2019-02-01 Muscle Insider PDF

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I N TH I S I SSUE
FEATURES
36 How to Optimize Muscle Growth
A well-designed training program is a good start to building
muscle, but there are many other important factors if you
36
truly want to optimize hypertrophy. By Bill Geiger, MA
50 Start Smart: The World’s

Greatest Beginner’s Routine
50
Fast-track strength and size gains with this well-designed
3-phase, 12-week starter’s plan.
By Bill Geiger, MA & Rob Rinaldi, MS
60 Can You Maximize Fat Loss

—Without Cardio?
Train all muscle groups with weights every workout and
you’ll burn way more calories, both during and after your
training sessions. By Jim Stoppani, PhD
66 9 Biggest Training Mistakes

You’re Making in the Gym
Sure, beginners are prone to gym blunders, but what’s your
excuse? Here are the 9 most common screwups that no one
seems to get right. By Bill Geiger, MA
74 Can Cycling Your Carbs

Improve Fat Loss?
You can follow any number of reduced-calorie diets, but
restricting carb intake to around your workouts is highly
successful for physique athletes. By Mark Gilbert, BSc
60
78 Make the Lateral Raise
10x Better!
Including variations of lateral raises—whether with 1 or 2
dumbbells, a machine, or cables, seated or standing—
allows you to build a target muscle more completely while
avoiding roadblocks in your gym. By Bill Geiger, MA
84 COVER FEATURE:
SIBLING RIVALRY
Meet Chris and Melissa Bumstead, the
brother and sister who both represented
Canada onstage at the 2018 Olympia.
By the Editors
Cover by Dave Laus
86 Why Foot
Position Is So
Important for
Leg Growth
Placing your feet high or low, or
wide vs. close, can affect which
muscle groups of the legs are best
targeted. Here’s what you need to
know. By Bill Geiger, MA
18 MUSCLEINSIDER.COM
M U S C LEI NS I DER . C O M I SCIENCE
SCIE N CE OF
O F BUILDING
BUIL D IN G MUSCLE
M USCL E
QUALITY
RECOVERY
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30 Years Ago, OPTIMUM NUTRITION
set out on a mission to bring
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OPTIMUM NUTRITION qualifies,
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I N TH I S I SSUE
FEATURES continued
88 Road to the Pros
Muscle Insider followed 10 top Canadian amateur
athletes as they attempted to make their dreams
of turning pro a reality. By the Editors
102 Canadian Competitors

Who Turned Pro in 2018
Muscle Insider and the Canadian Physique Alliance
pay tribute to all the men’s and women’s physique
competitors who took home the gold and an IFBB
pro card in 2018. Presented by the CPA
DEPARTMENTS 88
24 Strong Words 31 Best Protein Chef
Plan for Success: Making improve- Low-Carb Protein Cake: A delicious
ments to your physique isn’t random, Reese’s cup made into a cake—now’s
but you’ll get there far faster if you your chance! By Bayan Sharafi
know what you’re doing.
By Scott Welch, BASc, Founder 32 Supplements
The Promise of CBD Oil:
26 Training How scientific thought today has
Close-Grip Bench Press: Make subtle evolved on cannabodiol. Part 2 of 2.
shifts in long and lateral head triceps By Don Gauvreau, MSc, CSCS
development by getting off the flat
bench. By Dave Hoffman, MS 108 Ask the Scientist
Creatine with Sugar, Revisited:
28 Sports Medicine Do carbs boost creatine uptake,
NSAIDs Can Block Muscle Gains: or is that just bro-science?
Before reaching for a pain reliever after By Jeff Golini, PhD
a hard workout, consider its possible
effects on your recovery. By Guillermo 111 Flex Appeal
Escalante, MBA, ATC, CSCS Featuring Leigh Brandt. By Dave Laus
30 Nutrition 112 Freak Fitness

4 Best Breakfast Cereals: If you can Drive More Gains with 5×5s:
resist the sugar-loaded land mines in Dump your hypertrophy rep targets on
the cereal aisle, there are some healthier your first exercise in favour of 5 sets
options just right for your macros. of 5 for an unparalleled growth spurt.
By Ashleigh Atkinson, MHK By Darren Mehling, CSCS
SUPPLEMENTS & PRODUCTS

91 2019 Muscle 110 Geared Up
Insider Supplement Three great new products reviewed.
Buyer’s Guide By Bill Geiger, MA
Whether you want to build muscle, burn
body fat, enhance your workout perfor-
mance in the gym, or speed and improve SUPP REVIEWS
your recovery, supplements can play a 34 Pro Jym
key role. We present our picks for the
best in supplement products, including 48 Allmax Impact Pump
Protein, Pre-Workouts, Amino Acids, 76 Mammoth Meal
Mass Gainers, and Bars & Snacks.
FOUNDER ADVERTISING SALES
Scott Welch, BASc (Nutrition) Janet Welch, BA
scott@muscleinsider.com janet@muscleinsider.com
PUBLISHER Andrew Bukowsky, Sales Coordinator
Janet Welch, BA andrew@muscleinsider.com
VICE PRESIDENT, EVENTS PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS
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domenic@muscleinsider.com DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS
CREATIVE DIRECTOR iTunes.com
Wil McKeown CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
wil@muscleinsider.com Ned Arick, Ashleigh Atkinson, Josh Bryant,
EDITOR Guillermo Escalante, Don Gauvreau,
Bill Geiger, MA (Phys. Ed.) Bill Geiger, Mark Gilbert, Dr. Jeff Golini,
bill@muscleinsider.com Dave Hoffman, Branden Liezert, Brandie
CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Mabee, Mary Ann Marsala, Darren Mehling,
Dave Laus Rob Rinaldi, Bayan Sharai, Jim Stoppani,
davelaus.com Joe Wuebben
studiotwo22.com CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
otctoronto.com Alex Ardenti, Jason Breeze, Jason Ellis,
GRAPHIC DESIGN Istock / Getty Images Plus, Simon Lau,
Bright Ideas Graphics Stone Photography Studio, Thinkstock
PROOFREADER CONTEST PHOTOGRAPHY

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socialempireonline@gmail.com SOCIAL AFFAIRS DIRECTOR
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BOOKKEEPING MEDICAL ADVISORY BOARD

Mark Gilbert, BSc
Susan Welch
Dr. Marv Heuer
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S T R O N G WO R D S By Scott Welch, BASc
Plan for Success!

Making improvements to your physique
isn’t random, but you’ll get there far faster
if you know what you’re doing
W
e at Muscle Insider know the new year as a time
when gyms become overcrowded, with the upside
being that most of the weekend warriors will be long
gone by May, at the latest! We have to adjust the
SOCIAL
time of day we train and choose different exercises
because some dudes hog equipment with no respect for others.
MEDIA
Although the pages that fill this magazine are typically
devoted to those who already live and breathe all things fitness,
on rare occasion we’ll offer training and eating/supplement ad-
vice for the beginners who are just getting started. This issue FACEBOOK
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Everyone has to start somewhere, and those of us who
already train know the trials and errors we had to learn firsthand,
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ter. Fortunately, you don’t have to because we’ve put together
what we believe is the smartest beginner’s guide ever published! TWITTER
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Whether your goal is gaining muscle or losing fat, we’ll show you
better designed programs that’ll fast-track your gains—or losses!
What makes our information better? Well, for one, it’s based
on science. The weight programs become more challenging and
add more volume the further you go. But we also teach you INSTAGRAM
lessons you need to understand as you progress. As for cardio, @muscleinsider
well, we didn’t even mention the c-word when it comes to fat loss
because Dr. Jim Stoppani offers a far superior alternative that will
convince you to ditch the aerobic machine forever!
One of the most important aspects of bodybuilding is using YOUTUBE
good form. None of us were born knowing perfect form and pre- youtube.com/
muscleinsider
cise exercise execution, and even some top pro bodybuilders use
horrible form on some exercises. If this were a math equation, it
would read heavy weight + bad form = injury.
That’s one reason why we included a feature on the biggest
mistakes people make with exercise form, and then we show you PERISCOPE
how to fix them. Every day at the gym, our editorial team sees @muscleinsider
these mistakes being made, and we need to do our part to help.
No matter what your training level is, you have to master exercise
form to make the best gains possible while avoiding injury.
I’d close off this issue by wishing you luck—but I know that SNAPCHAT
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T RA I N I NG By Dave Hoffman, MS
Close-Grip Bench Presses Get

a Much-Needed Makeover
Make subtle shifts in long and lateral head triceps development
by getting off the flat bench
C
lose-grip benches are a triceps trol of the bar, you now must be holding it and it’s only when you raise your arm over-
staple that also hit the inner pecs perpendicular to the floor, not your body. head that it can be fully stretched, which
pretty hard, making them a good And when on a decline bench, you’re now allows for a stronger long-head contrac-
choice for the start of your arm holding the bar such that it’s angled more tion than when your arm is by your side.
workout (because of their multi- toward your thighs in the start position. Hence, anytime you can position your arms
joint nature) or a way to add volume on Remember, the long head is attached closer to an overhead position, you’ll get
chest day that targets an oft-overlooked to the shoulder blade, more triceps long-head activation.
area. But like everything else, your body
gets pretty efficient doing them over time,
and the results you get start to diminish.
Normally, you do them on a flat
bench, but there’s no law that decrees
such. Want to introduce some variety
into your triceps workout? Try close-grip
benches on a slightly inclined or declined
bench instead!
Consider that with a flat bench your
upper arms start in a perpendicular posi-
tion to your body, which allows you to hit
both the lateral and long heads. But with
an incline, now you have to keep your
upper arms angled back more toward your
head; after all, to maintain con-
Why not do your close-grip benches on a

decline bench? The change in bench angle
here puts a bit more emphasis on the lateral
head at the expense of the long head.
26 MUSCLEINSIDER.COM I SCIENCE OF BUILDING MUSCLE

T RA I N I NG
PHOTO: DAVE LAUS / MODEL: DAMIAN GRUPPISO

If you take a very close grip on some
Hammer-Strength chest machines,
you can mimic the stimulus of one
of the angled benches.
the long head isn’t being stretched nearly
as much, so its contribution is greatly
diminished.
Hence, the angle of the bench—and
the many in-between angles between
incline and decline positions—you use
with close-grip benches can make subtle
changes to dialing up and down which tri-
ceps heads are most stimulated. Consider
that a great way not only to introduce vari-
ety into your arm training but also to more
fully develop the target muscle.
What’s more, you can even try this
approach with skull-crushers, a single-
joint exercise in which your upper arms are
Likewise, lateral-head movements locked perpendicular to the floor (and your
get greater stimulation when your hands body, but only when using a flat bench).
are in a position by your sides, as when Here, too, you can take one common exer-
doing pushdowns and kickbacks. Here, cise and turn it into three!
The Smith machine allows for more

control of the bar, and here you
can also use any angled bench.
PHOTO: ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
S P O R T S ME D I C I N E By Guillermo Escalante, MBA, ATC, CSCS
Can NSAIDs Block Muscle Gains?

Before reaching for a pain reliever after a hard workout,
consider its possible effects on your recovery
I
f you’re like some lifters, days aren’t Sounds reasonable so far; sports- intestinal and cardiovascular conditions
measured by Mondays, Tuesdays, and medicine practitioners and athletes have as well as musculoskeletal and renal side
so on, but by arm day, chest day, leg taken non-steroidal anti-inflammatory effects.1
day, and the like. Hump day is always drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin or ibupro- But there’s more, because the lifter
whichever day legs fall on because fen, which are popular choices to mini- must also weigh performance side ef-
once you clear that hurdle, everything mize pain and inflammation after sprains, fects. In a study of rat and mice models,
coming is a breeze by comparison. strains, and other acute soft-tissue inju- researchers looked into the effects of tak-
One by-product of a good leg ries. ing ibuprofen on cyclooxygenase (COX)
workout is the delicious post-workout NSAIDs are classified in different activity because it has been demonstrat-
soreness—called delayed-onset muscle ways, not only by whether they’re over- ed that COX activity is a critical compo-
soreness, or DOMS—the kind that makes the-counter or prescription drugs but nent of muscular hypertrophy. 2 Because
walking up a pair of stairs feel so good. also by chemical structure and the drug’s drugs such as ibuprofen are classified as
And sometimes, perhaps not. That sore- half-life (the time necessary to eliminate COX inhibitors and COX activity is a criti-
ness can in fact linger for a few days, half of the ingested amount of drug from cal component of muscular hypertrophy,
which may tempt you into taking an over- the body). As for what’s in various OTCs, a clear link has been established: Ibu-
the-counter pain reliever or check out the active ingredients in the profen inhibits muscular hypertrophy. In
anti-inflammatory. sidebar. another study, researchers demonstrated
that COX activity is required for muscle
Shoulder muscles CAN NSAIDs BLUNT growth possibly through facilitation of
sore after a delt PROTEIN SYNTHESIS? extracellular protease activity, macro-
workout? You According to research, using phage accumulation, and cell prolifera-
may not want to NSAIDs has some potential risks tion. 3 Hence, taking a drug that inhibits
reach for a pain because they can produce signifi- COX may very well be counterproductive
reliever when cant side effects, including gastro- for muscle gains.
DOMS sets in as A 2002 human study was the first to
it may adversely find NSAIDs blunted protein synthesis in
affect protein humans. 4 But other, later studies didn’t
synthesis. make that finding. 5–8
Let’s remember these stud-
ies are typically done with un-
trained individuals, so that
can skew how the results
might affect a highly
t r a i n e d a t h l e t e.
W h a t ’s m o r e,
acute changes
may not reflect
long-term
adaptations
with muscu-
lar hypertro-
phy.
USING NSAIDs
No doubt there’s a time and place to use
NSAIDs, but they should be taken with
caution, in relatively moderate dosages,
and for short periods of time. A review of
the practical management of NSAIDs in
athletic injuries determined that NSAIDs

S P O R T S ME D I C I N E
aren’t recommended in the treatment of
chronic muscle injuries or completed frac- Over-the-Counter NSAIDs
tures or stress fractures.9 The authors rec-
Active Drug Common Trade Name
ommended NSAIDs for the management
of acute ligament strains, muscle strains, Acetylsalicylic acid Aspirin, Bufferin,
tendinitis, and eccentric muscle injury, but Excedrin
they cautioned that the prescription of the
Ibuprofen Motrin, Advil
NSAID should be judicious and the length
of treatment should be kept as short as Ketoprofen Orudis, Actron
possible. Magnesium salicylate Doan’s Analgesic
NSAIDs can help with short-term Naproxen sodium Aleve
pain management, but their use should
be avoided not only because of their po- *Adapted from Hartel, Journal of Athletic Training, December 1997.
tential long-term side effects but also be-
cause of their possible effects on making muscle adaptations to resistance exercise in older Exerc. 2011 Mar;43(3):425-31.
adults. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2011 8. Mikkelsen UR, Langberg H, Helmark IC, et al. Local
gains in muscle mass. Mar;300(3):R655-62. NSAID infusion inhibits satellite cell proliferation in
5. Krentz JR1, Quest B, Farthing JP, Quest DW, Chili- human skeletal muscle after eccentric exercise. J Appl
REFERENCES beck PD. The effects of ibuprofen on muscle hypertro- Physiol (1985). 2009 Nov;107(5):1600-11.
1. Almekinders LC. Anti-inflammatory treatment of phy, strength, and soreness during resistance training. 9. Mehallo CJ, Drezner JA, Bytomski JR. Practi-
muscular injuries in sport. An update of recent stud- Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2008 Jun;33(3):470-5. cal management: nonsteroidal antiinflammatory
ies. Sports Med. 1999 Dec;28(6):383-8. 6. Petersen SG, Beyer N, Hansen M, et al. Nonsteroi- drug (NSAID) use in athletic
2. Clanton TO, Coupe KJ. Hamstring strains in athletes: dal anti-inflammatory drug or glucosamine reduced injuries. Clin J Sport Med. 2006
diagnosis and treatment. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. pain and improved muscle strength with resistance Mar;16(2):170-4.
1998 Jul-Aug;6(4):237-48. training in a randomized controlled trial of knee os-
3. Hertel J. The role of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory teoarthritis patients. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2011
drugs in the treatment of acute soft tissue injuries. Aug;92(8):1185-93. Follow Guillermo on social media:
J Athl Train. 1997 Oct;32(4):350-8. 7. Petersen SG, Miller BF, Hansen M, Kjaer M, Holm L. @doctorgfit
4. Trappe TA, Carroll CC, Dickinson JM, et al. Influ- Exercise and NSAIDs: effect on muscle protein synthe- @DrGFit
ence of acetaminophen and ibuprofen on skeletal sis in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Med Sci Sports @DrGfit
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NU T R I T I ON By Ashleigh Atkinson, MHK
4 Best Breakfast Cereals

If you can resist the sugar-loaded, cartoon-faced land mines in the
cereal aisle, there are some healthier options just right for your macros
I
t’s safe to say most of us grew up with Your four best cereal choices are only one gram of sugar, a serving yields
cereal as our go-to breakfast option, packed with nutrients, including fibre and 20 grams of carbohydrates with 4 grams
and some of us never outgrew that whole grains, so you can enjoy them and of fibre. Keep in mind, these values are
comfort food. You can’t beat a bowl stay on track with your nutritional plan. for the original version; many of the other
of crunchy cereal with refreshing flavours not only have a slightly smaller
milk. As adults, however, we should likely 1. OATS serving size but also average 8 grams of
take a step up from the childhood cereal Though this may not be regarded as sugar per serving.
choices we formerly made and start mak- the most traditional cereal, it’s one you
ing more health-conscious choices. Move can enjoy hot or cold. Whether you opt 4. CHEX
over, fruity O’s and chocolate crispies; for rolled, steel cut, or instant, you’ll be Even though it makes a great party
we’ve got some better-for-you options to enjoying a breakfast with more staying mix, it’s time to add milk and enjoy this
fill your bowl. power than a bowl of sugar. This grain as a cereal again. Chex comes in with
Cereal can be a bit of a crapshoot, is incredibly nutrient-dense, providing the largest serving size of the group at
even when marketed as being healthy or a wide array of vitamins and minerals, 47 grams. With this, you’ll take in one
natural. Reading labels is absolutely criti- including magnesium, iron, zinc and tiny gram of fat, 5 grams of protein,
cal. Many, perhaps most, are loaded with vitamins B 1 and B 5, to name a few. You and 40 grams of carbohydrates, consist-
sugars, which isn’t an ideal way to start also can’t overlook the soluble fibre, as ing of 7 grams of fibre and only 5 grams
or end your day. The added sugar can be it helps reduce LDL and total cholesterol of sugar. This breakdown is great to fill
so bad that the bowl you’re eating is akin levels, and it can help you feel satiated carb macros without worrying about your
to having a processed-carb breakfast for longer. Where a sugary cereal will other macros. When it comes to micro-
with a Coke! cause a rapid spike in insulin levels, oats nutrients, folic acid, iron, zinc, and vita-
spark a slower absorption of glucose into min B 12 top the list. While these values
Get an all-day the blood. Talk about a power food! are for the wheat variety, other flavours
energy boost such as vanilla, cinnamon, and blueberry
with slow- 2. PUFFED RICE have slightly higher sugar counts with a
digesting From no-name brands to the snap, crackle, smaller serving size.
carbs, and and pop variety, puffed or crisp rice cere-
avoid added als are strong options to include. With one GRAB A BOWL
sugar! serving* (about 1¼ cup) providing zero The next time you feel a craving for
fat and 30 grams of carbs, it’s a great way something reminiscent of your childhood,
to fill carb macros alone. It also offers a or a refreshing treat, pour yourself a bowl
decent number of micronutrients such as of one of these cereals. You can enjoy it
vitamin A, C, and E, folic acid, riboflavin, knowing that you’re fueling your body
and vitamins B 6 and B 12. The only draw- with healthy nutrients while satisfying
back is the low fibre content, so be sure cravings. If you’re looking for something
to eat enough in your other meals. For vol- a little sweeter, try sprinkling some cin-
ume-eaters, this cereal is a great answer! namon on your cereal for added flavour
without adding any nutritional content or
3. THE FAMOUS O’s throw on some fruit, such as blueberries
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S U P P L E ME N T S By Don Gauvreau, MSc, CSCS
The Promise of CBD Oil

Part 2: How scientific thought today has evolved on cannabidiol
I
n the last issue of Muscle Insider, we leaves and flowers. Endocannabinoids are butane. Extraction using carbon dioxide
talked about the historical use of can- endogenous and created within the body. (CO 2) is a popular choice and is marketed
nabis and its more recent uses as a The human endocannabinoid system as one of the cleanest options. After the
medicinal plant. We also introduced (ECS) is composed of two primary endocannabinoids are extracted, the isolated
the topic of cannabinoids and more cannabinoid messengers, anandamide compounds can be separated using vari-
specifically, cannabidiol (CBD). Now, let’s and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), and ous distillation techniques.
dive into some more details on cannabi- at least 30 to 50 receptors expressed
noids, the endocannabinoid system (ECS) throughout the body on various cell PHARMACOLOGY OF CBD
and how CBD is used today in treating dis- types that function together to maintain Since cannabinoids such as CBD are
ease and disorders, including pain. homeostasis. Anandamide and 2-AG lev- metabolized in the liver, bioavailabil-
els increase on demand in response to a ity can be an issue. Vaping and smoking
UNDERSTANDING given stimuli (e.g., pain). Anandamide appear to have the greatest bioavailabil-
CANNABINOIDS & THE ECS and 2-AG are synthesized in a localized ity, but many people are concerned with
Cannabinoids are a set of diverse chemical stimulus-dependent manner from mem- health risks associated with this. Standard
compounds that can act on cannabinoid brane phospholipid precursors. In contrast, oral bioavailability of isolated CBD is rela-
receptors and interact with the endocan- when cannabis is used for recreational or tively low, on average at about 10 to 20
nabinoid system in your body. There are medicinal purposes, all susceptible recep- percent. The introduction of more bioavail-
phytocannabinoids and endocannabinoids. tors in your body are bathed in phytocan- able forms of CBD will be at the forefront
Phytocannabinoids, such as CBD, are bio- nabinoids resulting in several outcomes.1 of research and product development over
active secondary metabolites produced by The endocannabinoid system is the coming years and is something I’m
the cannabis plant. They are synthesized involved in regulating various physiologi- personally working on.
and accumulate in cal and cognitive processes, including
the trichomes on fertility, pregnancy, pre- and post-natal FUTURE OF CBD &
the surfaces of development, appetite, pain sensation, CANNABINOID RESEARCH
both cannabis mood and memory, and mediating the It still isn’t exactly known how CBD inter-
pharmacological effects of cannabis. The acts within the endocannabinoid system.
PHOTO: DAVE LAUS
ECS is also involved in mediating some Two primary endocannabinoid receptors

of the physiological and cognitive effects have been identified—CB1 (first cloned
of voluntary physical exercise in humans in 1990) and CB2 (cloned in 1993)—but
and other animals, such as contributing to CBD doesn’t actually bind to either CB1 or
exercise-induced euphoria as well as mod- CB2 receptors. In fact, CBD has little to no
ulating locomotor activity and motivation affinity for these receptors, and acts as a
for rewards. The ECS is arguably the most partial antagonist to CB1 and as a weak
complex and dynamic system in the inverse CB2 agonist.2
human body. We’re just at the tip of the The body of research is already
iceberg with what we know and under- extremely promising and shows that CBD
stand from a scientific standpoint. can have beneficial effects for various
forms of cancers, social anxiety disorder,
CBD EXTRACTION psychosis and other mental conditions
FROM CANNABIS and pain management. Look out for more
In order for cannabinoids, such as research on CBD, cannabinoids, and the
CBD, to be delivered to humans in an endocannabinoid system for decades to
isolated or semi-isolated form, they come.
must be extracted and separated
from cannabis plants. The extraction REFERENCES
process that’s used can affect the 1. Orser C. (2018) MJBizCon,
Science Symposium.
quality and safety of the end product.
2. Bruni N, Della Pepa C,
Organic solvents such as hydrocarbons Oliaro-Bosso S, et al.
and alcohol are often used, and so is Molecules. 2018 Sep 27;23(10).
IFBB Bikini pro Kim Meroniuk Follow Don on social media:
has used CBD oil successfully @rippedfreak
in her contest prep. @supplementgodfather
32
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S U P P L E ME N T R E V I E W By Ashleigh Atkinson, MHK
Ramp Up Muscle Protein Synthesis

Dr. Stoppani’s new re-invention makes the quintessential Pro Jym even better
F
rom building muscle to losing the scales (literally) when the product is expose the ingredients to harsh chemical
weight, protein supplements have being tested for protein content. The inclu- treatments and temperatures. Stoppani
a place in all nutrition plans. As an sion of these aminos will yield a false has ensured that Pro Jym is created in the
athlete, hitting your protein macros is protein count, allowing a company to best way possible—through cold micro-
probably one of your top priorities to advertise a higher protein content than is filtration. Using this process allows the
ensure you keep making progress. How- truly being delivered. With no individual protein to retain its nutrient profile full
ever, science says not all protein products aminos added to the Pro formula, you can of amino acids, antioxidants, and anti-
are created equally, and we want to help be certain that the protein content listed is inflammatory properties.
you find the best option. exactly what you’re getting.
Dr. Jim Stoppani’s line of supplements GAINS NEVER TASTED
brings a new standard of quality to the QUALITY ALL AROUND SO GOOD
market. With more than a decade of work With a formula backed by research, Pro Not only does Pro Jym deliver a top-of-
dedicated to the science of health and fit- Jym also covers the other bases in terms the-line muscle-building formula, but it’s
ness, Dr. Stoppani puts this science into all of quality. Whey isolates are regarded as also delicious. With dessert-like flavours
of his products, and Pro Jym is no excep- the gold standard of protein options. They such as Chocolate Cookie Crunch, Banana
tion. With a unique blend of proteins and undergo more processing to yield a pro- Cream Pie, and the overwhelmingly popu-
amazing flavours, Pro Jym delivers a highly tein with less carbs, fat, and lactose than lar (and often sold out) S’mores, making
effective product for athletes to use at any their counterparts. gains has never tasted better. Simply mix
point in their day. Beyond using high-quality ingredi- each scoop with 6 to 12 ounces of water
ents, Stoppani also paid close attention or milk, and your body will activate the
MULTIPLE PROTEINS to the manufacturing of his product. The response necessary for repairing and
TO BETTER GROWTH methods by which protein supplements building muscle, ensuring you’re ready to
Utilizing the science of muscle growth, are created can vary, some of which hit the gym again tomorrow.
Stoppani maximized the body’s muscle
protein synthesis (MPS) process with the For more information on Pro Jym,
Pro Jym formula. By including four dif- and all other Jym products, visit
ferent types of protein, specifically those jymsupplementscience.com.
that are digested rapidly, moderately, and
slowly by the body, the MPS process is
elevated for longer.
To address the three digestive speeds,
Pro Jym contains a blend of proteins that
total 24 grams per scoop. They add up as
follows: whey isolate (7.5 grams), micel-
lar casein (7 grams), egg white protein
(2.5 grams), and milk protein isolate (7
grams). Although whey protein will spike
MPS quickly, it doesn’t stay elevated for
long. However, research has found that the
addition of medium- and slow-digest-
ing proteins enables MPS to remain
elevated, supporting your body’s abil-
ity to build new muscle for longer.
NO SPIKING HERE!
Amino spiking, a practice used by
some supplement companies to
artificially boost protein content
PHOTO: THINKSTOCK
and keep their production costs

low, results in an inferior product
for athletes. Including loose amino
acids in protein products can tip
34 M U S C LEI NS I DER . C O M I SCIE N CE O F BUIL D IN G M USCL E

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HOW TO
OPTIMIZE
MUSCLE
GROWTH
A well-designed training program is a
good start to building muscle, but there
are many other important factors if you
truly want to optimize hypertrophy
S
OME FOLKS APPROACH BUILDING MUSCLE
like a blind man, simply walking into a gym and just randomly
doing exercises and following what other guys do—including
copying their bad form. That approach will probably do something.
Others take an all-inclusive approach, gathering information
on how the various components of diet, recovery, training, sleep, and
smart supplementation work together to optimize results. Acing just one
aspect without paying attention to the others is a sure way to sabotage
your gains, and you’ll likely soon quit as a result.
Understanding how the pie fits together is an important step in ensur-
ing you’re getting the most from all your efforts. Realize that these are the
most important concepts of muscle building that you’ll constantly revisit
over the years, and eventually you’ll learn how to manipulate and tinker
with the various components as you progress.
This is the framework for building max muscle, so let’s get to it.

OPTIMIZE MUSCLE GROWTH
FEATURING
JAMES MARK
MITCHELL
BY BILL GEIGER, MA
PHOTOS BY DAVE LAUS
LOCATION: OPTIMUM TRAINING CENTRE, TORONTO, ON
S CIENCE OF BUILDING MUS CLE I MUS CLEINS IDER. COM 37

1. BUILD YOUR TRAINING TO
OPTIMIZE RESULTS
An accompanying article has the actual
beginner’s workout, but here let’s
mention the most important training
variables linked to muscle-growth pro-
cesses. The critical factors are exercise
choice, volume, intensity, rest intervals,
and training to failure, which allow
you to construct an effective program.
These variables have been cited by
exercise scientists as having the most
favourable responses to greater ana-
bolic hormone release, specifically tes-
tosterone and growth hormone, which Doing a variety of curls
applies to both men and women. We’ll from different angles
cover them briefly here. is a superior approach.
• Favour multi-joint movements. • Choose the right training inten- • Train with suffi cient volume.
Exercises in which you can push sity. This isn’t a measure of how hard Another hormone booster is training
the heaviest loads have the great- you train but, rather, the weight you’re volume (defined as number of sets per
est impact on hormone response. lifting compared to your one-rep max muscle group multiplied by reps and
These are called multi-joint exercises, for that exercise. So if your max squat load). Higher volume, multiple-set pro-
because movement occurs in more is 205 pounds and you’re doing a set tocols consistently have been shown
than a single set of joints (the elbows with 185, that’s an intensity of about to be superior to single sets for build-
and shoulders when bench pressing, 90 percent. Exercise scientists have ing muscle. As you progress from the
for example). With single-joint exer- weighed in and suggest most people beginner ranks, you’ll be adding vol-
cises such as leg extensions or lateral should train between 70 and 85 per- ume to your body-part workouts, but
raises, you can’t use nearly as much cent of their max to elicit an opti- that causes greater muscle damage, so
weight, so they’re poorer choices in mal hypertrophic response. That is, you’ll have to decrease the frequency
a mass-building workout. Moreover, to build muscle, ideally your weight (by using a longer training split). The
choosing a free-weight version of an should be one between 145 and 175 best way to add volume is training a
exercise improves anabolism better pounds. That translates to a rep count given muscle from different angles, as
than a machine because it engages of between 6 and 12; in other words, when you include flat bench, incline,
more of the core muscles. to optimize muscle growth, you should and decline bench presses for chest.
reach muscle failure between 6 and 12
reps using good form. If a weight’s too
easy or too heavy, adjust it accordingly
on your next set.
Exercises in which two

or more sets of joints
are working in tandem
promote greater anabolism.
• Start training to failure. This is Training hard
the concept of doing as many reps isn’t the same
as you can (with good form) and not as training with
stopping until you can’t complete intensity. Intensity
another. All things being equal, if you is defined by your
stop short of failure, you won’t get the working weight
same anabolic stimulus as when pur- divided by your
suing those last few challenging reps. 1RM for that
Sloppy form begins to occur the closer movement.
you get to failure, so beware of recruit-
ing secondary muscle groups into the
movement. It’s also easy to get sloppy
with your technique when a muscle
starts to hurt; training to failure still
requires good exercise technique so
the stimulus remains on the target
muscle. Always remember the adage:
If you can do another rep with good
form, do it.
• Time your rest periods. This vari-

able and its relationship to muscle
growth has also been studied. In body-
building, moderate rest intervals—
about 60 to 90 seconds between sets, a
bit longer on your very heaviest sets—
allows for the most optimal hypertro-
phic response. While powerlifters take
longer rest intervals, they’re focusing
on maximizing strength, not mus-
cle size. You want to still be slightly
fatigued as you begin your next set,
and over the course of your workout,
the target muscle should feel increas-
ingly taxed. For single-joint exercises
for smaller muscle groups, opt for the
shorter rest period; multi-joint exer-
cises and larger muscle groups should
get the higher end.
You can be social at the gym, but don’t let it

distract you from your workout and mess up
the timing of your rest periods between sets.
MUS CLEINS IDER. COM 39

2. FOLLOW A NUTRITION
PLAN TO SUPPORT GAINS
IN MASS
Your nutritional efforts can support
gains in muscle tissue or literally fight
them. If you want the former, here are
some essential elements to consider.
• Find your baseline calories,

then add more. To add size (mean-
ing weight), you’ll want to tip the food
scales so you’re eating more calories • Determine your macros. Here’s
each day than you’re burning. That’s where following a particular diet— Protein is necessary for building
why many lifters use a log to docu- such as keto, paleo, Zone, low-carb, and repairing damaged muscle tissue.
ment their food intake for a full week etc.—will help determine the daily
and computing a daily average. But numbers. For now, I’ll provide a general break that into the number of meals
there’s an upper limit to adding size estimate of where you’ll want to be. you eat each day, so long as each meal
for most people; realistically, aim for Protein is required to build has about 30 to 40 grams of protein.
0.5 to 1.5 pounds each week, which and repair damaged muscle tissue. Decades ago, dietary fats were
comes to about 2 to 6 per month. That You’ll hear all sorts of recommenda- considered bad guys, probably because
may seem low, but that’s about the tions suggesting how much Americans heartily overconsumed
best you can achieve without add- to eat, but studies that them. For an athlete, dietary fats pro-
ing significant amounts of body have been done didn’t vide dense energy (9 calories per gram
fat. You’ll achieve your target by include samples of rather than 4) and important vitamins
adding about 300 to 500 calo- hard-training body- and health benefits. Even saturated
ries daily over and above your builders, so figures fat, the kind that comes from animal
maintenance level of calories. provided to the gen- fats and tropical oils, plays an impor-
Weigh yourself regularly to eral public typically tant role in hormone production in
ensure you’re on target; you fall short here. The the body. Limit dietary fats to about
may have to adjust the num- simplest method is to 30 percent of your total daily calories,
ber of calories up or down simply take your body with no more than half from saturated
accordingly. weight in pounds; that’s sources.
your daily amount. Carbs are chains of sugar mol-
You’ll want to ecules that are broken down into glu-
cose, which is what your body uses for
energy. Carbs include simple sugars
that digest quickly and longer chains
of molecules (called complex carbs)
that digest more slowly (and hence
have less effect on insulin), provid-
ing sustained energy and prolonged
fullness. Fibre is considered a carb as
well; it might be less useful for those
seeking to gain mass because it makes
you feel more full, meaning you’re
less likely to eat again soon. Because
simple carbs increase insulin output,
they’re considered bad guys because
insulin promotes fat storage. Hence,
you want to limit simple carb intake;
in other words, watch your sweet
tooth! Processed foods are another
bad guy when it comes to carbs. Over-
all, estimate that you’ll need about 2
grams of carbs (mainly complex) per
pounds of body weight daily, or about
40 to 50 percent of your daily calories.
If you want to get bigger, you gotta

eat more calories to support growth.
40 MU S C LEI NS I DER . C O M I SCIE N CE O F BUIL D IN G M USCL E

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Increasing the frequency much glucose and glycogen (the lat-
of meals and upping your ter is how muscle tissue stores sugar).
protein consumption will A smart bedtime snack can also add
help to power protein some additional calories and protein
synthesis and build muscle. to spur growth during the nighttime
hours.
bring your shaker
and one or two
scoops of protein
powder and you’ll
easily have 20 to 40 grams
of protein ready when
you’re on the go.
• Consider these spe-

cial meals. Breakfast comes after
your nightlong fast, so it’s important
• Increase frequency of meals. to take in the right nutrients and not
To build muscle, it’s essential to con- the Dunkin’ Donuts special. Your post-
sume a higher level of calories than workout meal is another biggie, con- • Watch out for food cravings.
you burn, but that’s a challenge with sidering you’ve just created a great It’s difficult to eat clean 24/7 and put
just three meals a day. Eating 30 to 40 deal of muscle damage and have so on mass, in part because healthy foods
grams of protein every three to four aren’t always tasty and they’re often
hours will help keep rates of protein relatively low in calories. Cravings for
synthesis (i.e., building muscle!) ele- sugary and fatty foods can make fol-
vated while reducing protein break- lowing a long-term clean-eating plan a
down. That’s why you’ll see so many challenge. That’s why it’s important to
bodybuilders eating six or more meals allow for some planned cheat meals.
a day, which more easily enables you To limit the damage, constrain it to a
to take in all the raw materials to sup- single meal, and if you’re also training
port growth and keep protein synthe- on that day, you can easily burn most
sis elevated. of it off.
With that many meals to pre-
pare daily, it’s no wonder fit- Protein and carbs
ness-minded individuals are your most
find great convenience important
in protein shakes. Just post-workout
macros.
42 M U S C LEI NS I DER . C O M
3. SUPPORT CONTINUED previous marks you’ve set. Beware of
GROWTH WITH THESE falling into a comfort zone; you always
TRAINING FACTORS need to be looking for ways to chal-
Dialing in your training and nutrition lenge yourself further.
are a good start, but we need to build
in some long-term insurance to ensure • Create greater muscle damage
you keep making progress over time. with advanced training princi-
So let’s consider a few more factors ples. While training to failure as men-
that could be holding back your gains. tioned above is smart, you can create
further damage within muscle tissue
• Understand the role of progres- by taking some (but not all) sets past
sive overload. Who hasn’t seen the point of muscle failure. Essentially,
those individuals at the gym who train that means instead of ending a set
religiously year after year but always when you can’t do another rep, you
look the same? What’s likely happen- use a technique to push beyond that
ing is they’re doing the same routine point. While these are mostly interme-
for the same number of sets and reps diate and advanced techniques, you
for years. That can happen when you should be aware of the major ones.
fall into a comfort zone and switch Drop sets. Once you reach mus-
your training to autopilot. Just because cle failure, quickly reduce the pound-
you’re exercising doesn’t mean you’re age by about 20 to 30 percent and
making progress. immediately continue to a second
As the body adapts to a novel point of muscle failure on a given set.
training stimulus, it responds by grow- Forced reps. As you reach mus- Bodyweight exercises, such as dips,
ing bigger and stronger. (Many of the cle failure, your partner steps in and are great for negative training.
initial changes you see as a beginner provides you with just enough assis-
are the result of neurological adapta- tance to keep the weight moving over Negatives. Instead of focus-
tions—the muscles simply learning a sticking point. This can help allow ing on the lift (positive rep or con-
to fire together more efficiently—but you to complete 2 to 3 more reps—reps centric contraction), you instead take
after a short time, actual changes in you wouldn’t have been able to do on three to five seconds to slowly lower
the muscle fibres begin to occur. But your own. it (the negative, or eccentric, contrac-
once your body adapts a training stim- tion). Your partner then helps you lift
ulus, you need to continue to increase the weight back to the start. Because
the overload to keep seeing further you’re stronger lowering a weight than
improvements. That usually means lifting it, this is an especially useful
increasing the weight as you get stron- tool to boost strength.
ger, but it can also mean manipulating Note that intensity boosters
other training variables such as reps shouldn’t be done on every working set
and rest periods. because it’s counterproductive to mus-
Progressive overload is the sci- cle growth. Typically, such techniques
ence behind bodybuilding; that is, con- are done on 1 or 2 sets per exercise,
tinually challenging yourself to higher most often your last or heaviest set(s).
levels of performance as you adapt to
You can lower a

heavier weight
under control
than you can lift,
so eccentric reps
are a great way
to build strength.

• Boost your performance with 4. BOOST YOUR POST- Cool down
supplements. Dialing in the train- WORKOUT RECOVERY
ing variables to maximize hypertro- with a slow
One reason the bench press and its
phy gives you an edge over how most walk to help
many variations are so effective at
everyone else in the gym is training, disperse the
building pec size and strength is that
and so too is using the right supple- by-products
they’re multi-joint movements, which
ments for your goal. Research has of anaerobic
is pretty obvious. What may not be,
shown that many have specific effects
metabolism.
however, is that relatively weaker
on muscle protein synthesis as well as triceps or front delt strength may be
anticatabolic properties, so it doesn’t holding back your chest development.
make sense to overlook these docu- If one of those muscles reaches failure
mented benefits. before your pecs do, a set must neces-
Whey protein is one of the most sarily come to an end. Over the course
common and should be a staple of your of many workouts, that amounts to a
supplement stack. It’s been shown to heckuva lot of chest gains you’re not
stimulate muscle protein synthesis accruing.
and lead to greater increases in mus-
cle mass and strength. It’s also easy • Optimize your recovery.
to take with you for a quick protein- Start with a cooldown. You
packed snack between meals. Creatine may be inclined to head for the show-
has also been shown to boost strength ers after an exhaustive workout,
and muscle mass when combined with but incorporating a 15- to 20-minute
resistance training. Another supple- cooldown session has been shown to
ment useful for strength and weight improve recovery. Light, continuous
loss, caffeine can delay fatigue, which aerobic activity in which you continue
can help both aerobic and anaerobic to perspire but reduce your workout
sports. Branched-chain amino acids intensity helps to remove metabolic
(BCAAs) help speed up recovery after a by-products (lactate, ammonia, and
hard workout. Let’s call out one more: hydrogen ions) associated with anaer-
Research shows citrulline malate obic exercise, which means you’ll be after their workout, as well as 24 and
helps fight the effects of fatigue dur- ready for your next workout faster.1 48 hours afterward. Notably, research-
ing your workout. Use a foam roller. Many ers have found that static stretching,
athletes today target their work- which can help increase a joint’s range
Get the most out ing muscles on foam rollers, and of motion, is ineffective in reducing
of your training by here’s why. A 2015 Canadian study DOMS and hasn’t been shown to aid
choosing the right found that foam rolling effectively performance.2,3 What’s more, done 60
supplements for reduced DOMS, as well as physi- minutes before your training session,
your goals. cal performance decrements. 1 The static stretching can even adversely
study involved a 20-minute foam- affect your ability to generate explo-
rolling session immediately sive power.4
Reduce post-workout muscle

soreness with a foam roller.

OPTIMIZE MUSCLE GROWTH Don’t expect to live the party lifestyle and
get maximal returns for your efforts. Take
a hardcore approach to your sleeping, too.
Don’t shortchange your sleep. related to work or sport. While a lim- a state of overtraining. That’s marked
Often squeezed by a busy lifestyle, ited amount of physically demanding by a state of fatigue where you stop
sleep not only allows your body to rest, work unrelated to your bodybuilding making gains, your mental energy hits
but it’s during this time that circulat- is fine, constant exhaustive activity a wall, you have trouble sleeping, and/
ing hormones are released, which can can sap your strength and leave you or you’re more susceptible to inju-
have anabolic properties on your mus- fatigued even before your workout. For ries. Don’t shy away from challenging
cles. Turn the phone and TV off at least sure, some activity may be required for workouts, but realize pushing full-bore
60 minutes before bedtime and begin work, but cutting back on optional rec- all the time increases the likelihood
slowing down for the night, guarding reational activities or sports can set a of progressively more negative out-
against overstimulation. more optimal environment for gains. comes. Make sure your split includes
Get rest. Building serious mass Get a massage. Anecdotally, rest days, and cycle in periods of lower
is difficult if not impossible bodybuilders rave about the benefits of intensity training and even weeklong
to achieve if your physi- a regular deep-tissue massage. That’s holidays from the gym, both for your
cal energies are being because their workouts are incred- physical and mental health.
drained by out- ibly intense in nature, resulting in In the big picture, there’s more—
side activities, sore muscles, tightness, swelling from much more—to gaining size than hit-
whether they’re inflammation, and increased muscle ting the weights hard. Not only does
adhesions and “knots.” The scientific it mean choosing the right training
Treat yourself evidence, however, is rather limited.5 program that addresses the most criti-
to a massage So give it a try and make your own cal variables, but it entails multiple
from a true determination. I find a professional other factors that allow you to either
professional massage to be fairly expensive, so I enhance—or negate—all that hard
from time favour the convince-your-partner-to- work you do in the gym.
to time. do-it approach. You can also do a mas-
sage semi-regularly from a pro. REFERENCES
Many other recovery strategies 1. Pearcey GE, Bradbury-Squires DJ, Kawa-
have been tested, none of which have moto JE, et al. Foam rolling for delayed-onset
passed scientific muster. Those include muscle soreness and recovery of dynamic
performance measures. J Athl Train. 2015
active recovery, cryotherapy (ice), con- Jan;50(1):5-13.
trast temperature water immersion, 2. Tiidus, PM. Alternative treatments for
hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the use of muscle injury: massage, cryotherapy, and
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, hyperbaric oxygen. Curr Rev Musculoskelet
Med. 2015 Jun;8(2):162-7.
compression garments, and even elec-
3. Herbert RD, de Noronha M, Kamper SJ.
tromyostimulation (deliverance of Stretching to prevent or reduce muscle sore-
electrical impulses). ness after exercise. Cochrane Database Syst
Rev. 2011 Jul 6;(7):CD004577.
• Avoid overtraining. If your pursuit 4. Bompa T, Buzzichelli C. (2015). Periodization
Training for Sports (3rd ed.). Human Kinetics.
of size has you pushing the envelope, 5. Barnett A. Using recovery modalities
training harder, longer, and more fre- between training sessions in elite athletes:
quently, you may unknowingly enter does it help? Sports Med. 2006;36(9):781-96.
46
S U P P L E ME N T R E V I E W By the Editors
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START SMART IN THE GYM!
THE WORLD’S
GREATEST
BEGINNER’S
WORKOUT
Fast-track strength and size gains with this
well-designed 3-phase, 12-week starter’s plan
M
ANY FOLKS THINK JUST SHOWING UP AT THE
gym is half the battle. We disagree. Once inside, you can get
overwhelmed by the assortment of equipment and the million
ways you can put together a routine. Just showing up doesn’t
guarantee any degree of success whatsoever. That’s because
muscle growth isn’t random; just putting in the effort doesn’t assure a
more muscular physique.
Any number of choices in the gym can fast-track growth or leave you
spinning your wheels without much appreciable gains. Nothing sinks
motivation faster than a lack of progress, which is one reason why so
many beginners quit.
So let’s put together what you need to know when it comes to your
actual workout, and we’ll explain these things so you’ll better understand
their critical roles in improving your physique and physical fitness. The
three four-week training programs at the end incorporate all the major
points discussed here and in the previous article so you can graduate to
intermediate status as soon as possible.

FEATURING
MIKE CHABOT
BY BILL GEIGER, MA
& ROB RINALDI, MS
PHOTOS BY DAVE LAUS
LOCATION: OLYMPIA MUSCLE & FITNESS, MISSISSAUGA, ON

BEST BEGINNER’S GUIDE
Bench presses
recruit two sets of
joints—elbows and
shoulders—which
means they recruit
more muscle mass
and allow you to
lift heavier loads.
1. FOCUS ON ALL THE MAJOR tion and lots of rehearsal to

MUSCLE GROUPS learn perfect technique. If you
Many of us are initially motivated don’t get the form down pat,
to focus on building a bigger chest you’ll keep repeating bad form,
and arms to impress others, but over which at best takes the stress off
time that strategy can lead to some the intended muscle group and at
serious muscular imbalances, most worst predisposes you to greater
especially putting your joints at risk risk of injury. Study exercises you
of injury and leading to an embarrass- see in books and online and aim
ing degree of poor symmetry. That’s to duplicate the correct move-
why it’s important to work all the ment patterns, or invest in a
major muscle groups. Maintaining a qualified personal trainer who
balanced strength ratio for opposing can help you correct form
muscle groups around a joint—say, the deficiencies. Don’t worry
biceps and triceps, which help better about the weights you’re
stabilize the elbow—is the best way to using at this stage;
protect against injuries. Upper-body keep practicing and
muscle groups include the chest, back, rehearsing the move-
shoulders, biceps, and triceps; for the ment pattern until
lower body, the list includes the glutes, it becomes second
quadriceps, and hamstrings. The abs, nature.
calves, and forearms are considered
smaller muscle groups. Remember, a You can fatigue a
muscle group can consist of multiple muscle with either
smaller muscles or muscles with mul- a heavy weight (for
tiple heads. fewer reps) or light
weight (for higher
2. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT reps). But they
Each muscle group requires you to don’t work
complete basic movements patterns the target
that are likely new to you; for exam- muscle the
ple, with chest you can do presses and same.
flye motions. They require coordina-

THE 12-WEEK BEGINNER’S PLAN
3. OPTIMIZE TRAINING VARI- Being a beginner is exciting because that’s when you incur the fastest gains of
ABLES FOR MUSCLE GROWTH your training career. Initially, some of those gains are the result of your nervous
If you read the previous article, you’re system becoming better coordinated rather than actual gains in muscle size or
aware of the five training variables sci- strength. But that kicks in soon enough, and you might even start seeing progress
entists have linked to muscle growth from one workout to the next. Because it’s hard to keep track of constantly chang-
by most positively affecting anabo- ing loads and reps, it’s a smart idea to log everything into your phone or a book.
lism—that is, the release of endog- A good beginner’s program is progressive in nature, allowing you to build
enous anabolic hormones. Let’s review upon successes in previous training phases. Over the course of this 12-week plan,
here quickly. you’ll learn some important concepts that you’ll carry with you into succeeding
four-week phases.
• Ideal working weight. Choosing Here’s what to expect over the course of the three four-week phases.
the “right” working weight is a com-
mon question because you can lift a PHASE 1 (WEEKS 1–4)
heavy weight just a few times and a
Goals
light one dozens of times, but which
1. Learn how to adjust machines to fit your body frame.
one is best for building muscle? For
2. Learn and rehearse basic movement patterns.
maximizing hypertrophy, the answer
3. Learn how to choose the appropriate load.
is one with which you can do just 6 to
12 reps with good form. The last few
The Workout
reps should be very challenging. If you
• Do this machine-based, full-body workout three times per week, taking at least
can do more than 12 reps, the weight
48 hours between workouts.
is too light; conversely, if you can’t
• You’ll do one exercise for each of the major muscle groups.
reach even 6, the weight’s too heavy
• Because your focus is on practicing good form, the weight should be fairly
and should be adjusted on your next
light. Choose a weight that you can do for about 15 reps, but you should be fairly
set. Strength trainers go even heavier
fatigued by the final rep. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets and repeat for the
for just a few reps. Whatever your goal,
target number of sets.
remember to never sacrifice form to
• Warm-up sets aren’t included; do as many as you need, but never take warm-
attempt a weight that’s too heavy.
ups to muscle failure.
• As you get stronger and can do more than the target number of reps, increase
the weight by 5 to 10 percent.
Full-Body Workout (3 times a week)

Machine Bench Press 3 sets of 15 reps
Seated Machine Row 3 sets of 15 reps
Machine Shoulder Press 3 sets of 15 reps
Triceps Dip Machine 3 sets of 15 reps
Curl Machine 3 sets of 15 reps
Leg Press 3 sets of 15 reps
Lying Leg Curl 3 sets of 15 reps
LYING LEG CURL
TRICEPS DIP
MACHINE During the first phase it’s all about learning
movement patterns. The focus here is on learning
good form before adding significant resistance.

During Phase 1 of the beginner’s
workout below, you’ll actually be using
a fairly light weight, one that you can
do for about 15 reps (falling a rep or
two short of muscle failure). That’s
because your initial focus should be
on developing coordination and learn-
ing the movement pattern using good
form, not pushing yourself as hard as
possible. Once you’ve nailed the form,
you’ll start to increase the load.
• Multi-joint exercises. Movements

that are multi-joint in nature—two
(or more) sets of joints are working LEG PRESS
in tandem to accomplish the lift— During phase 2 you’ll be
engage more muscle mass, allow you adding weight to drop your
to lift heavier loads, and thus create rep targets, while including
a greater anabolic stimulus than sin- some new exercises.
gle-joint ones. This is the single most
important factor to remember when
choosing what exercises to include in
your workout. Front-load multi-joint
exercises at the start of your workout
when you’re freshest so you can han-
dle the heaviest loads.
MACHINE
PREACHER
CURL SEATED ROW
Be certain
to make any
equipment
adjustments
necessary to
fit your body
type and
dimensions.
The deadlift is one of the • Multiple sets. When comparing a

best exercises you can do for single set of an exercise against multi-
building size and strength. ple sets, the latter has consistently
It’s far more complicated to been shown to be more effective
learn than just about any in making more significant
other exercise you’ll do and gains in muscle size. The
even today many trainers get actual number is typically 3
it wrong. Invest in a trainer to 4, with beginning-level
and learn how to do it right. lifters on the lower end.

Warm-up sets are not gener-
PHASE 2 (WEEKS 5–8)
ally included in the total set count as Goals
they’re done with light weight and 1. Learn how to increase the weight to decrease your reps. After a warm-up of
never taken close to muscle failure. about 15 reps, you’ll now want to train to a rep target of 10 to 12.
2. Add volume by doing two exercises per body part but training each one less
frequently (two times a week instead of three). You’ll be following an upper- and
lower-body split.
3. Learn how to approach muscle failure by manipulating the load to fall within
the target rep range.
4. Continue practicing your form, but now you’ll be doing more free-weight
exercises rather than machines. These kinds of exercises follow movement pat-
terns similar to machines but are more challenging because they require greater
coordination.
The Workout
• Do the two workouts in order followed by one or two rest days, so the cycle
should repeat every three or four days. You’ll be training four times total each
week instead of three.
• Warm-up sets aren’t included; do as many as you need, but never take warm-
ups to muscle failure.
• On your working sets, choose a weight so that you approach muscle failure by
the target rep. Adjust the weight up or down as necessary.
• As you get stronger and can do more than the target number of reps, increase
the weight by 5 percent for upper-body exercises and 10 percent for lower-body
movements.
WORKOUT 1: Upper Body (twice a week)

Barbell Bench Press 1 set of 15, 2 sets of 10–12
Incline Dumbbell Press 1 set of 15, 2 sets of 10–12
Seated Row 1 set of 15, 2 sets of 10–12
Lat Pull-Down 1 set of 15, 2 sets of 10–12
GOBLET SQUAT
Seated Overhead Barbell Press 1 set of 15, 2 sets of 10–12
EZ-Bar Upright Row 1 set of 15, 2 sets of 10–12
Triceps Dip Machine 1 set of 15, 2 sets of 10–12
Dumbbell Overhead Extension 1 set of 15, 2 sets of 10–12
Standing Barbell Curl 1 set of 15, 2 sets of 10–12
Machine Preacher Curl 1 set of 15, 2 sets of 10–12
WORKOUT 2: Lower Body, Abs (twice a week)

Goblet Squat 1 set of 15, 2 sets of 10–12
Machine Squat 1 set of 15, 2 sets of 10–12
Leg Press 1 set of 15, 2 sets of 10–12
Stationary Lunge 1 set of 15, 2 sets of 10–12 (each side)
Seated Leg Curl 1 set of 15, 2 sets of 10–12
Standing Calf Raise 1 set of 15, 2 sets of 10–12
Reverse Crunch 3 sets to failure
Ab Crunch Machine 1 set of 15, 2 sets of 10–12
Without a proper warm-up, you not also serves to continue the warm-up.
only risk injury but also won’t be able Precede that with a five- to 10-minute
to go as heavy, which becomes more jog on the treadmill or spin on the bike
apparent the stronger you become. to start building up a sweat
Most often, sets are arranged in what’s
OVERHEAD called pyramid fashion: You use pro- • Rest periods. As you begin a set,
DUMBBELL gressively heavier weights on succeed- biochemical changes occur in the
EXTENSION ing sets as the reps count falls, which muscle fibres that cause fatigue and

ultimately failure, meaning that you
PHASE 3 (WEEKS 9–12)
won’t be able to do another rep on your Goals
own with good form. The rest interval 1. Add more volume to each body part by increasing the number of angles you
between sets allows you to clear built- work the muscle.
up lactate and hydrogen ions so you’re 2. Determine the load for your lower rep target, which is within the hypertrophy
ready to go again. Practically speaking, range (8 to 12). Because you’re stronger early in your training session, the heavi-
that’s about 60 to 90 seconds, though est sets for a particular muscle group are done at the beginning. (This is noted by
larger body parts such as legs and back a relative intensity of 8 instead of one of 12.)
may take longer, especially on the 3. Extend your training split to three workouts as you increase the volume for
heaviest sets. You want to be mostly each muscle group. This serves to reduce the frequency, which is now hitting each
recovered by your next set, but you major muscle group once every four days.
don’t want to be completely recovered 4. Make sure you reach muscle failure by the target rep without sacrificing good
because cumulative fatigue over the form. Adjust your loads as necessary.
course of your workout is linked to 5. We’ve included a number of alternative, similar exercises. Some movement
hypertrophy. patterns can be done with machines, a barbell, dumbbells, or even a cable. Each
is a little bit different and provides a slightly different training effect.
• Training to failure. Taking your 6. Introduce more single-joint exercises, which allow you to better isolate the
working sets to a point at which you muscle (reduce the contribution from secondary muscle groups). Remember,
can’t complete another rep with these are best done toward the end of your training session.
good form is linked to greater muscle
growth. Sure, you can stop beforehand The Workout
when it starts to get uncomfortable, • Do the three workouts in order followed by a rest day, so the cycle should repeat
but that approach will limit over- every five days. You can also take Sundays or another day off per week as well, so
all gains. During the second phase, that you’re working out four or five days per week.
you’ll start to take your sets to failure. • Increase the number of exercises you do for each major body part to three.
Remember, combined with your rep • Warm-up sets aren’t included; do as many as you need, but never take warm-
target, you want that point of failure ups to muscle failure.
to be within the 6- to 12-rep range. If • On your working sets, choose a weight so that you achieve muscle failure by the
you fail outside that rep range, adjust target rep. Adjust the weight up or down as necessary. Some sets call for a higher
the weight accordingly on the next set. rep target on the last set; this is done by reducing the load and doing more reps,
which increases the muscle burn and pump. This approach is called breakdowns.
4. TRAIN AT DIFFERENT • As you get stronger and can do more than the target number of reps, increase
ANGLES TO ADD VOLUME the weight by 5 percent for upper-body exercises and
During the first phase of this 12-week 10 percent for lower-body exercises.
plan, you’ll do just one exercise for
each major muscle group; during second and third movement, pick ones
the second month, that doubles to that hit the target muscle group from
two (and in the third month, three). different angles, such as doing
That, in essence, means you’re incline presses in addition to
increasing the training volume, flat benches for chest. That
which is another factor linked more thoroughly works the
to hypertrophy. In adding a
Raising the adjustable bench from flat

to a 30-degree incline moves the point
of maximal stimulus up on your chest.
This is considered an upper-pec builder.

target muscle, stimulating more com-
PHASE 3 (WEEKS 9–12) CONTINUED
plete overall development. Learning WORKOUT 1: Chest, Shoulders, Upper Traps,
how changes in body, bench, foot, and/ Triceps (every 4–5 days)
or arm position affect a given body
Flat-Bench Dumbbell Press 3 sets of 8 reps
part is something that you’ll want to
Incline Barbell Press 3 sets of 8–10 reps
learn over time.
Decline Machine Press 3 sets of 10–12 reps
5. CONTROL THE REP Seated Overhead Barbell Press 3 sets of 8–10 reps
Most of us focus on lifting the weight, Dumbbell Lateral Raise 3 sets of 10 reps
but in actuality, each rep has four
Bent-Over Lateral Raise 3 sets of 10 reps
components: the lift (the positive or
concentric rep when the muscle is Barbell Front Raise 3 sets of 10 reps
shortening), the peak-contacted posi- Dumbbell Shrug 3 sets of 8–10 reps
tion at the end of the range of motion, Close-Grip Bench Press 3 sets of 8 reps
the eccentric (negative) rep during Triceps Press-Down 3 sets of 10–12 reps
which the weight is lowered and the
muscle is stretched, and the bottom
of the range of motion in which you
WORKOUT 2: Back, Biceps, Abs (every 4–5 days)
smoothly reverse direction without Deadlift 3 sets of 12 reps
bouncing or using momentum. Wide-Grip Pull-Down 3 sets of 8 reps
Training protocols can focus on One-Arm Dumbbell Row 3 sets of 8–10 reps
various aspects of each rep, but as a T-Bar Row 3 sets of 10–12 reps
beginner, your focus should be on lift-
Standing EZ-Bar Curl 3 sets of 8–10 reps
ing the weight in a strong and forceful
manner and lowering it under control Incline-Bench Dumbbell Curl 3 sets of 10–12 reps
Hanging Knee Raise 3 sets to failure
Cable Crunch 3 sets of 15 reps
In phase 3
you’re training
right in the WORKOUT 3: Legs (every 4–5 days)
middle of the Barbell Back Squat 3 sets of 8 reps
hypertrophy Hack Squat 3 sets of 8–10 reps
range. That’s
Walking Lunge 3 sets of 10–12 reps
why choosing
the right load is Romanian Deadlift 3 sets of 8–10 reps
so important. Lying Leg Curl 3 sets of 10–12 reps
Standing Calf Raise 2 sets of 12 reps, 2 sets of 20 reps
Seated Calf Raise 2 sets of 12 reps, 2 sets of 20 reps
in a deliberate fashion, 6. BREATHE PROPERLY

taking about twice as Exhaling as you lift a weight is the rec-
long as the concentric. Be ommended way to breathe, and that
aware that for maximum approach will suit you just fine as a
muscle growth you beginner. (Inhale as you lower it.) But
want to work through as you begin to push heavier loads,
the target muscle’s full you want your torso as stable as pos-
range of motion, which sible, and you achieve that by holding
can easily be short- your breath as you push, which stabi-
changed if you’re not lizes intra-abdominal pressure, which
paying attention. simply allows your core to be as strong
BENT-OVER
DUMBBELL LATERAL
SHRUG RAISE
57
as possible. If you’re breathing out as
you push, you lose that stability as
your chest cavity is collapsing. Here,
you’ll hold your breath on the exertion
until the very top of the lift and then
exhale forcefully.
7. DO A LITTLE MORE
EACH WORKOUT
Your body responds to the training
stimulus by growing bigger and stron-
ger, at least under optimal conditions.
That once-heavy weight from a few
weeks ago now seems manageable.
But if you do the same exercise again
with the same weight for the same
BARBELL SQUAT
number of sets and reps, your body Building a great
isn’t going to grow any further. Hence, physique requires
as you get stronger, you need to con- hard work,
tinually increase the overload, which an intelligent
is most often done by increasing the program, smart
weight or increasing the number of eating habits,
reps you can do with a given load, to and time. You
continue making gains. The concept is won’t get there
called progressive overload. Keep it in overnight, but
mind to keep making long-term gains taking that UPRIGHT ROW
with minimal stagnation. important first
step gets you
that much closer
to your goals.
Now you’re ready
to take the
next step!
STANDING
CALF RAISE

CAN YOU
MAXIMIZE FAT
LOSS—WITHOUT
CARDIO?
Train all muscle groups with weights every
workout and you’ll burn way more calories,
both during and after your training sessions.
M
ANY PEOPLE TRIAL BY FIRE same for both programs. The results
right now are experienc- I’ve personally been doing full-body from the study showed significantly
ing the holiday hang- workouts for nearly two years. Like better fat loss in the full-body training
over—that unfortunate many people reading Muscle Insider, I group, where subjects had a 6 percent
end-of-year situation in have a bodybuilding background, so drop in body fat versus only a 2 per-
which you ate way too I’d been doing typical body-part split cent drop in the split-body training
much but didn’t quite training for countless years. But in group.
work it all off. Sound familiar? Maybe early 2017, I completely ruptured my I decided to take full-body train-
even like the New Year’s resolution right quadriceps tendon, which meant ing to an even higher level than the
you made a year ago? And yet here we high-impact cardio activities such as New Zealand study: Instead of three
are again with even more unwanted running and jumping were completely full-body workouts per week, I started
body fat to lose. off the table for many months there- hitting the whole body five or six days
Every January you’re barraged after while I rehabbed and recovered in a row with only one or two days off
with promises offering the solution, from multiple surgeries. Limited in from the gym per week. And when I
but by now you know it’s going to take what exercises I could do, I needed a say full-body workouts, I mean it—
hard work with very few shortcuts. new way to train, and I wanted to stay doing at least one exercise each for 10
The good news—and it’s truly good lean. different muscle groups: chest, back,
news—is that there’s a better way to That’s when I started doing full- shoulders, legs (quads/hamstrings),
burn fat faster, it’s backed by recent body workouts, based in part on one triceps, biceps, traps, forearms, calves,
scientific research, and it doesn’t even particular 2016 study from New Zea- abs.
include cardio. It combines traditional land that showed full-body training
resistance training in ways you never burned more fat than split-body work-
imagined. Essentially, you do full-body outs.1 Researchers had weight-trained BY JIM
training but not by following a tradi- male rugby players follow either a full- STOPPANI,
tional training split, but rather work- body training split done three times
PhD
ing all the major muscle groups every per week or a three-day training split,
workout. with total weekly volume being the

MAX FAT LOSS
FEATURING
JENN CARON
PHOTOS: DAVE LAUS
LOCATION: OPTIMUM
TRAINING CENTRE,
TORONTO, ON

MAX FAT LOSS
It worked. I was able to stay as FAT BOOSTER 1: ing. That said, if you train 10 muscle
lean as ever—at 50 years old, mind GREATER GENE ACTIVATION groups in a workout, you’ll burn more
you—with no traditional cardio. The From a physiological and biochemi- calories and fat than if you train only
frequent full-body workouts burned cal perspective, it makes perfect sense one or two muscle groups in the ses-
enough calories to keep the body fat that full-body training would lead to sion.
off while helping me maintain all my greater fat loss than split-body work-
hard-earned muscle mass I had previ- outs. FAT BOOSTER 2:
ously built. When you exercise a muscle, GREATER EPOC
If you’re wondering how it works, you activate genes within the fibres. On top of gene activation, every time
there are two major reasons why full- Those genes boost the metabolic rate you train a muscle you cause fatigue,
body training burns more fat: greater of the muscle cells, as well as initiat- and that fatigue requires calories for
gene activation and a greater EPOC ing muscle-growth processes. Both of recovery. All too often, people focus
effect. these result in increased calorie burn- on how many calories they’re burning
during a workout, which is why cardio
JIM SPEAK
is usually the number one choice for
“The good news is that there’s a better way to those looking to get leaner.
More critical for dropping fat,
burn fat faster, it’s backed by recent scientiic however, is the number of calories you
burn after your training, even for as
research, and it doesn’t even include cardio.” long as 24 hours afterward. The abil-
JIM SPEAK ity to burn calories after working out
is known scientifically as excess post-
exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).
It refers to the fact that after workouts,
you take in more oxygen for recovery
purposes, which in turn burns more
calories. (In fact, a helluva lot!) Intense
weight-training will elicit more EPOC
than regular cardio activity, as will
full-body workouts versus split-body
training. The higher the EPOC, the
more calories you’re burning. What
makes training “intense”? Moderately
heavy loads are superior to light ones!
Don’t go high rep, thinking more reps
will get you there. They won’t!
Want evidence of EPOC at work?
After a hard, intense workout, your
body has to work overtime to return
to equilibrium, thus burning more
calories. If you’ve ever taken a post-
workout shower and noticed you’re
sweating again even before getting
your clothes on, that’s evidence your
body is still trying to eliminate heat.
Choosing multi-joint exercises is a must;

they recruit more muscle groups and do
a superior job of boosting metabolism.

MAX FAT LOSS
Think about it. By training at a
higher intensity for 60 minutes, you
can elevate your metabolism for the
SAMPLE FULL-BODY WORKOUT
The following one-day routine is based on my Full-Body Superset System
remaining 23 hours of the day. That’s
from my “Train with Jim” series on JimStoppani.com. Perform “A” and “B”
the best deal you’ll find anywhere in
pursuit of your New Year’s resolution.
exercises as supersets. With superset pairs, do the irst exercise and go
immediately into the second without stopping. Rest only after you complete
DESIGNING A FULL-BODY both movements.
PROGRAM
A lot of thought goes into the full-body EXERCISE SETS REPS1
training plans I design for JimStop-
1A Bench Press (chest) 3 8–10
pani.com, so it’s hard for me to offer
a cookie-cutter system for how to go 1B Bent-Over Row (back) 3 8–10
about putting together your own pro-
gram. That said, here are a handful of
2A Walking Lunge (legs) 3 8–10
guidelines to help get you started. 2B Abs Wheel Rollout/Plank (abs/core) 3 8–10
• Train more days than you rest. 3A Upright Row (shoulders) 3 8–10
Most of my programs include five full-
3B Barbell Shrug (upper traps) 3 8–10
body workouts per week (e.g., Monday
through Friday), though some entail 4A Triceps Machine Dip (triceps) 3 8–10
six (or even seven) weekly sessions.
High training frequency is crucial for
4B Barbell Curl (biceps) 3 8–10
maximizing fat loss. If five to seven 5A Wrist Curl (forearms) 3 8–10
days per week doesn’t fit your sched-
ule, at least shoot for four days a week, 5B Standing Calf Raise (calves) 3 8–10
and try to be as active as possible on 1. Choose a weight so you approach muscle failure by the target rep.
your off days from the gym. The last few reps should be challenging to complete.
JIM SPEAK
“When you’re training all muscle groups four

to six days straight, variety is important to
promote balance and avoid plateaus.”
JIM SPEAK
Not every muscle group can be worked with multi-

joint movements, so do isolation exercises last.

MAX FAT LOSS
• Train all muscle groups in all • Mind your volume. Generally for the higher volume, training past
workouts. Again, the whole point speaking, 2 to 4 sets are performed for failure is less relevant.
is to stimulate and fatigue as much each muscle group in all workouts in
muscle mass as possible each session. my programs (with some exceptions). • Vary your exercises. When you’re
That’s why I program for 10 different Over the course of five workouts, this training all muscle groups four to six
body parts in every workout: chest, puts you at anywhere from 10 to 20 days straight, variety is important to
back, shoulders, legs, triceps, biceps, sets per muscle group for the week, promote balance and avoid plateaus.
traps, forearms, calves, and abs. How- which is a typical training volume for a Compound (multi-joint) exercises are
ever, if you’re short on time in the split routine. How many total sets I do going to hit the most muscle mass
gym, you can probably get away with for the week depends on the intensity and provide greater bang for your
dropping smaller body parts such as of those sets; if it’s only 10 sets, that’s buck than single-joint movements.
traps, forearms, and calves. For opti- probably because each set is taken So-called isolation exercises can be
mal muscle balance, though, try to hit beyond failure with techniques like done even for larger muscle groups
all 10 muscle groups regularly. drop sets and/or rest-pause. If you opt to complement the multi-joint move-
ments but never instead of them. Uti-
JIM SPEAK
lize all angles, planes of movement,
“My full-body training programs run the gamut in terms and equipment possible. And keep
in mind, while I said I do 2 to 4 sets
of exercise selection, load, sets and reps, rest periods, per muscle group, that doesn’t mean
I always do only one exercise per body
rep speeds, and intensity-boosting techniques.” part; I may in fact do multiple exer-
JIM SPEAK cises per muscle group but just one set
each, proceeding without rest.
• Vary your techniques. Let’s say

you’re doing 10 exercises (one per
muscle group) in a workout. But those
exercises don’t have to be performed
as straight sets; you can also do them
as part of a circuit. Each of my pro-
grams has at least one featured theme
or technique—i.e., supersets, drop
sets, giant sets, a particular periodiza-
tion scheme, etc. These should all be
fair game in your program. My full-
body training programs run the gamut
in terms of exercise selection, load,
Don’t get sets and reps, rest periods, rep speeds,
sucked into and intensity-boosting techniques.
thinking high
reps is better • Add cardio if desired. Doing full-
for burning body workouts doesn’t mean you can’t
fat. You won’t do cardio as well. Feel free to add the
get much EPOC HIIT-style cardio routine of your choice
effect if you to the end of any lifting workout or
make that on off days from the gym to further
mistake. enhance conditioning and calorie
burning.
REFERENCES
1. Crewther BT,
Heke T, Keogh J.
The effects of two
equal-volume
training protocols
upon strength, body
composition and
salivary hormones
in male rugby union
players. Biol Sport.
2016 Jun;33(2):111-6.

Immortality is just a
photograph away.
bookings@davelaus.com
N
OTHING’S MORE FUN THAN
chuckling at one of those YouTube high-
light videos depicting the hilarious antics
of someone who clearly has no idea what
they’re doing in the gym. We laugh, we
share, and we troll. And with smartphones as ubiq-
uitous at the gym as a set of 40-pound dumbbells,
there’s no shortage of fun.
Fortunately, the laughs always come at someone
else’s expense because the rest of us are smarter
than that. Or so we say. Of course, no one intentionally
does a movement wrong, but even more experi-
enced trainers make any number of common
mistakes that not only diminish their train-
ing results but also increase the risk of injury.
This collection of nine exercises lists the
most common culprits, movements disguised
because many of the blunders are being made
without the slightest hint that something’s amiss.
Consider it your chance to fix them before someone
aims their camera at you!
9 BIGGEST
MISTAKES
YOU’RE MAKING
IN THE GYM
Sure, beginners are prone to gym blunders, but
what’s your excuse? Here are the 9 most common
screwups that no one seems to get right.
FEATURING
JACOB DENIS
BY BILL GEIGER, MA
PHOTOS BY DAVE LAUS

9 TRAINING MISTAKES FIXED
1. CHEST Crossovers are by design a single- THE FIX: First, lighten the weight: You
PROBLEM: Pressing Your joint exercise to better isolate the pecs, can’t use nearly the same weight on a
Cable Flyes which is done toward the end of your single-joint exercise if you’re doing it
THE BLUNDER: This doesn’t affect chest workout. You can tell the slip- right. Now, rather than extending your
other single-joint moves for the chest up by watching your elbows: If they elbows (straightening your arms) dur-
such as dumbbell flyes. What’s wrong? close and open up on each rep, similar ing the movement and then bending
You’re pressing the handles, just as to how you do bench presses, the tri- them on the return, instead lock them
you do with your inclines, declines, ceps are recruited into the movement. in about a 135-degree angle (halfway
and flat-bench barbell presses. While (When the elbow extends—essentially between 90 degrees and one in which
that’s not a problem per se, why would meaning the degree of bend closes up your arms are perfectly straight). Hold
you even consider pressing your cable over the course of the positive rep— this arm position for the duration of
crossovers in the first place? (Hint: the triceps are working.) That turns the set. If you’re unsure, watch your
Google “shooting a cannon out of a this exercise into a multi-joint exer- form in the mirror, or just move over
canoe.”) cise—a press—which is clearly a fail! to the pec-deck flye, which automati-
cally locks your elbows in the correct
Most trainers fail this one. arm position. Some say this is like
Bending and then extending hugging a large tree or barrel. What’s
your elbows (pressing the paramount is that there should be no
handles) recruits the triceps. change in elbow position during the
To isolate the pecs, lock entire set!
your elbows.
2. BACK waist, but the erectors should play no ing forward or backward lean to a
PROBLEM: Leaning more than a stabilizing role here. minimum—no more than about plus
Excessively Forward and or minus 10 degrees. This ensures
Backward as You Pull THE FIX: You need to better con- the muscular stress remains on the
THE BLUNDER: Whether you’re trol the motion. Maintain an upright upper lats and middle-back muscu-
doing pull-downs, seated rows, or position throughout each rep, keep- lature.
any other back movement, when you
go too heavy, you’re likely to generate A little backward
greater body English to successfully lean is okay; too
pull a bar into your midsection. That much turns this
means leaning back excessively. Here, into a lower-back
momentum can rob muscle gains exercise. Oops!
because the stimulus starts shifting to
other muscles—in this case, the lower
back. Effectively, you’re taking a multi-
joint exercise and adding another
muscle group from an altogether dif-
ferent joint into the equation. On back
day, you commonly see trainers see-
sawing forward and backward at the

3. UPPER TRAPS you’re bending over as you execute As for working your upper traps
PROBLEM: Craning Your Head the movement, the head must travel most effectively, simply elevate your
Downward When Shrugging with your body. The point is, if you’re shoulders directly toward your ears,
THE BLUNDER: Just about everyone focused on looking back at yourself straight up and down. Exaggerate
does this, and nobody’s aware of it. in the mirror, as too many lifters are, the lowering phase and restrict the
On your heaviest sets of shrugs, it’s you’re craning your neck and making movement to this vertical plane. This
almost an established fact that body- a ginormous mistake. means that another form buster is
builders will turn their heads down. Although shrugs aren’t done in rolling your shoulders. Not only is roll-
And that’s a huge problem! When a bent-over position, there’s a natural ing your shoulders forward or back-
your head drops, your cervical spine tendency to turn your head down, and ward inefficient, but that extra motion
rounds—and you’re literally holding by now you should know that disrupts can put added stress on your neck as
a ton of weight in your hands that’s cervical spinal alignment. To focus on well. And we already know that’s a
transferred right into your upper keeping your spine in proper align- bad idea.
spine. Believe me (and I mean liter- ment, always keep your chin level
ally believe me), you magnify the risk with the floor when shrugging. If you Watch how
of a career-ending cervical disk injury, have a mirror, look back at yourself many guys
which may seem remote but isn’t. It and be aware of tendencies to instead blow this
took me years to recover. look downward. one when
going
THE FIX: It seems almost boring for heavy.
me to tell you that every exercise you
do in the gym must keep your spine in
a position to protect the disks. That’s
why you’re always hearing to keep
your back flat and never allow it to
round. But rarely does one hear about
protecting the cervical area (think
neck). Yet every time you see some-
one doing bent-over rows, bent-over
lateral raises, or deadlifts—especially
Romanians—they expose the disks to
huge pressure coming from just one
direction, which provides minimal
safety.
The neck should always be in
the same position as the rest of your
body, which means if you’re bent
over 45 degrees, the direction of your
head should be as well. And when
4. GLUTES/QUADS When your knee

PROBLEM: Taking a Short passes the plane
Step When Lunging coming up from
THE BLUNDER: You’ve heard the your toes, the
back-and-forth about how your knees’ joint takes on
health is affected when they pass lots more
beyond an imaginary line that comes pressure.
up from your toes when you lunge (or
squat, for that matter). Actually, for
most people in good knee health, it’s
really not a problem.
But that doesn’t mean there
aren’t considerable shear forces acting THE FIX: Even if you have perfectly
on the knee that are amplified when fine knees now, it’s a good habit
your knee passes well over your toes, to start taking longer steps now to
a result of taking a short step (or even reduce knee stressors. What’s more, a ing the contribution from the quads.
putting your feet very low on a leg- longer step can also dial up increased (Less stress on knees, less stress on
press of hack-squat platform). hamstring and glute activity by reduc- muscles that attach to knees.)

5. ROTATOR CUFFS How many guys do
PROBLEM: You’re Watching you see who wave
Others’ Bad Form a dumbbell when
THE BLUNDER: Warming up the warming up? My
shoulders and rotators is a great idea physical therapist
before you get into heavy upper-body calls that an
training, but here’s one that everyone’s isometric biceps
getting wrong. Those standing dumb- curl. Is that what
bell movements in which your elbow you meant to do?
is locked by your side and you’re wav-
ing a dumbbell back and forth aren’t
anything what you think they are! My
physical therapist calls these isomet-
ric biceps curls, and yes that’s exactly
how far off you really are!
THE FIX: To work your rotators, the

line of pull must come from across
your body. (Think of gravity com-
ing from the side!) But when you’re
standing, gravity is pulling the
weight straight down. Essentially, if
you’re using a dumbbell, you’re just
holding it up in a hammer position,
waving it back and forth. No shoulder
warm-up in that!
To effectively target the cuffs, e l b ow - l o cke d - by - yo u r- s i d e a r m your body to work the internal rota-
the line of pull must be coming position with your arm bent about tors. Go very light and do these for
from across your body. Two solu- 90 degrees, pull to your outside to high reps. For those who still want
tions, then: Adjust a pulley to about work the external rotators, and then to use a dumbbell, try lying on your
waist height and, using the same reverse body position and pull across side on a bench.
6. TRICEPS a hammer curl and pushing with grav- the elbow, but don’t allow it to break
PROBLEM: Dropping ity, which at best is only an isometric any further than about 90 degrees at
Your Elbow when Doing triceps contraction. The real motion the bottom of the rep. (Your forearm
Dumbbell Kickbacks against gravity here is raising the should be pointing directly toward
THE BLUNDER: Here’s another weight, which is the hammer curl for the floor at this point—don’t go any
problem exercise in which gravity is biceps. So it’s completely wrong. further than that! Once you pass that
misused. Kickbacks are a common point, the extra ROM means you’re
elbow-extension movement that THE FIX: Let’s revisit the bent-over pushing with gravity.) Watch yourself
require you remain in a bent-over position, which is where you’ll need in the mirror if you’re having trouble
position with your elbow pinned by to remain. Lock your elbow beside getting this, as many lifters are com-
your side throughout the motion, your torso so that your upper arm is pletely unaware of their compro-
which most effectively isolates the roughly parallel to the floor. Hinge at mised form.
triceps. All too often,
you’ll see the work-
ing-side elbow drop
during the motion,
which is problem one.
You compound it fur-
ther if you allow your
forearm to go past the
perpendicular (to the
floor), which you see more among
folks who do this exercise partially
standing instead of bent over. Here,
fully extending your elbow simply
means you’re doing the negative rep of

7. UPPER HAM- 8. BICEPS THE FIX: Easy enough—simply lock
STRINGS/GLUTES PROBLEM: Pulling Your Elbows your elbows by your sides for the
PROBLEM: Mixing Up Forward as You Curl duration of the set. Stop the upward
Elements of Romanians THE BLUNDER: If you see anything motion of each positive rep when
with Conventional Deadlifts in common so far, it’s that folks like you can no longer maintain this arm
THE BLUNDER: Yikes! Another to find ways to make exercises easier, position, which, for most people, is
near-universal problem and not only whether they know it or not. Here’s at about shoulder level. Alternatively,
just among beginners! The problem another that’s done with just about shifting the movement to cables can
arises when a trainer unknowingly any biceps exercise. also help because even if your hands
integrates elements of each exercise Sure, we all want to raise our are stacked above your elbows, the
into a hybrid movement. The result biceps curls as high as possible to line of pull is coming from the side, so
is not only far less effective but ensure a full range of motion, but you still can’t rest at the top.
could also conceivably pose risks to when you pull your elbows forward
spinal health. What you commonly from their place locked by your sides,
see is a guy who bends over with a you’re now recruiting the front delts
heavy weight yet still allows the bar into the motion. That effectively turns
to make contact with the floor. a single-joint biceps exercise into a
multi-joint one that no longer hits just
THE FIX: While the Romanian the elbow flexors. You’ll notice that
(RDL) and conventional deadlift in this endpoint position, your hands
share a name, they’re very differ- are now stacked directly above your
ent movements. First, understand elbows, meaning there’s reduced ten-
that the conventional deadlift is a sion in this top position, a nice little
multi-joint exercise in which the bar resting spot, if you will. So much for
starts on the floor, while the RDL is your peak contraction.
a single-joint move in which the bar
starts with you standing. With the You may never have
RDL, you bend over at the hips, jut- noticed your elbows
ting your butt backward as the load creeping forward
pulls your upper body downward. as you curl, but
Here, you should never reach the when your wrists
floor—depending on flexibility, stop are stacked directly
the movement at about shin level above your elbows,
with the bar tight to your thighs. (If you’ve created a
the bar strays away from your shins, resting spot. That
it puts extra pressure on the lower takes tension off
back, a variation called the stiff- the muscle!
legged deadlift. Here, you should
always go fairly light.) With RDLs,
you should feel it in your upper
hamstrings and glutes as you rise
up. As you rise up, press your hips
forward.
With the conventional dead-
lift, you don’t bend over but, rather,
descend into a half-squat position
(which makes this multi-joint), and
it’s this position that allows the
bar to settle on the floor (because
you’re now physically closer to it).
By touching the floor, you lose the
elastic energy; that is, you’re com-
ing from a dead stop. This version
requires you to get your butt down
lower.
Because you typically use lots
more weight when doing the regu-
lar deadlift compared to RDLs, it’s
important you know the distinctions
between the two exercises!

9. ALL BODY PARTS that is, the bar travels in a curved line One movement is safe and effec-
PROBLEM: Facing the Wrong up and back over your head. Again, tive, and the other is counterproduc-
Direction on an Angled every exercise has its own movement tive and can put your joints at greater
Smith Machine arc. What you have to do is match the risk because you’re pushing along an
THE BLUNDER: Who doesn’t love direction the bar is forced to travel (by unnatural pathway.
the versatility of the Smith machine? limitations of the machine) with the
It allows you to do all sorts of move- natural movement arc of whatever THE FIX: Clearly, how you’re ori-
ments without having to balance the exercise you’re doing. Ask yourself: ented to the bar on an angled Smith
weight, so you just have to focus on Is that the sort of information you’re machine is important, not just for
pushing as much weight as possible. familiar with? You’ll need to be when bench presses but also inclines, over-
That also builds in a degree of safety. using one of these angled machines head presses (behind the head versus
What you may not have noticed is because your orientation to the bar in front, and even that makes a differ-
that not all Smith machines are alike. makes a huge difference. ence!), close-grip benches, declines,
Some allow the bar to track straight With an up-and-down Smith squats, lunges, and other exercises.
up and down, while others are slightly machine, your body already has to Most often, you’ll approach the
angled. Although that seemingly make slight accommodations in body bar with the only consideration being
makes a minuscule difference, it’s position to compensate for the locked that you’re facing the mirror, not the
rather critical in terms of safety and movement pathway; that is, a move- natural movement pattern of the exer-
effectiveness. ment that should be an arc is forced cise you’re about to do and which
That’s because each exercise you to travel in a line, straight up and direction the machine is oriented. See-
do has its own movement arc. For down. But if you’re facing the wrong ing yourself in the mirror should be a
example, with bench presses, the bar direction for whatever exercise you’re non-factor with angled Smiths. And if
starts at nipple level and you push doing, you amplify the changes your you just guess which way to face, your
up and back so that your arms are body needs to make, and that can put odds are only 50-50.
straight up at the top of the movement; you in a poor position to complete the If you’re unsure, find a straight
movement. What’s more, you’re now up-and-down unit, or with an angled
rehearsing (and building strength in) Smith, try an unloaded bar and see
a movement that’s unnatural, and one which direction you need to be—fac-
that may not carry over as well to free ing in or out—that best simulates the
weights. free-weight version.
Some (but
not all) Smith
machines allow
the bar to move
at an angle, which
means how you’re
oriented to it
must correspond
with the pathway
of the natural
movement of
the exercise.

CAN CYCLING YOUR
CARBS IMPROVE
FAT LOSS?
You can follow any number of reduced-calorie diets, but restricting carb
intake to around your workouts is highly successful for physique athletes
W
HAT BETTER TIME OF YEAR THAN NOW TO DROP SOME OF THOSE
EXTRA POUNDS! Whether you’re a serious fitness athlete looking to tighten
up for an upcoming competition or the average weekend warrior doing sea-
sonal post-holiday repair work, one method of manipulating carbs—specifically,
cycling lower and high carb days—seems to be highly successful.
This dieting strategy, which, if insulin function do better without an The second reason is that some
done correctly, delivers enough carbs excess of carbs in their diets. people, when they get that whiff of
at the right times, minimizes any Our research reviews with Fitness- “cheat” food, can’t stop and go off
reductions in exercise performance Genes, where I work, have identified on a bender, also throwing a mon-
and muscle mass while maximizing at least five genes that significantly key wrench into their compliance. If
fat loss. increase the risk of poor and declin- either of these describes you, then just
Carbs aren’t an essential nutri- ing insulin function, so if you’re one stick to a consistent diet in which you
ent, although some carb-based foods of those people with versions of those adjust your carbs up and down very
are high in vitamins, minerals, and genes that predispose you to poor gradually, and/or if you do carb cycle,
healthy phytochemicals (chemicals insulin function, then a carb-cycling stick to foods that you know won’t
naturally found in plants). So there’s diet is probably a good choice. push your “binge” button.
really no problem with taking levels For those who can plan and com-
very low on some days of the week. IS CARB CYCLING FOR YOU? ply, the advantages of carb cycling can
The reason this helps with fat loss is In practice, a carb-cycling diet could be useful. Eating higher-carb meals
that if carbs aren’t readily available to be anything from having two or three after intense, glycogen-depleting
the metabolism as a source of energy, high-carb, cheat/reward meals per workouts virtually assures that none
the body is forced to preferentially use week during a carb-restricted diet to of the calories from that meal are likely
more fat for fuel. having two or three very low-carb days to be stored as fat because the body’s
For some people, this works par- per week and eating a normal amount primary aim at that time is replenish-
ticularly well because they’re more of carbs otherwise. ing glycogen. Knowing there’s light at
susceptible to poor insulin function; Carb cycling works best in people the end of the tunnel after strict diet-
these are the folks who benefit more who are able to maintain a high degree ing ensures your high-carb meals and
from carb-cycling diets than from sim- of compliance and don’t succumb to high-carb days are happily anticipated
ply reducing calories from any source. cravings and who don’t have huge and can actually make you feel like
No one is quite sure of the exact mech- appetites. The first reason for this is you have a normal life for one to five
anism, but obviously insulin is the that it’s difficult to implement—you meals/days per week! Finally, since
hormone that manages the movement have to plan your meals fairly care- consistent, excessive calorie restric-
and storage of the body’s primary fully—and for most people outside of tion can lower metabolic rate (more so
carbohydrate fuel, glucose, so it’s not hardcore gym-goers and competitors, in some folks than others) and a vari-
surprising that those who have poorer that makes the compliance rate poor. ety of evidence suggests that you can

CARB CYCLING
acutely or even chronically maintain
a higher metabolic rate by adding in
larger meals in some circumstances,
cycling carbs/calories is probably supe-
rior to constant, consistent restriction.
EAT CARBS AROUND

WORKOUTS
My suggested way to implement carb
cycling is to generally keep carbs
pretty low but have a fairly large carb
meal (with protein) two to five hours LAUREN RENWICK
MUSCLE INSIDER 2018 TORONTO
before training. This ensures you’ll PRO MODEL SEARCH WINNER
have plenty of stored carbohydrate
(as glycogen) in your muscles avail-
able when you need it in the gym.
Remember, everyone is different, so
some people can eat as close as one
hour or less before training and it
doesn’t bother them, while some
people need a lot longer to fully
digest their food enough so that
it doesn’t make them feel ill or
“heavy” when they train. Also, it
depends upon what kind of exer-
cise you’re doing. For moderate-
intensity exercise, you really
don’t need too many carbs,
but for really intense exercise
and/or long durations, more
carbs will be needed, and
they should probably be
eaten at least two hours
prior to the activity.
I’d also suggest a mod-
erate-carb meal after exer-
cise (again, with protein)
and then try to keep the
carbs below, say, 50 grams
until your next bout of exer-
cise approaches. If you lose too much Carb cycling
weight too quickly or not enough, works best in
adjust your carb intake accordingly people who are
and keep doing so until you find your able to maintain
sweet spot. If you stick closely to the
PHOTOS: ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS & DAVE LAUS
a high degree of
program and find that carb cycling compliance and
doesn’t seem to work any better than don’t succumb
just regularly eating fewer calories to cravings.
from fat or carbs, then there’s a good
chance that you genetically metabo-
lize carbs well and have good insulin
function. In this case, there’s no need
to have to deal with the added com-
plexity of cycling carbs, and a nor-
mal calorie-restricted diet is a better
choice for you.
BY MARK
GILBERT,
BSc
S U P P L E ME N T R E V I E W By the Editors
A Meal so Big It’s Mammoth

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I
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friends at Mammoth, fast-burning coconut oil, which is rich in
the MRP is back on BALANCED CARB- medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), as
the bodybuilding TO-PROTEIN RATIO well as avocado oil, which provides long-
scene! But unlike Each scoop of Mammoth Meal con- chain triglycerides (LCTs).
the original MRPs tains an equal amount of protein (40
of the ‘90s, Mam- percent of calories) and carbohydrates HEALTHY OPTION
moth Meal com- (40 percent of calories), which is 10 Aside from the macros, the formula has
bines the latest grams of each. This was done to ingredients to improve overall health, too.
in sports-nutrition lower the glycemic response, Greek yogurt has been added for its pro-
research to give you a meaning the rate of diges- biotic function. Pink Himalayan sea salt
second-generation tion is slower. Mammoth supports proper hydration. And the super-
MRP. Meal also uses five differ- foods pineapple, goji, açai, spirulina, bar-
ent sources of protein ley grass, and even kale have been added
to take on a different for their antioxidants and natural detoxifi-
amino-acid profile cation properties.
and to further Mammoth Meal definitely takes the
lower the gly- guesswork out of eating by giving you
cemic response everything you need in one shake.
from the meal.
TASTE TEST
Of course, our favourite part about review-
ing supplements is tasting them! We were
the first ones in Canada to test Mammoth
Meal the day it came into their Canadian
distributor’s warehouse! In all we tested
three flavours: Chocolate Fudge Brownie,
Strawberry Shortcake, and Vanilla Ice
PHOTO: ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
Cream. All mixed to a creamy shake and

did so without the need for a blender (good
job, guys!). The taste was nothing short of
delicious. What blew our mind was the
Strawberry Shortcake contained real straw-
For more info on Mammoth Meal,
berry pieces inside. Overall, Mammoth
and all other Mammoth products,
Meal did not disappoint, and we think this
visit mammothsupplements.com.
product is going to be a huge hit.
76
Including variations of lateral raises
—whether with 1 or 2 dumbbells,
a machine, or cables, seated or standing
—allows you to build a target muscle
more completely while avoiding
roadblocks in your gym
MAKE THE
LATERAL
RAISE 10x
BETTER!
W
HEN THERE’S A BIG RIG FLIPPED OVER ON THE HIGHWAY
and traffic is jammed for miles, the first thing you do when
driving is look for alternative routes rather than sit in gridlock.
The same goes for your workout: When the gym is crowded
—say, on a Monday—and there’s a lineup at the bench press,
you can either wait, then wait some more, or you can look for
alternative exercises that achieve similar results.

LATERAL-RAISE VARIATIONS
FEATURING IFBB PRO

ANTOINE VAILIANT
BY BILL GEIGER MA
PHOTOS BY DAVE LAUS

Guys who don’t know better a given movement is useful not only ABOUT LATERAL RAISES
simply wait it out, which results in a in working your way around the gym This is a family of single-joint exer-
60-minute session ballooning to 90. But bros but also because each variation is cises for the middle delts that are done
not you, because you know all the best slightly different from its cousin. by bringing a weight out to your side
alternatives that get you past road- That’s an important benefit (in the lateral plane) in a wide arc to
blocks and on your way. Rather than because each works the muscle in a about shoulder height, keeping a slight
wait for benches that seemingly every- slightly different manner and from bend locked in your elbows. Good form
one wants to use at the same time, you a somewhat different angle, which requires that you keep your elbows up
know how to make simple exercise encourages more complete over- as you complete the move.
substitutions using all development. A barbell, dumb- Gym bros can’t seem to get the
various pieces of bells, machines, cables, and the Smith lingo right, so let’s set the record
gym equipment. machine each have their own advan- straight. The term raises is necessarily
Knowing the best tages compared to the others, and no single-joint in nature, whether to the
alternatives to two work the muscle in exactly the front, side, or done for the rear delts. The
same way. Ultimately, by including all side plane is also called lateral plane, so
those types of equipment in your work- you can’t do lateral raises to the front
outs, over time you’ll work the muscle (as some claim). Nor is the middle delt
more completely and be less prone to also known as the medial delt (as oth-
growing stale. ers claim), even though the front is also
Here we’ll focus on a com- called anterior and the rears are called
mon middle-delt movement you posterior. It’s sloppy, but you can refer
might do on shoulder day—spe- to the middle delts as side delts.
cifically, the lateral raise, a sin-
gle-joint exercise for middle STANDING DUMBBELL
delts—and show the various LATERAL RAISE
ways you can do the same This is the basic free-weight move-
movement with other ment; when standing, you can use a
pieces of equipment. The little body English through your knees
takeaway, we hope, is and hips to keep the weight moving. In
that you can apply the the bottom position, if you let your arms
same thinking to other hang straight down, there’s reduced
exercises, opening up a stress on the middle delts—it’s actu-
whole new world of ways ally picked up by the supraspinatus, a
you can work out. We’ll rotator-cuff muscle, so you can stop the
get into the nitty-gritty of downward motion a few inches outside
the benefits of each as we your thighs. Watch your upper arm as
go through the lateral-raise you do this move: It should go straight
variations. out to your side and as high as possible.
This bread-and-butter middle-delt

movement is most often done
standing with dumbbells. Nail your
form because every variation is
based on getting this one right.
LATERAL RAISE VARIATIONS
SEATED DUMBBELL
LATERAL RAISE
While the motion is the same as the
standing version, when seated it’s
much more difficult to cheat,
therefore making this move
harder. Most bodybuilders typi-
cally find they have to use less
weight because they’re unable
to generate momentum to get the
weights going in the bottom position.
This is considered a better isolation
exercise than the standing version.
STANDING ONE-ARM
DUMBBELL LATERAL RAISE
With the free hand on the top of a
bench to stabilize your body, you’re
able to train each side individually and
better able to concentrate on boosting
intensity, which is useful in bringing up
a lagging side. When standing, you’re
also able to generate a bit of momen-
tum through your knees and hips.
STANDING ONE-ARM EZ-BAR

LATERAL RAISE (NOT PICTURED) Going one arm at
This uncommon move has been spot-
a time allows for
ted lately in gyms by bros who don’t
improved isolation
know better. Because it’s harder to bal-
and focus but may
ance the weight, your grip and fore-
lengthen your
arms have to work harder—but not
workout slightly.
the middle delts. It’s kind of like bench
When seated, you lose the

ability to engage lower-
body muscles that help get
the rep started. The result:
You’ll likely have to use a
slightly lighter poundage.

pressing on an exercise ball; your core
works harder, but you have to sacrifice
load to do it right. If you want bigger
delts, this isn’t a smart trade-off.
STANDING OVERHEAD
DUMBBELL LATERAL RAISE
Taking dumbbells well past the hori-
zontal plane—in this case, up to 45
degrees above—works the middle delts
through a longer range of motion for
more complete development. While
the standing position allows for a
bit of body English, the longer range
of motion is more difficult, meaning
ultimately you’ll have to use lighter
weights. Therefore, it makes a great
complement to lateral raises done to
shoulder height.
SEATED/STANDING
MACHINE LATERAL RAISE
The machine locks you into the move-
ment pattern, which is especially use-
ful for beginners who have difficulty
learning the proper movement pattern.
Because you don’t have to worry about
controlling the motion, it’s particularly
Taking the motion higher means working
beneficial toward the end of your work-
through a longer range of motion, but
you may have to back off on load.
out when you’re highly fatigued. Setting ONE-ARM CABLE LATERAL

the seat height is particularly important RAISE (FRONT OF TORSO)
so you don’t jam your shoulders, so get With cables, the line of pull comes
it set correctly before adding load. from the side, not straight down (as
when using free weights). This means
Lateral-raise machines force you the angle of pull changes, hitting the
to follow a predetermined path, middle delt somewhat differently than
which is great if you have trouble when using a dumbbell. Also, in the
with your form. bottom position, the middle delt isn’t
82
resting because there’s still tension
on the muscle (as long as the plates
aren’t touching down on the stack).
ONE-ARM CABLE LATERAL

RAISE (BEHIND TORSO)
With the cable running behind your
body, the angle of pull again changes
slightly (stand just a bit forward of
the cable so it runs smoothly behind
your back), working the middle delt
with another slight variation. As with
the version in which the cable runs in
front of your body, there’s no resting
spot at the bottom of the movement
because tension is still on the muscle.
LEANING DUMBBELL
LATERAL RAISE
When you lean away from a station-
ary post, your working arm is hang- We love cable lateral
ing straight down at the bottom of raises because the line
the exercise, which already means the of pull on the middle
bottom 30 or so degrees of the move- delt comes from the
ment is eliminated. This isn’t really side and down, not
a problem because the middle delt just directly down
isn’t actually the prime mover over (from gravity). That
the bottom third or so of the range means you’re working
of motion—the supraspinatus is. Past from a different angle!
that, the middle delt takes over, and
you in fact get the benefit of taking
Another way to extend
the move beyond the normal ROM
the range of motion is to
when bringing the weight to shoulder
lean away from a post.
height, so the middle delt is actually
working overtime. In this position, you
can generate some body swing to help
get the dumbbell moving.

SIBLING RIVALRY
Cover model Chris Bumstead and older sister Melissa were the only
brother-sister duo at the Olympia, while representing the Great
White North. If you don’t know them yet, you soon will.
W
hile some of us spent late fully on the Olympia stage anymore. CHRIS: That would be chocolate-chip
summer getting ready to You’re an exception. Why do you Eggos with Cool Whip.
head off to college and oth- think that is?
ers were gearing up for the CHRIS: I’m extremely grateful to be
start of football season, sib- where I am, and I know I’ve been lucky MELISSA BUMSTEAD VALLIERE
lings Chris and Melissa Bumstead were enough to have every tool at my dis- MI: Thinking a few months back to
instead in Vegas. Far from the slots and posal in order to lead me to success. your Olympia competition, what’s
gaming tables of Sin City, mind you, Not just a hard work ethic and dedica- evolved in your mind as to an off-sea-
each had been dieting and training for tion from a young age, but the knowl- son strategy about what you need to
months for the biggest competitions of edge to do things smart, a good coach work on.
their lives at the Olympia Weekend. teaching me and pushing me in the MELISSA: I definitely look at off-sea-
Younger brother Chris, just 23, right direction, and, of course, amaz- son more like prep than I did when I
placed but a single point away from ing genetics. first started competing. Earlier in my
taking the Classic Physique title, but career, I think I sort of turned my brain
still finished as runner-up for the sec- MI: You’ve still got plenty of time off as soon as comp season was over. I
ond straight year. Older sister Melissa ahead of you in this sport; have you stopped training as hard and tracking
is closing in on a top-10 finish in Figure, mapped out any kind of plan on where my nutrition. Now my goals are at the
but we’ll excuse her this time around you want to be in the longer term? forefront of my mind every month of
as her impending wedding was mere CHRIS: Since I’ve started out at such a the year. Don’t get me wrong; I like to
weeks away. (And bonus points if you young age, I look at it as though I can chill for a few weeks after the season
correctly guessed Melissa married yet accomplish what I want, build a leg- is over, but it’s impossible to relax for
another competitor from the men’s acy, and still get out while I’m young. that much longer when your dreams
Olympia open, fellow Canadian Iain You won’t see me competing into my are knocking!
Valliere.) late 30s or later; rather, I want to make
That’s a helluva lot of muscle in some achievements and get out while MI: Is it possible to get any more body-
this big, oh so very big, Canadian fam- I still have some youth to enjoy life. builders into your life?
ily. Chris claimed this issue’s cover, but MELISSA: [laughs] Absolutely yes. The
given their unique status at the highest MI: Any advantages to having a more the merrier, as long as they’re
levels of professional physique sports, brother-in-law who also competes in smaller than Iain!
we wanted to hear from each of them. pro bodybuilding?
CHRIS: There are countless advan- MI: How do you balance your own
tages to having a brother-in-law in pro needs against those of a needy, pre-
CHRIS BUMSTEAD bodybuilding, in addition to my sister. contest bodybuilder?
MUSCLE INSIDER: You finished sec- For starters, Iain is the one who got me MELISSA: Iain and I are really good at
ond in the Olympia two years running. into bodybuilding, and he taught me balancing each other out. If I’m having
The 2018 contest is in the rear-view almost everything I know. His insane a rough day, he tends to be the support,
mirror now, so any thoughts on what work ethic and dedication are con- and vice versa. It’s almost a mind-set
it’ll take to dethrone the champ? stant motivation for me to do better. of putting the team over the individual.
CHRIS: It’s going to take everything And there’s nothing more reassuring And that ends up working out for both
I’ve got. Breon [Ansley] is an amazing in times of doubt than knowing that, of us when prepping.
champ with a very complete physique, no matter what, I have my sister and
while I still have some lagging body Iain at my back supporting me. MI: Fill in the blank: I’m a sucker for
parts, namely arms and back. With the __________ (and your husband is not
time I have this off-season, I’m sure I’ll MI: Tell us something about yourself an acceptable answer!).
be able to bring them up. If I’m dialed most people wouldn’t know about you. MELISSA: Frenchies! And cookies, too.
in next time around, I believe I’ll have CHRIS: I like to read fantasy genre nov-
what it takes to dethrone the champ. els before going to sleep at night. MI: Nobody knows it, but Chris is a
sucker for__________.
MI: There aren’t a lot of guys in their MI: Any particular foods you’re crav- MELISSA: A good cry. And Iain’s verbal
early- to mid-20s competing success- ing right now? taunts on Instagram!

ON THE COVER
BY THE
EDITORS
PHOTO
BY DAVE
LAUS
85
WHY FOOT POSITION IS SO
IMPORTANT FOR LEG GROWTH
Placing your feet high or low, or wide vs. close, can affect which muscle
groups of the legs are best targeted. Here’s what you need to know.
W
hen training legs, there are ers. While this is a great place to start RANGE OF MOTION
a number of pointers to try when trying to determine optimal foot AROUND A PAIR OF JOINTS
to keep in mind: maintaining position, genetic factors or injuries may You’ve no doubt heard you should never
a flat back, descending to a require a wider stance or straightforward allow your knees to travel beyond the
point in which your thighs are foot position.) plane of your toes, but that’s true mainly
about parallel to the floor, and keeping Some exercises—notably the leg from a knee-health perspective: If your
your knees tracking in line. But did you press, hack squat, Smith-machine squat, knees are fine, it’s not really a problem
ever give much thought to foot position? and horizontal leg-press machine—allow (though I’d argue that it’s not a good idea
Typically, you want your feet about you to place your feet anywhere on the in the long term). Knowing that should tip
hip-width to shoulder-width apart, with foot platform: high to low, close to wide. you off: If a movement stresses the knees
toes pointed slightly outward for a pow- While the aforementioned foot position is more, it’s also stressing the muscles that
erful base from which to push off. This still a good place to start, foot-placement attach to the knee more as well, and those
foot position also hits the major muscle options are now available that allow you would be the quads, specifically the lower
groups pretty evenly. (Important note: to target specific muscle groups more region. It also means
This isn’t necessarily an optimal foot po- heavily than others. Let’s take a closer there’s less stress
sition for everyone, especially taller lift- look. on muscles near
MIKE RILEY
BY BILL
GEIGER, MA
PHOTOS BY
DAVE LAUS With your feet lower
on the foot plate, your
knees extend well past
the plane coming up from
your toes. This is your
cue that it hits the lower
quads more strongly.

the hips, so the upper quads and glutes Visually, your knees aren’t coming close
are getting less activation. to passing the plane coming up from your
Which foot position allows greater toes, an important visual cue.
encroachment of the knees near or beyond Remember, this shift in focus isn’t ab-
the plane of the toes then? In fact, you solute. You simply can’t isolate one muscle
see that when you place your feet near group over another; rather, you emphasize.
the bottom of foot platforms, regardless In general, wider-stance movements
of what exercise you’re doing. Exercise work the inner thighs more strongly;
scientists would say such movements have conversely, a closer stance better targets
greater range of motion around the knee the outer thighs. If nothing else, you just
joint (as compared to the hip joint), and a learned a whole bunch of variations for
greater degree of knee flexion and exten- multi-joint leg exercises, which is especial-
sion (compared to the hip). ly useful when targeting specific lagging
On the opposite end is when you areas or just for adding variety to your
place your feet high on a platform. Just by workout.
assuming it’s the opposite of the above— A special word on Smith-machine
that it reduces knee flexion and ROM squats: While there’s no foot plate from
around the knee joint and increases the which to push, simply placing your toes
ROM around the hip joint—you would get well out in front of your knees serves
the correct answer. With greater hip exten- the same purpose as using a higher foot
sion and flexion, you can emphasize the placement: The glutes and upper quads get ALICIA BELL, IFBB PRO
glutes and upper quads more effectively. greater emphasis. When your feet are well out in front
on Smith squats, range of motion is
In general, wider-stance movements reduced around the knee joint, so the
work the inner thighs more strongly; glutes and hams become more active.
conversely, a closer stance better
targets the outer thighs. BUT WHAT ABOUT HAMS?
The hamstrings are an antagonist muscle
to the quads such that when one is con-
tracting, the other is being stretched. In
that sense, the lower hamstrings are con-
tracting as you lower yourself by control-
ling the speed of the descent (the quads
are stretching here). As you rise up, the
glutes kick in, and the further you rise
up, your quads start to take over as the
hamstrings are now being stretched. Just
remember this:
1. As you descend, the lower hamstrings
get a greater emphasis when there’s
greater ROM around the knee joint (your
feet are low) and the upper hams get more
of the hamstring emphasis on movements
with greater hip-joint ROM (your feet are
higher on the footplate).
ASHLEY DAVIDSON
2. Going deeper into movements, whether
your feet are low or high, is especially ben-
eficial to the hams and glutes. (Remember,
when you come out of the hole, the quads
aren’t really kicking in right away.)
3. Such hamstrings work does not replace
dedicated hamstrings exercises in your
workout, including leg-curl movements
and Romanian deadlifts.
4. Doing partial reps (like the guy who puts
a ton of plates on the bar and descends just
a few inches) means missing out on a ton
of muscle growth. That’s why you hear the
recommendation to go to a thighs-parallel
position. Partial reps, however, can be done
as a complement to full-rep training.
S CIENCE OF BUILD ING MUS CLE I MUS CLEINS IDER. COM 87

Muscle Insider and Optimum
Nutrition announce Ontario’s Racquel
Hutchinson as the overall winner of
our Road to the Pros challenge. Rac-
quel chronicled her journey (check
it out on Instagram: @fitracquel) to
receive a premium photo shoot from
Muscle Insider chief photographer Dave
Laus, as well as a $1,000 prize package
from Optimum and a brand ambassa-
dor contract. She will be joining Team
ON at their booth at the Toronto Pro
SuperShow next June.
Racquel may have placed second
in her Bikini division at the Canadian
National Pro Qualifier, but here’s one
finance administrator from Hamilton
who’s won hands down. We sat down
with Racquel to get her thoughts on
her experience with Road to the Pros.
Muscle Insider followed 10 top MUSCLE INSIDER: Why did you get
into fitness, and what made you
Canadian amateur athletes as decide to pursue it beyond a recre-
ational level?
they attempted to make their RACQUEL HUTCHINSON: Gaining
weight was my initial reason for join-
dreams of turning pro a reality ing the gym. I hired a personal trainer
years ago, and when I saw his Bikini
I
T’S ONE THING TO muscle, or lost the most fat, but rather client on the wall, it inspired me to
prepare for the physical and psy- the competitor who was best able to achieve that look. Six months later,
chological challenges of compet- touch and inspire others in their own I entered my first Bikini bodybuild-
ing on the biggest stage of your physical-fitness journey. ing competition and won! I’ve been
life—vying with other Canadian hooked ever since.
amateurs in pursuit of a pro Road to the Pros MI: How often do people compliment
card—but the editors of Muscle winner Racquel your physique? How meaningful is it
Insider took it one step further in late Hutchinson. to know you inspire others in their
2018 by talking to 10 such competitors fitness pursuits?
and turning it into a real-life story of RH: Over the years, many people have
sorts. Sponsored by Optimum Nutri- complimented me, and it means so
tion, the Muscle Insider Road to the much. I love being an inspiration to
Pros program followed competitors for many and never hesitate to share
eight weeks online as they prepared my knowledge of fitness with other
for the Canadian National Pro Qualifier people. I really enjoy when “everyday
in Toronto on October 20. Optimum people” ask for advice. People that just
Nutrition armed each competitor with simply want to lose a few pounds are
top-of-the-line supplements to help the ones that put a smile on my face
them along the way. As these competi- because I love helping them make a
tors’ journeys unfolded, we followed positive change in their lives.
them through their social media and MI: Pre-contest dieting and training is
witnessed their good days and bad stressful enough. Tell us about what
days dieting and training. One com- extra challenges you faced as you
petitor would be judged the winner of documented your journey on social
this program based on his or her inspi- media.
rational mission to get into the very RH: In all honesty, everyone knows
best shape of his or her life. Our win- that sometimes the fall is harder
ner wasn’t necessarily the individual when many are watching. Docu-
who won a pro card, gained the most menting the journey shows
ROAD TO THE PROS
people the unhappy times or moments

you may fail. A lot of people try to
portray that everything is perfect on
social media, but sharing the ins and
outs of competition prep can be very
eye-opening. It only made me a bet-
ter person as I continued to appreciate
the results of hard work, consistency,
and dedication.
MI: What makes Optimum Nutrition
products your favourite?
RH: Before I even started this competi-
tion, I truly enjoyed Optimum Nutri-
tion’s products. My very first tub of
whey I ever bought was Optimum
Nutrition back in 2014! I love Opti-
mum’s Gold Standard 100% Whey™
protein because it has 24 grams of
protein in a serving, tastes absolutely
amazing, and helps with muscle recov-
ery and growth. It’s a world-renowned
protein that’s won multiple awards
for flavour and quality. I also enjoy
Essential AMIN.O. Energy™ because
it’s a great way to boost my energy
in the morning or before a work-
out. It has 100 milligrams of caf-
feine in a serving and comes in a
variety of tasty flavours.
BY THE EDITORS
PHOTOS BY DAVE LAUS
LOCATION: STUDIO 22 AND OPTIMUM
TRAINING CENTRE, TORONTO, ON

SPOR T S NU T R I T I ON
2019 SUPPLEMENT
BUYER’S GUIDE No doubt, the combination of weight train-
ing, cardio, and diet is critical to success in
forging a strong and chiseled physique. But
if you really want to maximize your gains,
a sports-supplementation program that
matches your goals must be incorpo-
rated into your daily regimen. Whether
you want to build muscle, burn body
fat, enhance your workout perfor-
mance in the gym, or speed and
improve your recovery, supple-
ments can play a key role.
Which ones to choose? Muscle
Insider’s 2019 Supplement Buy-
er’s Guide can help by giving you
some history and the science
behind the various supplement
categories, plus the top ingre-
dients you should be looking
for among each. You’ll also
want to check out the featured
products in each category for
our editors’ top picks.
92 PROTEIN POWDERS
94 PRE-WORKOUTS
THE BEST IN
SUPPLEMENTS 96 BCAAs/AMINO ACIDS
98 MASS GAINERS
100 BARS & SNACKS
SCIENCE OF BUILDING MUSCLE I MUSCLEINSIDER.COM 91

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this protein blended with other proteins rather than on its own.
Sprouted Protein Vegan, lactose intolerant, or suffering from BSN

a milk allergy? Plant proteins could be for you. Sprouted proteins SYNTHA 6
The Stone Cold Creamery Series
are made from seeds and grains that are high in protein and are
consists of a blend of whey protein
sprouted. These proteins are usually blended together to ensure
concentrate, whey protein isolate,
a complete blend of essential aminos that can support muscle re- calcium caseinate, micellar casein,
covery and growth. milk protein isolate, egg albumin,
and glutamine peptides that
Casein Protein Considered the slowest digesting of the proteins, ensures both quick and longer-
casein protein can take up to seven hours to fully digest. Casein duration absorption, making it
forms a gel-like substance in the gut that digests and absorbs ideal for any time of day. Its ratio
slowly over time, which makes it especially useful later at night. of carbs (15 g per serving) and
This keeps amino levels sustained for hours, but it can also help fat (6 g) to protein (22 g) makes
for a creamier milkshake taste,
keep hunger at bay when taken between meals. Find this protein
which BSN capitalizes on with
on its own or blended with other proteins of various digestion rates.
10 decadent ice-cream flavours.
gobsn.com
PERFECT SPORTS
DIESEL
The legendary Diesel protein is
a super-clean protein made of
New Zealand whey protein isolate,
meaning the cows it’s sourced
from are grass-fed and free of
pesticides, hormones, and antibi-
otics. Each serving contains 27 g
of protein as well as 7 g of BCAAs
and 5 g of glutamine to support
protein synthesis and recovery
from even the toughest workouts.
perfectsports.net
MUTANT
ISO SURGE
A combination of rapidly
NUTRABOLICS digesting whey protein isolate
HYDROPURE and hydrolyzed whey makes
Hydrolyzed whey protein is the this low-carb, low-fat protein a
first ingredient on the HydroPure great choice for bodybuilders.
label, so you’re getting the fastest Each serving contains 25 g of
digesting protein source com- protein and just 110 calories,
mercially available. Each scoop with 5.5 g of naturally occurring
is 93 percent protein by weight, BCAAs to maximize protein
delivering 26 g of protein and 6 g synthesis and minimize catabo-
of naturally occurring BCAAs. lism. Digestive enzymes have
HydroPure also contains milk been added to ensure maximal
protein isolate, which releases bioavailability. The gourmet
slowly in your body, making it flavours are what make this
ideal for dieting. isolate truly outstanding.
nutrabolics.com iammutant.com
PRECISION Redcon1 is one of the hottest supplement lines on the

I-PLX market right now. Its whole-food meal replacement MRE
A hefty blend of five protein is also available in a lower-calorie formula called MRE Lite,
isolates providing 30 g of protein which earns Muscle Insider’s top pick in this category.
per serving! Each source (whey A blend of proteins from non-dairy E NT STAM
protein hydrolysate, whey protein EM P
sources, including beef isolate, PL O
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salmon, egg, brown rice, and pea

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isolate and milk protein isolate)

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protein, provides 24 g of protein

offers a different digestive rate,
allowing for a longer window of in- with minimal carbs and fats per
P
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creased muscle protein synthesis. serving, with just 134

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PL
calories. We applaud
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Plus, there’s 6 g of BCAAs as well
EM
E NT STAM P
as a natural probiotic to support Redcon1 for going

digestive health. Available in three against the norm and
dessert-like flavours. releasing a protein
precisionsupplements.ca powder not made
from the standard
whey or milk
protein sources.
Nothing’s wrong
with these protein
sources, but MRE
Lite gives body-
builders another
anabolic option
to grow on!
REDCON1
MRE LITE
redcon1.com
SPOR T S NU T R I T I ON GAT
PRE-WORKOUTS
HISTORY
NITRAFLEX
This GAT Sport product starts
with 200 mg caffeine to boost
energy and focus for a better,
longer workout. Then there’s
One of the most famous pre-workouts—Ultimate Orange—was 3 g L-citrulline to help delay
launched in 1982 and was formulated as a kick-ass energizing workout fatigue and help power
your final reps; 1.5 g L-arginine
powder. This was an ephedra-based product that was seriously
to enhance muscle pumps; and
effective for increasing energy levels and enhancing focus, but
1.5 mg beta-alanine to boost
not much more. Most of the original pre-workout products con- muscle power and strength.
sisted of only stimulant-based ingredients, including ephedrine, gatsport.com
caffeine, and ingredients that helped increase focus, but with
all those stimulants comes an energy crash. Many pre-workout BSN
products disappeared after the ban of ephedra, but were revived N0-XPLODE
again with ephedra replacements. Today’s pre-workouts consist With 200 mg caffeine per serving,
of more than an energy burst; they also provide compounds that you’ll be unleashing your inner
help increase lean tissue, reduce fatigue by preventing lactic beast for focused, high-energy
workouts. Caffeine also fights
acid buildup, increase endurance, and even improve strength and
fatigue, so you can push for those
power.
extra sets and reps, and not quit
on your workout early. BSN adds
THE SCIENCE 1.2 g beta-alanine that also aids
A good pre-workout will not just provide you with increased en- workout performance and exer-
ergy levels but also enhance your focus by working on pathways cise capacity by raising muscle
that stimulate epinephrine and norepinephrine. In addition, pre- carnosine levels. Bolstered with
workouts may help stimulate adenosine triphosphate (ATP)— 2.5 g creatine for greater ATP gen-
i.e., muscle energy—by increasing the amount that’s available eration, providing more strength
to working muscles. Pre-workouts can also increase nitric oxide and mass gains. gobsn.com
(NO), increasing nutrient delivery to muscle for enhanced pumps.
They can also contain ingredients that help improve hydration in
muscles and also work by reducing muscle burnout or fatigue by ALLMAX
decreasing lactic-acid buildup in the muscle. IMPACT IGNITER
Science-backed ingredients
WHAT’S HOT IN THE MARKET power this Allmax product.
Includes 6 g citrulline malate
Creatine Not new but absolutely proven, creatine is the most re- for better workout performance
searched and effective supplement for increasing muscle strength, and muscle pumps; 3.2 g
power, and muscle size. Creatine helps increase energy by aiding beta-alanine to increase muscle
in the regeneration of ATP in the muscle fibres. Creatine’s action carnosine for better workout
also pulls more water into the muscle tissue, causing enhanced capacity and decreased muscle
muscle volume, leading to stimulation of protein synthesis. fatigue; 1 g LCLT to increase
focus/energy and boost metabo-
lism for better fat burning with
Beta-Alanine Beta-alanine is a buffering agent that works
caffeine, alpha-GPC, lion’s mane
against lactic-acid buildup in muscles. This buffering action helps
and synephrine/higenamine/ JYM
increase muscle energy and reduce fatigue, allowing you to do
more volume and prolong your workouts. The combination of
hordenine, plus more. PRE JYM
allmaxnutrition.com With no proprietary blends for
beta-alanine and creatine has shown even better results, leading better ingredient transparency,
to leaner body composition and performance increases. Pre Jym is scientifically dosed and
loaded: 6 g citrulline malate for
Caffeine Used for its energizing benefit, caffeine also enhances better workout capacity and mus-
muscle endurance and helps mobilize fat as fuel for use during cle pumps; 6 g BCAAs for blunting
exercise. Caffeine can also delay the onset of muscle soreness, muscle fatigue; 2 g creatine HCl
fatigue during exercise, and the perception of muscle pain. Caf- for strength and mass gains; 2 g
feine is also an effective focus ingredient. CarnoSyn® beta-alanine to boost
muscle power and strength; 1.5 g
betaine for greater power and
Betaine This amino compound has been shown to support mus- strength during workouts; 500 mg
cle growth, improve body composition, aid muscle cellular hydra- beetroot to enhance nitric-oxide
tion, and help promote fat oxidation. Betaine works by increas- production for better muscle
ing water retention in the muscle, leading to increases in protein pumps; 300 mg caffeine for focus
synthesis while also helping support the production of creatine and energy, and more.
for enhanced ATP production, thus improving performance. jymsupplementscience.com

CELLUCOR
1
C4 ULTIMATE
ST EVER
Ultra-low in calories and the
most powerful C4 formula yet.
Ultimate delivers 6 g citrulline
malate, 3.2 g CarnoSyn® beta-
alanine, 300 mg caffeine in a
858 mg Energy and Focus
Blend, 750 mg creatine nitrate, E T O NE
KRE-WORKOUT!
1.5 mg betaine, 25 mg of Tea-
Crine® and 1 g taurine. The blend
provides for a heavy blend of
P
OPTIMUM NUTRITION
nootropics, mood enhancers,
pump and exercise-capacity
GOLD STANDARD
amplifiers, plus more.
PRE-WORKOUT
DSL SUPPLEMENTS Nearly calorie-free, ON’s
cellucor.ca
GLADIATOR premium Pre-Workout has
Boost your energy and focus 175 mg caffeine for an energy
before a hard workout with and focus boost that helps
Gladiator’s formula, includes
3 g beta-alanine to increase
delay fatigue, which aids
aerobic and anaerobic training.
è Enhances fat burning!
your capacity and enhance Each serving also contains
performance during highly
intense training; 2 g arginine for
3 g creatine, which has been
shown to boost muscle
è Cranks up performance
enhanced muscle pumps; 200 mass and strength; 750 mg
mg caffeine to keep you focused
and reduce muscle fatigue; and
L-citrulline for fighting workout è Laser-sharp focus!
fatigue; and 1.5 g beta-alanine,
1 g tyrosine to improve alert- which aids in the production of
ness, mood, and performance carnosine, which can increase
during times of stress. exercise capacity.
dslsupplements.com optimumnutrition.com
IRON KINGDOM The category star includes 2 g pharmaceutical-grade BHB

PRE WORKOUT ketones so you’re burning ketone bodies (non carbs) to
Now available in Canada, this provide you with greater performance, energy, and focus;
scientifically dosed formula 500 mg L-carnitine to enhance muscle glycogen and ATP
includes 6 g citrulline malate for
levels while delaying fatigue; 750 mg beta-alanine to en-
improved workout endurance
hance workout capacity by synthesizing into
and superior muscle pumps; E NT STAM
carnosine, buffering set-shortening EM P
3.2 g beta-alanine to help PL O
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acidic waste products; 350 mg

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increase strength and muscular

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PR OVAL • SU
endurance during intense train- caffeine for improved focus

ing; 2.5 g betaine to promote and thermo-
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increases in power and lean genesis (fat

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mass; a powerful energy and

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burning); and O PL
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focus formula that includes 1.5 g tyrosine
300 mg caffeine and 400 mg for alertness
huperzine-A, and other active
and to improve
ingredients. ironkingdom.com
strength and
endurance.
Works Great With

or Without
a Ketogenic Diet!
PHARMAFREAK
RIPPED
pharmafreak.com
FREAK KETO
SPOR T S NU T R I T I ON EFX SPORTS
TRAINING GROUND
AMINOZORB EAA
BCAAs/ Bolstered by more than just the

three BCAAs, this EFX Sports
standout also contains the six
other essential amino acids
AMINO ACIDS
HISTORY
(hence the name, EAAs), none
of which your body can make
on its own. Smart dosing between
meals and before or during your
workout means muscle protein
In the 1900s, athletes used extracts of meat to help enhance synthesis is elevated for longer
periods. Great before or during
muscle growth and recovery. About mid-century, this approach
your training session. Each
switched to egg-based protein powders, and then in the ‘70s and
serving has 5 g EAAs.
‘80s, extracts of the protein into separated amino acids began efxsports.com
to appear on supplement- and health-food store shelves. These OPTIMUM NUTRITION
aminos contained a combination of both essential and nonessen- AMIN.O. ENERGY
ON’s popular blend contains 5 g
tial aminos and were in the format of large, hard-to-swallow tab-
of 10 micronized aminos (includ-
lets. To get a good dose, you’d need to swallow a handful of pills
ing all three BCAAs) as well as
at a single time. Nowadays, you can still buy amino-acid tablets, arginine to support nitric-oxide
but you can also find plenty of easy-to-take powder supplements, production (for muscle pumps)
which can be consumed before, during, and after your workout to and CarnoSyn® brand beta-
help reduce fatigue and aid in recovery. Additionally, instead of alanine, which fights muscle
just getting a mix of aminos, you can purchase a ratio of just the fatigue and supports increased
branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), the most effective ingredi- exercise capacity. Boosted with
ents when it comes to muscle building and recovery. 100 mg caffeine for energy and
focus make this great before or
during your workout. Comes in
THE SCIENCE 16 great flavours.
There are 23 amino acids, and these building blocks of protein
optimumnutrition.com
help support many functions and processes in the body, but it’s
the essential amino acids that are the most important. The body
can’t make these aminos, so they must be supplemented in the BPI
diet. The essentials, including the three branched-chain amino BEST BCAA
acids—leucine, isoleucine, and valine—are the key aminos when This longer-chained oligopeptide-
it comes to regulating protein synthesis and increasing muscle. formula BCAA supports muscle
protein synthesis and helps de-
They can also help sustain a positive nitrogen balance in the
crease protein catabolism which
muscles, which in turn preserves muscle tissue and helps reduce
enhances post-workout recovery.
post-workout soreness. Each serving contains 5 g BCAAs
special amino acid polymer, plus
WHAT’S HOT IN THE MARKET there’s 1 g of a CLA complex to
Leucine Considered the most-important essential amino acid, support fat loss. The formula also
leucine is a key regulator of protein synthesis, turning on and off contains 250 mg Agmatine to aid
pathways that spark muscle building. Leucine is usually blended with muscle pumps.
in a ratio with all three BCAAs, including isoleucine and valine. bpisport.ca
Specific ratios of these three have been shown to stimulate pro-
tein synthesis when supplemented after workouts.
MUTANT
Glutamine Glutamine may not be essential, but it can assist BCAA 9.7
in recovery and support cell hydration and muscle volumiza- An instantized BCAA formula in
tion. It can also help maintain nitrogen retention, which can a—surprise—9.7 g per serving
in turn reduce protein breakdown and help maintain protein formula. The 2:1:1 stack with
synthesis. Glutamine can also stimulate increases in growth- leucine in predominance favors
hormone levels. anabolic process to boost muscle
protein synthesis while blunt-
Agmatine This amino acid is made from the decarbox- ing muscle protein degradation.
ylation of arginine. This modulator works by modulating Boosted with eight electrolytes
and magnesium so you can main-
specific pathways such as nitric-oxide production, but it can
tain healthy hydration even during
also have an effect on neurotransmitters, affecting mood and
a hard workout. Take it before
improving focus. Agmatine is mostly used to help stimulate or after workouts; available in a
NO, which causes vasodilation, increases nutrient delivery to variety of flavours.
the muscles, and improves your muscle pump. iammutant.com

SCIVATION
XTEND ELITE
Whether taken during or after
your workout, Xtend’s 7 g BCAAs
(in a 2:1:1 leucine to isoleucine
to valine ratio) is ideal to support
muscle protein synthesis and
ward off catabolism, making it
a great recovery option. With
no sugar, carbs, or calories, it’s
also replete with electrolytes to
ensure you maintain hydration.
Scivation adds 2.5 glutamine and
3 g citrulline malate to help ward
off fatigue and improve recovery. ALLMAX
It’s great as a pre-workout, too.
scivation.com
AMINOCORE
More than 8 g of just BCAAs
(leucine, valine, isoleucine in
PRECISION 9:6:5 ratio) in each serving of
AMINO-PLX this pure formula, with no sugar
Each 11 g scoop contains a whop- and no carbs. Highly beneficial
ping 9 g BCAAs to boost muscle when consumed intra-workout,
protein synthesis and keep catab- Aminocore helps keep muscle
olism at bat with no added sugar. protein synthesis elevated and
Ratio of leucine:isoleucine:valine fights off catabolism. Loaded
is 3:1:2 with added B vitamins for with extra B vitamins necessary
energy production, plus AstraGin, in the body’s production of en-
a natural catalyst that improves ergy, this product is especially
bioavailability. Great clean prod- relevant for those following
uct with no extras ideal before or calorie-restricted diets.
during your hard training session. Available in nine flavours.
precisionsupplements.ca allmaxnutrition.com
JYM Loaded with extras: To start there’s a 6.2 g serving of

POST JYM BCAAs in a 2:1:1 ratio of leucine:isoleucine:valine. BCAAs
More bells and whistles in this have been shown to support muscle protein synthesis
post-workout product, Post Jym and stave off muscle catabolism. E NT STAM
EM P
contains 6 g BCAAs with a 3:1:1 Performance boosters including PL O
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content (meaning relatively more

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2.5 g glutamine, 700 mg citrulline

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leucine), 2 g creatine HCl, 2 g

malate, and
CarnoSyn® brand beta-alanine to
700 mg
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muscle growth, 2 g Carnipure® L-carnitine,

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which help
EM
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brand L-Carnitine to aid recovery,
1.5 g betaine for enhanced power boost workout
and strength, 3 g glutamine for performance
improved muscle recovery. and endurance,
Each serving is 19 g. as well as
jymsupplementscience.com recovery,
making this
a category
winner. Add in
420 mg elec-
trolytes and
four more ac-
tive ingredients
and you’ve
got a very
unique amino
formula.
IRON KINGDOM
BCAA PLUS
ironkingdom.com
SPOR T S NU T R I T I ON NUTRABOLICS
MASS GAINERS
HISTORY
MASS FUSION
Mass Fusion contains 950 calories
composed of 170 g of carbs
(including sweet potato powder,
quinoa, maltodextrin, and waxy
At one time, weight gainers were certainly full of calories, but maize) plus 50 g of protein from
not the good ones. Protein was cheap and chalky, carbohydrates whey protein isolate, whey protein
concentrate and micellar casein.
were simple and full of sugar, and most didn’t provide a source
The formula rounds off with just
of good-for-you fats. Food technology advancements have im-
8 g of fat including CLAs, MCTs
proved this category immensely! Now you can have blended and digestive enzymes (protease,
sources of proteins from fast- and slow-digesting sources, amylase, and lactase) to maximize
along with complex carbs from various natural ingredients absorption.
including oat fibre and quinoa and fast-digesting sources such nutrabolics.com
PROGRESSIVE SPORT
as waxy maize. They also deliver ingredients to help drive REAL FOOD GAINER
those carbs to your muscles. The result: a weight gainer that Progressive Sport Real Food
delivers natural sources of good ingredients to help increase Gainer contains 520 calories,
muscle! whole-food carbs, plant oils, fruit
concentrates, whole grains and
THE SCIENCE more. Each serving packs 30 g of
In order to gain weight, you need to eat more. Eat a lot of sug- protein in 2 scoops including New
ary carbs and cheap protein, and you will gain body fat. Eat a Zealand whey! It also contains
90 g of carbs (just 5 of which are
balanced blend of complex carbs, essential proteins, and good-
sugar), and 7 g of fibre. Real Food
for-you fats and you will support muscle anabolism throughout
Gainer is also Informed Sport
the day by providing a sustained release of essential nutrients. Certified, which means it’s been
Weight gainers work by helping drive the release of insulin. lab tested and proven to be clean
This anabolic hormone shuttles amino acids, creatine and of any banned substances.
carbohydrates into the muscles, where they can stimulate progressivesport.ca
replenishment of glycogen—the muscles’ main energy source
—and help drive protein synthesis.
ALLMAX
WHAT’S HOT IN THE MARKET QUICKMASS
You have to eat big to get big
Protein Blends These deliver an assortment of protein
but QuickMass can get you
sources that often include whey protein isolate, concentrate, or
HUGE! With 60 g of protein
hydrolysate along with other sources, including milk protein, (whey concentrate, whey iso-
casein, egg, or even vegan sources such as soy, pea, brown late, and milk protein isolate),
rice, and hemp protein. 174 g of carbs (including cyclic
dextrin, oat fibre, quinoa,
Oat Fibre At one time, the only carbohydrates you could find sweet potato, and more),
in a weight gainer were simple carbs such as maltodextrin. Oat prebiotics, digestive enzymes,
fibre delivers a complex carbohydrate source that’s also high EFAs, and a whopping 1,010
in fibre and is slow digesting to help reduce insulin spiking and muscle-building calories per
serving! QuickMass is in a
provide a sustained source of energy.
league of its own and has been
one of the top-selling gainers
Coconut Oil A source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), for over a decade.
coconut oil helps provide a short-term energy source that’s allmaxnutrition.com
readily available for use in the body. This fat can help preserve
carbohydrates and switch the body to burning off fat as fuel. IRON VEGAN
ATHLETE’S GAINER
Whole-Food Carbs Across supplement store counters To our knowledge, this is Canada’s
nationwide, this year we saw more and more gainers first vegan weight-gain powder!
including whole-food carbs in their formulas. Popular The formula contains 720 calories,
choices are sweet potato, quinoa, rolled oats, brown rice, 42 g of plant protein (fermented
pea protein isolate and organic
oat fibre, sea vegetables, sprouted whole grains, and fruit
sprouted brown rice protein),
concentrates.
120 g of whole-food carbohydrates
and 13 g of fibre. To maximize
health, they’ve even added greens,
fruit concentrates, sea vegetables,
plant oils, and sprouted whole
grains. ironvegan.ca

PRECISION
BIG TIME
Big Time Gainer delivers 1,010
high-quality calories in every
serving with 60 g of premium
protein from six different
sources including whey protein
hydrolysate, whey protein iso-
late, and slow-digesting micellar
casein. Big Time was formulated
with a 2:1 ratio of carbohydrates
to protein, which helps stimulate
protein synthesis faster than
regular simple carbs. The taste
OPTIMUM NUTRITION is delicious on this one and
SERIOUS MASS overall value is on point.
Optimum Nutrition is most precisionsupplements.ca
famous for its Gold Standard PERFECT SPORTS
Whey, which is the #1 selling HULK HD
whey protein in the world. But Bulk with Hulk! Hulk HD has
right behind that is Serious Mass, 50 g of bioavailable protein
ON’s weight-gain powder, which from whey and other sources,
packs 1,250 calories, 50 g of in addition to 175 g of carbs
protein (whey protein concentrate, (with only 2 g of sugar!) in
calcium caseinate, egg whites its unique ingredient profile.
and sweet dairy whey), and 4 g of Not only is this 1,030-calorie
fat. Like Dymatize’s Super Mass mass gainer excellent for
Gainer, this formula also contains putting on solid muscle, it
a full vitamin/mineral blend and also differentiates itself by
1 g of creatine per serving to containing a full serving of
support performance. fruits and vegetables.
optimumnutrition.com perfectsports.net
DYMATIZE Mutant Mass is one of the top selling gainers in the

SUPER MASS world. Why? Because it works! Using the highest quality
GAINER ingredients, one serving of Mutant Mass delivers 1,100
This formula has maltodextrin calories, 56 g whole intact protein (time released), and
listed as its first ingredient, 192 g clean carbohydrates, including whole-food complex
but don’t let that scare you off. carbs (barley starch, sweet potato, and rolled oats). From
Dymatize has been in the sports the protein contained in the formula, Mutant Mass delivers
nutrition industry for over 20 years 26.1 g of naturally occurring EAAs in one serving! To lower
and earned a solid reputation for the glycemic index of the formula and support growth,
quality worldwide. Super Mass
Mutant included EFAs and natural fats from coconut, avo-
Gainer contains 1,280 calories,
cado, flaxseed, EM
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244 g of carbs, 52 g of protein, 10 g PL
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and sunflower.
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and a full vitamin and mineral

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blend to support athletic perfor-

Mutant Mass is
mance. This formula contains all for the big boys
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you need to pack on mass, but looking for a

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clean gainer
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they even threw in 1 g of creatine
EM
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for good measure! that will move

dymatize.com/ca the scale. As
with all Mu-
tant products,
the taste on
this stuff is
unbelievable.
MUTANT
MASS
iammutant.com
SPOR T S NU T R I T I ON
BARS & SNACKS
BUFF BAKE
PROTEIN SAND-
WICH COOKIES
Each package of Buff Bake Protein
HISTORY Sandwich Cookies has a single
Protein bars and snacks have been around since the early ’80s. serving of 4 cookies with a total
As food science technology advanced, so did the quality of the of 220 calories, 12 g of protein,
13 g of fat (4 to 6 g saturated) and
ingredients, as well as taste and macronutrient profiles. By the
15 g of carbohydrates (8 to 9 g of
late ’90s and early 2000s, we saw the introduction of glycerine
sugar). Ingredients are non-GMO,
(the chemical backbone of all fats), sugar alcohols, glycine, cre- certified gluten-free, and certified
atine, and taurine, designed to help lower the sugar and fat con- kosher, using hormone-free whey
tent. Today’s bars are miles ahead of where we were when the protein, cane sugar, and natural
low-carb bar options first started. Gone are the days of toffee- flavours. When you eat one of
type protein bars that nearly ripped out your fillings! Bars OPTIMUM these, you will then eat two more!
NUTRITION
now are soft, taste great, and have truly functional ingredients buffbake.com
PROTEIN ALMONDS
baked within them. They’re also made to suit different diets, Each serving contains 230 calo-
whether it’s keto, low fat, or moderate-carb diets. ries, 10 g of protein, 15 g of carbs
(2 g of which is fibre) and 16 grams
THE SCIENCE of fat (half of which are saturated
We love the convenience bars offer and consumers demand that fats). With less than 2 g of sugar
they be high in fibre, low in sugar, and taste great. Food scien- and 10 g of sugar alcohols (malti-
tists have added resistant starches, vegetarian protein sources, tol), this snack is great for dieting
or an off-season treat. Calcium
whole foods, greens, dried fruits, and more functional foods to
sits at 70 mg and potassium at
today’s bars. Sugar replacers are constantly being invented,
200 mg, and they have some iron
giving us more creative flavours to choose from. Be aware that in there for good measure. We
over-eating “healthy” bars is akin to over-eating anything: You’ll found it hard to stop at just one!
increase fat storage if you eat too many. The best time to eat bars optimumnutrition.com
is in place of a meal, after a workout, or in-between meals to
keep you from slipping into a catabolic state and losing muscle.
QUEST
PROTEIN CHIPS
Quest Tortilla Style Protein Chips
WHAT’S HOT IN THE MARKET are a very innovative snack that
High Fat Bars The higher-fat bars are perfect for those fol- contains 18 to 19 g of protein (de-
lowing ketogenic diets, where carbs need to be low. These bars pending on the flavour) and only
are soft and taste amazing. Good fats that are heart-friendly are 5 g of carbohydrates (1 g of which
being added to these bars as well as MCTs and other functional is fibre and only 1 gram of sugar).
fats. Fat comes in at 6 g or less with no
more than 1 gram as saturated fat.
Vegan Bars & Cookies Perfect for those who are following These are as close to the taste and
texture of a regular tortilla chip as
a vegetarian lifestyle or those who are just looking to diversify
you can get, but with high protein
protein sources. Nuts and seeds have become a cornerstone of
and a fraction of the carbs.
these bars and the trend seems to be fewer ingredients in total questnutrition.com
rather than kitchen-sink formulas. Interestingly,
total carb content doesn’t seem to concern most
BUP
vegetarians. PROTEIN BAR
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CANADIANS WHO
TURNED PRO IN 2018
PHOTOS BY STONE PHOTOGRAPHY, DAVID ABOODY, DARREN BURNS, ELIO LOPEZ AND FREDDY CRUZ
The premier achievement an TORONTO PRO SUPERSHOW PRO QUALIFIER TORONTO, ON
amateur athlete can attain is
professional status. Each year,
thousands of Canadians vie for
just a handful of IFBB pro cards,
making the annual competition
a real-life Survivor of sorts. As
we completed the final contests
of 2018, 49 Canadians made the
grade in a number of categories.
Most of Canada’s new pros
earned their hardware on their
native soil, but a few Canucks
ventured into international com-
petitions—including in the U.S.,
Caribbean, Latin America, and
even Europe. The Canadian Phy-
sique Alliance (CPA), which spon-
sors the amateur events, and
everyone here at Muscle Insider
pay tribute here to these now
rookie pros and wish them luck
Irshan
as they move forward to test their Bijani,
Alethia
mettle against the best of the best Legall-
Overall
Gabriel, Jessie
in the pro ranks of the IFBB. Robin Strand,
Classic
Women’s Pineault,
Physique
Bodybuilding Physique Bikini
DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC
PRO QUALIFIER
PUNTA CANA, DO
DISCLAIMER: SOME IMAGES WERE COMPETITOR/ATHLETE SUBMITTED
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Bodybuilding
champion
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Jermaine Murray, Watson, Women’s Wright,
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102 M U S C LEI NS I DER .CO M I SCIE N CE O F BUIL D IN G M USC LE

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REGISTRATION @ WWW.CANADIANPHYSQUEALLIANCE.COM
MARCH APRIL 20 | The Nova Scotia MAY 25 | GNC/Allmax Sudbury
MARCH 9 | Calgary CPA Natural Physique Championships, Classic Championships,
Championship, Calgary, AB Halifax, NS Sudbury, ON
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Toronto Championships, Show, Niagara Falls, ON IFBB Toronto Pro Qualifier,
Toronto, ON APRIL 27 | Fitlog Classic Open, Toronto, ON
MARCH 16 | Calgary CPA Open Quebec City, QC
Championship, Calgary, AB JUNE
MARCH 23 | Leigh Brandt MAY JUNE 1 & 2 | GNC/Allmax Toronto
Muscle Classic Open, MAY 11 | Grande Prairie Champi- Pro SuperShow, Toronto, ON
New Westminster, BC onships Northern Classic, Grande JUNE 8 | Saskatchewan
MARCH 23 | La Classique Prairie, AB Regional Classic, Regina, SK
Naturelle Mike Clement, MAY 11 | GNC/Allmax Stephanie JUNE 8 | GNC/Allmax Crush
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Natural Classic, Halifax, NS MAY 18 | GNC/Allmax Fouad Showdown, Victoria, BC
Abiad Championships, JUNE 15 | GNC/Allmax Thunder
APRIL Mississauga, ON Bay Championships, Thunder
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Morris Classic, Stratford, ON Montreal, QC JUNE 22 | GNC/Allmax Ottawa
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Championships, Moncton, NB Kamloops, BC JUNE 22 | TNT Muscle
APRIL 13 | PEI Championships, MAY 25 | Manitoba Van Showdown, Edmonton, AB
Charlottetown, PEI DIJK Classic Open,
APRIL 13 | GNC/Allmax Winnipeg, MB
Cobourg Naturals, Cobourg, ON
106
JULY JULY 27 | Competition Jean OCTOBER 5 | Muscle Beach Fall
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& Labrador CPA Open JULY 27 | T-Zone Fitness Natural OCTOBER 5 | The Flex Lewis
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& Labrador CPA Natural Natural Championships, Montreal, QC
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Championships, AUGUST OCTOBER 19 | GNC/Allmax
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Championships, Saskatoon, SK Championships, Toronto, ON Masquerade, Hamilton, ON
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Pro Show, Coquitlam, BC Champions, Surrey, BC Fall Classic, Saint John, NB
JULY 13 & 14 | Vancouver AUGUST 24 | GNC/Allmax
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JULY 20 | Edmonton Natural SEPTEMBER 21 | Iron Ore Classic, Ottawa Championships,
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Abiad Natural Championships, The Ben Weider Natural Pro/Am, Kong Natural Championships,
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canadianphysiquealliance.com
MUSCLEINSIDER.COM 107
ASK T HE SC I ENT I S T By Jeff Golini, PhD
Creatine with Sugar, Revisited

Do carbs boost creatine uptake, or is that just bro-science?
T
o this day, I get asked the follow- to catch on, realizing they did not need in an acidic environment increases its
ing question more than any other to “load” creatine as the popular maga- rate of conversion to creatinine. That be-
when it comes to creatine: “Do I zines were suggesting. In fact, athletes ing the case, what was one to do?
need to take it with sugar to make started using smaller doses and still While some studies have suggested
it work more effectively?” So let’s got impressive results. So, it was time taking creatine with sugar (dextrose) will
set the record straight. for the industry to come up with a better encourage insulin release and act as a
Not long after I first introduced cre- approach. creatine pump to help uptake, other stud-
atine monohydrate to the marketplace One of the leading sports-nutrition ies say this simply isn’t needed. Ultimate-
back in the early ‘90s, the notion of tak- companies at that time, EAS, led the way ly, it comes down to the type of creatine
ing it with sugar arose. Keep in mind, in with a product it marketed as Phospha- you’re using, your goals and your daily
those days the first creatine monohydrate gen HP. In short, it was creatine monohy- macro intake. That’s why I’ve always said
product had only 100 grams and sold for drate combined with dextrose (a sugar) that if you use buffered creatine monohy-
$99! Crazy as that sounds, bodybuilders and the amino acid taurine. From a mar- drate, you won’t need to take it with any
and athletes couldn’t get enough of it. keting standpoint, it was pure genius. sugar at all.
To further increase sales and encour- It allowed EAS to sell lower amounts of All of this now said, is there any ac-
age more extensive usage, some astute creatine but in a larger bottle with pre- tual benefit to taking creatine with carbo-
marketers developed the idea of having mium pricing. hydrates? Yes, absolutely! Carbohydrates
athletes use two bottles in their first Soon after, a study came out in the provide fuel for your muscles to burn,
month. They were told to load with 20 mid-‘90s saying athletes should not take especially in anaerobic activities such as
grams a day for the first 10 days. As you creatine with large amounts of sugar bodybuilding training. While carbs have
can imagine, 100 grams wouldn’t go very because it contained too many calories. little to do with creatine absorption, they
far at this rate. Instead, it suggested they use grape juice do play a critical role in athletic perfor-
This marketing ploy lasted for a with a ratio of 3.5 ounces per 5 grams of mance. Furthermore, carbs are almost
short while. That is, until athletes started creatine. Unfortunately, mixing creatine exclusively the main source of energy
for your brain. A high-carb diet gives you
PHOTO: GREG CLEAVER / MODEL: LUCAS FERENCE
While carbs have little a brain boost—though it’s short-lived

to do with creatine unless you replenish it every few hours.
absorption, they do As with the brain, glucose is the ma-
play a critical role in jor fuel for your muscles, which is what
athletic performance. carbs are broken down to in your body.
Glucose is stored in your muscles as
glycogen, which the tissue critically needs
to function. Without glycogen, there’s
nothing that can be rapidly converted
into glucose 6-phosphate for bursts of
high-intensity activity.
So while carbohydrates are impor-
tant to athletic performance because
they give muscles their primary source
of fuel, they’re not directly critical to the
effectiveness of creatine uptake. In this
day and age, too many athletes are also
losing out on the synergistic benefits to
be gained from using both creatine and
carbohydrates by adhering to low-carb or
keto diets, which may unnecessarily be
holding you back.
Follow Dr. Golini on social media:
@jeff.golini
@golinijeff
@drjeffgolini
108 M U S C LEI NS I DER . CO M I SCIE N CE O F BUIL D IN G M USC LE

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GE ARE D UP By Bill Geiger, MA
BRADLEY ALLEN: PHYSIQUE TAILORED SHIRT

You know the drill: The more you succeed at building muscle,
the worse your dress clothes fit. Custom-tailored shirts cost a
fortune, but now you can look great with Bradley Allen phy-
sique-tailored shirts. They’re fashionable yet designed for
the wide-bodied, giving you extra room in the areas you
need—like the neck, shoulders, and arm length—while
tailored for a streamlined midsection without blousing.
The website tells you what measurements you’ll need
to customize your fit. They’re machine washable and
available in four biz-friendly colours. No more popping
neck buttons! Find them at bradleyallen.com.
OPTIMUM NUTRITION:
PROTEIN ALMONDS
It’s easy to blow your diet when snacking because all
too often you’re caught unprepared. But Optimum
Nutrition’s Protein Almonds are a big hit among the
Muscle Insider staff, and we now routinely carry around
bags to snack on or even sneak them into the movie
theatre. One bag provides 10 grams of protein with just
230 calories, 16 grams of fat (half saturated) and
14 grams of carbs. The more favourable macros come
from ditching the sugary coating typically found in
chocolate-covered almonds and instead using a sugar
alcohol coating (one gram of sugar and 10 grams of
sugar alcohols) mixed with whey protein concentrate
and whey protein isolate. Get them in Dark Chocolate
Truffle, Peanut Butter Chocolate, Chocolate Jalapeño,
Cinnamon Roll, and Espresso. optimumnutrition.com
T. MICHEAL PRO:
BRANDED WORKOUT GEAR
Back in the day, just about everyone who wanted to
be identified as a bodybuilder wore T. Micheal gear,
be it baggy pants, tank tops, or branded sweatshirts.
Those outer-limits colours and styles we saw in
1980s publications have kept up with the times. I may
have tossed the old clothing years ago, but imagine my
surprise getting in the mail a warm, comfy sweatshirt
with updated styling and colours featuring the very same
logo I proudly wore in my 20s. The perfect gift for your
favourite bodybuilder, T. Micheal now has an online store
featuring the same famous gear that was popularized
years ago, offering easy ordering and fast delivery with
worldwide shipping. tmicheal.com

FLEX APPEAL
PHOTO: DAVE LAUS
LEIGH BRANDT
@LEIGHBRANDT
111
FREAK F I TNESS By Darren Mehling, CSCS
Drive More Gains with 5×5s

Dump your hypertrophy rep targets on your first exercise in favour
of 5 sets of 5 for an unparalleled strength and growth burst
T
oo many trainers today walk into WHAT’S THE 5×5 TRAINING reps for each, with 3 to 5 minutes of rest
the gym and put their workout on METHOD ALL ABOUT? between sets.
autopilot, cranking out 4 sets of 10 The 5×5 method was first made popular Even though Reg’s program was
reps of their favourite exercise, and by the late Reg Park, in his book Strength criticized for being very tough, prescrib-
then wonder why they’re still not & Bulk Training for Weight Lifters and ing high-volume workouts (50+ sets) that
making any gains. Body Builders , published in 1960. Reg’s could take up to three hours to complete,
Let’s fix that by way of an introduc- program was designed to develop gen- he did preach lots of rest and food to
tion to the 5×5 method, now more com- eral size and strength, completing high- ensure recovery. Despite its drawbacks,
monly known as “Heavy 5s.” At one time, volume workouts three days a week using Reg’s 5×5 program became very popular
it was a popular muscle-building program, primarily multi-joint lifts such as bench among bodybuilders for very good rea-
but more recently, it has been forgotten. presses, overhead presses, squats, dead- son—it worked!
I warn you, it is not easy, but it sure is lifts, barbell rows, weighted pull-ups, Later, other popular strength coaches,
effective for getting stronger and breaking and power cleans. With each of those big such as Bill Starr in 1976 and Mark Rip-
through a plateau. movements, Park prescribed 5 sets of 5 petoe in 2005, promoted their versions of
5×5 and designed their training programs
for their strength-and-power athletes
around Heavy 5s. Now, I want to take the
5×5 method one step further and help you
implement this proven set-and-rep scheme
into your mass-building training program.
WHY IS IT SO EFFECTIVE?
What I like most about the 5×5 method
is that anyone, from beginner to advanced
lifter, can use it to increase strength and
size. It’s both simple and effective.
Aside from its simplicity, the 5×5 set-
rep scheme offers other benefits. The lower
number of reps per set means you’ll load
up the bar with more weight than you
would with your typical 10-rep set. And
with more weight on the bar, the greater
the stimulation is for increased strength,
assuming you’re allowing yourself to
recover and taking in adequate calories to
support muscle repair and growth. And if
you’ve been training for moderate weights,
the stimulus will be an especially novel
one, helping you beat a training plateau.

FREAK F I TNESS
PUTTING 5×5 IN YOUR LEG WORKOUT
Because of the mental focus required and demanding physical nature of the exer-
cises you’ll be performing, you’ll want to start your workout with the 5×5 scheme.
You can add on higher-rep exercises to build hypertrophy from different angles,
PRE-WORKOUT
using additional multi-joint exercises and then isolation movements to complete
your workout. Here’s a sample leg routine.
ENERGY FOR
Exercise
Barbell Squat
Sets1
5
Reps2
5
Rest
3–5 min.
ATHLETES
Leg Press 4 10 60–90 sec.
Leg Extension 4 15 60–90 sec.
Lying Leg Curl 4 10 60–90 sec.
Romanian Deadlift 4 15 60–90 sec.
1. Does not include warm-up sets; do as many as you need but never take warm-up sets to muscle failure.
2. Choose the target weight for the first exercise by following the directions in the article.
For all other exercises, choose a load such that you just reach muscle failure by the target rep listed. AVAILABLE AT
PHOTOS: DAVE LAUS
FEATURING IFBB PRO

CHRIS BUMSTEAD
The set-rep scheme works best with Try this: Take about 80 percent of your
multi-joint movements that recruit mul- single-rep max (1RM) for the given move-
tiple muscle groups into the same movement, which is typically a weight you can
ment. With more muscle mass working to do for 8 and only 8 reps. But with accumu-
perform the lift, you use substantially more lated fatigue, you won’t be able to achieve
energy to perform the exercise. With more all 25 reps. In fact, you may well be likely
of an impact placed on your body, more to reach 5 on your first couple of sets, but
endogenous anabolic hormones such as then see your reps drop to 4, 3, and 2 on
testosterone and growth hormone will be successive sets. That’s as expected.
produced by your body to help your body Your goal each successive workout
repair and come back bigger and stronger with that exercise is to get closer to com-
for your next workout. pleting all 25 reps—and it may take you
several weeks or longer to get there. But
DETERMINING THE that’s how you build strength. Once you
RIGHT WEIGHT successfully do all 5 sets of 5 reps for two
Knowing how much weight to use is criti- subsequent workouts, increase your load
cal because completing all 5 sets of 5 reps by 5 percent (upper-body exercises) or 10
the first time through shouldn’t be too percent (lower-body exercises) for your
easy or too hard. In actuality, you want a next workout.
weight you cannot do for 5 sets of 5 so Follow Darren on social media:
that the overload process enables you to @freakmaker1
build strength over the course of your next @freakmaker1
few workouts. @Darren Mehling
HONEST MACROS AND
HONEST FLAVOR NEVER
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B-Up® Protein Bars are formulated for people who demand honest
macros, honest value, and honest flavor. We’ve put everything we know
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just the right amount of ingredients to help people reach their unlimited
potential. Every B-Up Protein Bar is high in protein and fiber and low in
sugar and carbs and sodium. We also steer clear of corn fiber and
sucralose, but come through big time with the highest quality whey and
milk protein isolates. We’ve worked hard to come up with the flavors and
formulas your customers can live with for the long haul, so all of that
hard work they put in shows up right where they want it.
ADVANTAGES OF EATING B-UP?

• Can be a meal replacement
• Convenient, small and can
be consumed quickly
• Provide fuel for your workouts
• Helps build lean muscle
• Increases metabolism
• Increase fat burning
• Good for your bones
• Gluten-free
• Naturally flavored
• Easy to digest
• High quality food grade whey
In life, winning takes effort. The results
you get depend on your training and the
food you eat to fuel your body. Rest
assured, B-Up® protein gives you what
you need without all the “NO’s”...
PROTEIN BAR
COMPARISON Brand Brand Brand Brand
A B C D
Soluble Corn Fiber NO ✔ YES NO NO NO
Artificial Flavors NO ✔ NO NO YES YES
Sucralose NO ✔ YES YES YES YES
Maltitol NO ✔ NO YES YES YES
Synthetic Fiber NO ✔ NO NO YES NO
Collagen Protein NO ✔ NO NO YES NO
Corn Syrup NO ✔ NO NO NO YES
Preservatives NO ✔ NO NO NO YES
Knowledge is power and power helps

you win. Dare to compare and see for
yourself how other similar “protein
bars” stack up.
Just say NO to putting
junk in your body! Distributed by Empire Health.
(800)-263-7714

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GET STARTED SMART WITH OUR ULTIMATE BEGINNER’S GUIDE!

MAKE BIG MI’s TOP

“To reach a higher level of itness, you need science-backed

Distributed by Empire Health (800) 263-7714

PRE JYM – BUILT FOR REAL RESULTS.

13 HAND-PICKED INGREDIENTS. A HIGHER LEVEL OF FITNESS.

50 Start Smart: The World’s

60 Can You Maximize Fat Loss

66 9 Biggest Training Mistakes

74 Can Cycling Your Carbs

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102 Canadian Competitors

30 Nutrition 112 Freak Fitness

SUPPLEMENTS & PRODUCTS

PROOFREADER CONTEST PHOTOGRAPHY

BOOKKEEPING MEDICAL ADVISORY BOARD

Plan for Success!

Close-Grip Bench Presses Get

Why not do your close-grip benches on a

26 MUSCLEINSIDER.COM I SCIENCE OF BUILDING MUSCLE

PHOTO: DAVE LAUS / MODEL: DAMIAN GRUPPISO

The Smith machine allows for more

Can NSAIDs Block Muscle Gains?

28 MUSCLEINSIDER.COM I SCIENCE OF BUILDING MUSCLE

Dress Shirts for Bodybuilders $10 off with code:

A Fit for the Unfittable BradleyAllen.com

4 Best Breakfast Cereals

30 MUSCLEINSIDER.COM I SCIENCE OF BUILDING MUSCLE

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The Promise of CBD Oil

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36 M U S C LEI NS I DER . C O M I SCIE N CE O F BUIL D IN G M USCL E

S CIENCE OF BUILDING MUS CLE I MUS CLEINS IDER. COM 37

Exercises in which two

• Time your rest periods. This vari-

You can be social at the gym, but don’t let it

MUS CLEINS IDER. COM 39

• Find your baseline calories,

If you want to get bigger, you gotta

40 MU S C LEI NS I DER . C O M I SCIE N CE O F BUIL D IN G M USCL E

NOW IN STORES EVERYWHERE

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• Consider these spe-

You can lower a

44 M U S C LEI NS I DER . C O M I SCIE N CE O F BUIL D IN G M USCL E

Reduce post-workout muscle

S CIENCE OF BUILDING MUS CLE I MUS CLEINS IDER. COM 45

Make an Impact on Your Training

FEATURING IFBB PRO

For more info on

50 M U S C LEI NS I DER . C O M I SCIE N CE O F BUIL D IN G M USCL E

S CIENCE OF BUILDING MUS CLE I MUS CLEINS IDER. COM 51

1. FOCUS ON ALL THE MAJOR tion and lots of rehearsal to

52 M U S C LEI NS I DER . C O M I SCIE N CE O F BUIL D IN G M USCL E