Classic: Arnold

ARNOLD PHOTOS: SPECIAL COLLECTOR’S ISSUE
CREATINE
CL A S SI C MYTHS
ARNOLD EXPLODED
Is It Really Safe?
Page After Page MR. OLYMPIA’S
of Rare, Never- WILD WORKOUTS
Before-Seen Jay Cutler’s Partial-Rep
Photos Mass Attack
BODYBUILDING 101
30
OF BODYBUILDING
BIG
LIES
3 Power-Packed
Beginner’s Programs
The Truth Will X-REP RELOAD

Shock You! Top-to-Bottom
AUGUST 2008
Muscle Growth
$5.99
PLUS:
•Ageless Strength Training From Coach Bill Starr
•Hot IFBB Figure Pro Kristal Richardson
www.IronManMagazine.com
Please display until 8/3/08 •World’s Strongest Man Finals Blowout
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www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2006 261

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150 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

IRON MAN MAGAZINE WE KNOW TRAINING IRON MAN MAGAZINE WE KNOW TRAINING IRON MAN MAGAZINE WE KNOW TRAINING IRON MAN MAGAZINE WE KNOW TRAINING IRON MAN MAGAZINE IRON MAN MAGAZI
WE KNOW TRAINING™
August 2008
CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CO
FEATURES
66 TRAIN, EAT, GROW 106
In-your-fascia stretching techniques to transform your physique.
88 30 BIG LIES OF BODYBUILDING

From the Bodybuilding.com archive, Terry Banawich dispells the myths and
mysteries of bodybuilding, including building pro-style muscle.
120
CLASSIC
ARNOLD
120 CLASSIC ARNOLD
To celebrate the Oak’s 61st birthday, we present full-page images from
legendary photographer Jimmy Caruso.
142 A BODYBUILDER IS BORN 37

Ron Harris explains why knowledge not applied is worthless.
150 ANABOLIC pH
Our European research correspondent Michael Gündill discusses why
bodybuilders are so acidic and how to go basic to accelerate growth.
164 SPILLING THE BEANS, PART 2

Jerry Brainum hits Starbucks one more time and analyzes the research on
coffee’s fat-burning, muscle-churning properties.
188 TRANSFORMATION SENSATION

David Young interviews Anthony Presciano on how he took his physique from
football fierce to bodybuilding big—complete workout and diet included.
206 HEAVY DUTY

John Little shares Mike Mentzer’s ironclad beliefs on one-set-per-exercise
training and the importance of a workout journal.
220 NEW ERA TRAINING, PART 2

Ken O’Neill discusses maverick trainer Scott Abel’s innovative size and strength-
building strategies. Would you believe walking curls? 268
HARDBODY
242 WORLD’S STRONGEST MAN
Larry Eklund reports on the ’07 WSM finals.
250 X-FILES: MR. O’S WILD WORKOUTS

A look at Jay Cutler’s training from an X-Rep perspective.
268 HARDBODY
IFBB figure pro Kristal Richardson shows her buff stuff. ARNOLD PHOTOS: SPECIAL COLLECTOR’S ISSUE
Arnold ™
Schwarzenegger
282 ONLY THE STRONG SHALL SURVIVE appears on this
Coach Bill Starr’s conclusion on ageless strength training and muscle gaining for month’s cover.
the over-40 set. Photo by Caruso.
CREATINE
CLASSIC MYTHS
ARNOLD
EXPLODED
Is It Really Safe?
Page After Page MR. OLYMPIA’S
of Rare, Never- WILD WORKOUTS
Before-Seen Jay Cutler’s Partial-Rep
Photos Mass Attack
BODYBUILDING 101
30
OF BODYBUILDING
BIG
LIES
3 Power-Packed
Beginner’s Programs
The Truth Will X-REP RELOAD

Shock You! Top-to-Bottom
AUGUST 2008
Muscle Growth
$5.99
PLUS:
•Ageless Strength Training From Coach Bill Starr
Vol. 67, No. 8 •Hot IFBB Figure Pro Kristal Richardson
242 250
Please display until 8/3/08 •World’s Strongest Man Finals Blowout
C1_Aug2008BLK_F.indd 1 6/2/08 6:50:15 PM

CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CON
DEPARTMENTS
26 TRAIN TO GAIN
Pause or no-pause deadlifts, personal trainers and Joe Horrigan’s Sportsmedicine.
48 SMART TRAINING
Coach Charles Poliquin discusses the best set-and-rep scheme for gains.
54 EAT TO GROW
Creatine myths exploded, building older muscles and new L-glutamine research.
76 NATURALLY HUGE
John Hansen’s natural-bodybuilding tips and tricks.
82 SHREDDED MUSCLE
Dave Goodin’s bodybuilding 101: complete programs for beginners.
86 CRITICAL MASS
Steve Holman’s X-Rep rap, top to bottom—the best spot for extending a set.
254
PUMP &
CIRCUMSTANCE
214 BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY Picture-perfect panache
Jerry Brainum looks at plant extracts as testosterone boosters.
230 NEWS & VIEWS

Lonnie Teper’s world-of-bodybuilding coverage—plus his Rising Stars.
254 PUMP & CIRCUMSTANCE

Ruth Silverman’s look at the women’s side of the sport. Great pics here, gang.
260 MUSCLE “IN” SITES

Eric Broser’s cool Web site finds. Plus, his Power/Rep Range/Shock routine for
home-gym workouts.
292 MIND/BODY CONNECTION

Bomber Blast, Sergio Oliva DVD review, BodySpace Physique of the Month and drink-
ing vs. drugging.
304 READERS WRITE

Military muscle, 82-year-old iron pumper and excited X-Repper.
26
TRAIN TO GAIN
ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE
In the next IRON MAN:
See more Photos @
See more Video @
First up, we’ve got Lonnie Teper’s inter-

ONLINE VIEWERS’ CHOICE
Here are the places that IronManMagazine.com viewers recently view with American Gladiator and drug-
clicked on the most: free bodybuilder and powerlifter Michael
O’Hearn. This dude’s got it going on
from physique to drop-dead good looks.
Muscle building, Hollywood gossip,
evil stares—it’s all here. We also have
David Young’s interview with legendary
>CONTEST >BEHIND- >HOT CLIPS >PDF LIBRARY bodybuilder Rich Gaspari. It’s all about
COVERAGE THE-SCENES Feel your heart Read and/or the how he packed on 100 pounds
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PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S L
Publisher’s Letter Founders 1936-1986:

Peary & Mabel Rader
Publisher/Editorial Director: John Balik
by John Balik Associate Publisher: Warren Wanderer
Design Director: Michael Neveux
Editor in Chief: Stephen Holman
Art Director: T. S. Bratcher
Senior Editor: Ruth Silverman
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Editor at Large: Lonnie Teper

Articles Editors: L.A. Perry, Caryne Brown
Assistant Art Director: Brett R. Miller
Experience Designer: Fernando Carmona

IRON MAN Staff:
Mary Gasca, Vuthy Keo, Mervin Petralba
Contributing Authors:
This past weekend my son Justin graduated from high school. Jerry Brainum, Eric Broser, David Chapman,
I heard many parents, faculty and graduates describe the event Teagan Clive, Lorenzo Cornacchia, Daniel Curtis,
as a “once-in-a-lifetime experience.” That phrase stuck in my Dave Draper, Michael Gündill, Rosemary Hallum,
Ph.D., John Hansen, Ron Harris, Ori Hofmekler,
head like the cliché that it is. We graduate from high school only Rod Labbe, Skip La Cour, Jack LaLanne, Butch
once in our lives, but I started to think that every day every expe- Lebowitz, John Little, Stuart McRobert, Gene
rience is a once-in-a-lifetime event. Mozée, Charles Poliquin, Larry Scott, Jim
Shiebler, Roger Schwab, Pete Siegel, C.S. Sloan,
Most situations aren’t absolutes the way graduations and Bill Starr, Bradley Steiner, Eric Sternlicht, Ph.D.,
births are, but the reality is that every experience happens only Randall Strossen, Ph.D., Richard Winett, Ph.D.,
once in exactly the same way. Anyone who has more than one and David Young
child realizes that while they were all born, each birth was a dif- Contributing Artists:
Steve Cepello, Larry Eklund, Ron Dunn,
ferent experience for us. Jake Jones
I’ve always been an early riser—I enjoy experiencing the sun- Contributing Photographers:
rise every time. I find that the rising sun feeds my enthusiasm Jim Amentler, Ron Avidan, Roland Balik, Reg
for the day and a sense of wonder at the magic of life. After wit- Bradford, Jimmy Caruso, Bill Dobbins, Jerry
Fredrick, Irvin Gelb, Isaac Hinds, Dave Liberman,
nessing thousands of sunrises and sunsets, I understand that the J.M. Manion, Merv, Gene Mozée, Mitsuru
emotional content and experience are always different. “We see Okabe, Rob Sims, Ian Sitren, Leo Stern
the world not as it is but as we are”—I don’t know who originally Director of Marketing:
said that, but it works for me. My dad was one who always rel- Helen Yu, 1-800-570-IRON, ext. 1
ished the early-morning hours. He’d say, “Even if you don’t have Accounting: Dolores Waterman
Subscriptions Manager:
anything to do, get an early start.” He always had something to
Sonia Melendez, 1-800-570-IRON, ext. 2
do. E-mail: [email protected]
It’s all really a corollary to Arnold’s saying, “Everywhere I Advertising Director: Warren Wanderer
go I have a good time.” You have a good time by living in the 1-800-570-IRON, ext. 1
moment, enjoying the uniqueness of the situation. Have you (518) 743-1696; FAX: (518) 743-1697
Advertising Coordinator:
noticed that every workout is different? In the gym I’ve heard
Jonathan Lawson, (805) 385-3500, ext. 320
people say that it was a “great workout,” “bad workout” and Newsstand Consultant:
so on. How do you measure it? Who’s responsible for the good Angelo Gandino, (516) 796-9848
and the bad? I never heard Arnold say negative things about his We reserve the right to reject any advertising at our
workout because he understood that he made it what it was and discretion without explanation. All manuscripts, art
or other submissions must be accompanied by a self-
that every workout is different. addressed, stamped envelope. Send submissions to
Starting a workout is “good”; missing a workout is “bad.” IRON MAN, 1701 Ives Avenue, Oxnard, CA 93033. We
are not responsible for unsolicited material. Writers and
Your workout has the potential to transform your day, and if photographers should send for our Guidelines outlining
you appreciate it for what it is, you’ll be rewarded with not only specifications for submissions. IRON MAN is an open
forum. We also reserve the right to edit any letter or
strength and muscle but also a sense of what an amazing ma- manuscript as we see fit, and photos submitted have an
chine the human body is. implied waiver of copyright. Please consult a physician
before beginning any diet or exercise program. Use the
IRON MAN’s founder, Peary Rader, was fond of saying that information published in IRON MAN at your own risk.
those of us who work out with weights are different. The dif- IRON MAN Internet Addresses:
ference was far more than just greater strength and muscle—it Web Site: www.ironmanmagazine.com
included the way we experience life. No study of anatomy or John Balik, Publisher: [email protected]
Steve Holman, Editor in Chief: [email protected]
kinesiology can convey the feeling of your muscles at work. Only Ruth Silverman, Senior Editor: [email protected]
a workout can. That’s part of the magic. Every workout is a once- T.S. Bratcher, Art Director: [email protected]
in-a-lifetime event; enjoy it. IM Helen Yu, Director of Marketing:
[email protected]
Jonathan Lawson, Ad Coordinator: [email protected]
Sonia Melendez, Subscriptions: [email protected]
24 AUGUST 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com
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PRO TRAINING
Grow—Cautiously A workout lesson

from Dennis Wolf
Most of you probably imag-

ine that the top pros don’t face
any greater challenges in their
training than perhaps deciding
whether to wear the sleeveless
shirt or tank top on arm day. Not
so with Germany’s Dennis Wolf,
a top-five Mr. Olympia finalist
who many feel is destined to
take the title sooner or later.
One day back in 2001, when
he was still years away from win-
ning the IFBB World Champion-
ships and turning pro, something
popped inside his knee while he
was doing heavy squats. The
injury turned out to be so severe
that he was unable to do even
light lower-body training for six
months.
“For a time I was depressed
because I truly thought my
dreams of being a pro were
over,” he recalls. Eventually,
though, he rehabilitated the knee
on his own and returned to train-
ing legs—but quite cautiously.
“I have to admit I was very
scared every time I trained legs,
especially squats,” he says. “I
was so worried that I would get
hurt again and ruin everything.”
That fear led Wolf to adopt
ultrastrict form and devote far
more time to warming up than
he ever had in the past. If he
Merv
couldn’t handle a weight in

perfect form, he wouldn’t do it,
period. Some would say that an
overly wary approach limits gains, as it prevents then you miss out on valuable things like impor-
you from truly attacking the weights and going tant competitions—look at what happened to
heavy enough to stimulate growth. Dennis hasn’t Victor Martinez with his knee earlier this year.”
found that to be true. It’s okay to be cautious when it comes to your
“My legs are better than ever, and they keep training. As much as others like to beat their
improving every year,” he notes. “Yes, I will al- chests and chant, ‘No fear,’ injury prevention is
ways have that voice in the back of my head tell- an integral component of muscle gain.
ing me to be extra careful, but it’s not a bad thing —Ron Harris
Merv
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Train to Gain / FORM
IN THE GYM
Personal Trainers
A recent study examined how
having a personal trainer influences
the training of women. None of the 46
women in the study was a competi-
tive bodybuilder—they were recruited
at local health clubs. The women
self-selected what they considered to
be the optimal weight that would let
them complete 10 reps on a few basic
exercises, including the chest press,
leg press and seated row. They were
then tested on their one-rep maxi-
mum for each exercise. One group of
women trained on their own, and the
Neveux \ Model: Derik Farnsworth
other trained under the supervision of

personal trainers.
The women who trained on their
own selected weights that were lower
than optimal for promoting muscular
gains. The women who trained with
trainers selected weights that were
about optimal for muscle gain pur-
Deadlift: Pause or No Pause poses—60 percent of one-rep max.
Questioning revealed that the women
who trained themselves were afraid of
As a rule of thumb, pause at the bottom of each deadlift rep. You
getting big muscles, which explained
need to develop starting strength for a big pull, and you’ll never do that why they opted to lift weights that
unless you pull a dead weight. would produce no gains. Their major
To do a touch-and-go rep, you must lower the barbell in perfect form goal wasn’t gaining muscle but toning.
to set yourself up for the next clean rep and to protect your back. Doing Those training under the guidance of
personal trainers were more aware of
a negative in the deadlift takes experience. Otherwise it’s just plain dan-
the truth, which is that lifting weights
gerous; the bar tends to pull you forward on your toes and round your alone isn’t likely to produce pro-fe-
back. male-bodybuilder muscularity.
Even if you’ve succeeded in not letting the bar run forward and bend The usefulness of any personal
you over, don’t think your troubles are over. You’ve probably assumed trainer, however, depends on his or her
an exaggeratedly upright stance. Your knees have slipped forward and level of experience and knowledge.
I’ve observed people who train under
gotten banged up while your hamstrings have lost tension. You’re in a a personal trainer’s guidance and
hideous position for the next rep. That’s why I recommend quickly push- show no apparent changes at all, year
Neveux \ Models: Clark and Anita Bartram

ing your hips back, dropping down with the barbell after each repetition, after year, yet never seem to ques-
and resetting for each rep as if it’s the first one. tion the trainer’s competence. In such
Nevertheless, experienced lifters have legit reasons for periodically cases, the personal trainer serves as a
paid friend instead of an actual trainer.
doing touch-and-go deadlifts with controlled negatives. First, it’s well When you think about it, that’s not
known that eccentric contractions are important for stimulating muscle much different from hiring a prostitute,
growth. Second, touch-and-go reps are good for cleaning up your tech- although I’d venture that the prostitute
nique. Stay tight and keep your breathing shallow. Letting out too much is a lot
air at any time is putting your lower back in danger. Inhale on the way more
fun and
down, and keeping your stomach tight—it will not be easy—grunt slight-
probably
ly halfway up. Don’t bounce the bar on the platform; just gently touch it provides
and go up without losing tension or air. more
—Pavel effective
Beyond Bodybuilding exercise.
—Jerry
Brainum
Editor’s note: Beyond Bodybuilding is available at
www.Home-Gym.com.

YOU CAN BENCH BIG
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How would you like a surge in
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But nine times out of 10 this stall is
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The rotator cuff muscles stabilize

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Q: I’m a 52-year- as you can. Just keep
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I’ve competed in ting the bar go forward
bodybuilding con- more than two inches,
tests, and although and then squeeze
I’ve always placed again.
high, I don’t win. 3) Seated ma-
Everyone says chine rows. Set
it’s because my the seat low enough
Merv \ Model: Tony Freeman

back doesn’t have to ensure that when
enough detail. I do you pull your arms
everything—pul- back, they’re up away
lups, pulldowns, from your torso. That
T-bar rows, low- engages the higher
pulley rows and portion of the trap
one-arm dumbbell muscles on either side
rows—even heavy of the spine, enabling
deadlifts. I’ve done you to squeeze the
every routine from every book and magazine that’s lower area as well. Do at least 15 full reps and as many short,
been published, yet nothing has worked. My back squeezing-type reps as you can. Do three sets of 15 to failure
gets wide, but it lacks depth and detail. Could you with squeezes at the end of each set.
recommend something? 4) Cable squeezes. Take a set of Lifeline cables (thick
A: If you look at a complete picture of the back musculature multiple rubber cables with handles) and loop the cables
in an anatomy book, you’ll notice that it has many muscles around a pole or other upright so there’s a handle on either
that cross over one another, often with diagonally opposing side. Sit on the floor and grab the handles. Pull them in so that
insertions. The back is an extremely intricate muscle group by your hands (and handles) are back as far as you can go, at
design. I’ve seen guys do exactly what you’re doing and cre- least far enough that your shoulders are back and your scapu-
ate a wide, deeply cut and detailed back. On the other hand, lae are together. Allow the cable handles to move forward just
some men, such as yourself, try everything and cannot get two to four inches, and then squeeze your scapulae together
depth and detail, only width. That particular problem is usually as you bring the handles back again. Do that for at least for
rooted in the shape of the spine. My guess is that your spine 40 to 60 seconds every other day until you see that your
is either slightly or greatly kyphotic, meaning that the middle shoulders are being brought back to where they should sit.
of the spine comes outward too far and loses its profile and For most people that may take four to six months, depending
shape. A spinal deformity that’s often overlooked during a on the severity of the kyphosis. Once your shoulders seem to
child’s growing years, kyphosis can also be the result of poor be sitting even with the center of your neck in profile view, do
posture. cable squeezes at the end of your back routine once a week.
When you say that there’s a lot width to the outer edges of You may also want to find a certified Feldenkrais practitio-
your back—the latissimus and teres major muscles—I’m even ner, who can teach you how to reprogram your nervous sys-
more convinced that your problem is congenital. Fear not, tem and your neuromuscular signals. You’ll find within a couple
though, for where there’s a will, there’s a way. of months that your shoulders sit back naturally. Also ask your
The muscles that create the most detail are worked prop- Feldenkrais practitioner for a four-foot log of Styrofoam, which
erly only when your shoulders are back far enough to engage you can roll on at home in your spare time. Over time, if you
them. It’s important for you to get your shoulders back and roll back and forth on your back on that simple device, it can
squeeze the lower traps, the scapulae and the inner muscles help the curve become a bit less severe. —Paul Burke
that run down either side of the spine. Here’s how to do that:
1) Behind-the-neck lat pulldowns. Be sure not to let Editor’s note: Paul Burke has a
the bar go all the way up, and focus on squeezing the scapu- master’s degree in integrated studies
lae inward as you pull the weight down to the back of your from Cambridge College in Cambridge,
neck. (Everything that you do from here on should be done Massachusetts. He’s been a champion
with the idea of squeezing your scapulae together as much bodybuilder and arm wrestler, and he’s
as possible). Forget about the stretch part of your back exer- considered a leader in the field of over-
cises—you’re stretched too much already. Do three sets of 10 40 fitness training. To contact him, write
to 12 reps. to [email protected]. You can purchase
2) Seated low-pulley rows. Use a weight that’s heavy his book, Burke’s Law—a New Fitness
enough to put a strain on your muscles yet moderate enough Paradigm for the Mature Male, from
for you to get your shoulders back and your scapulae to- Home Gym Warehouse. Call (800) 447-
gether. Again, it’s not important to stretch all the way—but you 0008, or visit www.Home-Gym.com.
need to squeeze those scapulae on every rep. Do three sets His “Burke’s Law” training DVD is also
of 12 to 15 reps. At the end of each set do as many squeezes now available.

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Train to Gain / HARDGAINER
The Brothers Grimm A bodybuilding

odyssey, part 8
Stelios and Yiannis were Fixes: Keep your torso and legs
experiencing the best body- on the same plane; make all the
building progress of their lives torso movement lateral—nothing to
from the simplest training they the front or the rear; for a full, safe
had ever done. The lesson range of motion, descend as far as
was clear: Simple, short, hard is comfortable, and then, once you
and progressive training is the return to the vertical position, continue
way to go. It stimulates growth immediately to the other side, as far
and permits recuperation time as you can, then return to the verti-
between workouts. It was a cal—all of that is a single rep; use a
far cry from how they used to hip-width stance—neither so close
train. that you risk losing your stability nor
Their new routines were de- too wide. (Note: Provided you have
tailed in earlier installments of a healthy spine, the side bend, cor-
Neveux \ Model: Tamer Elshahat

this column. In summary, Ste- rectly performed, will strengthen your
lios’ new lower-body routine is body’s core muscles and increase their
side bends, barbell squats, leg resistance to injury. If, however, your
curls, standing calf raises, par- spinal musculature has problems, the
tial stiff-legged deadlifts from side bend will probably be harmful and
knee height and machine back should be avoided.)
extensions. For his upper body
he does machine crunches,
low-incline bench presses, seated back-supported dumbbell
Barbell Squats
presses, seated shrugs, pulldowns, incline dumbbell curls and Faults: Squatting in soft shoes that lose form during the
hand grippers. exercise; excessive padding on the bar where it contacts the
Yiannis’ routines are the same except that instead of barbell upper back; positioning the bar too high on the traps; elevating
squats and low-incline bench presses, he substitutes paral- your heels on a plate or board; having your feet too close; hav-
lel-grip deadlifts, using a hexagonal shrug bar, and parallel-bar ing your feet parallel to each other; holding the barbell with your
dips. Instead of partial stiff-legged deadlifts, he does regular hands too wide; leaning forward too much during the squat;
bent-legged deadlifts from the floor. Those changes reflect Yi- ascending with your hips moving up faster than your shoulders;
annis’ body structure—he has longer limbs and a shorter torso letting your knees move inward on the ascent; rounding your
than his brother does. back at any time during the set; rushing between reps; not
When I started supervising the Grimm brothers’ training, I using a safety apparatus for squatting.
had to correct their faulty exercise technique. Chances are that Fixes: Squat in shoes that provide a firm base; use little or,
you’re making at least some of the same errors and putting preferably, no padding on the bar—wear a thicker shirt if you
yourself at risk of injury. Perhaps you’re already trying to train lack trap development; keep your shoulder blades squeezed
around injuries caused by one or more of the faults. Please together to create a layer of tensed muscle on your upper back,
identify the faults and fix them. Training without injury is es- and position the bar on the muscle just above the center of
sential if you’re to have a chance of realizing your bodybuilding the top ridge of your shoulder blades. (Note: That’s lower than
potential. the bar position that most bodybuilders use, but it’s essential
The days when Stelios and Yiannis did jerky, explosive reps to avoid metal-to-spine contact and to provide a greater bar
are behind them, as they should be for you too. They used to control.)
almost throw the weights up, and then almost drop them, for One other tip concerning squats: Most bodybuilders don’t
a rep speed of under one second up and one second down. have sufficient flexibility. Because the squat involves so much of
Their rep speed is now smooth, typically two seconds for the the body’s musculature, inflexibility dramatically compromises
lifting portion of each rep and another two for the lowering exercise technique. You must be supple if you’re going to mas-
portion, with a second or two between reps. At the end of each ter squatting technique.
work set, where effort level is at its highest, their speed slows a Next month I’ll continue with the fixes for the squat and
little, as they eke out the reps. move on to other exercises. Until then, train smart, and never
Many bodybuilders use too much weight in their exercises, forget that if you don’t sleep well or eat a first-class diet, your
which leads to technique corruption—even when they know good work in the gym will be undermined.
what correct technique is. Use a weight that lets you barely eke —Stuart McRobert
out your target reps with correct technique. www.Hardgainer.com
Side Bends Editor’s note: Stuart McRobert’s first

byline in IRON MAN appeared in 1981.
Faults: Twisting your torso somewhat on the descent and He’s the author of the new 638-page
then untwisting it on the ascent, thus combining a partial back opus on bodybuilding Build Muscle, Lose
extension with the side bend; excessive range of motion on the Fat, Look Great, available from Home
descent but insufficient range on the ascent; incorrect stance; Gym Warehouse, (800) 447-0008, or
performing the side bends if you have a back problem. www.Home-Gym.com.

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Train to Gain / SPORTSMEDICINE
The Young Spine Lifting for kids—is it safe?
There’s much debate about weight training for young dance, gymnastics and volleyball; many of the athletes have
people, and opinions are divided into two camps: One never weight trained. Their injuries are typically caused by
believes young people shouldn’t weight train at all; the other overtraining and overuse, especially if hyperextension of
believes they should. the back occurs repeatedly. The part of the spinal column
The camp that doesn’t want 12-to-16-year-olds to that’s injured is the pars or pedicle. It’s not mature and can’t
weight train often relies on myth and misinformation, such withstand the load that overtraining places on it. It begins
as: “It will stunt your growth”; “It will damage the growth to have a stress response, and if the load isn’t reduced, the
plates”; “It will damage the joints.” There isn’t a shred of pars fractures. Back pain in an athletic young person of five
truth to any of those ideas. to 16 years of age requires medical attention. If the athlete’s
That doesn’t mean a person who trains with weights history and examination are consistent with a pars fracture,
an MRI or bone scan can be used to detect the fracture.
Once a pars fracture occurs, the young athlete must rest.
If he or she cooperates and rests, the bone may heal. Torso
braces are used in some cases to make sure the young
spine doesn’t move too much during the healing process.
If the athlete is uncooperative and remains active, the bone
will most likely not heal, and the fracture will persist. In
adulthood that fracture is known as spondylolysis or spon-
dylolisthesis. In some cases surgery may be required. As Dr.
Robert Bray, the founder of Diagnostic and Interventional
Spinal/Sports Care in Marina del Rey, California, explains, “If
an athlete not older than 14 years of age has a pars frac-
ture, a simple surgical procedure can be performed in which
a screw is placed through the pars until it heals. The screw
is then removed, and the athlete will not have the long-term
problems that may occur if the fracture remains. This pro-
cedure is very effective. If the athlete waits until 16 years of
age, the healing rate of the fracture is greatly diminished.”
Neveux \ Model: justin Balik
While disk herniations are uncommon in young athletes,

we are seeing more adult-type injuries of the adolescent
spine because of severe overtraining. I recall a 14-year-old
athlete who competed in school and club softball, school
and club volleyball, school and club basketball and then
took up track and field. She collapsed one day in sudden
back pain. The history, age, location and description of pain
can’t be injured. Injuries in young people from weight train- was consistent with a pars fracture. The MRI revealed a
ing are caused by lack of supervision, poor program design, small herniated disk, and it had already turned dark on the
poor exercise selection and overtraining. MRI, indicating a loss of water. She’d also lost height. Those
Those who feel that young people can lift weights have are changes I wouldn’t expect to see until someone was
much evidence to support their position. Dr. Michael Reed, 40. Young athletes can’t physiologically or psychologically
medical director of the United States Olympic Committee, withstand an adult training program. Adult athletes can and
says, “Several years ago I studied the incidence of injuries do overtrain as well—but that’s a topic for another day.
in school-age (six to 16) weightlifters during competition —Joseph M. Horrigan
over a five-year period. Almost 1,200 athletes were ob-
served. There were a total of eight injuries. None of the Editor’s note: Visit www.SoftTissueCenter.com for re-
injuries involved the spine. All eight injuries were minor, and prints of Horrigan’s past Sportsmedicine columns that have
the athletes were able to return to training and competition appeared in IRON MAN. You can order the books Strength,
right away.” Reed cites research on injury patterns in junior Conditioning and Injury Prevention for Hockey by Joseph
weightlifting—ages 16 to 20—showing a very low injury rate Horrigan, D.C., and E.J. “Doc” Kreis, D.A., and the 7-Minute
and, once again, no spine injuries. He adds that weightlifting Rotator Cuff Solution by Horrigan and Jerry Robinson from
is safe for children as long as they’re properly coached by Home Gym Warehouse, (800) 447-0008, or at www
someone who’s been trained to teach Olympic lifts. .Home-Gym.com.
At the Soft Tissue Center we do see injuries to the
lumbar spine, a.k.a, the lower back, in young athletes.
Overwhelmingly, we see them from soccer, track and field,
(Train to Gain continues on page 45)

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Train to Gain / PURSUIT OF PERFECTION
Physique Critique The power of brutal honesty
“Wow, dude, you look freakin’

perfect!” Are those the words every
bodybuilder longs to hear about his
physique? On the surface, gushing
accolades may seem to be the kind-
est compliment, but the reality is that
they’re more often the death knell for
further improvement. Think about it.
If you’re already perfect, why bother
trying to get any better?
If you go to bodybuilding contests
Neveux \ Models: Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman

and see someone looking exactly the
same as he did the last time you saw
him, and the time before that, you
can be damned sure he’s surrounded
by nothing but yes men. They can be
gym buddies, friends, family mem-
bers or even a well-meaning signifi-
cant other. Either they don’t have any
eye for physiques and he really does
look awesome to them, or they’re delicately trying not even though they are the ones that came to me for
to hurt the guy’s feelings. an evaluation. I know that those who listen and get to
I get a lot of requests from bodybuilders to evaluate work on their weak points will have better physiques
their physiques, typically online via photos. I always to show for it eventually.
stress that I’ll do so only if they’re willing to hear blunt I’ve been fortunate enough over the years to get
honesty. They won’t be told what they want to hear excellent critiques from experts like John Parrillo,
but instead what they need to hear—or more ac- Dante Trudel, Hany Rambod—even Dr. Ellington
curately, what they need to work on if they genuinely Darden back in the very beginning. Each pointed
want to improve. It can be anything from a specific out something I needed to focus on that I was either
area, such as needing more side delts or back thick- unaware of or in denial about, and denial is far more
ness, to a more general issue like needing more over- common than you might imagine. It’s almost impos-
all mass or to keep bodyfat lower (a lot of guys take sible for any of us to look in the mirror and objec-
the off-season thing way too far, edging near obesity). tively assess what we see. There’s simply too much
I also always make sincere compliments. I might emotion—and too many issues of self-esteem and
say, “Your quads have great size and sweep to them, pride—involved.
but the hams and calves really need to come up.” That’s why I implore all of you to seek opinions from
Or, “You have crazy shoulders, which makes your those who know how to look at a physique. Those
arms look smaller than they really are; that’s why you who have competed successfully for many years are
need to take it easy on shoulders and really blast your good candidates, as are bodybuilding judges. The
arms.” things they notice could very well be the key to bring-
Most take my critique to heart and appreciate my ing your body closer to its ultimate potential.
honesty. There are always a few who get defensive —Ron Harris
and tell me to shove it where the sun don’t shine, www.RonHarrisMuscle.com
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ AUGUST 2008 45

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SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING
Smart Training
by Charles Poliquin
The Best ing-resistance-rep/constant-set scheme will trigger

an increase in energy substrate synthesis, while a
constant-rep/high-set approach like the German
Sets/Reps Volume workout, which you can easily find on the

Internet, has been shown to bring a record level of
progress.
System The old standard, a wide pyramid of train-
ing—15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1—is still advocated in most
college books for gaining mass and is probably the
least effective because it doesn’t provide enough
Neveux \ Model: Dave Goodin

Q: My question is about the repeated work at a given intensity. With a rep spread
proper number of sets. Some au- like that you start at 66 percent of max, 15 reps, and
thors claim that it’s not necessary finish at 100 percent of max, one rep. It’s my opin-
to train to failure. Others recom- ion that rep-and-set schemes should not spread
mend going beyond failure, and over more than 15 percent of max—for example, 70
still others say that only the last to 85 percent, 75 to 90 percent, 85 to 100 percent. So
set should approach concentric a 5-4-3-2-1 pyramid would work (85 to 100 percent),
failure. Am I misunderstanding something? When but not a 12-10-8-6-4-2-1 (70 to 100 percent). Incidentally
doing work sets, should I use the heaviest weight the 5-4-3-2-1 is a favorite of Mauro Di Pasquale, who used
first and then adjust my weight downward for each it to reach his powerlifting successes on the international
successive set or use the same weight for all sets, scene.
making my last set the only hard one? Or should I Narrow pyramids—3-2-1—done two to three times are
work up to that final heavy set? Or should I use a better known as wavelike loading and are quite effective at
pyramid system? I know that they all probably work, developing relative strength.
but I’d like to know the most accepted way of doing The key point is that your body will adapt to any routine
it. in six workouts. No single best system works all the time. It
A: You just answered your own question: They do all works only for the time it takes you to adapt to it.
work, but not for the same reason. For example, a descend- The point that some of my colleagues are making is that,
A 5-4-3-2-1 pyramid
scheme works
well for building
strength.
Neveux \ Model: Moe El Moussawi

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SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SM Smart Training
Good, old-fashioned work
in the power rack builds 4) He devotes chapters to overcoming
sticking points on lifts—i.e., bench,
lasting size and strength. squats, deadlifts—or bodyparts. If
you’re interested in gaining, particu-
larly in the legs, back and traps, Dit-
illo has some good advice for you. I
recommend the book strongly for the
power bodybuilder—the bodybuilder
who wants bigger muscles that can
express high levels of strength.
This book is not for:

a) Pump artists. You’ll find no routines
that involve bombing and blitzing.
b) Visuals. Don’t expect the slick
photography of Michael Neveux or
Chris Lund. This book is definitely not
a source of visual inspiration, but the
wealth of valuable training informa-
tion sure makes up for the lack.
c) Mike Mentzer fans. Ditillo believes
in the physiological effects of the
well-proven laws of repeated efforts
and adaptation.
d) Machine aficionados. Basic barbell
and dumbbell work—no chrome,
sprockets or nylon pulleys required.
Neveux \ Model: Bob Donnelly

Q: A few years ago I read an
article of yours in a bodybuilding
magazine concerning the criti-
cal drop-off point as it applies
to relative strength training. You
stated that when a muscle reaches
contrary to the ideas of people like Mike Mentzer, there’s a 5 to 7 percent decrease in performance (either
no absolute need to train to concentric muscle failure on in weight or reps), that particular exercise should
every set. Recommending a given load repeated for many be terminated. My problem is that I usually reach
sets means favoring adaptation through the law of repeated that point after only one or two sets. For example, I
efforts. That’s the basis of the aforementioned German was performing incline dumbbell presses with 110-
Volume training, which I authored almost 20 years ago.
Q: What’s your favorite strength-training book?

A: A classic book that has very productive routines is
Developing Physical Strength by Anthony Ditillo, which was
available from IRON MAN years ago. Nowadays you need
to purchase it as a used book. I’m often asked which book
I’d rescue from my burning house. That’s the one. Even
though it’s more than 25 years old and the rationale for the
effectiveness of the routine isn’t particularly scientific, the
routines outlined are still some of the best out there (the
human genome has changed only 0.02 percent in the last
40,000 years!). Ditillo is a big advocate of power-rack train-
ing and voluminous work. Here are the reasons I like his
training philosophy:
2) He incorporates a lot of neural training—near maximal

loads for repeated efforts. With his system, the gains in
Neveux \ Model: Noel Thompson
strength will be locked in your body for a long time. His

methods help you achieve maximal neural drive.
3) No fancy equipment is necessary. For most routines

all you need is a power rack, a bench, dumbbells and a
chinning bar. Heavy, basic moves done with barbells and
dumbbells are all you need to make great gains.

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SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SMART TRAINING SM Smart Training
If one arm is weaker
than the other, use nutrition—you may not
be eating enough carbs to
one-arm movements, have sufficient glycogen
like concentration storage.
curls. Start with your
nondominant arm, and Hope that helps. Write to
then match the number me and let me know.
of reps with your
dominant arm. Q: I don’t know what
to do about my left arm.
I see that it’s weaker
than my right one, and
whenever I exercise bi-
ceps or triceps, the right
arm is doing most of
the work. Also, recently
my left triceps has been
kind of weird. When I
flex it, it doesn’t get hard
and isn’t as big as the
right one.
A: Before we get into the
training side of it, in my
opinion, you require the at-
tention of a qualified health
practitioner—either a chi-
ropractor or an osteopath
who does manipulation.

I may not have all the in-
formation I need, but your
recent inability to contract
the muscles in your left arm
leads me to believe that
the neural drive from your
brain isn’t getting to your
muscle. Thus you most
likely have some cervical
pounders for four reps at a 5/0/5/0 tempo. After four trauma at the C-5/C-6 level. To find a qualified practitioner,
minutes’ rest, I could barely perform two reps at the phone (719) 473-7000 for a referral for a good chiropractor.
same tempo. I dropped down to 100 pounds for the I’ve found that once the vertebral problem has been
third set and got three reps and 90 pounds for the fixed, a few acupuncture treatments accelerate the recovery
fourth and got three reps. Each set had four min- of the weakened limb. Unfortunately, the level of compe-
utes’ rest. The same thing happens no matter what tency of acupuncturists isn’t well regulated. So you may
rep tempo I use. My question is, Should I continue to end up with some Pacific Rim refugee who claims to be one
perform multiple sets and just allow the weights to and will recommend that you absolutely need to purchase
drop, or should I terminate the exercise after only panda semen extract from his cousin at $235 a gram.
one or two sets? Once the neural problem has been fixed, I recommend
A: Please note that the 7 percent rule applies for the that you work arms with dumbbells only. Perform an equal
training of maximal strength—loads of 85 percent of maxi- number of reps and sets with each arm. If you like single-
mum or more. In classical bodybuilding training, I recom- arm movements like concentration curls, always start with
mend no more than a 20 percent drop-off. your nondominant arm, and match the number of reps
After such long rest intervals, for the given reps and with your dominant arm. Within less than a month the
tempo, I’m amazed that you have such limited ability to problem should be fixed.
repeat loads. Normally it’s 2 percent per set, between sets;
for you it’s near 10 percent! That is, in fact, very poor work Editor’s note: Charles Poliquin is recognized as one
capacity. of the world’s most successful strength coaches, having
It could be due mainly to two things: coached Olympic medalists in 12 different sports, includ-
ing the U.S. women’s track-and-field team for the 2000
1) Genetically poor work capacity. For your bodybuilding Olympics. He’s spent years researching European journals
goals you may need to do more exercises for fewer sets. (he’s fluent in English, French and German) and speaking
In other words, instead of doing two exercises for four to with other coaches and scientists in his quest to optimize
five sets each, you may want to try three to four exercises training methods. For more on his books, seminars and
for two sets each. methods, visit www.CharlesPoliquin.net. Also, see his ad
on page 259. IM
2) Inadequate diet. In your case I’d pay attention to your

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Train ™ \ JULY 2006 181
EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT TO GROW EAT
Nutrition With a Get-Big Mission

to Grow
SUPPLEMENT SCIENCE synthesized in the liver, kidney and
pancreas from three amino acid precur-
Creatine Myths Exploded sors: methionine, glycine and arginine.

The body produces about one gram of
creatine a day, and if you eat meat, you
get another gram or two as well. Label-
There’s an old saying that when tend to have more creatine stored in
ing creatine a drug of any kind is an
you’re at the top, someone’s always their muscles. That’s why they don’t
example of shoddy research.
trying to bring you down. The adage respond as dramatically to the supple-
Popular media, though, aren’t the
certainly applies to creatine. Since ment as vegetarians or those who
sole purveyors of creatine misinforma-
its commercial introduction in 1993, eschew eating meat.
tion. Science journals regularly publish
creatine has become one of the most Along with its commercial suc-
alarming reports suggesting a dark
popular bodybuilding supplements, cess, however, creatine has also been
future for creatine users. A closer pe-
and for good reason. Countless stud- subject to much unfounded criticism.
rusal of them usually shows how irrel-
ies prove its effectiveness, the scientific The misinformation is fueled by poorly
evant they are for those in good health.
consensus being that it works for 80 researched popular media reports
It’s like those reports that eating lots
percent of its users. The other 20 per- about its effects. Indeed, some news-
of protein is risky for those with kidney
cent usually eat red meat habitually. paper and television news features
failure. There’s zero evidence that
Red meat contains high levels of natural have identified creatine as a steroid.
either creatine or a high-protein
creatine, and those who eat it regularly In fact, it’s an amino acid by-product
intake is hazardous for people
who have
Countless studies show the benefits normal kidney
of creatine for athletes, but the function.
misinformation out there is also extensive. Among the
side effects at-
tributed to cre-
atine are excess
kidney stress,
muscular cramps
and dehydra-
tion. Two recently
published stud-
ies, however,
definitively prove
that the claims
are false.
The theory is
that creatine use
promotes a shift
of water from
extracellular and
into intracellular
compartments.
Critics say that
that makes it
Neveux \ Model: Jimmy Mentis
hard to maintain
cooler body
temperature and
alters electrolyte,
or mineral, bal-
ance, leading
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Muscle-Link. GH Stak is a trademark of Muscle-Link. These statements have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
to muscle cramps. Studies that have already had serious kidney
found muscle cramps and overheating disease. In any case, tak-
with creatine use have by and large ing 20 grams of creatine
involved athletes training in hot weather, after you’ve done a typical
when they may not have been drink- creatine-loading phase of
ing enough water to balance sweating five days is just plain foolish,
and other fluid loss from the heat and as nearly all of the creatine
exertion. Other studies show the op- is rapidly excreted once the
posite: Creatine appears to offer muscles are loaded.
significant protection against Besides questionable
heat illness, dehydration and human studies pointing to
muscle cramps. That makes sense creatine-induced renal stress,
because creatine increases total body a number of animal studies
water, which would protect against have been used to bolster
dehydration while lowering core body that criticism, but those, too,
temperature. are red herrings, since cre-
Then there’s the fear that creatine atine isn’t a normal nutrient
affects kidney function. The primary for many animal species and
waste product of creatine metabolism, may not even be absorbed. There’s zero evidence that creatine
creatinine, is excreted through the For example, creatine intake is hazardous for people who have
kidneys, and with compromised kidney causes chronic hepatitis normal kidney function.
function, excess creatinine could pro- in mice but not in rats. In
duce kidney stress. In fact, a primary contrast, humans easily and
test of kidney function is called the rapidly absorb it, even though many had no adverse effects on kid-
creatinine-clearance test; in it excess ads attempt to deny that so they can ney function. The subjects also
creatinine points to problems with the sell “superior” creatine supplements. participated in aerobic exercise for 40
filtering mechanism in the kidneys. Just Complicating the picture is the fact minutes three times a week. Tests on
because a clinical test uses a particular that the creatinine test, the primary those in the placebo group showed
substance as a marker of bad kidney test for kidney function, isn’t accurate that the exercise alone improved kidney
function, however, doesn’t prove the for those who use creatine, particularly function. That was attributed to the
substance caused the problem. during a loading phase. A recent study health-promoting effects of exercise,
One study, which reviewed the lit- compared men, ages 18 to 35, who such as more efficient glucose control,
erature about the effects of creatine in got either 10 grams of creatine or a lower blood pressure and a reduction
relation to muscle cramps and dehydra- placebo daily for three months. The in oxidative stress and bodyfat levels.
tion, cited a 1998 case study published researchers used a newer test of kidney Significantly, those are the same fac-
in the Lancet describing a 25-year-old function that measured a serum protein tors that offer lifelong kidney protection,
man who experienced a decline in called cystatin C. Cystatin C is regularly suggesting that regular exercise is one
kidney function after taking 20 grams of filtered in the kidneys and easily reab- of the best things you can do to pre-
creatine a day. Complicating the report sorbed, since it has a low molecular serve kidney function.
was the fact that the man had kidney weight. A loss of cystatin C is a good —Jerry Brainum
disease. When he stopped using the indicator of a defect in the glomerular
creatine, his symptoms abated, lead- filtration system of the kidneys and isn’t
ing the authors to suggest that creatine affected by creatine metabolism. References
was toxic to kidney function. A French The study found that, based
newspaper reported that three days on monitoring cystatin C ex- Dalbo, V.J., et al. (2008). Putting the
after the review was published, but it cretion, taking in 10 grams of myth of creatine supplementation lead-
totally overlooked the fact that the man creatine daily for three months ing to muscle cramps and dehydration
to rest. Brit J Sports Med. In press.
Gualano, B., et al. (2008). Effects
A French newspaper reporting on the of creatine supplementation on renal
case totally overlooked the fact that the function: a randomized, double-blind,
placebo-controlled clinical trial. Eur J
man already had serious kidney disease. Appl Physiol. In press.

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Unfortunately, shoulder injury

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to Grow
NUTRITION NOTES
Food Facts
That can affect your
workouts, weight and wellness
Lemon in your tea

can increase the amount
of available antioxidants
by five times. That’s
because of the acidic
nature of lemon juice,
which promotes absorp-
tion of those nutrients.
Figs can
prevent muscle
cramps. Why?
Six of them
contain about
890 milligrams
of potassium,
roughly double
the count in a large banana.
Peppermint vapors
were shown to give bas-
ketball players more energy
and confidence in a recent
C H E AT M E A L S
study. Try peppermint gum
Pump Up the Carbs for Growth during your workout (suck-

ing on a candy cane just
wouldn’t look right).
Aspirin may help fight
Recently I was picking the brain of top nutritionist Hany “the Pro Creator”
cancer. You’ve
Rambod, whose current clients include ’08 IRON MAN Pro winner Phil Heath. heard that it can reduce
The topic of conversation was cheat meals. Most people associate them with the risk of heart attack, but
jump-starting a sluggish metabolism while dieting as well as taking some of the same anti-inflammatory
the suffering out of the process. Hany, however, uses cheat meals for an- effects that produce that
benefit appear to reduce
other purpose—bringing up weak bodyparts.
the inflamma-
That idea makes more sense if you’re aware of his FST-7 training system, tion that can
which centers on using maximum muscle pumps to break up and loosen lead to cancer.
muscle fascia, allowing growth to take place (standard heavy training is also Broccoli seems to
part of the system). So how exactly can a cheat meal help? “A meal that’s high help reduce estrogen in
men, boosting testos-
in both carbohydrates and sodium will go a long way toward promoting a killer
terone power. The effect
pump,” says Hany. “You should also be fully hydrated so that the nutrients can is due to a phytonutrient
be transported properly.” called indole-3-carbinol.
He notes that the process takes time, so you’re better off eating that meal Marijuana isn’t a
the day or night before your workout to take full advantage of the phenome- food, but studies sug-
gest that it can eat up your lungs.
non. And though you can opt for pizza or burgers and fries if you like, a better
Researchers say that smoking one
choice for a bodybuilder who wants to stay lean or get leaner would be to add joint a day
high-sodium condiments like ketchup or teriyaki sauce to carbs like baked causes as
potatoes or rice. much lung
Don’t confuse cheat meals with cheat days. While a single cheat meal can damage
as smok-
have positive effects, a day-long binge of the wrong foods, especially if in-
ing 20
dulged in two or more times a week, is a surefire ticket to Fat City! cigarettes.
—Ron Harris
www.RonHarrisMuscle.com —Becky Holman
www.X-tremeLean.com

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©2009 Home-Gym.com

to Grow
BOOK REVIEW
4 Weeks to Maximum Immunity

As a bodybuilder you may be asking intercourse because it appears to have
yourself, Why should I read a book on immune-enhancing effects—will keep
immunity? If you want to build muscle, your highlighter streaking through entire
you have to train hard and recover, paragraphs.
right? If your immune system is out of The 350-plus-page book is full of prac-
whack, you can easily get run down or tical advice and discussions of research
ill, which means you can’t train hard—or on various immunity-oriented subjects.
at all. And even if your immunity is only There’s an entire chapter on vitamin D,
somewhat compromised, you may not sunlight and what’s necessary if you want
be able to properly regenerate after to avoid a deficiency, which is common
a workout—slowing gains to a snail’s in more than 50 percent of the popula-
pace. tion. That may explain many of the more
4 Weeks to Maximum Immunity, by prevalent health problems today—maybe
the editors of Prevention with Kim Ga- even your inability to build muscle. After
leaz, R.D., can help you stay strong to all, vitamin D and calcium are essential
train intensely and recover optimally for for muscle contraction. There are even
faster muscle growth. While some of miniquizzes on how well you’re eating
the book is just a skim-fest for those of and resting, your outlook on life and clean
us in decent health, like the sections on living (no, that one has nothing to do with
fighting against illness—they’re at the end of the book with steroids).
suggestions on what to do if you have allergies, asthma, You won’t find information on how to build 20-inch arms
cancer, diabetes and even food poisoning—those interested here, at least not directly, but a healthy immune system is
in building their bodies and health will find lots of good stuff. another cog in your mass-building machinery. 4 Weeks can
Chapters like “An Apple a Day Can Keep the Doc- keep it tuned up like a high-performance race car. It’s quite
tor Away,” “Sleep: Quality Matters As Much As Quantity,” an impressive tome, filled with some obvious and not-so-
“Stress: Don’t Let It Get the Best of You” and “Mood: Hap- obvious information that may surprise you—and help you in
piness Is Good Medicine” set the tone. Practical recommen- ways you never imagined.
dations—like eating fruits and vegetables at the same meal —Becky Holman
because of their synergistic health effects and having sexual www.X-tremeLean.com
H E A LT H F O O D S O R A L F I X AT I O N S
Is Organic Best? Dairy and the Dentist

A research study You may have heard
that a lack of plaque
from Great Britain
on your teeth is better
says yes. Produce
for your cardiovascular
grown on organic
health. The recom-
farms was com-
mendation is to brush
pared to that grown
and floss regularly.
conventionally, and
New research out of
the organic fruits Japan says that eat-
and vegetables contained up to 40 percent ing dairy products like
more antioxidants. Scientists also found that yogurt and cheese can
cows raised in an organic environment gave help too. A specific acid in those foods controls
milk that had up to 80 percent more healthful the growth of the bad bacteria that contribute
nutrients than factory-farmed cows (Preven- to plaque accumulation, which can lead to gum
tion, May ’08). —Becky Holman disease. —Becky Holman
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KISS A simple nutrition mission to drop fat and add muscle

You know the phrase Keep It Simple, Stupid. I’m a big addition of
fan of it. Maybe it’s because I’m lazy. Or maybe it’s be- a meal-re-
cause I don’t think nutrition should be about advanced placement
mathematics. My wife says I’m lazy, but I call it efficient. powder
When it comes to improving body composition, I’m a that’s high
firm believer in adopting simple strategies first. Besides in protein
exercising more, which is simple but painful, there are and lower
other easy things to do. A study recently reported in the in carbohy-
Nutrition & Metabolism Journal exemplified that tenet.1 In it drate can
a bunch of lab geeks examined the physiological response improve ex-
to 10 weeks of combined aerobic and resistance exercise ercise per-
vs. exercise plus minimal nutrition intervention designed to formance
alter the macronutrient profile. The nutrition intervention did and reduce
not involve energy restriction. The subjects could eat like bodyfat.
pigs or pigeons if they so desired. There was
Researchers used a commercially available high-pro- no crazy diet
tein, low-carbohydrate and lowfat nutrient-dense food involved, no
supplement. One serving equaled 300 kilocalories, with carb counting,
five grams of fat, 25 grams of carbs and 40 grams of pro- no fat counting
tein and roughly 50 percent of the RDA for vitamins and and no count-
minerals. Thirty-eight sedentary, overweight subjects were ing sheep,
randomly assigned to a control, exercise or exercise-with- thank heaven.
Neveux \ Model: Rehan Jalali
supplement group. The two exercise groups participated So for all
in supervised resistance and endurance training two times practical
and three times per week, respectively. Those using the purposes, if
supplement drank one shake per day during weeks 1 and your initial
2 and two shakes per day during weeks 3 through 10. So goal is to
what happened? lose bodyfat
As expected, those exercising significantly decreased and perhaps
fat mass—by 4.6 percent and 9.3 percent, the supplement improve exercise capacity, just drop your carbs
group losing the most. Muscle mass increased only in the and eat more protein. Better yet, make it easy on
supplement group. Time to exhaustion during treadmill yourself and just whip up a protein shake.
testing increased in the exercise group by 9.8 percent, Also, the study goes to the heart of why so many di-
but that was etary interventions fail in the long run—because they’re too
significantly less damn complicated. South Beach, North Beach, Atkins,
than the 21.2 Fatkins. Who has time to figure out those diets? Just cut
percent increase back on the carbs. It’ll go a long way toward shrinking your
in the supple- waistline and increasing your muscle mass. Hey, isn’t that
ment group. what bodybuilders have said for the past 50 years?
Total cholesterol —Jose Antonio, Ph.D.
and low-density
lipoprotein de- Editor’s note: You can listen to Dr. Jose Antonio and
creased only in Carla Sanchez on their radio show Performance Nutrition,
those taking the Web and podcast at www.performancenutritionshow
supplement, by .com. Dr. Antonio is the CEO of the International Society of
12.0 percent Sports Nutrition—www.TheISSN.org. His other Web sites
and 13.3 per- include www.SupplementCoach.com, www.Javafit.com,
cent, respec- www.PerformanceNutritionShow.com, and www.Jose
Neveux \ Model: Rehan Jalali
tively. AntonioPhD.com.
What can we
make of that 1 Lockwood, C.M., et al. (2008). Minimal nutrition inter-
information? vention with high-protein/low-carbohydrate and low-fat,

First of all, nutrient-dense food supplement improves body composi-
the very tion and exercise benefits in overweight adults: A random-
Don’t fall for the fat-to-muscle hustle.
Keep it simple to achieve results. simple ized controlled trial. Nutrition & Metabolism. In press.

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to Grow
ANTIAGING
Building Older Muscles The protein, fat and

hormone connection
A common concern among advised to eat high-fiber

bodybuilders over 40 is how to grains, fruits, vegetables,
retain muscle with the passing lean meats, fish and dairy
years. It’s important not only for foods. The suggested
aesthetic reasons but for health percentage of nutrients
as well. Recent research shows closely matched that
that muscle weakness is the recommended in the
most common cause of loss of United States (the study
mobility among the elderly. One took place in Finland).
simple way to preserve muscle In addition, the subjects
is to just keep training. were told how to plan
Certainly modifications may meals that would pro-
be in order. Weights that were vide at least one gram of
easy in your 20s may prove too protein per kilogram (2.2
formidable when you’re past pounds) of bodyweight
Neveux \ Models: Lee Apperson and Jennifer Micheli

40. daily. That’s slightly more
Diet also plays a part. Vari- than the 0.8 grams ad-
ous studies show that diet can vised for most people.
favorably affect muscular prog- They lifted weights twice a
ress in older trainees. That’s week for 21 weeks, using
clear from a recent study fea- a program that focused
turing men aged 49 to 73, who on progressive resistance,
underwent 21 weeks of super- with a special emphasis
vised weight training. on leg training.
Half of the subjects were A high-fiber, lowfat
diet fosters a decline in
AMINO AMMO men’s testosterone. Lower testosterone isn’t conducive to
building muscle, which is one reason you rarely see vegan
Do you need it
L-Glutamine to grow?
bodybuilding champions; vegetarians who do eat milk
products and eggs fare much better.
Do you train intensely? The study found that the combination of
(You’re reading IRON more protein and a fat intake of at least 30
MAN, so chances are percent led to increased testosterone and im-
you train very hard.) proved gains in the subjects’ muscular size and
To get the best results strength. A high-fiber diet didn’t seem to have any ad-
from your workouts, verse effects on building muscle or the hormone picture.
it’s a good idea to take The key was the 30 percent fat intake. Eating less fat than
supplemental glutamine. that while following a high-fiber diet would likely adversely
You probably already affect testosterone count. The men also had higher
know that it boosts the levels of free, or active, testosterone. Most tes-
immune system, but get tosterone is bound to proteins in the blood and becomes
this: It’s also been shown active only when unbound. One way to encourage that
to increase the amount of is to get more protein, as the Finnish study of older men
L-leucine in muscle tissue. Current research shows demonstrated.
L-leucine emerging as the key essential amino acid —Jerry Brainum
in anabolic reactions. Try taking three grams before
and after your workouts. Sallinen, J., et al. (2007). Dietary intake, serum hor-
—Becky Holman mones, muscle mass and strength during strength training
www.X-tremeLean.com in 49-73-year-old men. Int J Sports Med. 28(12):1070-
1076.

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Train, Eat,
GROW
Muscle-Training Program 106
From the IRON MAN Training
& Research Center
expansion technique, but before On that split we work legs only
by Steve Holman and we review it and describe how we’re once a week; however, we substitute
Jonathan Lawson now using it for all bodyparts, let’s regular deadlifts for the back rou-
Photography by Michael Neveux look at our current split, which tine on Friday. That gives us residual
hasn’t changed: leg work at the end of the week as
W
e discussed fascia well as a heavy back blast. We follow
stretching in our Week 1 deads with one or two sets of a di-
last installment and rect back exercise—pulldowns if it’s
described our experi- Monday: Chest, lats, triceps, abs lat day, machine rows if it’s midback
ments with it. The fascia is a sheath Tuesday: Quads, hamstrings, day.
that encases muscle tissue, and its calves, lower back Okay, time to unleash some new
rigidity is believed to constrict mus- muscle size.
cle growth. Some trainers put clients Wednesday: Delts, midback,
through rigorous, often painful biceps, forearms
Supersets for
stretching programs in an attempt Thursday: Off Superpumps
to loosen the fascia to make room
for more muscle size. Other trainers Friday: Chest, deadlifts, triceps, Standard Positions-of-Flexion
use superpump programs, attempt- abs exercise order is midrange, stretch
ing to stretch the fascia from the Weekend: Off (with cardio) and contracted. That makes sense
inside via tissue engorgement. Then because midrange moves, like
there are the masochistic massage bench presses, are primarily for
therapists who specialize in Rolfing, Week 2 max-force generation; stretch-posi-
deep-tissue kneading, poking and tion exercises also generate a lot of
punching that break up scar tissue Monday: Delts, midback, biceps, force, although stretch overload is
and loosen the fascia. forearms the key anabolic stimulus there—
Whether any of that works is still Tuesday: Quads, hamstrings, think dumbbell flyes. Nevertheless,
debatable—many researchers be- calves, lower back the force characteristic makes it
lieve that the fascia is not constrict- a good transition move after the
ing, that it accommodates muscle Wednesday: Chest, lats, triceps, midrange exercise. Last you do the
growth as it happens (usually very abs contracted-position exercise, like
slowly); however, the fascia’s thick- Thursday: Off cable crossovers, to finish the target
ness and pliability may be a genetic with a big pump—more blood to the
thing. Some of us may need to take Friday: Delts, deadlifts, biceps, muscle enhances nutrient delivery
measures to make our thicker fascia forearms and kick-starts the anabolic process.
more pliable for faster growth to Weekend: Off (with cardio) In the past we’ve recommended
happen. Heck, it’s worth a shot. We’ll going back to the stretch-posi-
Model: Jonathan Lawson
try anything, within reason, to get tion exercise at the end of a POF
some extra size—but we’ll pass on Week 3 bodypart routine and using a fairly
the Rolfing. heavy weight to pulse in the stretch
We’ve developed our own fascia- Repeat Week 1 position for 30 to 60 seconds. The

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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
muscle is fully pumped, so the end- sion and occlusion. That pumps some bodyparts, however, it’s either
of-routine stretching action should up the target muscle immediately not feasible or somewhat danger-
help loosen the fascia. That takes after because it blocks blood flow ous to superset, so we take another
extra time, though, which we don’t during the exercise. Then, with a route.
have a lot of; we train on our lunch full-blown pump, you immediately
break. So we devised a way to get do the stretch-position exercise, like Switch It Up
fascia stretching within the POF dumbbell flyes for chest. By fully
bodypart routine—supersetting the elongating the pumped muscle, While supersetting is the most
contracted-position exercise with you force the fascia to stretch even efficient way to get the fascia-ex-
the stretch move. more. pansion effect, you can do a decent
You use the contracted-position You’ll see a number of fascia- job by simply reversing the standard
exercise, like cable crossovers for expansion supersets in our latest order of the last two POF exercises.
chest, to create continuous ten- program, which appears below. For Instead of doing midrange, stretch
IRON MAN Training & Research Center Muscle-Training Program 106

Workout 1: Chest, Lats, Triceps, Abs One-leg calf raises (drop; X Reps) 1 x 12(7)
Smith-machine incline Superset
presses (X Reps; rest/pause) 2 x 9-12 Hack-machine calf raises (X Reps) 1 x 10-15
High-low cable flyes (drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) Machine donkey calf raises (rest/pause) 1 x 9-12
Superset Seated calf raises (X Reps) 1 x 15-20
Wide-grip dips (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Hyperextensions or
Barbell or dumbbell bench presses 1 x 8-10 Nautilus lower-back machine (X Reps) 1 x 10-15
Tri-set
Low cable flyes (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Workout 3: Delts, Midback, Biceps, Forearms
Dumbbell flyes 1 x 8-10
Dumbbell upright rows (X Reps; rest/pause) 2 x 9-12
Pushups 1 x max
Forward-lean lateral raises (drop; X Reps) 2 x 10(6)
Wide-grip pulldowns (X Reps; rest/pause) 2 x 9-12
Superset
Undergrip pulldowns 1 x 9-12
One-arm cable laterals (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Superset
Leaning laterals 1 x 8-10
Stiff-arm pulldowns (drop) 2 x 10(6)
Incline one-arm laterals (X Reps) 1 x 9-12
Machine or dumbbell pullovers 2 x 9-12
Smith-machine behind-the-neck
Lying extensions (rest/pause) 1 x 9-12
presses (second set stage style) 2 x 9-12
Superset
Bent-over laterals (drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(6)
Decline extensions 1 x 8-10
Superset
Decline close-grip bench presses 1 x 8-10
Dumbbell shrugs (DXO or stage style) 1 x 9-12
Superset
Cable upright rows (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Pushdowns 1 x 10-12
Machine rows (X Reps; rest/pause) 2 x 9-12
Cable pushouts or overhead
V-handle cable rows (X Reps only) 1 x 9-12
dumbbell extensions (rest/pause) 1 x 8-10
Superset
Superset
Bent-arm bent-over laterals (X Reps) 1 x 9-12
Kickbacks 1 x 9-12
Behind-the-neck pulldowns (X Reps) 1 x 9-12
Stiff-arm kickbacks 1 x 8-10
Preacher curls (rest/pause) 1 x 9-12
Superset
Cable curls (DXO; rest/pause) 1 x 7-9
Incline kneeups 1 x 12-15
Concentration curls (drop) 1 x 9(6)
Flat-bench leg raises 1 x 8-10
Superset
Tri-set
Dumbbell spider curls (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Ab Bench crunches 1 x 10-12
Incline curls (rest/pause) 1 x 8-10
Twisting crunches 1 x 10-15
Dumbbell reverse wrist curls (X Reps) 1 x 12-20
End-of-bench kneeups 1 x 9-12
Dumbbell wrist curls (X Reps) 1 x 12-20
Rockers (rest/pause) 1 x 12-20
Workout 2: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves, Lower Back Superset
Leg extensions (warmup) 1 x 12-15 Cable reverse curls (X Reps) 1 x 9-12
Squats (second set DXO with close stance) 2 x 9-12 Incline hammer curls 1 x 8-10
Superset
Leg extensions (drop; X Reps) 2 x 10(6) Friday Workout
Sissy squats 2 x 9-12 Deadlifts (substitute for back exercises) 1 x 9-12
Feet-forward Smith-machine squats 1 x 9-12
Leg curls (X Reps) 1 x 9-12 Note: Where X-Reps are designated, usually only one
Leg curls (drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) set or phase of a drop set is performed with X Reps or an
Stiff-legged deadlifts (DXO) 1 x 7-9 X-Rep hybrid technique from the e-book Beyond X-Rep
Knee-extension leg press Muscle Building. See the X-Blog at www.X-Rep.com for
calf raises (X Reps; rest/pause) 2 x 12-15 more workout details.

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Train, Eat, GROW
Move from equipment for a superset is usu-
cable ally impossible in that environ-
crossovers ment.
to flyes, A good example from our new
a stretch
program is our hamstring rou-
movement,
tine:
to get the
fascia-
expansion Feet-forward Smith-
effect. machine squats 1 x 9-12
Leg curls (X Reps) 1 x 9-12
Leg curls (drop; X Reps)1 x 10(6)
Model: Moe El Moussawi

Stiff-legged deadlifts
(DXO) 1 x 7-9
Model: Binais Begovic

The big, midrange move is
feet-forward Smith-machine
squats, which is a good transition
exercise from our quad routine.
Then we do a straight set of leg
and contracted, you do curls, with X Reps, rest, and hit a
midrange, contracted and drop set to force a bigger pump.
stretch. Reversing the order After a brief rest we blast out a set
is also more convenient for of stiff-legged deadlifts, the stretch-
those who work out in a position exercise for hamstrings.
crowded commercial gym. Talk about feeling the hams getting
Occupying two pieces of hammered! To make it even more
IRON MAN Training & Research Center Home-Gym Program 106

Workout 1: Chest, Lats, Triceps, Abs One-leg calf raises (drop; X Reps) 1 x 12(8)
Incline presses (X Reps; rest/pause) 2 x 9-12 Donkey calf raises (X Reps; rest/pause) 2 x 10-15
Incline flyes (drop) 1 x 10(6) Seated calf raises (X Reps) 1 x 12-20
Superset Hyperextensions (X Reps) 1 x 10-15
Bench presses or wide-grip dips (X Reps) 2 x 9-12
Flyes or decline flyes (X Reps; rest/pause) 2 x 8-10 Workout 3: Delts, Midback, Biceps, Forearms
Chins (X Reps; rest/pause) 1 x 9-12 Dumbbell upright rows (X Reps; rest/pause) 2 x 9-12
Undergrip chins (X Reps) 1 x 9-12 Forward-lean laterals (drop; X Reps) 2 x 10(6)
Superset Incline one-arm laterals (X Reps) 1 x 9-12
Undergrip rows 2 x 9-12 Barbell or dumbbell presses (X Reps) 2 x 9-12
Dumbbell pullovers 2 x 8-10 Bent-over laterals (drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(6)
Lying extensions (X Reps; rest/pause) 2 x 9-12 Superset
Superset Dumbbell shrugs (DXO) 1 x 9-12
Overhead extension (X Reps) 1 x 9-12 Upright rows 1 x 8-10
Kickbacks 1 x 8-10 Bent-over rows (X Reps; rest/pause) 2 x 9-12
Giant set Bent-arm bent-over laterals (drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(6)
Incline kneeups 1 x 15-20 One-arm dumbbell rows 1 x 9-12
Flat-bench leg raises 1 x 10-12 Dumbbell curls (rest/pause) 2 x 9-12
Ab Bench or full-range crunches 1 x 10-12 Concentration curls (drop) 1 x 9(6)
End-of-bench kneeups 1 x 9-12 Incline curls (rest/pause) 1 x 9-12
Dumbbell reverse wrist curls 1 x 12-20
Workout 2: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves, Lower Back Dumbbell wrist curls 1 x 12-20
Leg extensions (warmup) 1 x 12-15 Rockers (rest/pause) 1 x 12-20
Squats (second set DXO with narrow stance) 2 x 9-12 Incline hammer curls (drop) 1 x 9(6)
Superset
Leg extensions (drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) Friday Workout
Sissy squats 1 x 9-12 Deadlifts (substitute for back exercises) 1 x 9-12
Walking lunges 1 x 10-15
Leg curls (drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) Note: If you don’t have a leg extension machine, do old-
Stiff-legged deadlifts (DXO) 1 x 7-9 style hacks, nonlock style. Use partner resistance, towel
Knee-extension donkey calf raises around the ankles, if you don’t have a leg curl machine.
(X Reps) 2 x 12-15

Train, Eat, GROW
stretch-worthy, we use the Double-X a heavy/light program for each Fascia-expansion superset
Overload technique, which involves bodypart and use the fascia-expan- Contracted
doing an X-Rep partial in the bot- sion supersets on light day. Here’s Cable crossovers 1-2 x 8-10
tom, stretch position after every the example we outlined in the Stretch
full-range rep. e-zine, using the chest routine from Flyes 1-2 x 8-10
the Heavy/Light Program in our e- So heavy day focuses on max-
Fascia Imperfections book X-traordinary Muscle-Building force generation, with heavy mid-
Workouts: range- and stretch-position work,
The biggest problem with the while light day gives you a great
Chest: Heavy
fascia-expansion supersets is that pump with higher reps along with
Midrange:
you do have to superset—do two fascia expansion.
Bench presses 3 x 5, 8, 9
different exercises back to back. We Obviously, there’s some theory
Stretch
explained above how to get around involved in fascia expansion, but
Dumbbell flyes (drop) 1 x 8(5)
that—drop sets on the contracted- if nothing else, reversing the order
position exercise, with rest after, Chest: Light and doing the supersets will be a
followed by the stretch-position ex- Midrange great change that will result in great
ercise to end the bodypart routine. Bench presses gains.
Another problem is that force (subfailure) 2 x 10-15 Note: For more information on
generation is reduced on the Contracted the e-book X-traordinary Muscle-
stretch-position exercise because Cable crossovers (drop)1 x 8(5) Building Workouts, which includes
you do it second in a superset or as the Heavy/Light Program, visit
the last exercise in the nonsuperset Incorporating fascia expansion, www.X-Workouts.com.
version. Muscle fatigue from the the heavy day would stay the same
contracted-position exercise in both as above, but the light day would Editor’s note: For the latest on
cases diminishes your power output change, as follows: X Reps, X e-books and the X-Blog
on the stretch-position exercise. training and supplement journals,
Chest: Light
In our e-zine—you can sign up visit www.X-Rep.com. A few of the
Midrange
for it free at IronManMagazine mass-training e-books are shown
Bench presses
.com—we discussed a solution to below. IM
(subfailure) 2 x 10-15
that small problem. You can use
X-traordinary Workouts — X-ceptional Results!
The Ultimate Mass Workout. Beyond X-Rep Muscle 3D Muscle Building. X-traordinary Muscle-
This is the original X-Rep Building. More on X Reps Positions-of-Flexion mass Building Workouts. The big
manual. Includes the and X-hybrid techniques, training. Includes the 20- 10 mass-program arsenal.
ultimate exercise for each including X Fade and pounds-of-muscle-in-10- Includes Heavy/Light, 20-
muscle and workouts. Double-X Overload. weeks size surge program. Rep Squat, Power Pyramid.
X-Rep.com
NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HU
Naturally Huge
by John Hansen, Mr. Natural Olympia
Natural
Bodybuilding
Contest Tips
Q: I’m a senior at Ohio Northern University. My
major is sport management, and I’m 22 years old.
Last summer I interned as a personal trainer at a
health club in Columbus, Ohio—my best work expe- site and routinely read your column. Your informa-
rience so far. I’ve been an athlete my entire life and tion has been very helpful and inspiring, and I feel
was recruited to play baseball in college, and I’ve that I have the work ethic and natural genetic build
really become serious about lifting and dieting. At to compete. How would I go about getting started in
18, I weighed 165 pounds at 6’. Today I’m at 220 and natural bodybuilding? I need some tips for dieting
6’2”, and I’m proud to say that the weight gain has right and keeping lean. Plus, what’s your ideal pro-
all come just with hard work, planned training and gram for gaining lean muscle over time?
clean nutrition. This year I’ve really connected with A: Congratulations on the improvements you’ve made to
natural bodybuilding. I’ve been all over your Web your physique over the past four years. Adding 55 pounds
of mostly lean muscle
is a great achieve-
ment. You’ve asked
for the ideal program
for gaining lean mus-
cle over time. I’d say
you probably have a
pretty good idea of
how to do that.
The key to getting
big is to overload the
muscles progressively
by using the basic
exercises for a limited
number of repeti-
tions—six to 10—and
a moderate number
of sets. At the same
time you need to feed
the muscles by eating
enough calories with
the proper amounts
of protein, carbohy-
drate and fat.
The basic exer-
cises involve several
muscle groups and
are the best for build-
ing mass and strength
Neveux \ Model: Skip La Cour
because you
(continued oncan
page
get at more muscle
102)
fibers. Exercises like
squats, deadlifts,
The basic multijoint exercises involve more fibers because of the bench presses, incline
power output created by many muscles working together. presses, barbell rows,

NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HU Naturally Huge
Immediately after your workout take
advantage of the window of opportunity
to restore the carbohydrate in your mus-
cle cells by having a fast-acting recovery
drink like 2:1:1 Recovery by Optimum
Nutrition or RecoverX by Muscle-Link.
They’re specifically designed to maxi-
mize muscle recuperation by providing
quick-digesting whey protein with the
right amount of carbohydrate for rapid
absorption into your muscle cells.
You asked how to get started in natu-
ral bodybuilding. I assume you mean
getting started in competition. Begin by
entering a local natural contest in your
area. Pick a show that’s at least three to
four months away so you’ll have plenty
of time to prepare.
Diet is the most critical area of con-
test preparation. Your nutrition plan
should enable you to eliminate body-
fat while maintaining muscle mass.
That will give you the ripped look that
wins competitions. If you’re not lean
and conditioned, you have little or no
chance of winning.
You also need to hit the poses cor-
rectly to properly showcase your phy-
sique. The judges will judge only what
they see. If you don’t show your phy-
sique off to its best advantage, you’re
only hurting yourself. My book Natural
Bodybuilding has a whole section de-
voted to contest preparation, including
how to develop a posing routine and the
Neveux \ Model: John Cowgill
proper way to execute the poses. Also,

my new DVD, “Natural Bodybuilding
Seminar and Competitions,” features a
full section on competing, with prejudg-
ing, evening show and posedown foot-
age from contests I’ve entered. You’ll
As the muscles adapt by getting bigger and stronger, the training intensity gain valuable insight from either of
must increase in order for the muscles to continue growing. those sources.
Q: How do you feel about spread-

stiff-legged deadlifts, power cleans and military presses all ing a muscle group’s total workload over two to
use the biggest muscle groups, which is critical for building three weekly sessions instead of doing it on one
muscle mass. day? For example, instead of six sets for a bodypart
I recommend a high-protein diet. Limit your carbo- once a week, how about three sets twice week? Or
hydrates to high-fiber, low-glycemic-index foods like instead of 12 sets for a bodypart once a week, how
oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes, whole-grain bread about four sets done three times per week?
and vegetables. You’ll have to experiment to figure out the A: I understand what you’re saying, but muscle growth
right amount for adding muscle without getting too fat. It’s doesn’t really work like that. In order to get a muscle to
difficult to stay very lean while building muscle because respond and grow, you have to progressively increase the
you need to eat extra calories. That’s particularly true if you intensity so it keeps adapting to the new stress. If you train
have a fast metabolism and you’re naturally thin. a muscle with only half the intensity or volume you previ-
I suggest eating the majority of your carbohydrates ear- ously used, it won’t grow.
lier in the day. You could include more with breakfast and You can work a muscle more often if you don’t train
lunch and cut back on them toward the end of the day. it as intensely. When people first start working out, their
You should also eat carbs both before and after your muscles respond to almost any type of resistance exercise.
workouts. About an hour before you train, you should eat a Even two to three sets with a moderate resistance will make
low-glycemic-index carbohydrate like oatmeal so you have muscles grow. Because the intensity and volume are so low,
plenty of energy to sustain you for the full session. A simple the muscles recuperate quickly—in two to three days—and
carb like fruit or fruit juice will be in and out of your system the same workout can be repeated several days per week.
too quickly to give you the energy you need to train hard. As the muscles adapt by getting bigger and stronger,

NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HUGE NATURALLY HU Naturally Huge
If you’re specializing on a
weak muscle group, train
it twice a week, one heavy
workout and the other
light to give you more of
a pump.
Neveux \ Model: Tamer Elshahat

the training intensity must increase in order for them to Heavy
continue growing. You can use more resistance (heavier Leg extensions 3 x 15, 12, 10
weights), more volume (more sets and exercises) or both. Squats 4 x 10, 8, 6, 6
Most advanced trainees work each muscle group once Hack squats 3 x 10, 8, 6
or twice a week. Many older trainees limit their workouts Leg curls 4 x 10, 8, 6, 6
to working each bodypart once a week so their joints and Stiff-legged deadlifts 3 x 10, 8, 6
tendons fully recuperate. Younger trainees who recuperate
much more quickly and don’t have joint problems can train Pump
each muscle group more often—twice a week or once every Leg extensions 3 x 20, 15, 15
four or five days. Superset
Bodybuilders who use anabolic steroids and other drugs Leg presses 3 x 15
can train more often because the drugs aid the recupera- Sissy squats 3 x 10-12
tion process and prevent the catabolism of the muscles and Dumbbell lunges 2-3 x 12
joints. Many train six days a week, sometimes twice a day.
Their programs hit each muscle group two to three times The pump workout doesn’t tear down as much muscle
a week. A natural, drug-free bodybuilder would quickly tissue or stress the joints as much as the heavy one, but it
overtrain on that kind of program. pumps up the muscles and works different areas to provide
I’ve been training every muscle group once a week for a fuller, more developed look to the entire muscle group.
the past several years. That gives me three rest days a week.
My joints and muscles are fully recovered before I train Editor’s note: John Hansen has won the Mr. Natural
each muscle group again. Using that rotation, I can pro- Olympia and is a two-time Natural Mr. Universe winner.
gressively increase the resistance and the intensity at each Check out his Web site at www.NaturalOlympia.com or
workout each week for a seven-to-eight-week cycle. At the send questions or comments to him via e-mail at John@
end of each cycle I cut back on intensity by training lighter, NaturalOlympia.com. Look for his new DVD, “Natural
or I take a full week off. Bodybuilding Seminar and Competitions,” along with
On occasion I’ve used two workouts a week for a muscle his book, Natural Bodybuilding, and training DVD, “Real
group that I wanted to specialize on. I train it heavy with Muscle,” at his Web site or at Home Gym Warehouse,
my normal workout one day and then add a second, www.Home-Gym.com. Send written correspondence to
“pump” workout three to four days later. Here’s an example John Hansen, P.O. Box 3003, Darien, IL 60561. IM
of how I did two workouts for my legs:

SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSCLE SHREDDED MUSC
Shredded Muscle
by David Goodin
Bodybuilding
case, however, I’m turning to you. What training split
would you recommend for a newer lifter? I have no
medical issues other than being 270 pounds at 28
percent bodyfat, but I have my nutrition in order, I
101 believe.
A: First of all, congratulations on your weight loss—170
pounds—that’s amazing. Hearing stuff like that inspires
me. And thanks for reading IRON MAN.
Getting started on a solid weight-training program will
Q: I’ve been reading your columns in IRON speed up your metabolism and firm up your body. You’re
MAN since it started, and I love your honesty and right: Trying to figure out what to do can be quite baffling.
straightforward approach. I’m on a quest for a bet- My philosophy of weight training is simple: Keep it simple.
ter body and have lost 170 pounds in three years. I like to stick with the basic bodybuilding exercises. In my
I’m new to the iron game, and there’s so much infor- opinion, nothing beats the basics.
mation out there for us newbies that it can become I’m going to outline three programs. If you’ve done no
quite confusing. I normally don’t like to bother weight training at all, start with the full-body program.
people; I’m usually a figure-it-out-myself guy. In this I usually have beginners do only one or two sets of each
exercise during their first work-
out. Then I increase the number
of sets over the course of the first
three to five workouts so that
by the fifth workout they’re per-
forming the full routine. If you’ve
been doing a full-body workout
for two to three months, you can
go into the two-day split. You
can either work out two days in
a row, followed by a day of rest
and then repeat, or perform the
routines every other day and
just keep alternating between
A and B. If you’ve already been
working out on a split routine,
you may be able to move into the
three-day split. That’s my off-
season training program—pretty
intense, so you’ll probably want
to cut down on the number of
sets initially and build up to the
full routine over the course of a
few weeks.
I highly recommend purchas-
ing a couple of sessions with
a qualified personal trainer
to make sure your exercise
technique is correct. Look for
someone who trains clients
with weights—without making
them balance on anything. Also,
before hiring someone, watch
the trainer work out. You want
someone who performs exercises
smoothly, not jerking or slinging
Neveux \ Model: Justin Balik
weights around. Show the trainer

the program you want to follow
and tell him you want to learn to
do the exercises properly. If he
tries to talk you into switching to
rubber bands or performing the

CONCENTRATED SHOTS
RAPID-DELIVERY SUPPLEMENTS
Leg extensions 4 x 10-12
exercises while balancing on anything
Standing calf raises 4 x 12-15
other than the floor, look for a differ-
Donkey calf raises 4 x 12-15
ent trainer. If he tries to get you to do
Hanging leg raises 4 x failure
anything that feels like doing yoga
Crunches 4 x failure
with weights in your hands—run! You
should be looking for a trainer who
teaches the basic weight-training ex- Three-Day Split
ercises with both feet planted solidly Wednesday: Chest, Front
on the floor. and Middle Delts, Biceps
Now to the programs…
Bench presses 4 x 8-10
Incline presses 4 x 8-10
Full-Body Program Machine flyes 3 x 12-15
Crunches 4 x failure Seated dumbbell presses 4 x 8-10
Flex your abs hard on each rep Lateral raises 4 x 10-12
Back extensions 4 x failure Seated dumbbell curls 4 x 8-10
Perform smoothly, no swinging Straight-bar cable curls 4 x 12-15
Bench presses 4 x 10-12 Hammer curls 3 x 10-12
Seated cable rows 4 x 10-12
Overhead dumbbell Three-Day Split
presses (seated or
standing) 3 x 10-12 Friday: Back, Rear Delts,
EZ-curl-bar curls 3 x 10-12 Triceps
Pushdowns 3 x 10-12 Partial deadlifts (in the
Leg presses 4 x 10-12 power rack working from
Squats 4 x 10-12 the knees up) 4 x 10-12
(squat until the tops of your Lat pulldowns 4 x 8-10
thighs are parallel to the floor) One-arm dumbbell rows 4 x 8-10
Leg curls 3 x 10-12 Machine rear-delt flyes 4 x 10-12
Standing calf raises 3 x 10-12 Seated extensions 4 x 10-12
Bench dips 3 x failure
Two-Day Split Pressdowns 3 x 8-10
Workout A: Chest, Back,
Remember, technique is very im-
Shoulders, Abs portant. Always perform the move-
Bench presses 4 x 8-10 ment smoothly and with control in
Incline presses 4 x 8-10 both directions. When starting a new
Bent-over barbell rows 4 x 8-10 routine, don’t kill yourself the first
Lat pulldowns 4 x 8-10 time. If you’re having trouble complet-
Overhead barbell presses 3 x 8-10 ing all of the sets and reps, cut back
Lateral raises 3 x 8-10 and then gradually work your way up
Machine rear-delt flyes 3 x 8-10 to doing the full workout. When you
Hanging knee raises 3 x failure can handle it, work on pushing your-
Crunches 3 x failure self harder without sacrificing tech-
Back extensions 3 x failure nique. Focus on the working muscles;
feel the burn and make friends with it.
Two-Day Split Enjoy the pump today and the muscle
soreness tomorrow. Yes, it’s an ac-
Workout B: Legs, Biceps,
quired taste, but we’re able to acquire
Triceps a taste for a lot of things that we didn’t
Squats 4 x 10-12 enjoy at first.
Leg presses 4 x 10-12 When you learn to enjoy the pump
Leg curls 3 x 10-12
WWW.AMERICANBODYBUILDING.COM
and the burn—and the soreness—

Leg extensions 3 x 10-12 you’ll keep coming back for more.
Standing calf raises 4 x 12-15 When you get to that point, maintain-
Donkey calf raises 3 x 12-15 ing the all-important consistency will
Seated dumbbell curls 4 x 8-10 no longer be a problem. Train hard,
1-866-FLEX-ABB
Hammer curls 3 x 8-10 train smart, eat clean, and keep doing
Skull crushers 4 x 8-10 it day after day, week after week,
Pressdowns 3 x 8-10 month after month and year after
year. That’s my secret to success.
Three-Day Split Editor’s note: See Dave Goodin’s

new blog at www.IronManMagazine
©2008 American Body Building LLC
Monday: Legs, Abs .com. Click on the blog selection in

Squats 4 x 8-10 the top menu bar. To contact Dave
Leg presses 4 x 20
Can’t find it?
Get it here.
directly, send e-mail to TXShredder@

Leg curls 4 x 10-12 aol.com. IM
SINCE 1985
CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MASS CRITICAL MA
Critical Mass
by Steve Holman
X-Rep Rap—Top to Bottom

Q: I know you say that the best
place for X Reps is down near the
turnaround, close to the bottom
of an incline press, for instance,
but on contracted-position ex-
ercises, like concentration curls
and leg extensions, I feel X Reps
more if I do them in the flexed
position [at the top]. Is it okay to
do X Reps in the flexed position,
or am I wasting my time?
A: It depends on which mass-build-
ing characteristic you’re attacking.
The turnaround, where you move
from the negative to the positive, is
the semistretch spot—the max-force
point—so it makes sense to do X Reps
there on big, midrange exercises like
incline presses. Remember that com-
pound, midrange moves—the “big”
exercises—are done specifically for
max-force fast-twitch activation, so
when you move to the target muscle’s
semistretch point at full-range ex-
haustion, it amplifies the force over-
load.
You use contracted-position ex-
ercises, like concentration curls or
pushdowns, primarily to finish off a
muscle with continuous tension and
occlusion, or blood-flow blockage.
That’s the goal for those exercises, as
they’re best for building the endur-
ance components, like capillary beds
and mitochondria.
The flexed, or contracted, position
is where the target muscle is weak-
est because the fibers are bunched
up, unable to fire as effectively as
when they’re elongated and properly
aligned, as they are at the semistretch
point. That bunching, or crowding,
however, as occurs at the top of a
concentration curl, is excellent for
creating additional occlusion.
In other words, your intuition is
right on the money from the stand-
point of tension and occlusion.
End-of-set X-Rep partials done in the
contracted position appear to be best
for triggering more occlusive growth.
In the e-book The Ultimate Mass
Workout, Jonathan Lawson and I tied
the X Spot of each exercise to its Posi-

tions-of-Flexion designation. For example, we per-
formed X Reps for curls, the midrange move, near
the middle of the stroke; X Reps for incline curls, the
stretch exercise, at the arm’s-extended, full-stretch
position; and X Reps for concentration curls at the
top, flexed position. Most of those X points felt right
and eventually led us to X-Rep variations that im-
proved our physiques considerably.
The year after our initial X-Rep experiment we
developed a number of X-hybrid techniques. One of
the best for contracted-position exercises, such as
concentration curls, was the X Fade. It takes some
pain tolerance, but you get the best of both worlds—
occlusive growth stimulation and a bit more max-
force fast-twitch activation. The only drawback,
other than the hurt, is that you need a partner to
help you get into the contracted position for a lot of
exercises, like the top of leg extensions, when you
reach exhaustion. One exercise that doesn’t require
a partner is concentration curls because you have a
free arm.
Going
Here’s how to use the X Fade: When you can’t
for the
get another full rep, use your free arm to move the
burn can
Neveux \ Model: Gus Malliarodakis
dumbbell up into the contracted position and flex

increase
your biceps for three to four short X-Rep partial
muscle size
pulses—squeeze hard, even if you have to use your
and overall
free arm to help. Then lower the dumbbell to the X
bodyfat
Spot—just before full extension—and do as many
reduction.
more X Reps as you can. (If your nervous system
has short-circuited from the standard reps, you may
need to help yourself with your free arm during bot-
tom X Reps as well.) 2) Lighter weight/higher reps. Use a standard ca-
The top-end X Reps further occlude the biceps, while dence—1.5 seconds up/1.5 seconds down—but do 12 to 15
the bottom X Reps allow you to blast out the last bit of force reps so you get close to 50 seconds of tension time. Once
from the fast-twitch fibers. That’s efficiency of effort and again, this works best on your contracted-position exer-
a reason Jonathan and I added almost 10 more pounds of cises.
new muscle during the year after we introduced X Reps—a 3) Drop sets. Use a standard rep cadence, do a set with
fairly amazing feat for seasoned drug-free trainees. a weight that causes muscular exhaustion at around nine
reps, reduce the weight by 20 to 30 percent, then imme-
Q: I’ve watched a number of pro-bodybuilder diately crank out as many reps as you can get—usually
training videos, and none of those huge guys uses around six. That gives you the benefit of a long tension
slow reps, not even on isolation exercises. I have time, but by moving to exhaustion twice, you can hit more
all of your e-books, and you often suggest using a fast-twitch fibers. Drop sets work well on contracted-posi-
slower rep speed for contracted-position exercises tion exercises, but the technique can work for midrange, or
to better feel the muscle. If that works, why don’t the compound, moves as well.
pros ever use slower reps? 4) Supersets or tri-sets. Do two or three exercises
A: An interesting research study was just released that back to back. For example, do a set of stiff-arm pulldowns
showed using lighter weights with a three-seconds-up/ (contracted-position lat exercise) followed immediately by
three-seconds-down cadence produced much more growth a set of dumbbell pullovers (stretch-position lat exercise).
hormone and testosterone than standard one-second-up/ For a tri-set you’d add a third lat exercise—you could start
one-second-down sets. The longer tension time was the with pulldowns, for example, which gives you work in
kicker. all three positions of flexion—midrange, contracted and
Bodybuilders know that they get much faster muscle stretch. That has a lot of the same benefits as a drop set,
increases when those key anabolic hormones are elevated. but because you use different exercises, you get a different
So how do pros grow without doing slower reps? They fiber-recruitment pattern on each.
get supplemental GH and testosterone from their drug Any of those four techniques will ignite muscle burn,
regimens. They don’t need to focus on getting a hormonal which increases growth hormone release. Not only does
uptick from their workouts. GH amplify other anabolic hormones like testosterone, but
If you’re drug-free, however, it’s one more growth trigger it’s a potent fat burner as well.
you need to attack in your workouts. In other words, you
should tailor some of your sets to stimulate anabolic-hor-
Editor’s note: Steve Holman is the author of many

mone effects. Here are a few ways... bodybuilding best-sellers and the creator of Positions-
1) Lighter weight/slower reps. As in the study, use of-Flexion muscle training. For information on the POF
a weight that will enable you to do at least eight reps with videos and Size Surge programs, see the ad sections
a three-up/three-down cadence—around 50 seconds of beginning on page 192 and 280, respectively. Also visit
tension time. It works best on your contracted-position www.X-Rep.com for information on X-Rep and 3D
exercises (isolation moves, like leg extensions and concen- POF methods and e-books. IM
tration curls).

Presents

30
Big Lies
Bodybuilding
Don’t Fall for These Fibs
of Physique Development
by Terry Banawich
of
of
Photography by Michael Neveux
Lie 1:
You can get as big as a
their products, would have you
believe otherwise.
Still, that’s no reason to give up
instead of depositing them as fat.
Unfortunately, studies show that,
in most people, about 65 percent of
the gym. By using state-of-the-art new tissue gains brought about by
pro bodybuilder without
training principles, eating a nutri- high-calorie diets consist of fat.
taking steroids; it just ent-rich diet and getting enough Of the remaining 35 percent, ap-
takes longer. rest, almost everyone can bring proximately 15 percent consists of
about incredible physique changes. increased intracellular fluid, leav-
Despite what so many magazines While the competition circuit
say, all professional bodybuilders may not be in your future, build-
use either steroids or steroids in ing a physique that gains you
combination with other growth- respect is certainly achievable,
enhancing drugs. Without ma- as are self-respect and robust
nipulating hormones, it just health.
isn’t possible to get that degree
of muscularity, the paper-thin
skin and the continuing abil-
ity to pack on mass, despite
Lie 2:
In order to get really
sometimes having poor work- big, you have to eat a
out habits and
relative igno-
superhigh-calorie diet.
rance of the True, you’ll get really big if
prin- you eat a superhigh-calorie diet,
ciples but you’ll look like the Michelin
of mass Man’s fraternal twin. If you want
build- to get big with lean tissue, how-
ing. Certain ever, superhigh-calorie diets
supplement are probably not for you unless
Model: Joey Gloor
distributors, in you’re one of the happy few who

order to have metabolic rates so fast,
sell you can burn off those calories

30 Big Lies
ing a very modest percentage attrib- The bottom line is, if you exceed if you truly work your quads to
utable to increased lean muscle. your energy requirements, you’ll absolute fiber-tearing failure, doing
According to Scott Connelly, gradually get fatter and fatter. It’s a power workout the next day using
M.D., creator of Met-Rx, only 20 true that eating a diet rich in fat heavy bench presses or deadlifts
to 25 percent of increased muscle packs on the pounds for a variety of will in all probability inhibit gains.
growth stems from increased pro- reasons, the most significant being After a serious leg workout your
tein synthesis. The rest of it is direct- that a gram of fat has nine calories whole system mobilizes to heal and
ly attributable to proliferation of the as opposed to the four calories per recover from the blow you’ve dealt
satellite cells in the membrane of gram that carbohydrate and protein it. How, then, can you expect your
muscle tissue, and dietary energy— carry. body to heal from an equally brutal
a.k.a. calories—is not a key factor in Fat is also metabolized differently workout the next day? You can’t, at
the differentiation of those cells into in the body. It takes fewer calories least not without using some drugs
new muscle cells, a.k.a. myofibers. to assimilate the energy in the fat to help deal with the catabolic pro-
Of all factors determining muscle you eat than it does to assimilate an cesses going on in your body—and
growth, prevention of protein break- equal amount of carb. Consequent- even they aren’t usually enough.
down seems to be the most relevant, ly, more fat calories get stored than Learn to accept rest as a valuable
but adding fat through constant carbohydrate calories. Gross intake part of your workout. You should
overfeeding can actually increase of carbohydrates, as aided by many probably spend as many days out of
muscle breakdown. Furthermore, of the weight-gain powders, will the gym as you do in it.
additional fat can radically alter make you fat very quickly, however.
the hormone balances that control
protein breakdown in muscle. For
example, insulin balance, which
partially controls protein break-
down, is impaired by consistent
Lie 4:
The more you work out,
overfeeding. So much for the eat- the more you’ll grow.
big-to-get-big philosophy.
Stay away from superhigh-calorie No, no no! That’s one of the
diets unless you’re a genetic freak most damaging myths that ever
or you’re woefully lean and don’t reared their ugly heads. Ninety-five
mind putting on fat—or you’re using percent of the pros will tell you
pharmaceutical “supplements.” And that the biggest bodybuild-
even then...more about that later. ing mistake they ever made
was to overtrain—and that
Lie 3:
If you eat a lowfat diet, it
it happened even when they
were taking steroids. Imagine
how easy it is for a natural
doesn’t matter how many athlete to overtrain. When you
work your muscles too often
calories you take in—you for them to heal, the result is
won’t gain any fat. zero growth and perhaps even loss.
Working out every day, if you’re
truly using the proper
amount of intensity, will
lead to gross overtrain-
ing. A bodypart worked
properly—i.e., worked to
complete muscular fail-
ure, with as many
muscle fibers as
physiologically
possible re-
cruited—can
take five to 10
days to heal.
Even work-
Fact: When you work
ing a different your muscles too
bodypart in often for them to
the next few heal, the result is
days might con- zero growth or per-
stitute overtrain- haps even loss.
ing. For example,

30 Big Lies
Lie 5:
The longer you work out,
periods by locking out the weight-
bearing joint in question without
putting the weight down. In other
Lie 7:
The training programs
the better. words, you completely surpass your that work best for pro
normal pain and energy thresholds.
It just isn’t necessary to do 20 to If you can truly work your muscle to
bodybuilders are best for
30 sets for a bodypart, or even 10, that point, another set isn’t going to everyone.
as many so-called experts would give you much, if any, benefit. The You see it happen every day in
have you believe. In fact, research exception would be the bodyparts gyms across the country. A body-
has shown that it’s possible to com- that are so big, they have distinct building tyro walks up to a guy who
pletely fatigue a muscle in one set, areas, like the upper, middle and looks like he escaped from Jurassic
provided that the set lower back. The chest, which has Park and asks him how he trains.
taxes the distinct upper and middle parts Truth is, the biggest guy in the gym
with different insertion points for probably got that way either from
each, would fall into that category. taking a tremendous stack of drugs
or by being genetically predisposed
Lie 6:
You don’t have to be
t o getting big. Follow a horse
home, and you’ll
find horse
strong to be big. parents.
The
Even people who have the same best
amount of muscle mass vary enor- body-
mously in strength. It may have builder
something to do with the ratio of in your
fast- to slow-twitch muscle fibers or gym
with the effi-
ciency of nerve
pathways—
Model: Jimmy Mentis

even limb
length and
muscle torque.
Nevertheless,
anybody who
wants to get
bigger mus-
cles has to
lift heavier
muscle completely. You need to weight, and
engage as many muscle fibers as you, not the
possible and take them to the point guy next door
of ischemic rigor. That is, rather who’s got the
than contract and relax, the muscle same muscle
fibers freeze up—a microscopic mass as you,
version of rigor mortis. Any further have to become
contraction causes microscopic stronger than
tearing. Muscle growth is just one you were.
adaptation to that kind of stress and Increas-
naturally the kind most bodybuilding muscle
ers are interested in. strength in
That kind of intensity can usu- the natural
ally be achieved if you do drop or athlete, except
breakdown sets—you rep out, lower in a very few,
the weight, rep out, lower the weight rare instances,
and continue the pattern until requires that
either you can’t do another rep or the tension ap-
you’ve run out of weights. Or you plied to muscle
could do your maximum number fibers be high.
of reps on a particular exercise and If the tension is
then—through will, tenacity and light, maximal
short rest periods—complete 10 growth just
more reps. You get the short rest won’t occur.

30 Big Lies
is the guy who’s made the most requiring more or better feed. with an effective training program,
progress and done the most to his Growth hormone, certain estrogens, can markedly improve the lean-to-
physique using natural techniques. cortisol, ephedrine and IGF-1 are fat ratio of adult humans.
He may still be a pencil neck, but he examples of repartitioning agents.
may have put on 40 pounds of lean
body mass to get where he is, and
that took some know-how. He prob-
All increase oxygen consumption at
the expense of fat storage, indepen-
dent of energy intake.
Lie 9:
You can’t grow if you work
ably doesn’t overtrain, keeps his sets Drugs aren’t the only way to do each bodypart only once
to a minimum and uses great form that. A significant component of the
and concentration on the eccentric, mechanism is genetic,
a week.
or negative, portion of each rep. but specific nutrients If you work out—and do it in-
Many pros spend hours and in specific tensely—it can take five to 10 days
hours doing innumerable sets—so amounts, for the muscles to heal. A study
many it would far surpass the aver- com- published in the May 1993 issue
age person’s recuperative capacity. bined of the Journal of Physiology re-
If average people followed the rou- vealed that muscles can take weeks
tines of average pro bodybuilders, to recuperate from an intense
they’d start to whittle down what
muscle mass they do have or, at
best, make only a tiny bit of prog-
ress after a couple of years.
Lie 8:
Model: Mike Morris

You can’t build muscle
on a submaintenance-
calorie diet.
It may be a little harder, and
it may require a little bit more
know-how and conscientious
effort, but it can be done.
Changes in the lean-to-fat
ratio are regulated by compo-
nents of the nervous system
that work in synergy with en-
docrine hormones. It’s called
nutrient partitioning.
Certain beta-agonist
drugs, like clenbuterol,
for example, increase the
weight of cattle by more
than 30 percent
while simultane-
ously diminish-
ing bodyfat
and without
Fact: If you train a

muscle intensely, it
can take five to 10
days for it to heal
completely.

30 Big Lies
workout. The subjects included men rience great gains on that sort of When training heavy, take two to
and women who worked their fore- program. three minutes between your sets.
arms to the max. All said they were Ignore those who say three-days- Notice I said, “when training heavy.”
sore two days after exercising; the a-week bodybuilders are only rec- Truth is, you can’t train heavy all the
soreness was gone by the seventh reational lifters. Think quality, not time. Periodization calls for cycling
day, and the swelling was gone by quantity. You need to pay even more heavy workouts with less intense
the ninth day. After six weeks they’d attention to your diet, however, if ones so your body won’t become
gained back only half the strength you do train only three days a week, overtrained.
they had before the original exer- particularly if your job involves
cise!
You should take those results
with a grain of salt when determin-
little or no physical activity and you
spend your idle time eating. Lie 12:
You have to use fancy
ing your own exercise frequency; by
no means am I advocating that you
wait two months between workouts.
Lie 11:
You should rest only 45
weightlifting equipment
in order to make the best
gains.
I’m just making the point that it
takes muscles longer to heal than
seconds between sets. Futuristic-looking, complex
you might think. Especially for natu- That’s true if you’re trying to im- machinery designed to
ral bodybuilders, waiting a week prove cardiovascular health or lose give your muscles the
between bodypart workouts might bodyfat. To build muscle, though, “ultimate workout” is
be just what the doctor ordered for you need to allow enough time typically less effective
size and strength gains. for the muscle to recuperate fully; than good old barbells
that is, let the lactic-acid buildup and dumbbells. Using
Lie 10:
You can’t make gains if
in your muscles dissipate and
your ATP levels regenerate.
To make muscles grow, you
simple free weights on
basic multijoint exercis-
es—like squats, bench
you train with weights have to lift the heaviest presses, shoulder
weight possible, thereby presses and dead-
only three days a week. ensuring the maximum lifts—is still the
Although you probably can’t find number of muscle fibers most effective
a single steroid-assisted athlete who are recruited.
trains only three days a week, there’s If the amount of weight
absolutely no reason why a three- you lift is limited by the
days-a-week routine couldn’t work amount of lactic acid left over
for many natural athletes. As long as from the previous set, you’re
your routine attacks the whole body only testing your ability to
and you work to failure on each set, battle the effects of lactic
you might acid. It’s like trying to swim
easily across a pool while wearing
expe- concrete overshoes.
Fact: If you want to

build muscle, use cardio
equipment for fat burn-
ing; use weights for
anaerobic stimulation.

30 Big Lies
means of resistance exercise ever at rest—burn more fat just sitting prone to mechanical stress, and you
invented. Scientific research has there—leading to a higher net 24- don’t see them getting any bigger
shown that many exercise machines hour expenditure. than the rest of the muscle. If they
lack the eccentric component of an did, everyone would have propor-
exercise that’s necessary to stimu-
late muscle growth. Lie 14:
You can completely
tions like Popeye’s. Take a look at a
picture of any young professional
bodybuilder before he was devel-
Lie 13:
Weight training makes
reshape a muscle by
doing isolation exercises.
oped enough to become a pro. He’ll
have virtually the same structural
lines as he does today. All that’s
you big; aerobic exercise You can’t limit growth to just one changed is that his muscles are now
area of a muscle. Larry Scott, for bigger. That’s true of any muscle.
cuts you up. whom the so-called biceps-peak- Not so fast—you’re probably
Manipulations in your diet are ing Scott curl was named, had wondering about quads. Certainly
the main factor in getting cut up, tremendous biceps, but they didn’t when I do hack squats with my feet
and how you do it doesn’t matter. If have much in the way of peaks. The together, it tends to give my legs
your daily calorie expenditure ex- shape of your biceps—or for that more sweep. So what gives? The
ceeds your daily calorie intake on a matter, any muscle—is determined quadriceps are made up of four
consistent basis, you’ll lose fat and by your genetic makeup. When you different main muscles, and doing
get more cut. work a muscle, any muscle, it works hacks with your feet together forces
Aerobic exercise is generally on the all-or-nothing principle, the vastus lateralis muscles on the
meant to improve cardiovascular meaning that each muscle fiber re- outsides of the legs to work harder.
efficiency, and if you do it long cruited to do a lift—along the entire That’s why they grow proportionate-
enough, you’ll burn up calories and length of that muscle—is contracted ly along their entire length and give
drop fat. Well, weightlifting can do fully. the outer quads more sweep.
the same thing, only better. Stud- Why would a certain number of (continued on page 102)
ies have shown that the body burns them, like the ones in the middle of
Model: Jonathan Lawson

fat more efficiently if exercise is the biceps, suddenly start to grow
performed at a moderate pace for differently or at a faster rate
periods longer than 20 minutes. than their partners? If
It generally takes that long for the anything, the fibers
glucose in the bloodstream to be that are closest to
“burned,” and once the glycogen the insertion
reserves are used up, the body must points
metabolize fatty acids for energy. are the
That equates to lost bodyfat. most
In the long run, bodybuilding
is more efficient than aerobics for
burning calories. Let’s look at a set
of hypothetical twins. One twin per-
forms daily aerobics, and the other
practices a bodybuilding program
that results in increased lean body
mass. The bodybuilding twin would
ultimately be a more efficient fat
burner than his aerobic brother.
Why? Adding lean body mass
increases your metabolic require-
ments; muscle uses energy even
while it’s not contracting. The aero-
bic twin might use more calories
during the exercise itself, but the
weightlifting twin would use more

30 Big Lies
Lie 15: Lie 16: Lie 17:

If you get a pump, you’re If you do hundreds Training like a
working the muscles of situps a day, you’ll powerlifter—deadlifts,
adequately to ensure eventually achieve a heavy squats, bench
muscular hypertrophy, narrow, washboard-type presses—will make your
or if your muscles are midsection. physique look blocky.
burning, that means
you’re promoting muscle There’s no such thing as spot- Blockiness, like baldness or a flat
growth. reduction. Doing thousands and chest, is a genetic trait. If you were
thousands of situps will give you born blocky, then powerlifting will
A pump, whatever Arnold tight abdominal muscles, but they’ll simply make you a bigger blocky
Schwarzenegger said about its do nothing to rid your midsection person. The only way to offset a
resonance with great sex, is nothing of fat. Thigh adductor and abduc- blocky appearance is to give special
more than the muscle’s becoming tor movements give women’s thighs emphasis to the lats and the outer
engorged with blood from capillary more firmness, but they won’t rid muscles of the thighs and follow
action. You can achieve it easily by the area of cellulite. Nothing will a fat-reducing diet that keeps the
curling a soup can 50 times. By no rid the body of fat except a carefully midsection as narrow as possible.
means does that equate to the mus- orchestrated reduction in your daily
cular intensity needed for growth. energy stock, whether you burn
The same is true of the coveted more calories than you eat or deploy
“burn” that Hollywood muscleheads a nutrient-partitioning
advise the public to “go for.” A burn agent.
is simply an accumulation of lactic
acid, a by-product of chemical res-
piration.
You can get a burn by pedaling a
bicycle or simply extending your
arm straight out and moving it
in tiny circles. It doesn’t neces-
sarily mean you’re promot-
ing muscle growth. For
hypertrophy to occur,
you have to subject
your muscles to
high levels of
tension, and
high-tension
levels are best
induced
by heavy
weights.
Model: Omar Deckard
Fact: Heavy deadlifts

won’t make your physique
blocky unless you’re
blocky to begin with.

30 Big Lies
With those modifications, you’ll
give your body the illusion of a more
“aerodynamic” appearance. Besides,
Lie 18:
High repetitions make
is a wonderful catchphrase, and it
might even work for drug-assisted
athletes. In them the very act of
powerlifting exercises are excellent your muscles harder and popping open a Bud would prob-
for bodybuilding. ably induce muscular growth. In a
more cut up.
natural bodybuilder, however, the
Fact: Recording your Although there’s some evidence approach to long-term, consistent
workouts will help you that high repetitions induce some gains in muscle mass has to be a bit
get bigger faster. extra capillary intrusion into a more scientific.
muscle, they will do nothing to Research conducted by exer-
make the muscle harder or more cut cise physiologists recommends a
up. A completely sedentary person systematic approach such as peri-
who begins weightlifting, using odization, in which over a period of
either low reps or high reps, would several weeks you lift ever-increas-
experience a rapid increase in ing preset percentages of a one-rep
tonus, which is the degree of mus- lift. That heavy period is cycled with
cular contraction that the muscle a lighter training phase or phases.
maintains even when that muscle is Ultimately, the percentages in-
relaxed. It would happen, however, crease, the one-rep-maximum lifts
regardless of rep range. increase, and lean body mass in-
High repetitions would make a creases. There’s nothing instinctive
muscle more cut up only if, by doing about it.
a higher number of reps, you had
your body as a whole in negative
energy balance and were burning
more calories than you were taking
Lie 20:
Women need to train
in. Heavy weights, lifted for five to
Model: Eric Domer
differently from men.

eight reps per set, can build rock-
hard muscles. You just have to get On a microscopic level there’s vir-
the fat off them to see how “hard” tually no difference between male
they are. and female muscle tissue. Men and
Model: Karen McDougal

women have different levels of the
Lie 19:
Instinctive training is
the best way to promote
gains.
If bodybuilders followed their
instincts, they’d go home and pop
open a beer. Instinctive training
Fact: Women
do not need to
train differently
from men (and
they certainly
shouldn’t wear
pumps when they
work out).

30 Big Lies
same hormones, and that’s what’s can be extremely effective, however, fits that can’t be overlooked—they’re
responsible for the difference in the especially if your diet is lacking in generally safe, and they won’t get
amount of muscle they can typically some critical component or you’re you arrested. None of them builds
gain. There’s absolutely no reason genetically predisposed to accepting muscle as fast or as well as steroids,
men and women who have the that nutrient or supplement. though.
same goals should train differently Biochemically, individuals vary
from each other.
For example, a woman might
desire to develop her glutes a little
enormously, and the interaction of
genetics, coupled with our widely
varying diets, makes it virtually im-
Lie 22:
Professional
more so she looks better in a pair possible to gauge just what will work bodybuilders represent
of jeans. Conversely, a man might for one individual and what won’t.
want to build his lats a little more so That’s why some supplements work
the epitome of health and
that he fits the cultural stereotype of better than others for some people, fitness.
virility. just as some people are genetically The ultimate irony has to do with
predisposed to accept steroids more trying to get bodybuilding into the
Lie 21:
Food supplements
readily than others.
Food supplements do have bene-
Olympics: While all athletes in other
sport are presumably the healthi-
est they’ve ever been so that they
are just as effective as can compete athletically and break
records, bodybuilders are so weak
steroids, yet safer. on competition day that they’d have
The only things as effective as trouble fending off the attack of an
steroids are other steroids. Despite enraged mouse. The weeks of con-
the proclamations of some supple- stant dieting, workouts that con-
Model: Brian Yersky

ment distributors—usually in giant, tinually tax the body almost beyond
35-point type—no currently avail- recovery and a constant influx of
able supplement works like ste-
roids. Nutrients and supplements

30
Big Lies
heart to work that much harder,
and it will probably stop beating
years before it was designed to. On
the other hand, weight training and
consuming a nutrient-rich diet con-
stitute a healthful program, as long
as you don’t carry them to extremes.
Lie 23:
Training with weights
causes your muscles
to get tight and
hinders flexibility and,
consequently, athletic
performance.
This one goes all the way back to
the 1930s. Companies that were sell-
ing isometric exercise programs by
mail were trying to persuade people
not to exercise with barbells and
dumbbells, simply because it wasn’t
practical to send weights through
the mail. So they made up the mus-
cle-bound lie.
If anything, when done prop-
erly—slowly and using a complete
range of motion—weight training
increases flexibility. Many athletes
Fact: Full-range now engagwe in weight training
weight training can to improve their performance in
increase flexibility. their chosen sport. Witness boxer
Model: Brian Yersky
Evander Holyfield or any number of

track athletes, basketball players or
gymnasts.
The lie might have been fueled by
the feeling of tightness that accom-
potentially harmful drugs and di-
panies an intense workout. If the
uretics have brought most of them
to total exhaustion. workout is intense and a sufficient
Now think about the huge number of muscle fibers are recruit-
amounts of food some steroid-using ed and microscopically damaged,
bodybuilders eat. In places where then even the normal tonus is more
there are reports of people routinely than enough to cause a feeling of
living to be 100, the only common pain and tightness. The tightness is
denominator is that they all either compounded by the tugging of the
undereat or eat just enough to tendons on the muscles. Stretching
meet their daily calorie require- would do much to alleviate that,
ments. Because they eat less however, and it’s a recommended
food, they take in fewer harm- part of any athletic pursuit.
ful chemicals and fewer free
radicals are formed in their
bodies. The average profes-
sional bodybuilder probably
Lie 24:
Loading up on
eats at least four or five times
what they eat. carbohydrate is
As a result, bodybuilders often an excellent way to
suffer from high cholesterol and enhance your athletic
high blood pressure. Plus, with all performance.
that extra mass, they force their The traditional manner in which
30 Big Lies
athletes carb up for an athletic had the sugar, which might cause roids, and that’s all the more reason
competition involves first depleting you to become more exhausted that athletes who choose to use
the body’s stores of carbohydrate sooner than you normally would. them need to be knowledgeable
through exercise and diet, followed Your body is then forced to dip into about them. Of course, the physical
by rest and a high-carb intake. Stud- its glycogen reserves in order to cor- changes that steroids bring about
ies have shown, however, that such rect the imbalance.
preparation is unnecessary. To ensure that you have enough
Athletes who eat a balanced, energy to complete a workout, eat
high-carbohydrate diet and are nutrient-rich foods with low-glyce-
in reasonably good shape have mic indices, which don’t spike but
plenty of carbohydrates to meet the elicit a smooth, steady stream of
demands of exercise that doesn’t sugar into the bloodstream—foods
exceed roughly one hour. Anyone like barley, lentils or beans.
who does exercise that lasts longer,
like long-distance running or cy-
cling, may benefit from carbing up.
The ability of muscles to use fat as a
Lie 26:
All anabolic steroids
source of energy rather than carbo- are extremely toxic and
hydrates in endurance events may
be even more important to perfor-
dangerous.
mance at that level, however. Here’s a good trivia question bor-
rowed from Dan Duchaine’s Un-
derground Steroid
Handbook: If
you lined up a bottle of Di-

anabol (a popular steroid), a bottle
Lie 25:
Eating foods high in
of Lasix (a diuretic used by heart
patients and bodybuilders who
want to cut up for a competition), a
bottle of Valium, a bottle of aspirin
sugar before training and a bottle of Slow-K (a potassium
provides your body with supplement), which one, upon your
extra energy to sustain eating 100 tablets, wouldn’t kill you?
workouts. Well, most likely the Dianabol.
That isn’t an endorsement of
Simple sugars like sucrose don’t steroids; it’s just an effective illustra-
need to be broken down by the tion of the steroid stigma: They’ll
body’s enzymes to be used as energy give you brain tumors as they did
the way complex carbohydrates do. Lyle Alzado, they’ll cause your heart
That’s why they elicit a rapid release to enlarge and eventually give out,
of insulin, the hormone that regu- they’ll cause spontaneous decapita-
lates blood sugar. Trouble is, the tion and so on. Maybe some do, but
sudden, rapid influx of sugar into all steroids are different. Some are
the system causes the body to re- more dangerous than others. Birth
lease insulin in what must be con- control pills are steroids. Testoster-
sidered a haphazard method, and one patches have been used with
the amount released is usually more great success to enhance the quality
than what’s needed to metabolize of life for elderly men. Some of the
the sugar. steroids that bodybuilders use are
Consequently, your blood sugar very mild, and the risk associated
often temporarily drops to a point with them is virtually negligible.
that is lower than it was before you Still, there are dangerous ste-

30 Big Lies
might cause adverse psycho- ual cells—living cells that undergo severe, the muscles will shrink faster
logical effects in the user, and that all kinds of complex metabolic pro- than the surrounding skin, and you
shouldn’t be ignored. cesses. Fat cells are simply storage could experience a temporary loos-
packets of lipids. The possibility of ening of skin, but that, too, would
Lie 27:
If you stop working out,
one changing into the other is akin
to the football in your storage closet
turning into your Uncle Sam.
remedy itself with time.
your muscle will turn into If you stop working out, if you
stop applying resistance to your
fat. muscles on a consistent basis,
That’s almost too preposterous to they’ll simply adapt to the new
address. Muscle can no sooner turn condition. In other
to fat than gold can turn words, they’ll
into lead. Muscle is shrink. If the
made up of degree of
indi- inactivity
vid- or immo-
bilization is
Lie 28:
Taking MCTs—medium-
chain-triglyceride
oils—will give you
tons of energy but
won’t make you
fat.
MCTs first gained
prominence for treat-
ing persons suffering
from fat malabsorp-
tion, pancreatic defi-
ciency and stomach
or esophageal dis-
eases. Researchers Model: Dror Okavi
found that MCTs,
be-

30 Big Lies
cause of their better solubility
and motility, underwent a rapid
hydrolysis by salivary, gastric and
intake conditions. That’s no reason
to believe that putting them into
your body in excess won’t result in
Lie 29:
If everyone took the
pancreatic enzymes. Consequently, increased bodyfat stores, however. same amount of steroids,
they were able to reach the liver and MCTs, like all dietary oils, have nine everyone would look
provide energy much more quickly calories per gram. Even though like a professional
than long-chain triglycerides. they’re metabolized differently,
bodybuilder.
There was also some evidence using too much of them will add
that MCTs reduced lipid deposition inches to your waistline. One of the ironies of steroids is
in fat stores compared with that that some people are genetically
resulting from LCTs under identical gifted users. That means that they
Two bodybuilders could take the

same steroid stack and train and eat
the same, and one could turn out to
be in the Olympia while the other
might never win even a local contest.

30 Big Lies
have a large number of receptor
sites in the muscles with which
a particular steroid can combine
and exert its mass-building effects.
The man or woman who won the
last contest might very well be the
most dedicated, knowledgeable
bodybuilder—or have the most active
steroid receptors in the room. On the
other hand, some people might pos-
sess very few receptors for a particular
steroid and so may experience very little
growth on it.
Another factor that influences recep-
tor affinity is age. The highest receptor
affinity seems to occur in late adoles-
cence. As they have greater uptake,
younger users are often able to take
lower dosages for longer periods of time
and make better gains than older users.
Indeed, two bodybuilders could take
the same steroid stack and train and eat
the same, and one could end up in the
Olympia while the other might never
win even a local contest. The difference
in how people react to the drugs is de-
cisive.
Lie 30:
Someone with a well-built
body must be knowledgeable
about fitness and physique
development.
Despite popular belief, just because a
guy has 20-inch arms or 32-inch thighs
does not automatically make him a
bodybuilding expert. Unfortunately, in a
society where looks count for so much,
well-built lifters are often regarded as
bodybuilding scientists. Yet many well-
built athletes, even pro bodybuilders,
have no idea how they got where they
Model: Mike Icolari
are. Many of them are very genetically

gifted and embellish their genetic poten-
tial even further by using tons of body-
building drugs, so they actually succeed
in spite of themselves. With few ex-
ceptions, elite bodybuilders are the
last people in the world you want
to turn to for bodybuilding advice
if you’re genetically average like
98 percent of us. You’re more
likely to find expert advice from
someone who’s just like you.
Editor’s note: For more articles

by Terry Banawich, visit www
.Bodybuilding.com. IM

Classic Every summer we do a
special presentation
Arnold
in IRON MAN to
celebrate Arnold
Schwarzenegger’s
birthday, which is July
30. This year’s feature, in
honor of his 61st, is very
A Photo Celebration Honoring special indeed because
the Oak’s 61st Birthday master photographer
Jimmy Caruso has
Photography by Jimmy Caruso handpicked a few of his
best photos of the Oak
for our exclusive look at
the legend in his prime.
The following pages
contain classic Arnold
images suitable for
tearing out (carefully)
and framing or tacking
up on your wall for
motivation. As you leaf
through them, you’ll see
that they’re inspiring,
dramatic and stunning.
Our thanks to Caruso
for his permission
to publish some of
the all-time-best
Schwarzenegger
physique photos ever
taken.
© 2008 Jimmy Caruso. All Rights Reserved
Happy birthday,
Governor.
—The Editors

CLASSIC
Arnold

Arnold
CLASSIC

CLASSIC
Arnold

CLASSIC
Arnold

CLASSIC
Arnold

CLASSIC
Arnold
CLASSIC
Arnold

CLASSIC
Arnold

All photos this page © 2008 Jimmy Caruso. All Rights Reserved
CLASSIC
Arnold

CLASSIC
Arnold

A Bodybuilder
Is Born
Episode 37
Knowledge Not
Applied Is Worthless
by Ron Harris
Photography by Michael Neveux
I
hadn’t seen much of Randy since we’d competed two weeks into his bulking program, and his weight
back in May, but there certainly was more of him was 212. That was up from a dehydrated 184 at the
to see every time our paths crossed. He’d stayed contest, though he’d weighed 188 the night before.
lean for the week after the show to do a photo That 212 was close to his usual off-season weight, but
shoot for a clothing catalog, during which time he this time he looked bigger and leaner. It was almost
attempted to flirt with his modeling partner, a local another three weeks before I saw him again, and by
figure champion who, he soon learned, was engaged then he was up to 220. If he’d been appreciably fatter,
to the owner of the clothing company, who also I would have given him the third degree, but he wasn’t
owned two local gyms. I thought Randy was a pretty at all. The kid had taken advantage of the unique
sharp young guy, but apparently the three-carat rock metabolic opportunity that follows a precontest diet
weighing down her dainty left hand hadn’t tipped him (also known as the rebound effect) by training his butt
off, nor had the fact that she drives a new Mercedes off and putting the food and supplements away like a
and is a 23-year-old graduate student. When I was in champ.
college, I could barely scrape enough money together The last I’d heard from him he was holding steady
to keep me in ramen from week to week. around 221, because it was summer and he didn’t
Randy actually hooked up with the girl who did his want to be too smooth to strut around the beach.
makeup for the shoot. If I forgot to mention that his Here in Boston, if you don’t take advantage of sum-
previous girlfriend, who was several years older, left mer, you’ll regret it, since it comes only once every
him for a commercial airline pilot twice her age, my four years. At least, that’s how it feels when we are
apologies. It’s just so damn hard to stay current with suffering through endless days of wind-chill factors
Randy’s love life when I write about him only once a bringing the temperatures below zero and blizzards
month. Apparently, the girl who did his makeup—just that dump enough snow to totally bury Vern Troyer,
a little foundation to cut down on his oily-looking the diminutive actor best known for portraying Mini-
skin, and he swears he won’t be turning into a drag Me in the Austin Powers films.
queen anytime soon—had his heart from the first Because Randy wasn’t training with me except very
time she leaned over in front of him and displayed her occasionally and my wife Janet’s work schedule often
ample cleavage. We men are such simple creatures conflicted with my morning workouts, I’d been train-
Neveux \ Model: Ron Harris
when you really get down to it. ing solo quite a bit. One thing about having a partner
Randy had taken my advice about going on a mass- that I’d forgotten was that it helps to keep the nuts
gaining quest once he’d rested for a week following away, since they see you already have someone to talk
the contest. The first time I saw him was less than to. Now, it was open season on Ron.

A Bodybuilder Is Born
One of my most dreaded pests This guy was like so many others ly how to train and eat to make the
was Roy. I’ve known Roy off and on in gyms everywhere—a part-timer. changes he wants with his body. He
since I joined my current gym more I would see him for a month or two just doesn’t actually follow through
than four years ago, and wouldn’t on a regular basis; then he’d fall off and do it. Because of that, I’ve al-
you know, he looks exactly the same the face of the earth for a couple of ways found Roy to be particularly
now as the day I met him. At a 20th months. Every time he returned, annoying. I can forgive the ignorant
high school reunion telling some- Roy made a point of seeking me out for not training correctly or eating
one “you haven’t changed a bit” is and letting me know that he was the way they should, as they simply
the supreme compliment. In body- “getting back into training” and was don’t know any better. But for some-
building it means you suck because “going to start eating good again.” I one to have all the knowledge and
Don’t just talk

about doing the
right things in the
gym and out—
really do them!
Model: Binais Begovic
you haven’t improved. haven’t yet revealed the most ironic squander it by not applying it just
Roy was 42, about 5’8” and 190 facet of all this yet. Roy was and is burns me up.
pounds. But, as I tell anyone who totally into bodybuilding. He sub- As the years have gone by, I
will listen (which isn’t too many scribes to all the major magazines, have found it increasingly difficult
people), height and weight never actually reads them rather than just to conceal my disgust. I had just
tell the whole story. Roy had a belly looking at the pictures, as I suspect finished a heavy set of squats in a
on him that looked as if he was many do, and is also a fan of the power rack and was stretching my
going to give birth within a couple sport. He even went to the Arnold quads out when Roy sauntered up. It
of months. His arms and legs had a Classic once, and he can always tell was late July, and unless I was mis-
little bit of size to them, just enough you who’s won the most recent pro taken, there had still been snow on
to let you know that he either shows. the ground the last time I had seen
worked out or had at one time, but Roy also buys plenty of supple- this knucklehead.
they were doughy and smooth. If ments, although only sporadically. “Hey, Ron, how’s it going?” he
Roy were to get lean enough to see a That’s because he uses them when said, smiling. Roy was wearing a
six-pack, he would probably have to he’s training, then stops using them string tank top. Roy should not
drop down to around 160. when he slacks off. He knows exact- wear string tank tops, except maybe

perhaps in the confines of his own doing cardio to
home—with the window shades burn that fat off.
down. His string tank top was fairly But fine. You’re
dry because Roy didn’t train hard done for today, you
enough to break a sweat. I had seen say. Where’s your
him meandering around the ma- shake?”
chines and doing a little dumbbell “What shake?”
work, and that was it. he asked.
“Hey, Roy, long time no see. “The last time
Where’ve ya been?” This had better we talked, I told
involve his being kidnapped and you to get some
sold into slavery in Southeast Asia to whey protein,
work in a sneaker factory, or else. Vitargo or waxy If you want
“Ah, work’s been stressing me maize, creatine results, you
out.” and L-glutamine have to train
“Oh? I can’t think of a better for your postwork- hard, but you
stress reliever than hard training,” out shakes, which also have to
I said. Then I reconsidered. “Okay, were to be drunk eat right the
I can think of one better way, but it immediately after majority of
involves Jessica Simpson, Shakira training. You’re the time.
and a giant hot tub filled with maple done training, so
syrup. So what, Roy, you haven’t where’s the shake?”
had time to get to the gym?” He was “Oh. Oh, yeah,
starting to look uncomfortable. well, I’m not going
“Well, like I said, I’ve been busy to start using
with work.” supplements again
“Right.” I nodded. I knew he was until I get my
single and had no kids. I pointed to groove back with
a hard-bodied woman in her late training.”
30s running on the treadmill. Sweat “Get your groove
was literally flying off of her brow back? Is your name
and drenched her sports bra and Stella?” I shook
tight workout pants. Not that I was my head and de-
complaining, mind you. “Susan over cided to go for
there is a single mother with two the kill. Don’t ask
teenage daughters. She works full- why, but I was just
time and chauffeurs her kids all over in a pissy mood
creation. She’s here training at least that day. Maybe
five days a week. I wonder where it had something
she finds the time.” to do with waiting
“Huh, that’s great,” Roy com- over two years for
mented, shuffling and starting to the sequel to Rob
look around. I think he was finally Zombie’s schlock-
starting to figure out that I was no horror classic
longer going to shower him with “House of 1,000 “Roy, I have known you for a few
encouragement as I had done in the Corpses” to come out, only to have years now, and from day one I was
past. “Well, I’m all done for today. it completely suck ass. “How’s your impressed with your knowledge of
I’m gonna start getting serious eating?” training and nutrition.”
again.” “I’m going to start eating good That brought a little smile.
“Done? What about cardio?” I again,” he assured me. “Thanks,” he said.
stared at his belly. “I seem to recall “When? Why not today? Are you “But you haven’t put any of it to
your telling me you wanted to get waiting for a burning bush to tell use. You should look a lot better
that gut down. In fact, you were you to stop eating junk and eat the than you do, and you know it. If you
telling me that a couple of years ago, way you know you’re supposed to?” applied all that knowledge packed
and it looks about the same to me To say Roy looked uncomfort- in your brain, you’d have a lot more
now.” able would be an understatement. I muscle on you and a lot less fat. You
“Yeah, I know. I just have to ease knew he regretted approaching me would look like a bodybuilder. I hate
back into it—you know, baby steps.” this time. Lest I scare him away from to say it, but to me you don’t even
“Baby steps are for babies,” I said. the gym yet again with my hostility, look like someone who works out,
“You’re over 40 years old. You don’t I decided to at least attempt to be and that’s a shame.”
have a lot of time to be easing into more encouraging. I knew he wasn’t He hung his head and nodded. “I
anything anymore. You should be a bad guy, just a lazy S.O.B. know, I know,” he said quietly.

“Exactly my point. Let me tell you some-
thing, and forgive me for being blunt. It’s just
how I am. I’m sick of you telling me you’re
going to do this or that and finally get in
great shape. I don’t want to hear it anymore.
Stop talking about it and just do it. Forget all
the lame-ass excuses that you make to your-
self, because they are all bull. You know what
you need to do, so get to work right now.”
He didn’t say a word, but he refilled his
water bottle and headed for the treadmills.
There were plenty of open ones, but he went
right next to Susan. I could see Roy trying
to make conversation with her, but she was
wearing headphones and turned the volume
up on her MP3 player, ignoring him.
All of a sudden I realized I wasn’t doing
what I needed to do, either! I had to make
sure I was able to finish my workout with no
more interruptions. I went back to the locker
room and retrieved my own headphones,
which I normally didn’t wear except for
cardio. I slipped them on and cranked up the
tunes. My missionary work for the day was
done, and all the other nuts would have to
wait until another time to piss me off. IM
Forget all the lame-

ass excuses that you
make to yourself,
because they are all
bull. You know what
you need to do, so
get to work right
now.
Model: Mike Morris

Photo Illustrations by BMiller

pH
Anabolic
How Acid in Your Body

Affects Muscle Growth
by Michael Gündill Part 1
T
o grow as fast as possible, bodybuilders should optimize their physiological environment. Obviously you
have to maximize the release of anabolic hormones while minimizing the secretion of catabolic ones. You
should also fuel your muscles with as many amino acids and as much energy as possible. Unfortunately,
one physiological component often neglected in bodybuilding is your acid-base homeostasis.
Your acid-base balance is of the utmost importance for muscle growth, strength, fat loss and health. In all too
many bodybuilders it’s far from optimized. Yet you can get impressive new size and strength gains by reducing the
amount of acid in your blood.
Understanding Blood pH
Like any liquid, your blood possesses a potential of hydrogen, a.k.a. pH, which measures the concentration of
hydrogen ions—acid—in your blood:
• If you have an excess of acid (pH below 7), your blood is said to be in an acidic state.
• When pH is 7, you’re in a neutral state.
• When pH is above 7, you’re in an alkaline state.
In healthy human beings blood pH is around 7.41, which means the blood is naturally slightly alkaline. On the
other hand, medical research has demonstrated that the pH of modern Homo sapiens is more acidic than it used to
be.
Blood pH in Bodybuilders
Although the average blood pH value is around 7.41, that’s rarely the case for bodybuilders. Basically, everything
you do generates acid:
• When you train, your body manufactures lactic acid—the “acid” part being hydrogen ions. The higher their
concentration, the lower your blood pH will be.
• When you eat protein, you decrease blood pH; proteins are made of amino acids, and the extra “acid” lowers
blood pH.
• When you go on a low-calorie diet, your fat tissue releases free fatty acids—resulting in lower blood pH. Ketone
bodies also acidify your blood.

pH
The bigger your muscles are,

the more acid you’re likely
to produce.
Impact of Protein increased protein intake. In body- protein intake generate more acid.
builders, pH is even lower—5.83. On top of that, 128 grams is a
on Acid Production Acid excretion is 50 percent higher modest intake for a bodybuilder,
in bodybuilders than in sedentary which means you’d expect a much
The impact of dietary protein on persons, which should be no sur- greater generation of acid in “seri-
acid release has been extensively prise, as both exercise and higher
investigated in Germany.1 One When you go on a low-calorie
study compared acid release in When you eat proteins, diet, your adipose tissue
two groups:
you decrease blood pH; releases free fatty acids.
1) sedentary subjects eating 88
grams of protein a day. proteins are made of
amino acids.
2) bodybuilders eating 128
grams of protein a day.
In order to avoid frequent blood
tests, researchers measured urinary
pH. Average urinary pH is around
7—lower than blood pH, as one of
the main functions of the kid-
neys is to get rid of the blood’s
acid. Changes in urine, how-
ever, closely reflect changes in
blood chemistry.
In the German study,
urinary pH averaged 6.12
in sedentary subjects,
the greater-than-average
acidity being attributed to

pH
ous” bodybuilders. Furthermore,
the bigger your muscles are, the
more acid you’re likely to produce.
Protein and
Kidney Stones
Protein is accused of increas-
ing the incidence of kidney stones
and generally hampering kidney
health. True enough, as you grow
older, the ability of your kidneys
to get rid of the blood’s acid di-
minishes, and as a consequence
the blood remains more acidic.
A study of the impact of a daily The main problem for your
intake of 170 grams of proteins kidneys isn’t that you eat
in bodybuilders, however, dem-
onstrated that although increased The main problem for your acidic foods. If we have kidney
protein intake strains the kidneys, kidneys isn’t that you eat acidic problems, it’s because we don’t
healthy kidneys are perfectly able to foods. If we have kidney prob- eat enough alkaline foods
handle it. lems, it’s because we don’t eat
enough alkaline foods to coun- to counterbalance acid-rich
If your blood is already terbalance acid-rich foods, nutrients.
such as citrus. One dietary
full of acid before a difference between prehistoric
workout, you’re not going and modern hominids is that our Just to be clear: An abundance
to be as strong as you ancestors ate many more alkaline of protein doesn’t damage healthy
foods. kidneys, but insufficient intake of al-
need to be. As lactic acid
concentration builds up in
your contracting muscles,
it’s harder to extrude
it; the blood is already
saturated with hydrogen
ions.
Neveux \ Model: Alex Azarian

pH
kaline foods does. Bottom line: You acidotic, skeletal muscle protein sure to acid, and because acid acts
need to more closely match alkaline synthesis dropped 28 percent after on the endocrine system, it indi-
with acidic food intake. only one day. rectly regulates muscular fiber size.
For bodybuilders, though, there’s For example, in healthy humans
a catch-22. Acid-base equilibrium artificially rendered acidotic for
is a bit hard to achieve because, for pH and Muscle seven days, blood insulinlike growth
example, of all the sugar in citrus Protein Breakdown factor 1 dropped by 25 percent—a
fruits. There is, however, a more lowering of growth hormone release
effective solution: alkaline supple- Impaired anabolism does not and a downregulation of GH recep-
ments. Because even healthy kid- explain why muscle wasting is so tor density. Acidosis also causes a
neys become less efficient with age, rapid in an acidic state. In another decrease in insulin sensitivity and
the buffering supplements become study, protein catabolism was com- encourages free cortisol release.
more important as you get older. pared in an acidic state (pH = 6.95) So an acidic state causes muscle
wasting both directly and
indirectly.
pH and Fat
Loss
Test tube studies
have demonstrated If acid helps waste
muscle, could it do the
that anabolism is same for fat tissue? No
impaired in an acid such luck. An acidic en-
environment. vironment can’t seem to
do enough to preserve
fat mass. In the hormone
study, subjects rendered
acidotic experienced a
13 percent decrease in
T3, the main active thy-
roid hormone, and a 10
percent reduction in T4.
Acidosis also tends to
minimize leptin release,
resulting in an enhanced
Neveux \ Model: Steve McLeod
appetite.
In women, blood pH
was artificially decreased
from 7.36 to 7.28. Free
fatty acids in blood rap-
idly fell by 35 percent,
which reflected impaired
fat burning. Blood ke-
pH and Muscle and in an alkaline state (pH = 7.4, tones were 21 percent lower. When
which is approximately what your the subjects’ blood was rendered
Protein Synthesis pH is supposed to be). Muscle deg- alkaline, free fatty acids increased
radation was 30 percent higher in 28 percent from baseline, reflecting
Why is it so bad for a bodybuilder the acid environment than with a enhanced fat burning, and the ke-
to remain in an acidic state? Test normal pH. tone count doubled.
tube studies have demonstrated Acid triggers the main catabolic Reduced blood pH is a nasty side
that anabolism is impaired in an pathways. For example, acid expo- effect of low-calorie diets3 because:
acid environment. Isolated muscle sure increases the activity of the en-
cells were incubated in either an zyme responsible for the breakdown • Protein intake remains high.
acid (pH = 7.1) or an alkaline (pH of BCAAs by 53 percent.
= 7.5) environment. With the acid • Alkaline carb intake goes down.
background, muscle protein synthe-
sis rate was 14 percent slower than pH and Anabolic • Increases in free fatty acids and
in the alkaline state. After only one Hormones ketones further acidify the blood.
day of exposure, fiber cells were 7
percent smaller with the acidic than Anabolic hormone release is neg- The result is enhanced muscle
the alkaline pH. In rats rendered atively affected by prolonged expo- wasting, impaired fat loss, a slowed

pH
metabolism and an increased ap- for as long as they could. Before the the fact that they were eating less
petite. So correcting your acid-base change in diet, they could sustain carbohydrate, but the excess acid
balance during a diet is of the ut- their efforts for five minutes. With explained most of it.
most importance. the acidic diet they could ride for The result of a low blood pH is
only 3 1/2 minutes. Of course, part more fatigue despite a decrease in
of that reduction was due to performance.
pH and That explains
Performance As you grow older, why alkaline
the ability of your supplements
If your blood is al- have increased
ready full of acid before
kidneys to get rid both strength
a workout, you’re not of the blood’s acid and endurance
going to be as strong as diminishes, and as in many stud-
you need to be. As lactic ies.
acid builds up in your
a consequence the Even though
contracting muscles, it’s blood remains more a low pH is
harder to extrude it; the acidic. Because the detrimental to
blood is already saturat- muscle growth,
ed with hydrogen ions.
efficiency of even fat loss, per-
Acidic blood causes healthy kidneys formance
not only local muscular retards with age, and health,
fatigue but also central bodybuilders
fatigue. As blood pH
the buffering tend not to
decreases, bound tryp- supplements worry about
tophan is released, pen- become more their excessive
etrating the brain and production
stimulating the release
important as you of acids, and
of serotonin, a brain get older. they rarely use
chemical that makes you alkaline sup-
feel tired. plements. In Part 2 of this discus-
In one study, athletes sion I’ll get into the way the main
were rendered acidotic acid-lowering supplements work
by almost doubling for health and muscle and strength
their dietary intake gains.
of proteins—from 14
to 25 percent of their Editor’s note: Michael Gündill,
Neveux \ Model: Ed Myska
calorie intake—for three IRON MAN’s European research cor-

days.4 Their carb intake respondent, is based in France.
dropped from 46 to 10
percent to reduce their References
absorption of alkaline
foods. Fat 1 Manz, F. (1995). Effects of a
intake was high protein intake on renal acid

adjusted excretion in bodybuilders. Z Ernah-
so that the rungswiss. 34(1):10-5.
calorie 2 Höhler, M. (1994). Funktions-
totals on belastung des Stoffwechsels und der

both diets Niere bei Kraftsportlern mit eiweiss-
was simi- reicher Kost. Deutsche Zeitschrift für
lar. In 24 Sportmedizin. 45(3):92.
hours the 3 Too, D. (1998). Effect of a pre-
subjects’ competition bodybuilding diet and

blood be- training regimen on body composi-
came more tion and blood chemistry. J Sports
acid, with Med Phys Fitness. 38(3):245-52.
pH going 4 Maughan, R.J. (1997). Diet com-
from 7.40 position and the performance of

to 7.37. high-intensity exercise. J Sports Sci.
The 15(3):265-75. IM
athletes
then rode
bikes fast

Spilling the
Beans on
Coffee
by Jerry Brainum Part 2
S
tudies show that coffee is the primary source Ulcers are another disease associated with stress.
of antioxidants for most Americans. A recent Since the 1940s researchers have known that coffee
study found that drinking coffee increases the stimulates acid flow in the stomach, and excess acid is
resistance of low-density lipoprotein to oxida- associated with ulcers. Yet no clear-cut evidence proves
tion, likely because of the incorporation of natural coffee that drinking coffee causes ulcers. Decaf also promotes
antioxidants into LDL.1 That’s significant because oxi- increased acid flow, and most physicians advise patients
dized LDL is linked to cardiovascular disease. Coffee also who already have ulcers to avoid both coffee and decaf.
contains soluble fiber, about 1.8 grams per cup, which is It’s now known that ulcers are actually caused by the
linked to lower blood lipid levels.2 bacteria Helicobacter pylori.
High-strung, or type A, people are often considered In 1988, after reviewing the studies that associated
at greater risk for cardiovascular disease. They’re said to coffee drinking with heart disease, the U.S. surgeon gen-
secrete greater amounts of stress hormones, which stim- eral concluded that evidence of a relationship between
ulate cardiac risk factors such as high blood pressure. As coffee and heart disease was too weak to recommend
coffee stimulates some of those same stress hormones, it that Americans curb their coffee habit. The finding was
would appear that people subject to extraordinary stress echoed by the Institute of Food Technologists, a 23,000-
should avoid coffee. member scientific society based in Chicago: “While
A recent study, however, disputes that idea. For eight common sense dictates that excessive consumption of
weeks one group of 21 subjects avoided all caffeine-con- stimulants such as caffeine is not particularly wise, there
taining substances. Another group of 43 subjects drank continues to be no evidence to suggest that moderate
six cups of coffee a day. Researchers measured stress caffeine intake is a causative factor in cardiovascular
indices, such as heart rate and blood pressure, during disease.”
mental and physical stress tests both before and after the Whether caffeine increases the risk of cardiovascu-
eight-week test period. Avoiding caffeine made little or lar disease may depend on your genes, according to a
no difference in the subjects’ reaction to stress. controversial recent study.4 It found that variations in a
Caffeine increases the secretion of cortisol, a stress certain gene had either a slow- or rapid-metabolizing
hormone that exerts catabolic effects in muscle. A study effect on caffeine. Those with the slow gene showed a 36
of caffeine intake examined what happens when men percent increased risk of heart attack when drinking two
and women got 250 milligrams of caffeine three times to three cups of coffee a day and a 64 percent increased
a day and were subjected to either mental stress or ex- risk with four or more cups daily. In contrast, those with
ercise. The caffeine did increase cortisol release in the the fast-metabolizing gene had a 22 percent decreased
subjects exposed to mental stress. While exercise alone risk of heart disease with two to three cups and a 1 per-
didn’t raise cortisol, taking caffeine prior to exercise did cent risk with four or more cups. Younger people showed
in both sexes.3 a greater risk in that regard.

Is It Really
Good for
You?
Neveux \ Model: Brian Yerdesky

Coffee 2
The Cancer Connection
Some coffee drinkers were terri-
fied by a 1981 report that linked cof-
fee with pancreatic cancer, an often Later research found
fatal form of the disease.5 That study a definite connection
was severely flawed, however, and
the authors reversed their findings between pancreatic
five years later. Subsequent research cancer and tobacco
found a definite connection be- and alcohol use but
tween pancreatic cancer and tobac-
co and alcohol use but none with none with coffee.
coffee.6 An evaluation of more than
16,000 men and women observed
between 1967 and 1979 found no
correlation between drinking coffee
and any type of cancer.7 In 1984 the
American Cancer Society issued a
statement saying that coffee doesn’t
increase the risk of cancer.
Coffee may even protect against
cancer. A 1986 study conducted by
researchers at Mount Sinai Medi-
cal Center in New York found that
women who drank one to five cups
of coffee a day showed increased
cell differentiation, a process that
slows tumor growth.8 Coffee also
seems to inhibit cell replication in
several other types of cancers.9,10
Caffeine itself is an antioxidant that
scavenges free radicals, substances volving 530,469 women and 244,483 fibrocystic breast disease, pain-
implicated in cancer activity, ac- men.15 The study compared the ef- ful but benign lumps in women’s
cording to research emanating from fects of drinking various fluids, such breasts. Further studies found no
West Virginia University.11 as coffee, tea, milk, soda and juice, association.17
Another study reported that cof- on the incidence of renal, or kidney, The United States Food and Drug
fee may help prevent colon cancer cancer, which has increased steadily Administration in 1980 advised
by reducing the excretion of bile in recent years. The study found that women to limit caffeine intake dur-
acids and cholesterol, both of drinking three or more cups of cof- ing pregnancy. The advisory was
which are linked to colon cancer. fee, as opposed to drinking one cup based on animal studies showing
The authors of the study found that a day, was consistent with a lower skeletal defects in the offspring of
“recent coffee consumption is not risk of getting renal cancer. Tea also rats that were force-fed caffeine.
related to an increased risk of large showed protective effects, while Turned out those rats were given
bowel cancer, and heavy coffee none of the other fluids analyzed amounts equivalent to what you’d
consumption may reduce the risk of in the study had any effect, bad or get from drinking 87 cups of coffee
colon cancer.”12 A meta-analysis, or good, on that type of cancer. a day. Even FDA officials admitted
compilation of previous studies, in Another new study looked at the they didn’t know if the study had
this case 17, found that people who relationship between drinking cof- any validity for humans because
drink four or more cups of coffee fee and nonmelanoma skin cancer, rats metabolize caffeine differently
daily had a 24 percent decreased the most common type of skin can- from people.
risk of colorectal cancer over those cer.16 When compared with women A 1982 Harvard study of 12,205
who don’t drink it.13 Interestingly, who abstained from daily coffee women found no link between cof-
the same compounds in coffee oils drinking, coffee-drinking women fee intake and birth defects or fertil-
thought to promote heart disease had a 10.8 percent lower incidence ity, although it did find an increased
may protect against cancer by of nonmelanoma skin cancer. incidence of infertility in women
stimulating phase-2 detoxifying Drinking six or more cups daily pro- who drank decaffeinated coffee.
enzymes in the liver and helping induced a 36 percent reduction in that Still, caffeine does cross the pla-
crease glutathione, one of the body’s type of skin cancer. Decaffeinated centa, and fetuses can’t metabolize
natural antioxidant and detoxifying coffee offered no such protection. it—it may linger in fetal tissues for
agents.14 three to four days. In addition, preg-
The most recent study to examine Women and Coffee nant women metabolize caffeine 40
the effects of coffee intake on cancer percent more slowly than normal.
analyzed 13 prospective studies, in- In 1979 reports linked coffee to So it’s a good idea for pregnant

Coffee 2
When compared with women who abstained from daily coffee drinking, coffee-drinking
women had a 10.8 percent lower incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer. Drinking six or
more cups of coffee daily produced a 36 percent reduction.
women to either limit or eliminate Coffee and Exercise Another problem is that a high-
coffee—particularly during the first Numerous studies over the years carbohydrate diet or meal negates
trimester of pregnancy, when organ have shown that coffee appears to the fat-releasing effects of coffee.
formation occurs and birth defects enhance fat burning and endur- It releases insulin, which prevents
are most likely to arise. ance. By enabling you to dip into free fatty acids from getting into the
A recent study found that women fat stores faster than usual, it spares blood.24 Other studies suggest that
over age 65 who drank more than muscle glycogen, a stored form pure caffeine is a more effective
three cups of coffee daily were 30 of complex carbohydrate and the ergogenic agent than coffee.25
percent less likely to have a memory primary energy source of muscular Still another problem is that sub-
decline than women who drank activity.20 jects in most studies drink coffee
one cup or less. The study, which Caffeine exerts its ergogenic ef- one hour before being tested. Caf-
involved more than 7,000 people, fects through three mechanisms: feine peaks in the blood after one
found that the figures rose to 70 1) It increases the availability of hour. Peak fatty acid release, howev-
percent over the age of 80. Drinking calcium in muscle, which could er, occurs three hours after intake.26
coffee, however, didn’t have any pre- produce stronger muscular contrac- Since the increased release of fatty
ventive effects against dementia and tions;21 2) it increases the amount acids accounts for much of coffee’s
didn’t appear to preserve memory in of cyclic AMP, an intracellular mes- positive effect on endurance, it’s
male subjects.18 senger substance that raises blood easy to see why many studies found
On the other hand, another re- sugar and stimulates free fatty acid that caffeine and coffee had little or
cent study of 45,869 men over 40, release; 3) it blocks the effects of no effect.27
which included 12 years of follow- adenosine, a sedative chemical.22 Using sedentary subjects to
up, found that drinking four cups a The literature concerning the evaluate the merits of coffee as an
day or more of coffee decreases the ergogenic effects of coffee and caf- athletic aid is likewise futile. They
risk of gout, characterized by the feine are contradictory. Design flaws haven’t developed the physiological
abnormal deposition of uric acid complicate the results. For example, adaptations to exercise common in
into joints.19 The more coffee drunk, habitual coffee drinkers show few athletes and don’t react to coffee the
the lower the risk. The researchers ergogenic effects when compared to way athletes do.
suspect that the preventive factor in what researchers call “coffee naive” The ergogenic effects of coffee
coffee wasn’t caffeine but perhaps subjects. To properly access the and caffeine remain controversial.
its antioxidants, such as chlorogenic effects of coffee requires abstaining Until fairly recently, the Interna-
acid. for at least four days.23 tional Olympic Committee limited

Coffee 2
Caffeine had no
effect on one-
rep-maximum
lifts, but there
were 11 percent
(bench press)
and 12 percent
(leg press)
increases in the
number of reps
performed by the
caffeine group
Neveux \ Model: Tom Voss Erika Thompson

when the weight
was lowered to
60 percent of
maximum and
the exercises
done to failure.
the use of high doses of caffeine that caffeine may have a harmful ef- hydration.28 But other studies show
in athletic competition. The illegal fect during sports conducted in hot that athletes become accustomed to
dosage of caffeine was 12 micro- weather because caffeine increases those effects and have no problems
grams per milliliter of urine. That body temperature and has a minor when taking in caffeine before com-
amount would result from drinking diuretic action that could lead to de- petition in hot weather.30 One found
five to six cups
of strong cof-
fee over a one-
to-two-hour
period. Most
world ath-
letic governing
organizations,
such as WADA,
By enabling you to dip
have removed into fat stores faster than
caffeine from usual, coffee spares muscle
their banned
substances list.
glycogen, a stored form of
Concerning complex carbohydrate and
the evidence the primary energy source
of caffeine’s
effects on
of muscular activity.
endurance, the
consensus is
that caffeine
and coffee en-
hance perfor-
mance only in
events lasting
longer than 30
minutes. Some
studies suggest

Coffee 2
that caffeine intake resulted in a
Coffee: A Functional Food? mild loss of water over a four-hour
period, but exercise during that time
Although coffee has often been characterized as being bad for health, blocked the water loss.29
various studies dispute that notion. In fact, coffee is now considered a Test tube studies show that
functional food because it provides many health benefits. It contains nu- caffeine theoretically increases
merous nutritional elements that are believed to encourage good health, muscular strength by releasing
including flavonoids, caffeic acid, nicotinic acid (niacin) and trigonelline. intramuscular calcium. The dif-
During the roasting process, trigonelline is converted into the B-complex fusion of additional calcium into
vitamin niacin, producing two to 80 milligrams per cup of coffee. Coffee muscle cells would increase mus-
also provides the minerals chromium and magnesium. cular contraction strength. Most
real-world studies, however, fail to
Here are a few more points to consider: support that.30 One study found
increased thumb-muscle strength,
• Coffee may prevent viral infections, as well as exert antibacterial ef- but only under low-intensity condi-
fects. tions.31 A more recent study found
that taking a supplement containing
• Coffee is rich in antioxidants, such as caffeic and chlorogenic acids caffeine one hour prior to training
and polyphenols. The inner skin of the coffee bean produces a sub- did increase strength but only in
stance known as silverskin, which provides soluble fiber and antioxi- the upper body.32 The supplement
dant activity. contained three natural sources of
• Coffee may relieve asthma symptoms. Among the methylxanthines caffeine (yerba mate, guarana and
found in coffee is theophylline, a bronchodilator of the lungs that in black tea), for a total of 201 mil-
drug form is used to treat asthma. ligrams, the amount in two average
cups of coffee. It didn’t affect lower-
• Studies show that drinking coffee inhibits type 2 diabetes.49 A study
body strength or muscular endur-
done in the Netherlands found that those who drink seven or more
ance.
cups a day were half as likely to develop type 2 diabetes as those who
drank two cups or less daily. What’s curious is that caffeine decreases Many of the studies showing
glucose tolerance and increases insulin resistance, both of which no effect of caffeine and coffee on
usually are harbingers of diabetes. The mechanism is an elevation of strength and power were confound-
catecholamines by caffeine, which leads to increased fatty acids in the ed by the use of sedentary subjects
blood that interfere with glucose uptake into cells. On the other hand, or insufficient doses. One study,
substances in coffee, such as chlorogenic acid, are capable of lowering however, examined whether caf-
elevated blood glucose. feine increased strength and power
in 20 football players who regularly
• Coffee offers liver protection. A recent study found that those who lifted weights.33 The subjects took
drank coffee had a 41 percent decreased risk of acquiring liver cancer.50 seven milligrams of caffeine per
Coffee also lowers elevated liver enzymes.51 It inhibits both alcoholic kilogram of bodyweight, and those
and nonalcoholic liver cirrhosis. A study of 46,008 men, ages 40 to 75, who regularly drank more than a
found that drinking two to three cups of coffee a day lowered the risk
cup of coffee a day were excluded
of gallstones.52
from the study, as were those with
• Recent studies show that drinking coffee offers protective effects less than two years of weight-train-
against Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative brain disease.53 Other stud- ing experience. Compared to a pla-
ies show protective effects against Alzheimer’s disease.54 cebo group, all the caffeine-using
subjects showed increased strength
• Recent studies show that the topical application of caffeine protects and power.
skin cells from damage caused by ultraviolet radiation.55 Another study Noting the dearth of studies that
found that caffeine may protect against skin cancer, an effect that
have examined the relationship be-
was greatly amplified by combining caffeine intake with exercise.56
tween caffeine intake and strength,
The mechanism in both studies involved an upgrade in apoptosis, or
a new double-blind study looked at
the self-destruction of damaged cells that would otherwise turn into
cancer. A test tube study found that caffeine stimulates human hair the effects of taking six milligrams
growth and counteracts the baldness-producing effects induced by per kilogram of bodyweight of caf-
testosterone exposure.57 feine (more than five cups of coffee)
in 22 resistance-trained men.34 The
• While caffeine may induce acute anxiety in some people, exercise subjects were tested for one-rep-
rapidly blocks that effect.58 Another study found that consuming a caf- maximum lifts on bench press and
feine drink following intense exercise will improve brain function and squat exercises. Some took caffeine,
reduce brain drain incurred by hard training.59 while others took a placebo. Caf-
• One study shows a beneficial effect of coffee on male testosterone feine intake had no effect on one-
counts.60 —J.B. rep-maximum lifts, but there were
11 percent (bench press) and 12
percent (leg press) increases in the

Coffee 2
either heart rate or blood pressure.40
Adding aspirin to the mixture
may be even better.41 The mecha-
nism works like this: Ephedrine
enhances the release of norepi-
nephrine, which stimulates brown
adipose tissue, a specialized form of
fat that has fat-burning properties.
fat. Scien- Recall that caffeine increases the
tists explain cellular hormone messenger, cyclic
that they divert excess AMP, which is involved in fat burn-
calories into “futile ing. Aspirin inhibits prostaglandins,
energy cycles,” where body chemicals that shut down the
calories convert into norepinephrine effect. Ephedrine
heat instead of being itself triggers the peripheral conver-
stored as fat. That sion of inactive to active thyroid
process, called thermo- hormone, which further stimulates
genesis, is defective in metabolism.42 (By the way, the drug
obese people and may clenbuterol has a similar thermo-
be one of the primary genic effect.) Most experts still con-
causes of obesity—besides sider the combination of ephedrine
overeating and underexer- and caffeine to be the best fat-burn-
cising.36 ing supplement, though ephedrine
Caffeine can was removed from the market by
Another problem is that a high-carbohydrate increase the the FDA in 2005 for questionable
diet or meal negates the fat-releasing effects metabolism of reasons. While the fat-metabolizing
obese people effect of caffeine appears promising,
of caffeine and coffee. It releases insulin, by stimulating further studies are needed to find
which prevents free fatty acids from getting a thermogenic long-term effectiveness or possible
into the blood. response. A side effects.
Swiss study A recent study looked at the
number of reps performed by the showed that giving 100 to 450 mil- fat-reducing effects of green cof-
caffeine group when the weight was ligrams of caffeine to obese subjects fee bean extract, which is sold in
lowered to 60 percent of maximum caused fat burning to increase by 4 supplement form.43 It’s rich in both
and the exercise done to failure. to 16 percent. Another study gave caffeine (10 percent) and chloro-
While acknowledging the apparent varying doses of caffeine and found genic acid (27 percent). The study,
increase in muscular endurance that it increased thermogenesis in a which used mice as subjects, found
induced by caffeine, the study au- dose-dependant fashion; that is, the that giving the rodents the extract
thors called it “insignificant,” noting higher the dose, the faster the me- for two weeks led to a decrease
that “the practical importance of tabolism. The response escalated as in visceral fat and fat in the liver,
the increased muscular endurance lactate and triglycerides increased both of which are associated with
remains to be explored.” in the blood.37 metabolic syndrome. Caffeine
Still another study found that The metabolic effect of caffeine suppressed fat absorption, while
drinking the equivalent of two cups is enhanced when it’s combined the chlorogenic acid reduced the
of coffee prior to exercise reduced with ephedrine.38 Ephedrine is amount of fat in the liver. Chloro-
blood flow to the heart during exer- found naturally in an herb called ma genic acid inhibits an enzyme in the
cise.35 While drinking coffee at rest huang and was formerly used as an liver that promotes sugar release,
didn’t affect coronary blood flow, asthma medication because of its which is a major problem in in-
doing it before exercise blunted bronchodilating effects. Like caf- sulin resistance. Chlorogenic acid
the normal rise in heart blood flow feine, ephedrine is a mild stimulant. reduced liver fat by stimulating the
during training. The effect was more When combined with caffeine, it ap- enzyme that works with carnitine in
pronounced when the exercise was pears to have a potent thermogenic fat oxidation.
done at high altitudes. The authors impact.39 One problem, however, is Using caffeine with creatine
suggest that this may adversely af- that ephedrine can raise blood pres- may block the ergogenic effects of
fect exercise performance despite sure, just as caffeine does in people creatine, although creatine doesn’t
the well-known stimulant proper- who don’t regularly drink coffee. affect caffeine. Not all experts, how-
ties of caffeine. Could that be dangerous? ever, agree with that finding.
In one study, six subjects took 20 A recently published case
Coffee for Fat Burning? milligrams of ephedrine and 200 study linked caffeine with muscle
milligrams of caffeine. They experi- cramps.44 Another study found that
We’ve all seen people who seem enced a definite thermogenic effect drinking about two cups of coffee
able to eat anything without getting without an excessive increase in daily reduces delayed-onset muscle

Coffee 2
A study of more than 7,000 people
found that women over age 65 who
drank more than three cups of coffee
A Swiss study showed that giving 100 to 450 daily were 30 percent less likely to
milligrams of caffeine to obese subjects caused have a memory decline than those
fat burning to increase by 4 to 16 percent. who drank one cup or less. That rose
to 70 percent over the age of 80.
pain and loss of strength following ens blood vessels in

intense training.45 That isn’t surpris- the head and causes
ing considering the analgesic, or headache.
pain-relieving, effects of caffeine.46 The answer is to
Low doses are commonly added to reduce caffeine gradu-
various pain-relieving medications ally. That means not smaller cup.
because it augments their painkill- only coffee but tea and chocolate as According to Dr. Sanford Miller,
ing impact and, by extension, may well. In addition, more than 1,000 an FDA official, the safe amount of
also permit more intense training.47 drugs contain caffeine because it caffeine is 10 milligrams per kilo-
amplifies the effects of pain reliev- gram (2.2 pounds) of bodyweight,
Is Caffeine Addictive? ers. Another method is to switch to or up to seven cups of coffee a day
instant coffee, which has two-thirds for a 150-pound person. By com-
An article in the New England the caffeine of coffee. Avoid espres- parison, the lethal dose is about 10
Journal of Medicine reported the so, which has more-concentrated grams, or 100 cups, meaning 100
effects of a caffeine withdrawal syn- caffeine than regular coffee. You also to 200 milligrams per kilogram of
drome. The subjective responses of might try drinking your coffee in a bodyweight. Adverse reactions to
the people in the study who
went “cold turkey” in their In 1988, after
coffee drinking included
severe headaches, lethargy, reviewing the studies
depression and anxiety. The that associated
interesting aspect of the study
was that the symptoms oc- coffee drinking with
curred in subjects who had heart disease, the
drunk as little one to two cups
of coffee a day.48 United States surgeon
Most of the effects are at- general concluded
tributable to caffeine’s ability
to block adenosine recep- that evidence of a
tors—recall that adenosine relationship between
has a tranquilizing effect on
the brain. The body senses, coffee and heart
however, that receptor sites
for the chemical are blocked
disease was too weak
and opens new ones. Sudden to recommend that
withdrawal of coffee causes
new receptors to be flooded
Americans curb their
with adenosine, which tight- coffee habit.
Coffee 2
drinking too much cof- and risk of
fee can include rapid colorectal
heartbeat, insomnia, cancer. Am
restlessness, nervous- J Epidemiol.
ness, tremor, headache, 147:1043-52.
abdominal pain, nausea, 14 Huber,
vomiting, diarrhea and W.W., et al.

excess urination. (2002). En-
French author and hancement
philosopher Voltaire lived of the che-
to 84, despite his habit of moprotec-
drinking 50 cups of coffee tive enzymes
a day. “It is a poison, cer- glucuronosyl
tainly,” he remarked, “but transferase
a slow poison, for I have and glu-
been drinking it these 84 tathione
years.” transferase
in specific
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102(2):127-132. double-blind cessation of caffeine

Transformation
Sensation
How Anthony Presciano Reshaped His
Physique After Football
by David Young
A
nthony Presciano is one of those unknown guys you see
in all the bodybuilding and fitness publications. I say
unknown because although he’s in many ads, he hasn’t
been profiled in the magazines and hasn’t been on the
competition circuit recently. Anthony has been featured in many
advertisements for BSN products, both in magazines and at
BSNonline.net. He’s got the kind of well-muscled athletic physique
a lot of guys aspire to, so I decided to give IRON MAN readers a
chance to find out how he trains, eats and supplements to achieve
his results.
I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by Anthony. He’s
an intelligent, articulate upbeat guy who represents his company
with class. Although he’s relatively young, he’s had some very
notable coaches and has a wealth of useful training and nutrition
knowledge. So grab a pen and paper, sit down, get comfortable and
take notes. Anthony is about to lay all his cards on the table.
Photography courtesy of BSN © 2008 BSN. All Rights Reserved.

Transformation
Sensation
DY: How did you get started in and teammates was Brian Urlacher, DY: How did you make the
bodybuilding? who went on to become a lineback- transition?
AP: I was born in Cleveland, er for the Chicago Bears. AP: I came to the realization that
Ohio, but I grew up in Texas and The coach was awesome! We had I could be very good at football but
New Mexico. My family owned auto 16 guys benching over 400 pounds not among the elite. Then I heard
dealerships and saw some opportu- raw in college and three benching that one of my inspirations from
nities in New Mexico, so we moved over 500 pounds raw. We were one “Pumping Iron,” Serge Nubret, was
there. I first picked up weights for of the strongest divisional teams in living in New Mexico and training
football at age 14. At 19, after one the country. We generally weight at a local gym. I sought him out and
season of NCAA football at the Uni- trained for about 45 minutes four asked if he would train me. I believe
versity of New Mexico, I shifted my to five days a week on basic com- that was around 1997.
training efforts toward competitive pound movements—cleans, stand- DY: I’ve seen Serge train—
bodybuilding. ing presses, chins, rows, squats, when he lived here in Redondo
DY: What was your weight stepups, barbell curls, dips. We did Beach, California, for a while—
training for football like? sets of three to five reps and trained and I’ve been interacting with
AP: Our strength coach was from bodyparts twice a week. him on Ironage.us just recently.
Notre Dame—a little 4’10” dynamo DY: Dang, it must have been He’s a great guy and willing to
of a girl. She was a fireplug drill ser- crazy to have such great coach- answer any questions about
geant. [Laughs] Her coaching pro- ing as a base for entering body- training and diet. What hap-
duced awesome strength gains for building. pened when you worked with
all of us. I got my best-ever raw [no AP: It was. I got big and strong. I him?
bench shirt], natural bench press to had a football player’s body—lots of AP: My first workout with Serge
440 and my best-ever natural squat muscle—but I lacked the aesthetics was chest, calves and abs. It lasted
to 585 for six reps. One of my friends needed for bodybuilding. 2 1/2 hours! I (continued on page 194)
“We were one of the strongest

divisional teams in the country. We
generally weight trained for about 45
minutes four to five days a week.”

Transformation
Sensation
(continued from page 190) went home Anthony Presciano’s Training Program
feeling like I’d been hit by a truck. I
have to tell you, that workout owned Monday and Thursday
me. I was scared to go back. Seri- Chest, delts, traps, abs, cardio
ously. After all the years of football
training, I wasn’t sure if I could
Chest
handle Serge’s workouts. They were Bench presses 6 x 10, 10, 6, 4, 2, 2
intense, fast-paced and long. Incline dumbbell presses 4 x 10, 8, 6, 4
DY: But you went back and
took the challenge, right?
Delts
AP: Yes, I did. With Serge you Military presses 5 x 10, 10, 8, 6, 4
don’t handle as heavy a weight, but Dumbbell presses 4 x 10, 10, 8, 6
you do lots of sets and reps with
very short rest periods. He’d have
Traps
me doing 2,000 crunch situps every Barbell shrugs 5 x 15, 12, 10, 10, 8
workout. It was brutal. I developed Upright rows 2 x 12, 8
a blood blister on my tailbone. We
also did isolation exercises, which I
Abs
had never done before, and we did 1/4 situps 4 x max
the basics but for many more sets Cardio 2-mile run
than I had been used to.
DY: Two thousand crunch
situps a day? What were the Tuesday and Friday
results? Back, hamstrings, biceps, triceps, calves, cardio
AP: My waist went in three or four
inches; my body totally changed. I Back and hamstrings
went from a bulky, blocky football Bent-over rows 5 x 12, 10, 8, 6, 4
player body to a more aesthetic and Superset
shapely bodybuilder look. I com-
peted in several WABBA events, and Cable rows 4 x 10, 10, 8, 8
in 2000, I competed in Europe. I was Stiff-legged deadlifts 4 x 10, 10, 8, 8
fifth in the world, 21 and under. Pullups 4 x max
DY: How long did that trans-
formation take? Biceps and triceps
AP: It was six months to a year. Superset
DY: What are your stats today? Dumbbell curls 4 x 8, 8, 6, 6
AP: I’m 5’10”, 28 years old, and I
weigh between 218 and 222 pounds Seated extensions 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6
for contests or shoots. Off-season I Superset
weigh between 232 and 242 pounds. Machine curls 3 x 8, 8, 8
DY: Besides bodybuilding
and being a spokesperson and Standing rope extensions 3 x 15, 15, 15
model for BSN, what else are Superset
you involved in? Barbell curls 4 x 10, 8, 6, 4
AP: I’m actually one of the direc-
tors at BSN. In particular I work Dips 4 x max
to build new relationships and Calves
strengthen existing ones between Standing calf raises 5 x 20
the company and its ever growing
customer base. As a spokesperson, Cardio 2-mile run
my job is to communicate BSN’s Saturday
message to the general public.
I’m also involved in employee
Quads
development. I visited a lot of cam- Squats 6 x 12
puses this year, as BSN has grown Walking lunges 4 x 25 yards
from 20 to more than 100 employees
in less than a year. We help maintain
Leg extensions 6 x 15
and increase organizational health High-intensity cardio (Stairmaster) x 15 minutes
and employee morale within the
BSN corporate doors. Obviously, I’m Note: He does his next set as soon as he catches
partial, but BSN just might be the
best place in the world to work! his breath—that usually takes one full minute.
DY: It sounds like a rewarding weight necessary if I eat any carbs!
and challenging career. Do you I find myself indulging in foods
balance all that work and train- that are readily available in the
ing by playing other sports or area where I live—downtown Fort
engaging in other hobbies? Lauderdale, Florida. It’s very easy to
AP: I was good at football, wres- grab a high-quality piece of fish and
tling and karate during my adoles- greens. For instance, I just had some
cence. Now my hobby is simply to amazing steamed sea bass with a
become a sponge to my surround- side of asparagus. Basically, you can
ings and experiences—all the while count on me eating chicken and fish
hoping to gain more knowledge. with all sorts of vegetables every day
My spare time is spent with my until I’m at the bodyfat and weight
girlfriend and my golden retriever. desired.
Soon it will be filled with more fam- Oh, I almost forgot: Flaxseed oil is
ily. My parents will be moving here key for me, to the tune of about four
to Florida from Texas shortly. Nev- tablespoons per day.
ertheless, anything that I can do to DY: Wow, that’s strict. Do you
become better equipped to handle have a cheat day to break the
life’s challenges would be my hobby; monotony?
an example would be the most AP: No, I can’t afford it. I eat
recent series of educational books protein bars, higher-carbohydrate
I have found. The author is Patrick shakes, rice and potatoes when I
Lencioni, and I think that everyone feel zoned out. Save your cheat days
should read one of his books at for the off-season. When it’s time to
some point. get shredded, there’s no room for
DY: Bodybuilding requires a error. Serge Nubret built that atti-
lot of discipline. It’s as much a tude into me.
mental game as a physical one. DY: Let’s get more specific.
What keeps you motivated for How about a sample schedule
your training and diet? of your eating for a day.
AP: My reputation. That’s the AP: Sure. I’m actually working
key. A man is only as good as his with Hany Rambod, who now works
reputation. Credibility speaks, and with all of our athletes here at BSN.
I pride myself on the fact that I’m The numbers for the food options
one of the few fitness models who represent servings and serving sizes.
walk around in the off-season at 240 [See Presciano’s diet on page 198.]
pounds and throw up four plates on DY: Can you explain a little
the bench and five to six plates on more about why you take spe-
squats for several reps. I can be as cific nutrients at specific times?
flexible as need be with any “look” AP: Take a look at the carbohy-
my job demands. For instance, drate servings, for example. There’s
prior to BSN’s signing Ronnie Cole- a pattern—a simple hourly dropoff
man, you could find my ads in just of total carbohydrate consumption.
about every bodybuilding maga- Eventually, as the shoot nears, we
zine around. After Ronnie jumped adjust to a carbohydrate cycle in
onboard in early 2005, we easily which there are four or five very-
grabbed the market’s attention and low-carb days along with a few
took BSN brand awareness to an high-carb days each week. Protein
entirely new level. remains consistent but changes to
I must now focus my efforts on all fish and Lean Dessert Protein
creating a physique that is desired shakes once we’re within 20 days of
by a different crowd, hence the ads the shoot. At that point my fat con-
are now found in more fitness-re- tent will come mainly from omega-
lated magazines. I prefer the latter, 3, -6 and -9 fatty acids.
mainly because I like to stay lean all DY: What’s your favorite sup-
year. plement and why?
DY: Talking about getting and AP: Nitrix. It’s the greatest supple-
staying lean, what’s your diet ment in the world because it’s the
strategy? most versatile. Show me someone
AP: You would be surprised. I eat with fitness goals, and I’ll show you
very little while dieting. It’s almost someone who can benefit from
impossible for me to drop to the supplement- (continued on page 199)

Transformation
Sensation
ANTHONY’S DIET
Carb options onion, squash. Here’s the schedule of Cranberry extract
1/2 cup brown rice = 1 meals and supplements: 9:00 a.m.
4 ounces sweet potato or yam = 1 6 a.m. 8 ounces black coffee
1/2 cup dry oats = 1 4 BSN Nitrix 11:00 a.m.
2 servings BSN Endorush (1/2 bottle) 2 scoops BSN Lean Dessert
Protein options 6:30 -7:30 a.m. Protein
1 can low-sodium white tuna = 1 Weight-training workout 12:30 p.m.
4 ounces chicken breast = 1 7:30 a.m. 4 BSN Nitrix
5 ounces tilapia, cod, halibut = 1 2 scoops BSN Cell Mass 1:30 p.m.
2 BSN AXIS-HT Carb, 2
Fat options 8 a.m. Protein, 2
1 teaspoon flaxseed oil = 1 Carb, 2 Fat, 1
Protein, 2 Vegetable, 2
Vegetable options Fat, 1 2 p.m.
1 cup any fibrous vegetable = 1 Vegetable, 0 8 ounces black coffee
Multivitamin and mineral 4:30 p.m.
My favorite vegetables include cab- 2 grams vitamin C Carb, 1
bage, broccoli, asparagus, peppers, 400 I.U. vitamin E Protein, 2

(continued from page 195) ing with
Nitrix.
DY: How can people get ad-
vice on the best way to use it
“Never strive for based on their own specific
goals and needs?
success. Strive to be AP: Their best bet is to trust my
team of AFPA Certified Sports Nu-
the best, and success trition consultants. Although I don’t
maintain a personal client base,
will follow.” you’ll find me working with each of
my consultants on a regular basis.
Currently, my staff works with ath-
letes in 10 professional sports in the
United States and more than 1,200
direct clients for sport-specific
supplementation guidance and
program development.
DY: How do you overcome
training plateaus?
AP: I go 180 degrees away from
what I was most recently doing. If
you want to break through a pla-
teau, go from heavy to light, from
a few reps to many, from circuit to
single-part training, etc.
DY: What are your goals in
bodybuilding and fitness?
AP: To be the most appreciated
and respected figure in the industry.
I know that I can accomplish that
because everything is reciprocal.
My life is about treating people a
particular way, and usually I can
make legitimate friendships. I enjoy
meeting people from all walks of
life and feel that I can learn from
each person I come in contact with.
Having a sense of humility can go a
long way.
DY: What mental or visual DESIGNED TO BUILD RES U L T S
®
principles do you use?

AP: I visualize my last look and
Fat, 1 try to build on it. Honestly, I use FROM THE MAKERS
Vegetable, 2 very little additional mental or ®
7:30 p.m. visual stimulation. OF OHYEAH!

1.5 scoops BSN Syntha-6 DY: Any observations about
COMES RE-SATUR8
™
2 grams vitamin C life you’d like to share?

8 p.m. AP: “Never strive for success.
Carb, 1
Protein, 2
Strive to be the best, and success
will follow.” I’m proud to say I wrote RELOAD.
Fat, 1 that down when I was 16 years old,
Vegetable, 2
9:30 p.m.
struggling to get a starting position
on our varsity football team at St.
RECOVER.
Carb, 0
Protein, 2
Pius High School. The words just
came to me after practice one night.
GROW.
Fat, 0 I felt that they really described what
Vegetable, 0 I was trying to do, so I wrote them
10 p.m. down before I went to bed. From
4 BSN Nitrix there it just seemed like an easy way
www.issresearch.com
2 BSN Axis-HT to express what each day starts with
for me.

Transformation
Sensation
DY: What strategies do you use and fitness competitors to supple- who are you going to beat? Who is
for success in life or business ment companies and distribution going to challenge you? How will
that you carry into bodybuild- centers. The one thing they all share, you know that you have exceeded
ing, or vice versa? though, is the commitment to win your own expectations? Do you live
AP: There cannot be one without no matter what the judging criteria a life where you are the only judge of
many. There are so many rivalries is. The bottom line is that if you are your accomplishments?
in this industry, from bodybuilders the only fighter in the fight, then DY: Let’s talk about your
training. What is
your training phi-
losophy?
“I go for the AP: Change works
for me. Eating clean
pump, but works for me. Com-
mitment to achieving
75 percent the goals laid out in
front of me works for
of the time me. Actually, I believe
that creating expecta-
with as heavy tions for yourself is
a great way to deter-
a weight as mine your personality
possible. traits. I like to set spe-
cific and achievable
Usually that goals—usually short
term. From there the
means six to pieces of the puzzle
seem to fall into place.
eight solid If you cannot accom-
plish a specific and
reps.” achievable goal, then
you have just deter-
mined what controls
your personality and
perspective on life.
Either way you know
what you’re made of.
DY: What puts you
into contest mode?
AP: I get butterflies
because I am afraid
of failure. That hap-
pens about 90 days
out from a contest
or, more recently,
30 days out from a
shoot. Imagine getting
booked for a cover and
showing up fat and
bloated. Yeah, it would
be a most uncomfort-
able experience. Prob-
ably ruin a career, too,
by the way!
DY: How many
weeks out do you
start your prepara-
tion?
AP: Sixteen weeks
for a contest, 30 days
for a shoot.
DY: Do you use
supersets, forced

reps or any other training tech-
niques?
AP: I go for the pump, but 75
percent of the time with as heavy
a weight as possible. Usually that
means six to eight solid reps. Typi-
cally I will run a few forced reps with
my training partners Felipe and
Lucas, both bodybuilders as well.
DY: How do you work cardio
into your program?
AP: For a shoot or contest I hit
eight sessions per week on my Stair-
master. That can happen at any time
but usually occurs around 7 p.m.
Double days are done on weekends.
Each session lasts 30 to 45 minutes.
DY: How do you organize your
training week?
AP: Right now I train twice per
day—weights in the morning and
cardio at night. [See page 194 for his
training program.]
DY: What do you think are the
key elements of training, nu-
trition, supplementation and
cardio that lead to building a
great body?
AP: You need to really love to
do it. Deep down you have to love
cardio. You need to look forward to
chicken and broccoli. [Laughs.]
Seriously, though, you need to
love what you’re doing to become
great at it. The education is the
same. Everyone has enough of it to girlfriend. How does bodybuild- similar paths and have now found a
create the physique they desire. If ing affect your relationship? mutual home to which we funnel all
they don’t, then they have tools to AP: Bodybuilding has strength- of this effort and motivation to win.
acquire the knowledge necessary. ened my relationship with my Chris and Scott set the bar with their
Tools like supplements, healthy girlfriend. I’ve watched her go from unmatched tenacity to destroy any
foods all around, great gyms and a beautiful woman with a beauti- obstacle that stands in their way.
personal trainers, etc. Once again, ful physique to a gorgeous woman DY: What’s the toughest thing
though, you’ve gotta love to do it! with a dangerously perfect body. about bodybuilding?
DY: Okay, let’s switch gears a We enjoy testing our physiques AP: I’d have to say it’s limiting
little. Tell me about something together, and although we are not energy levels while expending more
you’re proud of and what it’s with each other set for set, we do in and more as each contest or shoot
meant to you. fact travel together to the gym each gets closer.
AP: There are many things I’m morning and swap cardio sessions DY: What’s the best thing
proud of. I am proud to be in this at home. We’ve found another area about being a bodybuilder and
position, seeing that I’m only 28. of life we enjoy indulging in as a fitness model?
I am proud to be a Presciano and team. I love it. AP: That’s easy. It’s the gratifica-
will do everything in my power to DY: Do you have any role tion you get when you push your
make the name great. I owe that to models? physique to a level not yet achieved.
my father and mother. Good par- AP: Yes. Jesus Christ, my mother The first time is always the greatest
enting can go to waste if the child and my father are the first to come too.
doesn’t appreciate it. It’s now my job to mind. NFL Hall of Famer Barry
to perform at the level my family Sanders is a close second. I also Editor’s note: To work with a
expects from me. I live a life full of find myself more and more each member of BSN’s team of AFPA Cer-
pride because I know that my fam- day looking to Chris Ferguson [BSN tified Sports Nutrition consultants,
ily is happy with the direction I’m president] and Scott James [BSN call (877) 673-3727, or visit www
going in. Vice President] for inspiration, .BSNonline.net. IM
DY: I know that you have a mainly because we have traveled

Heavy
Duty
The Wisdom of
Mike Mentzer
by John Little
Is One Set Enough?
Q: Mike Mentzer believed in using one set to failure. I can see how that might work for smaller
muscle groups like biceps, but how can you stimulate maximum growth in bigger muscle groups like
the chest with only one set?
A: The size of the muscle group you’re training doesn’t change the fact that muscle fibers are recruited and stim-
ulated sequentially—from slow twitch to fast twitch—by one set taken to a point of momentary muscular failure.
The scientific literature supports the concept of one set taken to failure as at least the equal of multiset work, which
indicates that doing any more sets would be a waste of time and recovery resources. That will delay the growth your
workout may have stimulated.
Mike looked carefully at that dynamic:
“If you were to launch an investigation aimed at discovering how many sets were required to achieve optimal
results, where would you start? If you started at 20 sets and that didn’t work, where would you go? Down to 19 sets
or up to 21? The logical place to launch your investigation is with the least number possible, namely one set. You
can’t do any fewer sets. If one doesn’t work, then you try two. I can tell you unequivocally, though, that one set per
exercise is all you need to achieve optimal results.”
Most bodybuilders regard working out as an endurance contest, which it is not. Mike often said that the idea is
not to go into the gym to see how many sets you can do or how long you can mindlessly endure. Your purpose is to
go in as an informed, intelligent, rational human being and perform only the amount of exercise required to stimu-
late muscular growth. Note the distinction. As it turns out, the precise amount of exercise required to stimulate
growth isn’t nearly as much as people have been led to believe or would like to believe. According to Mike:
“One of the central issues in my book Heavy Duty II: Mind and Body is that the mistake over all these decades has
been that more is better and less is better. Those ideas are both wrong, and they both lead to training problems and
a lack of satisfactory progress.
“The idea is not more is better or less is better but that precise is best. Precision is the key. Exactly how many
sets per workout and how often? It’s similar to what happens when you take a medication. Once you discover what
medication is required, the next logical step is to discover how much—the dosage. How much of the drug should
you take and how often? In fact, I make the point again in Heavy Duty II that exercise science should flow from the
principles of medical science.
“In bodybuilding as in medicine we’re looking to effect the desired physical result, in our case not by taking a
drug but by imposing the appropriate training stimulus: high intensity. Once we know that, we can determine vol-
ume and frequency.”

Heavy
Duty
The majority of volume body- and have since purchased High recall speaking with him just prior
builders perform an arbitrary num- Intensity Training the Mike to my leaving for Helsinki, Finland,
ber of sets, with the exercise science Mentzer Way, Heavy Duty to cover the ’92 Mr. Olympia contest
establishment advocating up to 60 II: Mind and Body and any- and asking him a question about
sets a day, six or seven days a week. thing else I can get my hands the value of partial repetitions for a
That’s gross overtraining, and for the on. He was such an intelligent book I was doing. He gave me one
bodybuilder who’s not genetically man, and I love the philosophy of the most fascinating insights
gifted or taking steroids, it’s useless. component he brought to body- into the issue of recovery ability as
building. Since you knew him it relates to training volume and
What Was Mike Mentzer personally, what was he like— frequency. It broke new ground in
was he serious all the time? bodybuilding, and I was so elated
Like?
that I played the recording of the
Q: You knew Mike Mentzer A: Mike Mentzer was the most interview no less than 10 times. It
personally for some 20 years. fascinating and stimulating friend was several months before the re-
That must have been amazing. I’ve ever had and probably ever will. lease of his revised Heavy Duty, so it
I discovered Mike’s writings six There was always something “new” was exciting.
months ago when I purchased going on—a new idea, a new ap- As for Mike’s being serious all the
The Wisdom of Mike Mentzer plication, new knowledge. I vividly time—hardly! He was one of the

been produced. He was so excited cally if trainees kept a journal from
about that and couldn’t wait for me day one of training. Here’s why:
to send him the CDs so he could “In very few arenas of human
gauge Nietzsche’s “sense of life.” endeavor will you find anyone who
Once at a small coffee shop in takes the most direct route from
Venice, California, we got into a objective A to objective B at the
discussion of how tradition-bound outset. Learning and moving ahead
so many people in bodybuilding are accomplished by trial and error.
are. Mike opined that there was a Usually we begin by making a trial,
strong mystical element that had miss the mark, note the error and
been passed down in bodybuild- make the proper adjustments and
ing, where bodybuilders were sup- then proceed to our target or goal.
posed to go with their “feelings” or I’ve come to view my own training
“instincts.” The then editor-in-chief as something of a journey, whose
of Muscle & Fitness had written an destination is the fulfillment of my
editorial about how it was best to physical potential. As it is with any
“go with your gut” when training. long journey along an uncharted
“How does he know how to interpret path, I am bound to take the inevi-
a feeling in his gut?” I said. “For all table detour. It is vital that if I am
he knows he might be experiencing ever going to reach my destination,
gas—not a valid training insight.” I must avoid hitting the same blind
Mike did a spit-take with his coffee alley, the same detours twice; oth-
and laughed so loud and so hard erwise I will end up like a rat caught
that I didn’t think he would catch forever in a maze, frantically seeking
his breath! the one proper path that will lead
Mike was, above all, a benevo- me to success. Keeping a training
lent soul. He was always kind and journal is like making a map of your
never mean-spirited, giving freely journey. You must make a record of
of his time to anyone who wanted every proper turn as well as every
to speak with him. Unlike many wrong one. The road to building a
people in this industry, Mike left you great physique is just too long to
with something more than you had remember all the mistakes.”
before the conversation—I could go Mike began keeping a training
on and on. Mike Mentzer was a con- log in 1978 just as he was beginning
fidante, an ally, an adviser, a teacher, preparation for the USA vs. World
someone who made me laugh and challenge match in Los Angeles.
inspired me to want to learn more That discipline continued through
“The idea is not more is about life. I miss his company very another six competitions and ex-
better or less is better but much. tended to his workouts and diets in
that precise is best. Precision the off-season. According to Mike:
is the key.” “My journal has evolved some-
Why Keep a Progress
what since those first recorded
Chart?
observations back in June ’78. At
Q: I’ve read that Mike Mentzer first my journal served merely as a
funniest people I’d met, something was a big advocate of keeping record of my diet and my workouts
I’ve noticed about most people a log book or progress chart. while preparing for a contest. With
who are very intelligent. Will Du- It seems a huge inconvenience each succeeding contest, however,
rant once remarked that humor is to have to carry one of those I grew increasingly aware of how
aligned with knowledge, as both are things around the gym every my journal would serve me in the
born from a wide or deep view of time I work out. I see lots of big future for bigger contests. As time
life. Mike was someone with whom I bodybuilders at the gym I train went on, I began keeping a record of
could speak about any topic—from at who don’t keep track of any my bodyweight before each work-
bodybuilding training to music to of their weights, sets or reps, out, my other physical activities, as
art to philosophy to politics to writ- and they seem to be making out well as detailed analyses after each
ing to business to fashion. A bit of okay. Is a progress chart really contest. Recently I’ve begun to keep
trivia here—Mike was one of the that necessary? charts that compare my fluctuating
few bodybuilders ever to be profiled bodyweight with calorie intake and
by GQ magazine. In one of our last A: Mike made the point that activity level so that when prepar-
conversations I told him that Fried- becoming a massively developed ing for a contest in the future, I will
rich Nietzsche, whom Mike had read bodybuilder takes a number of years know exactly what I have to eat and
extensively in the 1970s, had written in most cases. He also believed that how active I must be each day to
music for piano that had recently the time would be reduced dramati- reach a certain condition or peak in

Heavy
Duty
As far as muscle growth

is concerned, rest and
recuperation are as important
as training and nutrition.
an allotted period of time. In addi- found stress to be additive, and As you can see, in addition to
tion, I’ve begun recording mental the stress of training and dieting simply recording training poundag-
and emotional patterns that attend for four continuous months along es and diet information, a workout
contest training. While I haven’t with other life stresses we invariably chart or training journal can reveal
had the time to analyze this par- encounter caused me to approach patterns of progress, such as the ef-
ticular aspect fully, I have identified my preparations for the New York fects of various training techniques
patterns that lead to motivation, pro show in May ’78 with little en- on strength increases. Without it,
emotional ups and downs, as well thusiasm. Even more notable from you’re a rudderless ship, blown
as progress. I now am beginning reviewing my journal was that while about by any chance wind and
to understand much better my my preparation for the show was doomed to make the same mistake
limits as well as my strengths. For essentially the same as for the first many times over.
instance, in the beginning of 1979 two, my body was not responding
I turned professional and was anx- the way it did for the first two. I Editor’s note: For a complete
ious to enter every show possible, as placed a dismal third in that con- presentation of Mike Mentzer’s
I had looked forward to the prospect test.” Heavy Duty training system,
of turning pro for some time. Losing didn’t dampen Mike’s consult his books Heavy Duty II,
“Recorded during the preparation enthusiasm. In fact, he recorded his High Intensity Training the Mike
of my first pro show, the Southern analysis of the competition in his Mentzer Way and the newest book,
Pro Cup, were words and phrases journal: The Wisdom of Mike Mentzer, all of
that revealed an almost unbridled “I shouldn’t have entered this which are available from Mentzer’s
enthusiasm and desire ‘to prevail.’ contest. I could see as long as two official Web site, www.MikeMentzer
I did prevail and won that first pro weeks preceding the show that my .com.
contest. As the year proceeded, body wasn’t responding to the train- John Little is available for phone
however, my contest preparation ing and diet as it had previously. consultation on Mike Mentzer’s
was disrupted by a lot of traveling The physical and mental stress Heavy Duty training system. For
for seminars and exhibitions as well associated with preparing for three rates and information, contact
as new responsibilities, like writ- shows in as many months, along Joanne Sharkey at (310) 316-4519 or
ing a book for a major New York with certain emotional stresses at www.MikeMentzer.com, or see
publisher. Each new responsibility resulting from family crisis ended the ad on the opposite page.
merely added to the stress I was up to be too much. I guess it just Article copyright © 2008, John
under, and my progress began to proves once again [stress researcher Little. All rights reserved. Mike
suffer. The continuing presence of Hans] Selye’s notions about stress, Mentzer quotations are provided
these and other diversions caused especially that we have a limited courtesy of Joanne Sharkey and are
me to place second in my second capacity to resist and adapt before used with permission. IM
pro show, the Night of Champions, we reach exhaustion and must devi-
in Pittsburgh on April 19, 1978. I ate, or rest.”

Bodybuilding Pharmacology
by Jerry Brainum
BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING
supplement manufacturers have sought substitutes. Most
Out of Africa of the latest “testosterone boosters” lack scientific proof of

effectiveness, their popularity often based on unreliable
Internet testimonials and ads. None of the current crop of
test boosters has any direct relationship with testosterone.
Their putative anabolic effect is indirect, based on what
Testosterone is the key hormone that regulates gains in you might call creative biochemistry.
muscular size and strength. All anabolic steroid drugs are One (alleged) testosterone booster is derived from the
molecular manipulations of testosterone’s basic structure. stems of a plant called Fadogia agrestis. The notion that the
Higher testosterone counts most often translate into more plant provides anabolic activity by increasing the amount
muscle size and strength. Men are said to be more capable of testosterone is derived from a 2005 study published
of building muscle mass be-
cause they have proportion-
ately more testosterone than
women. Unless a woman uses
anabolic steroids, her capac-
ity for developing extreme
muscle size is limited. Even in
women who do use steroids,
the difference in muscle size
from what men who use them
develop is evident.
Still, anabolic steroids are
drugs, and even if you ignore
the legal prohibition of their
use in sports, there’s a chance
of serious side effects. As with
any drug, however, the pre-
cise degree of unwanted side
effects varies with the dosage,
the amount of time a user has
been on the drugs and indi-
vidual response to them.
Problems with anabolic
steroids have led to a search
for natural alternatives. Many
of those supplements haven’t
strayed too far from being
drugs themselves—par-
ticularly the last generation of
pro-hormone supplements.
They were banned from over-
the-counter sale by the 2004
amendment to the Anabolic
Steroid Control Act. Most of
them were actual anabolic
steroids developed by drug
companies but never released
on the commercial market.
While there was little doubt
that the supplements worked,
they also caused many of
the same side effects as con-
trolled steroids. Although they
tended to be less potent, some
were far more
potent than testos- Since the removal of pro-hormones from the market, bodybuilders have been
terone itself. searching for a drug-free testosterone booster. A plant found in Nigeria has
Since the pro- properties similar to tribulus, but so far no human studies have been done.
hormone ban,

by researchers in Nigeria, where it grows in
the wild. The authors chose to investigate it
because of its long cultural history as an aph-
rodisiac. It was used to stimulate libido and
relieve general sexual dysfunction.
Analysis of the plant shows that it contains
saponins, alkaloids, anthraquinones and fla-
vonoids. In that respect it’s similar to another
plant touted to boost testosterone, tribulus.
(Some research shows that the saponin con-
tent of tribulus may be capable of boosting
testosterone levels, although that research is
equivocal at best.)
In the 2005 study an extract of fadogia
stems was given to rats for one week. It ap-
peared to raise their testosterone levels, an
increase the authors attributed to the fact that
it concentrated cholesterol in the rats’ testes.
As cholesterol is the raw material from which
testosterone is synthesized (thanks to help
from enzymes), the assertion seems justified.
As you might expect, it was only a matter
of time before someone found the obscure
study (it was published in the Asian Journal
of Andrology) and extrapolated the results
to possible human use. Without waiting for
human studies to confirm the effectiveness
of fadogia, several purveyors of the herb
marketed it to potential customers yearning
Results of rat studies don’t always transfer to the
for a testosterone boost. Advertising claimed that fadogia
boosted testosterone by 200 percent and suggested that it human population.
stimulated luteinizing hormone, a pituitary gland hormone
that controls the rate of testosterone synthesis at the Leydig
cells in the testes. Tribulus was touted to work in a similar was potentially toxic. The researchers noted that the toxic-
manner. Where the advertisers came up with the lutein- ity was probably “transient,” meaning that the side effects
izing-hormone mechanism isn’t clear, as it’s not mentioned would resolve when the extract use stopped.
in the original research paper. Does that mean fadogia is garbage and should be
Long story short, fadogia is now included in several avoided at all costs? Not necessarily. It may actually work as
“anabolic” formulas, and Internet wackos have raved about advertised in humans, but the proof is so far based entirely
all the gains they’re making courtesy of the stuff—as usual on anecdotal evidence—longtime use by Nigerian tribes.
blissfully unaware of the placebo effect. Taking capsules A more prudent approach would be to wait for at least
filled with banana peel would probably yield similar gains. preliminary proof of effectiveness and safety in human
Even so, there’s no evidence for fadogia’s effectiveness in subjects. It would be a nice gesture for companies that are
humans. selling fadogia to sponsor a study by independent research-
Meanwhile, the authors of the original study recently ers. If it were to prove that fadogia is effective and safe, that
published a follow-up of sorts, once again using rats as would be a useful advertising feature. If not, then fadogia
subjects. The primary aim this time was to observe the should be relegated to the pile of wonder supplements that
effects of different doses of fadogia on testicular func- didn’t pan out.
tion. The smallest dose, 18 milligrams per kilogram of
bodyweight, is about the same suggested for human Growth Hormone vs. Exercise
supplemental use. The results were alarming and once
again proved the folly of taking a substance that doesn’t Growth hormone holds much allure as both an anabolic
have even an elementary base in science: Fadogia caused drug and an effective means of slowing the aging process.
changes in the testes that indicated imminent damage. Many athletes who have used growth hormone swear by
While that more likely occurred at higher doses, the lowest its effectiveness. Others have found that GH alone isn’t
In a 2005 study an extract of fadogia stems was given to rats for

one week. It appeared to raise their testosterone levels, an increase
the authors attributed to the fact that it concentrated cholesterol
in the rats’ testes. As cholesterol is the raw material from which
testosterone is synthesized (thanks to help from enzymes), the
assertion seems justified.
BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY BODYBUIL Bodybuilding Pharmacology
nable to increases in size and strength. In those who don’t
lift weights, type 2 fibers gradually atrophy, while type 1, or
slow-twitch, fibers remain relatively unaffected. Because
they provide little or no strength, however, having a pre-
dominance of type 1 fibers often translates into weakness.
What precisely causes the loss of muscle? No one knows
for sure, although there is a term for the loss: sarcopenia.
One theory attributes sarcopenia to a loss of alpha mo-
toneurons, which stimulate muscle. Others point to the
gradual decline in the body of anabolic hormones, such as
GH, testosterone and IGF-1. There is also an increase in the
release of catabolic cytokines, substances that work with
cortisol to break down muscle tissue.
The good news is that exercise puts a brake on the
negatives of aging. What if you could combine that with
something that aids the age-related decline in GH? Several
antiaging clinics have suggested that a combination of GH
and a regular workout program leads to significant reju-
venating effects in older people. Muscle is harder to build
with age due to a lack of response of satellite cells, which
are stem cells involved in muscular repair and growth.
Studies show that GH promotes satellite-cell proliferation
in adults—adult rats, that is. Another rat study found that
GH restores muscle protein synthesis, while still another
Neveux \ Model: D.J. Green
determined that providing GH reversed the aging pat-

tern of muscle fibers, converting a typical old pattern to
a youthful version. In effect, that meant setting back the
clock. GH also blocks the effects of inflammatory substanc-
es that cause muscle fibers to commit suicide, a process
called apoptosis.
Exercise can slow or even halt many negative factors A new study found that exercise alone improved exer-
related to aging. cise capacity and strength in old rats. Exercise didn’t have
any effect on the rats’ slow-twitch muscle but did halt the
loss of fast-twitch fibers. In contrast, older rats that didn’t
as anabolic as they expected but does seem to encourage exercise showed extensive and ongoing loss of fast-twitch
greater bodyfat loss. Bodybuilders, however, uses doses of fibers.
GH that far exceed those produced naturally in the human GH alone had no effect on physical performance in the
body, even at the apex of GH release during adolescence. In older rats, nor did it halt the loss of type 2 fibers. On the
reality, GH is almost never used alone but is combined with other hand, the GH rats showed a 208 percent increase
various anabolic steroids and, often, insulin. Some evi- in apoptosis of type 1 muscle fibers compared to the
dence shows that the combination is more anabolic than sedentary rats that didn’t get GH. The authors conclude
any of the individual hormones used alone. that while exercise provides significant protection against
Recent studies show that using lower doses of GH long- functional muscle decline linked to aging, GH alone does
term doesn’t produce the side effects of higher doses. A not and may even increase the loss of type 1 fibers. One
primary effect of aging is the loss of muscle, particularly problem with the study is that none of the exercising rats
fast-twitch, or type 2, muscle fibers, the ones most ame- were given GH, and those in the GH group didn’t exercise.
Whether GH would work synergistically with exercise isn’t
apparent in the study. What is apparent is that using GH
Many athletes who have without exercise may prove detrimental to muscles over
the long term, an effect opposite to what would be ex-
used growth hormone swear pected.
by its effectiveness. Others References

have found that GH alone 1 Yakubu, M.T., et al. (2008). Effects of oral administra-
tion of aqueous extract of Fadogia agrestis stem on some
isn’t as anabolic as they testicular function indices of male rats. J Ethnobot. 115:288-
92.
2 Marzetti, E., et al. (2008). Effects of short-term GH
expected but does seem to supplementation and treadmill exercise training on physi-
cal performance and skeletal muscle apoptosis in old rats.
encourage greater bodyfat Am J Physiol Interg Comp Physiol. 294:R558-R567. IM
loss.
New Era
Training
Scott Abel’s Controversial
Approach to Muscle and
Strength
Part 2
by Ken O’Neill
Innervation Training
S
cott Abel’s recent book, The Abel Ap-
proach—Program Design and Coaching Abel has developed not one but three meth-
Strategies for the New Era, is a unique ods of training. They all work well, leaving the
and controversial contribution to muscle choice of which to use up to you. The key to all
building. Its 284 pages are packed with useful three is intensity. For Abel the basic ingredient
new information. In Part 2 of this exploration of success is learning to tap into the degree of
of Scott and his theories we’ll discuss his major intensity common to world-class amateur and
contributions to training, including innervation professional athletes. Think of it as “progres-
training, hybrid training and metabolic-en- sive-intensity training” rather than progressive
hancement training. resistance—meaning that intensity is far more
First a word of warning: Abel’s ideas may seem important than the amount of weight you lift. In
to run contrary to commonsense bodybuilding. other words, strength and intensity are not nec-
Well, as Albert Einstein once said, “Common essarily the same thing.
sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by When Abel talks about strength, he suggests
age 18.” The proof of their effectiveness can be about a half dozen different types of strength.
found at Abel’s Web site. Click on “Testimoni- Regardless of which kind of strength you might
als” to see the results achieved by the men and be working, he said, you “win the workout” by
women he coaches. His work is challenging sim- exercising with the utmost intensity.
ply because it’s outside deeply ingrained opin- What makes intensity progressive? The word
ion, yet it’s supported by state-of-the-art science. intensity came into our training vocabulary
What’s more, his ideas are similar to those on nearly 40 years ago with Arthur Jones’ seminal
which much of contemporary sports coaching, articles published in Iron Man. Since then Jones’
amateur and professional, is based. ideas have remained pretty much unmodified:

Scott Abel
Then as now, “intensity of effort” that, conscious control
meant training a set “to momentary of muscle movement will
failure.” Hence, intensity was type- guide all your training.
cast as a one-shot hit-or-miss deal. For many trainees
Jones understood intensity as con-
nected to strength. Once strength The development
was exhausted, you couldn’t move
the barbell again, so the set was of the early
over. For Jones and his followers, bodybuilders
intensity and muscular strength
were inseparable. Abel introduced
was enhanced
the idea that you could develop in- by functional-
tensity progressively while not going strength feats
to failure.
Much of Abel’s training insights and activities like
come from neuromuscular research. hand balancing
As a champion bodybuilder, he rec-
ognizes that intensity is not a prop- and gymnastics.
erty of muscles but of the central
nervous system—the mind/muscle
connection. Simply put, intensity
is an adaptive process learned by
the nervous system, which includes
the mind and central nervous sys-
tem. As such, intensity is a learned
response to training in which the
nervous system optimizes control of
muscles in exercises.
Innervation training also stresses
a mental orientation in which the
poundage on the barbell is not as
important as the intensity you sum-
mon and maintain. In our early
training we merely lift weights as
hard as we can. Growth results, and
we’re happy. Then come the dreaded
days of hitting plateaus. Growth
comes to a crashing halt, poundages
don’t increase, and muscles don’t
grow. Some suggest taking a layoff.
Or totally revamping your routine.
We all seek that elusive solution that
will get us past the hurdle and bring
impressive new gains. Some give up,
deciding they’ve made all the gains that means poundages will
possible. Others fall for a black- go down at first, yet the sore-
and-white view of the world—the ness can be profound. New
genetically gifted vs. the hardgain- growth quickly results, and
ers—forgetting that normal distri- fatigue and exhaustion cease
bution places most of us somewhere to be impediments or excuses
between the two. for giving up. Instead they
In terms of human psychology, become biofeedback, helping
plateaus represent habits. We be- you to move forward.
come habituated. Our training be- Psychological dimensions
comes stale; we’re in a rut—whether of intensity also open the door
we’re conscious of it or not. In- to greater training intensity
nervation training prompts you to by both extending reps and
kick into a new way of working out. adding volume. In fact, it
Instead of just lifting the weight, you is the duration of overload
learn to very consciously and delib- on a muscle that produces
erately move the weight by flexing the greatest growth. Abel in-
the target muscle. Once you can do sists that advanced athletes

set—expressed as a percentage— the fullest muscular transformation.
that force an adaptive response. The program also rotates rep ranges
Innervation training also stresses through a series of exercises so you
variety. Neuromuscular research include all types of strength condi-
shows that the more angles and tioning.
movements a muscle is subjected Innervation training takes into
to, the more neural pathways are account a rather wide range of
developed. That increases the mus- training variables. Abel repeatedly
cle’s ability to fire muscle fibers. admonishes us to recognize that
Think of the cable connections “a program is not a collection of
in your home: The more cable lines exercises” but a well-orchestrated
you have running throughout the approach to mind/nervous system
house, the more connections to In- adaptation that includes focussing
ternet and television you have. With on the spectrum of different types
your muscles, the more ways you of strength development. The result
use them, the more you’ll develop is a program in which no two work-
them. outs are the same. That fulfills his
Abel uses the analogy of a sand advice to “keep the training alive.”
hill. Imagine a sand hill at the His growth-producing programs
beach. If you pour a pail of water more closely resemble athletic train-
over it, a series of rivulets form. Pour ing than the stale, boorish repeti-
another pail of water, and it follows tiveness of standard bodybuilding
the same rivulet patterns, but if you routines.
next pour a much larger bucket of
water, new rivulets form along with Hybrid Training
the old ones, creating a larger net-
work of rivulets. With muscles, de- Noted author and training expert
veloping multiple neural pathways Juan Carlos Santana has observed
brings the ability to access more of that many sessions of so-called
a muscle’s fibers. The more you gain functional training seen in gyms
the deliberate control he speaks of, look more like circus acts than
the more you become the sculptor workouts. Functional training came
of your physique. out of rehabilitation therapies in the
Innervation training also relates 1990s. In recent years it’s become
to strength—or strengths. It in- a red-hot sales item for personal
cludes the following cycles: trainers in commercial gyms and a
cash cow for corporate gym chains.
• Strength cycle: high loads, low Abel’s hybrid training puts func-
volume, with complete recovery tional training to work in a practi-
between sets cal way, taking it out of both rehab
and the circus. Natural multiplanar
• Hypertrophy cycle: moderate- movements—including bending,
ly high loads with high volume twisting, reaching, stepping, squat-
ting, pushing and pulling, among
• Conditioning cycle: moderate others—are included in functional
loads with moderate volume training. Coaches, including foot-
ball’s Vern Gambetta and Santana,
• Power cycle: moderate loads whose repertoire includes martial
maintain the same level of inten- at high speed with full recovery arts, have brought their athletes
sity throughout a training session between sets great success by incorporating func-
despite becoming fatigued. The tional training into their athletic
• Metabolic and speed cycle:
goal of any athlete or bodybuilder programs.
light-to-moderate loads with in-
is to achieve stress on every inch of Functional training came to life
complete recovery between sets
every rep of every set, he says. That as a powerful tool for treating inju-
requires not only incredible concen- To further ensure that you ad- ries. In bodybuilding circles we’re
tration but also precise performance dress all aspects of neuromuscular too inclined to take for granted the
technique. It’s how you win the conditioning, innervation training notion that the longer you train, the
workout every time. includes a variety of exercises done more likely you’ll have injuries. We
The goal of Abel Body training, with varying rep, resistance and should be asking questions aimed
then, is to increase your training speed ranges with complete and at finding out how our training
efficiency percentage, a.k.a. TEP. incomplete recovery between sets. promotes those injuries in the first
That’s the number of reps in a given So all bases are covered to optimize place. That’s where functional work

Scott Abel
can create better training with fewer Standard bodybuilding train-
injuries while also stimulating the ing works almost exclusively only
growth of many more muscles. one of the three natural planes of
The old-timers of the Muscle human movement. Think of how
Beach era seemed to have unwit- many exercises you do in which
tingly stumbled into an early ver- the weights move either forward or
sion of hybrid training. Many of backward. The forward/backward
them were gymnasts and hand movement is known as the sagit-
balancers and did one- and two- tal plane. You can also move in the
arm strongman feats. Those come coronal, or lateral, plane, which is
mighty close to functional training. to the sides, and in the transverse,
Abel combined functional train- or rotational, plane. Bodybuilders
Photo courtesy of the David Chapman collection

ing with innervation training and do very little work in either of those
got hybrid training. Implementing planes, unlike earlier generations of
functional-training movements to muscle builders, and it shows up in
get progressive-resistance benefits our injuries and relatively underde-
results in multiplanar training of the veloped physiques.
whole body. Just to give you an idea: The old-
Walking Curls — An Experiment Muscle control: Otto

The very idea of combining biceps curls with walking struck me as Arco doing the ab rope.
strange. After all, many experts claim the biceps are most efficiently
covered with very strict movements. For example, when done correct- timers called their training “physi-
ly, Scott and preacher curls isolate the biceps in a very strict move- cal culture.” Well into the 1960s,
ment that eliminates any jerking that would the Yellow Pages listed gyms under
bring in the shoulders and back. So wouldn’t the heading Physical Culture.
walking curls encourage high-level cheating? Instead of posing, the
If I’ve learned one thing from Scott Abel’s old-timers did “muscle
recommended methods, it’s to suspend judg- control” exhibitions.
ment—just do it and see what happens. Their ability to control
Gripping a pair of dumbbells, each 15 individual muscles of
pounds lighter than what I normally used the back, especially the
for a work set, I began to walk and perform lat-and-rotator cuff area,
alternate curls. Talk about confusing. I’d not was astonishing.
expected that I would need to focus so in- Even more daunting was a muscle
tently in order to walk and curl at the same control feat called the rope. Imagine
time. Nor had I considered how many steps a someone doing a full stomach vac-
set of 10 reps for each arm might take. Because I had undercalculated uum, then flexing his abdominals
the walking distance, the first set included curling, walking and mak- in the middle of the vacuum. Now
ing turns. More surprising and exhilarating was the deep pump that imagine him alternately relaxing
showed up. and contracting each of the right
Three more sets told me all I needed to know: a fully pumped pair and left abs. An online search for
of biceps achieved with substantially less weight than I’d been strug- Otto Arco turns up photos that show
gling with for some weeks. The lighter weight wasn’t any easier than him demonstrating his skills with
heavier poundages, but the work I did was far more successful. that pose even when he was well
Abel says one of the biggest obstacles in training amounts to be- into his 60s.
coming habituated to how we train. That is, we too readily become We cannot do the feats of strength
creatures of habit. No wonder we get into training ruts and so easily and muscle control the old-timers
hit plateaus. In that respect, Abel has no “secret” movements—he mastered so well simply because we
simply gets you moving through all possible ranges of movement, train far fewer of our muscles than
breaking habits all the way. they did and we do that mostly in
Walking curls may well be explained by traditionalists as “muscle one plane of motion. Hybrid train-
confusion,” but there’s more to it than simple confusion. First, you’re ing brings more muscular develop-
breaking habits—requiring the biceps to work in new planes—and ment along with the pleasure of
second, you really have to focus. injury prevention.
Walking curls took me back to rapid-pumping sensations I re- Functional training emphasizes
member from when I first took up training 49 years ago. Everything training movements, not muscles.
was new then—and every new movement brought a pump. As Scott That’s particularly relevant when
says, we have to “keep the training alive.” —K.O. it comes to working the so-called
core. And by that I don’t mean
just the abs. The core is the whole

waist-and-trunk complex, and it exercises.” It’s a patterned program day’s penchant for mixing training
includes the hips and chest. The designed to achieve explicit goals. and aerobics has led to metabolic
core includes at least two layers of In hybrid training you focus on disasters. If your goal is to gain lean,
muscles in the waist area; their job one major muscle group over a muscular bodyweight, MET takes
is to rotate the torso through vari- five-day cycle. In addition to the out the bulking-up/training-down
ous planes of movement. Simple work you do for the target muscle cycle that’s been in vogue since the
twists and side bends done in body- group, you do functional-training ’60s—along with growth of associ-
building don’t even begin to work movements—for other movement ated metabolic damage. Scott’s blog
the core. No wonder our waists chains. For example, on innervation contains enough information about
look strange and our backs lack the leg day you might do a set for quads metabolic damage to fill a small
amazing V-tapers of springboard followed by a set for chest and back book.
divers, sprinters and gymnasts. performed with high-intensity JC Abel reminds us to always be on
Their sports are core intensive. Predator tubing cables or as push- the lookout for clues. How is it that
Another area that we neglect ter- ups between two stability balls with sprinters, gymnasts, divers, skaters
ribly in bodybuilding training is the feet elevated on a bench. and other athletes don’t go through
posterior kinetic chain—the long bulking-up/training-down cycles?
group of interconnected muscles Metabolic-Enhancement How is it they’re always lean and
that run from the heels up the back muscular? One American ice skat-
Training
to the base of the skulls and move ing champion shattered standard
together. Want to enhance your Abel’s latest innovation is meta- thinking by winning Olympic med-
hamstrings and calves? Work them bolic-enhancement training. To- als both in speed skating and endur-
deeper in the posterior kinetic
chain. And if you want to add
the “serape effect,” do some
core work to bring the serratus
anterior and rhomboids into
play.
The key to the functional
side of hybrid training is work-
ing the movement, not the
single muscles. Neuroscience
informs us that in a complex
movement, the weakest
link receives the greatestThe key to
benefit. For example, if
you do a lateral thrust the functional
beginning with a rela-
tively heavy dumbbell
side of hybrid
at a hanging position training is
between your knees,
exploding upward and working the
outward in a high lateral
raise and coming to a
movement,
momentary rest before
descending to the start
not the single
again, the lateral delts muscle.
get a very deep stimu-
lation. The result: in-
creased fiber involvement and
adaptation of neural pathways,
deeper intense fatigue and,
ultimately, more growth.
The integration of func-
tional training and innervation
training into consolidated
workouts is well planned out.
Nothing’s left to chance. In
order to figure out how to
program a hybrid workout, you
have to learn to rethink the na-
ture of training. As Abel says, “A
program is not a collection of

Scott Abel
ance skating. Aside from being lean Another advantage of MET: so, the resulting soreness heralded
and muscular, he possessed 28-inch Within three minutes of finishing that I was on the right track! Speed
thighs and could do sets of 100 reps cardio, your metabolism returns to squats for 25-plus reps on a Bosu
on the much more difficult vertical normal, while with MET it stays at balancer and one-leg stepups to a
leg press with 500 pounds—and on an elevated rate of fat burning for up bench were grueling. Speed rows
one occasion he performed an as- to 24 hours. with rubber-tubing cables induced
tonishing 300 squats nonstop with really sore lats. Despite a back-
225. Those clues point to the use Some Final Notes ground in powerlifting, I could not
of multiple modalities of training. do the feet-elevated-on-a-bench
Metabolic-enhancement training Hybrid training and MET imple- pushups between two stability balls.
does just that. ment the same techniques of using Eight weeks quickly passed. Then
Simply put, MET takes both in- complexes of two to four move- came the holiday season, calling for
nervation and hybrid training to a ments as a sort of giant set or doing me to have to make do with some
higher level. Scott’s impressive 240- singular movements such as the short workouts. I hadn’t done barbell
pound physique is living testimony one-arm dumbbell snatch “from bench presses in eight weeks and
to its effectiveness, as are photos of the floor, through the core, to exten- was happily astonished to find an
those he coaches. With five- and six- sion.” MET aims to create oxygen increase of 25 pounds on work sets.
day MET cycles, you follow a hybrid debts that elevate postworkout met- Now on strength leg days I’m doing
pattern in which you include two to abolic rates from eight to 24 hours 16 sets of various quad moves with
four exercises done in immediate by having you perform multiple sets fatigue setting in while my work
succession. Deep breathing and oxy- without recovering completely be- weights stay at an all-time high. For
gen debt result, but instead of recov- tween them. A complex may include my money—and at nearly 64 years
ering completely, you start again. one standard bodybuilding move- old—I say you can’t beat this kind of
You begin to feel like a runner ment followed by difficult functional bodybuilding athleticism.
doing wind sprints. A 75-to-90-min- movements, such as pushups done You can do MET over any reason-
ute training session can induce an between two stability balls with feet able number of days. Abel’s DVDs
oxygen debt lasting from eight to elevated on a bench, and high-rep provide instruction for both five-
24 hours after training, thus keep- speed movements, like speed squats and six-day MET programs. They
ing metabolism at an elevated rate. performed on a Bosu balance trainer focus on intermediate-to-advanced
The heightened metabolism seems for 25 to 50 reps or speed rows done athletic and bodybuilding train-
to melt off the fat as fast as muscle with 100 to 300 pounds of resistance ing, but, he says, they can easily be
grows—due to tremendous cardio provided by JC Predator tubing dialed down for other purposes. In
and oxygen debt demands of the cables. recent months I’ve done just that
type that sprinters doing interval In a nutshell, you work every for people who have recreational
training experience or that gym- bodypart at least twice weekly on sport backgrounds and are now in
nasts experience in two-hour non- MET. For each bodypart, one work- the 50-to-70 age range. I established
stop workouts where they develop out resembles traditional bodybuild- three-day MET programs based on
capped delts, barn-door-wide lats ing-strength training. Those sessions their conditioning histories. Across
and huge pecs. incorporate innervation training’s the board they gained fitness, harder
MET provides a healthy and effi- cycling of reps—at one workout, and leaner physiques and a sense of
cient alternative to the standard car- for example, you do incline dumb- enthusiasm that keeps the workouts
dio practices that inevitably lead to bell presses in sets of six to eight, alive. Multiplanar training also re-
metabolic damage. Aerobic exercise and the next time you work them lieves many of the aches and pains
causes metabolic damage because in sets of eight to 10 or 10 to 12. On associated with aging.
it conditions your system to become leg day you combine leg exercises
very efficient at burning fat. As your in something like a giant set with A Community of Training
fat-burning efficiency increases, you functional movements for chest
begin to get more miles to each gal- and lats done either at high speed Abel’s Web site, www.ScottAbel.
lon of fat, literally—causing dimin- and high reps, asymmetrically or as com, is a superb community of
ished results and the necessity of plyometrics—and through myriad polite people sharing information
training longer to get the same ben- angles and planes of motion. There and experience. It has a forum and
efits. Efficient fat burning produces are no heavy and light days, since Scott’s monthly blog entries, which
equally efficient fat storage. That’s you’re “surfing the strength curve” to include information on training the
the reason so many bodybuilders optimize adaptation. body, emotions and spirit along with
and figure competitors quickly put My experience with MET was the aforementioned gold mine of
on pounds of fat after a contest. challenging and disconcerting from information on metabolic damage.
Standard cardiovascular exercise the outset—filled, as it was, with Aside from Internet-based educa-
also strips muscles of branched- blows to my ego. They included my tion and his coaching career, Scott
chain amino acids in an attempt to being both weak and clumsy with now spends his time writing books
convert them to glycogen, forcing functional movements and so fa- and filming training DVDs. IM
the loss of hard-earned muscle dur- tigued, it was necessary to dial down
ing their competition prep. the training to minimal levels. Even

LONNIE TEPER’S
Blast From the Past Dept. Rory

Leidelmeyer.
The Best
Bodybuilder
Never to turn pro
He hasn’t competed in about 15 years, but he still has legions of fans.
Some say he’s the greatest bodybuilder never to win a pro card (Matt
Mendenhall certainly has his supporters for that honor as well). He ap-
peared on countless magazine covers and was the most copied physique
star of all time. I certainly have never witnessed anyone else receive as
much adoration as this cat got in his day.
Rory Leidelmeyer’s followers dressed like him. Permed their hair
like him. Trained like him—and, in the case of former Leidelmeyer clone
Jon Aranita, with him. Joined the same gym to be around him. Paid
him good money so they could say he personally crafted their workouts.
As he walked out of the prejudging at
the ’08 Orange County Muscle Classic on
April 19, accompanied by longtime protégé
Scott Livingstone, he appeared to be
back in competition mode in his 50s. His
presence was still magnetic enough to
draw stares and whispers from the fans
leaving the auditorium. Two of them were
yours truly and Shawn Ray, who, ironi-
cally, still holds the record as the youngest
person ever to win the NPC Nationals and
one of the youngest athletes ever to earn
pro status.
Shawn was there, allegedly, to take me
to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory near Joe Valdez
Disneyland. I must have been Goofy to At the
think Sugar would pop for two consecutive ’79 L.A.
meals. More on that later. Championships.
Back to the living legend. Leidelmeyer says he’s
now 53 years old (my records have him at 50), that he
still lives in Whittier, California, that his daughters are
26 and 21 and that he feels great. Looks great too—
especially for a guy who said he broke his neck in an
automobile accident a year and a half ago and who
recently won a battle with cancer that was centered in
the region of his right shoulder. He also said that he’d
spent a short time as a police officer years ago before
deciding that career wasn’t for him.
Actually, Leidelmeyer and I worked out at the same
gym in 1983 through ’85 (Astro Gym in San Gabriel;
now called the San Gabriel Health Club), but I was
there because I lived in the area—truly. Not that I
minded watching Rory and Jon go through their outra-
Avidan
geous workouts. Two of the strongest bodybuilders of

all time, for sure.
A living legend and his legion (from left): Scott Livingstone, Shawn
230 AUGUST 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com Ray, Leidelmeyer and L.T.

ARMED AND
GUMMY DANGEROUS
LIVING
BABE New trend in
LEGENDS DEPT.
A woman tattoos?
Can you say
of many Pages 232
aesthetic?
talents. and 233
Pages 230 and
Pages 234
231
and 235
Has it really been almost 25 years since Bob Paris upset

Leidelmeyer at the ’83 Nationals in San Jose, California? Most of
us who followed the industry at the time—more specifically, those
who saw this phenom in the gym on a daily basis—considered
Rory the clear favorite. Others felt that Mendenhall, after his sec-
ond-place finish to Lee Haney at the first NPC Nationals a year
earlier, was a shoo-in.
To refresh old memories—or open up new ones for folks not
around back then—Paris won the heavyweight and overall titles,
Leidelmeyer finished second, and Mike Christian took third.
Aranita, by the way, also landed in the runner-up slot, in the
middleweight class, to Lindsay McKinney. It was Jon’s first of
three consecutive silver-medal finishes at the Nationals (to John
Hnatyshack in ’84 and Lee Labrada in ’85).
Rory was devastated by the decision at the time and feels to
this day he wuz robbed. When I saw him at the gym the week
after the ’83 contest, he was speaking quietly to a throng of
crushed devotees—the atmosphere at the gym was so somber, it
Matt resembled a funeral.
Mendenhall. Leidelmeyer was never the same onstage after the battle of San
Jose. He finished fifth a year later in New Orleans, where Chris-
tian left the arena as the overall champ. Several comebacks took
Shawn and Yogi fight over the tab. place, but the damage had been done.
Today, without question, Rory Leidelmeyer remains one of the
sport’s most recognized stars. Even without that pro card.
ADD ORANGE COUNTY—Back to Shawn Ray and the

promised lunch. We did go to eat after the judging, as he’d
pledged. A bunch of us, including my 2007 Pro Bodybuilder of the
Year, Silvio Samuel, and Stan McQuay (with his lovely friend
Christine Benavidez), who earned his pro card at the ’06
Nationals with a victory over Charles Dixon in the light-heavy-
weight class.
McQuay, by the way, is a smart fella. He’s putting all his efforts
into completing a one-on-one personal-training studio in Wood-
land Hills, California, instead of worrying about when and where to
Teper
make his pro debut. No, that’s not a criticism of his physique. He
has one of the most marketable looks in the game, actually. It’s all
about doing what’s best for his future. I’ll be there to check out the
place at the end of the summer, Stan the Man.
Thinking he was going to foot the bill, Shawn made sure I didn’t order
steak. He made the same request of some of his buddies at the table,
who also claimed Ray had said that lunch was on him. Ditto for Yogi
Avidan and his cheeseburger, fries and Coke. (That Yogi, always cutting
back on the carbs.)
Midway through the grubbing affair, Shawn started working Silvio,
speculating on how much money Samuel must have made during his
monthlong trip to Bahrain and Essen, Germany, the latter for FIBO, a
large annual expo. And that Silvio should pick up the tab under the
circumstances. We all laughed; Sugar Shawn at his finest.
As we were walking out of the dining hall, I found out Ray’s ploy
Avidan
worked; Samuel actually did end up paying for everybody’s chow—and

he didn’t even know most of the people there. I felt bad, Avidan was
L.T. with Stan McQuay and Christine Benavidez. sad, and Shawn was glad. The infamous words “I’ll get you next time”

flow out of his mouth so naturally. John
As Shawn himself has said on more than one occasion, the more DeFendis
things change, the more they stay the same. in 1988.
Whatever Happened to Dept.

JOHN DEFENDIS—On the subject of past greats—and time passing
us by—this year’s United States Bodybuilding and Figure Championships
marks the 20th anniversary of the night that John DeFendis came out
of nowhere to take the overall crown.
I remember talking with Jim Manion in late spring 1988 about the fa-
vorites to win that year’s USA. Manion brought up DeFendis and said not
to count him out, since John had decided to compete again after a five-
year layoff. I learned early on that when Manion speaks, we should listen.
DeFendis dusted the field to earn his pro card and wound up in Mi-
chael Neveux’s studio for a shoot as well as on my assignment list for
an in-depth interview. Unfortunately, concentrating on getting in great
shape for 13 guest posings rather than putting all his efforts into his up-
coming competitions proved to be his downfall. When he finally stepped
on a pro stage at the ’89 Niagara Falls contest, he was holding more
water than the actual Niagara Falls and sank to the end of the order, a
finish he repeated at the ’89 Night of Champions.
After his substandard performance at the NOC, John
DeFendis
showed me he had something vastly more significant than
today.
a contest win. I was unsure how to approach him after such
a dismal showing, but when I came into his view, DeFendis
made it easy on me, mocking his conditioning that night and
breaking the ice.
John never competed again as a pro, had some legal
problems down the road and went through a third divorce.
But would someone who could handle the “Intensity or Insan-
ity” workouts of Steve Michalik let anything keep him too
Neveux
far down for very long? No way, Jose.
Fast forward to 2008. John has been happily married to
Sherry for 10 years, and the cou-
ple relocated in 2007 from Florida Silvio
to Greenville, South Carolina, where Samuel
DeFendis manages two personal- and L.T.
training companies, a real estate
holding company and a literary and
motivational company.
In addition to a home in Green-
ville, the DeFendises own resi-
dences in Greer and Taylors, South
Carolina, and John’s office is in
Anderson. DeFendis celebrated
his 50th birthday on May 15. He
Avidan
trains in his abundantly equipped

home gym and still packs 250 to
270 pounds of beef on his 5’7 1/2” inch frame most of the year. (May, by
the way, is a big birthday month in the industry—Rich Gaspari turned
45 on May 16, Ronnie Coleman hit the 43 mark on the 13th, Dave
Liberman was 43 as of May 17, and James “Broadway” Bivens
became eligible to compete in the masters division on May 15.)
“I have brought on Mat DuVall as a partner in one of the compa-
nies,” said DeFendis in early May, “and we have a contract with American
Bodyworks to roll out hundreds of clubs. I get hundreds of e-mails a day,
businesswise and fan-base-wise, and I try my best to answer all of them.
Life is good!”
Sure sounds like it, big guy. Congrats on hitting the half-century mark
and doing it with so much happiness and success. You look good in the
pictures—much better than at the NOC.
Now, Johnny, did you expect me to end with anything different? Liberman‘s biceps is in-treadable in this tire ad.
Oh, yeah, if you want to contact Johnny D, write to

Craig Kevin
Richardson. English. [email protected]. He’ll have to respond now.
Armed and Dangerous Dept.

When I was in Cleveland in April to emcee the Natural Ohio,
a photographer named Gary Yasaki rushed up to me at in-
termission, saying he was looking for somebody with big arms
and no tattoos to shoot for a tire ad. Unfortunately, I had to tell
him, I was leaving on an early-morning flight the next day and
couldn’t do the shoot.
Gary then broke the deflating news—it wasn’t me he want-
ed to photograph, but he wondered if I knew of anyone who
could fill the bill. Begrudgingly, I told him that Dave Liber-
man the co-promoter, would have to do.
In checking out the final production, I reluctantly admit that
the choice of Liberman’s biceps was probably wise. And no
nasty remarks about using me next time—in the spare tire
department.
Kai
Greene.
Mean, Greene Affair
Congrats to heavy favorite Kai Greene on his dominating victory at
the New York Pro on May 10 (see Roland Balik’s complete photo cov-
erage at www.ironmanmagazine.com). I talked with Isaac Hinds and
Shawn Ray after the prejudging, and they both said Greene coasted to
the 15-grand payday, as we’d all expected the hometown fave to do.
Double congrats to Kevin English, who, after not having competed
for a few years (at least I don’t remember him flexing onstage at any
recent shows, and if he did, he got spanked), finished second to Greene
in the main event and won the 202-and-under contest. In addition to
English, Ronny Rockel, David Henry and Craig Richardson quali-
fied for the Mr. Olympia by placing second through fifth, respectively. (Kai
New York Pro Bodybuilding photography by Roland Balik
had already earned his by placing third at the Arnold Classic two months
earlier).
It was great to see that one of my guest posers at the Junior Cal on
June 21 (www.NPCJuniorCal.com), Cathy LeFrancois, will be coming
off a big victory of her own. Cathy bested runner-up Jeanne Papa-
rone and third-place finisher Rosemary Jennings in the New York
Pro Women’s Bodybuilding competition. Ya know I gotta have people
with major titles performing at my annual show at Pasadena City College,
especially considering how much I pay for their services. No comment,
Jay Cutler!
Enough of the self-promotion; back to Greene’s easy win in the Big
Apple. “Greene was in a league of his own,” said Hinds. “They saved the
best for last when his posing routine brought the crowd to its
feet. Kai just outmuscled everyone, and his conditioning was
what we’ve come to expect—he was peeled.”
Lifter said English was really pushed by David Henry in
the 202-and-under event but deserved the crown because
“English’s conditioning was better, and he was a bit wider
than Henry. David looked very good, but his wheels continue
to keep him parked outside a top spot.” Hey, Hinds, leave the
witticisms to me, okay?
“Cathy brought ‘sexy’ back to female bodybuilding,” Hinds
continued. “She was a bit fuller and not as hard as she was at
the Arnold. She shows there may be some hope for keeping
Ronnie female bodybuilding appealing.”
Rockel.
ADD N.Y. PRO: WHITEOUT—Ben White, last sea-

son’s USA overall champ, who has been called the Muham-
David mad Ali of bodybuilding by Muscular Development owner
Henry.
Steve Blechman, kept true to form by promising, up to

the night before the show, that he’d come out a winner in his pro
debut, Kai Greene or not. Unfortunately, big Ben wasn’t that big
when he stepped onstage—although he was very conditioned—
and he ended up settling for sixth place, missing out on both prize
money and an Olympia-qualifying berth.
Some will ask, Is White overrated? Way too early to make that
call. He’s only 31, hasn’t been competing that long, and looked
good from the photos. Expect Ben to show up bigger and fuller
the next time he hits the posing dais. I say he still can be a factor
at the pro level.
MORE NEW YORK WEEKEND—As I’ve written previ- Ben White

ously, the 202-and-under battle in New York was developed by in New
Sugar Shawn Ray, in conjunction with N.Y. Pro promoter Steve York (left)
Roland Balik
Weinberger, who raised the money needed for prizes and other and at the
Merv
related costs. Now, I do understand the perspective of the many ’07 USA.
who feel that the so-called smaller guys who earn pro status
should have a real shot at competing on that level. It means that a
person’s career doesn’t necessarily have to end when he earns an
IFBB pro card, as it usually does for the lighter-weight-class winners.
In addition to knowing that they don’t have to hang up their posing
trunks just yet, they also get the opportunity to put some cash in their
pockets, along with the potential for added media coverage. Hey, I
wish you all the success in the world.
That’s one side of the ledger. As a promoter, I have not been an
advocate of incorporating the smaller division into pro shows. It’s just
more money added to already excessive budgets and very little, if any,
return with regard to increased interest, a.k.a. ticket sales.
Those additional costs rest squarely on the promoter’s shoulders.
Of course, if the money could be raised by somebody else and all
costs guaranteed, I might be more open to the scenario. Beyond that, PTA power (from left): Mike Sable, Robbie Robinson,
if you’re competing in an activity where size definitely does matter and Joe Antouri, Fred Boujackle and Mike Ergas.
you think that’s unfair, plan on another profession.
Plenty of undersized athletes have gone on to all-star status on the
pro level in several arenas: NFL players Steve Smith, Marvin Harrison
and Zach Thomas (and, although I don’t like having to mention his name,
Pacman Jones) immediately come to mind. The NBA had 5’3” Mugsy
Bogues and 5’6” Spud Webb and, most significantly, it has the guy who
should have been the MVP this year, Chris Paul, who is listed as 6’—but
that’s only with “Saturday Night Fever” platform shoes on. How tall, really, is
Allen Iverson? I could list 50 more too-small-to-succeed-as-a-pro athletes
from myriad sports, but you gets my drift. Sherry Goggin
Additionally, as it’s turning out, because of the lack of depth in practically (left) and
Edna Antouri
every pro lineup, save the Olympia and the Arnold (and this year’s IRON
can look fit
MAN), being smaller has become an advantage at a lot of competitions.
and chew
Let’s take the New York show as a prime example. Greene won the $15K
gum at the
top prize, but, as discussed above, English, Ronny Rockel and Henry same time.
went second, third and fourth, respectively, with Craig Richardson in fifth.
Now, I’m not sure if Rockel would qualify for the 202-and-under show, but
I do know he’s a smaller guy known for shape, not size. Thus, English and
Henry were able to win prize money in both events because of their lesser
weight, an opportunity not afforded Richardson, who’s a large competitor but
far from a size monster. And, by the way, he was the most overlooked man in
the contest, according to Ray.
In fact, Kevin’s eventual take of what, $10 to $12k?, was not that much
less than Kai earned for crushing the field in the main event. Also, I assume
that Kevin and David got to pose in both shows as well.
The results prove that a smaller man can beat a larger man with no handi-
caps involved. Again, check out the size of the fellas who finished in the next
three slots behind Kai.
So what’s the answer? Not sure. Perhaps if athletes could only compete
in one of the divisions? Or if you win booty in one, you can’t do the other? I
guess trying to raise the prize money in the main show by another few thou-
sand would help the cause, but bodybuilding has only so much support, and
Kristie, Asia Monet and Shawn
234 AUGUST 2008 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com Ray say hello to Bella Blu.
that would dig an “I think I am one
even bigger hole in of the first ever
the promoter’s debit personal trainers,”
column. he said, laughing.
I know I’ll be “I started soon
called a traitor by after I came to this
many, most of country, in 1978. I
whom weigh less would help people
than 202 pounds. with their workouts,
Shawn certainly and they would take
won’t agree with my me to lunch, bring
assessment, since me clothes or food,
he’s hoping to add stuff like that. I had
even more 202-and- no idea this was
under competitions something I could
down the road. charge for. Nobody
Sorry, but financ- did stuff like that at
es and practicality that time.”
must come into play Antouri, who
here. Ironically, as it holds a degree in
Illustration by Larry Eklund

stands, if anybody nutrition and dietetic
is getting the shaft therapy, established
compared to the the Private Train-
elevator in this one, ers Association—
it’s the big guys. PTA—in 2000.
The company lists
Charles Glass
ADD SUGAR SHAWN—The week before the New York as its executive vice president and such industry notables
Pro, Ray’s wife, Kristie, gave birth to the couple’s second as Mike Sable, Lenda Murray, Sherry Goggin, Dr.
child. Bella Blu Ray was born at 9:22 p.m. on April 30, Charles Antouri (Joe’s brother), Michael Ergas and Mi-
under the watchful eye of big sister Asia Monet, who will hit chael Walszak, among others, as directors of major posts.
the big three in August. The company offers certifications in a wide variety of areas:
Bella Blu tipped the scales at a conditioned six pounds, personal training, nutrition, coaching Olympic weightlifting,
14 ounces and measured just under 20 inches. Kristie was dance and fitness and health and fitness programs for youth.
back home in Corona, California, in 24 hours, about half the The PTA is GI Bill approved and has been accepted, ac-
time of the usual maternity stay in a hospital—and promising cording to Antouri, as an official academic curriculum for both
to make Shawn stick with his promised diet for more than a the bachelor’s and master’s programs at the American Sports
week this time. University in San Bernardino, California.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Antouri says the PTA is
always expanding. The IFBB in Russia has named the PTA as
In the Spotlight its official certification program. “The PTA’s worldwide pres-
ence isn’t only physical, it’s also virtual,” said Antouri. “We
Who’s the Samir Bannout look-alike who heads up have certification programs via the Internet, as well as one
the Private Trainers Association booth at events around the working directly with IFBB pros.”
country, including the FitExpo for the past five years? His For more information, go to www.ProPTA.com.
name is Joe Antouri, and, like Bannout, he was born and
raised in Lebanon. The 47-year-old Antouri first came to the
United States in 1978 as a wide-eyed 105-pounder who ADD ANTOURI: CHEWING THE FAT—Want to chew
loved bodybuilding. The first star he saw in Gold’s Gym, actu- your fat away? Joe Antouri says we can all do it by stick-
ally, was the Lion of Lebanon himself. ing a piece or two of FITGUM into our mouths. It’s a dietary
Eventually, Antouri found success on a bodybuilding stage, supplement whose key ingredients, according to Joe, in-
competing in the World Amateur Championships at 5’6” crease and support the process of thermogenesis, elevating
and a cut 205 pounds, but he blossomed into a real super- the body’s temperature to burn fat.
heavyweight in the personal-training arena. After working with The innovative product, which was featured at the PTA
clients in local gyms around the Southern California area for booth at the FitExpo this past February, can be ordered by
years, Joe branched out. logging on to www.GetFitGum.com. It’s due to hit the shelves
Eventually, he began setting up private-training facilities in the fall and will be distributed by, among others, Body-
for high-profile members of the entertainment and business building.com and Europa Sports.
worlds and today has a client list longer than my back. (One Sounds like a juicy idea to me. Spearmint will do for now,
company has 350 executives in the program, with two gyms but make sure to add a cinnamon version in the future. IM
set up by Antouri.)
Joe wasn’t always making big bank from his altruistic
behavior.
To contact Lonnie Teper about material possibly pertinent to News & Views, write to 1613 Chelsea Road, #266, San Marino, CA 91108;
fax to (626) 289-7949; or send e-mail to [email protected].

MERV
Fred Smalls
LO NN I E TE P E R’S Ri sing S t a r s
Age: 32
Weight: 220 contest; 250, off-
season
Residence: Newark, Delaware
Contest highlights: ’07 IFBB
North American Champion-
ships, heavyweight, 5th; ’07
NPC Nationals, heavyweight,
9th
Factoid: In 1997 he was ranked
first in the world among junior
powerlifters. Smalls also holds
a bachelor’s degree in finance
management with a minor in
dance and is still an accom-
plished dancer.
Merv
Contact: www.FredSmalls.neet
L O N N I E T E P E R ’S R i si n g St ar s
L O N N I E T E P E R ’S R i si n g St ar s
Merv
Todd Jewell
Age: 27
Weight: 265 contest; 295 off-
season
Height: 6’0”
Residence: Bellevue,
Washington
Contest highlights: ’07 Emerald
Cup, superheavyweight, 1st;
’07 USA, superheavyweight,
7th
Factoid: Jewell is an aerospace
machinist and the new face of
Twinlab products.
Contact: 12819 SE 38th St.,
#318, Bellevue, WA 98006
Merv

Met-Rx
’07 World’s Report,
Strongest Photography
and
Illustration
by Larry
Eklund
Man Finals
Dave Ostlund of the USA appeared
to power through this event (44.1
seconds) but was not as fast as the
newly blonded Mariusz, who blew
by with a 37.22 time. The worst
scenario occurred when Tarmo Mitt
tore his biceps during the event and
was forced to withdraw from the rest
of the competition. That brought
the field down to nine finalists.
The overhead safe lift was next,
and it was apparent that the previ-
ous days of qualifying competi-
tion had taken a toll on some of
the contestants. The safe was 254
pounds of equipment that had a
tendency to swing back and forth
as it was lifted overhead. Mark Felix
and Don Pope were able to get only
half the reps in the finals that they’d
achieved in the qualifiers, seven
instead of 12 and 13, respectively.
Pfister’s reps dropped from 16 in the
qualifier to 12 in the event. Kevin
Nee and Sebastian Wenta dropped
down by only two from their previ-
ous attempts. Nee went from 12 to
10 reps, and Wenta won with 17.
He’d previously set the standard
at 19 reps in the qualifier. Mariusz
came in second with a respectable
15 repetitions.
The Anaheim Hilton was the site
of the next day’s events. Whereas the
week before the athletes had been
competing in 80 to 90 degree heat,
the California weather had changed
drastically. The clouds had come in,
and the weather had the look and
smell of rain on its way.
Don Pope was the first to com-
pete on the second day of the finals
in the Fingal fingers. Because there
was an odd number of finalists, he
went by himself; no one was com-
peting in the lane next to him. He
was first and on his own, always a
F
rom the start of 2007 Mari- St. Regis Monarch Beach at Dana daunting task in itself, but he set the
usz Pudzianowski let it be Point, California, was the scenic pace of the competition for the day.
known he wasn’t going to location of the first day in the Met- As he finished with the last finger,
be beaten again. He was Rx 30th edition of the World’s Stron- he yelled out a challenge to all the
determined to win every contest gest Man Championships Finals. other competitors to step up and,
he entered. Mariusz was going to With only two days of rest, following “Get it on.” The gauntlet had been
prove he was the strongest man in the grueling four days of qualifying thrown down, and the competition
the world bar none. His plan: Give it events, the top 10 qualifiers were was under way.
his all and win every event in each about to embark on a battle for Sebastian Wenta took the chal-
qualifying contest. The plan hit a supremacy. lenge and stepped up—he set a
few rough spots. He lost the Venice The first event, barrel loading, world record in the fingers event,
Beach Super Series to Dave Ostlund required each contestant to carry the first person to finish in less than
and was pressed for the win in Nor- four water-filled 245-pound bar- 31 seconds (30.92). Ostlund and
way, but he was confident the over- rels of various sizes over 10 meters Wenta raced against each other in
all title would be his. Meanwhile, and place them on a platform. their heat. It was neck and neck for
reigning champion Phil Pfister was There was a 75-second time limit, the first few fingers. Wenta kept his
going to do his best to derail Mari- with the fastest time winning. That extreme forward angle through-
usz’ plan, as were the eight other event played havoc with most of out the event, which enabled him
equally determined finalists. the 10 finalists. Twenty-six-year-old to pull ahead of Ostlund. Phil

Met-Rx
Pfister, the defending champion,
went against Terry Hollands in
the event—Pfister’s favorite—and
finished in 31.78. Pfister powered
through without pause, but it wasn’t
enough to match Mariusz Pud-
zianowski, who breezed through the
fingers with a time of 31.15 in his
heat against Magnus Samuelsson.
During the time it took to dis-
mantle the Fingal fingers and set
up the car deadlift, the weather had
gotten worse. It started to drizzle
and dampen the equipment. It
hadn’t rained enough to warrant
a postponement of the event, al-
though that was being discussed
more seriously. Kevin Nee was first
up. The vehicle being used for the Mariusz Pudzianowski
lift was a PT Cruiser with 45-pound (above) struggles to get
weights added in its truck hatch. one more rep in the Cruiser
Kevin played to the crowd and got deadlift. Right: Magnus
them to cheer him to seven repeti- Samuelsson drives it up with
tions. leg and back power. Below:
The event was tougher on the
Mark Felix cruises through 11
taller athletes. Their height worked
against them because of the low reps to win the event.
leverage angle of the bar attached to
the back end of the Cruiser. Many of
the taller competitors chose to lift noticed Mark did not warm up as
with just socks or bare feet, which the other athletes had. While some
made the footing precarious. The contenders did several light, quick
platform was slippery because of repetitions with a barbell, Mark
the weather. Magnus was the next simply deadlifted the relatively light
contestant, and he appeared to be barbell and held it in the upright
struggling and garnered four repeti- stance, eyes closed, concentrating
tions. Dave Ostlund also managed and meditating for several mo-
to get four reps. As the first few comments, then lowered it and repeated
petitors completed their attempts, the sequence. The only other com-
the weather was getting darker and petitor to come close to Felix’s rep-
damper. Many of the athletes felt it etitions was Mariusz, who would
was too wet to continue the event. It have tied with 11 reps if he hadn’t
was not until big Terry Hollands of dropped the bar on his last repeti-
England got set to start his attempt tion. The standing rule is that the
that the event was halted due to repetition must be fully controlled
rain. Terry had gotten his grip, set all the way up and all the way down.
his feet and pulled, only to end up Pudzianowski was not happy about
on his rump. His feet slipped right it but didn’t push the issue.
out from under him as he lifted. Pulling 20 tons over 25 meters
The equipment was covered with in 75 seconds or less was the next
towels and put on hold until the rain event, the fire engine pull. By this
stopped. time the weather had cleared, and
Two hours later the California the sun had returned. The ground
weather did another about-face. was dry, but the fire engine was
The equipment was dried off and too much for some of the athletes.
cameras reset, and Terry restarted Dave Ostlund was first up but was hauling the colossal engine. Phil
his attempt, which netted him eight only able to pull it 22.74 meters. had a slow start and pulled hard to
repetitions. Mark Felix shone on the Don Pope did a little better at 22.85 get the truck moving. As he pulled
event with 11 repetitions. Known meters. Kevin Nee had a hard time and pumped with his legs, he built
for his deadlifting ability, Mark lived starting and ran out of gas at the speed until he became a raging
up to his reputation by making it 15.1 meter mark. Big Phil Pfister rhino down the course to finish at
look easy. An interesting side note: I was the first to cross the finish line 53.93 seconds.

Felix (left) puts his muscle
power and endurance to the
test in the fire engine pull.
Below: USA’s Kevin Nee sets
himself to pull 20 tons as
fast as possible.
Right: Samuelsson gets a
good start at the beginning
of the Atlas stones event,
hoisting the first boulder
with ease.
theirs.
The giant walk, 880 pounds of hollow Citroën
Swede, Magnus body shell fitted with custom shoul-
Samuelsson, der straps, was a course of 25 meters
went next. Mag- to be completed in 75 seconds or
nus excels at less.
that event, and Kevin Nee volunteered to go first
he didn’t disap- over Don Pope, who was nursing
point. Once he an injury. Kevin had a rough start
got the huge at getting the car to balance, but
engine rolling, once he did, he quick footed it down
his speed kept the course for a time of 24.09. Pope
building to the stepped up next, but his injury,
finish. He was sustained during the previous day’s
like a freight events, kept him from mustering
train, strong and more than a disappointing 34.09.
steady, pulling Mark Felix managed a strong and
across the line at steady pace at 22.18. Towering Dave
48.01 seconds. Ostlund and Phil Pfister appeared to
Where Magnus be in control as they stood up with
was a freight the car draped across their shoul-
train, Mariusz ders, well balanced, and walked
Wenta had two attempts at this was a quick Metro passenger train quickly down the course. Dave’s
event. The first one was disquali- that completed the course in 41.53 time was 28.84; Phil’s was 23.75. Big
fied due to a technical error that seconds. The silver bullet, though, Terry Hollands stood up with the
occurred when he first attempted was none other than the big Brit, car, its front end dipping slightly
the pull. Jouko Ahola was pulling Terry Hollands, who completed the forward, and ran down the 25-meter
the anchor rope out of the way course in a breathtaking 41.41 sec- course for a time of 19.50. Sebastian
for Sebastian as he started a deep, onds. Wenta followed suit with a quick
hard pull on the engine. The engine Sebastian Wenta did take his shuffle step for a time of 20.01.
started rolling rather quickly from a second attempt at the engine pull It would be the incredible Mari-
dead stop and continued down the with Mariusz next to him all the way usz Pudzianowski who made the
course at a fast clip. Jouko was hav- down the course, encouraging him car walk appear as if it were just a
ing a hard time keeping the anchor on. Sebastian finished the 25-meter short jaunt in the park as he came
rope from being run over by the course at 51.93, a tie with Pfister’s in with an unbelievable time of
front tires of the engine because time. 14.62 seconds. With the win Mari-
Sebastian was moving so fast. It was The California sun beat down as usz clenched the overall title and
a world record in the making. Fi- the beach beauties in their bikinis his fourth World’s Strongest Man
nally, just before Sebastian reached gathered to watch the herculean championship. The contest now was
the end of the course, the fire en- efforts of the finalists on the final to determine the second and third
gine horn was blown (the signal day of the championships, held at places.
that something was wrong), and Huntington Beach. California was The final event was the crowd
it was discovered that the engine living up to its reputation for fun in favorite, Atlas stones. Five round-
had slipped into first gear without the sun, with no clouds to be found. ed granite stones weighing 220
the driver noticing it. Much to Se- A portion of the spacious parking lot pounds, 243 pounds, 265 pounds,
bastian’s dismay, he had to redo his was transformed into a battle site 309 pounds and 353 pounds had
attempt after all others had finished for these titans of power. The car to be loaded on to their respective

Met-Rx
podiums in the quickest time. The at 19.58 earn-
athletes would race two at a time to ing the bronze.
earn their final placings. Don Pope As the sun
had to withdraw because of his in- set on the
jury. That left the field at eight, with sandy beach
second and third place in hot con- in Southern
tention. The first two up were Kevin California, the
Nee and Mark Felix. Mark seemed Polish contin-
a bit tired and could muster a time gent, of which
of only 24.85 to Kevin’s 22.10. The there were
second pairing had the two com- many, cheered Above: Valet parking,
mentators, Bill Kazmaier and Sven as their fellow Magnus Samuelsson
Karlsen, making a little side bet. Bill countrymen style.
was rooting for the American Dave garnered the Right: Pudzianowski
Ostlund, while Sven was pulling for gold (Mariusz
warms up.
the Viking Swede Magnus Samuels- Pudzianowski)
son. They were going head to head and the silver
until Magnus slipped and lost his (Sebastian Wenta) in the Met-Rx ’07
grip on the last stone, giving Dave World’s Strongest Man Finals. For
the opportunity to power through the first time since 1993, an English-
with a 19.88 time. Magnus had to man, Terry Hollands, stood on the
settle for 23.83. winner’s podium with the bronze.
The third pairing contained Mari- A long week of herculean events
usz Pudzianowski (the defending that saw massive tons of weights
champion) and Phil Pfister (the ’06 moved at back-breaking speeds had
World’s Strongest Man). Although come to an end. The coming season
Mariusz didn’t have promises to be
to go full bore on this another year of
event—he already
The winners (from left):
had enough points to Sebastian Wenta, 2nd; Mariusz
guarantee first place Pudzianowski, 1st and four time
overall—he’s not WSM; Terry Hollands, 3rd.
known for perform-
ing any event at half
speed. Mariusz likes
to win and win it all.
The stones have been
a problem event for
him in the past. He
tends to get too quick
for his own good and
drops or misses a
stone at some point.
This time was no
different. Phil took
pleasure in beating
Mariusz with a time
of 20.83 to 31.09.
Mariusz overthrew the
fourth stone, and it
rolled off the podium,
which required him
to relift it and place it
back on the podium.
The race for second place was in upsets and records as Mariusz plans dear sweet Fran, for their coopera-
the fourth and final pairing of Terry for his assault on a fifth title, and the tion and patience in allowing me
Hollands and Sebastian Wenta. They world’s contenders work to derail behind the scenes access to the
were head to head until the last his plans. contest. There was a lot of hard work
stone. Wenta placed his 353-pound involved in making this competition
stone on the podium first with a Author’s note: I would like to a success, and their efforts paid off
time of 18.75 and clinched second thank everyone involved at TMI handsomely. IM
overall, with Hollands a second later productions, especially Lisa and

Mr. O ’s
Wild Workouts

A Look at
Jay Cutler’s
Olympia Training
From His “Jay to Z” DVD
by Steve Holman and He starts his chest
Jonathan Lawson workout with incline
presses on the Ham-
mer Strength ma-
W
e admit it: It took us chine, chin on chest, Above: This is the highest
a while to get to Jay and every rep of every point of Cutler’s Hammer
Cutler’s latest DVD, set is from just above Strength incline press
stroke. Below: Here’s the
“Jay to Z.” It’s a bit in- the low position, the
top of his dumbbell bench
timidating—no, not because of Jay’s semistretch point,
press. These are very
screen-filling body size, although to about halfway up. close to X-Rep-only sets.
he’s one huge dude, but because of It’s rapid-fire X Reps
its length, which clocks in at more in a row. He does a
than six hours! You’ll see his house, few sets here, get-
how his day progresses (see Jay eat ting no fewer than
breakfast, carry all of his outgoing 12 reps—and at the
mail to the post office and then go end of most sets he
home and play with his dogs) and a does a number of
number of his appearances, includ- Double- or Triple-X-
ing the IRON MAN FitExpo. Every Overload reps. That
four or five steps someone has to is, he single or double
take a photo with him—and Jay’s got hitches near the
no problem with the nonstop intru- bottom of the stroke,
sions. Cool stuff, but we’re most before blasting up the
interested in his training, which weight to the halfway
doesn’t occur till a few hours into point.
the first of the two DVDs. He uses the same
When the training finally does technique on flat-
hit, it doesn’t disappoint, especially bench dumbbell
if you follow our X-Rep mass-bui- presses, upping the
dling strategies. Almost every set he weight on every set.
does could be classified as X-Rep He starts with the
only. We’re not kidding—short, 100s for 17
partial-range reps, usually near the reps, jump-
semistretch point on the stroke, is ing up 20 His incline flyes are a press/flye
the dominant Cutler mass tactic. He pounds for hybrid move, with a fuller range
also uses a lot of Double-X-Over- each of the than his pressing exercises.
load, but in his own unique way. next three
Oh, and high reps with long tension sets till he’s 12, and we got out a stop-
times dominate the workouts as using the watch to clock his tension
well. Interesting. Want specifics? We 170s—but he time: It was 31 seconds on his
thought so. still manages last and heaviest set. That’s a
at least 12 reps on every set. long time. Try it with a timer; you’ll
Ultimate Beef Chest Next up are incline flyes, al- be surprised.
though Jay does them more like a On to bodyweight dips. Jay’s tech-
Workout
hybrid flye/press—his elbows bend nique here is very interesting, he
The very first workout on “Jay more than 90 degrees. He uses 60s, simply pulses in the middle of the
to Z” is chest, and it takes place 15 80s, then 85s—every set through stroke, never locking out or going
weeks out from the ’07 Mr. Olympia. a partial range, but not X-only like deep. They’re like middle-range X
Don’t think that because it’s a full his presses. His range on incline Reps. He does a few sets, getting
three months before the big show flyes is more like two-thirds of the anywhere from 15 to 22 reps—more
that Jay is out of shape. He’s big and way up—almost to the top, but not extended continuous-tension time
vascular with separation, even at quite—so tension stays on his upper on his ponderously pumped-up
a bodyweight of around 300 pounds. pecs. His rep count never falls below pecs. After that exercise he looks

monstrous ambling around the gym the identical style as his dips for To finish tri’s, Jay uses one-arm
(where does this guy get his clothes, pecs. He uses only bodyweight, once reverse-grip pushdowns, moving
Tents ’R’ Us?). again pulsing through the middle the handle through the top two-
Last on his list: decline presses. range of the stroke only, and he uses thirds of the range only—no lockout
The bar never touches his chest—he DXO on all three sets for about four squeeze. In fact, he never squeezes
stops a few inches above, the key pulses near the bottom—which is on anything, always keeping things
fiber-activating semistretch point very far up from full stretch—prior moving, although his DXO hitches
we’re always yammering about— to his last few reps. His reps: 16, 15, are usually very short, resembling
and his reps are 14 and 11, all X 12. semistretch-point pauses. If you
Reps. The two finisher sets are look closely, though, he’s pulsing.
very fast blasts, with only about He did two sets of 15 reps for each
a 15-second tension time on arm, and the last three to four
each—the shortest of the day. include DXO-style pulses before
He’s pretty fatigued by that the fuller-range reps.
point, but taking up more space The take-home message for
than ever (as we said, the guy is wanna-be-bigger bodybuilders is
huge!). that partials are good on a number
of different levels—continuous
Ultimate Beef Triceps tension and fiber activation to be
exact. Even X-Rep-only sets have
Workout
The highest point on decline presses. their mass-building place—as long
Jay trains triceps at a as the rep counts are fairly
separate session from high on the majority so
chest, but we thought The bottom of Jay’s bench press tension time is long enough
it would be an interest- stroke, the semistretch point for pecs. for extreme growth stimula-
ing bodypart to high- tion.
light—the man’s got some As we’ve noted in all of
wicked tri’s. our e-books, Jay isn’t the
First, he gradually only pro to train with a
turns up the heat—and partial style; it’s working
the elbow grease—with for a number of the biggest
a number of sets of rope bodybuilders out there.
pushdowns. They’re all Sure, we’ve said that be-
top-range partials; he cause of genetic superiority
never locks out. His reps and other, um, anabolic
are all over the map be- benefits the pros’ workouts
cause the exercise is for warmup aren’t precise models for most of us.
only: 15, 24, 18, 14. He takes very Elbows- Nevertheless, watching them train
little rest between sets—he just flared can provide innovative techniques,
moves the pin and continues. pushdowns. not to mention motivation, that can
His first heavy exercise is He uses no help you pack on more mass. Just
straight-bar pushdowns with el- lockout, don’t go overboard, like trying to fol-
bows flared. All of his repetitions repping low Jay’s workout set for set, or you
are middle range, and on many of through the could end up as ultimate beef jerky.
his sets he uses the hitching DXO middle of
technique at the top of his last few the stroke Editor’s note: The “Jay to Z”
reps. His grip on the bar is about only. DVD is available at www.Home-
12 inches between thumbs, so the Gym.com. For more on X-Rep
exercise replicates close-grip de- training, visit www.X-Rep.com. IM
cline-bench presses. His reps: 15,
15, 12, 15.
He moves to close-grip bench His flat-bench exten- The top position of lying extensions.
presses next, with about an 18-inch sions, a.k.a. skull crushers,
grip on the bar, pushing it from a are all middle-range move-
few inches off his lower chest to the ments as well. He drives
halfway mark on every rep—once the bar from a few inches
again, all X-Rep partials. His reps are above his eyes to about
17, 13, 12, ending with DXO-style halfway up—the bar moves
hitches before the last few reps on only about 10 inches. His
some of those sets. pistonlike reps are 15, 13,
From there he goes to the dipping 12, 12. It’s attention to ten-
bars for middle-range reps, almost sion once again.

RUTH SILVERMAN’S About August:
• Up-and-Comers
• New York Pro Flexers
• Hot Bods in the ’Burgh
• Pump-Pourri
Photography by Ruth Silverman
SPEAKING OF
FIGURE As
UP-AND-COMERS
reported here
Teresa last month,
Anthony. a cycle of
dialing down
the figure
physiques has
begun. The
Pittsburgh
Pro on May 5
set a notice-
ably softer
tone and shot
a couple of
stellar bod-
ies into the
figure firma-
ment. Teresa
Anthony, in
third, nabbed
an Olympia
invite in her
pro debut,
while Heather
French,
fourth, got
hers at the
Cal a couple
of weeks
later.
Heather
French.
ANIMAL KINGDOM Lightweight Jennifer “the Beast” Cowan’s overall

win at the Junior USA on May 17 set off scads of good buzz about the
future of women’s bodybuilding. Also the hope that many more too-
much-muscle-for-figure babes might follow her migration from high
heels to the posing platform. This shot of Jen, taken outside the Los
Angeles Convention Center last February, only begins to reveal the
charms the 5’3 1/2” 120-pounder from Illinois brings to the stage.
’08 NEW YORK PRO
MORE
SMALL
TALK
Smaller
is in, but
still.… THE ANSWER
Cathy IS: Condition,
LeFrancois condition,
wasn’t just condition. The
the best question: What
smaller is Jeannie Papa-
bodybuild- rone’s secret for
er at the getting con-
N.Y. Pro. sistently good
She was placings? Add
Roland Balik
Roland Balik
the best, second in New

period. York to the list.
TOP BODS—’08 PITTSBURGH PRO FIGURE
1) I love a woman who does

what she says she’s going
to do—when she’s darn well
ready. Shannon Meteraud, 3
fifth, plans a return to fitness
at the Houston Pro on July 4.
4
2) Decisions, decisions. third-place finish at the Figure
Two-talent tootsie Nicole International, Fry was the ob-
Wilkins, third at the N.Y. Pro Fitness, did indeed score an vious favorite, and she did her
Olympia qualification in her second sport, figure, in Pitts- homework, rolling back her conditioning a bit as fashion (and
burgh, taking second. What will she do come September? the IFBB Pro League) dictated.
3) Squeaker. Wilkins was just two points behind first-placer 4) On the brink. Heather Green, sixth here, is an obvious
Amy Fry, who won it in the one-piece suits. Coming off a favorite to move into the ranks of the Olympia bound.
MORE BODS FROM THE ’BURGH
1) Lethal
HAPPY EVENTS
combina-
tion. Allison
Williams
showed up
with a total-
ly revamped
physique
and caught
my eye, if
not the judg-
es’ (she was
10th). The
tiny waist
is “thanks
SPEAKING OF WOMEN WHO
to my
MAKE GOOD ON THEIR momma,”
PROMISES Sandra Wickham she said.
and longtime sweetie Ross And the
Webb tied the knot in a rest? “I
helicopter overlooking the teach two
Vegas strip at night, followed 1 Butts and
by more-conventional-fairytale Guts class-
reception. The cute Canadian
couple plans a busy summer.
They’re staging the CFBB
Figure and Fitness Nationals
in New Westminster, British es a week, and
Columbia, on August 9. I started doing
yoga.”
2) For Hazal
Nelson the
Photo courtesy of Sandra Wickham
Pittsburgh
was step one
on the yellow
brick road to
lean land. The
busy single
mom loves
to compete,
but where
does she find
ROAD TRIP Fitness pro Shan- the time?
non Dey came to Pittsburgh “I make it
with her BFF Kristen Nagrani, happen,” she
who competed in the NPC
2
Pittsburgh Championships and
walked off with a couple of
trophies, including third in the said.
open figure D class. Having 3
left their husbands at home, 3) Melissa
the Daytona Beach, Florida, Pearo landed
workout and business partners out of the top
(with their husbands in a chain 10 looking like
of health clubs) were having this. Her plans
a fabulous time. They left me for the sum-
with the vague impression that mer include a
they were up to no good, but competition
they’d earned it. Shannon and spree—catch
her husband, Rob Rosetti, re- her onstage
cently bought Southern Muscle in Houston
magazine. Now, that’s what I (July 4–5),
call giving back to the sport. Jacksonville,
Florida (Au-
For crackling commentary gust 1–2),
and at the
on all things women’s Europa Su-
bodybuilding, fitness and pershow in
figure, read my Pump Dallas (Au-
& Circumstance blog at gust 15–16).
IronManMagazine.com
M E D I A M AT T E R S
WORKS
OF ART
BATTLE OF THE PUNIVERSE? In the new “Iron

Sirens,” J.M. Manion’s fitness-babe-as-hero fan-
tasy comic, Adela Garcia, 5’1”, faces off against
the evil Sonia Adcock, 5’, and there’s a lot more
than an Olympia title at stake. As Jessica Rabbit
might say, they’re not tall, they’re just drawn
that way. Get your copy at Fitnessdivas.com.
John Stutz
ATHLETIC, EROTIC, EXOTIC Photographer John Stutz has a unique way of
looking at the fit female form, as this shot of Breann Robinson shows. His
new book, Fit Beauties, Volume 1, will take your breath away. The proceeds
from the elegant coffee table collection will be shared with the models. For
information, go to www.JohnStutz.com.
Fitness pro Catherine

and NPC New says…
Hampshire
co-chair
Maggie
Blanchard.
Model: Catherine Anderson
ILLUSION OR DELUSION My first reaction to Adela’s

comic cover (top) was that it didn’t look like her. Though To find more bodies from
this photo seems to prove me wrong, I still look at the the ’Burgh, turn the page.
drawing and see someone else.…

PUMP-POURRI—PITTSBURGH PRO Down Under
darling. Rose
Marie Rome-
Backstage ro popped
undercover across the
Pacific to
make her first
appearance
of 2008 and
picked up
a couple of
sponsors, Pro
Fight Supple-
ments and
Xtreme Nutri-
tion. As the
saying goes,
Good on ye,
Speaking of up-and-comers, girl. And good
Huong Arcinas is high on on those
everyone’s short list—and companies
not because she’s the same for investing
height as Sonia Adcock. See in the lovely
page 257. Rose.
Photography by Ruth Silverman

Philosophical moment.
Tivisay Briceno realizes
that she won’t be finish-
ing at the top and plans
her strategy for the next
show. “Live and learn,”
she says.
Whatever Above: I’m just here pay-

Teresa Antho- ing my dues, says Cana-
ny’s got there da’s Tammy Strome.
looks yummy— Heather and Adam Green may be the
although not Left: Nicole Pitcher- cutest, and nicest, couple I’ve met in a
as yummy as Scott demonstrates while. “I’m happily married to my best
what she’s her legendary leaning friend in the whole world,” with “two
going to have technique. amazing kids,” she often says, and the
after the show. doc (he’s a radiologist) says the same
thing about her. Aw.
Center:
Speaking of
mothers of
two, Jenn
Gates, still
glowing after
taking third at
the Figure I,
decorates the
8 Ball Nutrition
booth.
Left: Speak-
ing of booth
babes, a
couple of my
favorites,
Tracey Green-
wood and Julie
Palmer, once
“Here I come to save the day!” Victor Konovalov practices his again make up
Mighty Mouse posing routine as Carla Salotti glues on his wings. the GNC posse.
You can contact Ruth Silverman, fitness, figure and women’s bodybuilding reporter and Pump & Circumstance scribe, in
care of IRON MAN, 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033; or via e-mail at [email protected].
MUSCLE “IN” SITES MUSCLE “IN” SITES MUSCLE ‘IN’ SITES MUSCLE “IN” SITES MUSCLE “IN” SITES MUSCLE ‘IN’ SITES MUSCLE “IN” SITES MUSCLE “IN” SITES MUSCLE ‘IN’ SITES MUSCLE “IN” SITES MUSCLE “IN” SITES MUSC
Eric Broser’s
Muscle “In” Sites

If you find something on the Web that IM readers should know about, send the URL to Eric at [email protected].
>www.AdorthusCherry.com
Since 2004 Adorthus, or A.D. as most people call him, has
been on the national bodybuilding scene fighting to win
a coveted IFBB pro card. After a series of top placings and
near misses, his dream finally came true last fall with a solid
victory in the heavyweight class at the ’07 NPC Nationals.
Although he carries quite a bit of fine-tuned muscle, A.D. is
by no means a mass monster. Like Berry DeMey, Bob Paris,
Charles Clairmonte and John Terilli, Mr. Cherry slays his op-
ponents not with size but with outstanding lines, beautiful
symmetry and near-flawless proportions. While the cham-
Merv
pions I just mentioned all displayed extremely tight mid-
sections, however, A.D. does them one better, carrying an impossible 27-inch waistline
into competition. That’s crazy for a man who weighs in at just over 220 pounds. Though
his first pro outing, at the ’08 Arnold Classic, was less than auspicious (he placed dead
last), look for A.D. to become a legitimate threat in the years to come as he adds more
quality muscle to his frame. As for his Web site, he’ll be adding to that as well. At the mo-
ment there is not a great deal to look at, not even a photo gallery. That said, one unique
aspect of A.D.’s site is his video interview, in which he introduces himself, explains his
background, describes his goals, and lets potential sponsors know what he can offer
them. Hearing him speak right to you brings a more personal feel to the site and allows
you to see what a sincere individual Adorthus truly is. Available for purchase are a DVD
shot right before the
’06 USA Champion-
ships and shirts and
hats from his Team
Cherry Body Apparel
line of clothing. I’m a
big fan of physiques
like his, and I’d like to
see bodybuilding as
a whole move toward
that look. Let’s hope
A.D.’s contest plac-
ings, as well as his
site, continue to im-
prove with time.

>www.JeffWillet.com
According to the biography on Jeff Willet’s
site, he had a muscular physique before he
ever touched a weight. It wasn’t until his
older brother Joe encouraged him to join a
gym at age 16, however, that Jeff officially
began his bodybuilding journey. As soon as
he got a taste of the iron, he knew that build-
ing a massive physique would become one
of his life’s goals. After attending his first
bodybuilding contest, Jeff was hooked on not
only being big but also becoming a cham-
pion in the sport. After a successful teenage
career that kicked off in 1991, Jeff slowly but
surely moved up the men’s ranks, eventually
becoming one of the world’s top drug-free
bodybuilders. Then, in August 2003, with
an incredible combination of size and razor-sharp conditioning, Jeff won the light-heavyweight and
overall titles at the top drug-tested event in the United States, the NPC Team Universe. That marked
him as the best natural bodybuilder in the world—and it earned him an IFBB pro card. Thus far Jeff
hasn’t appeared on a pose-for-pay stage, but that hasn’t stopped him from making an excellent living
from the sport he loves. In 2004 he opened a beautiful Powerhouse Gym in Adrian, Michigan, where
he’s available to work with clients one on one. On his site Jeff offers several training videos targeted at
natural lifters and displaying his high-intensity, MAX-OT style of bodybuilding. Thirty- and 60-minute
phone consultations are also available for those wish to consult with Jeff but don’t live in the Michigan
area. For many years Jeff has been an AST-sponsored athlete and advocates the use of that company’s
entire line of products. I urge you to visit JeffWillet.com, where you can learn more about one of the
best drug-free athletes to ever grace a bodybuilding stage.
>www.SiouxCountry.com
In the year-plus that I’ve been writing this col-
umn (boy, time flies!), I’ve let you in on bodybuild-
ing message boards from all across cyberspace.
What we have here, however, is a bit unique—it
caters specifically to the ladies of the iron sports.
SiouxCountry.com was developed to cover all
aspects of female bodybuilding, fitness and fig-
ure, from timely contest coverage to training and
nutritional assistance to just good old gossip.
Although the board is relatively new, it’s grow-
ing by leaps and bounds, with members ranging
from first-time competitors all the way up to na- fessionally run site that and really looks out for its
tional-level athletes and even pros. In fact, at last members. Men are allowed on the site—as long
count there were more than a dozen IFBB pros as they’re there to offer serious opinions, useful
onboard, and each one is there daily to contrib- information and sincere support. I’m a member
ute her knowledge and experience. Many of the of the site and find it an enjoyable and refreshing
gals keep detailed journals on the site so you can place to hang out from time to time…even though
follow every aspect of their preparation for com- to this day I don’t understand a single thing about
petition and see exactly how they’re transforming women.
their physiques. SiouxCountry.com is a very pro-

Eric Broser’s
>Net Results Q&A

The Power/Rep Range/Shock innovator answers your
questions on training and nutrition.
Q: I lift at home with very limited equip-

ment. I train my whole body three days per
week and cycle my exercises every eight to 10
weeks. I’ve always lifted to failure in the range
of about 10 reps, but I’m ready for something
different. I discovered Power/Rep Range/Shock
training and want to give it a try. How can I
incorporate P/RR/S into the following routine:
squats, dumbbell bench presses, lat pulldowns,
military presses, hammer curls and straight-bar
pushdowns?
A: Just so you know, many trainees have success-
fully used P/RR/S with limited programs such as yours.
If you’re willing to put the effort, intensity and dedica-
Neveux
Military presses 4 x 4-6

Hammer curls 3 x 4-6
Straight-bar pushdowns 3 x 4-6
Tempo: 4/0/X
Rest: 3-4 minutes after each set
Week 2: Rep Range

Squats 1 x 16-20, 1 x 13-15, 1 x 10-12, 1 x 7-9
Dumbbell bench presses
1 x 16-20, 1 x 13-15, 1 x 10-12, 1 x 7-9
Lat pulldowns
1 x 16-20, 1 x 13-15, 1 x 10-12, 1 x 7-9
Military presses
1 x 16-20, 1 x 13-15, 1 x 10-12, 1 x 7-9
Hammer curls 1 x 13-15, 1 x 10-12, 1 x 7-9
Straight-bar pushdowns1 x 13-15, 1 x 10-12, 1 x 7-9
Tempo: 2/1/2/1
Rest: 2-3 minutes
Neveux \ Model: Derik Farnsworth
Week 3: Shock
Squats (drop set) 3 x 8-10(4-6)
Dumbbell bench presses (drop set) 3 x 8-10(4-6)
Lat pulldowns (drop set) 3 x 8-10(4-6)
Military presses (drop set) 3 x 8-10(4-6)
Hammer curls (drop set) 2 x 8-10(4-6)
Straight-bar pushdowns 2 x 8-10(4-6)
tion into even a simple program, you can get excellent
results. Tempo: 1/0/1/0
Here’s how you can take the exercises you listed and Rest: 1-2 minutes
transform them into a P/RR/S routine:
Note: More advanced lifters can use other Shock
Week 1: Power techniques in place of or in addition to drop sets, in-
Squats 4 x 4-6 cluding X Reps, 1 1/2 reps, eccentric pauses, concen-
Dumbbell bench presses 4 x 4-6 tric pauses, stretch/pause, eccentric emphasis, 5/5/5
Lat pulldowns 4 x 4-6 reps and more. IM

IRON MAN Hardbody
IRON MAN Hardbody
IFBB Figure Pro Kristal Richardson

Compiled by Jonathan Lawson • Photography by Michael Neveux
Hair and makeup by Yvonne Ouellette
Height: 5’6” tion athlete and spokesperson for the Tight Curves
product line
Age: 32
Marital status: Married
Weight: 130 precontest; 136 off-season
Workout schedule: Monday: legs (quad concen-
Hometown: Bloomington, Illinois tration); Tuesday: shoulders, calves; Wednesday:
Current residence: Miami, Florida arms, abs; Thursday: legs (hamstring concentra-
tion); Friday: shoulders, calves; Saturday: back,
Occupation: IFBB professional figure competitor, abs; Sunday: off
ACE-certified personal trainer, BodyWell Nutri-

IRON MAN
Hardbody

IRON MAN
Hardbody

IRON MAN
Hardbody

IRON MAN
Hardbody
Sample bodypart
workout (shoulders):
Dumbbell presses, 4 x
12-15; superset: one-arm
cable laterals, 3 x 12-15,
and barbell upright rows,
3 x 12-15; front raises, 4 x
12-15; rear-delt machine,
4 x 12-15
Favorite foods: “I love
loaded salads with great
dressing. I also love sushi
and anything Italian. My
favorite diet food is Tight
Curves Oatmeal Muf-
fins.”
Factoid: “I have two
four-legged children—
chocolate labs: Bear and
Boomer. I have a bache-
lor’s degree in marketing
and communications
and an international
MBA.”
Future plans: “I plan to
continue competing and
hope to have the honor
of standing on the Olym-
pia stage in 2008. I also
plan to continue to grow
with BodyWell Nutrition
as we expand our Tight
Curves product line. Ulti-
mately, I plan on starting
a family.”

IRON MAN
Hardbody
Web sites:
www.KristalRichardson.com
www.BodyWellNutrition.com
www.BuyTightCurves.com

IRON MAN
Hardbody

Only the Strong Shall Survive
Ageless
Ag
Stre
Strength
Training
Training
by Bill Starr
Photography by Michael Neveux Part 3
I
want to cover aspects of keeping the of overall strength fitness. With the high-rep
older body strong, fit and healthy that routine you need to train five or six days
I didn’t elaborate on in previous in- a week in order to work your muscles suf-
stallments of this series. First, a recap: ficiently.
Older athletes should train with lighter Many balk at that idea. It takes up too
weights and use higher reps so as not to much time, they say. Okay—take time from
strain their joints the way heavy poundages doing what? What could possibly be more
and lower reps do. Older joints, for a great important to an older person than good
many reasons, can’t handle the stress of health? The answer—nothing. Certainly not
being pounded repeatedly with heavy resis- money. If you aren’t able to stay healthy, all
tance. Using lighter weights and higher reps your loot is going to gush down the drain in
makes a lot more sense. The movements a hurry. Not family either, a typical excuse.
flush nourishing blood to the joints and You’re not going to be any help to your fam-
strengthen the cartilage, which is primarily or be able to share moments with them if
ily responsible for the articulation of the you don’t take care of your health.
joints. That’s a good thing—strengthening What I’m talking about is dedicating two
the joints without stressing them. In addi- hours a day to the physical shell you reside
tion, the higher reps work the muscles very in. In the overall scheme of things, that’s a
directly. It’s a two-for-one deal—enhancing drop in the bucket. An hour and a quarter
muscle and cartilage strength while avoid- training with weights, 45 minutes doing
ing a great deal of involvement with the cardio and a small amount of time trying
attachments. Tendons and ligaments, of to improve flexibility and balance. Okay,
course, play a role in any exercise, but with I realize that adds up to more than two
the higher reps, it’s a minor role. hours—but not by much because on some
While the overall workload for a high- days you can complete the weight work in
rep workout may be close, or even equal, less that an hour and a quarter. Don’t evade
to that achieved with heavy weights and my point: As you grow older, you have to
low reps, the intensity is going to be much, allot a certain amount of time for your
much less. That has two implications. One, physical self.
it’s easier to recover, and two, you’ll need to Some argue that they’d much prefer to
Model: Terry Baldwin
train more frequently. Unless you can still train for a longer period and stick with three
handle heavy weights without any problem, workouts a week, rather than expanding
three days a week isn’t going to be enough to five or six. Granted, there are some who
to help you gain, or maintain, a high level can get away with that approach, but most

older athletes can’t. I said that a daily program—no more than five power snatches, high pulls, shrugs
high-rep routine is easier to recover total, not counting warmup move- or jerks. I think shrugging is ben-
from than a low-rep one, yet if the ments. Three for the major groups eficial, but athletes of a certain age
workout lasts for two hours plus, and a couple for the smaller ones. need to shrug in a relatively slow,
that’s no longer true. The workload Even when you move quickly from static fashion. No other exercise
for a long session is often double one exercise to another, you still involves the traps to such a degree,
what you take on in a shorter one, won’t be able to squeeze in more. and having strong traps is extremely
and few can recover properly from Nor do you have to try: You have five important to maintaining a strong
it. Mostly that’s because older ath- or six days to spread out the work- back.
letes are lacking in that critical reload. You can work your legs com-
covery hormone, testosterone. More Since you should give every mus- pletely with just two exercises: back
on that later. cle group some attention during the squats and lunges. While I really like
Also keep in mind that it takes week, three sessions aren’t going to front squats for younger athletes,
longer to complete a high-rep set feed the bulldog. I like six days of they don’t fit into an older athlete’s
than one done with lower reps. A training. That way you can hit all routine. Few older athletes are flexi-
set of five reps can be knocked out the large muscles at every workout ble enough to be able to rack the bar
in half a minute or less, while a set from slightly different angles. For across their front deltoids correctly.
of 125 may take seven or eight min- example, you can work your shoul- That’s fine; just work the other two
utes. I know because I timed how der girdle six times a week by alter- movements diligently, and you’ll
long it took me to do 125 reps on nating flat benches, inclines and obtain the desired results.
a flat bench using an Olympic bar. overhead presses every third day. Also be aware that every exercise
The two sets that day used up 20 Change the set-and-rep formula if needs to be done deliberately—and
percent of my training time—more, you want some variety. The same not just the big-muscle move-
actually, as I had to take a break to idea goes for the back: deadlifts, ments. I’ve watched men jerk a light
bring my pulse rate down between bent-over rows and shrugs. dumbbell up and down in a motion
sets. You might recall that I discourage vaguely similar to a curl for more
That means you need to restrict older athletes from doing any explo- than 100 reps, then complain of
the number of exercises in your sive exercises, such as power cleans, extremely sore elbows. Well...duh.
Be aware that every exercise needs to be

done deliberately—and not just the big-
muscle movements.
Model: Daryl Gee

As usual, the biggest culprit is the
bench press. Just because people
are using a relatively light weight,
they figure they can rebound the
bar and press it in any upward
direction they choose as long as
they do x number of reps. Very,
very wrong.
Using improper form with
heavy poundages usually makes
for a failed rep. Not so with light
weights. Instead, the sloppy tech-
nique is incessantly repeated,
sometimes for the entire set. It
will eventually take a toll on the
offended joint or joints.
Those starting in on a high-rep
routine generally assume that it’s
going to be much easier than one
involving low reps, and in some
ways it is. In other ways, however,
it’s more difficult. The hardest
part of doing a high-rep workout
is having to concentrate on each
and every rep from beginning
to finish, and on really high-rep
exercises that can go on for five
minutes or more. It’s quite easy
in the midst of one of them to let
your mind wander.
High-rep workouts are very
similar to the kind of work you
have to do in a rehab program.
Every rep needs to be performed
precisely—no rebounding the bar
off your chest on a flat or incline
bench. Rather, you should pause
at the bottom of each rep. The
same holds true for squats, dead-
lifts, bent-over rows, lunges and
all the auxiliary exercises. Any
exercise, however harmless it may
seem, can cause trouble if you re-
peatedly employ faulty technique.
An exercise can also be a problem
when overworked to the extreme.
Case in point: the old stand-by,
pushups. Jam up and down too
fast or push the reps up too rap-
idly, and your shoulders, elbows
or wrists are going to signal you to
make some changes.
It takes time for your body and
mind to adjust to a different type
of training. There’s really no need
to rush. You’re not qualifying for
the Olympic trials. Start conser-
Think more about form vatively, learn what you can and
than the numbers. Add cannot do, and center all of your
reps only a few at a attention on every set. Make haste
time. Make haste slowly. slowly is a good motto. Don’t try
to go balls out from the very be-

You Can Get
ginning. If you feel that you can do bit less for whatever reason. While
50 reps on some exercise, start with
30 or 35 and slowly move up. Think
I don’t normally use a light day in
my weekly routine, I have one ready
Bigger,
more about form than numbers.
Add reps deliberately and only a few
for days when I know I’m on the
brink of overtraining. It may be just
Stronger
at a time. A 72-year-old pen pal of
mine started out doing 10 pushups
a certain area that requires a break,
yet I pull back on everything for that
and Leaner
every other day as part of his six- day to make sure. Those days usu- Faster Than Ever
day-a-week program. He added one ally come along every three or four Before!
rep every other week, and the last weeks, usually on Wednesdays. At
time he wrote, he was up to 65 reps. those workouts I spend 45 minutes You don’t have to burn hard-earned muscle
as you melt away fat. Now you can actually
Include at least one core exercise concentrating on abs and lumbars. build more muscle size and strength as your
for the three major groups—back, Instead of leg raises and situps, I abs get razor sharp and you get ripped.
hips and legs, shoulder girdle—at do crunches and reverse crunches That’s the attention-grabbing look you want
now, and the new Fat to Muscle 2 shows you
every workout, along with a couple for 10 minutes without a break. I how. You’ll discover:
of movements for the smaller also do hyperextensions or good
groups—biceps, triceps, calves and mornings and reverse hypers. Then
• Precise nutrition guidelines and diets—
eat to max out your muscle mass as pounds
deltoids. I like working in a circuit I finish off with multiple sets on the of ugly bodyfat disappear. (Learn the Carb-
Stacking strategy that can transform mus-
for several reasons. It creates a more wheel. cle size and stoke the fat-burning furnace.)
balanced development. I can get The change from my normal • Which substance—found in almost any
more done in a shorter period of routine always pays dividends. My kitchen—is the ultimate aid for energy,
better muscular response and fat burning.
time, and it improves cardiovascu- lower back and abs get nice and
lar fitness while strengthening the sore, and when I resume my regular
• How dairy can help you burn fat—
yogurt, cheese and milk can get you leaner.
body. In fact, I can run my pulse rate exercises, they’re fresher, and I can • How to increase fat use with a minimum of
aerobic exercise, and why aerobics may be
up much higher moving through a handle more workload. While you a waste of time for a lean, muscular look.
fast circuit than I can while walking. may never need such a break, it’s • The amazing direct/indirect Fat-to-
I simply can’t walk that fast, nor can good to have one in your repertoire Muscle 2 training program—with this
innovative routine it appears as if you train a
anyone else I know. I don’t want to just in case. bodypart only once a week, but you really
run, by the way, as the pounding Besides the primary exercises, train each twice thanks to indirect work (and
isn’t going to sit well with my ankles you should work your abs and lum- each workout takes less than an hour).
and knees. bars at every session. Perhaps leg • The 8 key nutrients for faster fat burn-
ing, including how much to take of each.
In cold weather, however, I often raises and hypers prior to working • Top 6 fat-to-muscle tricks. (Great info!)
do certain exercises back to back out with weights, then situps and • The 10 rules for super energy.
rather than as part of a circuit be- reverse hypers at the end. It’s abso- The secrets to melting away bodyfat as you
build lean, ripped muscle
cause the working muscles stay lutely critical that you maintain a are all packed in this IRONMAN
Magazine’
s
warmer. Example: the deadlift. I strong core, regardless of whether bulletin—eating plans, BULLETIN
#5
previously mentioned that I no you’re using heavy or light weights. workout routines,
metabolism-accelera-
FAT TO
longer use the heavy, light and The exercises for those groups tion techniques and the
best fat-to-muscle
MUSCLE
medium system for high-rep train- get them nicely warmed up at the
ing the way I did when I was using start of the session and serve as
nutrients. Stop dieting
Pack On Le
2
away muscle—pack As You Shed Mass
an
Bodyfat
lower reps. Rather, I follow a difficult cooldown movements at the con- on more as you burn Includes carb
-sta
diets, grow cking and carb-reducti
th on
workout with one that’s just a bit clusion. fat, and look your fat-burning
wor
horm one activation,
and the 10 kouts and supplements
Rules for Sup
hard, muscular best er Energy
less demanding, then another that’s I suggest that anyone starting in in record time!
tougher and then back to one that’s on a higher-rep routine do three sets
not as hard. The slight change does
wonders for the weekly routine. If I
of 20. How you proceed from there
depends on what equipment you
Just $9.95
plus $6.50 postage & handling ($15 outside North
stack too many demanding days on have available and your personal America) (California residents add 8.25% sales tax)
top of one another, I start dreading disposition. Some like to stay with Credit card orders call
having to train. That I do not want. a set amount of weight and run the 1-800-447-0008, offer ITS
I want to look forward to my weight reps up. Others prefer to keep the
sessions. I don’t want to be thinking, reps fairly constant and increase YES! I want to transform my physique. Rush
“I have to train today,” but, “I get the resistance. Yet others find their me IRONMAN’s Fat to Muscle 2.
to train today.” To me, training is a sessions more productive if they
Rush my
......................................................
privilege, a blessing that gives me a mix and match the two ideas. Per-
copy to: .....................................................
great deal of control over how I look haps deadlifts with heavier weights
....................................................
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to move about and enjoy life. Not flat-bench presses with the same shipping payable to: Home GYM Warehouse,
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being able to do so isn’t a pleasant poundage at every workout and the
Model: Terry Baldwin
Credit card orders call TOLL FREE

thought. reps being continually pushed high- 1-800-447-0008, offer ITS
I also vary difficult weeks with er and higher. I recommend trying CA residents add 8.25% sales tax. Foreign orders
(except Canada) add $15 shipping. Payment in
lighter ones, not on a regular basis both approaches and then deter- U.S. dollars drawn on U.S. banks only.
but whenever I feel the need to do a mining which fits your needs. It’s re-

Testosterone
While testosterone is extremely beneficial to every male, it has particular significance to those wanting to stay
fit and healthy and maintain a pleasing physique. Testosterone does a great many things for overall health and
well-being. It lowers the risk of heart disease by reducing low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol. It’s necessary for
muscle growth and enhances recovery from physical effort. Up until the age of 40, on average, the hormone
controls the distribution of fat through the body, spreading it around rather evenly. As the supply of testoster-
one gradually diminishes, however, with males moving toward the proverbial three score and 10, fat begins
accumulating in the lower abdomen. That’s commonly referred to as “gray fat” and produces the dreaded
potbelly.
Much more than appearance is affected. A study conducted in Amsterdam found links between belly fat
and capillary inflammation, which is a contributor to heart disease, and between belly fat and insulin resis-
tance, a precursor of diabetes. Also, as most of you probably know, lower testosterone equals lower libido and
less energy.
So must we simply sit back and experience the inevitable? That was the case not too many years ago, but
no longer. Ask your doctor to check your testosterone. If you’re eligible for a senior citizen’s discount, odds are
that your count is low. Prescriptions come in gels, creams, patches, pills and injections. Raise your testoster-
one level, and you’ll be able to avoid many of the health problems associated with testosterone decline and be
in a position to do battle with unwanted gray fat.
Many who use testosterone therapy report elevated moods and a more positive outlook on life, and for good
reason. Anything that helps you gain strength and muscle while making you healthier and more virile should
make any male happy. —B.S.
ally not that important how you

set up your overall program, as
long as you do it consistently
and with determination.
It’s critical that you stay flex-
ible about what you do on a
given day. You should have a
definite idea of what you’re
planning on doing that day,
yet if things go south, be ready
to make adjustments. Let’s say
that you plan to do 75 reps for
three sets on the squat. The first
set goes smoothly, but when Besides the primary
you reach 50 on the second set, exercises, you should
you get a sharp pain radiating work your abs and
Model: Bill Grant

from your left knee. Stop. Don’t lumbars at every
push through the pain. Rest; session.
then try again. If it happens
again, leave the squat alone, ice
the knee, give it an extra day of rest. notion of doing any form of cardio. able. Otherwise you’re not going
Then, when you do squat again, Yet without healthy circulatory and to do it on a regular basis, and it’s
lower the reps to 50. No matter respiratory systems you’re not going crucial that you do it every day. It
how careful you are about selecting to be strong and certainly not fit. took me a while to get into walking
poundages and adhering to perfect Cardio is complicated only if you after running for 20 years, but now
form, there are going to be setbacks. make it so. Its simplest form—aero- I look forward to my daily constitu-
Learn to recognize them and go bics—is walking, which you can do tional. While I lift six days a week,
with the flow. anywhere and at any time during I walk seven, unless the weather is
Now I want to address three other the day. You don’t have to power- nasty. (President Harry Truman said
aspects that are necessary for overall walk unless you want to, and the that walking was the only exercise a
fitness: cardio, flexibility and bal- results, according to experts, are person needed to stay fit.)
ance. Your capacity for them wanes equal to running. Of course, you Start off doing 20 minutes and
with age, but they should be incor- may enjoy some other form of car- proceed from there to 45 minutes
porated into your program in some dio—swimming, hiking, dancing or to an hour. You can walk before you
manner if you want to live an active working out while watching a video train or after, or both. More is bet-
lifestyle. of one of the countless quick-fix ter when it comes to walking. Not
Cardio first. I realize that the vast programs being marketed on televi- only is it beneficial to all your inter-
majority of older athletes who love sion. nal systems, but it also helps with
to lift weights absolutely hate the Find something that’s pleasur- weight control, which is often a big

You need
problem for older athletes. Also, you muscles. I move like to make
don’t have to walk or do any other the old Chinese men certain you’re
form of cardio in close proximity to who practice the an- flexible
your weight work. Walking early in cient martial arts, but enough to
the morning or in the evening may I’m not attempting perform
appeal to you. You feel stronger in to follow any definite ordinary
midafternoon, however; that’s when system. I’m only look- tasks without
you lift. It’s how much work you do ing for tight areas. hurting a
throughout the day that counts. Just When I find them, I joint.
make sure that the cardio activity move around until
you select is low impact. Otherwise I feel them relax. It
you may end up doing more harm takes only about 15
than good. minutes and really
Over the years everyone, athlete helps.
or not, loses flexibility in the shoul- Balance is another
ders, backs, hips and legs. Why attribute that dimin-
that happens varies: arthritis, old ishes with age—again,
injuries and not doing anything to because it isn’t used
maintain a complete range of mo- nearly as frequently
tion. Unfortunately, you’re never as it is in youth. For
going to regain the same degree of those who want to
flexibility in your joints as you had remain active, though,
when you were younger, but you it’s critical to maintain
can improve it. The key point here a certain standard
is, easy does it. Older joints are ex- of balance. Several
tremely susceptible to injury, so you months ago I read in
never want to force any stretching the AARP magazine
move. In addition, individuals vary that men and women
Model: Mark Perry

greatly as to their potential ability lose their ability to
for developing a complete range of balance themselves
motion. Besides, you’re not going rapidly after age 50.
to be competing in a Greco-Roman By the time they reach
wrestling match or getting ready for 70, they can stand on one leg for high-wire act, but I’m up to half a
a hot date with a contortionist. You an average of only seven seconds. minute on both legs and am steadily
just wanting flexibility sufficient for As I’d participated in nearly every improving. I can also feel the differ-
simple tasks—gardening, picking up sport imaginable and had done ence as I move about during the day.
objects from the floor, reaching up well in some that required a high It’s really a matter of recognizing
in a cabinet for a box of cereal. degree of balance, I was confident weak areas and making the neces-
I call these moves activity-specific that I could exceed that average by sary adjustments.
training: preparing your body for a large margin. To my consternation Although I’m quite aware, from
whatever you plan to do that com- I managed to balance on my left reading Bill Clark’s newsletter PL/
ing week. You need to make certain leg for only eight seconds and my USA and letters from friends, that
you’re flexible enough to perform right only seven. I tried several more there are many older men who are
ordinary tasks without hurting a times, and the results were basically still moving impressive poundages,
joint. You don’t have to approach it the same. I believe most older athletes would
as a strict discipline. Yoga postures Then and there I vowed to change benefit from following the fitness
are good. Pick out a few, or a lot, that and started practicing the skill, philosophy of that remarkable no-
that fit your needs, and practice usually at the same time of night nagenarian Jack LaLanne. Even if
them regularly. If your hobby of when I did my flexibility move- you don’t feel you’re quite ready for
choice is golf or bowling, do stretch- ments. It took little physical effort a high-rep program, it’s a smart idea
es that enable you to enjoy those but did entail intense concentra- to understand what to do when you
sports free from worry that you tion. What I quickly discovered was are ready.
might ding a joint. that my lower legs weren’t strong Editor’s note: Bill Starr was a
Here’s how I work flexibility train- enough to support me for very long. strength and conditioning coach
ing into my daily fitness routine. I added one-legged partial squats at Johns Hopkins University from
About six hours after I’ve trained, to my routine. I also started moving 1989 to 2000. He’s the author of The
I take a couple of magnesium-cal- up on curbs during my walk and Strongest Shall Survive—Strength
cium tablets to help me relax as I balancing on one leg if I got stuck in Training for Football, which is avail-
prepare to go to bed. Then, while a slow-moving line at a store check- able for $20 plus shipping from
watching “Seinfeld” reruns, I slowly out. Home Gym Warehouse. Call (800)
twist and stretch in all sorts of direc- I haven’t progressed to the point 447-0008, or visit www.Home-Gym
tions, seeking out tight joints and where I’m ready to try out for a .com. IM

MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY MIND/BODY
Mind/Body
BOMBER BLAST
You Can Look, But Don’t Jump
I
t’s a grand day. Sunlight beams through blue skies grac- or healthy sport? These and related questions can be fun
ing us with temperatures in the 70s, a few light breezes and enlightening and invaluable. Thinking along the way with
and plenty of burgeoning smiles. I feel 20 years younger. I wonder and confidence transforms the daily exercises and
remember when I had 20-inch arms and gas was 19.9 cents sets and reps into a marvelous journey.
a gallon. Those were the days. Knowing what I look like, what would I like to look like?
As I glance in the specially rigged rearview mirror on me ole How do I see myself as I successfully progress? Visualizing
virtual biplane, I see kids under 18 jumping out of the cargo and imagining work. Our proper and positive conscious and
area like we were goin’ down fast. No parachutes—they’d unconscious thoughts urge us along like currents in deep
rather take their chances bailing out now than enduring a waters. Direct them wisely.
crash landing later. Too much trouble, too complex, too boring, you say? Beats
Here’s a question that will gain the attention of the young texting. Your mind’s picture of yourself is worth a thousand
and wingless daredevils: Bomber, if you were 18 years old, words.
5’10”, medium build, 165 pounds and weight training for a Another thing that’s probably bugging you—or not. Our
year in an average sort of way and wanted to get bigger and endeavors are all ego-bound. Fine. Me-first isn’t exactly an
better and smarter, what would you do—besides joining the isolated attitude, it isn’t necessarily wrong, and it isn’t always
Army? evidence of killer conceit. Accept essential, inherent egocen-
Easy answer, tough pursuit. I’m reluctant to reply because tricity and mold it to be universally beneficial. Being strong
average-sort-of-way training just won’t do, and I don’t want to and fit and capable and healthy is a bold responsibility and the
waste his time or mine. Magnanimous muscle man that I am, noblest of qualities—and among the pursuits most commonly
though, I’ll give it a go, Joe. neglected. That these fine traits are lacking in our neighbor-
What would I do? First, I’d sit back and take five to review hood is evidence of that.
myself and my goals a little more closely. Know thyself. A Crimes against oneself, sins against humanity.
quick who, what, where, why and when now and then proves Take pride in your weighty endeavor, your iron diversion,
to be invaluable in muscle building. Think, act, reap. whether you’re an aspiring fireman, policeman, taxman, doc-
I know—all you wanted was a quickie routine, a pat on the tor, lawyer or Indian chief. What you do is good—brilliant,
back and to be on your way. Not so fast, Buster. perhaps. Go. Aspire.
Who are Before moving on, you must face the four naked truths:
you, what discipline, perseverance, courage, forbearance. They’re both
are your prerequisites and by-products of building muscle, might and
ambitions brights. Ya gotta have them or at least be ready, willing and
outside the able to develop them. Be prepared.
gym, and But, but, but where’s the beef?
how will Nutrition is next. Bigger, better and smarter are most di-
bigger and rectly assured by right eating and proper supplementation. I’m
better serve struck by how few people are familiar with the guidelines for
you? Where healthful eating or appreciate their vital importance. They don’t
and when care. They eat when they get the urge or the chance, when
will you they’re bored or depressed, for comfort or entertainment. And
train, and they eat junk, too much and too fast, or they don’t eat at all.
how much Do as I do, do as I say, and do it always, regularly, consis-
time do you tently, certainly, without fail: daily, weekly and monthly, and on
have and and on forever and not just occasionally.
are willing Feed yourself simply, wisely and respectfully. Ya’ll know
Neveux \ Model: Dan Decker
to commit? Bomber Nutrition 101; ya’ll just forget it every now and again.
Are weight Ya’ll dumb. Be simple, be wise, and be respectful. Be smart.
training Eat breakfast always. Small yet substantial, the starting
and muscle meal will save and maintain muscle and provide energy and
building a engage the metabolism.
mission or Eating sufficient meals regularly throughout the day, every
a diversion three hours, is a nice rule of thumb. Not too much at once,

not snacks only.
Eat well-balanced meals (40 percent animal protein, 30 per- Fat Findings
cent good fats, 30 percent nutrient-high carbs is my favorite
calorie distribution), including fresh vegetables and fruits and
excluding junk, refined sugars and grease.
The Obesity Beast
Eat red meat, lowfat-milk products and ground-fed-chicken
A
propensity for fatness may be contagious. Most
eggs as your muscle-building protein foods. Wisely use a
superior protein powder to augment and simplify your muscle- animals infected with adenovirus-36 get fat with-
gaining endeavors. Perhaps you’ve heard of Bomber Blend. out eating more, and the virus can infect people
I could go on, but it’s time for a training routine suitable for as well. About 30 percent of the obese subjects tested
the increasingly dedicated, disciplined and committed 18- in a recent study had antibodies to Ad-36, which means
year-old muscle builder dripping with perseverance and filled
they’d been exposed to the virus. They also weighed an
with positive visions.
You don’t want to consume your time excessively, and average of 50 pounds more than the subjects who didn’t
weight training and its goals have a way of dominating your have the antibodies. According to researchers, the virus
thoughts and deeds. You want them to complement your triggers fat production and programs cells to store fat
body, mind and soul—your life and lifestyle—not control them. faster. Scientists are
Furthermore, you don’t want to overtrain, an insidious physical
working on antiviral
side effect of determined muscle building.
The young, relatively new lifter with goals of muscle size drugs to combat
and power is most productive using the basic exercises found Ad-36. Till then,
in the handy how-to-build-big-muscles manual. You want to don’t think that all
arrange your exercises so you train every major muscle group fat people are just
twice a week with ample time between bodypart workouts
weak willed and lazy.
to allow muscle repair and recuperation. Keep in mind that
it’s not the end-all of training routines and is not designed to Some apparently are
accomplish all of your development desires. Variations of the stricken with a viral
fundamentals—sets and reps, multiset combinations and form of obesity.
levels of intensity—determine effects: muscle shape, definition, —Becky Holman
density, might, speed, endurance.
X-tremeLean.com
Stick with the prescribed routine for six weeks to extract
all of the benefits it has to offer. You’re seeking, learning and
growing, and your instincts continue to be honed. They, I
suspect, are not ready to override your instructed mind and
lead you down the tangled path ahead. Be patient, persistent
and content. Placebo Power
Know this: A change in workout might serve many purpos-
es (muscularize, thicken the back, strengthen the thighs), but
its most essential purpose is to keep us interested and hope-
Mind Over Medicine?
ful and engaged. Or, put another way, to keep us from pulling
our hair out, drooping with boredom, sinking in doubt and
A
ccording to the May ’08 Prevention, 45 percent
staying home and watching TV instead of blasting it. Anything of primary care physicians have given a patient
but another workout!
a placebo medication—usually sugar pills with
Consistent training, even if it’s bad, is good. Better a bad
no active ingredients. Ninety-six percent of those doctors
workout than no workout. The worst workout is the missed
workout. He who neglects his exercise is a loser. Skip your believe that the innocuous pills have therapeutic value be-
routine, fall on your face. cause of the mind/body connection. The same can be said
Include the following 10 must-do-to-be-big exercises: of supplements—if you believe something will work, it just
squats, bench presses (better yet, dumbbell incline presses), might, whether research studies show any effect. If noth-
deadlifts, one-arm bent-over rows, barbell curls, lying or over- ing else, you’ll be more
head triceps extensions, seated lat rows, wide-grip pulldowns, motivated to train harder
dumbbell pullovers, lateral raises—one-arm or two-arm. when you’re taking a
You’re beginning to get the picture. The secret is, there is new supplement that’s
no secret.
supposed to make you
—Dave Draper
bigger and/or stronger.
Editor’s note: For more from Dave So if something sounds
Draper, visit www.DaveDraper.com and plausible, give it a try.
sign up for his free newsletter. You can You may just get some-
also check out his amazing Top Squat thing good out of it, even
training tool, classic photos, workout if it’s not all that potent.
Q&A and forum. —Becky Holman
X-tremeLean.com

MIND/BODY BodySpace Physique of the Month MIND/BODY
Josephine Dalton
T
his show veteran, who says she’s more
comfortable onstage than almost anywhere
else, has done about 45 figure and modeling
competitions in the past few years, despite health
problems that include migraines, seizures and hy-
poglycemia. She’s appeared in many magazines,
including Maxim. Or you may have seen her working
a booth at one of the many bodybuilding and fitness
Photography by Ian Sitren \ SecondFocus

trade shows she’s appeared at around the country.
“The fitness lifestyle keeps me strong, agile, healthy
and looking good,” she says. “It also helps my world
run more smoothly.” Without it, she says, she’d never
be able to keep up with her nightclub job in Las
Vegas along with everything else she does.
Josephine’s healthful life-
style extends to the people
she hangs with, including her
boyfriend Geoff Gouzy. Also a
fitness enthusiast, Geoff works
part-time as a trainer while
holding a full-time job with one
of the airlines.
Visit Josephine on Body-
Space at BodyBuilding
.com. You’ll find her member
name easy to remember, “Jo-
sephineDalton.” Tell her you
saw her here in IRON
MAN!
—Ian Sitren
Editor’s note: For

more BodySpace bodies
and info, visit www
.BodyBuilding.com.

MIND/BODY New Stuff
Gold Standard Protein

I
ntense training requires compre-
hensive protein support. Optimum
Nutrition’s 100% Whey Gold
Standard is the ideal protein to have
before and after your workout. Its
pure whey-protein isolates absorb
quickly to help build muscle tissue.
You can’t do without the 24 grams of
protein in every serving. Before bed
and between meals, ON’s slower-di-
gesting Gold Standard 100% Casein leaves you feeling full while
your muscles rejuvenate. The high-quality proteins represent a gold
standard for 24-hour muscle building and recovery. A free shaker
cup is included.
Also try Optimum Nutrition’s 16
Flavor Variety Pack. After all, variety is
the spice of life. Now you can enjoy
the rapidly absorbed muscle-build-
ing advantages of the sports nutrition
industry’s best-selling protein powder
while choosing from 16 different fla-
vors (like root beer float). Each packet
is one full serving and ready to mix.
For more information visit www
.OptimumNutrition.com.
Sociology
Group Therapy
A
study done at
the University of
Chicago showed
that a movie watched
by a group of people
got better reviews than
when it was watched by
of Foxsby Fox
one person alone. The

Copywritten
researchers determinedv
copywite
that those watching in a

The Simpson
group mirrored the reac-

Simpsons
tions of those around

them, which created
more energy and enthu-
siasm. That doesn’t happen when you watch a movie
by yourself.
—Becky Holman
X-tremeLean.com

MIND/BODY DVD Review MIND/BODY
MIND/BODY
“Sergio Oliva—The Myth”
O
ne of the title that year to the
best body- reigning champ,
builders in Larry Scott. Sergio
the history of the became the king
sport is three-time of bodybuilding
Mr. Olympia Sergio the very next year,
Oliva. Even today, when he won the
more than 20 years IFBB Mr. Universe
since he last com- and Mr. Olympia
peted and nearly titles on the same
40 years since he night.
won the Mr. Olym- The highlight of
pia title, Sergio is “Sergio Oliva—The
regarded as one of Myth” is the grip-
the most genetically ping footage of
gifted bodybuild- Sergio and Arnold
ers to ever grace a at the ’72 Mr. Olym-
stage. pia, which was held
His battles with in Essen, Germany.
Arnold Schwarzenegger in the late Sergio was in the best shape of his
1960s and early ’70s are the stuff life, but he lost to Arnold in one of the
of bodybuilding legend. Sergio beat most controversial Mr. Olympia con-
Arnold at their first meeting, and Ar- tests in the history of the sport. Sergio
nold won the next three, although the was never bigger or more cut than at
debate continues to this day on who that contest.
deserved to win. It’s very rare that two Two days later he posed for Gal-
bodybuilders of that caliber compete lasch outdoors. You’ll be amazed at
against each other. Their legendary the awe-inspiring mass and propor-
battles are like Ali vs. Frazier or McEn- tions of the Myth as he pumps up and
roe vs. Connors—two champions who poses for the camera.
inspired each other to greatness. The DVD also includes rare footage
It’s hard to appreciate how amaz- of Sergio competing and guest-posing
ing Sergio was unless you saw him in in contests in Australia, Mexico and
person or on video. With his tiny 28- Paris in the late ’70s as well as his
inch waist and huge 22-inch arms, he return to the Mr. Olympia in ’84 at 43
was a bodybuilder whose like no one years of age. Although he took only
had ever seen before or, in the opinion eighth place, finishing behind body-
of many, since. His eye-popping mass builders like Lee Haney and Samir
was combined with beautiful symme- Bannout, who grew up idolizing the
try and grace. Because of his unreal Myth, his appearance electrified the
proportions and size, Sergio was given audience and was the highlight of the
the nickname “the Myth.” contest.
Wayne Gallasch from GMV Produc- His final contest appearance in the
tions has assembled an impressive ’85 Mr. Olympia is also featured on the
array of films featuring Sergio Oliva DVD as well as one of his last guest-
and put them all together in “Sergio posing exhibitions—alongside Albert
Oliva—The Myth.” The DVD includes Beckles at the IFBB Mr. Germany.
footage from the mid-’60s, when he Even though Sergio was 13 years past
was just beginning his rapid ascent his prime at that point, his awesome
to the top of the bodybuilding world, shape, proportions and size still blew
as well as many of the clashes with away all who were fortunate to wit-
Schwarzenegger. ness him onstage.
The first competition featured is the “Sergio Oliva—The Myth” is a clas-
’66 AAU Mr. America. Even though sic DVD that deserves to be in every
Sergio had only been competing for bodybuilder’s collection.
two years, his incredible genetics are —John Hansen
evident as soon as he steps onstage.
Early on, he switched from the AAU Editor’s note: “Sergio Oliva—The
to the IFBB. He won the IFBB Mr. Myth” is available from Home Gym
World in 1966 but lost the Mr. Olympia Warehouse, www.Home-Gym.com.

MIND/BODY Highs and Lows MIND/BODY
Drinking vs. Drugging

I
f you’ve a hard time
spent any staying lean
appre- or who’s try-
ciable amount ing to get a
of time on nice clear six-
Internet mes- pack, regular
sage boards toking will
frequented by almost cer-
bodybuilders, tainly thwart
you’ve seen those goals.
numerous Some
threads dis- on the Web
cussing the also insist
detriments or merits of alcohol, mari- that they train better high. All I can
juana and other recreational drugs as say to that is, they must be high. I
they apply to those aspiring to build once knew a state-level bodybuilder
exceptional physiques. While some who competed unsuccessfully at the
threads are stand-alone discussions national level a couple of times. He
on a particular intoxicant, many others almost always trained stoned. “Jake”
debate which one is worse. Having was fond of using pretty light weights
done my share of partying in my youth and focused primarily on getting a
and having known many other regular pump. I’m convinced that’s why he
trainers who indulged as well, I can was a 5’8” middleweight when I met
offer a bit of experienced commentary him more than a decade ago, and
on the matter. he’s hardly gained an ounce of muscle
Alcohol is the drug of choice for since, despite being loaded up on
most of us, as it’s legal for anybody all the best steroids and growth hor-
21 years of age and up. It’s widely mone.
available, and it’s the most socially As for drugs like Ecstasy, cocaine
acceptable way of altering your mind. and meth—they all have nasty effects
It also dehydrates you, offers useless on brain chemistry, and the last two
calories, blunts the appetite, dimin- are ferociously addictive. The world
ishes testosterone levels and raises is full of cocaine and meth addicts
estrogen—not to mention that it often who thought they could limit their use
results in a miserable hangover that to the occasional Saturday night and
makes any type of exercise or even wound up throwing their lives away
eating the last thing on your mind. I out of a need to stay high 24/7.
drank heavily from the age of about Where am I going with all this?
12 to 18, and quit halfway through my I’m in no position to judge people for
freshman year of college, once I fig- the choices they make, but I’ve been
ured out how badly it was stalling my around long enough to state with
muscle-building progress. Now I drink authority that the best bodybuilding
in moderation a few times a year. results are possible only for those
Many bodybuilders tout marijuana who stay clean and sober or are able
as a better alternative for those of us to actually limit their indulgence to
who hoist iron. They say it’s a wonder- moderate amounts on rare occasions.
ful way to relax, it’s calorie-free (unless Even those benefiting from excep-
you eat a pot brownie), and it stimu- tional genetics and the advantages
lates the appetite, which is of par- of steroids will fall down a slippery
ticular value to hardgainers who have slope if they make drug use a regular
a difficult time eating enough food part of their lives. You’re all familiar
to grow. Weed also raises estrogen, with the story of IFBB pro Craig Titus,
however, and does a hell of a number but there are a thousand other guys
on your short-term memory and ability with great potential you never heard
to focus. Nutritious food like chicken of who could have been stars if they
breasts and rice are typically the last hadn’t let drinking and/or recreational
thing you crave when you’re stoned. drugs rule their lives.
Take it from a man who’s inhaled: So do what you want, but under-
You’re hunting around for cookies, stand that some paths will definitely
ice cream, chips and other nutrition- lead you far afield of your physique
ally void items. For a person who has goals. —Ron Harris

MIND/BODY Health and Aging
Smoking, Depression and Life Expectancy
S
mokers are 41 percent more likely to suf- suffer depression as an independent issue.”
fer from depression than nonsmokers, In addition, the findings indicated that those
according to a new study. Research con- who’d given up tobacco more than a decade
ducted by scientists at the University of Navarra previously had less risk of developing depres-
in collaboration with the University of Las Pal- sion than nonsmokers.
mas de Gran Canaria and the Harvard School of
Public Health found a direct correlation between Life Expectancy Decline
tobacco use and the development of depres- Analysis of mortality patterns across the
sion. United States indicates a stagnant or falling
The director of the project and chair of the life expectancy for many parts of the American
Department of Preventive Medicine and Public population. A study conducted by research-
Health, Prof. Miguel Angel Martinez-Gonzalez, ers from the Harvard School of Public Health;
explained that over a six-year period 190 smok- Harvard University; the University of California,
ers around the age of 42 who didn’t present San Francisco; and the University of Washing-
symptoms of depression at the beginning of the ton in Seattle found that wide disparities in life
study were diagnosed with the illness, while 65 expectancy continue to exist in the U.S., affect-
admitted to taking antidepressants. ing 4 percent of the male and 19 percent of the
Among the mechanisms at work, he said, is female population.
a “genetic and/or environmental disposition, The report attributed the statistics mainly to
which will increase the probability that the to- a leveling-off, among both men and women, in
bacco habit is retained and that the user will the reduction of deaths due to cardiovascular
disease and a rise in deaths from other
diseases, such as lung cancer, diabetes
and chronic lung disease.
Lead author Majid Ezzati, associate pro-
fessor of international health at the Harvard
School of Public Health, said, “There is
now evidence that there are large parts of
the population in the United States whose
health has been getting worse for about
two decades.” —Dr. Bob Goldman
www.WorldHealth.net
Editor’s note: For the latest informa-

tion and research on
health and aging, sub-
scribe to the American
Academy of Anti-Aging
Medicine e-zine at World-
Health.net. It’s free.

READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READERS WRITE READER
Readers Write
Letters
2008 IM Pro DVD Still Pumping at 82

I have enclosed
a photo of my dad,
Charles Lyons. I thought
your readers would be
inspired as much as I
am. My dad is 82 years
old and continues to be
an inspiration. He’s been
bodybuilding since he Charles
was a teenager. Dad and Lyons.
I enjoy reading articles
from his Iron Man maga-
zine collection, with is-
sues dating back to 1947.
Thanks, Dad, for still motivating me to train.
Debby Lyons
El Cajon, CA
I just reviewed the DVD for the ’08 IRON MAN Pro, and it
Reg Park
was fantastic! The photographic quality exceeded anything Thank you for the superb coverage of Reg Park (March
I have ever seen. The contestants were in great shape and ’08). John Balik’s Publisher’s Letter, Gene Mozée’s tribute
shown from the best possible angles. The DVD is a first-rate and the terrific interview with Reg are a wonderful testi-
production. Hats off to Wayne Gallasch. mony to an incredible legend. Along with the great photos
Tom Caterino of Reg at various periods in his long career, the tribute is
via Internet indeed worthy of the man himself. I commend you for such
a great job.
Editor’s note: You’re not kidding when you say the con- Peter Rowley
testants were in top shape. We had a photo salute to Phil Las Vegas, NV
Heath last month, and he was big and shredded. To order
the ’08 IM Pro DVD, visit www.Home-Gym.com or call (800)
447-0008.
Excited X-Repper
I started with a program similar
to Jonathan Lawson’s [10-week Size
Military Muscle Surge program in the e-book 3D Mus-
cle Building] with four weeks of heavy
I would like to let the American people know that, multijoint movements as a primer.
even though we are at war, soldiers still find a way to stay Then I followed an X-Rep Positions-
physically fit of-Flexion routine—using midrange,
to protect our stretch and contracted work for each
country. The muscle. The results have been incredi-
accompanying ble! I’ve made gains the way I did back
photo of me in high school. I’m 5’10” and have
shows what a increased from 165 to 180 pounds of
soldier can look quality muscle. I love the X-Reps and
like in a time POF e-books. They get right down to business—filled with
of war. I also real information that works.
want to thank Patrick Hataburda
MuscleTech via Internet
Research and
Development Editor’s note: For more information on X Reps and Posi-
for giving me tions-of-Flexion training, visit www.X-Rep.com.
and other
soldiers the Vol. 67, No. 8: IRON MAN (ISSN #0047-1496) is published monthly by IRON MAN Pub-
opportunity to 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
use MuscleTech
Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033. Please allow six to eight weeks for change to take effect. Subscrip-
supplements. tion rates—U.S. and its possessions: new 12-issue subscription, $29.97. Canada, Mexico and
SSG Bennie other foreign subscriptions: 12 issues, $49.97 sent Second Class. Foreign orders must be in
Crawford Jr. U.S. dollars. Send subscriptions to IRON MAN, 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033. Or call
Iraq 1-800-570-4766. Copyright © 2008. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be
reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher. Printed in the USA.


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ARNOLD PHOTOS: SPECIAL COLLECTOR’S ISSUE

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