of L-glutamine
and 2.5 grams of creatine mixed in
water, which has become rather
widely know as the Body FX Cocktail
(Body FX being my screen name on
many of the bodybuilding message
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
boards). I then grabbed my belt,
towel and straps, cranked up my
MP3 player with a little Godsmack,
and muttered to myself, “Okay, let’s
go to war!”
As I was walking out of the locker
room, I ran into a friend whose
name is Charles; however, I af-
fectionately refer to him as “Up-
Chuck.” And, yes, it’s exactly what
you’re thinking. Every time I train
with Charles, he ends up in the
bathroom, praying to the porcelain
god. Great thing about Up-Chuck,
though, is that he keeps coming
back for more. Yeah, we’ve put in
some great workouts together, even
when he’s not tossing his cookies.
“Eric! What’s up, playa?”
You activate
the anabolic
machinery
through every
possible
physiological
mechanism.
“Not much. Just here for some
deltoid detonation!”
“You’re training shoulders today?
So am I!”
“Cool. Did you start yet?”
“No, I just got here. Can I train
with you?”
“That depends: How close to the
workout did you eat?”
“Oh, stop! I won’t puke from
shoulders!”
“You said the same thing about
the arm workout we did two weeks
ago, and—”
“Okay, okay…but I came back
and finished the workout, didn’t I?
“Yes, you absolutely did. You are a
warrior, bro!”
We con- (continued on page 204)
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 201
 Rear delts get
the Rep Range
protocol: set
one, seven to
nine reps; set
two, 10 to 12
reps; and set
three, 13 to 15
reps.
(continued from page 204) tinued our
conversation as we walked out to the
free-weight area, where I started to
warm up my rotator cuffs with some
internal- and external-rotation exer-
cises (yeah, I’m getting old!), as well
as a series of light lateral raises.
“So, Eric, are you doing Power, Rep
Range or Shock today? This is my
Power week, but I will do whatever
you’re doing.”
“Well, I’m doing all three!”
“Huh? I don’t get it.”
“This week I’m working with what
I like to call Hybrid P/RR/S training.”
“Hybrid P/RR/S? Explain, please.”
204 APRiL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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“Hybrid P/RR/S combines ele-
ments from all three protocols into
one workout. It’s something I like to
add into the mix every four to eight
weeks, and it provides a unique
training experience. You activate the
anabolic machinery through every
possible physiological mechanism
and stimulate the mind with the
challenge.”
“So, how will it work with our
shoulder training today?”
“Well, rather than tell you, I’ll just
show you. Let’s get to work.”
First stop was the seated military
press station. The goal was to follow
Model: Joe DeAngelis
the Power-week protocol, which
means choosing a weight for your
work sets that will take only four
to six reps to get you to concentric
failure. The lifting tempo is 4/0/
X—a four-second eccentric rep with
no pause—zero seconds—following
it and then an explosive concentric
contraction. The rest between sets
for this particular movement would
be about four minutes, to allow for
maximum recovery and synthesis of
ATP and creatine.
“Do you always start a Hybrid
workout using the Power-week pro-
tocol?” Up- (continued on page 208)
 For Shock work,
doing X-Rep partials
near the bottom of
the exercise extends
the set at a key fiber
activation point on
the stroke.
Model: Sagi Kalev

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 205

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 (continued from page 204) Chuck
queried.
“Yes—because Power training
Adding isolation is best for stimulating the cen-
work after a tral nervous system, which then
big, compound carries over into the rest of the
workout.”
exercise is “And by stimulating the CNS,
great for max the benefit is what?”
contractions “More-powerful muscle con-
tractions and increased fiber
thanks to recruitment.”
heightened “Which means more growth

Model: Luke Wood

nerve force. potential?”
“Correct, Up-Chuck!”
Luckily, when it comes to

Free download from imbodybuilding.com

 shoulders, Charles and I are of very
similar strength levels, and we were
able to follow the same warmup and
work-weight patterns:
Warmup: 135 x 10
Warmup: 185 x 7
Warmup: 225 x 4
Work set: 255 x 5
Work set: 255 x 4
Work set: 245 x 5
“Damn, Eric, those felt great! I’ve
210 APRiL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
been using your preworkout cock-
tail consistently lately, and it has
made a big difference.”
“Like with everything in this
game, my friend, the basics work
the best.”
“Okay, what’s next?”
“The reverse-flye machine for
rear delts!”
“And what style are we using
here?”
“Bro, you have no style. I mean,
look at you, still wearing baggy
clown pants from the 1980s.”
“Yeah, yeah, and the chicks love
me. Always smiling my way.”
“No, bro, they’re laughing, not
You have to
train all facets
of the muscle
if you want
extraordinary
growth.
smiling!”
“You’re a real comedian. Are we
using Rep Range or Shock training
for this movement?”
“Rep Range.”
The reverse-flye machine is defi-
nitely my favorite exercise for rear
delts. Although I will also use vari-
ous dumbbell and cable bent-over
lateral raises, I find I get the tightest
contraction in my posteriors delts
from reverse flyes.
On this occasion we used a pro-
nated grip, so our palms were facing
the floor. I actually prefer that to the
semisupinated grip on this move-
ment. (continued on page 214)
Comstock \ Models: Marcus Rühl and Ronnie Coleman
 Hybrid Deltoid-
Detonation Workout
Seated military presses 3 x 4-6
Rear-delt machine flyes
1 x 7-9, 1 x 10-12, 1 x 13-15
Superset
Wide-grip upright
rows 2 x 8-10
Seated lateral raises 2 x 8-10
Model: Skip La Cour

214 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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(continued from page 210) Because
we were using the Rep Range proto-
col, our goal would be to get seven
to nine reps on set one, 10 to 12 reps
on set two and 13 to 15 on set three,
again working to positive failure
on each. Our rest between sets was
about two minutes, and the lifting
tempo was 2/1/2/1—a two-second
negative with a one-second pause
before we performed the positive
portion of the rep in two seconds.
The final number in the tempo
refers to the contraction point. With
movements on which you can get
a strong peak contraction, like this
one, I often add a one-second pause
there for even more muscle-stimu-
lating action.
Here’s how our sets panned out:
Warmup: 120 x 8
Work set: 180 x 9
Work set: 165 x 12
Work set: 150 x 14
“Man, Eric, I am loving this!
Going from four to six reps to seven
to 15 reps feels great! The pump is
outrageous. I feel like someone just
injected my delts with synthol!”
“God forbid, bro! Your delts look
round and full, not distorted, like
synthol users’ shoulders!”
“You know what I mean, you mad
scientist! What’s next?”
“I’m not sure. How are you feel-
ing? You look a little pale.”
“Oh, stop! I’m fine! Bring it on!”
I must admit that when Up-
Chuck told me to bring it on, I im-
mediately became quite motivated
to see him on his knees doing the
Technicolor yawn. And what better
way to accomplish that than with
some Shock-week techniques?
My exercises of choice for what
would be a postactivation super-
set—a compound movement fol-
lowed immediately by an isolation
movement—were wide-grip barbell
upright rows and seated laterals.
That combo really zeroes in on the
medial-deltoid heads. I’m a great
believer in paying the most atten-
tion to the medial, or side, delts, as
they’re not only the most difficult
delt heads to develop but also the
ones that do the most to improve
the overall look of a physique.
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
Since we were about to engage
in a Shock-week protocol, the cor- COMING SOON TO
responding rules would apply: A
lifting tempo of 1/0/1, keeping the
A GYM NEAR YOU:
up-and-down movement almost
constant and the rest between sets
A NITRIC OXIDE
to the minimum time it takes to PRODUCT UNLIKE
catch your breath and mentally
prepare for the next assault.
ANY OTHER
After I did my first superset, I told
Up-Chuck to add X-Reps partials to
his seated laterals. Yes, I was trying
to send my friend over the edge.
Our two delt-destroying super-
sets were as follows:
Work Superset 1
Upright Rows, 135 x 10
Seated Laterals, 40 x 9
Work Superset 2
Upright Rows, 135 x 9
Seated Laterals, 40 x 8
“Holy crap, my delts are
torched!” Up-Chuck exclaimed.
“Seriously, Eric. I can’t even lift my
arms.”
“Yeah, Hybrid P/RR/S usually
has that effect because the muscles
MYOTROPHIC
and CNS are literally attacked from HYPEREXPANSION
every angle.” GROWTH KIT
“So let me ask you: Should I work
Hybrid week into my regular P/RR/
FOR ORAL USE
S rotation?”
“For the past year or so I’ve oc-
casionally done a full four weeks
straight of Hybrid P/RR/S—but I
change the workouts completely For more information about PlasmaJet ™
each week. Remember, however, visit our website for the official release date.
that I’ve been using P/RR/S for
six years. You’ve been using my
program for only six months, so I
suggest you hit a Hybrid week every
seventh week in the rotation (P/RR/
S/P/RR/S/H).”
“Cool, man. That was an amazing
workout.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it! And
look at that, you didn’t even end up
with your head in the toilet bowl!”
“Guess you have to stop calling www.gasparinutrition.com
me Up-Chuck, bro.” Available at health and vitamin stores,
“Not so fast my often-vomiting gyms and select retailers nationwide.
friend. Tomorrow is legs. Care to
join me?” IM
 Arkansas Muscle

216 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 Chad Martin, ’06 NPC Junior USA
Winner, Talks Bodybuilding and Life
by Rod Labbe • Photography by Bill Comstock
o ahead. I triple-
dawg dare ya. Ask
any pro body-
builder if he has
it easy. Should
you still be standing by the time
he’s finished, you’ll understand
one irrefutable fact: A pro’s life is
fraught with terrific insecurities.
Sure, quick cash can be generated
through seminars, and the mags
are more open to photo spreads
and an occasional cover or pro-
file. A few lucrative endorsement/
sponsorship deals might even de-
velop. But it’s not an easy road or
easy money.
Now ask an amateur bodybuilder the same ques-
tion: Does he have it easy? You’ll undoubtedly hear
woeful tales involving money, lack of publicity, bad
placings, moral corruption and rampant drug abuse.
Kinda makes you wonder why anyone would choose
competitive bodybuilding as an avocation, huh?
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
Amateurs, though, have one significant edge over
the pros: freedom. And nobody knows that better
than Chad Martin, a young amateur bodybuilder from
Arkansas.
Martin’s bodybuilding mission is deceptively sim-
ple: He preaches the muscle gospel. Winning titles and
competing keep him visible, but Chad’s gone the extra
mile by modeling, producing and starring in DVDs
and forging pathways where many pros find brick
walls.
“I went into bodybuilding to better myself,” he
related as he prepped for still another photo shoot.
“Twenty-four/7, I’m tweaking training routines, exper-
imenting, working on presentation and promotion.
When you’re a competitive bodybuilder, there’s always
more to do, another setback to overcome.”
It’s a frantic lifestyle (pundits might say too frantic),
but Chad’s approach is and always has been decidedly
mellow. During the time we spent together, he multi-
tasked like an efficiency expert, and never once did I
see him lose his smooth Southern-boy cool.
Business acumen and an affinity for self-promotion
are key to keeping any career afloat, and Chad’s de-
veloped quite the knack. Nonetheless, choppy waters
present themselves now and again. Scoring effective
magazine exposure is particularly prickly, and when
navigation goes awry, connected folks like yours truly
step up to the wheel.
Get your streamers ready, ladies and gents. The USS
Arkansas Muscle has just pulled into port!
 Arkansas Muscle

“Competitive bodybuilding’s a hardball RL: Before 2003 you were

game, especially for amateurs. You
gotta stay on your toes. The slightest
distraction, and a year’s worth of
progress can be derailed.”
building up considerable steam
on the competitive circuit. Then
an unscheduled layoff derailed
everything. Or did it?
CM: You’ve heard of Murphy’s Law,
right? Well, ol’ Murphy came down
hard on me, with both feet. Crunch!
I broke two bones, and my
recuperation took longer than
expected. For a while I felt a little
lost—but in life you make do, you
cope. By the time I’d recovered, I
was dedicated and re-energized
enough to win the ’04 Ronnie
Coleman Classic. That qualified
me for the Junior Nationals and
Nationals.

RL: So, even with your

injuries, ’04 was a good year?
CM: An exceptional year!
I went forward, doing the
best I could. My modeling
opportunities opened up too.
Ever hear of Ulrich Oehmen? I
did a lot of stuff for him, and he’s
a superb technician. Irv Gelb’s
another guy with an amazing
ability to capture mood and
feeling.

RL: Don’t underestimate

your own contributions.
You’re rugged, with charisma
and plenty of all-American
charm. That’s solid résumé
material.
CM: Thanks. Competitive
bodybuilding’s a hardball game,
especially for amateurs. You gotta
stay on your toes. The slightest
distraction, and a year’s worth
of progress can be derailed. And
if you want to break into other
areas, the stakes are higher.

RL: Yeah, considering

Arkansas isn’t exactly known
for producing nationally
ranked bodybuilders.
CM: There aren’t many here,
I’ll admit. [Laughs] Very few
hardcore gyms, either.

RL: Given such sorry

circumstances, what set off
the bodybuilding fuse in
young Chad Ray Martin?
CM: Same old Charles Atlas
story—I wanted to be big and
strong and equated muscles

218 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 Arkansas Muscle

“Education
is primary in
bodybuilding.
Not a lot of
novices bother
to learn from
experience.”
with manhood. At 18 I became
addicted to lifting. I was living
with my grandma, and she fed
me well. With her cooking and
my weight training, I made fast
gains. After high school I signed
on with the Air National Guard,
and that was a good move. I
packed on 20 pounds in basic.

RL: Basic is what, only six

weeks? Dude, you must’ve
been chowin’!
CM: Whenever I had the
chance! Air Force food’s free,
plentiful and mighty filling!
Following basic, I attended tech
school in Colorado, where all
I did for four months was lift
weights, eat and go to class. I
came home at 190, 30 pounds
heavier than when I’d left.
One year later I was competing
as a light heavyweight novice and
winning.

RL: You won your first

show?
CM: The very first. I was green,
but nobody could question my
determination.
RL: And you’ve competed
about every eight months
since?
CM: For six years straight. It’s
been difficult, what with life’s
sundry responsibilities. Just the
same, I do love contest prep.
Watching your physique grow and
noting improvements that become
more and more apparent with each
training day is uniquely satisfying.
RL: The layoff apparently
didn’t slow you down any.
CM: Those injuries were blessings
in disguise. Because of them, I’ve
had tons of free time to plan, project
and rethink strategies. Taking a
breather also gave me clarity; I
became emotionally restored and
couldn’t wait to jump back into
competition.
RL: From the truckload of
trophies surrounding us, it’s
obvious you’ve been an athlete
your entire life.
CM: As a kid I enjoyed being
active—camping, skiing, riding
my bike. Name the sport, and I’ve
probably played it at least once. No,
make that dozens of times. Sitting
on the sidelines has never been my
thing. I’ve got to get in there and
raise hell.
RL: Did athletics lead you to
the iron?
CM: Organized sports gave me
discipline, but I was inspired more
by “Predator,” back in 1987. Arnold
and his crew were beefy, ripped
and manly. Once I saw them kick
ass, I couldn’t run to the weight
room fast enough!
As I grew bigger and more
proportioned, people kept asking
me when I was going to compete.
That finally happened in 1997. Just
starting the (continued on page 222)

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 219

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 Arkansas Muscle
“Watching your
physique grow and
noting improvements
that become more and
more apparent with
each training day is
uniquely satisfying.”
(continued from page 219) process
fulfilled a long-held fantasy, and
when I walked out and did my
routine, I was flyin’!
RL: How old were you then?
CM: Twenty and I weighed 191
pounds.
RL: That was the Caveman
Classic—in Missouri?
CM: Yes, a good experience.
222 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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I’d read everything I could lay my
hands on about proper dieting and
contest preparation beforehand, but
things were still sketchy.
During the process of getting
lean, I lost too much muscle. Kind
of a stumble, but the lessons were
worthwhile. Education is primary in
bodybuilding. Not a lot of novices
bother to learn from experience.
RL: You’ve had a steady
stream of competitions,
including an impressive win at
the ’04 Arkansas Classic.
CM: I started 2004 with a
plan, to fine-tune my precontest
preparation and diet and then
tackle several top-level regional
shows. Winning the Arkansas was
a significant personal step because
friends and family were there to see
me. What an unforgettable moment!
RL: Was the Lone Star Classic
before or after?
CM: Before. At the Lone Star I
placed third in the heavies even
though my physique hadn’t peaked.
RL: Were you pleased with
third?
CM: Man, anytime I make
top five, I’m one happy camper.
[Laughs] That show taught me
important lessons about what works
and what doesn’t in precontest prep.
RL: Two high-profile placings,
capped by an incredible
performance at the Junior
Nationals. Stylin’ or what?
CM: The Junior Nationals in
’04 was a record breaker—more
than 100 athletes in the men’s
competition alone. Wall-to-wall
testosterone! And every guy there
had trained, dieted, planned and
prayed. Including me!
(continued on page 226)
 Arkansas Muscle
You Can Get
Chad Ray Martin’s Hardcore Leg Blast Bigger,
I hit the iron almost every day, sometimes twice a day. If a contest is
more than three months away, I train six days a week, with two of those
days as a double split. Here’s my leg workout. Warning: This is not for the
Stronger
squeamish!
I train legs on Wednesday and Sunday, with hams getting hit harder on
and Leaner
Sunday and quads suffering more on Wednesday. Faster Than Ever
The week starts with front squats, lunges, high leg presses, leg curls Before!
and stiff-legged deadlifts. If I’m training for mass, I use three-week
cycles: week one, four sets of 10; week two, four sets of eight; week three, You don’t have to burn hard-earned muscle
as you melt away fat. Now you can actually
four sets of six. When contest prep begins, I switch to four sets of 12. build more muscle size and strength as your
On Wednesday I preexhaust my thighs with a few good sets of leg abs get razor sharp and you get ripped.
extensions. Then I start the workout by doing squats—plenty of warmup That’s the attention-grabbing look you want
now, and the new Fat to Muscle 2 shows you
sets and then my work sets stay in the rep range according to whether how. You’ll discover:
I’m in contest-prep mode. I go pretty heavy if I’m not in contest prep,
usually around 505 for eight or 565 for six, and I squat deep. Depth
•eatPrecise nutrition guidelines and diets—
to max out your muscle mass as pounds
makes a significant difference in how your legs grow. Legs are tough to of ugly bodyfat disappear. (Learn the Carb-
Stacking strategy that can transform mus-
train, and you must focus on what’s at hand and not let anything mess cle size and stoke the fat-burning furnace.)
with you. • Which substance—found in almost any
Front squats are next. I do them the same way, as high as 315 for six. kitchen—is the ultimate aid for energy,
better muscular response and fat burning.
After that I roll into hack squats. Remember, if it’s competition season, I
stick with 12 reps on everything.
• How dairy can help you burn fat—
yogurt, cheese and milk can get you leaner.
One point I should make about contest training has to do with the last • How to increase fat use with a minimum of
aerobic exercise, and why aerobics may be
set: 12 is not the number, pain is. I push till the legs go! I love to get 15, a waste of time for a lean, muscular look.
but sometimes I barely clear 12. Other times I roll beyond to 20. It de- • The amazing direct/indirect Fat-to-
pends on how much animal I can pull out that day. My training partner, Muscle 2 training program—with this
innovative routine it appears as if you train a
Marc Sparks, makes sure I go to the outer limits. bodypart only once a week, but you really
Next up is leg presses. I pile up the sled, and Marc sits on top of it and train each twice thanks to indirect work (and
screams, “Let’s roll!” This really hits hams and quads. Note: Always keep each workout takes less than an hour).
your feet flat, or you could strain your calves. • The 8 key nutrients for faster fat burn-
ing, including how much to take of each.
After leg presses all • Top 6 fat-to-muscle tricks. (Great info!)
I have left are leg curls • The 10 rules for super energy.
and leg extensions. I The secrets to melting away bodyfat as you
build lean, ripped muscle
superset them. are all packed in this IRONMAN
Magazine’
s
People ask if I bulletin—eating plans, BULLETIN
#5

have a difficult time workout routines,

metabolism-accelera-
FAT TO
sleeping on leg day. tion techniques and the MUSCLE
Normally, no. Some- best fat-to-muscle
times, though, my nutrients. Stop dieting
Pack On Le
2
away muscle—pack As You Shed Mass
an
Bodyfat
legs twitch all night. on more as you burn Includes carb
-sta
diets, grow cking and carb-reducti
fat-burning th hormone activatio on
I always get a lot of fat, and look your wor
and the 10 kouts and supplements
Rules for Sup
n,

hard, muscular best er Energy

carbs right after leg in record time!

training. For example,
if I’m dieting, I take
in 90 grams of carbs
Just $9.95
plus $6.50 postage & handling ($15 outside North
from white rice. If I’m America) (California residents add 8.25% sales tax)
growing, I’ll take in Credit card orders call
two cups of oats, one 1-800-447-0008, offer ITS
tablespoon of honey
and about 48 ounces YES! I want to transform my physique. Rush
of water. Thirty min- me IRONMAN’s Fat to Muscle 2.
utes later I’ll eat a
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—Chad Ray Martin CA residents add 8.25% sales tax. Foreign orders
(except Canada) add $15 shipping. Payment in
U.S. dollars drawn on U.S. banks only.

Free download from imbodybuilding.com

 Arkansas Muscle
“Same old Charles
Atlas story—I
wanted to be big
and strong and
equated muscles
with manhood.”
(continued from page 222)
RL: When they called you out
for the fourth spot, it had to be
a Kodak moment.
CM: Oh, dude, I was so pumped!
And I could use a few other
words too—overjoyed, thrilled,
dumbstruck and amazed! Thirty-
226 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
two heavyweights competed, and to
place fourth shocked me to the core
of my being.
But I couldn’t have done it alone.
I’ve got to thank my family, friends,
and all the fans who contributed to
this wondrous accomplishment.
RL: Don Youngblood, the ’02
Masters Mr. Olympia, played
an important role in your
bodybuilding success. His
recent passing at such a young
age must’ve devastated you.
CM: It did, totally. He was an
exceptional individual, an icon who
constantly gave of himself.
We’d known one another since I
was little. I saw Don not only as an
excellent trainer but a close friend.
My prayers go out to his wife and
family.
RL: On a lighter note, you’ve
been making serious headway
in the past two years—lots of
magazine coverage, some covers
and higher visibility. Is this your
time, man? And what’s next for
Chad Martin?
CM: It’s been insane, but I like that
kind of insanity. I’ve already set my
sights on the 2007 Junior Nationals,
USA and North Americans. I might
do the Junior California, too, if time
permits.
RL: Being a competitive
bodybuilder requires
considerable financial resources
 Arkansas Muscle

and a tough-as-steel attitude. in another DVD, “Flexed Competitive bodybuilding’s

Agreed?
CM: Agreed. And it’s easy
to lose motivation after a bad
placing. That’s one reason
competitors drop out of the
game. Their bar is raised too high.
Setting realistic goals at the outset
is important. You must prove
yourself in local and regional
shows first, then go on and take
charge. Guys who hit the gym
should realize they can derive a
lot of pleasure and health benefits
from bodybuilding, without
competing.
Physiques,” I gave it the old
college try. You’re a potent team!
CM: Sagi’s an easygoing guy. And
you won’t find any bodybuilder
more dedicated to achieving
perfection.
I’m the same way. I train
specifically to meld muscle mass
and proportion. If I need to bring a
specific bodypart up, I’ll do it—with
an eye to building a complete
physique.
not for the weak of spirit. Heck,
I know pros who are struggling.
Bodybuilding won’t make you one of
the beautiful people—but if you do
it right, you’ll have health and well-
being for the rest of your days.
RL: If pros aren’t making ends
meet, what about amateurs?
CM: Amateurs need to be smart
and take the bull by the horns.
Being a bodybuilder isn’t limited to

TAP INTO YOUR

RL: The benefits part—is
that what you’re after?
CM: Of course! Being healthy

BODY’S POTENTIAL
is the bottom line. I like to
compete—it’s fun—but I’m after
lifelong health.

RL: And a fantasy chassis is

the cherry on the sundae!
CM: With whipped cream and
nuts [flexes right biceps]! When Demand
you’re healthy, you can’t help but
look good.
Real Science.
Get Real
RL: What kind of physique is
your ideal?
Results.™
CM: One that combines
symmetry, aesthetics and mass.
Too much either way, and you
end up with bodybuilders who
look more like gymnasts, ballet
dancers, long-distance runners,
sumo wrestlers, weightlifters or
football players. You can’t have
mass without cuts and deep
muscle separation, nor can you
be ultraripped and dry without
muscle fullness. Achieving the
correctly balanced combination
is a trick I call the Power Package.
And that’s the title of my first solo
DVD.

RL: Why do a video?

CM: Inspiration! If folks see
my videos and are motivated
and inspired to start an exercise
or fitness program or take their
program and nutrition to the next
level, I’ve succeeded.

RL: My quest for motivation

ends when pain begins—but www.muscle-link.com
after watching you and
Sagi Kalev assault the iron Visit for the weekly super special!
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
 Arkansas Muscle
contests and gym time. Publicity’s a
major component. Besides my own
Web site, I have a sponsor, MHP.
I’m traveling, competing, attending
contests, doing shoots and planning
several workout videos.
RL: Your bodybuilding
career has taken you
far from Arkansas. What
accomplishment are you
228 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
“Organized sports gave me
discipline, but I was inspired
more by ‘Predator,’ back in
1987. Arnold and his crew
were beefy, ripped and manly.”
proudest of? behind me, those bad days rarely
CM: I’m proudest raise their ornery heads. None of us
of maintaining a can expect things to go our way all
consistent placing the time; one day you’re up, and the
and showing up in next, you’re down.
excellent condition for
all my competitions.
It’s a personal
standard. Off-season
is not part of my
vocabulary! Maybe
that’s obsessive,
but if it is, I’m a
perfect candidate for
bodybuilding. Actually,
I do take time off once
a year—approximately
three months—to give
my body a rest. But
I’m never what anyone
would consider fat or
out of shape.
RL: So the
motivation is
not difficult to
maintain?
CM: There are days
when I’m tempted
to slack off, but
that’s dangerous. RL: Still, a sunny attitude goes
As a national- a long way.
level competitor I CM: Competitive bodybuilding
must maintain the is a sport where a sunny disposition
motivation to improve. comes in very handy. Since I’m
With the help of my always myself, I tend to bring
family and friends, I that attitude to my bodybuilding
do. pursuits, even with the pitfalls.
My wife, April,
family and close RL: I’ve got a sneaking
friends support me suspicion 2007 might see a turn
100 percent. April and our two girls of the tide, pro card and all.
offer encouragement and smiles Then what?
whenever I need them. It’s a good CM: Aside from celebrating, I’ll
life. I’m able to do the things I want, be able to make more money as a
without restrictions. And I can bodybuilder. Seminars, exhibitions,
look at myself and my physique guest-posing gigs, etc. It’ll be a
objectively, which also makes me whole ’nuther ball game.
happy.
Like most people, I have my good Editor’s note: Visit Chad
days and not so good days. But with Martin’s Web site, www
a loving group of family and friends .ChadRayMartin.com. IM
 Anabolic Firestarters
Invisible Essentials
by George L. Redmond, Ph.D., N.D

230 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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of Size and Strength

The reason that a trace mineral is required in extremely small amounts is

that it serves as a coenzyme, permitting the active enzyme to work over and
over again in catalyzing a chemical reaction. In the same way only a small
daily intake of a vitamin may be required, but through its catalytic activity
it produces a far larger amount of some vital substances.
—Linus Pauling

Nobel prize–winning chemist Linus Pauling suggests that powerful small

substances in the background are actually responsible for enhancing and/
or jump-starting the activity of many, perhaps all, of the heavy hitters that
are part of your bodybuilding supplement routine. So vital are vitamins
and minerals to the body’s proper metabolic and anabolic functions that
without them you would be unable to convert your food into hormones,
tissue and energy. (continued on page 234)

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 231

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 A One-Minute Primer
Vitamins are essential nutrients
required for normal chemical pro-
cesses to occur in the body. They
are components in enzymes and
coenzymes. Enzymes are molecules
involved in speeding up chemi-
cal reactions necessary for human
physiological functions to occur,
such as energy production or the
assembling of tissue components.
Coenzymes are partners that help
the enzymes conduct chemical
reactions. Vitamins and minerals
are essential components in many
metabolic processes, as well as
building and sustaining the struc-
ture and integrity of the body.
The Mineral Connection
The human body uses minerals
for the proper composition of bone
and blood and normal cell function.
As discussed above, they are, along
with vitamins, essential compo-
nents of enzymes and coenzymes. If
an enzyme is lacking the necessary
mineral, it can’t function properly,
no matter how much of the vitamin
234 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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is available. In other
words, vitamins are use-
less without their miner-
al partners. Paradoxically,
while carbohydrates,
proteins, fats and vita-
mins are all organic sub-
stances, the nonorganic
minerals are responsible
for starting and sustain-
ing the metabolic actions
of organic nutrients.
Classified Information
Like most supplements, vitamins
and minerals are classified as either
water- or fat-soluble. Water-soluble
vitamins aren’t stored in the body
and must be readily replenished.
Fat-soluble vitamins are stored to
some degree, usually in the liver,
and require some fat for assimila-
tion when taken. So taking your
supplements with a full meal is ad-
vised to ensure proper breakdown
and assimilation.
The water-soluble vitamins are
vitamin C and all the B vitamins—B1
and B2, niacin, B6, folic acid, biotin
and pantothenic acid. The fat-
soluble vitamins are vitamins
A, D, E and K. Minerals are clas-
sified as either major or minor.
Major minerals are needed
in the body in dosages of 100
milligrams or above. Minor,
or trace, minerals are needed
in quantities of less than 100
milligrams. The essential major
minerals are calcium, chlorine,
magnesium, phosphorous, potas-
sium, sodium and sulfur. The minor
minerals are chromium, cobalt,
copper, fluorine, iodine, iron, man-
ganese, molybdenum, selenium and
zinc.
Anabolic Spark Plugs
While no brief account can cover
all of the anabolic capabilities of
these dynamic firestarters, here’s
an overview of some widely used
vitamin and mineral supplements,
sometimes referred to as anabolic
spark plugs.
Start with vitamin C, known
as the master nutrient. It’s water-
soluble. (continued on page 238)
Neveux \ Model: Randy Vogelzang
 (continued from page 234) Several
studies have shown that dosages of
1,000 milligrams of vitamin C can
significantly reduce muscle soreness
and enhance your recovery after a
workout. Many sports and exercise
physiologists maintain that C’s criti-
cal importance is misunderstood
and certainly underutilized in the
bodybuilding community. That can
hinder your ability to achieve a state
of anabolic tranquillity.
Vitamin C plays a key role in
building collagen, the most abun-
dant connective tissue in your body.
Collagen gives your body form and
supports other organs as well. It’s
essentially the glue that holds your
muscles to your skeleton and your
skin to your muscles.
Research supports the notion Vitamin C plays a
that poor bone strength is related
to a loss of collagen in and around key role in building
the bone matrix. Collagen assists in
healing sprained joints, bones, cuts, collagen, the
strains and other injuries. That’s
why vitamin C is critical to acceler- most abundant
ating your recovery. Furthermore,
vitamin C has connective tissue
powerful antioxi-
dant capabilities, in your body.
protecting muscle
cells from dam-
age, that enhance
The Cortisol Connection 1) Decreased testosterone
your growth po-
tential. It’s also Vitamin C regulates the effects 2) Insulin resistance
involved with the of cortisol, known as the death
3) Increased blood sugar
construction and hormone because of its ability to
distribution of accelerate muscle wasting and atro- 4) Increased bodyfat
steroid hormones phy. Although in stressful situations
5) Breakdown of muscles, ten-
throughout your cortisol helps you meet the stress
dons and ligaments
body. head on by increasing the levels of
Like the Great fat and sugar in the bloodstream 6) Accelerated bone breakdown
Depression of 1929, when money and supplying added fuel to the
7) Shrinkage of brain cells
supplies and the American econ- brain and muscles, it also readily
omy collapsed, natural biological destroys muscle tissue. Because cortisol is your worst
shortages of vitamin C wreak havoc Visualize the intense sparks fly- nightmare, take your vitamin C
on your muscle tissue. Because it’s ing as the engineer of a train tries to every day.
one of the most water-soluble nu- slow down a speeding locomotive.
trients, it quickly dissipates when Compare that to the destruction The Royal B
it enters the body, breaking up and and tearing of all the muscle tissue
scattering within a watery environ- you work so hard to attain. When Next to vitamin C, vitamin B6
ment. The more muscular you be- elevated levels of this stuff linger is the most important anabolic
come, the more water your muscle in the body, that’s what’s going on. cofactor you can take. Known as
cells are composed of. Consequent- Paradoxically, you generate tons of the master vitamin for processing
ly, diminishing levels of that vital cortisol during intense training, so amino acids, water-soluble vitamin
anabolic nutrient can occur rapidly. controlling or minimizing its effects B6 helps start more that 100 enzyme
In practical terms, you as a body- should be high on your list. systems necessary for the proper
builder need to replenish your vi- Elevated cortisol levels cause regulation of protein metabolism.
tamin C several times a day—more much more than muscle wasting. Though generally referred to as
than a nonbodybuilder or sedentary They also cause: pyridoxine, vitamin B6 has three
person. chemical forms: pyridoxine, pyri-

238 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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doxal and pyridoxamine. Pyridoxal
(PLP) is its most active form.
Being intimately involved with
protein and amino acid metabo-
lism, pyridoxine is responsible for
processing, meaning it helps make,
as well as take apart and rebuild
many of those building blocks of
protein. Pyridoxine is also a coen-
zyme for glycogen phosphorylase,
the enzyme that stimulates the
release of glucose stored
in the muscles, known as
glycogen. That helps fuel
your tired muscles, thus
sparing precious muscle
tissue.
While you already
know that protein builds
lean muscle, you may be
unaware of the fact that
the pyridoxine form of
B6 is directly responsible
for protein metabolism
and therefore key in the
overall anabolic process.
An increased intake of protein
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
needs to be matched with addi-
tional amounts of B6. The additional
intake helps the body maintain an
adequate balance of amino acids
circulating in and around your sys-
tem.
The recommended dose for vita-
min B6 for all healthy individuals is
1.3 milligrams daily. Don’t take more
than 100 milligrams; it could lead to
nerve damage.
Buy the Vowels
Best known for its ability
to protect the eyes and boost
the immune response, vita-
min A has definite anabolic
capabilities. It’s not a well-
discussed fact that the body
needs vitamin A to synthesize
new protein; oddly enough, a
high intake of protein tends to
diminish body stores of vita-
min A.
Another fact not widely
publicized centers on vitamin A’s
ability to regulate testosterone pro-
duction. Reliable and consistent
data shows that vitamin A within
the testes increases testosterone
secretions and a number of anabolic
growth factors, such as IGF-binding
protein, androgen-binding protein,
transforming growth factor-beta
and a substance known as steroido-
genic acute regulatory protein. The
last-named protein plays a critical
role in transporting cholesterol into
the mitochondria (the body’s energy
factories) to be transformed into
steroids. Vitamin A also works in
the testes to reduce the formation
of estrogen, as well as regulate the
production of glycogen.
Take 5,000 to 25,000 international
units per day. When taking levels
above 10,000, use beta-carotene.
The body will convert as much of
it to vitamin A as it needs, and that
form doesn’t have the toxicity of
vitamin A from fish oil sources.
One of the most widely used
vitamins, (continued on page 242)
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 239
 (continued from page 239) fat-soluble
vitamin E, has powerful antioxidant
properties. Like vitamin C, it helps
prevent muscle weakness and sore-
ness via its ability to neutralize free
radical production and the buildup
of toxic by-products that cause
muscle wasting.
The recommended daily dose
of vitamini E is 200 to 800 interna-
tional units.
Anabolic Mineral
Compounds
Calcium is the most
abundant mineral in
the body. It is common
knowledge that calcium
builds strong bones—an
often overlooked aspect
of building a world-class
body. As you gain size,
you need a strong skeletal
foundation to hold all of
that new lean muscle.
Substantial evidence confirms the
need to supplement calcium during
intense workouts. New data reveal
that during a two-hour workout
the body can lose via sweat up to
400 milligrams of calcium. That can
severely compromise your efforts in
reaching your long-term bodybuild-
ing goals, by decreasing your work-
out capacity and making you more
susceptible to skeletal injuries.
Calcium is also mainly respon-
sible for regulating muscular con-
tractions, and it controls heartbeat.
Because you probably take in lots
of protein, you should get adequate
calcium and its cofactors (phospho-
rus, vitamin D, magnesium) to limit
the withdrawal of calcium from
bones.
By the way, vitamin D assists
in calcium absorption, while low
magnesium levels cause
hypocalcaemia, or low
calcium. High protein
intake can increase
calcium’s excretion.
You should maintain a
calcium-phosphorus
balance in the bones
of two parts calcium to
one part phosphorus. An
imbalance will increase
calcium loss, which can
cause bone loss. The rec-
ommended dose is 1,000
242 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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to 1,500 milligrams daily.
According to the Food and Drug
Administration’s most recent read-
ing of the experimental literature, Calcium is
chromium picolinate may reduce
the risk of insulin resistance. Studies responsible
suggest that chromium picolinate
promotes the anabolic affect of for regulating
insulin on skeletal muscle by sen-
sitizing insulin-dependent brain muscular
receptors that control appetite and
fat burning. contractions,
Supplemental chromium
leads to improvements in and it controls
lean body mass and per-
centage of bodyfat and heartbeat.
bodyweight loss. In a study
appearing in the Interna- Vitamin D assists
tional Journal of Biosocial
and Medical Research, inves- in calcium
tigators concluded that chro-
mium picolinate, because of absorption.
its ability to accentuate the
development of lean body
mass and concurrent loss of
bodyfat, could serve as a safe
alternative to anabolic steroids. You
need 50 to 200 micrograms daily.
The mighty mineral magnesium
has recently gained much press for
its ability to relieve symptoms of
chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.
Most of its prominence, however,
centers on its ability to control
blood pressure and treat ischemic
heart disease, a deficiency of blood
to the heart.
Magnesium is best known for its
ability to help preserve precious
bone and its regulation of more
than 300 biochemical reactions
in the body. As a bodybuilder, you
should know that it’s essential to
all energy-dependent reactions,
including the use and production
of ATP, the body’s main intercellular
energy molecule.
Additionally, magnesium assists
in amino acid synthesis, fat
metabolism, neurological
transmissions and muscular
contractions and relaxation.
Magnesium actually acti-
vates amino acids and helps
the body construct protein.
Low magnesium levels can
Neveux \ Model: David Dorsey
definitely affect the way
your body makes proteins.
As with calcium, a high
protein intake can adversely
affect your magnesium
levels.
 www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 243
Free download from imbodybuilding.com

In many ways magnesium stands
alone, but it’s also a cofactor of
the enzyme creatine kinase, which
transforms creatine to creatine
phosphate, or phosphocreatine, the
storage form of creatine. It’s more
powerful than creatine monohy-
drate because of its ability to recycle
ATP at a faster pace. What that
comes down to is that it increases
your anabolic endurance threshold,
which gives you more energy and
strength for short, powerful lifts or
the reps that are key to resistance
training.
There’s also considerable evi-
dence that magnesium prevents
muscle cramps and muscle spasms,
which can occur when you lose it
during strenuous exercise. Studies
have shown that the more anaerobic
the workout, the more magnesium
is withdrawn from blood plasma
into the red blood cells. That’s why
244 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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your need for magnesium may be
greater. You need 300 to 500 milli-
grams every day. [For more on mag-
nesium, see the feature that begins
on page 142.]
Last but far from least: zinc. When
you think of zinc, visualize some
200 workers building, repairing
damage and helping you recover
from your intense training session.
Zinc helps stimulate about 200
enzyme systems into action that
supports growth. In fact, zinc regu-
lates many hormones that control
growth, including testosterone, and
thus is vital to your ability to build
lean muscle. Zinc also stimulates
the release of growth hormone in
conjunction with the mineral mag-
nesium.
Supplements containing zinc and
magnesium asparate have gained
much publicity over the past several
years, under the name ZMA. When
Zinc regulates
many hormones
that control
growth, including
Neveux \ Model: Art Dilks
testosterone.
taken 30 to 60 minutes before sleep-
ing, that combination sends your
anabolic potential into overdrive.
The recommended dose is 15 to 50
milligrams daily. ZMA is suggested
in doses of 450 milligrams of mag-
nesium and 30 milligrams of zinc.
All Together Now...
Overwhelming evidence confirms
just how important these small
but dynamic substances are to the
function of the body’s metabolic
machinery. They should be the
foundation of your supplement
regimen, not unsung heroes of your
strength and size gains. Use them
daily and consistently, starting with
a multiple vitamin-and-mineral
formula. Your muscles, hormones,
enzymes and every anabolic cycle in
your body will thank you. IM
Lonnie Teper’s

NEWS & ViEWS Dexter

Expert Predictions Jackson.

Who Will Wear

the Columbus
Crown?

Balik
The tres amigos stick their necks out Victor
again Martinez.

As always, the lineup at this year’s Arnold Schwarzenegger Clas-

sic is a strong one. What’s different is that the field looks to be perhaps
the most balanced in years, with as many as four or five physique artists
having a realistic shot at taking the
To find out crown in Columbus, Ohio. So who
other than “The Experts” could let you
who really did know in advance how things will turn
win the Arnold out at Veterans Memorial Auditorium
on March 3?
Classic, log on Yesiree, the tantalizing trio who

Balik
made their debut on
to Graphic GraphicMuscle.com
Muscle.com. at the ’06 Olympia—
Phil
me, the most objec-
Heath.
tive; Isaac Hinds, the most biased; and Ron “Yogi”
Avidan, the least knowledgeable—will return for the
new season better (and in Ron’s case, bigger) than ever.
And we’re all going with different people to win the
ASC. I say it’s heaven in ’07 for Dexter “the Blade”
Jackson, who will make it a three-peat. Hinds predicts
last year’s rookie sensation, Phil “the Gift” Heath, will
score a major upset. Avidan places Victor “the Future”
Martinez at the top of the list. Here are the rationales
behind those picks.
Jackson, the Jacksonville, Florida, resident, is still
great at 38. In addition to his second victory in a row at
the Arnold last season, the Blade finished fourth at the
Mr. Olympia. At 5’6 1/2” and about 215 pounds, Dex al-
ways shows up in prime condition, and I have no reason
to think history won’t repeat itself in Ohio. Besides, the
University of Florida set a new NCAA record by becom-
ing the first school ever to win the national crown in both
football and basketball in the same year, so the Sun-
shine State is certainly on a big-time roll.
Hinds says that last year’s Rookie of the Year is now
Isaac Hinds \ Lift Studios

the Sophomore Sensation and that his favorite bodybuilder, Phil the Thrill,
will be taking it all at the Arnold.
“Heath proved himself last year, winning back-to-back shows [Denver

246 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 PREDICTIONS POSEDOWN IN HOT SHOTS
How accurate JERSEY They’re
can these three Who’s got the ba-a-a-ck!
guys be? hottest six- Pages 250 and
Pages 246 and pack? 251
247 Page 249

and New York], with a photo shoot in be-

Gustavo tween the two contests and despite having
Badell. his food lost before the New York contest,”
Hinds says.
“Phil has put on some quality muscle
and is rested going into the Arnold. His two
biggest challengers, Dexter Jackson and
Victor Martinez, didn’t have as much time
to rest. We all know this show will be won
or lost on conditioning; Heath will match
the insane conditioning he had at the Colo-
rado Pro [where he weighed 214 at 5’9”]
and prove once again that he is our ‘gift’
to bodybuilding. The veterans better watch
out because there’s a new kid on the Arnold
Classic block.”
Is Hinds going a bit overboard about the
27-year-old wunderkind? Well, they both
reside in Denver and had to suffer through
those horrible snowstorms during the holi-
days. Even so, Hinds insists that his high
praise for Heath is no snow job.
Toney Avidan is picking Martinez because, well,
Freeman. he really didn’t give any specifics other than
he was impressed with Victor’s physique
at the ’06 Olympia,
where he finished third,
and that he thinks
the New Yorker has
a shot at winning this
year’s Olympia. When
I reminded Ron that
we were talking about
this year’s Arnold
Branch Classic, he said, “Oh,
Warren. yeah, look for Victor to
replace Dexter as the
Arnold Classic cham-
Ron Avidan, L.T. and Isaac pion.”
Hinds. Let’s give Avidan the
help he desperately
needs and add that Victor has a great combina-
tion of size and shape at 5’9” and 240 pounds
and that he’ll be the biggest of the three contend-
ers discussed. Also that I called him “the Future”
because Ronnie Coleman himself predicted a
couple of years back that Martinez was the guy
who would become the next Mr. Olympia when
Contest photography by Bill Comstock

Ronnie decided to hang up his posing briefs. Of

course, Jay Cutler put a quick end to the Big
Nasty’s prognostication skills last September, but
that’s another story.
Now, some other fellas who are not sold on
these predictions will be flexing it out onstage in
Columbus: Branch Warren, Toney Freeman
and Gustavo Badell for starters.
Warren finished second to Dex last year and won the Most Muscular
award in the process. He was a major disappointment at the Olympia,

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 247

Free download from imbodybuilding.com
 dropping three slots to 11th from his ’05 placing, and has plenty to prove.
Freeman, who I named “the Future” way back in 1994, earned my
Comeback Bodybuilder of the Year award in ’06 after winning the Europa
Supershow and placing seventh at the Olympia. Badell is a bad man and
has a couple of wins on the pro circuit (the ’05 IRON MAN and the ’06
San Francisco Pro) to go with a pair of third-place finishes at the Mr. O.
The Freakin’ Rican was off at both the Arnold and Olympia last year and
is out to prove
he still has the Kerry and
tools to win the Jay Cutler.
title.
Let’s get it
on.

ADD
HILL: A
GIFT FROM
PHIL—I have
to admit, Phil
Heath was
Teper

impressive in Jorge
those back-to- Betancourt.

Teper
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his rookie year, and fans can now watch his journey New Vibration Training: Effortless Size and Strength Gains!

on his new DVD, “The Gift, A New Beginning.” Phil

teamed up with Isaac Hinds—who else?—to ™

document his Colorado Pro debut. “This is unlike any RIPPED!

Shredding Secrets
other bodybuilder’s story,” says Hinds, “and fans will Look Bigger and Harder

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JAY RE-UPS WITH MUSCLETECH—Jay Cutler

has been good for Muscletech; the supplement company
has been good to Cutler. So it only made sense that the
Ultimate Beef re-signed with the Toronto, Canada–based
firm before the end of 2006.
I couldn’t get the exact terms out of Jay, but according
to inside sources, Cutler inked a multiyear deal that made
him the highest paid bodybuilder in the history of the game.
Now, since Ronnie Coleman has been getting in the
neighborhood of 600K a year from BSN for the past two
years, we know where we can start with the figures. And
Isaac Hinds \ Lift Studios

I’d venture that the deal pays the recently crowned Mr.
Olympia substantially more cash than that.
Good for Jay. As I’ve said many times before, he’s the
most dedicated, focused competitor I’ve ever seen. Body-
building is not a seasonal sport for Cutler; it’s his job 12
months a year, and he trains hard and follows a solid nutri-
tional program year-round. Of course, he has the heart of a lion.
He also has, in addition to the mega-deal, a new mega-home For complete results and
located about 15 minutes north of the Summerlin residence he
and wife Kerry purchased when they first moved to Nevada a few photo coverage of the
years back. It’s more than 5,000 square feet, complete with six Sacramento Men’s and
bedrooms, six baths and casita.
It was nice of Cutler to add the guesthouse for me just in case I Women’s Pro Bodybuilding
need some R&R in Vegas. Oh, it’s for Jay’s father? Well, guess he
got us mixed up. Grand Prix, log on to Graphic
Muscle.com.
248 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
 NO MAS FOR JORGE—Jorge Betancourt, the gent on our
December ’06 cover and a former teen sensation who took the ’91
Southern States Overall crown, besting Mike Francois, says his
competition days are over after scoring a ninth-place finish in the
middleweights in front of his hometown fans in Miami Beach at the
’06 Nationals.
“I told myself that if I didn’t make top two or three, I’d be done, so
I’m done,” Betancourt said. “I can’t put in the time that is required
to be a top champion anymore—or I’m just not willing to risk it all
again. When I was younger, it was different because that’s all I had
and I was willing to kill myself to get there. Bodybuilding is a 24-hour
job, seven days a week, year-round—none of this four-month crap
like I’ve been doing.”
Jorge and wife Charlene are parents to son Sean and want
to have another child. “That would put me two years behind, and
at this point I don’t think I’ll be willing to start all over,” the 35-year-
old of Cuban and Puerto Rican descent said. “I will always stay in
shape, and as soon as my wife gets pregnant, I will set up more
shoots to promote myself and my product line without having to
compete anymore.”
At Betancourt Nutrition, Jorge and company formulate everything
in-house; and the products all bear the NFL logo for quality control.
Betancourt says his most popular product is the fat-burning ther-
mogenic “Ripped Juice Extreme,” which, he says, sells tens of thou-
sands of bottles worldwide.
Photo courtesy of Bob Bonham

Given his drive, Betancourt, who took a 13-year time-out from

competition before returning to the stage with a strong fourth-place
finish at the ’04 USA, is bound to shine in a lab coat as brightly as he
did in posing briefs.
Bob Bonham
and Ira Mayan.
FOREVER YOUNG—Bob Bonham, owner of Strong &
Shapely Gym in East Ruther-
Dennis ford, New Jersey, has been
Melvin James. challenging me to pose downs
Anthony. for years, only to back out
when he got a glimpse of me
without a shirt. Or did he pass
out when he glimpsed that
nasty sight?
After seeing the accom-
panying photo of Buffed Bob
posing down with his woman,
Ira Mayan, a.k.a. the Jewish
Jewell, at his facility in Janu-
ary, I’m glad we never went
through with that above chal-
Teper

lenge.
Ira, of course, wins this
one; she’s used to taking
home the grand prize, having
nabbed the Ms. Israel Figure
crowns in 2003, 2004 and
2005 and come in third run-
ner-up at the Ms. Universe
event last season.
And, at 30 years old, she is nearly half the age of the 55-year-old Bon-
ham, who, I hate to admit, is doing very well in his efforts to try and keep
up with his sexier half. Those abs look tight, Robert. Having a babe that
much younger is more than enough inspiration for taking every training
session to the limit, huh, guy?

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 249

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 New Radio Show—No Bull HOT SHOTS
So, whaddaya get when you throw three Italian dudes, all bodybuild- Photography by Jerry Fredrick
ing devotees raised in New York, behind a microphone? “No Bull Radio,”
featuring the Muscle Mob,” which airs every Monday at 7 p.m. EST/4
p.m. PST.
The mob is made up of Larry Pepe, bodybuilding journalist and
“Muscle Radio” veteran; John Romano, Muscular Development senior
editor (and, as Pepe refers to him, “chief instigator”); and Muscular
Development.com Editor in Chief Dave “Jumbo” Palumbo. Jumbo’s
main job is trying to keep Gregg Valentino from crashing the show
each week, but he’s had little success of late.
Pepe put together the “No Bull Radio” team in October. Along with
Dan Solomon and Bob Cicherillo of “Pro Bodybuilding Weekly” they
have greatly expanded the fans’ on-air opportunities to get an inside look
at our industry.
ond uses
I’ve been a guest several times on both shows and give a thumbs-up ilding. Diam
ge t ah ea d in bodybu ps bl as tin g. It
to all involved. Recently, I wrote about PBW’s being added to the Sirius How to ric bice
in for isomet ne to tell w
hich head
satellite radio lineup. NBR’s team has good chemistry and a mix of talents Jack’s nogg G m ac hi
an EM
doesn’t take ss.
that complement each other and provide some edgy, funny moments that e most stre
is getting th
Pepe likes to compare to the “Best Damn Sports Show Period.”
Like “Pro Bodybuilding Weekly,” “No Bull Radio” has had many of the
industry’s biggest names as guests—Dexter Jackson, Victor Marti-
nez, Markus Ruhl, Gustavo Badell, Branch Warren, Desmond
Miller and Dennis Wolf, to name a few.
Visit the Muscle Mob at www.MuscularDevelopment.com. Click on the
No Bull Radio link for the live show and on-demand replays, which are
available 24/seven for your convenience.

MORE MEDIA: NEW WEB SITE DEPT.—Dave Palumbo told

me to join the 21st century, so I’ve had a Web site created for my annual
Junior California Bodybuilding and Figure Championships. Yogi Avidan
gets the credit (or blame) for the invention of www.NPCJuniorCal.com,
where you can find everything and anything you want to know about the
The sculptor calls this, “Woe Is a Contest
show: contest specifics, entry forms, videos, photos, the whole ball of Diet.” Competitors like Carol can obviously
wax. Check it out, and I’ll see you at Pasadena City College on June 23. identify with the emotion of a dessert-free
lifestyle.

Teper’s Tales
Melvin Anthony and Dennis James both underwent hernia sur-
gery a few months back. The operation will keep James out of the Arnold
Classic. Marvelous Melvin, who was a Vyo-Tech athlete last year, is no
longer with the company and has inked a deal with MuscleTech. Sources
tell me Anthony will be required to compete twice; at this point it looks like
the New York Pro and the Olympia will be the posing platforms of choice
for last season’s fifth-place finisher at the Big Dance.... Shawn Ray has
added Monster Barbell Company to his list of employers, signing a deal
in January to promote the
firm’s products. Ray and wife
Kristie, who are expecting
their second child in July, will
be moving from their Yorba
Linda, California, digs to
Corona in June.… Smokin’
Joe Wheatley, promoter of
the Muscle Beach shows, has
added a “Return to Muscle
Beach” program to his lineup
of events at the Venice, Cali-
fornia, landmark. The program
will include bodybuilding and
Kevin Levrone and L.T. toast Kristie and Shawn
figure demonstrations, infor- Ray.

250 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

Free download from imbodybuilding.com
 rve to be
rina’s dese
abs like A els.
Dean says w it h je w
decorated
seen—and

Who knew? It must be Ro

sa’s arm da
Pam cooking questions on y. Any
why Big Scot
never misse Cassie has superh
spray is a s a workout t ero potential—Gold’s
great heinie ? Gym’s Abdomintor
to the rescue!
highlighter
under stage
lights.

Most sports have streakers, but since Body-

bodybuilders are almost naked, they Okay, we admit it:
is in its
get theirs fully clothed. Weird. building tailgating
infancy.

mation on mandatory poses and training regimens

and interviews with athletes. Free to the public, it will
be held on six Sundays, starting on May 20, from 2
to 4 p.m. Athletes interested in participating can log
on to www.MuscleBeachVenice.com or send e-mail
Comstock

to Joe at JoesMuscleBeach@yahoo.com.… Troy

Alves became a grandfather in January, which made
him at 40 the youngest grand-
daddy in the IFBB—I think.… Fire
in the Desert, a book by Glenn
Puit about the Craig Titus
and Kelly Ryan murder case,
was released in January. Puit is a
reporter for the Las Vegas Review-
Journal and has been covering the
Neveux
Photo courtesy of Irv Gelb

story almost since the beginning. The book,

217 pages and 26 chapters, is available at
To contact Lonnie
Amazon.com.… Celebrity Bodybuilding and Teper about material
Fitness photog deluxe Irv Gelb has a new possibly pertinent to
Web site, www.IrvinGelb.com, for fans and News & Views, write
potential clients alike. With Gelb’s exten- to 1613 Chelsea
Clockwise, from top: Irv goes sive background in the industry—and with Road, #266, San
online; Troy, here with his wife, the Who’s Who of major stars who have Marino, CA 91108;
Tara, goes tri-generational; and posed for his lenses over the past 15-plus fax to (626) 289-7949;
Puit puts a nonfiction murder or send e-mail to
years—the site is a must-see for admirers
mystery out there. tepernews@aol.com.
of superb physique photography. IM

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 251

Free download from imbodybuilding.com
 Eric Broser’s

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

>http://EdCorney.net
In the classic bodybuilding motion picture “Pumping Iron,” Arnold Schwar-
zenegger uttered the words, “Now that…that is what I call posing.” And to whom
was the Governator referring when he spoke so passionately? None other than
bodybuilding legend and former Mr. USA, Mr. America and Mr. Universe Ed
Corney. Inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame in 2004, Ed had an incredible com-
petitive career that spanned more than 30 years. Now that is the true meaning
of iron man. Corney had one of the most proportionate, pleasing and shredded
physiques of all time but is known for his dynamic and artistic posing routines
(just as Arnold mentioned). In fact, a review of the ’77 Mr. Olympia competition
in Muscle Builder/Power magazine (now Muscle & Fitness) said of Ed’s posing
artistry: “Perhaps the most popular performance of the contest was by Ed Corney,
44, who received a standing ovation at both the prejudging and evening competi-
tion by virtue of what veteran observers claimed was the greatest posing routine
in the history of the sport. Corney electrified the house with a most dramatic
demonstration of grace and power.” And if you’d like to learn to pose like the
master himself, EdCorney.net offers a DVD containing never-before-seen footage
of Corney giving two historic guest-posing exhibitions, one from 1985 and the
other from 1987. It’s a must-have DVD for anyone who truly appreciates the art of
muscular display. Also on this wonderful site you’ll learn about Ed’s stellar body-
building career, his competition history, and how appearing with Arnold in “Pumping Iron” brought him worldwide recog-
nition. Perhaps my favorite part of the site is where Corney discusses his “Passion for Training.” “You have to look forward
to your workouts at the gym, as if it were good sex; you have to live for your training and forget everything else the moment
you walk into your gymnasium.… It’s the only way to productive bodybuilding that I know.” Trust me when I tell you that if
you’re a fan of Ed’s or a younger bodybuilder who wants to learn about one of the pioneers of modern bodybuilding, then
get on your “surfboard” and ride the cyberwave to www.EdCorney.net.

252 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

Free download from imbodybuilding.com
>www.LeanBodyCoach.com “Tip of the Week” archives, reading some great ar-
ticles, such as “Intelligently Select your Supplements,”
In my opinion, one of the best physiques ever to “Eating Breakfast Like a Pro Bodybuilder” and “Get-
grace a bodybuilding stage was owned by one Mr. Lee ting Pumped: The Neurotransmitter Connection.” As
Labrada. His classic proportions, beautiful aesthetics, a member of the club you can also check out dozens
spot-on conditioning and graceful presence made of FAQs on training and nutrition, many answered
him one of the most successful IFBB pros ever, with by Lee himself. If you have a question of your own,
22 first-place trophies to his credit. Lee retired from just click on “Ask Lee,” and either Mr. Labrada or one
competition in 1995 but remains a force in the fitness of the coaching club’s degreed professionals will hit
industry through his sports supplement company, you back with the answers you have been searching
Labrada Nutrition. Launched in 1996, it reached Inc. for. And if that isn’t enough, by taking the time (and
500 status in only six years, making it one of the fast- we’re talking under a minute here, okay, you impatient
est-growing privately held companies in the United ironheads?) to become a coaching club member, you
States. Lee considers himself a “fitness evangelist,” will also receive free workout and nutrition tips every
and he’s constantly looking for ways to help others week, as well as a deep discount on all of Labrada’s
improve their health and physiques. From June ’02 to fantastic products. It’s a win-win deal if I ever saw one.
January ’04, he led a nonprofit campaign designed to
educate Houstonians about health
and fitness issues. Nowadays Lee
provides free ongoing training and
nutrition education and informa-
tion through weekly e-newsletters
and the Lean Body Coaching Club
(www.LeanBodyCoach.com). Re-
cently I visited the site for the first
time, and after a quick registration
process, I found I had access to a
plethora of extremely useful train-
ing, nutrition and supplementa-
tion articles, FAQs and downloads.
Lee has assembled a wonderful
team of contributing authors,
who include such fitness experts
as Rehan Jalali, Douglas Kalman,
Chris Aceto, Mark Tallon and
Thomas Incledon. I spent more
than an hour going through the

>www.IronManMagazine.com
Not to be self-serving, but if you haven’t vis-
ited our site and signed up for IM’s free weekly
e-zine, you’re really missing out on some killer
info, not to mention motivating words of wis-
dom direct from the IRON MAN Training & Re-
search Center. Some of the most recent e-zine
titles are “3D Arm Assault,” “Massive Muscles
and Surging Strength,” “Muscle-Building Mis-
takes You Don’t Want to Make,” “Muscle-Mass
Mutations,” “Twig-to-Big Muscle Moves” and
“Stretch-Hold Overload.” The e-zine is all about
helping you make the best gains possible in
the shortest time—not wasted effort. Sign up
today—it’s totally free.

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 253

Free download from imbodybuilding.com
 Eric Broser’s
>Net Results Q&A
Interesting queries and replies from message boards
and forums across the Internet, answered with preci-
sion, accuracy and plenty of outrageous opinions...
Q: When using supersets, what’s better, an
isolation exercise followed by a compound ex-
ercise or vice versa?
A: Supersets are a great intensity technique and
are excellent for building mass while bulking and for
quality while cutting. The question of which is bet-
ter, preexhaust (an isolation exercise followed by a
compound exercise) or postactivation (a compound
exercise followed by an isolation exercise), is difficult to
answer. Both methods have merit and have been used
successfully by bodybuilders for many years. Preex-
haust enables you to fatigue the target muscle first,
and then when it fails, to continue the bombardment
with a compound movement that brings in assisting
and stabilizing muscles. With postactivation you begin
with a heavy compound exercise (usually for four to five
reps) that greatly stimulates the central nervous system,
which then enables the isolation exercise that follows
Immediately following
an isolation exercise
with a big compound
move can improve
size gains.
Neveux \ Model: Moe El Moussawi
Neveux \ Model: Daryl Gee
to activate more muscle fibers than it usually would.
Some studies have shown that preexhaust supersets
reduce force production in the compound exercise,
which makes some experts believe that they’re inferior
to postactivation supersets. I disagree. My personal
experience, along with a ton of anecdotal evidence,
has proven to me that preexhaust supersets are very
effective. In my opinion, both of those methods have
advantages and physiological effects that induce hy-
pertrophy. I suggest that you use both techniques for
a period of time and see which works better for you.
Give each a fair trial for four to six weeks. Follow that
254 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
with eight to 12 weeks with no supersets. That will give
you the best of both worlds while preventing boredom,
stagnation and burnout.
Q: Should I wear a weight belt during my
workouts?
A: Personally, I feel that wearing a belt provides
more of a psychological advantage than a physical
one. Let’s face it: Having a weight belt tightly cinched
around your waist makes your physique look better by
enhancing the appearance of a V-taper and makes you
feel more “serious” about what you’re doing. A belt also
provides a feeling of tightness around your waist, which
would seem to protect your lower back—but does it?
Here are some reasons why wearing a weight belt may
not always be best:
1) It can weaken the muscles of the trunk by caus-
ing too much intra-abdominal pressure. In an effort to
prevent this, the body may force the abdominal and
lumbar muscles to relax while lifting, which over time
can weaken them and cause back problems.
2) It can accelerate degenerative disk disease by
restricting the natural motion of the lumbar spine.
3) It can cause poor posture by compressing the
lower abdominal region. That will force you to restrict
your breathing to the upper-chest area, which can
throw off posture as well as cause tension headaches
and upper disk problems.
4) It alters the natural biomechanics of the spine,
especially during rotational movements. It can also
weaken the smaller, stabilizing muscles, which can
result in back pain and possibly osteoarthritis.
My advice to you would be to avoid the use of a
weight belt, except during your heaviest sets of com-
pound movements like squats, bent-over rows dead-
lifts, military presses and so on. At other times, let your
body stabilize itself without a belt, or wear it somewhat
loosely around your waist if you simply like the feeling
of having something there. I never wear a belt during
any subfailure sets but often wear one during all-out
sets. I rarely keep it very tight around my waist, how-
ever, preferring to let my core do most of the stabiliza-
tion. IM
 Jerry Brainum’s
Bodybuilding Pharmacology
Testosterone
Kills Brain Cells?
In late September last year news wires around the
world described research conducted at Yale University.
The gist of the story was that exposure to testosterone
led to a series of events that culminated in the death of
neurons, or brain cells. Those who read the details of the
study found that the effect resulted only from large doses
of testosterone, similar to what athletes—including many
bodybuilders—administer to themselves. Lead researcher
Barbara Ehrlich, Ph.D., a professor of pharmacology and
physiology at Yale, was quoted as saying, “Next time a
muscle-bound guy in a sports car cuts you off on the high-
way, don’t get mad. Just take a deep breath and realize that
it might not be his fault.”
The results of that study initially seem alarming.1 Does
it mean that those who use large doses of testosterone are
facing a future of dementia? If that’s true, why aren’t there
already athletes, many of whom used large doses of testos-
terone years ago, experiencing obvious mental decline?
Testosterone affects various regions of the brain, in-
cluding the hippocampus, preoptic area, amygdala and
medial hypothalamic areas. When secreted in normal
amounts or when testosterone blood levels are within the
normal physiological range, testosterone is beneficial for
brain function. Indeed, various studies show that men
A recent study showed that
exposure to high levels of
testosterone creates cellular
suicide in brain tissue—but
that doesn’t gibe with what
actually happens when
athletes use testosterone?
258 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
who have low testosterone levels have a higher incidence
of degenerative brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s. A
just-released study found that middle-aged men low in
testosterone are more prone to mental depression.
According to the results of the new Yale study, however,
when brain neurons are exposed to higher-than-normal
levels of testosterone, a cellular process is initiated that
results in the death of neurons. The process, known as
apoptosis, amounts to cellular suicide. In the case of tes-
tosterone, when neurons are exposed to normal levels of
testosterone, calcium ions enter the brain cells in an oscil-
lating fashion; that is, the amount of calcium that enters
the cell varies. When the neurons are exposed to higher
levels of testosterone, however, a continuous high cascade
of calcium enters the cell, which acts as a signaling device
that turns on the process of cellular death.
The neuron-suicide scenario occurs in many degenera-
tive brain diseases. The researchers also used estrogen but
found that it had no adverse effects on brain cells.
Several aspects of the study must be considered. For
one thing, it used an in vitro, or test-tube-isolated cell,
protocol. It also used neuroblastoma cells, which are
derived from a type of brain tumor and which are used in
preference to normal neurons because they react more to
stimuli than normal brain cells. The isolated tumor cells
were exposed to elevated testosterone levels for six to 12
hours.
In order to get into the brain, testosterone must pass
through the protective network of blood cells known as
the blood-brain barrier. Testosterone can pass through the
barrier to some extent because it is lipid-soluble.
One pertinent question is whether normal brain cells
would react in a similar way. Does what occurs in an
isolated tumor cell exposed to high levels of tes-
tosterone for up to 12 hours also happen in the
human body? The authors suggest that the ef-
fect is cumulative, meaning that the loss of brain
neurons would likely not become apparent for
many years.
Another aspect to consider is that athletes use
other substances that may counter the effect of
testosterone on brain cells. Growth hormone
and insulinlike growth factor 1, for example, are
known to protect neurons. In fact, IGF-1 prevents
apoptosis.
How much testosterone, for how long, is re-
quired to kill neurons? Does it take years of con-
sistently using larger-than-normal doses? Since
the Yale study showed that estrogen not only
doesn’t cause neuron death but may offer some
protection, that’s another factor to consider. Tes-
tosterone is converted in the brain into estrogen—
would that be enough to counter the negative
effects of elevated testosterone on neurons?
The authors imply that the testosterone neuron
death effect is so potent that it would be imme-
diately apparent in some people. Very well—who
would such people be? Someone with prior brain
damage? Because the study raises more questions
than it answers, it must be considered prelimi-
nary. Clearly, further research is necessary before
ultimate conclusions can be drawn about the ef-
fects of high levels of testosterone on brain cells.
 Do Anabolic Steroids
Aid Endurance Athletes?
Recently, American cyclist Floyd Landis won the
grueling test of endurance and athletic power known
as the Tour de France, succeeding another American,
seven-time winner Lance Armstrong. Before he could
savor his victory, though, sports officials announced
that Landis’ urine had tested positive for testoster-
one. Within days the finding was confirmed by test-
ing another of his samples; however, Landis pleaded
innocent to the charges of doping, saying that he
used no banned substances in his quest to win the
race. Landis’ protestations seemed hollow with the
announcement that his testosterone-to-epitestoster-
one ratio was 17-to-1. The normal ratio is 1-to-1, with
an upper normal limit of 4-to-1. Anything over 6-to-1
is considered proof of testosterone use, though some
rare athletes have a natural ratio of 10-to-1.
At this time no adequate explanation has been
offered for Landis’ highly elevated testosterone levels,
though he still denies using any type of testosterone
drug. It isn’t the first time that rumors of rampant
drug use by Tour de France athletes have emerged.
Armstrong has been dogged with accusations that he
One possible way
used various banned substances during his champi-
onship tenure, despite never having failed a drug test.
that anabolic
The drugs most often linked to endurance events, steroids may
such as the Tour de France, are those related to blood aid endurance
doping, which in years past meant stored red blood athletes is through
cells were injected back into the body, leading to an increased recovery.
elevated hemoglobin level in the blood. That, in turn,
gave the blood increased oxygen delivery capacity,
which translated into increased endurance and di-
minished fatigue.
The original blood-doping system wasn’t perfect,
however. The technique could lead to an overabun-
dance of red blood cells, abnormally thickening the
blood. That not only decreased oxygen delivery to
muscle but also increased the risk of internal blood
clots and strokes. poietin, or EPO, a hormone produced in the kidneys that
That form was supplanted by recombinant erythro- boosts red blood cell production much in the manner of
the old blood-doping technique. Some of the same side
effects, such as increased blood thickness, can also occur
No one questions with EPO. One advantage of EPO is that it’s hard to detect
in doping tests.
the effectiveness of Newer tests, however, take advantage of the fact that
EPO and a longer-acting version called darbepoetin both
contain additional sugar chains in their structures that
steroids for sports that aren’t present in naturally produced EPO. When they de-
tect those extraneous sugar residues, the test is considered
involve strength and positive for EPO.
While the advantages of using EPO seem clear for vari-
power, but the medical ous endurance sports, the picture for anabolic steroids
and endurance sports is murkier. No one questions the
literature examining effectiveness of steroids for sports that involve strength
and power, but the medical literature examining them in
their effectiveness in endurance sports is equivocal at best.
Steroids aid such sports through improved training
recovery. Athletes walk a fine line between making train-
endurance sports is ing progress and overtraining. Anything that forestalls
overtraining tips the balance toward progress. Steroids
equivocal. may help prevent overtraining through their pronounced

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 259

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 Jerry Brainum’s
Bodybuilding Pharmacology
anabolic effects on muscle and their
positive effects on the restoration of
muscle glycogen, the rate-limiting
fuel source for most sports. Positively
influencing the rate of glycogen syn-
thesis would be a definite advantage.
Steroids provide a minor blood-
doping effect because they promote
EPO synthesis in the kidneys. Anad-
rol-50, a popular oral anabolic ste-
roid, was originally used in medicine
to treat a hereditary disease called
Fanconi anemia. The increased red
blood cell production could offer
endurance athletes an edge.
Many endurance athletes use
human growth hormone, not to
increase muscle growth but to fos-
ter greater training recovery—and
because GH offers connective-tis-
sue protection. It may help prevent
injuries incurred during hard training
and speed the healing of those that do
occur. GH also promotes beneficial
body composition changes, mainly
lower bodyfat levels.
Along with the advantages of vari-
ous anabolic drugs, there are a few
significant problems linked to their
use. The most notable disadvantage
260 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
Athletes, including bodybuilders, use
growth hormone for its fat-burning and
connective-tissue-bolstering effects.
is getting caught in a positive doping
test. Both anabolic steroids and GH
have potent water-retaining effects
that could prove a problem in events
that require speed. One way around
that is the diuretics many bodybuild-
ers use to counter the water-retaining
effects of anabolics. Since diuretics
are also banned in most sports, ath-
letes use versions that pass under the
drug-detecting radar. Such “designer
diuretics” are widely used in body-
building, especially in the pro ranks.
A recent study examined whether
using two types of anabolic steroids
improved endurance performance.2
Endurance athletes took either a pla-
cebo or testosterone and nandrolone
(Durabolin) 12 times for a month. The
doses and use of the drugs mimicked
the ones used by real-world athletes.
Interestingly, those who used the
drugs showed no improvements over
those who used the placebo.
The notion that testosterone use
was largely responsible for Floyd
Landis’ Tour de France victory is
mistaken at best. Odds are good that
dozens of other cyclists in that race
were using similar drugs but weren’t
Neveux
tested. Or they may have used so-
called designer steroids that aren’t
detectable in testing procedures, or
perhaps human growth hormone,
also undetectable. Landis won on his
athletic ability, not his alleged testos-
terone use.
Those who doubt the assertion can
easily test it by traveling to France,
renting a bicycle, then following the
route of the Tour de France. My guess
is that you won’t get far, even if you
triple the dose of the steroid used by
some pro bodybuilders. As the saying
goes, it’s not the wand—it’s the magi-
cian.
References
1 Estrada, M., et al. (2006). El-
evated testosterone induces apop-
tosis in neuronal cells. J Biol Chem.
281(35):25492-25501.
2 Baume, N., et al. (2006). Effect of
multiple oral doses of androgenic-an-
abolic steroids on endurance perfor-
mance and serum indices of physical
stress in healthy male subjects. Eur J
Appl Physiol. 98(4):329-340. IM
 2006 ROUNDUP, THE AMATEURS FLEXERS

Thank Heaven For little girls

And bigger girls, and even bigger girls Unbridled
What a season it
was for the women’s
Muscle
physique sports in 2006.
Big, ripped (albeit sym-
metrical) physiques
made a comeback in
bodybuilding, while in
figure the opposite was
true: Striated shoulders
and other such accou-
trements were definitely
O-U-T. In fitness the
judges had more good
routines to choose from
and some promising
newcomers like Nicole
Wilkins (pictured) to
help keep the entertain-
ment value high.
The quality of the
competitors was up in
general, not that it was
bad before. In body-
building, in particular, the Lora
exodus of the season’s Ottenad.

top physiques to the
pros leaves a still-rich
field returning for 2007.
Balik
Balik
Big-muscle gals won big at the big
pro qualifiers in 2006—so much so that

The NPC, with a little folks were speculating that attempts to

help from the IFBB-ban- limit the extreme-muscularity factor had
Double-barreled talent. Nicole Wilkins brings 12
years of gymnastics experience to fitness, but it nered North American gone all to heck. For the first time since
was her physique scores that earned her a top-five Championships, gradu- the light-heavyweight weight class was
trophy at the Nationals. ated so many women resurrected in 2004, the overall crown
to the professional level did not go to the light-heavy winner
from women’s bodybuilding, fitness and figure last year that I lost count. (Well, at the NPC USA. Instead, Denver’s
actually, I lost count of the figure figures; it was 12 fitness athletes and seven Heather Policky, a 5’7” 174-pound-
female flexers, the same as in 2005, movin’ up.) To celebrate their achievements, er, took the show’s only pro card up for
here’s a look at some of the hottest bods of 2006. grabs. It was her second try, too; that is,

BICEPS BRIGADE

’06 NPC/IFBB Bodybuilding Champs

Junior USA, April 29, Heidi Bagwell
Junior Nationals, June 16-17, Tracy Mason
Team Universe, July 14–15, Stephanie Kessler
Masters Nationals, July 21–22, Kim Buck
USA, July 28–29, Heather Policky
North Americans, September 15–16, Sherry Smith
Nationals, November 10–11, Lora Ottenad
Woman to watch in 2007. Tracy Morgan, flanked by Junior Nationals
Comstock

promoter Pam Betz and Debbie Patton, won the Juniors and took third
at the North Americans. And to think she’s only a middleweight.

262 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 NEWSMAKERS

Trend or twist of fate? More Muscular

her second time winning the heavyweights. Musings
That could have been a sign. Jon Lindsay’s
midsummer Las Vegas musclethon has tra-
ditionally advanced to the pros female flexers
of the more sveltely symmetrical nature, if you
know what I mean. Like Amanda Dunbar, the
light heavy who beat Policky for the title—and
Heather pro card—in ’05. Or Jennifer McVickar,
Policky. Mah-Ann Mendoza and Rosemary Jen-
nings in 2000 through ’02.
The Nationals has been more of a big-wom-
en’s show—the last time anyone but the heavy-
weight champ won the overall was 1999—but
even so, Lora Ottenad is pretty darned big.
Dobbins \ www.BillDobbins.com

At 5’8” and 170 pounds Ottenad had more

top-five finishes on her résumé than most figure
pros have contests, period. All those oh-so-
close landings, losing out to “smaller” heavy-

Bradford
weights. For her to win now, well, it must be
another sign, declared the conspiracy theorists.
Declared this reporter, Nah, she won be- Ready to do some damage.
That last year of prepping for
cause she had the most polished and complete another pro-card run gave
package onstage that day, the same as oc- Debi extra incentive.
Moving weights. Lora and Heather
will bring 11’5” and 344 pounds to curred in Las Vegas. To put it another way: The
judges didn’t see anyone they liked better. Those who look for trends
the pro ranks.
Policky and Ottenad are both scheduled to every time a larger- or smaller-
compete at the Ms. International contest on March 2 in Columbus, Ohio, where they’ll muscled female wins a big
stand next to the biggest names—and bodies—in the sport (Do Kyle, Cadeau, contest always forget one key
Oriquen, Rivieccio ring a bell?). The opportunities for success, or failure, don’t get point. This ain’t rocket science.
any huger than that. The judges like who they like,
On the amateur level the new season will be a whole different story, although the and the indefinable things that
immutable truth about the best body onstage will still hold true. The galleries at Graphic occur when an athlete really puts
Muscle from 2006—as well as the past year’s editions of this column—are full of up- it all together are as obvious as
and-coming muscular Marcys and symmetrical Sallys who will be pumping overtime to they are difficult to quantify.
break through in ’07. We’ll be keeping track, so stay tuned. A trickle of contestants ma-
triculating from figure and fitness
to the posing platform had some
observers hoping that it would
FITNESS FUN bring more balance to the ranks

Lookin’ Good of the amateur bodybuilders.

That’s another trend to keep an
eye on. A review of the top five
That headline about sums it up. Numbers and talent were class finishers at the ’06 pro
encouraging at the national shows but nothing like the old days, qualifiers shows an abundance
B.F.; that is, before figure. Efforts by some pros to persuade of talent in all shapes and sizes
young athletic types to try fitness may bear some fruit, as the who will be back to try again
saying goes. Thanks in part to revised rules in which the ama- in ’07—particularly in the light
teurs are judged 50 percent on physique and 50 percent on heavyweights at the Nationals,
routine, the class of ’06 includes some promising contenders, where three or four points was
meaning women who could maybe stand up to the divas who all that separated the top-three
have dominated pro fitness for several years. Though I doubt placers, Debi Laszewski,
any of them will win the Fitness International in March, a couple Elena Sieple and Kristi
may well make it to the Olympia before season’s end. Hawkins.
I know, I said that last year, but with three tiers of veteran Laszewski, who earned a
divas to get past—and only five qualifiers before the O in controversial runner-up trophy at
Liberman

2006—the promising members of the class of ’05 are only now the ’05 Nationals, had nipped a
starting to make names for themselves in the pros. Considering little here, polished a little there,
how many of that old guard are over 30, it’s hard to believe there softened a little everywhere and
Amy Villa Nelson has won’t be some changes at the top of the ranks over the next got the best revenge: a class
that rare triple-C couple of years. And standouts from ’06, like Hollie Stewart, win and a pro card. On the
combination—cute
physique, cute routine, Laticia Jackson and Karen Patten from the Team Universe other hand, no one would call
cute look. Could we and Amy Villa Nelson, Nicole Duncan and Lisa Hughes the 5’3”, 138 1/2-pound Florida
be looking at the next from the Nationals, will be ready to fill in the gaps. flexer a little girl.
Susie Curry?

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 263

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 F I G U R E F O RT U N E S STILL MORE WINNERS

Downsizing Speaking of trends

Sensational Six
’06 NPC/IFBB Figure Champs

The old Goldilocks controversy (this one’s too

hard; this one’s too soft) reared its head at the big
pro-figure qualifiers of 2006. In this case the judging
trends were not speculation. Looking like a light-
weight bodybuilder was definitely a no-no, and a few
competitors were encouraged to try—or go back
to—bodybuilding. Others, who were encouraged
to put on more size last year, were left scratching
their salon-select coifs about their next move. The
suggestion that those who want to keep a lid on the
muscularity and hardness factors in figure were more
in control on the judging panels certainly had merit.
For this observer it was not so much a change in
course as it was making good on the promises of a
year or so before.
The real question is, What pro-figure qualfiers
weren’t big last year? NPC promoters welcomed
98 comely contenders at the Junior USA, 136 at
Comstock

the Junior Nationals, 127 at the Figure Nationals

and 173 at the USA, plus the slew who came to the
North American Championships and the Master’s
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania’s Nationals. Naturally, some of them were repeats, but
Simona Douglas jumped from

Roland Balik
third in the extra-tall class at
my gosh, that’s a lot of toned triceps waving on the
the Fig Nat’s to USA Overall runway. I’ll spare you any more silly figures (as op-
Figure champ. And she did it posed to fit figures), but the numbers were so good Sonia
in high heels. Adcock.
that the most junior of national shows, the Junior
USA, moved up a notch in status. Instead of just one
pro card going to the overall champ, a second card goes to the gal who finishes
second in the overall balloting. Same at the North Americans, where a third card Junior USA, April 28,
goes to the master’s winner. Now, there’s a solution to world peace. Two or three Lisa Morton
more buff-but-not-too-buff babes bouncing up to the next level. Junior Nationals, June 16–17,
Elizabeth Lamm
Figure Nationals, July 14–15,
MORE WINNERS
Sonia Adcock
Masters Nationals, July 21–22,
Steady Progress Stephanie Togrul
USA, July 28–29,
NPC Fitness Champs of 2006 Simona Douglas
North Americans, September
15–16, Briana Tindall
Junior USA, April 28, All earned pro cards.

Christy Green Leisurely pace. National champ

Sonia Adcock (above) waited a whole
Junior Nationals, nine weeks and passed up three
pro-figure events to make her quar-
June 16–17, Breean ter-turn-for-quarters debut in front
of a hometown Southern California
Robinson crowd at the Tournament of Champi-
ons in late September. A third-place
Team Universe, July showing earned the 5’1/2” hair styl-
ist from Oceanside, who took first
14–15, Hollie Stewart at every amateur show she entered
in 2006, the right to go right to the
Nationals, November Olympia the following week. Adcock
decided to give it a rest—she’d been
10–11, Amy Villa Nelson competing since April, and why
Hollie get lost in the clash of the veteran
Stewart. vixens? Smart strategy. Slow and
steady wins the race, eh, Sonia?
Comstock

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 I N T E R N AT I O N A L S TA G E
Absolutely
Thrilled
Speaking of things that hap-
pened in September. Big news
blew out of Santa Susanna,
Spain, on the 24th when Team
Universe Heavyweight and
Overall champion Stephanie
Kessler earned the fourth-
place trophy in the over-57-ki-
logram class at the IFBB World
Amateur Championships. It
was the best showing for a
Stephanie
Kessler.
U.S. athlete at the prestigious
international competition since
Colette Nelson snatched the
over-57 and overall honors out
from under the European heavy
hitters in 2004. As we said in
Comstock
this column after her T.U. win:
Kessler killed.
DOINGS
A Classy Farewell
When I heard the news,
I almost couldn’t believe
it—Tara Scotti was throw-
ing in her bikini after qualify-
ing for the ’07 Figure O with
a third-place finish at the
postseason Palm Beach Pro
last fall. But, then, knowing
the 5’5” New York standout,
I didn’t really find it so sur-
prising.
“Yes, it is true. I am done.
Finished. Retired,” said Scot-
ti, who had dropped out of
competition once before, in
the early days of figure, and
had come back with definite
Silverman
goals about making a mark.
“I want to get married, have
A great run. Tara will be in the kids, eat and have some fun
audience come Olympia time. for a little while.
“I had a great run and
enjoyed every minute of it,” she continued. “I never signed with
any big management companies, never trained with any of the
‘big name’ trainers and still managed to place in the top five in
almost every show I competed in (except the Olympia), including
a win in Toronto last year. I always did it my way. I am very proud
of that.
“I don’t want to overstay my welcome. Lots of young, new
girls out there with pro cards—this is their time to shine.”
The Olympia invite she earned in Florida was “just icing on the
cake,” said Tara. “It’s a nice way to leave the sport.”
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MORE DOINGS
Personality Notes
• New Figure O
champ Jenny Lynn
has come up with
a motivating way to
spread her knowledge
as a personal trainer:
Jenny Lynn’s 12-Week
Transformation Chal-
lenge, in which “clients
compete for an all-ex-
penses-paid weekend
to come and train with
me while I prepare for
the Olympia this sum-
Silverman
mer,” said Lynn, who
moved from Northern
California to Louisville, Kentucky, a couple of months
ago (it must be love). The contest is going on as this
mag goes to press, and the deadline for entry is April 30.
Contestants receive individualized workout and nutrition
programs plus Lynn’s feedback and guidance throughout
the 12 weeks. Said Jenny, “The winner will be the client
who has made the most impressive transformation under
my guidance.” For compete info, check it out at
www.JennyLynnFitness.com.
• Also spreading the word about getting in shape is
’05 Fitness O and Fitness I champ Jen Hendershott,
whose The Curvelle Lifestyle, 9 Weeks to Slimmer
Thighs, Tighter Buttocks, and Sexier Curves, is set for
publication in midwinter. “The book is an inside look at
my way of thinking about training, nutrition and life. It is
a guide for anyone who is looking to become the best
they can be,” said Hendershott, who certainly knows a
lot about that subject. (Her Phat Camp 2007 tour will
hit 14 locations from the Gold Coast of Australia to New
York City, including co-ed camps—where does she find
the time?). The book goes for $29.94, including ship-
ping. You can get yours, as well as the details on how to
become a Phat camper, at www.JennyH.com.
• How could anyone resist this must-have DVD?
“Timea Majorova: Living the American Dream”
presents an inside look at the Slovakian-born favorite’s
once-dreamed-of life in the “Los Angeles sand and surf,”
according to the cover blurb. This world fitness champi-
on and “one of the most photographed fitness models…
takes you through a rigorous workout and a stretching
segment as well as a trip into the kitchen, a personal tour
and a behind-the-scenes look at a photoshoot.” Fans
of Timea will get an eyeful for sure—and maybe some
insight about
why this Slo-
vakian siren
had the right
stuff to make
her dreams
come true. It’s
available at
www.Timea
Majorova.com
for $15 plus
shipping.
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 265
 Photography by Ruth Silverman
MORE SCENES FROM THE ’06 AMATEUR CIRCUIT
Mary Jo Jerry Fredrick
Cooke got at the Cal.
her pro card Good to see
not long you, kiddo.
after this (Find Jerry’s
shot was Hot Shots on
taken. By page 250).
season’s
end she’d
nabbed a
top-five fin-
ish—at the
Tournament
of Cham-
pions Pro
Figure.

Debbie Bramwell and Kenny

Kassel at the Arnold Fitness
Action Jack
Expo. Girl looks pretty good for son, caught
carb in her w
off-season. mouth while ith a
backstage at lining up
the Team Un
iverse.
ile out
More T.U. Meanwh y, Bev Two mighty lightweights. Carla
backstage. th e lo bb
in Salotti, ’01 T.U. Lightweight champ,
are
Cassan- and Mark ets puts the finishing touches to ’06
dra Floyd k in g ti ck
ta
rtaining winner Tracie Tucker’s physlque.
flashes the and ente
biggest e p re ss .
th
smile for the
camera.

More cel- Nita Marquez announces that she’s retiring from

ebrated light- fitness to pursue her showbiz interests. Her
n
X-woma weights. Claire indie flick “The Whistler” recently premiered.
Olivia Rohrbacker-
Garner O’Connell takes Halcyon
strikes a class honors at Duarte,
pose. the USA. who won
our NPC
IRON
MAN Fig-
ure show
at the
season’s
start,
Also at works the
the USA. Olympia
Rebecca expo and
Greaig sits wonders
for the what’s in
quintes- store for
sential 2007.
backstage
Goody for portrait.
Grace.
And, finally. How could I have gotten through those long
ladies’ judging sessions without Grace’s Goody Girls?
No, they’re not some bizarre breed of scouts but a new You can contact
line of healthful snacks that are even tastier than thin Ruth Silverman,
mint cookies. Grace Crane, wife of NPC/IFBB judge Matt fitness reporter
Crane, named her dairy-free candylike snacks after
some of her favorite women, and the gals practically and Pump & Cir-
Neveux

saved my life at the Figure Nationals. Carob and natural cumstance scribe,
peanut butter are the main flavor sensations (Who knew
carob could be so decadently rich?), with almonds,
in care of
raisins and grains jazzing up three melt-in-your mouth IRON MAN, 1701 Ives Ave.,
varieties. They’re available at select East Coast gyms Oxnard, CA 93033; or via e-mail at
and online at www.GoodyGirlsTreats.com, so give them
a nibble. You, too, can have Taylor’s Choice, Decadent ironwman@aol.com.
Debbie and Maddie’s Mojo melting in your mouth at con-
tests or wherever a sweet pick-me-up is needed.

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268 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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 Nancy Di Nino Fuses Fitness,
Fashion and Dance While Working
as a Men’s Correctional Officer

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 269

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 Height: 5’ 3 1/2”

Age: 34

Weight: 137 off-season;

126 competition

Hometown: London,
Ontario, Canada

Current Residence:
Toronto, Canada

Occupation: Split between

working as a correctional
officer in a men’s jail and
fitness, modeling, dancing
and TV-personality jobs

Marital Status: Single

Workout Schedule: “My

workout schedule always
changes. It includes 1 1/2 to
two hours of cardio a day.
With weights I basically
train one bodypart a day five
days a week.

270 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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272 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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Sample Bodypart
Workout (Quads):
Walking lunges
supersetted with leg
extensions, 4 x 10;
weighted lateral squats
supersetted with walking
diagonal lunges, 4 sets;
leg curls supersetted
with weighted top
squats, 4 x 10-15; stiff-
legged deadlifts, 4 x 10

Favorite foods: “My

favorite cheat foods
are cookies, carrot
cake, French vanilla ice
cream and pancakes.
My favorite diet foods
are oatmeal and protein
pancakes made with
egg whites and protein
powder.”

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 273

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274 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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 Factoid: “I have an honors bachelor of arts
degree in sociology and criminology, hence
the reason I’m working in a men’s jail as a
correctional officer—although the fitness
industry work has been changing that career
direction. I’m a professional fitness model
and national-level figure competitor. I’m also
a professional salsa dancer who performed
at Bacardi World Salsa Congress in Puerto
Rico. I was the host for the DVD documentary
series of Arnold Fitness Weekend 2006, which
was produced by HBE. I like to see myself as
a positive role model fusing fitness, fashion,
poise and dance all in one dynamic package.”

276 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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Future plans: “I’ll be
taking some time away
from the stage to focus
more on marketing
myself and working on
projects related to both
fitness and mainstream,
urban and Latin
interests. I want to focus
on being a working
businesswoman in the
industry, concentrating
on opportunities
in modeling and in
television work—as
a personality,
correspondent and
event host—as well as
print and commercial
assignments.”

Contact info: www.

nancydinino.com or
www.myspace.com/
nancydinino.

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 277

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 Only the Strong Shall Survive

282 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 Reclaim Your
SIZE
POWERHow to Get Back Into Training After a Layoff
G
etting back into a routine of
regular training is a recur-
ring issue for a large major-
ity of those who lift weights for
bodybuilding, strength or overall
fitness. People take layoffs for many
reasons. Nearly every scholastic and
collegiate athlete takes some time
off from lifting after the season is
over. Football players, in particular,
need to give their bodies some rest
in order for the dings and sore spots
to heal. Even those who didn’t get
much playing time are physically
and mentally tired.
Athletes not engaging in a contact
sport also need downtime. While
swimming or tennis may not be as
traumatic to the joints as rugby or
lacrosse, they place huge demands
on the muscular and nervous sys-
tems. In fact, it’s the nervous system
that’s often in the greatest need of
a break from serious training and
Model: Steve Kummer
competition.
There are, of course, other rea-
sons people take breaks. Serious
illnesses, severe injuries or surgery
force the most dedicated individuals
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
to forgo training. Moving to a new
location or taking a job that requires
extra-long hours often results in a
cessation of all physical exercise.
Vacations are not conducive to
systematic training for most. While
some may venture into the hotel fit-
ness facility and run through a quick
circuit on the machines, that’s a far
cry from what they normally do.
Then there are those who take
layoffs from weight training on a
regular basis so that they won’t get
tired of the activity. My brother
Donald fit into that category. He
was a competitive powerlifter who
eventually won a national title in
the master’s division. Every summer
he left the weights alone and played
tennis three times a week. When fall
rolled around, he resumed his lifting
schedule in earnest. He told me the
layoff worked wonders for his men-
tal approach to training. Physically,
he felt more refreshed and motivat-
ed to go after bigger numbers than
he handled before. It worked well
for him, Every year, on into his late
50s, he continued to make progress
and
by Bill Starr
Photography by Michael Neveux
on the contested lifts.
Since Donald took annual layoffs,
knowing how to get back into his
routine wasn’t a problem. It’s defi-
nitely a problem for most strength
athletes, however, because they
attempt to do too much too soon.
When the Johns Hopkins football
players started their off-season
strength programs, 95 percent of
them hadn’t trained since the end
of the previous season. They had
to prepare for midterm exams;
then came Christmas and midterm
breaks. They weren’t ready to deal
with big weights or expanded work-
loads.
Yet every athlete was bursting
with enthusiasm. Those who’d been
through the program before were
eager to set personal or perhaps
gym records. The freshmen wanted
to prove they could lift with the best.
Of course that attitude is what a
strength coach wants. On the other
hand, it must be held in check or
the consequences can be detrimen-
tal. It’s no easy matter convincing
robust young men that they have to
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 283
 Only the Strong Shall Survive

most discover that the layoff

FINISH has helped improve their tech-
nique on many lifts, especially
high-skill movements such as
power cleans, full cleans, power
snatches and full snatches.
You’ve also conquered certain
numbers previously, and, make
no mistake about it, strength
training is all about beating the
numbers. So a 300-pound bench
press or 400-pound squat is no
longer an intimidating barrier.
If you’ve lifted them once, you
Getting back have the confidence to do it
into training again.
You also understand how your
means you’ve body responds to training and
conquered big specific exercises more effec-
tively than a rank beginner. No
weights in the manual or coach can teach you
past, but don’t that. It’s learned only through
experience in the weight room.
rush to regain So through trial and error, you
that strength.

Model: Lee Apperson

know that you can do a great
deal of back work and recover
all right, but any extra for your
upper body always results in
dings to your
shoulders and
START elbows.
That’s all
good, right?
Not always: The
advantages can
turn into disad-
vantages if you
don’t pay atten-
tion. Because
your form is
handle much lighter poundage than slower-reacting perfect and the
they know they can lift. bodypart or joint numbers are no
My primary role as strength can’t keep up, longer a barrier,
coach during the first few weeks of something has to there’s a tenden-
an off-season program for any sport give. cy to overtrain
is to hold the athletes back, limit- Even though during those
ing the amount of work they do at I realize it’s dif- first few weeks
a session as well as the amount of ficult, you have back. Of course,
time they spend in the weight room. to approach the overtraining is a
During this phase, less is better than situation as if you’ve never trained relative term. The workload you’ll
more. before. In truth, that’s where your eventually be able to handle may
The most important point to physical plant stands. Your mind be 10 times what you can get away
keep in mind when starting back may be contemplating personal with when you’re starting back into
into any weight program is to make records on a host of exercises, but training. You have to organize your
haste slowly. That’s because your your body isn’t ready just yet. program from the standpoint of
body is only able to adapt at a cer- The good news is that when you where you are now, not next week or
tain rate. For most of us that rate start back into a training schedule, next month. Today is all that counts.
is slow rather than rapid. Even fast you have several advantages over When in doubt, do a bit less. You
gainers have to be wary of doing too someone who’s never lifted at all. can always increase the intensity
much too soon. Invariably, one area A huge plus is that you know how and volume later.
of their bodies doesn’t respond as to perform the various exercises It’s easier to hold back if you train
quickly as the rest, and when that in your program. Oddly enough, alone. Should you return to your old

284 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 Only the Strong Shall Survive

gym, your buddies will encourage
you to do another set or go heavier.
Not wanting to look like a wimp,
you comply—and suffer the conse-
quences.
Why must you proceed with cau-
tion? Lots of reasons. Tendons and
ligaments respond to the new stress
much more slowly than muscles.
Once you overwork them, they don’t
just get sore, they register the abuse
in the form of pain. Few think about
it, but everything changes once you
start back into training—not just
your muscles and your attachments,

Model: Berry Kabov

Model: Moe El Moussawi

1 2

THE BIG THREE:

POWER CLEAN,
SQUAT AND
BENCH PRESS
Model: Binais Begovic

3
286 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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but your circulatory, digestive, re-
earned gains extremely fast. I was
spiratory and nervous systems are
aware of that while doing some
altered as well. That doesn’t happen
research for an article when I was
abruptly. Rather, the transforma-
editing Strength & Health at York.
tions occur gradually. It may not be
Yet it was no more than a theory
the way you like it, yet that’s how it
to me since I never laid off. The
is. longest periods that I missed lifting
A hard fact that’s difficult to swal-
were never more than five days, and
low is that once you stop training,
I did that only a couple of times in
you lose strength at a rapid rate. Ev-
my 15 years of competing in Olym-
eryone is different, but the average
pic weightlifting.
loss is 40 percent in just two weeks.
Then my life changed drastically.
In addition to the top-end numbers,
I retired from competitive lifting
your overall fitness level drops like
and moved to Oahu. I decided I’d
a rock, so you’re no longer able to
switch from heavy weight training
handle as much total work. While
to a form of exercise that was less
we all know someone who comes
demanding on my body, especially
back to the gym and is right away
the joints I’d been pounding for all
able to hit the same numbers he did
those years. I rented a house on the
prior to the layoff, those are excep-
North Shore and planned on swim-
tions. I’ve been involved in strength
ming, running, along with walking
training for a long time, and I can
lunges, situps, chins and pushups.
count all the anomalies I’ve seen on
I’d figure out the rest as I went
one hand. along.
The rest of us lose our hard-
I firmly believed that the backlog
of hard work I’d
built up over
the years would
serve me well
into the future.
Boy, was I in for
a surprise—and
it wasn’t long
in coming. A
few days later
I was touring
the campus of
Church College
of Hawaii in Laie
(now BYU Ha-
waii) and walked
past a chinning
bar. Chinning
was on my list
of exercises to
do, and it was a
good time to get
started on them.
Before I stopped
training, I could
do 18 chins. So
I was shocked
when I barely
managed three.
To add to my
dismay, I had to
Keep a training log. Knowing lie down on the
Model: Eric Domer

grass because
exactly the measure of your the effort had
workload is useful in planning. made me dizzy.
What a rev-
elation. I had no

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 Only the Strong Shall Survive

idea I’d gotten that weak. he did two sets, same reps, same sets of five on the Big Three and
The very next day I was back weight. Third session, he added an- proceeded from there. There was no
at the college and got permission other set. Then he began to increase one in the weight room who knew
from the athletic director to work the poundage and number of sets in me and pushed me, and I wasn’t in
out in the weight room in exchange his routine while adding more ex- any rush to regain my old strength
for helping the students. Since I’d ercises. Within two months he was level, which enabled me to move at
never taken an extended layoff, I’d once again ahead of me. a slower pace than I would have had
never had to deal with starting over. Observing how he slowly but I been at York or Muscle Beach.
I had seen others do it successfully, steadily increased his workload I did two other things that helped
however. The comeback that came and intensity drove home the point my cause greatly. First, I kept a close
to mind happened at the Dallas that it doesn’t matter where you record of every workout, and with
YMCA when I first got serious about start—only where you end up. So that data I was able to calculate
Olympic lifting under the guidance that’s how I approached my come- exactly how fast I was progressing
of Sid Henry. One of the members back. I didn’t begin as timidly as my in terms of top-end numbers and
of our lifting team showed up after former Dallas teammate, however, total workload. I didn’t record my
an absence of six months. Later we since I’d laid off for only six weeks, sessions right away. I just remem-
learned he’d been in prison, so I’ll not six months. I started with three bered them. When I added sets and
not mention his name. He told
us he hadn’t trained at all since
he left. He was starting back cold. The most FINISH
He had been one of the top 198- important point
pounders in the state. I watched
him with keen interest, since I’d is to make haste
never seen an accomplished lifter slowly.
come back from scratch. That was
long before steroids came on the
scene; he was going through the
process without any pharmaceuti-
cal help.
At his first session back, he did
one set on three exercises: back
squat, power clean and overhead
press. He did 10 reps on the squats
and five on the other two lifts. He
used 135 pounds. That was it. I
was amazed and wondered how in
Model: Justin Balik

the world he expected to get back

to where he’d been by doing such
an easy workout. Next session

START

288 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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 Only the Strong Shall Survive
more exercises, though, I found that numbers never lie.
I couldn’t recall how much I’d used Second, I paid close attention
for some of the intermediate sets. to how I felt the morning after a
Without that information, I was workout. If some muscle group or
unable to figure my workload pre- joint was hurting rather than telling
cisely. That prompted me to write me it had been worked just right, I
my workout in my training book as made adjustments, such as doing
soon as 1 got home from the gym. less on exercises that involved the
The record was one of the keys that offended group or joint for the next
kept me from moving too fast. The few sessions. I didn’t mind pulling
Everyone is different, but the
FINISH average strength loss is 40
percent after just two weeks of
inactivity.
START
290 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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back a bit. It was the long-term goal
I was after, and I didn’t care if it took
a year to achieve. It turned out to be
six months before I was back to the
strength level I’d had before stop-
ping training. So much for storing
up strength for the future. It’s defi-
nitely not like putting money in the
bank—more like investing in a bad
stock. It was an ordeal, yet a couple
of good things came out of the
experience.
I learned firsthand how to
come back from an extended
layoff. I’ve used that informa-
tion to help others in the same
situation over the years. Fur-
ther, I vowed never to take such
a long break from training ever
again, a vow I have kept reli-
giously. Once was more than
enough for me, and I’m certain
that going through the process
Model: Todd Smith
now that I’m older would be 10
times as difficult.

Anyone who hasn’t trained for a
month or longer I consider to be a
restart. Athletes going into an off-
season program usually fall into
that category. At their first workout
back they do three sets of five on
the Big Three: power clean, squat,
and bench press. I keep the weights
light, regardless of how much they
handled previously. For example,
someone who’s squatted 400 for
reps will do 135, 185 and 225. If I see
that he’s shaky with 185, he’ll stay
with that same weight for his final
set.
Second session back: same exer-
cises, same reps, but one additional
set. They’ll move their numbers up
a bit, but not much. Our 225-pound
squatter will advance to 245. The
final workout of week one, five sets
of five on the Big Three, once again
improving the last set. Our squatter
will end the week by using 265.
All three workouts in the second
week will follow the same set-and-
rep formula, five times five, and the
Big Three are used exclusively. The
only change is that the last set on
each exercise will be higher than the
previous workout. The emphasis
during this breaking-in stage should
be on perfecting technique. Then,
when the poundage starts to be
demanding, the good form will be
an asset.
All auxiliary work is shunned,
with the exception of warmup ex-
ercises for the abs and lower back.
You want to reserve 100 percent of
your energy for those large muscle
groups.
By week three, most are ready
to kick it up a notch. Those who
have gone through the off-season
program before are usually ready to
begin handling a bigger workload
and doing a wider range of exer-
cises. But not always. At that junc-
ture the coach has to look at each
athlete and determine whether he’s
ready to handle more work or needs
to stay with the basics a little longer
in order to establish his foundation
even more solidly.
Those who train alone or don’t
have the benefit of a coach have to
be able to honestly appraise their
physical states. That’s where keep-
ing a training log helps a great deal.
Knowing exactly the measure of
your workload is useful in planning.
Free download from imbodybuilding.com
A Very Special
If you’re not sure you’re ready to
add more lifts and move the num- Thank You
bers higher just yet, stay with the
same poundages for another week From
or two. In the larger picture, mov-
ing cautiously is often the smartest
move.
MAGAZINE
Starting back cannot be rushed.
The process entails a lot more To Our 2007
changes in your lifestyle than just
going to the weight room three
times a week. You need to alter your
diet, including plenty of foods that Sponsors:
give you the energy you need for
your workouts and increasing your
intake of protein to rebuild your
muscles and tissues after they’re
depleted during a tough workout.
TITLE SPONSOR
You’re going to require more rest
once you get back into the rhythm
of training and start handling de-
manding poundages. That might
require you to miss a favorite late-
PRESENTING SPONSORS
night TV show or pass on attending
a party with your friends. If you’re
serious about regaining your former
strength level, you must walk into
the weight room rested and ready
for the challenges ahead.
Odds are, you stopped taking
your supplements when you quit
training. Reinstate them because
they help you train harder and re-
cover faster. You especially need the
water-soluble vitamins and miner-
als, which are lost rapidly when you
sweat. They must be replaced, or
your body won’t function properly.
Perhaps the most important
attribute that you must possess in
order to stay the course is deter-
mination. Just because you were
once able to bench 300, squat 400
and deadlift 500 doesn’t mean that
you’re going to automatically waltz
back up to those numbers. Coming
back after a layoff isn’t a cakewalk.
On the contrary, it’s a tough, uphill
fight with countless obstacles and
setbacks. Only if you’re able to re-
main firm in your resolve to regain
a high level of strength will you be
successful in your quest. Just keep We Couldn’t
in mind that the rewards are well
worth the battle. Have Done It
Editor’s note: Bill Starr was a
Without You!
strength and conditioning coach
at Johns Hopkins University from
Look for results, gossip, video
1989 to 2000. He’s the author of The and photo coverage at
Strongest Shall Survive and Defying www.ironmanmagazine.com
Gravity. IM
 Mind
Progress: It’s Your Responsibility
IRONMIND
A
t a certain moment in time, two guys—in two different
gyms—are about to do a set of squats. Both guys have
315 on the bar, and for both of them it’s a heavy weight.
The kicker is that the two even look pretty similar; they’re about
the same age, have similar physiques and so forth. What’s
funny is how differently they approach the set.
The first guy remembers all the bad stuff he’s ever heard
about squatting: how squats’ll ruin your knees and break your
back, and, if they don’t kill you, they’ll at least leave you with
a big rear end. He even tells himself that it’s okay not to squat
because other exercises are supposed to be just about as
good. He builds on that foundation, reminding himself that his
last set, 275, felt heavy, heavy, heavy, and it’s really not very
likely that he’ll make the 315. “Oh, well,” he sighs, “I guess I
can try, but I don’t think I’ll make it.” And he doesn’t.
The second guy thinks about all the good stuff he’s ever
heard about squats: how they’re magic for gaining size and
strength even if they’re a lot of work. He reminds himself that
Neveux \ Model: Moe El Moussawi
292 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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the greatest squatter of all
time, Paul Anderson, said he
always hated doing squats
but that he put up with them
because he knew they’d
help him reach his goal of
being the world’s strongest
man. The second guy remembers that more than 50 years ago
heavy squat programs gave bodybuilders and lifters a whole
new idea of what “fast gains” and “big gains” meant. Using that
as a warmup, the second guy thinks to himself, “I can do this
weight.” And he does.
That’s only the tip of the iceberg. If you really want to see
how differently these two guys approach their training, listen to
what they say to themselves after the set.
The first guy says, “See, I knew it. I knew that weight was
too heavy. I knew I couldn’t do it. I’m not built for squats, and
they’re dangerous anyway. If I had better genetics, I could do
it.”
The second guy says, “See, I knew it. I knew that even
though it was heavy, I could do it. I knew it wasn’t much more
than I did last week, and if I tried hard, I could do that weight.”
Psychologically speaking, the key difference between the
two guys has to do with the idea of personal responsibility.
That’s not the type of responsibility that keeps people from
driving when they’re drunk or letting children play with loaded
guns. It has to do with your deep-down beliefs about who’s in
charge: you or someone else. Notice that the first lifter looks
outside himself for reasons to explain why he can’t squat 315—
it’s a dangerous exercise, he’s not built for the movement, he’s
genetically disadvantaged. He attributes control of his fate to
what psychologists would call external forces, things outside
himself—and if something is external, you can’t control it. That
reduces your motivation in a very big way. Why try to do some-
thing that’s beyond your control? This lifter admitted defeat
even before he got under the bar.
The second lifter feels that through his own efforts he can
make the weight. He sees himself as being responsible for
outcomes. His sense of personal responsibility and personal
control motivates him to try harder.
The eminent research psychologist Martin Seligman has
demonstrated that when people—or animals—have no sense
of controlling their fate, they quit trying and accept whatever
happens, no matter how shocking. On the other hand, if you
teach them that they have control over what happens to them,
they take charge of their situation, which gives them tremen-
Body
dous advantages. For anyone who’s lifting weights, the impli-
cations are striking.
Consider the person who feels he’s buffeted by external
forces. He’s forever blaming his lack of progress on every-
thing from genetics to his gym to “those drug fiends.” Be-
cause he sees himself having little responsibility for or control
Destress
Think, Breathe, Repeat
over those elements, his training gets less than 100 percent

F
eeling stressed? You
effort.
know that can have
On the other hand, the person who feels that what he
a negative impact on
does directly influences what he gets always digs a little
your muscle gains. How
deeper. He’s the guy who makes the last three reps that the
do you fight it? Simple:
other guy never even tried. He’s the guy who takes the time
Mantrafy your life. A study
to pick a good training routine and stick with it. He’s the guy
of more that 60 adults
who takes his nutrition and his recovery very seriously be-

Neveux \ Model: Karen McDougal

who learned to silently and
cause he feels they matter.
consciously repeat a word
Generally when you’re aiming for a star, it’s hard to go
or phrase of their choice,
overboard in terms of taking personal responsibility for your
a.k.a. a mantra, were more
fate, but there are exceptions. Suppose you’re sitting at a
relaxed when they practiced
red light, and out of the blue a car slams into you. Do you
that technique throughout
take responsibility? “Of course not,” you say, but some
the day. A few times during
people blame themselves for everything that goes wrong in
the day, pause, close your
their lives, whether or not it was something they could have
eyes and repeat the word calm a number of times as you
controlled. When they do this in a big way, they can become
breathe deeply—and let the negative stress slip away.
seriously depressed. Be sure to keep an eye open to the real
—Becky Holman
possibility that there are some negative things that you may
www.X-tremeLean.com
not be able to control. There really have been crooked judg-
ing decisions, fraudulent food supplements and worthless
routines. Don’t make yourself responsible for things that are
clearly beyond your control.
Also, as Seligman points out, it’s wise to consider bad Brain Gain
events as temporary. When you miss a weight, don’t think
that means your progress is over forever—you just missed
the weight today. Next workout or the one after that you’ll
probably make it. It might be that you were tired today, a little
Marijuana Memories
A
overtrained or any number of other things—none of which are ccording to the January ’07 issue of Bottom Line
permanent. Health, people who smoked pot in the 1960s snd
Seeing yourself as being in charge and putting setbacks ’70s are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease
into the proper perspective are two of the keys to making later in life. Why? Chemicals in the pot may reduce brain
progress: It’s your responsibility. inflammation and
—Randall Strossen, Ph.D. improve memory.
So that’s how Keith
Editor’s note: Randall Strossen, Ph.D., edits the quar- Richards remem-
terly magazine MILO. He’s also the author of IronMind: bers how to play all
Stronger Minds, Stronger Bodies; Super Squats: How to of those songs dur-
Gain 30 Pounds of Muscle in 6 Weeks and Paul Anderson: ing a Rolling Stones
The Mightiest Minister. For more information call IronMind concert.
Enterprises Inc. at (530) 265-6725 or Home Gym Warehouse —Becky Holman
at (800) 447-0008, ext. 1. Or you can visit the IronMind Web www.X-tremeLean
site at www.IronMind.com. .com

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 293

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Bomber Blast MIND/BODY

Musclebuilding, Bombing and Blasting

L
ater this morning I’ll affix my armor (ragged ful warmup), low-incline dumbbell curls (5 x 8)
muscle T), gather my weaponry (ratty supersetted with overhead triceps extensions
gym bag full of junk) and cross the rug- (5 x 15), standing bent-bar curls supersetted
ged terrain (the traffic-bound freeway) to the with lying triceps extensions (same set-and-rep
battleground (the weight room), where the war scheme) and three quick sets of eight to 10 reps
rages on (arm day). Danger, heroics and triumph of thumbs-up curls and machine dips. As usual I

Neveux \ Model: Joe DeAngelis

await me in the fields of cold steel. My strategy is
simple and straightforward: Engage the oppos-
ing forces head-on, swiftly and intensely. Apply
fundamental tactics, allow no retreat, and take no
prisoners. Fortify myself with a generous sup-
ply of Bomber Blend. (I can’t shake the warrior
thing.)
I have six curling movements in my arsenal for
biceps that I practice and interchange regularly: standing barbell
curls with a standard bar or thick bar or bent bar, seated dumbbell
alternate curls, low-incline curls (20 degrees), thumbs-up curls. I
choose two for my arm workout and superset them with any of
some six favorite triceps exercises: lying triceps extensions with
straight or bent bar, machine dips, overhead-pulley triceps exten-
sions, pulley pushdowns in varying positions. Here I’m limited in
choice, as pain from injury restricts my gripping ability. No matter,
there’s plenty of ammo for getting the job done.
Preacher curls and one-arm concentration curls and steep-in-
cline curls have lost favor with me as the years have gone by. They
seem dull, restricted in action—isolated—and less productive and
alluring than those on my short list. Wrist curls have been a part of
my bi-tri routine since I first discovered my arms.
We must not forget the added load our biceps, triceps and fore-
arms undergo—and profit from—during the execution of shoulder,
chest and back work. When we design our routines, this consid-
eration will save us from subtle overtraining or mild undertraining.
We’re a system of muscles working together, not a collection of
individual muscle groups working separately. With that awareness
every training session increases in value and purpose, incentive
and appeal. Scene fades to black.
The morning has come and gone, the freeways and byways
have been traversed, and the gym is behind me.
Here’s what my training session looked like today: wrist curls
supersetted with pulley pushdowns (5 x 12-15, after a care-
Persistence
Keep On Keeping On
labored continuously and with vehemence, yet I
set no records. The thrill was there in the midst of
it all, and so were the agony and retreat. I inspired
myself; I punished myself; I grunted, whined and
pumped.
Between sets I considered—earnestly sought,
stealthily hunted, deeply dug, humbly begged and
prayed for—better ways to achieve my goals but
returned to my original plan with hopeful resignation. Here’s a list of
the dumb questions I asked and answered in my search for the im-
possible: Is the routine too much? Probably. Not enough? Unlikely.
Does it work? Apparently. Is it fun? Not exactly. Is it new? It wasn’t
45 years ago, when I first unearthed it in a dungeon.
During my workout I also observed ever so briefly those around
me during their labor for muscle development and listed with
speedy efficiency the things one should not do: Watch people
around you and make dumb lists—hello; ride the recumbent bike
for 30 minutes while staring at the TV and then shower and leave;
talk in depth about the game or politics or the opposite sex or any-
thing between or during sets; read a novel, the newspaper, com-
ics or anything while on the gym floor; loiter, linger or hover about
benches and racks aimlessly or suspiciously while scratching your
butt; exert more time, energy and focus on updating a journal than
performing the exercises therein.
Get to work. You’d think it was Sunday at the park.
On the other hand, I also note that I unceasingly suggest, “We
blast it with all our might, bombers.” What’s that all about? What’s
the urgency? Where’s the pause for reflection? Are we all training
for a major contest, Miss Perfectly Cute and Mr. Large ’n Ripped?
For the most part (and for the sanity of mankind) we within the
sound of crashing weights are lifting to be happy, healthy and
fit—and those three terms are relative to you, yesterday, today and
tomorrow.
Some of us need to blast it, some of us must, and some of us
should. Some of us never have and never will. Some cannot; some
ask why. It’s all good, very good. I sort of lean on training inten-
sity—bombing and blasting—because I’m a product of my era
and an adherent of my advice, a subject of habit and a victim
of need and a seeker of desires, and because it works. It works
when onward and upward is your favorite direction and your
tail’s on fire.
I swoop through the air in what can be best described as a

E
xperts suggest that
it takes about one
month for your exer-
cise regimen to become in-
grained as a habit. It takes
that long for your mind and
Neveux \ Model: Mike Dragna
refurbished biplane with its tail on
fire. I make a lot of smoke, but it’s
mostly for effect.
Bomb away with sufficiency.
—Dave Draper

body to accept your new Editor’s note: For more from

schedule. Plus, a month
is right about the time you
start noticing results.
—Becky Holman
www.X-tremeLean.com
Dave Draper, visit his Web site,
www.DaveDraper.com, and sign
up for his free newsletter. You can
also check out his amazing Top
Squat training tool, classic photos,
workout Q&A and forum.

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New Stuff
America’s newest number-one
All Hail fat burner

G
ood news travels fast. Introduce a product
that really works, and pretty soon consum-
ers will beat a path to your door. Or, in this
case, to the doors of independent online ratings
services, where they’ll fill cyberspace with unsolic-
ited praise for your product.
That’s been the story with Tetrazene ES-50,
the innovative new fat burner from BioQuest, and
competing manufacturers from coast to coast are
playing catch-up, trying to figure out how BioQuest
unlocked the physiology of fat loss so brilliantly.
The buzz started rising in volume earlier this
year. Satisfied consumers began flooding all the
big independent online consumer ratings Web sites
(rateitall.com, ratings.net, remedyfind.com and
others) with raves for Tetrazene. In a matter of weeks it rocketed to the top of
their user rankings for weight-loss supplements.
It may be because of Tetrazene’s innovative, superadvanced pairing of a
high-molecular-weight polysaccharide and a state-of-the-art thermogenic
complex. The stuff works, big time.
Remember when Xenadrine RFA-1, the ephedra-based breakthrough of
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lar frenzy here. Needless to say, now might be a good time to lay in your own
supply. Go to www.Tetrazene.com, or call (866) 377-8378.

Patented Bionic Gloves

B
ionic Gloves, from the makers of Louisville
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work, dress/driving, equestrian sports and now for
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Bionic Fitness Gloves extend the line of bionic
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sional athletes in the National Hockey League
and Major League Baseball, with top players like
Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz and Chris Burke wear-
ing Louisville Slugger TPX Batting Gloves. Many
more gloves for sports and recreation featuring
bionic technology are under development.
Until Bionic, most gloves were simple pieces of leather, cloth or a synthetic
material cut in the shape of a hand. Most gloves didn’t fit wearers well.
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and providing remarkable comfort. Wearers say
they “fit like a second skin.” Their snug yet flexible
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blisters and calluses.
Bionic Gloves are available online at www.Bionic
Gloves.com or by calling toll-free to (877) 5-BIONIC.
They’re also available at selected retail outlets. The
suggested retail price is $39.95.

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 Gallery of Ironmen MIND/BODY
MIND/BODY

Abe Goldberg

S
ome gym owners have made a
huge impact on bodybuilding.
One man who clearly relished
his job as coach, mentor and gym
proprietor was Abe Goldberg, and
he not only possessed one of the
finest physiques of his time, but he
also helped others to maximize their
athletic potential.
Abe Goldberg was born in the
New York borough of Manhattan on
November 14, 1924. He was small,
skinny and not particularly strong
until his brother persuaded the 14-
year-old Abe to begin exercising in
order to put on muscle. He began by
doing dips on a high bar, thus laying

the foundation for his magnificent
shoulder and lat development. It
wasn’t until he was 17 that Goldberg
bought his first set of weights and
began to work with them. The results
were quickly apparent, and, by the
time he reached 20, he had what was
described as a flawless physique.
Unfortunately, World War II had
broken out, and Goldberg joined
the Army to fight in Europe. Despite
being wounded in action, the young
New Yorker returned to bodybuilding
shortly after he was discharged. He
found work in the warehouse at Joe
Weider’s New Jersey headquarters.
There the young man was able to
pick up many important tips from
Lon \ Photo courtesy of the David Chapman collection
Warner
the bodybuilders who were always
around. It was a great place for a
young man with ambition and talent,
but it wasn’t where Abe wanted stay.
He wanted to open his own gymna-
sium and be his own boss.
In 1950 Goldberg finally inaugurat-
ed his own gym in New York’s Lower
East Side. It was a state-of-the-art
facility and soon became a mecca for
major physique stars of the time. Reg
Park, Marvin Eder, Clancy Ross, John
Tristram and even Joe Weider worked
out at Goldberg’s excellent gym.
While he was operating his busi-
ness, Abe wasn’t
neglecting his own
muscular build, and
he continued to
compete in various
contests. Goldberg
had a magnificent
physique, but it was
his upper body that
attracted the great-
est attention. Your
Physique magazine
declared in 1951
that Goldberg had
“perhaps the most
magnificent chest

development in
America.” Photos
from the time con-
firm that estimation.
Abe Goldberg re-
mained a respected
figure in New York’s
physical culture
scene until his
death on December
4, 2002.
—David Chapman

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 New Stuff
Lean Body RTD
L
abrada Nutrition, the most trusted
name in sports nutrition, recently
introduced its new and Improved
17-ounce Lean Body Ready-to-Drink
shakes.
Lean Body shakes provide body-
builders and other athletes with a quick,
all-in-one nutrition solution for building
muscle and burning fat. Just open the
convenient resealable cap and drink. It’s
that easy.
Here’s what you get in every 17-
ounce Lean Body Ready-to-Drink
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• Award-winning taste—just like a
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• 40 grams of LeanPro muscle-build-
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mine for high nitrogen balance
• 25 percent more protein than the
leading brand of Aseptic RTD
• Half the fat of the leading brand of
Aseptic RTD
• Patented container with resealable
top delivers more undenatured protein
than canned protein drinks
• No artificial flavors
• No sugar—zero! Great for low-carb
diets
• Lactose-free—no bloating or stom-
ach upset
• Nutritional powerhouse—fortified
with 22 vitamins and minerals
www.Home-Gym.com Best Sellers
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MIND/BODY
• 20
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• No trans fats—no hydrogenated oil
Labrada Nutrition’s research and de-
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It’s hard to believe that an RTD that
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4) “IRON MAN’s Swimsuit Spec-
tacular #9”
5) “Ronnie Coleman’s The Cost of
Redemption”
Top E-book:
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IRON MAN MAGAZINE PROUDLY PRESENTS:
MIND/BODY

The
Bodybuilding
Stars of
Tomorrow
Here Today!

To see more great photos

of upcoming physique stars, visit

www.GraphicMuscle.com

Alex Azarian
Weight: 154 contest; 165
off-season
Height: 5’4”
Occupation: Physical
education teacher
Residence: Sunland,
California
Factoid: “I have a one-year-
old daughter, Alexis.”
Contests: ’06 NPC L.A., 1st
Comstock

welterweight; ’06 NPC USA,

1st lightweight

300 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

Free download from imbodybuilding.com
 Liaw Teck Leong
Weight: 176 contest; 200 off-season
Height: 5’ 6”
Occupation: Businessman
Residence: Malasia
Factoid: Team Milos member
(www.MilosSarcev.com)
Contests: ’06 NPC Excaliber, 1st
middleweight; ’00 Mr. Asia
Merv

www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2007 301

Free download from imbodybuilding.com
 Readers Write

Jenny Worth Every Penny or Scott, curl but on Vince Gironda’s spider curl bench
as well—lying horizontally, facedown, isolating the most
incredible biceps ever built. I wish all you magazine guys
would get it right and feature more fantastic Scott photos.
He was truly the California golden boy (from Idaho), with
Hollywood good looks and
a magnificent physique.
Richard F. DiLorenzo
via Internet

Editor’s note: Vince

Gironda created those two
curling benches, and Scott
popularized them with
his outstanding biceps. To
make up for our not men-
tioning him in that col-
umn, here’s a shot of Larry, Larry Scott.
with guns ablazing.

Southern States Thanks

I’m indebted to Lonnie Teper for his coverage of my ’06
NPC Southern States
Bodybuilding, Fitness
& Figure Champion-
ships in his News &
Views [February ’07].
Not only did he give
us two photos and
Neveux

Jenny Lynn. a fine write-up, but

you also included the
I was starting to think that those fitness and figure overall winners on
women were getting too muscular. Then I saw your Hard- your contents page.
body with Jenny Lynn [February ’07]. Wow! She has the most Peter Potter
perfectly toned body I’ve ever seen. No wonder she won the via Internet
’06 Figure Olympia. By the way, that Hardbody section was
worth the price of the issue all by itself! Editor’s note: We’re feeling generous, so here’s that shot
Paul Wentworth of your Southern States winners one more time.
Atlanta, GA
FULL-PAGE PULL-OUT PICS OF THE WORLD’S FITTEST FEMALES Inspiring O
Timea Too ™
I was so inspired at the ’05
Olympia that I returned to the
I know you recently did a BIG-6
FAST-MASS FACTS
’06 contest with my camera
Hardbody with Timea Ma- And the Science
of Muscle Size ready. People don’t realize how
jorova [December ’06], but I hard these guys work—and they
want an encore. Judging by the have extreme willpower. As tired
cover of your February issue, as they were from contest prep, Nicolette with Ronnie
she has to be the most beauti- Hardbody Extra!
Figure O Champ Jenny Lynn
though, not one of those gentle- Coleman and Jay Cutler.
ful fitness model on the planet. 3D CALVES men refused me a photo.
Build Lower Legs
James Rolindo From the Fourth Nicolette T.
Dimension
via Internet $5.98
FEBRUARY 2007
$7.98 in Canada
Staten Island, NY
0 2>
PLUS:
•More Incredible Jay Cutler Stage Shots
0 70992 37390 1
•Fitness, Figure and Ms. Olympia Coverage
Editor’s note: Photogra- Editor’s note: Well, it’s
www.IronManMagazine.com
Please display until 2/1/07 •What It Takes to Gain Mega Strength

pher extraordinaire Bill Dob- C1_FEB2007_03alt_F.indd 1 12/1/06 12:18:17 PM

pretty obvious why none of them

bins (www.BillDobbins.com) shot that Hardbody for us. refused a photo op with you.
You’re right, Timea is extremely hot and worthy of another You’ve got that Faith Hill thing
pictorial soon. We’ll work on it. going on.

Vol. 66, No. 4: IRON MAN (ISSN #0047-1496) is published monthly by IRON MAN Pub-
Left-out Larry lishing, 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033. Periodical Mail is paid at Oxnard, CA, and at
additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to IRON MAN, 1701 Ives
Larry Scott does not get the respect he deserves as Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033. Please allow six to eight weeks for change to take effect. Subscrip-
tion rates—U.S. and its possessions: new 12-issue subscription, $29.97. Canada, Mexico and
the first and, in my opinion, the best ever Mr. Olympia. other foreign subscriptions: 12 issues, $49.97 sent Second Class. Foreign orders must be in
The Sportsmedicine column on spider curls [January U.S. dollars. Send subscriptions to IRON MAN, 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033. Or call
’07] doesn’t give Larry his due. He was featured time and 1-800-570-4766. Copyright © 2007. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be
again in the magazines performing not only the preacher, reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher. Printed in the USA.

304 APRIL 2007 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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