Iron Man - USA 8 2006

ARNOLD PHOTOS: Page After Page of Pullout Miniposters
AUGUST 2006 / IRON MAN MAGAZINE—WE KNOW TRAINING™
Rare
Photos of
5 MASS
ARNOLD
A 15-Page Birthday Celebration
BUILDING
MYTHS
SLEEVE EXPOSED
BUSTIN’ SPECIAL
BICEPS REPORT:
You Can Build
Giant Arms Fast! NATURE’S
GROWTH
NUTRITION SERUM
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INTERVIEW PLUS:
ARNOLD PHOTO ISSUE
•American
How to Pack It On Strongman
And Rip It Up Jesse Marunde
AUGUST 2006
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www.ironmanmagazine.com \ APRIL 2006 261

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150 DECEMBER 2009 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

August 2006 Vol. 65, No. 8
™
We Know Training™
FEATURES
FEATURES
84 TRAIN, EAT, GROW 82
Are we ripped yet? The X Men on sear-factor training.
114 MYTH BUSTERS

Christopher Pennington reveals five training secrets the
so-called bodybuilding experts don’t want you to know.
Happy 128 COLOSTRUM

Jerry Brainum delves into the research on this first-milk
Birthday mass producer. Hey, it helps babies double their body-
weight in only a few weeks. Hmm.
Arnold, 142 A BODYBUILDER IS BORN 13

page 218 If you’re training for the approval of others, you may be
disappointed. Ron Harris tells why.
154 YOUNG JEDI OF NUTRITION

Justin “Troponin” Harris is earning guru status on the
nutrition front. You’ll see why in this insightful interview.
174 MUSCLE-MASS MASSACRE

Skip La Cour outlines 10 things bodybuilders do to
murder their gains. Don’t be a mass
murderer!
Muscle-Mass 210 PRO ACTIVE

Massacre, Amateur bodybuilder Michael Ergas
page 174 focuses on winning his pro card.
218 HAPPY BIRTHDAY,

ARNOLD
The big man’s b-day is July 30, and
we celebrate with loads of classic full-
Arnold Schwarzenegger
page pics of the Oak in his prime. appears on this month’s
cover. Photo by John
238 SLEEVE-BUSTING Balik.
BICEPS
It’s X-caliber biceps training to put some new freak on
Sleeve-Busting Biceps, your physique—as in giant, jagged mountain peaks.
page 238
246 HEAVY DUTY
John Little goes into growth vs. inflammation, actualizing
HardBody, your potential in one year and training for women.
page 270
270 HARDBODY
Page after page of Caradoll showing how weight training
does a female body good. Oh, yes, it does!
286 JESSE MARUNDE

Randall Strossen, Ph.D., profiles this 315-pound American
strongman.
298 ONLY THE STRONG SHALL SURVIVE

Bill Starr shows you how to short-circuit the time excuse
with a short circuit-training program.

DEPARTMENTS
32 TRAIN TO GAIN
How much do the pros lift? Also, belt up to blast off and
Joe Horrigan’s Sportsmedicine.
54 SMART TRAINING
Top strength coach Charles Poliquin’s advice on how to
pack on mass fast.
68 EAT TO GROW
Aminos curb overtraining and the awesomeness of as-
Muscle “In” Sites, paragus (it does more than make your pee smell weird).
page 258
102 CRITICAL MASS
Steve Holman tells you how to kick-start your lean ma-
chine. Tax-refund ideas are here too. (Say what?)
Jesse Train to Gain, 106 NATURALLY HUGE

Marunde, page 32 John Hansen answers common questions on fat loss.
page 286
258 MUSCLE “IN” SITES
Eric Broser takes you Web crawling for cool muscle
stuff. Surf’s up!
260 NEWS & VIEWS

Lonnie Teper’s got all the bodybuilding buzz fit to print.
266 BODYBUILDING PHARMACOLOGY

Jerry Brainum spreads the word on steroids and thyroids.
280 PUMP & CIRCUMSTANCE

Ruth Silverman’s prose and pics on the physique world’s
fittest chicks.
308 MIND/BODY CONNECTION

Randall Strossen, Ph.D., gives you world-class confi-
dence—plus, loads of hot shots in Graphic Muscle Stars
and Serious Training.
320 READERS WRITE

News & Views, Pump & Circumstance, Site for more size, enough already—as in bodybuilding
page 260 page 280 beasts—and readers X-it from Smallville.
In the next IRON MAN

Next month we’ve got two info-packed interviews
lined up. The first is with muscle-building research-
er Rob Thoburn, who discusses his rest-only-briefly
mass-packing theories. He’s corresponded with
scientists all over the world for years, so get ready
to grow with his info. We also have an interview
with John A. Wise, Ph.D., who talks about the excit-
ing new studies with beta-alanine and how it can
get you bigger and stronger fast. It may be better
than creatine. Then we’ll have Jerry Brainum’s look
at what’s known as the metabolic syndrome. It
could be the very reason you’re not gaining muscle
or losing fat as fast as you should, and Brainum
has some answers. Plus, you can check out drug-
free bodybuilder Dave Goodin, the Texas Shredder.
WEB ALERT! Watch for the sizzling size-packing September IRON
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John Balik’s
Founders
Publisher’s Letter 1936-1986:
Peary & Mabel Rader
Publisher/Editorial Director: John Balik
Associate Publisher: Warren Wanderer
“Everywhere I Go, Design Director: Michael Neveux

Editor in Chief: Stephen Holman
Art Director: T. S. Bratcher
Senior Editor: Ruth Silverman
I Have a Great Time” Editor at Large: Lonnie Teper

Articles Editors: L.A. Perry, Caryne Brown
Assistant Art Director: Aldrich Bonifacio
Designer: Emerson Miranda
Arnold Schwarzenegger has played many IRON MAN Staff:
roles in my life: friend, workout partner, phy- Vuthy Keo, Mervin Petralba,
R. Anthony Toscano
sique model, almost business partner (in a
Contributing Authors:
health food store in 1975) and governor of the Jerry Brainum, Eric Broser, David Chapman,
state in which I live. As I chose the photos for Teagan Clive, Lorenzo Cornacchia, Daniel Curtis,
Arnold’s birthday pictorial, which begins on Dave Draper, Michael Gündill, Rosemary Hallum,
page 218, the memories, emotions and les- Ph.D., John Hansen, Ron Harris, Ori Hofmekler,
Rod Labbe, Skip La Cour, Jack LaLanne, Butch
sons of time cascaded through my mind. Lebowitz, Stuart McRobert, Gene Mozée,
I now look back at the early-to-mid-’70s as Charles Poliquin, Larry Scott, Jim Shiebler, Roger
the second golden age of bodybuilding (the Schwab, C.S. Sloan, Bill Starr, Bradley Steiner, Eric
first being the era of Steve Reeves in the ’50s). Sternlicht, Ph.D., Randall Strossen, Ph.D., Richard
Winett, Ph.D., and David Young
Gold’s Gym, the original one on Pacific Ave-
nue in Venice, California, was a magical place. Contributing Artists:
Steve Cepello, Larry Eklund, Ron Dunn,
Every morning eight of the top-10 bodybuild-
Jake Jones
ers in the world would be training together. Many mornings, a bunch of
Contributing Photographers:
us would have breakfast together and talk and laugh about everything Jim Amentler, Reg Bradford, Jimmy Caruso, Bill
and everybody. It was a group of oversize characters—Runyonesque, Comstock, Bill Dobbins, Jerry Fredrick, Irvin Gelb,
even—each a distinct individual but tied to the others by a shared obses- J.M. Manion, Gene Mozée, Mitsuru Okabe, Rob
sion: bodybuilding. Today, the stars of our sport only see each other at Sims, Leo Stern, Russ Warner
contests; there is very little camaraderie. Director of Marketing:
Arnold was an indispensable part of the “perfect storm” of events that Helen Yu, 1-800-570-IRON, ext. 1
not only changed bodybuilding for those who were involved in it but Accounting: Dolores Waterman
also brought it to the masses. His outlook and character strengths have Subscriptions Manager:
Sonia Melendez, 1-800-570-IRON, ext. 2
been consistent. One of his mantras was, “Everywhere I go, I have a great
E-mail: soniazm@aol.com
time.” He applied that to everything: the workout, the group breakfast— Advertising Director: Warren Wanderer
everything he ever did that I was involved with. When Arnold walked 1-800-570-IRON, ext. 1
into the gym, the energy level immediately went up. You knew he was (518) 743-1696; FAX: (518) 743-1697
going to give his best to his workout, and your own workout was elevated Advertising Coordinator:
because of it. Jonathan Lawson, (805) 385-3500, ext. 320
That boundless, focused, positive energy is one of the hallmarks of Newsstand Consultant:
Arnold’s character, and he has directed it toward everything in his life, Angelo Gandino, (516) 796-9848
from his family to bodybuilding to the movie business to the governor-
We reserve the right to reject any advertising at our
ship of California. Forget about Arnold’s training secrets, what and how discretion without explanation. All manuscripts, art
he ate and his supplement routine. Yes, it’s fun to read about that, and or other submissions must be accompanied by a self-
he had some unique insights, but Arnold’s most inspirational attribute is addressed, stamped envelope. Send submissions to
IRON MAN, 1701 Ives Avenue, Oxnard, CA 93033.
not his physique but his attitude. We are not responsible for unsolicited material.
Thirty years later Arnold is still true to his mantras. Eight weeks ago I Writers and photographers should send for our
Guidelines outlining specifications for submissions.
asked him how he dealt with the endless confrontations and skirmishes IRON MAN is an open forum. We also reserve the
of politics. He gave me the same answer: “I love it. Everything about this right to edit any letter or manuscript as we see
job makes me excited.” We were at a fund-raiser, it was about 7 p.m. on a fit, and photos submitted have an implied waiver
of copyright. Please consult a physician before
Thursday, and here’s how his schedule had gone so far: After working out beginning any diet or exercise program. Use the
at 6 a.m., he’d spent the day in Sacramento and then flown to Los Ange- information published in IRON MAN at your own
les for the event. It would be followed by another that would take him to risk.
midnight, and then he’d fly back to Sacramento. That’s an 18-hour day IRON MAN Internet Addresses:
and more typical than not. He displayed no fatigue and said not a word Web Site: www.ironmanmagazine.com
about the demands of the job, only its rewards. Arnold is all about solu- John Balik, Publisher: ironleader@aol.com
tions—a problem only exists to be solved. Steve Holman, Editor in Chief: ironchief@aol.com
Ruth Silverman, Senior Editor: ironwman@aol.com
Thanks, Arnold, for being an inspiration, and thanks from a citizen of
T.S. Bratcher, Art Director: ironartz@aol.com
California for the way you’re applying your attitude—and your skills—to Helen Yu, Director of Marketing: irongrrrl@aol.com
our great state. Happy birthday. IM Jonathan Lawson, Ad Coordinator: ironjdl@aol.com
Sonia Melendez, Subscriptions: soniazm@aol.com
30 AUGUST 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com

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INSIDER ADVICE
How Much Weight Do the Pros Lift?

I get a decent amount of feedback from magazine cheating form and shortened range of motion to ap-
readers, which is understandable. There are always a proximate the training poundages of the pros. Okay, so
few odd e-mail messages, as you might imagine. One Ronnie Coleman can do barbell rows with more than 400
gentleman has been insisting for a couple of years that pounds. Do you really think that doing the same, by any
when I write about a pro’s training, I really should list his means possible, will give you a back like his? More likely,
exact workouts, down to the last weight, set and rep. He you’ll rob your back of the proper stimulation it could
claims that would be far more “informative” than simply have had if you’d used more reasonable weight and
saying, for example, that Lee Priest works his way up better form, as well as opening yourself up to the risk of
over four sets of alternate dumbbell curls with anywhere serious injury.
from 60 to 100 pounds. Apparently, the reader, who How much weight do the pros use? As much as they
writes often under several aliases, doesn’t feel that’s need to, which is what you should be doing. Don’t worry
adequate. if the weights you handle aren’t the same as Mr. Olym-
The fact is, there’s no way to supply that info with pia’s or even the biggest guy in your gym. We all do what
complete accuracy because even the pros have good we can with what we’re given. As long as you’re making
and bad days in the gym. Factors like traveling, lack of progress—even if it means going from bench-pressing
sleep and missed meals, not to mention personal prob- 200 pounds for 10 reps to 225—that’s all that ultimately
lems and the occasional illness or injury, can have a sig- matters.
nificant impact on a bodybuilder’s workout. That’s made —Ron Harris
clear in the latest Ronnie Coleman training DVD, “On the www.RonHarrisMuscle.com
Road,” filmed in Australia several days after the ’05 Mr.
Olympia. Though Big Ron trains hard for the camera,
anyone who’s watched his previous two DVDs, in which
he’s training for the Olympia, will note that he’s markedly
less powerful after a very long flight and in a different
environment. The weights are at times as much as 20
percent less than what we’ve seen him use before.
This all leads me to ask, What does it matter how
much weight the pros use, and for how many reps?
How does that help you improve your own body? I feel
it’s about as useful as knowing exactly what Brad Pitt
and Angelina Jolie bought at a fancy department store in
London or what they ate for lunch. My suspicion is that
some readers want to compare their own lifting pound-
age to that of the big freaks of pro bodybuilding. Further,
I can imagine that they’d take a certain smug satisfaction
in knowing that they were as strong or stronger on some
exercise than a pro bodybuilder.
What they’re completely forgetting is that bodybuild-
ing is all about developing the perfect physique. It’s not
a weightlifting contest. That’s why we have the sports
of powerlifting, Olympic lifting and strongman events. It
Neveux \ Model: Lee Priest
Neveux \ Model: Jay Cutler
doesn’t matter how much weight you can curl or press.

Truth be told, there are men out there who are stronger
than most pro bodybuilders, yet they lack the tremen-
dous muscle size and pleasing shape that would make
them champions onstage.
Another dangerous trap for a bodybuilder is to use

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TRAIN TO GAIN X FILES
In-the-Gym
GH Blast
For fat loss and muscle mass
Power partials done at the end of a
regular set, six-inch pulses right at the
semistretch point, can give your workout
a whole new feel—for example, pulsing
near the bottom of a chinup when no
more full-range reps are possible. Those
end-of-set X Reps force the target mus-
cles to continue to fire after the nervous
system balks. That’s what makes X Reps
such a powerful muscle-building tool,
ultimate intensity and overload. Plus,
the muscle burn you get is one of the
best ways to stimulate surges in growth
hormone.
In a study published in the Canadian
Journal of Applied Physiology in 1997,
researchers showed a direct correlation
between higher blood lactic acid levels
Neveux
and GH release from the pituitary gland.
That means the more muscle burn you
GYM GERMS can induce, the more growth hormone
you can stimulate—up to a point. And
Clean Machines? Is the equipment in your gym

crawling with infectious agents?
growth hormone does everything from
helping you build muscle and burn fat
to bolstering your immune system and
Since disease transmission in the gym seems possible—sweat could serve as a strengthening bones, ligaments and
carrier of pathological microbes and viruses—a recent study checked equipment in two tendons. Talk about bodybuilding bonus
gyms for disease-causing organisms. The machines examined were disinfected twice a points!
day. Because X Reps are so intense, most
The study revealed the presence of bacterial contamination on both aerobic and trainees get best results by doing one
weight-training equipment. The good news, however, was that none of the bacteria had straight set to exhaustion followed by
any pathogenic potential; in short, none could cause disease. The situation with viruses another straight set to exhaustion with X
wasn’t as uplifting. Fully 63 percent of hand-contact equipment showed the presence Reps, which will induce extra burn. The
of rhinoviruses. Weight-training equipment was significantly more contaminated than first straight set to failure is more of an
aerobic machines (73 percent compared to 51 percent). That was because less disinfec- extension of the warmup. A warm mus-
cle can contract up to 20 percent better
tant was used on barbells and dumbbells than on machines. In addition, viruses persist
than a cold one, so having the muscle
longer on nonporous surfaces, such as the steel of weights, than on porous materials.
primed for your X Rep set is very impor-
Even more shocking was the effect of disinfecting the machines: It didn’t result in low-
tant. (Most bodybuilders don’t warm up
ering the viral activity (48 percent positive before cleaning) but increased it to 86 percent
sufficiently, which can significantly limit
after cleaning. The disinfectant may not have penetrated the often serrated surfaces of progress.) The first heavy set to failure
the equipment. Viruses can “hide” in areas where the disinfectant cannot reach. Or the extends the warmup sets, and it pumps
disinfectant may not have been effective against the virus. up nervous system reaction time so your
So it appears that your chances of acquiring a cold, particularly during the cold sea- X set gets bigger gains cooking.
son, are high if you exercise regularly in a gym. Still, you can do some things to diminish —Steve Holman and
your chances of getting sick. The obvious is to avoid being in the vicinity of someone Jonathan Lawson
who clearly has symptoms of illness. If someone on the treadmill next to you www
starts coughing or sneezing, get off the machine and move as far away as pos- .X-Rep.com
sible. Viruses, including flu viruses, can travel in aerosol droplets. Colds are trans-
mitted to mucous membranes in the nose, mouth or eyes, so try not to touch Editor’s
any of those areas when you’re in the gym unless you’ve thoroughly washed note: The
your hands. You can never be certain when someone with a cold has just used a best-selling
weight that you lifted or touched a machine you’re now using. e-book The
As for drinking from gym fountains, I stopped doing that when I noticed that Ultimate
some people had a nasty habit of spitting in the fountain. When I started bringing Mass Work-
my own water bottle to the gym, the number of colds I caught dropped precipi- out is the
original X-
tously. —Jerry Brainum
Rep manual.
It’s available
Goldhammer, K.A., et al. (2006). Prospective study of bacterial and viral con-
at www
tamination of exercise equipment. Clin J Sports Med. 16:34-38.
.X-Rep.com.
Neveux

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How would you like a surge in
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bench press—say, 20 extra pounds
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workouts? Sure, adding 20 pounds
to your bench in two or three training
sessions may sound crazy, especially
if your bench press poundage has
been stuck in neutral for a while.
But nine times out of 10 this stall is
due to an easily correctible muscle
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The rotator cuff muscles stabilize

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TRAIN TO GAIN EXERCISE SCIENCE
Belt Up to Blast Off? Are lifting belts useful training

aids or useless props?
When I began train- cycling, however, as is
ing more than 40 years blood pressure during
ago, it seemed that deadlifts. A study that
every person in the gym looked at what hap-
wore a lifting belt—even pened when a lifting
on exercises that didn’t belt was worn during
require extra lower-back one-arm dumbbell
support. Maybe wearing One study bench presses found no
the belt constantly was found that increased heart rate or
a way to avoid leaving wearing blood pressure. (Anoth-
an expensive leather belt a lifting er study should examine
behind—or maybe it was belt during why experimenters
because by cinching the squats would choose an exer-
belt tight, the user ap- increased cise such as one-arm
peared to have a smaller thigh-muscle bench presses, which
waist than he really did.
activation. don’t exist in the real
As the years went by, world.)
lifting belts turned up in places other than hardcore weight What about increases in IAP? While that didn’t happen
rooms. Today, it’s not uncommon to see people whose work when workers wore lifting belts in industrial settings, it did
involves an extensive amount of physical labor, especially happen in the gym. One study found that IAP was 25
that of lifting, wearing a type of lifting belt. Clearly the motive to 40 percent greater when a lifting belt was worn
doesn’t involve vanity, since many such workers don’t really during heavy squats. That would both stabilize the
care how big their waists may appear. So it would seem that spine and decrease spinal compression. Another
lifting belts have actual utility. study found that wearing a belt during heavy lifts decreased
Lifting belts are still popular in gyms, judging by a recent the perception of effort during the exercise, thus making the
survey that found 27 percent of gym members preferring to lifting seem easier. Wearing a lifting belt tends to round the
train while wearing a belt. The consensus among belt enthusi- trunk area, leading to greater activation of both the lower back
asts was that wearing a belt helped prevent injuries. A smaller muscles and the abdominal muscles, both of which increase
percentage felt that wearing a belt during training improved lower-back support.
exercise performance because it permitted the use of heavier In the past some bodybuilders suggested that wearing a
weights and better exercise form. lifting belt somehow limits the involvement of certain muscles
You’d think that the evidence for wearing a lifting belt during exercise. Studies show that the belt limits movements
would show its clear-cut effectiveness, but that isn’t the case. such as lateral bending and torso twisting, both of which are
Most studies have focused on the use of a lifting belt in work more applicable to work settings. On the other hand, the belt
settings, which isn’t quite the same as gym use. The loads also tends to promote a squat-lift technique that would relieve
lifted under work conditions are much less than those lifted stress on the lower back when a trainee lifts with a bent-over,
in the gym. In addition, the type of lifting that occurs with rounded-back posture.
work involves more repetitions. That relates more to muscular One study looked at the effect of wearing belts during two
endurance than strength. It’s not surprising that stud- styles of deadlifts and found that not wearing a belt produced
ies examining the use of lifting belts under work greater oblique muscle activity. The obliques are the “love
conditions often find that the belts provide no true handle” muscles that frame the abdominals. The same study
lumbar support, nor do they increase intra-abdomi- also showed, however, that the shift of muscular activity trans-
nal pressure. ferred to the abdominals. That’s a positive finding, since the
The increase in intra-abdominal pressure, or IAP, is thought abdominals help stabilize the lower back, while the obliques
to be the key to why lifting belts provide a measure of support stabilize the abdominals and trunk muscles.
during heavy lifting. The belt helps stabilize the abdominal wall, Another study looked at muscle involvement dur-
which in turn stabilizes the spine, especially the lower back. ing squats and found that the belt increased the
The increased stability is thought to be an important factor in muscular involvement of the prime muscles in the
improved exercise performance and injury prevention. thigh—both front and rear. It also found a 23 percent
Lifting belts are supposed to supply enough support to increased involvement of the lower-back muscles when sub-
offset fatigue in the lower back—again more a factor in work jects wore a belt. The belt likely increased the thigh-muscle
settings than in gym use. Even so, studies examining the involvement because of increased lower-back stability, which
issue found that a belt had no effect on reducing enabled greater focus on the targeted muscles. In addition,
lower-back fatigue. wearing a lifting belt leads to increased exercise speed, which
Other studies have looked at whether wearing a lifting belt would increase muscle activation.
adversely affects blood pressure, heart rate and breathing Add it all up and the lifting belt emerges as far more than
rate. At first, that might seem a curious consideration, but a a mere prop. It helps to stabilize the spine through increased
tightly worn belt could theoretically impede breathing, which intrabdominal pressure, reduces spinal compression and even
in turn would affect both heart rate and blood pressure. One increases muscle involvement during exercise. Wearing a lift-
study did find elevated heart rates and blood pressure when ing belt during heavy exercise makes sense.
lifting belts were worn during stationary cycling and isometric —Jerry Brainum
deadlifts. Heart rates are always elevated during stationary

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TRAIN TO GAIN SPORTSMEDICINE
Curl Consciousness Beware: Some types of curls can wreck

your wrists and shank your shoulders
The two most popular exercises in any gym are the bench The technique of the dumbbell curl that has evolved is bio-
press and the curl. When someone says, “Make a muscle,” mechanically correct. You hold the dumbbells with the palms
you automatically flex your biceps. Developed biceps are a of your hands facing your thighs. As your elbows begin to
sure sign you’re working out regularly. bend and the dumbbells start to clear your thighs, you should
The curl has been the standard exercise for developing the begin to turn your palms upward toward the ceiling. That turn,
biceps. Most trainees begin with the barbell curl, and they known as supination, should occur gradually.
experience increased biceps strength and growth. As they The biceps brachii bends your elbow and turns your palm
continue, they usually come across a cambered bar, some- upward. It also has an action on the shoulder that includes
times known as an EZ-curl bar, which is a barbell that has flexion (raising the arm straight up in front of the body), and
been bent so there are subtle changes in the angles where the it has an effect on overhead-pressing strength due to better
hands hold the bar. shoulder stabilization.
The angles can reduce stress on the wrists and forearms. That all seems simple enough, but there are two other
Stress on the ligaments and cartilage in the wrist contributes areas of concern during the dumbbell curl. The first is the
to wrist pain during barbell curls. The forearm pain may be shoulder. When you have a rotator cuff injury—with or without
caused by tendinitis and by stress on connective tissue struc- instability—it’s very difficult to stabilize your shoulder, which
ture between the radius and ulna, the two long bones of the makes the dumbbell curl difficult to perform. That’s obvious
forearm. when you perform a strong, perfect dumbbell curl with one
Eventually, almost all trainees try the dumbbell curl. There arm, and when you try the other arm, the shoulder dips to
are distinct advantages to the dumbbell curl, the most impor- compensate for the injury. The elbow on that injured side is
tant being that you have the freedom to move your wrist to usually held a little closer to the body too. The heavier you go
find positions that don’t cause pain in the forearm. Of course, on the curls, the more pronounced that will be.
if the dumbbell curl doesn’t cause pain, or as much pain, you Once you address the shoulder problem and reduce the
can be more consistent with your biceps training, resulting in inflammation, perhaps with ice packs, and begin a strength-
greater strength and muscle gains. ening program for your rotator cuff and shoulder blade, the
injured shoulder will become stronger
and will be able to support heavy
dumbbell curls.
The freedom The second potential problem is
of movement the aggravation of low-back pain.
You can do dumbbell curls with one
dumbbells
dumbbell at a time or two at a time.
provide can Working both arms together places
relieve wrist more weight in front, especially at
strain. the midrange point of the curl. That
will cause your back muscles to fire
more, and as the dumbbells become
heavier, you lean back to some degree.
The lighter the weight, the better the
posture. If you’re experiencing pain or
discomfort while simultaneously curl-
ing two dumbbells, try going one arm
at a time or alternating reps. There’s
another advantage of the alternate
style: You give the muscle a little longer
time for recovery, and that will enable
you to handle more weight. There are
few trainees who don’t want to handle
more weight.
—Joseph M. Horrigan
Editor’s note: Visit www

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TRAIN TO GAIN HARDGAINER
Build a Better Bodybuilding Brain

2) Perform the set one
If you want to build your
rep at a time. Look no
body as fast as possible,
further than the current
you first need to build your
rep. Don’t rush, and use
bodybuilding brain. Here’s
correct exercise tech-
how to do it to super-
nique.
charge your workouts.
The haven. Treat 3) When the discomfort
your training time as invio- intensifies, dissociate
lable—your haven. Make yourself from it. Imagine
each set perfect: perfect you’re watching yourself
technique, perfect control on film. Push on. Again,
and perfect concentration. don’t rush, and do use
That’s possible on a long- correct exercise tech-
term basis as long as you nique.
keep your mind on one set
at a time. 4) Remind yourself of
The instant you’re in the how much you want a
gym, switch off nontrain- stronger, better phy-
ing matters. Turn off your sique. Keep the reps
phone. Cut yourself off coming. Again, don’t
from the hoopla that may rush, and do use cor-
be taking place where you rect exercise technique.
train. Ideally, train during 5) To be able to train
a quiet time when there hard is a privilege. Don’t
are few or no distrac- quit prematurely. Forge
tions. Furthermore, don’t on—and use correct
squeeze your training exercise technique.
between two demanding
out-of-the-gym activities. Intensity with correct
Protect and respect technique and rep con-
your privacy while you trol are what successful
train. Then make each rep training is about, not
Neveux
a journey into the haven, merely banging out as
where you’re master. many reps as possible.
Without such a single- Never cheat, never use
minded application, you’ll fall short of your best performance. more weight than you can handle correctly, and never use
Mental preparation. You can’t enter the gym with your explosive lifting. Use a smooth, controlled rep speed no faster
mind full of problems and concerns and expect to put in a than two to three seconds up and two to three seconds down
good workout. Transform yourself from your working and fam- per rep. No exceptions!
ily persona to your training persona. Workout tape. It may seem somewhat extreme, but get
Before you start your general warmup, sit down somewhere someone to videotape your entire workout. Then study the
out of the way, switch off from what’s happening around you, recording at home. Examine your exercise technique, rep con-
and switch on to your training. For a few minutes, mentally go trol, concentration level, effort level and use of time between
through each exercise you’ve planned for the workout. Close sets. Look for areas you can improve, and address them at
your eyes and imagine performing two or three reps of each your next workout.
one. Feel your muscles working. See the weights moving with Put all of these elements into practice, and build your
control. Become each rep. bodybuilding brain, and your training will become more effec-
The first few times you do that you’ll probably find your tive—provided that your exercise program design is good. I’ll
mind wandering. Keep pulling it back to the focus you need. get into that in future installments.
With practice it will become easier. Keep your mind on your —Stuart McRobert
workout as you do your general warmup work. Don’t let www.Hardgainer.com
people or events disrupt your focus. Then maintain your focus
throughout the workout. Editor’s note: Stuart
Train hard, with discipline. The essence of training McRobert’s first byline in
effectively is to work intensively and progressively, without IRON MAN appeared in 1981.
rushing, while maintaining correct technique and smooth, con- He’s the author of the new
trolled rep speed. It’s easy in theory, but to execute it demands 638-page opus on bodybuild-
great discipline. ing Build Muscle, Lose Fat,
1) With the bar loaded for a work set, switch on your training Look Great, available from
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TRAIN TO GAIN PREVENTION
Warm Up to Safer Workouts Asave

couple of extra sets could
you from injury!
It was less than a month before the ’06 Arnold Classic, and Let that
Victor Martinez was rushing through a chest workout, some- sink in. Warm- Victor
thing quite out of character for him. But it had been a bad day, ing up takes Martinez.
and he was hoping to alleviate some stress with his old friend, a little time,
the cold iron. The bench press has been a favorite exercise to be sure,
of the Dominican Dominator for years, and he’s pressed 500 and time is
pounds routinely. Part of his bench-pressing ritual has always something we
been extensive warmups, at least two sets of 20 reps with all seem to
135, then the same with 225, just to get plenty of blood flow- have less of
ing and lube up the joints. On that fateful day, however, he these days.
did just one quick set of 10 reps with 225, then 315, before But I think we
launching into a set with 405—a weight he can ordinarily man- can all agree
handle any day of the week. that spending
You can probably guess what happened next. While locking a few extra
out the fourth rep, he felt and heard his pectoral muscle tear. minutes isn’t
It’s a sound I’ve never heard, but from all accounts, sickening too much to
doesn’t even begin to describe it, especially if it’s your pec ask if it helps
that’s tearing. Luckily for Victor, he racked the weight and ensure against
probably saved himself from incurring a full tear, which would months
have required surgical reattachment and an extensive period of missed
of healing and rehabilitation. workouts, or
Comstock
Thanks to a very thorough treatment that included deep-tis- perhaps never
sue massage, physical therapy and acupuncture, Victor was being able to
able to compete at the Arnold, where he placed a respectable train heavy for
third. But for that brief moment under the bar, he saw a year of the rest of your days. Take your time—in the long run you’ll be
his career in pro bodybuilding, a sport in which careers aren’t glad you did.
very long to begin with, flash before his eyes. “Never again will —Ron Harris
I break from my routine of warming up right,” he says. “It kept
me injury-free all those years, and the one time I tried to skip it Editor’s note: Check out Ron’s new free online training
and rush right into heavy weight, it was a disaster.” blog, The Daily Pump, at www.RonHarrisMuscle.com.
AB SOLUTIONS
Slicing With Synergy

A lot of people recommend reverse crunches as a good
lower-ab exercise. You perform the movement as follows: Lie
on your back with your hands under your hips and raise your
legs until they’re perpendicular to the floor, with a slight bend
at the knees. Now raise your hips off the floor to contract your
abs. Each rep is simply a hip raise.
The reverse crunch is a good exercise for isolating the rec-
tus abdominis, but it’s not an effective substitute for full-range Neveux \ Model: Bob Donnelly
hip-curl-function exercises like incline kneeups. The reason is
synergy.
Synergy is muscle teamwork, and because of the way the
human muscle system is designed, it functions best when
you use complementary exercises. For example, to develop
your quads, you usually choose squats as your first move-
ment and then finish them off with leg extensions. Why? By
training your quads in conjunction with your glutes and lower
back in the squat, you can move heavier poundages, thus to finish off your abs with a full-range torso-curl-function
stimulating the mass of the target muscle—the quads. You exercise, such as Ab Bench crunch pulls, for the best, fastest
then use leg extensions to isolate and finish off the quads, development possible. If you want to incorporate the reverse
theoretically hitting fibers you might have missed with squats. crunch into your workout, try a set or two between your
The same holds true for the rectus abdominis. While the incline kneeups and Ab Bench crunch pulls as a transition
reverse crunches isolate it in the same way that leg exten- movement.
sions isolate the quads, to effect the most development in the —Steve Holman
abs, you should begin your ab workout with an exercise that Train, Eat, Grow
involves synergy, such as incline kneeups, so that you involve
the hip flexors. That hits the mass of the target muscle, your Editor’s note: For more information on the bodybuilding
abs, with an intense full-range movement. And don’t forget best-seller Train, Eat, Grow see page 96.

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Charles Poliquin’s
Smart Training
compromising the joint integrity of your elbows and wrists.
Regarding pulldowns and pullups, the grip width and
Get a Grip orientation have definite repercussions on the recruitment

of the muscles—at both the elbow and the shoulder. When
your palms are up, the biceps brachii have a more effective
line of pull and thus are more fully recruited. That explains
why you can perform more reps when your palms are fac-
Q: You always talk about using different grips. ing you than when they’re facing away.
Trouble is, I don’t have the imagination to think When your palms are semisupinated, the brachioradia-
of them. I would like to know what these different lis is most active in its elbow flexion role, and the biceps
grips do. For instance, what grips can I use while have a somewhat effective line of pull, which contributes
doing dumbbell or barbell curls? How about pull- to greater elbow strength. If you’re weak in chinups, the
ups and pulldowns? semisupinated grip is the best grip to start with. In the pro-
nated grip, your biceps have an ineffective line of pull; thus
A: You have basically nine permutations of grip positions the brachialis picks up most of the elbow flexion force.
per upper-body exercise and three forearm-orientation A supinated, semisupinated or pronated grip also af-
positions: supinated (palms up), neutral (semisupinated, fects muscle recruitment at the shoulder differently. The
anatomical, hammer) and pronated (palms down). You can supinated and semisupinated grips make the pullup action
multiply them by the three grip widths: narrow, medium from shoulder extension more than from scapulae adduc-
and wide. However, not all grips are ergonomically cor- tion. The opposite is true for the pronated, or overhand,
rect; for example, you couldn’t do narrow supinated bench grip. Therefore, supinated and semisupinated grip work
presses or wide pronated barbell curls without seriously involves the lats and teres major more while pronated work
shifts the emphasis
toward the rhomboids
A neutral, or and middle and lower
portions of the traps.
hammer, grip Please keep in mind
affects the that changes in grip
change the emphasis
brachioradialis of an exercise and don’t
more and the make it a pure isolation
exercise; there is no
biceps less than such thing. What re-
the palm-up, or ally happens is that the
percentage of contri-
supinated, grip. bution of each muscle
to the total force out-
put varies when the
type and width of a
grip change.
Q: Kinesiologi-
cally speaking, how
does the split squat,
with the rear leg
elevated, compare
with a conventional
squat? The reason
I ask is that I rarely
feel the way you’re
supposed to feel
after squatting, and
during back squats
my lungs give out
before my muscles.
That split squat with
the rear foot elevat-
ed really blasts my
leg(s), however, and
I have trouble walk-
ing afterward.
A: The exercise
Neveux
you’re referring to
is better known in

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Smart Training
The split squat is like a lunge, but you train
one leg at a time, and your working leg stays
in the forward position. To make the exercise
more difficult—and involve more hip stabilizer
muscle—you can elevate your rear leg on a
bench.
very unproductive training. It’s like studying Swedish to
pass an Italian exam. First of all, you must consider which
muscles are involved in developing a high vertical jump.
The most important are the glutes, as they contribute
40 percent of the power. Next are the hamstrings, which
contribute 25 percent of the jump. Look at the Cuban vol-
leyball players: When they were at their prime, they had
outstanding glute and hamstring development. The quad-
riceps contribute only about 5 percent to the vertical jump.
As a matter of fact, the shoulder flexors—i.e., anterior
deltoids—contribute as much as 15 percent to the vertical
jump. If you don’t believe me, jump as high as you can with
an arm swing. Compare that to jumping with your hands
anchored on your hips. You’ll see that you jump signifi-
cantly higher with arm swing.
Neveux \ Model: Noel Thompson
In other words, two-thirds of the jumping height is a

function of the strength from the bottom of your spine
to the back of your knees. The stronger your glutes
Did you know that the quads contribute only

about 5 percent of the work in a vertical jump?
Most of the thrust comes from the glutes and
strength-coaching circles as the Bulgarian split squat, as hamstrings.
it was first seen in the training of elite Bulgarian triple
jumpers. This great variation on the split squat was
first introduced to the North American strength-coach-
ing community in the mid-’80s by weightlifting coach
Angel Spassov.
Because the back foot is elevated, you get a greater
stretch and activation in the rectus femoris and psoas
muscles, particularly if you pay attention to keeping the
torso perpendicular to the ground. The split position also
permits more recruitment of the adductors and hip stabi-
lizers than the standard back squat. Of course, both forms
of squats recruit the quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes.
The reason your lungs don’t burn as much after doing
a set of Bulgarian split squats is that you use only half the
load you use in regular squats. The total lactate output is
smaller, since the front leg is mainly what produces it. On
a back squat both legs would be activated during the set,
hence jacking up the lactate levels. Therefore, your cardio-
vascular system doesn’t have to work as hard. That’s not
to say that one is better than the other; they’re both very
effective leg exercises and should be rotated in and out of
your leg-training programs.
Q: Even though my first love is bodybuilding, I re-
ally love to play pickup basketball a few days a week.
Neveux \ Model: Skip La Cour
I’m the laughingstock of my peers: Even though I

have muscular quads, my vertical jump sucks. I re-
ally need to increase it, so I’ve been doing plenty of
leg extensions and leg presses—and it hasn’t gone
up. Please help me.
A: No wonder your vertical jump sucks. You are doing

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Smart Training
Neveux \ Model: Berry Kabov
Deadlifts coupled with explosive-

and hamstrings are, the greater strength work on exercises as power cleans, leads to the great-
your vertical jump. like power cleans will improve est increases in vertical-jump height.
Second, you must select the right your vertical jump and build The slow lift cycles should be two-
exercises for those muscle groups. new lower-body size. to-three-week blocks alternated with
Simply isolating muscle structures fast-lift blocks of another two to three
will improve your vertical jump but weeks. That should position you to
won’t ensure that you get the highest gain four to six inches on your verti-
return. For example, training your glutes on a multihip ma- cal in about 12 weeks total. Expect some appreciable size
chine won’t increase your vertical jump nearly as much as increases in your lower extremities as well.
the deadlift. You must use exercises that work the muscles
in a chain with recruitment patterns that resemble jump- Editor’s note: Charles Poliquin is recognized as one
ing. For example a deadlift will improve your vertical jump of the world’s most successful strength coaches, having
more than a leg press. In a leg press the lower-back muscles coached Olympic medalists in 12 different sports, includ-
aren’t involved. ing the U.S. women’s
Select exercises from the following: squats, split squats, track-and-field team
stepups, good mornings, reverse hypers and deadlifts. for the 2000 Olym-
Those will increase the maximal strength of the muscles pics. He’s spent years
involved in jumping. researching Euro-
Then you should learn some of the exercises that make pean journals (he’s
up the training of Olympic lifters, such as power cleans, fluent in English,
power snatches and the various types of pulls they use. Be- French and German)
sides training the maximal strength you need, you should and speaking with
train your explosive strength, or the ability of the nervous other coaches and
system to produce a great amount of force in the shortest scientists in his quest
time. That’s also known as the rate of force development. to optimize training
Since Olympic lifts and their variations are multijoint ex- methods. For more
ercises with relatively high neurological demand, I recom- on his books, semi-
mend that you get a qualified strength coach or Olympic nars and methods,
lifting coach to show you how to do them. visit www.Charles
Bradford
In working with elite handball, volleyball and basketball Poliquin.net. Also,

players, I’ve found that combining slower lifts, such as see his ad on page
deadlifts, to build maximal strength with faster lifts, such 187. IM Charles Poliquin
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Train ™ \ JULY 2006 181
EAT TO
NUTRITION SCIENCE
Curb Your Enthusiasm

Perhaps the most common error
in bodybuilding is overtraining.
of overtraining become less obvious
because of improved muscle repair ef-
Aminos, intensity and
overtraining
ment containing essential and con-
ditionally essential amino acids. They
Bodybuilders often overtrain without ficiency coupled with fewer hormonal took the supplement one hour prior to
realizing it, since the effects are not changes. meals and two hours after meals, as
usually obvious at first. A medical While overtraining appears to well as one to two hours before and
examination, however, would likely find offer no benefits, a controlled form of after training. Those in the placebo
a number of abnormalities, such as overtraining known as overreaching group got an inert supplement on the
increased enzymes from muscle dam- is sometimes used to get past stick- same schedule.
age, lowered muscle glycogen levels ing points or training plateaus. With As expected, after one week
and a lack of complete muscle repair overreaching, you suddenly increase of overtraining, those in the
after training. the volume, intensity or both for short placebo group experienced a
In the long term, overtraining leads periods, such as two to four weeks. loss of strength, but those in
to a lack of gains, which you can see. The body compensates by upgrading the amino group did not. Levels
As you gain experience, the signs anabolic activity, leading to strength of substances indicating muscle dam-
and size gains. age were elevated only in the placebo
A new study found that most of the group. The amino group maintained
adverse hormonal effects of levels of total and free testosterone,
overtraining and overreach- but not the placebo group. In addition,
ing are blunted if you use those in the placebo group showed
amino acid supplements. A higher blood levels of sex-hormone-
high level of amino acids in binding globulin, a protein that locks
the blood is associated with on to free testosterone, rendering it
increased muscle protein inactive. The placebo group, however,
synthesis and a blunting showed elevated levels of growth hor-
of muscle catabolism. mone. The authors suggest it was the
In the new study, 17 body’s attempt to offset the lowered
men with weight-train- levels of other anabolic hormones that
ing experience were resulted from the overtraining.
randomly assigned to The authors note that “amino acid
either an amino acid or requirements to maintain optimal
placebo group. They repair and recovery of skeletal muscle
underwent four weeks may be greater during high-volume
of purposeful overtrain- or high-intensity resistance training.”
ing. Those in the amino Earlier studies showed that amino
acid group took 0.4 acid supplements promote increased
grams per kilogram of muscle protein synthesis when taken
bodyweight of a supple- after intense training. Recent studies
Taking amino acids can do great things for

your results by decreasing muscle damage,
maintaining testosterone levels and reducing
the catabolic effects of overtraining.

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show the effect
occurs with
as little as six
grams of es-
sential aminos.
The greater
availability of
amino acids
appears to
decrease
muscle dam-
age incurred
by hard train-
ing. That’s
how you
maintain
strength.
Neveux \ Model: John Cowgill

Other stud-
ies show that
branched-chain
amino acids can
reduce muscle
breakdown by
inhibiting prote-
ases, or en-
zymes that degrade protein in muscle. AMINO AMMO
In addition, the maintenance
of optimal testosterone levels
during intense training exerts a Older Muscles, More Protein
potent anabolic effect that also
is conducive to building muscle A study performed at the
size and increasing strength. University of Texas found that
Those in the placebo group muscles of older subjects
showed decreased levels of hemo- assimilated 60 percent fewer
Neveux \ Model: Frank Zane
globin, the oxygen-carrying protein in amino acids from protein

red blood cells. A loss of hemoglobin than younger subjects. That
could adversely affect both energy means you need more pro-
and muscular endurance while protein as you age, but usually
moting premature fatigue during train- just the opposite happens:
ing. The older people get, the
Bottom line: While purposeful over- less protein they eat—which could explain the tremendous loss of
training isn’t a good idea for most muscle that occurs from middle age and beyond. For health and
people, you can negate many of muscle maintenance as you get older, up your aminos.
the effects of overtraining by a —Becky Holman
judicious intake of amino acids.
www.X-tremeLean.com
—Jerry Brainum
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ AUGUST 2006 69

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Eat to Grow
NUTRITION NOTES
High estrogen levels
can make abs do a
disappearing act.
Food Facts
That can affect your
workouts, weight and wellness
Rice cakes
have appeared
in the hands of
many dieters
because of their
low calorie con-
tent. But did you
know they have
a very high glyce-
mic-index num-
ber? That means
insulin spikes and
fat storage.
Beer can
be healthful.
Scientists at
the University
of Wisconsin
WARRIOR NUTRITION AND EXERCISE discovered
that Guinness
stout has more
Blasting Off Stubborn Fat health-promot-
ing flavonoids
and more anti-
Your fat-loss efforts may be stuck in neutral because of excess estro- clotting proper-
gen—yes, even if you’re male. When overexpressed, estrogen may convert ties than lighter
to an extremely toxic compound, 16-hydroxyestrone. It’s known as “bad” beer.
estrogen and has been regarded as the culprit in some of the deadliest Alcohol, in
breast, ovarian and prostate cancers. moderation, may help you stay lean.
Note that estrogen isn’t a bad hormone. Proper amounts support the neu- Mayo Clinic researchers studied more
ral, skeletal and reproductive systems. Ideally, estrogen converts to the than 8,000 people
highly beneficial 2-hydroxyestrone, which plays critical roles as an antioxi- and found that
dant and anticancer compound. The so-called good estrogen may induce those who had
cancer cells’ apoptosis, or suicide. one or two alco-
When the body’s nutritional defenses are low and estrogen is over- holic drinks a day
expressed, however, it unfortunately converts instead into 16-hy- were 54 percent
droxyestrone, which is associated with stubborn fat gain as well as the less likely to be
formation of cancer cells. obese than those
who didn’t par-
If you control excess estrogen, you’ll be healthier and leaner. To do that
take.
you should increase your intake of cruciferous vegetables, such as broc-
Fish oil has
coli and cauliflower; increase your intake of the omega-3 fatty acids, found
lots of benefits,
in fatty fish; eat organic foods to avoid pesticides; and minimize alcohol from making your
consumption. You should also consider an estrogen-inhibiting supple- skin and heart
ment. [Note: The latest and most potent estrogen-inhibitor is EstroX, an healthier to get-
all-natural supplement. It’s available from Home Gym Warehouse, (800) ting you leaner.
447-0008, or www.Home-Gym.com.] —Ori Hofmekler It also helps your breathing. Indiana
University researchers tested fish oil
Editor’s note: Ori Hofmekler is the author of capsules on subjects with exercise-
the books The Warrior Diet and Maximum Muscle & induced asthma. Results: The subjects
Minimum Fat, published by Dragon Door Publications had a 64 percent improvement in lung
function. That could have something
(www.dragondoor.com). For more information or for
to do with fish oil’s ability to reduce
a consultation, contact him at ori@warriordiet.com,
inflammation.
www.warriordiet.com or by phone at (866) WAR-DIET.
—Becky Holman
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Eat to Grow
FOOD STUFF
It’s a veggie with radical

Awesome Asparagus health benefits
The U.S. government recently upgraded
its recommended intake of fruits
and vegetables from
five to nine servings
a day. If you look
at nutrition research,
however, you’ll find that
the optimal intake of
fruits and vegetables
is at least 11 servings
a day. Such foods
contain thousands
of chemicals called Asparagus has natural
phytonutrients diuretic and antiviral properties and
that are not found fosters antimutagenic activity, or the destruction
anywhere else, including most of incipient tumors.
supplements. The vegetable’s only known side effect is that it can impart a
Most phytonutrients provide pungent odor to urine in some people. The odor comes from
potent detoxifying and antioxidant effects. That’s the reason the six sulfur compounds, including DMSO, that it contains.
fruits and vegetables help prevent the two greatest killers: The odor of asparagus also varies with the genetics of people
cardiovascular disease and cancer. The plant chemicals are who eat it and is not exhibited or even detected by everyone.
so potent that they can interact with genes in many of their In the new study asparagus was found to
activities in the body. A recent example of the power of natural have potent insulin-stimulating effects while
foods comes from a study involving asparagus. simultaneously inhibiting starch digestion.
An in vitro, or isolated-cell, study, the experiment involved
INJURIES pancreatic cells, which secrete insulin. When the cells were
exposed to both an asparagus extract and glucose, or sugar,
Joint Rejuvenation insulin activity increased by 19 to 248 percent. The extract

produced an 81 percent increase of glucose uptake into fat
cells, an effect attributed to a possible increase in cellular
glucose-transporting proteins. Asparagus also produced a
According to an 21 percent decrease in starch digestion.
article in the May ’06 The effect is connected to an interaction with calcium ions
issue of Prevention, in the beta cells of the pancreas, where insulin is synthesized
lack of selenium may and released. A drug that blocks calcium ion activity also
be a source of joint prevented the effect of asparagus on insulin release from the
problems. Scientists beta cells.
How can bodybuilders use the information? First,
at the University of
eating asparagus may be useful for those with a genetic
North Carolina de-
predisposition for diabetes, because asparagus may help
termined that by increase insulin effectiveness.
looking at subjects’ Since insulin is also a potent anabolic hormone,
toenails. Those asparagus may be useful for those who want to
whose nails con- increase insulin release for purposes of increased
tained the most sele- muscle protein and glycogen synthesis.
nium were less likely While the starch-blocking effect sounds useful for promoting
to have osteoarthritis fat loss, the authors note that it may not work as well in the
human body as it does in a cell culture.
in either knee. Rec-
—Jerry Brainum
ommended daily intake of selenium is 55 micrograms.
Check your multivitamin-and-mineral supplement to
make sure you’re getting enough. Good food sources Mathews, J.N., Flatt, P.R., and Abdel-Wahab, Y.H. (2006).
include Brazil nuts, eggs and tuna. Asparagus adscendens (Shweta musali) stimulates insulin
—Becky Holman secretion, insulin action and inhibits starch digestion. Br J
www.X-tremeLean.com Nutr. 95(3):576-81.

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Eat to Grow
ANABOLIC DRIVE
Creatine and Satellite Cells

If aspirin were dis-
covered today, it would
be tightly regulated by
the FDA because of its
profound effects on the
human body. Thank heav-
en we don’t have that kind
of regulation. Now let’s
look at creatine. If creatine
had been “discovered” by
Big Pharma rather than
a supplement company,
you know it would be
regulated tighter than a
noose around a calf’s
neck during a rodeo. Talk
about a supplement that
seems to help a little bit of
everything! You can take it
to increase muscle mass
and strength. It also helps
those with neuromuscular
diseases and improves
cognitive function.
Now we’re learning
that creatine is even more increased number of myonuclei per fiber and increases of 14
powerful than we thought. For instance, a few years back a to 17 percent in muscle fiber area at weeks 4, 8 and 16. By
rat study showed that creatine supplementation in combina- contrast, the protein group showed an increase in muscle fiber
tion with an increased functional load results in increased area only later (16 weeks) and the training control group only
satellite cell mitotic activity.1 in the early (week 4) phase of training. The authors concluded
What does that mean? Satellite cells basically sit on top of that “creatine supplementation in combination with strength
muscle fibers, or cells. When you damage your muscle fibers, training amplifies the training-induced increase in satellite cell
you turn them on, and they help repair the damaged fibers. number and myonuclei concentration in human skeletal mus-
That’s good news for anyone who exercises. Satellite cells can cle fibers, thereby allowing an enhanced muscle fiber growth
contribute to increased muscle fiber mass. In perhaps rare in response to strength training.”
instances they can fuse and form new muscle fibers—also Suggestion: Consume roughly 30 to 40 grams of protein
known as hyperplasia. and three to six grams of creatine immediately after your
Hot off the press is a study using human subjects that workout. It will enhance recovery and promote gains in lean
looked at creatine and satellite cell activity. Scientists exam- body mass. And to top it off, your satellite cells will go crazy.
ined the effect of creatine and protein supplementation on And that’s a good thing. —Jose Antonio, Ph.D.
satellite cell frequency and myonuclei number in human skel-
etal muscle during 16 weeks of heavy-resistance training.2 Editor’s note: You can listen to Dr. Jose Antonio and
Thirty-two healthy male subjects (19 to 26 years of age) Carla Sanchez on Performance Nutrition, their radio show
were assigned to a strength-training group while receiving cre- Web and podcast at www.PerformanceNutritionShow.com.
atine, protein or a placebo or to a nontraining control group.
They received the supplementation daily. Furthermore, timed
References
protein or placebo intake took place at all training sessions.
1 Dangott, B., Schultz, E., and Mozdziak, P.E. (2000). Di-
The researchers took muscle biopsies at weeks 0, 4, 8 and
16, three days per week. etary creatine monohydrate supplementation increases satel-
The researchers discovered that all training regimens in- lite cell mitotic activity during compensatory hypertrophy. Int J
creased the number of satellite cells; however, they noted sig- Sports Med. 21(1):13-16.
2 Aagaard, P., et al. (2006). Creatine supplementation aug-
nificantly greater enhancements with creatine supplementation
at weeks 4 and 8. At week 16 the satellite cell number was no ments the increase in satellite cell and myonuclei number in
longer elevated in the creatine group but remained elevated human skeletal muscle induced by strength training. J Physiol.
in the other groups. Creatine supplementation resulted in an [Epub ahead of print.]

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Eat to Grow
D I E T F O R R E S U LT S
You Are What You Eat Nutrition reminders to keep you on the
bodybuilding/fat-burning fast track
The single most important ingre- it easy to store carbs as fat. Eat the
dient in bodybuilding success, or majority of your carbs early in the
failure, is nutrition. It accounts for day and at your postworkout meal,
up to 75 percent of your results, where they can be used to replenish
whether they’re below average or glucose and glycogen and be used
optimum. for fuel.
Don’t put your faith in quick-fix Variety is the spice of life.
diets or fads. Instead, simply eat Spice up an otherwise boring menu
well-balanced meals to ensure that by including a variety of foods in
you’re getting the proper macro- your diet. Far too many bodybuild-
nutrients. If you have every diet ers today don’t eat fruits or vegeta-
supplement under the sun in your bles at all. Some dietary restrictions
pantry but the closest thing to real are necessary when you’re dieting
food is a box of Lucky Charms, for a contest, but in the off-season
you’re in for real trouble. Supple- you should eat more fruits and
ments have a place in your diet, but vegetables.
Neveux \ Model: Joey Gloor

you should always opt for real food The guy I alluded to earlier—five
whenever possible. protein shakes a day—is missing
I see too many people drink five out on a lot of the essential vitamins
protein shakes a day and eat only and minerals. Bake, broil, boil or
one solid-food meal, then complain steam your foods to avoid fats used
that they aren’t making gains and in frying and to keep from losing
they lack energy. A supplement is valuable nutrients.
just that—a supplement to the diet, which should be com- Eat your favorite foods. To lose weight, it’s not nec-
posed mainly of whole, nutritious foods. Don’t supplement essary to go on diets that require you to eat just a few select
your supplements with food; do just the opposite. foods. The cabbage diet, the grapefruit diet, the juice diet
Here are some eating tips to help you on your way to and so on are just not healthful. They deprive the body of
physical perfection: important nutrients and are dangerous.
Eat breakfast. After a fast of eight hours your body is To make dieting more tolerable, eat foods that you like;
in dire need of nutrients that will take you out of a catabolic just cut down the portion size. Of course, if chocolate cake
state and stoke your metabolism. Your metabolism slows happens to be one of your favorite foods, then you have to
down considerably while you sleep, so jump-start your day be a little tougher on yourself. Eat moderate quantities of
with a well-balanced, high-protein, high-carbohydrate break- healthful foods that you enjoy.
fast. Don’t miss meals. The body thrives on routine, so
Eat more often. Having five, six or even seven meals a eat at least five meals a day, every single day, depending on
day has many advantages. Frequent meals help keep blood your goals. Try to eat at approximately the same time every
sugar levels stable. They aid the digestion and assimilation day and, once again, every 2 1/2 to three hours. You’ll never
of food as well as the absorption of essential macronutrients. realize even half of your potential if your eating habits are
More frequent meals also help keep your waistline down and inconsistent.
your body in an anabolic state. Try your best to eat every Add fiber to your diet. You’ll reap myriad health ben-
2 1/2 or three hours for best results. efits when you add more fiber to your diet. A new study finds
Slow down. Take the time to enjoy your food. Eat- that dietary fiber from cereals and fruits, but not vegetables,
ing more slowly will help you eat less, which will aid in your is associated with reduced risk of heart disease. Soluble fiber
weight-loss efforts. Carbohydrate digestion begins in the swells in your stomach and intestines, creating a sensation
mouth, so chew your food completely—no wolfing. Chew- of being full, which can curtail overeating. High-fiber foods
ing thoroughly aids in digestion. You’ll use only the food that are also digested more slowly, so they don’t cause spikes in
your body absorbs—anything else will be excreted. blood sugar levels like white bread or sweets.
Stay hydrated. Thirst is the first outward sign of de- The average American eats 12 grams of fiber per day.
hydration. Don’t wait to get thirsty: Drink fresh, clean water Most health organizations recommend 20 to 35 grams.
throughout the day. Water does so many things to benefit Fiber not only promotes overall general health but can also
your body’s health it would take a separate article to list all of significantly aid in your fat-burning efforts. Research proves
its attributes. In bodybuilding, not drinking enough water is that people who eat the most fiber (about 25 grams per day)
one of the most common mistakes—and one of the easiest weigh eight pounds less than those who eat the least (about
to correct. 12 grams per day).
Carry a 20-ounce sports bottle with you all the time, and Supplement your diet. Supplements are a great
refill it when necessary. Water helps you lose bodyfat by adjunct to your diet to help ensure that you get all the nec-
keeping the metabolism stoked and creating a sensation of essary vitamins, minerals and protein that you require daily.
fullness in your stomach so you can avoid overeating. Choose your supplements wisely. Remember, don’t rely on
Limit late-night carbs. Some studies say it doesn’t them at the expense of eating whole food. A few good ones
matter, but I think that eating excess carbohydrates at night, that I recommend are whey, casein and egg protein powder;
when you’re less active, is a big no-no. Lying around watch- branched-chain amino acids; creatine; multivitamins; vitamin
ing TV or going to sleep after eating a high-carb meal makes C; vitamin E; and chelated minerals. —Tim Wescott

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The biggest mistake many

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Muscle biopsies show that the largest
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muscles more “grow power” on every set.
The bigger and stronger a muscle gets,
the more carnosine it needs to perform
at higher intensity levels. You must keep
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Straight carnosine supplements degrade

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Train, Eat,
GROW
W ear-Factor training: That’s
how we start our ripping
phase every year. No, it’s
Muscle-Training Program 82
not fun in the normal
sense of the word (except for the
skin-stretching pumps when
From the IRON MAN Training & Research Center
vascularity is streaking over every
muscle). Enduring the wicked burn
we ignite during this period takes
by Steve Holman and Jonathan
some courage, Lawson • Photography by Michael Neveux
not to mention
motivational coaxing prior to each
workout, but it’s worth it. After years
ear-Factor training: That’s how of weexperimentation
start our 1) Using
we’re able totheridcorrect exercise.
ripping phase every year. No, it’s ournot fun in theof fatYou
physiques much needfaster,
to pick one that involves synergy, or muscle
normal sense of the word (except and for the skin-
we’ve learned that the first but
teamwork, stepstill puts the target muscle in an
stretching pumps when vascularity is to is streaking
chisel with sizzle.
ergonomic position to exert max force as the prime
over every muscle). Enduring the wicked burn we ignite
In other words, gomover
for the(for
burn.
example, decline presses for chest).
during this period takes some courage, not to mention
It’s one of the best ways to create a
motivational coaxing prior to each workout, growth buthormone
it’s surge,2)and
Working
GH is to muscular and nervous system
worth it. After years of experimentation awe’repotentnow fat burner. exhaustion.
That’s why old
able to rid our physiques of fat much faster,
guysandwhowe’vego on GH Intensity
therapy get lean
is key.
learned that the first step is to chisel with
andsizzle.
muscular. Oh, it also synergizes
In other words, go for the burn. It’s onewithof the
otherbest 3) Using the
anabolic hormones, like right rep range.
ways to create a growth hormone surge,testosterone,
and GH is a to make themreps
If your much are too high, fatigue will stop you before
potent fat burner. That’s why old guys who more gopowerful.
on GH But you we’regenerate
not talkingenough force; if your reps are too low, your
therapy get lean and muscular. Oh, it also synergizes
about injecting GH.nervous
We kick it up will crap out too early.
system
with other anabolic hormones, like testosterone,
during our toworkouts. According
make them much more powerful. But we’re not talking getting That
to researchers, a GHlastsurgeone is a function of the size principle of fiber
about injecting GH. We kick it up duringinour theworkouts.
gym has something to do Basically, the low-threshold motor units
recruitment:
According to researchers, getting a GH surgewith thein the gym of lactic
pooling acid
fire first inina set, followed by the mediums, followed by
has something to do with the pooling ofthe lactic acid in(Canadian
muscles Journal
the highs. of the high-threshold motor units kick in,
When
Neveux \ Photo Illustration by Aldrich Bonifacio
the muscles (Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology.

Applied Physiology. you’re
22:244-255;
generating the most force, so the end of the set
22:244-255; 1997), so we make a point of1997),chasing themake aispoint
so we very of chasing For most bodyparts, doing sets with
important.
burn toward the end of every bodypart workout.
the burn toward the15 end of every
reps or more causes fatigue products to pool in the
Notice we said toward the end of eachbodypart
bodypartworkout. working muscle before max-force production occurs,
routine. Why? Well, At the beginning of each bodypart
Notice we said toward
and the themuscle
end of shuts down early. (Fatigue-product
routine it’s important to go for max-force production
each bodypart routine. Why?isWell,
pooling what you’re after later in the workout, but not
on a big, compound exercise—we usually At choose the
the beginning of each bodypart
up front, when force production is the priority.)
ultimate exercise listed in The Ultimate routine
Mass Workout
it’s important to Whatgo for
about lower reps—say, four to six? In that case
e-book. Max-force production is the direct result ofproduction
max-force a theon a bigare forced to engage too early—after only a
highs
few different factors: compound exercise—we usually they don’t get primed by the lower-
few reps—so
choose the ultimate exercise listed
in The Ultimate Mass Workout www.ironmanmagazine.com \ AUGUST 2006 85
Free download e-book. from imbodybuilding.com
Max-force production
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It’s a big blast of workout information, motiva- (You can
tion and muscle-building science in your e-mail check out those
box every week—and it’s all free! Tons of practical past editions
training tips, analysis and size tactics are jam-packed free at www.X-
into this e-zine from the IRON MAN Training & Rep.com in the
Research Center, where there’s more than 50 years of X Files section.)
training experience to get you growing fast! Here are a It’s exciting
few of the latest editions’ titles (online now): stuff! You’ve
•How the Pros Pack on Extreme Mass gotta subscribe Learn how to make curls three times more effecitve
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•The Forgotten High-Intensity Growth Trigger can start building the muscle size you deserve for your
•A Muscle-Building Mystery Solved sweat and effort in the gym. You’ve got nothing to lose
•Pounds of Muscle in Days and plenty of raw muscle to gain! Here’s what to do...
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•Less Training, Big Gaining: The Truth
w w w. I ro n M a n M a g a z i n e . c o m
Train, Eat, Grow / Program 82
IRON MAN Training & Research Center Muscle-Training Program 82

Workout 1A: Delts, Midback, Biceps, Forearms Workout 1B: Delts, Midback, Biceps, Forearms
Rack pulls or Rack pulls (second set is drop; X Reps) 2 x 10, 8(6)
dumbbell upright rows (X Reps) 2 x 10 Superset
Seated forward-lean One-arm cable laterals (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 8(5)
laterals (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(6)(4) Incline one-arm laterals (X Reps) 1x7
Standing dumbbell presses (X Reps) 2 x 10 Standing dumbbell presses (X Reps) 2 x 10
Superset Dumbbell shrugs (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 10(6)
Dumbbell shrugs (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Nautilus rows 1 x 10-12
Cable upright rows (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Superset
Nautilus rows 1 x 10-12 Nautilus rows (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Superset Cable rows (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Nautilus rows (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 One-arm dumbbell rows (X Reps) 1 x 10-12
Cable rows (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Superset
Bent-arm bent-over laterals (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 8(6) Behind-the-neck pulldowns (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Superset Bent-over laterals (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 6(4)
Behind-the-neck pulldowns (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Cable curls (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 8(6)
Bent-over laterals (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 6(4) Superset
Cable curls (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 8(6) Preacher curls (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Superset Cable curls 1 x 8-10
Preacher curls (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Incline curls (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(5)(4)
Cable curls 1 x 8-10 Incline hammer curls (double drop; X Reps)1 x 8(5)(4)
Concentration curls (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(5)(4) Dumbbell reverse wrist curls
Incline hammer curls (double drop; X Reps)1 x 8(5)(4) (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(7)(6)
Dumbbell reverse wrist curls Dumbbell wrist curls
(double drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(7)(6) (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(7)(6)
Dumbbell wrist curls
(double drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(7)(6) Workout 3B: Chest, Lats, Triceps, Abs
Incline presses (second set is drop; X Reps) 2 x 10, 8(6)
Workout 3A: Chest, Lats, Triceps, Abs Superset
Incline presses (second set is drop; X Reps)2 x 10, 8(6) Incline flyes (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 8(5)
High cable flyes (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 7(5)(4) High cable flyes (X Reps) 1x6
Bench presses (X Reps) 1 x 10 Wide-grip dips (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 10(6)
Wide-grip dips (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 9(7) Bench presses (X Reps) 1 x 10
Low/middle cable flyes Superset
(double drop; X Reps) 1 x 7(5)(4) Flat-bench flyes (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 8(5)
Pulldowns (X Reps) 1 x 10 Low cable flyes (X Reps) 1x6
Superset Pulldowns (X Reps) 1 x 10
Chins (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Superset
Undergrip pulldowns 1 x 6-8 Chins (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Superset Undergrip pulldowns 1 x 6-8
Machine pullovers (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Superset
Rope rows (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 6(4) Dumbbell pullovers (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 8(5)
Elbows-flared pushdowns (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 9(5) Rope rows (X Reps) 1x6
Tri-set Elbows-flared pushdowns (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 9(5)
Decline extensions 1 x 8-10 Tri-set
Decline close-grip bench presses (X Reps) 1x6 Decline extensions 1 x 8-10
Decline dumbbell extensions 1x5 Decline close-grip bench presses (X Reps) 1x6
Superset Decline dumbbell extensions 1x5
Kickbacks 1 x 8-10 Superset
Bench dips (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Overhead dumbbell extensions
Superset (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 8(5)
Incline kneeups (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 12(4) Bench dips (X Reps) 1x6
Flat-bench leg raises (X Reps) 1x7 Superset
Tri-set Incline kneeups (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 9(5)
Ab Bench crunches (X Reps) 1x9 Flat-bench leg raises (X Reps) 1x8
Twisting crunches (X Reps) 1x8 Tri-set
Bench V-ups 1x8 Ab Bench crunches (X Reps) 1x9
Twisting crunches (X Reps) 1x8
Bench V-ups 1x8

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threshold action. The size principle few sets of your compound exercise, the last few grinder reps are so
domino effect of the lows and you want to keep the rep range right important.)
mediums firing first is too short, around 10. And, of course, to get even more
almost nonexistent. That’s not such Ten reps will get you close to force production, we recommend
a problem if you’re going to do a lot a 30-second TUT, or time under tacking on X Reps when you reach
of low-rep sets, but if you’re after tension, which has been shown to exhaustion. On decline presses,
max-force production on the first be excellent for muscle hypertrophy. for example, lower the bar till it’s
It allows the a few inches from your low-pec
size principle line, and then fire out partial-pulse
ITRC Program 82 (continued) of fiber reps—from the X spot, that low
Workout 2 (Always on Wednesday): recruitment to point, to just below the midpoint
run its course; of the stroke. Each forceful X Rep
Quads, Hams (isolation), Calves, Low Back
so around should be about an eight-inch
Smith-machine squats (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 rep seven or movement. You may need help from
Squats (nonlock) 1 x 15-20 eight your a partner till you get the hang of it.
Superset high-threshold (We prefer the safety and stability of
Leg extensions (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 10(6) motor units a Smith machine on most pressing
Dumbbell squats (low partials; X Reps) 1 x 6-8 start to kick in exercises.)
Superset big time. That’s In our e-books we’ve outlined
Leg extensions (X Reps) 1x8 when you grit the ideal force-producing sequence
Sissy squats (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 your teeth and as a concentrated warmup of two
Leg curls (drop set, X Reps) 1 x 10(5) grind out two progressively heavier sets (see
Hyperextensions (X Reps) 1 x 10 or three more “Prelude to Mass” in the X-Files
Leg press calf raises (X Reps) 3 x 15-20 reps, the so- section at X-Rep.com for specifics).
Tri-set called growth After that force-production primer,
Machine donkey calf raises (X Reps) 1 x 10 reps. (Now move to your work weight and crank
Standing calf raises (X Reps) 1 x 6-8 you see why out nine or 10 reps, no X Reps on
Hack-machine calf raises (X Reps) 1 x 6-8 the biggest the first set.
Superset bodybuilders Wait! If X Reps are so great, why
Hack-machine calf raises (X Reps) 1 x 10-12 say that not do them on the very first set? If
Machine donkey calf raises (X Reps) 1x8
Seated calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 15-20
Low-back machine (X Reps) 1 x 10 Your first exercise should engage the target
muscle so it generates maximum force.
Friday: We train our hamstrings all out, from all posi-
tions, first with the following:
Superset
Leg curls (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 9(6)
Hyperextensions (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Superset
Lunges (alternating legs) 1x9
Dumbbell squats (low partials; X Reps) 1 x 6-8
Superset
Stiff-legged deadlifts (low partials) 1 x 8-10
Dumbbell stiff-legged deadlifts (low partials) 1 x 6-8
Note: We do workout 1A on Monday, 3A on Tuesday, 2

(legs) on Wednesday, 1B on Thursday, and on Friday
we train quads, hamstrings, calves and the upper-body
muscles that we worked on Tuesday, except back, but
we only do isolation work—contracted- and/or stretch-
position exercises. The following Monday we pick up
with 3B. Then it’s 1A on Tuesday, 2 (legs) on Wednesday,
3A on Thursday, and on Friday full hamstring workout
Models: Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman
followed by isolation work for legs and the muscles we

worked on Tuesday. On Monday it’s 3B, and so on. See
the X-Blog at www.X-Rep.com for workout details.
Note: Where X-Reps are designated, usually only one

set or phase of a drop set is performed with X Reps or
an X-Rep hybrid technique from the Beyond X-Rep
Muscle Building e-book.

ITRC Program 82, Abbreviated Home-Gym Routine

Workout 1A: Delts, Midback, Biceps, Forearms Workout 1B: Delts, Midback, Biceps, Forearms
Dumbbell upright rows Dumbbell upright rows
or rack pulls (second set is drop; X Reps) 2 x 10, 8(5) or rack pulls (second set is drop; X Reps) 2 x 10, 8(5)
Seated forward-lean laterals Incline one-arm laterals
(double drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(5)(3) (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(6)(4)
Standing dumbbell presses (X Reps) 2 x 10 Standing dumbbell presses (X Reps) 2 x 10
Barbell shrugs (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 10(7) Barbell shrugs (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 10(7)
Bent-over barbell rows 2 x 10 Bent-over barbell rows 2 x 10
Bent-arm bent-over laterals (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 9(6) One-arm dumbbell rows (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 10(5)
Bent-over laterals (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(6)(4) Bent-over laterals (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(6)(4)
Barbell curls 2 x 10 Preacher curls (X Reps) 2 x 10
Concentration curls (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(6)(4) Incline curls (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(6)(4)
Incline hammer curls (double drop; X Reps)1 x 8(6)(4) Incline hammer curls (double drop; X Reps)1 x 8(6)(4)
Reverse wrist curls (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(8)(6) Reverse wrist curls (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(8)(6)
Wrist curls (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(8)(6) Wrist curls (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 10(8)(6)
Workout 3A: Chest, Lats, Triceps, Abs Workout 3B: Chest, Lats, Triceps, Abs
Incline presses (X Reps; second set is drop) 2 x 10, 8(5) Incline presses (X Reps; second set is drop) 2 x 10, 8(5)
Incline flyes (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(6)(4) Incline flyes (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(6)(4)
Bench presses (X Reps; second set is drop) 2 x 8-10 Wide-grip dips (X Reps; second set is drop) 2 x 9, 7(4)
Decline flyes (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(6)(4) Flat-bench flyes (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(6)(4)
Chins (X Reps) 2 x 10-12 Parallel-grip chins (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Undergrip rows (X Reps) 2 x 8-10 Dumbbell pullovers (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(6)(4)
Decline extensions (X Reps) 2 x 10 Decline extensions (X Reps) 2 x 10
Kickbacks (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(6)(4) Overhead extensions (double drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(6)(4)
Tri-set Tri-set
Incline kneeups 1 x 10 Incline kneeups 1 x 10
Bench V-ups 1x8 Bench V-ups 1x8
Twisting crunches (X Reps) 1 x 10-12 Twisting crunches (X Reps) 1 x 10-12
Note: You train workout 1A on Monday, 3A on Tues-

Workout 2 (Always on Wednesday): day, 2 (legs) on Wednesday, 1B on Thursday, and on
Friday you train quads, hamstrings, calves and the
Quads, Hams, Calves, Low Back
upper-body muscles that you worked on Tuesday,
Squats 2 x 10-12 except back, but only do isolation work—contracted-
Squats 1 x 15-20 and/or stretch-position exercises. The following
Superset Monday you pick up with 3B. Then it’s back to 1A on
Leg extensions or hack squats (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 Tuesday, 2 (legs) on Wednesday, 3A on Thursday and
Dumbbell squats (low partials; X Reps) 1 x 5-8 on Friday isolation work for legs and the muscles you
Superset worked on Tuesday. On Monday it’s 3B, and so on. See
Leg extensions or hack squats (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 the X-Blog at www.X-Rep.com for workout details.
Sissy squats (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 8(5)
Superset Note: Where X-Reps are designated, usually only one
Leg curls (drop set; X Reps) 1 x 9(6) set or phase of a drop set is performed with X Reps or
Hyperextensions (X Reps) 1 x 8-10 an X-Rep hybrid technique from the Beyond X-Rep
Superset Muscle Building e-book.
Lunges (alternating legs) 1x9
Dumbbell squats (low partials; X Reps) 1 x 6-8
Superset
Stiff-legged deadlifts (low partials) 1 x 8-10 Note: Train Monday through Friday, following the
sequence of workouts as listed but with wdorkout 2,
Dumbbell stiff-legged deadlifts (low partials) 1 x 6-8
legs, always on Wednesday only. Also, for drop sets it’s
One-leg calf raises (drop set; X Reps) 2 x 15(8)
best to have a selectorized dumbbell set, such as the
Donkey calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 15-20 PowerBlock, if you don’t have a rack of fixed dumb-
Seated calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 15-20 bells of various weights. If you don’t have a leg exten-
sion machine, do old-style hacks, nonlock style. Use
partner resistance, towel around the ankles, if you
don’t have a leg curl machine.

you’re advanced, you can add them cable flyes or pec deck flyes. after—lactic acid for some serious
and reap some impressive mass- A quick note: Muscles that burning to get the growth hormone
building rewards; however, we’ve are low responders usually lack churning.
found that most bodybuilders need neuromuscular efficiency. That’s the Can you get it in one set? Possibly,
a heavy set to prime the nervous big reason they’re low responders in if your reps are high enough;
system to fire optimally. In other the first place. Slacker bodyparts are however, for the ultimate muscle-
words, your first work set is an hard to feel, which means it’s more building effect you want to combine
extension of the warmup. difficult to keep tension on them a bit more force production with
Rest 2 1/2 to three minutes, and throughout a set. For example, we the burn. To do that, use drop sets,
then, on your second work set, take both have weak pecs—especially supersets, double-drop sets or tri-
the same weight, and shoot for eight Steve—so we often stop our reps sets.
or nine reps, followed by as many X short at the bottom and top on We like to start with drop sets and
Reps as possible from the sweet spot cable flyes, repping from about the supersets. Once we can do those
up to just below the midpoint of the X spot, just above full stretch, to just with minimal profanity—usually
stroke. That will extend the tension below the contracted position, right two to four weeks—we morph them
time and, even more important, before your hands touch. Staying into double-drops and tri-sets. And
increase force production. It will in that slightly exaggerated middle on the last phase, when we’re feeling
also ignite the burn that you’re area keeps the chest from caving brave, we add X Reps or an X-hybrid
preparing to chase on your next in and the front delts as secondary technique. Talk about feeling the
exercise. movers. We like to do the partial burn! If you do them right, keeping
range on the second part of a drop your total reps for all phases at 16 to
or double-drop set—the first phase 20, you’ll have tears in your eyes—
Chisel With Sizzle: we usually do through the full range. and start dropping bodyfat like a
Sear-Factor Training Contracted-position exercises two-ton wrecking ball.
provide the most occlusion, We went over drop-set techniques
or blood-flow blockage. That’s a few installments back, but here’s
Get ready for pain-zone fire! important because occlusion puts a refresher: Do a set to exhaustion,
Your second exercise should be a the muscle in a stranglehold, forcing immediately reduce the weight
contracted-position move—one blood out, and also produces and do another set to exhaustion.
that keeps tension on the target serious lactic acid pooling. (For That’s a drop set. To morph it into a
muscle throughout the stroke and more on the size-and-strength double-drop, you reduce the weight
is more of a so-called isolation, or studies on occlusion, see our one more time and do a third set,
single-joint, exercise. For example, Beyond X-Rep Muscle Building or phase. On a drop set your reps
for middle and lower chest pick e-book.) That’s what you’re should go something like 10, six.
On a double-drop they should be
something like eight, six, five. Those
rep numbers will allow you to get an
incredible burn, but because they’re
all in the medium range, you still get
some force production, mostly on
the first phase.
Chisel With Sizzle

Supplement Support
Max-force generation. Blasting
into and through the pain zone.
Sear-factor extended-set training.
You can get more fat-to-muscle
bang from all of those things if you
add a few key supplements to the
mix.
We started off talking about
growth hormone and how it burns
Model: Jonathan Lawson
fat and builds muscle. You can

optimize GH release naturally with
GH Stak, an effervescent growth
hormone booster developed by the
For your second exercise use a continuous-

tension, contracted-position move—and use
94 AUGUST 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com drop sets to sear the hell out of the muscle.
creator of the patch-delivery system different receptor sites, there are capsules to L-carnitine—but they
for drugs, Dr. James Jamieson. the new beta-alanine supplements aren’t as directly related to sear-
We use it every year for at least that provide a strength upper-cut by factor training as GH Stak, Gakic
a four-week cycle to kick off our converting to L-carnosine. Studies and beta-alanine. Nevertheless, we
ripping phase. We take it before show that the biggest bodybuilders won’t let that stop us from giving
we train, after a two-hour fast. have much more carnosine in their a shameless plug for our Web
Fasting is necessary so that no muscle tissue due to heavy training, site, which we’re very proud of:
circulating aminos interfere with the which indicates a need for it. It To see what supplements we use
proprietary mix in the supplement. appears to increase muscular power and when and why we use them,
GH Stak is a great complement to output via buffering activity, and check out our X-Supplement blog
sear-factor training. it amplifies creatine’s effect (beta- at www.X-Rep.com. Our training
To chisel with sizzle, you also alanine plus Gakic plus creatine— blog is there too—complete with a
need pain tolerance, and Gakic, the hmm). We’ve been on top of the few X-pletives.
new ammonia-buffer supplement research thanks to Jerry Brainum, Editor’s note: For the latest
by MuscleTech, can help you blast IM’s top science wizard. An item on the X-Rep muscle-building
out more reps on every set, even of his that appeared in the Train to method, including X Q&As, X Files
when the burn is excruciating—or Gain section in the June issue had (past e-zines), our before and after
double X-cruciating. We usually some interesting conclusions: photos and the X-Blog training
phase in Gakic caplets after our “Some preliminary research journal, visit www.X-Rep.com.
GH Stak phase. It provides a great shows that combining beta- For more information on Positions-
kick, especially through the first alanine with creatine significantly of-Flexion training videos and Size
half of the workout. On our first increases the intensity level of Surge programs, see the ad section
few exercises we get two, three or bodybuilding training.” that begins on page 193 or visit
four extra reps on every set. The Intensity means more muscle, so www.Home-Gym.com. To order
stuff really works, as we reported bring on the beta-alanine! the Positions-of-Flexion training
in a Research Team feature in the There are a few more manual Train, Eat, Grow, call (800)
November ’05 IRON MAN. supplements we use—from fat 447-0008, visit www.Home-Gym
Along those same lines, but burners to estrogen-control .com, or see the ad below. IM

Steve Holman’s
Critical Mass
Stak. It’s an effervescent supplement designed to increase
Fat-Loss
the body’s natural production of growth hormone. I take it
right before I train, after a two-hour fast, and I know from
experience that it synergizes with extended-set training to
vaporize bodyfat.
Kick-Start
GH Stak was developed by Dr. James Jamieson, the
creator of the patch-delivery system used by many drug
companies. He’s said the supplement is ineffective without
at least a two-hour fast prior to taking it. If you don’t like
training on an empty stomach, you can have a protein
Q: I’m finally serious about getting ripped. I work
drink an hour before you hit the gym and take your dose of
out four days a week, and I’m getting my diet in line
GH Stak before bed, at least two hours after your last meal
with your X-treme Lean e-book. Are there any tricks
of the day. I’ve tried that with good results, but using it
to making the blubber disappear faster? What’s the
before training has worked much better for me. [Note: For
first thing you do to get the fat to start coming off?
more information on GH Stak, visit www.Home-Gym.com.]
A: First, as you’ve seen in the High-Def training program
Q: I’m so confused. I read that most top body-
in that e-book, you want to be sure to go for the burn in
builders do 20 sets or more per bodypart, but then
the gym. Lactic acid pooling has been directly linked to
Mike Mentzer’s programs have only one set of one
significant surges in growth hormone—and GH is a potent
exercise for each bodypart. I read in the Heavy Duty
fat burner, as well as an amplifier of the anabolic power of
column that two researchers looked at a bunch of
other key hormones. More anabolism, or muscle growth,
studies comparing multiple-set training to single-
is important as you burn off fat because the more muscle
set training, and there was no difference in results.
you have, the faster your metabolism. In other words, your
Should I go the single-set route? I don’t have a lot of
body will burn more calories, even at rest, as you pack on
time to work out, but I do want the best gains I
more muscle. (And, yes, you can add muscle as you burn
can get.
fat. I’ve done it the past few years, and I’m 46.)
You’ve read in the e-book how to apply extended-set A: Keep in mind that those studies were looking at
techniques like X Reps and drop sets to crank up GH. strength, not muscle growth. There’s a big difference be-
That’s the first thing I do when my annual ripping phase tween getting stronger and getting bigger.
rolls around—extend more sets, often turning drop sets Yes, pushing or pulling more weight can help add to fiber
into double-drop sets (three back-to-back sets instead of size, but there are many more facets to achieving extreme
two). Another thing I do is a four-to-six-week cycle of GH hypertrophy. A big one is building the endurance com-
ponents of the fast-twitch 2A fibers. That
takes longer tension times and occlusion, or
blocking blood flow to the muscle. Stretch
overload is also important, as it can increase
anabolic receptors in muscle tissue and may
even stimulate hyperplasia, or fiber splitting,
after a while.
Yes, getting stronger does increase force
production, which is one component of
building more muscle. If all you’re interested
in is strength with blips on the size meter,
you may want to do one or two straight sets
of a big, basic exercise for each muscle and
use lower reps. That attacks the anaerobic
portion of the fast-twitch type 2As, increases
neuromuscular efficiency and builds your
tendons and ligaments. In short, it zeros in
on adding to your strength, with some re-
sidual muscle size.
If you’re interested in maximum muscle
size with a strength side effect, you have to
train all facets of the fast-twitch fibers. You
may be able to do that with one compound
exercise per muscle group, but it will take
more than one set, and you’ll have to strate-
gically add continuous tension, longer ten-
sion times, drop sets and other extended-set
techniques, like end-of-set X-Rep partials.
A better strategy, if you have about an
hour to train four or five days a week, is to
Getting the fat-burning furnace stoked

takes more than upping your cardio.

Steve Holman’s
Critical Mass
All you need is one set of one compound exercise? To
build more strength maybe, but not if you’re interested
in maximum muscle growth. For extreme mass you
have to attack all the facets of the fast-twitch fibers.
That’s the reason Ronnie Coleman no longer trains
exclusively like a powerlifter. There’s more to size
increases than moving more poundage.
so completely that seven days of recovery is mandatory.
Model: Ronnie Coleman, “Redemption” © 2005 Mitsuru Okabe Co.

Q: I train at home with a power rack, adjust-
able dumbbells, an Olympic set and an adjustable
bench. I’ve got a $1,000 tax refund coming, and I’m
wondering what you’d suggest I invest in to make
my home gym more complete.
A: Congrats on that extra grand coming your way. Some
of us got the grand shaft from the government
this year (no, I’m not bitter). Seriously, I
suggest you get rid of the adjustable
dumbbells and buy a PowerBlock set.
Selectorized dumbbells are invaluable
for doing drop sets and double-drop
sets, key techniques for developing
the endurance components of the
fast-twitch 2A fibers.
use the Positions-of-Flexion 3D method. Your first exer- (I know I harp on
cise gives you max-force production via straight sets with that a lot, but it’s
X Reps, with minor endurance work. Then you attack the something a lot
endurance components with a continuous-tension con- of bodybuild-
tracted-position exercise, adding drop sets and X Reps. ers ignore
Finally, you finish off the muscle with a stretch-position and a big
exercise, for important stretch overload. (In Beyond X-Rep reason so many
Neveux \ Model: Marvin Montoya

Muscle Building there’s more discussion of all of these com- aren’t gaining the
ponents, as well as a look at an animal study that produced way they should.) All it
a 300 percent mass increase in only one month of severe takes is a quick move of the
stretch overload). U-shaped pin in each block,
Incidentally, this approach is the primary reason Ron- and you’ve got a
nie Coleman, who started as a powerlifter, doesn’t train lighter weight so you PowerBlock, the ultimate
like a powerlifter now that he’s the top bodybuilder in the can keep on rep- home-gym muscle builder?
world. Yes, he still does basic exercises, even some low- ping with minimal
rep sets once in a while, but he also uses contracted- and rest time.
stretch-position movements for medium reps (10 to 15) to Go for the 90-pound set, available at Home-Gym.com,
get continuous tension and longer time under tension. It and you’ll have a few hundred bucks left over from your re-
takes more than single-set, low-rep work to build incredible fund. What should you do with that? Invest in Apple Com-
muscle size. puter stock. Its iTunes and iPod are changing the face of
the music biz. Who would’ve thought buying singles would
Q: You’ve suggested once-a-week leg training
come back? And Apple has cornered the market.
while working all other bodyparts twice a week.
What’s the reason, and has it worked for you? The sharp black POF T-shirt with the original classic
A: The reason is a study that suggested the quads need logo emblazoned in gold can give you that muscular
more time to recover than other muscle groups. look you’re after (sorry, large size only). See page 235 for
Has it worked? I recently had to retire a favorite pair of details.
easy-fit jeans because they got too tight around my thighs.
In my opinion, no 46-year-old man with streaks of gray in Editor’s note: Steve Hol-
his hair should be dressing like a rock star, although Mick man is the author of many
Jagger would probably disagree. Part of the reason for my bodybuilding best-sellers,
new quad mass is the once-a-week training, but other including Train, Eat, Grow:
factors include adding a few higher-rep sets for more ten- The Positions-of-Flexion
sion time. Quads are very receptive to longer tension times Muscle-Training Manual (see
because so many fast-twitch fibers have morphed into type page 96). For information on
2As, fast-twitchers with both anaerobic and endurance the POF videos and Size Surge
capabilities—and the endurance characteristic is probably programs, see the ad section
dominant in most. Medium-rep sets with X Reps along with beginning on page 193. Also
a high-rep set or two plus drop sets and supersets hit every visit www.X-Rep.com. IM
Neveux
facet of the muscle cells, which no doubt blasts the quads

Steve Holman
104 AUGUST 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com ironchief@aol.com
Mr. Natural Olympia John Hansen’s
Naturally Huge
he reacts to a fat-loss diet. People who are younger or are
just naturally lean can get lean very quickly; for others it
Fat-Loss Facts takes longer. You have to know your body in order to de-
termine how fast you can get cut up. When I trained for my
last competition, I expected to lose a quarter inch off my
waist each week. According to that time line, I’d lose one
This installment of Naturally Huge is devoted to ques- inch after four weeks of dieting. If I had three inches to lose
tions about nutrition and dieting—the best way to get rid to get into contest shape, I knew it would take me 12 weeks
of excess bodyfat so you can display an impressive ripped of dieting to reach peak condition. The key thing to re-
physique. member is to lose the fat gradually and always eat enough
to feed the muscles so you don’t sacrifice muscle tissue.
Q: It seems many bodybuilders start their cutting
diet by including carbs that contain starches and Q: For losing fat, your articles advocate a bal-
sugar and gradually phase them out as the weeks go anced diet over low-carb or lowfat plans. But
on. What’s the rationale behind this? Wouldn’t it just doesn’t cutting carbs help burn fat faster?
be better to cut all carbs at once?
A: Again, it all depends on the individual. It’s too sim-
A: If you can lose fat by gradually cutting back your carb plistic to say that cutting just carbs or just fats will get
intake, weight loss is somewhat slower, which is better for someone ripped. Cutting carbs usually works for most
preserving muscle mass. Cutting carbs (and most likely, people, but when I was younger (20s and early 30s), I was
calories) too much all at once will result in your losing as able to eat higher carbs (300 to 400 grams a day) and get
much muscle as fat. very ripped. As long as my total daily calories were at a
certain number, I would lose fat and get ripped. Only when
Q: If someone starts his diet at 15 to 20 percent
I reached my late 30s and early 40s did I have to modify my
bodyfat, and his goal is to see his abs, how long
carb intake in order to lose bodyfat quickly.
should he expect to diet, and when should he cut
I think a low-carb diet is suicide for the natural body-
carbs?
builder because we need a certain number of carbs in
A: It all depends on how fast his metabolism is and how order to train and recuperate. A bodybuilder on steroids
can eat very low carbs and not lose any muscle
tissue because the drugs retain the muscle. If
you try to do that without using steroids, your
body will sacrifice muscle tissue before getting
rid of the stubborn bodyfat. You have to really be
intelligent about dieting when you’re a natural
bodybuilder, and cutting out carbs completely
or eating a very low-carb diet is not the right
choice for most.
Q: How would the body react to drop-
ping from a bulking diet to a low-carb diet
in a week’s time?
A: The body would probably lose several
pounds of bodyweight, which would most likely
be from water loss (carbs retain water in the
muscles). If a low-carb, low-calorie diet were
followed for an extended period of time, the
body would react by actually slowing down the
metabolism and holding onto stored bodyfat.
The body senses that you’re starving, so it slows
down the metabolism to adjust to the lower
calorie intake. That, of course, is the opposite of
what you want to happen. You want your metab-
olism to be as fast as possible, not slow down.
Q: Are there detrimental psychologi-
cal effects to dropping carbohydrates too
low?
Getting into ripped condition should A: If you lose muscle tissue, which will most
be a gradual process to prevent loss likely happen, that can be pretty hard for a
of precious muscle tissue. bodybuilder psychologically. But
(continued onyou’ll also lose
page 102)
strength and muscle fullness if your carbs are
too low. That will be a psychological blow as well
to a bodybuilder who’s training hard. Lowering
your carbs usually necessitates an increase in
protein and fat intake.

Mr. Natural Olympia John Hansen’s
Naturally Huge
body has to work harder to digest the additional meals.
Q: After the final weeks of a diet, many bodybuild-
ers comment that eating at a buffet helps them to
rapidly put on muscle. Why is that?
A: It has to do with restoring depleted glycogen stores in
the muscles. Also, if your calories and carbs were too low,
you may have sacrificed some muscle tissue in the process.
So the increase in calories helps restore the lost muscle tis-
sue and create an anabolic environment, which helps build
muscle rapidly.
Q: If your primary goal is putting on mass, would
it be beneficial to eat more fat and simple carbs and
then slowly eliminate them so the effect of dieting
would be more dramatic?
A: When you’re trying to add mass, you should eat qual-
ity foods that help build muscle tissue, but you can also
eat some extras, which usually contain more simple carbs.
When you begin dieting to lose bodyfat, the first thing to
Neveux \ Model: Sebastian Siegel
get rid of is the simple carbs. I don’t remove the junk food
Start the fat-loss in stages; I just eliminate it when I begin my diet. I may
process with diet start off eating more calories than I will later in the diet, but
first, and gradually all of those calories will be from complete proteins, com-
introduce cardio. plex carbs and essential fatty acids, with little to no simple
carbs or junk foods.
Q: Could you give a simple time line on the stages
Q: What role should cardio play in a diet? Should
you go through to bulk up and diet down?
one introduce a lot of it immediately or gradually
over a period of time? A: Once again, this depends on the individual. When I
was 20 years old and wanted to bulk up, I didn’t go through
A: I always recommend trying to lose bodyfat with the stages. I just kept eating more and more good food until
diet first and then introducing cardio later to speed up the I finally started to gain weight. I was eventually eating
process. I think it’s a mistake to cut calories, reduce carbs 4,500 to 5,000 calories every day. How long I dieted would
and start cardio all at the same time. There’s too much of a depend on how far I had allowed myself to bulk up in the
risk of losing muscle tissue. I’ve competed in really ripped off-season. It was easier then to lose bodyfat and gain
condition and didn’t use cardio at all in my preparation. muscle mass by increasing or decreasing my calories. As
You don’t have to use cardio to get ripped, but it can help you get older, your levels of growth hormone and testoster-
speed up the process if it’s done correctly. one naturally decrease, so bulking up is not as effective. I
stopped bulking up when I reached my late 30s. My normal
Q: After a long period of carb deprivation, how
time line for dieting when I competed as a natural body-
does the body react to the reintroduction of carbo-
builder was anywhere from 12 to 20 weeks, depending on
hydrates?
how bulked up I was or how much bodyfat I had to lose.
A: If the carbs are introduced gradually, the muscles will
fill out and the bodybuilder will probably look even harder. Editor’s note: John
If bodyfat is very low, the muscles will suck up all of the Hansen has won the
carbs and refill the muscle tissues with glycogen. After the Natural Mr. Olympia
glycogen centers of the muscles are filled, however, con- and is a two-time
tinuing to eat a lot of carbs will lead to fat storage. Natural Mr. Universe
winner. Visit his Web
Q: Can you give any tips for spiking fat loss once a
site at www.natural
diet has reached a plateau?
olympia.com. You
A: There are several things you can do to bypass a pla- can write to him at
teau. You can introduce cardio into your routine if you P.O. Box 3003, Darien,
haven’t started it already. You can slightly lower calories by IL 60561, or call toll-
taking something out—usually that amounts to reducing free (800) 900-UNIV
your carbohydrate intake in some way. Or you can keep (8648). His new book,
your calories the same and start eating more meals per Natural Bodybuilding,
day. For instance, if you were eating six meals a day, you is now available
could reduce the size of some of those meals and add one from Home Gym
or two meals so you’re eating seven or eight small meals a Warehouse, (800) 447-
Neveux
day—but make sure you’re still getting the same number 0008 or www
of calories. That stimulates your metabolism because the .Home-Gym.com. IM
John Hansen
108 AUGUST 2006 \ www.ironmanmagazine.com John@NaturalOlympia.com
MYTH
BUSTERS
BUSTE
BU
USTE
STE
STERS
RS
BUSTERS
5 Training Secrets
The So-Called Experts Don’t Want You to Know
by Christopher Pennington • Photography by Michael Neveux
f you’ve been involved in of the advice can be questionable. hypertrophy to occur.

weight training for any length There are some strongly held beliefs A good example is concentration
of time, you have undoubtedly about weight training that need curls. The popular way to use them
been subjected to all sorts of serious reexamination. is for defining and shaping the
training advice. It commonly comes biceps after a set of standing curls.
from well-intentioned older lifters
reminiscing on how things use to Myth 1: Isolation
exercises don’t
be. It could be an uncle who used
to “play a little college ball” or a
friend’s older brother who did “a
little lifting” in the basement with a
build mass and
should only be
1
concrete weight set from Sears.
Such advice is given freely to
used for shaping
anyone who will listen. Those or toning.
with the open ears are generally
beginners getting involved in weight Reality: Any exercise has
training for the first time. They the potential to build mass as
don’t know too much about lifting long as you perform enough
weights and quickly gravitate to any sets and reps and the weight
perceived expert. is challenging. Along with a
This so-called gym wisdom then proper set-and-rep scheme,
gets passed from lifter to lifter. you can use advanced
Eventually, the ideas are repeated techniques, such as drop
so often and spread so widely that sets and X Reps—partials at
they’re considered fact. It’s kind the max-force point—at the
of like the old saying in politics: If end of a set, to increase the
Model: George Farah
you say something often enough intensity of the set, activate

for long enough, people will start more fibers and further
to believe it. That saying certainly fatigue a muscle. The result
applies to weigh training. is that you trigger the body’s
Unfortunately, the effectiveness adaptation processes and force

Try performing concentration
Myth 2: Once you find thinking about what your next
curls first in your biceps program a workout that works phase is going to be. At some
for eight sets of three reps. You for you, stick with it point the gains will end. Then—or
won’t get a pump the way you preferably right before you feel a
would from a conventional rep and never change. slowdown in progress—you want
scheme like three sets of eight, to switch up your routine. That
but you’ll notice a major increase Reality: Workouts should be keeps the body fresh and in a state
in biceps strength and thickness. cycled regularly to stimulate where it’s constantly adapting to
Who says concentration curls can’t muscle growth. The body is a highly new training stimuli, thus getting
build mass? adaptive organism and quickly bigger and stronger.
Here is another good example. adjusts to any workout you throw A quick note of caution: Even
At your next leg workout, in place at it. Staleness occurs, plateaus though it’s essential to adjust your
of the usual mass-building exercise develop, and if you stubbornly keep workout on a regular basis, it’s just
such as leg presses or squats, try following the same path, injury as important to avoid changing
performing 10 sets of eight reps is very likely. We all have that one things too quickly or on a whim.
on leg extensions. Your legs will be favorite workout or exercise we
smoking, and your quads will grow. love to perform. It’s human nature
Is it extreme? Yes, so don’t do it at to enjoy consistency and get into
every workout. It’s for shock value. a regular way of doing things. The Fact: Workouts
The point isn’t whether you problem is that in the context
should perform 10 sets of eight of a mass-building routine, you
should be cycled
reps on the leg extension machine.
It’s that you can turn an isolation
shouldn’t do the same thing for a
long period of time.
regularly to stimulate
exercise into a mass builder by There’s a science behind that muscle growth. The
structuring the workout correctly. principle of designing programs.
It’s not just the exercise by itself It’s known as periodization; what it body is a highly
that dictates the training effect really means is planned variation.
but also the reps, sets and rest Even if a routine is working well adaptive organism.
MYTH BUSTERS: 5 TRAINING SECRETS
period you use. for you now, you need to start
Model: Cesar Martinez

Myth 3: The back producers of strength and mass, heavy weights.
squat is the king of there are several other very good Unfortunately, not everyone
alternatives, one of which is the is biomechanically suited to
all exercises. deadlift. In fact, many experts agree performing the squat. Those with
I know many of you gasp at my that the deadlift is fast becoming long torsos and long femurs—the
listing this. It’s one of the oldest the alternative king of all exercises. main upper-leg bone—tend to lean
maxims of weight training. Before Why? The deadlift works everything forward quite a bit, transferring
you throw a fit, read what I have from your forearms to the middle- excessive and potentially
to say carefully and make sure traps-to-lower-back area, the entire dangerous loads to the lower back.
you understand it. While the back torso and all the leg muscles—while I commonly hear people argue in
squat is undoubtedly one of the top being much safer to perform with favor of performing a powerlifting-
style squat to counteract that.
That method keeps the load over
Fact: The free-bar full squat is not the best the hips and reduces the stress on
quad exercise for everyone due to bone- the lower back. Although that is
true if the weight on the bar is the
length variation. same as it would be if you were
doing regular squats, most
people end up using heavier
3 poundages when they

perform powerlifting-style
squats because of better
leverages. That in turn can
offset safety factors that
were the original reason
for making the switch.
Additionally, it takes the
trained eye of a good coach
to get the technique down.

It’s not something you can
just walk into a gym and
start doing. You need time to
learn proper form.
Anyone involved in
competitive powerlifting
needs to use that approach
to squats. Everyone else,
however, should use the
squat as a means to an
end, the end being the
development of a muscular
physique, not an increase
in squat poundage just for
Model: King Kamali
the sake of increasing squat

poundage.
Don’t misinterpret what
I’m saying. The squat is
an incredible
exercise, and
heavy squatting is
a great goal. Just
understand what
you’re trying to
accomplish and use
the best exercise
for your body type
to achieve that
objective. For some
people it’s the
squat; for most it’s
the deadlift.

Fact: Some exercises
are great for This type of routine
some people and takes careful planning
because it is very easy to
ineffective for others. overtrain. Proper nutrition
You must experiment and supplementation
and adequate rest are
in the gym. absolutely essential! Pre-
and postworkout nutrition
need special attention.
Reality: One of The details of using such a
the best ways to program are a topic for a future
break through a article. For now let’s go over some
training plateau is by basic principles. Initially, try to
doing several short perform two sessions of no longer
workouts throughout than 40 minutes each. The goal
the day instead of is to do two or three 30-to-40-
the traditional single minute sessions during the day.
long workout. Most Ninety percent of you will find that
of us cannot easily Saturday is the best day to do this.
rearrange our days Take off Friday before, and you
to fit in multiple will definitely need Sunday and
training sessions. probably Monday off also.
Despite the difficulty,
the effectiveness
of the technique is
Fact: One of the
unmatched. best ways to
For bodybuilding
break through a
Model: Eric Domer
purposes, the best

way to use multiple training plateau is

training sessions in
a day is to focus on a by doing several
specific set of muscle
Myth 4: Short workouts groups you want to overload. You short workouts
are ineffective. would do it only occasionally, say, throughout the day.
once every few months.
4
Model: Randy Vogelzang

Myth 5: Overtraining supplementation, but there’s a
5
is just undereating. point of diminishing returns. That’s
the point when any additional sets
Reality: This myth is really not you perform no longer add to the
as prevalent as it used to be, but workout but only increase the time
I still hear it from time to time. it will take you to recover.
I think now more people would A good analogy is when you’re
say that overtraining is just under- up late cramming for an exam
supplementation. Nutrition and the next day. Sure, you can take in
supplementation are vital to quite a bit of information while
training, but it’s wrong to say that cramming—up to a point. Once
not enough of either is the reason you’ve hit that point, you start to
Model: Berry Kabov

for overtraining. Certainly, you can get confused, nervous and tired,
train harder and/or longer if you and the mind just won’t retain any
use proper more material. That’s the point of
diminishing returns. There is no way
Fact: There’s
a point of
diminishing
returns—when
any additional
sets you perform
no longer add to
the workout but
only increase the
time it will take
you to recover.
There’s also the
increasing chance
of overuse injury.
around the fact that the body needs
rest and sleep.
Essentially, training is the
process of breaking down the body
with weights and giving it time to
build back up to a stronger state.
Training and supplementation
can help the process of repair, but
they will never take the place of
rest, period.
Remember, never take advice
at face value. Think about it,
experiment with variations and
Model: Luke Wood
opposing recommendations—and
you may just grow bigger than
you thought possible. IM

Nature’s Growth Serum

Nature’s
Serum
Colostrum: First Milk for Fast Mass?
by Jerry Brainum
In the classic 1939 novel Grapes of All female mammals secrete

Wrath by John Steinbeck, a character colostrum as the initial source of
called Rosasharn, who’s just delivered nutrition for newborns. Most proteins
a stillborn baby, encounters a man near undergo rapid degradation in the
death who hasn’t eaten a morsel of food gut, but colostrum contains protease
in more than six days. In a dramatic inhibitors that prevent its premature
act of selfless humanity, she offers the digestion. Bovine, or cow, colostrum is
famished stranger her breast, thereby four times richer in vital immune factors
saving his life. than human colostrum.
She couldn’t have made a better choice In ayurvedic medicine, the ancient
from a nutritional perspective. The thick, medicine of India, colostrum has
yellow fluid that the stranger suckled is been used to treat health problems for
known as colostrum, which flows from thousands of years. Before the advent
the breasts of women for two days after of antibacterial drugs, colostrum,
they give birth. along with garlic, was often used as
The primary nutritional requirements a natural antibiotic. Dr. Albert Sabin,
for a newborn are immune and growth who developed the first live vaccine for
Neveux \ Model: Jorge Betancourt
factors. Because a baby is born with little polio, found that colostrum contained
or no immunity, colostrum provides a rich antibodies that blocked the polio virus.
source of immune-enhancing proteins. So what are colostrum’s potent
Growth factors native to colostrum also protective factors? They include
enhance the newborn’s rapid growth. the following:

Immunoglobulins
Immunoglobulin G is a protein
that works as an antibody and coun-
teracts bacteria and viruses in the
blood and lymphatic system. So do
IgM, IgD and IgE. Colostrum con-
tains a minimum of 16 percent im-
munoglobulins.
Lactoferrin
Also found in whey protein,
lactoferrin deactivates bacteria
by blocking the use of iron, which
bacteria need to replicate.
Cow colostrum is four times
Proline-rich peptide richer in immune factors
PRP modulates immune function than human colostrum.
by calming an overactive immune
response and promoting a weak colostrum supplements. supplement for older people. As
immune response. Research has The most potent natural immune people age, immune response be-
found that a proprietary form of PRP booster known to science, colos- comes blunted, making them more
derived from the colostrum of sheep trum contains far more protective susceptible to diseases, including
works against Alzheimer’s disease.1 factors than milk. One study found cancer. In the case of autoimmune
PRP promotes the release of gamma- that human subjects who took oral diseases such as rheumatoid arthri-
interferon, a cytokine that inhibits colostrum supplements before tis and lupus, the body begins to
the formation of the protein beta- being injected with the bacteria that attack its own tissues and organs.
amyloid, which is thought to be a causes dysentery did not develop Women are more prone to those
cause of Alzheimer’s disease. the disease. kinds of diseases than men. The
PRP, the immune-modulating PRP in colostrum may help mitigate
Growth factors protein, stimulates the development autoimmune pathology.
Colostrum include insulinlike of thymocytes, which are white Another unique benefit of co-
growth factors 1 and 2, epithelial blood cells secreted from the thy- lostrum is protection against some
growth factor and transforming mus gland, into active T cells, which of the side effects induced by non-
growth factors A and B, as well as protect against viruses and cancer. steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
growth hormone itself. IGF-1 is well An in vitro, or test-tube, study found NSAIDs inhibit the synthesis of
known as a potent anabolic hor- that colostrum has about half the prostaglandins, which are made
mone. It’s also involved in muscular inhibitory activity of an antibi- from dietary fat and which are in-
recovery, repair and growth. The otic called gentamicin, but minus volved in pain and inflammatory
major controversy about supple- side effects. reactions. Some prostaglandins,
mental colostrum is whether IGF-1 Colostrum’s potent immune-pro- however, offer protective benefits.
is absorbed into the body with oral moting effects may make it a useful One example of such protection
is the maintenance of the mucous
barrier that lines the stomach and
intestines. Without that barrier,
Lactoferrin improves corrosive acids the body produces
immunity and the growth would lead to tissue ulceration.
environment. Unfortunately, the NSAIDs take a
shotgun approach to prostaglandin
synthesis, inhibiting both “good”
and “bad” kinds. That’s why certain
NSAIDs, known as COX-2 inhibitors,
are linked to adverse cardiovascular
effects, including heart attacks in
some people.
While the primary use of NSAIDs
is to treat pain from such inflamma-
tory conditions as arthritis, they’re
also used to treat pain that results
from muscle and joint injuries com-
mon in athletes and bodybuilders.
Noting that the drugs can cause gas-
trointestinal side effects, the drug

If colostrum did colostrum on tissue of the upper

nothing more than arm. Subjects who took colostrum
help heal injuries supplement experienced upper-
and boost immune arm increases, not in muscle but
function, it would skin. How that happened wasn’t
be a valuable dietary determined, but colostrum is a rich
supplement. The source of epidermal growth fac-
presence of its potent tor, which promotes skin growth
Colostrum growth factors, par- and healing.2
conains ticularly IGF-1, indi- A study of the effects of colostrum
far more cates that colostrum supplement use in elite athletes
protective could be both ergo- found that colostrum increased
factors genic and anabolic. repeat sprint ability in field hockey
than Studies done with players. Another study found no
milk and animals such as pigs, effect on the performance of rowers.
may be which use protein It did find increased muscle-buffer-
superior much as humans do, ing capacity, which implies lower
to whey show that supple- muscle acidity during intense train-
in many mental colostrum ing. That translates into decreased
respects. leads to increased muscle fatigue and upgraded train-
protein synthesis of ing intensity.
muscle contractile A more recent study compared
proteins. That should the impact of oral bovine colostrum
increase strength and muscular supplements to that of whey protein
size in those who lift weights. The on competitive cyclists.3 Those in
first study to test the athletic ef- the colostrum group showed more
fects of bovine colostrum ingestion, endurance than those getting the
however, found no effects on either whey. In their commentary, the
athletic performance or recovery. authors note that while IGF-1 is
That study lasted only eight days, thought to exist in colostrum, the
possibly not long enough to show level of IGF-1 in the subjects of both
any significant effects. groups didn’t vary. Another possibil-
A follow-up study one year later ity is enhanced nutrient absorption
that lasted eight weeks did show in the gut because of colostrum’s
Neveux \ Model: Jeff Hammond
improved recovery from endur- growth factors. Increased nutrient

ance exercise. Subjects undertook uptake would promote enhanced
eight weeks of combined endur- muscle recovery and accelerated
Colostrum’s immune boosters ance and weight-training exercise repair of muscle damage from in-
may be especially important while getting 20 grams a day of tense exercise.
as we get older. bovine colostrum. A placebo group The most recent study examin-
experienced no significant differ- ing the effects of bovine colostrum
industry developed synthetic pros- ences in measures of endurance and
taglandin drugs to counter NSAID strength. Those in the colostrum
side effects. Those drugs came with group, however, did show
their own side effects, such as diar- an increase in non-
rhea—clearly not an ideal solution. bone lean mass.
Colostrum offsets NSAID side The question is,
effects, apparently because of its What did that
growth factors, such as epidermal consist of?
growth factor and alpha-TGF, which A study
help heal injured mucous tissues that used
in the gut. Studies using rats as magnetic
subjects show that taking colos- resonance
trum with NSAIDs prevents gastric imaging
injury by 60 percent or more. The examined
wound-healing properties of active the effects of
colostrum should work in all types
of injury or trauma. Colostrum also
has links to leptin,
which reduces food
Is Colostrum cravings in the
Ergogenic? brain.

significant changes lostrum because of its effects on the

The evidence
suggests that in blood levels of immune system. As one researcher
colostrum IGF-1 after colos- concluded, “Bovine colostrum
can increase trum intake, which supplementation can increase lean
lean body makes sense. As body mass and improve exercise
mass. a polypeptide, or performance and recovery for a
protein-based hor- number of athletic activities.”7
mone, IGF-1 digests
the same way as References
any other protein
taken orally. That’s 1 Leszek, J., et al. (2002). Colos-
why IGF-1, like trinin proline-rich polypeptide

growth hormone, is complex from ovine colostrum—a
usually injected. long-term study of its efficacy in
Neveux\ Model: Jose Raymond

The presence of Alzheimer’s disease. Med Sci Moni-
IGF-1 in colostrum tor. 8:P193-P196.
has caused concern 2 Buckley, J., et al. (2001). Effect of
in some athletic bovine colostrum supplementation

circles even though on the composition of resistance-
IGF-1 isn’t a drug- trained and nontrained limbs. Med
tested substance. A Sci Sports Exerc. 33:S340.
study that looked 3 Coombes, J., et al. (2002). Dose
into that controversy could effects of oral bovine colostrum in

find no effect on the IGF-1 physical work capacity in cyclists.
blood levels of subjects who Med Sci Sports Exerc. 34:1184-88.
took 60 grams of colostrum 4 Mero, A., et al. (2005). Protein
every day for four weeks.5 metabolism and strength perfor-

Bovine colostrum contains mance after bovine colostrum
large amounts of leptin, a supplementation. Amino Acids.
protein produced by fat cells.6 28:327-35.
Leptin reduces food crav- 5 Kuipers, H., et al. (2002). Effects
ings by inhibiting the release of oral bovine colostrum supple-

of a substance in the brain mentation on serum insulinlike
called neuropeptide Y. It also growth factor 1 levels. Nutrition.
increases energy expenditure. 18:566-67.
The unanswered question is 6 Pinotti, L., et al. (2006). Leptin in
how much leptin human be- bovine colostrum and milk. Horm
ings can absorb from taking a Metab Res. 38:89-93.
Studies done with
colostrum supplement orally. 7 Buckley, J. (2002). Bovine colos-
pigs show that
colostrum may If the protein can somehow trum: Does it improve athletic per-
increase protein survive digestion, it could formance? Nutrition. 19:776-77. IM
synthesis. provide posi-
tive effects on
body composi-
intake focused on protein metabo- tion, such as lowered
lism and strength performance.4 bodyfat.
Subjects took 20 grams a day of Even if colostrum
either colostrum or a placebo for doesn’t provide ben-
two weeks. Muscle protein synthe- efits by way of IGF-1
sis was higher with colostrum in- or leptin, it’s still a
take, as were blood levels of amino valuable supple-
acids, but no change occurred in ment. It would be
either strength or IGF-1 levels. On particularly useful
the other hand, the type of exercise for those engaged in
done during the study was mostly extended exercise,
aerobic, which wouldn’t have led such as weight train-
to a significant strength increase ing and aerobics, or
anyway. those on restricted-
The authors who did that study calorie diets, which
had previously noted a 17 per- may adversely affect Colostrum has
cent increase in levels of IGF-1 in immune function.
wound-healing
and trauma-
subjects taking colostrum supple- Older people may
reducing effects.
ments. Most studies have shown no also benefit from co-

A Bodybuilder
Is Born
Episode 13:
Do Not Seek Outside Approval

by Ron Harris - Photography by Michael Neveux
andy had been in Connecticut over the weekend. Most
R
Massachusetts residents these days only go to that particu-
lar state for two reasons: Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, two
massive Indian-owned casinos that allow us to lose just
as much money as if we had flown to Las Vegas. It wasn’t
gambling that had called young Randy, however. It was
grandparents.
Since both my grandfathers had shuffled off this mortal coil before I
burst from my mama’s womb, and my grandmothers had followed suit
when I was in my teenage years, I sort of forget what grandparents are
like. All I can remember is that they were a lot older than I was, they
usually smelled funny, and they asked me to repeat everything I said
an awful lot. One of my grandmothers had whiskers on her chin that
at almost 34 I still can’t match. Still, I figured Randy’s grandma in Con-
necticut was more like the ones you see on TV, always baking some-
thing and using endearing little phrases like, “by gum,” or, “in my day.”
Randy was looking a little bummed as we warmed up on chest,
which is his favorite muscle group to train. I hated to ask, but I won-
dered if his grandparents were in good health.
“Hey, how are your grandmother and grandfather? Everything okay
with them?” I tried to sound cheerful but was expecting the worst.
“They’re fine,” he muttered, seeming distracted. I let him do his final
warmup, but it was clear he wasn’t volunteering any further informa-
tion.
“So, what’s wrong?”
“They weren’t very supportive of my bodybuilding at all, and it’s the
first time they have ever been like that to me.” I could see he had no-
Models: Dror Okave and Lisa Gleave
body else to unload this on, so I gave him the green light.
“Tell me about it.”
“They have known I exercised, but they haven’t seen me since right
after I started training with you. I was hoping they were going to give
me some kind of compliment for putting on all the size I have, but it
was just the opposite. They told me I was going to get musclebound,
out of proportion, and that I was going to hurt myself lifting weights.

A Bodybuilder Is Born
Top IFBB Pro Victor

Martinez owns a
successful gym, but
his dad still doesn’t
approve of lifting
weights.
In your
grandparents’
day muscles
were supposed
to come from
hard, manual-
labor jobs like
construction, not
lifting weights.
The idea of
having muscles
just for their own
sake makes no
Comstock
sense to them.
They got upset when I didn’t want training me—and they said you from hard work like bricklaying or
any chocolate mousse for des- looked horrible. They said they construction, not lifting weights. It
sert like everyone else, and when I hoped I didn’t want to look like you, was also a sign that you were low-
tried to explain about eating clean, with those awful lumps and veins.” class, like you had to go out there
Grandma got mad.” “So the elders are not big Ron and do physical work instead of
“She didn’t throw a pie in your fans, huh?” staying inactive and flabby like the
face, did she?” I asked with a grin. “No. I think they got mad at you, wealthier class. The idea of hav-
“No, she thought I was saying her like you’re corrupting me with all ing muscles just for their own sake
food was dirty or something. She this ‘nonsense.’ I felt terrible, like makes no sense to them. In fact,
doesn’t understand that I try not to they think everything I’m doing is for some dopey reason in the old
eat a lot of saturated fat or simple stupid and wrong. They have always days it was considered healthy to
sugars, especially since I gained all been proud of me growing up, but be overweight. I think it’s because it
that fat not long ago. Then a couple now they don’t approve of me want- meant you would have more fat to
hours later I go for my protein bar, ing to be a bodybuilder. It sucks, survive in times of famine. You have
and she goes, ‘You just ate! You’re man.” to remember that people in your
going to get indigestion!’ Then I That was Randy’s ultimate proc- grandparents’ generation were the
tried to explain how I eat six or lamation of unhappiness, so it was children of the Great Depression.”
seven times a day, and she almost time to make him see things weren’t “Right, I remember studying that
had a heart attack. Grandpa didn’t as bad as he thought. in American history.”
say much, he just kept shaking his “Randy, how old are your grand- “My mom, in fact, still hoards
head and grunting.” parents?” enough food to last through a win-
“So you didn’t give them a posing “Seventy-five and 76.” ter at all times, as if her access to
demonstration?” “Since they are the same age as it might be cut off at any minute.
“No, you’re not gonna like this, my mother, I think I can tell you a That brings me to meals. Most of
but…,” Randy didn’t want to con- little bit about their generation and America still believes in the three
tinue. the way they were brought up to squares—breakfast, lunch and
“What?” think about things like exercise and dinner. Your grandparents were
“I brought them a couple issues eating. brought up on fatty meats and but-
with your “Bodybuilder Is Born” “Exercise was something sol- tered bread and potatoes, for the
articles. I told them they were about diers or professional athletes did, most part. When you only eat three
me and showed them your picture. not regular people. If a man was times a day, the food needs to be
I said you were the guy who was muscular, it was supposed to be pretty heavy and filling so you don’t

A Bodybuilder Is Born
Face it, a lot of

people look at To really
bodybuilders appreciate what
Model: Gustavo Badell
with
“Letdisdain,
me explain something a bodybuilder
Model: Pax Beale

jealousy
about theor pros: They are does, you have
not regular human beings.”
amusement. to do it.
start getting hunger pangs. Eating you can’t do any of this for other me. Listen, are you going to cry
plain foods like chicken breasts, people,” I explained. “If you’re because grandma and grandpa
white rice and steamed broccoli doing this so that other people will don’t understand biceps, quads and
is almost as bad as fried dog poop congratulate you for your efforts, protein shakes? Are you going to be
to a lot of men and women of that you won’t last, because you won’t upset that they don’t ask you to hit
generation.” get too much of that outside the a side chest for them the next time
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. They little bodybuilding community. you see them?”
really can’t understand bodybuild- Bodybuilding is unique in that al- “No, I don’t think so.”
ing.” most all of its fans are participants. “I’m even willing to forgive them
“Top IFBB pro Victor Martinez Obviously, all the guys who watch for saying I look horrible, though I
owns his own gym, but his elderly ‘Monday Night Football’ aren’t will take on your grandfather in a
father still doesn’t approve of lifting out there playing the game. But to posedown any day. In fact, if I ever
weights. And you know what? It’s really appreciate what we do, you see them, I may just have to present
not just senior citizens who have actually have to do it. Be proud of them with an autographed poster
a hard time comprehending the what you accomplish in the gym of Ronnie Coleman for their living
whole bodybuilding lifestyle; it’s and with your body, whether any- room.”
just about everybody who doesn’t one else you know is or not.” Randy had a chuckle at that.
work out. You can’t expect them “It’s a little lonely being a body- “What do you say we go for
to approve of what you do or ap- builder then, isn’t it?” Randy asked lunch? I’m thinking pork chops,
preciate your physique, because sadly. mashed potatoes with gravy and
they usually won’t. The bigger you “No, I don’t think so. It’s more key lime pie for dessert. You know
get, the more apparent that will like you are a monk or something, that’s how we old people like to eat,
be. When you walk down the street leading a very disciplined life that Sonny! And put that heavy weight
looking like a bodybuilder, most most people can’t possibly under- down before your strain yourself.”
people will look at you with dis- stand the motivations behind. But I know that someday, assuming
dain, jealousy or amusement. Don’t that shouldn’t take away from your I live long enough, I will be an old
expect applause and cheers all the joy and satisfaction. You can either man myself. But I will be one of the
time.” think of yourself as a freak or as only old men I know still training
“Great, so I have that to look special—it’s all how you look at it.” hard and eating right. And if I ever
forward to,” Randy groused. “I thought being a freak was a end up in a retirement home, there
“There are those who appreci- good thing in bodybuilding.” had better be a killer gym nearby!
ate and admire what we do, but “Now you’re trying to confuse IM

. .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. .
.
.
. .
.
Justin “Troponin” Harris Is Quickly Earning
Guru Status Among Competitive Bodybuilders
by Ron Harris • Photography by Michael Neveux
I
n the Internet age, word as the next Chad Nicholls, Chris
spreads lightning-fast. In less Aceto or Hany Rambod. I barely
than two years Justin Harris pay attention to them. That all
has gained a loyal following changed when my good friend and
and earned a reputation as a occasional training partner Jason
man who can get anybody in hired Justin.
shape. Just 26 years old and himself I’d watched Jason diet for two
a national-level superheavyweight shows, and despite his incredible
competitor, Harris has amassed a discipline and best efforts he hadn’t
stable of athletes who have been been in true contest condition. With
consistently showing up shredded, from Justin’s nutritional wisdom and
first-timers competing in local shows to guidance, though, he hit the stage
seasoned veterans at the national level leaner than I ever thought he could
vying for professional status. be. I started to wonder if perhaps
So effective are Justin’s methods this Troponin character might have
that sections are devoted to Troponin something after all. I decided to
Nutrition, his company, on the popular track him down for IRON MAN
Web sites MuscleMayhem.com and readers and learn about his unique
Model: Berry Kabov
IntenseMuscle.com. Of course, plenty approach to shedding bodyfat while

of guys on the Internet are offered up maintaining muscle.
. . .
.
Young Jedi of Nutrition . . .
tors and wanted to make sure I had
RH: How did it right before I actually did a show.
Looking back, I think that helped
you get into me, as it gave me an opportunity to
bodybuilding? put what I learned in school to the
What were test a few times, without the pres-
your early sure of a competition.
motivations
and influences, RH: What’s your
and when did educational background?
you know you
JH: I have a bachelor’s degree in
wanted to be a exercise science, from Alma College
competitor? in Michigan. I was lucky enough to
attend a very good school by hap-
JH: I remember penstance. I didn’t care that they
watching a bodybuild- had a good reputation. I was just
ing show on TV when glad they were going to let me play
I was about seven or football. I currently work as an
eight, and from then echocardiographer, and I learned
on I was hooked. I that at Thomas Jefferson Medical
knew I wanted to be College in Philadelphia. I’m also
a bodybuilder. My certified in advanced cardiac life
parents bought me a support.
weight set when I was
Comstock \ Model: Art Atwood
nine, and my dad even RH: Medical education

welded me a squat
“We’ll soon reach the rack and bought a
is always a good thing.
point where the look pulldown machine. I When did you start helping
that size brings isn’t as joined a gym when I other bodybuilders with
appealing. Nevertheless, was 15, and that’s re- their contest diets? How
I’m a fan of the full ally when it all started.
spectrum [of physiques]. Initially, my training
did that evolve into a
I can appreciate the size was totally geared business?
of Art Atwood just as I toward sports. I was a
can appreciate the look two-sport captain in JH: I’d already helped other
of Mark Dugdale. high school (baseball people before I ever did a contest.
and football), and a I’d go to various bodybuilding Web
two-time Division sites and offer advice when some-
III All-American in one asked. Apparently, people liked
football in college. my advice, as more and more asked
After my senior year me to help them. Eventually, I was
of football in college I getting myself ready for the ’04 Mr.
decided that I wanted Michigan and didn’t have the time
to be a competitive to help anyone. One person said,
bodybuilder. “Well, how about if I pay you?” That
seemed like a good idea, so I did
Comstock \ Model: Mark Dugdale
RH: Have you that for a few more people. I told my

wife that I should start a Web site,
always known not really knowing anything about
exactly how to it. One night my wife looked online
get yourself into for information on how to start one.
great condition, When I woke up the next morning,
or did you screw she had one started, and it’s grown
from there. My first two national
up in the early clients were a couple who competed
days? at the ’04 Junior Nationals. Darin
Dudash took eighth in the light
JH: I dieted down heavies, and Anne Sheehan took
into good condition a fourth in the women’s heavyweights.
few times before I ever She then took fifth at that year’s
competed. I didn’t USA, weighing in 24 pounds heavier
know any competi- than the year before, and with bet-

. . .
.
RH: Do you find that
being a national-level
superheavyweight
bodybuilding competitor
gives you more credibility
as a nutritionist? Do you
think it should?
JH: I hope it holds credibility, as
that would work in my favor. I don’t
think it has a lot to do with your
knowledge and ability to get some-
one in shape. It definitely helps you
understand what your clients are
going through, though. There’s no
way to understand what happens
to your body, or your mind, for that
Comstock
matter, when you get in true compe-
tition shape without actually going
through the process yourself.
ter conditioning. Word started to JH: That’s happened a number
spread then. of times. At the ’05 Junior Nationals RH: Do you aspire to be a
two of my clients took second and
professional bodybuilder?
RH: That’s about as fifth in the heavyweight class, be-
What events are you
hind Phil Heath. It happens at local
grassroots as it gets. shows quite often as well. I do try to getting ready for now?
Where did you come up set a limit on the number of people
with the name Troponin I work with for a given show. I pretty JH: I’d love to be a professional
Nutrition? much decided that after the Junior bodybuilder. It’s something I’ll con-
Nationals in 2005. I had seven com- tinue to work toward, but it’s not my
petitors there. overriding goal in life. I’ve realized
JH: Troponin was the handle I that I get more satisfaction from
was using on the message boards RH: Have you ever had to working with other competitors,
at the time. I remembered the word and there’s more potential for me as
from school and thought it would be
compete against someone a nutritionist than as a competitor.
a good name. You can see the defini- you prepped for a show? That doesn’t mean I’m not going
tion on my Web site. What’s that like? to try. I love competing too much
Basically, troponin [tro-PÓ-nin] to stop. If it’s not in the cards, I still
is a complex of proteins that are JH: I actually competed against have outlets to work in the industry.
integral to muscular contraction. a client at the
It’s attached to tropomyosin, a type Junior Nation-
of protein that in a relaxed muscle als last year. He
prevents contraction. When the placed better
muscle cell is stimulated to con- than I did. It
tract, the concentration of calcium was very dif-
rises. Some of the calcium attaches ficult to get
to troponin, moving it and tropo- ready for a
myosin out of the way so that actin, show while
another cellular protein, can kick in working with
for muscle contraction. Without tro- clients, dif-
ponin, there can be no contraction. ficult enough
to make me
RH: Have you ever decide to never
do that again.
prepared two clients for At that point
the same contest in the something has
same class or who go up
Model: Gustavo Badell
to give, and in
against each other for the the end it’ll be “I believe anyone is
my prep. capable of getting
overall? in true contest
condition.”

. . .
.
“Too many clients are afraid
to back off and recharge their
metabolisms.”
“I like to
work with
Model: Tomm Voss

clients for 16
to 20 weeks
before a
show.”
I’m currently getting ready for the JH: Helping someone get in the to work harder than others, but I
’06 Junior USA in South Carolina. best shape of their life is probably believe anyone is capable of getting
I try to keep progress threads up the most satisfying. That’s all you into true contest condition.
at my forum on Muscle Mayhem, can do really, as you never know
to help potential competitors see what’s going to happen with the RH: Do you ever wrestle
the progression from off-season to judging. But some of my most re-
contest condition. warding clients are those who aren’t
with the idea that maybe
yet on the national level. It’s a very it’s not healthy for human
RH: Are you friendly with good feeling to help someone who’s beings to be as low in
any other so-called gurus long believed that he or she can’t be bodyfat and water as
a bodybuilder get into true competi- competitive bodybuilders
in the industry? Are there tion shape for the first time.
any you share information are supposed to be on the
with? RH: We all know that day of a contest?
genetics plays a huge role JH: I don’t think any competitor
JH: I like to think I’m friendly when it comes to building would really believe that the last few
with all the other nutritionists I’ve a physique, in terms of weeks of a contest diet are health-
come in contact with. I speak with structure, size and shape. ful, but that’s such a small portion
Dante, of DC training, through e- Do you feel that anybody of the year. You’d be hard-pressed to
mail often, and he’s actually helping find a sport that’s truly healthy at its
me with the ins and outs of starting can get down to what peak. You risk injury, dehydration
a supplement line. I also e-mail Skip we consider contest and other problems with just about
[La Cour] quite often as well. And condition? Or are there every major sporting event. The
surprisingly enough, we share a lot some unlucky guys and health benefits of weight training,
of information. I don’t see how shar- proper nutrition and cardiovascular
ing information can hurt any of us. girls who just can’t do it training that you have the rest of
The more we all learn, the better our no matter what? the year are worth those last weeks
clients do, which only reflects well to me.
on us. JH: I honestly feel that anyone As a lifelong athlete and competi-
can get to that level. We’re all made tor, I’ve set aside health more than
RH: What gives you up of the same materials. Our bod- a few times to compete. Making
ies all have the same processes. weight for a wrestling match, break-
more satisfaction, helping Insulin is secreted in response to ing up a wedge on the football field,
people win a contest or carbohydrate intake, the GLUT-4 getting hit by a pitch in baseball—all
helping them get into transporter shuttles that glucose to are things I’ve done that wouldn’t
the best shape of their the muscles, etc., etc. We all have be considered healthy. I work in the
life, even if they don’t the same physiological responses to medical field, and I see what lack of
exercise and nutrition. Not every- exercise and poor nutrition can do
necessarily place very one is equally efficient at building to the body, so I try to focus on the
well? muscle and burning fat. Some have positives of (continued on page 164)

. . .
.
“I try to focus on and together we both kind of know
the positives of how long it will take. I will say that
the bodybuilding I’m a fan of longer diets compared
lifestyle.” to shorter ones. I like to work with
clients for 16 to 20 weeks before a
show. Most of my clients are year-
round clients now. As I tell a lot of
them, “You can be ready early, but
you can’t be ready late.”
RH: When working with

athletes in their off-
season, how lean do you
like them to stay?
Model: Jammo Nezzar

JH: I like to keep my clients pretty
lean. No one should ever call him-
self a competitive bodybuilder and
get to the point where he can’t see
any ab definition in the off-season.
(continued from page 160) But it’s different for everyone. If
the bodybuilding lifestyle. actually takes to lose that someone is going to take a year off
much fat? and try to move up a weight class,
RH: The standards for you have the option of giving him a
JH: I get that all the time. You just little more leeway for girth. But, all
size, as well as condition, have to be honest with them and things being equal, the leaner you
have steadily advanced. tell them how long it would take to are when you start a diet, the better
Just how much thicker get into contest shape. A lot of them off you are.
and more ripped do you don’t want to believe it, but I think
think bodybuilders can or that deep down, everyone under- RH: Is it more of a
stands that miracles don’t happen
should get? overnight.
challenge to work with
athletes competing in
JH: I really think we’ll see more RH: How do you drug-tested events, where
advances in size than people think.
determine how long a they won’t have the
I think conditioning is pretty much advantages of drugs that
tapped out. You can’t get bodyfat client needs to diet for a
much lower than what you’re seeing contest? maintain muscle and burn
now. fat as they diet down?
I do like the slow swing toward JH: Most of my clients aren’t get-
more emphasis on conditioning ting ready for their first contest, and JH: It is more challenging but not
and aesthetics, a word I don’t par- I usually know who they are before as much as you think. As long as
ticularly like. The potential for more we work together anyway. In that the client doesn’t use that drug-free
size is there, but we’ll soon reach the scenario, I just ask them what kind status as a crutch to allow himself or
point where the look that size brings of condition they’re currently in, herself to slack off, it shouldn’t really
isn’t as appealing. I’m a fan of the
full spectrum. I can appreciate the “I like to keep my clients pretty
size of Art Atwood just as I can ap- lean. No one should ever call
preciate the look of Mark Dugdale. himself a competitive bodybuilder
There’s room for the full range of and get to the point where he can’t
competitors. see any ab definition in the off-
season.”
RH: Do you ever have
people come to you
with very unrealistic
expectations in terms
of going from obese to
shredded in a few weeks?
Model: Tomm Voss
How do you make them

understand how long it
. . .
.
Model: Lee Priest

“I really think we’ll see more advances in size than
people think. Conditioning is pretty much tapped
out. You can’t get bodyfat much lower than what
you’re seeing now.”
be a factor. You do have to be more people coming to contests in shred- camera flash. Anyone can look good
prepared. The drug-tested competi- ded condition. Most competitors in gym lighting, but that won’t cut
tors need to stay leaner in the off- aren’t afraid of hard work and low it onstage. If you can look shredded
season and usually plan on dieting calories. And in fact, that’s often in a brightly lit, white room, with a
longer. Being drug-tested doesn’t their downfall. Too many clients are flash camera, then you’re ready for
mean you aren’t allowed to eat right afraid to back off and recharge their the stage. And that happens long
and work hard. metabolisms. after you’ve begun looking peeled at
the gym.
RH: How do you make RH: How do you monitor
sure your clients maintain the progress of your RH: What are your
their muscle mass while clients when they’re thoughts on using
getting down to extremely hundreds or thousands of cheat meals to trick the
low bodyfat levels? miles away? metabolism into getting
back into a fat-burning
JH: I believe very strongly in JH: I use pictures. When work-
mode?
rotating carbohydrate and calorie ing with clients for a contest, all I
levels during a diet. In fact, my diets can really do is get the fat off them, JH: I’m not afraid to use cheat
are actually different each day. I as they’re born with their structure meals. You just have to know how to
usually use three to four different and there’s not much you can do for use them. If someone is eight weeks
carb and calorie amounts or days. muscle size at that point. That can out and looks 12 weeks out, that’s
So, essentially, they have high-, easily be seen through pictures. You not the time to try to trick the body.
medium- and low-carb and -calorie can tell how someone’s bodyfat level But if someone is ahead of schedule,
days. The trick is in knowing when is progressing and how muscle mass adding a very high-calorie meal, or
to back off and use the higher-carb is being maintained by pictures. cheat meal, is a good way of quickly
days to prevent muscle loss. One thing I do tell people to do is filling back out and recharging the
It’s not just about working hard. If to avoid overhead lighting, and to metabolism. You really have to be
all it took were hard work and suf- use a flash. I want the photos to be ahead of schedule, though, for that
fering, there would be many more taken in bright light, with a nice big to work properly.

. . .
RH: Do you allow your personally am tired of trying to mix

clients to eat sugar-free and match various fat-loss products
to get the nutrients I want.
candy or cookies, things
like that? RH: Without getting too
JH: If the product is truly sugar-
specific about diet, do you
free and calorie free, then I allow— feel that some individuals
and encourage—it. I even keep respond differently to
them in the diet longer than people carbohydrates? I’ve
typically feel you should. Things like observed that some
Crystal Light, sugar-free Tang and
so on. I don’t allow sugar-free foods people can eat carbs with
that aren’t calorie free. My food list practically every meal and
is very basic and boring. get leaner, while others
need to go down to zero
RH: What supplements carbs to shed fat.
do you feel are helpful
for getting ripped? Has JH: Yeah, there is a wide variance.
anything since the ECA I’ve even found people who can’t
products been as effective always handle a lot of carbohydrates
as they were? but can handle a proportionately
large amount at certain times. Of
course, some individuals can tol-
JH: I don’t think anything is re- erate high amounts all the time,
ally as effective as ECA was. A lot of too. I think that most people can
products, however, are extremely tolerate a lot more carbs than they
beneficial to a competitor. I almost think they can. I typically prefer a
always include green tea extract, higher-than-average carb intake
caffeine, yohimbine and chocamine for precontest dieting. That doesn’t
in my diets. Chocamine is some- mean I won’t drop the carbs very
thing I haven’t used for that long, low at points, but I’m also not afraid
but I’m finding that it can be quite to take them very high at points
beneficial for a dieter. too. Many clients of mine have
expressed initial concern with both
RH: I understand the volume of food and the volume
of carbs they’re given. After seeing
you’re starting your own the results, however, they realized
supplement line. Could they could handle more food than
you tell us a little bit they’d previously thought.
about that and what will
set your product line RH: How much protein
apart? do you feel bodybuilders
need in the off-season and
JH: It will initially specialize in precontest?
select products for precontest indi-
viduals. We’re beginning with an an- JH: That’s kind of a tricky ques-
ticramping formula and a diuretic. tion. Bodybuilders don’t really need
It will incorporate the specific nu- as much protein as they take in. No
trients I use the final week before a one really needs to eat 500 grams
contest to dry out without cramping of protein. There’s a lot more to the
up. I’m also planning on introduc- equation than that, however. When
ing a fat-loss supplement later this you have a 250-pound Superheavy-
year that I hope people will find to weight trying to get to sub 5 percent
be the most effective fat-loss prod- bodyfat, you’re going to have to find
uct on the market. It won’t contain a way to keep calories high enough
products because they have a fancy to maintain that 250 pounds of
name; it will be composed entirely muscle while keeping calories low
of products that have the most pro- enough to burn fat. That typically
nounced effect on fat loss. I’m very means that protein levels will be
excited about its development, as I higher than necessary.

. . .
.
JH: Cardio is usually set at a lower

level to begin with. We set it based on
what clients have used in the past,
their current condition and how long
they have to get into shape. From
there we monitor their progress to
manipulate the cardio level. I’m prob-
ably an advocate of moderate to high
cardio volume. I use as little as needed
to get into shape, but I take cardio
levels very high if needed. As long as
a person isn’t losing leg size, I’d rather
keep cardio higher and add more
calories than drop calories and cardio.
Losing leg size is totally different from
losing leg fullness.
RH: In a nutshell, what

would you say are the
most common mistakes
bodybuilders make when
preparing for contests?
JH: Bodybuilders usually make

mistakes in one of two directions. The
first and most common is that they
judge their appearance by the leanest
part of their body and how it looks in
gym lighting after a workout. Having a
nice six-pack after sweating out three
pounds of water in a chest and biceps
workout in overhead gym lighting is
light-years away from having shred-
ded glutes and peeled hamstrings.
The other direction, and a direction
a lot of seasoned competitors go, is
overdieting and obsessing. I’ve seen
“Carbs can many competitors in great condition
dramatically alter think that if they just restrict calories
muscle size and a little more and add a little more
appearance.” cardio, they’ll look even better, when
in reality they’re almost ready and the
smart thing to do would be to back off
Protein needs really vary inversely well as the space occupied by blood occasionally to stay full and keep their
with carbohydrate consumption. vessels, arteries, capillary density metabolism high. That will actually
The more carbs you eat, the less and so on in the muscle. While pro- help them continue to lose fat without
protein you need. And the fewer tein may be the only macronutrient losing muscle. Whenever I hear people
carbs you eat, the more protein that can specifically change the size complain about being cold all the time
you need. You also have to con- of the contractile tissue in a muscle, on a diet, I know that they’re dropping
sider how those nutrients affect the other nutrients, and specifically calories too low. It’s not about losing
body. Protein is more thermogenic carbs, can dramatically alter muscle weight; it’s about losing fat.
than carbohydrates. But carbs are size and appearance.
a better energy source. There’s also RH: It must be impossible
the fullness factor to consider. A RH: How about cardio? to take on all the clients
relatively small percentage of the
cross-sectional area of a muscle is
How do you determine who wish to work with you.
actual contractile tissue. You have how much cardio a person Is that why you started
to consider the space that glycogen should do, in terms of Protégé Nutrition? What
will occupy, that the water attached frequency, duration and exactly is it?
to that glycogen will occupy—as intensity?
. . .
“I know so many bodybuilders out there

who are confused about how to take
the next step and get into real contest
condition.”
JH: At the Junior Nationals last instead of the products that have
year, I had the second-placed light the highest profit margin. There
heavyweight, the second- and fifth- are so many great products, but
placed heavyweights, the 13th-place you have to search high and low
superheavy, who was only 23 years for them through bulk nutritional
old, the women’s light-heavy first- providers because supplement
place winner and a third-placed companies won’t touch them. The
figure competitor. After Elena Seiple cost-to-profit margin is too low.
took a controversial second place at I want products that work, and
the USA, my name came up pretty those are the products I’m going
frequently just based on all the to develop. I’d like to continue to
talk about that weight class. At that develop Protégé Nutrition into the
point I couldn’t really keep up with nutritional guidance home base
the requests, and I didn’t like turn- that I know it can be.
ing away clients. So I asked some of I know so many bodybuilders
my competitors who’d helped body- out there who are confused about
builders through the years if they’d how to take the next step and get
be interested in working with me on into real contest condition. I want
a new Web site. From that I created a seasoned contest-prep nutrition-
Protégé Nutrition. ist to be available to all of them.
It’s a Web site with some clients of I’m excited about watching my
mine who are also great nutrition- clients grow from local amateurs
ists in their own right. They all know to national stars and eventually
how I structure contest-prep plans, professional athletes. I had a client
as they’ve been through them with turn professional at the Team Uni-
me. So essentially the diets they verse in 2005, and I expect many
give are what I would give. The only more to do the same over the next
difference is that the consultation few years. It’s very exciting for me.
throughout the prep and the chang- You know how the saying goes:
es made are between you and the “Those who can’t do, teach.”
nutritionist you’re working with. It’s I’m also working on some books
really grown over the past year, and that explain precontest dieting
the nutritionists there are develop- from start to finish. They will
ing their own names as contest-prep include all the final-week subtle-
nutritionists. Check out the photo ties that are so tricky, from water
gallery on the site to see some of the manipulation to sodium deple-
changes they’re making with clients. tion and reintroduction and carb
loading. Not everyone can afford
RH: You’ve been building to work with a nutritionist. I’m
hoping to give them a book that
an excellent reputation will contain all the knowledge they
and have a solid core of need to develop strategies for get-
clients now. What are ting into contest shape. There are a
your ultimate goals in the million ways of getting into shape,
industry? but following a million ways at
once never works.
JH: I’d like to accomplish a lot of Editor’s note: For more info
things in the industry that means on Justin Harris’ nutrition ideas,
so much to me. As a competitor I visit TroponinNutrition.com,
know what competitors go through. MuscleMayhem.com, Intense
I’m very excited to be developing a Muscle.com and ProtegeNutrition.
supplement line that will focus on com. IM
products that will improve people,

Muscle-Mass
Massacre
10 Things Bodybuilders Do
to Murder Their Gains
by Skip La Cour
Five-Time Team Universe Champ
Photography by Michael Neveux
ome bodybuilders make minds to new and better strategies.

big mistakes when it comes We may have learned ineffective
to the way they train. strategies from people who had the
I certainly understand best intentions but steered us to a
because I made them path that doesn’t work for us.
along my own bodybuilding To help you get the results you
journey. We often make training want, I’m going to show you how to
errors simply because we haven’t make the necessary changes to your
stepped back and thought about training approach. Don’t just skim
what we’re doing. the following pages and hope you
Some mistakes are the result of aren’t doing anything that I consider
coming to conclusions too quickly. a mistake. Instead, avoid the
We mistakenly believe that the mistakes and use these simple and
strategies we’ve stumbled upon easy-to-follow training strategies to
early in our training odyssey are launch your physical development
Model: Skip La Cour
the best routes to take. We close our into a new level of growth.

Muscle-Mass Massacre
When you train

with passion, zeal
and enthusiasm,
constant
improvement in
your physique is
inevitable.
will produce results

that are mediocre at
best. Intensity means
pounding the weights
so hard that every
set ends in absolute
failure. In other words,
you have nothing
left in reserve when
the set is completed.
Intensity is just as
much a mental feat as
it is a physical one.
Intensity can
also be defined as
consistently striving
for a higher level of
excellence with every
exercise, set and
rep you perform—
regardless of what
you’ve achieved in
the past. You strive to
raise your standards
for what you expect of
Neveux \ Model: Eric Domer
yourself during every

session. Intensity is
never being satisfied
with your current level
of performance or
development because,
deep in your soul,
muscle gains they’re after, they’ll you know that you’re capable of at
1) Bodybuilders have to improve the quality of least one more repetition, five more
confuse activity their workouts.
There’s a huge difference between
pounds or a slight improvement in
your form or execution.
in the gym with activity and intensity. Activity is When you train with that type
merely showing up. That’s a good of passion, zeal and enthusiasm,
training intensity. start, but it’s not going to get the constant improvement in your
results bodybuilders want. physique is inevitable. If you train
Some bodybuilders show up at Training is intense when you give with intensity, there’s no question
the gym on a consistent basis—but 100 percent of your mind, body and that you’ll be more productive in
aren’t demanding enough of soul to every repetition, every set, your bodybuilding efforts than
themselves while they’re there. every exercise and every workout. trainees who don’t. The higher your
It’s as if they’re punching a time Whatever routine or philosophy you training-intensity level becomes,
clock. They may have commitment decide to use, you must train with the better you’ll be at initiating the
and consistency, but to get the intensity. Without it, your efforts muscle-building process.

2) They confuse
training volume
with training
effectiveness.
Many bodybuilders mistakenly
believe that the more time and
effort they put into their training,
the better their results will be.
They pride themselves on pushing
themselves through grueling,
marathon workouts that are
loaded with lots of exercises and
sets. They work each bodypart
as many as three times a week in
the hope that superhuman effort
will produce massive results in a
shorter time.
Most people who are
committed to their training
programs have the tendency to
train too much. Their enthusiasm
and desire make them want to
train as often as they possibly can.
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
Unfortunately, that’s not how
Models: Markus Reinhardt and Hubert Morandell

the muscle-building process
works. That’s somewhat difficult
to grasp because most things
in life don’t work that way.
Most of the time the amount of
effort you put into a particular
endeavor directly correlates to
your results—the more time and
effort you invest, the better your
results. That’s not true when it
comes to packing on muscle and
developing your physique. Don’t confuse training volume with training
Some bodybuilders say that one
man’s set is equal to another man’s
effectiveness. They’re not the same. You
workout. Don’t confuse training
volume with training effectiveness.
may need to cut back for better gains.
They’re not the same. You may
need to cut down the time you
spend in the gym and reduce your the more your concentration wanes. nature to think that way under those
training volume to experience the The more your concentration conditions. In order to perform at
muscle gains you’re after. You can diminishes, the less effective you’ll our highest level, we must change
do that by becoming more efficient become physically. those less-than-ideal mental
in the gym. Planning to do only two or conditions.
Your weight-training sessions three sets with only three or four A set in which you give anything
should last no longer than one exercises per bodypart creates a less than 100 percent is a wasted
hour. And you know what? I’m sense of urgency. Many lifters give set. I can’t tell you exactly how many
being extremely liberal with that themselves four and five sets of a sets you should use to train each
amount of time. Longer sessions particular exercise to get the job bodypart effectively—and neither
are not more productive. Force done. If you give yourself four or can anyone else. It all depends on
yourself to become more efficient. five chances to do anything, you’ll that ever-evolving, ever-changing,
You can stimulate the muscles quite attach less importance to doing as constantly redefining level of
effectively in one hour or less. The much as you really can during the intensity. Just remember that more
more time you spend in the gym, first couple of sets. It’s only human isn’t better. Better is better.

training is more
3) They underestimate mentally efficient: If
the importance of you reach absolute
failure sooner,
heavy training—it’s you’re required to
mandatory for building concentrate for a
shorter period. The
more muscle. shorter the time you
need to concentrate,
Many bodybuilders don’t the better your
believe it’s important to lift heavy chances of exerting
weight in order to build muscle. 100 percent of
Regardless of what the “everything- your abilities.
in-moderation” preachers say, big
weights will lead to big muscles.
The word heavy means different 4) They
things to different people. overestimate
I’m talking about continually
challenging yourself to lift more the need for
weight than your body is acclimated “perfect”
to lifting week in and week out—
whatever that amount may be. I form.
know some bodybuilders who have
Model: Kyoichiro Morinaga

lifted the same amount of weight Many body-
for years—and wonder why they’ve builders deem the
hit plateaus. quality of their form
I firmly believe that heavy, the most important
overload training is what you need aspect of training.
to effectively build high-quality, Some people use the Heavy, overload
dense muscle mass in the shortest rationale that lifting training is what you
period of time. I like to refer to heavy weight causes you to train less
the human body as a sensitive effectively. “I always use really strict need to build high-
adapting machine. When you lift form!” they state proudly. “Lifting quality, dense muscle
heavy weights, your body simply heavy weight is not beneficial at all
must adapt in order to handle the if you don’t use really strict form.” mass in the shortest
burden. In other words, you force Many bodybuilders are confused
your muscles to grow. If your body by what constitutes effective
period of time. When
wants to survive the trauma you’ve training habits. They feel forced to you lift heavy, your
created through resistance training, decide between executing properly
it has no other choice. and lifting heavy weight. You don’t
body simply must
That adaptation is known as need to go one way or the other. adapt in order to
muscle hypertrophy. The muscles To complicate matters further,
of the human body grow larger and some confuse striving for better
handle the burden.
stronger in an effort to properly execution with using strict form.
adjust to the demanding conditions They feel that, because they strict form. A lot of guys in the gym
of the environment. use strict form, they’re properly are frustrated with their lack of
Heavy training is the most executing the exercises. Strict form development—but boast about how
efficient way to build muscle. and proper execution are not the great their form is.
How do I define the word efficient same thing. I’m certainly not saying you
when it comes to building muscle? I describe “proper execution” as should train with careless, out-of-
It means getting the maximum squarely hitting the targeted muscle control form. Nor am I suggesting
results in the shortest period of group during every repetition. that you risk hurting yourself in
time while putting forth the least Contrary to what many people in order to lift heavy weights. Using
amount of effort. the gym believe, extremely strict form that’s too sloppy won’t work
Why is heavy training so form is not always an effective and the intended muscle sufficiently. If
efficient? Physically, you reach efficient route to take when training. you get hurt while trying to lift too
absolute failure much sooner You can use strict form and not be much weight, you’ll set yourself
during each set. Absolute failure, executing the exercise properly. In back in both time and momentum.
or working every set until you’re fact, overly strict form often inhibits There is a happy medium,
so fatigued you can’t do any more, your progress. You can compromise however: performing each set with
should be your goal for every set of your exercise effectiveness when what I describe as a good value
every exercise. Additionally, heavy you put too high a priority on and proper execution. That means

lifting heavy enough weight to build can lift at the same time that you’re Some bodybuilders make the
significant muscle mass while still stimulating the muscle group. mistake of doing a couple of
using form that’s good enough to You have to find the right balance warmup sets before every exercise.
directly stimulate the intended between using heavy, challenging, When you consider that some of
muscle group. muscle-taxing weights and using these chronic overtrainers perform
Overloading the intended muscle execution and technique that are up to eight exercises at each
group with heavy weight is one good enough to hit the targeted workout, you realize that they’re
of the most important keys to muscle group. That may take some doing up to 16 warmup sets alone.
effectively stimulating maximum time and practice—but you won’t Add three or four heavy working
muscle growth. Despite what find the right balance until you sets for those eight exercises,
many people believe, you don’t make it your goal. and you see them painstakingly
necessarily need to use strict form grinding out as many as 48 sets in
in order to stimulate the muscle. a single session.
If you want to build the most 5) They waste time and Don’t waste a lot of time, strength
muscle in the shortest period of energy doing too many or repetitions on warmup sets.
time, however, you need to use the Warmups are only designed to
heaviest amount of weight that you warmup sets prepare your body and mind
to lift a heavy, overloading
amount of weight during your
intense working sets.
When warming up, all you
want to do is loosen your muscles
enough to prevent injury. Your goal
should always be to save the vast
majority of your strength for your
work sets, which are the ones that
stimulate growth.
One other important point: Don’t
use warmup weight after the first
exercise for a particular bodypart. In
other words, if you’re training your
chest and plan to do three exercises
(say, bench press, incline dumbbell
press and weighted dips, in that
order), you should do warmup
sets only before your heavy sets of
bench presses. After that, your chest
muscles should be loose, and your
mind should already be prepared to
train heavily. For the following two
exercises, incline dumbbell presses
Model: Mike Morris
and weighted dips, you should go

immediately to the heaviest weight
possible and work each set until
absolute failure.
When warming up,

all you want to
do is loosen your
muscles enough to
prevent injury. Save
your strength for
your heavy sets, the
ones that stimulate
growth.
6) They don’t
let a bodypart
fully recover and
recuperate before
training it again.
Some bodybuilders mistakenly
believe that if they get more
workouts in every week, they’ll
get better results that much
faster. Although I admire that
kind of ambition, it’s not going
to propel them forward. In fact,
the approach will set them back.
Less effort will actually produce
a better outcome than all of
that work.
Rest and recuperation from
each workout are probably
the most important yet most
neglected component of effective
muscle building. You must let
your muscles fully recover after
every intense workout. Only
when they’ve fully recuperated
can they be blasted again. That is,
of course, if you expect to build
muscle in the most effective
manner. You can train a bodypart
before it’s fully recovered, but
that’s not going to produce the
best results.
Besides experiencing better
muscle recovery, your training
will get better. When you train
each bodypart less frequently,
you’ll have more strength during
each bodypart workout. If you
successfully overload the muscles
with heavier weight, you’ll
stimulate more growth over time.
Remember that more is not
necessarily better. Let the muscle
groups fully recover before you
blast them again. Train each
Model: Darrell Terrell
bodypart no more than two times

a week—and even twice will be a
stretch if you train naturally and
with true intensity.
Only when a muscle is

fully and completely
recovered should it be
blasted again.

7) They don’t go to the

gym with a definite
workout plan.
Can you believe that some

bodybuilders go to the gym
without a well-defined game plan?
They put too much faith in their
instincts to guide them through
their training sessions. That’s a big,
stupid mistake.
As the saying goes, “When you
fail to plan—you plan to fail.” You
should never step into the gym
without knowing exactly what you’re
going to do. Resist the temptation
to be guided by your feelings on a
particular training day. As you may
already realize, your feelings can
change every 10 minutes. Come to
the gym with a plan of attack and be
ready to execute it as best you can.
Set simple training goals before
every workout. Creating a short
list of training “disciplines” can
be extremely helpful. The list
can include a few simple tasks
that you’ll focus on during your
workouts—even when you’re not as
motivated as you’d like to be.
Simply getting to the gym on
time, completing all of the exercises
Neveux \ Model: Marvin Montoya

and sets that you planned to do,
making sure you really focus on
the targeted muscle group during
every repetition and completing
your session in an hour are just
a few examples of what you can
include on your list of simple
training goals. You don’t need to
be extremely detailed right off the You need to give your workouts some structure
bat, but give your workout some
structure so you’ll know that you’re so you know you’re progressing. As you track
progressing. As you track your goals, your goals, you’ll increase your focus.
you’ll increase your ability to focus
and successfully take your efforts to
the next level.
Be ready for every single set you Never let your body dictate what do give it a bit of consideration.
perform in the gym. Know what you you can do when you can use You’ll set your mental wheels in
want to achieve before your hands your powerful mind to bolster its motion with a simple preview of
even touch metal. Always know the performance. Unless, of course, what’s to come during your next
minimum number of repetitions your body wants to do a little better training session. Trust me: You’ll be
you want to do. You should also than the specific goals you’ve set. astonished at how effectively your
know the minimum number of Consider taking that training subconscious will prepare you over
calories you want to burn and the strategy a little further. Invest a the following day or so for your
minimum distance you want to little time in thinking about your next productive workout—with
travel before your feet touch the next workout before you leave the very little effort on your part. It’s a
bike pedals or machine floor mat gym. There’s no need to get really great investment of the last 30 to 60
when doing cardiovascular training. involved in that particular step, but seconds you spend in the gym.
(continued on page 190)

Immediately after each
workout evaluate your overall
performance.
want to reinforce what you’ve done

well so you’ll repeat the things
you’ve singled out—and curtail
what didn’t go well before you’ve
established bad habits. We all have
different ideas of what makes a
workout good, bad or somewhere
in between. Well? How did you do?
Whatever is most important to you
when training, evaluate how close
Model: Allen Sarkiszadeh

you actually came to accomplishing
your objectives. Make the
assessment a priority before you
step outside the gym.
8) They don’t weight you lifted or how many 9) They don’t take
repetitions you performed during a
document their certain exercise. You’ll be able to start scheduled breaks from
progress. each new workout at a higher level. weight training.
Evaluate your overall performance
at each workout immediately
Many bodybuilders make blind afterward too. Every workout can set Some bodybuilders want to
“guesses” at how productive the stage for making your next one train for months on end without
they should be during each even better. While it’s still fresh in taking a break. I appreciate their
workout. They don’t use their your mind, take one or two minutes enthusiasm, but training intensity,
already established patterns to set to assess your performance. You the cornerstone of productivity in
standards and strive to take them up
a few notches.
Documenting your training Intensity is important, but so is taking periodic
performance during every workout breaks from training to recharge.
will produce significant results
over time. Your mind is your
most valuable training tool by far.
Documenting what you do helps
you harness your mental power.
Assessing what you do in the gym
helps you set and achieve higher
goals. Seeing what you’ve done
before you begin each set forces you
to strive for more.
Always aim for improvement in
the gym. Progressive, incremental
improvements make your
bodybuilding and training efforts
more productive and enjoyable in
the long run.
Writing down what you’ve done
in the gym isn’t just an exercise in
record keeping. You want to take
Neveux \ Model: Derik Farnsworth
a look at your past performance

before you begin each set. That
way you’ll know exactly what you
need to do make incremental
improvements. From week to week
you won’t have to guess how much

the gym, inevitably drops when you you have a tendency to ignore it. Editor’s note: Visit Skip La
go on marathons—even if you don’t You don’t train the muscle group Cour’s Web site at www.SkipLaCour
realize it. heavy enough. You just go through .com. Take your physique to the
You must schedule enough time the motions. Your exercise execution next level by ordering his new DVD
out of the gym so your body can is poor. You’re more likely to give up “Packing On Muscle! Max-OT Style.”
fully recover. You need to take a and call it a “lagging” or genetically The two-disc, four-hour training,
week off from training every eight inferior bodypart. When you’re instructional and motivational
to 10 weeks. Your muscles grow forced to miss a day of training, DVD includes a complete week of
when they’re recuperating. When which workout do you think you’ll training (explained
you return, you’ll be fortified with miss first? in great detail
renewed physical intensity and If you expect your efforts to and jam-packed
mental energy. bring you the muscle gains and with perceptive
The seeming step backward overall physique development that insights), exercises
that you experience when you you desire, you must show some not included in
return after taking a week off goes discipline. Discipline is defined in the training week,
away quickly. True enough, that the dictionary as control gained instruction and video
uncoordinated feeling breaks your by enforcing obedience or order. footage of cardiovascular training,
momentum. You don’t perform as Discipline means orderly or inspirational training segments,
well the first week back in the gym. prescribed conduct or pattern of unique tips for taking your physique
You aren’t always as strong. Well, behavior. It means self-control. In to the next level, contest footage
just fight through the discomfort. other words, you sometimes have and a one-hour nutrition seminar.
You’ll be back up to speed during to do what you don’t necessarily like If you want to pack on slabs of
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will always lead your body. Buck up, credit card orders call (800) 655-
10) They skip the and act as if the bodyparts you don’t 0986. Or send check or money order
bodyparts they don’t like to train are the ones you love to to Skip La Cour, 712 Bancroft Road
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like to train, or, when
they do train bodyparts
they don’t like, they
aren’t enthusiastic or
focused.
Stubborn bodyparts are a

common complaint of trainees
who assume they’re genetically
disadvantaged when it comes to
particular muscle groups. Do you
ever notice that they also happen to
be the same bodyparts those people
hate to train?
Of course, they’re certain that
their training strategies and mind-
set when they’re working those
bodyparts are never the problem.
Whatever you believe often
becomes your reality. With such
Model: Steve Kummer
a disempowering mind-set, your

chance of experiencing results
better than you expect is very slim.
You don’t get what you want in life.
You get what you expect.
When you aren’t enthusiastic Buck up, and act as if the bodyparts you don’t like to
about training a certain bodypart, train are the ones you love to train the most.

Neveux

Pro Active
Mike Ergas Focuses On Winning a Pro Card
by Cory Crow
Photography by Michael Neveux and Bill Comstock
“The best amateur.” That’s prob-

ably not a title that any bodybuilder
would want for an extended period
of time. Unlike the “best golfer to
have never won a major,” or “the
best player in the minor leagues,”
the “best amateur” in bodybuild-
ing reads “not a pro.” Other athletes
can at least make a decent living,
and in some cases they are million-
aires. Bodybuilders are different.
An amateur bodybuilder doesn’t
make a dime on his competitions.
But the title gets passed down, from
Mat DuVal to Bill Willmore to Mike
Ergas. In the case of Ergas, it’s a title
that just means he’s not a pro—yet.
Mike looks like the prototypical
California bodybuilder. He’s tanned,
constantly smiling and thick. When
you see his 5’6” physique on the
street at an off-season weight of
260 pounds, you know that Mike’s a
bodybuilder. What you don’t know
is that he has a master’s degree in
sports management from the Uni-
versity of Kentucky and a bachelor
of business administration degree
from Louisiana State. He was once a
national-level gymnast.
Mike now lives and trains in L.A.,
at Gold’s Gym in Venice. The run-
ner-up to light-heavyweight win-
ner Kris Dim at the ’02 NPC USA
Championships, he scored a pair of
fifth-place finishes at the USA—as
a light heavyweight in ’03 and a
heavyweight in ’04—then made the
jump to second in the heavyweight
class at the ’05 NPC Nationals last
November in Atlanta. So what
makes Mike the “best amateur” in
the minds of many fans?
Leading up to the Nationals,
IRON MAN columnist, Graphic
Comstock
Muscle.com correspondent and

bodybuilding emcee extraordinaire

Lonnie Teper did a video interview Much of Mike’s improvement Mike Ergas’ Training
with Mike (find it at GraphicMuscle. was the result of hard work and
com), and because of that footage, heavy lifting. The problem is that He warms up each bodypart
the buzz started to build. Clearly it most bodybuilders work hard and by gradually adding weight be-
was a different Mike from previous lift heavy, but few of them improve fore heavy sets.
incarnations. Not only did he have as radically as Mike did between
Monday: Chest
more name recognition, thanks in the ’04 USA and the ’05 Nationals.
Smith-machine incline
part to his role as Franco Columbu I wanted to know what sparked the
presses 3 x 15
in the TV movie “See Arnold Run,” physique changes that many see as
Incline dumbbell
but his physique was bigger as well, pro quality right now.
presses 3 x 15
especially his upper body. CC: What enabled you to jump
Flat-bench dumbbell
presses 3 x 15
Cable flyes 3 x 15
“I want to keep
Tuesday: Back
my waist down Wide-grip chins 3 x 12-15
Cable rows 3 x 12-15
and put on some Bent-over rows 3 x 12-15
Undergrip pulldowns 3 x 12-15
more size to my Hyperextensions 3 x 20
upper body. My Wednesday: Quads

legs have always Leg extensions
Squats
3 x 15
3 x 20
grown easily.” Leg presses
Hack squats
3 x 20
3 x 12-15
Thursday: Biceps, triceps

Straight-bar curls 3 x 12-15
Incline curls 3 x 12-15
Hammer Strength
curls 3 x 12-15
Concentration curls 3 x 12-15
Rope pushdowns 3 x 15
Superset
Skull crushers 3 x 12-15
Close-grip bench
presses 3 x 12-15
Dips 3 x 12-15
One-arm cable
extensions 3 x 12-15
Friday: Shoulders
Smith-machine
presses 3 x 12-15
Lateral raises 3 x 12-15
Dumbbell front raises 3 x 12-15
Rear-delt raises 3 x 12-15
Shrugs 3 x 20
Saturday: Hamstrings, calves

Seated leg curls 3 x 12-15
Lying dumbbell leg
curls 3 x 12-15
One-leg Hammer Strength
leg curls 3 x 12-15
Seated calf raises 3 x 20
Donkey calf raises 3 x 20
Neveux
Standing calf raises 3 x 20

Neveux
from fifth place at the ’04 USA to mean everything, but I do definitely
second in the heavyweights at include improving my V-taper as
the ’05 Nationals? part of my focus. While getting ready
ME: I actually didn’t change for the show, I did a lot of chins,
much in the gym; however, after pulldowns and oblique work. The
the ’04 USA I made a promise to more I could increase the width of
myself that the next time I stepped my back and pull in my waistline,
onstage, I’d look the best I’d ever the better my V-taper would look.
looked. I worked really hard on what One thing I also concentrate on is
I felt I needed to improve. I focused increasing my shoulder width by
on bringing my waist down and doing lateral raises. Bodybuilding is
increasing my upper-body size. My all about illusions, so the wider my
arms, back and chest all grew. The shoulders look, the smaller my waist
year between shows gave me time will look.
to make the changes that I needed CC: What is your main train-
to bring a whole new package to the ing philosophy?
stage. ME: To just stay focused and do
CC: Are there any specific the best I can. I know that once I
changes you’re making now to step onstage, everything is pretty
move up and grab a pro card? much out of my hands and up to
ME: Since the Nationals I’ve just the judges. So for me just staying
been focusing on bringing an even focused and looking my best is an
better package to the USA. I want important personal goal. I never
to keep my waist down and put on want to step offstage thinking that
some more size to my upper body. I didn’t give it everything I had. No
My legs have always grown easily. regrets.
CC: Do you mean adding CC: Do you subscribe to vol-
width and V-taper when you ume principles or high-inten-
refer to upper-body mass? sity-training principles?
ME: Well, by upper-body mass I ME: I don’t use HIT. I do train

“For me just
staying focused
and looking
my best is
an important
personal goal.”
Neveux
each bodypart once a week with ME: While dieting, I incorporate CC: You’ve talked a lot about
more volume, which has given me cardio the entire time, gradually focus. How do you use that to
great gains. So if it’s not broken, building on it. I usually start with your advantage?
don’t fix it! just 30 minutes a day, and as time ME: I try to always keep the next
CC: How about outlining a goes on, it steadily increases to show in the back of my mind. I don’t
typical deltoid workout, and about two hours a day. The types of want anyone to ever say that I didn’t
then providing a little of the cardio I use are either the bike or the look good, or, “What happened to
theory behind it? elliptical, and it’s strictly endurance him this year?” When the show is
ME: The main exercises I use in cardio. That seems to work just fine over, I always want to know I tried
my shoulder workouts are overhead for me. my best, so I’ll have no regrets.
presses, lateral raises, front raises
and rear-delt raises. I make sure that
I hit every head of my shoulders.
That way they look full and round.
Also, I have always been taught to
never neglect any delt head, which
could lead to injury as well. Usually,
I do four sets for each exercise and
approximately 12 to 15 reps.
CC: Any tips for those of us
who want to keep our waistlines
in check?
ME: The main thing is just not
to neglect your abs. I was a gym-
nast my whole life and always had
a really tight waistline, so I never
trained abs. After I began to get
bigger, I realized I couldn’t neglect
them anymore. Once I started to
train them regularly, my waistline
tightened up.
CC: One last precontest ques-
Comstock
tion: How do you handle your

cardio?

You Can Get
CC: And bad ing I can do about
Bigger, workouts?
ME: You have
it now but move on
and concentrate
Stronger to realize, every-
one has them. You
on the USA.
CC: I’m bet-
and Leaner just have to work
through them and
ting you have a
lot of new fans
Faster Than Ever be happy you made after “See Arnold
Before! it to the gym. Con- Run,” right?
sistency is what is ME: Oh, yes.
You don’t have to burn hard-earned muscle going to make you After the movie I
as you melt away fat. Now you can actually
build more muscle size and strength as your better. had people com-
abs get razor sharp and you get ripped. CC: What would ing up to me all the
That’s the attention-grabbing look you want you tell novice time. I didn’t real-
now, and the new Fat to Muscle 2 shows you
how. You’ll discover: competitors ize that fans from
today if you could the sport had paid
• Precise nutrition guidelines and diets—
eat to max out your muscle mass as pounds talk to all of so much attention
of ugly bodyfat disappear. (Learn the Carb- them? to the movie. It
Stacking strategy that can transform mus-
cle size and stoke the fat-burning furnace.) ME: One piece was a great experi-
Comstock
• Which substance—found in almost any of training advice ence.
kitchen—is the ultimate aid for energy, I’d like to give is to CC: Any other
better muscular response and fat burning.
enjoy the process of movies in the
• How dairy can help you burn fat—
yogurt, cheese and milk can get you leaner. getting ready for a show. Remember works?
• How to increase fat use with a minimum of
aerobic exercise, and why aerobics may be
why you’re doing it. If you don’t love ME: Not right now, but who
a waste of time for a lean, muscular look. it, you won’t give it your all. I have knows what could come down the
• The amazing direct/indirect Fat-to- seen so many people get caught up pipeline?
Muscle 2 training program—with this with petty things and lose focus and CC: Speaking of movies, let’s
innovative routine it appears as if you train a
bodypart only once a week, but you really lose their love of the sport. talk special effects. If you could
train each twice thanks to indirect work (and CC: Speaking of getting ready have one bodypart from an-
each workout takes less than an hour). for a show, what are your con- other bodybuilder, what would
• The 8 key nutrients for faster fat burn-
ing, including how much to take of each. test plans this year? it be and from whom?
• Top 6 fat-to-muscle tricks. (Great info!) ME: This year my main focus is ME: I’d love to have Lee Priest’s
• The 10 rules for super energy. on the USA, in Vegas. I’m not look- arms.
The secrets to melting away bodyfat as you ing to any other shows. CC: Wouldn’t we all? How
build lean, ripped muscle
are all packed in this IRONMAN
Magazine’
CC: Any thoughts on the new about sponsors—anything on
s
bulletin—eating plans, BULLETIN
#5 Pro Division Inc.? that front?
workout routines,
metabolism-accelera-
FAT TO ME: Honestly, I’m not really sure ME: I would love to plug a spon-
tion techniques and the
best fat-to-muscle
MUSCLE of what to think of the PDI. Only sor, but that would require my hav-
time will tell if it’s going to be a ing one! [Laughs] So if anyone out
nutrients. Stop dieting
Pack On Le
2 good thing. With the current state there is looking, please get in touch
away muscle—pack As You Shed Mass
an
Bodyfat
on more as you burn Includes carb
-sta
diets, grow cking and carb-reducti
th on
of bodybuilding, however, it could with me. Thanks!
fat, and look your fat-burning
and the 10
hormone
workouts and activation,
sup
Rules for Sup plements end up being a good thing whether CC: Is there anything you
hard, muscular best er Energy
in record time! it works out or not. The IFBB could want to close with? The floor is
use some competition. Bodybuild- yours.
Just $9.95 ing has been at a stalemate for a
long time. I remember when the
ME: I would just like to thank
everyone who’s supported me. With-
plus $6.50 postage & handling ($15 outside North
America) (California residents add 8.25% sales tax) WBF came out with Vince Mc- out my friends and family I would
Credit card orders call Mahon. In the end it failed, but it never have been able to accomplish
1-800-447-0008, offer ITS opened the door for so many pos- the goals I set for myself.
sibilities. I’m hoping that the com-
YES! I want to transform my physique. Rush petition will bring a much needed My prediction is that Mike will get
me IRONMAN’s Fat to Muscle 2. spark to the sport. his pro card this year—at the USA
CC: A lot of people point to Championships in Las Vegas. You
Rush my
......................................................
the Nationals judging as proof can follow Mike and the other top
copy to: .....................................................
of that need. What are your competitors at www.GraphicMuscle
....................................................
Enclose check or money order for $9.95 plus $6.50
thoughts on the fans’ reactions .com.
shipping payable to: Home GYM Warehouse, to that show?
1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033.
Credit card orders call TOLL FREE
ME: I’m really happy with all of Editor’s note: Mike can be
1-800-447-0008, offer ITS the support I’ve gotten from fans, reached at Mike@MikeErgas.com
CA residents add 8.25% sales tax. Foreign orders friends and family since the show. It for guest posing, photo shoots and,
(except Canada) add $15 shipping. Payment in
U.S. dollars drawn on U.S. banks only. has been incredible. I’ve put that be- yes, sponsorships. IM
hind me, though, and there’s noth-

Happy
Birthday
Arnold
A Classic-photo celebration
Photography by John Balik
Who would’ve imagined that the big Austrian kid

I met in 1969 would become the greatest bodybuilder
in history? And then transform himself into one of the
highest-paid movie stars in the world—and then be
elected governor of California? I can’t say I knew he
would do all of those things, but I had a strong feeling
that here was a man who could conquer whatever goal was in
front of him. Arnold had that special spark that lights up a room,
true charisma and an unmistakable zest for life. When he spoke
to you, it was—and still is—an all-encompassing connection, as
if it were just you and him in a vacuum.
I cherish my friendship with Arnold, and with his 59th
birthday falling on July 30, I decided to dig through my files and
put together a photographic tribute to him. It’s my way of say-
ing thanks for the many laughs, great workouts and wonderful
memories over the past 3 1/2 decades. Happy birthday,
Governor.
—John Balik
Arnold
Arnold

Happy
Arnold
Arnold
Birthday

Arnold

1969 1970 1971 1975
1988 1989 1991 1994
January 2004 November 2004 February 2005 August 2006
Arnold became the best bodybuilder in

the world, then one of the highest-paid
movie stars, and now, at age 59, he’s the
governor of california. Amazing.
Arnold

Arnold

Happy
Arnold
Birthday

Arnold
Happy
Birthday
Arnold

Sleeve-Busting
Biceps Fast-Mass Precision Blasts for Arms
That Look Like 20-Pound Hams
by Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson • Photography by Michael Neveux
W e could start by trying to

sell you on the idea that
you want bigger biceps,
but is that really necessary?
Have you ever heard a bodybuilder say,
“Wow, my arms are just too big”? No way.
Arms can never be too big (unless they’re
after working a full-time job? Less than 1
percent of the population is our guess.
That means we’re continually looking
for ways to pack on muscle as efficiently
as possible—without wasting time. We
simply can’t afford to do endless sets that
are only somewhat effective; our gains
bigger than your legs; then you’ve got a stall—or worse, fall. If you’ve got hours to
problem). So instead of telling you that you train every day, great! Precision is not so
need bigger biceps, which you already critical (although overtraining is no doubt
know, we’ll shift to the next gear and tell a serious concern and a big reason so
you that to get giant arms, you don’t really many bodybuilders resort to steroids).
need loads of sets—just more precise But even with our shorter workouts,
training. overtraining can be a problem. Once
In fact, that’s the first thing most people again, we have to be careful—and
ask us about when they see our workouts: precise. After all, we’re drug-free, and
“Don’t you guys think you’d make better that’s where analyzing and identifying the
gains doing more sets for each bodypart?” key anabolic triggers enters the picture.
Maybe—maybe not. The thing is, we have Anabolic-cause-and-effect analysis can
families, jobs and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” help you pack on the most muscle in the
episodes to watch, so we have to train shortest time possible—no camping gear
on our lunch hour—and we think most in the gym required. Let’s take a look at
bodybuilders are in similar situations. Who those critical hypertrophic factors and
in the hell has 2 1/2 hours to pump out apply them to biceps so you can start
set after set in a sweaty gym—before or using them to bust some sleeves!

Sleeve-Busting Biceps
Sleeve-Busting
Biceps Programs
Undergrip chins
(X Reps) 2 x 10-12
Concentration curls
(continuous-tension
double drop; X Reps)
1 x 9(6)(4)
Incline curls (bottom two-
thirds of stroke only;
X Reps or static X)
1-2 x 10-12
If you do undergrip
chins or pulldowns in
your lat routine, use
the following biceps
program:
Close-grip preacher curls
or close-grip cable curls
(X Reps) 2 x 10-12
Concentration curls
(continuous-tension Undergrip chins or
double drop; X Reps) pulldowns allow you
1 x 9(6)(4) to blast your biceps
Incline curls (bottom two- with the help of
thirds of stroke only; other muscle groups.
X Reps or static X) Multijoint exercises
are usually the
1-2 x 10-12
best for max-force
generation.
Double-drop set: Do
one set to exhaustion,
reduce the weight, im-
mediately do a second
set to exhaustion, reduce
Size Factor 1: tize and attack that factor up front
before too much fatigue accumu-
the weight, and then do Max-Force Generation lates. How? Your first exercise should
a third and final set to be a multijoint move that puts the
exhaustion. Getting a muscle to generate target muscle in the best position to
maximum force appears to be the forcefully fire on every rep. A good
X Reps: Do a set to biggest player in building bigger fi- place to start for each bodypart is
exhaustion, move the bers. That means you want to priori- with its so-called ultimate exercise,
resistance to the semi- which is described in The Ultimate
stretched position, to Mass Workout e-book.
where the target muscle But even with the ultimate exer-
is somewhat elongated, cise you may not get all-out force
such as near the bottom Lawson’s
19 1/4-inch production. A proper warmup,
of an undergrip chin, one that brings some occlusion, or
and do pistonlike partial- arm
measurement. blood-flow blockage, and uses the
rep pulses up and down right poundage percentages, is key.
through an eight-to-10- It primes the muscle for exceptional
inch range. firing capacity. Remember, we’re
after efficiency, and prepping the
Editor’s note: For more muscle as quickly as possible to
on X Reps, occlusion, exert max force is vital. (We’ve dis-
stretch overload and cussed a specific warmup procedure
Positions of Flexion, visit in past issues of IRON MAN and also
www.X-Rep.com. in our e-zine. Look for “Prelude to
Mass,” posted in the X Files section
of www.X-Rep.com.)
The next factor is rest: You must

rest long enough between sets of set, or both if you’re advanced. If capillary beds in the target muscle.
your big exercises, or your force you’re new to X-Reps, they’re par- Remember, muscle biopsies show
output diminishes significantly. tial eight-inch pulses that usually that the biggest bodybuilders have
That’s right, moving too quickly to begin at the max-force point on more fast-twitch type 2A fibers, and
your next set on your ultimate exer- an exercise’s stroke—such as just those fibers have both anaerobic
cise can hold back size and strength above the arms-extended position and endurance capabilities. Max-
gains. Research from the University on undergrip chins for biceps—and force production on your first, or
of Kansas verifies that. The study go up to just below the midpoint of ultimate, exercise primarily attacks
showed the correlation between the stroke. the anaerobic components, with
optimal rest and force production In case you missed that hint, minor endurance effects; now you
in the bench press (incidentally, the ultimate exercise for biceps is want to reverse that priority and
the flat-bench press isn’t the ulti- undergrip chins. There’s muscle blast the endurance facets with con-
mate exercise for your chest, but it’s synergy from surrounding muscle tinuous tension for longer periods
close). What did the scientists find? groups, and the underhand grip while still achieving some intense
That trainees who rested for three puts your biceps in the ideal posi- force production. How? You use an
minutes between sets did the best tion to fire with the most force—and isolation exercise that enables you
at producing force on their second don’t forget the X Reps. to maintain tension on the target
set—more than 30 percent better muscle throughout the set—and
than the trainees who rested for one you quickly do two or three sets
minute. They also found that rest- Size Factor 2: back to back, reducing the pound-
ing longer, even up to five minutes Endurance-Component age on each successive set. That’s
between sets, did not improve force the double-drop-set technique.
production. Work The first phase will give you more
So if you do two sets on your force production at first, but as you
ultimate exercise, you should rest On your next exercise, force continue with two more phases, you
three minutes between sets. To production, or anaerobic stress, quickly shift to stressing the endur-
further max out force production, becomes secondary as you shift into ance components of the fast-twitch
use X-Rep partials on the second expanding the mitochondria and 2As. (Neglecting endurance-compo-

Model: Jose Raymond

One-arm movements can

enhace focus and muscle
fiber recruitment.
Model: Marvin Montoya
nent work is one of the big reasons

Incline curls: Try to keep low-rep bodybuilders’ muscle size
tension on your biceps stalls—they’re training only one
throughout the set and at facet of the muscle cells enough
the bottom of the stroke to trigger growth: anaerobic force
don’t pause—use a quick production. Hardgainers, who are
twitch to activate more more endurance oriented to begin
fibers and create stretch with, really need endurance work to
overload on the biceps. grow!)
Have you ever heard a gigantic
bodybuilder say, “You gotta feel the
muscle working!”? Continuous ten-
sion is what he’s talking about. The
biggest bodybuilders know that, in
addition to force production, you
need enough tension time to max
out size. If you lose tension dur-
ing a set, that set’s effectiveness is
reduced considerably. Remember
that. A good continuous-tension
Model: Randy Vogelzang
exercise for biceps is concentration

curls—no resting at the bottom. In
other words, stop short of full arm
extension, keep the weight mov-
ing—and don’t forget the drop sets.

According to MRI studies, Larry Scott achieved

curl movements that amazing arm
mimic a close grip on a development with
barbell—arms angled the help of end-
Model: Robert Hatch
in—work both heads of of-set partials, or

the biceps best. burns.
Size Factor 3: part routine with a stretch-position •Concentration curls, a double-

exercise is an excellent mass-build- drop set (three back-to-back sets),
Stretch Overload ing strategy because the extreme and add X Reps to the last phase.
elongation can trigger the myotatic •Incline curls, do only the bottom
Exercises that elongate the target reflex, a phenomenon that activates two-thirds of the stroke for stretch
muscle to the extreme have some more muscle fibers. In other words, overload—and add X Reps or a
very potent mass-building proper- it can wake up sleeping reserve static X.
ties. Some studies even suggest that fibers, which can radically increase
stretch overload can cause fiber muscle size (and maybe stimulate That’s your fast-blast for sleeve-
splitting, or hyperplasia (one ani- hyperplasia, although that’s still busting mass! Should you apply those
mal study achieved a 300 percent only theory). size factors to all bodyparts? Precisely!
muscle mass increase after only
one month of stretch overload—for Okay, those are the big three size
more on that study see our e- factors, and if you were thinking Beware: Biceps-
books). Stretch overload has also about giant arms as you read, you Building Blunders
been linked to increased anabolic saw a fast-mass biceps program
receptors in muscle tissue and ana- materialize:
bolic hormone release. •Undergrip chins, rest three Those of you who check out our
A good example for biceps is minutes between sets, and add training blog at X-Rep.com may be
incline curls—reclining on a 45 de- X-Rep partials to the second or screaming after seeing that recom-
gree incline bench so your arms are both sets. mended biceps routine, “Hey, you
behind your torso. Ending a body- guys don’t use undergrip chins in

your online biceps program!” that’s slightly narrower than shoul- misses the brachialis almost com-
Okay, that’s a legitimate beef, but der width—more of a close grip. pletely.
we’ve got a simple explanation. We Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) So there you have a number of
don’t use undergrip chins for biceps studies show that the closer grip biceps-building tactics that can trig-
at the moment because we include lights up both heads of the biceps, ger bigger gunfire in your program.
undergrip pulldowns in our lat rou- while wider grips, even with an EZ- Put some or all of them to the test,
tine—and we train lats at a different curl bar, hit the inside head almost and you’ll add mass fast. You want
workout. exclusively, neglecting the outer side. sleeve-busting biceps? No problem!
Does that mean we’re overtrain- So a narrower grip is more efficient.
ing biceps because we hit them Bonus: The closer grip also blasts Editor’s note: For more on X-Rep
three or four days a week? We don’t the brachialis, the smaller muscle mass-building concepts, visit www.
think so. In fact a recent study sug- that snakes under the biceps, so you X-Rep.com. IM
gested that training a bodypart two develop more peak; the wider grip
days in a row can improve recovery,
but that’s not why we do it—it’s just
the way our split is constructed
at the moment. Nevertheless, it’s
TAP INTO YOUR

improved our biceps, as Jonathan’s
arm-measurement photo shows on
page 240. That study aside, we don’t
want to overdo our biceps attack
in either our lat workout or biceps
blast, which occur on separate days.
How do we prevent a biceps
blowout from all that work? Well, on
BODY’S POTENTIAL
lat day we do our undergrips at the
end of our lat program, usually as
the second exercise in a superset. By Demand
that time our backs are pretty well
blitzed, so the weight we can use on
Real Science.
undergrips is fairly light—at least Get Real
much lighter than it would be if we
did undergrips first. Results.™
And as we said, the other way we
prevent overtraining our biceps is
by not including undergrip chins or
pulldowns on biceps day. Instead we
opt for more isolated moves from
start to finish. So instead of starting
biceps with some form of undergrip
pulling exercise, we opt for preacher
curls or cable curls as our first mid-
range biceps movement.
What, no standing barbell curls?
Nope. Barbell curls have a signifi-
cant leverage shift at the bottom
and so aren’t at all conducive to X
Reps. Both preacher curls and cable
curls make for those important
fiber-activating end-of-set partials.
(Legendary bodybuilder Larry Scott
had some of the biggest and best
biceps around back in the day, and
he relied on preacher curls, usually
done with what he called burns at
the top and bottom. After our expe-
rience, we’re convinced the burns
he did near the bottom, the X Reps,
gave his biceps the extra beef. That’s
the max-force point.)
Let’s not forget that on any stand-
www.muscle-link.com
ing curl, whether you use a barbell
or a cable, you should use a grip
Visit for the weekly super special!

He
Heavy
Duty Q & As From the
Intensity Camp
by John Little
Growth vs. Inflammation back to where I started by 96 hours? It sounds

ludicrous to me, but I don’t know what the real
explanation is. Do you have any possible insight
: I’ve read all of Mike Mentzer’s books, into this phenomenon?
including the two most recent ones that
you co-wrote with Mike and Joanne A: I think the phenomenon you are experiencing is,
Sharkey. I also read your IRON MAN in a word, inflammation that (in this instance) causes
column every month. I was hoping your arms to be bigger for a day or so. David Staplin,
you might be able to answer a question. I’ve an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota,
been sold on the idea of taking recovery time once wrote about the process in an article that Mike and
between sessions, but I’ve repeatedly noticed Joanne posted on their Web site and that the Nautilus
an odd phenomenon. For two days after an arm North study (IRON MAN, November ’05) mirrored in its
workout my arms always measure about a half results. Mike once summarized the process:
inch bigger than before the workout. They’re “While no one understands the entirety of the
still sore at that point, so I generally conclude recovery-and-healing response, present knowledge
Photo Illustration by Aldrich Bonifacio
that I have not fully recovered and grown yet. reveals that acute inflammation is involved. It’s been
Therefore, I wait a couple of more days. The suggested by many researchers that delayed onset
problem is, after about the fourth or fifth day, my muscle soreness (DOMS) is one of the effects of an
arm size has usually shrunk back down about a acute inflammatory process. The recovery-and-healing
half inch! I know that seems to fly in the face of phenomenon follows a certain course of events within
everything in the Mentzer books and articles, but a specific time, which may vary owing to individual
it’s absolutely true. I’ve seen it countless times. factors. The first is the actual damage resulting
Is it possible that I’m recovering and growing from the high-intensity muscle contractions, both
within 24 to 48 hours and then atrophying concentric and eccentric.

Heavy Duty
complete as well. The principle you

should take from that information
is as follows: Rest long enough
between workouts to allow for
completion of both the recovery and
growth processes. How long is that?
My observations, along with those
of numerous other high-intensity
trainers around the country, clearly
indicate that it’s at least a week—
and longer if an individual has
naturally poor recovery ability.”
It follows that, unless you’re an
absolute beginner—one who hasn’t
advanced in strength sufficiently to
cause much damage to the muscles
or expend a lot of energy in your
workouts—it’s highly unlikely
that you’ve fully recovered and
overcompensated within one to
two days. More likely what you’re
experiencing within 96 hours
isn’t atrophy but a reduction in
inflammation as the healing process
completes itself (much as a swollen
knee will measure larger after the
initial trauma and smaller once the
inflammation has subsided).
Don’t mistake a larger
measurement during the
inflammatory response for the
Neveux \ Model: Chris Cook
production of new muscle tissue

(which is a process that takes
much, much longer). If muscles
grew within 24 to 48 hours, then
everybody would have huge arms
(and other muscles) as a mere
matter of cause and effect. Muscle
growth is a slow process for reasons
Don’t mistake a larger of biological necessity.
measurement during the When we performed the Nautilus
North study, we had a state-of-
inflammatory response the-art body composition testing
machine and it didn’t register any
for the production of new increase in lean muscle tissue until
muscle tissue. 6.6 days (on average), with some
people not registering an increase
until day 11. The immediate
consequence of a workout is a
“The ensuing 24 hours sees an to cause further damage and may diminishing of lean muscle, which
increasing number of neutrophils continue for several days beyond then tracks up over the next week
(white blood cells that respond the imposition of the training stress. or so. Put away your tape measure,
to injury) congregating at the It’s only when the inflammatory and take up a progress chart and
site of the exercise trauma. responses are complete pencil. If your muscles are getting
Simultaneously, lysosomal enzymes, that the first signs of tissue stronger, they’ll be getting bigger;
which break down and digest regeneration are observed. however, as each strength increase
damaged tissue, are released. Then “Keep in mind that the muscle produces a minuscule increase
macrophages begin to accumulate, cell must recover, heal and in cross-sectional area, it takes
which goes on for up to several days. compensate, or build back to many such strength increases to
Q & As
They aid lysosomal activity and normal levels; only then will the produce a measurable size gain.
synthesize a variety of chemicals process of overcompensation, Patience and persistence are of
in response to inflammation. That or growth, begin. In addition, paramount importance in the
inflammatory response is thought the growth process takes time to muscle-building process.

Heavy Duty
Actualizing Your including why a person might not

be making regular, satisfactory
Results from training are largely
mediated by genetics. Moreover,
Potential in One Year bodybuilding progress, and that the Mike’s use of the term spectacular
number of possible explanations doesn’t mean you’ll automatically
Q: Mike Mentzer repeatedly is far from infinite. What I had display the gargantuan proportions
made the claim that it’s to do was further my knowledge of bodybuilders who have
possible for someone to of the fundamentals of exercise exceptional genetics. Spectacular
actualize the upper limits of his science—intensity, volume and progress for one person who
muscular potential in one year. frequency—and then refine their has poor genetics wouldn’t be
I’ve never seen anyone do that, practical application so that my considered spectacular for someone
so I’m curious as to how Mike clients would make spectacular who has exceptional genetics.
could make such a statement. and continuous progress.” Nevertheless, with a properly
Not every trainee is going to conducted Heavy Duty high-
A: The simple answer is that after morph into Mr. Universe with intensity bodybuilding program
30 years as a hardcore bodybuilding Mike’s—or any other bodybuilding a person will grow stronger from
trainee and 11 years of empirical champion’s—training system. every workout (continued on page 252)
observation, having
personally trained and kept
records of thousands of
clients, Mike developed a
theory of successful high-
intensity training.
According to Mike, he
began to modify his high-
intensity approach once
he started training clients
who didn’t possess the same
genetic potential that he
did. What had produced
solid results for Mike and
other genetically advanced
bodybuilders in the past,
such as Casey Viator and
Mike’s brother Ray, caused
those with lesser genetics to
hit a wall in their progress
quite quickly. Mike then
began to reduce the volume
and frequency of his clients’
training and saw their
progress start up again—but
he still wasn’t satisfied with
their rate of progress.
“As well as my training
clients did from the
beginning,” Mike explained,
Neveux \ Model: Ron Harris
“I eventually gained a
conviction that they should
be doing even better. I knew
that there is a reason for
everything in the universe,
With a properly
performed high-
intensity program,
a trainee should
grow stronger after
every workout.
Heavy Duty
(continued from page 249) until reps to failure on the Nautilus leg According to Mike:
he reaches the upper limit of extension machine using the whole “Bodybuilders who know nothing
his genetic potential—however weight stack, while after only two of high-intensity anaerobic-
great that potential might be. As months of training my client, the exercise-stress theory wouldn’t even
Mike put it: rank beginner—who appeared know where to begin projecting
“A few years ago I had a training to be of average or slightly below how much time it would take to
client who was a rank beginner, average genetics—performed 10 actualize potential. They don’t think
never having lifted a weight in his reps to failure with the same stack about that issue at all, as much
life. He improved the functional on the same machine. How much of their time is spent wringing
ability of his quadriceps to the longer would it have been before their hands, biting their nails and
point where his performance on the beginner matched David’s worrying about whether they’ll
the Nautilus leg extension machine performance? Probably never. Given ever make any progress. The
went from 170 pounds for seven his rate of improvement, however, same goes for the experts of the
reps to failure, to the entire weight that client would most likely have bodybuilding orthodoxy and many
stack (250 pounds) for 10 reps—and actualized his strength potential in within the current exercise-science
he accomplished it in slightly less well under a year.” establishment. When was the last
than two months! Considering Don’t forget the direct time you saw them even broach the
how little actual time he spent in relationship between muscular subject of maximizing potential?
the gym, by any standard that’s strength and muscular size. Once a They imply that training progress
spectacular progress. trainee has actualized his strength is something to be expected in tiny
“Not long after that I was potential, his size potential will dribbles, something that comes
approached by David Paul, of the soon be realized as well. After a unpredictably every now and then.
Barbarian Brothers, to supervise his year of high-intensity training, of That’s because the volume approach
workouts. Now, David is a genetic course, most of us who don’t have represents a wanton assembling
freak, a bodybuilder whose innate exceptional genetics still may not of random, disconnected and
potential for gaining strength and measure up to someone who has contradictory ideas—which, of
muscle mass is vastly superior to superior genetics. The high-volume course, isn’t a theory at all and,
the average. Here’s the contrast: advocates, though, fare even therefore, cannot serve as a guide
After close to two decades of worse because they can’t pinpoint
training, David, under my personal what nature requires to turn on Overtraining and not
supervision, reached a high of 33 the body’s growth mechanism.
allowing yourself adequate
time to recover and
overcompensate from the
training stress aren’t going
to produce results.
Neveux \ Model: Todd Smith

for successful action.“
Whatever your muscular
potential, you’ll never actualize it
without employing a high-intensity
Women’s Training
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grow) from the training stress aren’t become dissatisfied there,
going to produce results. As Mike as they make her use the
said on a number of occasions, “If lightest weights possible and
NASA can send a man to the moon discourage any vigorous effort.
and bring him back safely each Her physique has changed
time, there’s really no reason we very little, if at all, and I’m
shouldn’t succeed with every one afraid she’s losing interest.
of our missions to the gym here on That would be terrible because
earth. That should be a cakewalk bodybuilding is one of the
compared to a moonwalk.” few activities we can share.
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Heavy Duty
Women’s capacity for
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There’s no need to worry
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occasional anachronistic
attitudes notwithstanding.
Some men, including
gym owners and personal
trainers, feel threatened
by the presence of strong,
assertive females in the
gym. “Operating from a
tenuous sense of their own
masculinity,” Mike noted,
“these men feel the gym to
be a bastion of masculinity,
Neveux \ Model: Federica Belli

and they discourage or
prevent women from
training there. If you
encounter this problem,
your only resort would be
to purchase a home gym
or have the women in your
area who are interested
What advice do you have? are choosing to make that statement in bodybuilding set up their own
assertively by exercising and dieting. private gym.”
A: Mike Mentzer was one of Women who are emotionally strong I also strongly suggest that your
the first champions to get behind and competent want bodies that friend read Mike’s works and apply
women’s bodybuilding—building match their strong self-images.” his principles. Not only will she
their bodies to become stronger My advice to your friend is what obtain a true education in the
and leaner. I remember once asking Mike’s would have been: Tell her to science of productive bodybuilding
Mike why he thought so many train just as the men do, or should. exercise, but she’ll also be on the
famous gyms and personal trainers She should train intensely with right track to realizing her full
encouraged Mickey Mouse training weights that are heavy enough to fitness and muscular potential.
for women, since both men and allow between six to 10 reps, with
women possess the same musculo- the last repetition being an all-out, Editor’s note: For a complete
skeletal system. maximum-intensity effort. Have her presentation of Mike Mentzer’s
“The underlying reason,” limit her sets to no more than two Heavy Duty training system, consult
Mike replied, “is the traditional (three at the most) per bodypart, his books Heavy Duty II, High
image of women as the weaker and she should work out once every Intensity Training the Mike Mentzer
Q & As From the Intensity Camp
sex. Associated with this is the four to seven days at a high level of Way and the newest book, The
outmoded idea that for a ‘real intensity on a four-way-split routine Wisdom of Mike Mentzer, all of which
woman’ to exert herself intensely as prescribed in Mike’s last book are available from Mentzer’s official
would compromise her femininity. High Intensity Training the Mike Web site, www.MikeMentzer.com.
Let’s face it, today’s woman is Mentzer Way. John Little is available for phone
different from her sisters of the She should also be aware—to consultation on Mike Mentzer’s
preceding generations. The counter the baseless belief that Heavy Duty training system. For
liberated woman of today can seems so rampant—that her rates and information, contact
hardly be described as the weaker capacity for muscular development Joanne Sharkey at (310) 316-4519 or
sex, since studies have shown her is hormonally limited. So there’s no at www.MikeMentzer.com, or see
to be stronger and more stable need for her to worry that weight the ad on the opposite page.
than men in many areas—such as training will make her look like a Article copyright © 2006, John
the emotional area, for example. man. If the gym she attends won’t Little. All rights reserved. Mike Ment-
Women are becoming increasingly allow her to train in such a manner, zer quotations provided courtesy
aware that their physical image perhaps she should join a regular of Joanne Sharkey and used with
makes a social statement and they bodybuilding club. Most of them permission. IM

Eric Broser’s
If you find something on the Web that IM readers should know about, send the URL to Eric at bodyfx2@aol.com.
>http://MilosSarcev.com/board/index.php
There are hundreds of bodybuilding discussion boards on
the Internet, and while most of them have similar content,
forums and members, every once in a while I stumble upon
one that stands out from the crowd. What sets this board
apart immediately is that it’s owned and operated by IFBB
superstar Milos Sarcev, also known as “the Mind.” That mon-
iker has followed him for years, ever since he started coaching
other bodybuilders in their preparations for competitions,
helping them achieve the best condition of their careers. The
cool thing about the board is that not only does Milos run
it, but he’s a regular contributor as well. Many discussion
boards claim to have pros as members, but they hardly ever
post anything worthwhile. That’s not the case here, as Milos
is on his board every day, answering questions, providing
advice and giving members the inside scoop on the body-
building and fitness industry. Nor is Milos the only pro on
the board. Other regular contributors include Dennis James,
Kris Dim, Luke Wood and Gustavo Badell. Along with the basic forums on training, nutrition, supple-
mentation and contest prep, you’ll find some unique areas, such as a section dedicated to iron warriors
who have passed away, a mixed martial arts forum and extensive photo galleries of male and female
pros, rising stars—even pics of Sarcev’s beautiful wife and daughter. If you are a fan of Milos and of pro
bodybuilding in general, this is definitely a place you should check out the next time you’re goofing off at
work (not that any of you guys do that…much).

>LiftForLife.com >VitalChoice.com
I have to tell you: Here we have another wholesome-
Here’s a site you guys food site, but it’s devoted to “the world’s
could very well see finest health-enhancing canned and
featured in this space fresh-frozen wild salmon.” The latest re-
more than once. It has search on good fat suggests we should
so much useful infor- be eating fish several times a week, and
mation that I couldn’t the natural, wild salmon you’ll find here
is tops—
possibly give you all
plus, you
the highlights in just a
can get it
single paragraph. LiftFor delivered
Life is dedicated to the natural bodybuilder, and it does a right to
great job of supporting the cause with terrific articles, ath- your door.
lete profiles, links to all of the drug-tested organizations
and the most complete contest calendar I’ve seen. One of
the coolest areas is the fitness-calculator page, where you
can quickly and easily find out things like your one-rep
>PRRSTraining.com
max, your ideal measurements and calories burned. Scroll Ah, the power…yes, the power of having
down to the bottom of the home page and read, “What Is your own column [insert evil laugh]. I can do
or say anything that I want. Okay, maybe
Natural Bodybuilding.” The author provides an interesting
not, but I can give my new Web site a plug.
perspective and obviously has a good grasp of the sport. I
Visit PRRSTraining.com to read the original
spent quite a while on the site, especially after I happened
“Power, Rep Range, Shock” article that ap-
upon the profile of a very fit and sexy blonde named peared in the pages of the best bodybuild-
Cindy. She alone is worth the price of admission. ing magazine on the planet—IRON MAN.
Check out the P/RR/S athletes’ gallery and
read the many testimonials describing the
>GrasslandBeef.com
This is the site of U.S. Well-
ness Meats, and while it has a
lot of info, its main thrust is to
introduce you to its expand-
ing selection of beef, lamb,
bison and free-range chicken.
The meat comes from grass-
fed animals, which results in
much more healthful products. U.S. Wellness Meats
are high in CLA, branched-chain amino acids, omega- merits of my training program. Click on “Ar-
3s and vitamins A and E—and because of that many ticles” for helpful training hints, and hop over
of the world’s top athletes, including top U.S. stong- to the “Online Training” page to learn how
man Jesse Marunde [his profile is in this issue on page I can help you achieve all of your physique
286], are switching to it. Marunde’s quote at the site goals in record time. Now, I need to warn
you that the site has a lot of flash, so if you
says it all: “After consuming U.S. Wellness Meats, my
have dial-up, type in the address, click go,
lean muscle has increased 25 pounds, while my body- watch a rerun of “Seinfeld,” wash your car,
fat percentage has decreased, and believe it or not, cook a turkey, use the bathroom (remember
my LDL cholesterol dropped 50 points. I have never to wash your hands), and when you get
had any training-regimen impact my performance as back, it will probably still be loading [again,
much as the switch to grass-fed beef by U.S. Wellness insert evil laugh]. Still, it’s worth a shot! IM
Meats.” Pass me some of that grass-fed bison.

Lonnie Teper’s
NEWS & ViEWS

’06 Colorado Pro-Am
Very Ful-Philling Phil

Heath.
Heath Nabs Unanimous Win in His

Pro Debut
The stories inside the story at the Shawn Ray
Colorado Pro-Am, held May 12 and 13 in Denver:
Shawn going from competitor to promoter, Phil
Heath going from amateur to pro, and Gary Stry-
dom going from retired to back onstage after a
10-year vacation. All three were smiling at the end of
the event.
“As a promoter, it was everything I expected and
more,” said Sugar Shawn from his Yorba Linda,
California, pad three days after the event as he was
preparing to watch “American Idol.” I knew he was
in good spirits when I saw the e-mail note he’d sent
earlier. It was accompanied by a photo of some guy
in an ad, and the message was, “Is this you?” He
claims it’s the best look-
alike of the season. He
could be right (see page Marcus David
265). Haley. Henry.
“I rented two minivans
to get athletes and staff
from the hotel to the
venue,” Ray said, “and I
became a designated driv-
er when one of the drivers
got sick. I made six trips
back and forth and had a
limo for the judges. These
are the type of things I
Colorado Pro photography by Isaac Hinds \ Lift Studios

looked for promoters to be
doing when I competed.”
Ray also had praise
for the irrepressible Jeff
Taylor, who handled his
duties well, as always,
as the promoter of the amateur NPC show. “I don’t think I could have
done this without Jeff, and I don’t think he could have done it without
me,” said Shawn. “Overall, the show went well—the athletes and the
fans loved it. I’ve already signed on for two more years, with next year’s
show being June 1 and 2. I will be adding a pro fitness category, boxing
and several other activities.”
As the bodybuilding world knows by now, Heath scored a unani- Darrem
mous win in his first contest since he took the overall at the USA last
dazzled.
year. According to Shawn, however, Heath’s margin of victory over
Darrem Charles was a lot closer than the score sheet indicated. Find hundreds of
“Heath won on the mandatory poses,” Ray said. “Pose for pose he
had fewer flaws than Darrem. Charles had better stage presence and
photos from the
Colorado and New York
presentation. Darrem might have looked better standing relaxed, but he
Pro competitions at
GraphicMuscle.com
POSING— CONTROVERSY— COUNTDOWN—
Who was Maybe it was Why is this man
that masked something he so excited?
man? eight. Page 263
Page 261 Pages 262 and
264
Comeback
kid Strydom.
is light in the calves and ham-
strings; Phil has a better overall
package.”
A package good enough,
Ray said, that it should move
him all the way up to a top-three
finish in his Mr. Olympia debut
come the end of September. “If
Phil had been in last year’s Mr.
Olympia, in the condition he was
at my contest, he would have
beaten Gunter Schlierkamp
[who finished fourth at that
show],” Ray claimed.
“At 5’9” and 216 pounds,
he is a combination of Flex
Wheeler and me. And a lot
of people think Flex was at his
best at the 1993 Arnold Classic,
when he was 219 pounds. Phil
Bill will be right on Jay Cutler’s
Wilmore. back in the battle for second
this year if he shows up in top
shape. He could be the next Mr.
Olympia.”
Does Jay know the highest he can hope to
Joy Newcomb \ Courtesy of Vyo-Tech
place is second?
Even though Strydom finished seventh, Gary
“didn’t disappoint in his comeback,” Ray said.
Judging by the pictures, I’d say that Strydom was
in outstanding condition and looked amazing for a
man approaching his 47th birthday.
“It was a Vince Taylor–like comeback,”
Shawn continued. “Because he’s been away for
From left: Jeff Taylor, Spiro Kandis, Hummer winner so long, Gary had presentation problems. He
Jim Bluff, Vince Kandis and Shawn Ray. looked as good as ever in his signature poses, like
the side chest, triceps, overhead abs, but when
Kai you don’t present yourself the best way possible,
Rodney Green.
your weaknesses—in this case back width and
St. Cloud
was sixth. thickness—are highlighted. Still, Gary wasn’t disap-
pointed with his placing because he got so much positive
feedback.”
Ray also felt that David Henry had been at his all-
time best in taking third and that rookies Marcus Haley
and Bill Wilmore, who finished fourth and fifth, respec-
tively, were “in a dogfight. It was a great show from a fan’s
perspective because the top five were so competitive.”
Congrats also to Kai Greene, who picked up 10
grand for winning the Best Presentation award, and to
Jim Bluff, who came to the show to watch a friend
compete in the NPC event and drove away with a new
Hummer H3 after his ticket was pulled in a drawing.
Isaac Hinds covered the event for IRON MAN. To
see hundreds of his photos, log on to www
.GraphicMuscle.com.

…or built?
ADD DENVER: NFL DRAFT—Jay Cutler won’t be happy to hear
that Shawn Ray already has him pegged for second—at the highest—at
the upcoming Olympia. But will Jay even be available to compete? I
mean, isn’t he making a lot more cash now that he’s going to be playing
on Sundays in the National Football League?
To think we all believed the guy when he said he was gone every week-
end because of guest posings, store
openings and other industry-related
Vanderbilt…
events. Turns out he was going to Nash-
ville, Tennessee, where Jay doubled
as the star quarterback for Vanderbilt
University.
At the time he stretched into a Com-
modore uniform, Cutler was listed at
6’4” and 225 pounds. Darn, that com-
muting between Nashville and Vegas re-
ally caused you to drop water, huh, guy?
Didn’t affect his play, though; Jay broke
several school records en route to being
Neil Brake \ Vanderbilt University

voted Southeastern Conference Player
of the Year and went in the first round of
the NFL draft to—of all places—Denver.
You know, the same town in which Phil
Heath, his new nemesis, according to
Comstock
Shawn, resides.
Okay, you get my drift by now, right,
gang? Our Jay ain’t that Jay. But our
Jay did play high school football in Massachusetts 15
years back and did have the best body on the team.
That’s where he stole the heart of Kerry, now his wife
of nearly a decade.
Got an idea. Let’s set up two competitions between
the two Jays. First, it’s who can toss the pigskin the
farthest. Then, who has the most accurate gun. After
that, who has the best guns, as in front double-biceps?
Then we’ll move to your favorite most muscular.
Last, but certainly not least, will be who has the big-
gest bank account. Our Cutler was way ahead until the
draft, in April. But the way the Ultimate Beef has been
Eric Hillman and a pair of Parisos.
Teper
making trips to his local bank of late, don’t think the
final showdown won’t be close.
Rusty Jeffers.
ADD CUTLER: ONE STEP CLOSER—
That’s the title of Jay’s latest hot-selling DVD,
a nearly six-hour video journey that begins four
weeks out from the ’05 Olympia and documents
his doings through the O and into mid-Decem-
ber. Reviews on the Mits Okabe–produced
disc have been overwhelmingly positive (How
often do you hear that about a video this long?),
and the Olympia section takes you from pre-
Masters Pro World photos courtesy of Bodybuilding.com
judging to backstage at the finals. Way beyond a

training video, “One Step Closer” gives you a never-before-seen look into
the lifestyle of one of the industry’s all-time greatest performers.
One of the best parts of the program features Scraps (a Cockapoo)
and Trace (an Airedale terrier), Jay and Kerry’s two buffed, symmetrical
pooches, in their own candid scenes. For more info on Jay’s finest DVD to
date, log on to www.JayCutler.com.
Add Pro Events Chick’s

big night.
EXPANSION—Ed Pariso tells me that this year’s edition of the
Europa Super Show and Sports Expo, which made its debut last Sep-

Goin’ for nine. tember, will be held on August 25 and 26 at the
Arlington (Texas) Convention Center. And that
the schedule has grown from seven events in
2005 to 15 this time around.
“With the support of the sponsors we’ve been
able to grow this into the next big premier inter-
national event,” said Pariso. “We are expecting
over 2,000 amateur and pro athletes from 15
countries onstage.
“We would like to thank our presenting spon-
sor, Designer Supplements, and our title spon-
sors—EAS, MuscleTech, Ultimate Nutrition,
Pinnacle/Cytodyne and All-American EFX—for
allowing us to expand this much in one year.”
I emceed the event in ’05 and, happily, was
rehired to host again this year. I’m still amazed at
how Betty Pariso, two weeks out from com-
peting at the Charlotte Pro, worked nonstop in
her role as co-promoter with her hubby last year.
As always, an NPC contest will be held with
the pro show, along with many other exciting
Balik
happenings, like the NPC Cover Shot
contest, the Strongman Challenge, a
bench press contest and the annual
Max Muscle convention.
For more information on the big
weekend, check out www.Europa
SuperShow.com.
MR. O UPDATE—Ronnie Cole-

man’s clash with destiny takes place
a month earlier this year, with the an-
nouncement that the Mr. Olympia will
be held on September 29 and 30 at
the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The
Comstock
Comstock
Big Nasty, who turned 42 on May 13,

Nga Azarian
is going for a record nine wins in a row

this year and will have to be onstage
earlier than usual since the action will
Champs from the O.C. (from left): Mona Krause, now take place over two nights. Yup,
Bea Fox and Troy Tate.
the prejudging will be held
on Friday night, along with
the Ms. Olympia and Fitness
Olympia Finals.
Thumbs-up to the people
at AMI, who are again pro-
moting the Olympia (with
plenty of advice from a guy
who knows a little about
the game, Jim Manion).
Tossed are the Challenge
Round and the Wildcard
Challenge of 2005. Great
move by the promoters.
A new title sponsor is
also onboard, adding its
unique brand of event
showmanship to the mix—
Hardbody Entertainment,
Paul Robinson
LLC, a sports entertainment

Comstock
company out of Atlanta.

For tickets and for
more info that can assist
Comstock
Contra kids (from left): Shawn Laskey, Jen

your trip to Vegas, visit
Thaler and Claire Rohrbacker.
www.2006Olympia.com.

Omar
Deckard.
WINNER IS A CHICK—Congrats to Bob Cicherillo for success-
fully predicting his own victory at the Masters Professional World Cham-
pionship, which was held April 15 at New York’s Tribeca Performing Arts
Center on the campus of Borough of Manhattan Community College.
Chick, who turned 40 last December 1, scored straight ones at the show
and qualified for the Olympia, but since he’s on the AMI promotion team
and will be co-hosting the Mr. O with Shawn Ray, Bob will be onstage
fully clothed for the festivities.
Jumpin’ Johnny Stewart, who took second to
Claude Groulx at the ’03 Masters Olympia, did likewise
in New York, besting Pavol Jablonicky (third), Groulx
(fourth) and Stan “the Man” McCrary (fifth).
The biggest news of the contest wasn’t Cicherillo’s
victory, which the Swami called weeks earlier. It was the
eighth-place finish of Rusty Jeffers, who had plenty of
supporters feeling that he got the royal shaft when he didn’t
place in the top five. Shoot, I got three e-mail messages
from people who attended the show saying that Rusty
should have won!
From the pics I viewed, I’d say Jeffers definitely should
Jerome
have been in the top five; I think his lower placing was due Ferguson.
to what the judges felt was a lack of conditioning.
Faramarz
Aghazadeh.
ADD VIDEOS: “REAL MUSCLE”—IRON

MAN columnist John Hansen’s latest DVD, “Real
Muscle…100% Natural,” is good stuff. Hansen offers
training info for steroid-free bodybuilders “who want to
build the maximum amount of muscle mass without
having to resort to drugs to accomplish their goal.”
The former Mr. Natural Olympia, a Chicago resi-
dent, has been training for almost 30 years, with 25
years of competition experience. “Real Muscle” covers
his entire mass-building workout, including four days
of training, with each exercise shown over two sets.
The production, shot entirely in black and white,
in a “real gym” with “real weights,” is available at
Hansen’s Web site, www.NaturalOlympia.com. You’ll
also find info there on his recently released first book,
Natural Bodybuilding.
USA contenders photography by Bill Comstock

Amateur Action
LOGJAM IN THE DESERT—It’s mid-May and, as always, I’m not
sure exactly who’s in, who’s not, for the 2006 version of Jaguar Jon
Lindsay’s USA Bodybuilding and Figure Championships, to be held
July 28 and 29 at the Artemus W. Ham Auditorium on the campus of the
University of Nevada, Las Vegas. From what I’ve heard, the superheavy-
weight class should set the tone in what is always an entertaining week- Michael
end, one that will include around 300 of the NPC’s finest bodybuilding Ergas.
and figure competitors.
Los Angeles aces Jerome “Hollywood” Ferguson, Omar Deck-
ard and Lionel “L Train” Brown, who finished second, third and fourth,
respectively, a year ago, will be back again. Throw in Leo “the Lion”
Ingram and Rudy Richards, who impressed at the ’05 Nationals with
second- and third-place finishes, and…well, you get the picture. All of
those cats have been major players in the amateur ranks for years and
want to say good-bye to all that in ’06.
And let’s not forget another L.A. boy, heavyweight Michael Ergas,
who was just a couple of points away from earning pro status at last
year’s Nationals when he was edged by Jonathan Rowe in a very
controversial decision. Ergas was understandably devastated but says
that’s all behind him and that he’s going for the gold medal in Vegas. The
Adorthus
Cherry.
Manuel
Torres.
Swami says he gets one of the two pro cards being handed out
at the end of the night.
Of course, three other California heavyweight standouts—
Faramarz Aghazadeh (second to Phil Heath last year),
Adorthus Cherry (fifth) and David Robles (sixth)—certainly
won’t be agreeing with my prognostication.
Local Vegas standout Manuel Torres was third in the light-
heavyweight division a year ago and has to rate as one of the
favorites this time around, with Rick Sosias and Curtis Mc-
Govern looking right over his shoulder.
Of course, there are names I’ve left out who could end up
fighting for top finishes; excuse me, lads, if you’re not mentioned,
but I can only go with what I know at deadline. You can razz me
about it backstage; it’s become a tradition.
See you there.
Leo SPRING FLING—So far, 2006 has been a big season (as in
Ingram. large) for California NPC muscle action. As always, the Orange
Lionel County Muscle Classic and the Contra Costa brought out huge
Brown. numbers, both of contestants and of folks in the seats, and
produced outstanding champions.
Heavyweight winner Troy Tate took the overall
at the Jon Lindsay–produced Orange County,
which was held April 21 in Anaheim, with Mona
Krause topping the field in women’s bodybuilding
and Bea Fox doing likewise in figure.
Three weeks later, and somewhat further north,
in Hayward, where Lindsay teams with Steve
O’Brien to promote the megahit Contra, middle-
weight Shawn Laskey won the whole shebang;
lightweight champ Claire Rohrbacker proved
she’s no lightweight by taking the overall; and Jen
Thaler captured the figure title.
Keep a close eye on these winners.
Eric Otero, R.I.P.

I didn’t have all the details as this column went
to bed, but the bodybuilding world was shocked
in mid-May by the news that Eric Otero had
passed away at his home in San Antonio, Texas.
Reportedly, the cause of death had something to
do with a bad reaction to the antibiotics Eric had
been taking due to recent dental work.
Eric I was at the podium when
Okabe
Dave Otero. Otero, then out of Sugar Land,

Robles. Texas, won the middleweights
at the ’99 USA, in Santa
Monica, and when he earned his pro card by crushing
the middleweight field at the ’01 Nationals, in Atlanta.
I thought he’d be a good pro, but he competed only
twice, in Toronto in ’04 and at the Europa last year.
Neveux
Unfortunately, I also made Otero’s final onstage intro-

duction at the latter contest, where he did not place.
Eric was 36, and his wife, Amanda, was seven To contact Lonnie
Teper about material
months’ pregnant at the time of his death. He was an
possibly pertinent to
outstanding bodybuilder, always in good spirits—a News & Views, write
smile on his face whenever I saw him—and gladly to 1613 Chelsea
obliged when he was sitting in the audience at the ’05 Road, #266, San
Texas Championships and I asked him to peel off his Marino, CA 91108;
shirt. fax to (626) 289-7949;
Condolences to Eric’s family and friends. or send e-mail to
L.T.’s doppelgänger? tepernews@aol.com.

Jerry Brainum’s
Bodybuilding Pharmacology
function. A study of five bodybuilders published in 1993
Steroids and showed that those using anabolic steroids had impaired
thyroid function.
Another study, published in 2003, found that those who
used anabolic steroids showed an elevation of thyroid-
Thyroids stimulating hormone (TSH) and free, or unbound, T4

thyroid hormone. They also showed low values of other
thyroid hormones and binding proteins in the blood.
The idea that steroids adversely affect thyroid func-
tion is confounded by the fact that steroid users rarely
The effects of anabolic drugs often overlap with the rely just on anabolic steroids. The reality is that they use
effects of other hormone activity in the body. Growth hor- other anabolic drugs concurrently—GH, insulin and
mone, for example, has an antagonist relationship with clenbuterol, to name a few. Those drugs may also interact
insulin: Insulin lowers blood glucose, or sugar, levels; GH with thyroid metabolism.
increases them. Often, athletes who use anabolic drugs are To avoid the problem of multiple-drug use while evalu-
aware of that effect and inject insulin to offset the glucose- ating the effects of anabolic steroids on thyroid function,
elevating effects of GH. Another reason to use both GH and a new study used lab rats as subjects.1 Ostensibly, rats
insulin is that while GH promotes an anticatabolic effect in respond to steroids the way humans do, particularly in
muscle, insulin promotes an upgrading of muscle protein regard to side effects. The rats were given just one anabolic
synthesis. In that sense, GH and insulin work in tandem to steroid, a popular injectable drug called Deca-Durabolin.
promote muscular growth. (When I say “popular,” I’m referring to human athletes.
Many other relationships exist between hormones that There’s no way to tell how the rats feel about the drug.) In
those who use anabolic drugs overlook. A good example any case, the rats got doses 60 times greater than the clini-
is the relationship between anabolic steroids and thyroid cal levels used to treat such problems as low testosterone
in humans. That level of
drug intake was considered
roughly equal to what’s typi-
cally used for muscular-en-
hancement purposes.
The Deca produced an
increase in the size and
volume of the rats’ thyroid
glands. Levels of free T3 and
TSH significantly decreased.
Levels of T4, however, re-
mained unchanged. T4
thyroid hormone is consid-
ered a pro-hormone for the
thyroid; the active version is
free T3, which has one less
iodine molecule. Special
enzymes called deiodinases
remove an iodine molecule
from T4, which converts it
to free T3.
Why did the T4 levels re-
main unchanged? According
to the authors, it reflected a
decrease in thyroid-stimu-
lating hormone, which is
secreted from the pituitary
gland and controls thyroid
hormone release. When
TSH is blunted, as it is with
steroid use, the level of thy-
roid-binding proteins in the
blood increases. That low-
ers levels of the most active
(T3) thyroid hormone, since
In normal doses thyroid promotes an anabolic effect in only the unbound hormone
muscle. In larger doses, however, the effect turns catabolic, is active in cells. Because
T4 is more a pro-hormone
favoring a breakdown of muscle. than an active thyroid hor-

mone, its content in the blood isn’t affected by anabolic
steroid use.
The Deca also increased the activity of the deiodin-
ase enzymes in the liver and kidney, which should have
increased the level of active T3 hormone, but that didn’t
occur. The researchers think the steroids may have im-
paired the enzyme’s ability to convert T4 into T3. The
reduction in levels of total and free T4 reflected their in-
creased liver metabolism induced by the steroid.
Growth hormone also causes a transient impairment
of thyroid function, evidently due to a blunting of TSH
release from the pituitary gland. The effect, however, usu-
ally lasts only during the initial weeks of GH use. Although
the body reacts to the TSH deficit by increasing the rate of
its release to compensate, many athletes still opt to add a
thyroid drug when using GH. The drug of choice is a form
of T3, such as Cytomel, favored because of its rapid onset
of activity. A T4 drug, such as Synthroid, takes at least seven
days to start working.
While the main reason for using a thyroid drug along
with GH relates to GH’s initial suppression of thyroid func-
tion, another reason is the fact that GH doesn’t provide any
anabolic effects unless thyroid output is optimal. The same Ostensibly, rats respond to popular steroids the way
holds true for insulinlike growth factor 1 (IGF-1)—even for humans do. “Popular,” of course, applies only to
testosterone. In normal doses, thyroid promotes an ana- human perception; nobody has discovered how the
bolic effect in muscle. In larger doses, however, the effect rats feel about the drugs.
turns catabolic and breaks down muscle. For that reason,
users of anabolic and thyroid drugs need to regularly mon-
itor thyroid function through medical testing. tal level, though, most people with excess fat show signs
of decreased thermogenesis, the conversion of calories
into heat. Instead of disposing of excess calories as heat,
A Real-World Study of a they shuttle them directly into bodyfat. Even worse, they
Fat-Burning Supplement tend to burn less fat when they exercise, making fat loss
exceedingly difficult.
Most scientists agree that the main cause of excess Small wonder, then, that supplements offering alleged
bodyfat is an imbalance between calories and activity level. fat-loss benefits are among the best-selling and most
People get fat because they eat too much and exercise popular. The two basic methods through which OTC fat
too little. Other factors enter into the bodyfat equation, burners—as they’re called—work is by blunting appetite
though, many of them related to genetics. How else to ex- and increasing thermogenesis. The famous ephedrine-caf-
plain why some can eat whatever they want, whenever they feine combo did both but was removed from the market
want, with apparent impunity? Meanwhile, others seem to (for scientifically flimsy reasons).
get fat by merely being in the proximity of a high-calorie Since then, other supposed thermogenic and appe-
food. Many write off such differences to “metabolism.” tite-suppressing ingredients have been incorporated into
The thyroid gland controls metabolism. While it’s easy commercial fat-burning supplements. They include bitter
to attribute rapid fat gain to a “sluggish” metabolism due orange, also known as Citrus aurantium, which functions
to low thyroid output, that’s rarely a direct cause of excess like ephedrine but is thought to produce less cardiovascu-
bodyfat. Scientific studies show that obese people gener- lar stimulation. The key to the effectiveness of synephrine,
ally have normal thyroid activity. Only about 10 percent the active ingredient of bitter orange, is that it interacts
have actual thyroid problems. with beta-3 adrenergic fat-cell receptors. Those recep-
That’s not to say the thyroid isn’t involved in weight loss. tors provide no cardiovascular overlap stimulation, which
Thyroid activity is usually the culprit behind the dreaded means fewer side effects. On the other hand, beta-3 adren-
dieting plateau. After a few weeks of reduced-calorie ergic receptors exist mainly in a specialized form of fat that
intake, weight-loss abruptly stops. The body interprets is highly thermogenic. Brown adipose tissue, as it’s called,
continued adherence to a strict diet as starvation. In order is found primarily in babies and animals. Most adults have
to preserve vital lean tissue, such as muscle and internal little or no BAT activity (with the possible exception of Bat-
organs, thyroid output is deliberately blunted. Active T3 man, but not of his young ward, Robin), but the rare people
thyroid hormone is instead converted into the metaboli- who do are the same types who seem to eat whatever they
cally inert reverse T3, which lowers the resting metabolic want with no gain in fat.
rate considerably. When that happens, fat loss stops Green tea extract contains active ingredients known as
or slows. polyphenols that seem to exert mild thermogenic activ-
So if it isn’t thyroid, why do so many people have trouble ity, particularly notable when green tea is combined with
losing excess bodyfat? The answer is complex and can aerobic exercise. The small amount of caffeine naturally
involve several chemicals, such as leptin. On an elemen- occurring in green tea adds to the thermogenic effect;

Jerry Brainum’s
Bodybuilding Pharmacology
Instead of disposing
of excess calories
as heat, people
who have too much
bodyfat shuttle them
directly into bodyfat.
Even worse, they
tend to burn less fat
Those who
have a
history of
when they exercise,
exercise
tap into making fat loss
fat stores
faster than exceedingly difficult.
Neveux \ Model: Tomm Voss
sedentary
people.
riod while lying point out, that kind of supplement
down. Blood may need more time to work. The
samples were study used just a single dose.
taken every 30 Keep in mind, too, that the subjects
minutes for the were both sedentary and overweight.
caffeine increases the release of cate- six-hour duration of the test. In the Such people don’t have much capac-
cholamines, such as norepinephrine, second part of the study the men got ity to rapidly use fat during exercise
which promotes fat release. Green either the placebo or the supplement because they lack sufficient oxida-
tea also inhibits the activity of li- one hour before exercise. The exercise tive enzymes, which are developed
pases, or fat-digesting enzymes. That consisted of walking on a treadmill through regular exercise. In other
would cause a small loss of fat from at a low rate of intensity (60 percent words, they didn’t have an adequate
food intake. of maximum heart rate) to promote capacity to use fat because they were
So the key ingredients of most maximum use of fat during the ex- out of shape and inactive.
commercial fat-burning supplements ercise. Blood samples were taken six Properly designed, the next study
appear to have a solid scientific ra- times in the course of the hour of should monitor chronic use of fat-
tionale. The important question is exercise and twice at rest. burning supplements in those with
whether they work as well in the real There was no significant effect on established exercise history. It’s pos-
world as they do on paper. ATP or energy use at rest or during sible that the increased oxidative
A recent study examined what exercise. Using the supplement didn’t capacity of exercising subjects would
happens when a group of overweight have any effects on energy expendi- mean that those kinds of supple-
men took a fat-burning supplement ture. Fat oxidation decreased while ments would show greater interaction
at rest and during treadmill walk- subjects were using the supplement. and different results.
ing.2 None of the subjects regularly Carbohydrate oxidation, however,
exercised, and all had a minimal increased when they were at rest
20 percent bodyfat level. They took by more than 30 percent. The same
either a placebo or a commercial fat- increase in carbohydrate oxidation References
burner supplement that contained also occurred during the study’s 1 Fortunato, R., et al. (2006). Chron-
the following: exercise phase. ic administration of anabolic-andro-
•6 milligrams synephrine So the supplement, provided under genic steroid alters murine thyroid
acute conditions, didn’t affect metab- function. Med Sci Sports Exercise.
•150 milligrams caffeine olism, but it did shift energy use from 38:256-61.
•150 milligrams green tea fat to carbohydrate—the opposite of 2 Sale, C., et al. (2006). Metabolic
polyphenols what you’d expect. That’s not good and physiological effects of ingesting
news, since most people with excess extracts of bitter orange, green tea,
During the first part of the study bodyfat are already “sugar burners” and guarana at rest and during tread-
the subjects took either the placebo who have trouble tapping into body- mill walking in overweight males. Int J
or the supplement over a six-hour pe- fat. On the other hand, as the authors Obesity. In press. IM

IRON MAN Hardbody

Living
Caradoll
Is a Model
of Health
and Fitness
Compiled by Jonathan Lawson
Photography by Michael Neveux

IRON MAN Hardbody
Height: 5’4”
Age: 30
Weight: 110
Hometown: Elko, NV
Current residence:
Venice, CA

IRON MAN Hardbody
Occupation:
Holistic practitioner:
“I help people create a
lifestyle called health. I offer
a Starter Kit of Nutritional
Insight and then personally train
them in yoga and outdoor
exercise and activities.
I offer independent consultations
by appointment only.
Those interested can call
(310) 663-5275.”
Marital status:
Never been married.
Workout schedule: “Health is a state
of mind. I never just work out. Nothing is
separate from the entire body—that is, the self.
My main focus is my state of mind, which is
represented by my breath. Whether I’m weight
training or doing yoga, ballet, plyometrics, ball
training or meditating or detoxing with a sauna
or steam, I’m always creating a calm, free
breath that in turn is a moving meditation.
It helps encourage the visualization
of what I want to look like and
who I want to be.”
IRON MAN Hardbody
Favorite foods:
Fresh juice, an
awesome raw salad and
raw ice cream. “Anything
that is in a raw, living
state. Mother Nature
is my guide!”

Factoid:
“My dream is to help the
world reach optimal health—
to give everyone a new bill of
health through my starter kit.
Health is happiness. When we
learn to make health a priority, then
our lives just seems to be better, feel
better, and, ultimately,
we look better. Health is a
lifestyle. I want to share
my wisdom and get
you started.”
Special thanks:
“IRON MAN magazine
for trusting me; Michael Neveux,
photographer, for believing in me;
Keith Berson, assistant photographer
and set designer, for his beautiful energy;
Joe Wheatley, Muscle Beach, for getting
me started; Mario da Silva, my personal
trainer, (310) 245-9077; Whole Foods
Market, West Los Angeles, food and flower
sponsor; The Aloha Sanctuary, shoot loca-
tion, (310) 401-1260; Alexandra Grose,
hair and makeup, (310) 985-3730;
Total Tan in Marina del Rey, CA,
(310) 827-5228; Ryan Reynolds,
my love and confidant, raw-
food chef and set designer,
(323) 304-0005.”
IRON MAN Hardbody

IRON MAN Hardbody
Contact
info and Web site:
www.Caradoll.com
or (310) 663-5275
Ruth Silverman’s
PUMP & CiRCUMSTANCE

PRO POURRI
RISING STARS
May Sweeps Follow the bouncing

Olympia invites
The list of ladies on the pro
figure fast track blossomed
like the Christmas cactus on
my porch all through May.
Starting with Jim Manion’s
Pittsburgh Pro on the sixth
and moving in a westerly
manner to Denver for the
Shawn Ray Colorado Pro-
Am on the 13th and, finally, to
L.A. for the Cal on the 27th,
it was one new face after
another getting the nod for
a top-three finish. So come Hot blonde du jour
aboard the Figure Express,
and see who else is going Jessica Paxson
All aboard! Tara Scotti and Latisha
Wilder lead the way into the spring to the O come the end of got big buzz in the
season. September. ’Burgh.
PITTSBURGH PRO
Jenny Lynn Scores a well-timed win

Derailed by to the Steel City the obvious favorite, and though she was
a stomach flu not at her tightest, the lovely Lynn lines carried her through.
that kept her She scored a solid win, just one point off a perfect score.
from vying for The missing point—missing from her two-piece-suit
her fourth-con- score—went to runner-up Latisha Wilder, another fa-
secutive vic- miliar face, and, like many in the audience, I was expecting
tory at the Figure the number-three spot to go to Tara Scotti. The judges
International (and had other ideas, however: Newcomer Jessica Paxson
remember that got the nod in a two-point squeaker—Don’tcha just love
pro figure is only surprises?—and Tara had to settle for fourth.
four years old), Fact is, I do love surprises. Paxson, a class winner at
Jenny Lynn hit ’05 NPC Junior Nationals, should make a swell addition to
the trail to make the Figure O lineup—and the tenacious Tara is a good bet
up for lost time to pick up an invite as the lo-o-o-ng 2006 season of figure
and struck instant continues.
success at the Zena Collins was fifth in the 25-woman lineup, with
Pittsburgh Pro. Inga Neverauskait, Melissa Frabbiele, Christine
As the number- Wan, Pauline Nordine and Danielle Hollenshade
two-ranked figure finishing sixth through 10th, respectively.
pro in the world—
behind three-time
Numbers. Careful analysis of the score sheets
Olympia winner
from Pittsburgh and Denver shows that Jenny
Davana Me- can’t go wrong in a one-piece suit.
dina—she came

BACKSTAGE BODS
BACKSTAGE COLORADO PRO
Speaking of
Squeakers
Statu-
esque.
Sure, the
fact that
she’s
over
5’7” has
some-
thing to
Upwardly mob do with
ile. Marcy
Porter, 12th Valerie
in Pittsburgh,
moved into th Wau-
e top 10 at th
Colorado and e gaman’s
the Cal.
claim
to that
Benched but not beached. When Julie adjective,
Lohre, fourth in fitness at the ’05 Europa but the
Supershow, was sidelined with an injury, Ohio res-
she decided to keep her bodyparts in the taurateur
game with a temporary switch to figure. Bet has that
she can’t wait till it’s time to switch back. certain
some-
thing that
makes
Isaac Hinds \ Lift Studios

her
stand out
from the
crowd.
In a move that left the “haters” on a

certain popular Internet bodybuilding
forum scratching their cursors to figure
out where the fix was, the panel at the
Colorado Pro, held a week after the Pitts-
Perfectly burgh, chose popular pinup-on-the-rise
posed. I don’t
know about Valerie Waugaman over Pittsburgh
you, but I find winner Jenny Lynn by a single point.
it impossible Lynn’s condition had sharpened up since
to take a bad the previous show, but the 5’7 1/2” Wau-
picture of
Workin’ it. Sherie Pauline Nor- gaman was herself much improved over
Salvadori, overall dine. her own previous performance, an eighth-
figure winner at place finish at the International in March.
last year’s Master’s
Nationals, mixed it The point in question took place once
up with the other again in the two-piece round: Lynn got a
spring chickens. unanimous first in the one-piece compari-
sons; Waugaman did likewise in the biki-
nis. Based on the photos, which you’ll find
There’s noth- online at GraphicMuscle.com, I’d say the
ing like the close score was dead on the money.
crowded back-
stage quarters Hometown standout Christine Pom-
at the Soldiers ponio-Pate took the third spot, which
Photography by Ruth Silverman
and Sailors Hall left Tara Scotti, in fourth, picking up an

to bring to- Olympia invite because the top three were
gether huddled
masses yearn- already qualified (I feel like the gal on “Me-
ing to breathe dium”; see the item on page 280). Inga
free, like these Neverauskaite rounded out the top five
NPC Pittsburgh in the 24-woman chorus line, with Zena
figure competi-
tors waiting for Collins, Gina Aliotti, Marcy Porter,
their quarter Jeanette Freed and Zhanna Rotar,
turn in the in order, taking sixth through 10th.
spotlight.

PUMP & CiRCUMSTANCE
COMERS
CALIFORNIA PRO
Onward to L.A. CPP has her day

Overlooked
Competitor of the Month
According to several sources,
one of them being the lady her-
self, the judges’ comments for
Colorado third-placer Christine
Pomponio-Pate were that
she’d have beaten at least one
of the ladies who finished ahead
of her if not for an unfortunate
choice of tanning product. Two
weeks later everything was rosy
for the petite-but-sweet Christine,
who brought her 5’1” package

to the quarter-turning platform
at the California Pro Figure in
her leanest condition ever—100
pounds, she said—and beat the
31-woman field with a perfect
score.
Talk of the first half of May was
It was a tough lineup—a lot of
that Inga Neverauskaite, sixth at
competitors in great shape—but the Pittsburgh Pro and fifth in Den-
the judges knew what they liked: ver, was deserving of the O-word,
Latish Wilder and a pair of as in overlooked. Now, there’s an
Christine Pomponio-Pate under wraps at Ginas. Runner-up Gina Cama- expression that’s getting to be way
the Cal. Want to see what she looked like cho was followed by Wilder, in overused. Face it: Anyone who can
onstage? Check out IM’s photo coverage at third, and Gina Aliotti a single finish that high in lineups that big
www.GraphicMuscle.com. point behind her, in fourth. With and that loaded with well-known
the top three already on the names has definitely been noticed.
Considering the people I heard it
Olympia roster—Camacho was second at the San Francisco Pro in March—Aliotti
from, though, I feel comfortable
earned the so-called sliding qualification. predicting that if the former Lithu-
Michelle Flake got the last money spot (promoter Jon Lindsay whipped anian, European and World champ,
up prize money for the top five, not just the usual three), with Melissa Frabbi- now living in the U.K., does her
elle, Zena Collins, Pauline Nordine, Marcy Porter and Zhanna Rotar, homework, she’ll be landing even
in sixth through 10th, managing to avoid being “totally overlooked” by the panel. higher in future outings.
U P DAT ES
And Now for Something Completely different
The lifting sports continue to attract bodybuilding women 2003. After a two-year layoff
of note. In New Jersey you have light-heavyweight luminaries due to shoulder surgery she
Elena Sieple and Heather Lee racking up the numbers came back bigger and stron-
on the powerlifting circuit. Now comes a one-time New Jer- ger, setting another world
sey Heavyweight champ who’s traded the posing platform for record at the ’06 APF Bench
a lifting platform. Anita Ramsey was a top amateur body- Wars in Lake George, New
builder for more than a decade, winning her first contest, the York, this time in the 165-
Barry Brooks
NPC Boulder Championships, in 1988 and earning her high- pound class.
est title, overall champ at the prestigious Southern States, 10 Submasters, by the way,
years later. That same year, in ’98, she also took third in the means ages 33 to 39, which
hotly contested heavyweight makes Ramsey’s accomplishments
class at the North American all the more commendable. At an age
Championships. Nowadays when many women think of lifting in
Ramsey prefers hoisting iron very different terms, she’s focused on
Scott DePanfilis \ www.BodytechUSA.com
to pumping it, specifically, more-pressing matters.

her own personal search for For more info on the many facets of
the elusive biggest bench. this fascinating woman of iron, includ-
She started competing ing her training credentials and servic-
in sanctioned bench press es, go to www.AnitaRamsey.com.
contests and set a world
record in the submasters Strong woman. In the old days (above)
148-pound class at the IPA Anita exerted a different kind of
Halloween Bench Bash in power.

M O R E R I S I N G S TA R S HOT PIX
Big Entrance Speaking of Heather Lee

Has it been a whole
six months since we
ran a photo of that oh-
so-hot Jersey woman
of iron? Bodybuilding,
powerlifting, strongman
competition, bikini con-
tests—what hasn’t she
done? Funny you should
ask, as the physique
artist formerly known
as Heather Hulseberg
was telling folks earlier
in the year that she’d
be switching to figure in
2006—and dropping to
lightweight on the lift-
ing platform. One thing
you can say about the
ups and downs of this
luscious-looking lady
(pun intended): She’s
a master at getting us
to publish her picture.
For more fine photos of
Les Sidweber
Heather, check out her
Web site, www.Heather

LeeNJ.com.
M OR E UPDAT ES
Out of the gate. Gina Aliotti Speaking of enterprising women
is walking the walk. Selma Rocks On who are full of surprises
Gina Aliotti strode into her profes-
sional career by finishing seventh with Fitness and figure stalwart Selma
a bullet at the Colorado Pro Figure and McPherson has a habit of popping
earned a ticket to the O at her second up where she’s not expected. At least
show, the Cal. Not bad considering that I didn’t expect to find the vivacious
the 21-year-old San Diego State stu- McPherson, who came to the West
dent is about the youngest figure pro on Coast a few years back to pursue an
the circuit. acting career and took up the fitness
It didn’t hurt Aliotti’s mark on the vis- lifestyle, to be wo-manning a booth all
ibility meter that she was featured in a her own at the IRON MAN FitExpo last
very positive story on figure competition winter. Selma chose the Southern Califor-
that was published in the Los Angeles nia health-and-fitness mega event, where
Times a few days before the Cal. That she was a winner at our very first NPC IM
lucky stroke came about when Times Figure Championships, in 2003, to debut
writer Jeannine Stein chose the her newest creative venture, Chakrocks,
5’4 1/2” curly-locked brunette from a line of custom belts and accessories
among the locally based contestants made from polished agate and other
who had Web sites (a point that should stones that are believed to have healing
Comstock
not be lost on competitors looking to properties.

make names for themselves) and had McPherson fashioned the belts so
her photographed in the gym—evi- the agate sits on the hips at the loca-
dence that Gina’s mainstream appeal tion of the second chakra—one of seven
Selma’s Chakrocks are func-
isn’t just a figment of this writer’s imagi- tional, beautiful and “designed
centers of biophysical and metaphysical
nation. to enhance the balance of your energy residing in the human body, if I’m
Keep your eye on this native of Mon- spirit,” she says. reading Wilkipedia right. I don’t know
terey, California, as she makes her way about all that, but they are absolutely gor-
down the runway of figure. With a head geous. Each piece has a unique color and pattern—handmade by Mother
start and that kind of time on her side, Nature and realized by Selma. It’s a combination that’s hard to resist.
there’s no telling how far she can go. To read all about it, visit www.Chakrocks.com.

PUMP & CiRCUMSTANCE
B A C K S TA G E F O L L I E S : P I T T S B U R G H E D I T I O N
P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y R U T H S I LV E R M A N
The devil
made
Christine
her do
goes
it. Oh,
wild.
come on,
And all
Rebecca.
we said
Everyone
was, “Go
knows
booga-
that
booga
you and
for the
Karen
camera.”
are a
couple of Cookie jar. Danielle, Zena and Jenny
angels. bond over a bag of Oreos.
“Hey,
Cathy,”
says
Melissa.
“Let’s
give her
a little
girl-girl
action.”
Hey,
Melissa.
You’ve
been
doing
this too
long. Christine goes wild, part 2. After “Holy poo-poo!” says Mike, “I can’t
several quality backstage hours the believe Michelle finished out of the top
pro figure contestants are un- 10.” She’ll get ’em next time, Mike. We
leashed onstage. guarantee it (see page 282).
S T I L L M O R E U P DAT E S MEDIA MUSINGS
Another Hot Model Speaking of the online haters

Figuring things out I’ve got to tell this story. Recently, another physique magazine
featured some of the best-looking fitness and figure pros in its
Tina Jo Orban annual swimsuit layout, and one member at a popular forum
(née Bagne), a popu- started a thread asking what others thought of it, not mention-
lar face and form of ing who the models were. Amid the laudatory comments (and
the mid-’90s—much there were many—pretty girls in a hot-for-a-Wal-Mart-approved-
photographed by IM’s magazine layout; what’s not to like?)—came a jarring voice: “It
Michael Neveux—is is a complete failure, it is just worth $0.… Let them feature real
still astonishing her fans fitness, figure or bodybuilder competitors not the b-tch types.”
after all these years. Huh?
The 5’5” brunette, who People jumped right on the remark, assuming its veracity and
was raised in Hollywood further bashing the magazine. A moderator on the board, one
but is now based in whose résumé includes the word Olympia, finally jumped in to
San Mateo, California, correct the member’s misinformation.
recently relaunched her Oh, I know the boards provide endless amusement for untold
Photo courtesy of Tina Jo Orban
Web site (TinaJoOrban millions (thousands?), myself included, as well as being a good
.com) and got back into source of real—and
competition, on the fig- unreal—information, but You can contact
Jolie
and ure circuit, in time to win sheesh: Shouldn’t you
Ruth Silverman,
Tina the top trophy at the ’05 know something is true
Jo. INBA/ABA World Natural before you blurt it out fitness reporter
Figure Championships like that into the public and Pump & Cir-
Neveux
last October. That’s not discussion? Guess I cumstance scribe,

all the former Playboy bunny has been up to, however. know too many people in care of
Here she is posing with her trophy—and then-two-year- who think their opinions IRON MAN, 1701 Ives Ave.,
old daughter, Jolie Orban—after her win. are fact to not know the Oxnard, CA 93033; or via e-mail at
answer to that. ironwman@aol.com.

Making At 315
Pounds He’s
One Mighty
Muscle American
Strongman
with Jesse
Marunde
Story and Photography by Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D.
I
f you like numbers, here are a few: Jesse Morning: Light-to-
Marunde is 26 years old and 6’5” and weighs Moderate Workout
about 315 pounds. What you can’t quantify is Maybe it starts at around 6 a.m.,
that he’s arguably the biggest American star to with Marunde hitting three sets of
hit the strongman circuit in a long time. Beyond reverse hypers, followed by three
sets of situps. Then he grabs an
being an outstanding exemplar of the distinct mix empty weightlifting bar and does 10
of strength sport and entertainment that defines squats, followed immediately by 10
strongman competition, Marunde has the brains to reps of deadlifts, military presses,
snatches, jerks, good mornings,
understand and articulate what he does, combined upright rows and bent-over rows,
with a charisma that makes people listen to what followed by some stretching
he says, so he’s going to help take what was once movements; for example, stretching
with the bar as he holds it overhead
lumped into the category of “trash sports” and in the snatch position. After that
move it toward the mainstream. prelude the actual morning workout
With that much on his plate, it’s no wonder that begins.
•Sliding a five-kilogram plate
Jesse hits the office early. Marunde trains twice a on each end of the bar, Marunde
day, beginning with a morning workout that primes does three sets of 20 reps of what
the pump for the heavy stuff in the afternoon. “I he calls barbell jumping jacks, with
the bar resting on his shoulders.
don’t drink coffee—this is my coffee,” he says of Starting with a shoulder-width grip
his morning workout, which is relatively light and and a narrow stance, he jumps and
designed to help chase away the residual soreness kicks his feet out to the sides while
he slides his hands to a wide grip
from the previous night’s training, as well as position, in a movement that looks
generally energize him for the frontal assault that’s just like a conventional jumping
coming again later that day. jack
Marunde did a very respectable

stint as a weightlifter, so
you’re going to see a lot of
snatch- and clean-and-jerk-
related movements in his
training, and his morning
workout includes a lot of
submaximal Olympic-style
weightlifting moves. He sees
great carryover value.
“Olympic lifting
requires coordination,
flexibility, speed and
explosive power—essential
elements to being an elite
strongman,” Marunde says.
There’s a big rehabilitation
component to the morning
workouts, as he is working
through the stiffness and
soreness that followed the He’s the guy who pop-
heavy training he did the ularized the push jerk
night before. in strongman. Jesse
•Next comes a clean says he began using
sequence that includes a this style because it
power clean and a military was the only way he
press, followed by a high could be competitive
on the overhead lifts,
hang clean and a push
given that he’s not the
press, followed by a low
world’s top presser.
hang clean and a jerk.
Moving up in 10-kilogram
jumps, he works up to
about 120 kilograms in that
sequence.
•Muscle snatches
followed by two hang
snatches are next, working
up to about 100 kilograms.
•Front squats polish off
the morning lifts; he works
up to a single with 160
kilograms.
•Thirty minutes of
kickboxing done hard
enough “to keep my heart
rate up” finishes things off.
The purpose of the
morning workouts is to
create more energy for the
heavy evening workout,
Marunde explains, and
while his morning workout
changes all the time, its
role as a revitalizer remains
constant.
Evening Heavy
Workout
When evening comes
around, the heavy workout
begins.

With an eye toward
bulking up, Jesse
based his diet
around raw milk,
organic vegetables,
wild salmon and
grass-fed beef.
MONDAY he says, so don’t think all those

heavy singles disappear when a
Marunde will go to 700 for a double
if he’s suited up. “If it were up to
•Drop snatches to start competition is drawing near. me, all strongman would be raw,”
•Power cleans, up to 160 or 170 he said, “but it’s not, and I need all
kilograms TUESDAY the help I can get”—which explains
why you might see him stuffed into
•Light front squats, up to 180 •Heavy power snatches, never a squat suit at a strongman contest.
kilograms going above doubles in his Generally, though, expect to see
work sets and working up to Marunde hitting it raw; he might
•Sandbag carries: three sets down 140 kilograms for a double or
a 300-foot course, carried like a do a whole week’s training without
sometimes a single with 160
Husafell stone a belt.
kilograms
Jesse says that he isn’t sure exactly
•Heavy back squats, 5x5, not •Front squats: two sets of 140
how much it weighs, but he uses
counting warmups—this is five kilograms for 15 reps each
an IronMind sandbag, and he says work sets of five reps each, going
it’s completely filled and packed up to about 500 pounds totally •Very heavy ab work with an ab
tight with sand, so we’d guess it’s raw wheel to strengthen the Marunde
somewhere north of 300 pounds. midsection
“I’m not afraid to train heavy “I wish I could do more, but
the week of a competition, and that’s all I’ve got,” Marunde says •Sled work: two 200-foot sled
sometimes I’ll do a maximum single apologetically. “I wish I were drags, using handles, pulling
a couple of days before a show,” squatting 650x5, but I’m not.” while going backward; one 200-

“Frankly, I’m the
full package,” says world-class hand strength,
Marunde, explaining and even though he’s quite
that the combina- casual about it, Marunde is
tion he brings to the one of the very few people
table includes both who can simultaneously
power and stamina. close a No. 3 Captains of
Crush Gripper in each hand.
[For more on these grippers,
visit www.IronMind.com.]
If Wednesday was pretty
easy, “Thursday is the
toughest workout of the
week,” Marunde says.
THURSDAY
•Heavy power cleans,
working up to 160 kilograms
for three sets of two reps
•Deadlifts, 462 pounds for
20 reps
•Seated military presses, 315
pounds for two reps
•A kettlebell routine
that Jesse describes as
“extremely demanding”:
a 130-pound kettlebell
cleaned and pressed for
five reps in each hand,
alternating hands, followed
by 10 bent-over rows
and then 10 high pulls,
alternating hands. The
second time through this
routine, Jesse does only the
clean and presses and the
high pulls. Next, he grabs
a 90-pound kettlebell and
does 10 swings with each
hand and 10 high pulls with
each hand.
•Sandbag squats: three
sets of 20 reps, which
Jesses describes as “very
challenging,” since he’s
foot sled drag going forward, sets each using different grips already very winded at this
hooked in a hip belt rather than point
a shoulder harness, to work the •Some bent-over rows may be
legs more thrown in
Jesse says that this is a pretty easy
day and that he includes all the grip
FRIDAY
WEDNESDAY work because to be a strongman,
“you have to have a great grip. You
•Light snatches, working up to
100 kilograms
•Light snatches, up to 100 are only as strong as what you can
kilograms for three sets of three •A back squat followed by a push
hold on to, so having strong hands is press behind the neck, working
reps the most important thing. It’s true in up to 190 kilograms, a movement
•Lat work with a variety of all sports.” that Jesse describes as “squat into
different grips, including pipes, This is not idle chatter: Jesse the hole and then explode up into
softballs and a two-inch revolving Marunde was the first teenager an overhead lift”
bar ever certified on the No. 3 Captains
of Crush Gripper, the standard of •Light power cleans from the
•Eight sets of chins, doing two
hang, 130 kilograms for three reps •Stones: warmup set with “five Talking about the strongman
light rocks,” five reps with 240 contests, Marunde says that the
pounds, then five reps with, purists choose events “to test
SATURDAY progressively, 305, 325, 335, 355
and 325 pounds, all to a 54-inch
strength in the best fashion, but
everyone has different ideas,”
No morning workout; at midday box. Training inside, Jesse says Marunde has his opinions about
Jesse does events: that he loads a 385-pound stone what works and what doesn’t.
•Progressive: five sets of farmer’s to a 60-inch box and then the ”If you are doing 20 shows a year,
walk, 150 feet, starting with same 385-pound stone to a 72- you can’t do your maximum deadlift
200 pounds in each hand and inch box. Next, he does a series of
in each show, and max deadlifts
working up to 313 pounds in each singles with stones weighing 305,
don’t work for TV—a race format
hand 325, 335, 240 (rest weight) and
is more exciting for the crowd.”
325 pounds (last heavy one).
“You can get fantastic in Thus, Marunde sees that instead of
strongman by training only on Incidentally, all of Jesse’s training featuring just a series of maximum
events,” Marunde says, but it’s on the stones is done without lifts, the key is to create a new sport,
always true that “to get better, you using tacky, which he reserves for strongman, which recognizes those
need to do more.” competition. factors. “In my opinion, this is why
•Yoke: four 100-foot walks with •Tire flip: 900 pounds, “20 flips, the World’s Strongest Man contest is
600 pounds, very easy and then I collapse.” so successful,” he says. “On our field
of play, we’re the best.”
•Viking presses: three sets of 10 “If I ever win World’s Strongest
with about 330 pounds at the
handles
SUNDAY Man, I won’t claim to be the
strongest man in the world but the
•Kickboxing for 1 1/2 hours best strongman in the world.”
Jesse says that he always trains Over the past three years
“If you are doing to do his best in shows, so he favors Marunde has grown from a 270-
crisp, perfect raw form as well as pound stripling to a 315-pounder,
20 shows a year, training under the worst conditions; and fueling that journey has been
for example, he once power-jerked three pounds of Grassland beef
you can’t do your 495 pounds at 9:30 p.m. standing
in a gravel driveway using rickety
a day, plus one pound of Vital
Choice Seafood, along with a
squat stands and a bent bar.
maximum deadlift “Getting sloppy is allowable in
gallon of raw milk. “I am lucky
to live in a farm community, so
competition, but what you do in I can eat all organic vegetables,”
in each show, training should be as perfect as he says. [GrassLandBeef.com and
possible,” he says. Also, he’ll lighten VitalChoice.com are featured in
and max deadlifts up if necessary. “My alternative to
not doing it is to just do it light.”
Muscle “In” Sites on page 358.]
Reflecting the demands of his
don’t work for “I’m not afraid to lift light—not
afraid to walk into a commercial
sport, Marunde, although massive,
combines strength and stamina.
gym and train light. I’ll never not Never at a loss for words, he says,
TV—a race format train—I will just back off.” “Frankly, I’m the full package,”
Jesse says he doesn’t hide from referring to his ability to mix power
is more exciting his weaknesses. “Presses and squats with the endurance to chug along
have always been the two lifts that I rep after rep. Incidentally, Jesse
for the crowd. If I struggled with the most.” As a result
he works on them the most. “More
Marunde is the kind of guy who
makes that kind of statement
of the same will make you better.”
ever win World’s Incidentally, just so you understand
without sounding like a hot air
balloon—which helps to explain his
what he’s talking about as his star power in strongman.
Strongest Man, I relative strengths and weaknesses,
Jesse says that he can military-press Editor’s note: Randall Strossen
won’t claim to be 325 for five reps and jerk 500 from
the front.
is the author of five books and is the
president of IronMind Enterprises,
the strongest man In addition, Jesse is the guy who
really helped popularize the push
which provides “Tools of the Trade
for Serious Strength Athletes™.”
jerk in strongman, but he explains IronMind is known worldwide for
in the world but the that he didn’t do it simply because Super Squats, Captains of Crush
he came from a weightlifting grippers and MILO: A Journal for
best strongman in background: “Push-jerking the log— Serious Strength Athletes, among
I did it because it was the only way I its hundreds of products. For more
the world.” could lift enough weight [overhead]
to be competitive.”
information on IronMind, please
visit www.IronMind.com. IM
Model: Ken Yasuda
Model: Skip LaCour
Model: Berry Kabov

Only the Strong Shall Survive
Short
Quick-Hit Circuit Training
Can Spark New Results
by Bill Starr • Photography by Michael Neveux
There are several good reasons for using the circuit The circuit is equally useful to those getting back
system of training, at least for part of the year. When- into heavy training after an extended layoff. People
ever I suggest that someone try using a circuit for a in that group are very anxious to return to lifting
while, he generally assumes that I mean working out their former numbers on all the exercises, and they
on a series of machines. Not exactly. While machines attack the weights too rapidly. They don’t allot suffi-
can be used quite effectively for circuit training, so cient time for muscle groups that respond at a slower
can free weights, both barbells and dumbbells, as rate than others. When a certain bodypart starts to
well as a combination of free weights lag way behind, sore spots, dings and troublesome
and various machines. injuries start occurring. Everyone fully understands
Most athletes decide to employ the circuit system that nothing hinders progress more than an injury.
rather than another training method because they’re An overlooked positive side effect of using the cir-
short on time. Instead of having to spend an hour cuit system is that it can enhance cardiovascular and
and a half in the weight room, they can zip through a respiratory capacity while improving strength—if,
circuit in one-third the usual training time. that is, you move through the workout quickly. That’s
Another big plus of the circuit system is that when the key. You must move from station to station with
you do it properly, you work the muscles and cor- little or no rest in between.
responding attachments of the body proportionately. The accepted guideline for an aerobic activity is
That makes circuit training ideal for beginners, older that your pulse rate must be elevated to 60 to 90 per-
athletes, those who train to maintain a high level of cent of maximum, with age and level of fitness the
fitness, women and youngsters. determining factors, and held there for a minimum
The main reason it is particularly beneficial to of 20 to 30 minutes, depending on which authority
anyone just starting a weight-training routine is you agree with. I happen to like the longer period,
that it doesn’t let one area move too far ahead of and most workouts take at least a half hour. You
any other. Maintaining a balance between bodyp- can meet both of those conditions easily by doing a
arts is necessary at all levels, but especially in the circuit on the machines or with free weights—or by
beginning, when you establish the foundation for mixing the two.
all future gains. Machines let you change resistance much faster

Model: Eric Domer

It’s best to use exercises in your circuit that hit multiple muscle groups rather than more isolated
movements like lateral raises. Efficiency of effort is key.
than you can with free weights—un- session. That’s another reason I ourselves. Lani did the Big Three in
less you’re using dumbbells and like a circuit for youngsters. While a circuit—bench, squat, and power
have a long row of them at your they’re getting stronger, they’re also clean. Working quickly, although not
disposal. The downside is that ma- improving their aerobic capacities. really fast due to his lack of con-
chines are not as effective in build- I know that’s true because I’ve ob- ditioning, he made increases and
ing strength in the attachments, and served it countless times. at each session was able to move
in most fitness facilities the ma- I was staying with Lani Bal in Car- through his workout at a faster pace.
chines you want to use are generally mel, California. I ran twice a week For a month all he did was weight
the most popular. If you have to wait and lifted four days a week. Lani work—no running at all. I told him
around for an extended period, you expressed a desire to start training that if he improved his strength to a
lose the aerobic edge. with me. Back home on Maui, he considerable degree, he’d be able to
If you train at home, setting up frequently hiked through Haleakala handle the aerobic work much more
several stations and moving through crater and lava tubes down the easily and that he should put his en-
them in a fast pace poses no prob- mountain to Hana, a grueling trek of ergy into the lifting for four weeks.
lem. However, if you train in a com- more than 20 miles through jungle He kept a record of all of his work-
mercial facility, you may often find it and some treacherous terrain. outs, and after he had improved all
difficult to perform a circuit because He wanted to improve his overall his lifts by at least 40 percent, I en-
you can’t control the environment. strength as well as his cardiovas- couraged him to take another shot
One way around that is to train cular base, since he often carried a at running.
when there’s slow traffic in the gym. heavy pack. He covered two miles on the
Whenever I wanted to get in a He joined me on Sunday at the Carmel track; we moved at a much
quick workout and planned on Carmel High School track to begin faster speed. There was no doubt
doing a circuit, I’d get to the weight his program. I usually ran the roads, that he could have gone even fur-
room at 2:30 or three in the after- but I wanted a measured course in ther, but I had him stop because
noon. The crowd didn’t show up order to know exactly how far he he’d improved considerably, and I
till after four, which left me ample ran. Even though I maintained a knew that the amount of increase
time to set up my stations and zip slow pace, after only half a mile he was taxing his knees and ankles.
through my routine. was toast. The next day he started Fitness experts often overlook a
A circuit that emphasizes strength his strength work. Bailey’s Gym in very important fact regarding the
will improve all levels of fitness, Monterey catered to a working-class aerobic benefits of strength train-
including endurance, even if you clientele, so we trained in midaft- ing: Someone who makes the large
choose not to hurry through the ernoon and had the place all to muscle groups, along with the cor-

responding attachments, stronger

is going to be able to participate in
any physical activity much longer,
and that includes aerobic activities.
Increase leg strength, and you’ll be
able to run, swim, row, bike or hike
longer and faster—and also recover
more rapidly.
I’ve received letters from readers
asking for advice concerning their
circuit routines. The problem most
were having was that they weren’t
gaining any strength, or at least
not as much as they wanted. The
trouble was basic—they were doing
far too many exercises in a workout
to produce positive strength results.
It’s true that if you move from exer-
cise to exercise expeditiously, you’ll
derive aerobic benefits. At the same
time, too many exercises per session
will limit strength gains. There’s only
so much energy to go around, and
when you spread it out over 12 or 15
Model: Jose Raymond
movements, you just aren’t going to

make significant progress.
When I asked why they included
so many exercises in one day, they
answered that they wanted to cover
all the bases. Makes sense on paper Yes, separating weight training and
but not in reality. If your goal is to cardio is the norm, but combining
get stronger while doing the circuit them every so often in a circuit
system, limit your core exercises to routine is a great change of pace
three—never more than four—and that can stimulate new gains.
your auxiliary exercises to three.
You can put more effort into three
exercises than you can a dozen or
so. By selecting lifts that hit multiple
bodyparts, you can cover all your
bases while getting a great deal
stronger.
For example, the power clean
works all the muscles of the back,
hips and legs and many in the
shoulder girdle. No need to break
the various bodyparts down and use
separate movements for them. Plus,
there’s lots of variety to choose from.
You can change your exercise selec-
tions often—at every workout if you
so desire. Just keep your routines
simple, working the exercises hard
and heavy, and you’ll achieve posi-
tive results.
Let’s say that your goal in weight
training is to maintain a certain
level of strength fitness and you’re
not really interested in pushing the
numbers up—the case with many
Model: Tamer Elshahat
50-, 60- and 70-year-olds. Doing a

circuit of a dozen exercises is okay,
and in some cases the smart ap-
proach. In contrast to performing

weight workout at a quicker pace

than usual, I’m stimulating my mus-
cles and attachments in a different
fashion and that’s always beneficial.
While you may not want to work
fast when you do a circuit on a regu-
lar basis, it’s to your advantage to
do so periodically, just to jar your
body a bit. It’s an easy way to gain
strength.
Going through a circuit quickly fits
nicely on a light day. You should be
working fast on those days anyway,
and because you’re handling less
weight, relatively speaking, than you
do on the heavy and medium days,
moving through the stations rapidly
is no problem. Condensing the time
it takes to complete a workout aids
your quest for greater strength and
only a few exercises with overall fitness.
heavier poundages, doing Circuits with a few core exercises
a lot forces you to use less are ideal in-season workouts for
weight. That’s desirable for athletes who compete several times
older athletes who have a his- during the week, as basketball, vol-
tory of joint problems, arthri- leyball, baseball and lacrosse play-
tis or osteochondritis. The ers do. Training during the season
exercise flushes blood to the is essential if the athletes want to
joints and feeds the cartilage retain the strength they’ve gained
without being stressful. For in the off-season. At the same time
that group of athletess I also they have to be careful to not do too
recommend higher reps to much in the weight room because
help keep the weights even that can affect their performance on
lighter. the field or on the court.
So if your goal in using What athletes do in the weight
the circuit system of room in-season must be balanced
strength training is to keep by what they do in practice or while
your bones and joints participating in contests. The circuit
healthy while maintaining is the perfect solution. It can be done
a higher-than-average level in a very short time, which is really
of strength so you can enjoy the most important consideration,
taking long walks, riding bike and it enables them to handle heavy
trails or playing golf, more weights and retain or even gain
exercises is the route to take. strength. Not to mention the bonus
By moving through the rou- of aerobic benefits.
tine with purpose, you’ll also One spring I had a group of base-
be improving your cardio- ball players at Hopkins who did a
vascular and respiratory fast circuit religiously, sometimes
systems. Published reports four times a week. They never lifted
have stated that those who on a game day but would train a few
exercise diligently three or hours prior to practice or immedi-
four times a week for at least ately after it. They worked in teams.
30 minutes have 50 percent less After setting up three stations—
chance of heart and circulatory squat, power cleans and either flat
problems than those who are bench or incline—one would move
Model: Michael Ryan
sedentary. from station to station while his

I’m aware that many ath- teammates made the weight chang-
letes prefer to separate their es. That enabled the lifter to train at
aerobic training from their a very fast clip. Five sets of five would
lifting and don’t feel the need be completed in 15 minutes or less.
Going through a circuit quickly to rush through the circuit. On some days I had them take short
fits nicely on a light day. Work fast, That’s what I do. Yet I also know breaks before their fourth and fifth
and you’ll have to use less weight. that when I go through my sets so they could use more weight.

Then they’d switch roles, with the

lifter becoming the loader and so on
until the entire group had done the
circuit. The loaders also took on the
duty of cheerleader, and the encour-
agement had a positive effect on the
lifter. They swore by the circuit, and
every player who trained regularly
in-season made strength gains.
When the playoffs rolled around,
they were primed and ready.
For athletes who decide to use
a circuit in-season, I recommend
staying with three core exercises,
one each for the shoulder girdle,
back and hips and legs. Start with
three sets of five for each exercise.
Increase to four, then five sets of
five. Stay with that set-and-rep
pattern throughout the season, and
try to move the top-end weights
up. Leave the smaller groups, such
as biceps, triceps and calves, alone
until the season is over. More often
than not, the extra work causes an
Model: Justin Balik

athlete to overtrain.
If you’re not participating in a
sport, you can work both large and
small muscle groups in a circuit,
although not at the same time. Work
Circuit training is good for younger
and older trainees because it hits the major groups just as outlined,
the muscles and cardio capacity at and then turn your attention to
the same time. the smaller muscles with another
circuit. Three exercises are enough
for the auxiliary circuit. Keep in
mind that you’ve already worked
the smaller muscles to some degree
when you hit the larger groups. So
two—and never more than three—
sets will be plenty. You also need to
keep the reps fairly high—15s and
20s. You’ve taxed the attachments
with the primary exercises. Your
purpose in doing something for the
smaller groups is to improve muscle
strength, and you can accomplish
that with higher reps.
You can do the same primary ex-
ercises at every workout if you want,
or you can change them around
to build variety into your routine.
Select the auxiliary movements
according to your needs, by which I
mean your weaker points. Let’s say
your legs are lagging behind your
back and shoulder girdle, strength-
wise. For your secondary circuit do
leg curls, leg extensions and adduc-
tors for two sets of 20 or three sets
Model: Frank Zane
of 15.
In the event that your muscle
groups are all basically equal in
strength, select auxiliary exercises

Model: Gus Mallioradakis

If you train at home, setting up a few stations and training

through them quickly is an ideal time-saving workout.
that are nonantagonistic. That circuit workout for future use,

forces the blood to circulate more After doing the circuit system for
rapidly, which is helpful in promot- a while, you realize that your top-
ing health and fitness. An example end numbers on the core exercises
might be a combination of dumb- have leveled off. At that point start
bell curls and calf raises on a ma- working all the sets for the core ex-
chine; dumbbell inclines and leg ercises in the conventional manner,
extensions; or straight-arm pull- one after the other. That’s necessary
overs and back hyperextensions. if you want to improve on those
I take advantage of the circuit lifts. You can and should, however,
system when I travel. The brief stay with a circuit for your auxiliary
workout helps me maintain the movements.
critical discipline of consistency Remember that the circuit sys-
and doesn’t take a great deal of time tem, like an old friend, is always
or effort. After I’ve been driving there when you need it. The circuit
most of the day, a heavy workout is a simple, effective way of improv-
isn’t that appealing, while a short ing strength and overall condition-
session with moderated weights is ing in a condensed fashion. It’s
most invigorating. useful in many situations and can
Even if you don’t feel the need be done with a variety of equip-
to incorporate the circuit system ment in a limited space and in a
into your yearly schedule, it’s still short period of time. Not many
a good idea to have at least one training methods can make that
circuit in your training repertoire. claim.
Somewhere down the line it will
come in handy when you find your- Editor’s note: Bill Starr was a
self pressed for time. It’s also useful strength and conditioning coach
should you decide that you need a at Johns Hopkins University from
change in your routine to jolt your 1989 to 2000. He’s the author of The
body and mind out of their compla- Strongest Shall Survive and Defying
cent states. Therefore, it’s smart to Gravity. IM
at least learn how to put together a

Mind
World Class Confidence
IRONMIND
better competitor. You can apply the same principle to all
C
ompetition brings out the best in some people; for
others it’s an added pressure that crushes them. There aspects of your life.
are athletes who set all their personal records in lifting Great competitors have a burning sense of self-confidence:
contests and often advance in the final placings because they They are “I think I can do this” people—people who, when
come through with a clutch lift, frequently one that’s heavier presented a challenge, assess it and conclude that they can
than they have ever even attempted before. Then there are master it. As you would guess, poor competitors tend to be
lifters who seem to fold in the face of competition and perform less well developed in that area: They’re the ones who always
well below their capabilities. Let’s take a closer look at what hear a little voice whispering, “I’m not sure you can do this,” or
separates the two groups and see how you can become a even worse, “You’re going to fail.”
If it sounds as if the great competitors
are more likely to be optimists and the
poor competitors are more likely to be
Optimism can feed pessimists, that’s because it’s true, and
your inner champion. the difference in psychological orienta-
tion leads to profoundly different percep-
tions and results. Successful competitors
remain hopeful that they can master the
situation even if things look grim at the
moment; they’re the guys who might start
in the last row of an auto race, but their
unswerving belief in their abilities sustains
them as they knock off car after car. Un-
successful competitors, on the other hand,
might start from the pole, but somehow
they just know that something is going to
go wrong, and it does. Great competitors
know they’ll find a way to succeed, and
poor competitors know they’ll find a way
to fail. Both are right.
In case you’re trying to sort out where
your self-confidence stands, consider the
following questions: Do you tend to be
sad, depressed or lonely? Do you tend to
doubt yourself? Do you feel uncomfortable
in social situations and find it difficult to
meet new people? Do you frequently feel
misunderstood? If you’d generally answer
Keith Berson \ Competitor: Jesse Marunde
“yes” to those questions, you’re probably

pretty low in self-confidence; and if you’d
generally answer “no,” you’re probably
pretty high in self-confidence.
Having low levels of self-confidence
often keeps you from getting into com-
petitive situations in the first place. “Why
should I enter?” you say to yourself. “I’ll
only get beaten.” In fact, if you’re low in

Body
self-confidence, you’ll tend to avoid all manner of risk—which
will be a sure ticket to a boring, unfulfilled life. If you’re low
on self-confidence and get into a competitive situation, you’ll
probably throw in the towel early on. Objectively speaking,
you’ll quit way before you really have to, and why not? You
“know” that you’re incapable of succeeding, so why struggle
three perfect lifts but had also broken Olympic and world
records in the process. Barring a catastrophic mistake by or
injury to Dimas, Huster’s chances of winning the competition
were effectively zero, and in a world that divides the universe
into the gold medalists vs. all others, Huster could reasonably
have been crushed.
in vain? Before coming out for the clean and jerk, however, Huster
If you have high levels of self-confidence, you’ll seek out had a little chat with himself. He told himself that he hadn’t
challenges; after all, you expect to succeed. If things go done well in the snatch, but that was over, and things were
wrong, as they almost certainly will some of the time, you not going to start anew with the clean and jerk. He reminded
only don’t fold your tent, you gird your loins and mount a rally himself of the ’93 World Championships, when he’d rallied for
of great intensity. To help you in your battle, there are a num- a world record in the clean and jerk. He told himself that his
ber of psychological tech- training had been going well.
niques you can use to your Having low He formed mental images of
advantage. levels of self- himself succeeding. When he
Be aware of your confidence came out for his first clean and
thoughts, watching out for often keeps you jerk, he was ready for a big
negative ones and eliminat- from getting fight.
ing them as they pop up. into competitive Once again, Dimas was pic-
To get rid of the negative situations. ture perfect and pocketed his
thoughts, you might only second Olympic gold medal,
have to think about them not to mention a million-dollar
rationally, and they’ll disap- payday, for his performance.
pear. For example, if you Among other things, Dimas’
need a 525-pound deadlift last lift set a new world record
to win the contest and the in the clean and jerk. Nothing
weight scares you, remind could top his performance. Or
yourself that you’ve already could it? Huster, who’d made
done 520, and another his first two attempts, still had
five pounds won’t even be one attempt remaining after
noticeable. If you need a Dimas was finished, and when
little more power in dealing he called for a world record,
with negative thoughts, use he rocked the hall in Atlanta.
positive affirmations to build a positive outlook. Get yourself When he made the lift, in grand fashion, it stood as one of the
psyched to the eyeballs by reminding yourself of your past ac- most tremendous comeback efforts you’ll ever see in strength
complishments, that you achieve your goals. Continue in that sports, because where most others would have crashed
manner until you absolutely know you can handle the situation. and burned, Huster rose to the occasion and soared to new
It will help if, prior to your competition, you spend some time heights.
relaxing and visualizing yourself succeeding. Using mental Not every self-confident person can become a world cham-
rehearsal before competition will make tapping into it easier pion, but every world champion is a self-confident person.
just before the heat of battle. —Randall Strossen, Ph.D.
Do you think this is all so much psychobabble, with little re-
lationship to the world of heavy weights? Consider Germany’s Editor’s note: Randall Strossen, Ph.D., edits the quarterly
Marc Huster, a world champion weightlifter, and how he per- magazine MILO. He’s also the author of IronMind: Stronger
formed at the Atlanta Olympics. Minds, Stronger Bodies; Super Squats: How to Gain 30
Coming into the competition, Huster was expected to have Pounds of Muscle in 6 Weeks and Paul Anderson: The Mighti-
a ferocious battle for the gold medal with Greece’s Pyrros est Minister. For more information call IronMind Enterprises
Dimas. Huster missed his opening snatch, a devastating start, Inc. at (530) 265-6725 or Home Gym Warehouse at (800)
managed to make it on his second attempt and then missed 447-0008, ext. 1. You can also visit the IronMind Web site at
his third attempt. In the meantime Dimas had not only made www.ironmind.com.

Bomber Blast MIND/BODY
Rock Around the Clock Layoffs, payoffs and such
Y
ou can loose a man from the millstone that binds him, but Doctor! Over here! This man needs oxygen.
you can’t prevent him from hauling it to his shoulder, lug- Reluctant yet insistent, I concentrate on the past to recall those
ging it everywhere he goes and rejoicing. Four consecutive cheerless occasions and the obvious question swirls through my
days off from weightlifting is my limit, and those I confine to special mind: Why bother? Alas, much instruction is gained from past
occasions. There are valid and invalid reasons for tight training suffering. Savor the lesson and apply the learning; hate not the
control. Not one is original, and I respect them all. teacher or the classroom.
You know how it goes: If I miss my workout... In a recent conversation I taped with Bill Pearl for a DVD pro-
I lose everything I trained so hard for. duction, Bill framed with considerable care and emphasis a testa-
My muscles shrink by the minute. ment about training layoffs. As if time stood still and sound was
I get fat, round and smooth. eliminated, the man, who speaks only truth, gained my attention.
My strength leaks from my body like air from a worn retread. “Do not lay off!”—accompanied by lightning and thunder—was the
The world becomes a frightening place. essence of his testimony.
I can’t think, make decisions or get out of bed. Three decades ago, amid 60 years of training, Bill was deter-
I wanna pull my hair out. mined to develop an ambitious gym business and devoted eight
I feel sluggish and have no appetite. solid months to the project. During that time he exhausted himself,
Unresolved stress haunts my soul, and I cannot stop eating. lost connection with the things that mattered, compromised his
I miss the gym, the sounds, the smells and the movement of vigor, might and muscular dynamics and the cheer that fueled his
metal. being. He saw it happening, ground his way through it and came
I long for the pump and burn and exhilaration of a great workout the other side knowing it would never happen again...ever.
out. “Dave, if you can’t take your training with you, it’s not worth going
I crave the order and rhythm and fulfillment of a thorough train- there.”
ing session. How many bombers, strong and determined as they might
I want to crush things that get in my way. be, are undergoing the same regrettable pain and turmoil today?
People follow me and talk behind my back. (You’ve gotta be- Falling into a training chasm is a catastrophe, and groping for
lieve me.) purchase as you tumble to the bottom can be a severe and lonely
I get headaches, nosebleeds and hallucinations. deed.
I drool, I mutter, I wet my pants. Are you getting my subtle message, dear friends? Think twice
Returning to the gym after an extended layoff is numbing and before taking a layoff. Unless you’re hemorrhaging, bound and
nauseating and is probably the best reason for not suspending gagged or unconscious, don’t withdraw from lifting. It’s bad for
training. I cannot put into words the dull and defeated feelings I’ve you, the family and the neighborhood. Be strong and carry on.
suffered as I’ve picked up the bar and performed the first reps of Yeah, I know: the job, the kids, the spouse, the traffic, the fever
the first sets after too much time away from the weights. Why did and the bone protruding from your rib cage. Oh, the obstacles
I let go? That dismal picture is exceeded only by the void and guilt and sharp downward turns we face each day. Release your grip
felt during the layoff itself. on training, though, and you release your grip on life. Let your
Oh, if only I had not abandoned my workouts, how much better workouts suffer, and the world suffers with you. Cast off the iron
life would be. and you set yourself adrift. There’s enough burning hopelessness
surrounding us without adding to the smoldering debris.
Careful, Draper; your dark side is showing. We’re just talking
about a little time from the gym to rest, regroup and repair. That, of
Think twice before course, is fine, providing it does not lead to another day or two or
taking a layoff. Un- three, whereupon you becomes lost, abandoned and atrophied,
less you’re hemor- another rusting relic littering an untraveled prairie highway, a lifeless
rhaging, bound and bony mass beneath circling vultures, a long-vacated shed leaning
gagged or uncon- in an untilled field. Pick up your tools, man, lift that iron, and push
scious, don’t with- that steel.
draw from lifting. A little time off is for clocks without hands or a young lad’s out-
grown Mickey Mouse watch or a grandfather clock whose pendu-
lum no longer swings.
Go to the gym, review your training as you train, consider your
ways as you make your way, rethink your exercises as you perform
them, and note your responses to them. Are you tired? Then train
to stimulate only. Blue? Have fun with your favorite movements.
Ailing? Go lightly through the motions. Achy? Warm up and follow
your nose. Injured? Work around the darn things. Downright fed
Neveux \ Model: Randy Vogelzang
up, disappointed, frustrated and bored? Tough! Do it right! Blast it!

Need the time for a project? Train in the early morning, making it
short and sweet.
Periodic layoffs for R ’n’ R make me nervous. You hit a flow of
workouts for an appreciable length of time and reward yourself—
and your small gang (girlfriend, boyfriend, cat, dog, family)—with
a delicious training holiday. You’re about to return to action after

unbridled freedom, and you fall off your bikey. The wrist must mend: a week off. You
pack your gym bag once again for a comeback, and your boss emphatically recom-
mends you visit Chicago to attend a weeklong seminar. Great, the Holiday Inn has a Presents the
treadmill and recumbent bike. No problem. You return home in time for Thanksgiving,
Easter or Christmas and the in-laws’ annual migration. They’re like Icelandic geese or
North African coastal baboons, very predictable, dependable and noisy, and, if they
find a desirable environment en route, they stay for weeks at a time. Hi, how are you,
we missed you so much, we’ll sleep on the couch, the refrigerator is where it always
is.
Now it’s been almost two months since your training was flowing—or your blood
for that matter—and you’ve got a baby pouch to prove it to the stupid, uncompro-
mising world at your door, darn it all. See what I mean?
No, I save layoffs for special times: wars, famine, earthquakes, floods, plagues
and invasions from outer space. Layoffs are like dropping dollars in slot machines CONTEST
at roadside stands on your way to Vegas. Not me. I’d rather stick it in my fuel tank
For the first time ever, fans
despite the cost of gasoline, get where I’m going and drive around town with the top
got to vote for the winner of
down—see the sights, pick up some rays and let the desert wind cool my moist skin.
Newcomers to the engagement of weight training and shaping up are most sus-
a major IFBB contest, the
ceptible to the grief of layoffs. I observe beginners who embark upon training, and my IRON MAN PRO. And the fans
heart aches ’cuz I suspect they won’t last. I reprimand myself for the secret negative agreed with the
thought, as if my doubt was contributing to their failure. Swell! Now I think they’re a judges as Lee
failure and it’s my fault, and I feel guilty, and all they want to do is ride the stationary Priest was the
bike and read the newspaper. overwhelming
Excuse me, bombers. The peculiar mind-set I exhibit discharges a cascade of choice of
ramifications, which I need to expose and clarify. thousands
One: I generalize and judge, scooping the newcomer into one lumpy package—a who voted
probable failure. Two: I’m overly sensitive and suffer an aching heart—how weak. online during
Three: I absurdly imagine I have some negative voodoo power over the beginning Bodybuilding.
trainee’s choice to train or not to train. Four: I punish myself, if only vaguely, for my com’s live
lack of support. Five: guilt paralyzes my cerebral cortex—I’m guessing here—and webcast.
upsets my hormonal balance. And, six, assessing and analyzing them and me gives
me a headache, and thus, seven, I lose my focus and pump. I’m a wreck.
I think I need a layoff, but I’m opposed to such a waste of time and effort. Let’s
...AND THE WINNER IS
see. Where was I? After 1,400 words I lose my train of thought and expect no one is
reading anymore anyway, so what diff does it make? And since 1,500 is my goal, I’ll
just tap away at whatever keys get in the way.
If overtraining is your rationale for taking a juicy layoff, I strongly suggest you reaf-
firm your evaluation of overtraining. Sometimes it’s simple fatigue from good hard
training, and we need to improve our anabolic environment with right eating and
sound rest. Repair and recuperation are major processes and require our devoted at-
tention. Bomber Blend, Super Spectrim and lots of sleep are good for the bones and
muscles, the aches and energy levels, the strength and the mood.
I tend to overtrain occasionally and find backing off my training intensity for a day
or two cures the ailment. If that doesn’t do it, I shift gears and take a long weekend,
or one of those outer-limit, as-long-as-I-can-stand-it four-day layoffs we spoke of Jonathan Fernandez of
earlier. During that time I eat, sleep, wallow and play. I also consider my training Venezuela, (pictured above
methodology and redesign my workouts to suit my intelligence, my physical needs with Gustavo Badell) correctly
and my instincts—the last named leading the architectural team. placed 8 of the top 10 finishers
Yeah, I have a team working around the clock for me. They never rest: wise guys, of the IRON MAN PRO. For
goofballs, wackos, clowns, boneheads, bombers... his prolific prognostications,
and I gotta feed them and keep them out of trouble. Jonathan received a $500 gift
I’ll be doing chins and dips in hangar seven. certificate from Bodybuilding.
Doors open, come on in. My rig is undergoing a com and 2 Gold VIP tickets
tune-up and oil change. to next year’s Iron Man Pro
Full throttle, up flaps...the Drapes TheFitExpo ($598 value).
Godspeed.
—Dave Draper For more information about the “You Be The
Judge” contest or to see Jonathan’s picks
www.DaveDraper.com and explanations, visit
www.ironmanmagazine.com or
Editor’s note: Dave Draper’s new book, Iron www.bodybuilding.com.
on My Mind, is available from Home Gym Ware-
house, (800) 447-0008, or visit www.Home-Gym
.com. Also check out his Top Squat device in the
equipment section.
Contest and rules © 2006 IRONMAN Magazine. All Rights Reserved

UB_judgeTHIRD.indd 1 5/22/06 5:56:25 PM
Gallery of Ironmen MIND/BODY
MIND/BODY
David Sheppard
W
eightlifter Dave Sheppard
could have had a career as
a bodybuilder if he’d chosen
to go in that direction, but instead
he put on more bulk and became a
master of Olympic lifting. Sheppard
was born in Astoria, New York, on
December 12, 1931, and he showed
Photography courtesy of the David Chapman collection

an early aptitude for sports of all vari-
eties, especially gymnastics. Strength
sports, though, eventually grabbed
his attention.
Dave had a particular aptitude for
weightlifting, and he began to com-
pete in the New York area, where
he racked up significant wins. Most
lifters use the split style on the clean
and jerk, but Dave became an ex-
pert at the squat style (though he
switched back and forth frequently).
His lifting was always praised as
being technically perfect no matter Though he tried valiantly, Dave simply
which style he chose. could not overcome his opponent’s
In 1951, after putting on more weight advantage. That was to be a
muscle and perfecting his style even pattern in Sheppard’s lifting career:
more, Dave went to Southern Califor- coming close but never winning
nia, where he competed in the na- outright, although he did take a silver
tional championships. After the meet medal at the Melbourne Olympics in
was over, Sheppard decided to stay 1956.
on, and he soon became a regular at A series of injuries sidelined Shep-
Muscle Beach. He was also working pard from about 1956 onward, and in
on his physique, and by 1952 he’d 1958 he gave up competitive lifting,
packed on an impressive amount of though he retained an interest in the
muscle. His pictures began to appear game. The bulk that he felt compelled
in physique publications and weight- to pack on also meant that his phy-
lifting mags. His broad chest, massive sique was too thick and fleshy for
shoulders and thickly muscled legs honors in bodybuilding. Finally, Dave
were proof of his athletic skill as well moved back to New York and lived in
as his sheer brute strength. retirement until his death on October
Sheppard increased his body- 1, 2000.
weight, and in 1954 he headed to Sheppard was once called weight-
Vienna for the world championships, lifting’s forgotten man because he’d
although he weighed only about come so close to glory but had never
84 kilograms (185 pounds). He earned top honors in the sport that
was asked to compete against the he loved so much.
Russians in the 90-kilogram class. —David Chapman

Down Town MIND/BODY
Up With Bananas
Y
ou
prob-
ably
know that
bananas
are a good
source of
potassium—
one supplies
about 10
percent of
your daily
requirement. That mineral can help prevent muscle
cramps. But did you know that bananas are also
a good source of tryptophan, an amino acid that
helps boost serotonin, a mood regulator, in the
brain? In fact, many antidepressant drugs, like Pro-
zac, manipulate serotonin levels.
Advice: Feeling down? Eat a banana.
—Becky Holman
www.X-tremeLean.com
www.Home-Gym.com Best Sellers

Books: 3) “Ronnie Coleman’s The Cost of
1) Train, Eat, Redemption”
Grow—The 4) “Gustavo Badell’s Common
Positions- Sense”
of-Flexion 5) “Ronnie Coleman’s On the Road”
Muscle-Train-
ing Manual Top E-book:
by Steve The Ultimate Mass Workout—Fea-
Holman turing the X-Rep Muscle-Building
2) The Method by Steve Holman and Jona-
7-Minute than Lawson (available at www
Rotator Cuff .X-Rep.com)
Solution by Joseph Horrigan, D.C.,
and Jerry Robinson The
original
3) Ronnie Coleman’s Hardcore X-Rep
4) The Precontest Bible by Larry manual
Pepe is get-
5) 10-Week Size Surge by IRON ting rave
MAN Publishing reviews.
See “Sat-
DVDs/Videos:
isfied X-
1) “IRON MAN’s Swimsuit Spectacu- Reppers”
lar #9” at X-Rep
2) “2005 Mr. Olympia” .com.

IRON MAN MAGAZINE PROUDLY PRESENTS:
MIND/BODY
The
Bodybuilding
Stars of
Tomorrow
Binais Begovic Here Today!
Weight: 200
Height: 5’10”
Occupation: Owns supplement store.
Residence: Malmoe, Sweden
Factoid: Binais is an Olympic judo
champion.

Photography by Bill Comstock
To see more great photos
of upcoming physique stars, visit
www.GraphicMuscle.com
Robert E. Lee
Weight: 154
Height: 5’5”
Occupation: Owns hair salon, is
an oil painter and is in real estate
Residence: Arlington, Texas
Factoid: Lee does Ronnie Cole-
man’s mother’s hair.

Serious Training MIND/BODY
Michael Rizzo
Photography by Jerry Fredrick
Location: Gold’s Gym, Venice, California

Serious Stats
Weight: 188 Height: 5’6” Age: 40
Bodypart split:
Day 1: legs; Day 2: chest, triceps; Day 3: back, biceps;
Day 4: shoulders, abs; cycle begins again
Factoid: Almost died two years ago when doctors found
a baseball-size tumor in his stomach. Surgery and proper
recovery saved his life. He’s an animal-rights advocate and
supports no-kill rescue shelters.

Readers Write
Site for More Size contribute to sensible high-intensity training. It’s hard to
believe it’s been five years since their untimely deaths. I
guess we’re lucky in that we have so many great photos of
them to continue inspiring us, and John Little to further
Heavy Duty research, interpretation and experimentation.
Seth Mitorsi
Jacksonville, FL
Editor’s note: Our thanks to Wayne Gallasch (www

.GMV.com.au) and Leon Bach, owner of the Russ Warner
photo collection, for the Mentzer brother photos used in
that feature.
Enough Already!
Please, no more pro bodybuilders in IRON MAN. I’m sick
of the deception. We don’t want to see their contests or their
workouts because neither applies to most of us who train
NEW hard. In fact, it’s an insult. I can’t train like the top guys be-
cause I don’t have their genetics or their pharmacies. I want
realistic physiques I can aspire to and real information.
PDF William McKinney
via Internet
Editor’s note: We try to provide some of both. While

most of us will never achieve the sheer size of the pros, their
physiques inspire many. As for their training programs,
the majority may not be able to tolerate their volume, but
some of the things they do in the gym can be applied to the
majority’s mass-training efforts. See the X-Files features on
Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler at www.IronManMagazine
Being a Web surfer who’s overwhelmed most of the time .com for examples.
with all the information, sites, etc., on the Internet, I really
appreciate Eric Broser’s new column Muscle “In” Sites. It’s
led me to numerous interesting homepages without a lot of X-it From Smallville
wasted time. I also must applaud your Web site [www
.IronManMagazine.com] for the articles you’re putting up in I finally convinced my younger brother to train with
PDF format. I’ve downloaded all of them. It’s great to have me for the past year using [Steve Holman and Jonathan
some of the best features from IRON MAN as computer Lawson’s X-Reps and Positions-of-Flexion concepts], and he
files that I can reference. It’s one more reason IM is the best packed on 30 solid pounds [of muscle]—and he’s an ecto-
bodybuilding magazine out there. morph! He took his leg press from 270 to 680 pounds!
Stan DeWitt Jess Perna
via Internet San Diego, CA
Editor’s note: For those who haven’t been to the IM Web X Reps are fantastic! They are responsible for bringing
site, the articles are also available in text-only format. So if out the medial heads of my delts in a very short period. In
you’re just looking for a quick read without the photos and fact, after only four workouts [with X Reps] my physique
feature presentation, click on the text-only link. was showing much more size and detail. How about that?!
Thank you so much!
I Like Mike—and Ray Erick Bueza
via Internet
Thank you so much for the tribute to Mike and Ray Men-
tzer [Heavy Duty, June ’06]. These brothers of iron were Editor’s note: For more results with X Reps and X-hy-
taken from us much too early. They had so much more to brid concepts, check out the next issue of IRON MAN. We
have an interview with drug-free bodybuilder Mike Sem-
anoff, who gained 20 pounds of muscle in only two months
with X Reps—and then he won one of the biggest natural
bodybuilding contests in the country. For more on X Reps,
visit www.X-Rep.com.
Vol. 65, No. 8: IRON MAN (ISSN #0047-1496) is published monthly by IRON MAN Pub-
lishing, 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033. Periodical Mail is paid at Oxnard, CA, and at
additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to IRON MAN, 1701 Ives
Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033. Please allow six to eight weeks for change to take effect. Subscrip-
tion rates—U.S. and its possessions: new 12-issue subscription, $29.97. Canada, Mexico and
other foreign subscriptions: 12 issues, $49.97 sent Second Class. Foreign orders must be in
U.S. dollars. Send subscriptions to IRON MAN, 1701 Ives Ave., Oxnard, CA 93033. Or call
1-800-570-4766. Copyright © 2006. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be
reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher. Printed in the USA.


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What are some training tips mentioned in the articles?

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