Muscular Development 1 2009
Muscular Development 1 2009
Muscular Development 1 2009
BIGGESRLD’S
BODYBU T
MAGAZILDING
INE
MAX
MUSCLE!
HIGH REPS VS.
HEAVY WEIGHTS
X-MAN
TRAINING
EXCLUSIVE!
HOWLIN’
WOLF! WTF HAPPENED
AT THE O?
PLUS!
THE
BEST
OF MD’S
2008
BABES!
www.fantamag.com
BUILD MUSCLE • BURN FAT • NO BULLSHIT!
THE WORLD’S
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MAGAZINE! G
Vo l u m e 4 6 , N u m b e r 1 , J a n u a r y 2 0 0 9
CYBER WARS:
VICTOR VS. By Robbie Durand, MA
PHIL AND
DEXTER! 328 No Juice Bodybuilding By Eric Broser
212
356 Ask The Doc By Victor Prisk, MD NEW!
FEATURES
196 DENNIS WOLF: THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE WHAT THE
F*CK HAPPENED AT THE O? EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY RON HARRIS
212 CYBER WARS VICTOR VS. DEXTER & PHIL HEATH
BY FLEX WHEELER
228 TONEY FREEMAN, THE X-MAN:TRAINING AND DIET
SECRETS (PART 1, UPPER BODY) BY RON HARRIS
242 NEXT YEAR’S VICTOR! THE COMEBACK OF VICTOR
MARTINEZ, PART 2 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY RON HARRIS
256 PRIEST OLYMPIA CONFESSIONAL LEE PRIEST
CRITIQUES THE TOP 10 BY LEE PRIEST NEXT
264 UNDER-202 OLYMPIA SHOWDOWN! DAVE HENRY YEAR’S
VS. LEE PRIEST IN 2009: WHO WILL WIN? BY RON HARRIS
VICTOR
242
280 THE NEW MUTANT NINJA MR. OLYMPIA
DOES DEXTER’S AUSPICIOUS VICTORY INDICATE IT’S X-MAN
OUT WITH FREAKS AND IN WITH THE PHYSIQUES? AN
OLYMPIA EVOLUTION…BY JOHN ROMANO
TRAINING
SECRETS! 228
January 2009 www.musculardevelopment.com MD 23
www.fantamag.com
editor’s letter
By Steve Blechman Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
THANK YOU,
BEN…
…For What You Have Done
For The Sport
I first heard the sad news of Ben Moving on…looking at this
Weider’s passing on Friday, October cover of Dennis Wolf, you have to
th
17 . At the time, I was with my wife ask: “What the fuck happened to
and kids visiting our parents (and him at the O?” Well, if you read the
their grandparents) in Florida. My interview on page 196 you will find
28-year-old daughter also hap- out, among other things, that he
pened to get engaged while we lost 15 pounds of muscle the last
were visiting. two weeks on a zero-carb diet! I’m
In person, Ben was very easy to not a fan of low-carb diets for
talk to and always a gentleman building muscle. It’s great for fat
with great elegance. Ben lived a full loss, but at the expense of losing
life, with many achievements that lean muscle mass. “Assisted” body-
touched many people’s lives. He builders have less of a concern, but
was also a promoter and passion- it’s still an issue for some guys.
ate Ambassador of the International Low-carb diets lower testosterone,
Federation of Bodybuilders (IFBB). Ben had an amaz- insulin and IGF-1, 3 important anabolic hormones.
ing career. What a success story! Ben and his brother Low-carb diets also increase cortisol, a catabolic hor-
Joe were great businessmen and through their vision mone plus increase blood acidity which can also
and hard work, they helped build the Weider Empire. enhance muscle protein breakdown. I think low carbs
They were also instrumental in launching Arnold were a mistake for Dennis. He also had an abdominal
Schwarzenegger’s career in the United States. hernia, which accounted for his stomach protruding.
Ben’s contributions to bodybuilding are insur- He is having surgery in a couple of weeks to fix it and
mountable! If it were not for Ben and the vision of his will be back training for the Olympia in January.
brother, Joe (the father of bodybuilding), the sport Toney Freeman, on the other hand, seems to do
would not be what it is today. Ben built the best feder- very well on low carbs. He’s also into some other
ation in the world, where the best bodybuilders in the freaky shit. I was speaking to Toney on the phone ask-
world call it home. No one can deny that and he has ing him if he cheats on his low-carb diet and he
my utmost respect. Thank you, Ben, for the opportuni- assured me he doesn’t. He went on to tell me some of
ty and all you have done for us. Rest in peace. his X-Man training secrets (you can check out part one
Titus Report
Enjoyed John Romano’s report on Craig Titus
and the interview with the prosecutor who
helped put bodybuilding’s top chump behind
bars [December 2008]. I’d say that Craig Titus got Way To Go, Dexter!
what he deserved, which is to rot in jail! As a Major props to Dexter Jackson for snagging the Mr.
journalism major in college, I’d say that some of Olympia! It’s a long time coming that a more visually pleasing
Romano’s reporting was a bit skimpy. Too many physique was rewarded, instead of mass monsters. Some of
accusations, too little facts. Titus has a history of the past blocky winners looked just plain gross, and they were
wild sex? John, how would you know that? Did about as visually pleasing as a dead horse. Finally, a Mr.
you film the video? Or were you part of the Olympia who aspires to the true ideals of bodybuilding.
action yourself? Your readers want to know! Congratulations, Dexter!
Warren Hargrove, e-mail Wanda Marcotte, e-mail
TheRomano
Factor By John Romano
MOTIVATION
BY rhickman
For 19 years of my life, I was the fat kid. Or that is who I was constantly
told I was by my peers. I spent 19 years of my life pretty much alone. I was
known as fatty; chubby; the big guy. Lunchtime would come around and
everyone would get into their groups of friends and enjoy the break. Not me. I
would end up alone, eating— just waiting for the day to be over with. Guys
would just walk by and stare. Girls would just laugh at me. My childhood was
not one I care to remember, but it sticks in my memory. And it will forever.
After 19 years of constant humiliation and loneliness, I needed to change
my life. I had no job. I wasn’t in school. I had nothing. I was just a fat guy liv-
ing at home with nothing and no one. I was fed up with life. So I turned to fit-
ness. Not alcohol or drugs. I wanted to change my appearance. I was tired of
being called the fat guy. I was tired of getting laughed at by a girl when I
would muster up the shred of confidence I had in me to ask her out. I was
determined to change my life. I had no money, so I couldn’t afford a gym
membership or a nutritionist. I quit eating fast food, drinking soda and eating
candy. I made up a 1,000-calorie-a-day diet that I religiously followed for the
next eight months of my life. The weight started to come off nicely. I ended up taking 110 pounds off and I was a lean 155
pounds. A mere shadow of what I used to be.
I had been reading bodybuilding magazines the entire time and wanted to be more than lean and in shape. I began my
quest with two dumbbells and push-ups. With these dumbbells, I put on 20 pounds over the next year and wanted more.
March 29, 2008 comes around. I am 175 pounds and at 3 percent body fat. I place third in the open men middleweight divi-
sion. I did it. I am no longer that fat kid everyone picked on. I am now a bodybuilder. That is what motivates me to be the best.
I sit here now in the midst of training for the Washington Iron Man show in October. I am in the best shape of my life. I have
everything I could want. I have a beautiful fiancée, my family and bodybuilding. Anyone can do anything. It depends on how
bad you want it.
My main motivation when I’m training is the humiliation and anger I have inside of me from my past. But now when I look
in the mirror I’m not that fat kid. I have the physique those losers that made fun of me will never have. So who’s doing the
laughing now?
THE WAY I SEE IT, rhickman and I have a lot in common! I started out the very same way. I wasn’t as big as he was, but
“obese” was definitely an accurate, descriptive word. This essay really hit home for me. I’m thinking off the top of my head
that it does the same for a few other guys and girls I’ve come to know. Bodybuilding is the greatest thing to ever come along.
It makes lives and it saves lives and it does what no amount of money can. Rhickman, I’m very proud of you! Damn, I’m
going back to read this thing again…this is good stuff!!
“The Weiders are the Medici of bodybuilding. I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately. What Lorenzo did, I did along
with Ben. We brought to our world prosperity, stability, and safety from tyrants who wanted to oppress bodybuilders.”
– Joe Weider
th
On Friday, October 17 , our world was not of our ilk. Joe was one of us;
put the final punctuation on the era Ben wasn’t…but he sure didn’t lack
that created one of the biggest and the passion for it. Ben Weider is from
best sports federations ever known. another era— a formidable culture. So
We all know that Joe Weider is the much so that I often wondered what
father of bodybuilding. He is the guy the hell he’s doing all tangled up in
who first brought bodybuilding to the bodybuilding.
world through his publishing efforts I was fortunate enough to actually
that started long before any of our meet Ben. While the guy was all
fathers were born…under a sheet about bodybuilding, he seemed as out
under his mother’s dining room table of place in our world as a pearl onion
in the middle of the night on a rented on a banana split. Nevertheless, I
typewriter with a war chest of $7.00. found him to be the consummate gen-
While Joe toiled away creating our tleman and natural-born diplomat. As
world, it was his younger brother, Joe says, Ben went all over the world
Ben, who created the venerable feder- and “looked kings and presidents and
ation where we would compete. It sports ministers straight in the eye
was Ben Weider who nearly single- and talked them into recognizing and
handedly created the IFBB. supporting the IFBB.” Remarkably,
It was 1946 and Joe and Ben were altogether, Ben sold the idea to 173
going to put on their first bodybuild- countries. The hell with the weights
ing show called the Mr. Montreal. At and the sweat and the dieting; if
that time, there was no bodybuilding that’s not a passion for something,
federation to sanction a bodybuilding nothing is.
show. The only organized sanctioning His unique ability to understand
body at the time was the Amateur the workings of a sports federation
Athletic Union (AAU), which had moment, in a hailstorm of fury, that were duly noted. It was this under-
bodybuilding fall under the auspice of Joe and Ben created the IFBB. They standing that allowed Ben to spread
the weightlifting federation, headed told the bodybuilders not to leave, competitive bodybuilding even into
then by Bob Hoffman in the U.S. The that now they have their own govern- places that would normally discrimi-
same Bob Hoffman who used to own ing body and that they were going to nate against color or religion. Be it
York Barbell and Muscular make bodybuilding bigger and better Jews and Muslims on the borders of
Development magazine. than ever. While the whole thing hap- Israel and Palestine or blacks and
Prior to the show, Ben had secured pened at the spur of the moment, Ben whites in South Africa during
permission from Hoffman to stage the and Joe were able to convince all the apartheid, Ben Weider stuck to his
Mr. Montreal bodybuilding contest. competitors to go with them and guns and got everyone to agree that
The evening of the show, literally min- defected from the AAU. the IFBB would bridge the gap. And,
utes before the show was to start, Other than promoting the very first because it did, in 1983, Ben Weider
two of Hoffman’s henchmen delivered true bodybuilding shows, Ben literally was nominated for the Nobel Prize for
a notice from the head of the AAU traveled the earth spreading Joe’s Peace. He was recognized for adminis-
weightlifting committee to the ath- message and uniting bodybuilders tering a sports organization that was
letes, telling them that the show was under a single federation. Oddly, Ben dedicated to bringing people of all dif-
not being sanctioned by the AAU and devoted his life to doing this while ferent ethnic backgrounds and reli-
in order to preserve their amateur sta- never making any claim to ever have gions together in peace and for self-
tus, they needed to leave the theater been a bodybuilder. I have never read enhancement. Not a whole lot of
right away. anywhere of Ben uttering a word people can say that about themselves.
Ben had no idea why the AAU about picking up a weight. If he ever So what kind of man walks around
would all of a sudden come in and pull did, it’s not like he was throwing with a Nobel Prize nomination? A his-
their sanction, but it was at that down. While Joe sure did, clearly Ben torian, a humanitarian, a philan-
THE WAY I SEE IT, you only get one go-around in life. Ben was fortunate enough to have 85 healthy years of it, and he
didn’t seem to waste a second. There is no doubt that Ben took the life he was given and lived it in such a way that as
many people as possible could benefit from his time on earth. We only know him in our world, but Ben transcended ours
and forged relationships and friendships all over the world, making him an iconic benevolent figure in his beloved home of
Montreal. I don’t think you could look back on Ben’s lifetime of achievements and look at his life as anything but a raving
success.
There were times when I had my differences with Ben and what he was doing. I can only imagine the difficulty in hav-
ing to deal with such a blinding paradox as bodybuilding. Here you’ve got a great man with the best of intentions trying to
get a sport recognized by the IOC and committing his life to ensuring that the amateur athletes around the world adhered
to a doping policy as strict and as sound as any other international federation, while its pros and U.S. amateurs are the
poster children for drug use run amuck, with his own brother promoting those jacked bodybuilders in his magazine and in
ads for his supplements! Then, on top of that, you have me trumpeting the hypocrisy of it as loud as I could. I have to salute
Ben for taking it all in stride. He never wavered, never faltered and stayed his course right up until the very end. You’ve got
to give the man mad respect for that.
Thankfully, I was able to address Ben in person recently and bury the hatchet. Knowing the voracity of my charges
against him, it was almost intimidating to shake his hand. After our short exchange where I apologized to him if I had ever
offended him personally, he shook my hand again and this time cupped it with his other and said to me, “Thank you. Thank
you for all you have done for our sport.” There could probably be no more a perplexing moment in my entire life. I thanked
him back and left him feeling like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders. The whole thing still puzzles me.
Godspeed Ben Weider. Robert F. Kennedy once said, “Let no one be discouraged by the belief there is nothing one per-
son can do against the enormous array of the world’s ills, misery, ignorance, and violence. Few will have the greatness to
bend history, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events. And in the total of all those acts will be written
the history of a generation.” There is no doubt in my mind that when that history is written, they are going to mention the
name of a great man who believed all of us muscleheads do something worthwhile. Thank you, Ben.
JOSE CANSECO
When I first inter- he later tested positive and was suspended.
viewed Jose Canseco Since Canseco admits to using steroids himself for
after his book Juiced the past 24 years, there is the basis for a reality show
came out, which focused for Canseco to finally get clean. But he’s terrified about
attention on the use of what may happen when he goes through the process.
performance-enhancing There has been no medically documented case of some-
drugs in Major League one quitting steroids after using them for so long, and
Baseball and led to con- the doctors have different opinions about what Jose will
gressional hearings on the go through physically and mentally. We could thicken
subject, I did have some the plot by having Canseco go through his withdrawal
empathy for him and in prison if he gets convicted of something bigger than
could understand why he his recent charge in federal court for trying to smuggle
wrote it. Now he says he HCG across the border from Mexico.
should have never written
the book and named names THE WAY I SEE IT, we need a legal opinion here
of alleged steroid users. and what better legal opinion would there be than that
During the A&E Network program “Jose Canseco: The Last from my lawyer, who is also Canseco’s former lawyer,
Shot,” Canseco said he “regrets mentioning players [as who appeared with Canseco in front of Congress? But
steroid users]. I never realized this was going to blow up Rob had “no comment.” So I deferred to my other
and hurt so many people,” he said. lawyer, my good friend, Rick Collins. “Good judgment
During the show, Canseco said he “wanted revenge” on has been to Canseco what selflessness has been to Wall
Major League Baseball because he Street. This dude is a frickin’ mess, bro. You can
believed he had been forced out of the consider that my legal opin-
game. The book was his way of getting ion on the subject.” I don’t
even, and he named the names he did in think anyone else would
order to show he was telling the truth disagree.
about steroids in baseball. It’s sad though. Canseco
Among the names Canseco named in was indeed a seriously
Juiced as alleged steroid users were good ball player who didn’t
Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro and really do anything the oth-
Sammy Sosa. All three addressed the ers didn’t do. He just didn’t
congressional hearing on steroids, with keep his mouth shut, giving
McGwire’s testimony damaging his credence to the saying, “You
chances of being voted into die by your lips.”
Cooperstown and Palmeiro’s unequivo- Falls from grace were
cal denial of steroid use haunting him when quite common this month.
muscular
development.com By Gregg Valentino
WELCOME TO THE HOUSE WHERE EVEN BULL- CHECK IT OUT >>> “When we talk about contest
SHIT TALKS…HHHMMMM WHAT DOES diets, we’re no longer worried about
THAT MEAN? AM I SAYING THAT packing on new muscle. The name of
THERE’S BULLSHIT ON THE MD the game now is PRESERVATION!
“NO BULL” FORUM? OR IS In that light, there’s no such
EVERYONE STRAIGHT thing as a post-workout
UP???…THERE IS NO SUCH shake following your
THING AS 100% BULLSHIT workout. Just eat whatev-
FREE, BUT WE GOT LESS er the next protein/fat
BULLSHIT THAN ANY meal in the diet is!”...Dave
OTHER BODYBUILDING Palumbo
FORUM ON THE NET….OOPS, I QUESTION: What is the
guess I should just keep talk- amount of water I should take the
ing and maybe someday I’ll say week before the competition?
something intelligent!... SPEAKING OF ANSWER: I keep my water intake the
SAYING SOMETHING INTELLIGENT, same. Don’t start playing water games
DAVE PALUMBO, CONTEST TRAIN- a week before a show. The less your change,
ER/GURU TO THE STARS, HAS NOW GIVEN OUT the better!
MORE FREE ADVICE ON MD’s QUESTION: Do you deplete sodium on that Friday before
MuscularDevelopment.com WEBSITE FORUM THAN the show while taking diazide? ANSWER:YES
ALL THE BOOKS EVER PUBLISHED ON BODYBUILDING QUESTION: I’m assuming you should be fully carb-loaded
ADDED TOGETHER…. CURRENTLY APROACHING 2 at this point, due to depletion of sodium affecting the ability
MILLION HITS AND 25,000 REPLIES, IT HAS TO BE BY to load carbs; correct? ANSWER: NO, I still have my ath-
FAR THE GREATEST WEALTH OF BODYBUILDING letes carb-loading on the day before the show as
INFO EVER COLLECTED IN ONE SPOT ….OH YEAH well. AS long as you’re drinking, you’re fine!
BABE, THERE IS LOTS OF DRUG AND NUTRITION QUESTION: Since you need sodium+carbs+water to
ADVICE THAT YOU CANNOT FIND ANYWHERE ELSE ON store and hold glycogen, and water follows sodium,
THE PLANET!!!.... I’M NOT BLOWING wouldn’t depleting sodium with diazide to a large extent
SMOKE UP MY FRIEND DAVE pull water from the muscle as well and flatten
PALUMBO’S BIG STRIATED ASS, you out? ANSWER: NO....WATER fol-
BUT NO ONE KNOWS MORE IN THIS lows CARBS.....the sodium is unnec-
AREA THAN DAVE PALUMBO…EVEN essary. Besides, I have my ath-
THE PROS RUN TO DAVE FOR INFO letes so loaded up on sodium
COME CONTEST TIME….BUT THE that they don’t really get sodi-
REAL CRAZY THING IS THAT IF YOU um depleted till the day of the
ARE A FREE MEMBER ON THE MD show (when they’re already
WEBSITE YOU GET ALL DAVE’S “dry”).
VALUABLE TRAINING INFO FOR QUESTION: Why do you recom-
FREE….YO, THE PROS PAY HIM mend a high-sodium, fatty meal
TOP DOLLAR FOR WHAT THE MD such as burger and fries the morning
FORUM MEMBERS READ FOR of the show after you worked so
FREE… AND DAVE ANSWERS ALL hard to clear sodium with all the
YOUR QUESTIONS, EVEN THE FUCK- diazide? Wouldn’t putting all that
ING DUMB-ASS QUESTIONS sodium back in (which predominantly
……SO THIS MONTH I’M GOING TO sits extracellularly as you said) water
GIVE YOU ALL A QUICK TASTE OF A someone over? ANSWER: When
Q&A WITH DAVE PALUMBO AND you’re already DRY, putting sodi-
THE MD MEMBERS ON THE SUB- um back into the body helps to
JECT OF “CONTEST PREP”… YOU balance electrolytes and prevents
WON’T FIND THIS INFORMATION cramping. It also keeps POTASSI-
ANYWHERE OTHER THAN UM inside the muscle, which
MuscularDevelopment.com... makes the muscles looks fuller.
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but ried for six and a half of those. We have two beautiful
instead it’s rising every time we fall.”… boys, Conor, who is 2, and Aiden, who will be 4 in
Name: Richard Davies December. The last few years have been rough for us
MD Forum member screen name: Flexfreak especially for her and at present, we are separated. I just
Hometown: Peterborough, Ontario, Canada want to tell Patricia how much I love her, how much she
Age: 39 means to me. Ever since she walked into my life, the sun
Years Bodybuilding: 27 has shined a little brighter. Take it from me, a fellow meat-
Goal for the future: To one day step onstage. head, if your wife and children are not
Favorite Bodybuilders: priority number one in your life, then
Coleman, Yates, Cutler, your priorities are out of whack!
Wheeler, Priest
Rant: This space is usually Your struggles develop your
reserved for heated passion- strengths. When you go through
ate rants about how intense hardships and decide not to sur-
someone is, or how hardcore render, that is strength”….
they are. Well I’m going to do RICHARD HAS COME A LONG WAY
something different here. I AND HAS PROVEN HE IS A WIN-
want to use this opportunity to NER..WE AT MD WISH HIM AND
say something to my wife HIS FAMILY THE VERY BEST OF
Patricia. You see, we’ve been LUCK...RICHARDYOU ARE ONE
together for over 11 years, mar- OF OUR MD FAMILY NOW,TOO.
FLEX Critique
James“Flex”
Lewis
T
he under-202 class is
breathing new life
into the sport, giving
a chance to guys who might
have a difficult time compet-
ing against monsters with a
50-pound weight advantage.
James “Flex” Lewis is one
such man. I have a running
joke with him about using
that nickname, but all kid-
ding aside, this guy is as
hardcore as they come
(must be something in the
fish n’ chips). At 24 years
old, he’s got to be the
youngest pro in the sport
right now. I was a little sur-
prised at that, because it
seems like he’s been around
for a considerable amount
of time. I’ve seen him pack
on more and more muscle
each year and all of it’s been
quality weight. In his fresh-
man year, he’s shown he
can hang with the best of
them, winning his first pro
show (2008 Europa Pro 202-
under) and taking third
place in the 202-under at the
Olympia, finishing only
behind Kevin English and
winner David Henry, both of
whom have been pros for
PHOTOGRAPHY BY PER BERNAL
years now.
SHAPE SYMMETRY & but then again, maybe he’s just not
Outstanding shape. Muscles attach PROPORTION squeezing them all the time (rookie
all the way down to the joints.There Excellent symmetry. Legs stand mistake).
are no empty spaces on his compact out, so he’ll require more upper body
frame. size for better balance. FRONT DOUBLE BICEPS
Great overall shape. Nice lines
MASS CONDITIONING and proportions. Legs look fabulous
He’s not a big “little” man, ´a la He’s got a lock on this depart- with those deep cuts. Terrifying
Priest. But the kid’s only 24, so give ment. Gets hard and dry all over, calves, even from the front. Tight
him time to grow. With more size especially in the front upper body waist, although clavicles aren’t
throughout his chest, back and arms, and hams and glutes. I’d like to see exceptionally wide. Arms need more
he’s sure to make a serious dent. criss-cross striations on his thighs, size and fullness.
MOST-MUSCULAR
Nice compact package. Not the overflowing with mass-type
most-muscular, but impressive for proportion and aesthetics.
SIDE CHEST
Awesome quad-ham split. Can’t take my eyes off
those calves! Upper body has pleasing shape and lines.
Pecs are balanced. Needs more size to arms and overall
thickness— especially from this angle.
SIDE TRICEPS
Nice shape, but will need to beef up his guns consid-
erably to be competitive in this pose. Good balance
between lower and upper pecs. Lower body already
there..
Training
Stretching
Decreases
Muscle Strength
Power
Pre-exercise stretching was
once part of the normal warm-up ritual
of almost all strength, power, and
endurance athletes. Most fitness
experts said that stretching increased
muscle and joint range of motion,
which made movements easier and
reduced the risk of injury. It turns out
that pre-exercise stretching is a bad
idea that decreases performance and that can create excessive torque and unnatural stresses. Also, the exercises are
increases the risk of injury. Pre-exercise artificial and do not transfer well to functional movement. Angelo Cacchio and
stretching reduces muscle strength and coworkers from the University of Rome in Italy and Illinois State University found
power and interferes with the brain’s that exercising on a machine that provided free motion similar to dumbbell and bar-
ability to control the muscles. Greek bell exercises created greater activation of shoulder girdle muscles than a machine
researchers found that muscle power that forced movement in a fixed path. They concluded that unconstrained weight
decreases the longer you stretch the training is superior to fixed path weight machines because it builds intramuscular
muscle. They measured the effects of coordination that might transfer better to functional activities. (Journal
stretches lasting from 10 seconds to 60 Electromyography Kinesiology, 18: 618-627, 2008)
seconds on isometric strength and
power. Stretching for 30 seconds You Don’t Know Squat!
decreased isometric strength by nearly
9 percent, while stretching 60 seconds Most people don’t squat correctly. They bend at the spine, rely too much on
decreased power by 16 percent. their quadriceps (thigh muscles), minimize the use of their gluteal (butt) muscles,
Stretching 30 seconds or longer has lift their heels and collapse their chests. Poor leg, hip and spinal mechanics put
similar effects in decreasing muscle excessive stress on the knees and back and will eventually lead to injury. Stand
power. They recommended that ath- with your feet placed slightly more than shoulder-width apart, toes pointed out
letes avoid static stretching of muscles slightly, head neutral, back straight and support the bar on the fleshy part of your
for 30 seconds or more before activities upper back. Center your weight over your arches or slightly behind. Squat down,
requiring maximum strength and keeping your weight centered over your arches and actively flex your hips until
power. (Journal Strength Conditioning your thighs break parallel. During the movement, keep your back straight, shoul-
Research, 22: 40–46, 2008) ders back, chest out, head neutral and let your thighs part to the side so that you
are “squatting between your legs.” During the movement, try to “spread the floor”
Are Free Weights with the outside of your feet as you drop to the squat position. Push back to the
starting position, maximizing the use of the posterior hip and thigh muscles, main-
Or Machines taining a straight back and neutral head position. Paul Comfort and Peter Kasim
Better For Building from the London Sports Institute concluded that the essential elements of the
squat for minimizing injury and maximizing strength include a wide stance with
Strength And natural foot positioning, keeping the weight back by hinging at the hips and not
Muscle Size? the back, holding the head in a neutral position and maintaining the normal curves
of the spine during the exercise. If you can’t squat, then you ain’t strong. (Journal
Proponents of free weights and Strength Conditioning, 29: 10–13, 2007)
weight machines are very much like
sheepmen and cattlemen in the old Muscle Strength
west: both feel strongly about their
point of view and have inflexible atti- Highest In The Afternoon
tudes toward the other side. Machines What is the best time of day to train? Most studies show that muscle strength,
are convenient, high tech, comfortable power and endurance are greatest between about 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Muscle temper-
and attractive. However, they move atures are generally highest at this time, which probably accounts for the difference.
joints through fixed ranges of motion A study from Finland showed that daily variations in strength and power cease to
Training
exist in people who train in the morn- you to the next level, but don’t overdo it. build the quads like no other exercise.
ing. They examined 27 men who weight (Journal Strength Conditioning Research, They’re easier on the spine than back
trained either in the morning (7 a.m. to 21: 628–631, 2007) squats because they place the spine in a
9 a.m.) or in the afternoon (5 p.m. to 7 more upright position and don’t flex the
p.m.). Initially, all subjects were stronger Mid-Range Grip trunk as much. In fact, you’ll drop the
in the afternoon than in the morning. weight to the floor if you hunch over or
But these differences disappeared in the Best For The drop your elbows. Also, front squats
morning training group, but not in the Bench Press serve as a gateway to fun lifts such as
evening training group. This study cleans, snatches and overhead squats.
showed that you should exercise in the Most young men measure their The technique sounds easy: grasp the
morning if you have a morning competi- strength by their bench press. Some bar toward the end of the fingers using
tion, because morning training will elim- lifters prefer a wide-grip because it a clean grip (bar at shoulder level with
inate normal strength differences reduces the range of motion during the palms out) and rest it on your upper
between early and late times of the day. exercise, but this is a mistake. British chest and front deltoids. Keep your
(Journal Sports Sciences, published strength coaches Carly Green and Paul chest out, elbows up and shoulder
online June 12, 2008) Comfort discussed the best bench press blades slightly together. Take a comfort-
technique for maximizing performance able shoulder-width stance with your
Training To Failure: and reducing the risk of injury. A wide feet pointed out no more than 30
grip during the bench press (greater degrees. Descend by sticking your butt
How Much And than 1.5 times the biacromial width; the back and keeping your spine neutral
How Often? lumps on the upper part of your scapu- and chest out. Try to squat “between
lae or shoulder blades) increases the your legs” and “spread the floor” with
Feeling the burn and pushing reps to risk of shoulder injury and pectoralis your feet. The movement should hinge
the max have always been part of effec- major rupture. Avoid wide-grip bench at your hips rather than your back. Your
tive training for bodybuilding. Failure presses that align your upper arm at 90° goal is to break parallel. The initial
training involves doing an exercise until angles from your torso. Instead, keep depth of your front squat is determined
the muscles no longer respond. Jeff your elbows in and move the bar in a by your ability to maintain proper spine
Willardson from Eastern Illinois straight line at a point below your lower and hip positions. Hinge at the hips dur-
University discussed the pluses and pecs. Learn to use your legs effectively ing the “up” phase of the lift, while
minuses of failure training methods. during the lift and align your upper maintaining a neutral spine with chest
Many studies have examined the opti- body so that your chest is up and your out and shoulder blades drawn together
mal number of sets in a program, but butt remains in contact with the bench. and head neutral. Push through the mid-
few have looked at the effects of failure Most guys who have bench pressed dle of your feet and don’t rock forward
training on muscle size and strength. seriously for many years have rotator on your toes. Learn this exercise with a
Failure training allows advanced body- cuff injuries— usually because they broomstick or dowel using high-rep sets
builders and lifters to break training used poor technique and overtrained. before progressing to an Olympic bar
plateaus and move to the next level. Prevent bench press injuries and maxi- and plates. This lift takes time to learn,
These highly intense workouts must be mize performance by using a narrower but it’s worth the effort. (Journal
incorporated into short-term cycles to grip and elbows closer to the body, Strength Conditioning, 29: 14–19, 2007)
avoid overtraining. Failure training is avoiding excessive training volume and
effective, because it recruits more motor dropping the weight when changing
units (muscle fibers and their nerve sup- your bench press technique. You can MD HAS THE
ply) and stimulates the secretion of ana- bench press big iron without ruining WINNING FORMULA!
bolic hormones such as growth hor- your shoulders. (Strength and The most cutting-edge,
mone, insulin-like growth factor and Conditioning Journal, 29: 10–14, 2007 scientifically-based, no-bullshit
testosterone, and increases insulin sen- information on building muscle and
sitivity (insulin is a powerful anabolic burning fat—from drugs and
hormone. Increases in strength require Get Strong with supplements to training, nutrition
high-intensity overload, so bodybuilders
should not rely on high-rep burn pro-
Front Squats and diet—from the top medical
experts and bodybuilding
grams for making progress. Olympic lifters live and die by the
champions and insiders!
Bodybuilders and power athletes must front squat, but it’s a good exercise for
push the big iron if they want to get bodybuilders, too. Strength coaches
strong and big. Excessive failure train- Mike Waller and Rob Townsend dis-
ing leads to injury, overtraining and loss cussed the benefits of front squats and
of motivation. Failure training can move how to do them properly. Front squats
Fat Loss
High-Protein, include simple sugars and white
bread that enter the bloodstream
Growth Hormone
Ketogenic Diets quickly, while low glycemic index Reduces
Suppress Appetite foods include whole grains that are Abdominal Fat And
digested slowly and trigger more
And Speed Weight modest increases in blood sugar. Increases Muscle
Loss One theory is that rapid increases in Mass
blood sugar trigger greater insulin
The body produces ketones, such release, which promotes fat storage. Growth hormone is a popular drug
as acetone, acetoacetate and beta- with middle-aged and older adults
hydroxybutyrate, during low-calorie because it increases muscle mass,
intake and carbohydrate restric- strength and exercise capacity and
tion. Low-carbohydrate diets— decreases fat. Researchers and physi-
sometimes called ketogenic cians do not agree on the medical
diets— are more effective than benefits of growth hormone for retard-
low-calorie, mixed- or high-carbo- ing the aging process and improving
hydrate diets for short-term the quality of life in older adults.
weight loss. The brain and nerv- Researchers from the Pennington
ous system use mainly glucose Biomedical Research Center in Baton
(blood sugar) as fuel, but can also Rouge, Louisiana found middle-aged
use ketones when carbs are unavail- men who took growth hormone supple-
able. Ketones, however, suppress ments for six months showed increases
the appetite center in the brain, in weight and lean body mass (mainly
which might explain why low-carb muscle and bone) and an 8.8 percent
diets cause rapid weight loss. reduction in abdominal fat. Growth hor-
Ketones cause an improved sense of mone increased resting metabolic rate
well-being and produce mild eupho- by nearly 200 calories per day. This
ria. British researchers found that study showed that growth hormone
high blood ketone levels reduced therapy was effective for increasing
appetite and food intake. During muscle mass and decreasing fat in mar-
two different four-week peri- ginally overweight middle-aged men
ods, subjects ate high- and could be an important therapy for
protein diets either high or improving the quality of life in older
low in carbohydrates. They adults. (Journal Clinical Endocrinology
concluded that high-protein, Metabolism, in press; September 4,
low-carbohydrate diets that 2007)
increased blood ketone levels
reduced hunger and lowered food
intake better than a diet high in pro-
Low-Carb Diet
tein and containing moderate British researchers found that mid- Increases Cortisol
amounts of carbohydrates. In the
short term, high-protein, low-carbo-
dle-aged adults lost more weight fol-
lowing a low glycemic diet than a
Levels
hydrate diets suppress hunger and high glycemic diet during a 12-week Cortisol is a critically important
reduce food intake better than high- study. Both groups reduced caloric stress hormone secreted by the adrenal
protein, medium-carbohydrate diets. intake by 300 calories below normal. glands. Cortisol increases during fast-
Illustrated by Jerry Beck/www.ironasylum.com
(American Journal Clinical Nutrition, The average blood sugar levels was ing, eating, physical activity and psy-
87: 44–55, 2008) lower in the low glycemic index chological stress, where it helps regu-
group, but there were no differences late fat, carbohydrate and protein
between groups in heart disease metabolism. During stress, cortisol pro-
Low Glycemic risk factors such as blood pressure, motes fat release from outlying fat cells
Index Diet cholesterol, or waist circumference. and stimulates protein breakdown to
Promotes Weight Few studies have found that the
glycemic index of the diet influences
help maintain blood sugar. It also pro-
motes fat storage in the abdomen. The
Loss weight control or heart disease risk composition of the diet influences corti-
Glycemic index is a measure of factors in healthy people. (European sol levels. A study from University of
how fast a food increases blood Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 62: 145– Edinburgh in Scotland found that a low-
sugar. High glycemic index foods 149, 2008) carbohydrate diet prevented the meta-
Fat Loss
bolic breakdown of cortisol, which ele- Too Little Or Too trolling chemical. Metformin appears to
vated levels of the hormone. In spite prevent fat storage by limiting fat
of elevated cortisol, people following a
Much Sleep Makes accumulation in pre-adipocytes.
low-carbohydrate diet lost more You Fat (Diabetes Obesity Metabolism, in press;
weight than those eating a mixed diet published online May 12, 2008)
(moderate levels of carbohydrates and Getting too little or too much sleep
fats). The role of cortisol in obesity
and weight loss is complicated and it
at night increases the risk of obesity. A
study from Laval University in Quebec,
Insulin Promotes
is often misrepresented on late-night Canada found that nightly sleep dura- Fat Storage
television commercials promoting tion predicted future weight gain. High insulin levels from drinking
weight-loss products. (Journal Clinical They examined nearly 300 adults, high-sugar soft drinks or eating meals
Endocrinology Metabolism, in press; organized according to their typical high in simple sugars promotes obesi-
published online September 4, 2007) sleep duration: short, 5-6 hours; aver- ty. Insulin is an important hormone for
age, 7-8 hours; and long, 9-10 hours. carbohydrate, fat and protein metabo-
Short sleep duration increased the risk lism. Blood glucose (sugar) increases
Rapid Weight Loss of obesity by 27 percent, while long rapidly after a meal. In response, the
Decreases sleep duration increased it by 21 per- pancreas releases insulin, which helps
Testosterone cent compared to average sleep dura-
tion. The results were not influenced
move the glucose out of the blood and
into the cells. Glucose is an important
Bodybuilders live and die by their by energy intake or daily exercise. fuel for muscles and the central nerv-
testosterone levels. Numerous stud- During the six-year study, short and ous system (brain, spine and nerves).
ies by Shalender Bhasin and col- long duration sleepers were more like- Excess glucose is stored for later use
leagues found that muscle mass and ly to gain 11 pounds or more than peo- as fat in white adipose tissue (fat
the capacity for muscle hypertrophy ple who slept 7-8 hours per night. cells) through a process regulated by
is directly proportional to blood Good sleep patterns are critical for insulin. Japanese scientists, in a study
testosterone levels. Testosterone also weight control. Get a good night’s using fat cells cultured in the labora-
promotes aggressiveness and com- sleep every night. Avoid caffeine in the tory, discovered that insulin promotes
petitiveness, which are vital for any late afternoon and evening. Sleep in a fat storage by preventing fat break-
athlete. Bodybuilders seek to maxi- dark, quiet room, avoid vigorous exer- down. It does this by blocking the
mize muscle mass and minimize fat. cise before bedtime and get up at the action of adrenaline and hormone-sen-
This is a difficult task, because the same time every morning. Establishing sitive lipase. The study showed why
body uses muscle proteins as fuel consistent sleep patterns will make high-sugar meals and soft drinks pro-
during periods of caloric restriction. you feel better and helps control body mote obesity. High-sugar soft drinks
Research from Finland showed that fat. (Sleep, 31: 517-523, 2008) cause rapid increases in blood sugar
blood testosterone levels decreased and insulin release, which prevents
markedly in elite wrestlers who lost fat breakdown and promotes fat stor-
weight rapidly in two to three weeks.
Metformin Fights age. This study showed why high lev-
The athletes lost 8 percent of body- Body Fat els of insulin levels promote obesity.
weight, 16 percent of fat mass and 8 (Kobe Journal Medical Sciences, 53: 99-
percent of fat-free mass (includes Metformin, sold as Glucophage, 106, 2007)
muscle) during the study through Riomet and Fortamet, is the most com-
caloric restriction, increased exercise mon drug used to treat type 2 dia-
and dehydration. Testosterone and betes, particularly when obesity and MD HAS THE
luteinizing hormone (controls testos- insulin resistance accompany it. It WINNING FORMULA!
terone levels) decreased by 63 per- works by moving sugar from the blood- The most cutting-edge,
cent and 54 percent. The changes in stream into the cells. It is a good drug scientifically-based, no-bullshit
these hormone levels were highly for active diabetics, because it rarely information on building muscle and
related to weight loss. The study causes low blood sugar, even during burning fat—from drugs and
showed that rapid weight loss asso- intense exercise. Also, it doesn’t cause supplements to training, nutrition
ciated with weight-class sports could weight gain and even causes small and diet—from the top medical
have profound effects on metabolism, weight loss. British researchers
experts and bodybuilding
body composition and hormone sta- showed that metformin inhibited fat
champions and insiders!
tus, which might negatively affect storage in cells called pre-adipocytes,
health and maturation in growing which eventually turn into normal fat
athletes. (International Journal Sports cells and promote obesity. The drug
Medicine, in press; published online activated an enzyme called AMPK,
June which is an important metabolic-con-
Health
Fatherhood cause. The men received
medical exams and physical fitness
who used these drugs would
almost certainly get injured. While
Increases tests during the 1980s and their sta- myostatin prevents excessive muscle
Prostate Cancer tus was reevaluated nearly 20 years
later. Greater strength reduced the
growth, it is also involved in tissue
repair following intense training.
Risk risk of death from all causes by 32 Muscle injuries usually occur during
Don’t have kids if you want to percent, by 50 percent from heart lengthening contractions (eccentric
reduce your risk of prostate cancer. attack, and by 32 percent from can- contractions). Tendons act like
However, if you have kids, father a cer compared to the weakest one- springs during these types of contrac-
lot of them. Danish researchers third of the men. Increasing strength tions, which lessens the load on the
found that fathers had a higher might make you live longer. Weight muscles. Short, brittle tendons creat-
prostate cancer risk than childless training should not be a substitute ed by myostatin blockers would
men. Strangely, men who had more for aerobic exercise— you should do expose the muscles to greater loads
than one child had a lower risk than both. (British Medical and increase the risk of injury.
men who had only one. Also, Journal, in press; Myostatin blockers cause rapid and
men who fathered sons were Published online extreme muscle growth, which will
less likely to get the disease July 1, 2008) make them irresistible to many ath-
than men who fathered letes— regardless of the side effects.
daughters. They studied (Proceedings National Academy
3,400 men who developed Sciences, 105: 388-393, 2008)
prostate cancer, taken
from a national popula- Cardio Protects
tion register of all men
born in Denmark Blood Vessels
between 1935 and from Harmful
1988. Risk factors of
prostate cancer
Effects of Weight
include race, family his- Training
tory of the disease and
age. The researchers Weight training increases muscle
could not identify the and bone mass and has positive
environmental factors that effects on metabolism. It can, howev-
accounted for the lower prostate er, stress the blood vessels. At rest,
cancer risk in childless men. the average blood pressure is about
(Cancer, in press; published online 100 millimeters of mercury (mmHg.).
January 7, 2008) Peak systolic blood pressure (higher
blood pressure number) during heavy
Greater Muscle Myostatin squats is as high as 400 mmHg. A
single weight-training workout stiff-
Strength Blockers ens the blood vessels, which could
Reduces Risk of Increase The Risk gradually damage the cells lining the
vessels and stress the heart. Cardio,
Premature Death Of Tendon Injuries on the other hand, makes the vessels
Aerobic fitness strengthens the Myostatin is a protein that regu- more compliant and enhances their
Illustrated by Jerry Beck/www.ironasylum.com
cardiovascular system, protects the lates muscle growth and prevents health and function. Japanese
heart and blood vessels from disease muscles from getting too large. researchers found that doing cardio
and reduces the risk of heart attack Myostatin blockers sound like a body- exercise after weight training promot-
and heart-related sudden death. builder’s dream— they might provide ed blood vessel health and compen-
Most exercise recommendations unlimited muscle growth. University sated for the negative effects of
mention muscle strength as an after- of Michigan researchers, led by John weight training on blood vessel stiff-
thought. A long-term study of more Faulkner, found that while drugs that ness. Doing cardio before weight
than 10,000 men conducted at the block myostatin make muscles grow, training did not provide a protective
Cooper Clinic in Dallas found that they also shrink tendons and make effect. Performing cardio after weight
higher muscle strength levels them more brittle. They studied mice training benefits blood vessels and
reduced the risk of death from can- that were genetically altered so they maximizes the training effects of
cer and deaths per year due to any couldn’t produce myostatin. Athletes resistive exercise, because you can
Health
lift more intensely with less fatigue. California, San Diego found that low
(Journal Applied Physiology, 103: testosterone levels lead to prema-
1655–1661, 2007) ture death. They measured the
death rates of older men (average
Low Testosterone age 72 at the beginning of the
study) for 20 years. Men with the
Linked to Diabetes lowest levels of testosterone at the
And Metabolic beginning of this study were more
likely to die sooner. Results were
Syndrome independent of health risks such as
Testosterone is critical for building the Metabolic Syndrome or obesity.
large, strong muscles and making you This study showed that decreasing
feel like a man. It’s also important for testosterone levels in older men
metabolic health. Men with low have significant health conse-
testosterone levels have an increased quences and that “andropause” is
risk of type 2 diabetes and Metabolic an important health concern.
Syndrome. Type 2 diabetes is a dis- (Journal Clinical Endocrinology
ease characterized by poor blood Metabolism, in press; published
sugar regulation. Metabolic Syndrome online October 2, 2007)
is a group of symptoms linked to poor
metabolic health that include high Low Testosterone
blood pressure, abdominal obesity,
abnormal blood fats, inflammation, Linked to
insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and Increased Death
blood-clotting abnormalities. Both
health problems can zap your energy
Rate from Heart
levels, cause heart attack and ruin Disease and
your sex life. Low testosterone might
cause these problems by altering
Cancer
body composition, decreasing andro- Many recent studies have demon-
gen receptor sensitivity, impairing glu- strated a link between low testos-
cose (sugar) transport into cells and terone levels and an increased inci-
reducing the cells’ ability to fight free dence of cardiovascular disease.
radicals that cause cell destruction. Epidemiologists (scientists who
Testosterone supplements can help study population disease trends) are
men with low testosterone levels finding that a low testosterone level
improve blood sugar control and is an important risk factor for prema-
reduce abdominal fat. (Current ture death from heart disease and
Opinion Endocrinology Diabetes & all causes of death. British
Obesity, 14: 226–234, 2007) researchers measured blood testos-
terone in 12,000 men aged 40 to 79
Low Testosterone between 1993 and 1997 and deter-
mined how many had died or had
Linked To heart disease or cancer in 2003.
Premature Death Death rates due to cancer, heart dis-
ease and all causes were substan-
Low testosterone levels may pro- tially higher in men with low testos-
mote heart disease, stroke, diabetes, terone levels. The results were inde-
abdominal obesity, reduced muscle pendent of age, body composition,
and bone mass, depression, erectile blood pressure, cholesterol, ciga-
dysfunction and low sex drive. Low rette smoking, diabetes, alcohol
testosterone levels can trigger intake, physical activity, social class
increased fat mass, low energy lev- and education. They concluded that
els, mental impairment, increased a low testosterone level is a signifi-
risk of falls, hip fractures, anemia cant risk factor for cardiovascular
and Alzheimer’s disease. disease. (Circulation, 116: 2694-2701,
Researchers from the University of 2007)
Supplements
Creatine-Protein- aromatization increases the biologi-
cally available testosterone and could
inhibits the formation of muscle
satellite cells. Satellite cells provide
Carb Supplement promote muscle growth. 6-OXY is a new cell nuclei, which allow muscle
Boosts Muscle popular bodybuilding supplement
containing 4-androstene-3, 6,17-trione
to continue making protein at high
rates after the cells get larger.
Mass In Trained that partially blocks the conversion of Researchers from Finland discovered
Athletes testosterone to estrogen. Dan Rohle that protein supplements taken
and colleagues from Baylor University immediately after weight training
Creatine monohydrate supple- found that men taking 300mg or increase the activity of myostatin.
ments build muscle mass and 600mg of 6-OXY for eight weeks This would appear to decrease mus-
strength in subjects ranging from showed large increases in free testos- cle hypertrophy. However, we know
elite athletes to older adults with terone, dehydrotestosterone and the that protein supplementation after
muscle-wasting diseases. Not all testosterone to estrogen ratio (i.e., weight training promotes muscle
studies have been positive. Training more testosterone and less estrogen). growth. So, the significance of the
and genetic status might influence The supplement did not completely suppressing effects of protein on
the effectiveness of the supplement. myostatin is not known. Muscle tis-
Some people respond to creatine, sue breaks down and builds up after
while others don’t. Other studies exercise. Damaged tissue is repaired
found that protein-carbohydrate sup- during recovery, while new mus-
plements administered before or cle tissue is synthesized in
after training also increased mus- response to the stress of
cle mass and promoted pro- exercise. The human gene
tein synthesis. The effects of map was completed in
creatine and protein-carbo- 2002, so we are only begin-
hydrate supplements might ning to recognize the com-
be additive. Australian plexity of the effects of genes
researchers found that on exercise capacity and muscle
experienced weight-trained hypertrophy. Genetics is the new
athletes who took a protein frontier of sports physiology and
(whey) + carbohydrate + holds the key to better
creatine monohydrate sup- training programs, health
plement increased fat-free and longevity. (European
weight, muscle fiber cross- Journal Applied
sectional area, contractile Physiology, in press;
protein content and lifting October 9, 2007)
strength (1-repetition maxi-
mum lifts) more than a protein-carbo- block the conversion of testosterone Glutamine Boosts
hydrate supplement. They took the to estrogen. The study did not show
supplement during a 10-week struc- that 6-OXY increased muscle mass the Immune
tured and supervised weight-training and strength— only that it possessed System
program. A supplement containing the potential to do so. While 4-
creatine, protein and carbohydrates androstene-3, 6,17-trione is banned in Which situation is worse: 1) You
promotes muscle mass and strength many sports, it can still be purchased do one too many sets of benches and
in trained athletes. (Medicine Science legally in the United States. It is easi- pull a pec muscle and miss a week of
Illustrated by Jerry Beck/www.ironasylum.com
Sports Exercise, 39: 1960–1968, 2007) ly detected in urine, so athletes sub- training? or 2) You train too hard,
ject to drug testing should beware. catch a cold and miss a week of
6-OXO Increases (Journal of the International Society of training? Both are bad and will stop
Sports Nutrition, 4:13, 2007; published you in your tracks. While most ath-
Testosterone online) letes are careful to avoid muscle and
The capacity for muscle growth joint injuries, many are careless
depends on blood levels of testos- Whey Protein about preventing overtraining-relat-
terone. Young men build muscle bet- ed breakdown in the immune sys-
ter than women and older men Increases tems. You can prevent immune prob-
because they have higher levels of Myostatin Activity lems with a good training program.
the hormone. During its metabolism, A review of literature by Brazilian
a portion of testosterone is converted Myostatin is a muscle chemical scientists suggested that glutamine
(aromatized) to estrogens. Blocking that decreases muscle mass and supplements might also help.
Supplements
Glutamine is an amino acid that
becomes depleted when you over-
Beta-Alanine increase muscle strength or power,
but reduces the perception of
train. Taking glutamine supplements Supplements fatigue. New Zealand researchers
may help boost the immune system Increase found that caffeine increased testos-
and prevent colds and flu. The evi- terone levels during training, with
dence is not ironclad. Measuring the Weight-Training higher doses of caffeine producing
effects of training on immunity is dif- Endurance higher blood levels of testosterone.
ficult and expensive. While glutamine Increased testosterone levels make
levels go down during heavy train- Alanine is an amino acid that it easier to gain muscle mass and
ing, taking supplements will not give helps supply energy during exercise. strength with training. The study
you a superhero immune system. It is converted to blood sugar in the also showed that caffeine increased
However, the supplements are cheap liver by a process called the glucose cortisol— a catabolic hormone
and appear harmless, so you might alanine cycle. While it is not used to linked to protein breakdown, which
consider them if heavy training synthesize muscle tissue or might nullify caffeine’s beneficial
makes you get more colds and flues enzymes, it influences exercise effects on testosterone. Caffeine
than normal. (Amino Acids, in press; capacity— particularly endurance provides an energy boost to train
published online October 2007) performance. Researchers from the harder and might also promote
College of New Jersey found that training gains by increasing testos-
Bicarbonate beta-alanine supplements improved terone levels. (International Journal
muscle endurance during weight Sport Nutrition Exercise Metabolism,
Loading Improves training— the maximum number of 18: 131-141, 2008)
High-Intensity repetitions in the squat. They sup-
Exercise Capacity plemented beta-alanine (4.8 grams Whey Protein
per day) to trained men participating
Sodium bicarbonate— the stuff in a one-week training program. The Supplement
found in Arm and Hammer baking men did 6 sets of 12 repetitions in Speeds Fat Loss
soda— increases performance during the squat at 70 percent of max
intense, maximal events lasting 45 effort. In the muscle endurance test, Drinking a whey protein shake 20
seconds to 2 minutes. It works by the supplement group did 22 percent minutes before a meal will help you
increasing blood-buffering capaci- more reps than a placebo group (fake lose fat and preserve muscle mass. A
ty— the ability to dispose of acids in alanine) and also developed nine 12-week study on weight loss from
the blood that can interfere with times more leg power. Alanine sup- the Minnesota Applied Research
metabolism and cause fatigue. Lars plements had no effects on growth Center in Minneapolis found that a
McNaughton and colleagues from hormone, cortisol or testosterone. pre-meal protein supplement helped
the University of Hull in England Other studies have shown, however, decrease appetite during lunch or
reviewed the literature on the bene- that beta-alanine in doses of 10g per dinner. Consuming a whey protein
fits and risks of “soda loading” and day caused tingling and numbness in beverage (Prolibra) 20 minutes
concluded that it improves perform- the skin. A little of this supplement before breakfast and dinner caused
ance in some athletes. While most might be beneficial but a lot could greater fat loss than a placebo (fake
studies used untrained subjects, the cause problems. (International Prolibra; 8 pounds versus 3.5
technique works best in well-trained Journal Sports Medicine, in the press; pounds) and helped maintain muscle
athletes. The optimal dosage is 0.3 published online June 11, 2008) mass. Substituting proteins for car-
grams per kilogram bodyweight, bohydrates is a good strategy for
which is 27 grams for a 200-pound Caffeine weight loss. The amino acids from
person. Soda loading has not caught whey protein circulate in the blood
on because of its nasty side Increases and the liver converts them to blood
effects— nausea, intestinal cramps, Testosterone sugar. They work like tiny blood
gas and diarrhea. The researchers sugar timed-release capsules to
concluded that soda loading is bene- Many bodybuilders take caffeine maintain blood sugar levels, which
ficial for athletes competing in spe- pills or energy beverages containing decreases appetite. Health experts
cific events and when used chroni- caffeine (e.g., coffee or Red Bull) to are scrambling to find techniques to
cally in training to boost intensity. increase training intensity. Caffeine help people eat less and lose weight.
However, we do not know the side is a central nervous stimulant used Drinking a whey protein shake
effects from long-term, chronic use. to prevent fatigue and promote before meals might help. (Nutrition
(Current Sports Medicine Reports, 7: mental alertness. Most studies & Metabolism, published online
230-236, 2008) show that caffeine does not March 27, 2008)
Nutrition
Creatine Does synthesis in the muscles and modify
Not Harm muscle protein breakdown, remod-
eling and repair. Chemicals
Kidneys called ribosomal protein S6
Creatine monohydrate supple- kinase and the target of
ments boost exercise performance, rapamycin (mTOR) are
prevent nerve breakdown, important cell signaling
improve symptoms in mus- molecules that are sensitive to
cle wasting diseases and small changes in energy status
enhance energy centers in and are major forces in protein
the cells. Creatine synthesis. They work like biolog-
impaired kidney function ical computer programs to
in rats suffering from cys- line up amino acids need-
tic kidney disease. Most ed to produce new muscle
studies found that crea- tissue. Micah Drummond
tine had no negative and Blake Rasmussen
effects on kidney function from University of Texas
in humans or animals. Medical Branch, in a review
Brazilian scientists found of literature, concluded that
that high doses of creatine (10 after weight training, feeding a
grams per day for three months) supplement high in leucine-rich
had no effects on kidney function in acid, while fruit and essential amino acids and carbohy-
young men following an aerobic train- vegetables generate alkaline chemi- drates activated protein-signaling
ing program (40 minutes, three times cals such as potassium and bicarbon- molecules that promoted protein syn-
per week). Cystatin C, a marker of kid- ate. Older adults who consumed more thesis and muscle growth.
ney dysfunction, decreased in the cre- grains and meat and fewer fruits and Bodybuilders should consume carb-
atine and placebo (fake creatine) vegetables had lower levels of potas- amino acids supplements high in
groups, showing that exercise sium and less muscle mass. Those leucine before and after training to
improved the overall health of the kid- eating more fruits and vegetables had maximize protein synthesis. (Current
neys. They concluded that creatine the highest levels of lean body mass Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and
supplements do not harm kidney func- (fat-free weight). We don’t know if Metabolic Care, 11: 222-226, 2008)
tion in young men participating in a these results apply to young, healthy
moderate-intensity aerobics program. bodybuilders, but eating plenty of
(European Journal Applied Physiology, fruits and vegetables is an important
Whey Protein
103: 33–40, 2008) part of a healthy lifestyle. (American Speeds Fat Loss
Journal Clinical Nutrition, 87: 662–665,
2008)
And Spares
Alkaline Diets Muscle Mass
Linked To Greater Leucine Speeds Health experts are scrambling to
find techniques to help people eat
Muscle Mass Protein Synthesis less and lose weight. Eating pre-meal
Most of us are confused about the
ideal combination of proteins, carbo-
After Weight protein supplements might be an
effective way to cut appetite during
hydrates and fats in the diet for pro- Training lunch or dinner. A study from the
moting muscle mass and minimizing Cells use amino acids to make new Minnesota Applied Research Center
fat. It seems as though every week proteins, but amino acids do a lot and the VA Medical Center in
we see a new study that provides more than build proteins. Amino acids Minneapolis found that people on a
contradictory information. Just when activate signaling proteins in muscles reduced-calorie diet who consumed a
you thought you were totally con- that turn on protein synthesis and whey protein beverage (Prolibra) 20
fused about the ideal bodybuilding increase muscle fiber size. Muscle ten- minutes before breakfast and 20 min-
diet, scientists from Tufts University sion, blood levels of amino acids (par- utes before dinner for 12 weeks lost
muddied the water even more. They ticularly leucine) and insulin are key more fat (8 pounds versus 3.5
found that high-acid diets might cause factors triggering muscle growth. pounds) and maintained muscle mass
muscle wasting. Protein and cereal They activate signaling pathways better than people who consumed a
grains produce acids such as sulfuric inside the cells that promote protein placebo (fake Prolibra). We have good
Nutrition
evidence that substituting proteins for
carbohydrates is a good strategy for
Pre-And Post- tein diet (0.5 grams of protein per kilo-
gram per day) versus a high-protein diet
weight loss. The amino acids from Exercise Feeding (2.0 grams of protein per kilogram per
whey protein circulate in the blood Boosts Muscle day) and found no changes in measures
and are converted to blood sugar in of kidney function. People developed
the liver. They work like tiny blood
Mass more acid urine when consuming a
sugar timed-release capsules to main- One of the most important discover- high-protein diet, but all urinary meas-
tain blood sugar levels, which decreas- ies in sports nutrition in the last 100 urements were within the normal
es appetite. Consuming a whey pro- years was that pre- and post-exercise range. (Journal American Dietetic
tein beverage 20 minutes before a feeding promotes recovery, increases Association, 107:1404-1408, 2007)
meal promotes fat loss and maintains muscle mass and strength and prevents
muscle mass. (Nutrition & Metabolism, injury. Intense weight training shakes
published online March 27, 2008) up muscle metabolism. High levels of Protein
muscle tension developed during train-
ing damages tissue that must be
Requirements Of
Mercury From repaired during recovery. Training also Bodybuilders
Fish Lowers stimulates tension receptors within the
cells that stimulate protein synthesis
The indicator amino acid oxidation
technique (IAAO) is a new, more pre-
Testosterone and makes muscles grow. Muscles cise way of measuring individual
Mercury is a highly toxic pollutant increase in size and strength in amino acid and protein requirements
that enters the environment from response to muscle tension, anabolic of sedentary and active people.
coal-using electrical plants, waste hormones, energy, carbohydrates and According to studies using this
incinerators and byproducts of various amino acids. Dr. Jose Antonio from the method, active people should con-
manufactured goods. Mercury accu- International Society of Sports Nutrition sume 1.4 to 2 grams of protein per
mulates in several species of large reported that consuming 25 grams of kilogram bodyweight per day, with
fish, such as tuna, shark and sword- protein before and after exercise was bodybuilders on the high end. The
fish. Mercury is particularly toxic to superior to feeding carbohydrates for recommended daily allowance (RDA)
children and pregnant women. It is enhancing muscle fiber size and improv- established by the U.S. Department of
linked to neurological abnormalities, ing exercise performance. He concluded Agriculture is 0.8 grams per kilogram
damage to brain centers controlling that consuming protein or a combina- bodyweight per day. These recom-
movement, seizures and developmen- tion of protein plus carbohydrate is mendations were based on 50 years of
tal and mental retardation. It is also a important for enhancing the adaptive research on protein metabolism using
testicular toxicant and impairs the response to exercise. (Strength a technique called nitrogen balance.
reproductive system in men and Conditioning Journal, 29: 78–79, 2007) Nitrogen is a component of protein
decreases blood testosterone and that is discarded when proteins are
sperm production. Mercury poisoning broken down to amino acids and used
is a major public health issue in popu-
High Protein for energy. Nitrogen balance involves
lations that eat a lot of fish, such as Intake Does Not measuring nitrogen output in feces,
the Inuits in Northern Canada.
Canadian researchers tested the
Effect Kidney urine and sweat and comparing it
with nitrogen intake in the diet. IAAO
effects of various proteins and fats in Function is a new and less messy technique
reducing the damage caused by high Many nutritional researchers have that predicts whole-body protein
mercury intake in the diet. Mercury- reevaluated the protein requirements of requirements by measuring the
fed rats consumed diets high in soy active people. The recommended metabolism of a labeled amino acid.
protein, casein, whey protein isolate, dietary intake for protein is 0.8 grams Canadian scientists studied human
fish oil, or high-protein fish meal. per kilogram bodyweight per day, but protein requirements using IAAO and
Mercury caused significant reduction some experts think that it should be as determined that the RDA for protein
in testosterone in the whey protein high as 1.5 grams to 2.0 grams per kilo- of 0.8 grams per kilogram bodyweight
isolate, soybean oil and fish oil gram per day for people who exercise per day is too low and should be 1.2
groups. Only diets high in high-pro- vigorously. Kidney toxicity could be a grams per kilogram per day for seden-
tein fish meal prevented a reduction side effect of increased protein intake. tary people. IAAO shows that body-
in testosterone and testicular size in Researchers from the University of builders were right all along— they
the animals. The best nutritional Cincinnati found that high protein need more protein than the basic RDA
strategy is to eat foods that are not intakes had no effects on kidney func- recommendation. (Current Opinion in
contaminated with mercury. (Food tion in old or young people (25 to 40 Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care,
Chemical Toxicology, 46: 270-279, years old versus 55 to 70 years old). 11: 34–39, 2008; American Journal
2008) They compared the effects of a low-pro- Clinical Nutrition, 86: 995–1002, 2007)
Drugs
New Anabolic decreased sexual performance. It is Growth Hormone
Drug? Scientists not as obvious as menopause (per-
manent cessation of menstruation in
Reduces
Develop women), so many physicians don’t Abdominal Fat And
Myostatin-Blocker consider it a significant health issue. Increases Muscle
Landmark studies by researchers
Myostatin regulates the growth of such as Shalender Bhasin and Tom Mass In Middle-
muscle cell contractile proteins Aged Men
(myofibrils) and muscle development
during growth. Hormones and growth Researchers and physicians do not
factors such as growth hormone, agree on the medical benefits of growth
testosterone, insulin, and IGF-1 pro- hormone for retarding the aging process
mote muscle growth. Myostatin pre- and improving the quality of life in older
vents muscle fibers from growing too adults. Growth hormone is a popu-
much. Physicians and athletes have lar drug with middle-aged and
relied on muscle growth factors to older adults because it increases
increase muscle size and strength. muscle mass, strength and exercise
An alternative strategy is to block capacity and decreases fat. A study
myostatin, which would allow unim- from the Pennington Biomedical
peded muscle growth. Researchers Research Center in Baton Rouge, LA
from Ohio State University found that found middle-aged men who took
mice given a single dose of the myo- growth hormone supplements for six
statin-inhibitor follistatin increased months showed increases in weight
body mass and strength. The treat- and lean body mass (mainly muscle and
ment increased skeletal muscle size bone) and an 8.8 percent reduction in
throughout the body but did not abdominal fat. Growth hormone
affect heart muscle. A single increased resting metabolic rate by
dose of follistatin continued to nearly 200 calories per day. This study
increase strength for 60 days, showed that growth hormone therapy
and the increased strength per- was effective for increasing muscle
sisted during the 560-day experi- mass and decreasing fat in marginally
ment. This study showed that overweight middle-aged men and
follistatin inhibited myostatin and could be an important therapy for
increased strength and muscle mass in Storer found that aging men improving the quality of life in older
animals. The drug is available to increased muscle mass, decreased adults. (Journal Clinical Endocrinology
research labs, so some athletes will fat and improved quality of life from Metabolism, 92: 4265-4270, 2007)
probably use it in the Olympics this testosterone supplements.
summer. (Proceedings National Australian scientists showed that Andriol Testocaps
Academy of Sciences, 105: 4318-4322, aging men (55 and older) decreased
2008) abdominal fat and increased muscle Absorbed Best
mass without side effects following With A Meal
Testosterone 12 months of low-dose testosterone
therapy (nighttime testosterone Andriol Testocaps (testosterone
Supplements patch). Abdominal fat deposition is undecanoate) is an oil-based oral testos-
Decrease
Illustrated by Jerry Beck/www.ironasylum.com
Drugs
such as testosterone enanthate get androgen receptors in specific tis- patellar (knee) tendon and both Achilles
required regular injections. sues, such as muscle or bone. SARMs tendons within 18 months. He had
Testosterone undecanoate contained in are the Holy Grail of anabolic chemicals taken steroids for three years before the
Andriol is absorbed through the lym- because they build muscles without injuries and used them to promote heal-
phatic system and bypasses the liver, affecting other organs or tissues. ing following each surgery. They con-
which raises blood levels of the hor- Pharmaceutical giant Merck & Company cluded that steroids are linked to a high
mone. Andriol is an oral form of testos- signed a $500 million deal with another number of unrecorded cases of tendon
terone that produces elevated blood lev- drug company GTx to develop, test and injury in athletes and the drugs might
els of testosterone for about 4 to 6 market a SARM called Ostarine that interfere with healing following tendon
hours. Dutch researchers showed that selectively targets skeletal muscle, but surgery. Well-controlled studies found
the fat content of meals was important does not affect the liver or prostate. It that anabolic steroids actually strength-
for maximum testosterone absorption. has been used initially in early clinical en tendons (Am J Sports Med, 32:934-
Little testosterone was absorbed follow- trials to treat muscle wasting in cancer 43, 2004; Int J Sports Med, 21: 406-11,
ing low-calorie, low-fat meals. Meals patients. The drug will be useful in 2000). Why do we have clinical reports
containing at least 18 grams of fat were older adults experiencing bone or mus- linking steroids to tendon ruptures in
optimal for testosterone absorption. cle loss, patients suffering from trauma athletes, yet experimental studies
Andriol is a good choice for testosterone or degenerative diseases, and undoubt- showing that anabolic steroids
replacement because it is not toxic to edly in athletes trying to improve per- strengthen tendons? Athletes who use
the liver, is only minimally converted to formance. SARMs represent an evolu- steroids are usually highly motivated
estrogen, and doesn’t require muscular tion in anabolic drugs. Current anabolic and more likely to ignore the pain of
injections. (Clinical Endocrinology, 66: steroids (including testosterone) bind early tendon injury. They probably
579-585, 2007) and activate androgen receptors would have sustained the injuries if
throughout the body and their effects they hadn’t taken the drugs.
Nandrolone Could are not specific to any tissue. While (Unfallchirurg, 111: 46-49, 2008)
they turn on protein synthesis in mus-
Cause Liver
Problems
cle, they also affect androgen receptors
in the prostate, sex organs, heart, liver,
Most Steroid Users
skin and brain, which cause unwanted Take Drugs For
Most bodybuilders are well aware
that oral anabolic steroids are toxic to
effects in non-target tissues. General
receptor binding causes side effects
Self Improvement
the liver. So, many use injectable drugs such as acne, prostate enlargement, Lawmakers passed the Anabolic
such as nandrolone because they feel thickening of the blood and masculiniza- Steroid Control Act to discourage teenage
they are more liver-friendly. Brazilian tion in women and children. SARMs will athletes from using steroids. Since 1984,
researchers, in a study on rats, found target specific androgen sites in mus- more than 10 studies found that steroid
that low, normal and high doses of nan- cles and not bind to receptors in other use in high school students has never been
drolone administered for five weeks tissues, which will minimize side effects higher than 4 percent. According to a
increased key liver enzymes (aspartate and improve the usefulness of the study by Jason Cohen and colleagues, the
aminotransferase, AST; alanine amino- drugs. The drugs exist, so it is likely average nonmedical user of steroids is in
transferase, ALT; and alkaline phos- that some athletes have been using his early 30s and takes the drugs for self-
phatase, ALP). Changes were highest in them in preparation for the Beijing improvement. Most steroid users seek to
the high-dose group, but liver function Olympic Games this summer. (in- increase strength, muscle mass and physi-
tests remained within the normal range Pharma Technologist.com, July 11, 2007) cal attractiveness and decrease body fat.
in all groups. The authors concluded that They follow structured diets and exercise
administering higher than clinical doses Do Steroids programs and do not play sports. Most are
could damage the liver. There are no well educated and employed and take the
long-term studies showing the effects of Increase Tendon drugs as part of a health-centered lifestyle.
nandrolone or any other anabolic steroid Rupture Risk? According to the Drug Enforcement
on liver function. (Medicine Science Administration, the possession or sale of
Sports Exercise, 40: 842-847, 2008) Health experts often list tendon rup- anabolic steroids without a valid prescrip-
ture as a risk of anabolic steroid use tion is illegal and carries a maximum penal-
Merck Signs $500 based on clinical reports of athletes ty of one year in prison and a minimum
treated for tendon injuries who also $1,000 fine. This law is bad public policy
Million SARMs Deal took steroids. Several anecdotes do not that targets hard-working tax-paying
The next generation of anabolic constitute data! German scientists Americans trying to improve themselves.
steroids will be selective androgen reported the case of a 29-year-old pro- (Journal International Society of Sports
receptor modulators (SARMs) that tar- fessional soccer player who ruptured his Nutrition, in press; October 2007)
Sex
Are You A Sexual erection problems. many men have tried and failed to
• Viagra or Cialis (erection-promoting locate the fabled G-spot— a bundle of
Olympian? drugs) did not impair eye health during sensory nerves inside the vagina that
Most men think of themselves as a six-month study. sends women into orgasmic ecstasy.
gold medal winners in the sexual • Viagra (100 milligrams) helped men German gynecologist Ernst Grafenberg
Olympics, but are you a sprinter or a get and maintain erections for at least 8 first suggested the existence of the G-
distance athlete? Perceptions about hours. spot in 1944. Most anatomists, however,
sexual staying power vary greatly and • Dapoxetine prevented premature say that the G-spot is a myth and there
are the subject of urban legend. What ejaculation with minimal side effects in is no evidence that any part of the inte-
do the experts tell us? Researchers from two separate studies. rior of the vagina contains an increased
Behrend College in Erie, Pennsylvania • Erection problems were linked to concentration of nerve endings. After
found out by surveying Canadian and silent heart disease (no symptoms). years of study, Emmanuele Jannini from
American members of the Society for (Journal Sexual Medicine, 5(Suppl I): 4- the University of L’Aquila was able to
Sex Therapy and Research. They asked 41, 2008) cry “Eureka!” (I found it). He developed
the experts their perception on the ideal a technique to identify enlarged parts of
length of time the penis should be in Bad Sex Linked to the vaginal wall using ultrasound. He
the vagina during intercourse before cautioned that not all women have G-
ejaculation. They rated sex lasting 3 to Heart Disease spots, but that ultrasound offers a sim-
7 minutes as “adequate;” 7 to 13 min- When you get old, the first things ple, rapid and inexpensive way to deter-
utes as “desirable;” 1 to 2 minutes as that go are your knees: first your left mine if a woman has the fabled tissue.
“too short;” and 10-30 minutes as “too knee, then your right knee, then your Only women who had an enlarged
long.” The results were consistent weenie. Most guys think that waning frontal wall of the vagina (i.e., women
among therapists and were not affected sex drive, erection problems, delayed or
by geographical location or personal premature ejaculation and lack of sexual
sexual experience. You are a sexual energy are natural consequences of old
Olympian if you can sustain sexual age. More often, sexual problems are
intercourse for 3-13 minutes. The most linked to poor metabolic health, heart
important thing in the Sexual Olympics disease, insulin resistance and dia-
is not winning, but taking part. (Journal betes. An Australian study showed that
Sexual Medicine, in press; published erectile dysfunction is a telltale sign of
online April 2008) heart disease. Cardiovascular risk fac-
tors and disease were more common in
Scientists Bring men who had difficulty getting and
maintaining erections, particularly in
Sex To The Lab those with severe problems. Bad sex is
Scientists exchanged new research not inevitable as you age— just as it’s
findings on sex at the annual meeting of not written in stone that you die prema-
the Sexual Medicine Society of North turely from heart attack, stroke, demen-
America. Here’s the latest: tia or cancer. Many of the same factors
• Low-fat diets and regular exercise contributing to degenerative diseases—
improve the health of blood vessels in lack of exercise, smoking, bad diet, obe-
the penis, which promotes erections. sity and stress— play a part in poor sex-
• Exposure to secondhand smoke ual performance and health. See your
harms the cells lining the blood vessels doctor if you are having trouble getting
in the penis, which contributes to prob- or maintaining erections— this could be
lems having erections. a warning sign of serious health prob-
• Normal growth hormone levels are lems. (Journal Sexual Medicine, in press;
essential to blood flow control in the published online January 2008)
penis. This might explain why growth
hormone supplements in older adults
improve sexual function. Italian Scientist
• High blood cholesterol levels
impair sexual performance by interfer-
Finds G-Spot
ing with signaling chemicals that con- Ponce de Leon died trying
trol blood flow in the penis. to find the Fountain of Youth,
• Low testosterone levels play a role while Percival died trying to
in 20 percent of men under 30 with find the Holy Grail. Likewise,
Sex
who had G-spots) were able to achieve hormone supplement programs. Also, hours. Cialis works faster and lasts
vaginal orgasms. This was a small IGF-1 levels increase in response to sup- longer (36 hours), but its effects are usu-
study involving only 20 women, so we plemental testosterone in doses greater ally not as dramatic as Viagra. Which is
need more research before we can con- than 400mg (testosterone enanthate). better? Most studies show that men
cur that the G-spot exists. In the mean- Many older adults report improved sex- with erection problems preferred Cialis
time, we urge bodybuilders to conduct ual performance following growth hor- because they can be more spontaneous
their own study on this interesting mone supplementation. Chinese and have a longer window when they
problem. (Journal Sexual Medicine, in researchers, in a study on rats, showed can “get lucky.” What about women? A
press; published online March 4, 2008) that increasing IGF-1 levels made it eas- study from the University of Waikato in
ier to get erections. IGF-1 increased New Zealand found that nearly 80 per-
Viagra Increases blood pressure and enhanced smooth cent of women preferred Cialis to
muscle function in the penis and stimu- Viagra. Couples were given one drug for
Endurance lated the production of nitric oxide that 12 weeks followed by the other drug for
Performance at promotes blood flow and erections. This another 12 weeks. Women liked the
study helped explain why growth hor- longer acting drug because they felt
Altitude mone and IGF-1 supplements improve more relaxed, less pressured and more
Viagra (sildenafil) improves sexual sexual performance in aging men. spontaneous. Women who preferred
performance, but it also may boost the (Journal Sexual Medicine, 5:1345-13 Viagra said that the drug produced bet-
physical capacity to have sex— at least 1354, 2008) ter erections and satisfaction for their
at altitude. Viagra improves cardiovas- partners. It looks like Cialis wins the
cular capacity during exercise at alti- Viagra Plus Pepsi challenge in men and women.
tude, but not at sea level. The drug (Journal Sexual Medicine, in press; print-
boosts fitness at altitude by reducing Yohimbine Produce ed online March 2008)
blood pressure in the lungs. Viagra Super Erections
increases cardiac output (blood pumped
by the heart per minute), stroke volume Viagra, and second-generation erec-
(blood pumped by the heart per heart- tion-promoting drugs such as Cialis and
beat), oxygen saturation (percent of red Levitra, helped many aging Romeos get
blood cells carrying oxygen) and back in the saddle. Unfortunately,
endurance exercise capacity. Not all Viagra doesn’t work for everyone.
subjects benefit from the drug— there Fifteen to 25 percent of men get no
were responders and nonresponders. relief from “Big Blue.” Viagra won’t trig-
An animal study showed that Viagra ger an erection unless you are turned
promoted recovery from jetlag during on. Egyptian researchers found that
simulated eastbound flights by 50 per- combining Viagra and yohimbine
cent, but did not affect recovery from induced firmer erections in rats than
westbound flights. The drug works by either substance by itself. The combina-
preventing destruction of an enzyme tion decreased the time between sex
that regulates the body’s internal clock. and the number of ejaculations per ses-
Viagra improves endurance perform- sion. The addition of yohimbine to
ance in some people at altitude, which Viagra improved the capacity for erec-
has important implications for our sol- tions, but had no effect on the desire for
diers in Afghanistan and active people, sex. Yohimbine and Viagra might help
such as skiers, backpackers and the previously unhelpable and cause
climbers. (Journal of Exercise super erections in everyone else. This
Physiology, (online) 10 (3): June 2007) study used rats, so the results might
not apply to humans. (International
IGF-1 Promotes Journal of Impotence Research, 20:409-
417, 2008)
Erections
Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) is a Partners Take The
highly anabolic hormone secreted main-
ly by the liver. It is the active agent for Pepsi Challenge:
many of the effects of growth hormone Viagra Or Cialis?
and is also influenced by testosterone
levels. Physicians measure IGF-1 levels Viagra takes about 1 hour to kick in
to assess the effectiveness of growth and its effects last only about 4 to 5
Research
and Update
A
re you truly into bodybuilding? Tercica, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical as mecasermin rinfabate of rDNA
Meaning, do you enjoy and company based in Brisbane, origin for use in the treatment of
have a passion for all aspects California and their specialty is IGF-1 deficiency. Mostly this is for
of physique augmentation? Building endocrinology. In fact, their first children who have growth (height)
one’s body is an art that includes out-of-the-gate product Increlex™ issues; however, the FDA allows
science; however, those who get the (also known as mecasermin [rDNA physicians to prescribe this type or
competition bug are the ones who origin] injection) is being positioned class of medicines for patients
use means necessary to augment for the “market” of short stature or deemed to be deficient in IGF-1 (or
their bodies for show. Now, this is more realistically, for use in those growth hormone). Therefore, know-
different than the athlete who may with primary IGF deficiency (which ing options available to you for test-
lift and engage in conditioning tech- is NOT well-defined). Tercica is a ing and intervention is always a
niques to improve his or her game good thing. This drug (IPLEX) will
and ability of the chosen sport. IPLEX will be exclusive to be exclusive to Insmed until about
Often, the exercise has a crossover 2012, so keep your eye on it.
effect for the athlete. In contrast, the Insmed until about 2012, Further, Insmed also notes that
bodybuilder trains for a visual so keep your eye on IPLEX (also now known as
appearance and not an objective SomatoKine) delivered just once
test, such as sharpshooting. You it. IPLEX (also now daily was effective for short stature,
may be well off thinking about what
motivated you to start lifting and
known as SomatoKine) GH insufficiency, GH deficiency and
GH insensitivity syndrome.
know where you want to go or what delivered just once daily If you live or travel to Europe,
you want to achieve out of it. The
goal of this column is to help pro-
was effective for short Valtropin®, as made by BioPartners
Holdings AG, (based in Baar,
vide you with information that may stature, GH insufficiency, Switzerland) is now considered by
or may not be useful to help you
achieve those goals. Certainly, this
GH deficiency and GH the EU to be “biosimilar,” thus the
use of this growth hormone product
magazine does more to help and insensitivity syndrome. appears to be now open for all tra-
educate those interested in ditional uses. Look for this GH to be
weightlifting and bodybuilding company whose technology and on the European market and not
about the basics and more. Join us know-how was born out of being picked up by an American
on the MD forums to follow the fun! Genentech (IGF-1/IGFBP-3 commer- company.
ILLUSTRATION BY LYMAN DALLY
performance
Research Update Drummond MJ, Miyazaki M, Dreyer HC, Pennings B, Dhanani S,
Leucine-Enriched Essential Volpi E, Esser KA, Rasmussen BB. Expression of growth-related
Amino Acid Drink After genes in young and old human skeletal muscle following an acute
Exercise Increases Muscle stimulation of protein synthesis. J Appl Physiol, 2008.
Growth Genes
If you are looking to pack on some muscle size, you may American’s Jacked Up On
want to consider adding an essential amino acid drink Energy Drinks!
enriched with leucine after exercise. Researchers examined The USA has won more gold medals...Americans con-
the anabolic effects of a leucine-enriched essential amino sume more energy drinks than any other country.
acid drink in young and old men after a bout of resistance Energy drinks vary widely in both caffeine content (ranging
exercise. Researchers took muscle biopsies to examine the from 50 to 505mg per can or bottle). The caffeine content of
expression anabolic and catabolic proteins.They found that a 6-ounce cup of brewed coffee varies from 77 to 150mg.
even though the older and younger men performed the The review article explained the FDA approved caffeine and
same workout (70 percent of 1 RM, 8 sets of 10 repetitions), limited the maximum caffeine content of cola-type soft
young and older men had different genes being turned on drinks to 71mg/12 fluid oz or 0.02 percent caffeine (Food and
after exercise.They found: Drug Administration, 2003). At least 130
For example, energy drinks now exceed 0.02 percent
1. A protein called REDD2 (catabolic), caffeine recommendations, including
which is a negative regulator of the “dumb-ass” one that contains 505mg in a 24-oz can
mTOR (a key anabolic pathway), was
reduced in both younger and older
of the year (the equivalent of 14 cans of a typical
cola or several cups of coffee). The arti-
men when they drank the leucine- award goes to a cle also reviews the not-so-bright people
enriched essential acid drink.This means
leucine turns off catabolic genes. Good
28-year-old who have experienced adverse health
problems from energy drink overdose.
news for everyone! motocross ath- For example, the “dumb-ass” of the year
2. A protein called Rheb (anabolic), award goes to a 28-year-old motocross
which is a positive regulator of
lete who nearly athlete who nearly died when his heart
mTOR, was only increased in the died when his stopped during a competition. He had
young men who consumed the consumed eight cans of Red Bull
leucine-enriched essential acid heart stopped over a 5-hour period.
drink. This means younger men have
greater anabolic genes being turned on
during a com- The review article also documented
the growing problem of consuming
after exercise, compared to older men. petition. energy drinks and alcohol. As reported
3. They also found IGF-1 levels in a pervious study, ingestion of a Red
increased only in the young, while the older men had no Bull with vodka reduced participant’s perception of impair-
changes and also blunted satellite cell activity. Older men ment of motor coordination in comparison to vodka alone.
have a blunted muscle hypertrophy response to exercise; a Basically, people think that they were not drunk when con-
decrease in IGF-1 seems to be a key cause. suming Red Bull and alcohol, but they really were.This
means people drinking Red Bull with alcohol will leave the
The results of the study suggest that an essential amino bar and get behind the wheel thinking they are fine when
acid drink enriched with leucine, which was designed to they are really drunk! Energy drinks are great preworkout or
maximally stimulate protein synthesis, can benefit both when mental vigilance is needed, but they should not be
older and younger men after resistance exercise, but older consumed with alcohol or taken in excess.
men lose key anabolic-signaling pathways compared to Reissig CJ, Strain EC, Griffiths RR. Caffeinated energy drinks-A
younger men. growing problem. Drug Alcohol Depend, 2008 Sep 20.
Vascular
Occlusion With
Light Weight
Produces Muscle
Hypertrophy
It was previously thought that
only performing resistance exercise at
a load greater than 65 percent was enough
to stimulate muscle growth. However, some
recent studies have reported that muscle tension is not the
only way to produce muscular hypertrophy. For instance, a
low-intensity (~50 percent 1 RM) resistance training per-
formed with leg extensions caused a marked increase in
muscular size [~12 percent gain in muscle size and strength
Up
Proponents of high-rep training advocate that the letes. J Appl Physiol, 74: 882-887, 1993.
larger increases in GH stimulate IGF-1, which makes it more 2. Raastad, Truls., Bjoro, Trine., and
important for muscle growth. Researchers from London reported disap- Hallen, Jostein. Hormonal responses to
pointing results on the anabolic effects of GH for promoting muscle growth. high- and moderate-intensity strength exer-
The anabolic actions of GH has been previously been thought to be mediated cise. Eur J Appl Physiol, 82:121-128, 2000.
by increases in IGF-1. The researchers took seven young, healthy men (aver- 3. Kraemer, W.J., Marchitelli, L.J.,
age age of 24 years old) and gave them injections of GH (.075 IU kg per day) Gordon, S.E., Harman, E., Dziados, J.E.,
or a placebo for two weeks and performed a bout of resistance exercise. The Mello, R., Frykman, P., McCurry, D., and
subjects completed 10 sets of six lifts of a weight equivalent to 80 percent of Fleck, S.J. Hormonal and growth factors
their 1-RM. Two minutes rests were given between each bout of 10 repeti- responses to heavy-resistance exercise pro-
tions. The main finding was that two weeks of tocols. J Appl Physiol, 69:1442-1450, 1990.
4. Hakkinen K, Pakarinen A. Acute hor-
In conclusion, monal responses to two different fatiguing
the study shows that the regulation of IGF-1 by GH differs in muscle and heavy-resistance protocols in male athletes.
liver. J Appl Physiol, 1993 Feb;74(2):882-7.
5. Holm L, Reitelseder S, Pedersen TG,
Perhaps a larger dose may Doessing S, Petersen SG, Flyvbjerg A,
have had a different effect. GH as a muscle builder has been disappointing; Andersen JL, Aagaard P, Kjaer M. Changes
the fact that GH increased serum but not muscle IGF-1 or MGF may be the
in muscle size and MHC composition in
reason why.
response to resistance exercise with heavy
and light loading intensity. J Appl Physiol,
Aperghis M, Velloso CP, Hameed M, Brothwood T, Bradley L, Bouloux PM,
2008
Harridge SD, Goldspink G. Serum IGF-I levels and IGF-1 gene splicing in mus-
6. Hulmi JJ, Volek JS, Selänne H, Mero
cle of healthy young males receiving rhGH. Growth Horm IGF Res, 2008
AA. Protein ingestion prior to strength exer-
cise affects blood hormones and metabo-
terone, or IGF-1 concentrations were stimulates growth. “Muscle pumps”
lism. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2005
observed in the 90 minutes follow- and “feeling the burn” are not real-
Nov;37(11):1990-7.
ing exercise and there was no influ- ly what building muscle is about,
7. Wilkinson SB, Tarnopolsky MA, Grant
ence of training on the anabolic hor- nor is it a good indicator of muscle
EJ, Correia CE, Phillips SM. Hypertrophy
mones measured. GH did show a growth, as the study demonstrates.
with unilateral resistance exercise occurs
moderate increase 30 minutes post- You can get a good “burn” by
without increases in endogenous anabolic
exercise, but returned to baseline doing 20-30 repetitions; however,
hormone concentration. Eur J Appl Physiol,
values by 90 minutes. Training- training at that rep range does not
2006 Dec;98(6):546-55.
induced increases in muscle hyper- efficiently overload the muscle. The
trophy were observed in type IIb bottom line of the study is that 8. Takarada Y, Sato Y, and Ishii N. Effects
and IIa muscle fiber. No changes training loads less than 70 percent of resistance exercise combined with vascu-
were observed in muscle size in the of a 1 RM are not going to induce lar occlusion on muscle function in athletes.
untrained leg. In conclusion, uni- significant gains in muscle mass or Eur J Appl Physiol, 86: 308–314, 2002.
lateral training induced local strength. High-rep training may be 9. Takarada Y, Takazawa H, and Ishii N.
muscle hypertrophy only in the good for muscle pumps but not Applications of vascular occlusion diminish
exercised limb, which occurred good for increasing muscle size or disuse atrophy of knee extensor muscles.
in the absence of testosterone, strength. Med Sci Sports Exerc 32: 2035–2039, 2000.
GH or IGF-1-circulating levels. 10. Takarada Y, Nakamura Y, Aruga S,
The moral of the story, don’t get so Key Points: Onda T, Miyazaki S, and Ishii N. Rapid
caught up in the acute anabolic hor- • Light weight, high-repetition increase in plasma growth hormone after
mone response that you limit your workouts do not stimulate muscle low-intensity resistance exercise with vascu-
poundage. growth effectively; heavy resistance lar occlusion. J Appl Physiol, 88: 61–65,
A light weight, high-rep pro- exercise is a greater stimulator of 2000.
tocol does produce muscle muscle growth. 11. Takarada Y, Takazawa H, Sato Y,
hypertrophy, but light weight, • Muscle hypertrophy occurred Takebayashi S, Tanaka Y, and Ishii N. Effects
however heavy resistance exer- despite increases in anabolic hor- of resistance exercise combined with mod-
cise produces greater muscle mones; muscle growth factors (IGF- erate vascular occlusion on muscular func-
mass gains. Muscle “burn” does 1, MGF) may be more important tion in humans. J Appl Physiol, 88:
not stimulate growth; overload than the acute hormone increases. 2097–2106, 2000.
Last year, the surprise at the Mr. Olympia was Germany’s Big Bad
Wolf. At 270 pounds, with broad shoulders, a small waist and shape
to die for, he was so impressive that many felt the judges intention-
ally never compared him to winner Jay Cutler for fear he would
point out just how badly Dennis trumped him.
Dennis got fifth place, and most fans felt he deserved better.
Viewers of the web cast on www.bodybuilding.com voted him as
their pick for the “People’s Choice,” beating out Cutler, Martinez,
Dexter and Ronnie. The stage was set for Dennis to come back and
snatch the title away from Jay decisively in 2008. Wolf took the
whole year off to concentrate on improving and making sure he was
indeed ready to hold the Sandow trophy this year. But something
happened that resulted in Dennis lacking the “wow” factor. The con-
dition and shape were there, but Wolf was flat. Even though he once
DW: I like Jay a lot. He is one of the nicest guys I have world to fourth is something to be proud of. Do
ever met and had the privilege to talk to. But the way he you take pride in that?
looked this year, I would not have had him in the top six. DW: I do. I’m proud to say I am fourth in the whole
Maybe seventh or eighth. At his best, he was incredible. world. It was my goal to do better than I did last year, and I
But this was not his best at all. accomplished that. I just wasn’t happy with myself
RH: It also needs to be said that in the end, because I know I could have done a lot better than that. I
you did place higher in the 2008 Mr. Olympia could have that Sandow trophy right now and be training
than you did in 2007. To go from fifth in the to defend my Mr. Olympia title next year!
VICTOR MARTINEZ
July 29, 1973, 5’9”, 250 pounds
Foaming at the mouth to get back in this
mother@#$%!
1997 NPC New York Metro Championships, Light-Heavyweight, First and Overall
2000 NPC Junior USA, Heavyweight, First
2000 NPC Nationals, Heavyweight, First and Overall
2001 Night of Champions, Eighth
2002 Arnold Classic, 13th
2002 Iron Man Pro Invitational, Ninth
2003 Night of Champions, First
2004 Mr. Olympia, Ninth
2004 GNC Show of Strength Pro Championship, First
2005 Arnold Classic, Seventh
2005 New York Pro Championship, Third
2005 Mr. Olympia, Fifth
2005 San Francisco Pro Invitational, Fifth
2006 Arnold Classic, Third
2006 Mr. Olympia, Third
2007 Arnold Classic, First
2007 Mr. Olympia, Second
I
lowing up that 14th place with an eighth at the Iron Man
fans really do suck. We are about as loyal as a young and seventh at the Arnold Classic this past spring, many
trophy wife when some guy with more money fans lost faith in the X-Man. Time was probably catching
comes along. We love a pro when he’s doing well up to the dude, who would turn 42 in August of 2008. The
and sing his praises to the sky. But God help that guy if silly aspect of this is that it wasn’t like Toney had some
he starts to slip and has a couple bad shows. In the glaringly weak body parts that never improved or had
blink of an eye, he goes from a man whose star is on suffered a horrible injury. No, the guy just showed up off
the rise to a washed-up has-been whose 15 minutes are his best condition a few times in a row. When that’s the
up. In the case of Toney Freeman, we all got on the X- only problem, any of us who have been around this game
Man bandwagon in 2006, when he went from a guy long enough should know that it’s a situation that can def-
most never thought would amount to much as a pro to initely be rectified. And it was.
a breakout star by virtue of winning the Europa show Toney got back with his nutritionist, Dave Palumbo,
and going on to place seventh at his first Mr. Olympia a and turned it all around. By the time the season was up,
few weeks later. Toney had two more pro titles and a fifth place at the Mr.
The winning streak rolled on in full force the follow- Olympia to his credit. And what do you know? All of a
ing spring, as one of the greatest tall men the sport has sudden, we’re all back on his jock! That’s just the nature of
ever seen racked up wins at the Iron Man and the beast. But there were those of us who had a feeling
Sacramento pro shows and capped off the spring with Mr. Freeman’s best days weren’t behind him just yet. This
third at a very tough Arnold Classic, where Victor won month, we pay tribute to one of the sport’s best competi-
and Dexter was the runner-up. Freeman was being talked tors, with an insight into some of the training and diet
up as a definite threat to break top five at the ‘07 secrets that took him beyond the realm of the average
Olympia, but showed up looking watery and flat. After fol- pro bodybuilder and made him: the X-Man!
2. Jay Cutler
Where do I begin? At the press conference on
Thursday, Jay announced to all of us that he was looking
“his best ever.” A couple years ago Ronnie remarked in a
backstage interview that Jay Cutler must be smoking
crack if he thought he was going to beat him that year. If
Jay honestly thought this was the best he ever looked,
he has to be out of his mind. Dan Solomon must have his
head so far up Cutler’s ass that he can taste what Jay
just ate, because he was repeating that same bullshit
over and over again as he commentated during the web-
cast. First of all, Jay was not in shape on Friday night
during the prejudging. The only thing on his physique
that was ripped are his legs. Jay’s back was smooth and
had folds of loose old-man skin hanging down at the bot-
JAY CUTLER
all very good. But Steve asked me to call ‘em like I saw
‘em, so here was the top 10 in the eyes of The Priest.
1. Dexter Jackson
The commentators kept raving on and on about how
Dexter was 4.7 pounds heavier than he was at the
Arnold. If he was, I didn’t see it. Dexter looked the same
to me as he always does. I don’t think he really gains all
this size and bodyweight like he says he does. What hap-
pens is that his condition varies a bit from show to show
and he might be a little fuller or flatter. With such a
small frame, little changes like that creates an illusion.
But regardless, Dexter has excellent shape and symme-
try, with a small waist and is always shredded. Even
when he’s a tiny bit off he’s still usually in better shape
than everyone else. I want to say well done to Dexter for
winning the Mr. Olympia. I honestly never thought I
would live to see the day when an aesthetic physique PHIL HEATH
was rewarded instead of sheer bulk. This did give me
new faith in the judges and shows me they really are
willing to make the sport better by choosing the best
physique up there instead of just the biggest or heaviest.
And since I have beaten Dexter in the past (1999
3. Phil Heath
I was really surprised at how good Phil Heath looked.
His condition was probably the very best in the show,
and he has some amazing body parts like his arms and
shoulders. For a black guy, his calves are pretty great,
DENNIS WOLF
5. Toney Freeman
This was probably the best I have ever seen Toney. He
definitely deserved to be in the top five and could proba-
bly have been as high as third. He’s done a great job of
filling out that tall-ass frame of his and was shredded to
the bone. It’s funny about Toney. When he’s off, like he
was last year at the Olympia, he doesn’t impress me at
all. But when he’s on, it’s a whole other physique. I still
think he needs bigger arms, and his calves would lead
me to wonder if there is even a calf machine at the gym
he trains at. And if I can make a critique about his pos-
ing routine, it’s to please cut out all the hip gyrations.
Apparently, Toney used to be an exotic dancer in his
MELVIN ANTHONY
4. Dennis Wolf
I knew from his sunken face at the press conference
that Dennis was in awesome shape. It’s a look you hard-
ly ever see anymore. And he was pretty ripped, but
something must have gone wrong toward the end of his
prep, as he was totally flat. He still looked good, but
clearly he missed a hell of a chance to win the Olympia. SILVIO SAMUEL
With his shape and mass and his small waist, Dennis
could have blown Dexter and Phil away had be been
7. Silvio Samuel
You have to hand it to Silvio. The guy did nine shows
last season and was in shape at every single one. This
year he “only” competed five times, but the only other
guy who was his equal with condition at this year’s
Olympia was probably Heath. Silvio has great lines and
nice, round muscle bellies. His back could be better, but I
still thought he deserved better than seventh. How
Melvin beat him is as big of a mystery to me as where
those stray socks disappear to in the dryer. We’ll never
know. I said I was only going to talk about the physiques,
but I did want to add that Silvio is a real gentleman and
very down to earth from the times I have met him.
DENNIS JAMES
6. Melvin Anthony
It may have been late September, but Christmas defi-
nitely arrived early for Marvelous Melvin. Sixth place
for him was the biggest gift of the show after Jay’s sec-
ond place. Melvin just didn’t ‘bring it.’ In fact, he must
have left ‘it’ back home in California. He was off, plain
and simple, and as usual it was worst in his glutes and
hams. And yes, I know he’s an amazing poser. But I
guess I am going to have to be the asshole who points
this out. If you saw the movie “Zoolander,” Ben Stiller’s
male supermodel had all these “looks,” or facial expres-
sions, with names like Magnum and Blue Steel. But they
were really all the same exact look. Well, Melvin keeps
changing the music he uses but…it’s the same routine
every time! He starts out slow, then he does some
Overall Impressions
Even though the depth of the lineup is nothing like it
used to be back in the ‘90s (I sound like a broken record
with that refrain, don’t I?), it was still a good show. It
was exciting to see a true “changing of the guard” with a
8. Dennis James totally different physique being crowned Mr. Olympia.
Dennis has been around a long time. This was the This was the first time since before Lee Haney started
eighth time he’s competed in the Mr. Olympia, and winning in 1984 that the title hasn’t gone to the biggest
sometimes I wonder if the judges just get sick of seeing guy up there. So yes, this
him after awhile. I’m glad he finally stopped playing Priest has renewed faith in
MY TOP FIVE
the size game, because for a while there, it looked like the judging and in the Dexter
he was about to give birth to triplets. He has slimmed direction of the sport! Heath*
down and his shape is a lot better now that his waist is Hopefully the title can Toney
under control, but Dennis still could have been tighter. change and keep things Wolf
I know he used to have good muscle separation way fresh. Dexter might hold Silvio
*I thought you could have
back when he got his pro card, but after that he blew on to it, or it could just as
switched up Phil, Freeman,
up with bulk and we never saw it again. I don’t know if easily change hands to
and Wolf pretty much in
he can get that back, but if he does he could be in the someone like Martinez, any order.
top five again. Heath or Wolf. And maybe,
just maybe, a heavily tat-
9. Mohammad El Moussawi tooed 5’4” guy from Australia could even win it some-
It was good to see some new blood up in this year’s day! Don’t laugh; they also said the Berlin Wall would
top 10, including Heath and Moe. This guy had a really never come down and a black man would never be elect-
good physique, but he was tighter earlier this season at ed President of the USA. Oh wait, that hasn’t happened
the Iron Man and the Arnold. I don’t know if he thought yet, at the time I’m writing this, has it? Never mind. Lee
he had to be bigger for the Olympia, but Moe should Priest, contest reporter from MD, signing out. ■
Above and
below:
Priest at the
2006 Arnold
Classic.
For the last 16 years, the Olympia title has been held by three men who, while
redefining what inspires awe, their descriptive terms precluded such applicable and
expected adjectives as “aesthetic,” “natural,” “sweeping,” “pleasing” and “flowing.”
Given the logical comparison of bodybuilding to sculpting, one would think the
ideal would naturally have originated in an artist’s studio. Metaphorically however,
for the last 16 years our champions have not found their genesis in a sculptor’s stu-
dio at the hand of a great and revered master. They seem to have been built in a
foundry or a shipyard, or someplace where they make tanks. To say this “evolution”
is a drastic departure from our creator’s intent is as vast an understatement that
could ever be construed.
However, now, with the crowning of Dexter Jackson— and with the likes of Victor
Martinez, Kai Greene, Toney Freemen, Phil Heath and Dennis Wolf waiting in the
wings— the classic descriptions of what constitutes the beauty of the male physique
might just perhaps be becoming less abstract, and likely will be brought to
fruition…even though Jay Cutler might still be around.
Weight Loss
Drops Free
Testosterone
L
ife is balance. The teeter-totter and those called “at risk” in the U.S. to the side opposite the luggage.
on school playgrounds is a per- overweight. Theoretically, only 5 per- Now, imagine a person carrying one
fect example of how things tend cent of children should be obese and piece of heavy luggage in the same
to gravitate toward equilibrium unless no more than 10 percent overweight. hand all his life. Eventually, he would
some outside force acts. A pair of Yet, the prevalence for childhood over- suffer joint problems, back pain and
equal-weight first-grade children weight/obesity is 25 percent and 11 have a strange gait (walk).
would soon get bored and wander off percent in the U.S. This means more Excess weight not only is unhealthy
unless they start leg pressing the than one-third of children are starting due to the structural demands it places
teeter-totter up and down in alternate on the body, but also because of meta-
fashion. However, when the recess bell Excess weight bolic imbalances it creates. These
rings and all the students have scam-
pered back into class, the teeter-totter
not only is imbalances involve a number of sys-
tems, affecting every organ in the
wobbles back into the neutral position. unhealthy due body over time. One clear example is
Physiology is much like that teeter- to the structural the androgen status of a person.
totter, despite all the efforts of
mankind. Unless there are abnormal
demands it Fat is not a metabolically quiet tis-
sue; it is active and secretes hor-
conditions (e.g., famine, infection, can- places on the mones and factors that alter the
cer), creatures tend to approximate the
average of their respective species. Of
body, but also metabolism of other tissues and the
physiology of the individual. Further,
course, mankind has tossed all the because of meta- the state of being overfed also alters
rules out the window, with Western bolic imbalances the normal swing between hunger
societies living in very unnatural envi- and satiety (fullness) that provides a
ronments. This has resulted in over-
it creates. rhythm in the peripheral tissues and
representation of the extremes and the brain, as energy stores are moni-
broad deviations from the “average” life with a weight-management prob- tored and managed. If a person is
when plotting common measurements lem, over twice the “defined” amount. also habitually sedentary (a couch
such as height and weight. Take the Overweight/obesity management potato), then the absence of signals
clear example of childhood obesity, does not get better with age, it actu- from working muscle, as well as
which is not defined by an agreed ally gets worse. As the body matures decreased disposal of nutrients from
upon concrete BMI (body mass index) and the wild hormonal swings of the blood (sugar, fatty acids, amino
or body fat percentage. Children are adolescence stabilize, the body seeks acids, etc.) compounds the problem
considered overweight if their weight to regain equilibrium. Unfortunately, to an even greater degree.
is greater than the 95th percentile and if it is forced to do so in an unnatural Central obesity, characterized by
at-risk for overweight if they are environment or condition, it does so the “apple shape” or a “beer belly,” is
between the 85th and 95th percentiles by shifting its metabolic/hormonal associated with low total testosterone.
by the Centers for Disease Control and balance. Next time you are in the air- Aging, obesity, prolonged immobiliza-
Prevention in the United States. In port, look at the people carrying a tion and other states that are associat-
Europe, they are more clear, calling heavy suitcase. They balance their ed with an elevated fat mass tend to
children over the 95th percentile obese posture by leaning their upper body have lower total testosterone concen-
Cialis Increases
Testosterone “All my athletes took it.
V
ictor Conte is of course referring that Cialis decreased the time to reach
to Viagra. Like Viagra, Cialis also It is bigger than creatine.” peak power.The author concluded,
is used to treat erectile dysfunc-
-Victor Conte “Cialis did not have an effect on
tion. What’s the difference between mance in environments with low oxy- peak power, but time to peak
the two? Although Viagra and Cialis gen availability, such as high-altitude power output was reduced. Only
both work by inhibiting an enzyme training or areas with high air pollu- to sports that need to reach maxi-
called phosphodiesterases, which tion. Brazilian Eduardo de Rose, presi- mum power output in a few sec-
increases vasodilatation, there are dent of the medical commission of the onds could Cialis administration
13
pharmacologic distinctions between Pan-American Sports Organization, be beneficial.”
Viagra and Cialis, being that Cialis stated in a recent interview:
has a longer half-life (17.50 hours) “Scientifically, the only proof that Bodybuilders are known for bring-
compared to Viagra (4.0–5.0 hours) Viagra improves sports performance ing cutting-edge pharmacology to the
and Levitra (4.0–5.0 hours), resulting happened at high altitude. That is why forefront of science. If NO (nitric oxide)
14
in longer duration of action which is it was decided not to include it in the products really don’t work, then why
partly responsible for Cialis being banned substance list. You will hardly do so many people use them? Given
dubbed “The Weekend Pill.” Cialis’ get to play a football match on Mount that the second study reported that the
molecular structure differs significant- Everest.” If there are no performace- author claimed that Cialis may
ly from Viagra; one of the benefits of enhacing effects, then why were increase peak force, the powerlifters
Cialis is there are no visual side Olympic athltetes using it?There have who swear by Cialis increasing perfor-
effects like Viagra and an absence of only been a handful of studies on the mance may be onto something that
effect of food on absorption. Nitric performance-enhancing effects of research has not discovered yet.
oxide is a hot topic of debate in body- Cialis and sports performance, and
building, as NO-producing supple- none yielded beneficial effects: Nitric Oxide
ments are always one of the top-sell- In one study, 14 healthy young Supplements
ing products. Being in touch with males were given a 20mg dose of Increase Satellite
many bodybuilders and powerlifters, Cialis or a placebo and performed a Cells
many swear that by taking Cialis, they maximal exercise test on a treadmill. You may have read in the Nutrition
get better pumps in the gym and can The study found that a single dose of Performance section that aging results
recuperate from exercise faster. Cialis had no effect on exercise perfor- in a blunted anabolic gene response to
Many suspect its enhanced nutri- mance, exercise tolerance or car- exercise. It has been previously report-
5
ent delivery or some other mecha- diopulmonary responses. ed that aging results in a blunted satel-
nism. Cialis demonstrates similar lite cell response to exercise. A
vasodilator (blood pressure-lowering) The second study involved three decrease in NO production with aging
effects in healthy subjects when com- “all-out” sprints to determine if Cialis may be a contributing role of the
pared with Viagra in studies of 10mg could increase anaerobic threshold. decrease in muscle mass with aging.
or 20mg doses (mean systolic blood The study found no significant differ- Previous research has shown that
12
pressure reduction, of ~4.3mg). Many ences in peak power, average power blunting production of NO decreases
of the experts in sports will attest that or fatigue index compared to a place- muscle hypertrophy during muscle
9, 10
nitric oxide only increases perfor- bo. One positive finding noted was overload. Others have reported that
Carving Unreal
Quad Separation
With Barbell Lunges
utstanding quadriceps sepa- with a few sets of leg extensions to ceps muscle group. The quadriceps
ration demands freakish tighten the quadriceps. Lunges are femoris (“quads”) is a group of four
thigh mass that dives into only for the serious lifter who is willing muscles that covers the anterior and
deep canyons etched on either side to push well through the pain barrier lateral parts of the femur bone of the
of the muscle bellies. When it comes into the valley of unbelievable thighs. thigh. The three vasti muscles take
to top thighs, it is hard not to think Three sets of these will take your their origin from the respective part of
about the mass and cross-striations thighs to new contours, valleys and the femur; the vastus lateralis mus-
of a shredded Jay Cutler, or the size grooves that you did not know existed. cle from the lateral part of the femur;
and shape of a ripped-to-the-bone the vastus medialis muscle from the
Ronnie Coleman. This kind of thigh Muscles Activated medial part of the femur; and the vas-
development initially relies on regu- By Lunges tus intermedius muscle from the
lar back squats and leg presses to The hip and hamstring muscles are central, anterior part of the femur. As a
build great mass builders. However, affected strongly, but the greatest chal- result, the vastus lateralis muscle is
as good of a mass builder as these lenge will be felt in the anterior quadri- positioned on the lateral (outer) part of
exercises are, they simply do not get
the job done when it comes to devel-
oping thigh separation and cuts.
Achieving those deep separations
requires exercises that build mass by
targeting each of the bellies under
near-constant tension and this
means some specialization work for
the middle and the lower quadriceps.
You probably are drawn to thinking
about leg extensions for ripping your
thigh mass. However, if you are willing
to handle the work, the barbell lunge
is an alternative and intensive way to
blast a bulky thigh into strips of
carved, sharp and lean mass. As a
byproduct, lunges will greatly improve
your quadriceps, hamstrings and
gluteal power and endurance and this
will come in pretty handy when you
start your heavy squat sessions for
adding even greater overall mass.
To do lunges properly, you must
rise above the crowd who is satisfied
References:
1. Ekstrom RA, Donatelli RA and Carp KC.
Electromyographic analysis of core trunk, hip,
and thigh muscles during 9 rehabilitation exer-
cises. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther, 37: 754-762,
2007.
2. Escamilla RF, Zheng N, Macleod TD,
Edwards WB, Hreljac A, Fleisig GS, Wilk KE,
Moorman CT, III and Imamura R.
Patellofemoral compressive force and stress
during the forward and side lunges with and
without a stride. Clin Biomech, (Bristol, Avon)
23: 1026-1037, 2008.
3. Farrokhi S, Pollard CD, Souza RB, Chen
YJ, Reischl S and Powers CM. Trunk position
influences the kinematics, kinetics, and muscle
activity of the lead lower extremity during the
forward lunge exercise. J Orthop Sports Phys
Ther, 38: 403-409, 2008.
4. Cronin J, McNair PJ, Marshall RN. Lunge
performance and its determinants. J Sports
Sci, 21, 49-57, 2003.
5. Hefzy MS, al Khazim, M and Harrison, L.
Co-activation of the hamstrings and quadriceps
during the lunge exercise. Biomed Sci Instrum,
33, 360-365, 1997.
6. Petrella JK, Kim JS, Mayhew DL, Cross
JM and Bamman MM. Potent myofiber hyper-
trophy during resistance training in humans is
associated with satellite cell-mediated myonu-
clear addition: a cluster analysis. J Appl
Physiol, 104: 1736-1742, 2008.
NOJUICE
Bodybuilding By Eric Broser
COMMANDMENTS
For Natural Bodybuilding
Part 10
Natural Bodybuilding
W
ow, time flies when you are having cal times during the day. As well, this lack
fun! In the last nine issues of MD, of insulin will also result in higher levels
we covered the following “com- of circulating cortisol, which can cause a
mandments” of natural bodybuilding: 1) myriad of problems for the dieting body-
be consistent; 2) be positive; 3) visualize; builder, such as impaired thyroid function
4) focus; 5) never become complacent; 6) and lower GH output. But the negatives
wage war on the weights; 7) overcome do not stop there…
adversity; 8) have faith; 9) dream big. It is
very important to take these command- Reason #5: High
ments to heart, as there is nothing more cortisol levels can
vital to achievement than the proper affect sleep patterns!
mindset. Your body will follow exactly A little-talked-about fact in regard to
where your mind leads it. Each thought cortisol is that it is actually one of the hor-
you have penetrates every single cell of mones associated with waking and sleep-
your body, as well as the universe ing patterns. Naturally, levels of cortisol
around you, which will eventually dictate are highest in the morning and lowest at
the outcome of most events in your life. night, with a number of fluctuations dur-
Remember this…“Whether you believe ing the day. The higher amounts of circu-
you CAN or you CAN’T, you are right.” lating cortisol in the early hours help to
th
But what about the 10 command-
Eric Broser wake us up. When the daily cycle of corti-
ment of natural bodybuilding? Well, this is one that I sol secretion is disrupted to a large degree, it can cause lev-
leave up to you! I am interested to hear what you, the els to remain elevated at night, with the result being an
readers and MD forum members, wish to add to the list. inability to relax and fall asleep. I don’t need to tell you just
Please feel free to message me on the board or send an how important sleep is to a bodybuilder, especially one who
e-mail to info@prrstraining.com, and let me know your is dieting to lose body fat while doing everything possible to
thoughts. I will print some of the best ones right here in keep hard-earned muscle mass intact. Insomnia? No thanks!
future “No Juice” columns!
Reason #6: No carbs pre-or
Natural Diet Dilemma: post-training can compromise
Zero Carb vs. Low Carb, Part 2 the immune system!
This month, I will continue my discussion of why I feel The type of intense training that bodybuilders engage in
that a zero-carb approach to dieting is detrimental to the suppresses the immune system, which of course can lead to
drug-free bodybuilder.Thus far, I have mentioned that a lack increased risk of illness. When the body is forced to work
of any carbohydrates in the diet will also cause a lack of harder to fight off bacteria and infection, it will have less
insulin, which can compromise one’s ability to rapidly and energy to put toward recuperation, repair and growth.
efficiently uptake amino acids, glucose, creatine and other Combating illness is certainly higher on the body’s priority
muscle-building compounds into muscle cells at several criti- list than building muscle and burning fat. Not to mention
DISCLAIMER:
The following is uncensored/
unedited and in no way reflects the
opinions of the staff of Muscular
Development. Who the hell knows
what this guy might say... he’s a
mental freak. This article is for enter-
tainment purposes only.
MY OLYMPIA ING DOWN A HUGE DOWNHILL SLOPE, MORE TOWARDS
VIEW..THIS IS THE BIZZARRE & CIRCUS SIDE FREAK SHOW THAN A
MY OPINON BODYBUILDING EVENT……AGAIN THIS IS MY OPIN-
ONLY NOT MD’s ION!!!!….. PERSONALLY, I THINK THE JUDGES NEED TO
… Due to manage- RE-VAMP THEIR CRITERIA START BY PLACING THE OVER-
ment cuts, the light at the end of the tunnel will now be LY JUICED UP STRIATED WATER BALOONS LOWER AND
switched off…. Excuse me, I have to recharge my GET BACK TO WHAT BODYBUILDING IS ALL ABOUT >>>
flamethrower…..OK SO, ALTHOUGH I WAS NOT AT THE TINY WAISTS, BEAUTIFUL MUSCLE SYMETRY AND PRO-
OLYMPIA PERSONALLY, I KNOW FOR A FACT I DIDN’T PORTIONATE MUSCLE SIZE… YES YES YES, I KNOW WHAT
MISS A FUCKING THING!!!… YES , I WATCHED A FEW YOUR THINKING, VALENTINO YOU ARE NO-ONE TO TALK ,
OLYMPIA VIDEO’S AND IT BORED THE SHIT OUTTA YOU LOOKED FUCKING DISGUSTING WITH YOUR RETARDED
ME……THE BIG GUYS ALL LOOKED OVER JUICED UP LIKE BODY…. AND YES, 100% YOUR RIGHT PINHEADS , BUT
VEINY RIPPED WATER BALLOONS AND WITHOUT VIC- WHEN I COMPETED I HAD A MINI ARNOLD TYPE BUILD, I
TOR MARTINEZ , KAI GREENE, BRANCH WARREN, IT GRACED THE STAGE , I DIDN’T HAVE THAT BIG RETARD-
WASN’T A REAL MR. OLYMPIA CONTEST…OK YES, DEX- ED ARM LOOK BACK THEN SO SIMMER DOWN !!…PLUS I
TER JACKSON WAS THE BEST MAN UP THERE AND DEX- WAS 100% NATURAL BACK THEN!!...SO GET
TER DESERVED TO WIN !!!..YO’ IM GLAD TO SEE THE OVER THAT BIG ARM SHIT … I WAS OUT OF
RIGHT MAN GET THE SANDOW TROPHY….SO A GREAT BIG MY MIND AND RETARDED GETTING BIG LIKE
CONGRATULATIONS TO DEXTER JACKSON FOR A WELL THAT …I KNOW YOU THINK A HYPOCRYTE,
DESERVED WIN..ALSO, I THOUGHT TONEY FREEMAN BUT I LOOKED GREAT IN MY CONTEST
LOOKED FANTASTIC AS WELL, SO MY PROPS TO THE X-MAN DAYS AND I NEVER LOST MY CLASS
( TONEY FREEMAN ) … …..A SIDE NOTE: >> DENNIS WOLF !!!!!…. BOTTOM LINE >> I WASN’T
LOOKED GREAT BUT HAD VISUAL FLAWS, AND JAY CUT- THE ONE ON STAGE WITH HOME-
LER WAS WAAAY OFF HIS PEAK AND JAY LOOKED MADE CALVES, DELTS , BICEPS
BLOCKY AS HELL ….I FEEL THIS OLYMPIA WAS DEFINITE- WIITH A BELLY & ASS CHEEKS THAT
LY A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION WITH A DEXTER ARE BIGGER THAN MY FAT ITALIAN
WINNING . BUT IN ALL HONESTY THE NEXT TIME I’M HAV- AUNT MARIE’s BIG FAT ITALIAN
ING TROUBLE SLEEPING AT NIGHT I’LL JUST WATCH THE ASS…WOOFA…YO THAT’S A FUCKIN BIG ASS
OLYMPIA VIDEO AGAIN AND I WILL FALL RIGHT !!!!...AND HELL YES, I LOVE FREAKS , BUT
ASLEEP…..ZZZZZZ… ZZZZZZ…ZZZZZ.. WHAT!!!... DID YOU MY DEFINITION OF ”FREAK” IS DIFFER-
SAY SOME THING???....OOOPS YA SEE THAT SHIT, JUST ENT THAN YOURS!!... SOME ( NOT ALL )
TALKING ABOUT THE OLYMPIA PUTS ME TO SLEEP OF THESE BODIES TODAY ARN’T
EVERYTIME!!!….. LISTEN THIS SPORT IF YOU WANNA CALL FREAKS, THEY ARE FUGLY >>> THAT’S
IT A SPORT, IS NEVER GOING TO BE MAIN-STREAM OR FUCKING-UGLY!!!!!...THE BLOATED 40 INCH RIPPED
ANYTHING BUT A CULT TYPE -NITCH SPORT UNTIL IT GUTS THAT ARE BOTH FAT & RIPPED AT THE SAME TIME
GETS SOME GENERAL PUBLIC APPEAL AND IN THAT ARE AS GROSS AS MY ARMS USED TO BE IN THE LATE 90’s
AREA, ITS GETTING WORSE!!…YO’, THERE WAS A TIME IN - 2001 WHEN I WAS OUT OF MY MIND!!!!… MOMO’S WITH
THE 80’s WHEN ESPN USED TO BROADCAST THE GH GUTS AND GIANT RIPPED ASSES ARE NOT MY IDEA
OLYMPIA , I MEAN REALLY, I STILL HAVE THE ESPN 80’s OF A FREAK, THEY ARE MY IDEA OF AN UGLY
OLYMPIA ON MY OLD VHS TAPES … NOW WITH THE BODY….AS FOR COMPETIONS , BODYBUILDERS TODAY
FREAKS THAT STARTED IN THE END OF THE DORAN ARE SO DHYDRATED & DRIED OUT THAT FOR THE LAST
YATES ERA , ESPN WON’T DARE TOUCH THIS FEW DAYS BEFORE A SHOW THAT THEY CANT EVEN
SHOW…....THE LAST 3 OLYMPIA SHOWS HAVE BEEN SLID- LEAVE THEIR HOTEL ROOMS EXCEPT FOR THE COMPETI-
ResearchUpdate
Warning: Opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of this magazine’s publisher or its
editorial staff. MD does not condone any form of illegal drug use for bodybuilding or for any recreational pur-
pose. MD also does not condone abuse of legal drugs for any purpose.
HEAVY
METAL GEAR
nderground gear is everywhere these days. In fact,
these drugs are so widely available, they have
lab) gear was almost unheard of 10 years ago.
The underground steroid business is thriving today,
changed the dynamic of illicit steroid trade itself. Up and is truly a cottage industry. Many smart dealers are
until several years ago, most of the steroids traded were finding there is much more money in producing these
either legitimate drug products that reached the market due products themselves, even if on a small scale, then deal-
to the efforts of gray market international traders and ing with bulk shipments. Depending on the drug, a kilo-
smugglers, or were copies of said-legitimate products foist- gram of steroid material can cost several thousand dol-
ed onto consumers by counterfeiters. These products were lars, but can produce 1,000 units or more of pills or vials,
all very bulky, difficult to conceal and compared to other for a profit of many tens of thousands of dollars, perhaps
illicit drugs, far less profitable to smuggle for the volume more. The powder can fit into a business-size envelope
and risk involved. Underground labs did exist decades ago, and generate a dealer the type profit that would previous-
but they tended to be very small in number, and large in ly require the selling of an entire van full of steroid boxes.
scale. The concept of the deep underground (homebrew Ultimately, these products will be made into the same
type of bulky dosage units, of course, but this assembly
takes place after the powder is well into the country, safely
away from the eyes of U.S. Customs.
The process of running an underground lab may be
fairly basic. Buy powders, buy packaging equipment,
mix, label and finally, sell. But is this a good model for
the end consumer? We need to remember that these are
drug products; many meant to be injected directly into
the body. An addiction to injectable narcotics often
entails the user taking great risks with their health, often
amplified by the use of “dirty” street drugs with
unknown ingredients. With bulk steroid dealing now tak-
ing on a “smuggled powder model” similar to cocaine
and heroin, one wonders if the same potential issues
may arise. To test this notion, we sent 14 underground
injectable steroid products into the lab. The products
were from labs ranging in size from the very small to
very large. The full test results will be in the next edition
th
of ANABOLICS (9 Edition, 2009). Presented below are
the results for perhaps the most important measure:
heavy metal contamination.
This test specifically looked for the presence of toxic
heavy metals such as lead, tin, mercury and arsenic. The
results were not good, to say the least. More than 20
percent of the products (one in five) contained heavy
TESTOSTERONE:
THE TRUTH SHALL SET
Betel Nuts and
Testosterone
THE WIMPS FREE production of testosterone), plus one
of five-weekly doses of testosterone
serum total testosterone (TT) and free
testosterone (FT) levels after applica-
Arecoline is one of the major enanthate (25, 50, 125, 300, or 600mg tion of a testosterone ointment
components of betel nuts, which intramuscularly) for 20 weeks. Both (Glowmin, Daito Pharmaceutical Co.
have been consumed as chewing hemoglobin and hematocrit increased Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) and its clinical effi-
gum in Southeast Asia. In fact, some significantly in a linear, dose-depen- cacy. Accordingly, Glowmin, is a
folks chew these nuts because of the dent fashion in both young and older short-acting testosterone ointment
mild stimulant effect. But there is men in response to graded doses of eliciting physiological elevation of
3
something even more intriguing testosterone. But get this; the increas- both total and free testosterone! This
about arecoline, an active component sounds better than rubbing KY Jelly. I
of betel nuts. And that is its effect on
testosterone. In this recent study, the
Scientists thus tested can see the commercials now.
Glowmin. Rub it on now, and rub it
effects of arecoline on testosterone the ideal socially anx- on it later. And in a similar study, 60
(T) secretion were studied in male
rats that were injected with human
ious individuals (i.e., men were given transdermal testos-
terone patches or placebo for 52
chorionic gonadotropin (hCG, 5 IU/kg) Woody Allen, Michael weeks. Testosterone therapy, relative
or arecoline (1 microg/kg) plus hCG.
They discovered that one intravenous
Moore, etc.) who to placebo, selectively lessened vis-
ceral fat accumulation without change
injection of arecoline resulted in an would respond to a in total body fat mass and increased
increase of the hCG-induced level of
plasma T. Also, administration of
social-dominance total body fat-free mass or lean body
mass and total body and thigh skele-
arecoline in-vitro (i.e., in test tube threat by exhibiting 4
tal muscle mass. So here’s an exam-
conditions) increased T production in ple where giving T can actually lessen
Leydig cells (these are the T-produc- decrements in their cardiovascular disease risk by a drop
ing cells in the testicles). The stimula- testosterone levels. in visceral fat. And to top it off, you
tory effect of arecoline on T release can get lean body mass as well!
in-vitro was enhanced by hCG and es in hemoglobin and hematocrit were
forskolin! Thus, arecoline stimulates significantly greater in older than
2
No Sissies
testosterone production by acting
1
young men. From this, it may be bet- Allowed
directly on the testes. Maybe you ter for older men to be administered Guys with more testosterone are
should go buy some betel nuts and testosterone because of the improved the alpha-males, correct? In this inter-
chew on ‘em. This might be an addi- blood cell count. But in addition to esting psycho/biological study, scien-
tional way to get a rise in T. EPO, we know why endurance cyclists tists suggested a link between social
love their androgens. anxiety and social dominance.
Dose-Dependent Scientists thus tested the ideal socially
Increases Testosterone anxious individuals (i.e., Woody Allen,
This was a testosterone dose- Ointment and Michael Moore, etc.) who would
response study in young and older Patches respond to a social-dominance threat
men who received long-acting GnRH Not to be confused with Vick’s by exhibiting decrements in their
agonist monthly (to turn off normal VapoRub, this study looked at the testosterone levels. A drop in T is an
The Anabolic
Freak By Dave Palumbo,
Editor-in-Chief,
musculardevelopment.com
I’ve seen this ingredient called TTA in a few weight-loss supplements. It’s supposed to be an ATP uncou-
pler similar to Usnic Acid and DNP. What’s the deal with it? How does it really work?
According to my research, TetradecylThioacetic Acid (TTA) is not an uncoupling agent like Usnic acid. It’s a hypolipidem-
ic agent. This means that TTA takes fatty acids from the bloodstream and redirects them to the liver where hepatic (liver)
cells burn up these fats in their mitochondria. Not only is this a good way to burn fat (it clears all the junk fatty acids out of
the bloodstream), but it also increases insulin sensitivity at the same time. The more sensitive we are to insulin, the less
insulin that gets released. Less insulin means less fat storage! Overall, it’s a very interesting compound that I’ve been
studying for quite a while now. The research is still not conclusive; however it appears to be extremely promising. Give it a
try and let us know how it works out!
Kirk DeFrancesco
Anabolic
Freak
of the M
onth:
Off-season: (280 Kirk DeF
rancesco
pounds) precontest: (238 pounds)
From the desk of Gregg begin to fall. By eight weeks post-cycle, pounds, Dylan credits bodybuilding for
Valentino: OK HERE’S THE DEAL.....I testosterone levels have usually saving his life by giving him direction,
HAD AN ARGUMENT WITH A dropped even lower than they were discipline, and a desire to make himself
FAMOUS DOCTOR FRIEND OF MINE before starting your cycle. This is a better and more productive member of
(NOT COLKER, BUT THIS GUY IS A known as the dreaded “depression society. He also looks forward to the day
FRIEND OF HIS AND IS VERY phase.” The good news is that by 10 when he can become a regular member
FAMOUS LIKE HIM, TOO) ...ANYWAY weeks post-cycle, your body is now of the MD forum community.
THIS DOCTOR SAYS THAT IF YOU detoxified, your receptors clean and
STAY ON LONG PERIODS OF SMALL you’re ready to start cycling once again.
DOSAGES OF TESTOSTERONE, YOUR
BODY WILL GET USED TO A HIGHER- Reminders: My Personal Training
THAN-NORMAL LEVEL OF TESTOS- Certification Course, S.M.A.R.T., is
TERONE, THEREFORE WHEN IT PRO- now available online at
DUCES IT ON ITS OWN IT WILL www.smarttrainingonline.com. Become
PRODUCE A HIGHER-THAN-NOR- a certified personal trainer from the
MAL LEVEL NATURALLY...I THINK HE convenience of your own home. I per-
IS NUTS, BUT HE SWEARS WHEN sonally wrote the information-packed
THE BODY COMES BACK, YOUR 100-page manual and I guarantee it’s
NEW NATURAL LEVEL WILL BE the most comprehensive diet, supple-
HIGHER THAN IT WAS BEFORE YOU ment, and training manual available. By
WENT ON SHIT. WHAT’S YOUR popular demand, a paper copy version
THOUGHTS? ANYONE ELSE HEAR is now also available for $39.99. Dylan, stay focused and out of trou-
ABOUT THIS BULLSHIT???? ble for the next few months and we
This doctor is right with regard to Prison Bodies look forward to hearing from you on
the first four to six weeks that you go Dylan Atkinson is finishing a four- the MD message boards in the very
off of a cycle. What happens during this year and three-month sentence at near future!
time period is that your body tries to Marquette Branch Prison in the Michigan
sustain the higher levels of testosterone Department of Corrections. His dream is Dave Palumbo
that you were exposed to while on the to one day become a top-level body- P.O. Box 1122
cycle. In essence, it overproduces builder when him finally released in Seaford, NY 11783
testosterone. I like to call this period March 2008. As you can see from the
the “honeymoon phase” and just like a photo (Dylan is on the left), his workout To purchase my book,
real honeymoon, all great things must partners and he take the bodybuilding Perfect Prison Physique,
eventually change. And change it does! lifestyle very seriously. Although protein please send a $25
After about five or six weeks, your body is hard to come by at his prison (tuna is money order to the
starts to realize that this artificially ele- pretty much all they have), they find a above address or order
vated testosterone level is not normal way to build their physiques, given what online at
after all, and your testosterone levels they have to work with. At 5’9”, 225 www.davepalumbo.com
BODYBUILDING Q&A
I’ve heard of the potent ber of androgen receptors in mus- extracted in 1926 but it wasn’t until
Q: effects bodybuilders
get with increased levels of
cle cells after just 21 days! By com-
bining the extensive research
1935 that chemists in Amsterdam
isolated the male sex hormone.
testosterone and I want to try a behind the key complex and ingre- They called it testosterone. This was
test amplifier for myself. The dient, CryoTest is scientifically engi- a very important time because this
problem is, a lot of supplement neered to do what no other testos- research laid the foundation for
companies make testosterone- terone supplement does – boost what we now know about testos-
amplifying supplements with and drive anabolically active testos- terone and its chemical synthesis
the same old ingredients. Are terone directly into muscle cells! and mechanisms.
there any products out there When you look at all the science Testosterone is a steroid hor-
with new ingredients that are behind this innovative anabolic mone, which is commonly associat-
shown to get me the results I testosterone amplifier, it’s no won- ed with building muscle. Most
want? der CryoTest has been getting so testosterone is bound by a glyco-
– Test-ing the Waters, Nevada much attention! I personally know protein, sex hormone-binding glob-
many top IFBB pros who will be ulin (SHBG), leaving only a small
Great question, Test-ing adding CryoTest to their supple- portion of unbound or free testos-
A: the Waters. It’s true, there
are countless companies out there
ment arsenal as they prepare for
the 2009 bodybuilding circuit. If
terone. This form of testosterone is
extremely important because it’s the
that make testosterone-amplifying you’re ready for this experience, try only form of testosterone that’s
supplements, but it’s hard to find out CryoTest for yourself and feel anabolically active and able to bind
one that’s actually different and the raw power of testosterone! to androgen receptors. When free
novel. There’s a growing need for testosterone binds to androgen
change in this category and just I’ve heard about the receptors, this triggers musclebuild-
recently the renowned researchers
at Team MuscleTech™ headquarters
Q: benefits of testosterone
from bodybuilders, but I never
ing through increased protein syn-
thesis. One basic equation to
were able to isolate a breakthrough, know what to believe. Can you remember is that the more muscle
third-party clinical study on a new give me some information on you want to build, the more testos-
testosterone-increasing complex! what it is and why so many terone will be helpful. But testos-
This complex is unlike anything else bodybuilders talk about it? terone can also be converted into
available on the market and it’s – Bodybuilding Wannabe, Arizona the unwanted metabolite, dihy-
actually been clinically shown to drotestosterone (DHT), which is
increase testosterone to maximum Bodybuilding Wannabe, it’s associated with negative side
physiological levels in just 14 days!
These are the highest levels of
A: good to hear that you’re
careful about researching the infor-
effects such as baldness and
prostate enlargement. So whenever
testosterone within the normal mation you hear in the gym. I’ve you’re thinking of increasing testos-
range for men – anything higher personally heard many bodybuilders terone, remember to take into
would be considered supraphysio- try to talk about testosterone. But account that unwanted DHT can
logical. And what’s more, the clini- the truth is, they often don’t know form from testosterone’s biotrans-
cal research also showed that this much and what they’ve said was just formation. As long as you take this
complex decreased the level of the pure B.S. Let me give you some into account, testosterone’s potent
unwanted metabolite, dihy- information on why testosterone is musclebuilding effects are among
drotestosterone (DHT) – a common so popular in the bodybuilding com- the most powerful of all the hor-
side effect of increased testosterone munity and how it works. mones in your body. By jacking it
levels! But it gets even more excit- Testosterone is, without a doubt, up, bodybuilders can build freakier
ing because CryoTest is formulated a powerful musclebuilding hormone physiques than ever before! I hope
with another key ingredient that – that’s why it’s commonly talked this information gives you a better
was studied in a human clinical trial about by bodybuilders everywhere. idea of what testosterone is and
and was shown to jack up the num- A raw form of testosterone was first why it’s so powerful!
AskTheDoc
Why aren’t there any oral con- rate of sperm inhibition in a Caucasian be many years away. Back to the vasec-
traceptives for men on the market? population was only two-thirds of that tomy knife!
Will there be? observed in Asians. Unfortunately, as
This is a great question! I was feel- much as some MD readers like to I read about Victor Martinez’s
ing a need to switch up my topics from ignore it, testosterone administration in patellar tendon rupture and saw
orthopaedics to other avenues of med- young, healthy men has disadvan- the complete rupture he had. I am
ical interest for our bodybuilding popu- tages.The disadvantages of using having pain in my knee and I think
lation.This question is probably of testosterone include inconvenient I may have what he had. Can you
interest to both men and women. routes of administration and unwanted look at my MRI?
Women are saying, “Yeah, why isn’t effects on the heart, prostate, hemato- I had an opportunity to look through
there one? It’s about time the man took logic system and lipid metabolism. this guy’s MRI. He has pain in the front
the responsibility!” while the men are Fortunately for women, progestins are of his knee and is having a great deal of
saying, “Would it get rid of my zits like safer and more easily absorbed orally. difficulty squatting. In fact, even light
Yaz does for women?” leg extensions result in a significant
Why isn’t an oral male contraceptive amount of pain.This of course is differ-
available? Well, it has to do with a num- ent from Victor Martinez, who had a
ber of factors, but the greatest reason sudden pop of his tendon after a lunge
is probably that stopping one egg from and was unable to even walk.The MRI
being released once a month is easier shows severe tendinopathy and an
to stop than millions of sperm being insertional rupture at the inferior pole of
released potentially daily (unless you the patella of more than 2/3rds of the
are married). Also, inhibition of the tendon. Meaning that this puppy is
pituitary production of LH and FSH, “gonna blow!” I suspect that if we had
which stimulate testosterone synthesis an MRI of Victor’s knee from the day
and spermatogenesis, results in loss of before his injury that it would’ve looked
signaling that makes men masculine. much like this.The tendon is the black
Unless, of course, you use testosterone thick structure below the kneecap.The
to inhibit the production of LH and white signal is fluid between the tendon
FSH, then you have plenty of signaling This is where SARMs (nonsteroidal and the bone…it shouldn’t be there.
for masculinity. Unfortunately, multiple selective androgen receptor modula- What should you do? I think the
studies show that administration of tors) come in to play.These are drugs best treatment plan for this high-grade
testosterone alone only results in a ~60 under investigation by many partial tear of a severely pathologic
percent reduction in sperm production researchers for the treatment of osteo- appearing tendon should be to fix it
in most men. porsis, cancer cachexia, age-related sar- before it blows!This will prevent you
The rationale of hormonal male copenia and male contraception. from getting hurt when you try to squat
contraception is to suppress sperm Studies by Dr. Dalton at the Ohio 405 again or just walk down the stairs
production by interrupting the action of State University in conjunction with at your house. When a tendon is torn
hormones involved in the hypothala- GTX inc. have shown efficacy in an ani- more than 50 percent it is best treated
mus-pituitary-testis axis, including mal model of a SARM, S-23, in combi- by early repair and rehab than rehab
GnRH, LH, FSH and testosterone. As nation with a progestin for male contra- alone. Rehab and immobilization may
such, clinical trials using testosterone in ception. S-23 has high oral help this feel better, but I suspect the
combination with progestins or bioavailability and acts on the andro- injury will recur and the tendon may
gonadotropin-releasing hormone gen receptor to maintain muscle mass, get worse.The repair procedure for this
(GnRH) analogs are widely viewed as seminal vesicle weight, prostate func- is similar to the acute rupture and
the most promising approach to hor- tion and bone mineral metabolism. In rehab is up to three to six months.
monal male contraception. addition, S-23 increased the lean mass Again, this is the result of neglected
Testosterone is a logical choice for and decreased fat mass in a dose- patellar tendonitis or Jumper’s knee. If
hormonal contraception since it not dependant manner. By using a SARM you start having pain in a major tendon
only inhibits LH, FSH and intra-testicu- in combination with the LH-inhibiting like this, take a break from training that
lar testosterone levels via its negative effects of a progestin they may be on body part, see a doc, and do some
feedback mechanism, but also provides the brink of developing an orally active rehab.That is, this article isn’t another
androgens to maintain masculinity. male contraceptive. Don’t get hopes up lame doc saying take time off, it’s a doc
Studies have shown that testosterone- too fast though, as we start a new pres- saying be smart and cross-train or work
only regimens have an overall high effi- idency and more regulation of drug on other weak spots while you let this
cacy in an Asian population, but the development, these medications may heal!
Extreme Muscle
Enhancement By Carlon M. Colker, MD, FACN
I
woke up this morning to learn back in the ‘90s when he hosted Fox Every time I saw him, or he saw me,
that bodybuilding had taken a Sports cable bodybuilding program he would be looking at me with that
tragic hit. Steve Stone, affection- “MuscleSport USA.” soft, million-dollar smile. In fact, I can’t
ately known to many in our circle as Steve and I competed in regional even think of him without thinking of
the “Stonecutter,” passed away in sud- bodybuilding shows at the amateur that big ear-to-ear grin. Steve was a
den and shocking fashion. I was level around the same time. Though I happy guy. He did what he loved and
informed of the tragedy this morning was a bit younger, I will forever we should all be so lucky. In a world
when my old friend Bob Bonham, remember Steve as being a positive that needs more smiles, he definitely
owner of Strong and Shapely Gym in role model on and offstage for other did his part.
East Rutherford, New Jersey, alerted competitors. Not only did he have In his role of coordinating the
my office. The news left me quiet and respectable physique development, shows backstage, Steve was responsi-
speechless for quite awhile. but he had the class and personality to ble for keeping order and getting com-
At only age 51, Steve suddenly and match. Whether backstage pumping petitors to the proper place at the right
unexpectedly collapsed and died dur- up or bumping into him out in the time. He did this with a dignity and
ing the prejudging of the women’s parking lot, Steve was always easy to class that will be sorely missed. For
competition at the Olympia. Cause of talk to. I never remember him for even example, he never treated the com-
death was reported to be cardiopul- a millisecond as being arrogant or petitors like cattle. He was always
monary arrest due to, or as a result of, mean to anyone. Some people called acutely aware that the competitors
pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in Steve a “regular guy,” but I’d have to were human beings, and vulnerable at
the lungs). disagree. In the sport of bodybuilding, that. As such, he was always stepping
A former competitive regional he was anything but regular. The mer- outside the stress of his role and
bodybuilder in years past, Steve was curial sport of bodybuilding parody is reaching for feedback from the com-
best known more recently as the littered with self-centered, cave man- petitors, asking if anyone needed any-
NPC’s Vice Chairman, as well as a literate, egotistical meatheads. Steve thing and if they were OK. It is a physi-
stage expeditor during all major NPC was none of those things. He was self- cally and emotionally stressful time
bodybuilding competitions dating back less, astute, schooled and exuded only fully understood by those who
to the early ‘90s. In fact, since 2004, he class. From my earliest days as a com- have actually competed in the sport of
fulfilled the same role at the Mr. petitor, I always liked Steve’s clean bodybuilding. Steve walked the walk
Olympia. Steve was a familiar fixture presentation, intelligence and and so he had an intimate understand-
of the bodybuilding community and restrained disposition. These were ing of the physical toll it was taking on
someone whom competitors, writers traits that he carried forward well after the athletes, as well as their emotional
and fans grew quite familiar with. In a his competitive days were over. fragility when drawn down by dietary
sport that sees its stars leave and fade Though Steve and I lived in the restrictions and dehydration. But with
into oblivion with shocking frequency, same area, I would seldom see him, this understanding, Steve also had the
in sharp contrast, Steve had an amaz- except when we’d occasionally bump humanity and decency to reach out to
ing passion and was a consistent into one another at the diner we them. He was always there with a bot-
mainstay who never left until his tragic would both frequent. He always had a tle of water or an encouraging word.
end. He promoted the NPC Empire smile and a kind word for me, and I He knew what it took to get onstage.
State Classic held each year on Staten for him. Other than those times, I He knew the sacrifice and the pain,
Island, New York. Steve even had a wouldn’t catch up with Steve until see- and never lost this intimate under-
short foray into television. Many body- ing him backstage at the Olympia or standing of what these people were
building fans will remember his role Arnold. I can never forget his smile. going through just to take center stage
LegalQ&A
2008: THE YEAR
IN REVIEW
Q: What would you say were the biggest stories of
the year in the world of doping, bodybuilding or
enhancing drugs.” Obama said, “I gotta admit that seeing a
lot of congressional hearings around steroid use is not
steroids? probably the best use of congressional time.” As chairman
A:This year’s Beijing Olympics coincided with the 20-year of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
anniversary of the catalyst for America’s “War on Steroids:” Committee, John McCain was a staunch anti-steroid cru-
Ben Johnson’s infamous record-breaking sprint and subse- sader and a driving force behind high-profile baseball
quent stanozolol positive at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Among steroid hearings. Again, we shall see.
2008’s big doping stories was the revelation that “Vitamin V” A litany of reasons has been asserted to justify why
(Viagra) wasn’t only effective for pumping up performance in Congress should keep investigating steroids in sports.
the bedroom, but on the field as well.The World Anti-Doping Some say that since the sports culture is a multi-billion dol-
Agency currently has sildenafil on its watch list. Also, the lar business with taxpayer-funded stadiums, doping is
agency sent the 4,770 urine and blood samples taken in effectively “interstate sports fraud.” But who’s the victim?
Beijing to retest for traces of a new generation of blood- “There’s never been any type of protest on the steps of the
boosting drug (EPO CERA) after several positives among the Capitol with signs saying, ‘Fight Doping Now.’ And there
frozen samples of 2008 Tour de France cyclists. So far, only won’t be,” says steroid expert and Penn State professor
the 969 blood samples may be tested. emeritus Charles Yesalis. “Fans don’t care; especially if you
As for bodybuilding, we welcomed a new Mr. Olympia in talk to young people. It’s all entertainment to them. It’s like
Dexter Jackson, suggesting the dawn of a new era in which the special effects that enhance a movie. The idea of treat-
next year’s crown may be up for grabs. Meanwhile, Craig ing sports as the noble cause— if you’re talking to people
Titus and Kelly Ryan entered guilty pleas and were sen- under 40, they’re looking at you like you’ve got antlers.”
tenced (Titus got 21-to-55 years) for their respective roles in Some say that the public health concerns, with potential
the 2005 death of Melissa James, suggesting an end to the spill-over effects on insurance rates and taxes, justify con-
sad saga…until Titus filed a motion to withdraw his guilty tinued hearings on Capitol Hill. However, those without an
plea and proceed to trial unless he got the lesser sentence axe to grind or a dollar to make in the anti-doping crusade
(minimum 17 years) he claims he was promised. have refuted the “Reefer Madness” portrayal of a deadly
Steroids update? As “Operation Raw Deal” defendants are mass epidemic of non-medical steroid use. Films like
sentenced around the country, we’ve seen a wake of the “Bigger, Stronger, Faster*” have educated the public (and,
longest federal prison terms ever in gear cases (usually bol- hopefully, the confused Congressman depicted in the
stered with money laundering counts). George W. Bush’s movie). What will 2009 bring? If the steroid hearings lit a
anti-steroid battle cry in the 2004 State of the Union Address fire among Major League Baseball brass to toughen up the
is being fulfilled. testing policies, let’s cheer and move on. It’s not that keep-
But maybe we’re at a turning point in our national steroid ing sports clean isn’t a worthy aspiration. It’s simply an
ILLUSTRATION BY LYMAN DALLY
obsession?This year’s documentary “Bigger, Stronger, issue of priorities. Until we get a handle on our sinking
Faster*” challenged viewers to rethink their views. Even one economy and overseas military expenditures, let’s keep
campaigning politician expressed misgivings about the Congress totally focused on the issues that affect every
extent of time that Congress has invested into ferreting out one of us every day.
pro sports juicers. Barack Obama, appearing on ESPN Radio,
Rick Collins, JD, CSCS [www.rickcollins.com] is the lawyer that
suggested that if elected he would steer a different course members of the bodybuilding community and nutritional supplement
than his political opponent when asked: “How much govern- industry turn to when they need legal help or representation. [© Rick
Collins, 2008. All rights reserved. For informational purposes only, not
ment should be involved with sports and performance- to be construed as legal or medical advice.]
I recently moved to St. Paul, Minnesota from Saul step-ups only before a contest, but now I’m doing them in
Paulo, Brazil. I’m a little worried about training in the off-season as well. It’s great for stabilizing the knee. I
the winter, especially when it starts snowing and all. also do single-leg presses and single-leg stationary lunges.
Do I need to do anything different when training in And I’ve changed my form on leg extensions. My starting
cold weather? point is much higher. At the bottom, I don’t let my knee
Unless you live on a tropical island paradise, you have bend all the way back. In effect, it’s like doing the top half of
to face the fact that you need to go about your business— 21’s for biceps, only it’s on leg extensions.
even when it’s so cold outside you expect to see polar Now for the no portion. Usually, after an injury, there’s
bears standing on the street corner. To a die-hard New the possibility of a psychological block. The injury could be
Yorker, it’s just a part of life. Modern gyms are usually tem- 100 percent healed, but mentally, there’s always that little
perature controlled, so normally I don’t take any special nagging doubt in the back of your mind. That could affect
measures (I’ve spent most my life here). But if you’re new your training, as you’re now reluctant to push yourself for
to iceberg weather, you’ll want to take precautions to avoid fear of re-injury. I’ve seen it before in athletes. They never
injury. For instance, if I came from somewhere south of the come back all the way because they let fear dominate their
equator, here are a few things I’d do. I’d stay away from thoughts. To be honest, I had my own moment of doubt but
string tanks and tight little spandex shorts (that stuff’s I never let it take control. I pushed it out of my mind and
reserved exclusively for photo shoots, anyway). Normally I focused on getting better. That meant rehabbing the knee. I
train in loose, baggy sweats. Then I’d spend a little extra on knew that when I finished my rehab, my knee would be 100
warming up. In cold weather, it takes a little longer for the percent and I’d be back better than ever. There was no other
joints to get lubricated and get the blood flowing through option. I’ve been doing this all my life and I’m too close to
the muscles, so a few extra sets is a wise investment my goals to let anything stand in my way. So I’m still doing
toward the future. But like I said, unless you’re banging in squats, leg presses, hack squats, leg extensions and lunges.
some medieval dungeon, the temperature should be com- I never used bad form or did bouncy, jerky movements so
fortable enough so that it doesn’t feel like a meat locker. it’s business as usual.
GO COWBOYS!
This is the best they’ve
played since the early ‘90s.
Remember those glory days
with Aikman, Emmitt Smith,
James Washington, Michael
Irvin, Deion and all those guys?
Now that was one helluva a
football team.
TRISH MAKES
TOP 10 AT
FITNESS OLYMPIA
(NINTH PLACE!)
I’m so proud and happy!
SLOW & EASY That was the goal going in and now
Bodybuilding’s a marathon, not a that we’ve achieved it, there’s no
sprint. So don’t try to be a rabbit. place to go but up. Can’t wait ‘till next
Remember in those old cartoons, the year!
old, lumbering turtle got the last
laugh? It didn’t matter what the rab-
bit did, that damn turtle always won
in the end. He never quit. He kept
moving forward, no matter what. Do
the same. Be the turtle!
Biceps Update my diet for the spring shows. To that I would be like trying to talk to the
Here’s what’s up with my biceps as say, I have been training that way for Ivan Drago character from “Rocky
October comes to an end. It still feels over 20 years! No disrespect to Hany, IV.” I must break you!
weird, like something isn’t quite but combining heavy sets and a series Dennis is very down-to-earth and
attached up near the shoulder. Oh of lighter pumping sets is something I humble. As a bodybuilder he looks
wait, that’s because it isn’t. I am slow- picked up on instinctively on my own really good, but he needs to work on
ly starting to use more weight on back a long time ago. It’s great that he those calves. I know that genetics do
and biceps training, but I am being made it more scientific, came up with limit some guys from ever having
super careful. I don’t really worry guidelines, and gave it a fancy name, monster calves, but he still needs to
about how much weight I’m using at but I still think it’s very similar to what bring them up more. I doubt it really
the moment, as long as I can get a I’ve been doing in the gym my entire hurt him at the Olympia because
decent pump going. Going lighter and bodybuilding career. Dexter has horrible calves, but Wolf’s
squeezing the muscle seems to be physique would just be that much
working just as well as when I went a Touring Oz With more complete with bigger calves.
lot heavier and the reps were faster. The Big Bad Wolf And real ones, not synthol-filled
Maybe I should come up with some I just wrapped up a tour of monstrosities, in case he reads this
neat name for a training system based Australia for my sponsor, Body and gets any bright ideas about
on what I’m doing now and try to Ripped. I went to Brisbane, the Gold going that route. I know the fans
market it as some brand-new break- Coast, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. online voted him “People’s Champ,”
through. It wouldn’t be the first time After being away from my home but he can’t claim that honor in
PHOTOGRAPHY BY PER BERNAL
someone repackaged a method and country so many years, I made up for Australia. Here, they love the Priest!
tried to present it as groundbreaking. lost time by seeing the whole fuck- When we had lines of people waiting
ing place in two weeks! Dennis Wolf to meet and take pictures with us,
FST-7 And The Priest was along for some of the appear- my line was always way longer.
People have been e-mailing me to ances, and I finally got to really talk Then again, I did have the “home
ask if I am training with Hany to the guy and get to know him a lit- court advantage,” didn’t I? The
Rambod’s FST-7 system, since they tle bit. Thank God his English is a lot tables would probably be turned if
know I will be working with him on better these days. I was afraid it we were in Berlin or Munich.
ShawnRay
T
he year 2008 began as a “The Blade” Jackson would hold off same night. New York resident Kevin
the competition to win his third ASC
promising one for a select few English would fight back “Dangerous”
title and the $130,000 check presented
regarding bodybuilding, but as David Henry in second and New Jersey
by MD publisher and sponsor, Steve
a nation, a country of people were left native, Jason Arntz, in third for the
wondering if they could put food on Blechman! During the 20 years of this win!
event, there have been only 11 men to
their table, pay their mortgages, retire The Fourth of July would bring us
hold this title. Dexter made sure he
on schedule and worse yet, send their to Houston, Texas for the first-annual
added this championship to his collec-
children off to war. Amazing how life Houston Pro where Nigerian-born
can change year to year, while the tion with a resounding victory over Phil Silvio Samuel would seal the victory,
Heath and Kai Greene landing in sec-
sport of bodybuilding can give its fans beating a vastly improved Craig
something to cheer about! ond and third place, respectively. A Richardson from New Jersey and 20-
couple weeks later, a few of the com-
Kicking off the season in downtown year Naval officer from Atlanta,
th
Los Angeles, California was the 18 petitors traveled to Melbourne, Georgia— Big Leo Ingram.
annual Pro Iron Man Invitational andAustralia where once again Dexter The addition of the 202-and-under
eventual winner from Denver, would reign supreme by way of defeat- class in Houston would crown rookie
Colorado, Phil “The Denver Nugget” ing Melvin Anthony and Mohammad El pro Ray Arde with the $3,000 victory
Moussawi while adding $10,000 to his
Heath. Phil has been on fire since turn- over Tricky Jackson in second and Jeff
ever-growing bank account!
ing pro a scant two years ago by virtue “Box” Long in third.The hot summer
of winning the 2005 NPC USA The following week saw the ath- month of August would take the IFBB
letes on a plane to New Zealand,
Championships. Shortly thereafter, Phil to Tampa, Florida for the pro body-
went on to win the Shawn Ray where Dexter Jackson would once building Weekly Tampa Pro
Colorado Pro/AM, New York Pro and again repeat as champion, holding off Championships, promoted by Tim
this year added the Iron Man to his Melvin Anthony and an improving Gardner. Out of the shadows of Dexter
Toney Freeman for an additional
resume of victories! More on Phil later. Jackson this past spring would emerge
th
$10,000!The month of May would see
Next up, the 20 Annual Arnold Classic the “X-Man,” Toney Freeman for victory
in Columbus, Ohio where Dexter the reemergence of a leaner, yet more while a streamlined, noticeably lighter
muscular Kai Greene com- Dennis James landed in the runner-up
pete and win the New York slot just ahead of the Giant Killer David
Pro in New York City and Henry in third place. Tampa would also
walk off with the $15,000 play host to the 202-and-under class as
victory check over Kevin well, where Tucson, Arizona native,
English in second and David Henry, fought off a rookie pro for
German, Ronny Rockel, in the win, but the rookie served notice of
third. The first-ever Shawn things to come in the form of James
Ray 202 pounds and “Flex” Lewis from Wales. Jaroslav
under New York Classic Horvath flew in from the Czech
Dexter Jackson winning the 2008 ASC would also be held on the Republic to qualify for the Olympia
the Year:
TEAM MD All-Star Seminar,
He died of cancer on September 17,
2008, age 78. He was the one who
pretty much discovered Arnold
loaded with talent and a wealth of before Joe Weider brought him to
information post Mr. Olympia America. Joe Pearson, age 39. Joe
Sunday at Gold’s Gym East (Same won the NPC USA lightweight title in
place next year, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) July and passed away while training
Best Feud of the Year: Gustavo on his treadmill. The coroner’s pre-
Badell vs. Silvio Samuel at the liminary report stated that three
Olympia press conference. arteries were clogged with plaque
Verdict of the Year: GUILTY! and caused blockages to his heart.
Craig Titus and Kelly Ryan; O.J. Rest in peace, my friend; you were a
Simpson. In the case of all three, great champion! Amanda Jo
justice has been served! Earhart-Savell, age 30. IFBB pro fig-
Best Addition Award: 202-and- ure champion was gunned down in a
under class…This is arguably one domestic dispute by a former
of the more competitive additions to boyfriend. A beautiful women and a
our sport. 2009 looks to be even great athlete who will be missed
more promising with the return of dearly by all who knew her.
Kevin English, James “Flex” Lewis, Delusional Bodybuilder Award:
Lee Priest, Richard Jones and others. For the eighth-consecutive year,
Babies of the Year: Flex and Shari Kamali. No one knows where
Madeline Wheeler’s to start but let’s end it
baby girl, Faith; right here: “Let it
Shawn and Kristie go, bro!”
Ray’s baby girl, Best Cover Shot
Bella Blu. of the Year: Kai
Losses of the Greene in MD!
Year: RIP, Ben Biggest “Non
Weider, age 85. Event” of the Year:
Ben was one-half of Lee Priest Comeback
the founding Contest!
fathers of modern
bodybuilding And so with that,
along with his 2008 comes to a close
brother Joe. on the IFBB pro circuit,
Canadian-born setting the stage for
and raised, Ben many more surprises
was the retired and head-to-head clash-
IFBB president, husband, father of es beginning the second
three sons and many other distin- week of January at the Pro Iron Man
guished things, but we all knew and Invitational in Pasadena, California.
loved him for formulating the Enjoy the holidays, my friends, as of
International Federation of this reading we will all be anticipat-
Bodybuilding! His departure will cer- ing the coronation of our new
tainly be missed for many years in President here in the United States
our industry. RIP, Steve Stone, age come the New Year. My personal
51. Former NPC Vice Chairman, com- choice for “change” is Barack
petitor, NPC/IFBB expeditor, hus- Obama, but whichever candidate
band, friend and great guy. Passed wins the election may God continue
away working Olympia EXPO to bless you and yours as well as
Weekend doing what he loved most, America!
serving and helping others; he will
surely be missed by all who knew Stay hungry,
him. RIP Wag Bennett. Charles Shawn
Great Experience
I worked the VPX booth with my fellow team members and good friends Antoine (Big AV) Valliant and Mike (Chi-town
Shredder) Liberatore. It was great meeting many of you who read MD. I really appreciate you guys taking the time to read
my column that I write (as there are some who for some reason believe that we all have ghostwriters). One of my other
highlights was being a part of the MD All-Star Seminar. I got the text from Shawn and jumped through the roof. It was a
text that was meant for Branch and was accidentally sent to me because my name is right after his in Shawn’s phone. I
received a text from Shawn about a guest appearance overseas. I ran around in a circle like a fool and called my best
friend to tell him! Then Shawn hit me back and said, “My bad, lil’ bro; that was for Branch. No worries, your time will
come.”
Nevertheless it was an honor to be a part of the panel
with guys I admire. You can tell from the video that
Muscular Development is not a team, but a family. The
Boss has incredible vision and is always there for his ath-
letes. He really wants you to succeed and always checks up
on you. We have many conversations about politics and the
economy. In order to achieve what he has you have to be
well rounded, and he along with Palumbo are two very
intelligent guys whom I give the utmost respect to. Now
that I also have the honor of really getting to know Shawn
Ray, his legend transcends far beyond and above the pos-
ing routines to baby-making music (sorry, bro). He is so pas-
sionate about promoting the sport in a positive light and is
so professional. When asked if he should come back, I
always ask people why? He offers so much to the sport
now and has already accomplished so much. Not to men-
tion having a wonderful family. Every time we talk, he’s
holding his daughter. Because of that, I look forward to life
when the curtains on the stage close.
On Tour And On Break From Heavy A Stacked Arnold Classic Coming Up!
Training It looks now like the next Arnold Classic might actually
Right after the Olympia, I headed off to tour Australia have a better lineup than this recent Mr. Olympia. Victor is
for some appearances. I did a little bit of training while I returning and you know he wants to win his second
was there, but nothing major. For the rest of the year I will Arnold after a whole year away from the stage. Kai and
not be doing any heavy training at all. My body and my Branch both missed the Olympia, so they will be hungry
mind need a break after the rigors of my last heavy off-sea- too. Aside from Jay and myself, everyone else in the top
son and preparing for the Mr. Olympia. It all starts up six from the O will probably be there: me, Phil Heath,
again in January, so I need to be fresh and ready to work Toney Freeman, Melvin Anthony and maybe even Dexter.
even harder than I did this last year. He doesn’t seem to mind competing throughout the year,
though I wonder if he will still feel that way now that he is
Return Of The Rühler? Mr. Olympia. The last time a reigning Mr. Olympia also did
Rumors coming out of my country, Germany, hint that the Arnold was when Ronnie won it in 2001, and that hurt
my former fellow Nutrex athlete Markus Ruhl may be com- him for the Olympia that fall. But maybe this is only some-
ing out of retirement already for next spring. I don’t know thing that affects the heavier guys and Dexter would be
if this is such a good idea for him. The last time he compet- OK. Speaking of Ronnie, there have been rumors that he
ed, at the 2007 Mr. Olympia, that very weird tear in the could come back at the 2009 Arnold, too. If all of these
middle of his chest was very distracting. Also, he just was- guys show up, it will make for a very interesting show and
n’t ever able to get that shredded look from the back that the toughest Arnold in many years.
That was the routine I used as I prepared for the Mr. Olympia. I find
that using a reverse grip really targets the lats down lower than a stan-
dard overhand grip. You will also get better results by pulling to a lower
point than you normally do. On the pulldowns, I like to lean back a bit
and pull the bar right under my pecs. With the seated rows, I pull the
bar right under my bellybutton. Get a good stretch and a solid contrac-
tion of the lats on every rep. Remember, if you can’t feel them working,
they probably aren’t. Train as heavy as you can, but never hesitate to
cut the weight if you can’t feel the lats working. Good luck! OUT
CHECK
ment.com
eveloPpLE
Got a question for Dennis? E-mail it to him at editor@musculardevelopment.com muscuFlaOrd
RC O M TE
VERAG
E!
ST CO
and you could see it answered right here in MD! CONTE
What is your diet like in the off-season and Meal 5: 12 ounces ground turkey
what is your off-season training split like? Meal 6: Whey shake; 1 cup oats
I have tried it all in the past when it comes to off-season
eating. I remember after my first show, I made the rookie I will do this diet five days a week, because I work five
mistake of eating all I could get my hands on. I was eating days a week. On my days off, I give myself two cheat meals
pizza, ice cream, weight gainers...this approach only did one per day to eat whatever I want. I usually do my breakfast
thing: gain too much fat. After my second show, I took a dif- meal and my dinner and cheat meals, because I like to get up
ferent approach. I tried to eat as clean as I could and in early and make pancakes for the family. Also for dinner on
doing this, my off-season was more like a contest diet and I one of the days, I like to eat out with the family. The key to a
did not get the shock value of changing my diet up to a con- happy life is balance and a family who eats together stays
test diet. Doing this made my contest diet even harder, together. My off-season training split is very simple. I do two
because I felt like I had been dieting for a long time already. days on, one day off rotation. The way I break my body parts
So after my third show I found the right way to do my off- up is different. I am focusing on my chest and back, so I train
season. The way I do my off-season diet now is a little bit of them more often. Here is how the cookie crumbles...
both worlds. I pretty much eat whatever I want, but in limits. Day 1: chest Day 7: chest
I drink three shakes per day, two shakes being weight-gain Day 2: arms/abs Day 8: legs
shakes and one being just a whey shake with oats. For my Day 3: off Day 9: off
other three meals, I eat solid food, but I don’t have anything Day 4: back Day 10: back
written down. I just make sure I eat 10-16 ounces of meat or Day 5: shoulders Day 11: arms/abs
8-12 whole eggs, and with my first two solid meals, I make Day 6: off Day 12: off
sure I get carbs with them. Typical day looks like this: I just keep rotating it in the direction so after a day
Meal 1: 10 whole eggs and 1 cup oats, off, I either have chest or back, then I alternate arms,
Meal 2: Real Gains weight-gainer shake; 1 cup oats shoulders and legs in the mix for the second day in a
Meal 3: 12 ounces beef; one large sweet potato row. I really like doing this split. Try it and tell me what
Meal 4: Real Gains weight-gainer shake; 1 cup oats you think.
O UT
CHECK
lardevelop ment.com
muscuFOR COMPLERETE
AGE!
T COV
CONTES
House Builders
This is one of my favorite, quick back workouts. Sometimes if I am in a jam and
need to get a fast one in, I do something like this. I call this workout the 3 of 10x10
back workout from hell. I set a bar up in a power rack and do three different exer-
cises straight for 10 sets of 10 reps. When I do back, I do the exercises in this
order. I do bent-over rows for 10 reps, then deadlifts with the same bar for 10 reps,
then 10 chins in the rack, then straight back to rows, deads and chins for 10 sets.
That is 300 reps without a break; talk about a pump and the feeling of wanting to
puke all at once…it doesn’t get any better than that, bro. You can do this with any
body part, but be warned, you might not make it all the way through.
Training Journal
Happy New Year! I wish everybody new muscle growth and striations from
head-to-toe during this New Year. January is game-on, bro. I can smell the Jan
Tana in the air as the start of the season is coming up soon. I am taking this sea-
son off from competing, but I am taking it more serious than ever. I am going to
pack on some more quality size in the areas I am lacking. I made some good steps
last year, but this year, I am going to start to jump. They say you got to crawl
before you walk, well I am done crawling and am on my feet, so I am go to step in
the right direction. I still am very new to bodybuilding and learn different things
each year.
This year, I learned to grow. I got some of the best people in my corner who
are going to help me this off-season, so all I got to say is let’s get it started. I took
a few weeks off from training so when I hit the gym this month, I am going to be
like a bat out of hell again. It has been very cool the last few days and when it
gets cold I want to eat more; my body must want to grow again. I will be hitting
up a ton of shows this year. I’ve got a schedule on my website of all the different
places I will be and all the guest spots I will be doing. If you see me, make sure
you say hello. I always like to put a name to a face. The Landlord, Andy B and I
have already started to think of more ideas for our show this year in September.
We got some good things lined up. I will let ya know the details as they get set in
stone. If I could give you some advice for this New Year, I would have to tell you
don’t ever go to bed mad at your wife or children; try to make things better before
the day is over. Because we only have a limited time so be as happy as you can,
because before you know it, it could all be gone.
NATIONAL HERO
Do the pros really get skin rolling and fascia relief A DOOR OPENS
done on a regular basis or is that just for show? It The Olympia was great. This was the most
seems kind of sketchy. What’s your opinion? interesting show I’ve ever seen. During the top
I’ve gone for skin rolling and fascial relief and I can tell five awards, I was literally on the edge of my
you unequivocally that it works. It hurts like hell at the begin- seat the whole time. As a fan, and even more
ning, because you can feel it being pulled off the muscle— as a competitor, it was interesting to see how
which is the whole point, as it’s adhered— so be prepared for they were judged. I believe we were witness
some pain. But once it’s freed up, the pain diminishes. I feel to the end of an era. The door has been
it’s beneficial to letting the muscle volumize with blood. I did opened for all competitors. It’s no longer just
it a lot for legs last year and I believe it contributed signifi- about mass. They clearly rewarded the most
cantly to their improvement. The pumps I got were insane. complete package and that’s the best thing
For that particular type of massage, I recommend doing it that could have happened for this sport.
preworkout so you can take advantage of the pump.
TALL SIDE
Being on the tall side, I’ve been fortunate that I’m not lanky. I’m not exactly a mass monster like Quincy Taylor or
PHOTOGRAPHY BY PER BERNAL
Paul Dillett, but I’ve never had problems putting on size. I think my genetics will allow me to hold 270-275 pounds
with the same clean lines and small waist. Usually, taller guys have a hard time with their legs but over the past cou-
ple of years, I’ve been able to bring them up. One day they might even be a strong point. Would I prefer to be a short-
er bodybuilder? Hmmm…it seems to me that most of the trophies are patterned after taller guys and I’ve always said
that the goal is to look like the trophy. If you could be a tall bodybuilder and fill out your extremities, you’d pretty
much be unbeatable. But that’s not to say that I don’t like the shorter bodybuilders— I have nothing but respect for
anybody that can take their bodies to the extreme. In fact, some of my favorites are on the short side.
Dexter Jackson
At this time, it’s unclear if Dexter will
defend. The majority opinion is probably
that he should sit it out, but I could see
him doing it. If he took the year off, it
would be to come in bigger but will that
really help him? Plus, with Phil making
improvements by leaps and bounds, maybe
the Arnold will favor Dexter, since it does-
n’t give Phil that much time after the
Olympia.
Victor Martinez
If Victor is 100 percent, I don’t see any
reason why he can’t win it. He’s a freak! It
won’t be a walk in the park, that’s for sure.
He’s beaten Dexter the last two meetings
by virtue of being a bigger version of Dex. I
believe he’ll beat Phil with his superior
structure. To me, Victor is a combination of EASY THERE, JARED
the best of both Dexter and Phil. A couple of months back, I said that in the off-season, I like being as fat
and happy as the next guy. But I also said that it’s not a 007 license to eat.
Phil Heath Don’t go up too heavy because you’ll need to lose a great deal of fat,
What a monster! So full and round, from which means dieting earlier and slower to come in shape. Plus you run the
head-to-toe— and the conditioning! He has risk of loose skin if you come down too fast. So if you start looking like a
a very dramatic look onstage. He grabs “before” candidate for those Jared Subway commercials, it might be time
your attention immediately. He keeps get- to pull in the reins there.
ting better and better. It’s scary!
BEST SHORT BODYBUILDERS
Kai Greene Danny Padilla-One of my all-time faves.
Based on last year’s showings, and the Franco Columbu-A legend!
little bit I know of him, he will be better Lee Labrada-Perfection!
than before. He won’t show up with the Shawn Ray-Awesome career and legacy.
same physique you saw last year. He will Lee Priest-Born to be a bodybuilder. I’ve seen pics of him as a teen and
be better and that’s a scary thought for the it’s obvious that this guy was put on this earth to do one thing.
competition. He’ll be right up there. Flex Lewis-Very impressive. So young and already holding his own
against veterans. He will be incredible—the next Lee Priest.
Branch Warren
Branch has a totally different physique www.nebula-fitness.com
from Victor, Dexter, Phil and Kai. He’s in I’m always on the lookout for new pieces
your face and there’s nothing you can do of equipment for the gym. Nebula makes
about it. It’ll be interesting to see where this awesome piece that hits the hams just
the judges place him in this lineup. right (1520 glute/ham reverse hyper— yeah,
it looks like a medieval torture device that
Toney Freeman belongs in a dungeon). I used one out in Jersey
He’s got size, shape— and when he’s and loved it to death. It gets my hams right up
on, conditioning. He could shake it up. where it ties in with the glutes. It’s nasty! I just
had to get it for my gym, so I talked to the guys
And if Jay does it…Holy Shit! It’s gonna at Nebula and they gave me a great deal (and
be crazy. I already know where I’ll be in on a 45-degree hyperextension apparatus).
March. They make unbelievable equipment. Scope it out!
The 2008
Mr. Olympia
he biggest contest of the year is have been declared the rightful win- ance that condition with the much-
DENNIS WOLF
MY Post-Olympia Critique
D
ennis Wolf obviously is an
incredibly gifted athlete and is
genetically and potentially one
of the best athletes I have ever
seen, primarily due to the overall
height and structure he has been
blessed with. In my opinion, once
we fill Dennis out, he will be able to
win and keep the Olympia title as
long as he wants; I just feel he is
that good. There are very few ath-
letes as tall as Dennis who possess
not only the genetics, but the pro-
portions, muscle bellies and small
bone and joint structure that Dennis
has. Because of this, his potential is
unlimited, but the expectations
everyone has for him because they
know just how great Dennis can be
are even greater.
There are very few athletes I feel
you can actually say are legendary
in the sport or leave such an impact
on people as being “one of the
greatest”…Ronnie Coleman and
Flex Wheeler, to name a few.
However, I really feel Dennis Wolf
will end up in this group. Is Dennis
going to be the biggest athlete of all
time? No, and is he structurally the
very best to ever step foot onstage?
Maybe not the best, but one of
them. What Dennis possesses is the
gift of being able to reach the top of
PHOTOGRAPHY BY PER BERNAL
Trainer of
of Champions
Champions
THE BODYBUILDING
2008 Mr. Olympia: The Right Man Won!
From where I was sitting, dead center in the second row,
Dexter Jackson was the solid choice for first place. After
that, I didn’t completely agree with how the placings turned
out. Here’s what my top five would have looked like:
Dexter
Phil
Wolf or Toney (so close you
could have flipped a coin)
Jay
Melvin or Silvio
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lastword By John Romano
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